Chapter 20 #2
He puffs out his chest, still confident that he is the one with the power, while assuming that Icarus and I are only staff with a couple of scandalously dressed guests.
But he’s wrong.
I let go of Lionzio’s hand and walk to stand next to Icarus. “I’ll only ask you this once and for a final time. Do you want to be in Zoe’s life?”
“Who’s Zoe?” Logan demands. “I don’t have time for this nonsense.”
John’s eyes widen in awe. “Zoe. Our daughter.”
“My daughter,” I reply, softly.
John looks like his heart is shattered.
His eyelashes are matted wet, but he nods in acceptance. “I understand. I need you to know that I wanted you both. I would have loved Zoe so fucking much and done anything—”
“Do I have to take my belt to you in public?” Logan lets go of the Omega, turning to John and gripping him painfully by the scruff of the neck.
Then he narrows his eyes at me. “You always were a bad influence on my Beta. One minute seeing you again and he forgets his place and all the re-conditioning that it’s taken me over two years to beat back into him. ”
“Please,” the female Omega simpers, “don’t make a scene. People are looking.”
Piper rolls his eyes, swaggering forward. “Well, we wouldn’t want to make a scene, would we? How about caring more about your piece of shit Alpha hurting your Beta.”
“Are you going to allow your Omega to talk about an Alpha like that?” Logan glares at Lionzio.
Lionzio tilts his head. “You’re right. He left out that you’re a bully and a cowardly asshole.”
The crowd around us chuckle.
Logan reddens, finally unable to hide how much this is affecting him.
Logan throws John to the floor and marches toward my pack, who draw close together.
“What are you even doing here, Grace? I was told that you worked in housekeeping. I didn’t expect…
I mean, intend… What the fuck are staff doing attending the matching ball?
Unless…” He glances suggestively at Lionzio and Piper. “…you’re here as a companion HO.”
Icarus wraps his arm around my shoulders. “Grace is here tonight as a guest. She is being matched as my bonded Omega in the Sinner pack.”
Logan laughs, nastily. “You’re also nothing but staff. Just the manager. Pathetic. Get back behind your desk or serve me a drink. Better yet, call me sir, unless you want me to put in a complaint.”
Icarus gives one of his dangerous smiles, baring his canines. “How about I kick your ass instead, sir?”
Logan pales. He takes a hurried step back.
A large Alpha in his sixties who has been watching the whole exchange gives an approving nod and starts to clap.
John pushes himself back to his feet. He shields the female Omega with the same kindness that I remember from my time with the Alcotts.
“What is going on?” Maya’s sharp voice cuts like a knife.
I stiffen.
Here we go.
Maya is dressed in a glamorous fuchsia velvet dress and high heels.
Holly is wound though her fiery hair. Her pointy face is frozen in a fake smile to trick the guests that she isn’t both panicking and furious inside to see Icarus and me out of the wine cellar and causing a scene in the middle of the most important ball of the year.
Hatton trails at his mom’s shoulder. He looks pretty in a satin, salmon pink evening suit and waistcoat. He is keeping his head ducked to avoid catching my eye.
“I want to make a complaint,” Logan rushes to say like the snitch that he is. “I have never been so insulted.”
“I’m honestly surprised,” Piper drawls.
“Wait for me in my office.” Maya’s eyes are hard as she stares at Icarus.
It is Lionzio who pushes to the front to face her. “Isn’t this a matching ball? This Alpha and Omega…? Well, you know how rock stars are. You said that our pack could have anything we wanted, including finding our pack bonds. Immortal has selected them.”
When Lionzio points dramatically at Icarus and me, I know that it’s as much for the crowd around us.
The buzz of excitement from the other packs takes me by surprise.
Warmth floods me.
Our plan is working.
Everyone loves celebrity gossip. Plus, a good Cinderella fairy tale.
Maya opens and shuts her mouth like she can’t work out what to say now that, for once in her life, she has been outmaneuvered.
“You don’t want them. They have baggage.
I apologize that they have tricked you. This one is from a disreputable family and has a dependent brother. And my daughter is a single mom—”
“I know. Aren’t we lucky?” Lionzio smiles, looking smitten. “I will be taking all of them with me as part of our new pack. Immortal and my male Omega are excited at the opportunity to add kids to our pack. Thank you, Mrs. Frost, your hotel is the best.”
Piper bites his lip hard not to chuckle.
What exactly can Maya say now?
“My pleasure,” she says, faintly.
Fuck, that feels good.
“Is that my match? He’s grown up pretty.” Logan grabs Hatton’s arm and yanks him closer to sniff at his neck.
Hatton cringes.
Shit, I’d forgotten that Logan still thinks that he is matching my younger brother.
I will rip off the Alpha’s knot first.
