Claimed by the Band (Fameverse #1)

Chapter 15 – DAMON

15

DAMON

M y jaw clenches as we follow Vince deeper into the showroom, fighting the urge to grab Asher and get the hell out of here. The artificial pheromones are making my head spin, and I can only imagine how overwhelming it must be for our omega. But Asher's holding his own, chin lifted defiantly as he walks alongside us.

Vince drones on about their latest fragrances, gesturing dramatically at bottles with names like "Alpha's Conquest" and "Omega's Surrender." I tune him out, focusing instead on scanning our surroundings. Old habits die hard, I guess. Years of watching Asher's back and seven years in the military beforehand have made hypervigilance second nature.

I notice Echo— Alex , I remind myself—doing the same thing. His eyes dart around the room, taking in every detail. There's a sharpness to his gaze that doesn't quite fit with the shy, awkward beta persona he's been projecting. It makes me wonder just how much of what we've seen is the real him.

I've also never seen anyone who constantly keeps track of where the exits are and tenses up at every unexpected sound who wasn't either a soldier or traumatized as hell. Sometimes both.

Vince is still talking, his voice grating on my last nerve. "And this, gentlemen, is our crown jewel. 'Domination.' One spray, and even the most willful omega will be putty in your hands."

I feel Asher stiffen beside me, a low growl rumbling in my chest before I can stop it. Knox looks ready to commit murder, and even Silas’s carefully crafted mask is slipping.

Asher speaks up, his voice deceptively light. "And what exactly does it do?"

Vince turns to him, surprise and condescension warring on his face. "Oh, some things are better demonstrated, don't you think?" He winks, and I have to physically restrain myself from decking him. "Speaking of which, let me show you our VIP room."

He leads us through a set of ornate double doors, and I have to blink against the sudden increase in pheromone concentration. It's like walking into a wall of pure alpha musk. Asher stumbles slightly, and I steady him with a hand on his lower back.

"You okay?" I murmur, low enough that only he can hear.

He nods, but I can feel the slight tremor running through him. "I'm fine. Just... a lot."

Before I can suggest we take a break, Vince claps his hands, drawing our attention to a small stage at the far end of the room. "Now, gentlemen, for the real treat."

A young woman emerges from behind a curtain, and my stomach turns. She's barely dressed, all long limbs and wide eyes. An omega, unmistakably. She moves with a grace that speaks of extensive training, but there's a hollowness behind her smile that makes my skin crawl.

"This is Lily," Vince says, his voice dripping with false sweetness. "She'll be assisting with our demonstrations today."

I feel Asher tense beside me, his scent spiking with anger and distress. The rest of the pack shifts closer, instinctively forming a protective circle around our omega.

Vince either doesn't notice or doesn't care about our reaction. He turns to Asher with a leer that makes me want to rip his throat out. "I hope you don't mind, Asher. I've heard you're quite open-minded when it comes to your own kind. Perhaps you'd like to participate?"

The implication hangs heavy in the air, crude and unmistakable. I take a half-step forward, fists clenched at my sides. "Watch your fucking mouth," I growl.

Silas puts a restraining hand on my shoulder, but I can tell he's feeling the same way. He wants to tear this asshole apart as much as I do.

To my surprise, it's Echo who breaks the tense silence. "I thought this was supposed to be a product demonstration," he says, his voice carefully neutral.

Vince blinks, as if noticing Echo for the first time. I'm not really surprised. Plenty of alphas act like betas are invisible, and it figures he'd be one of them.

"Oh, of course. My apologies." He chuckles, the sound grating on my nerves. "Shall we begin?"

I glance at Echo, curiosity warring with suspicion. His reaction to Vince's comment about Asher was... odd. Almost like he was genuinely surprised. Which doesn't make sense. Everyone knows about Asher's preferences for alphas and omegas. It's hardly a secret.

Unless...

The realization hits me suddenly. I'm so used to everyone knowing everything about each one of us before we walk into a room, but Echo really doesn't know much about us at all. About Asher. He's not some obsessed fan or industry insider looking to cash in on our troubles. He's just... a guy. A guy who's putting himself at risk to help us.

The thought is both comforting and unsettling. If he decides all this is too much, there's nothing we can do to keep him here. Hell, he won't even let us pay him.

