26. Mack
Chapter 26
Mack
I hate these types of events, but this one feels different. I can’t tell if this sinking feeling in my gut is because I’m anxious or because it’s my first event where I have an Omega.
I hate the fact that people can scent her, that they’re looking at her. Though I’m proud to call her ours, with no bond marks on her body, I feel uneasy.
Her small hand is in mine as we walk down the aisle looking at different things up for auction and she helps keep me grounded. Even if I’m having a hard time paying attention. All I can do is focus on who’s surrounding us and who could potentially be a threat. There’s this worried sensation licking up my spine, and I don’t like it.
Shiloh and Jonah are looking at something to bid on as my brother grabs my shoulder roughly.
“You good, man?” he asks, kneading my flesh.
“Something doesn’t feel right,” I tell him.
“We’re not used to feeling possessive about someone. Maybe once we bond, it won’t be as hard.”
“Doubtful,” I reply and he sighs.
“We don’t need to stay super late. Just long enough for dancing, okay?”
“Yeah,” I reply, and my brother frowns.
“Is it something else?” he asks and I shake my head even though it’s a lie. But I refuse to be the difficult one, telling him I have a gut feeling something is going to go wrong.
Jonah and Shiloh are bidding on all sorts of shit. She looks beautiful and happy. I don’t want to ruin the night with my attitude, so I plaster an indifferent expression on my face and follow my pack like a lost puppy.
We head back to the table for dessert. I notice that Liv, Claire, and Shiloh grab one of everything. I guess a sweet tooth is a common trait among Omegas. Liv, of course, is incredibly welcoming. Even Claire seems to like Shiloh and as far as I know, she doesn’t like many people.
Someone walks behind me, and my shoulders stiffen. Relief fills me when I realize it’s Jonah’s brother, Axel, and his best friend, Elliot.
“Looks like someone finally decided to show up,” Jonah says, standing up, giving his brother and friend a hug.
Cole and I do the same as Jonah wraps an arm around Shiloh’s waist and introduces her. “Shiloh, this is my brother Axel, and our family friend Elliot.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Shiloh says pleasantly, shaking both of their hands.
I don’t like it.
Axel is a Beta, though he doesn’t look or seem like one, and Elliot is as Alpha as they come. She doesn’t need to shake their fucking hands to say hello, and I hate that the touch bothers me so much; I know it doesn’t mean anything.
“Finally, an Omega nailed these three assholes down. You’re a brave one, Shiloh,” Axel says with his easy, bad boy-esque smile.
“You missed dinner,” Liv scolds her middle child, but melts as he wraps his arms around her and squeezes her tight from where she’s sitting.
“Sorry, Mom, it’s all Elliot’s fault.”
“Hey, don’t blame me, that was all you,” Elliot says.
“I didn’t know you were coming tonight,” Claire says, looking Elliot up and down. He’s a large man, with light brown skin, brownish-green eyes, and cropped curly hair that all the girls seem to love. Elliot and Axel have no problems picking up women.
He just nods his head, not even looking in Claire’s direction.
“Elliot is one of my best-friends’ sons. Shame your parents couldn’t make it. I’m hoping to see your mother during her Vegas residency,” Liv says, and Shiloh blinks at me.
Her face reads ‘who the fuck are these people’. Which isn’t too far off. I mean, I’m used to some level of fame with my streaming, but the S?rensen family and everyone they’re associated with are next-level rich and next-level connected.
I place a hand on her thigh, trying to ground myself and ease some of this shitty feeling.
“Are you okay?” Shiloh asks, leaning in close so only I can hear.
I give her a nod, and she interlaces her fingers with mine on her lap. It shockingly does wonders for all this tension I’m feeling.
“So, Shiloh. Are my brother and these two misfits treating you right?” Axel asks, and I squeeze her hand tighter.
“Yes, I’ve never been treated better,” she says proudly, her chin held high as she speaks.
“Glad to hear it, I wasn't sure it was ever going to happen for S?rensen pack 2.0.”
Shiloh’s leg starts bouncing under my hold a little as she gives Axel an irritated look. “How about yourself? No pack?”
“No, I travel too much for that kind of commitment right now,” Axel says, taking a heavy sip of his drink.
“Sure,” Claire chimes in, taking a sip of champagne, and her father, River, takes the glass and downs it himself.
The S?rensen siblings are an interesting dynamic. It kind of makes me glad that I’m the youngest and Cole is my only brother. These three can get into it like dogs and cats.
