Since she hadn’t, I had to trust in my ability to keep her safe in a hoard of alphas.
When she whispered a quiet, “Thank you,” before she got in the shower, I sighed and decided it was maybe worth it to give her this choice. She’d never had it before in her life, and I didn’t want to be anything like her father. Not even when it came to this.
FORTY-NINE
KIARA
This restaurant was quieter than the club had been. There were far fewer people milling around, and my feet hadn’t faltered on the way through the door.
Maybe it hadn’t been a good idea to come here, but I wasn’t going to be the reason everything blew up. I absolutely was not.
It was unnerving, though, how alphas turned their heads toward me as I passed, their nostrils flaring. Scents spiked around me and I tried to focus on the one I cared about. Vanilla cream. My alpha, who’d let me decide what I wanted to do.
Although, I was already wondering if she’d been right to want me staying home.
I didn’t like the attention.
I pressed myself so close to her side we were almost tripping over each other as we followed the hostess to our table.
This time, the table wasn’t very private. It was six chairs instead of a large booth, situated in the centre of the room. I gazed longingly around the edges of the fine dining establishment, wishing we could have a booth again. My scent might be better contained within the half walls.
Cordian rose to greet us. Today, he had dark smears of purple under both his eyes, a sure sign of very little sleep. His hand shook as he reached out to shake Leighton’s. I held back my growl, ignoring the twisting in my stomach at the thought of them touching.
I reached out to grab Leighton’s after Cordian had released it, though. I rubbed my chin along her palm, making sure she was covered in me and his scent was all gone.
Leighton groaned at the spike of scent, shooting me a narrow-eyed look and helping me settle into my chair.
More eyes were on us, now. Or I was making it up in my head. It was possible I was creating a false reality, imagining attention that wasn’t there. Instincts were trying to take over my every movement, and my confidence about not going into heat was waning.
At least the pack had decided it was in their best interests to come.
Dash, Mercury, and Ambrose relaxed at a table on the opposite side of the restaurant. Their eyes were on us—the only attention I wanted from the alphas in this place. None of them were trying to pretend they were anything but interested.
We belonged to them.
That was the energy they were giving off.
If I looked too long at my other alphas, slick pooled in my core. I was drenching this chair enough as it was, so I averted my attention.
I watched the Ashby pack instead. Noel and Hideki were as haggard as their pack lead. They didn’t look well. Neither of them was as antagonistic as the last time, either. Each man was… resigned.
It sent a chill up my spine.
I scooted my chair closer to Leighton, ignoring the irritated glance our server sent me.
“Pleasure to see you again Leighton, Kiara,” Cordian said after we’d settled, nodding to each of us in turn. “I’m glad you were able to join us this evening.”
We didn’t have a choice.
My brain to mouth filter was on the fritz, what with my heat sliding closer, but I avoided saying that out loud. Barely.
“Thank you for the invite,” Leighton said coolly.
The table lapsed into silence. I tried to stay still. This wasn’t the place for my incessant fidgeting. I could hear my father’s chastisements on repeat in my head. Then, my brother’s taunts.
“Behave like a lady, Kiara. Ladies don’t move unless they’re told to.”
“You could never be a lady. Omegas don’t have it in them. Too brainless. Too desperate.”
