Page 14

I take a deep breath and watch them out of the corner of my eye, getting more and more irritated with every giggle and smile she gives Bakari, ignoring me altogether.

A cocktail waitress arrives. “What can I get you all?” I toss a chip on her tray, and I look at Ava.

“What can she get you, sweetness?” She glances at me and then looks back at her machine. I tense. I hate that I no longer have her undivided attention.

“Umm, I’ll have a seltzer with lime.” Her gaze moves to me again. “I probably shouldn’t start drinking. I feel a bit off.”

Now I’m clenching my fists. I give Ava my guarded rock star smile.

I want to rush her out of here, away from my friend, and ensure her safety in our suite, with my security, but I know that would confuse her.

The concert’s in a couple hours, there’s still plenty of time to get her situated and comfortable.

If an unmated Alpha from another vampire house catches her scent, all hell could break loose.

It’s bad enough to have Bakari near her and showing interest. I can’t tolerate the thought of a strange Alpha placing a mate claim on her, biting her, taking her away from me, and promising her to their lord.

As an unclaimed Omega with no necklace to signify her promise to Lord Stryker, any Alpha would have every right to take her from me.

She has a say in our house but might not in others.

It’s fine. She’s safe with me.

“I’ll have a Sazerac,” I say, smirking.

“Oh my gosh, that is hilarious; Nolan Szasz wants a Sazerac...What are the odds?” Ava says, laughing.

I drape my arm across her chair to get as close to her as possible. I want to eat up her joy and bathe in her intoxicating scent. Bakari looks at my arm with an unreadable expression.

Joining in her laughter, I can’t help but think I’ll miss these moments once her Alpha mate claims her.

Some other guy will hear her bright laughter, hold her warm hand, and the intensity of the jealousy that reaches up my throat is sharp and biting.

Until Ava, I never had a reason to feel envious of anyone.

The waitress looks seductively at Bakari. “And for you?”

“Black Russian, gorgeous.”

The waitress smiles. “I’ll get your drinks to you right away.”

“Are you having fun yet?” I ask Ava, willing her to look only at me.

“Who, me? Yeah, I’m ready to lose all my money. Who needs money anyway?” she says, and chuckles to herself. Her soft laughter is infectious.

I haven’t told her, but since she was thrust into my life and has become a fixture in my tour bus, new lyrics are flowing effortlessly.

One song in particular is about my new muse.

I’m not sure I can share that part. Should a muse know of their role in an ’artist’s creations?

It might make her feel like she has a more permanent role in my life than I’m prepared for. I can’t hurt her like that.

Sharing space with her has gotten difficult . Her enticing rosewater scent is getting stronger by the second, her Omega perfume encircling me like a delicious fog. I could bathe in her scent with the pleasure it provides me. Shit! Yet another sign that her heat is approaching.

“Whoo-hoo. Yes! I’m up by ten dollars.” Ava’s smirk is just as charming as her arresting smile.

“Are you doing dollar pulls?” I ask her, acting affronted.

“Yeah, what’s wrong with that? I’m not loaded.” Before she can stop me, I swipe my black card into her machine and wink at her. “Nolan, what are you doing? You can’t just give me your money to gamble with.”

“You are so wrong, sweetness. I just did. You should bet more. This will just make it more interesting. I’m curious how much of my money you can lose tonight.”

“That’s the whole point. I don’t want to lose your money.”

“Well, it looks like that decision has been taken from you,” I say, grinning at her, “Have fun, beautiful.”

Bakari looks at me and shakes his head. He knows I need to step up as an Alpha; if I don’t, he truly might take my place.

She glares at me when I wink and continue with my pulls.

She might want to fight me on this, but we both know I have access to more money than I could ever need.

Unlike Larissa, she’s more cautious of it than hungry for it.

It’s just another reason to want her in my life.

It’s my money; I can give it to whoever I want.

What’s the point of having it if I don’t spend it?

Giving it to the happy, gorgeous Omega sitting next to me feels right.

..and that’s terrifying. If I were her Alpha, I would slaughter anyone who even looked at her with desire.

Continuing to bask in her amazing scent, I try to focus on my games.

She moves, and I watch as she removes her cream jacket and drapes it over the back of her chair.

Her navy and white shirt shows off her collarbone, and I can’t help but look at her neck.

I wonder what it would be like to taste her blood.

She’s teasing me and doesn’t even know it.

If her scent is any indication, feeding from her during claiming would be heaven.

I glance at her gray skirt and then down at her blue heels to stop the thoughts of biting her and her delicious curves. Curves that are driving me to madness.

Bakari watches me shamelessly checking her out and laughs, shaking his head. I’m worried that she’s getting more warm. I need to take her up to the suite and tuck her safely away from Bakari and other Alphas.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out and see my dad’s name flash across the screen. I nod at Bakari and look at Ava. “I need to get this. I’ll be right over there.” I gesture to a nearby alcove. “My dad is calling.”

“Oh yeah, sure. Tell him donut girl says hi.”

Smiling at her words, I nod and walk to the side of the room, keeping watch over her while I take the call. Bakari bumps her shoulder and has her laughing at something he’s saying, and I want to go over there and knock him out. I know her scent is getting to him, too.

“Hey...How’s it going?”

“Hi. I’m just calling to see how you and Ava are getting along and how you feel about wrapping up your tour tonight.”

Looking around the casino, I glance at the time on my cell’s screen and watch Bakari continue to joke around with Ava.

“Ava and I are doing well.” Hesitating, I’m unsure if I should tell him about her looming heat. “She’s great.”

