Page 163 of Sweetheart: Part One

I was torn between following him and hunting down the rest of the pack. But he was so heated I couldn’t leave. He didn’t catch up to the alpha until we’d almost made it back to the main room, but these back corridors had no security.

“Delete the picture!” Drake’s voice was a low snarl as he stepped in the huge alpha’s way, grabbing his shirt. I recognised him now. It was Zeus Rogan, famous actor, and pack lead of the Lightning pack.

“Drake!”My voice was low as I grabbed his hand, heart in my throat as I fumbled for my phone, trying to draw up the contacts list.

“What’s got you so upset, Magpie?” That was another voice. Triton Star, Achlys Glade, and Cerus Summer all appeared at Zeus’s side. It took me a moment to realise Triton was talking to Drake.

I stared between them. The rest of The Lightning pack were intimidating in person. All faces I recognised from movie posters, suddenly frightening and hostile. I didn’t know them the way I’d known the Crimson Fury pack, I hadn’t watched their movies, nor their interviews.

Right now, I could feel their gazes on me. I tapped the first contact on my list—Ebony, trying to split my attention between them and my phone, still holding Drake’s hand tight.

Me: left of entrance

Me: back hallway

Drake still had Zeus by the shirt, rage in his eyes. “Delete. It!” he snarled.

“Drake!”I pleaded again.

Triton Star was leering at me, not an ounce of attention for Drake, who was all but leaping at his pack lead.

These were predators. I knew it to my bones.

Only, Drake wasn’t listening.

Triton took a step toward me—us, and I cracked with fear, a whine slipping from my throat.

Drake finally stopped, chest heaving, attention gone from Zeus to look at me.

Everyalpha in the hallway was looking at me. Triton’s pupils were blown, a sneer on his expression as he took me in.

“Vex!”

Thank fucking god.I didn’t think I’d ever been so glad to hear Rook’s voice in my life.

“Drake!”That was Love.

They were here.

Love and Ebony were at Drake’s side in a moment, and Rook was hauling me back, hostility in his frame as he shifted in between me and the rest of The Lightning pack. His arm came around me protectively, offering more of a shield between me and the alphas before us. It was strange and unexpected, yet felt like the most natural thing in the world. I wasn’t even ashamed at how I shrunk against him, my eyes still fixed on Triton Star and Zeus Rogan, both of whom hadn’t taken their eyes from me.

My mind was screamingdanger, instincts overriding reason. Overriding the fact this was a famous pack, revered and worshipped by so many. Overriding the fact that we were in a public event and they couldn’t do anything. Not really.

“What thehellis going on?” Love demanded.

“Leash your dogs, Love,” Triton chuckled. “Unless you want to hand that responsibility back to us.”

Drake’s aura split the air. Ebony’s matched it just in time to hold him back.

“Delete the fucking photo,” Drake spat.

“What photo?” Ebony asked.

Finally, some of Drake’s fury cracked as he looked back at us. “Caught him…” He swallowed. “Taking a photo of me and Vex while we were together…”

He didn’t have to finish. A low growl ripped from Ebony’s throat, Love’s expression became tight, and I felt Rook tense at my side.

“It’s an open event,” Cerus said. “They didn’t ban phones last I checked.”

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