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“This is perfect,” Sienna squealed, then she climbed out of the car before anyone could even open her door for her.
Nash chuckled as I glared at the offending door. “Having a hard time adjusting to her independence?”
“I’ll adjust,” I said, taking a calming breath. My need to protect the people I cared about was something I struggled with in a regular setting. With Sienna, it was so much harder. She was tough as nails and forever taking care of herself.
“She still needs you, Yuri,” Nash said quietly before climbing out and leaving me alone. Glancing out the window, I could see both Sienna and River looking at me, worry on their faces. That wouldn’t do. I wasn’t going to make some kind of a scene and ruin our first date as a pack, so I climbed out as well and joined the group.
“Everything okay?” Sienna asked. River hung back to wait for my answer.
“Everything’s perfect. How could they be anything else when we get to spend the day with you?” I said, brushing a kiss over her forehead before River locked their arm through hers and led her inside.
Seeing our omega accept River was healing. We came from a family that expected nothing less than perfect. I’d had my first taste of pain after failing one test in school. The mental punishment that followed was way worse than the physical one, and longer lasting. River’s came earlier than that. Our alpha fathers were brothers, identical copies of one another.
Our family name spoke of money and privilege, and that world came with its own set of constraints: be perfect at all times, keep your image pristine, and don’t step out of line.
And River? They danced right over that line by merely existing.
The final straw was when we were about to graduate. I’d gained a full ride to an Ivy League school, something my parents thought they deserved bragging rights about. River, however, wanted to do something different with their life, and neither of our families were happy about that.
When they tried to use my supposed success to berate them, it was over for me. My uncle had raised his cane to hit River, but I stepped in between them. I’ll never forget the look on my cousin’s face, a mix of relief and pain that they never deserved to feel. Ignoring everyone’s protests, I took River, ripped up my acceptance letter, and forced my cousin to walk out with me.
We never looked back, and I vowed to never let anyone I cared about, including myself, get hurt again. It had taken years for us to open the club, but luckily, we had trust funds on our side that our parents had no control over.
River loved to manage the bar and talk to people, which made it easy for others to overlook that he was just as intelligent and business savvy as I was, but if they were happy, I was happy.
It was crazy how one simple comment from Nash could bring up these old memories. I forced them back into the dark hole they’d come from. Today was a date with our omega, and I wasn’t going to let toxic people take that from me.
“Hey, what’s going on?” It was King who asked this time.
“I’m good,” I reassured him. “Interested to see how River handles this little gathering. Want to place a bet on how long we’ve got until they’re up there with the performers?”
King laughed. “That would be a ridiculous bet to take. We might be smarter to worry if Sienna even gives the rest of us the time of day. Between River’s excitement and the entertainment, we might be an afterthought.”
It was a joke, and I was glad to see there was no real jealousy behind it. King seemed like a level-headed alpha who was far better at words than I was. Thank god Sienna had picked a pack of alphas who complemented each other well.
Nash was the strong protector who would do anything to keep her safe. I was the kind of alpha who made sure her needs were met and our pack was stable. Sure, I was more than that, but at my core, it was my top priority. King could easily keep her emotionally happy, and River, they brought her out of her shell, which was something Sienna seemed to crave.
The background music had River and Sienna singing along as they followed the hostess to our table. Nothing like a little Britney Spears to get you dancing and pumped up.
“This place is amazing,” Sienna practically shouted over the music. The owners of Hail Mary’s had turned an old theater into a production. The stage was extended with a runway that ran halfway down the middle of the room. Instead of a red carpet, it was decorated with a hot pink runner that also lined the stage. The tables were a mix of hot pink, black, and white, and the centerpieces showed off just the right amount of extra.
“I’ve never seen a pink bar,” King noted. “I think the high heel shot glasses are a nice touch though.”
“Just wait, you haven’t seen anything yet!” River promised as they handed out menus. “Get your orders in quick. It’s about to be packed.”
River was right; the moment we put in our order, the crowd started to grow, one table at a time, until the hostess was turning people away at the doors. Finally, the overhead lights dimmed before the stage lights flared to life. A curvy version of Pink walked out onto the stage.
“This is going to be so good,” Sienna whispered.
“Shes, gays, and theys! Welcome to Hail Mary’s! Say your prayers, clutch your pearls, and get ready for an amazing time!”
Laughter and catcalls filled the room, and Sienna and River joined in. Pink was the first performer of the show, singing “Raise Your Glass” while putting on a stunning show. We quickly got our food and drinks thanks to the efficient, polite staff.
The performance was phenomenal, but what really captured my attention was Sienna. The omega glowed as she watched the performers with rapt attention, laughing and singing the entire time. Her green eyes sparkled with happiness as she joked with River and King who sat near her.
“Man, you’ve got it bad,” Nash’s deep voice growled near my ear.
“Don’t we all?” I asked him before I took a sip of my Bloody Mary. He wasn’t fooling anyone.
