34. Chapter 34
34
The midnight blue cloth and the silver-sewn stars were the perfect backdrop in the hall. Everyone exclaimed over it, bringing their share plate to a long wooden table one of the beta farmers donated. Excitement bubbled low in my stomach, and I gripped Lucinda’s hand in a fit of nerves. Her eyes crinkled with mirth, and she squeezed my fingers.
“Everything is perfect. This is already the biggest Spring Dance in Misery Creek I can remember.”
I looked around at the mix of unfamiliar faces, many who came from far reaches to attend. Hale, Oliver, and Ruck were speaking to a group of alphas who’d ridden in on horseback earlier.
“I can’t believe that’s Jameson. He moved well into the wildlands about a decade ago. I guess word about our dance has gone far.”
The grand reunion burst out earlier when the gruff alpha filled the doorway with two friends. Ruck had been moved to the point of gaping silence, and his embrace with Jameson lingered. Ruck was reluctant to leave his old friend, and pleasure inflated my chest from our connection.
Lucinda was slightly smug, and she should be. The Spring Dance was a chance to reconnect at the end of the bitter winter. But it was also for Designated to mingle and perhaps find someone they might bond with. We’d pulled off an incredible night, and it’d only started.
Jameson was like a hungry panther. His gaze prowled over the crowd in search of something. I shivered when his gaze coasted over me. A small part of me was glad I was already bonded, even though he was Ruck’s friend. He looked like wildlands made into flesh. Thick beard and piercing dark eyes like a crow.
“What else needs to be done?” I disentangled myself from Lucinda with a shaky sigh.
She hummed and surveyed the room, resting her hand over her slight bump. The baby blue dress she wore made the pink in her cheeks precious. It complimented my mint green one well, with its full skirts. I even embroidered matching daffodils on the hem. I took the inspiration of spring to the highest degree. The bodice on mine dipped until the soft curve of my breasts was visible. Oliver said I was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Next to Lucinda, we were a striking pair.
The hall’s wooden floorboards didn’t echo as loudly now that it was full of people. The oil lamps affixed to the walls flickered, and there was a pervasive scent of soap, lavender primarily. All Designated made an effort to remove as much of their scent as possible, but there was still the churning mill of them underneath. Cigar smoke drifted in from the outside and tickled my nose.
It reminded me of my father, and was probably the source of the niggling feeling of being watched. He used to sit across from me in the evenings and berate me about Daniel until my hands shook. Blowing cloud after cloud of smoke in my face until my lungs burned, and I was dizzy. All my embroidery dotted with red from pinpricks my needle made on my shivering digits. There was not one part of me that missed my father. I was glad none of my alphas smoked.
“We’ve done everything we can, all we can do now is enjoy it. Thank you for your help. This was your doing; I hope you know that. It’s been so tiring with the baby, and most of the details fell on you. I was so hopeful when you came to Misery Creek, but I never could have imagined how much joy there is in calling you friend.”
I engulfed Lucinda in a hug, wrapping my arms carefully so as not to crush the flowers threaded through her hair. A lump persisted in my throat and I worked at it with overwhelming joy. It was like every cell in my body was plump with energy. I held so much happiness and love in my chest it throbbed against the seams, like it might burst. I was full to the brim with all my hopes realized.
I searched the crowd and found my men looking at me, too. Yesterday Hale healed a part of me. Especially with his scent on my skin, along with Ruck’s and Oliver’s. Nobody else would know the difference, but I did. They’d gripped my wrist and reapplied their scents when we sat in the cart on the way to town. Pride made me antsy. I knew their burgundy suits were the finest in the town. Seeing them admired by the crowd made my heart swell and shrink simultaneously. Panic chased the golden pride, when Ruck and Oliver attracted more than one fluttered lash and coy smile.
They were mine.
But nobody could know. The only dark spot in what was turning out to be a fantastic night, a triumph. The mayor interrupted my thoughts as he took to the slightly raised stage in front of the band. He puffed out his chest and cleared his throat with the authority of someone who knew this town and everyone in it. The mayor was an aged alpha, with gray at his temples. He smiled easily, and soft, not hardened by life in the wildlands. He waved his hand, and I grimaced as Claudia melted out of the crowd to stand next to him. She laced her fingers underneath her bump with a smug expression. I’d seen her husband outside, a cigar clutched between his fingers like it was the last thing keeping him sane.
