She lifts her eyes to look into mine, searching for something. “I…” she starts, but the words quickly fall away.
“You can trust me,” I say, squeezing her small hand.
“You’re not like the other alphas I’ve met.” Her words light me up inside. Could this mean she likes me too? That she’s willing to give me a chance to win her heart?
“And you’re not like other omegas,” I counter with a grin.
“You want an omega who loves adventure. That’s not me.”
It takes me a moment to understand her meaning as she wriggles from my grip.
“Our knotty.net profile? That’s all just made-up bullshit anyway.” I bring a hand to her face and tilt her chin so that her eyes meet mine. I want her to stare deep into my soul and see the truth in my words as I say, “Violet, I want you.”
A shiver wracks through her, and it takes all I have not to pull her into my arms and give her my warmth, comfort. “Why? You don’t even know me.”
“I want to, though. More than anything. If I make an offer today, will you accept?”
She doesn’t say anything, sending me into a desperate spiral. I need to convince her, and we don’t have much time.
“If it’s too soon, I can slow things down,” I continue, hardly stopping for air. “I’ll do whatever you want, only please consider Pack Muldoon when you’re deciding. I’m sure you have lots of offers. Why wouldn’t you? You’re gorgeous.”
“There’s only one other offer, and I’d sooner die than take it,” she reveals in a breathy whisper.
“How is that possible?” I shake my head, refusing to believe it. “Whatever the case, I… I mean, Archer, Noah, Ben, and I… We will do everything we can to give you the perfect life. All you need to do is ask. Maybe once I know you better, you won’t even have to do that. Violet, please let—”
“One green tea, piping hot!” Mrs. Steele announces as she saunters back into the room, cutting off my fumbling attempt to win her daughter over.
Usually I have no trouble communicating my thoughts, but with Violet, it’s like I’ve lost all fluency in my native tongue.
“Thank you,” I say as I accept the china cup and saucer.
Both Violet and I watch as her mother maneuvers toward the armchair and takes a seat.
Once settled, she crosses her legs up top and her short skirt rides dangerously high. “Now,” she says, glancing down at the exposed flesh of her upper thighs and then back at me with a naughty smile. This is a woman who is very used to getting what she wants, and she uses her sexuality to get it. No wonder she and Archer hit it off online.
“What did I miss?” she asks after a beat. Her eyes narrow at her daughter. “Violet, I’m assuming you told Alpha Miles all about your avid lust for adventure.”
This woman’s overtures are so fucking obvious. They also make her daughter squirm beside me. No wonder Violet is so reserved, having a mother like that.
“Well, actually…” I clear my throat, ready to give this Sage Steele a piece of my mind, but Violet jumps to her feet, stopping me before I can say anything more.
“Actually,” she says in a sharp, high-pitched voice so unlike the one she was using to speak with me earlier as she picks up right where I left off. “Alpha Miles made me an offer on behalf of Pack Muldoon, and I accepted.”
Her mother’s eyes zoom to me for confirmation. I nod and swallow down the dry lump that has formed in my throat, blocking both my air and my words.
“But the offer’s only good if we leave today,” Violet hurries to add. “Isn’t that right, Alpha Miles?”
Fuck, Archer made it very clear that he would be the one to handle the offer. That my only job was to meet them and open the conversation. He’s always been the one to handle Muldoon’s business affairs, but how can I go against what Violet so clearly wants? Archer might be pissed at first, but he’ll get over it. Especially if it means getting exactly what he wanted anyway.
“Yes.” After that brief internal debate, I jump to my feet. “I know it’s a bit rushed, but with us being so far away, and uh— “
“Now, Violet, you know I have to be the one to accept or decline any offers.” She leans forward, giving me a clear view down her shirt and making my stomach churn. “I hope your offer is good, Alpha Miles. You’re already asking a lot, expecting my daughter to leave with you immediately. I hope your offer reflects that.” She smirks and leans back again, all the while Violet shakes like a leaf at my side.
I lace my fingers through Violet’s, trying to offer her a small bit of strength as I face down our shared enemy. Sage Steele is the final obstacle, standing in the way of me and the woman I want. She’s the dragon I must slay before I can rescue my princess.
Problem is, I’m not a lone knight. Archer never told me what an offer might look like, given that he was the one who was supposed to be making it. It all falls on me now, the deal of a lifetime.
The mother’s steely gaze lands on my hand entwined with her daughter’s. “Well then, what’s Pack Muldoon’s offer? We’ll need to take a moment to consider it against the many, many others we’ve received.”