Chapter Points
Points
Every time a silk-clad Omega or Alpha tried to shoulder past, Kade didn’t growl; he just flashed that wide-eyed manic grin. People moved. They scrambled away as if his chaos might be contagious.
Once we’d scavenged handfuls of jello shots, we claimed a corner of the upstairs balcony, perched on the edge of a mahogany desk that sat abandoned in the hallway. Below us, the party swarmed like a hive.
I swung my legs, my warm skin grounding me against the cool, dark wood. Kade sat close, his heat radiating through the small gap between us. He didn’t lean in for a kiss, or try to make a move; he simply pointed out a guest in a neon yellow silk set, his low chuckle vibrating against my skin.
“She gets points for color,” he teased, his eyes dancing between the woman and me.
“You’re actually judging them,” I laughed, tipping the cup back and nibbling at the jello.
“I’m evaluating the competition, Lumberjack,” he said, his eyes alight with mischief.
He nodded toward an Alpha across the hall who had a chain around his neck that probably cost more than my car.
“Check out the guy in the black silk,” Kade whispered, leaning his weight into me.
He was easy to find because he was the only guy in silk.
“He’s trying so hard to look bored, but he’s checked his reflection in that mirror four times in three minutes. ”
“Ten points for the shoes, minus fifty for the ego,” I murmured back, the jello shots making my tongue sharp.
Kade’s bark of laughter made me jump. “So far, you’re winning, Lumberjack.”
I laughed, and for the first time in three days, the weight in my chest lifted. I wasn’t the ‘broken Omega’ here; I was just a sore thumb at a party, and for once, I didn’t mind the attention.
“Go on, your turn,” he challenged. He watched the crowd with a restless, bright energy that made the air hum.
I stood, my bare legs peeling away from the mahogany with a faint thwack. I stepped to the railing and peered over the edge.
“All I see are gorgeous people having fun,” I said, my eyes browsing the sea of Alphas and Omegas.
“That’s not what I asked. Who’s worthy of points?” He flicked his wrist at the swarm.
I spotted a couple dry-humping off-beat in a corner. The woman was wearing a porcelain-white silk dress, but it was the cup in her hand that caught my eye. I lifted my finger and pointed, ignoring the phantom echo of my Mother’s voice telling me it was rude to do so.
“Her,” I said. “Points for not spilling a drop while he’s practically fucking her.” The sound coming from my lips was alien—impressed.
Kade let out a whistle, his shoulder bumping mine as he caught up to me, following the direction.
“She’s a professional,” he noted, his eyes tracking the tilt of her cup. “He’s doing all the work, and she’s just making sure she doesn’t waste thirty dollars of overpriced gin. That’s an Omega with her priorities straight.”
I laughed again.
The vibration hit. A dull thrum against my skin, a heartbeat that didn’t belong to me. My thumb brushed the fabric of my pocket, pulling it out, and peeking at it. His name flashed on the screen. I shoved it back into my pocket.
Not tonight.
I kept my eyes on the woman gyrating her hips, trying to find her climax in a crowded space.
“Not going to answer that?” Kade asked, his voice dropping an octave, his focus shifting from the crowd to the side of my face.
“It’s nothing,” I said, letting the vibration taper off. I chose the music and the man standing next to me. But the air on the balcony had grown thin, the ghost of the call lingering. When Kade suggested we find more shots, I didn’t hesitate.
Eventually, we made it to the kitchen. I picked up another jello shot as Paul and Kade locked in a stare-off.
“Take it slow, cousin,” Paul warned. Kade remained silent, standing close enough that the heat from his forearms brushed my flannel, a silent, warm presence.
My phone vibrated against my chest again. It was times like this I wondered if we were linked. I’d managed to find a pocket of peace, and he called to destroy it. Paul didn’t wait, he stepped over and snatched the device from my hand.
“Why the fuck is he calling you?” he hissed, his voice oozing disgust. Beside me, Kade tensed.
“Fuck if I know,” I sighed, sliding the green button. “Can I help you?”
“I don’t appreciate your tone,” Amos growled, the aggression in his voice crackling through the speaker.
Kade’s head snapped toward me. The lightness vanished, replaced by something jagged and dangerous.
“And I don’t appreciate you calling me,” I said, my voice finding a brittle edge.
“I’m glad Fale isn’t with you anymore. You were poisoning her mind,” Amos growled. He spoke as if I were a possession he’d discarded, but still held the title to.
“Did you need something or…?” I said coldly.
“Are you having fun?” he asked, ignoring me. “Dressed like a whore in public, dancing where men are eye-fucking you, and smiling like a dumb-ass.”
