Page 4 of A Very Knotty Halloween
“You probably hear this all the time, but you’re very pretty, Marnie.” The compliment flows off his tongue easily, and my stupid omega self preens under it, wanting more.
Still, I manage to keep my composure and say, “Thanks.”
He laughs, and it’s such a sweet sound—a sound I wouldn’t mind hearing more of. “That’s when you tell me I’m handsome.”
I give him a strange look. “I can’t see your face.”
“No, you can’t, but deep down, I think you know.”
I pucker my lips in defiance—which he definitely notices. Those eyes of his drop to my mouth and stay there, which leadsme to say not a word. Maybe he’s right. Maybe, deep down somewhere, I know I’d find his face attractive. If his voice and his laugh does this to me, seeing his face would probably be too much.
Jack leans closer to me, and just like that his cinnamon scent fills my nostrils to the point where I can’t focus on anything else. “Can I tell you a secret?” Just the way he asks the question makes me shiver. “We—”
Before he gets the chance to say a word, someone else joins us at the table, sitting on the other side of me, to my right. Another alpha, this one wearing a red and green striped sweater with his mask. An über, one who smells of bergamot and citrus. His green eyes are on me the entire time from beneath his mask.
“You’re missing your claw,” I mutter.
“What?” the new alpha says.
I lift up my hand and flex my fingers. “The knife fingers. You’re supposed to be Freddy Krueger, aren’t you?”
“No,” Jack says, responding for him. “This is just how Damien dresses.” His reply earns him a harsh glare from the other alpha, from Damien, and he quickly adds, “Security wouldn’t let him come in with it.”
Damien shrugs his wide shoulders. “Knives were too real, I guess.”
What I want to know is: what kind of maniac would try to bring in a Freddy Krueger gauntlet with real knives attached? Obviously they wouldn’t let that stuff in. Then again, I’m kind of surprised they checked the alphas. When we were let in, we weren’t patted down or anything. Although, if you look at violent crime statistics, omegas typically aren’t the perpetrators.
I take a sip from my drink and glance between the two. “So are you two in a pack together?” I watch as the two alphas exchange looks—now would be a good time to see theirfaces, their expressions. With those masks on, I’m undoubtedly missing something.
“You could say that,” Damien is the one who answers. “So, Marnie, tell us all about you.” There’s an edge to his voice, and I don’t know him well enough to figure out why that edge is there. Maybe that’s just what he sounds like all the time, or maybe there’s more to this than I know.
“I… how’d you know my name?”
Damien shrugs. “I overheard you tell Jack.”
It’s not that I think he’s lying, it’s just… well, with the music playing and alphas and omegas everywhere, it wouldn’t be the easiest thing to eavesdrop on a conversation if you weren’t nearby.
But that’s crazy. How would he know my name already? Unless…
My eyes survey the ballroom, and I spot Cas standing near the refreshment table still, having not moved a muscle. He got himself a drink—not that he can drink it without lifting his mask, and is now standing there like a total weirdo, staring in our direction. Staring at me, more likely.
No way. If he was with Jack and Damien, he’d be over here with them, wouldn’t he?
That’s too far-fetched. I’m overthinking things.
A part of me wants to ask, but I don’t want to seem too inquisitive, like I actually care one way or another—I don’t. So, I settle for saying, “I’m not interesting. You two would be better off talking to another omega.” Yes, please, get up, go away, and leave me alone.
But at the same time… don’t.
“No, I think we’re fine here with you,” Jack says, like it’s the easiest thing in the world, while Damien is busy glancing between us, much more reserved out of the two of them. When I don’t say anything more, he perks up. “Do you want to dance?”
I can see a group of alphas and omegas dancing near the DJ, but I don’t know that I want to join their number. Besides, dancing with alphas means rubbing up against them, and there’s no telling what’ll happen if any of us gets going like that. Sabrina would say that’s what tonight is about, but I’m still not sold on the idea of hooking up with alphas I’ll never see again.
Plus, my stepbrother is here. It’s kind of weird.
“I don’t dance,” I say, “but I’m sure there are lots of omegas here who do—”
“But I’m not asking other omegas if they want to dance,” Jack says, deflecting my response. “I’m asking you. Dance with us, Marnie. Don’t let Damien scare you. He can be intimidating, but you just have to know how to handle him.” The alpha winks behind his mask, and my cheeks heat up as I wonder just what that wink refers to.
