“Yes.” Rhett clicks the end of his pen.
“Cash?”
“Of course.”
“Double it and we’ve got a deal,” Oli says, and Rhett laughs like he expected that.
“Deal.” Rhett extends his hand, and just like that, we have a fake pack.
I exhale shakily. My palms are clammy, and my heart hasn’t stopped pounding since I left the boarding house. But underneath all of it, buried beneath the fear that coils and rattles like a snake in my gut, there’s hope.
I’m one step closer to Autry.
Still in the Showroom
Autry
My face hurts.I’ve never smiled this much in my life. And the fake laughing….my jaw is going to lock up.
I’m too tired to keep doing this. The fog in my head has mostly cleared, leaving me restless and sore and aware of how uncomfortable I am. At least the suppressants are working. They allow me to think clearly, even with the scent of sharp dominance hanging in the air like thick smoke.
“Everyone knows better than to mess with me,” the fancy alpha in front of me boasts. He puffs up his chest like he’s grand marshalling his own ego parade. His two packmates nod along enthusiastically, echoing his words like they’ve been rehearsing this routine. Supposedly, they “basically run the city.” Funny—so did the last three packs. At this point, it’s starting to sound like the same tired sales pitch on repeat.
I nod and smile, but my eyes keep darting toward theentrance. Where is Charlie? Did he find Rhett? Did the plan work?
God, I hope it worked. I just want out of here. I want him.
Every pack I’ve spoken to today has blurred together. They’re all polite, mostly, but not a single one has asked me about me. What I like. What I want. What I’m afraid of.
But Rhett did.
Talking to him felt different. Steady. Like a wall I could lean against.
I do feel a little bad that I’m basically using the alpha. I need him to protect me, but he’s also my only chance to be with Charlie.
Charlie…
He just feels right. Like warmth and space and home all rolled into one awkward, sexy beta.
“I insist on buying only the nicest things for my pack.” The fancy alpha leans down, pushing into my space. “You’ll want for nothing.” Sharp cologne clings to his dark blue suit, forcing its way into my nose. It burns.
Clearing my throat roughly, I fight the urge to slip off the arm of the chair and demand he back up, but I can’t. I saw what happened to the red-haired omega two stations down. She cried when an alpha touched her hand, and the next thing I knew, two nurses jabbed her with something. She’s barely spoken since.
“Excuse me, gentlemen,” a soft but firm voice interrupts. The blonde nurse from earlier gives the alphas a shallow bow. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but this omega has been claimed.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” The fancy alpha snarls, loud enough to make me flinch. “Is the sale complete? I can counter-offer.”
“The sales receipt has already been issued.” The nurse's tone is polite, but firm. “However, there are still a few omegas left to consider.” She glances at the station next to me. The curly-haired omega sitting on the edge of a loveseat gives me a half-hearted smile. I return it, feeling bad for her. This pack isn’t great.
The alpha grumbles and stomps off. His packmates hesitate, eyes flicking over me. For a second, I fear one of them is going to snatch me up, fling me over his shoulder, and run out of the tent, but the blonde nurse takes my hand and pulls me away. I practically fall over, trying to keep up.
As we near the exit, the nurse leans toward a burly beta in a security vest. “The one in the dark blue suit,” she mutters. “Watch him.”
The beta nods once and starts toward the pack. A small part of me wants to see what will happen, but I’m propelled forward out into the open.
We step into the night. Moonlight cuts across the tops of the trees, bathing everything in pale silver-blue. The air feels cooler now, cleaner. My shoulders drop a little, and I realize how tense I’ve been.
Still, I’m not safe yet. Not until I know who claimed me.
