Chapter 7
Addison
“Mom. Would you stop it? It looks fine.” I swat at her hand as she tries to mess with my hair for the fifth time since the hairstylist left.
“Fine isn’t what I paid her for.” She huffs, reaching over to try again. I step back, tripping over my dress.
My eyes widen, arms flailing as I start to fall to the ground. Before I hit the hard marble, two large arms scoop me up.
“Careful.” Damien’s gruff voice has my panicked eyes darting up to meet his face.
He steadies me on my feet, my heart racing. “Thanks.” I smooth my dress down.
“Your hair!” My mother wails. “It’s ruined.”
“Oh, for fucks sake.” I snap. “Who gives a fuck about my hair!?” Using both hands, I run them through my hair, messing it all up.
My mother gasps, staring at me in horror.
“There,” I huff. “Perfect.”
“You little–” My mother’s face turns red. She takes a step forward, probably to slap me, but Damien steps between us.
“Addie needs to get going, Eloise. I just saw a limo pull up,” Damien practically growls.
“But–”
“Come on, Addie, I’ll walk you out.” He takes me by the arm, leading me toward the front door.
“Your heels!” My mom calls after me.
“My heels can go to hell!” I shout back. “They’re going to make me break my fucking neck.” I lower my voice for this next part. “Like I want to break yours.”
I swear I hear Damien chuckle, but it’s so quick I could be mistaken.
“So, you’re just going barefoot?” He asks when we get outside.
“This dress is long enough to hide my feet, no one’s going to see.”
He raises a brow. “Won’t that hurt?”
“Hurts less than those torture devices my mother tried to get me to wear.”
“Heels are not your thing, huh?” he chuckles, a small smile on his lips.
It’s only now that I realize that he’s dressed up too. Fuck me, I didn’t know a white suit could look so good.
“Where are you going all dressed up?” I ask him.
“Same place you are,” he says, looking out toward the driveway. I follow his line of sight and quietly curse to myself. Shit, he was right about the limo. That stupid pack is here to pick me up.
“I can’t believe my mother is making me go with these guys,” I grumble. “Can’t wait to waste another few hours having a full conversation inside my head while they gab on about themselves.”
“These events are for mingling, just find someone who looks interesting and talk to them. If you can’t, just fake it. I’m sure anyone else there would be better to talk to than them.”
“Addison.” Benedict steps out of the car, calling my name. “We must go.”
“God, we must go. Okay, Henry the Eighth. I didn't know we were in the eighteen hundreds." I roll my eyes.
Damien snorts. “Henry the Eighth was from the fifteen hundreds.”
“Whatever,” I grumble. “I better go before my mom comes out here and makes a scene.”
“Wait.” Damien reaches up with both hands and starts to fix my hair. I hold my breath the whole time, very aware of the fact that he’s touching me. “There. That's better.”
“Thanks,” I whisper, heart pounding a mile a minute.
“Go.” He nods his head toward the car. “If you really need to get out of there, find me.”
I bite my lower lip as my stomach swoops. His eyes drop, locked on the spot.
“Addison!” Benedict calls again.
“I’m coming!” I shout back. “Stupid fucking Alphas.” Lifting my dress, I storm down the steps. When I hit the pebbles, I curse under my breath as they dig into my feet.
“Are you alright?” He asks.
“Yeah, yeah,” I grumble, getting in the car. I huff and puff my way into the back of the limo until I’m in and seated.
Benedict gets in next, sitting next to his brothers and across from me.
Three Alphas stare at me as the limo starts to drive away.
“What?”
“You’re not wearing any shoes.” Clifford looks at my feet.
“Nope.”
“Why?” Elton asks.
“Because I didn’t want to.” I blink.
“But why?” Benedict asks.
“Because they hurt my feet,” I grind out.
“But they’re going to get dirty.” Clifford’s brows pull together.
“I’ll wash them when I get home. Unless one of you was planning on sucking my toes or some shit tonight?” I raise a brow.
