I let out a final deep breath as I shook out the nerves from my body, and then I hooked my arm through Nikita and Blair’s as we left the room. We had two hours before the banquet was supposed to start, and Professor Collins wanted us there an hour early, so we were right on time.

  Just like Arielle thought, Benji and Aunt Eva were waiting by the front door, and they had also dressed up for the occasion.

  Benji wore a navy-blue suit with a white shirt and blue tie. I bought him a suit the same day I ordered mine, just because I knew he didn’t have one, and it seemed to fit him perfectly. His dark blond hair was left untouched, but at least he’d combed it, and that made all the difference.

  Aunt Eva wore a navy-blue, floral dress that covered much more skin than the omegas’ dresses. It had a thin blue belt around the middle, and I think it was the first time I had ever seen my aunt in heels, or shoes that weren’t sneakers or sandals. Her brown hair had also been styled and curled, and she wore a light amount of makeup to finish everything off.

  “You look amazing,” I said as I gave Eva a hug.

  “Oh, Jesse, you look so smart,” she sniffed. “Your parents would have been so proud of you for achieving something so monumental.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled. “I know Mom would have loved to see me up there.”

  “She really would have.” Aunt Eva pulled back, and I spotted the tears that pooled in her eyes. “They both would have had the biggest smiles on their faces.”

  But then Aunt Eva shook her head, waved back her tears, and clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention.

  “Right, come on! Enough sentimental talk!” she ordered. “We better get going.”

  “Where are the others?” I asked. “Are they still meeting us there?”

  My campus security was also coming to the event, mainly to keep an eye on everything, but I had some other mainland and island betas coming along to watch the event. We had all taken anosmiacs to be on the safe side, but I hoped that wasn’t necessary.

  “Kind of,” Benji replied. “Kristina and that group have already left for Everleigh, but Brenden, Kiri, and the other betas are going to drive along with us.”

  “Awesome, then let’s go.” I smiled.

  Nikita and Aunt Eva took out their keys for the cars, and then we all split into two groups and piled into two Range Rovers. There wasn’t enough space for us all to sit in one car together, so I went with Nikita and Hailey, and Arielle and Blair went with Eva and Benji.

  “See you on the other side!” Nikita taunted as she started the engine.

  “You snooze, you lose, fuckers!” Benji called back.

  “Hey!” Aunt Eva shouted with a playful tone. “No funny business tonight. Anyone who messes around will have to shift and run to Everleigh instead.”

  “Even me?” Nikita gasped. “Surely you wouldn’t force a pregnant woman to run there?”

  “You don’t seem to have any issues any other day of the week,” Benji chuckled.

  I knew Aunt Eva wouldn’t actually force anyone from the cars, but she was more nervous about this evening than I was, so her cautious mindset was justified.

  “Alright, come on,” Blair said with a clap of her hands. “We have to make sure Jesse has time to speak to Jack Nolan before the concert.”

  “The alumni banquet,” Arielle corrected.

  “Same thing.” Blair waved it off with her hand.

  I had actually completely forgotten that Professor Collins wanted me to personally meet and speak to Jack Nolan at some point. He wanted me to be the spokesperson for the quintet, to basically amp up the university, and to show Jack what had changed and improved since he was a student here. Collins also wanted to get me on Nolan’s radar, too. I appreciated his help with networking, so I didn’t mind speaking to the guy, but I would have preferred to do it after the performance, once I had relaxed for a bit first.

  Fortunately, the thirty-minute drive to Everleigh was relaxing, and we all laughed and joked to help me calm down.

  I had my mom’s violin safely on my lap throughout the entire drive, and I couldn’t help but think about my parents as my fingers ran along the worn case.

  Before Aunt Eva had told me about our little secret, I always thought my parents had died in a car crash, and not been killed by Theo fucking Finch. My mom had given me her violin when I was four years old, and she said I would grow into it one day. And now I was about to perform for the elite alumni of my university, and I wondered if that had been my mother’s plan when she’d handed me her favorite instrument.

