Chapter 27
Piper
The giant glass sign that says “REVERIE REST” glares down at me, backlit and sanctimonious, as if the whole music industry is staring and waiting for my next move.
I pause at the threshold, Kellen at my right like a very regal, very edible sentry, and behind me, Elliot and Nolan, both radiating opposing flavors of bodyguard sternness.
I’m flanked by the three most intimidating men I could possibly muster, which would be comforting, except I know Raelynn Roberts has built this place to make even the best feel like idiots.
Reverie Rest’s lobby is designed to remind you who’s really in charge, which today is a joke. Today, the only person in charge is the one who has nothing left to lose.
Spoiler: that’s me.
The receptionist watches our formation stalk in. I try to give her a smile, like, Sorry you have to deal with whatever’s about to happen, but my face is too tight. She buzzes the inner door, not bothering to announce us.
We glide down the silent, plush hallway, footsteps thudding in sync.
I think of every time I’ve walked this hallway before: launch parties and emergency album meetings, or that one time early on I was forced to approve a “sexy” photoshoot that ended up being a sad display of fishnets and cheap props.
All those times, I walked alone or with Nolan at my side.
Now I have a whole pack, and not a single one is on Raelynn’s payroll.
The vibe is different. The air tastes better.
Raelynn spots us through the glass walls of her office. She stands as we enter, and carefully studies each of my alphas as if sizing them up. As if they’re the biggest threat here.
That’s funny.
“Raelynn,” I say as she opens her mouth to address me first. “I’m happy you’re here.”
She crosses her arms over her luxury blazer. “Where the hell did you run off to after the festival?”
“Home,” I answer. “To my pack.”
“‘My pack,’” she echoes harshly. “For fuck’s sake, Piper.”
I don’t back down. “Let’s not pretend you don’t know why I’m here. It was you who leaked my omega designation to the press. Which, for the record, is less important to me than the fact it led to this pack being nearly torn apart.”
Raelynn rolls her eyes. “Any press is good press, Piper.”
“Oh, really?” I snap my fingers. “Then why keep me from talking about royal-anything at the festival?”
“Because the focus should be on your next album,” she fires back. “Not your love life.”
“You are literally a walking contradiction who’s only goal is greed.”
Raelynn leans back and presses a hand to her chest. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” For the first time, she’s fucking hearing me. And she looks terrified. “To that end, we’re done. You’re not getting this last album from me.”
Raelynn scoffs. “Are you sure you want to be indebted by millions to me?”
“Once my legal team reviews our contract, I’m sure they’ll find you’re in violation of some of your responsibilities.”
Her eyes go wide. She looks to Kellen, who is absolutely the source of my amazing legal team. Kellen’s parents have the best lawyers in the world after all.
“You can’t do that,” Raelynn snarls.
“I can, and I will.” I cross my arms. “I’m not coming back, Raelynn. The next album will be on my own terms. So you can go ahead and cancel whatever you had planned for me after Album Six because none of that is happening on your watch.”
“I see,” Raelynn says, like this is all academic, but her jaw pulses. “And the existing album? We’ve spent a lot of money on those singles, the launch. I own those masters. A lot masters, in fact.”
I shrug. “Keep them.”
She blinks. “Keep them?”
I nod. “Most of those songs are of a genre I don’t want to perform anymore. So you go ahead and keep them. That’ll be part of the contract negotiations where I don’t have to, how’d you say it? Be indebted by millions to you.”
Her jaw goes slack. “Piper.”
I shake my head. There’s no point arguing this. “It’s already been decided.”
Raelynn clicks her tongue. “You know what, Piper? I’m honestly disappointed. I brought you up. I protected you when you were nothing but a teenager with a guitar and a TikTok. I built your brand. And now you think you’re too good for any of this?”
I actually laugh at her. “That’s not what I said.
I said you don’t own me. I said I want to try something new, and I want to decide what that is.
And I don’t intend to keep working with someone who thinks my personal life and my designation are marketing tools for them to play with. We’re done, Raelynn. It’s over.”
It’s more complicated than that. I know it is. There are costs and damages associated with an artist of my caliber canceling an album, and I may never recoup those costs against royalties earned. But the freedom will be worth it, and more.
Raelynn’s mouth quirks up in a tight, not-quite-smile. “I’m sure you’ll make a very compelling circus act for whoever signs you next. Don’t get eaten.”
I smile sweetly at her. “I won’t, but make sure you don’t get the same treatment. I wonder if the next big star happens to also be an omega, will she give you the time of day after how you treated me? I hope not.”
Raelynn’s glare settles on my alphas, especially Kellen. “I’ll expect a call from your family’s lawyers soon then, I suppose?”
Kellen inclines his head. “Absolutely. They’re looking forward to taking this on and hope you settle rather than dragging this out to the court of public opinion.”
Raelynn smiles but her eyes twitch. “Get the hell out of my office.”
I give her a little bow and file out. Kellen walks beside me, and Elliot and Nolan follow behind us to put distance between me and Raelynn.
On the way out, I instruct each of them to help me take down the six platinum record displays that belong to me.
Raelynn’s studio might have produced the tracks and did all the marketing, but those albums were built with my blood and tears, my lyrics, and my melodies.
These albums belong to me.
We take them outside Reverie Rest and carefully store them in the car. When I turn back to look at the studio that built my career, my heart is full of bittersweet happiness. A lot of bad happened inside those walls, but an even larger amount of good did, too.
But this isn’t my entire success story. Reverie Rest didn’t build the foundation of my career—I did. With TikTok and a guitar.
Reverie Rest was simply phase one.
I hop into the car alongside my pack and we drive off. Before we’re more than a few minutes from the studio, my phone starts buzzing wildly with notifications.
Someone’s already leaked the news.
The headline reads: WORLD’S FIRST OMEGA POP QUEEN WALKS OUT, TAKES ROYALTY WITH HER.
At least this one’s true.