They all look at one another, and I swear to god they better be thinking I’m acting bizarrely and not actually considering it. I will puke all over them if they try to go anywhere near my feet!
At this point, their questions for me stop, and the conversation turns to their favorite subject, themselves, of course. I should have brought wireless earbuds, at least I could be listening to music.
New goal: when we get there, avoid these assholes as much as I can.
The drive is nearly two hours, and by the time we’re pulling up to the event, I’m on my feet and out the door as soon as it’s opened.
People are milling around, and I take one look at the crowd before deciding I’m ready to go back home.
“Addison,” Clifford huffs, jutting out his chin. He holds his arm out for me to grab. Oh, I want to grab it, alright, then rip it off and beat him with it.
Huh. Normally, I'm not a violent person. Either I’m about to start my heat in the next few days, or these Alphas bring out the worst in me. I’m gonna go fifty-fifty on this one.
It’s so damn hard not to roll my eyes, but I don’t, so cookie for me. Plastering on a fake smile, I walk over and take his arm.
He looks right proud of himself, and I want to punch him in the nuts.
We step inside, and I immediately excuse myself.
“I’m gonna head to the ladies' room.”
“But we just got here,” Elton says.
“Yes, but it was a two-hour drive. Do you want me to hold it all night? I can do that if you like. Just don’t be mad when I piss myself.” I smile sweetly.
Elton looks horrified. “No. Go, go.” He shoos me away like a damn dog.
Breathe, Addie. In and out. We can not kill the stupid Alpha. We are too pretty for prison.
When I get to the ladies' room, I sigh in relief. I slip into a stall to pee quickly before washing my hands. “Kill me now.” I groan as I look myself over in the mirror.
It’s not that I look bad, the dress is nice. At least this one complements my hair. A sleek black number with my pink hair. It’s a lot better than the last dress she got me to wear.
The style my mother requested meant that her hair lady put everything up in this weird bun. Now that I messed it up, my hair is down in nice waves that I like.
“Rather be anywhere but here?" The voice catches my attention. My eyes flick to the left, and a girl around my age steps out of the stall. Her long black hair is styled half up, half down, and she’s wearing a killer red dress.
“How did you guess?” I grin. She smiles back.
“Don’t worry, I feel the same way.”
“Were you also dragged here on a date with a pack that is even more boring than watching paint dry?”
She grimaces. “Ouch. That's shitty, but no. I’m here because my parents dragged me along. My brother’s coach and some of his teammates are here.”
“Hockey?”
“Yup.” She nods, washing her hands.
“What team does he play for?”
“The Royal Alphas.”
“That would make his coach my stepdad.”
“Really?” She tilts her head to the side. “Wait a minute. I remember seeing you at the last game. You were sitting a few rows in front of me. What was Dean saying to you, by the way? I saw that Damien looked seconds away from murdering him.” She laughs.
“I think he was flirting with me?” I say with amusement. “I happened to be wearing his jersey, and he thought I was a fan or something. I’m not. Not saying he’s a bad player or anything, but that was the first time I saw them play, and I just bought a random jersey in the lobby.”
“Ahhh.” She nods. “Yeah, that sounds exactly like something Dean would do.” She sighs.
“I’m Addie, by the way.”
“Nina.” She smiles.
“You sound disappointed in the fact that Dean Teller is a fuckboy.”
“You would be right.” She leans her butt against the counter. “How sad would it be if I told you I have a major crush on my brother's best friend?”
“Just as sad as me having a crush on my stepbrother.” I grin.
“No way,” she gasps. “Damn, girl.”
“Tell me about it.” I laugh. “Well, not so much of a crush now, mostly back when I was a teenager. But I mean, I have eyes, and that man is fine,” I whine. “Ugh. It’s not fair.”
“It really isn’t.” She turns and starts toward the door. “We should get out there.”
“Or, we could hide in here for the rest of the night.” I grin.
