Page 55 of Patiently Yours
“Oh shit! Happy birthday! I’ll make sure the guys give you a good show.” He gives her an innocent wink before clapping Atlas on the shoulder. “It’s almost time, so I gotta head back there. I’ll see you guys after?”
We all nod as he departs, his scent falling away as he descends into the crowd. “Well, he seems nice,” Stacia states.
Atlas lets out a humorous scoff. “He seems tame, but he’s as chaotic as they come. He’s truly meant for the rockstar lifestyle.”
That’s a fucking understatement. I’m surprised the guy hasn’t been expelled from Bensen yet.
Just on cue, the lights in the bar dim. Phineas, the drummer of Sacred Sound, comes out first and begins to play. There’s no formal introduction, just each member of the band making their way one by one until their playing synchronizes and their first song starts to blare through the speakers.
Uriah stands on the left side of the stage strumming his bass, doing what he knows best. He ignores the crowd as he focuses on his playing. Our pack mate has normal stage fright, but now there’s an omega here paying extra close attention to him, her eyes sparkling as she watches his every move.
Stacia starts jumping with the crowd, getting into the music even though she doesn’t know any of the words. During the softer songs, I wrap my arms around her and rest my chin on her head. She allows the closeness, wrapping her own arms around mine, which makes my heart soar even higher.
At some point, Uriah looks over and tries to find us in the crowd. We all throw our hands up, hooting and hollering so he can see us. When his eyes fall on our section, a genuine smile graces his lips. It’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him, and I know it’s because he’s picturing a future of this. Our completed pack, showing up for each other always, just like he’s always wanted.
We’re reaching the end of their set. I suddenly smell a very familiar scent, lavender and vanilla meeting my nose in droves. Stacia’s perfume is fumigating the space, and it makes my head dizzy with desire. She’s gettingturned onwatching Uriah on stage, and it makes me a very proud pack mate.
Which is such a strange feeling. I always knew we’d one day court an omega as a pack, but I still assumed there would be some kind of jealousy muddying the waters. I don’t feel anything like that. My alpha is prideful, joyous. Watching our pack mates stir up happiness within our scent match is all that matters.
When the final song ends, the singer bids the audience good night just before the band and the crowd start to depart. Stacia turns around in my hold, looking at all three of us with flushed cheeks, sweat shining across her forehead.
“So, you said there’s an after-party?”
I give her a kiss on the head, sweat and all. “Only if you want to.”
She smiles big. “Of course I do! Let’s fucking go!”
TWENTY-NINE
The party is already in full swing by the time we get there.
I’m still on an adrenaline rush. Uriah’s band plays some hardcore music, but their songs had a sentimental component that I really appreciated. It’s so unbelievablyhimthat it makes me smile, and even though he doesn’t enjoy being on stage, he absolutely killed it in every single way tonight.
Which is why I’m looking for him the second we arrive.
The boys let me know that Uriah’s band has a ritual of riding to the afterparty together. That caused a tiny bit of impatience, but now that we’re here, I’m ready to find him and pull him into a dark corner.
Because, seriously… that mini concert washot.
I can’t stop picturing him, strumming his bass, sweaty under the stage lights as he poured everything he had into his performance for his band members. Forus. His concentration, his hidden charisma. I’m leaving a stretch of perfume everywhere I go, but I honestly couldn’t care less. All I care about right now is getting my hands on a certain man with a grumpy-facade and having my way with him.
My three other scent matches find us a spot between the mingling crowd and the kitchen just before Ciro disappears toget drinks. The room smells like alcohol and weed, the stench hitting my nose with a bittersweet hue. I had contemplated smoking before heading out to the gig with the guys but I held back. It made me antsy, deciding that I didn’t need it. I’ve been working on being mindful and not impulsively smoking ever since the last party we attended. Getting high because I was nervous would have been like using a bandaid; it wouldn’t eradicate the anxiety, just cover it up temporarily.
I don’t regret making that choice one bit. I haven’t thought about that lost opportunity for another second after arriving at the bar with my mates.
They make me forget that I have these tumultuous emotions or that I’ve ever been through heartbreak. These boys make me want to never pick up another drug again.
I smell him before I see him, that cleansing palo santo scent finding me like a guidepost. I look around the room, suddenly hating the crowded space, just as I see his tousled dark hair make its way towards us. He has a big grin on his face, like he’s overjoyed to see us. It’s so fucking endearing.
I walk away from the others, loosening my grip on Kendall’s hand as I find my way to Uriah and meet him in the middle. He gives me a sexy grin, in a room full of people, when he’d normally put on his facade to protect himself. He’s not thinking about the protection. He’s only thinking about me and the fact that I’m here for him, and it hits me right in the chest.
I grab his face and pull his lips to mine.
He’s surprised by the sudden impact, but welcomes it with a groan that I swallow. It’s heated quickly, leaving me feeling light on my feet as his tongue battles mine for dominance. His tongue wins and I let him explore my mouth as we stay locked together, disregarding the stares we’re probably getting as we hold each other, feeling salacious in each other’s arms.
I pull away first, biting my lip as he tries to collect his bearings. His smile returns, his brow quirking upward. “What are you doing, Omega?”
I give him a flirty smirk before grabbing his hand and dragging him away.
