Page 7 of Corrupt Me

A Beta pops up on my side, grinning at my discomfort. “Girl, you have to learn how to relax when you show up to these things or everyone’s going to believe you hate them.” Violet’s words relax me as I turn to see her in a cute shirt and pants set. She dresses similarly to Zana and she pulls off the look every time. Her blonde hair is piled on top of her head, big brown eyes catching everything unfolding here. She’s not just a friend. She’s also a bit of a gossip whore, let loose by her parents once they realized they couldn’t control her. “Hey, so Teo and Pen? When did that happen?”

“You ask like you didn’t know.”

“Bitch, seriously? I’ve texted you like all afternoon. Thought you might have found another Alpha or something to piss Teo off. Sofie and I had no clue. Chloe did. Her and Pen are besties.” Violet holds up her pointer and middle finger, twisting them together to show what she means. “Okay, so cool. No one knew. Now, tell me about this Alpha you kissed. Teo had a lot to say when he showed up a few minutes before you.”

This isn’t a safe place to describe Kolsen. Or Amiri. Or where I know them from. Saying that I kissed one of the owners of Temple, a club that’s only a few blocks from here? That will be a disastrous result if my father finds out. I’m not scared of what will happen but dealing with the fallout is going to be annoying as fuck.

Violet groans, yanking on my arm playfully. “Fine, fine. I’ll do my own research but bitch, if you were going to start the list without me, I would have liked to know!”

She’s also the one woman who’s stuck beside me every step of the way. Violet might not have an art degree but she works the front desk at the gallery. Her bright personality brings in some of the most expensive clientele and even though she doesn’t attend the church anymore, her parents do. It's the only reason she's allowed to dip into free food events like these.

“It wasn’t on purpose,” I say as I start heading toward an uninhabited corner on the lawn. I’m here for the food, to say hello to my father, and then I’m running home for a much-needed shower and a nap. “Teo just made me so fucking angry. I was feeling pretty today when I got there and I just wanted a little reassurance. It sounds dumb but that Alpha-” I cut myself off, feeling that heat build up in my lower belly again.

I don’t know what that is but it feels like an overreaction.

“Whoa, girl. What was that? Did you meet your mate?”

“No?”

“Do it again. Think about him kissing you. Touching you. Loving—oh girl, you’re fucked. That’s definitely a mate. Your scent gets all sweet and your cheeks are rosy red. Oh my gosh, I need all of the details but later. Right now, we have the buffalo chicken dip to stuff ourselves with before Teo makes that announcement.” Violet’s easy change between topics gives me whiplash as I’m dragged to the buffet table.

Mate?

That’s never been in my plans. Mostly because of my father’s stupid wishes. It was just easier to follow his rules than act out. I try not to think about Amiri but it’s the same reaction as with Kolsen. That means they’re both mates.

The problem is that knowing they own Temple means there’s one more individual—an Omega I haven’t met—that could derail all of these feelings in an instant. My heart drops into my stomach as I pile up a plate, managing a few quiet hellos until we find a seat on the lawn.

My father catches Violet and I minding our own business, stalking over with an expression that reeks of disappointment. “What is this I hear about you disrespecting Teo at the fair?”

I knew that Alpha would twist what happened. The problem is that I don’t know if Teo decided to lie about asking me to be his pack Beta or attacking me just before we left. Or both. “I’m not sure since I didn’t disrespect him. Teo has certain things he wants in a relationship and I’m not the Beta to give that to him. Dad, I know you want this to work. We will figure this out on our own, like adults and then we will bring it to you.”

That placates him for the moment, Violet raising a brow as if to challenge my father. The man just grunts and stalks off, making a beeline to one of the other pastors, most likely to complain about my behavior.

Everyone here knows me as the quiet, well-behaved daughter of Ezra Thomas, a pastor and widowed father. Most of that is bullshit but I’ll hide beneath the personality shoved on me a little longer. It keeps a roof over my head.

People start to crowd as the time passes, Teo holding up his hand to get everyone’s attention. When that doesn’t work, he holds up a small glass, clanking it to silence the chatter, Penelope still attached to his side.

Sofie finds us, plopping down onto the grass before scooping a chip into my dip. “Hey, just got here. Did I miss the announcement?” She’s much smaller than we are, the three of us sure that she would present as an Omega. Much to our surprise, the Beta is feistier than Violet and I combined. “Oh, is the announcement Pen? That’s a terrible choice. Sorry, I’ll be quiet. Hey, V!”

I gladly hand her my plate, watching her stuff her mouth as Violet and I share a quiet laugh. Teo seems to puff out his chest before holding out a hand for Penelope. “Today is a very special day. I asked Penelope for her hand and she said yes!” Teo holds up her hand, showing off an obnoxiously large rock that had to set him back a few thousand. My anger boldens as I try to reel in my emotions. That Alpha had the audacity to ask me to be his pack Beta when he was going to propose to another woman?

It's customary that Alphas marry their Omega, giving them another layer of protection. I just find it disrespectful how it all happened, especially since I don’t even know when Teo started dating Penelope. Violet and Sofie are in shock, most of our church surprised before they start congratulating him. There’s a lot of claps on his back and hugs given to Penelope. My gaze locks on Chloe who is squealing and hanging off the Omega. No surprise there.

Violet nudges me as the three of us fade into the background. “How are you feeling about this?”

“I’ve dealt with it. We broke up so him moving to Pen doesn’t really hurt. What does is when he asked me to be his pack Beta. Multiple times actually.”

Sofie chokes on a chip, growling. “Oh, yeah, that’s a no from me. Are we killing him? I have a shovel.”

“That’s not funny,” I push out.

Violet giggles. “It’s a little funny and no, Sofie, we’re unfortunately not killing anyone. Well, not with weapons. Maybe with a little bit of kinky fun, though?” She jabs me in the side again and I grit my teeth to keep from snapping at her. I don’t want everyone here to know about that list, although Sofie probably already does.

My shoulders sag as I try to stealthily pull out the list from my purse. Sofie grabs it, her grin widening until it takes over her entire petite face. “No shit? Camila!” She grabs my arm and starts roughly rocking me back and forth. “This is some next-level stuff. Are you ready—no, I know you’re ready for it. But with whom?”

“Her mate.”

Sofie whips her head around to stare at Violet. “Goddamn, I missed so much shit by skipping out on the fair. Spill! It’s not the guy you kissed at the—that’s a real lucky break. Camila-” I wrap a firm hand around her mouth to keep her from squealing all my secrets just as Teo and Penelope make their way to us. I’m assuming they’ve made their rounds, letting everyone congratulate them for their union. My father will have words about that later but I’m choosing to ignore that unpleasant thought.

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