2. CAMILA

Chapter two

CAMILA

Champagne pink petals flutter to the ground as we step out onto the fairgrounds, Zana having to hold Ethan back before he dives headfirst into the cotton candy stall. I swear the kid is twelve instead of twenty-one and with nearly ten years between us, he'll always be my baby brother. My mind wanders as I anxiously smooth down my dress for the umpteenth time, double-checking that it hasn't ridden up to show my spanx.

Giggling peels off to my right as I catch Zana smothering my brother with kisses, playfully growling at him every time he tries to squirm away. " Behave , Tan or I won't fuck you when we get home." Ethan immediately straightens up, eyes wide, his scent thickening until I slap a hand over my nose. Goddess, he's adorable and a handful.

Reid nudges my side to draw me out of my head, gesturing to the Alpha I was hoping to avoid. In this city, there really aren't that many places to hide and with only one spring fair, I should have assumed I'd run into Teo at some point this afternoon. His broad shoulders used to put fantasies in my head, his large hands maneuvering me into position before he-

I clear my throat, refusing to waltz down that path. For one thing, sex with Teo has always been boring. Straight to the point. He gets off. I moan a little. And then we go about our ways. My poor vibrators have seen more action than they should because Teo has no idea how to use his cock for anything other than a quick bust. I'm sure an Omega in heat would love that but I'm painfully conscious for every last second with that man.

"Who's the girl he's hanging with?" Reid asks.

"Penelope." We're friends, maybe acquaintances I guess. However, where I look like an Omega, Penelope is one. A gorgeous one with pretty red curls, thick hips and big tits. Every Alpha's dream. I steel my emotions and make my way over there, ready to head up this confrontation so that I can enjoy the little shops and snacks I came for. Teo and Penelope's conversation dies down as I come closer, both of them turning to face me as if I've caught them red-handed. "Teo, Pen. Good to see you."

Short and cordial. That was nice enough, right?

The way a vein in Teo's forehead seems to pop out tells me differently. He's never enjoyed my sharp tongue but I'm not changing for him. He wraps an arm around Penelope's shoulder and tucks her in against his waist. "I wanted to talk to you about something, Camila." I stare up at him, searching his expression. That little show of PDA tells me that Penelope means more to him than just a passing thought.

And the way her scent sweetens a little? Yeah, they've known each other for a while. The fact that our fathers are all friends tells me that in some part, they knew about this relationship and I was still being pushed to be Teo's .

I tilt my head to the side, running my tongue along my top teeth before speaking. "Does this ‘talking' have anything to do with apologizing for last week?"

Teo bursts out laughing. "There's nothing to apologize for. Those were good points. I wanted to know if you had changed your mind about being my pack Beta. No, don't look at me like that. It's what I'll need. It's what Penny and I'll need." He looks down at Penelope with a soft smile, the Omega curling tighter into his side. I can't even tell if it's for show or if Teo actually likes her.

A few months ago, I might have wailed and raged against Teo, pleading for him to explain why I wasn't good enough. That version of Camila doesn't exist anymore. I might still be working on my confidence but there is one thing I have figured out—that my worth isn't dependent on an Alpha and that I'm worth way more than just a pack Beta.

Teo's disrespect still stings but I no longer have a problem dismissing his less than chivalrous advances.

"Thank you for clarifying what you're looking for, Teo." I grant him my customer service smile, the one I don at the art gallery with difficult patrons who don't understand the rules. "But I am not the right Beta for that, nor will I ever be. You want submission and servitude? Find someone else." My words come off clipped but this is the third conversation we've had in the last couple of days and I'm over trying to explain to this man that what he wants from me is impossible.

My father has always wanted me to follow a certain set of rules so that I would become the perfect housewife—just like my mother. She enjoyed it most days but she was also an Omega. Her nature was to nurture and support. She found solace in keeping our house and I loved watching her hum and dance through the kitchen and halls as she cleaned .

Ethan retained some of that joyous spirit when it came to cleaning but Reid and Zana end up doing most of it. It works for them. I find no joy in playing the servant to a pack that wants nothing more than my service. A lifelong relationship with Teo would come with a bond and more rules. I have no desire to attach myself to his hip and bend over when he says to.

Not anymore.

"Your father-" Teo blurts out but I hold up a hand to stop him.

"Stop threatening me with my father. It's losing its charm real quick, Teo." The Camila from a few months ago would have cowered and apologized profusely before finding a way to rectify the situation. Today? I'm just pissed that Teo thought I would crumble so easily. I am more than my biology.

