“You really think she and Heath will be all right on their own?” I asked, unable to completely contain my worry.
“I think they’ll need tolearnto be all right,” Knox said. “Under the circumstances.”
The emcee had been droning on throughout this exchange, but now, she gestured grandly toward the table the others had been watching.
“Our first award for outstanding community development goes to... Lorenzo Vozzina, of Vozzina Associates! Please come up to the stage and say a few words.”
There was a murmur among the guests as a slender omega stood, smoothing down his maroon tuxedo jacket and strutting toward the stage like a model on a runway. His dark gaze fell on Knox as he approached, holding there for a moment too long. The skin at the back of my neck prickled as he passed behind me.
“Smarmy little prick,” Gage muttered, hopefully too low to be heard by the smarmy little prick in question.
Paolo mounted the steps in three light strides and accepted a microphone, smiling widely at the audience.“Good evening, ladies and gentlefolk! I know I’m not quite who you wereexpecting, but my dear mate had to beg off tonight thanks to a nasty flu bug. We couldn’t have Chicago’s glitterati catching a virus, now could we? However, I’m honored to accept this award on his behalf...”
Gage made quiet gagging noises as Paolo continued to enthuse to the crowd.
I stared at the slimeball who’d manipulated Jez into hurting Knox, and hurt both her and Heath so badly at the silos. An unfamiliar feeling that might have been hatred swelled in my chest.
“I could stick a foot out and trip him when he walks back to his table,” I suggested, only half-joking.
“No, you will not trip a rival pack’s omega in the middle of a charity gala,” Knox said sternly.
“As you know,” Paolo’s smug voice boomed through the sound system. “I was only recently mated to Lorenzo, and may I say what an incredible honor it is to be accepted such an illustrious pack. It’s gratifying to see the Vozzinas getting the recognition they deserve in this city, and...”
I turned to Gage, about to suggest bribing one of the waitstaff to smash a pie into the little twerp’s face or something, when a deafeningboomrocked the building. The lights flickered for a moment and went out, instantly plunging the huge room into darkness as dust choked the air.
A terrible rumble vibrated my bones.
“Christ!” Knox’s curse barely penetrated past the ringing in my ears.
A heavy weight toppled me to the ground, knocking the remaining breath from my lungs. I tried to gasp, the scent of citrus and yeasty bread surrounding me as a large body caged me in. Panic gripped me... I still couldn’t see anything except blackness. The sound of terrified screams felt distant, as though they were coming from across the length of a football field.
The floor was still vibrating, and the screams became punctuated with muffled crashing sounds. A heavy impact jolted the body covering mine, pinning me beneath weight that made it impossible to breathe. Another impact followed, and another, and another. The blackness surrounding me closed in until there was nothing else, muffled sounds flattening into a low whine.
Something hard glanced against my temple, and even the whine disappeared into silence.
FORTY-ONE
Jez
THE FANCY LOUBOUTINheels I was wearing suddenly seemed a lot less desirable, when I was trying to catch up to a tall alpha with a long stride and a chip on his shoulder.
“Heath!” I called. I didn’t want to make a scene, but I also didn’t want to break an ankle trying to speed-walk across a polished marble floor.
Heath either didn’t hear me—possible, given the ambient noise from the guests and the sound system—or didn’t acknowledge me. I gritted my teeth and sped up my steps, feeling vaguely ridiculous with the way the mermaid gown shortened my stride. Even if I took the shoes off, running was out of the question.
