Page 22 of Harley

I reach with my left hand to spin it. It’s much heavier than I thought it would be, and it only turns once, then rocks gently, as it can’t make a second cycle around. I look over at the announcer, realizing his moustache makes him look much older than he is. I would have thought he was in his fifties. But he appears to be in his early thirties, now that I’m up closer. He’s a beta. A large one you would almost mistake for an alpha, if it wasn’t for his scent.

“That’s okay. You can spin it again.” He smiles at me. It’s friendly, and he isn’t teasing me or being sarcastic. He’s genuine, and I feel safer with him here. If he was an alpha, I might have thought he was mocking me. A weak omega.

“It’s heavy. Can you spin it?” I ask, my voice small in the large room.

He smiles and nods, turning to the crowd. “She has asked that I spin the barrel for her. What do you all think?” The room erupts into loud noise as the alphas all cheer him on. I don’t like how many alphas are in here, cheering for me. To win me.

He just chuckles and spins the barrel. He takes a step back, and I watch it go round and round.

This is it. My future.

It finally stops, and he moves forward one more time, opening the hatch. I look inside and see hundreds of tickets. Not just fifty. I look back at Veronica, and she grins over at me. What a bitch. I stand taller and peer back out at all the alphas watching me. Their scents are thick in the air, woven in with the scent diffusors. There are just too many for the blockers to work.

I smile as I reach both hands in and move all the tickets around, never letting go of my ticket. I slowly shift my ticket to the tip of my fingers, so it looks more like I’ve pulled it out, and remove my hand. I hear the collective pause as I slowly open the ticket, already knowing what it says.

Like Dahlia did, I play this out how they want. I smile sweetly and look out, as if I can see this pack in the crowd. I really wish I could see them, but there is too many of them, and the stage lights make it hard to see.

“Harley.” The announcer takes the ticket from me and glances down. “Pack Bentley,” he proclaims to the room.

A chorus of disappointment rings out from the packs that weren’t chosen. This crowd of alphas is wildly different from the elite who sat in this room only two weeks ago. These alphas aren’t quiet and understanding. They don’t like losing. I know the feeling.

Shouts reach my ears above the crowd, and then I see them and him... I almost collapse at the sight of Knight. My knight in shining armor. He comes running toward the stage, the rest of the pack behind him, but all I see is him. His pale blue eyes, that olive skin and dark hair. He looks older...I guess I am too.

My heart races at the sight of the boy from the diner. He’s here. I feel myself choke up at the sight. He’s mine.

Reaching the stage, he doesn’t stop. Wrapping his arms around me, he lifts me. I wrap my legs around his waist—thankfully, wearing jeans was the right choice—as I suck in his scent, and he instantly purrs for me and everything around us disappears. It’s just us and I feel safe. Home.

Blueberry pancakes and cinnamon. Oh god, he’s even better than I remembered. I don’t see what happens as the others join us on the stage, but there’s a commotion. I hear Ace warning someone to stand back. I look over and it’s Veronica.

“They weren't in the lottery,” Veronica hisses under her breath as she rips the ticket from the announcer. She looks down at the worn-out ticket.

“It's correct, and I think this is one happy match,” the beta announcer says to the crowd. They’re still loud and unsettled, but Storm has yet to choose. One of the packs out there still has a chance.

Ace wraps his arms around me and Knight, ushering us off to the side of the stage, so I can see Storm but not have the prying eyes of the crowd on us.

I can't believe it worked. They're mine.

Only, as I look at each of them. I realize I don’t know them at all. Each one of them is unfamiliar. Ace the only one I have ever spoken to and briefly. Are they all good alphas?

I push away from Knight and drop to my feet to look up at Ace. His scent washes over me. Apple pie. I can touch him now. But I don’t. It feels like I need to get to know him more. I need to slow down and not rush this.

He cups my cheek. “You did it, Harley. I will do everything in my power to make you happy every day. I will bring him to you.”

I know that he’s telling the truth, it’s a weird feeling to have so much trust in someone so fast...this alpha is honest. I sensed this the first time we met. He will bring me Gage. My heart swells with the knowledge I will see him again soon. Gage is mine.

I look over to the alpha beside Ace. He’s tall, and his dark eyes watch me as my gaze roams over his golden skin. Tattoos run up his arms, creating a picture. I look up again at his clean-shaven jaw, and his lips turn up into a warm smile. Though his hair is short, it suits his face.

He smells like cherry blossoms in the springtime. That’s when it hits me...he’s a scent match too. I perfume for him, and I blush when they all groan as my scent floods around us. I try to stop it, but I can’t. Even the blockers won’t stop me perfuming for scent matches.

“Hi, Harley.” He clears his throat. “I’m Jax. And this is Dash...my beta.”

My eyes drop to the man next to Jax. Dash. He’s gorgeous, with an olive complexion. I move in closer to smell his scent. All betas have a scent, only they’re very mild, and it’s hard to smell them if they aren’t close. Mint and... “Lavender?” He smiles, and I realize I’ve said that out loud. I blush.

“Love is love,” he whispers as he reaches for my hand and kisses the back of it. My heart races at his touch. Holy shit. He was listening to me. They all must have been listening to me that night or they wouldn’t have known I was going to be next.

“Your beta?” I question Jax. I raise a brow curiously. Normally, a pack has one beta. I’m unfamiliar with alphas having a beta to themselves. Is this beta not part of the pack?

“Our...the word you’re looking for there, Jax, is that Dash is our pack beta.” Knight chuckles under me, and I hug him tighter. I don’t think I will ever be able to let go of him, now that I’ve found him. All of them.

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