I'm pulled from my musings by Asher's voice, sharp with barely contained anger. "What exactly is Lily here to demonstrate?"

Vince's smile is all teeth as he pulls a sleek black bottle from his jacket pocket. "Why, the effectiveness of our products, of course."

Before any of us can react, he sprays a fine mist directly at Lily. The effect is immediate and horrifying. Her eyes glaze over, posture softening as she sways on her feet. A low, needy whine escapes her throat.

"You see?" Vince says, triumph coloring his voice. "Complete submission. Practically heat in a bottle, without all the inconvenient build up. She'll do anything you want now. Anything at all."

A low rumble builds in my throat before I cut it off, but I'm not as good at hiding the disgust written all over my face.

The way this creep speaks about omegas and their heats, like they're just sex toys waiting for any alpha to use them however they please. Like everything else attached, from their needs to their personalities, is just inconvenient wrapping to be discarded.

Lily takes a stumbling step forward, reaching for Vince with trembling hands. "Alpha," she breathes, her voice thick with artificial desire. “Please... please …”

"That's enough." Silas’s voice cracks like a whip, cutting through the tension. "Turn it off. Now."

For a moment, I think Vince is going to argue. But something in Silas’s expression must give him pause. He pulls out another bottle, spraying Lily with what I assume is some kind of antidote.

The change is gradual but unmistakable. Clarity creeps back into Lily's eyes, followed quickly by shame. She wraps her arms around herself, blushing.

I want nothing more than to get her out of here, to make sure she's safe and as far away from this creep as possible. But we can't blow our cover. Not when we're so close to getting what we came for.

"Good girl," Vince says, giving her a condescending pat on the head. "You can go now."

She gives him a slight smile and, for reasons I can't possibly fathom, a flirtatious touch on the arm before disappearing through the curtains. Why the hell would any omega want to work for this guy?

"Your products are certainly effective," Dante chimes in, always the diplomat even if I can tell he wants to rip the guy apart as much as the rest of us. I'm pretty sure poor Knox is doing his breathing exercises to keep in control, the way his nostrils are flared and he keeps staring off into space like he's trying not to lose it. "But we came here for something a bit different."

"Oh?" Vince asks, tilting his head. "What do you mean?"

Dante and Asher exchange a look before Dante continues, "I'm sure you've heard about what happened at one of our recent concerts."

"Yes, of course," Vince says in a tone of clearly fake concern. He's not a very good actor. "It's terrible what the world is coming to."

"Sure is," Dante says through his teeth. "But after what happened, we started doing some research. Trying to figure out if there was anything that could prevent something like that from happening again. Naturally, our research led us to your organization, since you're at the cutting edge of pheromone technology."

It's plain as day to me that he's appealing to Vince's ego, but I can tell from the look on the other alpha's face he's buying it wholesale. Fucking idiot.

"You're right about that," Vince says with a chuckle, some of his formal veneer falling to the wayside. "And I can see where you're coming from, but unfortunately, our company specializes in enhancing pheromones. Not counteracting them."

I can see where Dante is going with this. It's a smart play. We're clearly not here to buy any of PheroMaster's usual alpha supremacy bullshit, so we need a cover story that makes sense.

Dante opens his mouth to respond, but Asher beats him to it. Our omega steps forward, those mesmerizing eyes wide with feigned innocence. "Well, surely a company as advanced as yours must have the capability to develop something like that, right? I mean, you have an entire army of brilliant scientists at your disposal, don't you?"

I have to bite back a grin. Asher's laying it on even thicker than Dante, his voice dripping with admiration. It's all bullshit, of course. I can smell his disgust and anger, barely masked by his blockers. But Vince is too caught up in his own ego to notice.

"Of course we do," Vince says quickly, clearly flustered by Asher's attention. "We have some of the brightest minds in the field working for us. Our research and development facility is state-of-the-art."

"Oh?" Asher leans in, looking the picture of interest. "Tell me more about that. It must be fascinating, all the work that goes on there."

As Vince launches into what's sure to be a long-winded explanation of his company's brilliance, I notice movement out of the corner of my eye. Echo—or Alex, or whatever the hell his name really is—is slipping away from the group, moving with a casualness that would fool most people. But I'm not most people.

