22. Chapter Twenty-Two
The walk to the party is less busy than I expected.
It’s not extremely late, so the campus paths are still mostly empty.
Streetlights cast soft pools of yellow on the pavement, and the cool night air brushes against my legs beneath the short hem of the borrowed dress.
I keep my jacket pulled close around me, suddenly very aware of how little fabric there is underneath.
I hear the party before I see it.
The low thump of bass and overlapping voices drift through the night long before the house comes into view. The sound grows louder with every step I take. My stomach flutters with nervous energy. I pull out my phone and text Sophie that I’ve arrived.
Her reply is immediate.
Come find me!! I'm near the kitchen.
I take a deep breath and walk up the steps into the house. The front door is wide open, music spilling out along with colored lights and the smell of beer and too many bodies.
As I step inside, a few beta girls near the entrance give me the side eye.
Their gazes linger on me a second too long, flicking from my face down to the dress and back up again.
I’m confused as to why. Do I look out of place?
Is the dress too much? I tug my jacket a little tighter around myself and keep walking, trying to ignore the odd looks.
Sophie finds me almost immediately.
She pushes through a small group near the kitchen and pulls me into a tight hug, her familiar honey lavender scent wrapping around me. Then she pulls back and squeals, loud enough that a few heads turn.
“Oh my god, Elodie,” she says, eyes wide and sparkling. “You smell like Jamie! What happened? Tell me everything right now.”
My face burns instantly. I had completely forgotten that everyone would be able to smell him on me. Jamie’s warm golden amber scent is still clinging to my skin, my hair, the collar of my jacket. I blush so hard I feel it reach my ears.
Sophie laughs and waves a hand. “It’s OK. No one at the party will notice unless they get right up in your space. You’re fine.”
She links her arm through mine and tugs me deeper into the house before I can spiral. I brush the embarrassment off as best I can and let her lead me through the crowded rooms.
The music grows louder. The air is thick with laughter and the smell of spilled beer.
Sophie introduces me to a small group of people from her sociology class who are clustered near the kitchen. They seem friendly enough, smiling and nodding as she tells them my name. I smile back and try to keep up with the conversation, but my mind is still half elsewhere.
One of the girls hands me a cold bottle of beer. I accept it, grateful for something to hold. I hope the drink will help me relax after the past couple of days. The first sip is cold and bitter, but I take another anyway.
When I think about everything that has happened, I tilt the bottle back and chug the rest in several long swallows. The alcohol burns in my stomach.
No one seems to be paying me much attention, so I grab another bottle from the cooler and finish that one fairly quickly too.
Sophie laughs and pulls me onto the dance floor. “Come on, let loose a little!”
The music pulses through the room. At first I feel awkward, but the beer has started to work its way through my system.
A pleasant tipsiness eases in. I’m not drunk, not even close, but the edges of my anxiety soften. I let go of some of the tight control I usually hold onto and begin to move with the music.
For the first time in days, I feel a little lighter. I dance beside Sophie, letting the beat carry me, enjoying the energy and the simple joy of moving without overthinking everything.
The world feels muted around the edges, and for a few minutes, that is exactly what I need.
The music pulses louder, and I’m laughing at something Sophie just said when a loud scream cuts through the crowd.
“The lacrosse team is here!”
The entire room erupts into cheers. People surge toward the entrance, bottles raised and voices lifting. The energy shifts in an instant, electric and wild.
Sophie turns to me with wide eyes. “I had no idea they were coming,” she shouts over the noise.
I’m tipsy enough now that the news doesn’t hit me like it should. Instead of panic, I just shrug and keep moving to the beat. “It’s fine,” I tell her, the words a little loose. “I don’t mind.”
Still, my eyes scan the crowd as the team starts filtering in. I look for Alex without meaning to, searching for his height, his dark hair, the way he carries himself. I don’t see him at first. Maybe he decided not to come out tonight.
Part of me feels oddly disappointed, but the alcohol softens the feeling before it can settle too deeply.
A deep voice speaks right behind my ear, low and smooth.
“Looking for me?”
Alex’s scent envelops me all at once. Dark cedarwood, black pepper, and smoke wrap around me like a claim. My breath catches in my throat.
I nod before I can think better of it.
He steps closer and wraps one strong arm around my waist from behind.
The heat of his body presses against my back, sturdy and intense through the thin fabric of my dress.
Many people in the room glance our way. I feel their eyes on us, but the tipsiness eases the self-consciousness.
Sophie stays nearby, dancing close enough to keep watch, but she gives us space.
I let myself lean back into him. His hands find my hips, guiding me gently as we move together to the music. The alcohol has loosened something inside me. I let go a little more than I should, giving in to the moment and to the pull of my instincts.
His fingers press lightly into my hips as we dance. Every point of contact sends heat spreading through me. I close my eyes for a second and just feel it.
I stop fighting the way my body wants to be near him. I just dance.
And I let him hold me.
I turn in his arms without thinking. My hands slide up to rest on his chest as we keep moving to the music. The fabric of his shirt is warm beneath my palms, and I can feel the measured beat of his heart.
