Chapter 17
CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN
Violet
R un.
The word tumbles in my head as my mother rakes me over the coals. It’s my first time ever getting in trouble like this. Usually it’s Iris or Rue.
“The thing,” Mom says as she pours herself a glass of wine, “is you need to be careful. He hasn’t proposed. And though you’re of age, I really hope you don’t ruin things.”
She means bring shame on the family.
Mom wouldn’t ever say it.
She doesn’t have to.
It stings me through the air, and my chest goes tight as the panic starts to unfurl. On top of it all, I feel sick.
“I’m being careful.”
“Out so early, Violet. And alone…” she sa ys. “You have so many other Alphas interested. Maybe it’s time to consider one of them.”
I may have other Alphas wanting to take me out, but the ones I’ve dated have been rude, vulgar, or just…not for me. I haven’t enjoyed any of their company. Not like I do with Stephan, as scripted as it may be.
I just haven’t yet found the one who I want to claim me.
“I went for a run and tripped,” I tell her. “It was completely innocent, Mom.”
I swallow hard, my throat scraping.
Run.
He took my hand and we ran, people following and cameras clicking. It should’ve been a terrifying experience, but for once I didn’t panic. I didn’t fall or faint.
With his hand in mine, I was alive. Free.
We raced into the thick of the wooded area and found a hiding place underneath a leafy bush. He dragged me through the dirt, out of sight, and soon the paparazzi grew bored of searching and left us alone.
When it was safe to crawl out again, we were both covered in filth with leaves in our hair. Then we laughed and laughed, until tears streamed from my eyes and he struggled to catch his breath. He tried to wipe the crud off my cheeks, but when he only made it worse, it started another fit of laughter, and eventually we gave up and went our separate ways.
Stephan could have left me back at the tree. But he didn’t.
He could have let my reputation be ruined and went about his summer as the most eligible Alpha on Sabine. But he didn’t.
Mom’s still talking. I tune back in.
“These dashing sorts are very nice, Violet, lovely. But you don’t stop accepting the invites or dances with other Alphas until you find the right one. The one your heart beats for. True love is out there and you deserve it, too.”
True love. I almost want to laugh. It’s a fantasy, something in the movies Stephan stars in. I need a practical match.
“Yes, Mom.”
“Good. Now go talk your brother down and then get ready. We have that party at Hargrave House tonight.”
As expected, Heath’s in the study, pulling what looks like a gun from the wall safe behind a painting.
“Heath Edward Gardener, what are you doing?”
“Going to shoot that ex-friend of mine.”
I gasp. “Don’t you dare!”
“Did you sleep with him?”
“ No! ”
He nods. Grabs a magazine clip for the gun. “But you let him kiss you?”
“I kissed him,” I lie, my heart jumping. “Don’t tell Mom. Where did you get the gun?”
“It was Dad’s.”
“Put it back.” I cross my arms. “ I kissed him . A peck. And the media has been sent back to the mainland. By order of the Monarch. ”
“ You kissed him . Sure, Vi.”
Am I really so predictable and boring?
“It’s true! A peck. It was nothing.”
“Do you like him?” he asks, eyes hardening on me.
“Like…him?”
“Yes. Do you like him?”
This feels like a trap.
“Even if Stephan wasn’t my friend, he’d be the last Alpha on my list for you. You two are on opposite ends of the spectrum. You’re not his type. And he’s?—”
Annoyance stirs, and my words are sharp. “How do you know what his type is?”
“I know what his type is and that’s enough,” he says.
“You really think so little of me? That I can’t make my own decisions?”
His eyes widen in surprise. “You’re just so good, Vi. You’ve always been delicate and compassionate. All Stephan’s ever cared about is himself. Well, except—” He stops abruptly and shakes his head. “Never mind. The point is I don’t want you wasting your time with him if there’s nothing real between you. I won’t risk Stephan ruining the Season and your chance at happiness. If you don’t care about him, kick him to the curb, and we’ll find you an Alpha worth your time.”
The moment of anger deflates from me. Heath’s just trying to be a good brother. He wants the best for me, no matter how misguided he may be. I have to be more careful with Stephan. I don’t know why he keeps kissing me or touching me when he’s made his true intentions clear, but I need to be strong enough to tell him no.
Even if my heart and body crave him .
“Heath, please put the gun away,” I say. “You can’t help me survive this Season if you’re in prison.”
“I wasn’t going to shoot him dead. Just make it hurt. You know, as a reminder.”