  I was still thinking about my parents when Nikita shut off the engine, and I stepped from the car as I held the leather handle firmly in my hand.

  Looking good, boss. Kristina’s thoughts suddenly floated in my mind.

  Oh, thank you, I replied as I looked around to search for my campus security. Where are you guys?

  We’re currently in the trees behind the Adams building, she said. Once the islanders get here, they’ll take the other side of campus, and we’ll split up to cover every corner.

  Sounds good to me. I smiled.

  Break a leg! Zane called out.

  Yes, but not literally, please, Gemma added.

  I’ll do my best, I snickered.

  Then the revving of an engine broke into my surroundings, and I glanced across the parking lot to see two Volvos rolling across the asphalt. Brenden, Kiri, Jackson, and Noah were in one car, and Spencer, Kasia, Wren, Cameron, and Finn were in the other.

  I had a good amount of family to watch my performance, but I also had a decent number of family protecting the grounds, and that was exactly what I needed.

  “Hey,” I said, knowing everyone could hear me in the cars. “I need to go inside, but you guys know where you’re going, or where you’ll be situated, yeah?”

  “We sure do, Jesse,” Brenden replied. “Some of the islanders will be heading off into the trees, but myself and the others will be going inside.”

  “Excellent,” I said. “In that case, I’ll see you after the banquet.”

  The new arrivals offered me their own best wishes, and then I led my omegas, Benji, and Aunt Eva toward the Erickson building where everything was going to take place.

  We still had over an hour before the banquet started, so I was surprised to see the number of people all heading in the same direction. The men wore their best suits, the women wore smart dresses, and the clicking of heels ran through the air like a rhythmic piece of music.

  I recognized some of the people, but the majority of them were complete strangers to me, so they could have been anyone.

  However, I couldn’t help but subtly sniff the air around us. I wanted to be absolutely certain we were the only shifters in the building, so I was pleased to find that all I could smell was overpowering perfume and cologne.

  Once we had entered the building, my omegas gave me a kiss, Aunt Eva gave me a hug, and Benji slapped my shoulder.

  “Go smash it, bro,” he said confidently. “We’ll be smiling and waving from the back row.”

  “Please, don’t,” I chuckled. “I can’t afford to have that sort of distraction.”

  Blair and Nikita assured me they’d keep Benji’s hands firmly against the seat, and then I thanked them and wandered down the corridor to meet up with the rest of the quintet.

  “Aah, Jesse!” Professor Collins called out as I walked into the room. “I knew you’d be the first to arrive.”

  He and I were the only ones in the room, so I took a seat and relaxed against the back of the chair.

  “You said to be here an hour before…” I shrugged.

  “Yes, but it’s no surprise that the others haven’t arrived yet.” Collins rolled his eyes, and then he went back to shuffle all the papers that littered his desk.

  Professor Collins muttered quietly to himself, and he played with his hair anxiously, so I could tell he was close to shitting himself. This wasn’t just a big night for the performers, it was an important event for Collins, too, so he had to make sure everything went according to plan.

  “Oh, Jesse,” he said as he looked up at me. “Jack Nolan is running slightly late. Something about traffic leaving the city.”

  “Oh, okay,” I replied.

  “Would you be alright talking to him afterward?” Collins asked. “I know that means you’ll need to hang around until the banquet’s nearly over, but it’s really important you speak to him.”

  “Yeah, of course.” I nodded. “I would have preferred that anyway, so it’s not an issue for me.”

  “Excellent, excellent,” he mumbled, and then he let out a loud sigh. “Honestly, Jesse, I’m so pleased you’re a part of this quintet. Who knows what would happen if I didn’t have you here to guide everyone?”

  “I’m sure they would have been okay on their own,” I chuckled. “But thank you, I appreciate the compliment.”

