Page 2 of Luna

Just thinking about them made me upset and confused. I’d been so determined to not use Cosmic Bonds to help me find a pack. And I still was. I wanted independence. My family had never said “I told you so” but I’d stayed going out with that pack longer than I should have out of pure stubbornness, intent on not proving my family right.

A booming laugh rang out through the lobby, breaking into my thoughts and making me jump. The laughter was as rich and thick as fancy hot chocolate on a cold day. I shivered at the sound and glanced around the pillar.

An alpha was heading out of the casino, with a swagger that fit his tight jeans and cowboy hat. Despite cowboys being a dime a dozen here, they were usually in name only, trying to look the part while they were visiting Vegas. This alpha’s hat was broken in, and so were his jeans. His short-sleeved button up showed off his biceps and he had a deep tan that made it clear that he didn’t spend much time in either hotels or casinos. His blue eyes were crinkled up in amusement, and as he turned to the man beside him, I saw that his hair hung in a long ponytail.

My mouth dried up. All sense left me, the sound of his voice curling through me as I pressed my hot cheek against the marble pillar to cool myself down.

“Better lucky than good,” he said to his friend as they walked through the lobby. His voice was smooth with a Southern twang. The group of men around him were all dressed the same way, like they’d just come in from herding cattle, or whatever it was cowboys did.

I sucked in a breath as another shiver rippled through me. Desire stirred, foreign and unexpected. I didn’t even know his name, but the thought of his hands on me had me quivering.

Sexy Cowboy laughed again, and the sound shot through me like a physical caress. I blinked, trying to get my bearings.

I’d never reacted to an alpha like this. Most of the time I could barely stand to make eye contact with people, but here I was, mentally undressing him. His shirt was tight over his broad shoulders, and my imagination was going wild with what he’d look like without it. When he grinned at his friend, a dimple appeared in his left cheek and I had to stifle a groan.

This was fine, I told myself. My panties were only about to burst into flames, but I was fine. I just had to focus on something else. Anything else.

Heat filled me as my core clenched. I would start perfuming if I didn’t get myself under control. That was one of the biggest drawbacks to my designation. Once I was aroused enough, my body gave off the “omega” scent, basically a neon sign over my head that read “horny and ready to breed”.

Stupid biology.

Sexy Cowboy paused, almost directly level with the pillar now.

I pulled back so I wasn’t visible anymore and held my breath.

“What’s wrong, Colton?” his friend asked.

“Thought I scented…” He paused.

I stayed still, the thought of being hunted down cutting off my arousal like a splash of cold water. People were overwhelming enough without me getting the feeling like I was another notch in an alpha’s belt.

Maybe if that pack I’d been with hadn’t tried to whittle away at me at every turn, I would feel different. Like I wanted to be pursued. But even my early boyfriends had seemed to focus more on the fact that I was an omega, less on who I was as a person.

“Surprised you can smell anything in here. Let’s go cut loose,” the friend continued.

“Right,” Colton said.

I gave it a minute, and then peaked around the column. I’d lost sight of them, Sexy Cowboy was no longer in the lobby. I let out a breath of relief.

He had made my blood pound and my heart race. If I’d been braver, I would have thrown caution to the winds and let him see me. A wild weekend in Vegas could have helped me let go of the past and move on.

But I wasn’t brave. I sucked at flirting and, besides, what if I had a panic attack? What if I killed the mood by saying something weird?

I would focus on my original plan. I’d go enjoy myself at Dante Trent’s new illusionist act, and then head back to my hotel room.

Chapter2

Luna

Islipped inside the theater where I could focus on the performance, rather than my body’s rebellious attraction to sexy alpha cowboys. The downstairs seating was already packed. I sucked in a shallow breath and took the stairs to look for my seat. I had booked a ticket in the nosebleed section, but I preferred it that way.

I found my aisle seat next to a beta guy who smelled like cotton mixed with the fresh scent of the eucalyptus trees that lined the beach, back home in Half Moon Bay. As I sat down, I gave a tight smile, but he simply nodded in my direction without meeting my eyes, his attention focused on the thick book in his lap.

I sat my purse down by my feet, but when I shifted in my seat to get comfortable, I promptly kicked the purse over, dumping its contents to the floor.

“Here, I’ll help,” he offered, his gaze moving from his book to the floor. I flashed another glance at him: his messy brown hair looked like he didn’t cut it often, and it was curling around his ears. His khakis and a sweater vest over a button up shirt made him look like a teacher’s assistant playing hooky.

“Thanks.” My cheeks were hot. I made sure to find my keys and wallet first.

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