Sam answers, “We’re looking for someone. Curly, red hair. Brown eyes.”
“Cute as a button,” Kit adds.
Rory snorts behind him and the rest of the group smiles with amusement.
“Ah, the girl that Nova approved despite not being in the dress code,” the host responds, eyeing our outfits with obvious disdain. I don’t even have a chance to be offended before Uriah steps forward.
“Nova Cooper?” he asks.
The host only rolls his eyes before pointing across the room to a square fixture in the corner. Bartenders gallivant inside, cloths slung over their shoulders and shakers in their fists. That’s when I notice the red velvet stools lining the counter, all mainly empty except for two individuals huddled together to the side. Opal sits with her head hung low. I can’t see her face, but that arrogant guitar player sits beside her, his arm loosely around her as they speak. I see red and march forward, prepared to give this guy a piece of my mind.
When I get closer, I realize that Opal is crying and my blood boils even hotter.
“Get off our girl,” I bark when we’re close enough to be heard. The other alpha immediately retreats, his arm coming back to his side at the command. He looks around, confused, but then tilts his head when he sees our group approach. Opalturns to us as well, her eyes widening into saucers as tears continue to spill down her cheeks.
“Uriah?” Nova asks. “What are you doing here?”
The alpha crosses his arms and glares at his former bandmate. “I was just going to ask you the same thing.”
“My parents own this place,” he answers.
Opal tries to wipe her eyes as Kit points at the man beside her and says, “Oh wow, it’s that playboy from your band.”
Nova snorts while Uriah grunts a confirmation. “Technically, it’s Bellamy’s band, but yes.”
I can’t take my eyes off the omega, her sadness prevalent. Sam takes a step forward, finally noticing that Opal is in distress.
“Why is she crying?” he asks, then he turns his dominant glare on the alpha beside her. “What did you do to her?”
Nova puts his hands up. “Relax. I’m not the reason why she’s crying. She just needed a friend.” He looks between all of us. “Although, it looks like she has plenty of those.”
Opal breaks down into another sob, her head hanging once again. Her friends flank to her side, pushing all of us alphas out of the way to get to her.
“What happened, O?” Rory asks.
Nova answers before she can. “This guy was being a total asshat. He… well, he said some of the grossest things I’ve ever heard.” He rubs his neck, visibly uncomfortable. “The staff had to kick him out.”
Opal lets a whine escape, the sound making my alpha feel murderous. “I told her I didn’t want to go on any more dates,” she cries. “I said it over and over again. Earlier tonight, she suggested it again and I put my foot down. Then she called, saying she wanted to meet up and apologize. But instead of finding her, this man walked up to me like he was expecting me.” She shakes her head. “She tricked me.”
“Didn’t she tell you guys about the date?” Jett interjects then, pointing at us.
“She told me,” Kit confirms, before looking at Opal. “She came to Alpha Xi and intercepted us while we were looking for you. Told me that you were on a date because…” He cringes. “Well, we can talk about the specifics later.”
Those ‘specifics’ make me fume once again, thinking back to the way it sent Kit down a guilt trip.
“I can’t believe she did this,again,” Rory spits and turns to Stacia. “What thehellis her problem? We need to go kick her ass.”
Stacia, who’s normally the pacifist, grits out, “I’m right behind you.”
“No one is beating anyone up,” Atlas says, stepping forward. “Unless Opal says it’s okay.” Ciro snorts under his breath, forever finding entertainment in the most fucked up situations.
“I don’t know what to do. I can’t believe she did this,” she gets out between panicked breaths, but her mood seems to be shifting. Her sadness turning into anger that matches all of ours. “I wanted to believe that it was a misunderstanding, but… heknew. He knew about me.”
Kit steps forward then, his fists clutched together. Fury rolls off him as his watermelon scent singes, ripened burnt fruit tainting the air. “Heknew? Shetoldhim?”
Opal nods just before meeting my eyes. There’s a whole new anxiety written on her face as she notices my presence. I don’t understand why until it hits me.
Or rather, it hits my nostrils.
