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Yes, my pack had money. We’d always be comfortable, and I’d want for nothing. But my mates didn’t flaunt their wealth as a status symbol. Hell, even Jamison, who held large shares of his family’s multi-million dollar companies, owned his own bar and often worked behind the counter.
It was one of the many things that made Pack Maverick different from the kinds of people I’d known my whole life. I’d never appreciated those differences more than I did now, standing in this ballroom, surrounded by pompous behavior and unhappiness masked behind contrived smiles and saccharine greetings.
The room and the patrons may be beautiful, but an inky feeling crawled over my skin. This was the last place I wanted to be.
This was your idea, remember?Get through tonight and you’ll never have to be around these people again.
Blowing out a breath, I used my vantage point at the top of the steps and surveyed the room at large, looking for my target.
“You doing okay, Sunshine?”Knox’s voice in my ear almost startled me, but I schooled my features at the last moment, remembering the nearly microscopic earpiece he’d given me. My hair concealed it, tumbling in loose curls past my shoulders.
“Mmhmm,” I hummed to myself, hoping he could hear me. The din of the room was at a low roar, but I didn’t want to chance talking out loud and drawing unwanted attention.
My fingers traced over the heart-shaped pendant hanging off the delicate chain clasped around my neck. A tracker lay inside. Knox’s brilliant idea; one that helped him feel more in control of such a reckless situation. He could follow my movements through the ballroom, and knowing he’d be able to find me if something went awry helped ease some of the anxiety thrumming through me.
The overwhelming scent of ‘Alpha’ flooded the room, mixing with the less potent aroma of Betas and the chemical tang of scent blockers the few Omegas in attendance wore. The cacophony of the blend made my nose ache.
Spotting my objective across the room, I slowly made my descent. By the time I reached the bottom step, I’d drawn the attention of nearly every Alpha in the nearby vicinity.
Trepidation skittered down my spine from the weight of their perusal, but everything was going according to plan. I needed their eyes on me and the low hush of their murmurs spreading like wildfire.
IneededAnton to know I was here.
A low growl sounded in my ear as I moved deeper into the room, the sea of Alphas and Betas parting for me as I passed them by. A stir of low rumbles flowed in my wake, and I caught slivers of hushed conversations.
“A lone Omega?”
“Where are her chaperones?”
“She doesn’t appear to have claiming bites.”
“I cannot believe we agreed to this,”Hades’ low, angry voice filled my head.
Truthfully, I couldn’t either. We’d argued over my plan these past two weeks while we put all the moving pieces in place, but though they’d all agreed this was our best shot at ending the situation with Anton, when push came to shove, I’d half expected them to forbid me from going through with it.
Entering a room full of Alphas without a chaperone could classify me as being ‘too stupid to live,’ but I preferred to think of this as a strategic move. Dressed in the emerald gown I’d chosen during my shopping trip with Eli, my neck and shoulders were bare, revealing unmarked skin. I felt beautiful. And with my new gun strapped to my thigh, accessible through the slit halfway up my leg, I felt stunningly badass.
“Fuck, you’re gorgeous. Everyone is leering at you.”A possessive growl ripped through my mind.“Remind me again why this was our best option, Sweetness, because I’m about to pull you out of here and go with my first instinct to lock you away.”Jamison sounded just as unhappy as Hades, but I couldn’t help the smile that curved my lips.
Despite his brutish nature, it was sweet, really.
I gazed across the room to where I knew he would be, grateful when the crowd shifted and I caught a glimpse of him through the dense masses.
Jamison stood transfixed, his sapphire eyes locked on mine for the briefest moment. Knowing he was here with me felt like a lifeline as I drowned in a churning sea.
Gods, he’s beautiful.He cut a stunning figure. Tall, with muscles the fine lines of his dark black tux couldn’t hide. He was all broad shoulders and strong hands, which currently gripped a glimmering glass full of amber liquid. Whiskey, just like his scent. I could almost smell him from here—the warm bite of liquor, a bonfire on a cool autumn night, the crunch of colorful leaves on a forest path. His blend of spice and musk had become as familiar to me as my own signature, which was currently heavily masked by scent blockers.
It took every particle of my being to stay rooted to my spot when all I wanted to do was cross to him and let him envelop me in the safety of his arms.
His fingers tensed on his tumbler while his other hand curled into a fist. His jaw clenched, the muscles jumping, and I knew he wanted to cross to where I stood. Instead, he forced himself to relax and smoothed a palm over his hair.
Slicked back on the sides, the short curls on top were styled into a neat riot. His beard, trimmed and groomed, created dark lines against bronzed skin just as sharp as the contrast of his black jacket lying over the crisp white button-down. He’d undone the top button, revealing his muscled chest dusted with hair. I nearly swallowed my tongue.
Jamison looked like a dark god, and I pressed my thighs together to ease the growing ache. Heat flushed through me, and I nearly fanned myself.
Not now.I willed the reaction down, running through all the reasons a pre-heat flare would be inconvenient at the moment. But later?
I was determined to get all of my men to dress up and take me out once this was over. A real date. One where they whisked me off to my nest afterward…
