by Layla Heart
“What?” His eyes go wide and I can’t help my smile, it’s funny how he reacts to her name. “Where?”
“The room we just came through.” I nod back. “She definitely stared at us. I don’t think she expected us to be here. She looked very surprised.”
He lets out a little laugh. “Or it’s because we wear matching suits, matching rings and we were holding hands?”
“Maybe.” I shrug. “You think you’re ready to join the rest of the party now, companion?”
“Yeah, yeah.” He takes a deep breath, then his hand tightens around mine a moment. “We can’t drop the ball now. We have to keep this up.”
I know what’s on his mind. I know who he’s thinking of, why he agreed to do this, at least in part. Last year, an Alpha high up in his company, a guy a year or two older than us, committed suicide. Turned out he’d been in a relationship with another Alpha and he’d kept it a secret for years. But everything had gotten to him and he couldn’t live like that anymore.
He took his own life because, at parties like this, they’d push the Omegas onto him, like they do with us, while his Alpha partner of six years was standing no more than an arm’s length away. He couldn’t tell anyone, because it would ruin their careers, and he couldn’t live with that prospect. It had gotten too much for him and he’d felt like death was his only way out. It hit Spence hard, he’d known the guy pretty well, but had no idea about any of the Alpha’s struggles.
“Don’t worry.” I squeeze Spence’s hand back as I pull him from behind the plant and back into the room.
I’m not going to let him down. I know that Spence isn’t only into Omegas, he’s told me as much, years ago. I need to do this, not just for the guy who isn’t here anymore, but also for the Spence who might be, who could be, who could have been. I need to do it for him too. I’m not letting my best friend down, no matter what.
“You always make me worry.” He bumps his shoulder into mine and I catch a glimpse of his smile.
“What are partners for?” I smirk.
Yes. We can do this. Together, we can do this.
But it doesn’t help with the feeling I had when I saw Cyra with the other two Alphas. No matter if I can’t do anything right now. I can’t go near her, because I’m not sure I can keep my own brain and mouth in check and I won’t let something stupid slip out, ruining everything we’ve done today.
Better to try and avoid her. I want to storm over to her, take her from the Alphas and get her out of here. No matter if it sounds ridiculous, to feel like that over a human, but I really want to do it.
15
Spence
My heart is racing and my grip on Zack’s hand is probably a little too tight, but that might just make this all the more convincing. Why did I think this was a good idea? Why did I agree to any part of this plan?
My parents are going to be furious when I come home after the party, and I don’t think it would be safe to crash at Zack’s place either, his dad is going to explode. I’m not sure whose parents I’m going to dread facing more right now. It would probably be best if neither of us went home tonight, but at the same time, that might also make everything worse. Neither option seems to be a good option.
We should have thought of the sleeping arrangement thing before we came here. We should have thought of a backup plan before we showed ourselves to the world... We knew people would not react well, we should have planned for that. This is why simply following Zack’s plan is usually a bad idea. What are we going to do when the party ends? Ugh.
While I try to think of what’s going to happen next, after the party, next week, a month from now, the Gala passes me by. I hope I’m saying the right thing, nodding, smiling, all of that, at the right moments. It’s hard acting like I’m not shitting my slacks out of fear for our future when I barely notice anything going on around us.
Our parents aren’t going to kick us from the companies. That would only bring even worse PR for them, bad PR they can’t use right now. They could make us resign, make it so we won’t have another option... Though the company will lose clients regardless, no matter what happens. If they let us stay, they’ll lose clients who think that they’re too ‘liberal’, but if they force us out, or if we have to leave, they’ll lose clients over being too ‘conservative’. We’ve forced our Alpha parents’ hands and we’ll have to live with the consequences.
I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone but Zack at my side, for all his foolish ideas and his impulsiveness, he’s fiercely protective and I know that he won’t do anything to hurt me. He won’t. At least, not willfully. He might not have thought through all the potential consequences, but he’ll be there with me no matter the fallout.
The whispers around us haven’t quieted down, but at least the party seems to have mostly gone back to normal. Mostly. Few people talk to us, and when they do, it’s mainly polite conversations. They’re not pushing their kids onto us, not trying to get favours from us.
It’s a pleasant change from most other parties, but it also makes me feel like crap about how differently people act when they find out that two Alphas are in a relationship... Their behaviour changes instantly. I knew it would happen, but to experience it is a whole other thing.
“Spence?” Zack leans closer, his voice low, soft. “Let’s get a drink and check out that garden we talked about before.”
I nod. I could seriously use a drink and some quiet. I have no idea how he manages to look so calm and collected, even though I can feel the tension in his body as he holds my hand.
Zack navigates us to one of the bars that are strategically positioned in each room and he grabs both of us a glass of champagne. Then we make our way through the door, into a different room, and out to the deck behind the house.
It’s much colder outside than it is inside, and the change in temperature feels good. It clears my head. There aren’t many people out here, probably because of the cold. The garden in front of us is set up with tables with beautiful candle arrangements on them and chairs and benches, inviting people to hang out here if they want to. They’re all empty apart from the bench furthest from the deck, where a couple is making out like the world could end around them and they wouldn’t notice it.
