Chapter 102
ONE HUNDRED TWO
LAUREL
I was slowly settling into my new, quiet normal. It was nice, especially as it included plenty of free time and three hot alphas to spend it with.
I was making good use of the time.
This time, though, my kiss with Finch was interrupted by the sound of a door opening and closing.
“Laurel!” Jewel's voice called out. “Pull yourself away from these alphas for a few hours, we're going out on the town.”
Finch sighed as I patted his face.
“You could have given us a heads-up,” he grumbled as I stood up from the couch.
“Where's the fun in that?” Jewel said. He was wearing a large t-shirt and jeans, with basic sneakers. I raised an eyebrow.
“Ugh, I know,” he said, wrinkling his nose as he saw where I was looking. “I figured I shouldn't draw attention or whatever. Besides, I don't even have anything nice to wear. We’ll need a driver.” He looked pointedly at my alphas.
“I can go,” Kaos volunteered, standing up and stretching. He and Jewel seemed to get along quite well.
“Right. I’ve got some scent blockers, if you don’t mind,” Jewel replied.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Finch said, eyeing Kaos.
“What, you want to spend some more quality time with me?” Jewel said, fluttering his lashes. Finch rolled his eyes.
“Thought so. Come along, both of you. I need new clothes, like yesterday.”
“JEWEL!” Jade's angry shout floated through the door he’d left open.
“Not thongs, though,” he said with a wink, herding us toward the door. “Ta-ta!”
Jewel sighed as he settled in the back seat.
“How are you doing?” he asked, after I strapped in. I gave him a shy smile.
“Good. So good,” I said. “It kind of doesn’t seem real, you know? But we did it.”
“That we did,” Jewel replied with satisfaction.
The first place we went was to the Crimson Palace’s spa to get a mani-pedi. The staff gave Jewel a couple of odd looks when he walked in. Kaos perched on a chair, giving us some space, which I appreciated.
“Do you think they’ll recognize you?” I asked, eyeing them. We hadn’t officially announced Jewel’s return yet, but Jewel shrugged.
“I’m dead, remember? And I was an alpha.” He pointed at his golden eyes. “I don’t think we have to worry.”
“This is heaven,” Jewel said as we got our feet massaged. “They’re doing a much better job than you ever did, Laurel.”
“Shut up!” I said, grinning. I was just delighted we could be doing this out in public together finally. It was a dream come true.
Jewel sighed as he looked at his glossy emerald nails, sharpened to claws.
“I tried doing my own fake nails and gel, you know. Never really got the hang of it. Now, look at these! I could take someone’s eyes out.”
“Please don’t,” I said. “It would be so much work keeping you out of prison.”
“Makes me wish I kept Dax alive a little longer…” he said wistfully. Then, he brightened.
“Come on! Let’s go get some treats.”
Then we went to a little café, and ordered lattes and pastries.
I caught Jewel staring at me as I finished my croissant.
“What?” I asked, brushing my face off in case I had any crumbs,
“You’re just… all grown up,” he said, reaching over and squeezing my hand. “I know you’re not sixteen anymore, and I missed all of it. Suddenly you’re this boss bitch omega, which is great, don’t get me wrong. But you know.”
He reached over and pinched my cheek.
“Is my sweet baby sister still in there somewhere?”
“Fuck off,” I said, swatting him away. He tutted.
“Language, Laurel. And I just said you were sweet…I take it back.”
I grinned at him, but then looked down and picked at my pastry. Hugo had told me that Jewel was ‘severely supressed’ as an omega (in his opinion), and I wasn’t sure how to broach the topic with him.
“Were you around a lot of other omegas?” I asked. He shrugged.
“A little bit, before I got sentenced to solitary confinement. We didn’t really do a lot of bonding, though. It was a vicious competition to stay relevant in the club, or you’d end up as Madison’s newest chewtoy.”
My eyes widened, but he continued as if it were nothing.
“It didn’t really matter that I was an omega, honestly. Scent changed, eyes changed. Sex got way easier, but other than that…”
“What about nesting and heats?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
He shrugged again.
“Yeah, I still haven’t had a natural heat.”
He wouldn’t meet my eyes as he said it, and I felt a flicker of rage. Did that mean he’d had an unnatural one? A forced heat?
“And nesting, purring, all that. Just never really felt it, you know? And as for alphas… I make a fuss about your guys, but really it’s all alpha scents.”
I bit my lip.
“You should probably go to a doctor,” I said. He huffed in annoyance. “I mean it! You should have had your first heat by now, and nesting and alpha pheromones regulate us. You could get sick if you’re not in balance.”
“Okay, fine, if you’re going to nag me about it. But I promise there’s nothing wrong.”
I gave him an unimpressed look, and he downed the rest of his coffee and leapt to his feet.
“Hurry up, slowpoke. Time to go shopping.”
Jewel knew exactly where he wanted to go, so we charted a map through all the designer locations in downtown New Oxford.
He was charming with the staff, and gave lots of direction on clothes until we were ready to buy.
“I'm a bit broke, I'm afraid,” Jewel said as we approached the checkout counter. “I’m hoping to mooch off you.”
“Mooch away,” I told him, handing over a black credit card. “It's my private account. Though it won't be long before you get your inheritance.”
“I doubt I'm included in Thaddeus’s will,” Jewel scoffed.
