Two

Kira

To say that I was shocked would be an understatement; I was completely mortified and had tunnel vision.

I felt dizzy to the point where I lost all self control. It made the world around me spin like a merry-go-round!

Alpha D'Angelo's gaze searched my face with newfound interest. My knees buckled and my blood sang Kumbaya when I smelled him.

Every nerve ending in my body twitched in the silence. I forced my mouth to close tightly, praying that it would not open on its own, but it would not cooperate.

"Who are you and why are you standing on my terrace half-naked?"

I felt chills run down my spine in all the right places from his voice. A mad giggle escaped my lips, surprising him.

"What is funny?" His sharp, hard gaze tipped his elegantly arched brow.

The Alpha screamed perfection in every way, and I felt an overwhelming need to kiss him.

My stupid wolf begged me, but my brain knew that it was a death wish to nurse.

As much as I wanted him to be mine, he was not, despite the mating bond. Up close, his broad shoulders and well-defined abs caught my attention beneath his platinum-white shirt.

I wanted to touch every part of him, the hard planes of his chest, the curve of his hip, everything, but how dare I?

"Is your tongue missing? How on earth did you end up here?"

"Terrace... Stars... Pretty...birthday," I stammered.

I felt his breath on my skin as he moved so close. Like he had just seen a ghost, his hazel eyes widened in pure shock.

I could see every detail of his eyeballs. The deep green and rich amber blended beautifully, with hints of gold that seemed to dance in the light.

"Hold on. Are you an omega?"

"Omega," I repeated, feeling the bond between us. Stronger and more potent than anything I had ever experienced in my life.

Sadly, my wolf called for him and he did not respond .Instead, he stretched himself up, standing tall and proud, his fingers raking his dark hair.

Several emotions played on his face. At first, he was confused, then his gaze explored my body, just the same way Zion gawked at me earlier, although the Alpha's was more intense.

Then his mood evaporated sharply to raw fury, with curses falling from his mouth and a hostile glare directed at me.

My knees turned to jelly. I staggered back and nearly went over the terrace's edge. My wolf protested loudly, but I ignored her and focused on trying to stay balanced on my quivering legs.

Alpha D'Angelo approached me with a step, then another. He moved toward me cautiously, slowly, as though I were a wild animal. My back struck the glass wall behind me as I retreated, but his gaze never left mine. I gasped, trying to breathe, but the air wouldn't come.

I was terrified, thinking about what the alpha could do. My insides were ripped apart, causing my stomach to tighten. I had never experienced panic to this extent. I also realized the danger of this bond; if the alpha was my mate, he was going to reject me.

I staggered back, like I was trying to blend in with the wall. I became very uncomfortable as the silence grew longer. His eyes were like a volcano about to erupt.

"Sorry... Sorry... I'll go, I swear. I'll never ever…everrr come back here," I stuttered.

"Did you get an invitation to this party?"

There was bitterness oozing from the edges of his steely tone.

"I... No... Please don't tell my m-m-mom," I burst into fresh tears. "She'll kill me."

"Does your mom know you planned to fuck your ugly boyfriend on my terrace? I bet she doesn't."

When his warm hand settled on my shoulder, I shook my head and found myself breathing heavily. My instincts urged me to flee for my life, so I veered over to the terrace's edge.

"Stop moving backward. You're going to fall," the alpha said, this time in a non-threatening gesture.

But I couldn't believe him. I couldn't trust him. My head would be served on a silver platter with just one order to his guards.

"Don't move," he warned again, his gaze running over my exposed boobs. I flinched, attempting to pull down what was left of my dress, but my hands were shaking.

"What are you doing? No!"

When my left foot slipped, I found myself floating in the air and then hitting a solid object with my head.

Like lightning, the pain tore through my entire skull. I let out a cry of agony due to the intense pain. The sound of breaking glass echoed against my ear, and I winced.

“Ow, ow, ouch,” I whimpered. I heard muffled screaming, and just before complete darkness descended upon me, I smelled D'angelo's powerful arms cradling me and my mating bond.

_______

I opened my eyes slowly, seeing hazily as I took in the scene around me—sterile white walls, an overpowering antiseptic stench, and the heart monitor's beep beep.

My heart seized with panic. What was I doing here, in the hospital, anyway? I made an effort to fill in the blanks in my memory, but nothing seemed to stick.

"Kira!" my mom rushed to my bedside, gently grasping my hand with tears streaming down her face. "Darling, you're awake. I was so worried about you."

Her response seemed a little unsettling to me, so I hesitated and blinked. If my mom was crying, then it meant something serious had happened. But I couldn't remember anything.

Reaching up to touch my bandaged head, I wondered what had happened to cause such an injury and send me to the hospital. After that, memories started to flood in.

"Holy shit," I whispered, my voice raw, as I remembered the terrace, the champagne, Alpha D'angelo, and the fall. My heart squeezed in anguish.

"You suffered a head cut, a dislocation, and a concussion after tripping over the Alpha's terrace. Thankfully, the injuries aren't threatening. You have been under close observation by the physician who stitched up the cut on your head.

She gave me a disappointed look, and I felt a weight in my chest similar to an old injury.

"Mom, I am so sorry," I said, feeling a hot tear slide down my cheek as I noticed my mom's eyes flash with wild grief.

"Hush, don't cry," she pleaded with me, but I could see the anger bubbling beneath the surface. "But Kira, how could you be so careless? What made you leave the camp in secret to go to the Alpha's party? And to top it all off, you were flaunting your nudity on his terrace? We are in a lot of trouble because of you."

"I'm sorry, Mom," I trembled. "I...I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I didn't think it would end like this. My friends merely wanted me to enjoy myself on my birthday."

"Fun? You call this fun?" Her voice rose a few notches higher and she swallowed, controlling her temper. "Let me tell you what's fun. The omega council had an emergency meeting, and they are considering banishing us from the pack. They claim you've brought disgrace upon the omegas."

"Banishment," I cried in despair. "But... But I didn't steal or kill anyone. Why would they banish me?"

"It's the consequences of your actions," my mom said with a choked voice. "Everything is at stake now, including our space in the omega camp."

My mother tried to soothe me and apologized for upsetting me as I was overcome with grief."Stop crying. If you do not stop, you will suffer a concussion."

I sobbed, overcome with guilt, "This is all my fault." I winced in pain as she carefully assisted me in sitting up in the hospital bed.

"I'll get you some water to drink," she said and stepped out of the room.

The door opened as I was getting settled in more comfortably, and Amari and Zion barged in.

"Oh my God, Kira. Are you okay?" Amari hurried to my bedside as tears filled her eyes.

I forced a smile. Shame-stricken, Zion stepped closer to me.

"I am so sorry, Kira. I was such a fool for leaving you by yourself that evening. I don't know what came over me."

"You're damn right," I snapped. "You took me to that terrace knowing I was drunk. The alpha would not have noticed me if it were not for you."

He hunched over. "I know, Kira. I messed up, but please forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive. Get out," I said firmly.

My mom walked in holding a bottle of water and sensed the commotion. "What is going on?"

"Nothing," we said in unison, trying to hide the tension in the room.

She set the water down on the table, folded her arms across her chest, and gave me a suspicious look as if I were crazy.

"Hey, I can not handle hearing any more secrets right now. Everyone is angry with you, so tell me anything else you need to know right away. I am the only one who can ever get you out of this situation."