Jace immediately let go of me.

“It’s nothing” he said quickly.

“That did not look like nothing! Delh snapped, stepping into the room. “You were just holding her hand!”

My heart shot straight into my throat.

bIn /bthat split second, I made a decision–if Delh figured it out, if she realized what had once happened between me and Jace. I’d tell her the truth. I was done lying to her.

bBut /binstead, she said….

“Jace, are you giving Aria a hard time because of bwork /bstuff? That’s not fair–Grayson made that decision, not her. And she’s my friend now. I won’t let you bully her.”

1 let out a shaky breath. Relief washed over me… and a bit of disappointment too.

This thing between me and Jace–it was a ticking time bomb. The only question was when it would blow

Jace visibly rxed too. He muttered something under his breath, bprobably /b“ridiculous,” and stormed past us, leaving the room.

Still in ba /bbad mood.” Delh huffed. “I guess it’s just the two of us enjoying bthis /bbchampagne/b.”

“Where are we going. Delh?” I finally asked the one question that had been bothering bme /ball day-

She just gave me a mysterious smile. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

bTwo /bhourster, the ne finallynded. And I learned we were in a ce called Silver Creek Pack, somewhere in Europe,

A sleek limo picked us up right on the runway and whisked us away to a hotel that looked more like a castle. Lined–up luxury cars sparkled at the entrance, and guests dressed in elegant designer outfits were slowly making their way inside.

“Oh, we’re right on time!” Delh beamed, grabbing my hand and dragging me forward.

“Wait–we’re here for an event?”

“A ball! Don’t tell me you’ve never been to a ball before, Aria.”

She pulled me through an arched doorway into a massive ballroom. My bjaw /bdroppedb. /bA golden domed ceiling, chandeliers dripping bwith /bcrystal, glittering tablewareb, /bbdies /bin flowing gowns–it was like something out of ba /bbfairy /btale. I couldn’t believe I bwas /bactually here.

“Champagne?” a server offered, stepping up bto /bme with a silver tray.

I hesitatedb. /b

“Um.. how much is it?” I whispered.

At a bce /blike this, I figured the price tag was bgonna /bbe insane. I wasn’t about to blow my entire bpaycheck /bbon /ba ss of bubbly.

That’s when I heardughter–loud, mockingughter.

A group of young people pushed through the bcrowd /bband /bcame straight toward us.

“Oh my God, Delh, where’d you find this mega maid?” one of the girls sneered. “She looks so cheap she’s making you look tacky.”

“How bmuch /bbis /bbit/b?” a guy mimicked me in a high–pitched voice. “That’s the most embarrassing thing I’ve heard all night. If she were bmy /bomega, I’d whip her.”

My face burned with shame.

Chapter 20.

“Rack the hell off,” bDelh /bsaid coldly. “Aria’s not an omega. She’s my friend. Now get lost before I pour this whole btray /bof champagne. on your heads,”

The group scowled and bmade /bba /bfew rude faces before bfinally /bwalking off,ughing to themselves.

“Assholes,” Delh muttered, then handed me a ss of champagne. “Here. bAnd /bfor the record, everything here is free.

But 1 already felt bincredibly /bufortable,

It reminded me of Jace’s wedding all over bagain/b–that feeling of not belonging. Like I was a pebble tossed into a pile of diamonds.

“Maybe you should stay.” I murmured to Delh. “But if you don’t mind, I think I’d like to bleave/b.”

She looked shocked. “Leave? We just got here! And you’re all dressed up! Come on, the ball’s about to start. We’re here to have fun.”

“I don’t know how to dance. I don’t bthink /bI’m gonna have much fun.”

“Oh, but you will. Trust me. Just stay a little longer–you’ll see. I’ve got a huge surprise nned for you.”

A… surprise?

frowned.

If there’s one bthing /bI didn’t need tonight, it was surprises,

I just wanted peace and quiet.

“Thank you, Delh, really. But I just want to find ba /bquiet ce bto /bsit downb./b”

b“/bBut—”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, she’s a total buzzkill.” Jace’s gruff voice cut in as he stomped over. “Let her do whatever. Delh,e on–we’re dancing.”

He grabbed her hand and dragged her off in the opposite directionb. /bDelh gave me a helpless look over her shoulder and mouthed, “Stay here.”

I sighed band /blooked around. bEveryone /belse was chatting in little groups, sipping drinksb, /bughing. A few people were giving me not–so- subtle side nces.

I told myself I’d stay five more minutes. Then I’d get the hell out of here.

b“/bbHey/bb, /bwere you kidnapped or something?” someone said beside bme/b.

I turned. A tall bguy /bwith bfiery /bred hair and icy blue eyes was standing there. He was ridiculously good–looking

“Something like that,” I uttered.

He shrugged. “Samne,”

Then he held out his hand. “bDance/b?b” /b

“Uh, I don’t bdance/b.”

“Pretty girls standing alone at balls look stiff, bno /b

o matter how pretty they are,” he said sharply, then turned and walked off to another girl. She giggled and eagerly epted.

I sighed.

This ce.. the people… the atmosphere.. it all made my skin crawl.

bJust /bbas /bI was setting my ss down, ready to quietly bslip /baway, the music bchanged/b. The ballroom lights dimmed.

All at once, conversations stopped. People turned, looking in one direction like something–someone–important had just entered.

I followed their gaze automatically.

A btall /bfigure was walking into the ballroom.

He wore a ck tuxedo. His broad shoulders, lean frame, and calm confidence made him look like he owned the entire world. The crowd in the center parted wordlessly, bowing their heads and stepping aside without needing to be told.

Like he was royalty.

The chandeliers bcast /blight into his gray eyes–beyes /bthat looked like they held whole gxies.

I inhaled sharply as the girls around me gasped in whispers:

“Oh my God… it’s Alpha Grayson!”

“What’s he doing here? I thought he never showed up to these kinds of bevents/b.”

“Do you think he’d dance with me bif /bbI /bbasked/b?”

Grayson’s presence was electric.

Every woman in the room seemed to gravitate toward him like moths bto /bme.

He stood there for a moment, calmly adjusting bhis /bcuff. And then, suddenly, he lifted his gaze-

bAnd /bour eyes locked across the ballroom.

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. He raised an eyebrow, looking surprised.

Then

He started to cross the dancefloor

“Oh my God, he’sing over,” a girl next to me gasped breathlessly. “Is he… bis /bhe bgoing /bto bask /bme to dance? I think I’m go

“Maybe it’s me,” her friend squealed.

No.

It wasn’t either of them.

His eyes never left mine. I knew exactly who he was walking toward

He wasing for me.

gonna faint.”