Page 102 of Knot Their Starlet

I shoot wide eyes in Beck’s direction, a flare of panic building in my gut. He just shoots me a sheepish smile.

Well, at least he’s not freaked out.

But what did Everett mean by everyone?

Is he including Elijah in that? Is he including himself?

Do I rile them up?

Leo appears behind Everett, glancing up from his phone and freezing in place when he senses the tension in the room.

His gaze lands on me, and I can’t help but remember his words from our little not-quite-date.

Have you ever thought of having a pack?

The delusional part of my brain seems to think the group of hot men standing around me would all make excellent candidates.

Which is crazy, because I barely know the two alphas here. And we all know how bad I am at picking alphas.

“The statements to the paps have been made, we’re good to go,” Leo says to everyone, filling the silence between all of us. He turns his attention to me, his voice going softer when he addresses me. “How were the cameras this time?”

“Oh...” I shift my weight from foot to foot, aware of Everett’s intense gaze still on me. I find the idea of showing any form of weakness in front of him embarrassing. “Better this time. Thanks for asking.”

Beck reaches for my hand, starting to tug me further into the studio and away from the crowd forming in the doorway.

“Now that all that stuff’s squared away, how ‘bout I show you some of the music I’ve been working on!”

His words seem to snap the rest of them out of whatever weird funk they were in and they all move into the room with us.

Beck guides me to one of the couches, flashing me an excited grin as he leaves me seated there. He goes to the mixing board and starts clicking a few buttons on the computer there.

Leo comes and joins me on the couch, sitting close enough for our legs to touch. The contact makes my breath catch in my throat for a split second before I relax into it.

If he’s being this open with that sort of thing, then I’m sure Everett has to know, especially after his earlier comment about me riling everyone here up.

Elijah sits down on an armchair that looks tiny underneath him, despite being a very average-sized armchair.

Everett slides into the office chair in front of the mixing board, lounging back as he watches Beck pull up the file.

“Ready, Starlight?”

A blush covers my cheeks at his nickname for me.

“Yeah, hit me with it.”

This isn’t the first time I’ve listened to a guy’s music. Ezra had me listen to all of his music constantly. With him, it was more of a chore. His music was never my cup of tea, and I’d always have to be incredibly careful about my emotions and reactions around him.

The last thing I’d want to do is react the wrong way and upset him.

But the moment Beck’s song starts? That lingering anxiety disappears.

Because it’s good.

Really fucking good.

It’s different from his other sounds, which have been a lot more boy-in-bedroom-with-his-guitar kind of indie pop. Which isn’t to say his stuff has been bad. I’ve become a big fan since we’ve started this whole... not-quite-fake dating situation.

I don’t think I’d ever be brave enough to admit it to him, but I like to have his music playing as I fall asleep so I feel less alone.