33. Teenage Dreams
Chapter thirty-three
Teenage Dreams
“Get your damn hands off her,” Carter growls.
Benji wraps his arm around me and squeezes. “Can’t I be happy to see our girl? Feels like it’s been weeks.”
“My girl.” But Carter’s grinning too. “Asshole. There’s a stick in the cloakroom. I’m not afraid to use it.”
“Here.” Liam presses a glass of wine into my hands. When I look at him questioningly, he gives me a small, quiet smile. “You like this one.”
I take a small sip as he watches. “Thanks.”
Stomach flipping uncomfortably, I look away from him and survey the room.
Blackwater Arts Hall has been overtaken by sports players, the hundreds of paintings on the wall illuminated beneath soft spotlights.
Several statues join the milling guests as they walk around the dozens of circular tables looking for their names.
“Will you stop?” Liam’s mutter makes me turn back. He nudges Jonas, who’s craning his neck to look at the open doorway. “Put your fucking neck away. You look like a giraffe.”
“Sorry.” Jonas looks annoyed. He casts a brief glance at Benji, who’s fallen deep into some sort of heated discussion with Carter a few feet away. “I hate this.”
“She’ll be here in a minute. You know we couldn’t walk in together.” Liam sighs. “Few more months and it’ll be sorted with the NOC.”
His emergency exemption. I wonder how Lauren feels about being dropped off on the next street along. I spot a table plan and head over to it, searching for her name.
It’s three tables away from us, next to Ness and the rest of the PR team. Somebody else comes up beside me, and I shift to make room for them. When he leans in to look closer, I get a side hit of his scent.
It’s like walking into a forest. Crushed leaves and soft moss with a little woody sweetness woven in that reminds me of sticky, fresh figs. “Mac?”
The tall alpha turns. Mac’s dark red hair is styled back, his black tux fitting flawlessly. I find myself swallowing as deep green eyes sweep over me. There’s clear appreciation there, and heat creeps up my neck. “Lass. Fancy seeing you here.”
I breathe in again, leaning forward before I catch myself. Embarrassed, I take a step back. What is wrong with me?
Although I’m taken, not dead. Even I can admit that the Aces goalie looks very, very nice in a tux. I flush deeper when I realize he’s watching me. Little lines have appeared at the corners of his eyes. “Um. Hi, Mac.”
“Good to see you.” He twists to look at the table plan again, a small smile curling the edges of his mouth. “I was looking for our table. You seen it anywhere?”
Swallowing, I lean in closer to look. My arm brushes his as I reach out my finger, placing it gently over his name beside the rest of the Aces. “There. Twenty-three.”
And as far away from us as they can get. Clearly someone saw the Sponsor Day footage. That jerks me out of whatever weirdness has me leaning closer, and I turn my head to look for any sign of his pack.
Particularly his irritating pack lead.
“Don’t worry.” The quiet rumble brings my face back to his. Mac looks down at me, and my throat dries. “He’s keeping his distance tonight. Doesn’t want any trouble.”
“Never stopped him before.” The tart response slips out before I can stop it. Deciding I don’t particularly care, I fold my arms. “He caused enough of it on Sponsor Day.”
“For you?” Mac asks. His arm grows tense beside mine.
I pin my gaze on the table plan, my throat growing tighter and my body flinching at the phantom feel of a strike. “Don’t worry about me, Mac. I’m fine.”
The flinch doesn’t go unnoticed. Mac turns to me fully, his mouth opening. “Rosie—”
“Shaw,” Benji says easily. I jump out of my skin. “Need to steal Rosie, if that’s okay?”
Mac offers his hand, and Benji takes it easily, much to my surprise. “No worries. Have a good night, both.”
I feel Mac’s eyes on my back as Benji steers me toward our table. “Et tu, brute? Is this how I find out you’re friends with the enemy?”
His amusement is clear. “Shaw’s a great goalie. We did some youth skills camps together.”
“What, back in the stone age?” I make a show of looking around. “How does it feel to be home?”
His finger jabs into my side, and I snicker. Benji’s hand hovers around my back as he steers us past a group of Titans staff. Gabe waves, and I wave back. “I’m not dignifying that with a response.”
We reach our table, and I take in the empty seats with a raised brow. “Well, this is cozy.”
He pulls out the chair with my name tag, and I collapse into it, eyeing up who my neighbors are. Carter’s name is on my left, Jonas my right. Benji takes the next seat over from Jonas’s name, unbuttoning his tux jacket and turning to face me. “Is everything alright with Carter?”
