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Orion glanced at me thoughtfully. “Is that what you really want, Jett? You just spent all morning convincing me it was a good idea to find you a permanent mate. Did you change your mind, or are you embarrassed about the ball idea?”
I shrugged, giving myself a moment to truly think about it. Embarrassed wasn’t the right word. Truthfully, if I allowed myself to imagine it, I kind of loved the idea. I’d never been the center of attention, and while I didn’t think I’d be able to handle it all the time, it would be nice to have one moment that was about me, even if I’d be sharing it with my brother’s ulterior motives. I didn’t mind that. His cause was a good one.
Still, it was overwhelming. And selfish, right? Orion shouldn’t be wasting his time at the ball vetting alphas. His focus should be on everything else. But he seemed interested in the idea, not at all annoyed. Maybe I could allow myself to have this?
“Would I have a say at all?” It was disrespectful to even ask this, and I didn’t truly have the right, but I had to know. Orion had insinuated I’d have a say, but I wasn’t sure if it changed with this shift in setting.
“Of course. I won’t approve a match if you’re not okay with it. And Jett, don’t feel pressured. I like the idea and I think it will be a good way to find someone quickly, since time isn’t on our side, but there are other ways. If you’re not comfortable, we’ll stop the plan in its tracks.”
My heart warmed. I honestly had no idea there were alphas that considerate out there. Everything about living with Orion and Lyric had been a culture shock.
I was quiet for a few minutes, thinking about it, and they allowed it, talking quietly amongst themselves and eventually getting up and cleaning up the meal. The dishes were nearly cleared before I finally looked up at the pair, who were washing pans together.
“I want to do it,” I told Orion.
He turned toward me, his expression serious. “Are you sure, Jett?”
I swallowed, pushing down all the nerves and the voice in my head screaming not to do something so ostentatious. “I want to do it.”
Lyric squealed excitedly, clapping his hands together. “Oh my goddess, this is going to be so exciting. Come on, Jett, help me finish cleaning up. We have so much to prepare.”
I laughed, starting to feel genuine excitement at his excitement. I was worried about how Lyric was going to feel about having another omega in the house so shortly after his mating, but we had quickly become close friends. Honestly, he felt like another brother to me, and I couldn’t be more blessed.
Orion just shook his head. “You two, go on. I can finish up in here.”
I didn’t even have a chance to ask if he was sure—it was so weird seeing an alpha clean up after himself—before Lyric grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the room, talking a mile a minute. I guessed I was about to have a Christmas mating.
CHAPTER2
Emerson
I pulledon the collar of my shirt, trying to get some air. It wasn’t the suit—not really—since I wore them every godsdamn day, but this room. I wasn’t much of a crowd person. And I certainly wasn’t one for the trappings of high society. I avoidedthoseas much as possible, so when I found myself in a situation that involved both, I struggled. All in all, the hall that was hosting the holiday ball wasn’t small, but it still felt like that with the who’s who of society filling the tastefully decorated space to the brim.
Under any other circumstance, I would have never attended this event. I made a second career out of avoiding social gatherings and I would have gladly allowed that to continue. I wasn’t the right person for schmoozing and networking, and I was sure Strongfire would have happily accepted my excuses and let me brood at home, alone with my whiskey and cats.
But when Orion approached me about his true intentions with this spectacle, I couldn’t turn him down. I could deal with these people for one night if it meant being involved with something so important. After seeing my omega mother single-handedly keep our family afloat as a child, all in secret, I knew I had to do anything I could to help omegas get equal rights in this country. I regretted that it took me this long to actively get involved, but I was now, and I’d do my part.
“Beautiful party, eh, Winston?” I cringed as a large, meaty hand squeezed my shoulder. I managed to smooth my expression and plaster on my neutral face in time as I turned toward Soren Tennyson, a hugely successful surgeon from the northern borders of District 8 and the alpha husband of one of Orion’s half-brothers. Orion’s right-hand man, Arden, had confided in me that they had been trying to find the hidden children from his father’s scandals for close to a year now and hadn’t been as successful as they hoped. He had been trying to get in contact with Alpha Tennyson for months, but the man kept declining. That was, until he had a chance to rub elbows with all of society’s elite. Suddenly, he had no problem taking the commute down here and allowing the brothers to meet.
