Page 88 of Knot the Alphas' Feral Omega

Lilah

The gala Oliver’s work was hosting was in an enormous gallery in the middle of town. We hired a driver to take us there, and the entire time I was sitting in the back seat, sandwiched between Killian and Emmett, Killian was holding my hand, his thumb gently stroking back and forth over the back of it.

It was sweet and, at the same time, a little bit much—even for Killian. He kept looking my way, an odd glint in his eyes, and more than once, I wanted to turn to him and ask him exactly what his problem was. Not that I necessarily thought there was aproblem, per se, but there was definitely something going on with my alpha. If he weren’t going to tell me what it was outright, then the least he could do would be to stop looking at me like I was about to explode.

Oliver seemed to have something going on with him, as well. He sat across the aisle from us in the limo, a glass of whiskey inhis hand. Whenever he looked at me, he offered a small smirk, reaching up and trailing his fingers along his collar, toying with his dress shirt and drawing my attention there.

He knew what he was doing, of course—the bastard. My desire and arousal after Killian’s little teasing session were intense, almost more than I could handle, and it took everything inside of me not to launch myself across the limo and take Oliver right then and there, witnesses be damned.

A part of me was almost certain Killian and Emmett would appreciate the show, but by the time I started seriously considering it—if only to help quell some of the itching need between my legs—we were pulling up in front of the gallery.

Oliver offered me a hand as he climbed out of the limo, a genuine smile pulling at his lips. “Ready to go?” he asked softly.

I could hear the underlying question, the question that he really wanted to ask me. Did I feel ready to go out there and declare my allegiance to the pack in such a public way? I still wasn’t formally the pack’s omega, and I didn’t have a bond mark on my neck. Anyone could look at me and take a shot, as far as the law was concerned. Oliver and the others might have a formal bid to court me, but as far as claiming went, the legal requirement was a bond mark.

I knew Emmett was a little concerned about it, though he hadn’t said anything about it to me. I’d overheard him muttering to himself while he got ready for work the other day, but by the time I walked into the room, ready to confront him, he had clammed up and refused to bring it up when I had gently tried to pry.

Still, there was no uncertainty in Oliver’s eyes as I took his hand—only warmth and the easy affection I had come to associate with him. Yes, he could be a stubborn asshole, and yes, I knew we were going to have an uphill battle after I was a formal member of the pack, especially if Hunter Randall continued to harass us.

But tonight...tonight wasn’t about that. Tonight was about spending time together, getting to know some people, and showing myself off as Oliver, Killian, and Emmett’s omega for the very first time.

My stomach flipped as Oliver tucked my hand into the crook of his arm, and we started walking up towards the gallery. “Yeah, I’m okay,” I said quietly, just loud enough that all three of my alphas could hear.

Emmett made a soft, rumbling chuckle behind me, and Killian reached out and brushed his fingers along the curve of my neck, a sweet reminder that he was there. Even that innocent touch was enough to make a shiver run down my spine, and I glared at him as we walked up to the entry, where a doorman waited with a list.

“If you want me to get through this night unscathed, or if you want to make it through this night unscathed, then I suggest you leave the touching to a minimum,” I hissed at Killian, ignoring Oliver as he spoke to the doorman.

Killian smirked at me, and after a moment, he reached out and brushed his fingers down my neck again. That odd twinkle was back in his eyes, and he leaned close, his breath brushing over my lips. “You’re all bark and no bite, baby girl. I think you and I both know that.”

He winked at me and then pulled away just as my mouth dropped open for me to give him a piece of my mind. The flare of arousal and irritation bubbled up inside me, and I wanted to launch myself at him—whether that was to tackle him to the ground or to attack his mouth with a kiss that would make both of our heads spin, I wasn’t entirely sure.

A gentle touch on my hand drew my attention back to Oliver, and he smiled at me softly as he pulled me close to his side again. “It’s okay, princess,” he murmured, dragging me into the gallery. “Everything’s going to be just fine.”

Somehow, it sounded like he was trying to reassure himself more than he was trying to reassure me, but I didn’t point that out.

No, I couldn’t do that when I was entirely preoccupied with the space we had just entered. The Villana Gallery was one of the oldest in the city, and it was lavish from top to bottom. Beautiful paintings were mounted on the wall—hypermodern, in a style that almost made my eye twitch, with sharp angles and bright colors that didn’t quite work together but were somehow aesthetically pleasing—and statues scattered throughout, beautiful artworks of marble and stone.

I couldn’t stop my jaw from dropping open as I looked from artwork to artwork, statue to statue, and stayed close to my pack as we slowly made our way into the center of the room.

“Does your firm usually go all out like this for a company function?” I finally managed to ask, my voice awed.

Oliver chuckled softly, pulling me towards one of the tables lined up and arranged carefully around the edges of the room. “Wemake the company a lot of money,” he said softly, steering me towards a chair. He pulled it out for me, and I made a soft sound of gratitude as I sank down, watching Killian and Emmett surround me on both sides. Oliver straightened his sleeves. “They feel like events like this show their gratitude without them needing to provide any additional benefits.” He rolled his eyes a little and then winked at me, a smile tugging at his lips.

I couldn’t stop myself from chuckling, his deprecating comment loosening something inside me. I felt like I was on the inside of something, sitting here with my alphas around me, and I glanced around the room again, admiring everyone in their finest attire.

“Does anyone else feel a little bit underdressed?” I muttered, unable to stop the shiver of insecurity that went through me as I looked around.

“Hey.” Killian reached out and caught my hand, and his eyes gleamed intensely as he looked at me. “You are beautiful,” he said seriously. “You are the most beautiful person in this room right now, and we are honored that you’re here with us. Do you understand me?”

I couldn’t stop myself from blushing at the compliment, and I ducked my head. “Yes, I understand,” I mumbled.

Killian squeezed my hand, chuckling softly. “Good, baby girl,” he teased.

I swallowed and then started looking around again. Oliver worked for an organization that worked with humans and shifters alike to create a better society, at least as far as I understood it. He’d tried to describe his actual job to me a coupleof times, but I’d barely been able to understand the high level of what the company did before my eyes started crossing, and I got lost.

Because of the nature of their business, shifters and humans alike wandered around the room, all dressed in their finest clothing—women in designer gowns and men in Tom Ford suits, Cartier jewelry, and watches more expensive than the house we lived in.

I had to admit that the display of wealth was a little overwhelming, and I couldn’t stop myself from squirming around in my seat just a little bit, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

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