Chapter 21
Munro
She’s breathtaking.
It physically aches to look at her, the way her lithe legs are wrapped in pink straps, how her slender body looks in a dress that couldn’t have been better suited for the pastel princess.
Silver, seated between me and Aero, sits in silence as we drive away from the house and I’m all too aware of her presence beside me. Ever since the moment I made her cry, I’ve been aware of her, more than I ever have been before. Because it was at that moment that I realized how desperately I fucked up. When my heart ached at the sight of the tears I caused, it dawned on me how deep under my skin Silver has gotten, and forced me to acknowledge that I’ve been acting like the worst kind of shithead to the girl who has been nothing but an angel to my pack and me.
I don’t want to keep being that guy, pretending that I hate her when the reality is that I really fucking like the omega. I’ve battled the feelings, pushing them aside and hoping they go away, because I couldn’t face the idea of falling for another omega only to get my heart broken again. But those tears shattered whatever shields and defenses I put in place over the months of avoiding and ignoring her, or acting like a bastard in hopes of repelling her from me.
It only took a long conversation with my twin flame and sister in all things but blood for me to understand the severity of my actions. To understand how badly I fucked up. Lying on the roof patio of the house she shares with five cool guys, I remember clearly how Juno put me in my place. Her words still rattle in my head now, and I grasp them tightly so I never forget them.
“You’ve made this whole thing much more difficult than it needed to be, bro. You’re still letting that bitch control you, manipulate you, and get into your head. You already know Silver is nothing like Veronica. I don’t even need to meet the skank to know she doesn’t even hold a flame to our girl. Silver has been through her own shit, you know, but she’s come out on the other side. She’s pure, bright, and the happiest fucking person I know in spite of all she went through. She still finds the beauty in life, doesn’t give a shit what most people think of her, and marches to the beat of her own drum.
She’s something special, and all she really wants is to love and be loved in return. For reasons beyond my understanding, she’s decided she wants that with you bunch of misfits. With you . I’ve seen how she looks at you all, how she reacts when you’re all near and too busy acting like she isn’t there, when all you want is to watch her. Pace thinks he’s slick about it, but the man is suckered as much as the rest of you. All feelings are mutual between you all, you’re all just too stupid to realize it. Pull your head out of your ass, work on your hangups, and chase after that girl before your shitty attitude finally pushes her so far away that there won’t be reaching her again.”
So, that’s exactly what I did, only the sassy, little sprite of an omega wouldn’t give me the time of day. Not that I blame her. I would have thrown me to the wolves if I were her, though her drawing uncomfortable attention to me with a few barbs that had me stared at as I left the building after her skating ass made a pretty good impact that I never want to experience again.
Since then, I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out how I could fix the shit I broke, only for her to start handing out second chances to the other guys. I mean, they didn’t fuck-up nearly as bad as I did, so I suppose I don’t have a right to the jealousy I feel knowing they’ve managed to worm their way into her life, that she’s accepted them, wants them, and is sleeping with them. It’s a bitter pill to swallow when you have to deal with the consequences of your own actions, but I’ve grown a strong-willed determination to make it right. To win Silver over, to earn my second chance with her, to prove to her that I’m sorry and that I want her. Because fuck, do I want her. Ever since I gave up the ghost of trying to hate her, it’s like seeing her in a new light. I see her vibrance for life every single day, watch as she goes out of her way for others with no expectation of receiving anything in return. She’s something else entirely, an omega like I’ve never encountered, and there’s no one on this earth that I want more than her. And I’ll be damned if I don’t give it my very best effort to earn her forgiveness and, hopefully, her affection.
Silver sighs for the third time since she sat her pert, little ass in the seat beside me, and I peer over at her from the corner of my eyes. She’s chewing her thumbnail with her other arm crossed over her chest as she leans into Aero. Her scent is slightly soured with stress, and I can see the worry that tightens the skin around her eyes.
Aero flashes me a look as he presses gentle kisses over her shoulder, attempting to keep her calm. Even though I can visibly see her relaxing, it doesn’t stop the way her leg shakes rapidly with her nerves.
Without thinking, I drop my hand to her bare knee, wrapping my fingers around the softest skin I’ve ever fucking felt. Almost instantly the shaking stops, and I continue to peer outside while I feel Silver’s gaze burning a hole into my head. She sighs again, though this one doesn't sound so stressed, and I can’t help the small smile that tugs at my lips as I watch the world go by through the window.
