Chapter 34 Faye
THIRTY-FOUR
Faye
“So he just swooped in like a gallant knight and dragged you out?” Delilah asks after I recount the story of what happened at the greenhouse earlier today for the third time. “Are you sure you’re talking about Ren Brooks?”
We’re in Sabs’s room, getting ready for Amora’s party. She texted to check how I was after class and said she’d understand if we couldn’t make it, but I don’t want to let her down.
“He basically did a full-on alpha bark.” I giggle at the memory, feeling super proud of my alpha. “It was—”
“Hot?” Delilah winks.
“Very.”
“Being hot is beside the point,” Kady tsks. “It’s good Ren was there to record what happened. Grub should never have spoken to you like that. It’s outrageous, especially at SVU! I have it on good authority that Grub has already packed his bags.”
“I saw a clip of Drax escorting him off-campus,” Delilah adds.
As soon as Cole received the footage from Ren, he contacted Kady who, after her many complaints and time spent lobbying for change, is on first-name terms with the dean.
They both marched into his office to demand that he dismiss Grub on the spot.
Seeing the recording, the dean had no other choice but to oblige.
As well as promising to launch a full investigation to see whether Grub mistreated any previous students, Cole insisted that Amora and I receive personal written apologies.
“Good fucking riddance, I say!” Sabs declares, dusting off her hands.
“We need to burn all of Grub’s books you have at the next bonfire.
” It’s a shame because they really were useful, but she’s right.
I can’t support someone so prejudiced, no matter how good his books are. “Let’s use tonight to celebrate!”
Sabs’s room is not your stereotypical calming omega space. It’s hot pink with bright artwork on the walls and a sparkling disco light hanging from the ceiling. Sabs dances over to her speaker to turn the volume up. As soon as the song switches, Delilah winces.
I frown. “Are you okay, Del?”
“Shit, sorry!” Sabs lunges at her laptop, madly bashing the keys to change the song. “It’s on shuffle.”
“It’s okay.” Delilah feigns a smile. “I’ll be right back. I just need to grab my eyeshadow from my room.”
“Oh, fuck.” Sabs flops onto her bed as soon as Delilah leaves. “Damn shuffle! I should have vetted the playlist ahead of time.”
“What am I missing?” I ask.
“Remember the singer Delilah had the best sex of her life with last year? Jagger Knight?” Kady answers my question. “Well, that’s his band.”
“Pack Fire?” Even a small-town girl like me has heard of them. They’re huge.
“She was convinced they were scent matches,” Sabs explains glumly. “He even told her so.”
“Until he left town without saying goodbye.” Kady shakes her head. “Don’t beat yourself up, Sabs. She’ll be fine.”
“It doesn’t help that those fuckers are so popular.
You can’t get away from them,” Sabs groans.
“At least she didn’t burst into tears this time.
She had a breakdown in Nora’s Nest Nook a few weeks after it happened last year.
” Sabs puts her hand on her heart and vows, “I’ll never listen to Pack Fire again. ”
Delilah’s gentle footsteps sound as she returns without eyeshadow, her eyes are a little red, highlighting the greenish circle around the pupils of her brown eyes.
No matter what she says, she’s obviously still not over it.
Someone like Delilah, who lifts others up and swoons over happy endings, deserves so much better than an alpha like Jagger Knight.
Regardless of how many platinum albums he has.
“So what pack is Amora part of?” Kady thankfully changes the subject.
I never thought to ask. “Should I know that?”
Kady’s eyes roll, but Sabs jumps in. “She’s part of the Princeton Pack. Her alphas are Carmen, Taj, and Leon. Don’t you remember her? She lived in Persephone House last year. Maybe you need to leave the library long enough to meet our neighbors?”
“Honestly, Sabs, I don’t know how you actually get good grades with how little time you spend in the library,” Kady retorts. “You’re almost as bad as Laz. It must run in the family.”
Sabs grins while Delilah reapplies her mascara, looking a bit cheerier now that we’ve taken her mind off Pack Fire’s lead singer.
“When I met Carmen earlier today, she said something happened at Persephone House last year with Amora,” I bring up the topic that’s been nagging at me. “Do any of you know anything about it?”
They shake their heads. Weird. Whatever happened must be an inner circle thing.
“Honestly, I try to keep my distance from the Persephone omegas. They’re…” Delilah pauses, her eyes on the ceiling like she’s carefully choosing her words. “Cliquey.”
