5. Kai
Kai
I scowled as I watched Sin lead Brandy over to another group of people, who instantly looked down at her as if she was some gate-crasher instead of our (fake) mate.
And I still literally couldn’t believe it. He was my fucking alpha, and he had his hands all over her.
I mean, it looked like he was just touching her up, being all kind and whatever as he dragged her around the room. But it was the fact he kept stroking her lower back—her bare lower back—that pissed me off.
I wasn’t going to tell her how fucking delicious she looked in that dress, and how her heels were absolutely spot-on so she matched my alpha’s height, along with the amber earrings which hung from her lobes and matched her eyes perfectly.
I’d really outdone myself.
And maybe, just maybe, I was also getting a tiny bit proud at how she strode around the room and wasn’t taking shit from anyone who approached her.
But just because she made my cock hard didn’t mean I liked her.
Sin could at least pretend to not get off on the way she was fawning all over him. It was way more than acting at this point.
I’d been fucked off from the moment he’d scent marked her right in front of me, and she’d taken it in stride and was basically shoving her gorgeous tits in his face.
I huffed as I swiped a glass of champagne from a passing waiter before scowling at them again from my spot in the centre of the room. Not that they noticed.
It was easy to mingle with other omegas while making sure my mates stayed in check. I’d done it for so long, I was pretty much a pro.
No amount of concealer could hide her fucking blush or the bruise everyone was whispering about.
Because the connection was obvious. Take Cas, one super rich alpha who was known for going rogue and beating the shit out people, who was conveniently sat at a side table shooting daggers at them both while totally fucking fuming.
Then add one brand-new omega he was supposed to be courting who turns up looking like that.
And voilà, fresh drama made for picking.
Honestly, I fucking hated it.
Well, I used to. At least being pissed off gave me something to do.
I could have grabbed some concealer and covered it up for her. I know my stylists wouldn’t have let it show, and I kind of loved that Brandy probably exposed it herself. Plus, I wanted Zania to eat shit and die, so it was fine for now.
What fucked me off even more was, I was actively fighting the need to go over there and nuzzle her myself.
Scent matches were a fucking bitch.
I took a deep gulp before scanning the room for my next victim.
It was totally packed, chatters bouncing off the ceiling, mixed with shrill laughter and soft music setting the undertone for whatever passed as a good time nowadays.
The air reeked of sex. If there was one thing I didn’t want, it was to know that the seventy-year-old business tycoons who’d lost control of their scents, along with their bladders, were in the mood for some dicking down.
I clicked my tongue. I couldn’t go and tease Brandy without Sin getting annoyed.
I couldn’t go and piss Cas off even more because he’d make a scene.
The younger omegas were annoying me, and they were all suck-ups or sexist, anyway.
They were either after designer dresses or gossip.
The only time they didn’t care about my designation was when there was drama or free clothes.
And then I spotted her in the corner.
She was trying to hide behind Lily, all coy and shy and demure. Perfect Camille, the ideal omega. Quiet, unassuming, and so delicately pretty that she drew attention without trying.
Vivian had put her in a soft pastel pink chemise, with long white gloves that matched Sin’s, loose curls in her gold-spun hair, and skin so pale and beautiful I could fucking vomit.
I didn’t have a clue why Cas was so crazy about her. Her backbone was non-existent, and Cas needed omegas who’d bite.
Her head suddenly shot up, her gaze clashed with mine, and she flinched.
My lips instantly spread into a smirk as I lifted my glass, toasting her.
It was her special ability to know when I planned to fuck with her. I loved the nervous, wide-eyed look she always gave me when she found me staring.
I brushed off another boring model wannabe and swanned over to Camille, dumping my glass on a waiter, preparing myself for the show.
“Now,” I purred as I finally reached her, “why are you hiding out over here when your big brother is having fun with our new omega?”
Camille's head dropped, avoiding me even though there was no way I was letting up.
I had her now.
One of the many things I hated most about Camille was her seriously fucked-up aura.
And no one else ever fucking noticed. Whenever I brought it up with any rando, they were always too busy tripping over themselves to serve her to notice that a single touch from her felt like having thousands of needles driven into their skin. Or maybe I was just special.
But sometimes Camille got so uncomfortable around me that I’d put up with a bit of pain just to watch her squirm.
And I was so ready to have a go at her for forcing us into a situation where we had to drag Brandy along to these parties, but Lily glared at me.
“Don’t be so tactless, Kai.” Lily twisted around to sigh at me. One of her alphas peered over her shoulder. The couple were dolled up in matching pinstripe power suits, so it was probably the politician one.
I rarely spoke to Lily’s mates except for the actor, and all the better. From what Sin said about how they treated her behind closed doors, they didn’t exactly qualify for the status of ‘human being’.
“Where’s your bodyguard?” I asked Camille, not seeing a sign of the spindly alpha who threw his aura at me like a shotgun whenever I was around her.
“Zania said it wasn’t appropriate for him to come downstairs,” she answered quietly.