I dart forward, attempting to pull Logan’s fingers off Hatton’s arm. It is John, however, who drags his Alpha back by his jacket.
“How dare you?” Logan storms.
“How dare you force yourself on an elite Omega?” My eyes blaze.
I nuzzle with Hatton, comforting him with my pheromones, “Everybody saw you scent Hatton without permission. He hasn’t agreed to match.
You haven’t exchanged promise rings. But then, they don’t mean anything to you, do they?
Does the fact that he’s my brother turn you on?
Did you want to rut him like you’ve rutted me?
Maybe you want to rut every Frost Omega and send them all home pregnant and abandoned? ”
Dark whispers are spreading through the ballroom now.
The other Alphas are closing in around Logan. He glances around himself panicked. He swallows, nervously balling his delicate surgeon’s hands, which he enjoys laying on Betas but has never used in a fight against an Alpha before.
Hatton doesn’t need to reject Logan or ruin his own reputation.
Logan’s is already ruined.
He did it to himself.
Logan snarls in humiliation, before turning and storming out of the ballroom.
“I really am sorry,” John says quietly, before leading his new Omega after Logan.
Maya stands dazed like she can’t quite work out what has just happened.
For the first time since she took this hotel from Dad she is no longer in control.
She hates it, and I love that she hates it.
Hatton sends me a quick smile.
I pull back, adjusting his collar like I did when he was a teenager. Except, he truly is a man now. A smart, brave man who has helped Dad to mastermind everything that is happening tonight.
Maya slowly turns to look at me. “This was you. Somehow, I just know…”
My heartbeat kicks up.
Suddenly, the lights shut off.
My pulse roars in my ears.
Then a star-shaped spotlight illuminates the stage, along with the most beautiful angel.
My Beta.
Except, not the man who I have grown to know as Zero, who loves to eat pizza in nothing but a dressing gown or needs to be held through his nightmares.
This is Immortal, the international rock god.
He is wrapped in a sparkling white outfit that glitters with stars, while drooping feather wings hang from his shoulders. It is in startling contrast to his black, silky hair that hangs past his waist with crystal beads woven through it.
His lavender eyes look otherworldly.
An equally lavender electric guitar is slung over his shoulder.
The air thrums with excited anticipation.
“Who is ready to rock this Christmas and celebrate their new matches?” Zero’s voice is low and seductive.
It makes me melt. “Before I sing for you lovely people, I hope that you’ve all found your people.
The Omegas, Alphas, and Betas who you can love with your whole bloody heart.
I have. I dedicate this song to Icarus and Grace. I can’t wait to bond with you.”
The guests crowd to the front of the ballroom, thronging around the stage. They cheer and whoop.
I blush but I’m smiling like an idiot. And so is Icarus.
Maya grits her teeth.
She turns with a furious swish of her dress, disappearing into the crowds like she can’t bear to be close to us any longer.
Suits me.
I knew that Zero would be incredible at this.
He is providing the perfect distraction. I just wish that it wasn’t midnight; I am going to have to miss his performance.
My skin tingles from the first strumming note. It’s a rocky love song, one of my favorite Immortal numbers.
Zero is an incredible rock guitarist. He swaggers around the stage, practically fucking his guitar. When he starts to sing, he’s spellbinding.
Entranced, I can’t look away from the stage.
Hatton grabs my arm. “Sorry, I just need to talk to my sis for a moment.”
I struggle to shake myself free of the spell that Zero has woven.
Lionzio nods. “Pip, why don’t you grab a drink?”
“I thought that you’d never ask.” Piper casually disappears toward the drinks table at the far side of the room.
Icarus hurriedly brushes my fingers, as I pass. It’s as much of a good luck message as we can manage.
If I am caught, it may be the last time that we ever touch.
Hatton leads me closer to the exit.
“Thank you,” he says, hurriedly. “For everything…”
“You don’t need to thank me. You’re my brother.” I stop, cupping his cheek.
Hatton’s eyes are wet. “And you’re my sis.
So, pull this off, okay? You were my hero when I was a kid.
I never knew that anyone could be as brave as you were.
Then after everything happened… I realized that I could be like you.
Any Omega could be. So, I never stopped working on a way to save Bird, Zoe, and all our dads, as well as the Hotel Omegas.
I know that you can do this because you’re my big sis. ”
My eyes burn with tears. “Thanks, bro.”
Startled, I jump at the sudden clatter and smash of glasses.
I stare at the commotion on the far side of the ballroom, where Maya is furiously berating Lashona and other servers who have dropped their trays.
The second distraction.
It’s time for the heist to begin.
“Good luck.” Hatton turns, blocking anyone from being able to see me.
I sprint out of the ballroom, as the clock strikes midnight.