Chapter 80
EIGHTY
LAUREL
It was late when Jade found me spacing out in the bathroom, staring at my face in the mirror. She pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips. “You don’t look so good. Come on.”
She dragged me through the lobby, and to my surprise, Janna hurried over, pulling me into a hug. “You okay, hun?”
I swallowed, not sure what to say. “It’s just…a lot.”
She frowned at the claim collar around my neck. “Your makeup is smudged. Do you have any more down here?”
I shook my head, and she frowned again, rooting around in her bag.
“She’s got more in the Duchess Suite,” Jade offered.
“I was worried about you,” Janna said.
My heart tightened. She was?
I wasn’t sure what to make of it. We met up once a month for a duke/duchess social, a dinner somewhere fancy with just us omegas.
My father had insisted I attend to maintain connections, though I didn’t speak much.
I couldn’t really open up without spilling dangerous secrets, so I’d kept Janna and the others at arm’s length.
Even still, did she consider us…friends?
But now I was starting to believe in a future where I was free. Where I could actually make friends with this duchess. A future without my father or the Lucas pack. A future with Ocean and Kaos, and even Finch.
“Come on.” Jade dragged me toward the elevator. “Let’s go fix you up.” Jade
“Thanks,” I told Janna as we walked away. “See you later.”
She gave me a wave as Jade and I stepped through the elevator doors.
Jade took me all the way to my empty suite. She clicked the lights on, and I looked up at the tall ceiling and chandeliers.
“This place is so ridiculous,” I said, shaking my head.
Jade raised an eyebrow. “You think?” She looked so unimpressed that I burst out laughing, and a weight lifted from my chest as she joined in.
“Oh god, I don’t think I want to see anything red again in my life once I’m done here,” I said, wiping my eyes. “I’ll tell everyone I’m allergic to the color.”
I took off my heels, and Jade followed suit, even though I warned her about how cold the marble floor was. It took seconds to fix up my makeup, and we walked back outside, but I stopped by the bar, sighing.
“I don’t want to go back,” I said, thinking of Vivienne and Angela, of the Lucas pack circling around me like wolves.
“Then don’t,” Jade replied, hopping up onto the counter. “We’ll have our own party up here.”
I chewed my lip, then shot her a smile. “Fuck it. I’ve done all the stuff I needed to be there for. I’m not going back.”
With that, I went behind the bar and poured us some drinks.
We ended up on the balcony, looking down at the levels of the Blood Well beneath us, lit by the glowing emergency lights.
“We’ll get your alpha out, don’t worry,” Jade said as I stared down at the Sink. “He cares about you a lot, you know. Kept grilling me about you, so don’t be freaked out when he knows your favourite ice cream flavour.”
“He’s my scent match,” I told her with a smile. “I met him up here, and he stepped in when Madison was hurting me. Father was going to kill him, and the only thing I could think of to save him was putting him in the fights.”
Jade leaned over and squeezed my hand. “So you’re matched with all of them? Grumpy Clark Kent and Skeleton boy, too?”
I snorted out a laugh. “Yeah.”
“You lied to me when you said you didn’t have a thing with him!” she said, poking me in the stomach and causing me to squeak. “I knew it!”
“Well, I’d only just met him,” I protested. “We didn’t have a thing then.”
“And now? You gonna elope with them after?”
I hesitated, chewing my lip. “Yeah, I think so. Kaos is actually really sweet. And Finch apologized for being a jerk, but I don’t know if I’m ready for a thing with him.”
“Well, if he’s apologized, he’s already in a completely different league than the Lucas assholes,” she said, her voice hardening.
“Let’s get another drink.” I stood and went to pour us a round of shots. How long had it been since I’d enjoyed myself like this? It was still nice to drink together, to talk of nothing. To put on music and dance, then stagger around and explore.
We turned into a mess of giggles again when I showed her my supplies for my favour baskets, putting one together and presenting it to her.
“It’s good for the brand,” I wheezed as Jade cackled, pulling out the risqué photo of me. “I swear I had nothing to do with it.”
“Is this a blindfold?” asked Jade, plucking out the ribbon.