“What if Stephan wants to mark me? Will you still shoot him?”
“He won’t.”
“You don’t know that.” I take a breath. “If he asks to claim me, will you let it happen?”
With a sigh, Heath puts the gun away and locks the safe.
“If he asks and that is what you truly want, then yes. I’ll let it happen.” Then he looks at his watch. “Don’t you need to get ready for tonight?”
Men.
Hargrave House isn’t really a house, more like a mansion on steroids in the middle of the richest suburb of Sabine City.
Old brick and older gardens form the huge courtyard. I’ve seen pictures but I’ve never been. And it’s better than the photos and video tours online.
It’s a world of its own, multi-layered, with different areas that provide a different feel or even quasi-privacy. And in the center there are tables, chairs, and a delicate feast of finger foods, and room to stand, mill around, and even dance. Fairy lights twinkle everywhere.
“The QB says the Monarch’s making an appearance tonight.” Rue’s hair is piled up in an Edwardian style for the night. Her phone’s in her hand. And she’s scrolling. “ Someone’s running bets on how long until Stephan gets bored of you,” Rue continues. “There’s even a poll for how long until you get knocked up.”
“Shut it,” Iris says, snatching the phone. “No more Stitch for tonight.”
“Not Stitch. Over on TheRealDirt, it says that Vi?—”
“If you get caught looking at any more of that nonsense by Heath or Mom, you’ll be grounded. Now, go annoy your little friends.”
Rue snatches back her phone and bounds off.
Mari rolls her eyes. She’s dressed in a glittery sky-blue dress but no mask, since she’s not in her Season yet.
I’m looking around for Stephan, and I hate myself for it, but it’s better than giving in to the panic creeping up on me.
I grip my skirts, and a flapper flounces up to me, in gold and white, her blonde hair pinned to look like a bob. It’s Alicia. I can tell even with her white mask. She wrinkles her nose at me. “Good lord, what’s that you’re wearing?
“You look beautiful, Alicia. I love your lace and silk mask.” I try to smile.
“I’ve been trying to work out how you not only got picked as the Monarch’s favorite, mousy thing like you,” she says, “but landing Asher St. James? It was a complete mystery. But then I saw your dishy brother being all chummy with the movie star and got it. They’re friends and this is a favor.”
Iris steps between us, poised to attack.
“Those earrings are to die for,” she says. “They don’t make quality plastic like that anymore— ow .”
My elbow meets Iris’s ribs and she sends me a look .
I brighten my smile. Heat is starting to crawl up my neck and my chest is tightening. Don’t faint. Don’t faint. Don’t faint. “We should have tea one of these days.”
“You should?—”
“Quiet.” An Alpha low command ripples through me at full force and instantly takes hold of the conversation. I glance up just as the scent of earth and oak surrounds me. “Shut your mouth, Alicia, now.”
She clamps her mouth shut.
“Go annoy someone else,” he says, the command still in his tone. She glares at me but has no choice but to scurry away.
“Do you want us to stay?” Iris whispers, glancing from Stephan to me.
I shake my head. “I’m okay.”
Iris takes Mari by the arm and they leave us.
My knees wobble as I gaze up at him.
He did that for me.
“Don’t faint, Princess.”
Again, the Alpha voice is pitched low, only for my ears. It strokes over all my senses like cool water, bringing me a moment of zen.
The panic leaves me, and all there is, apart from that spa-like calm, is tremors of excitement and anticipation.
It’s like being touched.
He’s dressed as some dashing buccaneer, with tight pants and billowy black shirt. His mask is simple, like a cat burglar’s, and around his waist is a violet cummerbund.
It’s like he’s walked off the cover of an old-school romance novel.
I lick my dry lips. “I had that under control. ”
“But I helped,” he says, his sparkling brown eyes boring into mine.
I drag my gaze away, past some of the people dancing. I drag it past the glaring, ruffled Alicia whose new friends are trying to soothe her as they show her something on her mini pad, but she’s not mollified, she’s focused on Stephan and?—
“Dance?” I suddenly ask.
“If Bro-zilla is okay with it,” he says, a smile in his voice.
“Heath has no choice.”
The live music surrounds us as I take his offered hand, and he leads us onto the dance area.
Stephan’s hands are warm, and being close to him has an excitement that never fades, even with repeat close encounters with him.
Unlike with the other Alphas I’ve gone on dates with, the small talk is easy. He tells me some stories about his life in Emporia, all sanitized for my sake probably, and he shows interest in my dancing.
