Page 9 of Brandy Snap: Part Two
But even with their disdain, my omega instincts sang as they held me in front of all these people, instantly giving me credibility.
I knew it was mad, but for the first time in my life I really felt like I had a pack. It wasn’t a scent match or a heat which drove me crazy, or an accidental bite that fractured my mind. It was feeling supportive, believing I was safe, and standing beside these three men who inspired those devastating emotions in me.
Even if it was all part of the act, I kept telling myself not to fall for it. I shouldn’t get too comfortable in case it all vanished in a second.
I couldn’t tell if it was me or these instincts that had taken over my life in the space of a week, but I could stand proud with them beside me. I could make it through this, and not even Zania’s glare and scent could drag me down.
After everything they had done to me so far, from the ways they had hurt me, or broken me, I didn’t know if it made this moment sweet or sour. And hope might be the most dangerous thing I’d felt since I met them.
Melanie
Ishouldn’t have gone alone. I told myself from the start that I was safest next to Sin or Caspian. But the toilet was onlyacross the hallway from the ballroom, completely visible from the main door.
I’d become too relaxed in the hour since the party started, so I really didn’t think it would be a problem.
Lily had swooped in and pulled me away from the three of them the moment she was free. She said she was determined to introduce me to some ‘normal’ people. It was good to talk to people who actually seemed nice. And who didn’t have any connection to Sin, Caspian, or Kai. A small group of us were chatting at the edge of the ballroom when I left to use the toilet.
And it was only supposed to be two minutes. It shouldn’t have been a problem.
I even spotted Caspian, Sin, and Kai as I left the bathroom, spread out in different areas of the ballroom.
But relaxing was my mistake.
I thought Zania would leave me alone when I was with them, but it was another example of how stupid and naïve I was.
My cheek throbbed as she stood in front of me directly to the left of the bathroom, where anyone could see us.
Zania’s heels were the only reason she could tower over me, but she wore them well. A champagne-coloured dress made her look so elegant, and it was the opposite of the fury which dug into her face.
But what made me stop and tremble wasn’t only her sick scent cloying in my nose and stomach. It was the two alphas standing behind her. The two alphas that had entered my nest.
“Ms Sanderson, such a pleasure to meet you again,” her voice curled with disdain.
I wished I could snap back, to give her some kind of sarcastic answer, to show her the anger that stewed for days as I gouged her scent out of my nest. But the sight of the three of them together made me freeze, my chest swelling with panic.
That was how much damage she had done. It wasn’t only a scratch and a bruise on my cheek. She had destroyed my nest just by entering it, and even standing in front of her made me want to scream at her for taking away the thing most precious to me, apart from my mum.
While I was cleaning and crying and raging, I’d also been preparing myself for this. And I’d thought I was ready.
Before I could even reply, she darted forward. Just like before, she was too fast for me to react. She grabbed me, her sharp nails digging into my upper arm and waist as she yanked me to her side. One arm around my back, the other clutched my elbow, holding me like we were old friends catching up.
Except I cried out as pain spiked through me, and I tried to jerk out of her grip, only for her to stab her nails deeper. It was all lost among the sounds of the party echoing out through the ballroom doors.
Even on stilettos, she could still heave me along with her. I was at least three times her size, and I couldn’t figure out how she was so strong when she looked so pinched and gross. She was beautiful, but it was like the skin of a rotten apple. Shiney on the outside, but when poked, it disintegrated and left nothing but gnarled flesh inside.
I dug my heels as much as I could into the smooth tiles lining the hallway, but they screeched as she carried on dragging me.
As soon as I fought back, trying to use my weight to topple her, the alphas were there.
One pushed at my bare back, and I instantly leapt forward to get away from his touch.
The other alpha clung to my arm, blocking me from the ballroom doors as he twisted it behind my back.
Panic flared inside me, and I shouted out again, but they’d already pulled me away from the main doorway. It was easy for them to shove me through a small door and slam it behind them.
My heart dropped as I met the hard glare of another alpha waiting on the far side of the room. It was about the same size as the office Sin, Caspian, and Kai had scent marked me in. There were two sofas pressed against the walls on either side of me, and a long glass coffee table that ran through the middle. Large paintings of country scenes hung on the wood-panelled walls, and the room smelled of leather and spices.
But none of it mattered, because nausea had already taken me over. Just one scent of her was too much, but in the enclosed space with four alphasandZania, the only way to stop me from gagging was biting my lip.
