Page 9 of Priceless

“Nice to meet you,” I said. “Your packmate, and you, I guess, saved me from a rather awkward encounter.”

Micah held out his hand then, and when I gave him mine, he covered it with his other hand, clasping it gently. “I’m glad. Bad behavior aside, no one should leave a beautiful woman alone in the middle of a dance floor.”

I inhaled sharply. Chocolate and caramel. They smelled incredible, and I didn’t even have time to marvel about the fact that their pack smelled so good because my brain was busy being short-circuited by how easily he called me beautiful.

Jason, who declared he’d wanted to take me home, had said nothing of the sort.

Taking the moment to sip my water and look at them, they were exactly who belonged at a party like this. Handsome beyond belief, and rich, if the tuxes and watches they wore were any indication. And they’d rescued me from an asshole?

Yeah, I needed to get away from them as soon as possible. Because I’d already had this particular bubble burst too many times. And after Jason telling me I needed to accept pity sex because I was fat, I wasn’t prepared to see their kindness turn into pity.

I realized I’d been staring at our joined hands for too many seconds. “Thank you again,” I said, gently pulling back. “I was on my way out when he insisted we dance. So I think I’m going to go. But I do appreciate it.”

Everett smiled. “Any chance I can convince you of one more dance before you go?”

Yes.

Fuck, yes.

Dancing with all of them would be incredible. But it wouldn’t fix the root of the problem. I was already going to deal with the guilt and the loneliness when I got back to my room. Dancing with Alphas who only wanted to make sure I was okay wouldn’t help that, no matter how good it would feel to dance with someone who smelled amazing and looked even better. To be held.

“Not tonight,” I murmured, unable to hold his gaze and tell the lie. “But thank you for the offer.”

It took more effort than it should have to walk away. I felt their gazes on my back, and everything in me wanted to glance over my shoulder. But I didn’t, because if there was pity in their eyes, I would need more than this too-tight corset to hold me together.

So I didn’t look, and left, wishing I’d said yes to that dance.

4

LILAC (PURPLE)

MEANING: FIRST EMOTIONS OF LOVE FIRST LOVE INFATUATION; OBSESSION

EVERETT

________

Itook a single step after Ocean, and Micah’s hand met my chest. The growl cracked out of me so fast I startled myself, drawing looks from those nearby.

“Easy,” Micah said, voice lowered.

“Easy?” I said. “Please tell me you’re kidding. I can’t take it fucking easy. Because she’s?—”

“I know.” He nodded his head toward the back of the room and the windows. Away from the direction she’d gone. I could still scent her in the air. Omega. Sweetly floral and laced with sugar I wanted to taste. To bite.

To feast on.

That woman was our scent match, and I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. I’d been so angry when we came to the gala, not wanting to be here at all. Now I didn’t want to be here so I could follow the trail of her scent, pin her to the wall and show her absolutely everything.

More than everything. Bite her and let her feel just how deep and how far this went and how I never imagined finding someone so fucking beautiful and then realizing they were meant to be yours. I wanted to merge us together so there was never any room between us again.

She was still in the room, waylaid by Laura, Frank’s wife. It made sense if she was leaving.

Micah hauled me in the opposite direction, and it was only the thought of frightening her when she’d already had some asshole pawing at her without consent that I let myself be dragged away.

Ocean.

The name echoed in my head along with the rhythm of the waves along the coast.

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