Stomping away, my gaze snags on one of the more scandalous booths of the fair. What better way to prove to Teo that I'm more than just a Beta than approaching the kissing booth with a random Alpha? There's four Alphas to choose from, each one inside their own little wooden booth. I'm sure I can find one that's kissable enough. A glance back at Teo has his face hardening which just spurs me on to stand in line, my nerves getting the best of me.

This is so fucking stupid.

I'll be thirty in a few weeks and I'm here, going to kiss a man out of spite to prove something to an Alpha I don't even want. It made sense in my head seconds ago but now that I'm nearing the beginning of the line, there's no going back. Especially when I recognize the Alpha on the far right sitting forward in his chair, thin rectangle glasses sitting at the edge of his nose.

Long, dark, curly hair curves around his face, piercing gray eyes locking with mine. He's smaller than Teo but his aura is fiercer, scarier even. Something about him has my heart in my throat as I approach, my body trembling beneath the force of his gaze. It takes a few minutes before I remember where I've seen him.

He's the Alpha I catch sitting at the café when I pick up coffee before work. Always behind a newspaper or furiously working through something on his laptop. We steal glances at each other across the shop but haven't said a word to each other.

And now he's here.

Waiting for my kiss.

I wring my hands together in front of me, swallowing nervously as the scent of coffee and bourbon overwhelms my senses. My cheeks heat as my body reacts to this Alpha. I suck in my bottom lip, unsure of what to do next.

The Alpha sits forward, those gray eyes almost innocent in the way they brighten behind his glasses. "Five dollars. It goes to the shelter up the street to buy items for the kids." He runs a shaky hand through his hair before looking behind him into the darkness of his small booth. "And then you kiss me."

Some of my anxiety melts when I realize that as terrifyingly gorgeous as this Alpha is, he's kind of… awkward. He moves to resituate his glasses, waiting for my response but I can't tear my eyes away from him. Maybe I shouldn't be so intrigued by a stranger I've just shared passing glances at the cafe with. Why couldn't these kinds of sparks happen with Teo? It would have made things so much easier.

I step up closer, a dark shadow at the back of the small booth becoming clear. Another Alpha pushes forward, his aura much darker than the first. He steps forward, a wild grin on his lips as if his presence is supposed to terrify me. It does but it also sends shivers down my spine as I clamp my thighs together. This Alpha is just as beautiful as the first but where the first one seems awkward and a little tortured, the second Alpha has seen his fair share of death and destruction .

A path across his left side pays homage to the horrors he has experienced, half of his face disfigured with the nightmares of a fire. His left eye is covered but even with the scars, the second Alpha is gorgeous. Salt and pepper hair that trails down his jaw, a full beard and mustache with patches along the left side where the scars spilled down his cheek to his jaw. I imagine those hairs scratching along my neck and down my stomach before he-

His grin is lopsided, the other half of his face unmoving. It's as if he can tell what I'm thinking, his good eye–a pale blue–piercing right through me. "You going to help the children?" I don't expect to hear the honey dripping from his words, the smoothness heightening a growing need in the pit of my belly. When a cackle slips from his lips at my overwhelmed expression, the dark aura around him shatters. He crowds the opening to the booth, parking his ass on the small lip holding the money jar. "What's it going to be, sweetness?"

I suspect this is some kind of partnered act to keep people from choosing their booth but every moment standing here, the only thing I want is them. Everything else fades into the background.

"Is… is it five for both of you?" My eyes move from the first Alpha's lips to the second's, my heart beating a little faster. Teo was my last kiss but even before that, the few I've entertained after a night at the club haven't been anything memorable.

The second Alpha's lip turns up, a clipped edge to his voice. "It's just for Amiri, here." My brows furrow as I digest that, wondering why the second Alpha isn't part of the show if he's here. Is it just protection? His scent boldens, making me realize that the smell of bourbon is his, not Amiri's. I can't control the heat building in my lower belly, every whiff of their scent making me want to lean forward. This hasn't happened before with anyone else, definitely not Teo. He smells like Febreze, calm but not inviting. Definitely not enticing .

"Then how much for you?" I feel like an idiot for asking but I can't stop thinking about the second Alpha's lips. I want to know if they feel as soft as they look, in stark contrast with the hardened personality he's currently displaying.

