Page 57 of Claimed By the Band

"That's... unlikely," Echo hedges, but I can see him wavering.

"But not impossible," Asher counters, leaning forward with that intensity that makes it impossible to look away from him. "We can't take any chances, right?"

Echo lets out a groan that makes me chuckle. I know exactly what it's like to be on the receiving end of Asher's particular brand of persuasiveness. Once he sets his mind on something, or someone, resistance is futile.

"You might as well give in now," Damon rumbles from his spot by the window, echoing my thoughts. "He's like a dog with a bone."

Echo shoots us both a betrayed look, like he was counting on us to be the voices of reason.

Sorry, buddy. We learned long ago that it's easier to just go along with Asher's schemes. They usually work out for the best anyway.

"The party is over a week away," Echo mutters, more to himself than to us. "But I guess I could take my work on the road for a little while..."

The way Asher's face lights up at those words is almost blinding. His scent blooms and I catch Echo's nostrils flaring slightly before he quickly looks away. Interesting. I've never seen a beta react to scent markers that strongly before.

Maybe Damon was right about the pheromones affecting him at PheroMaster. I was too busy trying not to puke and keeping an eye on Vince to notice it much.

"Perfect!" Asher exclaims, bouncing to his feet. "I'll have someone bring up your bags. Unless you'd prefer to stay on the bus? We've got plenty of space there too, though hotel rooms are probably more your speed since you're not used to touring?—"

"Ash," I cut in gently, recognizing the signs of him about to spiral into full planning mode. "Maybe let Echo catch his breath before you start rearranging his entire life?"

Echo shoots me a grateful look, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "The hotel is fine," he says quickly. "For now. We can figure out the rest as we go."

It's far from a commitment to stay with us long-term, which I already know is what Asher is gunning for, but it's a start. A chance to get to know him better.

I'm surprised by just how much I want that, too.

Our omega is already pulling out his phone, presumably to text Knox and Silas about our new temporary packmate.

This is either going to be the best thing that's ever happened to us, or it's going to blow up spectacularly in our faces. Knowing our luck, probably both.

22

JORDAN

Istill can't believe I agreed to this arrangement.

The suite is admittedly incredible though, more like a luxury apartment than a hotel suite. And I've seen a whole damn lot of those. The view of the city from up here is breathtaking, all glittering lights and roads that look like swoops and lines in some giant abstract art installation.

I'm perched at the massive kitchen counter, laptop open as I sift through financial records I may or may not have illegally obtained from PheroMaster's servers. Allegedly. The coffee here is amazing, actual fresh ground beans instead of the instant stuff I usually subsist on.

The pack has been surprisingly respectful of my space these past couple of days. Even Asher, though I keep catching him watching me when he thinks I'm not looking. His eyes follow me with an intensity that makes my skin tingle. I have to keep reminding myself that it's not really me he's interested in, it's themysterious beta hacker persona I've created. If he knew what I really was...

The door opens and I tense automatically as Knox walks in. He's massive even by alpha standards, all muscle and barely contained aggression. But he just nods in my direction.

"Hey," he grunts.

"Hey," I respond, turning back to my work. I hear him moving around the kitchen, the soft whir of the fancy coffee maker starting up.

"Want a refill?" he asks, surprising me.

I hesitate, glancing at my nearly empty mug. The rich aroma of fresh coffee is tempting. "Sure," I find myself saying. "Thanks."

He nods, grabbing my mug. I can feel him wanting to say something as he waits for the coffee to brew. The silence stretches between us, not exactly uncomfortable but definitely charged.

"What is it?" I finally ask, unable to stand the tension any longer.

Knox blinks, clearly surprised by my directness. Most people are probably intimidated by him, and it's easy to see why. He's got that whole scary alpha bodyguard vibe down pat. But I spent my entire childhood and teenage years resisting alphas who were a lot scarier than him. I refuse to back down now.

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