Page 9 of Alpha's Fated Flame

"No, Jess," I hissed at her, "It's my parents. They'll kill me if they see me here. You have to take me back home now!"

She sighed and walked towards a refreshment table so I could duck behind it and be out of view from my family.

"Girl, we came here to have fun, so we're gonna have fun. Screw it! Who cares if people find out you don't have a wolf?”

I opened my mouth to argue but was suddenly cut off by Jess's fangirl squealing.

“What?” I asked, irritated, looking to where her gaze was set.

"Oh my god, look, Adrianna! That's Roman, the alpha of our pack," she said, blushing uncontrollably. "It looks like he's about to make a speech."

I got up tentatively from behind the table to look at the stage before us. I saw a tall, blonde man holding the microphone, tapping into it to test the sound. He reminded me of a Ken Barbie doll.

"Welcome, brethren," he started, and the crowd slowly quieted. "I have a quick announcement before we begin our festivities."

"Ooh," said Jess in my ear as we listened.

"The powerful Bloodmoon pack will join us today for our annual gathering," Roman announced. "The alphas, led by Kayden, are searching for their one true omega. And as he is one of my closest friends, I have agreed to grant him first choice in the pick for the omega outings!"

Kayden walked up to the stage, and I gasped when I saw his face. Jess and I exchanged shocked looks. It was the same alpha from last night who marched me home.

Three alphas joined him, standing in a row behind him. Roman held out the pink jar I had mindlessly thrown my name in earlier.

"Now, would you like to pick randomly from the jar of names, or did anyone already catch your eye?"

Wait, what the hell?

Didn't he say they were looking for an omega? Then why did they ask me to put my name in that jar? I turned to Jess.

"Is this supposed to happen? I think my name is in that jar."

She bit her lip, confused.

Just then, I felt a hot prickling feeling on the back of my neck. I turned back towards the stage, and my eyes collided with Kayden's hot golden gaze.

He lifted his hand and pointed straight at me.

"We want her," he announced loudly. Suddenly, all eyes were turned to me. I heard a shriek from the crowd.

It was my mother. She looked at me with horrified eyes.

"Adrianna! No! What are you doing here?" She said. Then she turned the stage and shouted. "No, you're mistaken. She's not an omega!"

I stood frozen in place.

No way this was happening. At my elbows appeared the two alpha bodyguards from earlier. They grasped my arms and started frog-marching me towards the stage.

“I’m not an omega,” I said over and over, trying to pull away.

The walk was a blurry haze, and suddenly, I was in front of Kayden. I looked up at him and found he was already staring at me with a dark, heated gaze. I glanced away towards my mother, who was still shouting and pleading, tears and mascara running down her face.

"Don't take my daughter!"

The crowd started rumbling, the confusion causing restlessness and agitation. My heart was racing a mile a minute.

Roman stepped towards me, inhaling deeply. Kayden let out a protective growl, putting his body between us and shoving me back towards the group of the three tall alphas. Immediately, they circled me, and I stared at a wall of muscle.

Through it, I heard Roman trying to keep some semblance of peace.

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