Page 37 of Stolen Omega

I see Mandy with her kit set out at a table in the corner of the room, and she waves me over.

The excitable makeup artist is probably my favorite person after Russ. We don’t get to spend a lot of time together beyond the time I spend in her chair, but she’s usually in a great mood and that’s something she’s always more than willing to share.

“Zey! You look amazing, as always. I would kill for that skin. Like seriously, I would go and murder someone if it would make a difference.”

“You know my secret,” I remind her.

“Oh, right. You sold your sold to the devil.”

She laughs, and then I laugh.

Saturday guy clearly doesn’t get the joke.

“I’ll do security checks while you two get started,” he mutters, leaving us quickly.

Mandy looks after him curiously. “Well, he’s new.”

“He usually does crowd control. He’s not used to humaning.”

“Ah,” she murmurs as she puts her attention back on me. “Well, sit. Sorry, it’s just a regular chair today. The staff at that concert hall really don’t seem to like me. Is it my fault I keep forgetting things and asking to be let back in? The last guy I spoke to said it absolutely was, but clearly someone pissed in his cornflakes this morning. Anyway, long story short, my chair is being held hostage at the venue.”

“Any chair’s good with me.” I sit, and she scrutinizes my outfit before she picks out a palette and sets it down on the table close to me.

Her gaze moves back to my face, and she shakes her head.

“Honestly, Zey, you could run through your promos today without my help and no one would bat an eyelid. I don’t need moisturiser, that’s for sure, and forget about base. Your skin is perfect. You’re practically glowing.” She takes her hand and places it under my chin. “Gorgeous. All we need is to make your eyes pop and your lips shimmer.”

It’s not the first time Mandy’s gone light with her touches for promos, but it might be the first time she hasn’t needed base. It could be that all that sleep I got last night was exactly what I needed. Or maybe claiming my true mate has given me a glow.

It’s not like I can ask if that’s a thing, but if anyone would know, I’m sure it would be Mandy. She’s worked with basically every famous Omega on the planet, as well as some of the biggest Beta stars in the world. Too bad I can’t tell anyone about Russ.

I close my eyes as Mandy gets to work, letting my thoughts drift.

I’ll wing the interviews like I usually do, deflecting questions about my personal life and making sure I promote the tour and my latest single. I’ll be enthusiastic about whatever products I’m supposed to gush about, and when it’s finally over, I’ll go back to my room for a late lunch, before I get ready to be transported back to the concert hall for tonight’s show.

It’s the last night in Silver City before we get to Cressidan City, where I’m hoping Brooke will finally be able to come see me perform. It’s probably not likely. My best friend’s father has been pressuring her more and more to pick a mate out of the Alphas at the academy. I doubt he’d okay her coming out to see me when she’s not doing what he wants her to do. He’s an asshole.

Kind of like my parents. The only difference is, I’m pretty sure Warren Corvina knows he’s an asshole.

If he ever forgot, Brooke would be there to remind him in a heartbeat.

She’s always been a fighter. She’s still resisting his attempts to force her to choose an Alpha mate that he approves of, and I know she’ll never let him make that decision for her.

We’re both trapped by the people who are supposed to care the most about us.

Brooke’s stuck at an Omega academy, under constant pressure to behave like a good Omega should.

She’s not going to be free of her father until she’s taken a mate of his choosing.

Meanwhile, I’m in a cage that looks like my dream life from the outside. I’ve got a career that’s bigger and better than the one I always wanted, and I’m making way more money than any one person should be allowed to accumulate over a lifetime. The outside world has no idea that my career is my entire life, and I’ll never see a penny of that money.

I’m not going to be free of my parents until my contract ends.

Lucky for me, my freedom’s on a short timer.

I know I’ll break out of this cage, and my life will finally be my own.

After that happens, I’ll do whatever it takes to help Brooke.

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