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CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

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“Welcome to the annual Paragon Gala, hosted by Paragon Racing. But tonight, racing isn’t the focus. Every year the rich and famous come from Britannia and across the world to donate to good causes, mingle, and of course, rub elbows with some of Formula 1’s most notorious stars. More than members of Team Paragon are here tonight, and we can’t wait to see how they’re dressed to the nines.”

HOLLY BUCHANAN, FORMULA 1 REPORTER

I leaned my elbows on my knees in the living room of our Britannian home as I waited for the others. The last thing I wanted to do was to go to a gala where I would see my parents, but there was no way to skip it. Plus, there were several good causes being supported, so I could suck up the discomfort for one night.

Edward, my brother, wouldn’t be there tonight, adding to the icing on the shitty cake.

“You okay?” River asked. He wore an identical tuxedo that had silver detailing.

“Lovely.” I let the sarcasm hang.

“You don’t have to go. None of us would force you.”

I sighed. “I appreciate that, but you know I can’t skip it.”

It honestly had nothing to do with my parents and everything to do with the fact that this was our pack’s first official event together. If I weren’t with them, it would bring questions as to why. And I wanted to spend time with Vanessa. I wanted to watch everyone be in awe of her the same way I was.

River shrugged. “You could have the flu.”

“I’ll be fine.” I glanced up at him. “Will you be?”

“Why?”

“Because Lars will be there,” Beck said, buttoning his jacket. “And the asshole won’t hold back from saying his bullshit, even at a charity event.”

River scoffed. “I’m on my best behavior. In two days I’ll kick his ass and everything will be back to the way it should be.”

Both Vanessa and River would glare at me if I told them how similar they looked when they declared such broad—if likely justified—claims.

Gray had his phone to his ear when he walked in, listening. He hung up without saying anything and shook his head.

“Problems?”

“Just a voicemail.”

“Where’s Nessa?” River asked.

Gray smiled. The same smile we all broke into whenever we talked about our Omega. “Still upstairs with the stylists. She’s almost done.”

“Have you seen her?” I asked.

“No. They wouldn’t let me in.”

LORE had dressed all of us, and we’d wanted to match. Vanessa had been fully prepared to wear a dress in Paragon colors. But since it wasn’t a racing team event, we wanted her to be her . Which was why we’d said her favorite colors, and now sat in black and silver tuxedos.

None of us had seen her dress.

Soft, clicking footsteps approached the living room.

The floor dropped out from under me when she appeared. Like my body was numb and completely separated from my brain. Because all that was left of me was staring at her and definitely wishing we could stay here and make use of that dress .

Black and silky, the fabric clung to one shoulder and bared the other. But the neckline wasn’t the most scandalous part. That was the fact that one side of the dress wasn’t fucking there . Skin appeared all down Vanessa’s left side as thick, glittering silver ropes criss-crossed and kept the dress together. They wrapped around her waist, hips, and chest too, making her look half like a present ready to be unwrapped and half like a sparkling offering bound for us.

Everything it bared…

Our Omega wore not a single thing beneath that dress. Combined with the soft, shimmering make-up she wore and her hair in gentle waves? She was so fucking beautiful and I couldn’t look away.

None of us had said anything, and now she stood there glancing between us. Pink touched her cheekbones. “How do I look?”

Beck picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. “I don’t have words, love.”

“I’m going to need all of you in tuxedos more often.”

“At the bonding ceremony,” I said, joking.

Nessa wrinkled her nose, and I laughed. Rings were one thing. Waiting for a big party where the whole world watched? I was with her on this one. We didn’t need it.

“Annika will lock up behind the stylists,” she said.

Tucking her in against his side, Gray spoke softly. “I’m not kissing you because I don’t want to ruin your lipstick. But know that I have plans to ruin it later, little one.”

Her blush deepened. “Good.”

I finally stood, still feeling the heavy weight on my shoulders. But seeing Vanessa look me up and down as I approached, seeing her eyes light up and her hand shoot out to catch mine. That was what I needed to feel better. To feel home .

“You okay?”

“I’m fantastic now.”

She searched my eyes. I sighed and leaned in to brush a kiss against her temple. “I’m fine, beautiful. All I need is you.”

“If you’re not okay, you tell me, all right?”

I nodded.

It would probably be fine.

Probably.

River turned Vanessa toward him, fingers finding her bare skin. “I hope you know how fucking in love with you I am,” he murmured.

“And all it took was a pretty dress? I would have done it sooner.”

We all laughed, but River still held her gaze. “I wish you could have felt that moment, baby. I want you to feel everything I feel so I don’t have to say it, and I want to feel your reaction to every little thing.”

“I want that too.” She turned and winked at me. “So you better get planning.”

We all watched her walk toward the elevator, and I wasn’t going to pretend my eyes weren’t fixed on her ass, because they were. It was a fucking beautiful ass.

Vanessa stopped and looked over her shoulder, smirking. She knew exactly what she was doing. “Oh, and River? Even after I’m wearing your bite? I still expect you to tell me with actual words. Got it?”

“Got it.” He laughed.

“I don’t think bonding will make us more silent,” Beck said. “If anything, you’re going to want us all to shut the fuck up.”

“I doubt it.”

I spied the longing on Vanessa’s face in the mirrored wall of the elevator. She wanted that more than anything. But in spite of already telling her, I didn’t think she had any idea how deeply we wanted it too.