21. Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Celeste
The party was the worst. This wasn’t a celebration; it was a stage. And I was the star attraction.
People had arrived right on time, a rarity for these types . But I suppose everyone wanted to get a glimpse of the heiress and the wronged pack, and see just how we acted together. I could tell which people here were friends of Liam, Dante and Vigo. A few of them couldn't hold back their looks of disgust, avoiding me when possible or turning their backs to me when I walked up to them. I clenched my jaw and plastered on a smile, something I was very practiced at. No matter what happened, I would not let these people get to me.
No matter how tired, overstimulated, and pissed off I felt.
At least the banquet spread looked good. I went toward the magnificent table of delicacies and spotted Dante nearby. He disliked me most of all - maybe he’d support letting me go home to sleep, if only to not have to deal with me. He was already giving me a weary look as I approached him.
I let out a slow breath, forcing my expression into something neutral before facing him. He stood beside me, arms crossed, radiating that sexy, mysterious aura that made me want to wrap my legs around him, and simultaneously scream at him for being such a pain. If I had any chance of getting out of here early, I needed to tread carefully.
“Alright,” I said, picking up a toothpick and spearing a strawberry. “I’ll bite - are you actually enjoying yourself, or are you just here to make sure I suffer?”
He let out a low chuckle, but his expression remained unreadable. “If I said both, would that surprise you?”
I rolled my eyes. “Look, you win. I showed up, played nice, and smiled for the right people. Can we call it a night now?”
His gaze flicked to me, sharp and assessing. “Not yet.”
His sexy, spicy scent was so potent that it made me want to whine for his approval. I was teetering on dangerous territory, the effect of my suppressants wearing off every minute. I needed to leave.
“Dante, this is absurd. You’ve made your point. Everyone has seen me here, they believe we're the real thing. Your party was a success. I have no energy anymore!” I hissed, and his eyes darkened.
“You may have grown up never hearing the word ‘no’, but now you can learn what it’s like for people in the real world. Suck it up and play your part.” He said with the rumblings of a growl. I hated him. Hated how damn good he looked when his eyes were so serious, and how hot his voice was with the hint of a growl. His scent was coming out even stronger now, and I had to get away from him. I turned, walking in no particular direction, just to put some distance between us. I gave the occasional hug or greeting to various people I knew as I walked by, and ended up close to the champagne flute tower.
I focused on the magnificent display of food and drinks, trying to clear my head and stave off the growing frustration. Someone stepped up to my side.
“Well if it isn’t the hard-to-get heiress in the flesh!” The voice came from behind. I turned, only to see Marlon, a member of Pack Acosta, right behind me. The large, unbonded alpha smiled at me, his teeth looking more like a predator than an acquaintance. I’d met his pack several times before. The Acosta pack was from the south end of our province, and all of them were from well-known families. They were also rumored to have mafia ties, and were overall an unscrupulous group. But they had a lot of money, and that made them welcome all over the Eastern Province.
“Intriguing. You run one of the largest companies in the world, yet you still have time to slum it with the pack you claimed tried to kidnap you.” Marlon folded his large arms across his chest, and I could tell he was unhappy despite his smile. “For someone with such a busy schedule, I would have thought you’d at least find time to thank us for the prize stallion we procured for you.” He said, his voice jovial, but with a hint of bitterness.
Their pack had spent years trying to court me, sending extravagant gifts I never asked for, and never accepted. The last had been a horse, a ridiculous gesture that only confirmed what I'd always known: they were attracted to my status, and nothing more. Every encounter with them made my skin crawl. Their scent was sharp and bitter, all greed and ambition, nothing warm or real. They were the worst kind of alphas - always taking, never giving.
But I’d dealt with alphas like him before. They hated not getting what they wanted. I sighed and turned to face him fully, keeping my expression calm, though my patience was wearing thin. “Oh, Marlon, if I’ve been distant, it’s only because I’ve been so busy trying to keep up with the demands of running an empire. Surely someone as accomplished as you understands the burden of such responsibilities?” I folded my hands in front of me, my voice light but firm.
The compliment seemed to subdue his attitude slightly, but he still leaned in, very blatantly trying to get a sniff of my hair. “None of that expensive perfume tonight? I sure miss smelling it. Always made me wonder what it would be like to smell the real thing…” He let his words trail off as he reached out a hand, grazing my arm. I stepped back suddenly, knocking into the table. Almost instantly, Vigo was at my side, appearing out of nowhere and ushering me away from the table and Marlon.
