“I know,” she reassures me. “Believe me, I know. I’d hate being that far from you, too. But with any luck, the Calloway pack will have swept you off your feet by then, and you’ll be all loved up and safe.”

Safe.What would that even look like?

And how fucked up is it that living with my own father, a man with a voice in how our country is run, is unsafe?

“Put the shoes on,” Ren urges me as she flips down the visor to check her makeup. I do as she demands, then push open the door and step out. The heels are tall, and make my legs look phenomenal, just like I knew they would. One good thing about being my father’s daughter is I can rock a heel. Granted, they’re usually shorter than these, but I’m confident in my ability. I smooth the skirt of the dress down over my hips and thighs.

The dress Ren made for me is tight on the torso, the diamond cut out showing off my belly button, but then flows into a skater style, the hem falling to just shorter than mid-thigh. If I bend over, I will one hundred percent flash my panties. But I know I’m not the only one.

“Holy fuck, you look hot,” Ren says as she rounds the car, tugging the hem of her equally short skirt. We’re about the sameheight, but she’s all long lean muscles while I’m… not. I don’t mind in the slightest, though. I love my curves.

“Same, girl, same.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere.” She flushes and loops her arm through mine, tugging me past the line and right up to the bouncer. She always does this, and I have no idea how it works for her. As the daughter of Senator Bell, I could probably use his name to get in, but I would literally never do that. Not only do I not want to draw attention to myself in that way, but the idea of claiming him as my father makes my skin crawl. Even though that’s what he is.

I glance around the waiting crowd as Florence does her thing, flirting with the doorman, and it isn’t long before he’s stepping aside to let us in. She drags me in after her through the short hall and into the main part of the club.

Chapter 6: Teach me your ways

The music is loud and thumping, the blue, purple and neon lights flashing in the dim interior. We pause just at the entrance, both of us scanning the crowd.

“Do you see them?” Ren asks, leaning into my side to be heard over the bass.

I shake my head, fighting disappointment, even though I haven’t looked everywhere. The place is packed, and it’s more than possible they’re not just within the first ten feet of the club. Doesn’t stop me from feeling discouraged. “No.”

They aren’t going to come. Why would they? The Calloway pack is at least ten years older than me. The idea of clubbing was probably a turn off to them. By inviting them here, rather than to dinner like Creed suggested, I undoubtedly showed my age, how young I am.

Ren grabs my arm and wiggles me. “The night is still young. They’ll be here,” she reassures me. “Come on. Let’s get a drink in you and then we’ll tear up that fucking dance floor until they show.”

I laugh and allow her to pull me through the crowd to the bar, where she has no problem pushing her way through the already waiting patrons to lean against the glossy black surface. There isn’t space for me next to her, so I stand at her back. Or I would stand at her back, but she turns to the guy next to her, a big hulking alpha, and pats him on his arm. “Excuse me, could you budge over so my friend can squeeze in?”

The guy turns to blink down at her. His eyes are already heavy lidded with alcohol, clearly intoxicated, but he grins when he sees Ren, then he sees me standing behind her. “Must be my lucky night. Not one, buttwopretty ladies wanting my attention.”

Ren cocks her head to the side, sending her blond hair slithering over her shoulder. “Not really, just asking for some space. You’re just so big that you take up too much of it.”

The alpha takes this as a compliment, though I know Ren didn’t mean it as such. His chest puffs out, taking up even more space. “Allow me,” he says like a gallant knight or something, before he grabs my arm and tugs me toward him, wedging me between him and the bar. He leans one elbow on the top, caging me in on one side.

Ren on my other side, grabs my arm and tries to get me away from him. “Really not what I had in mind, my guy.” She tugs and I move about a half inch before the alpha moves to take up the space between our bodies.

I freeze when his head dips and he takes a deep inhale of my hair, right in the space behind my ear, like he has therightto. Ren watches this with wide, shocked eyes. The dude must be super drunk, because this is so far out of the bounds of propriety.No one just scents someone like this… not unless it’s clear both parties are interested.

And I am very much not interested.

He grumbles and takes another deep breath. “Fuck. Are you an omega?”

I shake my head and throw my elbow into his stomach. “None of your goddamn business. Let me go.” He grunts when I elbow him again, and then goals when Ren slams her palm into his shoulder, trying to get him to move back.

But we’re just two omegas and he’s a goddamn alpha, so all it takes is him barking, “stop” and we both do. The command slithers over me, makes my body pliant. It’s the worst feeling in the world to have no control over your actions.

Of course he wasn’t specific in his command, so in the next instant, we’re both struggling against him again.

“There you are, angel,” a low, dangerous voice comes from behind the alpha. “We wondered where you’d gotten off to.”

“We were worried something happened,” comes an equally dangerous second voice. “But now we see some douche waffle thinking it’s okay to put his hands on what doesn’t belong to him.”

With a drunken snarl, the alpha caging me in turns, bumping into the guy next to him at the bar. I take advantage of the sudden space and press closer to Ren, who wraps an arm around my waist to pull me away from the alphas.

When I see who intervened, my heart jumps and my stomach swoops. Atticus and Jude Calloway are eyeing the alpha with murder in their gazes. Atticus’ expression softens as he looks at me and Ren. “You okay, angel?”