  “Mr. Rafe, you’re the glue that’s holding this entire performance together,” he said. “And without the glue, everything slowly starts to crumble…”

  “Again, I’m sure they would be okay,” I replied with a smile. “Everyone in the group is a fantastic musician, and this is a big thing for me, so I’m just pleased to be a part of it.”

  “As am I, Jesse, as am I.” Professor Collins nodded.

  My nerves seemed to pick up once again as the rest of the quintet started to arrive, and the chatter and commotion echoed in from all around the building.

  Collins called everyone together to play through the piece once more, and then he asked if I wanted to practice my solo again, but I felt confident with it. I didn’t want to over rehearse, and I didn’t want to make myself feel edgy, or to affect the aspects of my performance.

  I knew what I was doing, so I knew I’d be just fine.

  “Nolan is here, Nolan is here,” Collins muttered as he flapped his hands for no particular reason. “Okay everyone, you all know what you need to do.”

  The professor piled his papers together once again, smoothed out his hair with one hand, and then pulled down on his suit jacket. He double-checked that his tie was neatly tucked under his collar, and then he took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves.

  Finally, once it was time for us to head on stage, Professor Collins led the way, and he walked toward his spot where he would stand and conduct.

  Myself and the rest of the quintet took our places as Collins introduced us to the audience, and I looked out across the crowd to see my family sitting in the top row.

  They all had brilliant smiles on their faces, and I could see the happy gleam in their eyes from where I sat.

  Once Collins had finished talking, and the audience applauded, I turned my attention back to him, and I angled my violin between my shoulder and chin as we prepared to get started.

  Professor Collins’ hands danced through the air as he counted down from three to one, and then the auditorium became alive with the beautiful sound of music.

  The two cellists created a smooth, deep tone to the piece, the violist joined in when the music picked up its tempo, and then myself and the second violinist completed the quintet to add heart and life to the piece.

  I followed the notes on the stand in front of me, and I read each musical notation like I was reading a book. My fingers pressed down on the strings easily, and my bow slid and arched over the bridge like water flowing onto the shore.

  I’d done this a million times in practice, so it was easy enough to do it now.

  At one point during the piece, I looked up at my family, and I had just enough time to catch the look of pride on their faces before I glanced back down again.

  I also made sure to pay close attention to Collins, and he would point his fingers, jolt his body, and throw his arms up into the air whenever the piece became loud and vibrant. His white baton almost became lost in the darkness of the audience, but I caught sight of the thin stick every so often. He always kept it firmly in his left hand, and not once did I see him move it to his right.

  I never thought he really needed to use a baton, especially with such a small quintet, but if that was what Collins preferred, then who was I to tell him otherwise?

  As the piece came to an end, me and the second violinist shook our bows across our bridges to quicken the pace one final time, and then the violist took control as they slowed everything down.

  I pictured the music in my mind like a thunderstorm, with the thunder roaring through the sky. The final notes of the violist were like raindrops falling from a leaf as the storm simmered down and drifted away.

  There was a second of silence as the note was absorbed into the air, and then the room became alive with applause, and the audience all stood from their seats to offer their support. A light feeling filtered through my chest at the realization that the piece was over, and I just had to get through my solo.

  A few other students dressed in black ran onto the platform to help us clear the chairs and music stands away, but Professor Collins stayed standing and then turned back around to face the crowd.

  “I would now like to call Jesse Rafe on stage,” he said as he motioned toward me. “Jesse Rafe is one of my–”

  Alpha, I think we might have a problem, Spencer suddenly spoke up.

  What is it? I asked as I stood a step behind Professor Collins.

  I needed to look like I was paying attention to everything he said, and that I wasn’t distracted in the slightest.

  But that was much easier said than done.

  We’ve caught on to a shifter scent in the air, Spencer replied. Cameron and Kasia are going to see if they can find the source, so we’ll keep you posted.

