Page 203 of Ashley & the A-Listers

Cameron swallowed as a frown curled his lips.

River stirred, as if aware of his stare, and Cameron refused to let his gaze linger. He stalked through to the makeup trailer, Dylan and Ashley trailing behind.

He hoped Rebecca could do something about his eyes.

“Oh, honey,” she tsked at him as she sat him in her chair. She tilted his chin up with a brush and pursed her lips as she studied her project. “What are we going to do with you?”

“Something magical, I hope,” he drawled.

“That’s what I’m here for,” she said, and he found comfort in her confidence.

He might feel like he’d spent half the night crying in his alpha’s lap, but he knew Rebecca wouldn’t let him look it. While she worked her magic, he read over the scenes he’d be shooting that day and tried to lose himself in the words.

Ashley and Dylan were waiting for him outside the trailer, and Ashley blinked at him as he exited.

“You’re glowing,” she murmured, and smirked. “How’d she do that?”

“Rude,” Cameron remarked, and almost went to her arms, but remembered he was already dressed and made up. Rebecca would not be happy with him if he rubbed it off before he ever made it to set.

Ashley must have sensed it, his need, because she grabbed his hand and brought it to her lips. She kissed the back of hisknuckles and then brushed her thumb over his bite mark, as if it was a promise.

A bit of tension fled at her affection. All he wanted to do was crawl into her embrace, nuzzle at her throat, coat himself in her scent, and be a pitiful, sad little omega for a bit.

But…

But.

They had a lot of scenes to shoot today, and Cameron’s makeup was going to devolve into something grittier and dirtier with every scene.

On a normal day, Cameron couldn’t wait to get in front of the camera and become a different person. Become Axel Stevens. Today, even more so.

He had to force himself not to immediately seek out River, like he was used to. Instead, he completely avoided the writer’s side, and drew in a breath.

“Good luck,” Ashley whispered, and squeezed his wrist. It was the most harmless place to scent him, and Cameron was grateful.

“Thanks,” he said, and shifted his grip to hold her hand. “I need to focus,” he told her.

Through the bond he felt her stress, her worry, but Cameron… well, for the first time, he tried to give himself space in their connection.

It was a sloppy wall, but it gave him enough room to center himself.

In this moment, he wasn’t Cameron, heartbroken over his pack mate’s betrayal, torn over the role he’d played in driving him to an unfortunate decision.

I’m Axel Stevens. I’m about to go into battle with my unofficial boyfriend who's been through several death-defying situations. And we’re going to steal some high-tech flash drive to save the world. No biggie.

All in a day for Axel.

“Cut!” the director yelled.

Cameron huffed, and refrained from dragging a hand through his hair as makeup and a PA approached. He kept messing up his lines, which made no sense! He’d rehearsed for ages; he knew these lines as if he’d written them himself!

…Or as if he’d been there every step of the way as they’d been written.

Cameron shoved that from his mind as the director made his way over.

“Cameron. Whatwasthat?” he asked quietly.

For an alpha, he was rather gentle, and in the moment his voice was kind, which was when he was the scariest.

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