Page 15 of Storm

Harley’s voice trails off as she shifts, and I follow her eyes to the small figure coming from down the hall. Daisy. The other omegas may be rare, but she’s the most precious elite in the bunch. Her blood is so pure I’m sure it runs gold. Fuck sake. She seems to always pop up wherever I am, like a shadow I can’t shake. I don’t trust her. I don’t trust any of the elites. Even the ones caged in with me.

I flick my hair over my shoulder, my wild curls catching the light while I stare daggers at the little elite princess. My hand finds my hip, and I square my shoulders like I’m ready to throw down in one of those underground fights Rook used to take me to.

Her eyes go wide as coins, and she makes a noise that’s somewhere between a squeak and a gasp—a sound that would fit right in with a bunch of mice. It echoes in my head like a victory cheer when she finally turns and runs off.

Once Daisy's fled from the area, I look around to make sure no one else is hovering. Then I see them. Cookies! Right out on the table, just sitting there like they want me to eat them. Hell yeah. Love cookies.

I grab one as Harley shakes her head at me, but she can’t keep a straight face. Not even close. By the time I’ve crammed the first one in my mouth, she’s got a full-on grin spreading wide.

“What?” I ask around a mouthful of cookie. “The bitch wouldn’t quit staring at me.” Harley laughs, and I stuff another cookie into my mouth. I can’t help myself.

The beta bitch in charge is on a mission today, storming across the room like she owns the place. Harley drops her gaze almost immediately, like we’ve been trained.

Me? Not a chance.

I toss the last bite of my cookie into my mouth and spin on my heel, twirling for no damn reason except to annoy the hell out of Miranda. I grin wide, knowing exactly what I’m doing.

I pull some gum from my pocket and pop it in my mouth, discarding the rubbish beside the almost empty cookie plate. The gum in my mouth is minty, sweet, and so damn worth the risk. Frankie’s a saint for sneaking it in.

“Miss Harley,” Miranda snaps, her voice sharp enough to cut through steel. “A little too late. As soon as you see me, you must acknowledge my status. Not wait for me to approach you.”

Oh, please.

I glance sideways and see Harley keeping her cool, barely holding back what I know is a smartass reply. She nods like a good omega, and I catch her sneaking a look at me—big mistake.

Miranda turns toward me, eye already twitching. “Miss Storm, I don't have words for your manners. It's like you don't even want to be a good omega.”

Bingo. I beam at her like I’ve won a damn prize. “Miranda, what crawled up your ass?”

I hear Harley snort, and that makes me grin harder. She's trying to hide it, coughing into her hand, but the damage is done. Miranda looks like she might explode. I almost feel bad.

Almost.

I twirl again, just to drive the point home, and blow a perfect bubble.Pop.

No fucking way. She popped my bubble. Miranda is a little bitchier than usual today.

“All right, Miss Storm, this is your final warning.”

Veronica’s voice booms across the room like thunder, and even I have the sense to stop chewing mid-bubble. I hear the heavy stomp of her boots and immediately lower my head, but not fast enough. Shit.

There’s pushing buttons for fun, and then there’s Veronica—the head beta with a stick so far up her ass I’m surprised she can walk straight. She’s the real power around here. Miranda just plays pretend. Veronica’s the one who actually decides what happens to us.

Still… I can’t help myself.

“What happens after my final warning?” I ask sweetly, flashing her an innocent smile. “Do you spank me?”

Out of the corner of my eye, Harley loses it. She bends over, holding her knees, wheezing with laughter like I just told the joke of the century. That only fuels me more.

Veronica, of course, does not find it funny. She straightens up like she’s just been personally offended by my existence.

“That’s it. Neither of you will be going today.”

And just like that, I remember that today is Dahlia’s Choosing Day. The one we are supposed to attend.

Well, if she thinks that’s a punishment, I’ll take it.

“You wanna watchFriendsagain?” I ask Harley, practically bouncing down to the couch area. I don’t want to talk about earlier, not where someone might hear us. Harley’s quiet, but I know she gets it. She follows my lead, falling into step beside me.