“My thoughts?” He gently laughed, stepping closer to us. “That was amazing, and they’re just getting to know each other. Imagine what they’ll do with full-length ballets or contemporary works. I have a thousand ideas on how to market them. We have to create a launch and show them off to the world, let the dance community know we’ve done it. Everyone who’s anyone will fly to see our company. Are we prepared for this?”
“Great question, are we actually prepared for this?” Dem asked, looking between Lukas and me. “Can we shelf them for a season while we prepare for next year?”
“Word will get out too fast,” Lukas said, quickly shaking his head. “The company already knows we have an omega, and they’ve guessed it’s Ivy.”
“Wow, that was fast,” I frowned. “How is she doing? She probably feels so isolated.” I looked out the window down at the studios. “I don’t see either of them…are they…”
As if answering my question, Preston walked in with the biggest smile I’d ever seen. “Did you all see that?” He dropped down on the couch and ran his hands behind his neck. “That was amazing. How did it look?”
“It looked amazing, and I’m very jealous it’s you and not me still.” I frowned further as I grabbed a pillow off the couch and hit Preston with it.
“You’ll get to work with us. She’ll bring your ideas to life.” Preston sniffed his shirt before collapsing against the back of the couch. “Her scent is still on me.”
Lukas paced a few steps in front of the window, then turned to face us again, his eyes bright with focused urgency.
“We’ve got maybe a week—tops—before word spreads outside our walls. You know how fast the dance world moves. If we don’t get ahead of this, we risk looking like we’re hiding something. We need to frame this right: Ivy is our omega, yes—but she’s also an incredibly gifted dancer who earned her place here. The message can’t be ‘pack finds omega,’ it has to be ‘pack discovers artistic partner who elevates the company’s legacy.’”
Demetrius folded his arms, considering. “And how do you suggest we do that?”
“Start small. Controlled. First, I do a behind-the-scenes feature—low stakes, maybe about the new dancers. Casual photos of Ivy and the corps, nothing too pointed. Then a slow trickle of Ivy and Preston rehearsals—just enough to tease something exciting without confirming the bond. Let the dance world come to us.”
I gestured in agreement, impressed. I'd been best friends with Lukas for a long time. He may act like a flirt, but when it came to publicity, he knew his craft.
Lukas leaned against the windowsill and exhaled. “Then, when the time’s right, we build an exclusive. A formal shoot. A press release,‘Arco Ballet’s Rising Stars’or something equally vague. Keep it clean, artistic. Let the magic speak for itself before the omega angle even enters the room.”
“Where did she go?” Dem asked, looking over between both studios.
“She said she was getting lunch,” Preston gestured downstairs.
Lukas shot a look at me. “With the rest of the company? Susan was already confronting her about her omega status earlier. We shouldn’t leave her alone; some of the girls are going to get a little catty.”
“I’ll get her; she should start eating with us anyway.” I waved them off before leaving Dem’s office. It took me afew minutes of searching the building, but I eventually found Ivy sitting by herself with her eyes closed in the corner of the main studio. She was wearing Dem’s jacket from last night.
I hated seeing her like that—tucked in a corner, hiding. She deserved so much more than this. I should have kept a better eye on her. She was ours to protect, and we were letting her down.
“Hey beautiful.” I slowly approached and sat down beside her. “Do you want to be left alone, or can I join you?”
Ivy's eyes fluttered open as a smile emerged on her face, causing my heart to skip a beat. She was so cute just sitting there, but she clearly showed signs of fatigue. I wondered if it was the beta blockers, the stress of being an omega, the new pack—okay, it was probably all of that plus more.
“Have a seat. I was just resting my eyes.” She closed them again and leaned her head back against the wall.
“Have you eaten? It’s lunch time,” I asked, unable to resist gently touching her arm.
“I…um…I’m fine.” She waved off the question.
“Let me guess—you don’t want to go into the lounge because you’ll be faced with a barrage of questions.” I moved my hand down to hers. “The pack is all gathered in Dem’s office. You should join us.”
She laughed softly. “Do you all want me there? I kind of feel like I don’t belong anywhere in this building at the moment. I know that sounds ridiculous…”
“No, it doesn’t, and yes, we absolutely want you near us all the time.” I stood up and helped her with my hand. “Come on, Preston will feed you.”
As we walked through the hallway, hand in hand, I caught a trace of her beautiful scent again, stirring a need inside me I needed to ignore.
“I watched you and Preston dance…wow,” I said, squeezing her hand. “I’m so excited to work with you. My mind is brimming with possibilities.”
“I’m really excited to work with you, too! I’m learning one of your pieces, second corps line for the ocean section inMoonlight Whispers.”
I paused her as my hand lifted to her cheek. “No, not corps work. I’m looking forward to sculpting your body in brand new pieces for you to star in.” She blushed slightly, looking away from me, but I didn't care. She might not get it yet, but just looking at her ignited that creative drive within me.
