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“Ah yes, the guest of honor.” My cheeks flushed as both alphas laughed. “And of course, you remember my mate, Jaylen?” After introductions, Orion gestured to the chairs across from us and the couple sat. Once Orion seated himself, Lyric and I followed. I stayed quiet, keeping an ear on their conversation as my eyes wandered the ballroom as more and more guests continued to arrive. “I must say, society is abuzz since you have rightfully taken your place at the head of the Strongfire Empire, Orion. You are causing quite a stir.” Her words were said with amusement, almost like gossip, but by the way both Orion and Lyric straightened in their seats and Arden took a small step closer, I knew it meant more.
Orion drank a sip of the wine that that the waiters just poured, a small smirk on his face. “Well, yes. I wouldn’t be a Strongfire if I didn’t cause the gossipmongers to chatter, now would I?”
It was all code. I could tell by their expressions but wasn’t sure exactly what was going on. While I was aware of his plans and helped occasionally, I didn’t know all the details. It was for my own protection. I knew Orion would do everything to find me a mate that treated me like he did Lyric. Maybe not as in love, but with kindness and caring. As an equal partner. But he couldn’t promise that, and it was best I stayed a little in the dark until it was proven that my future mate could be trusted. This was just too big to be left with chance, and with an alpha’s ability to compel an omega, especially their mate, well, I understood why he didn’t want to take the risk.
My eyes scanned the room as I let the conversation drift to the back of my mind. For the first time since I arrived, I started to pay attention to my potential mates. I tried not to watch one person for too long and quickly avoided the gazes of any of the alphas I caught leering. I felt confident they weren’t the ones I’d want to go with, and I didn’t want to draw their attention any more than I already was.
My gaze continued to flick through the crowd, no one truly drawing me in. But honestly, what did I expect? To find my true mate just by sight in a crowd? That was ridiculous. As much as I would love to be as lucky as Orion and Lyric, I wasn’t naive enough to believe it was likely.
Then I saw him. He was standing on the other side of the room, toward the entrance, his back resting up against one of the pillars. He was older, like a lot older, possibly mid-forties, with short hair graying on the sides. He was watching me, and while he was too far away for me to see his eye color, or really see his eyes at all, they somehow locked me in place even from across the room. He was clean shaven save just a little scruff, which was still odd for me to see on alphas. Orion was the first I had seen that shaved regularly, but I found myself enjoying it on this alpha. My perusal didn’t go farther than his lips, though, as the man literally stared me down.
I should be scared. Every other alpha in this room was watching me the way he currently was and it only gave me the creeps. Attention was the last thing I wanted from them. But with this man . . . it was like everything I craved. I needed to get closer. I needed to speak to him, see why he entranced me so.
The man blinked hard and wrenched his gaze away. I immediately mourned the loss of his eyes on me. Before I realized what I was doing, I was on my feet, my hands planted on the table, leaning forward, desperate to get closer. I felt a hand wrap around my wrist and I snapped my head in the direction to see my brother looking at me with concern.
“Jett, what’s going on?”
“I—” I couldn’t concentrate on my brother, not when that man was so far away from me. He had turned, like he was about to leave, but he was looking directly over his shoulder at me. I met his gaze, begging him to come here. He shook his head like he was trying to get out of a haze and walked away, leaving me breathless and desperate.
“Jett,” Orion called again, his voice stronger, like he had tried to get my attention a few times.
It was a struggle to turn back to him but somehow, I managed. It was then that I realized everyone was staring at me funny and a few of the nearby alphas had tensed up.
“Jett, what’s going on?” Orion asked, leaning in close to me. He still had his hand on my arm, and he gently guided me back to my chair.
“S-sorry.”
“What were you looking at? Or whom?”
I felt my cheeks heat and I looked down at my lap. “Oh nothing, just lost in my thoughts.” My thoughts that kept going back to that sexy alpha. I needed to find out his name and who he was. I needed him.
“Jett,” my brother said sternly, using a voice I heard him use rarely and mostly on Lyric. “You don’t have to be afraid to tell me what happened. I know it was more than you getting lost in your thoughts.” He paused like he was uncomfortable and lowered his voice even more. “I-I can smell your arousal. We all can.”
Well, that wasn’t mortifying or anything. Goddess. There was no way I could get away without answering now. Besides, if I wanted to know more about this man, what better source than Orion Strongfire?
“There, um, there was a man. A-an alpha. I . . .”
I couldn’t finish my thought, but I knew my brother caught what I was trying to say. His golden eyes glinted with amusement as he raised an eyebrow at me. Lyric peeked around the other side of his husband, looking delighted.
“You saw someone? Someone you might want to mate with?”
Could my cheeks be any hotter? There were other people around, people who could certainly hear us and apparently smell me. Gods. Part of me wanted to run, to find a closet or even a hole somewhere and hide until this was all over. The bigger part of me wanted—no, needed to find that man.
I shrugged, trying to hide some of my desperation. I was acting insane. “I-I don’t know. Maybe? He was across the room.”
“Oh, that’s ok. We’ll find him, right, alpha?” Lyric asked Orion excitedly.
Orion was eyeing me, and I had to advert my gaze, his stare was so intense. “If that’s what Jett wants, then yes. We can find him.”
Instead of answering, I searched the room, somehow knowing I’d locate him immediately. There. There he was, sitting at a table a little off to the side and farthest away from the music, deep in conversation with an alpha next to him.
Orion followed my gaze and his eyebrows shot up. “Emerson? Is that who you saw?”
I shrugged, not knowing his name. Orion and Lyric shared a look, and I knew it wasn’t good news.
“Are you sure it was him? The alpha next to the one in glasses and a red suit?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Why? Why do you two look like that?”
