Chapter 4

Four

DARIUS

" M ake sure you're checking to see if every omega arrives with their guardian," instructed the head force of security as he made his rounds to all of us at the Royal Palace. He was a delta like myself, hoping to intimidate some of the other beta security. I rolled my eyes. I couldn't care less if an omega arrived alone at the Omega Ball.

I only took on this job because of the hefty pay I'd receive. Five thousand dollars wasn't something to sneeze at.

Adjusting my uniform, I watched as each glamorous omega made their entrance into the ballroom. I was standing at the front doors, and across from me was another Delta guard. It almost made me sick watching how uppity and stuck up the omegas looked as they gazed upon their desirable alphas. Some of the omegas looked my way fearfully, especially at the large gun strapped over my shoulder.

I didn't give a fuck. I was here to do my job, collect my pay, and then go home. As I gazed at the omegas entering the ball with their guardians, one omega in particular caught my eye. She wore a glittering black dress that hugged her stunning body but the thing that stood out to me was her downcast gaze. She looked shy and almost uncertain of herself, unable to look at anyone. As she crossed the gates, her heels snagged on the ground and she tripped.

By the time I rushed over to her, she was sitting on her butt on the ground. I helped her back on her feet, her skin soft and smooth at the touch. When she stood back up, my breath stopped. She had long black hair that shone under the palace lights with a necklace of red and silver jewels draped around her neck.

"Are you okay?" I asked, still holding her hand in mine. She grasped it, clumsily almost falling again. With her hand in mine, I felt something inside of me shift. Light entering my dark soul. Or it could be her deadly omega magic.

"Yes, sorry, I hate heels," she laughed awkwardly, trying to deflect the attention from herself. Our gaze met, and her face looked flushed and embarrassed as the guests looked at her. I didn't want to look away from those hazel eyes of hers. I detected a light scent of mandarine, or was it orange? It was emanating from her in the light breeze outside, and it was intoxicating.

She didn't want attention. That never happened with omegas.

"Have fun inside," I said, annoyed at myself for feeling affected by her. I walked back to my post, watching as she and her friend entered the palace. My head was spinning as I watched each omega and alpha walk inside. My job was also to ensure an alpha didn't cross boundaries with an omega. I turned my gaze to the omega with the raven-colored hair who had fallen. Thirsty alphas already surrounded her as she made her grand entrance without looking at any of them. Something about her appealed to me, but I had better get my act together.

Because she was bound to be with an alpha pack, not a guard like myself.