20. Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Vigo
Tonight was ours.
It had been far too long since this many people had surrounded us. After the fallout from the Darlington Ball, our social lives had all but vanished - most had avoided us like the plague.
But now, those same people were here, toasting to our success as we showed the world that we were back and here to stay.
The crowd was primarily made up of other prominent packs, people who we’d known before our downfall. There were local politicians, other businessmen, and even former clients who had left us when we were accused of the kidnapping. But now, with Celeste’s endorsement, everyone wanted to be seen at our party. I knew some of it was pure curiosity and prying eyes - after all, Celeste was arguably one of the most famous omegas in the world, and now she was with our pack. I couldn’t help but be thrilled that our plan was working.
Speaking of Celeste, I wanted her to stay front and center tonight. She’d put on a good performance earlier, smiling and welcoming everyone, but I could tell she was seething inside. She’d gone off to take a breather, probably moping about how amazing our comeback was turning out.
I spotted her lingering at the edge of the room, her posture as impeccable as ever. She was dressed to kill, naturally. A fitted emerald gown hugged her body, its color a brilliant choice to complement her features. She always knew how to command attention, but tonight, she had to share the spotlight with us.
“Enjoying the party?” I asked as I strode over. Her eyes flicked to mine, and for a brief second, I saw the defiance in her gaze.
“Well, judging by the overly dramatic display of alpha posturing, I'd sayit’s... mediocre,” she replied smoothly, her tone cutting as she gave me a fake smile. “I see you’re eager to reconnect with the right people, and let the world know you’re back in their good graces.”
I took a slow sip of champagne. “And why wouldn’t we? Thanks to you, we’ve made quite a comeback. You should see the invitations pouring in since we went public with you. It’s almost overwhelming.” I bragged, and saw Celeste stiffen, so slightly that I almost didn’t catch it. It must have bothered her so much to see us winning. I’d enjoy it more, except that being near her was affecting me. She was right - I was alpha posturing. For the most bizarre, unexplainable reason, I wanted her to be jealous. I wanted her to bristle at the idea of us going to omega balls. I wanted her to want us . And absolutely none of that made sense.
“What’s overwhelming? The chemistry brewing between the two of you?” A loud, boisterous voice interrupted us. It was Charles Woodard, a wealthy member of an older pack in Roebri. He’d distanced himself from us during our downfall, but had been quick to reach out once we’d gone public with Celeste, once the world heard that the allegations had been dropped. He came up and slapped me on the shoulder, raising his bushy eyebrows as he glanced between me and Celeste. “Now that’s a perfect match if I‘ve ever seen one!” He said, and from the way he gestured to Celeste with his glass I was sure he was at least a few strong drinks in. Celeste smiled gracefully, even though her cheeks turned the barest shade of pink.
“Charles, so nice to see you. How is Sidney doing?” Celeste asked. Sidney was the omega of Charles’ pack, and he lit up at her name.
“Oh she’s doing lovely. She wanted to make it here tonight, but our youngest has the sniffles. She’s an amazing mom, our Sidney.” He said, glowing as he spoke of his love.
“Please tell her I said hello. I’d love to catch up with her sometime.” Celeste replied, and Charles nodded with a smile.
I was always amazed to see how charming she was in person, working her way through the conversation and endearing herself to the older alpha.
“And you!” He turned, his finger raised as he wagged it in front of me, grinning like he knew a secret. “You and I need to meet for a round of golf. Invite the rest of your pack too. I want to discuss that new software some more. It might be time we had an upgrade.” He gave me a knowing smile, and I felt the familiar excitement of near success rise up in me.
Charles and his pack had several large but older companies, and they all used some very outdated systems. I’d been working on him for years trying to get him to give Manticore Tech a chance, and the last time we spoke I tried my pitch again, to no avail. It seemed that now he was finally willing to opt for a change.
“And Celeste, I foresee a wonderful future for you as well. With a pack like this, I can only imagine how many cubs will be chasing you around!” He said with a joyful smile. “You’d be a wonderful mother. When that happens, Sidney can give you some pointers. She loves raising our pups.”
His mention of Celeste’s hypothetical children with my pack sent a satisfying feeling through me before I could even process it. For a moment my mind flashed to an image of Celeste surrounded by my pack, holding one of our children as a few other toddlers scurried around. I snapped myself out of the thought. That was absurd. Celeste was a monster - not a loving, caring person. Certainly not someone who would ever be the mother to one of our children.
I looked over at her, and the smile was frozen on her face. I could tell she was perturbed at the comment, though she hid it well. I almost felt a pang of pity for her. I knew Celeste would have loved to have Charles and his pack as clients, but despite all her goodwill with him, he apparently only saw her as an omega. He only pictured her home with kids, not as a business leader. And for that little moment, I felt the tiniest bit of awe at how much she must have fought to gain respect in her position. It must have been so exhausting to deal with alphas like this all the time. And despite her reputation as a party girl, I had only ever seen her work hard for her company so far. But it still didn’t excuse any of her underhanded actions.
Her lips tightened, but she maintained her composure. “Be sure to give Sidney my regards.” She replied, and Charles seemed satisfied before greeting another colleague, leaving Celeste and I alone again.
She turned toward me, her eyes now showing her irritation, and also, some sort of awe. “How did you get him to agree to talk about updating his enterprise system?” she asked, and though I wanted to gloat, I also felt good that she was impressed.
“Oh, that’s a secret I’ll never tell.” I said with a wink, and Celeste’s face soured as she turned away.
“Vigo, it’s getting late. I had a long day and I need to rest.” She pouted as she looked out across the party.
“Excuse me? You’ve barely been here. This party is set to go until the early hours. You aren’t dipping out early.” I replied. Tonight, she’d have to pretend she belonged to us. And I intended to savor every moment of it.
“How much longer do I have to be here? I’m tired.” She griped, and I shook my head at her.
“We paid for this venue for the entire night. You knew about the party in advance. Don’t try to get out of it now.” I retorted as she looked at me wearily.
“I’m exhausted. I wouldn’t normally be one to leave early, but I was up since six, had to attend several meetings with the board, and now you are parading me around in front of all these people. It’s too much!” She pleaded, but I knew better. She was Celeste, the renowned party girl.
“Have a glass of champagne and lighten up. I know you like parties, just because we are throwing this one doesn't make it any less festive.” I said, reaching for a glass from one of the servers who passed by with a tray. “Here.” I said as I handed her the glass. “You agreed to this, now be a good omega and start acting like you want to be here with us.” My words garnered a snarl from her, and I stifled a grin. I loved seeing any reaction from her, even a negative one. She ignited something deep inside me, and while we had the contract with her, I wasn’t going to stop myself from enjoying what I could.
I spotted my pack mates across the ballroom, and left Celeste in her sulking mood to go speak to them. Being around her too long was dangerous, and I didn’t trust myself not to get too carried away with my thoughts. Plus, I could feel through the bonds that my pack was more at ease than we had been in almost a year. Things were looking up for us. We just had to get through the rest of the contract, then things would be better than ever.
As long as Celeste, and images of her with our potential offspring, didn’t get any further under my skin.