Page 127 of The Gift
“Okay, okay, before Bailey does steal my job, let’s finish this up! I’m sure Pack Bailey have places they need to be, and we have our next guest Broken Cube wanting to perform for us. Thanks so much for your time, Pack Bailey.” Lincoln says warmly to the camera. And the techie yells cut, he lets it go and talks differently, not so showman like. “I’m so happy for you. And letting me be the person to share your story with the world, well, it’s an honour.”
It shouldn’t blow my mind, but it still does—Lincoln MacGregor wanted us to be on his show when we told the world.
“You give me hope that one day I might find my own omega,” he says, graciously.
“Never give up, Lincoln. Life can change overnight.” I say softly, shaking his hand. Henley leans over and does the same, thanking him too.
Koda waits his turn before the production team rushes in and pulls the mics off us and leads us off set so the next of his guests can take the hot seat.
“Bailey girl, spin for me, show me your ass in those shorts,” Ashton says, his voice rumbling low into my ear as he leans in to kiss me softly in front of the whole world.
I’m definitely not hiding any more. The entire country knows. I’m no longer an omega in hiding, I’m pack with these amazing men who will do anything to ensure my days, and nights are full of love and happiness.
Breaking out of Ashton’s hold, I move towards Reno, who is lounging against one of the walls. His jade green eyes slightly hooded as they sweep up and down my legs a few times before they triple check my arm is okay, settling on my face. Okay, maybe it’s the Pack Bailey necklace he put back on me before I walked on set.
“I thought we might go have a French Tart for old time’s sake. Maybe a bit of dancing before I take you nice and slow against a wall. You know, somewhere classy like the stairs next to the staff toilet down some dark and dank corridor.” He smirks and boom, just like that, my scent that once smelt like astringent chemicals, fills the space. Sweet, sun-ripened peaches for days.
“Hey, don’t ruin one of the best nights of my life.” I stand in front of him, wrapping my hand around his waist, pulling him into me. “I mean it, Reno, you changed my world.”
He drops his nose to my throat, dragging in my scent, marking me with his own bitter chocolate smell. And there go my panties. He flicks his eyebrows up at me, knowingly, cocky like too.
“Hmm, think it might be you who changed my world,” he says, leaning down to kiss me nice and slow. A little dirty, but the result is the same: I lose my mind.
There’s a thundering of feet and applause and my eyes burst open. Looking over my shoulder, I see the entire audience is still watching us, yelling and yahooing.
I laugh, not at all embarrassed, turning with his hand in mine to do a curtsey and a quick bow in my gorgeous pink suit before the A-team lead me out of Lincoln’s set.
We’re met by CJ and the rest of the security team that accompanied us here tonight. We weren’t expecting trouble, but sometimes trouble seems to show up uninvited.
The minute I see Valak, the Alpha who was in charge of security at the hospital, I know whatever comes out of his mouth won’t be good.
“It’s okay. Don’t freak out, you’re safe. We’re all over it and Lincoln approved us adding a flash screen at the end of tonight’s show.”
“Why?” Henley asks, guiding us out of the open space, taking us somewhere less conspicuous until we know what’s going on.
“The Alliance received a message the minute you guys went live. And it’s genuine.”
I stagger back, Koda’s arms on my hips stopping me from hitting the others. They all take a step closer, but no matter how much they protect me, this is still going to fucking hurt.
“I’ve sent copies of the email, which included a filmed piece to you all, along with the rest of the Alliance management team. This is verbatim,The Gift is under new management. A thirty-day moratorium starts now. Any omegas found without a pack after this date will be collected...”
The words sink in. I know the A-team are speaking with Valak, and I know they will do everything to get the word out. Fuck, I’ll be helping too. I’ll do a circuit of every daytime or night-time television show available. I’ll do radio, videos online, whatever we need to do to get the word out. But first I need to make a phone call.
“Hen, please, I need my phone.”
He rushes me to the green room, Ashton at my back. They don’t need an explanation; they make it happen.
And once in the room, where our bags are being watched by one of our security team, they clear the room out of the other guests. I don’t know how; I don’t care either.
I drop my phone twice before I can send the email. The second it goes, I send the same article on the benefits of running via text. A third time, I post it on my Instagram page. It is overkill, but I’ll do everything and anything to protect her.
Waiting is the hardest. And I sink into Henley’s arms while I wait and pray for her response. But this is how we set it up. And without saying a word, she will know what to do.
It takes five minutes. Five long minutes where my head spins and starts to fill with darkness so dark I can’t see. Koda and Reno rush in and join us, their hands on me holding me together. Koda pushes his lips to my head and they all cage me in their presence and douse me in their scent, reassuring me however they can.
But this is not my battle, this is not their fight.
The second my phone buzzes, the tears start. I get an email response linking me to a pair of black runners. A heartbeat later my Insta gets the same link and finally the link hits my phone too.
