Submitted by Leann Ryans

Chapter Two

Scarlett

Scarlett looked into the full-length mirror in the bathroom, checking her reflection. She had curled her burgundy hair and piled it atop her head, leaving her back exposed in the slinky red dress she wore. Low-cut in the front and backless, she’d glued the edges down to make sure it didn’t end up in a pile on the floor until she was ready for it to.

The red eyeshadow she used made her blue eyes pop, and her lips pulled into a smile, showing the tips of her canines as her tail flicked in satisfaction.

“Will you quit staring at yourself and get out here? We’re going to be late meeting up with the others,” Marisha teased from the doorway.

Rolling her eyes at her friend, Scarlett turned and glanced at her ass before making her way to the door.

“Gotta make sure I’m not looking my age.”

Marisha chuckled and shook her head.

“You make thirty-five look good.”

Laughing, the girls walked into the living area of the rooms they were staying in. They’d taken leave so Scarlett’s friends could throw her a party for her thirty-fifth birthday, but she had no idea what the other women had planned. Or why they had to come to Kisheen for the surprise.

“Do I need a coat? Should I change into flats? Am I going to regret wearing this?”

Marisha gave her a mock glare before linking her arm through Scarlett’s.

“No, no, and no! We’re just going to go have a fun night out with the girls.”

Huffing, Scarlett let Marisha drag her from the suite.

Kisheen Station was a large one, and fairly new compared to many. Scarlett had never been there before though she’d heard enough about it. While they handled a fair bit of trade and had a small branch of soldiers stationed there, it was mostly known as an R&R port.

“Do we have to find the others, or are we meeting them?” Scarlett asked as they walked the corridor.

“We’re meeting them there. Just relax!”

Narrowing her eyes, Scarlett huffed and looked around at the shops they passed. Interspersed with restaurants and bars, she wondered what her friends had planned for the night. She loved surprises, and she trusted her friends not to do anything too crazy, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be impatient to get the fun started. It had been a long time since they’d taken leave and been somewhere civilized.

It was a bit of a walk, but they finally slowed, Marisha pointing to the deck above. They were outside of one of the most popular clubs in all of West Sector. Jaw dropping, Scarlett’s wide-eyed-gaze met Marisha’s mischievous one.

“How…?”

Laughing, Marisha shook her head.

“Not me—Sin. You know her father helps manage this place. She had him pull a few strings.”

Still gaping as they climbed the steps toward the club, Scarlett took in the extravagant facade surrounding the entrance. In corridor lighting the glass front looked like marbled black stone struck through with glittering veins of flashing lights from inside.

As they made their way across the deck toward the line trailing from the doors, Marisha caught sight of their friends and waved at them, tugging Scarlett along with her other hand. Whistles and catcalls followed the women as they passed by the crowd behind the velvet rope marking the wait to get in.

Once they made it over and the girls had all expressed their greetings and birthday wishes, dispensing hugs and squeals of excitement in equal measure, Sindari tossed her glossy black hair over her shoulder and got their attention.

“We have a table beside the dance floor until the… surprise… begins later,” she said as her eyes flicked from Scarlett to the others.

“More surprises, Sin?”

Scarlett arched a delicate brow as she placed a hand on her hip.

“Hush and come along. You’ll see,” Marisha said.

Linking her arm through Scarlett’s and Sindari’s, Marisha pulled them towards the door with their other friends trailing.

Since Scarlett was an alpha, the girls had been wary of her when they first started their exploration training together, but it didn’t take long for them to realize she wasn’t going to abuse her dynamic, and she was useful to have around when the male alphas started getting pushy. The group had grown close during their time in training and then working together as they explored new planets, and even though some of them had left the unit and settled down, it looked like everyone had made it out to celebrate.

Walking up to the entrance, Sindari flashed a smile at the guard who unclipped the velvet rope and held it open for them, the bass from the music causing Scarlett’s heart to beat faster as they moved towards the source.

Slipping between the heavy double doors another guard held open for them, her skin prickled with awareness as her senses were bombarded. The inside of the club was just as dark as open space, with strobing lights leaving a confused jumble of impressions on her brain. Music deafening, she could feel the beat rattling through the floor and echoing inside her chest.

The mingled scents of hundreds of sweaty people assaulted her nostrils as she moved into a stream of recycled air blowing from the ceiling. Wrinkling her nose, she wondered which stench was worse, but her excitement drowned out the brief distraction as she watched the writhing bodies taking up the center of the space.

“Let’s get to our table and get some drinks!” Sindari yelled next to Scarlett’s ear.

Nodding, she followed Sin’s swishing black hair as the others trailed along behind her.

“This place is packed,” Marisha called from behind her.

Nodding again and flashing a smile over her shoulder, Scarlett moved aside for the other girls to slide into the booth they had come to. None of them made a peep about her claiming the end seat. They’d let her claim it wherever they went ever since the time she flipped a table, launching herself over it at a dickhead alpha who had insulted her. Their favorite restaurant hadn’t allowed them back after that, so Scarlett always took the end seat to prevent another issue.

Settling in, the girls chatted as they waited for a waitress to come take their drink orders. Scarlett could already see other alphas eyeing the group, and she curled her lip at the closest one who caught her gaze, slipping her arm around Marisha to stake her claim.

Noticing the male she was staring at, Marisha chuckled and cuddled into Scarlett’s side. Though her friends all knew Scarlett preferred males, they usually pretended to be her harem while they were out together to keep the male alphas from cutting in, though a few brave souls still tried. It would have been harder if any of their group was omega, but each of the other girls were beta, and a few happily married already.

Smirking when the waitress stopped at their table, cutting off her view of the male alpha, Scarlett turned her attention to the scantily clad woman standing beside her.

“What can I get you?” the waitress asked, nostrils flaring as she fixed her gaze on Scarlett.

With a flirty smile, the waitress shifted closer as she held up her order pad. Scarlett waited until the others ordered before giving her own.

“And a tray of shots,” Sin added with a grin.

Rolling her eyes, Scarlett laughed and nodded. The waitress gave her a wink, swinging her hips as she walked away.

It seemed like mere seconds before she was back, placing a square tray lined with shot glasses in the middle of the table before passing out their drinks.

Making sure her fingers brushed over Scarlett’s, the invitation in the waitress’ orange eyes was unmistakable, but Scarlett gave a small shake of her head. Poking out her bottom lip, the girl gave her a pretty pout before leaving their table to tend to other customers.

“I’m surprised she didn’t slip you her number,” Marisha said as the others all laughed.

Sliding the tiny strip of paper from the bottom of her glass, Scarlett held it up, chuckling as the others gasped.

Passing out a shot to everyone, Sindari held one up in a salute.

“To Scarlett, our faithful, ever-delicious alpha mistress. May you age like a fine wine.”

A blush heating her cheeks, Scarlett raised her shot with the others, clinking the glasses together before downing her drink.

Passing out another, Marisha called, “And may you get laid like a new deck!”

Devolving into cackles of laughter, the girls took their shots before Scarlett slid from her seat.

“Are you just going to sit on your pretty asses all night, or are we going to dance?” she yelled as she stood, pulling Marisha behind her as she worked her way into the mass of bodies writhing on the dance floor.