36. Penelope
Chapter 36
Penelope
A couple days later, I’m standing in my bedroom, admiring my reflection in the mirror. I’m wearing a dress that probably costs more than anything I’ve ever owned before, and I guess it’s true what they say about you get what you pay for, because I’ve never had anything this nice before.
The quality is amazing, the material hugging my curves in all the right ways and skimming down over my body in a flattering way. It moves with me, the shimmery seed beads that are sewn along the bodice glimmering in the light.
It’s a dark green dress with a low cut neckline that shows off an expanse of cleavage. Not enough that I feel self-conscious, but definitely more than I would show off normally. The fabric is satiny and soft, and the skirt of it flares around my legs, moving when I move in a way that sends it swishing around my ankles. I have shoes to match and my makeup and hair are done in a way where I still feel like myself, but just a prettier version. I haven’t felt this beautiful and done up in a very long time.
Not even on my wedding day, since that was clouded with nerves and uncertainty.
The men got this dress for me, and presenting it to me in a garment bag on my bed. I remember Xavier winking as I opened the bag to pull it out. “We thought it would look good on you.”
And he was right.
It looks like it was made for me, and I love it.
Ever since Tristan came clean about his feelings, it’s like a dam broke when it comes to my husbands. Xavier and Dominic were already pretty open with their affections for me, but all three of them have really kicked it up a notch in the last couple of days. Like Tristan’s reticence was the only thing holding them back, and now that it’s not a problem anymore, they can be as open and caring as they want to be.
It makes this thing between us all seem more and more real by the day. It started off as something fake, just a business arrangement with a one year time limit, but the boundaries of it are starting to fade away.
It’s hard to remember sometimes that none of this is supposed to be real. When the men look at me or touch me or kiss me, it just feels like this is where I’m supposed to be.
I have a sharp twist of guilt at the thought, and that’s been happening more often lately too. It’s not the time for that, though. Not right now. So I shove it down and into a box conveniently labeled ‘deal with this later’ in my mind. I’ll tell the men the truth when the time is right.
I just haven’t figured out when that time is yet. But it’ll happen.
A knock on the door snaps me out of my thoughts, and I turn to see Xavier coming into the room. I smile at him, feeling lifted just to see him.
His eyes are on me, and it’s almost a physical thing the way his gaze travels over my body, taking in the sight of me in the dress. I flush a bit from his examination, especially when his eyes flare with heat.
“I knew it was the perfect dress for you,” he says smugly. “You look so fucking amazing, shortcake.”
“Thank you,” I murmur, smiling warmly. “I actually feel amazing in it.”
“I can tell. You deserve to feel good because you’re going to be the most beautiful woman in the room tonight.”
My cheeks go darker at that, and I flap a hand at him. “You have to say that because you’re my husband.”
“Not true. You wouldn’t believe what some men say about their wives. I’m saying it because it’s true.”
Needing to change the subject before I start blushing even harder, I give him a once over. “You look incredible too,” I tell him. And he does. He’s in a perfectly tailored black suit with a deep blue shirt underneath. His tie and pocket square match the shirt, and somehow the color makes his eyes look greener.
“I have to look my best to stand next to you tonight,” he says, winking at me.
“How are you turning me complimenting you into a compliment about me?”
“Talent, baby.” He pulls his hands from behind his back, revealing two black velvet boxes. One is slender and flat, the other more cube shaped. “Anyway, I have two things for you.”
He holds out the first box, and I open it, gasping softly when I see a beautiful necklace nestled against the satin lining. It’s deceptively simple, just a silver necklace inlaid with tiny diamonds with a deep green stone at the center, but it sparkles in the light and is probably very expensive.
In the second box is an honest to god tiara. It’s also fairly simple but stunning, and I gape at Xavier for a second, touched and surprised.
“What’s all this for?” I ask him.
“For you,” he says. “Because you should look like the queen you are tonight.”