I pulled in my lips, trying to suppress a smile. “I scent-mark those,” I confessed.
Her mouth dropped open and we dissolved into laughter.
*
Jade and I stood outside the Securement Wing, banging on the glass of the guard station.
“Hey!” Jade called, rapping harder.
Casey hurried up to the door, alarm written all over his squishy face. “What is it? What’s wrong?” he asked, and then stopped as he saw Jade.
Why was he looking at her all funny? She looked totally normal now that she’d taken off that blonde wig.
“Nothin’. Just wanted to bring the party down here,” I said, grinning up at him. Why was he so tall? And red. Was he usually that red? He’d been a lot more red since Jade had started working down here.
He was still staring at Jade, and I focused on her.
Her.
“Ohh, shit,” I slurred. Jade was in a party dress, with makeup and heels. “She’s the he. He’s a she. Ah, whatever.”
“Oops. Let that cat outta the bag. You still love me, right, peaches?” Jade said, winking at him as she stepped inside.
He stared at her.
I patted his arm as I came inside as well.
“I’ll…go get you a uniform,” Casey said, his voice hoarse. He hurried off and came back with clothes for Jade.
She hummed and started stripping off her dress, exposing her small breasts to the room.
Casey squeaked and whirled around so he was facing me instead.
We listened to Jade staggering a bit as she pulled on the clothes.
Casey glanced up at the camera on the ceiling, then turned back to me.
“Is Kaos covering the cameras down here for you? Did you ask him?”
I squinted.
Had I? I’d meant to.
I fished my phone out of my pocket and did my best to unlock it. I only dropped it twice before I showed it to Casey.
“Yeah, see that?”
He took the phone. “This just says eyyyoh?”
“Eyyyooooh,” Jade and I called together, then burst into another fit of giggles. I was gasping for breath when Casey handed my phone back.
“He said he’d delete the footage.”
“You know what, Laurel?” Jade asked, throwing her arm around my shoulders. She had to stand on tiptoes to manage it.
I shook my head.
“I think, actually, he’s the best,” Jade said, pointing at Casey.
“You’re so right!” I agreed and wrapped my arms around Casey for a hug. He was large and soft and patted my back awkwardly. I giggled again.
“Well, let’s get us in, Mr. Big Fella,” Jade said, waving at the security doors.
We followed Casey as he unlocked the outer one and cranked up the portcullis.
“’S a good night,” Jade announced, stepping into the pens. “I got her away from her scuzzy fiancés. And I brought us a treat!”
She hefted the bag that was slung over her shoulder and staggered to the side. Casey rushed to her in alarm, catching her before she hit the floor.
“Ah, thanks, mate,” Jade said, directing her full smile at Casey. “You’re a real peach, you know that?”
Casey mumbled something as his cheeks reddened. Jade stopped outside of Hugo’s cage and drew out a bottle of champagne from her bag.
Hugo, who had been watching this all play out with detached amusement, stood up with a strangled groan. “Is that—alcohol?” he said, pressing his face up to the bars as Jade laughed.
“Only the finest for these alphas,” she said, pressing the bottle into Hugo’s hands.
“Holy shit, I could kiss you,” he said, and without hesitation, Jade grabbed his face through the bars and did just that.
Hugo was stunned enough that he didn’t move, and I slapped my hands over my mouth, trying not to laugh again.
Eh, Hugo wasn’t bad looking, for an older guy. Jade’s usual type, for sure.
Jade’s hands were moving to his hair when Hugo tried to pull back. Suddenly, Casey was there, picking Jade up in his arms and pulling her away.
“Aw,” Jade pouted, twisting around in Casey’s hold until they were face to face. Jade was half straddling Casey at this point. “What’s the deal, peaches? You want one too?”
With that, she leaned down and kissed Casey as well.
“There is far too much kissing happening down here,” I announced to no one in particular.
Casey recovered from his shock and practically dropped Jade on the floor, his face beet red.
I walked over to see Ocean, but he was sleeping soundly on his cot. I didn’t want to wake him, so I just watched him for a little while, breathing in his scent.
“Not much longer,” I assured him. “Till we can both be free.”
I blew him a kiss before I headed out for the night.