Page 37 of Knot As It Seems

“Don’t try that shit again,” he whispers into my ear right before lifting a hand in greeting to somebody.

He introduces me, and I jump right in, acting the part of a doting omega the way I was taught to do. Moon must think it was a fluke because after that he makes it a point to introduce me to as many people as possible, his smile growing more and more brittle when I never buckle.

Every group of people we walk away from, we walk away with a dinner invitation, a brunch invitation, tears in their eyes from how hilariously funny I am, or massive smiles on their faces, usually at Moon’s expense. I’m working the room, and it gets to a point where I start to feel like I’m in a room full of friends instead of strangers. A switch flips and I start to enjoy myself.

Someone hands me a glass of champagne, and then I’m miffed my date hadn’t done so, trying to remain patient when I don’t see any of my other alphas anywhere in the room.

Catching me looking, Moon smirks down at me and it’s about at that point I realize he must have done something to keep them away from me, because he wanted me to have to deal with him. At least he understands how little I want to spend time with him.

“Excuse us for a minute, would you?”

I pull us away from our most recent friends, patting the wife on the arm while towing Moon from the room, avoiding catching anyone else’s eye so that we can be done with this dance.

The second we step into an empty hallway, I pin him to the wall, fury filling my body. “Where are they? What did you fucking do so that I’d be alone?”

“What’s the matter, Fable, aren’t enjoying yourself? Ready to leave yet?”

“What, did you make a bet with someone that I wouldn’t last? Is that it? Did you really go to the effort to sabotage me so that you’d have to take me home where you know I’d be even more miserable? What the hell did I ever do to you that you have to be such an incessant piece of shit to me?”

His smirk falls from his face, his eyes morphing into the cold orbs that look more at home on his grotesquely pretty face. “Maybe the rest of my pack just doesn’t think about you as much as you assume they do. Why does it have to be something I did? Maybe there are just more interesting people here they’d rather talk to. They see you every day.”

I almost believe him, but the slight tightening of the muscle under his left eye gives him away. It always spasms the tiniest amount when he’s bullshitting. Valuable information I learned pretty quickly with him.

“Do not use my hard-earned insecurities against me,” I snap at him. “Unlike you, your packmates know the proper way to treat an omega, and you forget that I’m bonded to three of them. I can feel their stress through the bond as they undo whatever made-up situation you’ve inserted them into to keep them away from me. It’s pretty pathetic how hard you have to work to keep yourself miserable.”

“I don’t trust you. And until I can figure out why that is, I will do everything in my power to protect the pack I built without consideration for you. If you want to stay out here in the empty hallway and miss Clement’s bignight, be my guest. He probably won’t even notice you’re not in your seat when it starts. Have you seen some of the models he’s got on staff? Talk about stunning.”

I spin away and duck into the women’s bathroom, locking myself into a stall so I can break down in peace.

“I’m using the men’s room next door. Do not leave this bathroom until I collect you,” he calls through the door. Moon tries to use his alpha bark, but his dominance doesn’t seem to affect me.

If he’s occupied, then that means I can slip away and use my bonds to find someone that actually enjoys my company. I did not spend so much time to look this good, just for it to be wasted on someone who doesn’t even get enjoyment from staring at my ass.

To my absolute pleasure, there’s another exit to the bathroom on the opposite side of the room, closer to the ballroom, so I head that way and immediately get myself lost in the crowd.

I’m perfectly safe here, it’s not like some random alpha is going to pop out of nowhere and try and kidnap me. I will say though, I’m surprised by the high population of vampires here. I know there aren’t a great number nearby, so the fact that they’re here means they had to travel to do so. Raises Clement’s esteem in my eyes, that he’s sought after. My omega likes thinking that we have an alpha that everybody wants in some aspect or another.

I pause just long enough to pull another glass of champagne from a server, being sure to thank them for it, then nearly spin right into the broad chest of a massive alpha that has all the charm of a fairytale prince.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? If it isn’t thesweetest omega I’ve ever seen? Tell me, beautiful, where could your alphas be?”

His eyes linger on my neck where my mating bites have been enhanced tonight with a touch of shimmery silver makeup, then back up to my eyes.

“On my way to meet them, actually. So sorry I bumped into you.”

“Not so fast, sugar,” another one says, pinning me between himself and the other alpha he must be here with. This one’s voice is deep, but it feels like a dirty film over my skin. He smells so strongly of rancid motor oil and cigarettes that it makes my nose feel slightly numb.

“Please step aside,” I assert, not letting them intimidate me. I’m in a room full of people. They can’t touch me.

Except they do. The first one, whose hands are now skimming down my arm as his nose flares out, taking in my scent, leans in too close and I lose patience, lose the charm. I knee him in the dick and duck out from behind him, only to be snagged by yet another broad chest in a suit.

I instantly start punching and clawing, but this time, it’s a voice I know that’s talking me down. “I’ve got you, Fable. It’s okay, baby. Just breathe, would you? You’re safe.”

I’m so relieved to see Jos, I don’t even think before wrapping my arms around his neck and inhaling his orange eucalyptus scent. It’s clean and revitalizing, and I stay next to it long enough to dust away the other alpha’s odor.

“You touched my omega,” he growls to the interlopers.

Another body pulls me away, bergamot and sage flooding my system to further calm me as Clement wraps himselfaround me, his chest to my back. With the downright slutty tank tops he’s always wearing and the downright slutty dress he put me in, there’s enough skin contact between us to really get me breathing easier.