Chapter 10
TEN
THE DUCHESS
I’d lived and breathed the Blood Well my whole life. When I was small, before this became my suite, Jule and I would join my father up here frequently.
So, I tuned out the chaos and violence below, keeping my focus on my job.
If I paid too much attention, Laurel’s distress would slip through the cracks, causing my performance to crumble. And I needed to be perfect in my role, because a desperate part of me was hoping to convince my father not to “tighten his leash” on me.
Despite the painkillers I’d downed, I was still sore, and my left knee was killing me. I made my way through the suite, chatting with my guests, offering featherlight touches and guiding them to feel at ease. Most were familiar faces, easy to manage.
I avoided the corner where the new alpha sat, putting it off until there was no one else. Our eyes met across the room, and I swallowed. He was sitting alone now; Jag had moved on to some other business.
Very few things unsettled the Duchess, and it seemed Ocean Seo was one of them.
Control.
It didn’t matter how I felt.
I had to ignore the goose bumps his look was giving me.
I stopped at his booth, reaching out to touch his shoulder as I had with all my other guests tonight. For a second, I got lost in his bright blue eyes as he beamed at me, a smile that lit up his whole face.
My heart fluttered, but I pushed it away.
He had rich brown skin and long, curly hair that I wanted to wrap around my fingers.
“Well?” I asked, sliding into the booth next to him. Contact with alphas was part of my role as a duchess, but I could admit I was looking for excuses to get close to Ocean again. “Did you successfully impress Jag enough that you’ll be back?”
“How do you know so much about me?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
I offered him a confident smile, twining my fingers through his. His skin was so soft, and I felt electric when we touched. “This is my suite. I keep track of everyone I host here.”
He was staring down at where our fingers were connected, and I could see a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks. Just like earlier, his nerves were written all over his face. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d got a reaction so…innocent.
I still couldn’t detect a scent from him, just a chemical whiff of scent blockers, and that didn’t sit right with me.
I needed to know what he smelled like. I bet it would be divine.
It was all instinct as I pushed on his chest, nuzzling into his neck as I tried to find something.
A little whine escaped me as my search came up fruitless.
His hand had come to settle on my lower back, and a purr rumbled in his chest as I clutched his shirt.
A wave of slick suddenly wet my panties, even without his scent.
His warm body felt so good beneath mine, and I raised my eyes to peer up at his beautiful face, his eyes half-hooded as he looked down at me.
In a rush, I realized that we were in my suite, and though this was a semi-private booth, anyone could find us like this. Which would be dangerous for him.
I pushed back, my face growing hot as I stumbled for words. “Ah, if you’ll excuse me,” I said as his purr stuttered out. The room suddenly felt cold and quiet.
I was worried he’d crack my facade again. Slip under my skin.
It was bad hosting, but I needed to get away from this alpha. I turned and walked away, my heart pounding. Unfortunately, at that moment, my father’s security pulled back the curtain to his private booth, and the Lucas pack stepped out.
I was right in front of them, with nowhere to hide, so I tried to compose myself. My smile was wasted on Dax; his eyes had gone straight to the cleavage that my gown exposed.
“Am I too distracting?” I asked, arching an eyebrow. “Don’t want you to miss the show.”
He finally looked up at me with a grin. “I don’t think I’ll miss out either way,” he replied.
His scent—sandalwood and cloves, mixed with tobacco—surrounded me, clinging to my skin. I moved back a step and bumped into someone. I turned my head to see Madison looming behind me, the tang of his copper and smoke scent mixing with Dax’s in an assault on my nose.
They were close.
Much too close for comfort.
Prince appeared in front of me, a broad smile on his handsome face.
His eyes glittered as he continued forward, until I had to tilt my head up to look at him.
My heart was hammering wildly, and it was hard to breathe through the thick alpha scents that surrounded me, Prince’s amberwood making everything too sharp and heady.
“Laurel,” Prince said, tilting his head to the side. “We just finished talking with your father.”
“I saw that,” I said lightly.
“He assured us there wouldn’t be a repeat of last night.”
“Of course not,” I said, widening my eyes. I forced myself to bring my hand up to rest on his arm. “I don’t know what came over me. I hope you can forgive my blunder.”
“I don’t know,” Prince said, leaning closer, and his hand found my waist, his fingers playing with the silky fabric of my dress. His face was so close now, his eyes flicking down to look at my lips. “I think you might have to make it up to me properly before I can go that far.”
With that, he leaned down, sealing his lips against mine in a greedy kiss.
The fire in me flared. I didn’t want them or their claim—and I pulled back, only to find myself trapped against Madison. His arms clamped down on my shoulders as Prince tutted, a smile playing on his face.
“That’s not a very apologetic attitude, Laurel,” he said, tilting his head to the side.
Shit.
I was back in dangerous territory, and before it could get any worse, I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him deeply.
My eyes closed, and I let myself imagine that it was a different alpha.
One with lush brown skin and sparkling eyes.
Imagining that, when I pulled away, I’d see that breathtaking smile.
But instead, I was back in reality, looking up at Prince’s hooded eyes. “I’m sorry,” I said, stroking his face. “You just caught me by surprise.”
Prince looked like he wanted to kiss me again, but thankfully, Dax slung his arm over my shoulder and led me to the side. “Come sit with us, Duchess. The fight’s starting,” he said, whisking me away to their spot on the balcony.
Prince pulled me onto his lap, his arms wrapping around me posessively. The lights had dimmed, and the screens around us were showing the empty fighting pit, the fighters partially visible in their ante-cages.
“On the left, we have our fresh meat, Fang!” Joakim’s voice rolled through the crowd. “And facing him tonight is our fan favourite and defending champion, Omen!”
My heart sank. I stayed in the back as much as I could when the fights were on, but tonight I was stuck in the worst seat in the house. And if there was anyone I hated seeing fight more than anything, it was Omen.
The alphas were in the ante-cages on opposite sides of the ring, both with their auras out. Fang was repeatedly throwing himself against the walls of his cage, howling, whereas Omen was pacing back and forth.
I looked away from Omen to find Madison fixated on the match. His gaze was intense, his body coiled and tense like a predator. It was the most engaged I’d ever seen him. I’d seen a lot of alphas come through the suite, and none scared me more than the ones who were here purely for the blood.
I could see Omen’s snarl on the screen in front of us, and I knew if I was close enough, I’d hear the continuous, low growl he made as he waited his turn.
We used to have to wait for alphas to rut to get them this frenzied, but with the new drug rofetamine, we could induce a rut every night.
Omen had kept his sanity for an entire year, despite getting the drug every fight.
How much longer did he have left?
Any rogue alphas shattered within the first few doses, and all the other alphas usually didn’t last much longer.
Omen’s endurance was a sad torture. I’d been holding my breath, waiting for him to break, for months and months now. Perhaps he was trying to die first. It might be the more dignified option.
Last bets were called and the bell rang out, releasing the two alphas into the cage.
Today, I couldn’t keep Laurel out of my head. Ocean had cracked my armour, and she was bleeding through. My stomach clenched, and a cold sweat broke out on my back as I looked down at the fight. I kept my breathing even as I was forced to watch it play out.