Page 38 of All That We Keep
The room erupts in laughter again, the tension breaking as we fall back into our familiar dynamic of teasing and affection.
As the designers start pulling out fabric samples and talking about options, Luca perks up from the couch. "Can I at least pick the colors?"
That’s not even a question. Of course, he can. One of the designers rolls the rack a little closer, each option some form of midnight, iridescent, or dark, intense shade of color.
Luca studies the options with intense concentration before settling on an almost iridescent black and green combination that really brings out the colors of our eyes. For Maceo, he chooses iridescent black and red, while Luther and I get matching black and green ensembles.
The fitting process is tedious and annoying but I’m so used to it that I at least have the decency to stand still, hardly recognizing the polished businessman staring back at me when a mirror is pushed in front of me.
"You look incredible," Luca says softly, his eyes warm with admiration. "Like you could take over the world."
"That's the plan," I murmur back, adjusting the jacket. It’s a bit snug but asking them to let it out around the waist means more time and more hands and I just really want to go already. “Perfect,” I tell Victor who’s working on my suit, gaining a small smile from him as he packs away his tools.
They file away in silence, almost as if they weren’t here, the last hour leaving three of us in shiny suits and two of my mates drooling. I grin at Luca, knowing that he can’t touch, hissweetened aroused scent blooming through the room. God, I just want to kiss him.
But I don’t because I can’t control myself. I also don’t want to.
Luther’s phone rings as I head for the door, my Alpha’s expression growing serious when he picks up. "It's Damien," he whispers to us. "Hey, we're about to head out to this Hearthstone gala." I can't hear the other side of the conversation, but Luther's face grows increasingly grim. Luther swallows and then puts the phone on speaker.
"I need you to be super careful. I've just got some information that it's being held at one of the biggest donors' houses."
"You got a name for me?" Luther asks.
"Actually, no, I don't. Which is the problem. Nobody seems to know who owns the house. Nobody's seen the owner. They just know it's at this place. So go in, but be careful. There's a lot of weird shit going on. As for what I found about Luca and Hudson,"Damien continues,"somebody canceled the protective order. A judge over in the next county. I'm not sure why, but it was called off. It was said that it was no longer needed."
"Who called it off?" Luther demands.
"I'm only so good at this, Luther. However, it was called off the day Hudson was put out on bail. I don't know who the fuck is after you, but they've got connections that I haven't seen in a while. I need you to stay safe, stay together, and nobody wander off."
The call ends as silence fills the room, all of us processing the implications of what we just heard. Someone with serious legal connections orchestrated Hudson's release and the end of our protection, timing it perfectly to coincide with this gala.
"I'm going," I say firmly before anyone can suggest otherwise. "You can't keep me here. I need to make sure that my pack is safe. And I know that while I want to stay home with Luca, Ineed to know that when those babies come, he's going to be okay."
Luther studies my face for a long moment before nodding. "All right, but you stay attached to my or Maceo’s side at all times."
"I will," I promise.
I rush back over to Luca and give him the kiss I was holding back, trying not to think about what it could possibly mean before following Maceo and Luther out to the car. Only once we pull out of the driveway does Maceo break the silence.
"Are we even ready for this?"
I swallow nervously, wringing my hands in my lap. "We don't really have a choice."
22
Maceo
The gala is extravagant in a way that makes my skin crawl. Crystal chandeliers and marble floors speak of the filthy rich, and everywhere I look there are people dressed in designer clothes worth more than most people's cars. The kind of wealth on display here isn't just money - it's generational power, the type that buys silence and influence in equal measure.
I recognize far too many faces in the crowd, people I've worked for as their lawyer over the years. Entitled pricks who treated me like expensive furniture, there to be used when needed and ignored otherwise. People who paid me well to clean up their messes and never once treated me like a human being.
"Maceo, haven't seen you in a while," comes a voice from behind me, and I turn to see Harrison Blackwell approaching with that fake smile I remember all too well. He's a real estate mogul who once had came to me to cover up a sexualharassment scandal that should have destroyed his career. I turned down the case but shuffled him off to a contact who ended up getting it thrown out. In Harrison’s book, that meant I was a valuable asset.
"Harrison," I reply, my jaw already clenching with tension.
"Heard you got yourself packed up," he continues with that condescending tone that always made me want to punch him. "Good for you. Though I have to say, interesting choice of company tonight."
His eyes drift meaningfully toward Blake, who's attached to my side and nervously picking at the appetizers on his plate. My Delta mate has been on edge since we arrived, his scent sharp with anxiety despite the calm facade he's maintaining. It kind of makes me want to call all of this off and drag him home and wrap him up in that colorful nest but I keep my composure.