I keep my hand there while we ride in silence, my thumb brushing over her smooth flesh, satisfaction unfurling inside my chest at the way her legs remain utterly still while my hand remains in place.
“You look stunning, Sunshine,” Rage blurts suddenly, sitting opposite Silver on the other end of the limo Pace rented for the night. It cost a mint, but he was happy to spend the cash if it meant making good on our deal with Silver. Since she sent the money back to him after he tried to pay her our half of the bills we agreed upon when we moved in, he decided to use it for tonight as a surprise for the omega.
I know she wasn’t expecting us all to make good on our word. I could see the shock on her face as plainly as the others could. It was originally a part of Pace’s plan to finally get back in the good graces of the omega we’re all obsessed with, but then she forgave the others and the plan turned into what could be considered a courting gesture. We all wanted to make sure Silver had a good night celebrating and supporting her grandmother without having to worry about her bitch of a mother, and so we’re going to make that happen. Pissing her off will simply be the cherry on the sundae.
She peers over at Rage with a slow blink before a beautiful smile appears on her face, my hand flexes around her thigh as she says, “Thank you. You guys are looking pretty damn good, too.”
“We do scrub up well, huh?” Aero teases, grinning at her as she snorts, dropping a kiss to her shoulder.
I dutifully ignore the pang of envy that hits me square in the chest, focusing on the warmth of her skin beneath my palm, making sure my thumb is steady in its ministrations.
“I’d do you,” Silver quips, and silence follows for a split second before the car is filled with laughter, my own chuckle joining in with the others. The joke seems to break the tension in the car, and I feel more than see Silver’s shoulders dropping as she finally relaxes enough that she doesn’t remain tense and rigid. Her scent is still a little sour, but I can smell it gentling with sweetness as she soaks in the laughter around her.
Eventually, she asks, “So, you guys planned to come with me all along, huh?”
“Damn straight, we did, gorgeous,” Haze confirms, grinning at the omega.
“There was no way you were going without us, Sunshine,” Rage agrees, crossing his arms over his chest before loosening them again when he remembers he’s wearing a fancy suit that cost way too much money.
Each of our outfits did, but it was worth spending the money to see Silver’s face light up the way it did when she saw us standing there at the ready.
“Pretty sure I’d go postal if I wasn’t here to thwart off potential packs from your mother. You’re ours, baby. We go where you go, it’s that simple,” Aero deduces with a careless shrug, like his words haven’t changed the atmosphere in the car.
Pace is nodding, his serious expression in place once more, and he agrees, “I know this whole thing didn’t start on the best of terms.”
Silver snorts and Pace sends me a look that I roll my eyes at, squeezing Silver’s thigh as though it’s the only thing anchoring myself to my seat. She doesn’t seem to mind, save for the brief glance she makes at my hand.
“But I meant it when I said I wanted a do over. We all do, and that means showing up where our girl needs us,” Pace concludes, sitting back in his chair with a relaxed nonchalance and a serious expression that hides his emotions.
Silver doesn’t have such a superpower, ever the open book. She swallows hard and her brows pinch as she shakily asks, “So, what, we’re doing this? Actually doing it? It’s not a show we’re putting on for my parents?”
“Baby, you know I’m in so deep over here that I’ll gladly drown if it meant this was all as real as the tattoos on Munro’s body,” Aero declares, winking down at the omega, watching her blush prettily.
I scent her perfume on my next inhale, and I have to swallow back the groan that almost escapes. Absolutely not the time for that shit, or the place, so I trap it behind gritted teeth and focus on keeping my hand relaxed on top of Silver’s leg.
“You know you’re not getting rid of us,” Haze teases.
Rage nods in agreement, eyeing the omega with a heat in his eyes I’ve only ever seen directed at Silver. He doesn’t try to hide it, simply lets her see how much he wants her, how real this all is, and Silver releases a shaky breath before turning to me.
“Where do you stand on this whole thing?” she asks straight and serious, pale-gray eyes boring into me with questions that beg for answers.
Keeping my eyes locked with hers, I promise, “I’m in, so long as you want me, Silver. I told you, I’ll earn your forgiveness. I’ll earn a second chance. And if I don’t, you’ve still got me. This isn’t fake or pretend. This is pack.”
