Chapter 29
29
Hazel
“Don’t be nervous, dove,” Rhett said, watching as I fidgeted on the seat beside him.
Tugging at the hem of my skirt, I lifted my gaze to meet his in the back seat of the black Town Car Rhett’s family had sent to collect us for lunch. “I want to make a good impression.”
His hand slid to the back of my neck, cupping it in a firm hold. “They’re going to adore you.”
“They don’t adore Jude,” I huffed, annoyed on behalf of my beta.
Rhett’s features hardened. “That’s a different situation.”
“But it shouldn’t be.”
“No,” he agreed, “it shouldn’t.”
Sighing, I fought the urge to grab the small mirror from my clutch and check my appearance. Despite Calla coming over to give me the best friend seal of approval on my outfit—a pale green skirt and matching jacket with a floral blouse and low-heeled black pumps—I still wasn’t sure.
Despite being raised with money, it wasn’t the old money the Coulson’s had. I mean, one of Rhett’s dads was a freaking duke . Like, with an actual castle back in England. Which meant his oldest brother, Sterling, was a marquess.
I wasn’t sure if Thane or Rhett had any special titles, and I was a little intimidated to ask. Apparently only Thane and one of his pack mates along with Rhett’s parents’ pack would be at the luncheon.
“William, Garrett, Henry, and Mirabelle,” I whispered to myself, reciting the names of Rhett’s parents like a prayer so I wouldn’t forget them.
William was the senator from Massachusetts. The one with political aspirations that had him headed for the White House in a few years. Henry was the Duke of Aracossa, a small duchy in England near London. Garrett was an attorney. And Mirabelle was their picture perfect omega.
“It’s not a test,” Rhett told me with an amused curve of his lips.
I scowled in response. “The hell it isn’t. I feel like I’m about to go into battle, so it helps to know the enemy.”
Shaking his head, he turned and faced me fully. “I won’t let them bother you. This is a simple meeting so my father can show the public that he’s a family man with a famous omega for a daughter-in-law.”
Yeah, no pressure there.
I’d already been told to expect a handful of paparazzi at the restaurant. Most of them had received a not-so-anonymous tip from Senator Coulson’s staff that we’d be having lunch at a private bistro in downtown Los Angeles.
I got it—my abduction had become major news, and I knew my pack was still fielding requests for interviews. Everyone wanted the gory details of my time with the APA, but I had zero interest in airing that dirty laundry out.
“What do you call your dads?” I asked Rhett, suddenly realizing I didn’t know.
He blinked once. “Father.”
“All three of them?”
He gave a slow nod. “To be fair, there was rarely more than one around at a time, so it didn’t get confusing. Besides, my brothers and I spent the majority of our years at boarding school.”
While Rhett didn’t seem phased by that, it rubbed me the wrong way. My limited experience growing up with packs had been the Duttons and they were as close as close got. I definitely couldn’t imagine Elizabeth Dutton sending any of her children away to boarding school.
I scooted closer across the soft leather and pressed against Rhett’s side. “That must have been lonely.”
“A bit,” he admitted, “but it helped me know what I didn’t want for my future. Namely having a pack that was more transactional than family. I never wanted to be like them. Sterling is obsessed with optics, just like my parents, and Thane isn’t much better.”
“You’re not close with either of your brothers?” I’d always envied Calla having three brothers. Sometimes it had been a little lonely being an only child.
Rhett’s arm came around my shoulders as he hugged me to his chest. “No, dove. These last few weeks are the most I’ve spoken with my family in the last five years.”
Guilt churned in my stomach. “Because of me.”
“Yes, but trust me when I say you are more than worth it.” The adoration made his eyes a silvery shade that heated a moment before he kissed me.
I pressed my thighs together as his hand cradled my jaw, angling me exactly where he wanted to deepen the kiss just as the car pulled to a stop.
“We’re here, Mr. Coulson,” the driver said without looking back. He opened the door and came around to open ours.
Rhett grumbled, annoyed at being called a Coulson instead of a Dutton. But I was too busy noticing that ‘a few photographers’ had turned into a crowd of them, all with their cameras aimed at the car and waiting for us to step out.
I rolled my lips between my teeth as I leaned against Rhett, hoping to absorb some of the quiet confidence he projected in his charcoal suit that made his eyes look like metal.
“Stay by my side, dove,” he whispered as the door opened on his side.
I swallowed a whimper as he exited the car and turned to help me slide across the bench. The clicking of shutters filled the air as my feet made an appearance, and by the time I stood, the crowd was all shouting at me, vying for my attention.
“Hazel! Hazel, over here!”
“What was it like to be held captive?”
“What do you think of Senator Coulson’s stance on omega reform?”
“What injuries did you sustain during your kidnapping?”
“Which alpha is your favorite?”
I ducked my head and clung to Rhett’s arm as he guided us through the throng along the established walkway up to the bistro. The path had been cleared by men in sunglasses and suits, and the front door was being held open by another.
As soon as we stepped into the atrium of the restaurant, the door was closed and the sound on the other side became muffled. I exhaled in relief, shooting Rhett a look. The tinted glass kept anyone outside from seeing in.
He turned and framed my face in his large palms, his gaze searching mine. “Are you all right?”
I nodded and rested my cheek against his palm. “Yes.”
He leaned his forehead against mine, his large body acting like a shield from the outside world as I caught my breath. I held onto his wrists and inhaled his smoky cedar scent. It was like getting lost in the woods and stumbling on a roaring campfire.
“Well, this must be Hazel.”
