Page 41 of Shaken Knot Stirred

“We’ll stop using your baby name when you stop acting like a dick.”

“I’m here, aren’t I? Suit and everything. What more do you want?”

I turned at a commotion behind me. A petite, elegant woman was making her way down the long stretch of the convention hall, scattering people as she went. Paragons did that to people, made them swoon and scatter.

“At least you’ve come to your senses.” Pay pulled me back into the conversation. “Destitute isn’t a good look for you.”

The emcee was rattling off a welcome message. It boomed in the mostly empty hall, forcing me closer to my brothers to hear them.

“You’re acting like this is the end of the fucking world. A pack is what alphas do.”

“Yeah? Where’s your pack? They going to help you hire this year? Hang out in the Pinnacle lounge. Read resumes.”

“I’m fully staffed,” Pay said with a smirk that was absolutely fake. Pay’s pack was in shambles. His alpha packmates were never to be seen. I didn’t even know if they lived together anymore. He was not a shining example of what pack life was about.

Winston had decorated his lounge simply but richly. A full leather sofa sat atop the raised platform with silk throw pillows. The floor was covered in oriental rugs, and a backdrop of heavy emerald velvet made the space seem cozy and intimate. A few black-tie servers floated in and out from behind the partition, with a small display of champagne and glasses. It didn’t look much different from his favorite corner of Paramour.

Win never represented the Paramour at the Gala. They hosted their own events, so it was a bit of a shock seeing his staff and a paragon here. Aria, the woman in question, was marshaling her forces. They fluttered around her with clipboards. She held out a jewel-covered hand, and without a word, someone placed a champagne flute in it.

I looked up at the family logo projected on a gigantic screen hovering above the lounge, marking our territory. It would be a beacon for all those seeking to get a leg up. Pay owned the Pinnacle Yacht Club. Win had the Paramour. These were the crown jewels of the Port Haven social scene. All this was to satisfy a stipulation in our grandmother’s will so that I could fulfill my duty to pack and city.

I checked my phone for the millionth time. No text from Houston. He was going to talk to that gas station owner and see if there was other footage. If I could find Moxie in time… But she was an omega, an auracle. Could they even form a pack, or were they like paragons?

“Are you still pining over your last relationship? It’s been years, little brother.”

I tucked my phone back into my pocket to cover my shaking fingers. That was a low blow, even from Pay. I caught Win making some kind of “knock it off” gesture out of the corner of my eye. I wasn’t about to rehash all that right now.

“Leave it, Pay,” Win said, scolding.

I slurped on the straw again, just to get an eye-roll from Win.

“Aria is going to manage your calendar tonight.”

Fuck. I was screwed.

The last thing any sensible alpha wanted was to have one of the city’s in-demand omegas arranging their social life. Aria was as sweet as honey and more cut-throat than a pirate with treasure in her eyes. I had begrudgingly accepted Win’s offer to use the Paramour lounge at the Gala as an initial meet-and-greet venue. Then I’d go to a party or two, but if a paragon was involved, she’d take over my calendar and my life. I had wanted to be low-key about this, but Win had other plans.

“So, you’ve turned this into a group project? Or are you making money off this somehow?”

“I know you were holding out for a scent match…”

I cut Win off by pitching the plastic cup across the lounge. Guilt pangs made my suit feel tighter when servers scrambled to corral the scattered ice.

“This has never been about that. I don’t know how many times we must go over this. That clause in the will? The one that says we can only inherit if we form a pack? That was just brutal manipulation by our grandmother. And you dumb motherfuckers fell for it.”

“You’re the dumb motherfucker walking away from millions,” Pay threw up his hands.

“Maybe I don’t want to trade a lifelong commitment for zeros in my bank account. The two of you took this on like a businessdeal and basically bought your packmates. Do we need to even examine the mess of the other…”

Win cut me off with a sharp “Enough.” He had thrown his aura behind that. It rippled in the space like a boulder tossed in a puddle.

“Do this or don’t, Alistair. Accept our help or not. I know you can’t have the pack that you want. I understand how hard that is. But I am unwilling to let go of your portion of the inheritance.”

The booming voice of the emcee interrupted the airing of the family laundry.

“And finally, much to the delight of the organizing committee, our last alpha to host a lounge this evening is Star Knightbridge.”

Fuck.

---