Page 42 of Claimed By the Band

It has to be. Because the alternative is too dangerous to contemplate.

15

DAMON

My jaw clenches as we follow Vince deeper into the showroom, fighting the urge to grab Asher and get the hell out of here. The artificial pheromones are making my head spin, and I can only imagine how overwhelming it must be for our omega. But Asher's holding his own, chin lifted defiantly as he walks alongside us.

Vince drones on about their latest fragrances, gesturing dramatically at bottles with names like "Alpha's Conquest" and "Omega's Surrender." I tune him out, focusing instead on scanning our surroundings. Old habits die hard, I guess. Years of watching Asher's back and seven years in the military beforehand have made hypervigilance second nature.

I notice Echo—Alex, I remind myself—doing the same thing. His eyes dart around the room, taking in every detail. There's a sharpness to his gaze that doesn't quite fit with the shy, awkward beta persona he's been projecting. It makes me wonder just how much of what we've seen is the real him.

I've also never seen anyone who constantly keeps track of where the exits are and tenses up at every unexpected sound who wasn't either a soldier or traumatized as hell. Sometimes both.

Vince is still talking, his voice grating on my last nerve. "And this, gentlemen, is our crown jewel. 'Domination.' One spray, and even the most willful omega will be putty in your hands."

I feel Asher stiffen beside me, a low growl rumbling in my chest before I can stop it. Knox looks ready to commit murder, and even Silas’s carefully crafted mask is slipping.

Asher speaks up, his voice deceptively light. "And what exactly does it do?"

Vince turns to him, surprise and condescension warring on his face. "Oh, some things are better demonstrated, don't you think?" He winks, and I have to physically restrain myself from decking him. "Speaking of which, let me show you our VIP room."

He leads us through a set of ornate double doors, and I have to blink against the sudden increase in pheromone concentration. It's like walking into a wall of pure alpha musk. Asher stumbles slightly, and I steady him with a hand on his lower back.

"You okay?" I murmur, low enough that only he can hear.

He nods, but I can feel the slight tremor running through him. "I'm fine. Just... a lot."

Before I can suggest we take a break, Vince claps his hands, drawing our attention to a small stage at the far end of the room. "Now, gentlemen, for the real treat."

A young woman emerges from behind a curtain, and my stomach turns. She's barely dressed, all long limbs and wideeyes. An omega, unmistakably. She moves with a grace that speaks of extensive training, but there's a hollowness behind her smile that makes my skin crawl.

"This is Lily," Vince says, his voice dripping with false sweetness. "She'll be assisting with our demonstrations today."

I feel Asher tense beside me, his scent spiking with anger and distress. The rest of the pack shifts closer, instinctively forming a protective circle around our omega.

Vince either doesn't notice or doesn't care about our reaction. He turns to Asher with a leer that makes me want to rip his throat out. "I hope you don't mind, Asher. I've heard you're quite open-minded when it comes to your own kind. Perhaps you'd like to participate?"

The implication hangs heavy in the air, crude and unmistakable. I take a half-step forward, fists clenched at my sides. "Watch your fucking mouth," I growl.

Silas puts a restraining hand on my shoulder, but I can tell he's feeling the same way. He wants to tear this asshole apart as much as I do.

To my surprise, it's Echo who breaks the tense silence. "I thought this was supposed to be a product demonstration," he says, his voice carefully neutral.

Vince blinks, as if noticing Echo for the first time. I'm not really surprised. Plenty of alphas act like betas are invisible, and it figures he'd be one of them.

"Oh, of course. My apologies." He chuckles, the sound grating on my nerves. "Shall we begin?"

I glance at Echo, curiosity warring with suspicion. His reaction to Vince's comment about Asher was... odd. Almost like he was genuinely surprised. Which doesn't make sense. Everyone knows about Asher's preferences for alphas and omegas. It's hardly a secret.

Unless...

The realization hits me suddenly. I'm so used to everyone knowing everything about each one of us before we walk into a room, but Echo really doesn't know much about us at all. About Asher. He's not some obsessed fan or industry insider looking to cash in on our troubles. He's just... a guy. A guy who's putting himself at risk to help us.

The thought is both comforting and unsettling. If he decides all this is too much, there's nothing we can do to keep him here. Hell, he won't even let us pay him.

I'm pulled from my musings by Asher's voice, sharp with barely contained anger. "What exactly is Lily here to demonstrate?"

Vince's smile is all teeth as he pulls a sleek black bottle from his jacket pocket. "Why, the effectiveness of our products, of course."

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