I stepped out the front door into the hallway which led only to the elevator, and Neil, Eva’s head of security, laughed. “I can smell the happiness from here.”

“Why do you think I’m not waiting in there?”

Scrolling on my phone, I was suddenly seeing the rumors Katarina had mentioned now that I was looking for them. Williams sister terrorizes more Alphas? A blurry looking photo of my family’s estate and the guys from yesterday leaving. They wouldn’t talk—Kat made everyone sign non-disclosure agreements tighter than a noose—but it was still frustrating. They had no proof it had gone badly, just a guess.

Eva came out of her apartment beaming. “Ready.”

I closed the flashy news story before she could spot it on my phone. “How’s it looking tonight, Neil?”

“About average. I’m expecting it to be much tighter at the venue. When we get there, straight from the car to the door, no questions.”

The elevator dropped, my stomach whooshing in response.

“Yeah, Jasmine said as much. No questions from reporters outside. You too, Esme. We’re controlling the story as much as we can for the release next month.”

I resisted the urge to laugh, as if I would voluntarily stop and talk to one of the people trying to make me look like a monstrous shrew to everyone in the world.

Sighing, I leaned against the wall of the elevator. Even to me, I was starting to sound like what they accused me of. Maybe I was hangry. I should have grabbed a slice of that pizza Liam brought home.

The cameras started flashing as soon as the elevator doors opened into the glassed-in lobby. Not nearly as many as there would be later.

“Smile on?” Eva asked, looping her elbow through mine like all the times we’d done this before.

I didn’t have much of a choice, but I looked amazing, and if I was going to be dragged to this party anyway, I needed to get my head on straight and try to have some fun.

“Smile on.”

Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

________

ESME

This was insane.

The horde of paparazzi outside nearly blinded us getting out of the car. They were behind barricades and there was plenty of security, but it still felt like being hit with a metric fuck ton of sound.

After making sure I didn’t flash my vagina at every camera in the known world, I managed to smile and wave next to Eva while she posed, looking over her shoulder at them and winking.

They were all rapid-fire and toppling over one another, but I could still pick out all the questions.

Esme, who’s the latest victim? Which pack now has broken hearts? Are you in the closet? Do you need a female pack? Did the death of your father break you? Are you in therapy? Who helps with your heats? Do you share with Eva?