17. Opal
Chapter seventeen
Opal
T he door to the shop dings open, and it looks as if one of the Alphas got tired of waiting.
I just hope it’s not Magnus.
Not that he’s my Alpha, but he’s accompanying me today on this mission of sorts.
Seriously. I’d rather be on a mission than deal with all this frivolous stuff.
I suppose this is what I've been preparing my whole life for.
But Belle was just so excited when I spoke to her on the phone, and I couldn’t turn that sweet Omega away.
Sometimes, it’s hard to forget she is Rogue, and it’s good to see that the Warden didn’t completely break us all.
The Omega in question rolls her eyes up at the ornate chandelier. “Ugh, I thought I made myself very clear before. Omegas only!”
“Hear, hear!” Ella cheers, holding up her flute of champagne as a small woman sticks pins to her dress.
The Omega opted for vermillion satin. Said it reminded her of the color of blood or something.
Okay.
Belle went for a soft, periwinkle blue, and the color compliments her eyes.
In the end, I opted for gold.
I thought it would make a statement.
I am supposed to be a part of Pack Gold now, and I personally think the imperial color matches my eyes more than that insufferable lemon ever did.
“Troy, tell them! No Alphas!" Belle speaks out loud for all our benefit as she talks via bond to her Alpha.
When the newcomer finally steps into the back room of the shop, my stomach drops to my feet. I spy the freckles, the forest-green eyes, and the honey-toned hair.
Mila Hart.
The Omega puts her hands on her hips, shaking her head as she meets the surprised eyes of Belle.
“Oh, so I’m an Alpha now? I've been Beta, then an Omega, but never Alpha… That's a first, I guess. Thanks, little sis.”
Belle squeals, jumping down from her little podium as she throws her arms around her big sister.
Well, Mila is her brother’s Omega, more specifically.
“I’m so glad you made it!”
Mila returns Belle's hug, squeezing her tightly as she tosses her bag onto one of the fancy chairs in the boudoir, and I get a glimpse of the taut muscles of her arms, the knives at her belt.
A soldier through and through.
She trained as a Beta, sure, but Mila is far from a typical Omega.
Mila Hart is a fighter.A trained killer.
Would she kill me if I tried to kill her Alpha?
My face burns redhot, and I try to look distracted as I gaze around the room, calming my breaths.
It's fine, Opal. She won’t suspect you. You’ve got this.
Not even Belle or Ella have suspected me yet, so I may just be able to fool Mila, too.
Hopefully.
Fuck. My dress suddenly feels too tight.
Belle turns Mila to face us, and you can tell she is proud to show off her older sister.
It's sweet, I suppose.
It's crazy how we’ve all got our own stories to tell in this room. I guess Belle and Mila see a lot of themselves in each other.
The same goes for Ella, too.
These Omegas were once the heroine of their own tales.
There’s a heroine in us all, I suppose.
But let’s be real: I’m the bad guy here. The villain.
Nothing more.
“Mila, I would like you to meet Opal."
The Omega smiles, crossing her arms over her chest. “So, you’re the one who is going to break Zayden’s heart.”
Oh, it’s starting already…
Mila does suspect me.
Belle giggles, moving back up to her little podium. “She is not going to break his heart, Mila.”
Ella sips her champagne. “Yeah, she better not. Zayden is like a brother to me. She messes with him, then she messes with me."
Belle gasps. “Ella!”
Ella sniggers, finishing off her drink, and it looks like she’s getting a little tipsy. “I’m kidding, of course, Opal.”
I sure hope she is; I don’t want to have to fight her one day.
I don’t want to hurt any of them.
Ella places her glass down. “Honestly, Opal, I know you won’t hurt him. I can tell just by looking at you. You’re one of the good ones."
Oh, how wrong she is.
“Trust me," she continues, meeting my eyes. "I'm good at these sorts of things. If you were bad, I’d have sensed it a mile off.”
It takes every effort to force my muscles into the shape of a genuine smile, and I can’t do this.
I am deceiving these people.
My friends…
The first I’ve ever made since I penetrated the city lines.
Hell, they’re the first friends I’ve ever had.
And one day, I am going to have to betray them all.
