Page 16

I tilt my head, letting my lips curve. “I was hoping you’d come find me.”

He says nothing. But his nostrils flare. Good. I’m very glad I didn't go home for the scent neutralizer. I lean in enough to breathe him in deeper. Woodsmoke. And underneath it, rain and something lush and green. Fresh, cool, and so fucking tempting it has starred in more than one private moment this past week. Tonight it’s stronger. Closer.

“Is your alpha friend here?” I ask in little more than a whisper.

The Viking smirks, like that’s an answer. Then the green-rain scent sharpens behind me, blooming hot and sudden.

“Leith,” the new voice says, quiet and a little rough, right at my left shoulder. “Who’s your friend?”

I turn. He's tall and slender, pale with dark hair that's a little too long. His eyes are pale blue, even in the strobing dark. High cheekbones and firm lips. Features that are almost too precise. Too pretty. The kind of face that belongs in a painting, or possibly in a gothic novel where he ruins someone's life but you’re okay with it because he’s so dangerously attractive.

Something primal curls low in my belly. My neck tingles like he’s already dragged his teeth across it. I become abruptly aware that I am staring at him with my chin slightly lifted and my pulse thumping to the beat of the music.

He’s staring at me like I might bite him. To be fair, I almost want to.

The Viking, who I now know is Leith, puts one large arm across the new alpha’s shoulders. "Finn," he says, "this is the omega from the elevator I told you about."

Finn blinks. Then, like he’s been replaying that story in his head for days, he asks, “Twenty-A?”

They talked about me. Internally, I am delighted. Externally, I keep it cool.

"That's me," I say. I let my eyes move over him slowly, because I have no shame and he looks like a vampire that I really want to turn me. "Hi, Finn."

His mouth opens. Closes. A faint flush climbs up his neck and disappears under the shaggy edges of his hair. He's not afraid of me. It's more like he needs time. Like I came at him a little fast and his system is still catching up. It's possibly the most endearing thing I've ever seen on a grown alpha.

"Hi," he finally manages. His hands flex at his sides like he’s forgotten what to do with them.

"Wait." Something is itching in the recesses of my brain. I look between them. "Did you say Finn?"

Leith’s eyebrow ticks up, then back into place in that stoic expression I want to know better.

“My best friend’s been trying to set me up with a Finn for months.” I look back at the shy, gorgeous, slightly overwhelmed alpha in front of me. “You wouldn’t happen to be Graham’s research partner, would you?”

Finn’s eyes widen. Surprise flashes across his face, followed by something that looks a lot like mortification. I think I hear him mutter, “He said you were terrifying,” under his breath.

Leith makes something that sounds almost like a chuckle. He takes us both by the arm with his quiet authority. “You two can talk at our table.”

The table is close to the dance floor. It’s in a good position; the kind you have to know someone to get. There’s a tall beta guarding it. He nods at Leith when we pass, then steps further away.

There's a bottle of vodka on ice and two glasses already poured. A bottle girl materializes almost immediately with a third glass and a smile aimed primarily at Leith, who does not appear to notice.

He fills my glass himself. Two fingers over ice, no fuss. I take a cautious sip. Top shelf.

I settle between them. Leith is solid and warm on my left, radiating calm confidence. Finn is more careful on my right, but I can feel the tension rolling off him every time he breathes in my direction and then tries not to.

My omega is glowing, sending out scent like a fucking beacon. I’m not doing a damn thing to stop her. I want him to drown in it the same way I’ve been drowning in thoughts of them for the last week. Fair is fair.

Leith, for his part, looks calm and collected. He refills my glass without being asked. His thigh presses against mine under the table. He says nothing.

"So," I say, leaning close enough that he has to dip his head toward me to catch it, my mouth angled near his ear. "Graham's research partner."

He turns. Up close, those pale blue eyes are even prettier than I clocked when we first met. “Yeah.” His voice is low now, too.

I stay where I am. No reason to move. "His omega is my best friend. You were supposed to be there tonight. It was a set-up.”

He looks like he wants to speak, but the words catch. His gaze drops to his glass, then flicks back to my mouth before he forces it away again. The flush on his neck deepens.

The song changes. Something familiar but with a David Guetta vibe. The deep bass of it rolls up through the floor and settles somewhere behind my sternum.