Smiling slightly at the sight, I take a sip from my glass, leaning on the railing around the deck. I’m about to say something when a soft voice reaches us from behind.
“Spence? Zack?” Cyra doesn’t seem entirely sure and my heart jumps, my face heating up, relief flooding through me. Why do I feel relieved that she’s here? That’s stupid. That’s so stupid, it makes no sense.
I turn around, letting go of Zack’s hand, even though it feels weird after holding onto him for the last however long. “Hey, beautiful.” I give her my best smile, my first honest smile since Zack picked me up with the limo.
She’s stunning in her red dress which clings to her in the most inciting way possible. Then I catch sight of the two guys behind her. Zack said that she was with two Alphas earlier and I guess these are them. Fucking hell. If I thought I responded easily to Cyra, the burly guy, a cerberus shifter by his scent, is definitely not making things much easier. He smells of mature wood and ancient forests, dark, heady, potent. My slacks are getting seriously tight now.
I hope that they presume that my response is just to Cyra being so beautiful and not a reaction to the Alpha with her. My voice is a little hoarse when I speak again. “And her bodyguards.”
Zack looks them over too, and I see calculations going on behind his eyes, before he opens his mouth, smirking. “Isn’t Beauty supposed to have just one beast?” I should have known nothing good could come from his mouth after that look...
I smack Zack on his arm as I catch how Cyra rolls her eyes at him as she’s trying to hide a smile, and just that one normal reaction from her calms me down. One normal thing in this abnormal night.
The second Alpha, a centaur, steps forward, frowning, but the cerberus stops him with a hand on his shoulder, and he just glares a
t us.
What’s Cyra doing here? And who are these two? What are they doing around her? It’s always weird when two worlds collide, but this one I wasn’t prepared for.
Cyra steps closer, her eyes on Zack for a moment, but then they land on me and her gaze is soft, kind. My heart should not be beating like that. “I wanted to see if you were okay. That was quite an entrance.”
I nod, trying to not let my smile falter at the reminder of what’s happening. “I’m good. Thank you. How did you end up here?”
Instead of Cyra, the centaur answers for her. “Her carriage broke down, so we brought her to the party.”
I blink. I know most fairytales, but this description confuses me, and it seems I’m not the only one as everyone is now staring at him.
He shrugs and he seems to have more humbleness than Zack, which isn’t hard, to be honest. “She’s with us. She’s keeping us company as thanks for us getting her car fixed earlier in the week.”
That at least seems to make more sense and I look at Cyra. “Is your car okay again?” It must be hard for her to get around without her car.
She nods. “Yeah, it will keep going for a while longer.”
“She really—” The centaur starts, but the cerberus wraps his arm around the centaur’s shoulders, almost taking him in a headlock.
“We don’t need any tips on cars from you.” The cerberus growls, while he still smiles slightly. That seems to be a common argument between those two.
Zack steps to Cyra slightly, his motion almost like a predator about to jump a prey. “If I fix your car, will you go on a date with me too?”
With a groan, I smack him over the head. One, not appropriate to ask a girl. Two, not appropriate to ask anyone when he’s supposed to be in a relationship with me...
Cyra doesn’t look very impressed either. “Pretty sure you’re not actually talking about my car but are insinuating something else. And I’m fairly sure, you’re supposed to be fixing someone else’s car for the rest of your lives. Spence’s car, that is.” She looks my way pointedly and Zack has the decency to look at least somewhat uncomfortable. Serves him right. Cyra’s got a quick mouth, he should know that she’s going to give as good as she can, especially since she doesn’t have to act all nice now, like she has to at the cafe.
The wind around us picks up and another scent reaches me, a new one. A scent that sets all my senses on full-drive. It’s the same scent as when you burn hay or dried grass with a magnifying glass as a kid. Reminding me of the summer, of warmth, of being surrounded by love.
I’m barely aware that the glass I’m holding has shattered under the pressure of my grip. The shards digging into my hand even though I heal them almost as fast as they’re created, since I’m a shifter.
I want the person this scent belongs to. I need this person. They’re mine. They’re mine, now and forever.
What?!
I pull myself back, away from the animalistic griffin taking over. My jaw itches, like it does right before I grow a beak, and my jacket tightens around my chest, as if I’m trying to grow wings. Luckily, I manage to break out of it before I start shifting.
Cyra doesn’t need to see me like that, suddenly shifting and all. And that thought clears the final wisp of the animal instinct from my brain. I don’t want to frighten Cyra.
With a shock, I realise that next to me, Zack is fighting the same impulse, his hydra shimmering under his skin as he looks around wildly. He meets my eyes and I see the desperation in his hydra’s gaze. His skin starts to grow dark scales and one of his hands has turned into a claw. What’s going on?
As I look to the other two shifters, the other two Alphas, I notice the same things with them. The cerberus’ skin is turning into fur, his body bulking up more, and the centaur doesn’t look that different, but the shocked look in his eyes tells me enough. They’re also seeming to come back to themselves.