  Yes, please do, I said with a hint of urgency.

  A nearby shifter was the last thing I fucking needed, especially seconds before my solo, but there was nothing I could do about it.

  I hadn’t heard a word Professor Collins said, and it was only because of the new applause that I knew to take my place.

  I didn’t know if my family had received the same message, and I didn’t have the time to ask them. All I could do was focus on the solo and pray everything went according to plan.

  But then, as I settled my violin against my shoulder, I spotted movement in the audience, and Brenden and Kiri shuffled their way toward the exit.

  I calmed down slightly now that everyone had been informed, and two extra betas were leaving to find out what was going on, yet I still had that gnawing feeling at the back of my mind. I wanted to know what was going on, and I desperately needed answers, but I knew they weren’t going to arrive until my pack had found the source of the new scent.

  Suddenly, with Collins’ prompting, I began to play, and I used every ounce of my energy to play the piece of music to the best of my abilities.

  This piece was much harder than the last one, and I didn’t have the advantage of the quintet as a support around me, but I knew I could do it. I couldn’t let Professor Collins down, and I couldn’t let myself down, so despite everything going on, I had to focus on the sheets in front of me and leave it at that.

  My left hand bounced as my fingers jumped from string to string, but I kept a strong hold of the bow, and I made sure to arch it over the bridge without a fault.

  The building tension in my mind felt like it was taunting me, and at some point I thought I was going to mess up and let out an ear-splitting screech, but that never happened. I followed the notes with my eyes, and I looked up at Professor Collins to watch his guidance, and the proud smile on his face reminded me of why I was doing this.

  Before I became an alpha, it was my dream to perform in front of a large audience. I wanted to travel the world with my mom’s violin, and I wanted to create music just like Jack Nolan had done.

  That was no longer possible for me on the scale I’d hoped for, but it didn’t mean I couldn’t show this crowd my skills, and I couldn’t absorb the love of the music, just because there was potentially an issue going on outside.

  I believed in my betas, and I knew they wouldn’t allow anything horrible to happen. It was difficult for me to pay attention to nothing but the music, but my betas had their job, and I had mine.

  Fortunately, the solo ended before Spencer could speak up again, and I gave the audience a little bow as their applause filled my ears.

  I had no idea if anyone said anything, but I knew I was allowed to leave the stage, so I left as quickly as I could without it looking suspicious.

  Have you found anything? I asked as I ran down the corridor.

  Nope, we’re still searching, Cameron replied. But we can tell the shifter is close.

  There also might be more than one, but we’ll give you an honest answer soon, Kristina added. Jackson and Noah have noticed subtle heartbeats, so we’re going to make sure it’s nothing too threatening.

  Okay, I said as I placed my violin back in its case. I just finished the solo, so I’ll come outside and see what’s happening.

  We’ll meet you at the exit, Jesse, Hailey replied.

  Thank you. I smiled.

  The rest of the quintet had already left, so at least I didn’t look like an idiot rushing around and smiling to myself.

  Also, that was amazing, Jesse, Arielle said. We were all crying, including Benji.

  I wasn’t crying, I got dust in my eyes! Benji defended himself. But yeah, you did so good, bro. Love you, man. I’m so proud.

  Thanks, I chuckled.

  I raced down the corridor before anyone could stop to talk to me, and I spotted my family waiting at the front door for me. Eva sniffed the air, Benji peered around cautiously, but my omegas were watching me with bright smiles.

  I was seconds away from embracing my omegas when a strong scent hit me like a freight train.

  It was definitely a shifter, there was no doubt about that, but there was also something unusual about that scent.

  It smelled sweet yet acidic, like freshly cut onions, and there was a darker note mixed into it, almost like the dominant scent of earth and trees.

  Something about those scents pulled me toward this shifter.

  “Oh, my goodness!” Hailey suddenly shrieked. “I know who that is!”

  “What?” Blair asked.

 

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