“Yeah, sure she did,” I said under my breath, wishing I had my fan so I could flick it open and make her flinch even more. “And I’m guessing she made you leave your nurses, too?” I asked, raising one brow.
Camille might have pissed me off to the ends of the earth, but her family treated her like shit as well.
It was one thing to protect your frail daughter from the big, bad world by locking her up in a mansion.
And a total other to serve her up on a fucking platter in a place like this.
Vivian could have refused and stopped Camille from coming, but Camille and Vivian were two peas in a pod when it came to having some fucking lady balls.
Shit, all an alpha had to do was grab Camille’s arm and her bones would snap like twiglets.
And she was the person we were meant to be sacrificing ourselves for?
Bullshit.
“I’m not alone,” she said as she sidled closer to Lily. “I’m perfectly fine, Kai. I don’t need your help tonight.” Her tone was so light I was pretty sure she was already bricking it.
I stepped into her space, kind of pissed off how I felt a stab of guilt at the fear that seeped into her chamomile scent.
Though Lily was so annoyed, it was like she’d whacked me in the face with a bouquet of roses, thorns and all. I loved her, but her scent could be pretty overpowering, just like her mum's. But floral omegas were all the rage nowadays.
Camille’s brow furrowed only enough to be noticeable, but in a way that would never ruin her delicate features. She might act all innocent, but she had a power which made her a fucking snake like the rest of the omegas at this party.
I smirked at Camille. “It’s better to get this over with than try to put it off. Then you can have a fun night wallowing in misery instead of nervousness!”
I was about to laugh, but a wallop of pain soared through my arm.
“What the fuck?” I hissed, shooting away from Camille as Lily whipped her fist back. Her alpha chuckled as he scanned the room to see if anyone had noticed.
“A punch? Really?” I asked her as I rubbed my arm.
“That was mild compared to what you deserve,” my darling sister-in-law growled. “Go away and bully someone else for a change. Camille is tense enough as it is.”
She wrapped her arm around Camille’s waist, making it clear she’d fuck me up if I kept being a piece of shit to her.
“You’re supposed to be an omega-rights activist. You’re not exactly doing your duty by beating up the people you’re meant to protect.” I scowled, and she just smirked in reply.
But that was the thing about me. If being a piece of shit was a skill, then I wasn’t letting up till I was a master of the craft.
“No one would vote for you two if they knew what you were really like,” I said, still rubbing my arm, which did nothing to get rid of the pain. I’d end up with a bruise as bad as Brandy’s, which I kind of liked the idea of. If we were going to share anything, proof of damage seemed appropriate.
“But I can be my real self around you. You’re just that special, Kai,” she said with a fake simper.
“Uh-huh,” I grunted, straightening myself. “ Fine . I’ll behave,” I sighed as I ran my gaze over to Camille. “But I’m serious, Camille. It’s just going to make things worse if you hang out over here. Besides, if you meet Brandy now, you can find out why Cas and Sin are so addicted to her!”
Just saying the words was like warm sewage oozing down my throat.
Even though I’d planned to hammer another nail in the coffin of Cas and Camille’s relationship, a bit of me knew the words were true. It didn’t matter how much they denied it—they couldn’t get enough of her.
And I was exactly the fucking same, only I had to protect my alphas from both Brandy and Camille’s wily ways.
I sighed again as I pushed a hand against my hip, offering Camille my arm. “I’m sorry I’m such a bitch. You’re just lucky it’s not contagious.”
Camille gave a small smile before flicking a nervous glance to Lily, who kept glaring with her arms crossed, looking at me stoney-faced.
“I’m really fine,” she gently reassured Lily. “Sin is at the edge of the crowd. And you’ll be able to see me the whole time.”
“It’s them I don’t trust, not you,” she said, her lips thinning as she gave me a pointed look.
I shrugged innocently, even though I was already thinking of ways I could goad Camille and Brandy into hating each other.
I had to scram before Lily started another one of those dramatic conversations about Camille’s health that Sin’s family loved so fucking much. So I wiggled my arm to show Camille I was waiting.
She gave me an apologetic look before hesitantly slipping her hand through.
I pressed my mouth together as those pesky pins and needles started, but they were less intense than usual. Maybe Camille wasn’t feeling it today.
I clenched my teeth as the buzzing came next, but I wasn’t going to let her manipulate me. I wasn’t here for her.
Yeah, maybe I wanted to chop Camille’s head off for using me as target practice with her shitty aura, but it was nothing compared to the way I wanted to keep Brandy alive so I could unpeel her piece by piece.
Brandy was my omega—mine to play with, mine to fuck around with however I wanted. And, after the Selection, we’d toss her away like the trash she was and my alphas could go back to worrying about Camille instead.
“Let’s go, pretty girl,” I said, easing her out from behind Lily. “I can’t wait for you two to meet.”
I shot Lily a grin, but the look on her face told me she knew exactly what I was up to.
If Lily really wanted to stop me, her alpha could step in. But the grand clash of Brandy and Camille was inevitable. I just hoped it would be as fun and chaotic as I’d imagined.