In a matter of days, to be precise.
For that will be when I strike and kill the governor.
Mila steps up onto another podium, and the dressmaker wraps her up in a beautiful garment of olive-green silk.
One that brings out the color of her eyes.
She catches my gaze when she finds me admiring the material. “Green. Oliver’s favorite color.”
I nod, peering down at my own garment.
I don’t even know Zayden’s favorite color.
One thing I do know: it's not mint green.
There’s so much I don’t know about the pack and probably never will, and my chest tightens all of a sudden.
Why can’t I have what these Omegas have? I want to be just as happy and carefree.
But that’s life.
One of us has to play the villain.
It just so happens that the role has fallen onto me.
“Are you all right?”
The question comes from Belle, and I meet her gaze.
Damn. Was my discomfort showing on my face?
Better school my features yet again lest they suspect something.
“I-I’m fine, Belle. Just a little hot.”
Belle blinks, and then she shares a knowing expression with Ella.
Belle peers back at me. “You’re not… you know…”
It takes me a moment to realize what she's speaking about.
Then it hits me. “Oh, no. I sure hope not.”
Belle sighs, peering at the door. “Maybe we should call Magnus to take you home.”
That may be for the best. If I play off my discomfort as a heat spike, then I may just get out of this.
I’ve long outstayed my welcome.
If I spend any more time with these Omegas, then the more they are to suspect me.
“All right,” I concede.
Belle nods, then her eyes glaze over as she speaks with Troy via her bond, and I ignore the gnawing ache in my chest.
The gnawing is guilt.
Truth be told, I really do want to stay.
Living in a house full of men takes its toll, and I find that I enjoy female company.
I never realized how deprived I was of girlfriends until I had them.
The door to the shop dings, and just as I resign myself to leaving, my back goes ramrod straight, and I stand like a show dog atop her podium once again.
No… Just when I had an out.
What if they find out what I really am?
Magnus steps into the boudoir with his eyes covered. A request of Belle’s, I bet, for he isn’t allowed to see the dress until the big night.
“You okay, Opal?” he asks.
I can’t move. My feet remain planted on the podium.
Even worse, the others watch me. Ella narrows her eyes, and Mila cocks her brow.
I suck in a breath. “Yes, I’m fine now. Just a false alarm. I’m good."
Ella blinks at my sudden change. “Are you sure?”
I hear the suspicion in her tone. No one bounces back that quickly, and I see it then.
The distrust.
Ella is on to me.
I place my hand on my diaphragm to calm my breath. “Yes. The pain has gone now. I will stay.”
My voice is not my own, and when Mila shares a glance with Ella, my face begins to sweat.
Belle is oblivious as she’s too busy ensuring that Magnus keeps his eyes covered.
“I said no peeking!”
“I’m sorry!” Magnus replies, backing off. “I guess I should return to the guys. Lachlan keeps trying to eat Alastor’s new cat, so I best get back.”
“What?” both Mila and Ella say in unison.
Magnus shrugs. “Lachlan says he’s hungry.”
Mila blinks for a few moments, then covers her face. “Ugh, that Alpha. I can’t take him anywhere. He’s kidding. Maybe…”
Yeah, the Omega doesn’t look so sure about that.
Meanwhile, Ella has stars in her eyes, and it seems my sudden change in behavior has all been forgotten.
Good.
“Alastor got me a new kitty?” she whispers.
Magnus beams, keeping his eyes covered, and my heart melts at the expression on his warm face.
Gods, he truly does have a golden smile.
“Yeah. But don’t tell him I told you.”
He finally exits the shop.
Ella claps her hands, jumping up on her podium, and she misplaces a few pins. “Yes! I will call him Eggyolk.”
Eggyolk?
“Eggnog and Eggyolk?” Belle laughs. “Don’t you already have enough pets called Egg?”
Ella snorts, filling up another flute with champagne. “You can never have too many pets, Belle. Besides, another cute pet for you to mind for my next heat. I hope you’re prepared.”
Belle rolls her eyes, then gets back up on her podium, and now we stand like perfectly trained dogs as we get our dresses made.
Whether it be pets or babies, I will never have them.
As I will never be a part of my pack.