Chapter 13 #2
Now that I was on the other end of the outing, I didn’t know how the academy could handle the stress. There were at least ten bodyguards in our group, with more being provided by the stadium.
I was well acquainted with the stadium since it was where my sister met her pack back in the spring. She hadn’t known they’d be her pack at the time, and the memory of her telling the head of her pack they had shrimp dicks brought a smile to my face.
For the concert, we had two connecting luxury suites which comfortably fit all of us and the staff needed to protect the unbonded omegas. My job was just to make sure no one did anything stupid, which was funny considering everything I’d done in the past several months.
Ella came and sat next to me at the back of the rows of seats. ”Finally, I get to relax. Let me tell you... I’ve had a week from hell finding my replacement.”
“Don’t remind me you’re leaving me all alone.” I was a little surprised Ella hadn’t come back from visiting her parents until school started. She was from a small town where there were no unbonded alphas, so she’d been allowed by OPS to stay there unaccompanied.
Plus, she was Ella Monroe. She wasn’t the youngest dean of students in the entire omega academy system for nothing.
“You handled all that and did a kick-ass job arranging for us to attend this.” I clasped my hands in my lap, my stomach twisting at seeing my alphas in person, even if it was from far away.
“You’ve been quiet since we got on the bus.” She put her hand on my arm. “Are you feeling all right? You’re a little flushed.”
“I’m just trying to control my excitement.” I flashed her a smile, even though I felt like crying.
They were going to be so close, yet I wasn’t going to have the chance to feel their warmth, inhale their scents, or have them wrap me in their arms.
Ella leaned in closer so only I could hear. “We haven’t announced it yet, but N’Pact is going to come up here for a meet and greet after the show. Not sure if they’re doing fall or spring match.”
I think my heart stopped.
I didn’t have a chance to even respond or ask any questions because the entire stadium erupted in screams and cheers and the lights lowered.
Ella stood, along with the rest of the omegas in our box, but my legs wouldn’t work.
Was this their surprise? I wanted to see them so badly, but around all the other omegas? What if they thought someone else smelled more appealing? It was unlikely they would be able to pick out individual scents with all of us on blockers and de-scenter pumping through the vents, but what if?
The first beats of their song dropped, and I finally sucked in a breath.
I hadn’t even realized I’d not been breathing.
I needed to see them. Just one glance and then I’d need to go sit in the suite.
My heart couldn’t handle watching them perform and knowing they were going to be around so many unbonded omegas.
I rose, and it was like everyone else disappeared. There they were, running onto the stage, the lights focusing only on them as their backup band began playing their first song.
A shiver went down my spine as Cal sang his first note. But the shiver didn’t stop. It wrapped around my stomach and settled in my core, quickly turning into an ache.
My eyes widened, and I quickly scooted past Ella and went into the suite. I heard her say my name, but she didn’t follow, needing to stay and help supervise.
I burst into the bathroom that connected the two suites and, luckily, found it empty.
“No, no, no.” I went to the sink and looked in the mirror. My pupils were dilated more than I’d ever seen them, even when I went off suppressants to have a full-blown heat.
My eyes had started feeling sensitive right after my meeting with Blair, but I had just thought I was tired. I wasn’t due for a heat for another month, and it wouldn’t hit so suddenly.
I gasped as cramps nearly made me fall to my knees and a gush of slick coated my panties. I whimpered, turning on the cold water and splashing my face.
This couldn’t be happening. Not to me. Not right now in a stadium with who knew how many unbonded alphas.
Breakthrough heats happened, but not like this. This already hurt more than when I’d had my full-blown one.
I turned off the water and waddled to the paper towel dispenser. Slick was already seeping through my panties. Luckily, I’d worn dark jeans. My scent was thick in the air, and I knew this was going to be a disaster.
The door opened and Blair walked in. “What in the fuck?” She shut the door quickly and flipped the lock before running across the bathroom to lock the other one. “Why the hell did you come if you were about to start your heat?”
I dried my face and gave her a helpless look as I waddled to the largest stall, locking myself in. “I wasn’t. Thank you for locking the doors.”
“What’s your plan here? Is there protocol for something like this? Jesus, girl. You’re releasing perfume like you are trying to summon every alpha in a ten-mile radius.” She went into the stall next to me. “Please tell me you aren’t about to finger yourself in there.”
I choked on a laugh and a sob as I wiped the slick from between my legs and from on my panties. “No. I’m cleaning myself up. I think… seeing them set me off.”
Blair flushed the toilet and exited her stall. “Seeing who?”
I folded up toilet paper and placed it in my underwear before pulling them up. “Uh… a pack I met.”
She watched me in the mirror as I came out of the stall and joined her at the sinks. “Well, if they cause that big a reaction… match with them, girl.”
I wished I could tell her all about N’Pact, but that would have put our plan to match in the spring in danger. “I need help getting out of here. Can you help me?”
My mind was already starting to think of nothing but being knotted by the four men currently singing and dancing their hearts out on stage. I didn’t care that I was a homing beacon for alphas. I needed them. My body needed them.
“What do you mean? Like escape? That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Do you want to send all the alphas here into a rut?” She dried her hands and then handed me dry paper towels. “Let me get Dean Monroe.”
“No! Just… there can’t be that many unbonded alphas here. It’s a boyband concert. I’ll go out the emergency exit by the elevator we came up.” We’d come in up a service elevator down the hall and there was a stairwell right next to it that led down to the ground level. “The buses are right outside.”
She sighed. “And if the bus drivers aren’t there?”
“They will be. Our buses can’t be left unattended. Now, are you going to help me or not?” I gave her a pleading look. “I’m helping you by keeping my mouth shut about what you told me.”
I wasn’t proud of the low blow, but I was really starting to hurt, and if I didn’t get out of there right away, I was going to need to be carried.
She put her hands on her hips. “You’re really going to stand there starting your heat and blackmail me?”
“Not blackmail,” I gritted out, doubling over as a cramp took hold. “Omega helping an omega.”
“This is so stupid. You need security to-”
I lunged for her as she turned to go to the door, grabbing her arm. “Please, Blair. I don’t want anyone to know.”
Ella wasn’t stupid. She knew N’Pact lived down the street from my sister, and although I hadn’t said a word about it, she would connect the dots that they were who brought on my sudden heat. I couldn’t have her questioning why.
“Your scent is so strong.” She crinkled her nose. “I can probably create a big enough distraction that you can be out the door before they notice the room suddenly smells like burnt chocolate.”
I didn’t think I smelled like that, but I was a bad judge of my own scent at that moment. My vision was starting to swim, and my legs were shaking so badly that I hoped I didn’t collapse in the hallway.
“Let’s do it.”