I went cold. I squeezed my cup so hard the plastic crunched, jello oozing from my fingers. Beside me, Kade shifted. He was close enough to catch every word. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the counter, jaw locking with a force that threatened to shatter bone.
Violence crackled beneath the surface. Yet he remained silent, his eyes pinned to mine—daring me.
He’s not here. He can’t hurt me.
“I am having fun. There’s something about being surrounded by all these big, bad Alphas that just… makes me so fucking wet,” I mocked. I didn’t give him a chance to speak; I hung up. My shoulders shook as I struggled to keep from laughing or crying, I wasn’t sure which. I just hung up on Amos.
Kade smirked. “You’re bad, Lumberjack.”
I lowered the phone. My chest heaved as the adrenaline spike hit the wall of jello shots in my system, making my head spin.
“How’d that feel?” Kade was watching me with a proud expression, his eyes still burning.
“I’m not sure yet,” I laughed, the sound jittery.
“Proud of you, cousin. I’m going to talk to Alyssa. Stay out of trouble,” Paul huffed before disappearing.
“I did it,” I whispered, looking at the dead screen. “I actually hung up.”
“You did,” Kade murmured, his hand coming up to hover just inches from my cheek, radiating heat. “And you were terrifying, Lumberjack. I think I’m in love.”
I let out a jagged laugh, the sound bubbling from a place that hadn’t felt light in years. But before I could respond, the phone in my hand came back to life. The vibration was a physical jolt.
“He’s persistent,” Kade noted, his jaw tightening again. “Want me to handle it?”
“No,” I said, my voice shaking. The liquid courage was boiling in my veins. “I’ve got this.”
I didn’t even look at the screen. I just swiped and pressed it to my ear, the words tumbling out in a vitriolic rush before the person on the other end could even draw breath.
“We are nothing. You are nothing!” I said. “Stop wasting my time and go fuck one of your side bitches! Stop calling me. Actually, lose my number.”
I went to pull the phone away, ready to feel the triumph of the final word.
“Mm… but I don’t want to fuck anyone else,” a voice chuckled.
The world didn’t just stop; it tilted. The voice was a velvet landslide—deep and dripping with an authority so dark it made Amos sound like an ankle biter.
I pulled the phone back, my eyes straining to focus on the name at the top of the screen.
Dane.
“I’m so fucking sorry,” I rushed, my heart did a frantic dance against my ribs.
Dane’s low laugh vibrated against my ear. “So that wasn’t meant for me?”
“No,” I breathed.
Beside me, Kade’s aura shifted. He stepped closer, his shirt stretching against his chest as he leaned his weight against me, trapping me between the cool marble and his sudden heat. He cocked his head, eyes narrowed, silently demanding to know who was making me blush.
“That pleases me. Where are you?” Dane asked.
“A party,” I said, trying to focus on the call while Kade’s fingers ghosted over the hem of my flannel.
“I saw,” Dane rumbled.
“You did?” I asked, lifting my head to scan the crowd. A hollow ache of disappointment settled in my stomach when I didn’t spot a delectable, tatted, sex god staring back.
Kade’s hand cupped my jaw, tilting my head back toward him in a way that forced a surprised laugh from my throat.
“SnarlChat,” Dane supplied.
I frowned, my brow furrowing as I tried to blink away the jello-induced fog. I couldn’t remember posting anything to my story.
“Having fun?” he asked. There was no edge of jealousy in his tone, no bite of possessiveness because he’d seen me surrounded by others at the party. Instead, his voice held a quiet, steady gravity. He wasn’t checking on his property; he was making sure I was okay.
“I am,” I rasped, and for once, it wasn’t a lie.
Kade’s fingers trailed lower as I ignored him. His thumb hooking into the collar of my flannel, tugging the fabric just enough to expose my throat. He was watching me with eyes that threatened to burn it all down, his head tilted as he tried to catch the rumble of the male voice on the other end.
“Good,” Dane rumbled, and I could almost hear the tension leave his shoulders through the phone. “I want to see you, but you deserve a night out. I just need you to be safe.”
My body lit up with need.
“I’m safe, Dane. I’m with…. a friend,” I said, my voice hitching as Kade leaned in, his nose brushing against the sensitive skin just below my ear. He inhaled deeply, a low growl vibrating against my jaw.
“A friend?” Dane repeated. The word didn’t sound like an accusation; it sounded like an evaluation, and he already knew the answer.
“Lumberjack,” Kade murmured, his voice loud enough to bleed through the speaker. He didn’t care who was on the other end; he just wanted my attention back. “Stop whispering to him and come play with me.”
His teeth nipped at the base of my throat, a sharp, playful sting that forced a gasp into the receiver.
Oops.
Dane paused.