Free When a Beta Roars by Eve Langlais

in time, however, to hear, “Why you dirty fucking tom cat. How dare you seduce my sister!”
    Smack .
    Thump .
    Rawr .
    Grrr .
    She leaned against the doorjamb as she watched Hayder, who’d lost his towel, and her brother, who wore a mighty scowl, rolling about on the floor in a flurry of fists and thrashing legs.
    A rustle of movement drew her attention to the open condo door. A tousled blonde head peered in. “Everything okay?”
    “I think so.”
    Amber eyes followed the destructive path of the combatants. “Men. Can’t train them to behave inside and can’t teach them to not piss on the furniture.”
    Arabella’s mouth rounded in an O of surprise. Surely she’d misheard. “Pee?”
    “Only my ex-boyfriend ever actually did that. He’s the reason why I moved. Fucker would get drunk, break in through the window by the fire escape, and pee on my stuff. I’d get mad. He’d apologize. We’d have wild jungle sex, and then I’d kick him out and tell him to never talk to me again.”
    Still couldn’t fathom the logic. “You had sex with a guy who peed on your couch?”
    “Less the couch, more like the kitchen chair, so nothing I couldn’t wipe up. And the worst part is the bastard would wait for me to wake up. I’d wander into the kitchen all oblivious like, totally in the buff, usually to find him munching one of my homemade cookies.” The crazy blonde’s brows shot up in an Aha moment. “Hey, wait a second. I wonder if that’s why he got wasted so often?”
    She’d just clued in. “He was after no-strings sex.”
    “I was actually talking about the cookies, but I think your explanation is more plausible.”
    Unlike this conversation. Arabella wondered if she’d somehow gotten transported to an alternate dimension. Where else would she converse about peeing ex-boyfriends while dressed in nothing more than a T-shirt and underwear while Hayder and Jeoff exchanged blows? Although those were less punches now and more a grunting struggle as they tired.
    “I’m Luna by the way,” the blonde in her doorway said with a wave and a bright smile.
    “And I’m Arabella.”
    “I know who you are. Everyone does. The whole tower is abuzz about you and why you’re here.”
    “I’m here because of the danger I’m in from my old pack. A danger that has apparently followed me here. Sorry about that.” The people Arabella had met so far seemed rather nice, and she hated she’d brought her violent baggage and disturbed them.
    Luna’s freckled nose wrinkled. “What are you apologizing for? We’re all excited about the chance to whoop some wolf butt. I was talking about the other thing we’re buzzing about.”
    “What other thing?”
    Luna rolled her eyes. “You know. The thing . You. Him.” Luna made a squeaky noise as she poked a finger through a ring she made with her other hand.
    Arabella’s eyes widened. Was she implying…? “Oh no. We haven’t— That is we’re not— He’s just here to protect me.”
    “Protect you from what, the clothing police?” Luna shot a pointed glance at Hayder, who currently sat on top of the struggle, bare ass exposed for anyone to see.
    Grrrr .
    Arabella didn’t even notice she’d stepped in front of Luna, blocking her view, until the other girl chuckled. “Seriously. No one will say anything about the fact you’re doing the tango with the pride’s beta. If we weren’t related, I’d probably make a play myself.”
    “We are not involved.” Only because they’d gotten interrupted.
    “You mean you’re not knocking boots?”
    Arabella shook her head.
    “Why not?”
    “Because I’m not ready.”
    “Oh. I get it. He’s one of those selfish types. I’ve dated a few. It’s all about them. Their idea of foreplay is sticking it in you in the alley without a few licks first. Don’t they realize a girl needs a little tongue action?”
    “Um, I wasn’t talking about foreplay.” Just saying the word had her blushing. “I meant I wasn’t ready