“Pack,” she breathes, and just like that, she melts into her seat and the tension simply bleeds away from her, leaving her more relaxed now than she was before we left the house. It’s beautiful, and my chest damn near puffs with pride knowing I did that. Me, the asshole, got the omega to finally take her first easy breath since she got in the car.
The remainder of the drive goes by in comfortable silence. Silver doesn’t once make a move to free her thigh from my grasp, and it never occurs for me to remove my hand from her skin. By the time the limo is pulling up outside a lavish mansion fit for a queen and her kings, I’ve already mapped every freckle I can find on the small patch of skin I’ve occupied for the entire drive.
As a pack, we all exit the limousine as soon as it comes to a stop, pausing outside the mansion built with columns, stained-glass windows, and enough ivy trellises that I can only just see the dark stone that makes up the outside of the fancy house.
“Ah, fuck,” Silver blurts suddenly, and I turn to face her, finding her looking a little green. “Would you guys think less of me if I threw up? My nerves just shot up to fever pitch and I’m pretty sure I’ll vomit all over whatever designer dress my mother is wearing tonight if I don’t do it right now.”
Then she pauses.
“Actually, that might not be a bad idea,” she groans pitifully, placing her hand on her stomach as though the touch alone will ease the queasiness her nerves are inflicting on her.
Pace and I share a look over her head before he makes a gesture as though he’s demanding I do something about it. I have no idea why the fuck he’d want me to comfort the omega right now. I’m still in the doghouse, where he and the others have already begun building a foundation for relationships.
When I tell him as much with my eyes, the bastard narrows his eyes on me, and I glare when he doesn’t budge. Flipping him off and praying I don’t make things worse for her, I step in front of Silver. Her eyes meet my chest before they slowly trail upward, her troubled eyes colliding with mine, and it’s like I’m possessed with a protectiveness for the bubblegum pixie that I don’t bother dampening.
Cupping her face gently in my hands, I sternly demand, “Get your shit together, princess.”
She frowns and I smile, because that sentence alone has brought her back from the edge of panicking.
“Take a breath and pull your head out of your ass. You’ve got this, and we’ve got you, right? Anything happens in there, and we’ll burn the place down before we leave. Stick with us, and we’ll make sure that bitch doesn’t fuck with you. Now snap that backbone back into place, quit being a fucking chicken, and let’s get this shit-show on the road. Okay?” I tell her, my thumbs stroking gently over her cheeks while I do what I do best.
“You’re such an asshole,” she breathes, but, for the first time, it’s said with a huff of a laugh and a deep appreciation in those glittering, silver eyes. For the first time in all of my life, my shitty attitude and tough love approach actually works for someone, and Silver cups my hands over hers, takes a deep breath that I mirror, before she says, “Alright. Head’s out of any kind of orifice. Backbone is in place. Still a bit chicken, but fuck you, I’m allowed. Let’s do this shit.”
My mouth splits into a wide grin, and I echo, “Let’s do this.”
Rolling her shoulders back and chin raised like the baddie Aero calls her, Silver nods before she takes the first step toward the door. She grabs my hand before she disappears, and I stumble before following beside her, straightening in time for her to tuck her arm through mine. Snickering, the others follow, and I send them a snarl that has them wiping their grins away despite the amusement sparkling in each of their eyes. Dickheads.
I’m very aware of Silver as we step into the lavish home. So aware that I catch the moment she tenses, her whole body shuddering as she looks around at our surroundings. She frowns at several things, shaking her head and cringing at others, and I ask, “You good? Still got your head out of your ass?”
The pretty, little omega snorts and nods. “Yeah, just noting how many things have changed since I was here last.”
“You've been here before?” I ask quietly, conscious of my voice carrying through the echoing halls.
Silver flashes me an amused grin. “I lived here for sixteen years. We just stepped into my very own prison. Fun times.”
My mouth snaps shut at that, and I hold onto her a little tighter, a fury building in my chest as I look around with a new perspective. The walls are littered with photos of a pack that share similar features with Silver, several expensive decorative vases and ornaments placed on display units and such. It’s very minimalistic in style, but I would bet my life that just one thing in here would cost more than everything I own combined.
As a unit, we travel down a long hallway before we finally hear the first notes of a classical number playing from behind a set of heavy wooden doors carved with intricate designs.
Just before I reach out to push the door open, bracing myself for whatever hell we’re about to step into, I whisper to Silver, “Deep breaths, princess. We’ve got this.”
