Page 9 of Omega Rock

“Were you going to go solo?” Leo asks.

Mia turns back to us all then. Her face is no longer flushed with an adorable blush, but her hands do shake around her guitar neck. She’snervous. Every movement she makes is one I register and memorize without knowing why.

Aiden shrugs. “My previous manager and I had a disagreement about my performance, and I think I’m still good to go. I did want to prove them wrong. Then Wes called and offered a deal I couldn’t turn down. Said he had the perfect bandmates to make something special.”

Wes looks pretty proud of himself, but I’m not convinced. “A former frontman and drummer of two huge bands, a fresh-out-of-viral-fame singer-songwriter, and a bassist kicked out of Juilliard?”

“Kick out of Juilliard?” Leo asks.

“Yes,” I reply. “They weren’t fans of my behavior.” And to be fair, they shouldn’t have been. Partying, excessive drinking, being disruptive. It didn’t really fit their vibe.

“Everyone deserves another chance,” Wes says. At first I think it’s to me only, but then I realize he’s addressing everyone. “You are each incredibly talented and unique, and I do strongly believe that you would make an amazing band together. So much that I’m willing to throw as much capital at this for minimal royalty in return until conditions are met. I care much more about the work you can create together than the pasts you came here with, and I’ll treat you better than your previous managers may have. I just ask that you workwithme, which includes trying this out.”

It’s atypical, but I can’t deny Wes has a great sales pitch. And honestly, I’m not doing much these days to begin with. Nothing that drives a passion in me, anyway.

This is an opportunity I can’t let slide. “Well, I’m in.”

“Same,” Leo says. “And screw Designation Outsider, Aiden. They seem like real pricks.”

Aiden doesn’t voice an agreement, but an angry quick lift to his eyebrows says enough. “One album, one tour. Might as well give it a go.”

Career’s already tanking as it is, he doesn’t say, but his expression does.

Mia’s hands have stopped shaking, but every time she makes eye contact with one of us, her blush returns a little. “This is all really new to me, I’ll admit. And you all have a lot more experience in the industry, obviously. But I’m in.”

Wes gives her a hard look that seems out of place. Mia acknowledges it with a nod, and it’s clear that it’s both related to an important issue but also none of our business. Then Wes claps again and throws his arms out wide. “Great—then let’s give this a go. Play something you all know. Show off a little. Feel out the vibes.”

I hate it, but the three of us alphas all turn toward Mia. She’s so much younger that it probably depends on whatsheknows. There’s an obvious choice of something from Designation Outsider. But I don’t think Aiden would want that.

Thankfully, Mia pulls out something completely out of left field. “Sun Sign Rising by Darkest Night.”

A few years old. Heavy on screams with a wicked drum solo. But also fantastic talent show off for Aiden and I.

I shoot her a grin. “I’m already impressed.”

“Thanks.” Her blush rises higher. “Wes, you got a mic for me?”

“You can hit that?” Aiden asks. Disbelief echoes in his wide eyes. Leo’s beside him doing a much better job of hiding any similar feelings. I’m personally of the mind of letting her show off before deciding what low notes she can and can’t hit.

Mia smirks as Wes hands her a microphone. “Let’s find out, shall we?”

Something in my chest flutters at her passive cockiness.

We all plug in our instruments and Leo counts us in. For having never played together before, we meld astonishingly well right away. Before the first verse even starts, there’s this warm feeling of inspiration and rightness in my chest. We exchange glances only a few times to confirm timing of verses and choruses. And then Mia…

Miadoeshit the low growls. The screams. Even Aiden looks impressed as he provides the background vocals.

By the time the song is done, Wes’s wide grin spreading from ear to ear is enough confirmation of the feeling I have swelling inside my chest. Like hearing your favorite song for the first time, of falling in love, of riding a natural high.

It’s joy. It’s rightness.

“All right then,” Aiden says after Wes finally winds down his awkwardly-long solo applause. “Damn, Mia. I’m impressed.”

She beams up at him then throws a thumb over her shoulder to Leo. “Leo, you smashed that.”

He nods to me. “Juilliard reject’s got talent.”

I can’t even be mad because what just happened was like magic. Four relative strangers coming together. But that’s what music does. It unites us across all that divides us, draws us together, and gives us an experience to fall into.

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