My smile wobbles a little with emotion, and Xavier clearly picks up on it because he puts both boxes on the bed and crosses to me. Careful not to smudge my makeup, he tips my chin up with two fingers and leans down to kiss me.
The kiss turns heated in a matter of seconds, and I make a soft noise into it, going up onto my toes to meet him in the middle.
His hand cups my lower back, and he presses his height advantage, dipping me back just a little.
When I come up for air, I’m panting softly, and my cheeks are definitely still flushed.
“You guys spoil me so much,” I murmur. “You probably shouldn’t.”
Xavier raises an eyebrow and fetches the necklace from its box. He motions for me to turn to face the mirror and then clasps the necklace in place around my neck.
“Why wouldn’t we spoil you?” he asks. “We love to do it, and it’s what you deserve. Why would we stop?”
I don’t have a good answer for that that isn’t ‘because I don’t deserve it’, and I already know how Xavier will react to that. So I just smile at him and let him help me settle the tiara in my curls.
Once I’m ready, he holds an arm out for me, and I take it, the two of us walking downstairs to meet Dominic and Tristan.
Dom is at the foot of the stairs already, slipping into his shoes, and when he sees me, his eyes flash. He wastes no time before hauling me into his arms, pulling me flush against his body.
I look up at him, lost in the hungry expression on his face. Before I can say anything, he’s kissing me. His mouth is unyielding and intense, and I surrender to it, melting against him.
When he pulls back, he looks even hungrier. “Why do we have to go to this stupid fucking thing?” he mutters. “We could just stay here.”
Tristan walks in and gives me a little smile. He pulls me from Dominic’s hold and kisses me next. It thrills me that his kiss has all the same passion and heat that the other two did, proof that he’s not hiding his feelings anymore.
“We have to go because Penelope has been working hard and deserves it,” he says. “And we all have to go on a business trip soon, so we’re supposed to be spending time with her before we leave.”
Dominic makes a face but concedes the point. “Then let’s go. Before I end up ripping that dress off her.”
“Wait,” I say, holding up a hand. “Let me look at the two of you.”
Like Xavier, they’re both dressed up so handsomely. They’re both in black suits as well, although the cuts are a bit different. Each of them is perfectly tailored though, to show off the spread of their shoulders and the long lines of their legs. Dominic’s shirt is a rich purple, and Tristan’s a deep red, and I realize with a start that they’ve chosen jewel toned colors to complement the green of my dress. We look like a matched set without being prom-date-level matchy, and I love the way that makes me feel.
“You both look so handsome,” I finally tell them.
Dominic smirks and reaches for me again, but I bat his hand away. “Aren’t we supposed to be leaving?”
He growls, but we manage to make it out of the house.
As usual, Jonas is already waiting with the car when we step outside. He stands next to it, holding the door open, and he beams when he sees me.
It’s different from the way the men look at me. It’s more what I would expect if I’d had a dad who cared. The kind of pride that comes along with a father figure.
“Hi, Jonas,” I say, smiling back at him.
“Good evening, Ms. Penelope,” he replies. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
We all duck into the car, and I spend some time arranging the skirt of my dress so it doesn’t get crushed in the car.
“So…” I say, once Jonas has buckled in and started the car down the driveway. “Explain this thing again?”
Dominic huffs, clearly still wishing we could stay in. “It’s a ball,” he explains. “Hosted by one of the most influential pack of Alphas in the city. It’ll be pretentious, considering the location, but the food and alcohol will be good at least.”
“I see,” I reply. “I didn’t know packs threw balls.”
“Sure,” Xavier says. “Balls, galas, the occasional kegger.” He grins. “Depends on the pack. It’s a way of showing off their influence while also networking. It happens all the time, especially in the business world. It has all the other packs vying for an invite, which is always good for the ego.”
The ball is taking place a little ways outside the city, and I gape in amazement as the mansion comes into view. It’s massive, the size of a small castle or something, and it’s sitting in the middle of a huge sprawl of land.
We pull up to the gate, and Jonas shows the security guard outside our invites and then gets waved through.