“You have something to say, Claire bear?” Axel says, turning to face his sister. “We could talk about how you aren’t bonded yet. After all, I’m just a Beta.”
“Jesus Christ,” Jonah mumbles next to me.
“For fuck’s sake, you’re the only one who gives a shit that you’re a Beta. Grow up,” Claire tells her brother, and he glares at her. “Also there’s a difference between wanting a pack and not settling. I refuse to settle.”
“Because you’re such a prize,” Axel says, and I can tell Claire is about to hit her brother’s arm.
“That’s enough,” Elliot chimes in, still not looking over at Claire.
“Is it always like this?” Shiloh whispers.
I remember then that she’s an only child. Cole and I have our arguments, but these three know how to push each other’s buttons like no other.
“Pretty much.”
Axel rolls his eyes and looks back at Shiloh. “Shiloh is an interesting name.”
“I could say the same about yours,” she replies and we all smile.
If he thought he was going to come in here and grill her without some push back, he was surely mistaken.
“Well, my mom met a hot Beta biker and decided to name her son after him. What’s your excuse?” Axel says.
“Oh, it wasn’t as vain as that,” Liv says.
“Wasn’t it?” River says, toying with his Omega.
I will give the S?rensen family credit where credit is due. They do love each other, deeply, and even if they’re slightly dysfunctional, I'd rather be a part of this family than not. Jonah’s parents are a testament to what every pack should strive for. They’ve been together forever and still treat each other so lovingly.
River looks like he wants to scoop Liv up and take her to a broom closet right now.
“I have the best pack ever. Not to mention he was in love with someone else. He was rugged and brave, you could be named after worse people,” Liv says, patting her son’s shoulder.
“I fear I’m named after a stray beagle,” Shiloh says and Liv smiles.
“Dogs are better than people. I think it’s a wonderful name,” Liv says and Shiloh blushes.
I never gave much thought to bonding, but at this moment I wish that we were bonded so I knew how she was feeling. Meeting all of Jonah’s family like this is overwhelming for me and I’ve known them for years. I can’t imagine how she must feel.
I rub my thumb along her knuckles, letting her know that I’m here and she doesn’t have to worry. I’ll worry enough for the both of us. That’s a sign of a good Alpha, right?
Even though I’m not sure how or when we got to this point, I want to be the Alpha Shiloh deserves. I’ll do whatever it takes to figure it out and put my own shit to the side so I can be good for her.
“Fuck, I have to announce the band,” Liv says, Dean helps her out of her chair and walks her to the front of the banquet space.
The crowd goes from loud chatter to hushed words quickly as she taps on the microphone.
“Thank you so much for attending tonight’s Omega Fund Fundraiser. It wouldn’t be possible without our massive team and all of your generous donations. The silent auction items will close in an hour. In the meantime, we have a special guest here to perform tonight,” she says, and she glances down at the card in her hands, clearly not remembering the band’s info. “We’d like to thank Mayor Tomes for inviting our entertainment for the night along with their very generous donation. Please welcome Smash Knot to the stage,” she says and everyone claps.
Everyone except Shiloh.
Her palm is sweaty, and her spine is ramrod straight. I swear I can see her pulse on her forehead as her brown eyes fill with tears.
“Hey, Shy, baby, you good?” I ask, and she doesn’t move.
Her body is rigid in her seat as she stares at the stage. Three men come to the front, one of them holding a guitar and mic, one on drums, and the last one is on a keyboard with a mic as well.
The lead singer is a large man, with dark hair that reaches his shoulders, he’s covered in tattoos and for some reason he doesn’t look happy to be performing here. His intense gaze searches the crowd before finding our table.
I look between the stage and Shiloh.
What the fuck is going on?
“Shiloh, do you want to leave?” I ask her and she still doesn’t respond.
“What’s going on?” Jonah asks, leaning forward and watching the trance that Shiloh seems to be in.
“Thank you for having us tonight. Omega welfare is extremely important and we’re so glad we could be a part of this fundraiser. As a special thank you for your donations, we’ve decided to play a brand new song for you tonight. It hasn’t been heard before,” the main singer says. He’s staring right at Shiloh. “It’s called Don’t Be Shy,” he says as the music plays.
“We’ve got to get her out of here,” I tell Jonah.
She’s scaring the shit out of me, and he seems to agree completely as the lyrics start. The band isn’t horrible, but I wouldn’t consider them great either.