“Keep your hands off of her!” Vigo said sharply, and a few other guests looked over at the commotion. Marlon’s nostrils flared, and his eyes narrowed at the sudden interruption.
“Back down, Vigo. I was just having a conversation with her. It’s not like she’s bonded.” He said, his eyes glancing at my neck. The challenge in his statement caused Vigo to pull me back even further.
“You seem to have had enough alcohol tonight. Perhaps it's time for you and your pack to head out.” Vigo’s words came with an implied threat. Liam and Dante were suddenly beside us, closing ranks as they noticed the disturbance. I was feeling extremely tired and anxious at the amount of alpha attitude in the room. This, plus the champagne muddling my senses, made me start to feel the clinginess of my omega side. I needed my suppressants. And I needed to get away from all of this, fast. Marlon assessed all of us, noticing how I leaned into Liam for safety. He looked at me, his face contorted in rage.
“My mistake for thinking you might make a good mate. You muddy the name of the pack you claim tried to kidnap you, and then the next moment, you’re clinging to them. Foolish omega.” He said with disdain. I stiffened, and the crowd quieted as people stilled to watch the interaction.
“Leave her out of this!” Vigo growled, and Marlon’s eyes looked at the rest of the pack surrounding me.
Marlon was not used to not getting his way. Most omegas would bend under the pressure of his intensity, but I never did. Which was probably why he wanted me - I was the one thing he couldn't buy. I’d always been careful when dealing with him, knowing his reputation. Pack Lockwood clearly didn’t know about Marlon the way I did. Marlon peeled his eyes away from me, addressing them instead.
“And you, what do you think she’s good for? She can barely walk a straight line at most parties! Look at her now! Which glass is she on? She’ll be making a mess of herself by the end of the night.” He yelled, his belligerence drawing even more attention. “She’s good for a heat and some publicity, nothing more.” His words shot through me like an arrow, and I felt my face flush in embarrassment.
I leaned into Vigo, starting to feel needy for his protection. That wasn't normal - I’d never let myself feel so intimidated that I leaned into an alpha, especially one who was my enemy. But right now, I was so overwhelmed by the alpha attitudes around me that I could practically burst. Without a thought, I clutched Vigo’s arm, holding back a whine as I felt the tension rising in the air.
“That’s enough !” Vigo shouted as his growl echoed through the venue. Everyone around us froze as everyone went silent, the crowd watching as the alphas faced off. Marlon bared his teeth, but Vigo handed me over to Liam and moved in front of me, squaring up to Marlon face to face. “Don’t you dare put my pack or my omega’s name in your mouth ever again!” He spat out, and I felt the beads of sweat start to drop down my temple as my temperature fluctuated between heated and freezing.
My omega? Despite the fact that it was all part of an act, his words pushed me over the edge. I turned to see Liam barreling up, putting himself in front of me for protection as he stood next to Vigo.
“Um, guys? I really need to get out of here.” I said in a trembling voice. I was teetering on the edge of losing it. Without my suppressants, I would have been able to bear through the rest of this party for at least another hour. But after weeks of being around them, barely able to function due to my insane attraction to their scents, I was at my breaking point. Now that they were acting so dominant and possessive of me, and calling me their omega, I was quickly losing my grip.
“You’re staying.” Dante hissed, his massive body seeming even bigger beside me as he grabbed my arm.
“That’s right. They can leave if they can’t be grateful for our hospitality.” Liam growled at Marlon, his fists clenched at his sides. The tension was so high that the room was almost vibrating. I swallowed, but my throat was so dry that it didn’t do anything. Then, Dante slowly pulled me back, a subtle move of protection, and the only nice thing he’d ever done for me. I knew he’d done it subconsciously, but it didn’t matter. That and the heavy scent of all of them surrounding me as they growled in confrontation sent me over the edge, and the last thread of control I had just unraveled.
With a gasp, I felt my scent glands release an explosion of perfume around us. My real perfume - not the artificial replica I enjoyed wearing. It took less than a second for the men to react. All three of them froze, and I could see Dante’s face from the side. His pupils grew so large that his irises disappeared. The three of them slowly looked at me, their eyes staring at me with a mix of instinctual need as their minds struggled to keep up with what they would momentarily realize - I was their scent match. Their mate.
It took only several more seconds for the other alphas in the room to catch a whiff of my perfume, now extremely heavy and laced with my arousal as my body responded to my mates protecting me. Low growls started off in a rumble, getting louder as each unbonded pack realized they were smelling pure, fertile omega in their midst. Their faces started to get a blank look, then turned slightly feral as their alpha nature reacted to it.
