Forbidden by Liliana Carlisle

CHAPTER 3

AMELIA

Alcoholic beverages do nothing for the random aches and nausea that flood through me.

But tonight, I need a goddamn beer. Maybe two.

I took my time getting ready, putting in even more effort than when I went to see Brian. My light brown hair is pulled into an intricate braid that falls down my shoulder. I smoked out my eyes with more eyeliner than necessary, emphasizing the green and gold flecks in my irises. Dressed in dark denim jeans and a black low-cut sweater, I’m determined to look a thousand times better than I feel.

A breakup will not ruin one of my good days.

I order my beer and sit at the bar, surveying the area as I wait for Lucy. There are a few Beta men in the back playing pool, while two Beta girls flirt with each other a few stools over. Laughter fills the room, and I smile.

Here, no one knows who I am. No one pities the girl that has random fainting spells. No one asks if I’m feeling okay.

I can just be Amelia Walker, sipping a cheap lager and waiting on a friend.

My phone chirps, and my heart sinks when I read Lucy’s text.

Emergency at work! Reschedule? I’m so sorry!

I’m not upset, as I know she wouldn’t cancel unless she absolutely had to. As an Omega doctor who’s an Omega herself, she’s a rarity. She understands the medical troubles of Omegas better than most of the Betas that practice in her field. Instead of staying at home with her Alpha mate, Lucy pursued her dream, and is now one of the most sought-after physicians in the state.

We make quite the pair, a Beta with a chronic illness and an Omega defying all societal norms.

We grew up together, believing we would both be Betas. But she presented when she was eighteen, a little after me, when her mating gland appeared on her shoulder. Her blood test came back with Omega results, and the hospital implanted a tracking device inside her. They notified her mate almost immediately.

For her and Eric, it was love at first sight.

But I don’t envy her. I watched her go through a violent Heat, screaming incoherently, demanding something that wasn’t there until her Alpha showed up.

Her whole life was decided for her, and most of her choices disappeared overnight.

It makes me shiver.

I sip my beer, lost in thought, when I get a distinct feeling that I’m being watched.

I glance to the far edge of the bar, and in the corner, a piercing pair of dark blue eyes stare intensely at me.

They belong to a man with a chiseled jaw, day’s old scruff, and light blonde hair.

I do a double-take, checking around to make sure he’s not focused on someone else.

Nope, it’s definitely me.

I glance back at him, and the glare has turned into a smirk. His eyes are just as piercing, burning with intensity, and I allow myself a moment to take in his features.

Holy shit. He’s handsome.

Not in the Brian sort of handsome, with his cute face and dimples. No, this is the face of an Alpha.

A deadly, dangerous man, smiling at me as if I’m prey.

Dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt and black pants, he looks like an absolute devil as he sips his glass of whiskey. His eyes never leave mine, staring at me with curiosity, his head tilted.

I can still feel his stare even as I look away, and I can’t ignore the delicious thrill that runs throughout my body. I shift in my seat, my skin flushed and overheated. Sneaking another glance at him, I take in his features fully, my body responding eagerly at what I see.

My headache has faded. My mind has never been clearer.

The entire scenario is bizarre.

Alphas rarely interact with female Betas. I’ve heard of the occasional hookup, but this man looks at me like he wants to devour me.

And my traitorous body is ready for it.

Stop looking at him. Look anywhere but at him.

I try to give my attention to something else, but his stare burns in my peripheral vision.

It takes ten minutes before I’ve had enough of his strange behavior.

My mind debates on what I want to do. Part of me wants to leave, but the other part, the louder part…

Even as I hop off the barstool and walk towards him, I know this is a mistake. This is reckless.

Betas don’t do this. There’s an unspoken hierarchy, and what I’m about to do would make Lucy scream at me in terror.

But something tells me that tonight is different.

I saunter up to him and he raises an eyebrow, seemingly entertained at my attitude.

“Is there a reason you’re staring at me?” I snap. I try to sound irritated, but I wonder if he can hear the slight shake in my voice.

He smiles, as if he’s won a game I didn’t know we were playing.