“Misery Creek survived another cold season and now we can celebrate. Our community is full of survivors, we are stubborn and we know how to dance. Let's show our guests how it's done. I want to thank my daughter, Claudia, as the chair of the Spring Dance for organizing such an amazing event. I’m sure you’ll all agree. This is one of the best nights Misery Creek has ever seen.”
Lucinda choked beside me, and my cheeks burned. Claudia notched her chin in a silent challenge, her gaze found us in the crowd like coals guttered into darkness, by an icy gale. Did she tell her father she was still the one planning this dance? He bussed Claudia’s cheeks and clapped his hands. There was a smattering of discordant applause, which made Claudia scowl. I was startled as Hale snatched my wrist and Lucinda’s before he marched us to the front. The mayor blinked, his mouth dropped open as Hale fit his wide hands around my waist and lifted Lucinda and I onto the stage.
“Apologies for handling you, Lucinda, but I can’t let this stand,” Hale muttered under his breath before turning to the hovering crowd. “What the mayor meant to say was thank you to Mrs. Baylark and Mrs. Hartlock for planning and organizing the Spring Dance this year. My wife and Mrs. Baylark have put hours of work into making tonight a success and I, for one, won’t be able to continue until they get the respect and recognition they so deserve. This is the best Spring Dance the town has ever seen, and I am in awe of Mrs. Baylark, who also did it while pregnant. And my wife, who takes all the difficult situations life gives her and makes them a miracle.”
My eyes shimmered at his earnest praise, a man who showed his affection through actions rather than words. I sought Oliver and Ruck in the crowd and found them, hollering their approval. The piddling applause that greeted the mayor amplified as Hale trailed off, and my ears stung with the force of it.
The mayor gaped as he stared between Claudia and Hale. “What the devil are you talking about, Hale? My daughter---”
“Your daughter is a liar, and whatever she told you about organizing this dance was a falsehood. She pressed Mrs. Baylark into it months ago, saying her pregnancy prevented her from doing such tasks. Mrs. Baylark asked my wife to assist, and it was the two of them who organized tonight.”
Claudia let out a noisy sob, her eyelashes soaked with a sudden rush of tears.
“How dare you embarrass me? This is my night.” She stamped her foot and shook off the grip of her husband, drawn from outside by her shrill whine. The sound had no effect on any of the townspeople, most of whom watched with cold curiosity.
“Claudia, perhaps it’s best if you go home to rest. You need to think of the child.” Her husband pursed his lips and planted his hands on his hips. The cloud of smoke clung to his dark jacket, and I wrinkled my nose. His words were strained as if the comments were repetitions of past conversations.
“Is it true, darling? You didn’t organize tonight?” The mayor cajoled Claudia, handing her a red spotted handkerchief with a flourish. Lucinda inched toward the band, and the jaunty sounds of music soon smoothed over the discordant tension that surrounded us. Claudia dabbed at her eyes, blinking rapidly to replace the tears she wiped away. I couldn’t find it in my judgmental heart to care for her theatrics.
“It’s just like years ago. You always find a way to ruin things for me, Hale Hartlock.” She doubled down and pointed a petulant finger at Hale. Disgust tipped my stomach at the young omega who once attempted to trap Hale and how she hadn’t grown at all. Her husband threw his hands up, tired of her pretend tears. He wrapped his hand around her elbow, his patience whittled thin.
“Hale wants nothing to do with you. He went to prison rather than claim a disgraceful woman like you. People aren’t playthings, and my husband doesn’t even think of you.”
She blinked, her gaze drifted to Hale. Like my words slid over her.
“You mean the same to me as you always have, Mrs. Robbins, and that is nothing. I won’t allow anyone to disparage my wife. She sewed that backdrop by hand, made her own dress and even the suit I’m wearing. She worked hard and deserves to be recognized.”
Hale wrapped an arm around my waist and yanked me to him.
Claudia’s husband pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers, and he tugged on her arm. The mayor shuffled on his feet before adding. “Perhaps it would be best if you went home, dear. I would hate to see you exhaust yourself.”
Two red slashes appeared on the omega’s cheeks, and she spluttered with indignation.
“Now,” her husband barked, and air gusted out of Claudia’s lungs at the order. She quivered against it, more tears flooded as she tried to fight the order. Her husband tugged her determinedly toward the exit. His fingers itched at the cigar in his pocket.
