Chapter 30
THIRTY
Playing: “Sailor Song” by Gigi Perez
“I’m going to get more water. Do you guys want anything?” Stacia asks as she passes by.
“Something fruity!” Rory answers mid dance.
“Same!” I confirm as I spin in a circle, the alcohol warming everything in my body.
I can drink on my meds, but only at night.
It’s such a long duration from my dose that it doesn’t affect anything.
That’s one good thing about it, thankfully.
Rory and I continue to dance with the guys, all of our energy going into the music.
Ciro’s eyes are shut as he moves his head in ways that don’t make sense for the beat, and Dax attempts the sprinkler.
Uriah moves his head gently, mainly trying to keep his drink away from the guys so he doesn’t spill it.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen any of my guys, though.
Not long after we got here, Kit successfully convinced Sam to relax, and he was living it up for a while.
He kind of started our impromptu dance party, but it’s been a minute since I’ve seen his blond locks in the crowd, along with my stoic soldier and anime-loving ally.
I remind myself to stay in the moment with my friends, though. They’ll turn up eventually. And it is an Alpha Xi party, so maybe Sam had some business to take care of somewhere else in the house. According to Kit, that’s how he spends most of his time at these parties anyway.
The song changes, and in its place is a loud guitar riff that echoes throughout the entire house.
Everyone cheers, and someone raises their cup just before the most angelic but also gritty voice I’ve ever heard rings through the air.
The sound is angsty and turbulent, but also delightful and wispy.
It pulsates in the air around us as people start to dance to the tune.
“I love this fucking song!” Rory looks around. “I wonder who turned this on.”
“Agreed because it’s not exactly house music. What is this?” I ask her, chuckling at Ciro as he plays an air guitar.
“This new band, Vicious Velvet. They’re all omegas and they’ve been skyrocketing.” She laughs as Dax joins Ciro and starts to headbang to the song. “I guess even frat boys aren’t immune to their stuff.”
“Of course not! I’m not even into things this hard and I love it.
They’re like magic,” Stacia says as she comes up behind us with refills.
She hands a few bottles to Rory and me while drinking out of a water bottle herself.
Atlas takes it from her when she’s done so she can bop along to the music with us.
Jett finds his way through the crowd, his arm immediately going around Rory as he arrives at her side. “I think we have a few more songs before he realizes what I did,” he says.
His mate raises her eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”
He points at the ceiling, but I think he’s actually referring to the music blasting from the speakers. “I needed a break from the party music, so I changed the playlist.”
Our eyes go huge. “So, you’re the culprit!” I yell over the music, pointing a finger at his face.
Jett puts his hands up in surrender, but the amusement on his face remains. “I couldn’t help it. Rory plays this all the time, and it’s been stuck in my head, sue me.”
My blue-haired friend kisses him on the cheek. “You’re amazing. Look at all of these frat guys dancing to it! I wish I could record it.”
Everett comes up on her other side, his phone pointing toward our drunk friends. “Already on it.”
I never feel as much joy as I do when I’m with my friends.
They’re just so full of light and happiness that it ricochets over the entire room.
We all start to dance, taking in the moment with this new band.
It’s a breath of fresh air, the hardcore rock echoing throughout the house with no complaints or issues from the partygoers.
We all just jam out, and it lasts for a long time before the music finally turns back to generic house music, and everything seems to go back to normal party mode.
“Aw, man! Go make him turn it back, Jett,” Rory pouts.
Jett shakes his head. “No, no way. The guy in charge, Bradley, talked my ear off about bees. Please don’t make me go through that again.”
Atlas lets out a massive, knowing laugh, and Stacia giggles behind her hand.
“Is that something he usually does?” Rory asks.
“You have no idea,” Kendall responds, breathing heavy from all the headbanging. “He even annoys Sam with it, and you know Sam is practically impossible to annoy.”
The reminder of their absence sends me into motion. “On that note,” I say, elation still flowing through me. “I’m going to find Kit.”
“He was in the kitchen when I was getting water,” Stacia tells me. I thank her with a nod before I head off in that direction, looking for my friend in the sweaty midst of bodies.
