Page 132 of Knot What She Seems
“Me too,” Sam says.
I hand my plate to Harper, and she gives me a smiling grimace—a look of sympathy because this is a problem she can’t help with.
“You want—” Colter starts to ask.
“I’d rather bite off my own arm,” I retort, because there is zero chance I want my scent match following me into the bathroom and listening to me pee. We are not on that level yet. And…I also might end up puking. I’m not interested in explaining his need to stand at my side, rubbing my back, if another alpha walks in.
I stride to the nearest door and then down the hall next to Sam, who takes out his phone and starts texting as we walk, even lifting his phone and snapping a photo of a portrait of Madam Ellora and snickering.
“She looks like she doesn’t just have a stick up her ass, but a whole oak tree,” he jests.
“Accurate.” I have to remind myself not to turn toward the ladies’ room and continue on to the men’s, and the entire time, I hold my breath, hoping that it’s completely empty.
I’m in luck and breathe out a sigh of relief when we walk into a bathroom that’s fancier than necessary—probably in an attempt to show off to the visiting alphas. Do men really care about chandeliers hanging over their urinals? Doubtful.
I make my way over to the window and undo the latch, shoving it upward so I can get a breath of fresh night air to help me think of a way out of this predicament.
Instead of heading right to the restroom, Sam comes over and stands beside me. “So…the parents.”
“Yeah.” I scratch at the painted ledge and listen to a frog croaking in the distance as I debate hopping out this window.
“Any chance they won’t go onto the stage for the award?”
I snort derisively. “Have you ever seen my mother on television? Absolutely none.” Sometimes, I think that woman loves the spotlight more than her own flesh and blood.
Rubbing at my forehead, I scold myself for being unfair because I know the toll this war has taken on her. The constant stress of moves and countermoves, anticipating the enemy’s plans and their responses, the gut-wrenching drama of knowing you’re responsible for the deaths of thousands…and yet, she still came tonight to honor her only son.
Which brings me full circle back to the unsolvable problem that I have.
“Maybe I need to just get sick,” I murmur.
“I could help you sneak out and then go tell everyone,” Sam offers.
I glance up with a furrowed brow, wondering if that plan could possibly work. Would a beta hold up under interrogation from my incredulous mother? I’m capable, but only because I’ve spent a lifetime around her.
“I owe you,” he reminds me gently.
“Okay.” I nod, taking a deep breath as the idea seems to solidify into a true possibility in my head. “Yeah. Let’s do it.”
Part of me wishes that I’d come up with the idea to play sick earlier, but then, they might have wanted to postpone the ball for the guest of honor. Now, I’ll get to come back as myself and see my scent matches and my parents as Brylee.
The fact that my parents will come face-to-face with Alpha Team X and realize that we’re matches is a problem for future Brylee to deal with. Present Brylee needs to get Teddie the hell out of here without getting caught.
I shove the window open further and lean out, scanning the grounds. To my surprise, I see a few figures near the side of the building.
Are alphas and omegas already sneaking off to make out?
It seems too early.
Prickles scratch up my neck as I squint and realize that I don’t see dresses—only men. I squint, staring harder, and that’s when I see a flash of dragon insignia.
My skin grows icy and my lungs seize, somehow tight and heavy at the same time. Time stands still for a moment before adrenaline ripples through me in a wild torrent.
Then, suddenly, a thousand thoughts pile onto me at once, like stones, compressing. Heavy.
Noths.
All those omegas?—