“Bitches,” Sabs blurts at the same time Delilah speaks, making Kady snort. “Not Amora, though. I don’t know her well, but she always seemed nice. Kinda quiet.”
Kady fastens a delicate silver necklace, creating a timeless look along with her little black dress.
Delilah has opted for a leopard print jumpsuit while Sabs is wearing a neon crop top with hot pants that looks like swim wear.
I opted for a lavender dress with Delilah’s white belt to cinch in my waist.
“We’d better go if we want to be fashionably late.” Kady grabs her Fendi purse. “And not just rude.”
Giggling, we tumble out of Stella House. Sabs hired what she calls a, “party cart” which is an upgraded golf cart complete with blaring music and strobe lights. After spending a lot of time with the Silverwoods, it’s great, having a girls’ night with the Stellas.
Sabs drank a few cocktails while getting ready. She claimed they were Sex on the Beaches, but Kady argued they were more like, “Death on the Beaches” because of the ratio of alcohol to juice. Luckily, Delilah’s our designated sober driver for the evening.
The journey passes quickly with Sabs singing at the top of her lungs while waving her arms to every song that comes on. The Princeton Pack live in one of the coveted beach houses, and seeing them up close highlights how gorgeous they really are.
“This is the one.” Delilah points at it before parallel parking in a tight spot. There are many golf carts around and actual cars too. “Pretty nice, huh?”
With their house just feet from the sand, the party has spilled outside onto the beach where a DJ booth and barbecue are set up.
On the house’s porch, I spot Amora gazing across the lake, leaning against the railing.
She looks lost among the sea of people until a tall, handsome man with black, shoulder-length, wavy hair puts his arm on her shoulder and whispers something in her ear, making her smile. He must be one of her alphas.
She sees me and waves enthusiastically before hurrying down the steps to greet us with her alpha in tow.
“You’re here!” she gushes, slightly out of breath. “I’m so relieved after everything that happened in class.”
“So you’re the omega whose alpha finally put the misogynistic ass in his place?” Her alpha smiles, looking around. “Is he here? I want to thank him.”
“He…”
“They haven’t bonded yet,” Amora rescues me. “This is Taj, my not-so-diplomatic alpha.” Amora nudges him sharply in the ribs then turns her attention to the girls. “I’m so glad you all came.”
“You already know Sabs.” I motion to her then introduce her to Kady and Delilah.
After some small talk, we mingle through the crowd.
There’s an interesting mix of guests. Although it’s primarily alpha and omegas, there are quite a few betas too.
The alphas here stay close to their bonded omegas.
After bonding takes place, an alpha’s scent shifts.
It’s a natural biological change that happens so that they don’t attract any more mates, their smell becoming super-charged to their omega only.
The party has a chill vibe, although someone went overboard with the party decorations. There are a ridiculous amount of balloons and banners with phrases like, “Happy Bonding Anniversary!” dotted around.
“I don’t know many people here,” Amora admits. “This was Carmen’s idea. I’m not much of a party person, but she went through a lot of effort.”
She looks across the sand at Carmen, who is busy entertaining a large group. She’s clearly in her element, making everyone laugh. She notices Amora staring and blows her a kiss.
“Are they playing limbo?” Sabs motions to Carmen grabbing a stick. “I have to get in on the action! Come on!”
“I think I’ll sit this one out.” I chuckle at her eagerness.
“There are plenty of drinks and snacks inside,” Taj says. “As well as the barbecue.”
“Leon, my other alpha, has been treating the barbecue like his baby all day,” Amora comments fondly.
There’s an ease to the way Amora talks about her alphas. Based on the shared glances and subtle touches I’ve seen, the four of them seem to revolve around each other. Their bodies even seem to move the same, like they are all in sync physically and mentally.
“Shall we get drinks?” Kady asks Delilah. “I can bring you one, Faye. What would you like?”
“Surprise me,” I reply then shudder. “Anything but ‘Death on the Beach.’” Amora raises her eyebrow. “Best not to ask.”
“I’ll show you where to go,” Taj offers, leading the way to give me and Amora time alone.
“How are you feeling?” she asks thoughtfully. “Grub’s class was pretty rough. I feel awful for not saying something or doing more.”
“I told you not to,” I remind her. “I didn’t want to make even more of a fuss. Besides, it wasn’t only me he insulted.”
