47. Shay

FORTY-SEVEN

Shay

W e were barely out of our rental on Johnson City pack grounds when a harried beta rushed up to us.

"High Alpha! I'm so glad you're back. Alpha Todd has put together a last-minute fete to celebrate your historic visit to Texas."

"Historic?" Kane asked with a heavy dose of skepticism.

"Apparently, it's been more than two hundred years since your father visited, and that was before Alpha Todd's time. The neighboring pack Alphas, ah, would like the opportunity to participate in history. Or so they bellowed over the phone. Repeatedly. Until he agreed to host the event, which begins in less than two hours."

The beta's harried expression suddenly made a lot more sense. Dread built in my chest. A room full of alpha energy was not my idea of a good time ever, but especially not now. I was processing everything we just heard from Kari and really struggling. My not bonding Dirge—right away, thank you very much—was one skosh shy of actively hurting my best friend. But were we ready for that? There was still so much we didn't know about each other, and sure, the attraction was through the roof…

But bonding was for life.

Granted, at this point, I couldn't imagine life without him. Even when I thought he'd be doomed to permanent wolfhood, I had still wanted him close. But now… now we spent our nights tangled up and our days getting to know each other. I couldn't imagine it any other way.

Did that mean we should bond, though? Right now? It was so fast.

I was conflicted. And the more I thought about it, the more it felt like I was keeping secrets from him, secrets that might make him want nothing to do with me.

"I see," Kane said with a chuckle. "Well, we'll be staying in town for a bit longer, and we'd be happy to meet the neighbors."

Reed cut in, his politician voice firmly in place as he took the aide by the elbow. "Unfortunately, though, we didn't bring formal attire for an event of this type. We packed light." He bestowed the man with a dazzling smile, and I swear on the Goddess's hem the man nearly swooned.

"That's no trouble at all. I've already called in a tailor, and his team is staged with formal-wear options for each of you, just outside your lodgings."

"Excellent…?"

The man wasn't breathing. He stared into Reed's charming face for a long moment before he realized he was waiting for an introduction. "Marvin," he finally stammered.

"Thank you, Marvin. Please let Alpha Todd know we'll be there with bells on."

"Of course, I'll update Alpha Todd." He wandered off in the direction of the other alpha's office, but not without casting a few looks back over his shoulder at Reed, who'd already jumped into business mode .

"Okay, as usual, I'm approving outfits for you." He leveled a disapproving glare on Gael. "But I suppose your mates might want to handle your outfits now?" He looked at Brielle first, then me.

"Umm, can we just say that we're not exactly formal, and we'd appreciate you handling all menswear decisions?" Brielle asked with a grimace.

I nodded my agreement.

"Excellent." Reed gleefully rubbed his hands together. "Let's go see what Texas tailors can do in… an hour and forty-nine minutes."

A lot, as it turns out. A Texas tailor with a team of ten—yes, ten —assistants could dress us all in ninety minutes flat, in clothing fancier than we'd worn for Bri and Kane's bonding ceremony. I tugged nervously at the neck of the gown where the strapless side swooped down under my arm, only to have my hand smacked by my assigned dresser, Jewel.

She studied me with pursed lips from the floor to the tips of my hair, which had been styled into a sort of braided-sides, swoopy-curled mohawk. That part was pretty cool. The dress, though …

"It's perfect, and if you touch it again, I'm going to bite your hand off." The she-wolf lifted her lip in a snarl, not a hint of joviality in her stance as she nodded. "You're ready. You can head into the hallway—you're expected in about five minutes. But if you need more tape, I'll be in the back of the room with my kit."

"Uh, thanks," I murmured, eager to get away from her. She was all sharp angles with not a hint of soft edges, and her personality matched. By the time I stepped into the hallway, my stress was through the roof, which was ridiculous given all we'd been through. But between her salty personality and the impending crowds, I was not a happy wolf.

"Shay?" My name on his lips was low and husky. It sent a thrill straight to my pussy, panties going damp with just a single word. I forced myself to turn slowly, even though I was tempted to throw myself at him.

I didn't want to know what Jewel's punishment would be for getting horizontal with my mate after she'd perfected every detail of my appearance. And then I spotted him, in a freaking tuxedo , hair slicked back and that devilish grin that made my knees turn to jelly. Fuck, forget horizontal. I'd accept vertical, up against the wall, if it meant I got to muss him up a little.

"Hi," I whispered, slowly looking up to meet his glowing eyes.

"Hot damn, you are a vision." He closed the distance between us, and between one blink and the next, his hands were skimming up the sides of my plum gown, fingering the lace trim at the edge. His erection throbbed hot against my belly, which was swooping in somersaults.

It might be worth it to get smacked around by the tailor.

He reached up and touched a curl, twirling it around one finger with an appreciative hum low in his throat.

Shit. I could take her.

"You can't expect to come out dressed in this hot little number, looking all perfect and untouchable, and just say hi, muzic? mea. You'll give a man a heart attack like that."

