12. Meadow
Chapter 12
Meadow
July, Salt Lake City
“ W e’re finally here!” I declared excitedly, looking out of the window at the large Welcome to Salt Lake City sign as it passed.
Clover let out a chuckle. “We would have been here sooner without the fifty bathroom breaks.”
“I’m sorry. The baby required snacks and breaks.” I shrugged. Every half an hour or so, like clockwork, my body insisted on going to the bathroom, or an unholy craving would take over and I would be desperate for gas station potato chips or hot dogs.
The hot dogs were a loss because the last gas station we stopped at had looked somewhat questionable, so I had resolved myself to wait until I was at the concert. Hopefully they would have better options there.
“You’re lucky I love you, bitch.”
“I know I am. Not many friends would drive twelve hours to go to a concert on the off chance we can find my baby daddy.” I grimaced. I wasn’t sure what I thought of the term baby daddy .
“He’s not just the father of your child,” Clover reminded me. “He’s your mate .”
I winced.
That was possibly worse .
“Do you want to go to the hotel first or straight to the concert? We’re running late, so if we go to the hotel first, we’ll need to book it.”
I thought about it for a moment. As much as I would appreciate some time to decompress, I knew we couldn’t afford it right now. “We should probably go straight there. As long as they have some food at the venue, I’ll be happy. I think we could both do with a shower, but it’s not like I’m trying to impress anyone.”
“Speak for yourself. Once we get you and your little pack situation settled, I may go on the hunt for some fun.”
I snorted. “Sure, okay.”
“I’m happy to go straight to the concert, though. The earlier we get there, the more of a chance we have of seeing your…of seeing Apollo.”
“I suppose so. You know, there’s a good chance we may not see him at all? Security at these things is kind of insane. Don’t you remember all the bouncers they had at the last concert?”
Clover pursed her lips. “I’ve got a few ideas of how we can ensure you get some face time with your sexy alpha. Just trust me.”
We made our way to the concert, the traffic slowly getting more and more congested the closer we got. I knew we were near when I noticed several women wearing Hard Knot Life shirts, all walking in the same general direction.
As I looked down at myself, at the worn sweater and leggings I had opted to wear for the road trip, doubt started to creep into my mind.
“We’ll make a quick stop at a gas station so you can change,” Clover said, noticing me looking at the state of my clothing. There was no need for me to make myself look good to see him again. At the end of the day, we were bonded, whether we liked it or not. Still, I wanted to put in a little effort—he was a famous rock star after all, and I was…not.
I needed him to like me enough to be willing to stay in my presence to make sure I started to feel better.
I didn’t know anything about this guy.
“What are you thinking about?” Clover asked, glancing between me and the road.
“I don’t know…What if he’s a complete tool?”
“He’s a rock star. There’s a damn good chance he could be. Hopefully he’ll do the right thing, though.”
“Just thinking about it is giving me a tummy ache.” I groaned, rubbing my stomach.
“That’ll be the gas station snacks, though the stress won’t help.” She sighed. “Usually, I would offer you a shot to calm your nerves, but that isn’t an option right now.”
“That would just make the tummy ache worse.” I laughed.
“That’s true. Oh! I forgot to mention it, but I managed to book some parking. Naturally, all the parking spaces at the venue itself were booked, but I found a place about a five-minute walk away. Is that okay? Do you feel up to that? I could always drop you off at the door, then go park.”
I nodded. A five-minute walk was nothing, and considering how this show was sold out, we were lucky to find any parking so near. “Sounds good.”
“In that case, let’s give you a quick little polish so you don’t look like you’re about to faint.” Clover dug out the blush and brushes from her bag in the back seat, wielding them with a grin. “You’re gonna look so fucking cute, Apollo won’t know what hit him.”
The concert was packed, the throngs of people overwhelming. The air smelled thick with pheromones and sweat as Clover and I pushed our way toward the front, and I did my best to ignore all the scents clashing together, making my stomach churn.
Despite our best efforts, we couldn’t get to the very front, but we were close enough that we would have a clear view of the band.
