Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
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TYLER
“You guys seen my pick case?” I asked.
Dylan flipped a drumstick. “The one you decorated with stickers like a good boy?”
Rolling my eyes, I dug deeper into my bag. I’d seen it earlier, but now I couldn’t find it. The little fucker was elusive. “You say that like they’re stickers of puppies or clouds or something.”
The stickers he referred to were just things I’d picked up on tour. Fans brought us things. Venues had them. I always felt bad throwing them away, so I found a use for them. Granted, the case probably had about three full layers of stickers on it by now, but it was the thought that counted.
“Nothing wrong with puppies and clouds,” Liam said.
There. I felt the edge in the deepest corner of my gear bag. How it managed to slide down into the depths every time I needed it was a mystery. I should probably start putting it in a pocket.
“How long do we have?” I asked.
“Like ten minutes.” Jack stretched and began humming a couple of vocal warmups.
This show was always a good time, but we were tired. Just coming off tour, we had a nice long break in front of us. Our breaks usually ended up with us in the studio, but I’d take creating in the studio over the exhaustion of touring any day. But first? Three days of solid sleep.
One song, leave it all on the stage, and then we were back home.
“Let’s go do this then.”
We grabbed our gear and made our way out of the dressing room to the muted chaos of backstage. It was sweetly floral back here. Not at all unpleasant. Some places could be when every designation was packed together. Whatever they were using as a scent canceller was excellent.
“Ty.” Jack stepped close. “Want to try the new version of the bridge? You and I are the only ones it really changes for.”
“Yeah, I’m down.” I slung my bass over my shoulder and glanced toward the stage. “Man, I’m exhausted.”
He clapped me on the shoulder. “You’re telling me.”
“Watch out.” A second later, someone crashed straight into me and my guitar. She was moving too fast, her heels slipping out from underneath her, and I moved purely on instinct to catch her.
“Woah,” I said. “Sorry about that. Are you all right?”
“Yeah,” she said, looking up at me.
Holy fuck, she was beautiful. Hair in waves that flowed to her shoulders and a dress that was some kind of purple and showed off everything.
Roses. Coffee. Omega.
Mine.
The wave of scent enveloped me, and my heart dropped through my toes. There wasn’t a scent canceller. It was this woman. I’d scented her from across the fucking room.
“Miss Williams,” one of the staff said. “We need you now.”
But she didn’t look away. My hands on her arms tightened. I wasn’t fully in control of them. All I could do was keep them from moving when I wanted to haul her against me, show be damned, and kiss her.
Williams.
“Holy fuck,” I heard the whisper from behind me.
A flurry of chaos took her from me. A woman pushed her toward the stage and spoke to her quickly and quietly, though her eyes were still on me.
I couldn’t look away. Not until she left to go on stage and announce the next award.
As soon as our connection broke, I whirled on my packmates.
“Please tell me I’m awake, alive, and in control of all my senses.
Not that I accidentally took something and hallucinated an Omega who looks and smells like that. ”
Jack shook his head. “If you’re hallucinating, then I’m hallucinating with you.”
Liam ran a hand through his hair, staring toward where she’d gone. “What do we do?” He asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “But I’m not walking away from that. That’s for damn sure.”
The woman who’d stolen her from us looked our way. She was beautiful in her own way, with a sharp suit, dark skin, and a look in her eye that told me she could eviscerate a man with her words at twenty paces. I swallowed. “Excuse me... I—”
“She’ll be back as soon as this award is complete.
But she’s nominated for an award after your performance.
You won’t have much time.” Her face cracked a smile.
“But don’t worry. She was asking me to find the candle that smelled like apples and cinnamon.
” One hand gestured to me. “And here you are.”
The words were on the tip of my tongue to ask the Omega’s name. Who she was. What she was doing here. She looked familiar, but all I could think about was the softness of roses and the dark richness of coffee and how I wanted to dive headfirst into her and never come up for air.
That, and I wanted to hear everything from her. That single word in her musical voice…
Turning back to them, there was new determination on my pack’s faces. “She’s ours.” I murmured. “There’s no way this is anything else, right?”
Dylan swallowed. “I’ve never felt anything like that. I don’t even know if I can play right now.”
“I’m with you.” Jack laughed roughly. “But it’s one song. We can make it for one song.”
“Not sure about that,” I muttered.
Liam sucked in a breath as the award was announced. It was almost time, and she’d be coming back here. “Play for her. It’s the only thing my Alpha will let me do.”
All my focus swung toward the stage. Play for her. For my Omega. I could do that. And after…
The lights lowered, and Jack jogged out onto the stage. She was right there. The entire stage was soaked with her perfume. I would die for that scent. Without question.
Fuck me, I’d heard what scent-sympathy could do to a person, but there was no way to describe this. I couldn’t let her go without her knowing.
I reached for her hand and grabbed it quickly. We only had seconds. “Don’t leave. Please.”
A starburst of sweet perfume had my eyes closing in pure relief and pleasure. “Not a fucking chance,” she said.
Thank fuck.
Dylan counted us in, and we had every reason to play the best song of our lives. Let’s do this.