Page 125 of Sweetheart: Part One

“H-hi.”

There was a long silence, in which Dean Trance stared at me, and then he cracked a broad smile, jumping to his feet again. “Take two, nice to meet you, Vex Eden.” He reached out, and finally my body and mind started back up like an old machine that hadn’t seen movement in years.

“Take two?” I asked with a shaky laugh as he took my hand. “Well, shit.”

Oh.

Fuck.

Live TV.

Live TV, Vex.

But Dean’s booming laugh eased my panic as he shook my hand vigorously.

“Welcome to the show. You’re not so used to the spotlight, I gather?”

“Oh no,” I replied, finally forcing myself into a semblance of normal behaviour. “Not at all. This is a, uh… sharp learning curve for me.”

Dean chuckled. “They did tell you before you arrived on their doorstep,whoyou’d be a Sweetheart for, right?”

“I…” I breathed a laugh as Dean seated himself adjacent to where I was on Ebony’s lap. “Yes. They did. I never intended to match a famous pack during application, but when the Crimson Fury pack came up, I mean… who could say no?”

I was still a little breathless. I couldn’t see the crowd, though I could hear its restlessness. The lights were still too bright.

Ebony’s thumb began shifting back and forth along my back where he held me. Soothing me. He was still holding me tight, and if I didn’t know him—and know it was madness—I might say it was protective. Possessive.

“I hope you don’t mind, but you don’t look like a regular Sweetheart,” Dean said.

“I’m… Well, I don’t know what a regular Sweetheart is, really. I just applied, and I don’t know. I’m just being me.”

Dean nodded appreciatively, and finally—thank fuck—his gaze drew away from me. “Ebony, your pack is known for being a little… shall we say, wild? What was it about Vex that made you want her to stay? I’m sure the fans are all taking notes. What’s the trick to the Crimson Fury pack heart?”

Ebony drew me tighter against him. “I don’t know if there is a trick,” he said. “Vex fit in from day one. Perhaps she’s just as wild as the rest of us.”

“Well, there you have it folks,” Dean chuckled. “But what do you think, will there be any more pack openings in the future?”

“I think Vex is more than we can manage already.”

“Keeping you on your toes, then!” Dean looked delighted. “You’re going to have to start your own Sweetheart classes Vex! I’m sure there’s a million hopefuls out there wanting to hear your secrets.”

THIRTY-THREE

EBONY

“No hard feelings, right?” Dean was saying, following me after the interview finally came to a close. Vex had left one commercial break before me. “Just a bit of a trick I used sometimes, and it’s never failed. We don’t stay the top rated evening show by being boring. No better entertainment than by giving them something real.” He waved a hand. “But she was wonderful, really charming. People loved her—very relatable, they’re saying.”

I smiled, shaking Dean’s hand as he wouldn’t shut his arrogant trap.

He’d terrorisedmySweetheart.

I was going to fucking ruin him. I’d already fired off a dozen texts to get the ball rolling.

My eyes were sweeping the room, though, something uncomfortable settled in my stomach.

Where the fuck was she?

“Good show, Dean.” I clapped him on the shoulder, cutting him off, then striding away.

---