The kitchen isn’t as crowded as I’d thought, but I don’t find any of them loitering in there.
I grab a water bottle while I can and then skip through the herd, looking for any insanely tall people that might resemble Thatcher.
Everyone is talking, hanging around in groups.
It’s busy for a normal Saturday night party at Alpha Xi, and it makes me wonder if my roommates had to retreat upstairs for some quiet.
I walk up the stairs, very aware that it’s off-limits, but I know the president, so I’m not too worried.
Our grumpy alpha is my ride home anyway, so it’s not like he can kick me out.
I laugh at myself for that inner thought when I come across another living space upstairs.
It’s not very crowded, and all the occupants are members of the fraternity so I don’t hesitate to enter.
I spot the two people I’m looking for in the corner, facing one another and speaking low.
Thatcher is smiling, their conversation seemingly titillating as they go back and forth.
Their faces are close, and I spot just the barest tint of color on Kit’s cheeks as he listens to his alpha.
They look so enamored with each other, and it brings a smile to my face.
Instead of barging in, I sneak away from the door, leaving them to their alone time together.
I also make a note to tease Kit about it later, because why not?
My venture down the hallway is originally one of necessity, since I have to use the bathroom and the one up here is empty, but then it becomes one of curiosity as I come across a lit-up room.
The door is already ajar, so I push it fully open.
There’s a red velvet couch in front of a very expensive looking coffee table, with papers spread about.
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves take up the walls with tomes of leather in every available spot.
There are numbers on the sides, and as I tilt my head to get a better look, I realize they’re years in order, going all the way back to the ’50s.
I walk up to the most recent one and pull it out, loving the way the new leather feels in my hands.
The Greek letters of the house are written across the front, and I gasp.
These must be the ledgers of the fraternity, all immaculately organized and taken care of.
Which means… I must have accidentally stumbled into Sam’s office. It becomes apparent then, as hints of his green apple scent are stale in the room, confirming that he spends a lot of time here.
My curiosity gets the better of me as I continue to read out the notes in the book, summaries of recent events thrown by the fraternity.
The gala that was held for their philanthropy this past November takes up the most space, with the details describing the good parts of the events and the secret bad parts that caused stress.
The more I read, the more I realize that these words were written by Sam, his scrawl neat and eloquent.
Consistent. I begin to hear the words in his tone of voice, the poise twisting and curving along with the outline of his lips in my imagination.
“Only Alpha Xi members are allowed to read that.”
The same voice cuts through me with surprise as my body jolts, causing the book to fall out of my hands and ungracefully hit the floor.
I squeak out a sound and quickly say, “I’m sorry.”
I look over at my blond scent match, his eyes peering at me with dark promises.
He makes his way closer, his movements not as polished as usual.
There’s an absence of tension in his shoulders that’s so unlike him, but it looks good.
Less stressed. He bends down to pick up the book and puts it back on the shelf.
“Were you looking for me?” he asks.
Something in that question makes my stomach flip. His scent starts to sprawl throughout the space once more, overriding the stale remnants and turning it into something effervescent.
I shake my head, telling the truth. “I stumbled in here by accident.”
He grins, the slight upturn in his lips so devious it surprises me. “Somehow, I believe you,” he says as he rests against the bookshelf. He lets his body drape over my space a bit, like a warm blanket covering me. “Are you having fun?”
I juggle the answer around and give him a teasing grin. “It’s an Alpha Xi party. What’s not to love?”
A chuckle escapes him. Comfortable silence settles between us as his gaze pours into mine. The green is lush, specks of gold hidden within the beautiful dark forest, like birds floating through the branches.
He’s so close, our faces not even an inch apart as he leans into my space. My omega whines up a storm in my chest, but I can’t seem to make a sound.
“I think about you,” he whispers, and it steals the breath right from my lungs. “I think about what you smell like. Would it complement mine?”
The gulp I swallow is quiet, thank god, but the anxiousness is still there. Sam’s scent washes over me, and it’s heightened with arousal.
Wait, arousal?!