The mansion comes into view more as we wind up the driveway, and it’s all lit up inside and out. There are fountains on the lawn, spraying water from all sorts of statues, and the garden beds are immaculately maintained. Everyone in the line of people waiting to go in is dressed to the nines, and have to remind myself that I’m also dressed for the occasion and I’m not going to stand out like a sore thumb.
Once we get out of the car, I keep pace with the men as we step inside the mansion. The inside of it is just as elaborate as the outside, and I try not to let my mouth hang open as I take it all in. We’re standing in what seems like an actual ballroom, and it’s amazing. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling, dripping with crystals that refract the light in dazzling arcs. There’s a string quartet in one corner, playing the soft classical music that sweeps through the space. The floor is shiny and probably made from actual marble, and every window is draped with heavy gold curtains and garlanded with flowers.
The men are letting their eyes sweep the room as well, and I startle a little when Xavier leans in to murmur in my ear, “Every man in this room is looking at you right now.”
His breath ghosts over my ear, making me shiver, and I roll my eyes a little. “I don’t think that’s true,” I murmur back.
“Just look,” he says.
I do, glancing around again but this time paying more attention to the people than the furnishings. To my surprise, there are definitely some men checking me out. Even ones who clearly have other women on their arms already.
I don’t even know how to feel about that. I’ve never been the kind of woman who turns heads in a crowd, so getting this level of attention from the rich and influential men in this ballroom is shocking.
“Told you,” Xavier says, and I stick my tongue out at him.
“What do we do at something like this?” I ask, changing the subject. “I’ve never been to a ball before.”
“Drink,” Dominic says, making a beeline for the bar.
Xavier laughs. “He’s not wrong. Drink, dance, try the fancy canapes. Whatever you want.”
“I’ll get something for the rest of us,” Tristan says. “Penelope, what can I get you?”
“Surprise me,” I reply, smiling at him.
He smiles back and follows in the direction Dominic went, leaving me with Xavier.
It’s interesting to people watch while we wait, and I notice Dominic leaning against the bar, waiting for his drink. There’s a woman standing close to him, very obviously checking him out. She’s beautiful, in a slinky red dress with long dark hair that spills over her shoulders in silky waves. There’s a hungry look in her eyes, and she moves closer to Dom, like she wants to push her luck a little.
“I’m not the only one people notice,” I tell Xavier, nodding over to the woman.
I can’t blame her for being interested. Dominic looks fierce and hot in his suit, and he’s always commanded attention with his dominant presence.
Xavier follows my gaze and then snorts. “Yeah, but he’s not even paying attention to her, look.”
And he’s right. Dominic is just gazing back at me, his eyes flicking up and down my body like he can’t get enough of looking at me.
I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to stop blushing at this rare.
Tristan and Dominic come back with drinks, and I take something pink and fruity from Tristan with a murmured thanks. It’s good, lemony and sweet, covering the taste of whatever alcohol is in it.
“All right,” Dom says, squaring his shoulders. “Let’s get this over with.”
“You sound like you’re about to be led to the gallows,” Tristan says, sipping his drink slowly.
“You know how I feel about shit like this,” Dominic replies, and I wonder if this is the world he grew up in with his rich and influential parents. Maybe he has a particular hatred for stuff like this.
But he turns to me and holds out a hand in offer. “Dance with me?” he asks.
I smile and nod, finishing my drink. “I’d love to.”
He sweeps me across the ballroom floor and into a dance that I definitely don’t know. But Dom is an amazing lead, moving effortlessly through the steps and guiding me when I stumble a little.
“You’re so good at this,” I say, looking up at him. “You’re making up for my clumsiness.”
“I had dance lessons as a kid,” he admits. “It sticks with you. Muscle memory and all that.”
I nod. “It shows. This is fun.”
He doesn’t look like he wants to agree, but I’m determined to get a smile out of him before this dance is over. I walk my hand up his shoulder to place it on the side of his neck, feeling his pulse beat strong. I lean in closer to him, turning the dance into something more intimate than it was originally.