“We’ve got this,” she repeats with a firm nod.
All I can think of as I press on the door handle and open the door is that I hope I didn't just lie to the omega I want to claim as mine. It’s too late to back out now, though, because the door swings open suddenly, bringing with it the sound of classical music that filters into the hallway.
With one last look at one another, we all step into the room filled with expensively dressed partiers, waiters carrying silver trays of food, and a woman playing a harp to the left of an elevated stage that looks like it would be featured in a wedding venue magazine.
Fuck me, here goes nothing.
My eyes are taking in everything as we enter the massive ballroom decked out with white, gold, and silver banners, balloons, and fancy decorations that likely cost more than my entire outfit. The room is filled with people, several seated at round tables that border the empty dance floor, while clusters of people talk in groups with champagne glasses held in their perfectly manicured hands. Pretty sure those cost a fortune, too, the crystal sparkling under the warm fairy lights twinkling all across the ceiling.
Aero whistles quietly, breathing, “For a shitty person, she decorated the shit out of this room.”
Silver laughs loudly, drawing the attention of several groups chittering among themselves. Some smile and wave at her, and she offers the same in return, while some glare. My hackles rise at those assholes, and I lower our linked arms so I can entwine our fingers instead, holding her hand snugly in mine and vaguely noting how small her hand is compared to mine.
I feel Silver squeeze my hand and, without animosity or anger, something that seems to be on hiatus right now, she gently commands, “Don’t let it get to you. We’re surrounded with good and bad people, and I know which are which. Don’t give your energy to the assholes.”
“Should listen to your own advice,” I smart back, sending one dick with a rotund belly and a tux that barely fits his overhanging gut a scathing look that has him flushing red before turning his back to me.
Silver laughs again and pats my arm. “Trust me, I have and I still ended up here, holding your hand, feeling all kinds of conflicting things about you. Your brand of asshole is very different to theirs. Just trust that I know what I’m doing and, if I need you to knock someone out like you look like you’re itching to do, I’ll give you the bat signal to go ahead. Deal?”
Her goofiness and matching grin disarm me better than anything ever has, just as much as her words do. She’s feeling conflicting things for me? Does that mean there’s a chance of forgiveness?
Keeping my hopes bottled, I nod and clench my jaw instead, and she pats my arm again before pausing, her fingers playing with the silver cufflinks in my shirt sleeves that are poking out from beneath my jacket. “What are those?”
“Cufflinks,” I answer, swallowing hard, feeling like an idiot and praying she doesn’t ask to see them.
I’m not that lucky. She lifts my hand to check, and her mouth parts with a small, “Oh.”
Sure enough, she catches sight of the small princess tiara cufflinks I found while Pace took us to get our tuxedos measured. I bought them on a whim, and didn’t think I’d get close enough to Silver for her to actually see them. I’m fighting a damned blush now that she has, and I’m only saved by my embarrassment when Pace drops his hands to Silver’s bare shoulders and asks, “Shall we get a drink and find a table to sit at? Maybe meet this Meemaw of yours before the festivities begin?”
With her eyes still on my cufflinks, Silver nods and says, “Yeah, sure. I want to see Meemaw before I’m accosted by my mother anyway.”
“Sounds good, Sunshine. Lead the way,” Rage instructs, his own shrewd eyes eyeing the patrons in the massive ballroom like they’re the enemy. I mean, to him, they surely are, because his hangups are solely monetary based. It’s a miracle he got over it enough to give Silver an opening to wriggle her way into his heart and mind.
It takes her a second to do as told, rubbing her thumb over the cufflinks curiously, before she flashes me a look I can’t decipher and then leads us all to a free table two away from the stage. As soon as we’re seated, a waiter comes gliding toward us with a tray filled with full glasses of champagne, and Silver accepts two before either of us can take one and offer it to her.
Like a mad woman, she downs one, and then the other, depositing the now empty glasses on the tray before accepting another. It’s only then we all take a flute each, all of us fighting our laughter at the dramatic omega.
We’re only seated for twenty minutes or so when a woman who looks to be in her early fifties strides over with two men flanking her.
“Silver,” she proclaims with a warmth and familiarity that declares who she is before I’m even introduced to the woman. Her arms are flung open ready, and I’m only confused for a split second before Silver releases her breath in a rush and hurries into them for a long, hard hug. “Hey, Meemaw.”