“He’s jealous he never married me.” The sound of revelry swallowed Claudia’s desperate screech. I latched onto Hale’s arm, rubbing my palm over his chest. He let out a soft rumble of amusement.
“It’s not true.”
“Oh, I know,” the mayor shook his head and wiped at his forehead in embarrassment. “She’s always been a high-spirited girl. I apologize for taking her word about tonight. I should have known it wasn’t her doing. She’d never gone to this level of effort before.”
He moved away, and I let out a growl of annoyance.
“No apologies for what Claudia did to you years ago, I see. No wonder she doesn’t grow. The people around her just enable her behavior.”
Hale covered my white knuckled grip on his arm and pressed a kiss to my forehead. The knot in my insides softened.
Always. Always.
Hale’s words echoed through my mind, and I held onto him harder. He wanted to keep me safe, and I would do the same with him. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for him to come back to this town. Where a selfish woman’s actions made him absent while his father died and yet she continued to live without consequences.
I understood his hatred of my omega designation came with a heavy dose of fear.
“There are some things that can be counted on in Misery Creek. Dust, frost, and that omega being spoiled.”
Hale drew me out onto the dance floor, where couples were moving in pairs. My insides churned with indignation, and I wasn’t ready to let go of it yet until Hale gave me a brilliant, white-toothed smile. The complaint I nursed melted away.
“You defended me,” he puffed his chest up.
“You defended me first.” I countered, my temper cooling. “Thank you. Lucinda worked so hard, and her face fell when Claudia took ownership tonight. I was too shocked to say anything.”
Hale drew me closer, and the scent of rich soil intensified.
“I didn’t do it for Lucinda.”
My cheeks flushed, and I pressed them against his chest, closing my eyes to the judgmental looks that followed us. He was my husband, and I wanted to dance in Hale’s arms, damn what anyone thought. I wished I could do the same with Oliver and Ruck.
The song ended, and Hale escorted me off the floor toward them and their old friend, Jameson. He was tall and wide, burned brown from the sun. His eyes glittered with interest as I approached. This was more a blade than a man. Honed by the wildlands into something sharp and dangerous.
“Mrs. Hartlock, I never thought I’d say the name. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Jameson dropped his head in greeting as Oliver and Ruck pressed in on my other side. Close enough, I knew they were there, but not as close as I craved.
I couldn’t have what I wanted in public.
“You didn’t expect Hale to take a wife?”
“Never.” The dark ridge of his eyebrows clashed. “Especially not an omega.”
“That’s enough of that.” Hale cleared his throat. His hand twitched on my lower back. He didn’t want to rehash a situation that was painful to all of us.
The band was playing an upbeat song, and the sound of shoes stamping on the wooden floor made me giddy. Jameson gazed at the thick crowd with something like envy.
“I’ve heard many stories of the wildlands. Is it as harsh as they all make it sound?”
I wanted to ask him more about his home, but the shutter that fell over his face prevented me. This wasn’t something he welcomed. That was clear. And who could blame him? Though he looked strong, he was sun-worn, and there were bags under his eyes. His neat, white button-up was starched and there was only a faint ring of dirt around the collar. But Jameson and his friends, who loomed behind him, were dressed better than half the townspeople. His spicy scent made my nose tickle, there was something sweet underneath though, and I pressed the handkerchief Lucinda made for me to my nose.
“Perhaps you could visit us in the future.” He whispered the invitation like a secret and my brow creased.
“It would be too dangerous for an omega, even a c-claimed one.” Ruck tripped over the word, and Jameson narrowed his eyes with a hint of a smile.
What was he amused about? The back of my neck prickled. Could he tell what was between us? Yet, I couldn’t move away from the three. Their scents were calm. Their scents were home.
“You’d be surprised what you might find in the wildlands. Trust me. It’s wild and free. Not ruled by humans—” Jameson bit off his impassioned words as the doctor walked past us. His face lit up when he spotted me, and I smothered a grimace as he approached.
“Ah, Esta, just the person I was looking for. I wanted to ask for your help,” Dr. Goodman wiped sweat from his brow.
“Mrs. Hartlock,” Oliver grunted rudely, taking my elbow in a light grip. The doctor cleared away what looked like a snarl. Too quick for me to register before it was gone.
“It will have to wait, good doctor. Mrs. Hartlock has promised me this dance.”
