10. Vance
“What do you think?” I asked Adrien as I stood in front of the floor length mirror in our bedroom.
“Magnifique,” Adrien said, his hands coming to rest on my hips possessively. “If I didn’t know any better I’d think you’re trying to drive a certain omega and beta crazy.”
“You too,” I replied, covering his hands with mine. “Always you too.”
His teeth nipped against the fabric of my shirt where his bite lay underneath.
I wore light chinos and a fitted sky blue button down, my waves semi-tamed and brushed to the side while Adrien was rocking his dressy casual vibe, tight black pants with black button down, everything tailored to perfection.
“I’m not worried, mon chéri,” he said, the amusement in his voice clear. “I own you just as much as you own me, now let’s go. Apparently we may have to fend off people at this auction.”
Claire’s text had driven us crazy the other night and it wasn’t until Riley had confirmed she was safe and back at home that we had rested a little easier. Of course that meant going at each other with a ferocity that left marks on both of our skin.
It was a difficult thing knowing someone, well someones, were exactly right for you, meant to be, but knowing you couldn’t rush into things. Adrien was on board, he couldn’t deny their pull any more than I could, but we still had a long way to go in terms of wooing and getting to know them.
We were playing for keeps, for forever. Which is why we’d both agreed that her and Riley needed to find their new balance before trying to add ourselves into the mix.
Of course that was easier said than done when he looked up at us through those thick lashes and she smirked at us, the two of them smelling so damn good I was surprised my brain had any blood left for rational thoughts.
By the time we’d arrived at the auction, I was brimming with excitement.
It was the first time Adrien and I had attended one of Holiday Hollow’s functions together and it felt like a monumental step.
Hiding our relationship had become the default the past decade, and while we weren’t holding hands or touching, having him by my side meant the world.
“I love seeing you like this,” he said softly as he led me into the banquet hall.
“There’s something special about this place, Ady,” I said just as quietly as I took in the decorations. Everything was covered in varying shades of pinks and reds. Despite the contrasting colors and patterns, Janet had tied everything together perfectly. For once, the hearts and balloons didn’t bother me. With a pack to form… well Valentine’s Day might be a little more worthwhile. “I think it’s time we give it a fair shot.”
He hummed underneath his breath as Janet came up to us. Thankfully there were no trumpets in sight, I hadn’t heard the end of that little festivity for days.
“I’m so glad you made it!” she said. “Thank you again for your donation! We’ve already had bids on the baskets. Are you two planning to stay for the auction?”
“We came to check out the spread and maybe bid on a basket ourselves,” Adrien answered.
“Well, we have a bunch of guys and gals who are also going to be up for grabs for a date, and they have a variety of skills that could be useful! In fact, to my surprise, Claire actually agreed to be part of the auction this year. You could always bid on a date with her, and you two could create some kind of signature Holiday Hollow confection. Oh, that would be lovely!”
“Wait,” I said, my attention wholly focused on the omega now. “Claire is going to be in the auction? I thought she was just donating.”
“I guess she’s not the only one who misunderstood,” she said with a chuckle. “You were there in the shop that day when she agreed. She’s already in the line up. Thankfully when I saw her earlier, Autumn had already convinced her to give it a go.”
“Do we need one of those paddles if we’re going to participate in the auction?” Adrien asked, running his hand through his neatly trimmed goatee.
“You do,” Janet said with a knowing smile, passing him one without another word before leaving us be.
“She totally knows,” I said with a laugh. “I swear that woman knows everything in Holiday Hollow.”
“She’s more intimidating than my patisserie instructor in school,” Adrien said with a shake of his head. “Let’s go get a good spot for the auction. I don’t want to miss her. I’ll be damned if she’s going home with anyone else but us or Riley.”
He walked like he was on a mission and his determination stoked my own fire to find our beta and omega in the crowd. It wasn’t hard, their scents calling out like a beacon in the night.
It was clear Claire was backstage somewhere, but Riley was standing in the crowd, a beer in his hand as he talked to a group of guys, two alphas and a beta, who he was clearly very familiar with.
The sound of his laughter had me walking quicker, wanting to know what was funny, wanting to catalog every nuance that made him laugh so I could be the one to do so in the future.
The dark jeans he wore were slung tight over his ass and the deep blue shirt was open at his neck, revealing the swatch of bronzed skin where his golden necklace lay. The blend of masculine and feminine that he balanced seamlessly had my mouth watering.
“Hey!” he said excitedly when he saw us, waving us over. “I’m so glad you guys came. Let me introduce you to the Halston pack. This is Hunter, Boone, and Jack. I work with their omega Autumn over at the orchard. Guys, this is Vance and Adrien.”
I appreciated that he left the introduction at that, letting us choose which information we wanted to divulge.
“My sweet tooth precedes me,” the man Riley had pointed out as Jack said with a friendly smile. “It’s nice to see you again, Adrien. I may have my eye on one of your baskets.”
“Ah, so you’re the one who makes the chocolate our omega craves,” Hunter said, offering his hand to Adrien.
“Guilty,” Adrien said, with a nod of his head, accepting his handshake before the alpha turned and offered me one as well.
“I don’t think we’ve had the chance to meet yet, which considering I’m the sheriff is probably a good thing,” he joked.
“I can’t say that we have,” I said with a laugh. “I’ve just started to get out and about lately, so I’m afraid there’s quite a few people I haven’t met yet.”
“Well there’s no place quite like the Hollow,” Jack said. “I hope you guys stick around, it’s a great place for a pack.”
A beat passed as my breath caught, Riley’s eyes widening slightly as he shook his head subtly trying to tell us that he hadn’t said anything.
“We’re beginning to see that,” Adrien said, taking control of the moment. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we need to talk with Riley about the auction.”