With a gasp, I spun to see the woman behind us. In a pale peach dress and white heels, her blonde hair was perfectly styled and her makeup simple but sophisticated. She was petite and lean, but one inhale of her sickly sweet peaches and cream scent told me she was an omega. The silvery eyes told me this was Rhett’s mother.
“Mother,” Rhett said, confirming my assumption as he stepped around me to offer a chaste kiss to her cheek.
Mirabelle turned to accept the kiss, but kept her eyes on me. “Forgive me for interrupting, but I was quite curious to meet the woman who has captured Rhett's heart.” There was a shrewdness to her gaze that made me think she’d been watching and anticipating our arrival with the stealth of a lion stalking a gazelle. The soft English accent somehow made her seem even more polished and perfect.
Forcing a smile on my face, I stepped forward. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Coulson.”
Her smile was easy and practiced. “Mirabelle, please, darling. We are family after all.” She closed the distance between us and grasped my hands before leaning in and kissing each of my cheeks. Her lips were dry and her skin soft, like she’d never done an hour of manual labor in her life.
Two men came up behind Mirabelle. The first man had slicked-back, dark blonde hair, and glittering green eyes that made him seem like he was laughing. His jaw was covered in a light layer of stubble that accentuated the sharp edges of it. His full mouth pulled into an easy smile as he noticed us. The scent of eucalyptus and ginger tickled my nose.
“Rhett,” he greeted, extending a hand that Rhett accepted after a heartbeat too long to be considered polite.
“Jensen,” Rhett replied before turning his attention to the other man.
This guy had me taking a step back. Jensen and Rhett both had alpha energy, but this guy was like an alpha bomb.
A few inches taller than Rhett, his hair was black as midnight and his eyes a deeper shade of gray. He looked at home in a suit that I knew cost more than most car payments, his muscles pushing the fabric to its limits. He was all power, to the point I wanted to hide behind Rhett.
“Thane,” Rhett muttered, confirming who I assumed this guy was while shaking his hand. Rhett pulled me to his side. “This is Hazel.”
“Hello,” I managed, proud when my voice didn’t squeak.
“Pleasure to finally meet you in person, Hazel.” His deep timbre matched with his accent to make me think he would’ve made a killing as a documentary narrator. Thane looked at Mirabelle. “Father was asking for you.”
She nodded and dipped her head. “Excuse me.” Then she turned and walked away, rounding the corner into the empty dining room that had been closed solely for our party.
“Does she even know which father?” I muttered to Rhett, since I knew all three would be here.
Thane smirked. “Of course. Mother always knows. It’s part of her superpowers.”
Rhett scoffed. “If you’ll excuse us, I promised my pack I would have Hazel home sooner rather than later. They’re quite anxious to have her returned.”
“No doubt,” Thane agreed, holding up a hand. “But could you perhaps give me a moment, little brother?”
Rhett stiffened. “Why?”
Thane shook his head with a wry smile before catching Jensen’s eye. “See? Rhett is still an insufferable little shit.”
Jensen grinned and walked away, pulling out his phone to presumably make a call.
I wasn’t sure who my growl surprised more—Thane, Rhett, or me—but it was swift and fierce as I put myself between the two brothers. The insult to my alpha rankled like spoiled fish, and I wasn’t okay with Thane treating Rhett like crap.
Thane’s eyes lit up. “I see you’ve got a kitten protecting you.” His smug smirk was driving me nuts as he added, “Or is it a puppy? You have a thing for them, right?”
It was a low blow aimed at Jude. I didn’t know how Thane knew about Rhett’s nickname for Jude, but that comment was all it took for Rhett to snarl and lunge at his brother.
Fisting Thane’s jacket and twisting the fabric in his grip, Rhett forced his older brother back until he hit a wall. “What the fuck did you say?”
Thane’s eyes went impossibly wide, almost like he was holding back a laugh. “Was it something I said?”
“You damn well know it was,” I spat at him, wondering how these two came from the same family.
Actually? Fuck that. This wasn’t Rhett’s family. Not anymore. Our pack was and would always be his real family.
Thane leaned in close and whispered something in Rhett’s ear that had my alpha freezing like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head. A moment later, he released Thane and stepped back with a strange look on his face.
“Rhett?” I was at his side instantly, urging him to look at me before I turned my glare on Thane. “What is wrong with you?”
Thane cleared his throat and actually looked chagrined. “I apologize, Hazel. Allow me to make it up to you.”
I snorted, derision dripping from my words as Jensen rejoined us. “I don’t see that happening in this lifetime. Let’s just get this lunch over with so Rhett doesn’t have to see you anymore.”
Something like hurt flickered in Thane’s eyes, but it was gone almost as soon as it appeared. The cool mask of smug indifference replacing the tiny glimpse of humanity.
Jensen cleared his throat, and then surprised me by holding his phone out.
I stared at it, half expecting it to attack me like a viper.
“It’s for you,” he told me, giving the phone a little shake.
I took it from him slowly, exchanging bewildered looks with Rhett.
Thane clasped Jensen on the shoulder and leaned in to whisper, “I’ll buy you a few minutes.” And then they were striding back into the restaurant, and I was left holding a phone and wondering what the hell was happening.
“Answer it,” Rhett told me, still looking a little perplexed but also… hopeful? What had Thane said to him?
Raising the phone to my ear, I said a soft, “Hello” into the speaker.
At first, it was quiet, and then I heard the hushed voice speak.
“Oh, god, Hazel? It’s really you?”
My knees buckled and only Rhett kept me from crumpling then and there as I gripped the phone like it was a lifeline. In a way, it was.
“Logan?”