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F aye

“Faye!”

I turn when I hear Addilyn calling my name and gesturing for me to come sit next to her near the end of the stage. I’m surprised and impressed at how good everything looks. There’s a genuine catwalk on one side of the room, with curtains hiding the back of the catwalk and out into the hallway. Little circular tables and chairs have been set up all over the room, and everything has been done in dark blue and white colors.

The Selection may not be my favorite thing to take part in, but they take their events seriously.

Passing through the tables set up around the stage, I make my way to Addilyn. A few of the women give me strange looks, and I tense. I know I’ve been the center of a lot of gossip since telling people that Kurt killed Serra, and even more since I didn’t walk up to Kurt when he claimed me as his mate. As far as I know, no one has refused to do that before. The thing is, I don’t think any of these women would have been happy to be claimed by Kurt, and they know it.

One of the hard things about being an omega is the assumption that if an alpha wants you, there must be some connection between the two of you. That you must feel it too. It’s like no one can imagine an alpha claiming an omega who wants nothing to do with him, even though we all know there are alphas that just take what they want, not caring what anyone else thinks.

So, stop staring at me. I wasn’t wrong to not want Kurt.

“How’s it going?” I ask as I reach Addilyn.

She pats the chair next to her. “I got us the best spots in the joint.”

I laugh. “Thanks, that’s just what I needed.”

After taking a seat next to Addilyn, a little wave of nervousness moves through me. I can only hope that my little dress-up game for Cayson and Ezra isn’t seen as disobedience. I’ve caught sight of some of the other alphas, and it’s clear omegas were taking this one seriously, dressing the alphas in their best suits, perfectly styling their hair, and prepping them to show off their outfits.

In comparison, Cayson and Ezra look like they came from another dimension.

“Can you believe the ferals will be coming soon?” a girl next to me asks her friend.

I look at Addilyn, and she nods. “Since the alpha-ferals don’t have the same standing as the alphas in packs, they have to come later. It’s a way to remind them that they’re outcasts of society and not respected, without being total assholes, since many of them will be able to join packs once they have omegas… and then will become alphas, recognized as such by the packs.”

“Fun,” I say. “A bunch of wild beasts who have done something awful enough to be tossed out of their packs.”

She gives me a look. “And some who were born to feral parents and did nothing wrong. Remember, one of my dads is a feral.”

I blush. “That’s right. You’re right. I’m just nervous about more male energy being here.”

She giggles. “I won’t mind it one bit.”

“Hey,” someone says, and I turn, pulled out of my thoughts by a pretty brunette leaning over the table to get my attention.

“Oh, hi,” I say, still getting used to making new friends. Addilyn was easy, because we grew up together, but when I talk to the other omegas here, I just feel awkward. “I’m Faye.”

“I know,” she says, somewhat uncomfortable. I get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. “I just… well, I thought I’d heard that you were the one who found her.”

When I stare at her blankly, she clears her throat softly, glancing around as though she’s worried someone might overhear our conversation. “Serra,” she clarifies, and a chill rolls down my spine.

After the levity of goofing around with Cayson and Ezra, this feels like I’ve swallowed lead. She’s staring at me expectantly, but there’s something in her expression that makes me feel like she didn’t come here just for gossip, which I’m glad about. The murder of a young girl is hardly fodder for gossip.

“Yeah, I found her,” I say, chewing on my lip. “What was your name again?”

“It’s Janna,” she says, again keeping her voice low like she doesn’t want anyone to overhear. “I don’t know if I should be telling you this, but?—”

A door on the other side of the room swings open and Janna jumps, her face turning white like she’s expecting someone to come through and beeline straight toward us. My heart is hammering in my chest, and part of me wants to reach out, take her by the shoulders, and shake her, to tell her to spit it out or drop the topic, because I just need to not feel like this.

“What did you want to tell me?” I ask, quietly, insistently, staring as the color returns to her face.

“I saw Serra coming out of Kurt’s room,” she admits softly, “the day before, well, the day before you found her. It just spooked me, I guess, to know that they had been together so soon before it happened. And then, there were rumors that he was involved. I just…I wondered how you feel about having him as a mate. I’ve been getting bad vibes from him, but everyone talks about his pack, and his family’s honor and everything. I didn’t know if I was just getting a bad read.”

I stare at her for a moment, that information rushing through my head.

She saw Serra the day before she died. Coming out of Kurt’s room.

I think of how scary it would have been, to be vulnerable with him, alone in his room, allowing him to touch you. I think of how scared she must have been out in the woods, with nobody there to help her, her calls for help echoing off the treetops, unheard.

If she was even able to call out at all.

My brother wasn’t.

“Faye?” the girl asks, and I come back to the present, remembering that I was having a conversation with her.

I put the back of my hands to my cheeks, trying to cool them, then I realize that her telling me this might actually be useful. So far, the council seems to think there’s nothing linking Kurt to Serra outside of their dance. They think I’m just throwing false accusations around for fun. This little detail might be enough for them to properly investigate her murder.

“Janna,” I say, scooting forward and putting a hand on hers. She glances down at it cautiously. “Kurt and I are not mates. He’s claiming me to hurt me because I’ve seen him do some bad things, even though I can’t prove anything. And what you saw, it could really help our case with the council. I just know that?—”

“Keep your voice down,” Janna whispers, glancing around the room, though nobody is looking at us.

“Sorry,” I say, dropping it even lower. “I just…if you were to tell the council about what you saw, we might be able to?—”

Her eyes widen. “No, no, no–”

“Just listen,” I tell her, before she spirals too much. “If you can tell the council–”

The door bursts open again and Kurt walks in, his cool eyes sweeping the ballroom. No doubt he’s searching for me, since he didn’t enter in through the catwalk area like the other alphas. He’s probably pissed I didn’t come to dress him.