There are eyes on us, I can feel them now, but neither of us seem to care about that, caught up in each other.
“It’s better with you here,” he murmurs, dipping his head to brush his mouth over mine.
“I don’t have anything to compare it to, but I’m having a good time.”
When the song ends, Tristan comes up and bows to me, offering his hand as well. I take it, and we dance together as well.
He’s not as much of a natural as Dominic, but he has a strong sense of movement, commanding the space with just as much ease.
I take turns dancing with the three of them, and then take a break to eat some of the fancy hors d’oeuvres that are being circulated through the room.
Xavier comes over with champagne, and I sip mine slowly, not wanting it to make my head fuzzy.
The networking part of the ball becomes clear when two men come over to talk to Xavier, Tristan, and Dominic, asking about business and recommending a client to them.
They introduce me as their wife, and I fight the urge to blush again, instead smiling and nodding to the men with a soft, “It’s nice to meet you.”
I stay quiet during the exchange, just listening with pride as my three men talk confidently about their work and clearly impress everyone who’s listening.
It’s more fun than I expected it to be, and if this is the sort of thing that I have to go to as the wife of three powerful Alphas, I think I could get used to it.
The food is good, the champagne is classy, and I can learn to dance better.
Xavier leads me out onto the floor after a while, spinning me around to a faster song. I’m laughing, trying not to get dizzy as he twirls me, ending up close to his body when he spins me back in.
I really do feel like a queen, all dressed up, twirling under the glittering lights with three strong, powerful men who want to be close to me at all times. It’s more than I ever could have expected just a few months ago.
The evening goes on, and I stand at the side of my Alphas while they mingle and handle the necessary networking that these sorts of events apparently require.
I’m just considering finding somewhere to sit to give my tired feet a break, when I catch sight of someone familiar, and my stomach tightens unpleasantly.
I haven’t seen my ex Wesley in a while.
He looks pretty much the same as he did the last time too. Tall, with his chestnut colored hair all tousled. Somehow he manages to make it look good with his suit and everything. There’s a boyish charm about him, almost like Xavier, only I know that it’s mostly just an act. Xavier is actually charming and caring, and Wesley is deeply self-centered. He’s just good at hiding it.
There’s a woman on his arms who is leggy and slender, and the black dress she’s wearing looks practically painted onto her, but she looks amazing in it. She’s dripping with jewelry from her earrings to her wrists, and she carries herself the way the rich and powerful do. Like everyone else is beneath her and should be lucky to bask in her presence.
She’s definitely not an Alpha or an Omega, and it makes sense for Wesley to take up with a Beta. Either she’s his new girlfriend or just someone he’s managed to charm into thinking he’s worth her time.
As I watch them, he notices me, and surprise flashes across his face before he schools it out of his expression. He bends down to whisper something in his date’s ear, and she looks over as well. One expertly manicured eyebrow raises as she flicks her gaze between me and my men, and then two of them make their way over to us.
“Penelope,” Wesley says, giving me that smile that I know has nothing behind it. “Of all the places to run into you, I didn’t think it would be here.”
“Wesley,” I reply, trying to keep my tone even. “Yeah, surprising to see you.”
“I was invited, of course,” he says. “This is Genevieve.” He introduces his date. “Her family has a standing invitation.”
I bite back the urge to ask if he’s just there as a plus one for her, and smile thinly. “Nice to meet you. This is?—”
He cuts me off. “Oh, everyone knows who these men are. The CEOs of Vantage Digital Systems. I’ll admit I was surprised when I heard about your marriage to them, Penny. I didn’t think you traveled in those kinds of circles.”
His tone is perfectly pleasant on the outside, but I can hear the condescension dripping from every word. Judging by the way Xavier, Tristan, and Dominic close in around me, they can too.
“She travels in any circle she likes,” Xavier says, his tone just as outwardly pleasant as Wesley’s, although there’s an edge just beneath the surface. “We’re lucky she chose us.”