My eyes widen at the realization, because he’s here with me right now. Does he know it’s me?
The other day with Kit springs to mind, and I wonder if he told him about our time together.
Something tells me that he didn’t, but the way Sam is looking at me now, like he wants to devour me, makes me not so sure.
There’s a storm brewing inside of him, and I want more than anything to reach out and feel it.
Spin around in it as he takes over everything.
Sam leans closer still, so close I can smell the vodka on his breath.
It should repulse me, but it sends my body into an unprepared sweat.
My head leans in to meet his, the hope and eagerness and anticipation growing in the space between us closing.
His lips fall onto mine, and it’s the most glorious and powerful sensation I’ve ever felt as a current zaps through me at the first touch.
We’re both wary, holding it gently before the storm inside him encapsulates me completely.
He moves his lips over mine, a tiny sound escaping that hits me right between my legs.
His hands come up to my face, holding me like I’m precious, while his mouth dominates mine in a perfectly choreographed dance.
It’s everything I could have ever wanted.
My omega sings in my chest. His scent sticks to me like it belongs there, leveling me with want and desire that I’ve never felt so strongly before in my entire life.
But then he pulls away, hectic, like he didn’t realize what he was doing until we were fused together. The panic on his face makes my heart drop, and I reach out to him with my hand, but he falls back, stepping right out of my orbit.
“I—” he starts, and he puts his fingers to his lips like he can’t wrap his head around what just happened. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” I repeat with confusion.
He nods. “We shouldn’t have done that.”
The words slap me in the face.
“But, we did. You did,” I accuse him.
“I know,” he says quickly, avoiding my gaze as he tugs at his hair. “But… you’re my roommate. We live together. I shouldn’t have let that happen.”
“Your roommate,” I state again, feeling like a little kid who just got kicked in the sandbox. The rejection settles in my stomach like hard bread, my body suddenly heavy and exhausted from the merry-go-round it just experienced.
“Yes,” he confirms. “And I already have an omega.”
My heart plummets to the pit of my stomach. He doesn’t know how badly that hurts coming from him. Because I haven’t told him, because he doesn’t know, but the sting stays embedded in my skin all the same. He’s still avoiding my gaze, and I snap before I can think better of it.
“Look at me,” I bark at him, and the alpha immediately meets my eyes as his head zaps toward me by the command. His eyes widen, surprise twisting in his features by the control I just obtained from him.
From the most powerful alpha in this fraternity.
But I don’t care about that. All I care about is this conversation. “Do you not see me?” I ask, my hands going to my chest where my omega resides. “Am I really just your roommate to you? Have you ever thought that I could be something more? Something that we both want?”
He looks at me with hesitation, his body still locked into my demand. “I don’t know what you mean,” he finally says, and I know it’s a lie because there’s a slight murmur in his words. An imperfection that gives him away.
“What do you want, Sam?” I inquire. “What do you really want? I know a few things. I know you want Kit and Thatcher to figure out their shit. I know you want more justice in the world. I know you hate your job, but feel most comfortable when you’re working on a case or trying to solve a problem.”
Sam blinks at me with fear. “Stop—”
“We need to fix this, Sam. And I don’t mean just some drunken kiss, I mean all of it. Thatcher is struggling with his sexuality. Kit is home by himself all the time, waiting for you to get back from somewhere that you don’t even want to be. And me…” I shake my head.
I don’t know where the words came from. Maybe my omega has been observing more than I was, but something about my words feels right.
I feel strong as I refuse to back down, looking him square in the eye.
“I have been trying to fix it all on my own. So, pull your head out of your briefcase and fucking help me.”
My body doesn’t linger there for another second as I march right out of the door.
When I pass his body, his scent is singed, and not like a wonderful newly-baked apple pie, but burnt like the edges are black and crumbling around what could have been a wonderful dessert.
I don’t try to inhale it anymore. The distress in it will make my resolve collapse, and my omega will try to comfort her alpha, but I don’t feel like comforting him right now.
I am angry, and sad, and rejected, and those feelings follow me throughout the rest of the night.