Alpha Charming | Rheon

EIGHTEEN

The only thing that managed to save me from my R-rated thoughts was when the bartender announced the start of the karaoke competition. Rheon grabbed my hand, and we hurried back to the booth to watch the show.

First up was a woman in her forties with an old Scottish folk song I didn't know. She was good, but not Susan Boyle good. Next was Craig, who so enthusiastically downed his beer before making a beeline for the stage. He sang another pub song that had the crowd cheering at the top of their lungs. A few more people had the guts to perform before the volunteering ended.

"Anyone else?" the bartender asked through the microphone and scanned the crowd. "C'mon, it's only ten minutes 'till happy hour!"

I felt a kick underneath the table and looked up at Seren, who nodded over at the stage. "Go on, give it a try."

"What? No!" I whisper-shouted in panic.

"You can't be worse than Craig."

"Aye, ya can't be worse than me," Craig agreed.

"Do you know any Scottish or pub songs?" Victor asked.

I shook my head fervently. "No, none... well, I suppose there's one but -"

Before I could finish my sentence, Craig jumped to his feet and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Alrighty, Angus, I have a lass right here who likes to try out!"

My body went numb when the bartender locked eyes with me. "Aye, what a beauty! Get up 'ere, lassie!"

The next thing I knew, Reyna and Seren had me by the arms and were dragging me to the stage while Rheon could only sit there and smile. Traitor. I bet this was revenge for beating him at pool.

"What's yer name, lassie?" Angus asked and held the mic to my face.

"Ash." My voice sounded a pitch higher than usual.

"And what are ya singin' fer us?" Unable to speak, I muttered something to him to which he responded with a broad smile. "Whit dae ye ken? A personal favorite of mines! Take it away, lassie."

He selected the right song and stepped off the stage to man the bar.

The beat started and the crowd cheered upon recognizing the song as The Proclaimers' I'm Gonna Be. My eyes settled on the booth where the pack was anticipating the show. Counting down the beats, I opened my mouth and sang the first line.

"When I wake up..." I was stunned by my own voice when it blasted from the speakers. The last time I sang in front of a crowd was when I joined the school choir in ninth grade, and the only other times I allow myself to let go are in the car and shower. But dammit, I sounded good.

Gaining confidence, I stepped off the stage to parade through the crowd as the song progressed. Some of the older men wolf whistled when I hoisted myself up the bar, stepping over the beer and glasses while stomping my feet on the beat of the music.

The song forced almost every soul in the pub to sing along. The men at the bar raised their glasses in the air, spilling beer all over their hands and clothes although it didn't seem to bother them. Some younger lads grabbed their dates and were dancing through the tables while those who came alone formed a circle and were line dancing along with the music.

Jumping down from the bar, I slowly made my way towards the pack. After weaving through the crowd, I finally reached our table. Seren cheered me on from the top of her lungs as I hopped onto the corner to sit in front of Rheon. I was singing the final lines right at him with no regard for personal space. His brows arched when I grabbed onto his collar to pull him closer.