CHAPTER ONE
DAISY
Just breathe.
I sucked in a deep breath and slowly blew it out. It did nothing to calm my racing heart. My legs felt like jelly, and I was sure that I was shaking like a leaf. I didn’t do well in stressful situations. In fact, I didn’t do well in any situation that included dealing with people.
Mother had told me that some important people were going to be at the house for dinner and that Father expected me to join them.
I had been dressed like a doll by the maids, per her instructions, to ensure that I didn’t end up ruining anything.
The dress was uncomfortable, the material made my skin itch, and the shoes were a size too small.
Everything I was wearing had been handpicked by my mother. Which was another indication of how important the dinner was for them.
I sucked in another deep breath and pressed a shaky hand to my stomach. They were waiting for me in the dining room. I was running late even though I had been dressed an hour before the set time for dinner to start.
Nerves kept me locked in my room until I had managed to give myself a small pep talk. But the courage I had gathered flew out the window when I reached the landing and heard the rich baritones of strangers coming from the room.
The dining room door suddenly opened, making me jerk in fright.
My sister came to a halt when she spotted me. Her lips twisted into a sneer before they curled into a sweet smile.
My heartbeat instantly increased as she crossed the floor towards me.
“We have been waiting for you,” she said loudly enough for the guest and our parents to hear. “Come on, honey! I’m starving.”
She gripped my wrist and tugged me in the direction she came from.
I felt sick.
“There she is!” Father clapped his hands twice. “Daisy is the youngest of our family and, unfortunately, always late. Once again, I apologize for the long wait, ladies and gentlemen. But now that she’s here, dinner can be served.”
I was pushed down into an empty chair just as the maids entered the room and started serving the food.
My fingers rubbed at my wrist under the table, trying to relieve the lingering pain of my sister’s fingernails.
I bit my lip as I stared down at the plate that had been placed in front of me. The smell made me feel sicker. I hated fish, and my father knew it.
Was he waiting for me to embarrass him so he could punish me?
With shaky hands, I reached for my knife and fork.
Conversation flowed around the table. Nobody bothered to include me, and I was perfectly fine with that. I had nothing to say, and I was too busy focusing on cutting the fish into small pieces so it looked like I was eating.
But I made the mistake of raising my head.
Sky blue eyes instantly caught mine, making the air lock in my lungs. They held me captive. He was all I could see.
The man with pale skin, sky blue eyes, and a scar that covered half of his left face. His hair was light brown and curly, but despite that, it fit him perfectly.
I smiled at him and, surprisingly, he smiled back.
Until our little stare was broken by my sister. She nudged me painfully in the ribs, forcing my eyes away from the man and towards her. Leaning closer, she pressed her lips to my ear.
“Don’t even think about him. Don’t look at him. Don’t talk to him. That alpha is mine, and you’re not going to get him,” she hissed.
Pulling back, she gave me a bright smile before she turned her focus back to the woman at her side.
For the first time since I arrived, I looked around the table. It seated ten people, including my father and mother, who sat at the head of the table.
Men dressed in fancy suits and women decorated with fancy jewelry. They all belonged in the circles my parents traveled. Fancy, wealthy people who looked down on those beneath them.
There were a lot of alphas, a beta here and there, but no other omegas besides my sister and me.
A soft touch on my arm snapped my attention to the man seated to my right. He leaned closer, making his scent drift over to me. It was pleasant, but I couldn’t make out what it was.
“We can swap plates if you want?” he said softly. “I’m not so big on the greens, and you don’t like the fish. It’s a win-win if we trade.”
I studied his plate. He had eaten the fish but not the salad.
“How are we going to switch plates without anyone noticing?” I whispered.
My eyes locked on his lips when they curled up into a smile, and then slowly trailed higher to take in the rest of him.
He had blond hair and green eyes. Typical surfer boy looks, but he was a lot more muscular than a surfer. The material of his clothes was stretched tight over his skin, almost like it was too small for him.
“You didn’t even notice.”
I blinked and then looked down at my plate. True enough, he had switched our plates, and I hadn’t even noticed.
“Oh.”
“I’m Valiant.” He held his hand out toward me.
I stared at the dark ink peeking out from under the sleeve of his suit. Without realizing it, I leaned closer to get a better look.
Valiant chuckled. “I’ll need to take my shirt off for you to see the whole thing.”
Colour flooded my cheeks. I jerked back in my seat and picked up my fork to stuff some lettuce in my mouth.
Another low chuckle came from him.
I watched him from the corner of my eye.
He picked up his fork and took a bite of the fish. Reaching out, he picked up his glass and swallowed it down with some wine.
My mind raced with things I could use as a conversation topic, but before I could come up with something, the woman at his side started talking to him. My shoulders slumped as my eyes locked on my plate again.
I wish the dinner were over already so I could go back to my room.
“How old are you, Daisy?” Valiant asked me, making my eyes snap up to his in surprise.
“W-what?” I breathed.
“How old are you?” he repeated.
I swallowed. “I’m eighteen. How old are you?”
“I’m twenty-eight.”
“Oh.”
His lips twitched. “Is that the only word in your vocabulary?”
“No.” I frowned at him when he laughed. “Are you making fun of me?”
“No.” He leaned closer. “I’m sorry if I made it seem like that. It’s just, you’re not much of a talker, and I’m trying my best to make it seem like we’re deep in conversation so that I don’t have to talk to Glenda.”
Valiant nodded to the woman at his side, whom he had spoken to earlier.
“Is that her name?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I kinda forgot her name when she made it clear that she’s only interested in me because of my close connection to Alexander.”
“Who’s Alexander?” I asked him.
He frowned. “You really don’t know, do you?”
I shook my head.
Valiant leaned closer, making his scent surround me. I sucked in a deep breath and bit my lip. I liked his scent a lot.
“See that grumpy bastard sitting to your father’s left,” he muttered. “That, my dear, is Alexander Wyatt.”
I looked in that direction and frowned.
Alexander Wyatt was a man who loved the camera. I had seen him on the news a few times, but he hadn’t held my attention long enough.
“Is he your friend?”
“We’re pack,” he answered. “A family.”
“O–” I broke off before the work could slip out of my mouth. “Sorry,” I apologized.
He took another bite of fish and chewed. “I forgive you, but only because I can tell that you’re doing it unconsciously.”
My eyes trailed back to Alexander.
He looked serious despite the fact that my father was obviously telling one of his stupid jokes. The man wore a black suit that made his pale skin stand out more. It also drew attention to the dark ink covering every inch of his hands and the left side of his neck to his jaw.
I leaned towards Valiant. “What colour are his eyes?”
The simple question made him choke on the fish he had been chewing. I reacted automatically. Reaching up, I slapped him on the back as I pushed my glass of water within his reach.
After taking a few sips, he looked at me and winked. “Why don’t you see for yourself?”
I looked back at Alexander and sucked in a breath when forest green eyes locked with mine.
