“If you’re out by the mural in ten minutes, you cancome,” Harriett says. “We need to get a photo there. But we won’t be hanging around.”
The woman is already turning away, walking up the stairs toward the exit, followed closely by Ana.
Before Raven can leave, Orion steps around me and takes her hand like he can’t resist touching her any longer. He kisses her knuckles like a prince in some movie. “We’ll see you in eight minutes, snowflake. Don’t leave without us.”
When Orion turns Raven’s hand to kiss the inside of her palm, a low warning growl reaches us. I snap my eyes to her big ass bodyguard. Dude needs to chill the fuck out, she’s our mate not his.
Raven nods slowly, not saying a word.
38
RAVEN
The mural painted on the side of the arena highlights several athletes from the last Cortina Olympics in 1956, but none as prominent as my great grandmother. They’ve captured her with one leg lifted, arms spread like she just came out of a jump. She looks down on me from above, larger than life, with a victorious smile splitting her cheeks. A smile that mocks me.
“Okay,” Harriett says. “I want at least eight poses so I have some variety to use for social content.”
How much social content do people really want to see from the failed omega? Why can’t skating just be about skating? Why does everything have to be publicized and spun and marketed? Harriett’s explained to me over and over how I’m not just a skater, I’m a brand, but I still hate it.
Sighing, I step in front of the mural, right under Gran Elizabeth, and smile.
“That’s your fake smile, Raven,” Coach admonishes.
I try to correct my face without really knowing how. I didn’t have so much trouble when I did the photoshoot for The Hart Foundation. But Coach’s hard gaze sets me on edge. What am I even supposed to do with my hands? Standing here by myself is so awkward.
Harriett makes a disgusted face as she looks at her phone screen to review the shots. “Ugh, no.” She turns to Foster. “Say something funny.”
“What?”
“Say something funny so she’ll laugh.”
“I can’t just?—”
He’s cut off by the guys bursting out of the arena and Vann yelling, “Raven!”
Their hair is dripping wet, and they’re all panting like they raced through showers to make sure they didn’t miss us. It’s so comical that the guys who ostracized me in high school are now racing to get to me that I laugh. A genuine laugh.
“That’s it!” Harriett says. “Just like that.”
Vann runs straight toward me and scoops me up before spinning me around.
“Keep shooting,” Coach says even though I know we won’t want to use this. We can’t have people thinking I’m an alpha-hungry omega. But, hell, who am I kidding? The second I’m in Vann’s arms, all the tension I didn’t know I was carrying melts away. The jittery feeling that was making me anxiously ruminate, quiets. Maybe I totally am an alpha-hungry slut. But why does it have to be him?
The second he sets me on my feet, I take a giant step back, but only manage to run into Orion’s broad chest. He throws his arms around me from behind and nuzzles his nose in my hair. “Missed you, omega.”
I hear the snap of the camera.
“I can’t use this,” Harriett hisses.
“Raven might want these pictures for herself,” Ana says. “They’re old friends afterall.” The way she saysfriendsmakes me uneasy, like she’s making fun of me subtly.
Friends. Right. I laugh again, this time with less humor.
“Hey, it’s one of the omegas!” someone yells.
A group of people exiting the arena stop to look our way. Before any of them can get any ideas about coming over to pester me, the guys have closed ranks. Joined by Foster, they create a barrier between me and the fans, guiding me over to Harriett.
“We should leave,” Harriett says. “I’ve gotten enough.”
