There must have been mold in that damn house.
"Mark." I keep my voice flat, unimpressed. "What are the odds?"
"Pretty low," I say dryly, taking my water from the bartender with a nod of thanks.
"I'm surprised to see you here." His eyes flick to my jersey, to the new marks visible on my neck, and something flashes across his face. Surprise? Jealousy? "We sent you an invitation to the mating ceremony. You never showed."
I stare at him, genuinely stunned by his audacity. He's seriously asking why I didn't attend his mating ceremony? The ceremony celebrating his bond with the omega he cheated on me with?
The truth is, with everything happening with my pack, I'd completely forgotten about his stupid invitation. It had probably gone straight into the trash with the rest of the junk mail when I was cleaning out before the move.
To think, I once spent sleepless nights agonizing over whether I was going to go or not. But I guess that indecision led me to giving Beyond Bonds a shot, which led me to my pack. If there's one thing I can be grateful to Mark for, it's that.
Before I can formulate a response that doesn't include telling him to go fuck himself, Tia appears at his side. She latchesonto his arm like I might try to steal him back, her perfectly manicured nails digging into his sleeve.
"I can't believe you're so pathetic."
I balk at her words, turning to face her fully. "Excuse me?"
She tosses her blonde hair, eyes glittering with malice. "Everyone's heard the rumors about you dating the entire team. And here you are, like a total stalker." Her gaze travels over my jersey, my appearance, and her lip curls. "We saw that stunt with your tacky little sign. It's clearwhere those rumors come from."
My mouth opens, but no words come out. I'm genuinely speechless. Stalking? She thinks I'm here stalking Mark?
Or…
It hits me like a slap in the face. She thinks I'm stalking the team. That the entire arena-wide show of support for Darren was some pathetic attempt to... what? Get the attention of the Grizzlies? As if I'd go through all of this just for attention?
I guess that's projection. It makes me want to laugh. Or scream. Or maybe both.
I tell myself she's not worth it. That responding will only feed into whatever twisted narrative she's created. But before I can walk away, I feel a presence behind me.
A large hand settles on my shoulder, warm and possessive, and Darren's deep voice rumbles through me.
"Sure is. Crystal clear.I'mthe one who started them." His hand slides down to my waist, pulling me back against his solid chest. "And I'll give you one guess why."
I turn to look up at him, and my breath catches. He's changed out of his gear but still has that post-game glow, hair damp with sweat, eyes bright with victory and…
Possession. Protection.
More than anything else, love.
"The rumors are true," he continues, his gaze never leaving Mark and Tia. "She's mine."
"Ours," Zayn corrects, and I realize the rest of my pack has arrived, filing into the VIP box like an invading army. He looks directly at Tia, then back at me, his dark eyes taking in the marks on my neck with obvious satisfaction. "Were the marks on our girl's neck not clear enough for you?"
Tia's face goes through several shades of red before landing on purple. Her mouth opens and closes like a fish gasping for air, and I can practically see her brain short-circuiting as she processes what's happening.
"You... she... but she's just a beta!" The words explode out of her, making several people turn to stare.
"And?" Dmitri's voice is dangerously low, moving to stand at my other side. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"Who the hell are you, anyway?" Jax demands, cocking an eyebrow as he looms over the pair.
Mark sputters unintelligibly and Tia looks increasingly enraged that he isn't defending her properly, even as her eyes keep flicking over my pack like she can’t believe she isn’t the one on their arms.
"This can't be happening," she says, her voice rising an octave. She sounds like a child who just found out someone else has a better toy.
"She found something better than a cheating beta and his discount pack," Aidan adds cheerfully, but there's an edge to his smile that shows too many teeth. "Shocking, I know."
