20. Reed
Chapter twenty
Reed
M y eyes don’t leave Opal for a second as I hover in the shadows, making her my central focus.
Everyone else blurs in comparison as the Omega stands center stage, and a growl rumbles low in my chest as I watch her silently.
Why can’t anyone else see it?
Opal is bad news.
She is definitely up to something.
Zayden pulls her away from his squad, and I couldn’t help but notice how nervous her countenance became the moment my Omega introduced her to Oliver Hart.
The governor’s Omega.
She’s breathing heavier too, and she keeps reaching down to tug at the golden dress that hugs her waist.
Fuck. That goddamn dress.
I will find that seamstress who cinched it and eviscerate her.
Maybe the Omega is just trying to distract me, and I scoff at the idea.
If she thinks the sight of her in a golden dress will distract me from my duties as a soldier, then she is sorely mistaken.
Still. my Alpha rears his ugly head whenever he spies the creamy, shimmering porcelain skin of her neck, and I will him back into his cage, fastening the manacles and chains around his arms and legs.
That Alpha belongs in a cage and should never be set free.
Or there will be dire consequences for anyone within a ten-mile radius.
Not a good look for the pack.
I may have a hold on my Alpha, yet my gaze traces the elegant slope of her neck, the way she has her long, red hair brushed over one shoulder to expose that dangly pearl drop earning.
My mouth salivates when I think about digging my teeth into that swan-like neck, and I shake my head, a growl loosing from my lips.
A disconcerted woman close by glances at the brass bust where I've taken refuge, and I step further away into the shadows.
My tuxedo itches, and fuck this clown suit.
But Zayden insisted that we all look nice for the RR ball.
That’s Rogue Rehabilitation .
My eyes find the only two Rogues who fit that description.
While Belle Snow is harmless enough, Ella Titan is on a whole different level, and I thank our lucky stars she is on our side now.
Even now, I watch as she shows her Omega, Brody, some tricks, spinning a butterknife around and around in her fingers.
Her fingers never slip, but when Brody tries, the knife goes flying, almost taking out another Omega in a bruise-colored dress.
Ella laughs, but Belle scolds her, and there’s no missing the bond that the two Rogues have.
Shared trauma can bring together even the most unlikely of allies.
What am I doing?
Eyes on Opal at all times.
My gaze goes back to the Omega in question, and the smile on her face does something strange next.
It settles my Alpha. He stops thrashing in his chains, stops thirsting for blood when he detects that relaxed smile on her beautiful red lips.
She’s amused by Ella’s antics, and it’s clear she has formed a bond with the Rogue, too.
Zayden shakes his head, saying something to Ella, and she gives him the middle finger.
A direct threat, and my Alpha does not like that gesture one bit.
But it's all good. She’s his squad mate. It’s normal.
Not that I would know; I can’t take banter to save my life.
Now, back to Zayden and Opal.
He whispers something in her ear, and I watch as she closes her eyes, enjoying his proximity.
He’s my Omega. Only I should be the one enjoying Zayden’s closeness, but I can’t help but watch the two.
It’s an interesting sight.
Two Omegas.
Normally, Alphas are the ones who complete an Omega. We have knots and all the tools to pleasure them.
We’re the only designation who can bond an Omega, but watching the way Zayden and Opal embrace…
It almost looks like something from a fairytale.
Everyone keeps looking at them. They’re the new hot couple in town, having taken the place of Ella and Brody.
But maybe more and more Omegas will bond in the future.
It's happened four times.
My eyes trail toward the first pair of Omegas who started the whole phenomenon, and something stirs inside me when I see the way Oliver Hart regards Opal.
He doesn’t trust her. I have no doubt in my mind, and thank God it’s not just me who sees it after all.
Opal is trouble.
That can be her name from now on.
Trouble.
Opal’s eyes flick in Oliver’s direction, and there it is again…
The nervousness.
Her face shines with sweat, and then she leans closer to Zayden, whispering something in his ear.
He nods, and then she walks off.
I don’t think so…
That Omega cannot be left alone for a second.
It's actually a rule at these events.
Omegas must be accompanied at all times, and what is Zayden thinking?
He's too trusting.
Luckily, Magnus has his back as he joins Zayden’s side, handing him a plate of food, but Zayden’s gaze lingers on Opal.
That’s longing in his eyes, and this is going to hurt.
That Omega will break his heart.
And I must stop her before she ever has the chance.
Opal wanders down a hallway, probably using the excuse of needing the restroom.
The restrooms are in the complete opposite direction, of course.
She finally stops, leaning back against the stone wall to close her eyes.
It seemed she just needed a moment.
Her chest heaves, and I watch those prominent breasts as they look as if they’re about to burst from her golden dress.
Is she hyperventilating?
The sweat grows on her brow, and she reaches up, patting her face dry with her fingertips.
It takes her some time, but she eventually gets her breathing back to normal again.
She doesn’t move for a while, keeping her back against the stone wall as her eyes remain closed.
As usual, my eyes don't leave her.
She’s a bewitching creature.
A puzzle I am going to one day solve.
“I know you’re there…”
Her voice makes my heart seize, and I step back as soundlessly as possible, trying to become one with the shadows again.
“Reed.”
Finally, her gaze lands on my hiding space, and fuck this.
No more hiding.
My teeth grit as a growl escapes me, and now I slip out from the shadows, meeting her brilliant amber eyes.
They match that sinful gold dress perfectly, and a very bold color choice indeed.
Gold for Pack Gold.
“What do you want?”
Her flippant tone hits a nerve, and I stalk toward her, backing her to the wall.
Opal meets my eyes directly, and she’s definitely no damsel.
She almost has a fearlessness that matches Ella’s.
But she isn’t Rogue. That much I can ascertain.
Opal doesn’t have the tattoo.
I bracket her face with my large hands, leaning down to her eye level, yet those amber irises still don’t leave mine.
I’m not a sight for the weak of heart.
So, I commend her bravery.
Still, I will show her that I am not to be messed with.
Reed Gold is a ruthless Alpha.
“Don’t think I’m not on to you, Trouble.”
Her brow rises. “Trouble?”
I growl. “Yes, trouble . Because that is what you are. Nothing but trouble…”
“How original.”
Laughter pours into the empty hallway from the main ballroom as her brazen words take me by surprise, and she really does have a death wish, this one.
Still, she won’t get the best of me, and now my eyes track her every feature, looking for any weaknesses.
The sweat has subsided somewhat, but it still shines in places.
In the dimly lit hallway, the shine brings out the contours of her face, and I can’t stop staring at her neck.
Her clavicle and collarbone are pronounced, and I just want to lick her skin there.
Maybe then I can learn what she is all about.
Once again, I lean in close, inhaling her scent, then pause.
She narrows her eyes. “What?”
I meet her burning amber.
Well, this just complicates things…
“You’re about to go into heat.”
Time seems to slow down, the only sound my raging heart.
Opal’s eyes widen, and then her chest inflates. “That’s not possible.”
“Aye, but it is. I can smell it, Trouble. I’m an Acute. Your hormones are dripping from your pores."
They are, too.
Now, all I can smell is sweet lemon cupcake, and I don’t even know how I manage to keep it together.
My Alpha is writhing in his chains.
If I’m not careful, she’s going to put me in a rut.
Now my good eye follows that single drop of sweat as it tracks down her freckled face.
Then suddenly, she ducks beneath my left arm, making a bid for escape.
I don’t think so.
I will capture her.
That Omega is mine.