Hated By The Alpha book 1

I looked at myself in the mirror for the thousandth time, not liking what I saw. I wasn't used to this kind of outfit, which explained my awkwardness, even if I felt a bit sexy.

"You look gorgeous, now move over and let me finish getting ready, or we'll only get there tomorrow."

Alice bumped her hip against mine, pushing me away from the mirror.

Unlike me, she was wearing a red dress that barely reached mid-thigh, matching high heels, and her almost platinum blonde hair cascaded in wavy layers down her back.

I, on the other hand, was in dark denim shorts so short they showed the curve of my butt, a black tank top that revealed my strappy bra underneath. The bra was the only thing in this outfit that actually belonged to me; everything else had been plucked from Alice's wardrobe.

"Are you sure I need to wear these heels? I'm positive I'll twist my ankle before we even get to the club," I grumbled, staring at the black sandals she had picked out for me. "Speaking of which, you didn't tell me the name of the place."

"You ask too many questions, Bri!" she huffed, stepping away from the mirror, her face now flawlessly made up. "Yes, you *have* to wear the heels! You want to catch the eye of a hot guy, don't you? So you're wearing the heels to look taller and not so... you."

I could've been offended by the comment, but I had asked for exactly this when we started getting ready. I wanted to look like someone else-a confident, empowered woman, not the twenty-year-old who had just turned that age.

"I just hope I have fun before I faceplant in these heels!"

"You'll see, this is going to be our night!"

We arrived at the LYNC club just before midnight. The line to get in was still long, but thanks to the colorful wristbands Alice had somehow gotten, we didn't have to wait at all.

The tall, burly bouncer gave us a suspicious look when Alice extended her hand, showing the wristband to be scanned. He looked like a wardrobe dressed in a sleeveless vest that highlighted his muscles and a massive tattoo covering his tanned shoulder.

When his brown eyes locked onto mine, I could swear I felt a chill run up my spine, settling at the back of my neck. I took a deep breath, trying to seem as calm as possible, and extended my wrist. I thought he'd grab it like he did with Alice, but all he did was step aside, keeping his eyes glued to mine, letting me pass without even scanning the wristband.

"Come on, Bri!" Alice shouted, making me break eye contact with the man and letting her drag me inside.

The loud, sensual music flooded my ears as the red lights hit me. The warm, inviting air lifted my spirits, pushing away the weirdness from the bouncer at the entrance. Now, I was focused on the bodies intertwining around the place, dancing energetically.

The bar was packed, and I could tell it might be tough to get drinks tonight. Alice dragged me straight there, shoving people out of her way without bothering to apologize-that was my friend, a blonde hurricane.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Anything with alcohol." I wanted to have fun, to do everything I'd always wanted, but this time without guilt.

I turned to watch the crowd while she tried to get the bartender's attention. People were packed on the dance floor in front of the DJ's stage, moving tightly together. I couldn't help but notice the pole dance poles, where some women climbed and competed for space, dancing and swaying while glancing at the upper floor.

The VIP area was filled with men-not the polished, suit-wearing heartthrobs I'd heard about. These were men who were almost too gorgeous, with a wild beauty, strong like the bouncer, some with long, messy hair, wearing jeans and leather jackets. They reminded me of bikers, though I hadn't seen any motorcycles outside.

"Here!" Alice shouted beside me, handing me a glass with glowing blue liquid. "To our night!"

"To our night!" We clinked glasses, laughing, and I brought the drink to my lips. The sweet taste flooded my mouth, and I took a bigger sip than intended. "What is this? I could drink this all night."

"I don't doubt you could, but fair warning-two of those, and you'll be drunk."

I didn't think that was unlikely, but even so, I couldn't sip it slowly. I danced with Alice, following her moves to the sensual beat, our bodies twirling against each other, my hands gliding over her the same way hers did over me.

We laughed like two lunatics on the dance floor, not caring about anything or anyone, raising our glasses and swaying to the loud beat that seemed to pulse in my chest.

"I need to use the bathroom!" I shouted, trying to be heard over the music.

"Let's go!"

She grabbed my right hand and started pulling me through the crowd. Alice did the same thing as before, pushing people out of her way, but I was too focused on not tripping in those heels to care now.

"Hey!" a deep voice boomed in front of us, making me look up.

A tall, muscular Black man stood in our path, his arms crossed, making him even more intimidating. His brown hair reached his waist, and I noticed two braids swinging among the strands, which looked almost too silky.

"Hi, handsome!" Alice said in a flirty tone that didn't sound like her at all.