Chapter 6 #2
She’d much preferred Gen V’s exhibit at Pack Rossi’s gallery, which was in a beautiful, remodeled building that didn’t smell like grief and poverty.
Bianca had been there on opening night and had been surprised to feel a bit moved by the stories told through Genesis’s journalism and Gabriel Rossi’s collages.
Tonight’s tour had shown her that she did not, however, enjoy witnessing such stories firsthand.
Looking into the eyes of some of those broken, misused omegas was way too much like looking in a mirror.
“She’s such an inspiration!” The beta beside Bianca whisper-yelled in her direction, assaulting her nose with a cloud of expensive perfume.
Bianca gave the woman a bland smile, subtly shifting away from her under the guise of signaling for another drink.
She let her smile slip into a sneer for a moment, before realizing a guest on her other side was watching her with amusement.
The man’s bright eyes twinkled with mischief, their beautiful amber hue striking against the golden-brown skin of his boyish face.
He had a model’s high, defined cheekbones and a mouth that looked fluent in sarcasm.
He rolled his eyes in the direction of the perfumed woman, stepping closer to Bianca conspiratorially.
He smelled appealing and warm, like French toast with maple syrup, but not alpha.
An omega, then, and one Bianca didn’t know.
“I’ve never met anyone more annoyingly altruistic,” he said in a low voice, those devious eyes drawing her in as he leaned closer.
Up close, she could see golden flecks in his irises that made their color difficult to pin down.
They were beautiful and so was he, with broad shoulders and narrow hips and well-defined muscles evident beneath his fitted dress shirt.
His dark, close-cropped hair was a mass of perfect curls that looked stylishly effortless.
Bianca couldn’t look away. “It’s like, we get it, you’re a good person or whatever.
I’ll just be over here judging your fashion sense and eating carbs. ”
Bianca snorted a surprised laugh, then clapped a hand over her mouth. When was the last time someone had genuinely made her laugh? The other omega smirked, looking satisfied with himself.
“Callum Clifton-Merriwether, at your service,” he said, extending a hand.
“Disgraced son of the Clifton-Merriwether shipping empire, showing up for my annual extortion scare. And you’re Bianca Bonnycastle, disgraced daughter of the Bonnycastle hotel and philanthropy empire, stuck doing another fundraiser when we should be out dancing because that dress is too good for these boring old broads. ”
Bianca recognized his family name immediately, of course, but her mental records were coming up blank on a Callum. She turned her attention toward the bar, looking past him with practiced indifference. “Forgive me. I wasn’t aware Chloe had a brother, or that I was disgraced. If you’ll excuse me–”
Callum’s smirk shifted into a pout. “Everybody knows you should be mated by now and that you should’ve landed Pack Rhodes. Don’t be offended, I’m only a bitch to people I like. And I can always spot someone I’ll like immediately because it almost never happens. Most people are rancid cunts.”
Bianca had to bite her cheek against another laugh. People didn’t often strike up more than superficial conversations with her. She was very good at talking about a cause or making shallow small talk to donors, but her general demeanor did not invite friendly banter. Or friends.
Bianca realized Callum had taken her arm and was steering them through the crowd toward the bar.
She absently greeted familiar guests as they passed, noticing how several people’s eyes widened and darted away when they landed on Callum.
His disgrace must’ve been well known. How hadn’t she heard of him?
“Anyway, most people only know Chloe because she’s the good little golden girl and I’m the offspring that should’ve been an alpha because I was born with a cock, but lo and behold I revealed super early as an omega and my surprisingly old-fashioned parents shit a brick and shipped me off to live with distant relatives in the country like some regency era omega who got knocked up by the stable boy.
” Callum continued his monologue once they were relatively alone at the end of the bar.
“Now I come around occasionally to remind them I exist until they throw money at me to make me go away. I know it’s tacky, but I’m way too lazy to keep a real job and breeding clinics aren’t cheap.
Anyway, I’m sticking around for a while this time, so we should absolutely hang out. I need a friend in this crazy town.”
Bianca couldn’t help but be intrigued, despite her new associate’s obviously poor reputation and her own typical aversion to humans.
There was something compelling about Callum.
It was in the way he talked about his situation with cheerful nonchalance and seemed so comfortable with himself despite everyone treating him like a pariah.
Bianca could empathize with his story, given the apparent similarities between their parents. She decided to engage.
“Do your parents approve of Chloe’s mates? I’d think alpha females would be just as offensive to traditionalists as male omegas,” she said. “And Chloe didn’t even try to attract Pack Rhodes. It was obvious she was even less interested in them than I was.”
Callum threw his head back and cackled a laugh that warmed Bianca’s chest. A few people turned disapproving glares in their direction but averted their eyes when they caught Bianca’s icy stare.
“I knew you didn’t want those boring little rich boys.
You need something much more exciting. It’s why I’m still single.
I simply refuse to be bored,” Callum said, flashing his mischievous grin.
“My parents weren’t happy about Chlo’s alphas, but they couldn’t turn their backs on their fave.
I knew she preferred women, but I think she was determined to mate with them to make a point.
She’s the reason my parents lifted my exile.
She sees the good in people. She even likes Saint Serenity, bless her heart. ”
“No accounting for taste, I guess.” Bianca rolled her eyes, then frowned. “You said breeding clinics are expensive. Are you trying to get pregnant?”
