Page 154 of Drown My Sorrow

“Okay. It was all worth it. Everything was worth it,” I growl. “I’m going to kill everyone who looks at her.”

Shale has a drink halfway to his mouth, but he doesn’t move it further. He’s as stuck as I am, too busy staring at her.

Gael appears at her side, and Beau on the other. I didn’t even notice her walking stick, but it’s now a burnished gold with dark wood lights. It matches her dress perfectly.

She starts down the stairs, our alphas flanking her. It takes effort to turn away from her.

She doesn’t know how beautiful she is. I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to convince her, I just know it.

I circulate around the room, taking notes of people and who they are talking to, eavesdropping shamelessly.

Kelly is the man of the hour, doing everything he was trained to do, and who cares if that smile is a little brittle or if his eyes look a little desperate. I stroke the bonds, reassuring him that we’re all here.

He glances towards me, the only acknowledgement I get as he schmoozes the rich and very rich.

Every Raines is working the room, Charles, Locke, Lia, Ryn, Raider, and Bethany. The only one missing is Bailey, who is watching from the shadows, a dark threat to our evening.

I move to the side of the room and wait for him to come to me.

Bailey is silent when he arrives beside me. All that tells me he’s here is the threat in the air.

“It’s working.”

I sip my drink and silently agree. The Raines are celebrities with such strong reputations that everyone needs to speak to them. They need to be friends with them.

It’s almost sick.

Bailey leans against my back, and I stiffen, wondering what he’s going to do.

“My uncle has arrived.”

I smile. The game is about to start.

Chapter thirty-eight

Aspyn

AspynAged20

Nat swipes at her wet eyes, but I just glare harder at her.

Shale carries another box into the house.

“Hey! I didn’t buy that.” I turn with him, following his path through my new rental.

“Housewarming gift!” Shale shouts.

I glare at his back. “You can’t furnish my house and say it’s housewarming!”

Keagan kisses my cheek. “Sure, we can.”

I look up at him as he walks off, whistling. The three alphas and Nat have become my world.

Nat continues chortling. Her unhelpful snickers are getting on my nerves.

I don’t know what I’d do without them.

But today is special. I’m renting a house, a home. It’s cheap and close to town but far enough away that I have my privacy.

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