A quick glance at Asher confirms he's noticed, too. And I don't need to be able to read his mind to know he's silently pleading with me to follow Echo.

I don't want to leave him. Every instinct I have is screaming at me to stay close, to protect. But I trust my pack. They'll keep him safe.

Besides, if Echo gets caught, we're all fucked. And this place is too sketchy to let him run off on his own, even if he's used to it. I took responsibility for him and everyone else when we went on this mission, so he'll just have to deal.

With a barely perceptible nod to Asher, I slip away from the group. It doesn't take long to find Echo. He's in a hallway off to the side, peering intently at a keypad next to a nondescript door.

"What are you doing?" I ask keeping my voice low.

Echo jumps, whirling to face me with wide eyes. For a moment, genuine fear flashes across his face before he schools his expression back to careful neutrality.

"I could ask you the same thing," he says, his voice steady despite the slight tremor in his hands. "Shouldn't you be with the others?"

I cross my arms, fixing him with my best intimidating stare. It's the one that usually has even the toughest roadies quaking in their boots. Echo, to his credit, doesn't flinch.

"Asher wanted me to keep an eye on you," I say. "What are you looking for?"

Echo hesitates, clearly weighing his options. Finally, he sighs. "Anything, really. Something that looks out of place. A client log, financial records, anything that might link them to the attack on your concert."

I nod, scanning the hallway for security cameras. "Alright. I'll keep watch. You do... whatever it is you do."

A ghost of a smile flickers across Echo's face. "Thanks."

We work in silence for a few minutes, Echo examining every inch of the hallway while I keep an ear out for approaching footsteps. It's strange, working with someone outside the pack like this. But there's an efficiency to Echo's movements that I can appreciate as he dips into a nearby office that's propped open.

"So," I say, keeping my voice low. "How'd you end up doing... this?" I gesture vaguely at him through the door, encompassing the whole hacker-vigilante thing he's got going on.

Echo tenses, his shoulders going rigid as he pores over the files on a surprisingly mundane desk, considering it exists in this clusterfuck. For a moment, I think he's not going to answer. But then he lets out a soft huff of laughter, bitter and resigned.

"Would you believe me if I said I fell into it by accident?" he asks, not looking up from the lock he's examining on the desk drawer. He pulls out what looks like a Swiss army knife and pops a long, narrow tool out of it. The lock gives in an instant and he starts rummaging around in the drawer.

I snort. "After seeing that? Not a chance."

"Smart man." Echo straightens, meeting my eyes for the first time since we started talking. When I first met him, I assumed he was about twenty. Way too young for someone doing this shit for as long as he must have been to be as good as he is, but there's a world weariness in his gaze that makes me second guess that. "Let's just say I had a unique skill set. And a vendetta against shitty alphas. This seemed like a good way to channel both."

It's more than he's revealed about himself since we met, but it still leaves me with more questions than answers. Before I can press further, Echo brushes past me and out into the hall.

"Nothing in that office. Might as well try this," he murmurs, moving toward a door marked storage . He reaches for the handle, frowning when it doesn't budge. "Damn. Locked."

I'm about to suggest we move on when Echo pulls out the lock pick set again.

"That thing's pretty handy," I muse.

Echo grins, a flash of genuine amusement breaking through his careful mask. "Never leave home without it."

I shake my head, torn between admiration and concern. "Are you a hacker or a secret agent?"

"I'm whatever I need to be to get the job done," Echo says, already working on the lock.

I keep watch, hyper-aware of every sound. We're pushing our luck, staying in one place this long. But if there's even a chance of finding something incriminating...

The sound of approaching footsteps sends a jolt of adrenaline through me. Echo tenses, his hands freezing on the lock picks.

"Shit," he breathes, panic clear in his voice.

I don't think. I just act.

In one fluid motion, I grab Echo by the shoulders and spin him around, pressing him against the wall. He lets out a startled yelp, eyes wide with confusion and fear, but it's the rage in them that catches me off guard. He tenses up like he's about to fight, that lock pick now brandished in his hand like a deadly weapon.

"What the fu?—"

"Just go with it," I growl, threading my fingers through his hair like I'm about to kiss him.

