Devany

The moonstone hung heavy between my breasts, its smooth surface remaining cold after hours of being worn. It had seemed such a simple thing when Beckett handed it to me in the car. Besides its strange coolness, nothing about it hinted at magic, but the moment I slipped it over my head, the Alpha marks on my skin vanished from sight.

Beckett's relief had been palpable. He jumped up from his seat on the edge of my bed and circled me slowly, his eyes scanning my exposed skin for any sign of the marks. Both of us were far too aware of the fact that the only thing offering me any modesty was my arms crossed over my breasts. I told myself the reason my nipples were as hard as diamonds was because it was chilly in the room, but the inferno churning in my blood whispered that it was a lie.

It would have been so easy to lower my hands and act on this thing between us. Though I was relatively inexperienced, I recognized the look of hunger in Beckett's eyes as his hands hovered above my skin, and if I doubted what I saw, at least I had Pria's confirmation of his sexual frustration.

Instead, I had asked him if he was satisfied in the coldest tone I could muster and dressed as soon as he said yes. My wolf grumbled irritably in my head, convincing me further that I was making the right choice. Not only had Beckett been hot and cold today, but I couldn't be sure that all the changes in my body weren't responsible for this intense attraction. When I gave myself to someone, it would be because I wanted it, not because the animal inside of me drove me to it.

With my dangerous marks concealed and Jack confirmed to be off site, I was allowed to wander about the house alone while Beckett left to tend to Alpha duties. Pria and Allie had made it clear after we got back to the house that they were going to be busy the rest of the afternoon, so I didn't bother seeking them out.

At this time of day, the house was nearly empty, and I didn't pass anyone in the halls. I hadn't realized how much the constant stares and whispers had disturbed me until they were gone, and some of the weight on my shoulders lifted.

Taking a left down a hallway I hadn't seen before, I ran my fingers along the paneled walls. Normally, wood paneling would make a place feel dated, but not here. No, these walls, with the rich cherry sheen on the wood, spoke of money. As did the gold and crystal chandeliers dangling from the ceilings at every turn. It didn't strike me as Beckett's style, but it was likely the home had been inherited.

What must it have been like to grow up here? With so much money and family? I had always been lacking in both things, and to find myself in the middle of it all now was overwhelming. Almost enough to make me sneak away for a shift at New Moon, just to pretend nothing had changed. If only for a moment.

I choked back a laugh. How ironic that a week ago I wanted answers, and now that I was closer to them than ever before, I would give it all up just to have my life back. Or maybe it wasn't the life I wanted as much as it was the sense of control.

Because here, I was at the mercy of the pack and the wolf inside of me.

"Holy shit," I muttered, stopping in a large archway and gaping at the massive garden stretching between this room and the next. With walls on all four sides, it felt like an interior space, but the ceiling was completely open to the slowly darkening sky.

Vines heavy with pink and white blossoms covered the walls, and the grass cushioned my steps better than any carpet I'd ever walked across. They scattered benches throughout the space, many of them tucked into semi private alcoves or beneath massive weeping willows. Fairy lights not yet lit for the evening had been strung between all the trees, coming to a single point above a fountain in the center of the garden. From there, a large golden star hung low enough that the water's spray could reach it.

Kicking off my shoes, I curled my toes into the lush green stems and raised my arms high above my head. A deep inhale expanded my lungs and filled my nose with the pungent scent of roses. They were the sweetest, most decadent flower I'd ever smelled, and I wondered if it was because of the variety that bloomed here or the power of my senses.

I spent the next half hour wandering from one end of the room to the other, examining the plants and statues. Finally, I found a spot still warm from the sun and sat down. For the first time in a while, I felt at peace.

Until the door opened and two men entered the atrium, followed by two familiar women, their heads bowed low in deference as they walked. Kiara and Jaya. In all the chaos after the auction, I'd forgotten about them, but it came rushing back as I watched them. The dark holding room, the ridiculous clothes, and worst of all, the desperation and laws that put us there in the first place.

The man on the left–the one Kiara followed–froze mid-step, his gaze whipping around the garden until it landed on my spot near the fountain. Before meeting Beckett, I would have thought this man was massive, but even at well over six feet tall, he fell far short of the Black Fang's Alpha. In muscle and looks as well. His sallow skin and ginger hair certainly did him no favors.

Nor did the squinty eyed look he gave me as he elbowed his much shorter, blonde friend. The smaller man curled his lips back, exposing his teeth, and growled. I flinched at the sound, shocked he could make that noise in his human form, but the longer he held eye contact with me, the more my fear lessened, turning into something darker and far more menacing. A need to put him in his place. A blast of cold against my chest snapped me out of it before I answered him with a snarl of my own.

"Look Jaya," the blonde man said, grabbing her by the chin and forcing her to look at me. Her eyes were dull. There was no hint of recognition in her face. "If you ever pity your circumstances or even think about pulling the same stunt, remember that there are worse fates than being bred by me."

Her dark, liquid eyes flashed with defiance before returning to their previous lifeless state, and she only nodded as he released her. Kiara never raised her head.

"Why feed them lies?" I snapped, getting to my feet. "I'm free."

Kiara's Alpha snorted. "There is no such thing for an Omega."

Omega... I recalled what Jack said about Omegas, but the Rankings hadn't taken place yet. Until I declined to participate, I held no status. Other than the one Beckett and I knew to be true because of my markings. Alpha.

"I have not been ranked yet."

"You don't have to be," Blondie spoke again. He might be the smaller of the two, but I sensed he called the shots. "We can smell your inferiority from here. Participate or don't. The outcome will be the same. You are the least of us. An Omega."

They spun on their heels and walked back the way they came. Kiara hesitated, then looked directly at me and said, "They're right, you know. You should have accepted your place at the auction. At least then you would only belong to Jack."

"What do you mean?"

She walked backward, speaking in a rush. "Because now you belong to them all. An Omega must submit to all things. To all wolves."