“It does, doesn’t it?” she says with a smirk before pulling on my shirt and tugging me down for another kiss.
Cameron comes and tugs on Kelsey’s hand, interrupting us, which is odd. His smile seems forced but he still looks happy. “Kelsey, do you want to get henna?”
“Oh sure, where is it?” she asks.
“It’s right over there,” Cameron points out. It’s in eye view and I nod my head, kissing his cheek before Emmett holds both of their hands and walks over to the henna tent.
It’s the first time I’ve been alone with Shyla today and really she’s not so bad. Being around her has been easier than I expected.
“I’m sorry for the dress Emmett got Kelsey. If I knew that it was going to be so revealing I would have put my foot down,” she says.
“She would have listened?” I ask and Shyla laughs.
“Maybe not, but I think I could have done some convincing.”
“They’re having a good time,” I say, glancing over at the henna table. “I don’t know how I could have ever felt comfortable bringing them all by myself.” She nods and has a contemplative look on her face.
“They need us both, I’ve realized,” she says.
‘Yeah?”
“Yeah, I think we both bring something to the table that they all need.”
I nod again. Looking at the henna tent and I don’t see them. “Where are they?” I say. Both Shyla and I move through the crowd and that’s when I see Kelsey being cornered by her ex. Her shoulders slumped, she looks like she’s about to cry and collapse. “What the fuck?”
Shyla growls. “Meera?” I look over at her, confused. Did Kelsey show her a picture or something? There’s no time as we approach the situation. Emmett is clearly trying to step in, but Meera’s girlfriend stands in the way.
“Still pathetic as ever,” Meera says, and I think I’m about to lose it when Shyla grabs Meera by the hair.
Chapter 26
CameronandIarewalking around the tent looking at the different henna options.
“What are you going to get?” he asks.
“I think I want a bunch of glitter, maybe a butterfly?”
“That would be cute.” I intertwined our fingers as we look at all the options. He seems happy to be here, but I worry about him, like he’s bottling up his emotions. I wish he felt like he could tell me if something’s bothering him.
“You?”
“Maybe something on my arm,” he says. Emmett is getting us a place in line, but I can see his captain hat and a sliver of blond hair. It makes my heart sing that I found someone willing to be goofy with me.
“Shyla and Dom seem to be getting along,” I say, and he smiles.
“It just took some turkey legs and being distracted by your tits.” We both laugh and I’m holding on to him tightly. It feels nice to be free with Cam, like it’s specially reserved for me. Cameron makes me feel like we’re kindred spirits. No one in the pack understands what it’s like to be an Omega, except Cam. I gasp and a grin takes over my face when I see the next poster.
“Oh, Cam.” I pull him by the arm and push him close to my body. “Look, an ice cream cone,” I say, pointing out the image. He laughs and leans down and kisses me. His lips are so soft and he smells so damn good. We both wore some different scent deodorizers, but it’s hard to hide that completely.
We’re between a tree and the tent when I smell her. My heart pounds and my breathing gets intense. Cameron squeezes my arm. “Kels, are you okay?”
“There you are,” her voice says.
Cameron looks between me and Meera, and things must click for him. Who she is. I go to grab his hand and leave, get our Alphas, get ourselves out of this situation. Can we get out of here with Shyla not seeing her? Fuck, I knew Emmett and I should have told her everything. I look around frantically for a way to get out of this situation. I can’t stand her scent, it makes me sick now. My stomach churns and when I try to grab Cameron and go, she growls and uses her Alpha bark on us.
“Come back here now,” she says.
As unbonded Omegas, it’s nearly impossible to disobey. We both stand in front of her. She ignores Cameron as she backs me into a tree. I want to disappear. How does the perfect day turn into my nightmare? My heart beats rapidly in my chest and all I want to do is get away, pretend this didn’t happen and go back into that happy bubble I was just in.