Wesley’s smile cranks up a notch, getting faker by the minute. His eyes sweep over my outfit, and where I was feeling so beautiful before, I wish I could hide now.
“And dress her up, I see,” he says. “You look good, Penny. Definitely different from how you looked when we were together. But I guess having access to your husbands’ money makes that easier for you, right?”
“Yeah, I guess,” I mumble.
“The dress and our money have nothing to do with it,” Dominic snaps lowly.
“Sure,” Wesley replies. “But you have to admit they help, right? The Penny I knew would never have fit in somewhere like this.”
And the thing that hurts the most is that he’s right. The person I was before, the person I probably still am under the jewelry and fancy dress, doesn’t belong in a place like this. As much as I don’t want to let Wesley get to me, it’s hard to block out the voice in my head that’s agreeing with him.
Dominic takes a step forward, like he’s going to press the issue, but I put a hand on his arm.
Wesley’s date does the same to him, and either she’s tired of the conversation, or she has enough sense to back down when an Alpha is pissed off.
Self-preservation kicks in for Wesley eventually, and he backs off. “To each their own,” he says, turning the grin up a notch.
“Don’t you need to talk to someone over there?” I ask my husbands, nodding in a random direction. I just want this conversation to be over now, and I don’t want there to be a confrontation. That would just mean more people looking at us.
“She’s right,” Xavier says smoothly. “We did need to talk to Ambrose about the launch next week.”
We move away as a unit, and I keep myself facing forward, not wanting to look back and see if Wesley and his date are watching us.
The guys do go talk to someone, to sell the charade or because they actually needed to, I don’t know. I’m not really paying attention either way.
I can’t believe I let Wesley get in my head again. I spent so much time tuning him out, trying to shake off the way he treated me and the way that made me feel about myself. I remember how he never listened to me or cared about the things I liked or the things I wanted. How he always managed to make it seem like he was doing me a favor by being with me, so I could never complain about anything he did or didn’t do.
Someone like that shouldn’t have any sway over how I feel, and yet…
I find myself replaying his words in my head and dwelling on the way he looked at me so dismissively. Like I wasn’t even worth his time.
All the happiness I’d been feeling before has basically evaporated, leaving me feeling deflated and self-conscious. Maybe all those people were looking at me earlier because they think I look stupid. Maybe they were all judging me, wondering how someone like me managed to land men like Tristan, Xavier, and Dominic.
I’m too in my head to pay attention to anything going on, and I follow the men around the ballroom in a daze.
Xavier asks if I want to dance, and I shake my head. “No, I don’t think so.”
He frowns. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
It’s not convincing if the way the three of them exchange looks is anything to go by.
“I could go back and knock his head in,” Dominic mutters under his breath.
“Dominic, don’t,” I say. “It… it’s fine, okay? That’s how he is, and he’s not even wrong?—”
“Excuse me?” Tristan cuts in, one eyebrow raised.
“What?”
“What did you just say?”
“That he’s not wrong. It’s not like I belong in this world with you, and I can put on a fancy dress and a tiara, but that doesn’t mean it fits for me. That doesn’t make me…” I trail off, not able to say it.
But I don’t need to. All three of them realize what I mean, and I suddenly want to shrink away from the intense way they’re all looking at me.
Xavier’s the one who grabs my hand, but the other two are right there with us as he pulls me through the crowd of people and into a small, private room off to the side of the ballroom.
It’s a sitting room of some kind, with a fancy couch along one wall and a chaise in the middle of the room. There are beautiful paintings on the wall as well. Or at least I think they’re beautiful. My attention isn’t really on them.
Dominic brings up the rear, closing the door behind us.
“What are you doing?” I ask them.
“We’re not letting this stand,” Xavier says. “Your shitty ex shouldn’t have anything to say about you, and his opinion doesn’t matter. If you can’t believe us when we say that you’re beautiful and we want you here, then we’ll just have to show you exactly how true it is.”