Callum shrugged. “Not yet. Just getting prepared. I can’t wait around for some rich, hot, not boring alphas to come along and put a baby in my butt.
I want kids and I’m not going to let a lack of mates get in the way of what I want.
I make it a priority to do what I want. You should try it sometime. ”
Bianca glowered at him silently, pointedly sipping the fresh glass of champagne the bartender set before her. Undaunted, Callum smiled and patted her arm. Most people would’ve lost that hand, but Bianca decided she didn’t want to dismember him. Yet.
“Got it. We’re not ready to discuss your personal life. We’re not quite there yet, but we’ve got plenty of time,” Callum mused, glancing around the room with eager interest. “How about you tell me about those three snacks that haven’t taken their eyes off of you all night?”
Bianca’s cheeks warmed a little and she barely managed to will away a visible blush.
What the hell was wrong with her? Bianca Bonnycastle didn’t blush or laugh or flirt with good-looking disgraced omegas.
Oh god, was she flirting? The idea made her vaguely panicky, which pissed her off enough to ground her again.
“They’re my bodyguards. My parents pay them to watch me,” Bianca replied dismissively, carefully not looking toward Quentin King or his packmates, though she knew exactly where each alpha was positioned.
“The disgraced daughter of Pack Bonnycastle needs to be guarded against danger. Or worse, further embarrassment.”
Callum laughed merrily again and affectionately rested a hand on her forearm. Bianca’s skin buzzed beneath his touch. It felt nice. She took a long sip of her champagne.
“Atta girl! Own that shit!” he exclaimed, lifting his glass for a toast. Bianca lifted her glass and clinked it against his. “To the Disgraced Devil Club! Hmm. That’s not quite right. Okay, I’m still workshopping the name, but let’s fuck some shit up!”
Bianca couldn’t help but smile. “Maybe Disgraced Devil Delegation? I like the alliteration.”
“Perfect!” Callum exclaimed. “As the founders of this elite and exclusive society, our first act of debauchery should be hitting the town. I’m not kidding about that dress. You look too damn hot to be stuck in this humdrum crowd.”
Bianca felt her cheeks warm again, but she willed it away. He wasn’t flirting. She’d just met Callum, but she could tell he was one of those big personalities who was prone to exaggeration. His compliments were probably just his way of being friendly.
Besides, after seeing the way Serenity and Genesis filled out their dresses, Bianca was acutely aware of her shortcomings.
She hadn’t been blessed with the luscious curves of so many omegas.
Objectively, she knew she was pretty, and she had great breasts, but they made her top heavy.
Her hips were negligible, and she’d worked tirelessly for a tight, toned bum that looked good in her clothes, but didn’t really turn heads.
She could imagine Serenity at the club with Callum, shaking her plump ass to the delight of any onlookers, but Bianca would just look foolish.
“I wouldn’t even know where to go,” Bianca hedged.
She was not a hit the town type of person.
Her social calendar was all fundraisers and the occasional brunch.
Had anyone ever even invited her out for a night of bar hopping or partying?
Of course not. She would’ve declined if they had. “And I haven’t danced in years.”
In actuality, Bianca had never done the kind of dancing Callum was talking about.
She’d been to formals, had been trained in ballet, tap, and ballroom, but had never just danced for fun.
She hadn’t grown up making up silly routines with her friends or learning choreography from popular music videos like some of the girls at academy.
Even back then, she’d been different. Her interests and temperament hadn’t aligned with the other teens.
Astrid, an alumnus of the Damara Academy for Exceptional Omegas herself, had been extremely popular, center-back and captain of the academy’s all-star football team, and president of her class.
Bianca had gotten strong grades and had participated in all the enriching extracurriculars expected of her, but she’d never led anything or even truly felt much like part of a team.
She’d been too busy trying to be everything Astrid and her fathers wanted her to be.
She was too careful, too unwilling to look foolish or be vulnerable.
And the one time she’d let herself open up, she’d been so utterly devastated that she’d rebuilt her walls thicker and higher than before.
Even if she hadn’t finished her senior year online and graduated early, she would’ve struggled to make friends. Openness just wasn’t in her nature.
“You’re walking around with that body and not flaunting it?
That’s a travesty we simply must rectify.
” Callum clutched his chest dramatically before taking her hand and tugging her toward the nearest exit.
“There’s an omega-friendly club nearby that I’m dying to check out, where I guarantee your bodyguards won’t be the only ones looking at you like they want to eat you alive. ”
Bianca bit her lip, unable to believe she was considering this.
It was hard to say no to Callum’s eager expression and contagious energy.
Besides, she was bored, and the fundraiser was already winding down.
Maybe she’d meet some interesting alphas at whatever club they went to.
Someone who could take the edge off the constant ache that had taken up residence in her core since Pack King barged into her life.
Hadn’t she planned on a last hurrah before mating?
Perhaps fate had sent Callum to help her with that.
“Fine, but I need to get my things and say my goodbyes,” Bianca said finally, pulling her hand free of Callum’s and turning back toward the room.
“Yessssss!” Callum caught her hand again and twirled her before nudging her on her way. “If I’m right about the vibe, you’re going to love it. It’s so you: classic and elegant and sexy as hell. We are going to have a blast!”
Bianca caught herself smiling as she walked away. And she might’ve put a little extra sway in her hips—negligible though they might be—just in case he was watching.