“You basically just admitted we were a pack,” I said once we’d stepped away, Riley in tow.
“We are a pack,” Adrien said, his eyes narrowing. “What we do together is no one’s business but ours. But just because I’m protective of what we have doesn’t mean I’d ever deny what you mean to me, mon chéri.”
“Fuck,” Riley muttered. “My pants are way too tight for the two of you being so freaking hot. Are you trying to make Hunter arrest me for indecent exposure?”
“As much as I’d like to see you cuffed and hard for us, that will have to wait,” Adrien said. “Did you know Claire is going to be in the auction?”
“There’s no way,” Riley said, shaking his head. “She’s never agreed to do that before, she thinks it plays too much into some antiquated omega ideals.”
“Well, apparently, she’s gotten over that bit, or she’s just decided to torture us all because she’s on the docket for tonight,” I told him, watching the realization set in. “Have you seen her?”
He shook his head. “Not since this morning when we brought the goods over. She said she was going to get ready with Autumn and…of fucking course. She’s totally about to hand me my ass isn’t she?”
“What do you mean?” Adrien questioned. “I thought the two of you worked things out at our place the other night.”
“I mean we did, yeah,” Riley said. “But I…”
I stepped closer to him then, framing my body with his. “This okay?”
“Yeah,” he said softly.
“What happened? Honesty and communication, remember?”
“I’ve been too scared to make the next move, to take things further with her,” he admitted, not able to meet my eye.
My fingers met his chin, resting against his stubble as I turned him towards me so I could meet his eyes. “Have you told her why?”
“No,” he said with a sigh.
“Do you need a push?” Adrien asked him. “Or would you rather us let you figure this one out? How much is too much for you, beautiful beta?”
Riley swallowed, his tongue darting out to wet his bottom lip.
“I want a push.”
The lights dimmed then, signaling the start of the auction as Janet walked out on stage and started welcoming everyone to the event and giving the run down of the night”s activities.
I took the opportunity to pull Riley flush against me, turning him to face towards the stage while I let my lips linger at his ear.
“I’m going to tell you exactly what you’re going to do tonight,” I whispered, letting my lips kiss the shell of his ear. “Are you going to be good for us and do what we say?”
A shudder wracked his body as he pressed back into me, his pert ass rubbing against me. It seemed our beta wasn’t afraid of a little exhibitionism.
Adrien arranged himself slightly to the side of us, providing us with a hint of coverage, but close enough he could still partake.
“You wanted a push, Mr. Ortiz,” Adrien reminded him, causing a low groan to leave the beta’s lips. He was so responsive and I couldn”t wait to truly get him into our bed.
“I think he likes it when you get all formal,” I told Adrien before whispering again in Riley’s ear. “He’s so sexy when he gets all posh, even I can’t resist.”
“You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?” Riley hissed. “Death by alpha cock is up there on my top ways to go, but I’d rather experience a few things first before you completely ruin me.”
“Like a certain omega who’s up next?” I said, just as she stepped through the curtains.
Curses rang out around me and I knew I wasn’t the only one feeling crazed. I was half a second away from rushing to the stage and throwing her over my shoulder.
Her curves were on full display, the sweetheart neckline of her red dress accentuating the swell of her ample breasts before her dress wrapped around her waist, flaring slightly. The tease of her sheer sleeves, the milky skin underneath, was the perfect combination of sweet and sassy, just like her.
“She looks like a fucking goddess,” Riley said, his hand coming to play with the necklace around his neck.
“She is a goddess,” I corrected. “And you’re going to worship her tonight, to show her exactly how much she means to you.”
“I am?” Riley questioned.
“You are,” Adrien said, turning around to place the paddle in Riley’s hand. “You’ll win the auction for her and then you’ll take her back home and make up for all those years you missed. I’d recommend doing it on your knees, beta.”
“Do we have one hundred dollars?” Janet asked the crowd.
A paddle shot up in the air on the other side of the crowd, cheers ringing out along with a few cat calls.
“What about one fifty?”
Riley’s hand shot in the air, Claire’s eyes sweeping to see who placed the bet.
A satisfied smile sat on her ruby-red lips as she threw him a wink.
“She wants you alright,” I said, pressing my thick cock into him letting him feel just how much the thought of them together was turning me on. “You’re going to be so beautiful together. I bet she tastes so sweet.”
“Two hundred!” the same person shouted across the hall.
“Two fifty!” Riley shouted without any prompting.
“Good beta,” Adrien praised.
“You can taste it can’t you?” I asked. “The taste of her peaches and cream scent on your tongue, even from here. I bet every day you walk into that house she has your mouth watering.”
Claire’s eyes hadn’t left us, the heat in them as she tossed her curls over her shoulder, making it clear she knew we were up to something. Which, judging by the smile on her face, was exactly why she’d orchestrated this little bout of torture.
“Three hundred!” His competition shouted. “I need that banana nut muffin recipe.”
“Five hundred dollars!” Riley shouted, breaking free of my arms and marching towards the stage and doing exactly what I had imagined doing myself a second ago. He had her gathered in his arms, stalking off the stage with her. “The only one tasting my omega’s muffins is going to be me!”
With blushed-stained cheeks, Claire ducked her head into his chest as Riley made his way out of the banquet hall, cheers and shouts of support ringing from the crowd, his intention clear for all to see.
“Let’s make sure they make it home okay,” Adrien said under his breath. “Then I fully plan to take you back home and show you exactly how much I’m glad you’re mine.”
“I don’t think you can carry me off like that,” I said with a laugh.
“Don’t underestimate me, alpha,” he said with a smile on his lips.
The lightheartedness of the moment, the passion that blazed between us, all that much sweeter having been stirred by a certain beta and omega, felt like a release of a different kind, and I couldn’t wait to see what the future would bring.