Echo's eyes somehow get even wider, but he doesn't push me away. Either he's realized I'm staging something to save our asses, or he's just stunned.

The footsteps round the corner, and I hear Vince's oily voice. "And here we have—oh."

I freeze, and so do my packmates behind Vince. Damn, I hope it's obvious to Asher what I'm doing, but he doesn't look pissed or hurt. If anything, there's amusement in his eyes once the surprise fades.

I step back from Echo, schooling my features into what I hope is a convincing mix of embarrassment and arousal. "Sorry," I say, forcing out an awkward laugh. "Got a little carried away with all the pheromones in the air. Thought this was a more... private corner."

Echo plays his part perfectly, face flushed and eyes downcast. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was genuinely mortified.

Vince's leer makes me want to punch him all over again. "No need to apologize," he says, winking conspiratorially. "That's what our products are all about, after all. Unleashing those baser instincts."

I resist the urge to gag, instead wrapping an arm around Echo's shoulders. He stiffens for a moment before relaxing into the touch, playing along. He's smaller than he looked under all those baggy clothes, and he fits under my arm perfectly.

"Why don't we head back out to the main showroom?" Vince suggests. "I'm sure your packmates are eager to make their selections."

As we follow him back, I catch Asher's eye. There's definitely amusement in his gaze, a silent acknowledgment that he knows exactly what just happened.

Phew .

Silas steps forward, all smooth charm and easy grace. "You know what? I think we'll just take one of everything. and call it a night."

Vince's eyes light up with undisguised greed. I can see the dollar signs in his eyes. "Excellent choice! I'll have my assistant prepare your order right away."

As Vince bustles off, I notice Echo fidgeting beside me. He seems even more on edge than before, if that's possible. I lean in close, pitching my voice low so only he can hear.

"You alright?"

He nods jerkily, not meeting my eyes. "Fine. Just ready to get out of here."

I frown, studying his profile. There's something off about his reaction, beyond the usual discomfort of our cover almost being blown. Is he that bothered by what happened in the hallway? Or is it something else entirely?

Before I can puzzle it out, Vince returns with a stack of sleek black boxes. "Here we are, gentlemen! The complete PheroMaster collection. I'm sure you'll be very pleased with your purchase."

Silas handles the transaction with his usual efficiency, and before I know it, we're heading for the exit.

Just when I think we're home free from these cheap ass pheromones, Vince calls from behind us, "Oh, gentlemen? There's one more thing?"

I hold my breath as we turn back to face Vince, keeping my arm casually draped over Echo's shoulders. Before, it was a matter of keeping up the ruse and making it look convincing, but now, he looks like he's going to pass out if I let go of him.

My muscles are coiled tight, ready to react if this smug bastard has somehow seen through our act.

But instead of accusation, Vince's face holds that same sleazy grin as he extends a black envelope toward us. The company's crown logo stands out in garish red wax, sealing it shut. It's exactly as tacky as everything else in this place.

"I apologize that we don't currently have the type of product you're looking for," he says, practically oozing false sincerity. "However, PheroMaster will be hosting a soiree next month. Everyone who's anyone in the industry will be there." He pauses for dramatic effect, clearly enjoying having our attention. "Including our most brilliant scientist. I'm sure he'd be interested in working something out for such important clients."

Silas steps forward smoothly, accepting the envelope with just the right amount of interest. "How thoughtful," he says, his tone perfectly measured. "We'll certainly consider it."

I can feel Echo trembling slightly under my arm, though whether it's from excitement or terror over almost getting caught, I can't tell. Asher's doing a better job of hiding it, but I can smell the spike of curiosity in his scent.

"Excellent!" Vince claps his hands together like an overeager seal. "I look forward to seeing you all there. And maybe next time," he adds with a wink in Echo's direction, "you can find somewhere more private to explore our products."

I force a chuckle, though what I really want to do is wipe that smirk off his face with my fist. "We'll keep that in mind."

Finally, mercifully, we make our exit. The cool night air hits us like a blessing after the artificial pheromone soup of the showroom. Echo immediately steps away from me, putting space between us, and I let him. I'm not exactly comfortable with being so up close and personal with people I don't know either, and I'm an alpha who could snap most people in half.

It doesn't feel weird with him, though which is… weird in itself. And not something I want to put too much thought into.