She scrawls her name then pauses, looking up at me. “Hm.” She twirls her finger. “Turn around.”
“I’m sorry?” I splutter.
“Turn!” Is she looking for a weapon or something? “Slowly.”
“Okay.” Cautiously, I spin as everyone in the room turns to gape at me.
“Around 6’5”, good bone structure, perfectly symmetrical face.” She scratches her chin. “Do you model?”
“I mean, I did one campaign.” Well, that’s if she counts being in an ad for cough syrup when I was a child.
Although I’m fortunate enough to attract attention whenever I head to a bar, my good looks have made it harder to win respect since taking over Valen Enterprises. I work remotely to avoid being branded as a ”pretty boy” with no substance.
I scan the room, noticing four figures posing under bright lights. My eyes are drawn straight to the woman sitting between two brutish-looking alphas. My heart skips a beat. She’s beautiful. She crosses her long, slender legs in an elegant pose. One of her companions scratches his balls, unashamed, making her wince. Another complains about needing a snack, and I’d mistake the third alpha for a wax statue if not for his blinking. What is she doing with these men?
The woman’s piercing blue gaze meets mine, twinkling with curiosity, freezing me to the spot.
“Out of the way!” The bossy woman flaps her arms at the three alphas. “Move, move, move! Stand to the side!”
She grips my arm then drags me across to the set, practically throwing me down next to the stunning omega whose eyes I’m instantly lost in. Being this close to her causes all my alpha instincts to skyrocket. I want to lean in close to breathe in her delicate scent, wrap her in my arms, make sure she’s safe…
“Hey!” one of the alphas complains, shattering my musings. “What’re you doing? This is our shoot.”
When the gorgeous omega next to me shifts in her seat, and her body warmth radiates through me, I have to resist the urge to shuffle closer. “Is this really necessary, Lindsay?”
“Your alphas need to learn to pose,” the woman, Lindsay, barks. “We have a professional model in our midst. Who better to learn from?”
I clear my throat. “I’m hardly a?—”
“Shh!” Lindsay hisses. “Spin to face each other.”
The girl swivels, her knees gently brushing against mine. She doesn’t say a word, but she doesn’t have to. The moment I look into her eyes, nothing else seems to matter. All my work, concerns about Calder’s mood, worries about Riven settling into our new place, and hopes that Ezra won’t sleep with everyone in town before we’ve got settled vanish.
“H-hi.” I smile feebly. “I’m Hale.”
Her plump lips part to reply, but the photographer’s directions cut her off.
“Perfect!” he praises. “Tilt your head a little. Give us a small smile.”
All the breath seems to have squeezed out of my lungs. I want to know her. No, it’s more than that; I need to know her. Everyfiber of my being craves closeness with this stranger, like I need her more than oxygen.
“Angle your bodies closer together.” Instructions are fired at us. “Put your arm around her shoulder. Tilt your head to the left.”
“Are you sure this is okay?” I ask her.
I’d never touch a woman without asking. Her eyes widen in surprise before she inclines her head in a subtle nod.
“Better!” the photographer praises. “See the difference? There’s feeling! Emotions!”
“That’s enough,” the short, balding alpha watching from the sidelines butts in. His nasally tone makes me cringe, like a screw is being twisted into my skull. “She’s our omega.”
“She’s not an object.” The words are out before I can stop them. What’s come over me? Calder is usually the confrontational one.
“I will not stand by and watch some delivery boy drool over our property,” he snarls. “I’m the pack leader.”
I grit my teeth, having to hold myself back. How dare he talk about her like that? We’re in the twenty-first century. Alphas like him are toxic and the reason why so many omegas still feel unsafe.
“You should go.” Her murmur is devoid of emotion, like she’s accepted her fate.
