Page 151 of Iris
“Ah. Well, you should know that Sophine is late, most likely planning a late entrance. If you are to manage another private meeting with her, just know that she’ll be more openminded after indulging in some of her favorite rare rums. Siren, Wild Winds, Gut Punch, anything like those. Ask one of your Alphas—I meanQuinn—tonight.”
She lifts a brow to let me know she catch my lie, and then walks over to join Mom.
They leave, and the crowd’s murmuring things.
“What’s got them so riled?” An Omega named Melissa Gilderoy asks the group of girls she’s chatting with.
“There’s a hot, single dude here,” another one says. “Rich. New. Mysterious. So, naturally, he’s the stop of the list of Alphas Alicia wants to dance with.”
“She’s such a viper,” Melissa grumbles.
“You meanbitch,” one of the other Omegas says, and they all laugh behind their hands.
I roll my eyes.
Whatever.
I can’t stand all this catty bullshit.
My mini pings with another dance reminder. I want to turn it to silent, but I don’t. If I get a DM from Xavier, I don’t want to miss it.
“A majority of the Alphas fit that description, don’t you think?” Mari says after eavesdropping on the girls’ chatter and suddenly appears at my side. She hooks her arm in mine and smiles.
“Can you lot talk about something more interesting than men?” Dahlia asks from my other side. She’s so quiet, I didn’t even notice her walk up.
I frown. “The orchestra’s playing. Why aren’t you up there?”
“It’s not an orchestra. It’s—it doesn’t matter.” She crosses her arms. “I’m not playing because Beyton Ellis took over my spot.”
“What? Why?” Mari asks.
“Because he’s an Alpha?” I can read between the lines.
Dahlia nods and shakes her violin case in anger. “He’s a buffoon. Doesn’t know an oboe from an elbow.”
I snort a laugh. Mari just gapes at her. This isn’t like Dahlia at all. I think buffoon is the closest to a curse she’s ever come, and boy, that means she’s mad.
“But, D,” I say, “we all know you’re better. Hell, all of Sabine knows your better.”
“Oh, Iknow.” She stamps her foot. “I’m getting a drink.”
With that, my levelheaded, quiet, and brilliant sister stalks off.
“What in the world,” Mari says, still blinking in shock.
“Dahlia is human, after all,” I say with a shrug.
I spot Quinn again, and I wave her over.
“There you are,” I say.
“I couldn’t miss the Gardener’s big Garden soirée. It’s all anyone’s been talking about.” She has a glass of the party’s specialty drink in hand, and she sips it. “Hmm, this is delicious.”
“It’s from the Black Briar.” As I say it, the awareness in me shifts higher, like it’s intense, like one of them are just a breath away.
“Did you see the new Alpha?” Melissa Gilderoy whispers as she passes us by. “He’s a hottie.”
I’m thinking old, ugly and on Heath’s list of potential mates for me.
