37. Jade

thirty-seven

Ispot my mother standing in the corner of the room. Our eyes meet, but we both turn away, refusing to acknowledge each other. Her stays in the psych ward have certainly mellowed her out. My father left her a few months ago, too. I don't know where he is. I don't care, but sometimes I wonder if he's happier without her.

Silas has volunteered one of his hotels for this charity event. It's raising funds for the Omega Refuge. I'm working there now, with Silver Davies and my dreamy Adrian. Hazel and I came up with this idea, and using her contracts and with my bullying power, we got a record number of people to attend tonight's event.

Sven and Kandi ended up not going back to work with Missy. They started a gym and self-defense studio and work a couple of times a week at the Refuge, giving omegas and their children demonstrations that could save their lives.

Silver rushes towards me, and I let the memory of the past slip away. I embrace the omega tightly. Over the past year of working in the refuge, I've gotten to know her really well, and I can firmly say that she is one of my closest friends.

"Hey, I just wanted to say goodbye," Silver says in a rush.

I pull back and stare up at her. There are shadows of agony in her eyes. I don't know how everyone else can't see it.

"You're leaving?" I say carefully.

"Yes, tonight's my last night working for the refuge." Silver glances around, almost like she's looking for someone.

"You have to stay in touch, Silver. I'm going to miss you," I say, but I'm watching her carefully, trying to gauge what's wrong.

Silver shrugs and squeezes me once more. She looks up, appearing hunted, and turns with a small wave before scurrying away. For a moment, I remember the terror of those nights alone, the panic of always looking over my shoulder. The pain of my injuries. The bite that healed up with no scar, thanks to Adrian's ministrations.

"Silver, wait!" I call out, but she's gone in the crowd in seconds.

My mind clings to those old memories. And I remind myself it's over.

No one came looking for Trevor, and the police took it as an accidental overdose. The most interesting thing about those few weeks has been the forced friendship I now have with multiple packs. Missy and Kandi are back to happily being best friends. I have to admit, she's okay when she's not trying to destroy my relationships. Hazel and Onyx are close. Dylan, Soren, and Barren, the three omega males, are a force unto themselves, each propelling the other into amazing feats of diabolical naughtiness that gets all of us omegas grounded. But they bat their eyes and get away with it.

I still need to figure out that part.

My pack never lets me get away with it. Sunny, Jet, and Lukas are my three favourite alphas from the other packs. They happily aid my mischief and cover for me. Lukas enjoys getting it up on Sven, and Sunny enjoys being a bratty baby brother, or so Kandi says in vicious growls. Jet, I think he just enjoys chaos.

"What was that about?" Kandi asks.

I turn and inhale sharply. Every time I see her in that black slinky dress, I have the same gut punch reaction. I take her hand and kiss her knuckles. I'm in purple, like usual. This time, the material floats around me, light as air. Adrian said I looked enchanting.

"Have I told you how incredibly beautiful you are, Beta?"

"Only a hundred times."

"Let me say it once more, then."

I shuffle closer, leaning up against her. "You're stunning, and everyone is jealous that you're on my arm."

"I think you're confused," Kandi whispers back. "They are looking at you."

I stand on my tip-toes and press my lips to hers. "I adore the air that you breathe."

"I worship the ground you walk on."

Sven snorts a laugh. We snap our heads around to glare at him.

"Do you mind? We're doing something here," I snarl.

"Making people around you get out of the love bomb orbit? So far, it's 100% effective."

Kandi elbows Sven in the ribs, but he just captures the back of her head and kisses her so passionately that I think the three of us forget where we are.

"Enough! I'll have to kill people if you keep going." Adrian adjusts his jacket and glares at the two alpha twins who walk past.

"Who are they?" I ask curiously.

"Part of Pack Vore, they are good, solid alphas, but I don't want them here right now. I want to get you three out of here."

"Ah, there you are!"

"Fuck sake."

I choke on a laugh as Adrian forces a very obviously insincere smile and holds a hand out to Jet Knight. The auburn-haired alpha's smile slips.

"Sorry, was I interrupting?"

"It's okay, we can't fuck on the dance floor," I say with a smile.

I find myself the focus of four pairs of eyes and reach out to grab a glass of wine from the server.

"Well, uh. Glad to be of service?" Jet scratches his head and glances around. "To be fair, if you did, it would be highly entertaining and possibly steal the show."

Sven, Kandi, and Adrian growl.

Jet laughs and holds up his hands. "Okay, okay. No fucking on the dance floor. I've been instructed to tell you to come to the manor in a few weeks. We're having a thing."

"What is a thing?" I ask, biting my lip to hide my amusement as I tease the alpha.

"It's a gathering of all the packs we're friends with."

"Oh!" I say, suddenly interested. "Is Silver going?"

Jet hesitates.

"Silver's going!" I say happily. "That's awesome, thanks, Jet."

"I didn't say-"

"Yes, you did," I growl at him, narrowing my eyes in clear warning.

He peers at me. "Well, look at that. So, I did. I'm just going to go before I agree to give you a kidney."

I snort a laugh and wiggle my fingers as the alpha flees.

Adrian wraps his arms around me and drags me close. "I hate these parties now more since we met."

"Oh, why is that?"

"Look at them all," Adrian glowers. "Vultures, trying to get close to talk to you. They used to fear me. Used to think you were a weird little omega."

"They still fear you, baby," I say, patting his hand. "It"s just that they are more fascinated with me and Kandi now."

Kandi laughs. "This is true. You're packed up with some very popular female mates."

"Can't you just offend a couple of them?" Adrian asks Kandi in what sounds perilously close to a whine.

"It's our anniversary tonight," Kandi says. "One year since Sven bit our omega and made us a pack. We need to stay for an hour, and then we can go do the thing."

I jerk my head towards the beta. "What thing?"

"Oh, now you've done it," Sven grumbles and grips my chin. "If you leave it alone and don't ask questions, I will go get you those chocolate things."

I press my lips to his. "Can I ask two questions?"

"One."

"Two."

"One," Sven says with a growl.

"Fine, one."

He stalks off on a mission to get me chocolate. Kandi smirks at me, and then steps back, vanishing into the crowd.

"Dance with me?"

I put my hand in my alpha's. "We've come a long way, haven't we?"

"We have."

"You have friends, a pack, a home. You're not being hunted. How does it all feel?"

"Like a dream that I get to live every day. Where are we going? That's my one question. I want to know where we're going."

"We're going wherever you want."

My eyes widen. "What about work?"

"We are now on a three-week vacation. Tonight, we leave for anywhere."

I let out a squeal, and he lifts me up, spinning me around. My alpha is smiling. He's happy. I can feel it. The answering bonds inside me light up. I lean forward and cup Adrian's face.

"We've going to be happy forever."

"Of course," Adrian says matter-of-factly. "Any less would be impossible. Now, dance obscenely close to me so we make these pretentious packs whisper in horror."

I bark out a laugh and press up against him. "With pleasure, Doctor Adrian."

"And then I'm taking you wherever your heart desires."

I'm silent for a moment.

"Alpha?"

"Yes, baby?"

"I know what my heart desires."

"What is that?"

"You. Just you. Sven and Kandi. That"s all I need. That will make my dreams come true."