When Sawyer looked into his eyes, it was just the same clear emerald green eyes, although there was an added twinkle, probably caused by the light of the half-moon up in the sky. Sawyer had felt his breath cease when the alpha smiled, his heart rate ratcheting up into quadruple digits. He couldn't look away even if he wanted.

They would have never met each other if Maddie hadn't insisted he'd gone out to wait along the roadside where most of the big hawk alphas were in supply. He'd been slouching further down in his seat whenever a passing alpha glanced at him. Sawyer sensed that they could smell his heat, otherwise he didn't have this much attention and luck on a normal day. Yes, he was that insecure.

After his second glass of float and the thirty-ninth alpha turned down for the night, Maddie declared she'd had enough. She'd prodded him to go outside since he wasn't impressed with any of the hot 'commodities' in there. He'd been glad to go along with this idea because he needed a breather. When he stood to go and saw the same alpha he'd seen up in the corridor, his legs wanted to give out beneath him. Because this time the alpha was staring, and there was a certain aura of desire he exuded that made Sawyer aware that he was into him. Yet, pride was the devil, and Sawyer had simply brushed past him, ignoring the mutual tension, the palpable connection.

There was no limit to foolishness.

He still hadn't expected the alpha to follow him outside and ask to keep him company. Sawyer didn't want to be thought cheap, and there was something about this particular alpha that made him feel like he was stepping on eggs and didn't want to break a single one. He most definitely didn't enjoy being rude, but alphas who cracked an omega at the first conversation always ended up seeing them as whores and puppets afterward. As much as he wanted to get rid of this heat so bad, he couldn't trade his last piece of dignity to get it.

He'd won.

Now? He just wanted to go home instead. He'd figure something out instead, or leave the country by bus or lorry or something. He wasn't putting up with this disastrous night anymore.

For some reason, he felt disappointed.

Deciding to catch a bus after five more minutes, he sighed, rubbing his arms. The night was a bit chilly and he was having a slight headache from all the pounding music and groveling indoors. Clubhouses were just not his thing.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him. Three huge alphas were approaching him now, and the aura they exuded wasn't the one he'd felt with the alpha earlier. This time, the aura was different. And painfully familiar. His heart began to beat louder in panic.

They flashed their neat dentition at him, perhaps to fool him into believing that they didn't mean any harm. Sawyer's instincts were never wrong. He decided to ignore them by looking the other way. Hopefully, they would get the hint and leave him alone.

"Hey, sweetheart," one of them crooned at the back of his ear, startling him. They were surely fast, surrounding him now, all three of them. Their eyes raked over his body, eyes flashing gold in lust as they inhaled deeply as though he was some sumptuous dish. He was nauseated. "What are you doing alone out here? Got no one to keep you company? Well, look no further! We're here to help you."

Sawyer's heat made his legs wobble, but he kept a straight face. Brave enough to walk out on them. The bus stop was just a few blocks there. Perhaps, once there the presence of people would get them to back off. He could only hope it worked.

"Don't be such a prude now, sweet angel," the second one said. They followed him closely, growling at each other as they argued in low tones. Perhaps on who would get to go down first on Sawyer? He was running now, breathless. God, why had he come out of the club at all? Why did he rebuff that alpha's company earlier? 

One of the jerk-faces caught his wrist now and Sawyer's anger flared. He turned, whipping the idiot's hand away. "Get lost!"

Sawyer felt as though he was making a big mistake. It was hard enough to get one alpha, let alone three to knot with. Now he was turning them down. It was his chance to get rid of this stupid heat. That was the main reason he'd come to Bad and Boogie, right?

He crossed his arms and straightened his stance to challenge the alphas, who were now watching him in amusement. They weren't bad-looking, which was sometimes the case with these annoying, pushy alphas, but they weren't what he wanted. At all. His heat may be eating him from the inside out, but his inner wolf, Raymond knew neither of these fools was what he truly wanted in his life.

His wolf purred, wagging his tail in mockery but Sawyer ignored him.

The first alpha stepped forward now, placing a hard hand on Sawyer's shoulder. Sawyer felt his skin crawl. "Give us a chance to prove to you that we're men. We could really take care of you. What's your name, dear?"

Sawyer didn't even contemplate an answer. He shrugged the hand off his shoulder. "I don't need you guys. Leave me alone."

"Don't be such a stuck-up."

"Then you guys should stop being assholes."

"We're only trying to be helpful, cutie," the third alpha, the one with a lip ring moved to stand behind him in a bid to stop him from moving away from them any further. "You need our help. Your heat has been calling out to us the entire evening, ever since you walked in with that gorgeous friend of yours. Come on now, babe. Loosen up."

"I am not interested. Get the hell out of my way."

A panicked chill ran up Sawyer's spine. He knew that he was playing with fire. This was the farthest pushy alphas normally went before they struck. A rough hand yanked him toward a lone building and pinned him hard against the brick wall, spreading his legs apart. 

"Since you've chosen to be unreasonable, we'll do things our way. Brax! Keep his mouth shut. It wouldn't take much longer now, little omega. We'd be done before you know it."

Sawyer raised his knee and struck the alpha down at his family jewels. The alpha growled, clutching his groin as he slumped to the floor. In a flash, Sawyer tore down the road, the other two alphas hot at his heels. He could never make it far because they were alphas – much bigger and stronger than him. But it was worth a fair try so he ran.

He could hear them just behind him. Growling as they breathed down his neck. His legs were about to give way beneath him when suddenly, he heard a yelp, followed by thuds. He dared not to look back but his curiosity got the best of him. Whirling, his eyes widened when he saw the alpha from earlier towering over the two jerks that'd been chasing him.

Oh goodness. Sawyer bent, palms on his knees as he tried to even his breathing. "Thank heavens! Oh, goodness."

"Are you alright?" the alpha rushed beside him, placing his hands on Sawyer's back. Relief and safety flooded Sawyer's being at that one touch. "You run pretty fast. Even for an omega."

"Thanks," Sawyer blushed at that compliment. He had to admit, he found it pretty charming that this alpha had stalked him all the way here. He could have been raped. "You saved my life. They could have had their way with me."

"Those alphas are fools. They piss me off a lot." They began walking back down the road where they came from. "It's so late. The last bus must've left five minutes ago. Mind if I take you somewhere for a late dinner?"

Sawyer's pride rose like bile in his throat but he shoved it back down in an instant. After those alphas, he wasn't kidding himself about riding this heat alone. He needed help. And fast.

"I don't want to be a bother. It'd be best you just take me home..."

"Come on, babe," the Alpha cooed sweetly. It was music to Sawyer's ears. "It'd be like payback for me saving you?"

"Honestly, I don't mind. But I don't want trouble with your wife..."

"Wife? What wife?"

Sawyer gestured wildly. "Girlfriend, I think. The one you were with in the corridor? Blue ribbons?"

"Oh!" The Alpha laughed. "Victoria."

"Yup, Victoria," Sawyer sighed. "I don't want to come in between whatever you guys have together. I don't want to be someone's one-night stand. Or being used to make a partner jealous. That sucks."

"Whoa, whoa. Slow down." The Alpha held his hands up. "Those assumptions are so hurtful. And no, I don't wish to fuck you, even though you're the sexiest thing to ever exist,"

"God, you Alphas are so alike."

"Just lunch, babe. Then I'll take you home."

"Fair enough," Sawyer smiled. "You never told me your name."

"Daniel. Daniel Sturm."