“My agent is excellent. She might be visiting soon,” he says as he twirls me around. “I can introduce you. There’s choreography, dance companies, all kinds of things you could do. Even a dance school at the National Ballet.”
“For who? Me? Oh, no, I’m not good enough.”
He grazes my ear with his mouth. “Yes, you are.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Actually, I do.” He pulls back a little to look at me fully. “Did you know Mikel Petrov records all his dance sessions and posts clips of his most talented students online?”
My next breath freezes in my chest .
“You’re on there a lot, you know. Twenty-seven clips, to be exact. And I watched them all.”
Oh my god. I didn’t know that.
“That’s…” Flattering. Thrilling . “Creepy.”
“It’s research. Have to know who I’m fake courting.”
I try to think of something clever to say, but nothing comes.
“We get Petrov to be a reference and use those clips, and I’m sure we can get you an audition somewhere. Maybe at Maymont, if you want?”
“M-Maymont?” The most renowned fine arts academy in the entire country? Excitement bubbles up. It’s damn near impossible to get an audition, let alone get accepted. If Stephan can somehow get me in, I?—
But the hope fades as the truth comes settling in.
“I can’t,” I say.
“Why?”
“You know why.”
The song ends and the band takes a break. I step away. There’s a chill in my chest I can’t shake.
“Who’s Heath talking to?” Stephan asks, looking over my shoulder.
I turn. The man is maybe early thirties, dark curling hair, and very good-looking. From his bearing and clothes, it’s clear he’s rich.
“I don’t know.” My brother motions me over with a tilt of his head. “Heath wants me…”
“I’ll get us a drink.”
As Stephan leaves, I make my way over, ignoring the whispers and the looks that come my way. I think of the calm of oak trees and secret wooded spots where no one can find me.
“Here she is.” Heath smiles that smile I hate, the one that’s too big, the one that hides things. “This is Violet. Violet, this is Mr. Dominic Stockton. He just got back from Europe.”
He holds out his hand, and I go to shake it but he lifts it to his mouth and kisses it. “Call me Dom, please. A pleasure. I was telling your brother I’d love to call on you sometime.”
“And I told him how much you’d love that.” Heath nods, waiting for me to follow along.
Since I have to be the perfect sister, the perfect Luxe, I say, “I would. Very much.”
I have to remember that I might like Stephan, but he doesn’t want me. Not really. What’s between us is nothing more than an act, something to get us both what we want. And all his talk about Mikel Petrov and Maymont—well, it’s a good dream, but it isn’t realistic.
Even if by some miracle I could get an audition there, I’d never be good enough to get in. Let alone make tuition. It’s too expensive for what we can afford right now.
All the more reason to be pleasant to Dom. Maybe he’s the Alpha who’ll be best for me.
Heath seems to think so, or he wouldn’t have introduced us.
“Violet, I requested a dance on the mini pad,” Dom says.
I smile brightly. “I’ll accept it right away.” To show him I’m serious, I pull out my tablet from my bag and hit the button to confirm the dance .
“Perfect.” The Alpha smiles, and my knees should give out. He is gorgeous after all. But he leaves me cold.
“I’ll get us all something to drink,” my brother says suddenly. He takes off, and I’m left looking at Dom.
“Forgive the forwardness, but now that we’re alone, may I ask you something? Something more…personal?”
Uh oh.
“You may ask, but if I find it too prying, I just won’t answer. How’s that?” I say.
“Very fair.” Dom glances at the refreshment table, where both my brother and Stephan are now talking fervently and glancing this way. “It’s just… What are your intentions for this Season? I ask because as I’m sure you know, some aren’t serious about finding a mate. And I…well , I very much am.”
“So am I,” I say. “I’m hoping to find my mate by the end of the Season, an Alpha who’s a good man, who will do right by me and my family.”
“And a pack? Children?”
I nod. “I come from a large family. It’s all I know.”
“Excellent.” He takes my hand and kisses it again. Then there’s a soft ringing—his cell phone—which he takes out of his pocket and glances at the screen with a frown. “I’m sorry. I’m going to have to take a rain check on the dance. Work is calling, and they know not to unless it’s an emergency.”
“Oh. That’s okay,” I say. “Hopefully it’s nothing too serious.”
“But I’d love to see you again.” His phone continues to ring. “I’ll be in touch with your brother to set up something. Maybe dinner at Blackwood Chophouse?”
