Page 60 of Shaken Knot Stirred

The lighting here didn’t do her pale hair justice. The emerald dress, however, made my knees weak.

“Moxie,” she said brightly and stuck out her hand for a handshake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Knightbridge.”

There wasn’t a single wisp of recognition on her face. She was acting like we were meeting for the very first time. Her hand hung in the ocean of space between us. I pinched my thigh from inside my pocket just to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.

“Did all your manners get blown up in that boat, too? You were raised better than this. Shake the woman’s hand,” Pay bumped my shoulder and clattered his glass heavily on the bar.

“You did make my first Dinghy Race memorable, that’s for sure.” Her voice was sultry and demure, with a slight twang.

I barely touched her hand before she snatched it back like I had stung her.

“Knightbridges like to make an entrance,” Win joined us now, too.

Aria subtly cleared her throat. Win tapped the band of his family ring on his highball glass. Pay hummed the first 4 bars of the Jeopardy theme. And I was losing my fucking mind.

“Moxie,” her name danced on my tongue and she did nothing more than smile softly at me.

Win gave me some massive side-eye. “Tell us a little about yourself.”

“Oh, you know, it’s a classic story. Small-town girl from Ohio wants to try city life. You see, my birth pack, love them dearly, they run a pretty substantial farm. Alpacas.” She touched Win’s arm like he would know how significant alpacas were. “But little ole me? I’m just not an outdoorsy kind of gal. It’s the freckles, you see. Just downright awful.” She blushed. She actually blushed and touched her cheek.

This woman in front of me was a vision of omega charm. Pay and Win were already riveted.

Another woman entered our sphere and practically tackled the paragon.

“Aria,” she said, slightly breathless, “I’m so sorry I’m late. Mother insisted we drive, and you know how the bridge into the Floating District can get.”

Moxie had taken a step back to make room for the new omega, whose scent of carnations swirled around us. It left a chemical taste on my tongue. The signature of scent boosters. She squealed and clapped her hands before manhandling me like she did Aria.

“Starry! It’s been forever and a day.” Her face fell at my lack of recognition. Not to be deterred, she bulldozed forward. “Charlotte Hayes. We went to Spartan Prep together. You werea few years ahead.” She touched her barely covered chest. Her chosen dress was metallic silver and covered her slightly more than a bikini would. She had a stunning figure, but her attire was more suited to a Pleasant Street club than a paragon lounge.

“Lottie, I thought we had discussed this and were having tea tomorrow,” Aria said. Everyone but Charlotte picked up on the soft rebuke.

“Oh, I know, but when I heard about what happened this morning, I just had to come to see if Star was alright myself.”

“Still kicking, unfortunately.” I swirled my glass in front of me to protect my personal space.

We all knew what was happening here. Charlotte Hayes wanted to shoot her shot and become Charlotte Knightbridge. And she would be a good choice. On paper. I barely remembered her, but the Hayes pack was firmly established. They were in all the right social clubs. The pack children were all breaking into successful careers.

“How’s your brother Charles?” Win asked, as if he read my mind. Charles was a beta and a lawyer if memory served. He’d be a better choice for my doomed pack than Charlotte.

“Oh, you know,” she made a dismissive gesture with her hands. “So, Star, Aria says you’re looking…”

“Oh no, sweetie,” Moxie broke in, letting that southern drawl hit hard. “With an aura like that, you’re doing yourself such a disservice.”

“My… my aura?” Charlotte’s hands fluttered around her midsection like she was suddenly too exposed.

Moxie caressed her arm and touched her cheek. “Mmm, these pink sparkles here? You need a big pack. That’s where you’ll find your home, not with some lone alpha who’ll tuck you into a penthouse somewhere.”

More people clustered around us, like Moxie was a campfire, and they were gathering for warmth.

“Oh, and you, precious, you crave your scent match, I can see it right here.” Moxie touched the chin of an alpha who Aria had introduced me to earlier. “You need to be out in public meeting people. Not stuck in little dark clubs.”

“How do you know?” Charlotte’s eyes were wide, like the truths of the universe were being revealed.

“I’m an auracle, sweetie. Your aura really is quite lovely.”

I gaped at Moxie. Auracles were rare. Most worked in the medical field. But few advertised that fact. Win traded a greedy look with Aria. Win had been trying to get an auracle on his payroll for a decade. I blew out a breath and forced myself to release my grip on my glass for fear I would shatter it.

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