“Carter?” Frowning, I crane my neck to look at him.
I spot him ensconced in the middle of a player group, his hands moving and a grin on his face.
My mouth slips open as I watch him burst into laughter, clapping a bemused Noah on the shoulder.
“I’d say he seems unusually perky, actually.
He obviously likes charity auctions more than I realized. ”
“Maybe.” Benji is watching him too. “And you?”
Not this again. I hold up my wine in a silent toast. “I have wine, so all is fine. I don’t make the rules.”
He reaches for one of the bottles of merlot placed in the middle of the table and tops me up. I beam at him. “Thanks, Gramps. What time’s your curfew?”
“I swear to fucking god, Ro—”
“Benji!”
His face runs through fifty shades of grey, settling on oatmeal as Katie dives on him from behind. Ethan taps his finger on her shoulder, the words amused. “Let the goalie go before he suffocates, baby. We kind of need him.”
“Oh!” Katie pulls back, studying a choking Benji. “Sorry, sweetpea.”
Sweetpea? Benji mouths, his expression unreadable but possibly resembling horror as Katie slips into the seat beside him. Ethan joins us, followed by Noah, Dylan and Mason in rapid succession
My pack is still missing, Carter appears to be doing his best impression of a comedy host, but there’s no sign of Liam or Jonas. Pushing to my feet, I try to look over the crowd.
Jonas has homed in on his scent match.
Lauren looks flustered as he stands beside her, talking to a confused-looking Ness. “Excuse me for a minute.”
“Don’t leave me,” Benji mutters.
Jonas looks surprised when I slide my hand through his arm after making my way through the crowd. “Hey. What are you doing here?”
Well, that’s not awkward.
I plaster a smile on my face and turn to the others.
“Rosie!” Ness gives me a quick kiss on each cheek. “You look stunning.”
“So do you.” Her signature scarlet is displayed in a strapless, figure-hugging number that I eye with envy.
Ness preens. “I know.”
My fingers tighten on Jonas. Lauren stares down into her drink. “Our table is ready. You don’t mind if I steal him, right?”
Lauren shakes her head. She looks grateful for the rescue. “Not at all.”
“Great!” I pull him with me, and Jonas is forced to follow or make a scene. His irritation prickles over me as we make our way to the table. Liam watches us approach from his seat next to Noah. Only Carter is still missing.
An announcement comes over the PA system to take our seats.
“I’ll get him,” Benji says easily when I push out my chair again. “Sit down, Ro.”
“Thanks.”
I settle back, breaking into applause with everyone else as Ronnie steps up on the podium. When Carter finally slips into the seat beside mine, it’s barely in time. “Are we good?”
“Great.” He kisses the side of my head. “Excellent, actually.”
“Good evening, everyone!” Ronnie Egerton leans into the microphone.
Her braids are perfectly wrapped into her bun, her dress a gorgeous shade of silver.
She catches my eye and grins as applause fills the room.
“We come together tonight to raise much needed funds for the Equal Playing Field program. EPF is based on exactly that—that every child deserves a safe and stable childhood, with access to the activities and support they not only need but want to thrive in adulthood. No child should be disadvantaged from accessing opportunities in education, sport, theatre, music or any other area because of their family circumstances. Every child deserves an equal playing field.”
Carter’s hand finds my nape, and I lean into him.
“Our annual program starts tonight and will be ongoing throughout the year,” Ronnie continues. “Particular thanks go to the Blackwater Titans, who will be hosting this year’s highly anticipated Teddy Bear Toss at their upcoming game against the Blackwater Aces.”
Cheers ring out from my table and others.
“Half of the soft toys received on the night will be gifted to children undergoing treatment at Blackwater General, and the other half will be received by children undergoing foster care placements with CPS, many of whom are forced to leave their homes at short notice, moved from placement to placement with often very little to take with them. Your support in this and all of our plans is gratefully received.”
A hand slips over mine, squeezing. I turn my palm and Jonas links our fingers together beneath the table, running his thumb over the back of my hand.
I use my other hand to dash at my cheeks.
“Now, our auction tonight will take place after dinner—we’ll feed you first, so you’re ready to spend.
” Chuckles fill the room. “I’m so pleased that tonight’s auction is supporting a specific, new initiative for fostered omegas.
Young omegas in all walks of life experience substantial difficulties through their formative teenage years, from hormonal imbalances to adjusting to dysregulated nervous systems. For fostered omegas, the risks are far higher. ”