“I thought you two would hit it off.” He sounds smug, and I want to lay into him for the position he’s put me in.

“Yeah, the tour has been long. We’re all ready for a break.” Looking up at the chandeliers I can’t help but feel annoyed. What’s the point of small talk? He knows what he did. We both know.

“I see. Well, there’s an issue. Stryker knows about Ava and has ordered that she be returned home to be supported in the Sanctuary.” He clears his throat and pauses, “How have things with Ava been going? Is she your future mate?” I can hear new urgency in his tone.

Seeing Bakari hitting on Ava only adds to my annoyance. “Straight to the point, huh?”

Ava is bathed in light from her machine, telling me she won even more money. I would do anything to see her stay happy and carefree; she’s positively delighted.

“Nolan, you and I both know that when an Omega is in the presence of an unmated Alpha, it can bring on her heat. Has she been showing signs?”

I can’t help but think that he wants her to be in heat, so I’ll go into rut and finally claim an Omega and, better yet, one he approves of.

My dad’s scheming ways irritate me to no end.

I could lie to him, but there’s no point.

As the Alpha who uncloaked her, it’s really his prerogative to know, since it’s his neck on the line.

Now that Stryker knows about her, the situation is more precarious.

“Yeah, she has,” I say, sounding resigned even to my own ears. “She just started showing signs in the last hour. Her heat should arrive in the next day or so.”

“I see. What do you plan to do about it? Do you want to claim her?”

With a heavy sigh, I push down what I really want to say. Yes, of course I want to claim Ava. Nothing would make me happier. “No, Dad. She deserves someone with more stability. She doesn’t deserve the chaos Larissa started.”

My dad sighs into the phone. “You’re making a poor choice, and I think you know it.

You may end up regretting this. Plenty of Alphas in House Stryker would jump at the opportunity to court her and claim her as their own.

Time isn’t on your side. Once she has chosen her Alpha, she’ll be untouchable to you and anyone else. ”

Watching the waitress deliver our drinks, I can’t help but feel a heavy sense of loss and shame. She deserves the world, and I could easily give it to her. But she doesn’t deserve the intense scrutiny that would follow her once the world discovers who she is.

“Nolan, you know you can make her happy. Do you really not want Ava for a mate?”

“Of course, I want her!” I hiss. “It’s why you sent her here. But Larissa interrupted us last night and made her uncomfortable, and she’s since pulled away from me. I don’t want that drama thrown into her life. Larissa may never stop. The scrutiny and chaos may never go away.”

“Shouldn’t Ava make that choice for herself?”

I take a deep breath and try to release the heavy weight in my chest. “Maybe. But she doesn’t really know what she’d be agreeing to as my Omega.”

“Maybe not. Or maybe you’re wrong. I can’t help but feel disappointed. You’re missing out on so much.”

“Believe me, Dad, I know.”

He sighs. “What am I going to do with you? If you give up on her and yourself, this door will close forever. You know what I have to do now that she’s showing signs of heat, right? Stryker wants her back in San Diego as soon as possible.”

“Yeah, you need to take her home and get her into the Sanctuary. I get it, Dad.”

“When do you and the guys leave Vegas to return home?”

“Two nights from now.” I feel devastated. “When are you coming?”

“Your mother and I will arrive around dinnertime tomorrow night. We’ll take you both out to eat so you can gain some closure, and then we’ll take her home with us on the Stryker jet.”

“Part of me hates this.”

“Well, that’s the part you should be listening to, but you’re too stubborn and rebellious for your own good.”

“Geez, kick a guy when he’s down.”

“You wouldn’t be down if you chose her and your happiness. You both deserve all the love and satisfaction a mate gives you. Does she not seem interested in you? Is that the problem?”

“Not at all. There’s chemistry between us for sure.” But is her attraction to me due to her oncoming heat, her biological response to an Alpha? Is it masking her true feelings?

“Well, if I can do nothing to change your mind from this utter stupidity, I guess we’ll see you tomorrow evening.”

“Alright. See you and Mom soon.”

The call disconnects, and the pain and tension in my chest become almost unbearable. I can barely breathe. I’ve been lying to myself that I’d have more time with her on the road while we head home.

I look up and see Ava and Bakari hug while he whispers in her ear.

I feel my anger build, burning me from the inside.

My emotions hit me like a raging storm. Every muscle in my body clenches and my grinding jaw feels painful.

First, anger at myself and now hostility toward my friend.

I want to rip him away from her and hold her close, never letting her go. ..but I can’t.

I know going to the sanctuary is for her benefit.

A newly uncloaked Omega in heat deserves comfort and special care.

I can’t entertain the idea of being the person to provide it.

She’ll make someone in my own house the luckiest bastard alive.

Ava deserves everything a mate will give her—treats, soft things, endless pleasure.

I’m unwilling to give what would be required to claim her.

My tours would need to be scheduled around her heats, and my albums would require more time to release new material.

My relationship with my fans will change.

I would need to stay home more. Her protection and safety would be crucial.

I can hire more security, which would help.

Still, her safety would ultimately be my responsibility as her mate.

Her presence in my life would make writing new music easy, if the last few days are any indication of what the future would be like. We’d have a new album in no time. In exchange for her freedom, I would make all her dreams come true. It’s the least I could do.

But with the countdown looming to when she’ll be taken from me, I need to focus on tonight’s show. That’s my priority. I need to give my fans what they expect from me. Entertainment and my attention.

It’s too bad I can’t provide the same to Ava. Tomorrow, I will lose her completely, the perfect Omega, my muse.