Page 8 of The Alpha: Part One
Groaning, I grab my phone to check the time to see how long I have to rest before I have to start getting ready. An hour. I can rest for an hour, maybe an hour and fifteen minutes, then I have to drag myself up and into my closet. The last thought I have before I drift off is wondering what's going to happen at these things when I start having heat spikes. Usually, if omegas are going to events, they take suppressants in the week or so leading up to their heat. The trouble is that I took suppressants for my last two because I was studying for and then taking my last exams that were required for my license. I couldn't spare the time lost to spikes or actually going into one. If I try to take suppressants for three months in a row it might alter my system. Not to mention how angry the boys will be with me. Oh, the boys. I guess it doesn't matter if they're angry or not at this point and I'll have to cry about that later, but I still don't want to risk throwing off my cycle.
When I force myself out of my blankets, I only have thirty minutes to get ready. That's fine with me. I'm too tired to put an enormous amount of effort in right now, anyway. I settle on a simple, knee length black dress that ties at each shoulder. I slip on a pair of red flip flops and wind my hair up into an easy bun, then declare myself ready to leave.
"Really, D? Flip flops?" Amber raises her eyebrow. "At least wear real shoes."
I stick my tongue out at her. "These are real shoes, and they look nice with the dress. Besides, it isn't supposed to be overly formal tonight. It's just supposed to be drinks and appetizers. And I'm not staying for the whole thing. Are you sure you can't come?"
She twists her lips to the side sympathetically and tilts her head. "Yeah. I'm having spikes. Tony and I are going to have a fun night of romcoms while you and your brothers enjoy a night out. I don't want to bring up anything that might upset you, but have you heard from the twins? I heard they were over at Long Shop looking for trouble."
"They weren't looking for trouble. They don't have time for trouble."
She wrinkles her nose. "There's nothingbuttrouble to find in Long Shop. Have you heard from them?"
I shake my head and frown. "I haven't. But I'd feel better if I did. I'm worried about them. Even if it's going to hurt in the long run, I love them. I can't help it."
Amber wraps her arms around me and rubs my back. "I know, honey. It's bullshit, and unfair. Mateo tried to drag things out as long as he could, but he's out of wiggle room now. I'm so sorry, D."
A shaky breath fills my lungs and I fight the tremble in my lips and the threatening tears. It's more than unfair. Losing Rafe was unfair, and losing Ben and Michael is a beat down to my mind, body, and soul. "Oh, god. I can't cry again. My eyes are sore enough as it is. I'm leaving before I'm late. I want to get there in time to get a decent table."
"You're so brave, Desie. I know it's hard."
I pull away from her and give her a smile I hope will convince her to shut up about me being brave and things being hard. "I'm alright. I can't do anything for it, anyway. I"ll just have to make the best of the worst situation. Now let me go so I can get the table I want instead of the one available. I hope you and Tony have a fun evening." I wiggle my eyebrows at her suggestively in an attempt to further feign my alright-ness.
When we walk through the doors of the restaurant designated for tonight's meet a buzz of energy hits me right in the face. I catch snippets of conversations as I weave my way through the tables. Apparently, there are representatives from the East Coast Council here tonight. I might be curious and possibly even excited about that any other time, but tonight I just don't have it in me. I'm tired and sad, and I don't care about anything on the East Coast.
I choose a table near the large street-facing window and seat myself so that the window is on my left and I can see the bar if I look to the right. Mateo sits across from me, and Lucas takes the seat on my right. They both get to work scanning the gathering crowd for anyone who might be from the East Coast, and I get to work deciding which cake on the dessert menu goes best with which wine on the list. They're still going back and forth once I've made my cake and wine pairing, muttering quietly about which of the unfamiliar alphas here possess the most East Coast traits. I roll my eyes and lose a little of my patience. "For goodness sake! You won't be able to tell by looking at them. The alphas from here don't all look the same, and if you didn't know them you wouldn't be able to pick them out of a lineup. And what does it matter if they're here, anyway? They're not here to cause trouble or it would be a much bigger deal. Honestly, it just adds more stress for me, and probably the other omegas, too. And all the gawking and whispering is ridiculous."
"We're just curious, D," Lucas says, picking up the dessert menu I abandoned. "They've never come here before, not like this, not officially. Business doesn't count. Even Anacapa has their bourbon shipped in from Zaphir's. The people who are supposed to be here tonight are important."
"I don't care what they are. I'm not here to worry about anybody from the East Coast. I've got enough to deal with on my own. I don't see Alpha Flores here, yet. Does he always come to these things?"
Mateo and Lucas exchange a look, then Mateo answers. "No, not really. He only comes a few times a year. He talks to some of the omegas pretty consistently, but he's always been more interested in the young alphas who come looking for their potential packs. It's strange. All these omegas, and he spends more time vetting the younger alphas. I don't really like that he seems so interested in you. He called me a few days ago asking after you."
"What did you tell him?"
A waiter comes by to take our order and Mateo waits until he's a good distance away before he says, "I told him you have been seriously interested in one pack, which isn't a lie. Michael and Ben would be a pack if they had a third. He didn't seem to be put off, though. So, we'll just have to keep on top of it. Please, Desie, I know it's shitty and it isn't fair, but please try to find a pack that you don't hate. I don't want to deal with Flores if he gets it in his head that he wants you."
I sigh. "That's why I'm here, isn't it?" Then the worst thing that could happen happens. Benny walks through the door, followed closely by Michael. My mouth immediately loses every molecule of moisture, and it feels like a fist is tightening around my throat. I'm about to waste more money than I can afford on fancy cake I can't eat. I'm probably going to throw up on the table before it ever gets here.
"Shit." Lucas sees them before Mateo does. "I'm sorry, D. I didn't think they'd actually come."
"What do you mean?"
Lucas scrubs his face. "We might have suggested that they come to a few of these, you know, to try to find a third. But I didn't think they'd actually come, much less that they'd come to one you're at."
Awesome. Night ruined.
"We can leave, Desie. You don't have to stay." Mateo wraps his warm hands around mine where they are fisted on the pristine table cloth. "We can go before they see you. Right out the back."
Sighing, I count the seconds until one of the twins notices me. "No, it's okay. They knew I might be here. It'll just have to be horrible, and I'll just have to survive it." It takes Benny less than four seconds to make eye contact with me and he points me out to Michael immediately. None of us are smiling. None of us wave. I regret ordering the cake and the wine will be more welcome now. I'll get a box and take it home for Amber. The twins start moving through the growing crowd, making small talk with some of the alphas. They pointedly ignore every omega they come into contact with and take turns making sure I see it. What am I supposed to do? I can't ignore alphas if they want to talk to me. Maybe I should listen to Mateo and get out of here before this gets any worse.
Then the inevitable happens. Alphas from not one, but three separate packs approach our table. Desolate rage twists Michael's face as he flicks his gaze between my face and the intruding alphas, and Benny is destroying each of them with his murderous glare. My stomach twists violently and I clutch my brother's wrist. "What am I supposed to do, Mateo?" I whisper. "How do I do this?"
Mateo touches the tip of my nose with his free hand, and lets a gentle purr fill his voice. "It's alright. Michael and Benny are not going to come over here causing a scene, you know they wouldn't do that to you. And you're not going to do anything more than let people talk to you. Lucas and I are here with you, we won't let anything bad happen, you know that."
I take a breath and nod. "Okay. Thank you."
He smiles and rubs the top of my hand until I loosen my grip.