“I have?” I teased as Oliver dragged me onto the floor. His wide palm took the place of Hale’s, and warmth seeped through my body. Couples made space for us, staring warily at Oliver like they’d never seen him dance before. My giant, quiet alpha. He looked out of place, and it made me love him more.
“I want to dance with you, if only once.”
“You can dance with me as many times as you want, but is this your first time?” My ribs ached when his chin dropped. Dancing with him more than once would be unseemly. I was a married woman. Dancing was excessive, especially with an unbound alpha. Oliver held my hands, and our scents mingled despite wearing gloves.
It was intimate, and it would be noted.
“It is, but it won’t be my last. I want to dance with you many times, my star.”
I let my fingers dig into Oliver’s maroon suit in defiance. I wanted to dance with Oliver without restriction. The need burned his mark, and I smiled through the pain in my stomach. Oliver’s steps were unsteady, unpracticed and perfect. Sweat peppered his concentration creased brow as he tried to move us through the song.
Ruck appeared as the song ended, swooping me into his arms for his turn. Low chatter followed us, the judgment starting already. His smile and steps were quick and light. My head spun as the night melted away. My dress clung to my back with sweat. I retreated to the wall, limping slightly, but with an irrepressible grin. I searched for Ruck, Oliver, or Hale in the crowd, which swelled as the time for dinner approached.
But the doctor found me again. He wrung his hands and blocked my path. “I’m sorry to bother you again, Mrs. Hartlock. Can I call you Esta? But there is something outside that needs your attention and I didn’t want to bother Lucinda, her being pregnant and all.”
My curiosity was piqued. I forgot my sore feet and trotted through the crowd as Dr. Goodman led me outside. It was a cool night, with a slight, warm breeze, and I sighed as it hit my flushed skin. The stars were a blanket of lights above us. Only a few dark, wispy clouds barred the mesmerizing view. The stars were never so pretty in Breton City.
Dr. Goodman took me further than I anticipated, and my heels dug in. I wasn’t foolish enough to follow him into the darkness, even if he was the doctor. The crowd spilled out of the hall, but they were focused on their own groups, deep in their cups and drunk on merriment.
“What needs my attention out here, doctor?” I frowned.
His eyes glinted in the starlight, and he pursed his lips with impatience. That expression might have cowed me in Breton City, too scared of the blunt human teeth in his mouth. More terrifying than any raging alpha. But I had no one to protect me then. Now, there were three alphas I knew would do anything for me.
I took a step back, and he lurched forward. “I have someone in my office who is asking for you directly.”
The hall was only a short distance away, lit with lanterns and safety. I took another step back. Until I heard a voice, one that wracked my body with shivers.
“Esta?”
“Birdie?”
My sister spilled out of the darkness onto the wooden boardwalk, wrenching her shawl over her shoulders with a growl. I could scarcely see her in the low light, but the details were grim. Her glasses were askew, and she straightened them over wide, blinking eyes. Her mahogany hair was normally spotless, but strands escaped her. The doctor’s smile brightened like a bulb, too bright and unnatural.
“You see, your sister has come to surprise you.”
But Birdie didn’t come to me. She shivered and notched her proud spine straight.
“Run, Esta.” She spat the words out, and there was a flurry of movement and muffled curses as shadows peeled off the wall and dragged Birdie amongst them. My heel wobbled, but it was too late. Dr. Goodman clamped his arms around me.
“A little help?” He puffed, dragging me deep into the shadows. My mouth opened on a desperate scream, but it was halted as a low voice rumbled.
“Be quiet, behave .” An alpha bark. A brutal command.
One that could have shackled me as an unbound omega, but only barely held me now that I was marked. The command slid off as I struggled in the doctor’s arms. I couldn’t see the alpha who ordered me to be quiet, but I scented him. Sharp peppercorn, enough to make me sneeze.
Misery poured off him.
“Do it again, you beast. It didn’t work,” Dr. Goodman said.
A squeak of terror escaped the lock of my throat, and a piece of cloth smothered it on my lips.
“I guess we’ll do this the old-fashioned way,” Daniel grinned as he stepped from the shadows.
My senses blunted, and I whined against the material blocking my mouth. Burning chemicals seared my nostrils, and I choked as it scorched a path of fire through me. Every thought dulled, and my eyelids became heavy. Daniel notched his fingers under my chin and crooned. Even in this induced slumber, I was stiff with terror.
“Found you, naughty omega.”