Page 69 of Captivated By Alphas 1, Fated (The Blood Moon Chronicle #4)
I was assigned to the main dining room, serving the “important” guests—which unfortunately included both the Carmichaels and the Huntingtons. Michael had been strategically seated far from me, but his eyes found me whenever I entered the room, tracking me with a hunger that made my skin crawl.
The Carmichael cousins, meanwhile, were scattered around the table in a way that ensured at least one of them had a direct line of sight to me at all times. Their attention was a physical touch, making my skin prickle with awareness whenever I was in their line of sight.
“Wine service,” Mom murmured as she passed me with a tray of salads. “And for God’s sake, try not to look like you’re being hunted.”
“I’m not—” I started, then caught Adrian’s eye across the room. The heat in his gaze made the words die in my throat. “Fine.”
Wine service was a delicate dance of etiquette and timing.
I moved around the table, filling glasses with the precision Duncan had drilled into all of us through years of practice and the occasional thrown dish towel.
When I reached Jace, his fingers brushed mine deliberately as I poured, the brief contact sending electricity up my arm and straight to my core.
“Thank you, Eli,” he said, my name on his lips sounding intimate and secret.
“You’re welcome, Mr. Carmichael,” I replied formally, aware of the other guests watching our interaction with varying degrees of interest.
His eyes darkened at the formality, something possessive flashing in their depths. “Mr. Carmichael is my father. I think we’re well past that, don’t you?”
Heat crawled up my neck as memories of exactly how far past formality we’d gone flashed through my mind—his teeth on my throat, his hands gripping my hips, his tongue in my mouth. “Jace,” I amended quietly.
His smile was pure satisfaction. “Better.”
I moved on quickly, my heart hammering against my ribs. Adrian was next, his green eyes dancing with mischief as I approached.
“Excellent vintage,” he commented as I poured, though his eyes never left my face. “Though not as sweet as other things I’ve tasted recently.”
My hand nearly slipped, which would have sent red wine cascading over his pristine white shirt. “Careful,” he murmured, steadying my wrist with gentle fingers that lingered longer than necessary. “Though I wouldn’t mind an excuse to change shirts if you came to help.”
“You’re impossible,” I whispered, pulling away before I could do something truly unprofessional.
Cole was last, his gray eyes tracking my approach with predatory focus.
Unlike his cousins, he didn’t speak as I poured his wine.
He just watched, his gaze so intense I could feel it burning into me.
When I finished, his fingers brushed mine deliberately, lingering just long enough to send heat racing up my arm.
“Thank you,” he said quietly, his voice pitched low enough that only I could hear. “For now.”
The implication in those two words made my pulse spike. For now. As in, there would be more later. Much more, if his expression was anything to go by.
I retreated to the kitchen, feeling hot and flustered and definitely not thinking about what “more later” might entail. My skin was on fire, my heart threatening to crack my ribs, and there was a weird tingly feeling in places that had absolutely no business tingling while I was working.
“Whoa, you look like you’re about to spontaneously combust.” Paul’s voice cut through my internal meltdown as he snagged an appetizer from a passing tray. “My brother and cousins giving you trouble?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I lied, accepting the glass of water he offered with hands that definitely weren’t steady.
“Sure you don’t.” He grinned, leaning against the counter with the casual confidence of someone who’d never had an existential crisis about his sexuality.
“That’s why you’re redder than Duncan’s tomato sauce and practically vibrating.
Also, nice collection of hickeys. Very artistic placement.
I’m betting Adrian did the one behind your ear—he always was dramatic. ”
“Oh my God,” I groaned, wondering if I could fit inside one of the kitchen cabinets and hide there until the reunion ended. “Is everyone in this house commenting on my neck?”
“Pretty much.” Paul’s grin widened with the enthusiasm of someone who lived for family drama. “There’s a betting pool on which cousin marked you where. I’ve got fifty bucks riding on Cole being responsible for that one just below your jaw.”
I choked on my water. “You’re betting on— That’s— I can’t even—”
“Relax.” He laughed, thumping me on the back with enough force to dislodge any water that might have gone down the wrong pipe.
“It’s just fun. Plus, the way they’ve been prowling around all morning is the most entertainment we’ve had at one of these stuffy family things in years.
David thinks they’re going to start physically fighting over you by dessert. ”
“That’s not funny,” I hissed, even as something warm and definitely inappropriate unfurled in my chest at the thought of three gorgeous men fighting over me.
“It’s a little funny,” Paul countered, snagging another appetizer with the casual efficiency of someone who’d perfected the art of kitchen theft.
“Hey, at least they’ve got good taste. And speaking of taste”—his expression sobered slightly—“stay away from Michael Huntington. That guy gives me the creeps.”
“Join the club. He cornered me earlier.”
Paul’s easy smile vanished instantly. “Did he touch you?”
“Just my arm. Jace stepped in.”
“Good. But if it happens again and none of us are around, make a scene. Scream, drop a tray, whatever. Don’t worry about being polite.”
The intensity in his usually carefree voice surprised me. “That bad?”
“Worse. Just… be careful, okay?” He squeezed my shoulder, then his smile returned. “Now, I need to go find Aunt Josephine before she tells the story about me and the neighborhood cat when I was five. Again.”
“What did you do to the cat?” I asked, momentarily distracted from my own problems.
“Nothing appropriate for mixed company.” He winked, snagging one last appetizer before disappearing through the swinging door and leaving me alone with my thoughts and the lingering awareness that three sets of eyes were probably still tracking my every movement from the dining room.
This was going to be a very long day.