“At least we don’t have to worry about him anymore, thanks to Ren.” She pushes a loose strand of glossy, black hair behind her ear. “Did you see the email the dean sent to the class?”
I shake my head, so she pulls out her phone to show me.
Dear health botany students,
It has recently come to our attention that Professor Gregory Grub has broken a number of Scent Valley University rules.
All omegas should have equal rights and access to opportunities, as defined by the Omega Rights Act.
All omegas are entitled to fair treatment on campus, where we strive for a positive, safe, and healthy environment for all.
Discriminatory behavior will not be tolerated.
Professor Grub’s dismissal is effective immediately, and I would like to reassure you that a full investigation will be carried out.
I’m delighted to announce that I have secured a permanent replacement, and Professor Ezra Brackenwood will start in two weeks. Until then, all health botany classes are temporarily suspended. However, students’ access to the greenhouse will remain in place.
In the meantime, you can find the suggested reading list below, which Professor Brackenwood encourages you to explore before classes resume.
Yours sincerely,
Dean Rivers
I skim the rest of the email and sigh. “You know, it sucks that Grub was one of the main reasons I wanted to study here. But maybe Brackenwood will be better?”
“He can’t be any worse.” She grimaces then her face brightens. “You’ll have to thank Ren for me. He was so brave, stepping in like that and keeping his cool. I don’t think Carmen or Taj would’ve shown that level of restraint. What alphas will do for their omegas, right?”
Now feels like as good a chance as any to ask her about what it’s like to be bonded, so I decide to seize the opportunity.
“So…” I’m unsure how to pose the question. “I’m only courting the Silverwoods right now, but—”
“You want to know what it’s like to be bonded?”
“Yes.” I’m relieved that I don’t have to spell it out. “I’ve never really spoken to a bonded omega properly before, and I have so many questions.”
“What do you want to know?”
We stroll over to a large piece of driftwood to sit down, giving us the perfect view of Sabs tumbling into the sand while trying to limbo.
“What does it feel like?” I ask. “Can you feel them all the time?”
“It’s a hard sensation to describe.” She gazes wistfully toward the lake. “I can sense their emotions, and they can feel mine, but you become used to it after a while. You have your ears pierced, right?”
“Yes, why?” My hands shoot to my crystal studs in panic. “Is that a problem?”
“No, nothing like that.” She laughs. “Do you remember when you first got them pierced? They hurt a bit, right? You have to clean them diligently, you’re conscious of where you sleep and try not to knock them.
Well, bonding is similar. When you first bond, it’s intense.
It’s hard to think about anything else. That’s why it's recommended you stay close to each other during the initial bonding period, because the separation is so difficult. Over time, you become used to the feeling. It settles, and you almost forget it’s there—just like your earrings—unless there’s something wrong. Does that make sense?”
It’s not the analogy I expected, but it helps put it into context. “Isn’t it overwhelming?” I press. “To feel them all the time?”
“I found it hard at the start.” A chilly breeze rolls in, and she rubs up and down her arms. “My alphas are strong-minded, as you’ve probably gathered.” She laughs fondly. “But they’re not always at the forefront of your mind, unless you really tune into them.”
“What about the connection between your alphas?” I question. “What was it like for them after you bonded?”
“It sounds corny, but you kinda become the center of their universe, which is an enormous responsibility to have,” she continues.
“Because they’re all linked to you as their center point, their connections deepen.
You already have a huge advantage with the Silverwoods as they’re a well-established pack, so it should make for a smoother transition.
My situation was a little different.” She sighs, looking across the sand at her alphas, then her lips twitch up at the corners. “But everything worked out in the end.”
Her words give me some reassurance, but there’s still one more thing I’d like to know.
“And the actual…” I cringe, feeling like I’m crossing a line by asking a personal question.
Without wanting to say the word aloud, I mouth BITE, my gaze straying to her neck where she has three bonding marks.
“Does it hurt? I’ve seen movies and read about it, but there are so many mixed experiences. ”
“Hurt?” She smirks. “That’s one thing you don’t have to worry about. Trust me. If you’re with the right alphas, bonding will be one of the best things you ever experience.”
“There you are!” Delilah and Kady make their way toward us, flanked by Taj, who’s carrying Pina Coladas with mini umbrellas. “Let’s get this party started!”
I take a sip, smiling to myself. After my chat with Amora, the thought of bonding seems a lot less scary.