Liam was the first to snap out of it. “We need to leave, now !” He barked out to his packmates. Vigo lifted me so quickly I barely registered it, then I was flying through the crowd, a blur of faces passing by as alphas began to lunge toward us, following as they became ever more agitated. I couldn’t see if Liam and Dante were behind us. I just pressed my face into Vigo’s chest and whined in fear. The men here were already hyper-competitive and posturing so much tonight that triggering their alpha sides to come out meant we might not get out of here intact. I would likely be ripped from their grasp, taken away and fought over as the men tore each other apart.
I felt several quick turns, jumps, and at one point was even rolled on the floor with Vigo covering me with his body, growling viciously as the other packs tried to get to me. Then I felt him carry me through a door, flying down a stairwell and sprinting before he shoved me into a car, throwing me into the passenger seat before he started driving. We tore out of the parking lot, and I finally looked behind us.
A stream of men poured out of the back doorway of the venue, snarling as they saw us drive away. My heart was pounding out of my chest, and I could barely catch my breath even though I hadn't been the one running while carrying another person. Once there was enough distance between the car and the stream of alphas, I could finally take a moment and try to calm down.
We were on the main road, speeding away for several minutes before I finally looked toward Vigo. His hands were gripping the steering wheel, and his jaw was set. His eyes were on the road, not looking toward me at all. His breathing was restrained, and I didn’t quite know how to act.
“What about Liam and Dante?” I finally asked in a quiet voice. Vigo’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the wheel.
“They will meet us at home.” He said, his voice strained.
“How do you know they are okay?” I asked, worried about what happened to them. Finally, he looked over, and boy was he pissed.
“They know how to handle themselves!” He practically barked as his eyes stared at me with what he probably thought was anger. But I could also see that he was fighting his desire.
Realizing you have a scent match was something no one could prepare for, and I had already learned how to control my reactions for weeks. But he was dealing with it for the first time.
“They will be fine. No thanks to you.” He growled, then turned back to watch the road. I sat back, huffing as I crossed my arms.
“I asked you over and over to let me leave. If you had actually respected me and listened, this wouldn't have happened.” I snapped as I looked out the window away from him, trying to calm myself as I felt my perfume and arousal pulsing through me along with the adrenaline.
“Oh, and you didn’t think it would be helpful to mention that we’re-” He stopped his words, then closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath in through his mouth, as if he couldn’t bear to say the words.
“Scent matches?” I offered, my voice dripping with fake sympathy. “Why don’t you be a big boy and say it?” My words came out harsh.
“We’re going to have a very long talk once we get home.” He said. We spent the rest of the drive in silence, my body betraying me by still releasing perfume from the overstimulation I’d been put through along with my suppressants having completely worn off.
Once we pulled up to the house, I didn’t even wait for him. I just flung the door open and stormed inside. Vigo was right behind me.
“Don’t think you can just run away and hide from this. You’re going to wait right here until my pack arrives so we can talk about what just happened.” He said as he moved to block me in the living room.
I turned away and crossed my arms. I hated to admit that I was anxious. He didn’t say anything more about Liam and Dante and whether they were safe, but he also didn’t seem worried about it. I saw him breathing through his mouth as he stared down at me. His pupils were still huge, and I knew his mind must be spinning with the realization that I’d hidden what we were for nearly a month of living with them.
Every second dragged. I could feel him fighting the bond just as hard as I was, standing there, muscles taut, hands flexing at his sides like he was resisting the urge to reach for me.
The silence snapped when the sound of tires crunching over gravel echoed outside. A car door slammed, then another. Moments later, Liam and Dante burst through the door, both looking roughed up but alive - blood staining Dante’s knuckles, a split along Liam’s brow.
They looked kind of hot like this. My omega mind wanted to start imagining how strong they were to fight their way out of the party full of alphas, all to protect me, but I had to pull my thoughts back to the seriousness of the situation.
Liam’s eyes burned with a mix of longing and frustration, while Dante barely glanced at me before storming off, his footsteps pounding down the hallway as he retreated to his room. The door slammed shut, and the sound echoed through the house like a warning.
Liam didn’t waste a second. He stalked toward me, positioning himself in front of me, with Vigo standing close behind - both of them blocking my escape, like two hulking sentinels. The silence between us stretched out, thick and tense.
Liam leaned in, his voice low and rough with emotion.
“When the hell were you planning on telling us, Celeste?”