Page 36 of Bonding the Band

I knew how to handle fans. Sometimes it was easy when I found the ones I could form a genuine connection with, but a lot of the people who came to these events and paid extra to see us didn’t care which one of us they got to spend time with—or make out with or fuck. They wanted a story to tell. Screwing someone from Hard Knot Life made a good story. I didn’t blame them, not really. Being famous attracted all sorts, and just because they’d be as happy with me as they would with any of the others didn’t mean I had to hate our time together. I simply tried not to think about being interchangeable.

I slipped into the room, guzzling a bottle of water and shoveling half a protein bar into my face before chugginganother bottle of water. We usually drank at least a little alcohol at these things, but I had to keep my head in the game right now.

The doors opened, and I flicked that little switch in my head that changed me from Hendrix to Apollo. That was who they were expecting, and I wasn’t going to disappoint.

I swung my arms wide, plastering a bright smile on my face. “Ladies! Welcome to VIP. It’s just me tonight, I’m afraid.”

A few of them pouted.

“I know, I know. Suck those beautiful lips back in. The others aren’t feeling well, so I get you all to myself.”

Our bartender emerged, getting drinks for everyone, and I took a soda for myself, sitting down on the couch, where I was instantly surrounded. The ventilation system wasn’t doing nearly a good enough job, the cacophony of scents making me dizzy. Or maybe that was whatever Gary had given me starting to wear off. Either way, I was miserable.

I used every ounce of brainpower to keep a smile on my face, to be charming but a little aloof, to be exactly who they thought they knew. I answered questions, redirected wandering hands at a rate that would usually have given me flutters of excitement but today only made my stomach turn.

The temptation to ask for something stronger from the bartender was ever present, but my omega was waiting. None of the others had come back, and it took a lot for my bandmates to skip their obligations, especially with paying fans.

The bartender waved me over, and I slipped away. He handed me a stack of red cups, a case of beer, and a package of Ping-Pong balls. “Something to occupy the masses, since you’re holding down the fort yourself.”

“You are a fucking angel. Thank you.” I snatched up the cups and spun around, holding them a loft. “Who wants to play beer pong with Apollo?”

The chorus of screams was exactly the reaction I had hoped for. At least if we had a game, no one would feel left out. The fans made quick work out of setting up everything, arranging the cups on a folding table while others emptied the cans into them. This definitely had the potential to backfire, but I was fucking awesome at beer pong.

We bent the rules to include more of those present, playing with teams of five and letting everyone else crowd around to watch. It was fun enough, the room full of raucous joy with every ball that landed in a cup. I lost track of how many pictures were taken, how many times my ass was groped, and how many women grabbed my face for a kiss when they sank a Ping-Pong ball. Whoever my omega was, she was not going to appreciate this many scents on me. I wasn’t appreciating it, either. The back of my mind kept reminding me that all of these were wrong. Not a single one of them was anything like the white rose and lilac I craved, even though I couldn’t remember the omega it belonged to.

Exhaustion sank into my bones. I didn’t fucking want to be here anymore. I hadn’t wanted to be here to begin with, but it didn’t matter. Even with fame and money, sometimes we were forced to play by rules we didn’t like. I knew why Gary was so insistent. These people paid good money for this experience, and if word started getting around that we weren’t fulfilling our end of the bargain, it was only a matter of time before we lost fans. I would suffer through a lot to stop that from happening.

“Apollo? Apollo!”

I jolted, turning to the brunette beta at my side. “Sorry. Yes?”

“It’s your turn.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask if they would mind if I dipped out early, but I knew what the answer would be. I would do it for my pack. I set a mental timer, willing to give themtwenty more minutes before I succumbed to the siren pull of my omega being nearby.

The others were probably with her right now. How fucking unfair was that? She wasmybond mate, but everyone else got to run off and see her before I did.

I whipped the Ping-Pong ball and sank it into one of the few remaining cups, the women around me cheering. The rest of the game was a test of patience, and I felt myself losing it with every second that passed.

Glancing at the clock, I finally raised my arms. “Ladies, thank you for an incredible evening. I would love to spend hours more with you, but I’ve had a very long day. Please feel free to stick around, enjoy some drinks, and thank you so much for coming to our concert.”

I blew the room a kiss and spun on my heel, practically sprinting out the back door.

There. I had done my fucking duty. Now it was time to meet my omega.

Chapter 16

Arlo

Meadow laid her head on my chest as we tried to catch our breaths. Both our bodies were covered in a thin sheen of sweat, but I liked that. Her sweet lilac and white rose scent filled the room, and every time I took a breath, I could have sworn I could taste her in the air.

“Oh…my,” my beautiful omega said breathlessly. “Thatwas amazing.”

“That was fucking glorious,” I panted, gently grabbing her chin and tilting her head so I could kiss her. Despite the mind-blowing orgasm she had just given me, my cock was already starting to stir again.

I would never have enough of Meadow.

Thank fuck she was mine.

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