Page 6 of Fated or Knot

I was still admiring her dress when an alpha came over and nearly wedged between us. “Ladies,” he rumbled. First, he offered his hand to her and took a breath of her scent. Looking disappointed, he released her and did the exact same thing to me. Muttering, he turned his back, leaving me to exchange a glance with the other pixie.

“Some of the males here are so rude,” she declared with a huff. Her mask was small and white, with painted flowers dotting it for pops of color.

“You look very pretty tonight,” I blurted before I could second-guess the compliment.

Her wings fluttered as she smiled back. She fell into step beside me as the line inched forward slowly. “So do you! I’m Poppy of Clearvince. This is my first time at the Omega Masquerade.”

I introduced myself and nodded in agreement. “My first, and hopefully last, time,” I said quietly.

She giggled openly. “That’s the spirit! Are you hoping to find a solo mate or a pack tonight?”

“Um…” Neither, honestly. I wanted a ticket out of the city, a new heat suppressant tattoo, and a leisurely night’s sleep, not necessarily in that order. “My parents were a couple. I think one male would be plenty for me.”

“Well, don’t be afraid if you do get scent-matched to a pack. I come from a happy pack with five alphas and two omegas. I’ve got more siblings than I know what to do with,” Poppy said cheerfully. “I’m half-dryad, but my brothers are orcs, dryads, and selkies. Never a dull moment at home.”

That was common in a pack of mixed fae races. Pixies, as omegas, had more pixies for their daughters and sons that reflected the race of their fathers. Had my parents lived, I would probably have at least one alpha wind sprite brother. Couples were frowned upon and considered an incomplete pack; omegaswere so rare that the collective sentiment was that they needed to be shared by more than one alpha or, at the very least, a mixed pack of alphas and betas.

“I’m half-wind sprite,” I told her. “And, well, I’m an only child.”

“How lonely! Where’d you say Osme Fen is? I couldn’t imagine not having a big family.” Poppy fluttered her lashes. “I’m here with my best friend, but I don’t know where she’s gone. I’d better get her a sticky bun. She’d hate having to stand in this line.”

“I just hope there’s some food left,” I murmured. My belly grumbled in agreement.

As we chatted, we attracted attention from the alphas roaming the edges of the ballroom. Several stopped and offered their hands with barely a word of hello. I didn’t tell anyone no, letting myself get used to the ritual of strangers brushing their lips over my fingertips before they scented my pheromones.

Most breathed a sigh that sounded something like defeat. “It seems we are not a match,” more than one alpha said before he went about his evening.

No one asked to dance, nor did they seem to think we were matched, which was just fine by me. If they passed too close, I took the opportunity to sneak my fingertips in their pockets or occasionally over wrists and belts. Poppy didn’t notice, too happy to gossip and giggle as we waited in line.

Anything I lifted, I quickly dropped into the front of my invisible smock to sift through later. No noble male alpha noticed their rings or coin purses disappearing… Stars help me if they did. I’d practiced as much as I could so tonight could go off without a hitch.

“Oh, there’s my friend. Coral!” Poppy exclaimed, pointing out a petite, blue-winged pixie with soft gray skin and waves of dark hair, who waved on her way by.

“Get me something!” Coral called back.

Poppy pointed at her, then raised her thumb and brow at the same time. The other pixie flashed a thumbs-up back. “Tell you later,” she added in a loud whisper. She was being escorted between two alphas who appeared to be arguing over top her head.

Poppy shook her head with a playful sigh. “She’s always getting herself into something. It looks like they’re going out to the balcony, so I’ll check on her later.”

I nodded. The event seemed relatively safe, but I hoped the balcony had guards. It was always potentially dangerous for an omega to spend alone time with two unknown alphas. They were so much larger and stronger than us.

It was soon our turn with the table of food and beverages, I was momentarily dazzled as I took in everything alongside Poppy. Towers of pastries and pyramids of tiny sandwiches were all piled up with little tongs. We noted everything that looked good, eager to start piling up our plates. Goblets of sparkling wines and juices were lined up and neatly marked for whether they contained hallucinatory fae fruit.

I reached for a plate, just to turn and startle when I realized an alpha had snuck up on me and put his big hand right in my path. I was of half a mind to tell him to leave me alone since the food wasright there, but I’d already gotten used to this ritual and put my palm in his.

He was a wind sprite, tall and turquoise with an artfully tousled mass of light blue hair. Instead of wearing a suit like most of the other alphas here, he was in plain everyday clothes and took a much longer sniff of my wrist than any other alpha had. His gaze flew to mine as he shot upright and said, “You smell exquisite, little lady. See for yourself that we’re a match.”

With a tug on my arm, I tripped forward into his chest, and he trapped my head against his shirt. I smelled wood and smoke,and it threatened to choke me. My eyes started to water. I may not have dreamed of meeting scent matches, but even I knew that any fated alpha of mine would smell extra amazing.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Poppy exclaimed at him as soon as she turned to see me squirming in his hold.

“No—” I tried to protest.

“Let’s take this next dance, and I can tell you about my pack,” he said, ignoring us both. He swept me off my feet without so much as a grunt of effort.

I reached for the delicious-looking pastries with a longing swipe of my hand as he carried me away from them.

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