Page 85 of Examining the Bond

He shakes his head sternly. “Definitely not. Those alphas are going to be throwing themselves at you, just wait.”

The song changes to one of Ziel’s favorite songs, and he grabs me by the wrist, dragging me back into my room. He dances like no one’s watching—not that he would care if they were—and shoves the liquor bottle at me once more.

“Drink up, babe. I don’t want to be the only one buzzed.”

Rolling my eyes, I obey, taking another swig that burns my throat on the way down. This time, it’s much more palatable, the bitter taste of alcohol not threatening to choke me.

After another song of dancing, I move on to my makeup, winging my liner and painting my lips bright red. Ziel lines his eyes in black, which makes them more icy, and we take about a hundred pictures on his fancy, new-model phone.

“You know, I didn’t consider just how fucking cold it would be walking across campus in this.” He frowns, staring down at his see-through shirt. “But beauty is pain, right?”

“Yes, but beauty isnothypothermia.”

“Says you.” He sticks out his tongue. “It’ll just be a few minutes of freezing cold, and then we can find some alphas to warm us up.”

I laugh, the alcohol in my system promising to keep me warm. “Sounds like a plan.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

SKYLAR

I haven’t dressed up like this in a long time, probably since prom.

Fuck, that feels like forever ago.

My knuckles are white from clenching the steering wheel as I pull up in front of the Woodside Omega Academy, my chest tight. I park next to the iron gate that runs around the campus perimeter, nerves tearing through me as I kill the engine.

I take a deep breath. Then another.

I’ve spent the last twenty-four hours waiting for this moment, dreaming up every possible scenario of what could happen at tonight’s alpha mixer. Will I be able to find Riann amidst all the alphas and omegas on campus? Will she even want to see me?

Checking my reflection a final time in the mirror, I step out of the rental car—a little Honda was the only thing they had available on such short notice—and into the cold.

The perfectly-tailored maroon suit I bought for tonight is comfortable, hugging every curve of my muscular physique. I even ran gel through my hair, which I rarely do. I’ve flown over a thousand miles to find the woman of my dreams, and it all comes down to tonight.

I would have brought her flowers, but I figured there would already be enough overwhelming scents at the academy. If this works out, and she agrees to be my mate, I’ll plant her an entire garden at my lakehouse.

Scanning the campus, I march through the open mouth of the wrought-iron gate, and the sound of upbeat music carries over on the frigid wind. Groups of people huddle near a grand building to the right. Its tall steeples stretch into the night sky, the intricately-crafted windows flickering with multi-colored lights. The people outside laugh and chatter as their breath lingers in clouds of white around them.

I don’t know how they manage to smoke out here. My teeth are already beginning to chatter.

I thought about texting Riann when I got here and asking her to meet me somewhere convenient, but I couldn’t stand the thought of rejection. I figure it’ll be much easier to plead my case in person, and she deserves more than some half-ass text apology.

She deserves to hear it from my mouth. If she wants me to grovel, I’ll grovel. If she wants me begging on my knees, I’ll do it.

I’ll do anything she wants, so long as she’s mine by the end of the night.

As soon as I reach the steepled building, I note an even thicker crowd of people shifting and weaving beyond theentryway. The music beats louder, spilling out of the open doors as I step through them and scan the layout of the place.

It’s a beautiful space, with columns running up the walls to meet the high ceiling. The Gothic architecture extends everywhere I can see. To my left is a wide open room, with dozens of people milling about. They’re laughing, talking, dancing to the music that throbs through the air. To my right is a more casual sitting area where a handful of people lounge on couches. A quick scan of the faces tells me Riann isn’t among them.

And the smell…

A torrent of alpha and omega scents clogs the air. It’s overwhelming and impossible to pick out individual notes; just a huge plume of fragrance that doesn’t waver as I stand there looking around the room.

“This is fucking terrible,” I mutter to myself.

Mixers are how most schools receive funding. Wealthy alpha packs make hefty ‘donations’ in order to court the attending omegas, hoping for a match. I’m sure all the alphas crawling through the room are dripping in money.