“Forgive Madison,” he said, resting a hand on my lower back, his thumb stroking the silky fabric. I stiffened as he neared the place where my dressing was. “He’s the jealous type. Not used to having his playthings out and about. We’ll go sit, duchess, but I’d caution you to keep your word. Otherwise, we might be finding more guests making their way down to the cages.”
He tilted his head at Madison, whose face broke into a grin.
Prince laughed. “Maybe don’t try too hard, Laurel. That would make Mads’s night.”
I gave them a rueful smile, and they finally left. I slowly managed to get my shaking under control, despite the fact my arm was still throbbing where Madison had grabbed me.
As my guests arrived, my staff took their arms while I explained my engagement and my regrets over stepping back in my duties.
I wasn’t taking any risks in pissing off my fiancés this evening, even if I did feel guilty throwing my staff to the wolves with such little warning. They didn’t have the same protections that came with my title and family.
I found it surprisingly difficult to keep my instincts in check as I refrained from the casual touches I’d been accustomed to up here. I felt alone and particularly cold as I walked around, and any whiff of discontent in an alpha’s scent set my teeth on edge.
The soothing and the physical contact came naturally to me as an omega, and it was a part of the job I’d rarely had to worry about. What was even more unsettling was the way Ikept finding myself heading over to the Lucas pack, craving the only touch I was allowed tonight.
My jaw tightened as Finch stepped into the suite, looking stunning and arrogant as usual. He regarded me with his practiced detachment, and the bite on my side throbbed as I fought back a scream of frustration.
The pull I felt to touch the other guests in my suite paled in comparison to the way I needed him to touch me right now.
Mine, my body was screaming. Mine.
And someone else was reaching for him. I strode forward, cutting off the bewildered host before she touched him, and put my hand on his arm.
Finch looked at me in confusion, his mouth open slightly.
I whipped my hand away as soon as I realized what I’d done. Shit. Finch was wearing scent blockers, at least, so I wouldn’t have taken on any of his scent. Maybe the Lucas pack hadn’t noticed my slipup. I took a step back and jumped when an arm slid through mine.
“Daniel!” Prince said, the warmth in his tone not reaching his eyes. “Come join us!”
Finch’s eyes lingered for a second on Prince’s claim before we were led back to the seats the Lucas pack had claimed.
My skin crawled where Prince was touching me, and I wanted to rip my arm free and scrub every inch of his scent off my skin. My heart was thudding in my chest, and a bitter lump settled in my stomach as I realized I wouldn’t even get close to touching Finch again tonight.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” Finch said, offering a polite smile as champagne glasses were set on the table beside us. Madison hadn’t even glanced his way, attention fully absorbed in the bloodshed below. “Is tonight theofficial celebration?”
“That’ll be next week,” I said. “We’re having an engagement party. You’ll have to come see how we celebrate properly in New Oxford.”
“Oh, I’m sure Daniel will be out of here before then, love,” Prince said, and I found myself pulled closer to his side.
“Actually, I’ll be extending my stay,” Finch commented, looking at Dax and lifting his glass. “I’ve decided to take back some rut fighters from here, so I need to arrange for their transport.”
Prince and Dax exchanged a loaded look.
“From here?” Prince asked. “I didn’t know Thaddeus had made any deals.”
“Oh, no. I’ve got something arranged through my other contacts. Not quite the same calibre as what you have here but eager to make a deal.”
“Nothing can top what we have here,” Dax said, gesturing at the fight cages. He’d made the switch to “we” with remarkable ease, considering he’d never stepped foot here before last week.
“What matters to me is having something to show for this trip,” Finch said with a shrug, but no one missed his greedy look at the Sink.
Dax moved over on his seat, pressing closer to me. He and Prince felt too hot on either side of me, their scents overwhelming. We paused as Joakim announced the next match, Shadow against “the new blood”—Ocean.
Dax’s hand rested on my thigh, the contact giving me an icky, oily sensation. “Laurel,” he said in a quieter voice, that ever-present amusement dancing on his face. “Your father said something a little puzzling about the new alpha today.”
I saw Madison had turned from the fights to listen to this.
Control, I reminded myself as I took a sip of my drink.