He snorts, folding his arms across his chest, drawing my attention to the muscles thickening beneath his shirt. "You want to kiss me that bad, sweetness? Fine. Your choice." I don't think he actually believes I'm serious when I step closer, reaching up to caress that side of his face. His hand wraps tightly around my wrist, his teeth bared. "No touching."

I nod, trying not to let the second Alpha see how much his touch is affecting me. His grip, though forceful, isn't rough. It won't leave a mark and I could pull away if I wanted to. However, the thought behind it, that this second Alpha has caught me in his snare is what does me in. The moan that tears from my throat is completely involuntary, the second Alpha attacking my lips with a passion that shouldn't be possible between two people that have never met.

His tongue swipes along my bottom lip before pushing inside my mouth, tangling with mine until we're tasting each other like lovers starved. His rum scent mixes with other harsh flavors that I can't pick out, everything about this man consuming me until I'm stumbling back, my hands over my mouth as I try to catch my bearings.

His pale blue eye reveals the same shock as if he didn't mean to get lost in the moment but it's Amiri's pleasured groan that pulls me from the moment. Is he… aroused? I quickly search for a five-dollar bill in my purse before pulling out a ten and stuffing it in the jar. I dash across the fairgrounds before they can mention the extra change.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa ," Reid says as he catches me by the arms. I look up and then groan, realizing that he has been waiting for me since I left to speak with Teo. "That was one hell of a kiss, Mila. Do you know who those two are?"

"Should I?" I want to glance back but the heat in their eyes might have me making terrible choices. Other than recognizing Amiri from the coffee shop, their faces don't ring a bell. It's then that I realize I didn't get the second Alpha's name. The ghost of his touch lingers on my wrist and my lips, his taste now permanently etched in my memory.

Reid chuckles as he pulls me to one of the popcorn stands and holds up two fingers. Then he turns to me. "Mila, let's address the first thing. I'm glad you're putting Teo in his place. He deserves it."

"You weren't even there."

"I don't need to have heard anything you two said to know that he's pissed off and you told him to shove it. In your own words of course. Second, the way your brain processes things is hilarious. What were you trying to prove at the kissing booth? You don't even like Teo." Reid shells out a few bills before grabbing the small tubs and handing one to me.

"I'm more than just a Beta," I mumble, shoving a handful of popcorn into my mouth. My gaze narrows as I stare off into the distance, angry at Teo's outlook on life. A lot of Alphas think that way, unfortunately. Well, at least the Alphas I know except for Zana and a few friends from school. "I wanted to feel good about myself, I guess."

"Well, I'm going to say that it totally worked because you're fucking glowing. Now, back to the original question. You really don't know who they are?" Reid begins walking and I follow, knowing that we're going to meet up with my brother and Zana. "Mila, that's Amiri and Kolsen. Like Amiri and Kolsen Fox. Really? The owners of Temple ?"

I tense before shoving an unhealthy amount of buttery popcorn into my mouth to stave off my real reaction. Temple isn't just a club. It's sex within four walls, every bit of controlled chaos and debauchery unfolding in that place. The few times I've been invited for a party or night out have truly opened my eyes to an entirely different world that I'm missing. From voyeur cages to the women dancing on the stages, to the public acts unfolding in the corners, I was nothing less than intrigued.

One of the only reasons I gave any thought to the list that Violet gave me.

My mind wanders to the beauty mixed in with their dark auras, a beauty that matches Temple's ambiance perfectly. To anyone else, Amiri and Kolsen might be thoroughly terrifying but I found warmth in their stares and desire and lust. Maybe it was just playful banter to get my $5 but it felt like more than that.

"It doesn't matter who they were," I lie to myself. "It's a kiss for charity. I feel great about myself and now we're going to watch Zana wow everyone as she pounds that bell to show how strong she is." I point at the game we're creeping up on, Ethan's hands clasped together as he watches his Alpha with rapt attention. Zana is holding a hammer over her head, the employee running the game a little wary.

Reid isn't so easily sidetracked. "We get to cross something off that list, though." I frown as he pops a few pieces of popcorn into his mouth before nodding. "Kiss a stranger. I saw it on your paper. Maybe Teo should get you angry more often."

I hide behind my popcorn bucket, ignoring Reid's words as I settle next to my brother, the little bastard stealing my treat. I vow to spend the rest of my time enjoying the fair before I have to attend my father's afternoon spread at the church.

Which is easier said than done because I can't get those beautiful pale blue and gray eyes out of my head. Am I so easy that a little bit of flirting and a kiss is all it takes?