Page 83 of Our Deceptive Heat

Say what? I do a double take, too shocked to do anything but stare. How did they find out?

“No, ma’am, I’m here only in a professional capacity.”

“Our sources say they’ve seen you sneaking in and out of the band’s hotel rooms!” Someone shouts.

Holy shit. I break out into a sweat and glare at security.

“We have been working on updating the band’s image. That has required some unorthodox hours, they are rock stars, after all,” Ryn says calmly, staring down the camera lens, almost daring the woman to argue.

“Would you care to explain this photo?”

Ryn looks at a tablet. “We were dancing. Is that a crime? We were in public, in a very visible area, we have nothing to hide. It’s not romantic. It was just a dance because I liked the song.”

“I can confirm it was simply a dance between friends,” Tyr says in a bored voice.

More questions are fired off. Each one pushes my fear and temper higher until I’m so wound up all I can do is stare at the throng of reporters and their flashing lights, unable to say a word.

Tyr and Ryn field them all, but their knowledge is intense, and it leaves me feeling unsettled and violated. I can see Ryn and Tyr getting more and more stressed. I look at security again, but they are getting nowhere.

And, finally, one question breaks my control, sending ice skittering down my spine. How did they know?

“Miss Raines, is it true you are an omega?”

What the fuck!? I shove security aside, push through the crowd, trusting the band to follow me.

I get to the car, wrench open the door, and growl viciously at the reporter who gets in my face. Ryn is pushed into the back of the car. Envy and Mako follow. I get in the passenger seat, while Tyr and Tony climb in and pull the door shut.

I turn to the driver. “Get us the fuck out of here, Immanuel!”

He nods. “Yes, Alpha Fate.”

“How did they know?” Ryn asks, and I can tell she’s in shock. I turn around in the seat.

“They didn’t. They were speculating.”

“It's got to be Tara,” Mako snarls. “They knew too much. She had to have fed them the information.”

“It doesn’t matter!” Ryn says. “Oh, god, how did they find out? Dad’s going to find out about this, and I’m going to be fucked.”

Tyr pulls her into his arms, hugging her tight. “She’s guessing. She doesn’t know for sure. No one does, and we can hide it. It will be okay, Ryn.”

This is what kills me. I can’t stand seeing my pack hurting. I don’t want to see Ryn hurting. Everything inside me wants to make it better and fix it.

But I can’t. Not right this minute. So, I sit in the car and seethe, trying to get my stupid brain to come up with a plan that will help her, but in the end, all I can think to do is just ignore them.

“Digs?”

Envy shifts so he’s between the front seats and presses his face to my shoulder. I stop focusing on the thoughts in my brain and focus on him.

“Sorry, I got lost in my head.”

“I know. It’s okay. We can sort it out together, Digs.”

I nod and swallow hard. Of course, we can sort it out. We’re Pack Fate.

We get on the plane with no more delays and head to the next city.

We’re quiet, and subdued, everyone is worried about what’s waiting for us.

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