His pale gray eyes lock onto mine, they stand out against his dark skin so strikingly that I feel trapped by them. He smiles at me, devastatingly, and everything else in the room fades. The noise, the crowd, the flashing lights — none of it matters. There is only the way he’s looking at me.
I lean in closer. “Congratulations on the win today,” I murmur.
His smile deepens. “Thank you. But I’m hoping for a bigger win tonight.”
The words send a shiver down my spine. My omega instincts surge forward, louder than the music, louder than reason. I slide my hands up around his neck and pull him down to me.
Alex meets me halfway. “Can I kiss you?” His voice is low and throaty.
“Please,” I finally manage to hold back in a whine for once, saving myself from embarrassment at least this time.
He scent marks me first, dragging his jaw along the side of my neck with a low, possessive sound that vibrates against my skin. Then his mouth finds mine.
The kiss is deep and hungry from the very first second. His lips are decadent, tasting like something distinctly him and faintly of whatever alcohol he has been drinking. I lose myself in it completely.
My fingers thread through his hair as his hands tighten on my hips, pulling me flush against him. The world narrows to the heat of his body, the slide of his tongue against mine, and the way every inch of me lights up under his touch.
I forget everyone else in the room.
I forget that I am supposed to be keeping my distance.
I forget everything except how good this feels.
Then my perfume starts to break through my scent blockers. The sweet strawberry lemonade scent blooms stronger in the air around us.
Alex grips me closer, one arm banding around my waist like he can shield me from the rest of the room. I feel other alphas nearby shift their attention, heads turning, interest sharpening.
Alex breaks the kiss just enough to rest his forehead against mine, breathing hard. His voice is rough when he speaks.
“Elodie…”
He pulls me out of the room before I can catch my breath. His arm stays banded around my waist as he guides me through the crowd and out into the backyard. The cool night air hits my flushed skin the moment we step outside. It’s a shock after the heat of the party, sharp and clarifying.
He keeps walking until we’re a little farther from the house, away from the noise and the eyes. His hand is still firm on my hip.
“I know how you feel about not wanting a pack,” he says, voice low and rough against my ear. “But I can’t let you stay in there like that. You’re perfuming, and other alphas are starting to notice.”
The fresh air sobers me up a little. The haze in my head clears just enough for reality to creep back in. I should probably go home. He’s right, this is getting out of control.
But I can’t bring myself to let go of him. My hands are still fisted in his shirt. My body is still pressed against his side.
“I don’t want to go home,” I whisper.
Alex is quiet for a second. Then he asks, “Do you want to go to my house instead?”
I nod against his chest. “Yes. But no strings attached.”
He exhales, his breath warm against my hair.
“I can’t offer you that,” he says. His voice is gentle but certain. “I’m already attached. The strings are already in place.”
I bite my lip and stare at the dark grass beneath our feet. My heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what I want. All I know is that I don’t want this moment to end.
I stay in his arms, the cool night air brushing over us, and try to figure out what I’m going to do next.
Sophie steps out into the yard a minute later, scanning until she spots us. She walks over with a knowing little smile, my jacket in her arms.
“You OK?” she asks, glancing between me and Alex.
I nod, still tucked against his side. “I’m going to Alex’s place.”
Sophie’s eyes light up. She squeals and pulls me into a quick hug, passing me my jacket in the process. “Have fun! Text me when you get there. Or tomorrow. Whenever.”
She gives Alex a quick wave and heads back inside, clearly thrilled.
Alex pulls me closer, his arm tightening around my waist. He scent marks me again, dragging his jaw along the side of my neck. The gesture sends heat rushing through me. He takes out his phone with his free hand and calls for a ride.
A car horn honks a few minutes later.
Jamie leans out the driver’s side window, grinning. “You two need a ride?”
Alex chuckles and takes my hand, lacing our fingers together as he walks me to the car. We slide into the back seat. The moment the door closes, Jamie twists around to look at us.
“Well, well,” he says, eyes sparkling with mischief. “I’ve already taken Elodie home once tonight.”
“Is that so?” Alex replies, voice warm with amusement.
I nuzzle into his arm in embarrassment, hiding my face against his shoulder. My cheeks are burning.
“I got back to my room and saw Sophie’s note,” I explain, voice muffled. “So I decided to come to the party.”
Jamie laughs. “I get it. I wasn’t your first choice for the evening, but I am glad I get to see you again.”
I blush even harder. Alex tells Jamie to leave me alone, but there is no real heat in it.
Then Alex turns to look at both of us. “Wait. You two were hanging out earlier?”
Jamie nods easily. “Yeah. We were working together in her bug lab.”
Alex bursts out laughing. “Bug lab? Is that a euphemism?”
I lose it. A fit of giggles bubbles out of me and I hiccup in the middle of it. Jamie sniffs the air and shakes his head.
“You two are both drunk,” he says.
I talk right over him, still giggling as I launch into an animated explanation about my actual bug lab. I tell Alex about the specimens, the drawers, the careful pinning process, my hands waving as I describe everything. Alex listens with a tender smile, his arm still around me.
The car moves through the dark campus streets, and for a little while the three of us are just laughing and talking like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
I lean into Alex’s side and let the glow of the moment carry me.