The crowd around us chuckle.
Logan reddens, finally unable to hide how much this is affecting him.
Logan throws John to the floor and marches toward my pack, who draw close together. “What are you even doing here, Grace? I was told that you worked in housekeeping. I didn’t expect…I mean, intend… What the fuck are staff doing attending the matching ball? Unless…” He glances suggestively at Lionzio and Piper. “…you’re here as a companion HO.”
Icarus wraps his arm around my shoulders. “Grace is here tonight as a guest. She is being matched as my bonded Omega in the Sinner pack.”
Logan laughs, nastily. “You’re also nothing but staff. Just the manager. Pathetic. Get back behind your desk or serve me a drink. Better yet, call mesir, unless you want me to put in a complaint.”
Icarus gives one of his dangerous smiles, baring his canines. “How about I kick your ass instead,sir?”
Logan pales. He takes a hurried step back.
A large Alpha in his sixties who has been watching the whole exchange gives an approving nod and starts to clap.
John pushes himself back to his feet. He shields the female Omega with the same kindness that I remember from my time with the Alcotts.
“What is going on?” Maya’s sharp voice cuts like a knife.
I stiffen.
Here we go.
Maya is dressed in a glamorous fuchsia velvet dress and high heels. Holly is wound though her fiery hair. Her pointy face isfrozen in a fake smile to trick the guests that she isn’t both panicking and furious inside to see Icarus and me out of the wine cellar and causing a scene in the middle of the most important ball of the year.
Hatton trails at his mom’s shoulder. He looks pretty in a satin, salmon pink evening suit and waistcoat. He is keeping his head ducked to avoid catching my eye.
“I want to make a complaint,” Logan rushes to say like the snitch that he is. “I have never been so insulted.”
“I’m honestly surprised,” Piper drawls.
“Wait for me in my office.” Maya’s eyes are hard as she stares at Icarus.
It is Lionzio who pushes to the front to face her. “Isn’t this a matching ball? This Alpha and Omega…? Well, you know how rock stars are. You said that our pack could have anything we wanted, including finding our pack bonds.Immortal has selected them.”
When Lionzio points dramatically at Icarus and me, I know that it’s as much for the crowd around us.
The buzz of excitement from the other packs takes me by surprise.
Warmth floods me.
Our plan is working.
Everyone loves celebrity gossip. Plus, a good Cinderella fairy tale.
Maya opens and shuts her mouth like she can’t work out what to say now that, for once in her life, she has been outmaneuvered. “You don’t want them. They havebaggage. I apologize that they have tricked you. This one is from a disreputable family and has a dependent brother. And my daughter is a single mom?—”
“I know. Aren’t we lucky?” Lionzio smiles, looking smitten. “I will be taking all of them with me as part of our new pack.Immortal and my male Omega are excited at the opportunity to add kids to our pack. Thank you, Mrs. Frost, your hotel is the best.”
Piper bites his lip hard not to chuckle.
What exactly can Maya say now?
“My pleasure,” she says, faintly.
Fuck, that feels good.
“Is that my match? He’s grown up pretty.” Logan grabs Hatton’s arm and yanks him closer to sniff at his neck.