“This will have to do!” I shouted over the din of voices. Clover leaned toward me to hear better, nodding. The opening act was already on; we had arrived just in time.
“They’ll be able to see us from here!” Clover confirmed.
Part of me questioned why they needed to see us. It wasn’t like Hendrix would recognize me. He had probably bedded a slew of omegas since me. I had a much better chance of trying to find him after the show.
My heart rate skyrocketed as I craned my neck to watch the opening act. It was a band I had never heard of, but their music was a similar style to Hard Knot Life’s .
“How much longer until they’re on?” I asked Clover, my voice cracking with the volume.
“Shouldn’t be long. We’re pretty late—you have no idea how lucky we are to get so close!” Clover shouted, wrapping an arm around me as we turned to the stage.
We didn’t have to wait long at all, which was a relief because the greasy food I had devoured on the way into the concert was sloshing around in my stomach uncomfortably. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but I was seriously starting to regret it. There were so many people in my space, and it was making my anxiety spiral.
The supporting act finished their song, bid their goodbyes, and waved as they slipped offstage.
The room darkened, and the crowd started to roar, a thunderous scream I felt down to my bones.
“Hello, Salt Lake City! Are you guys ready?” came the obnoxiously loud intro through the speakers.
Resisting the urge to cover my ears, I did my best to identify the band members as they entered the stage through the smoke.
Without a word, they went straight into the opening song, “Heat Beats.” Hendrix was front and center. His blond locks glowed under the spotlight, the black leather clinging to his body making him look ungodly levels of hot. So fucking rude of the universe to make him look like that. The huge screens displaying close-ups focused on those gorgeous blue eyes that had sucked me in when I’d seen them.
I racked my memory for the others. Phineas was on the drums, his sandy brown hair looking carelessly tousled over bright hazel eyes. Thank god for those screens zoomed in on them, or I’d have missed every detail in the chaos. Beckett was on bass, in the same snug black leather as Hendrix, his shaggy brown hair covering the glimpse of honey-brown eyes I’d caught before he focused on his instrument. I definitely did not get distracted by the cording of his forearm muscles as he navigated the notes. The last was…Arlo? He was on guitar, gliding around the stage like he owned it, his forearms just as distracting as Beckett’s as he launched into a riff.
“You’re staring,” Clover teased lovingly.
How could I not? I was caught in their gravity, frozen in place as everyone around me screamed and waved their arms, demanding attention, while I quietly prayed they wouldn’t notice me. I needed them to, but nerves were clawing their way up my throat and had a stranglehold on me.
Arlo’s gaze caught mine, and panicked heat raced through me.
“I’ve got to get out of here!” I shouted in Clover’s direction and pressed my fingers to my lips as a wave of nausea overwhelmed me.
She turned to me, her eyes widening as she realized I was close to hurling. “There’s an exit over there!” she shouted, pointing toward the left of the stage, past many, many partying concertgoers.
“Wait here! I just need some fresh air!”
I didn’t wait for a response. I put my head down and started physically shoving my way out of the room.
My vision tilted, and if not for the sheer volume of people sardined into the small space, I would have tilted over.
The first gasp of cool air as I left the main hall was heavenly. I staggered a few steps and found myself standing in a random, dingy hallway.
Using one hand on the wall for balance, I bowed my head, closed my eyes, and took several deep breaths in an attempt to settle my stomach. I wanted to avoid the embarrassment of hurling in public at all costs.
I was so focused on my breathing, I didn’t hear the commotion coming from the concert behind me.
“Princess?” a smooth, excited voice said behind me.
Whirling around, I was met with an alpha who towered over me. I stared at him, recognition poking me as his features came into focus, one by one. Dark, spiked hair, warm brown eyes bright with delight, and an easy smile that instantly lowered my defenses. Why was he here? He was supposed to be on stage…
Why the fuck was one of the members of Hard Knot Life in a sketchy-ass hallway with me right now?!
A grin slowly spread across Arlo’s face as he took me in. “We’ve been looking for you!”