It’s been a week of experiences, of learning to love our Soul Bonded, of being together as a pack without the shadows of the Erikksons hanging over us.
And tonight, I get to perform for her. This time, I’ll know exactly where she is in the crowd, and there’ll be no sneaking off – unless it’s with me. I can’t fuckingwait.
Logan walks in, his eyes moving straight to Sienna as he stops. “Fuck, we’re lucky alphas,” he says wonderingly. Sienna blushes.
I hustle them into the hall, itching to get going. Bouncing on my heels, I grin when I see Gray and Tristan already waiting for us. “Excellent. Time to go.”
The trip to the club is a short one. This place is one of my favorites, and I keep one hand on my guitar, the other locked onto my Soul Bonded as I steer us towards the edge of the stage, my band heading past us to set up. Mal waves to Sienna as he strolls past, and she smiles back at him. “Hey, Mal.”
He grins at her. “Sienna. Good to see you.”
“Enough,” I complain. “Stop eyeing up my Soul Bonded – although I agree she looks like a snack – and get out there. I’m coming.”
With one last, lingering kiss, I head out, threading my guitar strap across my chest as the crowd swells into a baying mass.
“Good evening, Navarre,” I purr. “Did you miss me?”
They scream for me, and I eat it up, launching into our set with a fury. My fingers fly over my guitar, buoyed on by the sight of Sienna dancing at the edge of the stage. She dances like she doesn’t give a fuck, her hands up, her hair shaking, and it winds me up into a fucking frenzy as my hands smash against the strings.
I finally take what feels like a full breath at the mid-way point. Grabbing a bottle of water, I swig it down and grab the mic.
“You may have heard,” I murmur into the mic, “that I am the luckiest damn alpha on the planet, and am Soul Bonded to the most perfect omega in the world.”
The crowd screams, although I’m pretty sure there’s a girl crying in the front row.
“I was an idiot,” I say in a low voice. My body turns to Sienna. She’s frozen, her eyes flicking between me and the stage as suspicion fills her face.
“I made some stupid decisions, and it nearly cost me everything I ever wanted. But thankfully, she’s forgiven me for being an absolute dick.”
Laughs ring out, the crowd slowly growing silent as they wait to see where I’m going with this.
“Just one more thing,” I say slowly. In the corner of my eye, I catch Sienna shaking her head. “I’m told that my Bonded has music inside her, and even though she’s ours – tonight, Navarre, I’m sharing a little bit of her with you, so you can see exactly how special she is.”
The crowd erupts, cheering and whistling ringing out, as I jog over to where Sienna is standing.
“Jax,” she hisses. She looks a bit pale as she looks out to the chanting crowd. “I can’t play for them.”
“You’re not,” I say, leaning in and kissing her. “You’re playing for you. You have talent, shortcake. Just once, I want us to play together. Please?”
I can see her wavering. “I don’t have an instrument—,”
Logan steps forward, holding up a battered case. Her dad’s guitar.
“Come on, Sienna,” I coax. “Share a little bit of that magic with us.”
She purses her lips, but I can see her battling a smile. “You’re incorrigible. You have not heard the last of this, Jax Cohen.”
“God, I hope not,” I say promptly. “Tell me it involves handcuffs and whips.”
She laughs, grabbing the guitar from Logan. “I really do hate you a little bit for this, you know.”
Maybe, but she’s made for the stage. I can see it, clear as day. All she needs is a little nudge, to take that final step.
I keep her hand in mine as we walk out, the crowd growing louder as they spot us. Another mic has been set up next to mine, and Sienna lifts her strap over her shoulder, checking the strings.
“What song, baby?” I ask, pulling my guitar around. “I’ll follow your lead.”
She taps her lips. “How about… Embers?”
