Page 21 of Dance Omega Dance

I was kneeling beside Blake, my hands pressed to the blood-soaked shirt of a stranger. Dust streaked my hair, and there was a smear of something dark across my cheek. I looked... wrecked. Haunted, but alive.

The camera zoomed in. Focused, and my heart stopped.

A low ringing filled my ears, drowning out the muted voices in the room. That image, my face, my body, caught so clearly, it would spread. It was already spreading.

Andhe’dsee it.

Kage. And his Alphas. They’d know.

Panic didn’t rise all at once. It slithered up my spine, in a cold, slow bloom. My knees trembled. The air thinned. My pulse was a war drum behind my eyes.

I didn’t say a word. Didn’t need to.

Blake’s head turned sharply toward me, reading everything I couldn’t hide. Zach’s smirk dropped like a stone. Anders went rigid beside the windows, his reflection mirrored in the dark glass.

None of them said anything.

But they all looked at each other and I saw it. The moment that changed everything.

"HERE, THIS SHOULD HELPtake the edge off," Anders said, pressing a delicate China mug into my hands. I looked down to see the pale amber liquid, steaming and smelling of chamomile. "Don't worry about anything right now. We'll make sure you have clothes and whatever else you need."

I raised the mug to my lips, letting the subtle floral scent wash over me as I took a cautious sip. The tea was smooth and soothing, with just a touch of honey, and I felt some of the tension ebb from my shoulders despite myself. Anders was watching me drink I realized, with that same intent focus that made me want to squirm.

After I had taken a few sips, he asked, “How are you feeling now? You took quite a turn when you saw yourself on TV.”

I gave him a wan smile. “I’m okay.”

He nodded, but didn’t push the subject any further, much to my relief.

"Yeah, it's not exactly what any of us had planned, but hey, we're adaptable," Zach chimed in from across the room, flashing a boyish grin. "Though I was looking forward to having this whole place as my bachelor pad, but now you’re here," he said, smirking.

I rolled my eyes. His tone was playful, the words an obvious attempt to cut through the thickness in the air, but I could only manage a tight smile in response. The easy warmth of his voice, the mischievous glint in his striking gray eyes, the cleancedarwood scent that clung to him... it was all too much, too overwhelming in this foreign space.

I could feel my awareness of their alpha presence like a physical thing, prickling along my skin and clouding my already racing thoughts. The feeling only amplified as Blake stepped up beside Anders, watching me. His scent held a hint of damp earth, conjuring sensory memories of my childhood and the forest after a storm.

"We know this is a lot to process," Blake said, his deep voice restrained. "Take whatever time you need to settle in." But even with his careful words, I could sense the undercurrent of authority, the natural command that marked him as an Alpha used to being obeyed.

I nodded, my voice stuck beneath the lump of warring emotions in my throat. A part of me wanted to sink into their offered care, to let their steadying presence ease the ragged edges of my nerves. It would be so simple to surrender control, to let myself be protected like a proper omega.

But I had fought too hard for my independence to relinquish it now. I couldn't afford to trust their intentions, no matter how alluring the prospect was. So, I held myself rigid, my knuckles white around the delicate mug, and forced my replies to remain clipped.

"I appreciate the hospitality," I managed, the words falling flat. "I won't impose any longer than I have to."

The three alphas exchanged heavy glances, a wealth of unspoken communication passing between them in the span of a heartbeat. I could practically feel them making silent calculations, adjusting their strategies for dealing with the distressed omega in their midst.

I hated the way my omega instincts strained toward them. Every bit of my biology was attuned to their masculine presence,to the enticing strength and virility of their alpha scents. It enveloped me like a trap I had to claw my way out of.

Anders nodded; his smile was gentle but tinged with an edge of determination. "You're not an imposition, Summer. We want you to feel at home here." Zach hummed his agreement, though his playful expression had shifted to something sharper and more assessing.

Only Blake remained silent, watching the interaction with that piercing blue stare that seemed to strip me down to my most vulnerable core and find me wanting. I suppressed a shiver, telling myself it was just the general unease of being so out of my element. The alternative was that some traitorous part of me craved his intense regard. It was too disturbing to contemplate.

So, I simply nodded again, my smile paper-thin, and let their care and conversation swirl around me while I focused on reinforcing the crumbling walls of my self-possession. I would endure this unexpected detour in my life and navigate this foreign world of unavoidable alpha attention.

But I wouldn't let myself forget, even for a second, how vital it was that I kept my heart firmly locked away.

After tea, Anders led me down the hall and stopped at a door. He said little, just opened it, and gestured for me to walk inside. I managed a nod, something like thanks, but my throat was tight and dry.

The room was beautiful. Too beautiful. Soft grey walls, thick velvet curtains, bedding that looked like clouds. Everything was calm, curated, and designed to soothe.

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