Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
After an amazing dinner at a Lebanese restaurant in town, Caleb drives us to Fairytale. I searched it up while I was doing my hair and immediately fell in love. The aesthetic of the whimsical club is dream-worthy. From its costumed dancers to the forest decor, it’s almost as magical as the estate.
My leg bobs as we crawl through evening traffic, music softly playing on the radio and Caleb’s hand on my knee. That small point of contact has done wonders for my anxiety. Crowds have never been my favorite. At least not when I am in the middle of them.
Being on stage and watching thousands of people dance and sing is different. There’s a barrier, space to breathe.
“If this is too much, we can leave,” he promises as we park near the club. His reassurance brings a soft smile to my lips. Slipping my hand into his, I let him help me from his car.
Our fingers stay twined until we reach the doors where security checks our IDs and waves us through. Then he slips behind me, guarding my back as we’re guided up a back staircase to their VIP area.
My jaw drops as I take in the venue. Caleb had mentioned tonight’s theme was sci-fi, but the changes they’ve made shock me.
The white-petaled flowers of the trees that crawl up the walls glow in shades of neon blue and purple, appearing holographic and flickering between the two colors as you move.
Strips in the same colors line the dance floor below, crossing over in angular patterns.
A server greets us as Caleb helps me onto a couch where I can see the people dancing below. I love her iridescent silver outfit. It’s cut to look like armor, a blend of curves and angles that only adds to the environment.
She’s polite as Caleb rattles off our drink order, the names of which I’ve never heard before. After she leaves, he explains that they’re all specialty menu items for tonight only.
The tray she slides onto the table in front of us holds glowing green shot glasses filled with slime, and tall glasses filled with a glittery, pink and blue swirled drink that glimmers like the night sky. They’re adorable.
Caleb hands me the shot first, clinking his against mine. My nose wrinkles as the sourness from the drink spreads over my tongue. He runs a finger down my nose, bopping it before he sets the glasses aside and passes me the galaxy-themed one instead. “This one should be sweeter.”
I sip it, enjoying the fruity flavor as the crowd grows. A buzz settles over me, pushing away the remnants of anxiety clinging to my mind.
“Dance with me, bunny.” Caleb stands with one hand outstretched toward me and a smirk stretched on his kissable lips.
I can’t help but run my tongue over my bottom lip, eyes trailing from his tattooed fingers up his forearms where he has his sleeves rolled up, to the thick swirls of ink that wrap around his throat. I remember the feel of them beneath my tongue. The way his throat bobbed as he swallowed thickly.
A shiver of longing wracks my body as I slip my hand into his and let him pull me to the small, private dance floor.
Somehow it feels like no time has passed and we’re still those twenty-year-old kids who were so madly in love they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.
I melt against him, his hands on my waist and my ass grinding against him as we move to the beat. Raising my hands, I wrap them around his neck and tilt my head back, my eyes fluttering closed as I lose myself in his basil and black suede scent and the heat of his body.
Sweat soaks my back when he finally pulls me back to the couch, waving to the members of Orbital Somatic as they make their way up toward us.
“Caleb. Good to see you, man.” Their drummer claps him on the shoulder, pulling him into one of those half-bro-hugs. He grins, but doesn’t approach me.
Which is smart because I can sense the possessive edge in my Alpha’s scent at their nearness.
“It’s nice to meet you officially. As this guy’s Omega and not just a badass singer.”
Giggling out a response, I let Caleb settle me on the couch beside him, his arm thrown around my shoulders. He presses water into my hands as he chats with his friends about the new bassist they brought in to replace him.
A twinge of guilt spikes through me knowing that Caleb left their band for me, but when he narrows his eyes on me, I swallow the feeling down. He’s promised several times that he doesn’t have any regrets over his decision, and I need to trust that he won’t change his mind later.
Especially now that Sterling is rewriting some of Shattered Horizons’ songs to include Caleb in their band.
“You seem better,” Matt says, tilting his beer toward Caleb, who nods in agreement.
“Breaking eight years of celibacy would do that to a man,” Lee snickers, knocking his elbow against Matt’s side.
Caleb splutters, his eyes wide and a flush creeping up his cheeks. I can’t hide my shock as my mouth gapes. Is he saying Caleb hasn’t… Heat floods my body, burning with a possessive need from the embarrassment and honesty burning in my Alpha’s steel-blue eyes.
