Love Like Cyanide-chapter 7
Alpha idol paranormal romance
«Chapter 6
Chapter 7: Natalie
“Seven devils make Hell Heaven!” The crowd chants their signature phrase as Inferno finishes their encore and the guys all head backstage.
I’m on the move, backpack loaded and all my gear on a small trolley I can toss into the back of the shuttle van for the crew. We always work in tandem with whoever’s provided by any venue we’re at, but there’s a core group of Inferno specific crew that travel with them. Me included.
Jane is personal security for the members, and she’s right on my heels. How I manage to walk quicker than her is a mystery, since she’s likely an alpha and is eye to eye with Valentine height-wise. She’s powerful and beautiful, with long blonde hair done up in braids down one side of her head and buzzed close to her scalp on the other side.
She’s the closest thing to an actual friend I have, and I’m aching to have a chat with her about things. But I’m also afraid to say anything about the situation. And I know I’m next to Dante on the flight out, so spilling the tea will have to wait.
The crowd chant, which is the group’s motto on all their merch, keeps ringing in my head. I can handle my own gear, but Jane helps me load it into the back of the van, for the sake of speed. We both hop in, and two men on the security detail join us. We all share cordial conversation about nothing important, just to fill the silence in the vehicle after the sheer volume of the environment at the concert.
I join in, but I’m focused on the way the chant is total truth in advertising. Most idol groups lean into a more cutesy, romantic vibe. But Inferno fully embraces the darker aspects of the psyche that get swept under the rug. I can’t tell if the guys have leaned too heavily into their stage personas for too long, or if there was always a smidge of the sin they each represent that just struck home.
Dante’s supposed to be the poster boy for Envy, and Valentine’s damning aspect is Lust. After seeing firsthand how Dante was about me making Haven uncomfortable, jealousy is a normal M.O. for him. And Valentine… The man might know a thing or two about invoking desire. Juuuuust maybe.
Going through airport security has always been stressful to me, but thankfully the company has us cleared to just move through, as long as we’re all together in a group. And getting to ride in first class with the idols is a perk I’ll never not be thankful for. I may be petite, but sitting scrunched up in economy class seats is a nightmare, no matter how short you are. After a red-eye flight across continents that had me almost falling asleep on my feet once we reached the venue, the guys insisted on that change for me.
Piling into the plane and taking my seat beside Dante, it feels like a double-edged sword that even my delicious iced mocha can’t fend off. He’s reading a book with headphones dangling from his ears, his legs extended as much as they can be. Despite all of that, he lifts green eyes to give me a wink as I move past him to my window seat. I mentally curse whoever thought I should have to climb over those legs any time I need to get up and move around.
With it being as late at night as it is, nobody else is in the first-class cabin save Inferno and the crew. I shouldn’t be drinking coffee at ten at night, but the motion of the plane will knock me out eventually. And I’m dreading the conversation with Dante, wanting to avoid it and willing it to be over, all in the same breath.
The flight is going to be an all-nighter, so I’m thankful for the reclining seats. That’s definitely not an amenity you get to take full advantage of when you’re flying in the cheap seats. And now, seeing Dante slouched back with the long line of his neck bared as he holds his book aloft, the pulp horror style cover doesn’t capture my attention for long. Instead, watching his pulse jump underneath that milk white skin, I start to wonder what sorts of noises he’d make if I trail kisses down his throat. Roll the skin between my teeth until his breath draws in sharply, perfect little whines coming from those perfect lips of his…
He shifts a bit in his seat, almost like he can sense what I’m thinking. I finish off the last slurp of my coffee and notice another scent that I couldn’t smell before. Roses. I know it’s not anything in the plane, so it has to be Dante. I lean a bit closer to him and cautiously sniff, getting a pleasant waft of floral aroma. Seems like an odd choice for a playboy type, but there’s something oddly comforting about it. Dante smells like home.
I settle into my seat with a sigh, ready to catch a catnap if our conversation isn’t going to be for a while. “When?” I ask softly.
He turns a page, not bothering to look away from the adventure happening in the words. “Grab a snooze, Doc. I’ll wake you up when it’s clear.”
I drop my sunglasses over my eyes, suppressing a yawn with the back of my hand. “If you say so.”
Despite just chugging a twenty-ounce coffee, I’m asleep before the plane is even off the ground.
~*~
I don’t know how long I’ve been out, but the cabin lights are dimmed when Dante’s hand on my knee startles me awake. I exhale loudly, shaking the cobwebs of sleep from my brain and shoving my shades up on top of my head. I knuckle my eyes and blink a few times before turning my gaze to him. My voice comes out gravelly, but quiet enough to not disturb anyone.
“Did you rest at all?” I ask him, trying to ignore the amused expression on his face.
He holds up his book, tapping the top to show me that there’s no bookmark. “I planned to, but this thing sucked me in. Finished the whole thing.”
I nod, yawning into my elbow. “Dummy. You should have slept a little.”