Then my eyes finally come to Cyra. I expect her to be confused, confused about what four Alphas are suddenly all acting weird for, or maybe scared, scared that we’re going to be shifting around her, putting her in danger. But she looks heartbroken, tears in her eyes, as she’s clutching her dress closer around her.
“Fuck,” she quietly curses as she looks around. “Of course, like it could get any worse. Fuck.” She sounds tired and sad, like her world is falling apart around her.
“Cyra?” The cerberus is first to speak. “What’s wrong?”
“Everything is wrong.” She wraps her arms around herself tighter and when all four of us step closer, all wanting to help her, she holds out her hands. “No. Don’t. Bad idea.”
The wind picks up again, and this time I’m better at fighting the impulse, when I realise what’s going on. Cyra isn’t human, she’s Omega. We’re all reacting really strongly to her feromones, all four of us. Fucking no.
Max takes his jacket off and quickly puts it around her shoulders, and I growl at him, together with Zack and even the centaur. We all take a step closer to him and he bares his teeth, growling our way.
Then he quickly raises his hands. “I’m just trying to make it easier to focus.” He glances around. “I don’t think this is a chat we should be having here. And this should hopefully prevent others from scenting her too.” He reaches out to her carefully, and this time we don’t immediately growl, even though I want to rip him away from her. “We should leave. My place is closest.”
“Why do you get to—” Zack takes a threatening step in the cerberus’ direction, but I stop him.
“You can fight him when we’re away from here. He’s right. We don’t want to do this out in public.” No matter what this is.
Because I’ve got a feeling that whatever Cyra is going to say, it’s not going to make any of us very happy. If she’s an Omega, she’s very good at hiding it. And if she’s been hiding it so carefully, there has to be a reason for it. A very damn good reason.
“Yeah, we should go.” The centaur nods towards the side of the building. “Let’s sneak out that way. We don’t need a car to get to Max’ place. It’s pretty much right around the corner.”
Cyra glares at the cerberus, Max, apparently, who shrugs with a smile. “You don’t think I was going to let that guy pick you up all on his own? Let him see you in that dress first?”
That doesn’t seem to really make her glare any less, and it’s good to see that she’s exactly the same with others, that she doesn’t seem to take shit from anyone. That should be good. Should be...
Maybe?
16
Cyra
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I want to escape, disappear, or whatever, be anywhere that’s not here. I wish I could flee, run away, but the four Alphas are not giving me any leeway. They’ve surrounded me, like four bulky bodyguards... How could I, in my human form, outrun any of them? Especially when they can change into their shifter forms and just hunt me down in a single swoop.
What went wrong? Where did I go wrong?
When Max and Liam picked me up, I thought their reaction to me was because of some lingering scent traces on the dress, but now I’m not so sure. They shouldn’t be able to find my Omega scent on the dress anymore. We’ve been at the party for too long for that, any lingering scent should have disappeared by now, mixed up with the scents from the people around us, no longer noticeable. That means it’s me. That means I’m the one they’re scenting, the one they’re reacting to. That no matter how much I tried to hide, my methods have failed. Methods that have kept me safe for years...
Which is, of course, my crappy luck. Everything has started to fail me in the last week, and I don’t know how much more could go wrong... Which is, of course, inviting more trouble, so I quickly put that out of my mind.
Liam was right when he said that Max doesn’t live very far away. We’ve not even walked for ten minutes when we stop in front of a pretty sizable, but not a huge, house. Bigger than my parents’, but not as big as most houses in the area.
Max looks
all of us over for a moment before he takes out his key. “No shifting inside the house. No breaking stuff, if you do, you pay to replace it. If you have to fight, you take it outside, I’ve got a big empty area out back. Understood?” He mostly focuses on Zack and Spence, who both nod, though I’m not sure how much of what Max said they actually heard as they’re both staring at me.
The inside of the house is very much what I expected from Max and his personality. The dark wooden furniture and floors make it look warm and homely. The ground floor is mostly open plan as we step into a living room kind of area. On the far end of the room, I spot a kitchen with a massive table and a huge fridge, enough space to feed ten people easily. To the other side of the back of the room, mirroring the kitchen, is a large closed-off room. The door is open and I spot a desk and shelves inside. His office or something. The ground floor is easily four times the size of my whole apartment, and that’s without taking into consideration that this place has another floor...
Once the door closes behind us, everyone looks at me and I realise that they’re waiting for me to say something. Oh, crap.
Now what? This was so not something I’d planned on having to do, explaining myself to a potential mate, let alone four potential mates... This was never supposed to happen. I was supposed to stay away from Alphas and just live on my own for the rest of my life.
Max sighs as he takes a couple of steps towards the kitchen. “Anyone want anything to drink?”
“Got anything stronger than the bubbly from the party?” Zack seems to have found his tongue back. His tone is combative, even though the question itself is innocent enough.
Max shakes his head. “Pretty sure we’re better off waiting with that a while longer. I have a suspicion we’re going to want to be as sober as possible for this chat.”
Behind me, Spence moves and the next moment, he’s at my side, his voice soft as he takes my arm. “Let’s get you out of those heels first, that should make you more comfortable. I have a feeling that tonight is stressful enough.” He nods towards a group of couches. “Let’s sit over there.”