“I’m sure you can contest it. You’re his eldest son. But seriously, whatever is mine is yours. You're free now to dress however you want, and I'll happily bankroll that for you.”
“You may live to regret that.” Jewel reached the counter, presenting his selection of clothes.
“No way,” I said firmly, going on tiptoe to peck him on the cheek. Kaos followed us as we walked down the street.
We kept getting funny looks, but I didn’t fully register why until we stopped outside a tattoo and piercing shop.
“You remember that night?” Jewel asked quietly.
“Yes,” I answered. “You said the first thing we were gonna do when we were free was get your ears pierced.”
“What are we waiting for, then?” he said, walking up and opening the door. A bell signalled our arrival, and a person looked up from the counter. Their eyes narrowed.
“Didn't you see the sign?” they asked, irritated. “We don't serve gold packs here.”
“Right,” Jewel said, his face darkening. “Your loss.”
He dragged me outside, and dragged out his phone.
“What a bunch of jerks,” I told him, glaring at the sign that said No service to Gold Packs.
“Right. I will be sure to call them out specifically once I’m officially alive again on social media.”
“I know a place,” Kaos said. “I think it’s run by a gold pack, so you’ll be fine there.”
“Perfect,” Jewel said. “Lead the way.”
I was a little dubious as we climbed out of the car and looked at the old warehouse building. It looked like a motorcycle repair shop, but there was a little sign on the side that invited us in for piercings.
Jewel didn’t hesitate, striding toward the building at a fast pace and leaving me and Kaos scrambling to catch up. He was pissed, clearly, and his stubborn streak was showing.
“Hello?” Jewel called as he entered the garage.
“Hey, be right with you,” came a gruff voice. A large alpha appeared from behind a motorcycle and wiped his black hands on a black rag.
“Yes, I need some piercings,” Jewel announced. The alpha cocked his head.
“You got an appointment?” he asked.
“Nope,” Jewel replied.
“He usually does by appointment,” the alpha said. “I’ll see if he can take a drop-in.”
He disappeared through a door in the back of the garage.
“Hmm,” Kaos said. “I swear I know that guy from somewhere.” He frowned in concentration, but still hadn’t figured it out when the alpha came back with a skinny guy with golden eyes. This must be the gold pack Kaos had mentioned.
He blinked as he looked at us, then flicked his white-blond hair out of his eyes. He had a lovely smell of chocolate brownies and roses, and was quite attractive, despite his grungy style.
“I’m Ice,” he said, looking at me and then Jewel. He eyed our outfits with suspicion.
“Arsenal said you wanted piercings?” he asked, sticking his hands in his pockets.
“Yes, three,” Jewel said, pointing to his head. “Both ears and a helix.”
“Can you fit us in?” I asked him. “We can pay extra.” He looked between us again, then shrugged.
“Sure,” he said. “Follow me.” He turned and led us to a small studio. Jewel sat primly on the chair, folding his legs as the other omega handed him some waivers to fill out.
“So what brought you guys here?” he asked, eyeing my outfit again.
“Funny story,” Jewel answered, scribbling his name on the papers. “I tried to walk into a place on High Street, but apparently gold packs aren’t allowed. I assumed you didn’t have a similar policy.”
Ice shook his head, but I saw his shoulders relax a bit.
“God, it was just plain rude. What is this, the 1950s? I didn’t realize we, as a society, were so prejudiced.”
Ice snorted.
“Just the way it is. You been living under a rock or something?”
“Basically. Though I imagine a rock might have been nicer than locked in an alpha’s back room,” Jewel replied, stacking the papers and holding them out to Ice.
Ice had paused and looked up, meeting Jewel’s eyes for the first time.
“Yeah I… I know what you mean,” he said,
“You too?” Jewel asked, arching a brow. He leaned forward to fake whisper. “Don’t tell my sister or she’ll probably make us start a support group.”
He glanced at me and mimed slitting his own throat. I huffed as Ice snorted a laugh.
“That’s not a terrible—”
“Juvie!” Kaos suddenly said. I turned to him.
“What?” I asked.
“I was wondering where I recognized that alpha out front. I think we were in Juvie together.” He gave satisfied nod, and grinned, bouncing on his feet. “I think he beat me up. Or maybe I beat him up? Just in sanctioned rut fights, don’t worry. Good times.”
“Right…” Ice said, as Kaos started humming to himself. “Okay, why don’t you pick what studs you want to start with.”
Ice had just finished the last of Jewel’s three ear piercings when a dark-haired alpha with yellow eyes poked his head in the door. He seemed familiar, somehow.
“You coming down? Takeout’s here.”
“Yeah, I’ll be down in five,” Ice said, and the alpha’s yellow eyes flicked from me to Jewel, and then back again.
“Huh,” was all he said before he closed the door.
“What was that about?” I asked, looking at Jewel. Jewel blinked a couple of times.
“Was that Viper Oxford?” he asked Ice. Ice shrugged. It was 100% Viper. There was no mistaking those yellow eyes. He was a bit of a recluse, but he was one of the richest people in New Oxford. And apparently living in a garage with ex-cons and a gold pack.
“Huh,” Jewel said, sitting back down a bit and staring at the door. “Bet his father’s real pleased.”
I snorted, and though Ice didn’t look up from gathering Jewel’s take-home supplies, I saw a smile flicker on his face.
“Good for him,” I said.