He shrugs. “We’ve still got five hours. I’ll be fine.” He glances around, and I figure he’s checking to make sure everyone else is out cold. “Got a lot on my mind,” he murmurs, turning the full force of his emerald green gaze on me.
“Understatement of the century,” I agree.
He shifts in his seat so he’s fully facing me. “About last night…”
I shake my head, already mentally hardening myself. I know where this is going. I’ve been down this road more than once, and I’ve already started to distance myself from the way our bodies being together is tugging at the puppet strings of my heart. “I’m drawn to you, Dante, but I know better than to let emotions get the better of me. You don’t have to worry about anything like—”
He cuts me off with a chuff of a laugh. “I’m not worried about you falling for me, Natalie. You can think what you want for now, but you’ll come around. I’m more worried about the fact that our impromptu… session means that neither of us were properly prepared for how the evening went.”
I stare at him for a minute, trying to make sense of all the things he’s asking me to unpack after just waking up. I’m hoping the coffee-nap effect kicks in soon. I squint at him before finally catching on to part of it. “Ooooh. You’re trying to ask me if I’m on the pill, or anything. I’m not.”
“That’s potentially a problem, because with you being in heat, that means the chances of—”
I laugh a little. “Oh, honey. On top of being a disappointment to my alpha biological parents… I’m completely fucking sterile. Born that way. No accident to blame it on. No substance abuse, or anything nifty. Just straight up barren. You don’t have to worry about me having a lovechild."
He looks stunned by how casually I say it. Almost… disappointed?
“Oh.” Is all he manages to say.
“It was confirmed when I was nineteen. I’d always suspected, but it just affirmed for me why my folks threw me away. An omega and a sterile one, at that? What a fucking embarrassment I’d have been for them.” Factual. Only the truth. There’s not a warble in my voice, and the cabin around us definitely isn’t wiggling with unshed tears that make my throat tight.
“So, there’s nothing to worry about. You don’t need to toss me any Plan B’s, and I won’t be extorting you for child support.”
He exhales slowly and pinches the bridge of his nose. He’s got raccoon circles around his eyes. The man clearly needs to rest, but this has really been weighing heavily on him. “Natalie, and I mean in this in the least respectful way possible… Your parents were fucking idiots. You’re not even an omega. I take it you’ve never been properly examined by an A.B.O. specialist.” I shake my head, unable to find any words to respond to his vehement statement.
“Typical of modern humans. That’s why regular suppressant patches don’t work for you, Nat. Because you’re a fucking alpha, not an omega. Even sterile, you’re worth more than ten fertile omegas. They’re a dime a dozen. Female alphas are maybe one in fifty thousand births.
“And that’s why you’re such a snarky bitch, in a good way. And why when you almost barked at everyone when Haven was hurt, they listened to you. You’re short enough to step on, but you’ve got that big dog energy, Nat.”
I crack open a bottle of water and take a few sips, trying to let my brain absorb everything Dante’s just tossed in my lap. “You sound really excited about that, and I’m intrigued. But I’m also half asleep, so I’m sorry if I don’t share the enthusiasm right now. I was expecting us to be talking more about being walked in on.”
Dante shrugs. “It’s not like Valentine’s going to say anything to anyone. Knowing him, he’s coming up with some way to use it to his advantage. That’s just the kind of guy he is. But you don’t have to worry about your employment being at risk, or anything.”
That’s more of a weight off my shoulders than I dare to admit aloud. “But we need to be careful. And establish some boundaries.”
He nods, the muscles in his jaw flexing as he clenches his teeth together. “I’m sorry for earlier. With the state you’re in, it’s hard for me to be totally in control. There’s that stupid biological imperative driving everything, and it’s not easy to resist.”
“So, it’s just a chemical thing, then.”
“Fuck’s sake… You know that’s not what I meant.”
I give him a little grin, fighting not to cackle at how quickly he defended himself and his stance on things. “Fucking with you, Dante. Relax.”
He sighs, letting his forehead lean against mine. “Idiot,” he murmurs affectionately before straightening and moving a bit more out of my personal space.
“Dick,” I reply.
“Didn’t hear you complaining…” He lets the rest trail off and I smirk at the humor in his voice. Still giving me hell, but in a nicer way than before.
“But we need to be more careful. None of this cutesy shit. And if this was just a one-off… Don’t string me along, please. Ain’t nobody got time for that.”
He shakes his head. “No worries, there.” His answer is ambiguous, and he doesn’t fully explain what he means. But I’m exhausted, and so is he. It’s good enough, for now.
No more kisses anywhere we could be caught. Honestly, no more kisses at all. I’m more than a little disappointed about that. He’s fun as hell to make out with, even with our massive differences in height.
“Then close those bloodshot eyes and get some rest, you maniac. Doctor’s orders.” I’m not a doctor, but they always talk to me like I am.
Dante settles back in his seat with a stretch and a yawn. “As you wish, Doc.”
I can’t help smirking a bit at that, leaning my head against his arm and letting the comfy clutches of sleep drag me back under.
Chapter 8»