Page 5 of Pack Fever

Caught in a whirl of exhilaration and freeing my voice, I spin—a move that sends me crashing into a solid chest. A pair of strong arms catch me, steadying me. And suddenly, Nocturne has become something more…

He’s tall, six-foot-three, his black shirt tight, muscles pushing against the fabric. Then I meet his eyes, that beautiful face. Damn, even with a mask covering more of his face than mine does, my heart’s fluttering by those strong cheekbones pushing against the mask, the sharp jawline, and lips that should be called sin.

“Oh, I-I’m sorry,” I murmur.

I’m completely breathless, locked in his arms, unable to find my voice to say more, but when I breathe in, I claim his scent. Scents of honeyed ginger and oak flood me, and my knees weaken. A powerful sense of energy hits me, wrapping around me, and it’s overwhelming, as if gravity is a whole lot stronger all of a sudden.

Reality slams into me as fast as who’s standing in front of me.

An Alpha.

I wriggle out of his arms, aware I shouldn’t be engaging him in any way, not giving him any chance to discover I’m not a Beta, but my feet aren’t moving away from him. My heart’s taken over my body, and I can’t escape his gaze.

It feels like he’s put a spell on me.

“Hey, pretty girl. You can bump into me anytime, especially with a voice like yours,” he says loud enough for me to hear over the beating sound of the music.

Did I mention I’m melting? He speaks in a deep baritone, with a husky voice that shoots a shiver of desire right through me to the core of my body. I’ve lost all ability to think beyond who this beautiful stranger is, especially when he stares at me from behind his mask with a possessiveness in his gaze.

“Wh-What do you mean?” My body sways toward him of its own accord, as if we’re two magnets drawn to each other.

Someone bumps me from behind, and I tumble back into his arms. I blush profusely while he chuckles.

“Looks like you’re right where you belong,” he says, then he lowers his face to mine, his mouth lingering over my ear. “I heard you singing. Do you know how magical you sound?”

Every inch of me is burning up, my skin covered in goosebumps. Him exhaling that delicious hot breath all over my skin isn’t helping me resist, especially when an Omega like me shouldn’t be at a club. But his words ignite something warm inside me.

He doesn’t seem to mind or notice I’m not an Omega, especially since, to him, I’ll smell like nothing more than a Beta. Thing is, Omegas don’t perfume until they go into heat, so we can often be mistaken for Betas. The only way Nexus knows for certain we’re Omegas is by our blood test, which all children have to take to confirm their distinction.

So, of course, my mind is racing with thoughts that this may not be such a bad idea to have some fun.

I’ve heard so many things about Alphas, about their dominance, their possessiveness, and how much control they have over Omegas. That their scent alone can render us weak, which I can personally admit to being true from meeting him for two seconds.

But he seems different… I’ve met other Alphas, and none has shaken me to my core.

Our gazes are locked, and it’s as if he sees right past the music and into my soul. But it’s not just his eyes; it’s his entire energy that calls me to him. Sure, he’s a stranger, but there’s a strange familiarity, like a melody you once heard, one that feels as if it’s been written in the stars and meant just for me.

Is this what they mean by you’ll feel it when you meet your Alpha?

A fleeting moment that leaves an imprint on your heart for eternity.

Heat climbs up my cheeks, and I wriggle out of his arms once more when I hear my friends giggling somewhere behind me, obviously watching us.

“What’s your name?” he asks, his hand still holding mine as if he’s not ready to be away from me.

“D-Danica,” I manage.

He grins. His mouth moves with his response, which I can only assume is his name, but it’s the same moment the song switches some a heavy base, drowning out his words, not to mention the whole crowd explodes into wild cheers.

His hand is firmly around mine, suddenly guiding me with a confident pull off the dance floor. A subtle tilt of his head tells me all I need to know. In that whirlwind moment, my gut screams to trust this feeling, to follow him.

I throw a quick glance back at my friends, where it’s Casey and Jess only, so I assume Kayla’s getting drinks or in the bathroom. My two friends’ eyes are wide, and with excitement on their faces, their smiles huge. As I open my mouth to shout something back at them, they’re already urging me on with enthusiastic waves, telling me without words to just go for it.

I giggle, but the thumping music swallows the sound as I turn to follow my Adonis.

He weaves us skillfully through the crowd, up toward the bar to a secluded spot on the edge, where shadows play hide and seek. I just wish there was more light so I can really see who this man is, see the details of his face. The idea of reaching up and peeling his mask away teases me.

He leans closer to me, and my heart skips three beats. I’m not exactly experienced with guys, seeing as I’m closely guarded at home, though I have kissed boys before and even gone to second base once at the club. However, I have never been drawn to a man like him before. It might be that I’ve only ever kissed a Beta.

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