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The Hell was louder than I expected.
Laughter and conversation made for a persistent hum with barks and shouts as the bones and cards went one way or another.
Worse the stink of alphas clogged my senses that I nearly gagged.
Alphas. All dressed in the finest fashions. Black suits for the younger, more fashionable crowd. Suits of dull coloured silk and bag wigs on the older generation. But the conversations and raucous laughter stopped when we walked in.
It wasn’t my satin gown of oxblood that was cut so low a deep breath would have my breasts burst free. Or the choker of diamonds around my throat, seen to advantage because I’d twisted my hair up—secured with my pins, should I need to defend myself.
No. Rather they knew what had walked into their midst. An omega.
My eyes roamed over the gathering. There were familiar faces. My brother-in-law, the duke of Orley, stood next to my uncle. My lip curled. I disliked the man who married my father’s sister, but he played politics with Viola who had some sort of kinship with him that I chose not to understand. Politics took too long. I preferred more direct action.
“Here,” Oberon handed me a snuff box. “Take some.”
“Why are you making this easier for me?” I asked.
“Because I want you to stay as long as possible without turning feral and killing everyone here.”
“I have never lost control like that,” I hissed.
“If you say so. There is Puck, give him a smile for his sake. I’ve permitted him to take something to calm his nerves.” The warm pressure of his hand on my back. “Come. Go to him.”
I followed the direction of his gaze and spied the other alpha. It was impossible not to. His bulk and his dark skin made him stand out in the crowd. He burned bright in the bland collection of society alphas and I was the moth drawn to the fire in his eyes as he caught sight of me. The alphas and betas standing around him turned and as one stepped back as if they knew they had no place by his side.
Puck greeted me in the most intimate manner possible when he lowered his face to my neck and inhaled my scent. I held still, all too aware at the eyes on us. Too aware of his hand on my waist and the heat radiating from that not-so-innocent touch. There would be gossip regardless of if I scratched and spat like a cat or acted as if an alpha scenting me was the most natural thing in the world.
“Thank you, petals.” His lips ghosted across my mate gland and up to my pulse which raced under the pressure his mouth. “You are so brave.”
“Petals?” I breathed, desperately aware of my crisp scent. It had been described as fresh and cold—not a typical omega’s floral.
“Hmm…” He shifted so that he could look down into my eyes. “You are—”
“Not flower-like.”
“No. But you bloom under our care. No, do not glare at me. A very striking winter rose.”
“Hellebore is not a rose.”
“But it cured the madness of many in ancient times.”
Our little world was shattered by the press of another body against my back. “What have you been talking about, schatz?”
“Petals,” he smirked. I shook my head at his ridiculousness. “I’ll watch her. Then turn her over later.”
Oberon smirked, gave an odd bow and blended back into the crowd.
“I’ll keep you hidden from him the whole evening if you like,” he purred. “He wants to show you off. I want to keep you to myself.”
“You are a flirt. I won’t mate you,” I scoffed. There was a headiness to our surroundings making me feel drunk though I’d yet to have a sip of wine.
“Give me time and I’ll—”
A cough had me jerking away from Puck and my cheeks heating as I realised the extent of my indiscretion. Hells, had I abandoned everything I held dear for a moment’s flirtation with this man?
Turning to see who had interrupted us, I found myself stepping back into Puck, who pulled my hand through his arm. Suddenly he wanted propriety, which I grasped and clung to like armour when I saw the alpha.
“Orley.” My sister’s husband was as ugly as he was steady. A contrast to my sister whose beauty and inclination for creating chaos had caused a scandal. Pregnancy had forced her out of the spotlight but I expected she’d return more determined than ever. “Puck could you give me a moment?”