She shakes her head. “Give me your phone.”
I pull my phone out of my black clutch and unlock it. She adds her number before handing it back. “Text me if you need an escape plan. But, maybe try for at least an hour.”
“Fineeee.” I sigh. “Alright, I’ll go back out there, but I’m not going to like it.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to.” She laughs, following me out of the bathroom.
My dates are waiting outside for me. “What took you so long?” Benedict huffs.
“Damn,” Nina huffs. “Yeah, maybe a half hour.” She winks before waving me off. “Later, Addie.”
“Bye, Nina.”
Clifford watches as Nina walks away, his eyes on her ass. Really? Are you fucking kidding me?
Not that I’m jealous, it’s the fact that these assholes are asking my mother to court me, yet they’re eye fucking other Omegas.
There is no way I’m going on any other dates with this pack after tonight. I don’t care if my mother kicks me out on the street. I have enough in my bank for a hotel. I’ll pack up my things before she finds out and put them in storage if I have to.
“Let’s get in there, shall we?” I say with too much eagerness. The sooner we get this mingling started, the sooner I can find someone else to talk to.
I should have just stayed in the bathroom. An hour has gone by, and they have dragged me around the room, introducing me as their fucking Omega.
Like, ex-fucking-cuse me? No, the hell I’m not. And how fucking dare they act like I am.
And if one more person looks at my hair and says what an interesting choice, I’m going to scream.
I want to correct the guys every time they tell someone I’m theirs, but I’m reminded how important these people are. A lot of them are connected to my stepfather’s team in some way, as well as other KP teams.
It’s a charity event for underprivileged kids to play sports free of cost. A charity I found out my stepfather is a big donor to.
Out of respect for him, I won’t make a scene.
I will, however, be excusing myself from them to either mingle with other people or hide for the rest of the night because I’m so done being around these pricks.
“Oh, look, my stepdad. I’m going to say hi,” I tell Clifford, who’s kept me tied to his hip like a damn trophy.
Before he can say anything, I rip myself away and bolt for Elliot.
“Elliot,” I say a little too loudly and with too much excitement.
“Addie,” he chuckles. “Everything okay?”
“No,” I groan. “Help me. Please,” I beg.
His face falls. “What’s wrong?”
“If I have to be around those Alphas for one more moment, I’m going to stab them, and I don’t think even you could bail me out of jail.”
“That bad, huh?” He gives me a sympathetic look.
“Worse. Look, I really, really appreciate everything you’ve done for me by letting me stay at your house, but it looks like I might not be staying much longer.
I refuse to go on any more dates with those Alphas, and I know when my mother finds out, she’s going to lose it and kick me out.
I just can’t, Elliot. I can’t.” I’m sounding frantic now, maybe even on the verge of tears.
“Hey.” He puts his hands on my shoulders. “Breathe. You’re not going to be kicked out. If they really are that bad, I’ll talk to her, okay? See if you can meet with another pack.”
“Why can’t you just tell her I won’t do it? Let me stay either way.”
He gives me a sad smile that I hate.
“Have you tried going on dates, outside the ones your mother sets you up on?”
My brows pull together. “No...”
"It wouldn't hurt to try. Who knows, maybe you’d meet someone you like? And if you hit it off fast, she can’t make you pack up with her pick if you already have a pack. You know what I mean?” He stares at me until it clicks.
“Ahhhhh. So if I found someone, maybe got all marked and mated up, she can’t drive me to be with the awful Alphas she's trying to pawn me off on. I get it, I get it. I like it. But also, not how I work.”
“In a few days, she will be gone for a month. You could use that time. At least it’s something, right?”
“I mean, yeah.”
“Addison!” I hear Clifford’s voice and panic.
“Oh shit. I gotta go hide. Bye.” I duck behind my stepdad and make my way through the crowd. Mingling is out of the question. Looks like I got myself a stalker. And not even the fun kind!