“Don’t be shy. Go on ahead and cry. You lost the best thing you ever had, life was never that bad. You walked away when we didn’t even want you to stay. Don’t be shy.”
Shiloh’s chest is rising and falling with heavy breaths as a tear slides down her cheek. Don’t be shy? As in Shiloh?
I grab her face and have to use a significant amount of effort to turn her so she looks my way, even as the shitty song plays in the background. She blinks at me and all I see is unsettling sadness and bad memories. I know the feeling so well.
“Are they your exes?” I ask her.
She shuts her eyes, tears rolling down her face with a nod.
“They’re her ex pack. This fucking song is about her,” I say louder than I mean to. Our entire table hears and I watch as Liv’s face goes white.
“I didn’t know. Oh, Shiloh honey, I’m so sorry,” she apologizes, but I’m not sure if Shiloh hears her or not.
Then they belt out the next verse.
“Don’t be shy. Let them know why. Why nothing will ever compare when we’re not there? I wish I could say I miss you, but I don’t even remember kissing you. Don’t be shy.”
“Oh, fuck this,” Cole says, his chair clanging to the floor as he stands up and storms toward the stage.
“Hell yes,” Axel adds, standing up and speed walking to the stage.
“Fuck,” Jonah hisses. “Get her to the apartment,” he tells me and I nod.
I grab Shiloh’s arm, but she doesn’t move easily, watching the absolute shit show that unfolds before us.
Cole jumps on stage, ruining the song as he starts pulling cords out of different speakers.
“Security!” the main singer yells, which just pisses Cole off more. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen my brother’s anger in full force. I wince as my brother pulls his fist back and socks the dude right in the face.
Shiloh gasps next to me, her previously tear-filled eyes going wide with shock. It only gets worse as Axel, who has no clue what’s going on but craves violence, kicks the drum set, ripping a gaping hole in the kick drum.
Jonah is on stage, trying to be the peacekeeper, but the dumbass on the keyboard decides to throw something at his head, which leads to a smashed keyboard and the man fully on his ass.
“For fuck’s sakes,” Grayson says, leaving the table and whistling as loud as he possibly can.
Everyone in attendance is filming the entire thing as Shiloh looks on with absolute horror.
“Enough,” Grayson’s booming voice says, as he and Dean, along with security, try to separate all the men.
“What the fuck are you thinking?” Grayson scolds his two sons, and the main singer gets loose, hitting Cole in the mouth.
It takes everything in me to not run up there and help. If Shiloh’s nails weren’t digging into my skin, I just might have.
“You can have her. We didn’t even want her to fucking begin with,” the singer sneers, and Shiloh looks at the ground. I bundle her as close as I can.
Cole laughs, blood dripping down his lip. He looks slightly psychotic.
“Oh, I saw all your sniveling text messages begging for her to come back. You’re a weak ass mother fucker who doesn’t deserve an Omega. She’s too good for you and you know it. That’s why you came here being a complete pussy, writing a song about her when she has no way of defending herself. You’re lucky I don’t fucki?—”
Jonah clamps a hand over Cole’s bloody mouth, stopping him from making a threat that will be captured by everyone at this event.
“You don’t know shit. I could have that bitch crawling on her knees back to us in a second,” the singer says, but as soon as the words are out of his mouth, Grayson hits him so hard across the face, the man is passed out on the floor.
Shiloh blinks on with shock as Claire comes up and squeezes my Omega’s shoulder.
“Welcome to the family, sis,” she says with a laugh as she takes out her phone, taking a few pictures as the police come, arresting everyone involved in the altercation. “This is the best party we’ve had in a long time.”
“Claire, put the phone away, your dad and brothers are going to jail,” Liv scolds while Shiloh seems completely in shock.
The guy on drums and Dean aren’t arrested, because they never got physical. The lonely band member looks distraught as he looks over at Shiloh. I glare at him as Jonah and Cole are taken away.
“I’ll call the lawyer,” Liv says with irritation, and follows where they are taking the men.
“Shiloh?” I repeat her name a few times before she looks at me.
“Did that really just happen?” she says, not turning back to look at the stage, but at all the glaring eyes and whispers from the crowd.
“Unfortunately. Let’s get the fuck out of here and get our pack out of jail,” I say.
Shiloh holds her head down as we walk as fast as she can out of the hotel. We all decide to go back to Jonah’s parents’ place while we figure out what needs to happen next.