Chapter 4 #2
We handle it well, all things considered.
Seb listens with practiced ease, years of dealing with people who want his money reflected in his polite responses.
Nico comments here and there, the most personable of us four.
Jace contributes dry observations that could double as either compliments or criticisms. I mostly drone the conversation out, voicing agreement to whatever the other three say.
“And what about you, Nico?” The second one’s name is definitely Liam. I’ve been paying enough attention to figure that out. “What do you do?”
I’m sure he thinks it’s coming off as an innocent question. I can tell he’s asking so he knows how much respect to give Nico based on his answer. He seems like that type of person.
“I’m a partner at an architecture firm,” Nico answers politely, picking up his wine glass. It’s filled with an expensive red. They’ve pulled out all the stops. They definitely want to impress us. Or Seb, at least.
“Fascinating. And you said you’re also involved with Coates Industries, was that right, Jason?” Liam leans forward, smile widened enough to show how unnaturally white his teeth are.
“Correct. I provide general counsel.” Jace’s response is dry, but Ian tilts his wine glass at him anyway in commendation.
“Truly impressive for one as young as yourself.” Ian looks at him appraisingly. “I suppose that’s to be expected, considering your lineage.”
Nico’s eyes meet mine and I have to look up at the ceiling not to laugh. Someone clearly did their research on us beforehand. Sure, it’s cool Jace comes from a family of lawyers. It’ll be cooler to make fun of him being treated like a well bred prize pig later.
“You look familiar too, Evan.” Apple’s staring at me, scrutinizing my face. Here we go.
“I was a huge fan of your dads back in the day,” Liam says, nodding approvingly. “I had their jerseys, never missed a game. They were incredible.”
“Thank you. I’ll tell them you said so.” I respond automatically, knowing I won’t.
“Do you play any sports?” Ian asks from the head of the table. He doesn’t bother trying to be subtle like Liam earlier, it’s clear from his tone he’s evaluating me.
“Not seriously.” I’m sure he was aware of that. I’m twenty six. If I wanted to professionally play any of the sports my fathers did, I would have been drafted years ago.
“That’s a shame. With your genetics, you could easily go pro in anything you wanted to.” An astute observation from Apple, Cole, whatever his name is.
“I’m not interested in playing professionally.” My voice is polite but firm. I look at them levelly, daring one of them to challenge me.
They don’t press it any further. “So what do you do, then?” Liam asks, tone carefully neutral.
“I’m a student. I’m studying kinesiology.”
“How nice.” The glance he exchanges with Liam shows he thinks otherwise. “You’re quite young to be part of such an established pack.”
There it is, the sly comment masqueraded as an observation. I can feel Nico and Jace stiffening, but I just grin back at Ian, leaning my head on my hand.
I’m not the grown man kissing ass here, after all. A flash of irritation passes across his face at my response, or lack thereof. He opens his mouth again, but Seb cuts him off.
“We’re all close friends. We’ve known each other since we were children.” His words are pleasant. The tone is not. It’s half an admonishment, half warning.
It’s clear Ian picks up on it. His face flickers with surprise before he trains it back into that same polite expression from earlier. Silence falls over the table, an awkward air lingering over the formerly chatty pack.
Ariana reappears with the next course, moving through the tension. She sets down plates with practiced efficiency, her movements so quiet I barely hear her. When she reaches Ian, he doesn’t acknowledge her. She doesn’t seem to expect him to.
“This looks wonderful,” Nico says, breaking the silence. “Thank you, Ariana.”
She startles slightly, like she’s not used to being thanked. “You’re welcome.” Her voice is small and she looks towards Ian as she says it, not Nico.
As she retreats again, I notice something. She’s been here the whole time, serving food, refilling drinks, but no one’s acknowledged her. Nor have they included her in the conversation. Is she not part of the pack? She has a mark on her neck, though, and so do they.
I glance at Jace. His eyes are already on Ariana, tracing her movements as she makes her way around the table. When he catches my eye, I see the same realization reflected in his face.
“So what do you do, Ariana?” Seb says, making conversation politely.
She opens her mouth, but Ian answers for her.
“Ariana’s role is here, at home. She manages the household.” He gives us a tight smile, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. She looks at his face, then back at us with a smile on her own. It doesn’t reach her eyes.
“She’s our omega,” Liam adds, like that explains everything. “Her job is taking care of us.”
Ariana has frozen where she stands, serving dish in her hands. Her expression is perfectly pleasant. But I catch the way her fingers tighten on the dish, knuckles going white.
This pack is weird. It’d be a reasonable answer if they hadn’t said it for her. It’d be even better if she didn’t look so much like a hostage while they were saying it.
“I see,” Seb says mildly.
The conversation lurches forward again. Ian steers it back to investments and market projections, unsubtly bragging about himself.
Liam and Cole chime in with insights that sound mildly rehearsed.
They incessantly ask Seb questions. Rarely, they ask a few to the rest of the pack, but their attention always returns to kissing Seb’s ass.
It’s a bit pathetic. They’re grown men, supposed to be alphas. They look at him like he’s a saint, laying on the compliments thick. Tuning them out, I watch Ariana come and go instead.
The omega moves through the room like she’s choreographed every step. She refills wine glasses before they’re empty, clears plates the moment someone sets down their fork. It’s impressive, in an unsettling, unnatural sort of way.
She hardly looks like the same woman from the park earlier. Her hair is styled to perfection and I can tell she spent time on her makeup. She’s beautiful, but there’s something off about this whole thing.
Her chamomile scent drifts past me again as she leans over to refill Nico’s glass. It’s soothing and gentle, which makes how strained it is stand out more.
I remember her in the park, crouched in the rain with Clementine’s leash in her hands. The way her eyes had been red from crying. Now she’s all smiles and soft words and perfect posture. It gives me a weird feeling in my stomach.
Was it her pack that made her cry? They’re definitely strange. The type of guys that listen to too many alpha male podcasts. When Ariana looks at them with those big brown eyes, her gaze strangely swings between sparkling or empty.
The dinner’s wrapping up before I voice it, but by the way the other members of my pack look at me, they’re weirded out too. We all stand, making polite comments about what a lovely evening it’s been.
Ariana appears with our coats. When she hands Nico his, she hesitates.
“Your umbrella,” she says softly. “I’ll go get it.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” the tall man says, waving a hand. “We have plenty.”
“Keep it. We’ll all stuff ourselves under Evan’s. He could fit a small country under that thing,” Seb smiles at her conspiratorially.
I groan audibly, making Nico snort and Jace’s mouth twitch. She rewards us with a light laugh. The first one she’s let out tonight, it feels like. It’s pretty. It makes her look like the woman from the park again. Like a real, unguarded person, not a doll.
“Are you sure?” She looks up at us, big eyes wide.
“Positive,” I answer for Seb. She looks as if she might say something, but the rest of her pack comes to join us in the foyer and she falls back to stand with them. The mask of pleasantry slips back onto her face. Ian hands Seb a business card, suggesting a call.
We say our goodbyes quickly. Ian walks us to the door, Liam and Cole hovering behind him like bodyguards. Ariana stands with them, hands clasped in front of her, Liam’s hands on both her shoulders.
It should look like the picture of a happy pack. It looks unnerving instead.