I duck down, hiding behind Addilyn, taking a deep breath and trying to calm myself down. It’s an instinct. One I can’t fight. Omegas are always the prey, never the predator. And in this little game of Kurt and I’s, I definitely know the role I play.

“He’s gone,” Addilyn whispers. “Behind the stage.”

I thank her under my breath, but when I sit up again and turn to keep talking to Janna, I realize she’s moved across the room and is studiously ignoring my glances. My hands curl into fists, and I wait for her to come back, even knowing that she won’t. No one ever wants to get involved. Getting involved is the right thing to do, but it’s also scary and dangerous. And no one likes scary and dangerous, least of all omegas.

A cool wave of anger rushes through me. This is exactly what happened with my pack. Nobody wants to do anything except whisper and gossip. Everyone wants to talk about honor, but when it actually comes to stepping up and doing the right thing, nobody is prepared to confront it.

I turn in my seat, breathing carefully to try and keep my cool.

“I’m sorry,” Addilyn says, giving me a gentle look.

“Do you think there’s anything I could say to her to get her to speak to the council?”

She winces and shakes her head. “No. But if it helps, I also don’t think they’d care that much about an omega seeing Kurt and Serra together. They’d just dismiss her too.”

Damn it. She’s probably right.

At once, the lights go down and rhythmic music starts to pump through the speakers. Several stage lights flash on, pointing up at the catwalk. The atmosphere around me instantly changes, filled with excitement. I try to push my conflicting emotions down and just enjoy the moment.

Soon, I’ll be back, alone at my cabin. The thought is less comforting than I thought it would be.

The first alpha comes walking out on the runway, and nervousness flutters in my chest again. I dressed my guys in a silly way. These guys don’t look silly at all. As time passes, I only become more nervous. Every alpha is dressed in their finest suits. Black, brown, and gray. All looking refined.

Oh my gosh, what did I do?

My mind starts spiraling. The council will hear about this. Will they get mad? Will they focus more on me? I bet the alphas and omegas will start gossiping even more.

This was a mistake.

Near the end of the show, most of the alphas have found their spots at the tables near their omegas, and I just have a pit in my stomach, counting down the seconds until my guys appear. They should be up soon. As soon as the thought enters my mind, a single, sparkling purple leg sticks out from between the curtains, and a peel of laughter rips through the crowd. One omega whistles as Cayson reveals himself piece by piece, which is followed by more laughter.

The omegas around me get louder and louder, screaming like Cayson is some kind of rock god, as he, instead of simply walking out and walking back, dances his way to the end of the stage like a male stripper, meeting my eyes and winking as he does so. Near the end of the runway, he does a sexy little crawl, lowering down onto his belly. When he gets to me, he rubs his lips against mine as the women scream and shout his name.

“Hey there, baby cakes,” he whispers, “my little Jelly Bean. Maybe you can tip me later if you like the dance?”

I feel flushed, embarrassed, but also something else. As I look between his sexy face, covered in makeup, and all the women that wish he was theirs, I don’t know what to say or do. I’ve never had people envy me before.

Boy is he good at making this all seem real.

He lightly kisses me again and grins as he gets to his feet, dancing in the center of the stage as Ezra comes out looking amazing in his blue suit, his face schooled perfectly into that of a model. He walks right past Cayson, making it to the end of the stage with perfect posture, until Cayson dances over to him, whipping his sparkling purple tie out and wrapping it around Ezra’s torso, dancing up and down him to the cheers and whistles of the crowd.

This finally makes Ezra crack a smile, and he circles Cayson, reaching down to touch the hands of the omegas reaching up to them. When he gets to me, he lowers down and places a kiss on my lips, and I feel my entire body erupt into flames as everyone stares at me enviously.

Yes, these are my two alphas. At least as far as everyone is concerned. I’ve never felt luckier.

“Hello, our pretty little Jelly Bean,” Ezra says, loud enough for people to hear. “This is just a preview of what you’ll be experiencing later.”

That makes me blush, and the crowd continues to chant and laugh as Cayson peels off his purple suit jacket, tossing it out to the omegas, who swallow it up like he’s a pop singer. The music picks up in volume. Ezra pulls out some moves I never would have thought he had in him, like his hand sliding down his chest as he dances, and I realize that I’m not just amused by what they’re doing. I’m a little turned on.

How can the guys be making me laugh and make me feel like this at the same time?

Another figure steps from behind the curtains and the laughter and cheering dies down until it’s silent. Cayson and Ezra look back without saying a word, and my gaze follows theirs.

Kurt.

He’s wearing the world’s most boring suit, one that’s not even fashionable. It’s the kind of suit you might picture on an elderly accountant. I didn’t pick it, but I would have. It’s a suit he completely deserves. Somehow, it draws attention to the fact that he’s both smaller and less muscular than Cayson and Ezra. The guy looks practically tiny up on the catwalk with them.

Beside me, Addilyn brings her hand to her mouth to stifle her laugh, even as some of the omegas in the back of the room clap awkwardly for him. Cayson and Ezra do their final bows, turning and leaving Kurt alone on the stage. The atmosphere fully shifts, and it’s like every person in the room suddenly feels as awkward as Kurt looks.

His eyes find mine in the crowd, but this time, instead of looking away, I think of Janna, and how she had cowered at the opportunity to do what was right.

My brother deserves justice. Serra deserves justice. His other victims, and potential future victims, deserve for someone to fight against him now.

I raise my chin, noting how his eyes widen slightly in surprise.

He thinks I’m a victim. I’ll show him differently.