That’s the fanciest, most expensive steakhouse in all of Sabine.
“I look forward to it.”
“Until then, Miss Gardener.” He finally presses the answer button and walks away.
After he goes, Heath comes over and hands me a drink. “Apple juice.”
“I’m not a child.”
“Dom left?”
“He got an urgent work call. Or so he said.”
“Dom is the CEO of a huge pharmaceutical company,” he says. “I don’t remember the name, but they make most of the scent blockers on the market. He makes more money than he knows what to do with, travels a lot, but he’s looking to slow down. Start a family. Did you like him?”
“He was very polite, but we didn’t get to talk much before his phone rang.”
“Ah, well, he seems very interested in you. So let’s hope it leads somewhere.” He takes a gulp of his drink, which, by the sharp, bitter smell of it, definitely isn’t apple juice. “But first, we’re going to mingle. You and me.”
“I’m supposed?—”
“Stephan?” He leans in. “I already had a talk with him. Told him to stop keeping you all to himself and let you play the field. Now, you stay with me while we make our rounds. A whirlwind meet and greet.”
I don’t argue and let him guide me around the courtyard. Some of the men I know, some are older than Dom, some his age. They all seem nice enough with their stiff manners and boring weather conversation. Lawyers, doctors, professors… They all have noteworthy careers and we alth. They would be a fine choice for any Omega looking for a mate.
But they’re not Stephan. None of them make my stomach flip like he does.
Heath has an agenda. After each one, he glances at me to gauge my reaction.
“I’m sorry,” I say after we excuse ourselves from the last Alpha, a graying man named Fredrick who enjoys playing golf and talking about it even more. “He was too…”
“Chatty?” Heath answers.
I crinkle my nose. “Old.”
“Yeah, I figured forty-five was pushing it…”
“He was forty-five?” I gasp. “Heath!”
He laughs, and for a moment, it’s a glimpse of the old Heath. “He wasn’t actually on my list. I just wanted to see what you’d say.”
“I’d say I’m not letting you pick any more Alphas for me this Season.”
“Dom wasn’t bad,” he says.
“You get a D- for the night and that’s being generous.” I glance around for Stephan, but don’t see him anywhere. My stomach sinks.
“Ashford left a while ago, Vi,” Heath says.
“Oh.” I frown. “I’m just going to go home then.”
Heath sighs. “Go with Mom and Rue?—”
“She can come with us,” Iris says as she and Quinn stride over to us. “We’re going to Quinn’s.”
“I’m really tired, Iris,” I say. “I’d rather go home.”
She gives me a sharp look. “No, you’re going to want to come with us. Believe me. ”
“You and the little red-headed harpy better not be planning trouble.” Heath’s gaze hits Quinn.
“Better than being a bore, Heather .” Quinn sniffs. “You make watching paint dry exciting.”
“And you make death by firing squad seem like a good time.” Heath looks at Iris. “Behave yourself.” Then he stalks off.
“We’re going out, Vi,” Iris says. “And you’re coming.”
“No way.”
“It’ll be good for you,” she says. “Believe me. You deserve a break from…from all this.”
They take my hands and lead me out to a car that belongs to the Hydes. But as Quinn opens the door and Iris climbs in, I spot Stephan. He’s in the shadows, near the edge of the house, partially illuminated by a gas lamp.
My pulse immediately picks up pace. He didn’t leave. Maybe he was just waiting for me to finish with Heath’s Alpha meet-and-greet.
“Give me a second, okay?” I tell Iris and Quinn and shut the door.
As I hurry over to him, I notice that he’s talking to someone—he’s not alone—and my next step falters. It’s a blonde. A blonde in gold and white.
It’s Alicia. And they’re a little too close.
“I know you want to,” she says. “Using your Alpha voice on me earlier? You can do that again if you want.”
“You know why I did that. Because you can’t seem to take no as an answer,” Stephan whispers angrily.
“Then I’ll tell your stupid boring Violet about us.” She moves a little more into the lamp’s orange glow, and there’s something like a mark on her neck. Like a bite mark .
Oh no.
No. No. No. No.
I can’t move. Stephan and Alicia?
Since when?
All this time?
A growl vibrates in his throat. “You dare, and I’ll do more than use my voice on you. I’ll?—”
Stephan turns, seeing me frozen in place, and horror flashes on his face. He says something, but the world is in freefall and all I can do is spin around and sprint back to the car.