No one else has touched him.
Tasted him.
Felt him buried knot-deep inside of them.
Oh Fates. I shift on my seat as slick leaks from my core, thick with the need to claim him that rages through every fiber of my being. Something feral ignites deep inside me.
His eyes roll back before pinning on me, the same wild desire I feel reflected at me.
Joey, Matt, and Lee laugh and talk, oblivious to the spark they’ve ignited between us. I can barely hear them over my heart pounding in my chest.
My body sways, leaning toward Caleb without thought. His breath catches, a half-groan ripping from his throat.
“Well, look who it is.” someone claps, and the tension fizzles out.
Lee is wide-eyed and slightly nervous as their manager, Bea, smirks down at them. The maniacal twist to her lips softens when she spots me and Caleb. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“Here you go, butterfly.” A tattoo-covered Alpha with teal hair hands her a sparkly pink drink, one of his arms coming to wrap around her waist.
He tips his head toward us, his eyes crinkling slightly.
“This is Orion, one of my Alphas.”
His name catches in my head, a niggling sense of familiarity making my head tilt. Caleb leans over, his lips brushing my ear as he whispers, “He’s the original singer from Shattered Horizons.”
My jaw drops. “It is so wonderful to meet you.” A million questions run through my head, history from his time with Emmett that I want to learn, but I bite them back. He might not want to relive those moments when such a devastating loss followed them.
“You too,” Orion mumbles. “I heard your pack moved to New York.” When I admit they did, he shifts, radiating uncertainty. “I’ll have to reach out to Emmett. Catching up with him would be nice.”
The awkwardness between us breaks when another Omega joins them. Her long hair fades from black to light purple, and she lights up at something the Alpha wrapped around her says. It takes a moment for me to recognize her, but excitement bubbles in my chest when I do.
That’s Omen Powell. The photographer responsible for the incredible shots of Caleb and Orbital Somatic from their tour last summer. I still have several of them saved to my phone because they were that good. She manages to capture so much emotion; it’s breathtaking.
And hot as hell.
I really want her to work with my mates.
Bea takes Omen’s hand and drags her around the couch, moving closer to me. “Skye, this is my best friend, Omen. She’s the one I sent our backstage picture to.”
“H-hello,” Omen stammers, smiling shyly. She’s adorable.
“Hi. Oh gosh, I am a huge fan of your work.” A blush crawls up her cheeks at my admission, but I power through her embarrassment. There’s no way I am missing this chance. “I actually wanted to reach out to you about possibly capturing one of my mates’ concerts for me.”
Her green eyes widen, teeth biting her bottom lip as she glances at Bea, who bounces on her toes. “I’m sure we could manage that,” she finally concedes.
Briefly, I feel like I’m pushing her into it, but then Matt chimes in and the feeling melts away. “Omen is awesome at what she does. Shattered Horizons is already popular, but I bet they’d explode if she photographed them on stage.”
“Speaking of performing,” Joey looks at Caleb, worry pinching his brow. “What are your plans now that you’ve left the band?”
It’s my Alpha’s turn to shift uncomfortably as everyone’s attention settles on him. “Uh,” he rubs the back of his neck with one hand, and I press against his side. “He’s joining Shattered Horizons. He and Sterling are going to do dual-vocals.”
Shock vibrates through everyone, quickly morphing into excitement. I listen, content to just rest against Caleb’s side as they talk about it.
Bea, Omen, and their mates slip away after a few minutes, disappearing into the crowd now covering the dance floor.
A lazy, languid buzz rolls across my skin as I finish another galaxy-themed drink. This is amazing, but I want to dance. To be wrapped in Caleb’s arms and feel him grow hard against me.
Chuckling, he lets me drag him away from his friends, my arms wrapping around his neck and my nose burying against his chest. “Feeling good, bunny?”
Warmth seeps into my sides as he runs his hands up and down my ribs, thumbs barely brushing the bottoms of my breasts. My body lights up anyway, breath rattling out on a needy groan.
Suddenly the room spins and I find my back plastered to his chest. One hand collars my throat, tilting my head up so he can smirk down at me. Our bodies move in a discordant rhythm, sloppy and messy as we lose ourselves in the electricity arcing between us.
When he leans down, lips slamming to mine and his tongue roughly sweeping against mine, I melt into a puddle of pure Omega need.
“Time to get you home.”