Page 28

“How much of everything?” I snapped.

Eli winced. “Laney—”

“Oh, no.” I spat between clenched teeth. “Absolutely not.”

Eli pulled me through the party, moving into an area that wasn’t as crowded. He turned to face me. “You have every right to be upset but can we not—”

“Darling! There you are!” A loud, melodious voice called out and any expression that was on Eli’s face melted away instantly, leaving a blank mask.

I watched him tense up and stiffly turn to greet the woman. She was tall, close to six feet and with stilettos on, easily over 6’6”. She was absolutely gorgeous, her skin umber with golden undertones and her curls the same pattern as Eli’s. Her eyes were the same warm brown, but the shape was more almond, accentuating her other delicate facial features.

“Mother,” Eli hesitantly addressed her.

“How nice of you to actually attend!” She wrapped him up in a tight hug. “Your father will be most pleased.” When she pulled away, the corners of her mouth turned down. “Why are you wearing that god awful necklace? I thought I told you to get rid of it.”

“Last time—” Eli began, sounding impossibly small, but she dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

“Last time was twenty-two years ago.”

“Last time was a few weeks ago. It was humiliating for me and—”

“Speaking of a few weeks ago…” She trailed off, pushing past him to smile down at me. “You must be the man that has caught my son’s eye.” She lifted her chin, her nostrils flaring. Her attempt to sniff me out sent discomfort burrowing its spindly legs into my skin. She hummed softly, clicking her tongue against her teeth. “Like I was saying, there is a bit of unfinished business you have to attend to. Your father and I allow you your dalliances, but now it’s time for you to put away childish things.” She made it a point to take a long, lingering look at me before shifting her attention back towards Eli.

I bristled, anger returning and melting away the chill. “Childish?”

“Yes, dear. No offense to you, but my Elias has always rebelled against the natural order of things and insisted on dating alphas or betas. Now that he’s thirty-five, it is time for him to settle down with an omega.” She smiled over at Eli, the bridge of her nose scrunching. “Wouldn’t you agree, son?”

“I’m not a beta.” I detested how quickly my anger shifted to pain as I weakly protested.

Eli’s mother turned to face me again, her eyebrows pinched together and eyes slightly narrowed. “No? Do you have the same god-awful necklace as my darling Elias? I can barely pick up your scent.”

My stomach twisted into knots, my mouth running dry as I blinked over at her. “No, I don’t own any type of scent blocker.”

She arched a brow as she appraised me. “Nevertheless, like I previously stated, Elias has unfinished business to attend to. We shall return shortly. Son?”

Eli stared down at me, his eyes pleading, but I ignored it, pettiness overriding any desire to comfort him as he dealt with his family. I was more hurt and disappointed in myself than anything else. I vowed, from the very beginning, that I was only going to keep whatever was between us light and casual. I should have known that I wasn’t going to be able to do that. I was never the type to keep things casual. But admitting that to myself would be admitting that I had deeper feelings than I realized. And I wasn’t ready for that. Not now.

After tonight, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be.

I meandered through the party, aimlessly moving through the different rooms. I contemplated calling Tristin and begging him to come and get me. I wanted to put space between me, Eli, and the growing sense of irrational betrayal I felt, but before I could do so, Jackson approached me again, offering his arm.

“I’ve been tasked with bringing you to the study to meet Father.” Hesitantly, I accepted it. “I sense your shock.” Not wanting to engage in conversation, but not wanting to be impolite, I hummed, the sound noncommittal. “I assume Elias hasn’t told you about our family? Shame, really. I can’t understand why he’s so embarrassed about his lineage.” Jackson tutted softly, shaking his head.

“Everyone has their reason,” I offhandedly replied, realizing this answer was more for myself than Jackson.

“What reason can one possibly have of being embarrassed about their wealth and biology?” The question was rhetorical, yet I felt compelled to answer.

“When it comes to wealth, I’ve found some are embarrassed once they learn how their family amassed their fortune.”

Jackson led us away from the party and into a quiet wing of the house. “Are you implying our family might have been involved in nefarious business practices?” He asked with a light chuckle.

“I’m simply offering you an explanation.” I slid my hand from his arm, pretending to fix my cuff links.

“And in regard to his biology?”

The pain resurfaced. “Our biology isn’t perfect. There can be conditions he hasn’t disclosed to anyone that would cause him to feel the way he does.”

Jackson stopped walking and slowly turned to face me. His expression was unreadable. “He hasn’t told you, has he?”