Page 56 of Knot What She Seems
“Sounds juicy.”
Taking a deep breath and summoning all my trust that I’m making the right call, I make my request.
* * *
Orchestra music floatsup the main staircase, and it’s like walking into a flower garden of sounds. Brilliant notes bloom all around as I grip my skirts in sweaty palms.
Around me, other girls rush down with awed titters and whispers, but I stay stuck on the top step. The rest of the omegas are scurrying toward the ballroom filled with alpha males as if it’s a Taylor Swift concert.
Me?
I’m dawdling and hoping, without much faith, that I can poke my head in and then dip out before anyone notices. I’m not sure that will be possible in this dress my mother picked for me. Peach silk with an overlay of tulle that’s studded with crystals, the sweetheart neckline is more revealing than I’d like it to be. And the three foot train on the skirt behind me is absolutely pretentious. Not to mention the diamond choker mother lent me from the royal jewels.
It’s going to be hard for me to move without tripping or freeing the girls accidentally and giving someone an eyeful. No, this dress is an artfully designed prison—and I’m sure that the queen chose it just for that reason.
It makes me want to kick something.
Harper appears next to me. Her hair is swept back into a French twist and clipped with pearls. A pure white mermaid gown accentuates her figure perfectly. If she wasn’t my roommate, a dash of jealousy might be pinging in my belly right now, but I just say, “You look great,” and I mean it.
“Thanks. You look like you might puke.”
“That’s the backup plan,” I tell her, and I’m only half joking. Because I don’t know how I’m going to deal with the overload of pheromones tonight. I don’t wantanymales, but my mother wouldn’t back down if a train was rushing right at her. She’d stand on the tracks and use sheer willpower and her cutting glare to make it stop.
Her machinations scare me, though I’m determined to escape them somehow.
But even worse is the fact that I’ve scent matched.
How am I supposed to escape from that?
Particularly after that surprise encounter with Colter showed me how weak I really am. I nearly jumped the huge masked man when he said he knew he was scary. His tone was so utterly sad. So broken. I wanted to wrap him up and…
Nope. Do not think about the things that went through your head, Bry. No slicking it up right now.
I’d hoped to get advice from my brother, but he was as useless and annoying as a zit on the ass.
“Ready to do this?” Harper slides her hand around my arm, linking us. But then she sniffs and leans back, nose scrunched. “Ew. I regret buying those ten bottles of perfume you asked for. Did you put them all on at once?”
“It’s the only armor I can wear right now,” I reply with a shrug.
“Well, it’s working. I can taste you.” She makes a face and sticks out her tongue.
I press my lips together in determination and blow out a breath. “Okay. Let’s go get this over with.”
“And maybe, possibly, find a hot scent match for me,” she adds reproachfully.
“Yes. Right. Hot scent matches for you. Hiding under the table for me. Let’s do this!”
We head down the steps, far behind the other girls, whom I can already see mingling with alphas in tuxes through the open double doors.
As soon as we enter the ballroom, my senses are assaulted by everything at once. Music and laughter and fake candlelight glimmering everywhere. But even more than that—scents. So many potent aromas mingling all at once as alphas and omegas flirt with each other. Fruity and spicy, earthy and tangy—there are more scents than I can name.
Madam Ellora and several of the other professors from Darling stand near the doors, greeting everyone.
“Welcome…ladies.” I’m fairly certain her delay is because she caught a whiff of me, but she’s not working here for no reason. She quickly and tactfully recovers without cringing at all. Of course, she immediately overcompensates by talking too much. If she’d been born anything but human, she would have been a bee for all the buzzing she does. “We’ve got a wonderful band playing here tonight. And I know you’ll be eager to see Brock and his group, but they haven’t arrived yet.”
I swallow the sigh of relief that threatens to emerge and pin on a smile. “Well, that gives us a chance to grab a drink, then. Thank you so much for putting these events together for us. I know how much work it is.” Gesturing around me, I add, “It looks lovely.”
Madam Ellora’s beaming as I lead Harper off.