I rolled my eyes at his over-the-top flirting, but deep down inside, I felt like I was having a vagina attack. She wanted him, stat. He was gorgeous in formal wear; his usually unruly hair was slicked back, and the sleek black tux he wore hugged his broad shoulders before coming in to frame his narrower waist. It was ridiculous to feel this turned on when I'd seen him naked, but somehow, that just made it hotter. I was the only one who knew what was under all that fine window dressing. I knew the real man, and I couldn't wait to peel him out of it all later. Drive him wild, like I knew he could be.

Settle down, hussy. I have to be presentable for at least two hours.

His fingertips grazed the top of my breast, just the swell that crested above the curve of the dress, and my clit tingled with pure, unadulterated lust as I inhaled a deep breath of his scent. The cedar and bergamot was laced with his own answering need as I slid my hands inside his tux jacket.

Fuck, fine, one hour. You just have to make it one hour.

Dirge's chest was warm and solid under my fingertips, and suddenly, the anxiety about tonight's event was gone. He was here. He was my touchstone.

A shudder racked me, the last bit of the nerves working their way out, and he frowned down at me.

"Was that?—"

"Bitches, this better be a good night. Because I don't want to waste all this fine ass on a boring, freaking political dinner." Leigh strutted into the hallway with both hands on her hips, doing a little spin to show off a fire-red mermaid gown that hugged every curve she had. She stopped with her hip cocked, displaying said ass with flair.

I laughed and felt Dirge's chest shake with laughter under my fingertips. What else could you do?

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, Leigh. We already know all the Johnson City folks, and I think only a few neighboring alphas are coming," Brielle stood in front of her own door, Kane appearing at her back as she shoved a white-gold earring into place.

Leigh rolled her eyes. "Listen, I need to get laid, okay? They better have some hot seconds, or I'm going to be hitting the Howler solo tonight, and we all know that's not a good look."

I cringed. The Howler was a dive bar about ten minutes off pack grounds where in-the-know humans came to get lucky with a shifter. It was seedy as hell and not at all safe for her to go to alone. The bouncers were good enough, but every now and then, a disgruntled hunter snuck in to take a swipe at a tipsy shifter.

"If you're looking for a second, look no further," Gael said smoothly, eyebrow cocked defiantly.

Leigh's mouth flapped a few times, much like a fish, before she angrily snapped it shut. "You wish you were that lucky. You and your sugarcoated dick are off-limits."

He threw his head back and laughed, a sound I'd never heard before. "Sugarcoated? My, you must have enjoyed yourself more than I thought."

The top of Leigh's head was going to blow off. I was sure of it.

But she just smiled, sickly sweet as poison, and swayed toward him. "Ooh, big bad alpha thinks he's got a hold on the little she-wolf." She ran her hands up his chest, and he froze, a deer in the headlights under her fingertips. "But I've got news for you. It could be gold fucking plated and I wouldn't touch it again with a ten-foot pole. The asshole it's attached to isn't my style." She gave him a little shove backward, then stormed down the hallway.

"Those two are going to be endless trouble, aren't they?" Dirge murmured as we watched him watch her walk off.

"Either that, or they're going to kill each other," I agreed, concern about the night growing again as I watched them dance around each other again.

It was starting to look like my inner hussy was going to be disappointed tonight, because we were going to be on babysitting duty.

The event was actually lovely. They'd chosen an indoor-outdoor party space, though most of the guests were milling around outside chatting under the twinkle lights or gyrating on the dance floor. The music was okay, but not what I'd have chosen. The breeze carried away many of the overwhelming scents, the fresh pine from the woods cleansing as well as soothing.

The food was good too. The waiters had just handed me some sort of seafood things that were too fancy for me to be able to pronounce, but I ate two of them with gusto.

"Do you want to dance?" Dirge asked as we set our empty plates on a passing waiter's tray, his breath tickling my ear as his arms went around me.

"Mm, yes and no?"

"And why is that?"

I sighed, watching as Leigh danced with a tall, brooding alpha male from Pack Timberwood. He was handsome enough, I supposed, but not at all her type. Meanwhile, Gael was knocking back hard liquor like it was water and pretending he couldn't see her.

We really didn't need a multipack altercation added to the pile of shit we were already trying to climb out of.

"Your friend is a grown woman, and while she might bluster in private, I don't imagine she'd ever do anything to hurt Brielle or Pack Blackwater's reputation."

"You're right," I said with a sigh, leaning back into his warmth.

A raindrop splattered right on my nose, but before I could wipe it away, another hit my cheek. Then my hair, and then it was like someone opened up the floodgates. Good-natured screams and squeals rang out as people made a mad dash for the indoor space.

I was laughing as I pulled Dirge along, not really all that concerned. Although, I didn't want to look like a drowned rat either.

The indoor space felt cramped after our freedom, and within ten minutes, the many clashing scents and alpha pheromones were already getting to me.

I had been slowly edging us toward the back door, preparing myself for an early escape as soon as the party started to wind down, when a quick burst of cold air hit the back of my neck, and a too-familiar scent blasted me.

My pulse pounded, and the whole world seemed to narrow as I spun.

"Shay? Are you okay?" Dirge's voice sounded far away, as if he were yelling down a tunnel.

He was here, and I was not even close to okay.

So I ran.