I had known Tennyson for a while, and when Strongfire told me he had a sibling married to him, alarm bells went off. The man was a snake, and I wouldn’t trust him with my worst enemy, let alone a family member. There was also no way this man would be an ally to our cause, and I wouldn’t put it past him to betray us if he somehow got wind of our plans. However, if I had an opportunity to confirm the well-being of the brother of a man I had come to respect immensely over the past few months, I’d take my chance.
I made sure I held in my disgust as I forced a smile. “Quite so, Tennyson. Strongfire must have spared no expense on the decor.” That was the truth. As much as I despised events like this, even I had to admit the space was decorated beautifully. Very tasteful.
Tennyson grunted. The man was in his mid-fifties, at least 10 years older than I was. If you didn’t look too closely, he’d probably be considered attractive. His salt-and-pepper hair was meticulously styled in the fashion that was popular with the upper crust alphas. His beard was groomed to perfection. He clearly kept fit and had somehow managed to avoid the gut most older alphas developed. His designer suit fit him like a glove and displayed his wealth easily. But if anyone cared to look carefully into his dead-eyed stare, you could see the cruelty there. The man only cared about himself and would cut down anyone who got in his way without blinking an eye.
“Are you here alone?” Tennyson asked after a moment.
I made an affirmative sound in my throat, dreading where this conversation was headed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Orion and his mate, Lyric, speaking to Aurora Montroose and her omega husband, and I narrowed my eyes in annoyance at Tennsyon. I should be over there as well. Aurora was the only female alpha on the council and had more than once introduced laws to protect omegas onto the floor. She was shut down every time, but she was exactly who we needed on our side. With her voice and Orion’s money, they may get something done. But all the high-society manners that had been ingrained in me since birth forced me to stay and have a conversation with this alphahole instead.
Tennyson smirked, and I held back a shudder. I scanned the room, trying to find his husband, but I wasn’t sure what he looked like. I hoped he was here. That was the only reason Tennyson was invited in the first place. “Are you planning on placing a claim on the omega?” He took a deep puff of the cigar he was smoking and eyed me meaningfully. “Society has been betting for a while on when you would finally settle down, Winston. Though, I must admit, I didn’t expect you to stoop to an event likethis. Your name still has some influence after all.”
This passive-aggressive nastiness was one of the reasons I never wanted to deal with events like this. I wasn’t good at the backhanded compliments and the tiny daggers thrown at anything that wasn’t considered perfect. It was exhausting. I was a grown man and had too many responsibilities to participate in this godsforsaken bullshit.
Instead of dignifying him with an answer, I changed subjects. “Where isyouromega, Tennyson? You were married a few years ago, yes? Quite young too, wasn’t he? Did he even have his first heat before you bought him off his guardian?” Okay, maybe I could do society pettiness when I tried.
Tennyson’s face flushed bright red, and I was slightly worried he would pass out from not breathing. He didn’t get to answer before another alpha walked up to us, effectively blocking Tennyson from my view. By the time I got through the niceties, he was gone. I tried to scan the room, mainly looking for his omega mate but drawing a blank. I sighed. That wasn’t my job. I had secured a spot at Kian Jameson’s table, and I needed to take advantage of that. Kian was the Minister of Family and Social Services for District 8, which essentially meant any changes in laws for omegas had to be approved by him. He was notoriously tight-lipped about his own beliefs, however, and I somehow had gotten recruited to feel him out.
It was a more dangerous job than it seemed. It was the worse kept secret what happened to anyone, regardless of designation, when they tried to push the status quo. For years, rumors of what happened to the last person to try swirled through society, keeping everyone quiet and complacent. The alpha apparently suggested a bill that allowed widowed omegas to be able to live without a guardian and to keep the properties, businesses, and financials of their alpha spouse, with a trusted counselor to help them of course. He was laughed out of the council. The very next day, his accounts were frozen and assets were seized for an “investigation” into embezzlement. Of course, there was never any proof of this. Worried for his family’s safety, the alpha tried to get them out of the city. There was an “accident” and his entire family was killed, including the bodyguard and driver that were with them. Two days later, the alpha’s body was found hanging from a noose in his front yard. Apparent suicide. But we all knew the truth and the message was clear. Things weren’t going to change, and if you tried, this was what happened. It was a miracle that Aurora managed to stay under the radar all this time. I was sure they took her less seriously since she was a woman, and it this one instance, it worked in her favor. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if she was being monitored even more closely than the rest of us.
