Page 14 of Bliss & Her Idols (Pack Bonds Omegaverse #10)

He feels taller as well, needing to look down at me, while I tip up my chin. It could simply be that his posture is that of a dancer’s, staggeringly poised.

He’s dressed in what must be his first costume for the concert: A complex suit of glimmering blues with dragon designs picked out in silver.

His shirt hangs open, revealing his collarbones and the glimpse of a dragon pendant beneath. He’s wearing a floor-length, diaphanous coat over the top with wide sleeves that glitter like fracturing ice.

Beautiful hair clips are fixed like wings behind each of his ears.

Just for a moment, it reminds me of the wolf clip that’s fixed in my own hair, which is recording this entire mission.

Also, every word that I’ve said to Cricket.

I hope that Chase and Piper, who are sitting outside the concert and monitoring what’s happening, are enjoying the show.

And I don’t mean the music.

Jin’s frost white hair has been styled with delicate silver chains, which hang down from it to his waist. They are matched by chains hanging from his waist and his wrists.

Is he trying to make a point?

He appears as frozen as I am. His dark gaze doesn’t move from mine.

“Out of the way,” orders a muscled, blond security guard in a black suit, who I’m betting is Stapleton.

Stapleton’s expression is stony. He looks like once he would have charmed a lot of people, especially Omegas. Except, somehow he’s forgotten how to smile and hasn’t done so for years.

Stapleton reaches to grab me roughly by one arm and Cricket by the other.

“Stop,” Jin orders coldly, holding up his hand. “Let go of them.”

The light gleams off his silver rings.

I notice that Stapleton glances to the side at a Beta who is standing next to Jin, as if looking for her order over the star’s.

I dart a glance at her.

She is wearing jeans and a plain white t-shirt. She looks like she may have once been pretty but hasn’t cared about grooming for a while. Her hair is scraped into a bun.

Plus, she has a mean mouth.

Yep, that’s Zoe.

When Zoe grudgingly nods, the bodyguard lets go of Cricket and me. Then he steps back, gesturing for the three other team members to move further into the room.

“Two Omegas.” Jin tilts his head.

Internally, I sigh.

So, the singer is just the same as every other Beta in this room. He doesn’t think that we should be here either.

When I force myself to glance away from the fucking sexiest man I’ve ever seen, I realize that Cricket is now hiding behind me.

I try to shift out of the way, but Cricket simply moves around with me, chirping high in alarm, as he clutches the back of my t-shirt.

Jin chuckles. “No problem. He’s shy. Can I get you both anything? Would you like some water? Something to read? I don’t want you to be bored or thirsty, while you wait for your Beta to be finished with their job. These things must be boring for you.”

I stare at him in shock.

Jin thinks that our Beta has dragged us along to this? That meeting him isn’t interesting?

“Idol,” Zoe says, sharply. Doesn’t he have a fucking name? I narrow my eyes at the supervisor. She taps her watch. “Keep to the schedule. We need to start now.”

Jin’s smile instantly drops from his face like it’s been bullied out of him. “One moment.”

Zoe trudges to sit on the opposite side of the table like it’s a barricade but she says out of the side of her mouth at Jin, never dropping her fake smile, “What did I say before we came out here?”

Jin becomes ashen.

To anyone watching the exchange, she hasn’t raised her voice or threatened him.

She’s acted like a PA.

Whatever she said to him, however, before this meet and greet, was enough of a warning that it has him paling even at its mention.

What was it?

What’s truly going on?

Cricket is stunned enough to forget his shyness. He emerges from behind me.

When Jin fully sees Cricket, he hesitates like the breath has been driven from him .

He looks entranced.

Also, as if he’s itching to tug Cricket’s head back by his tumble of curls and sniff up his bared neck.

“I have to go.” Finally, Jin manages to wrench away his gaze. He takes a single, reluctant step toward the table, which the bodyguards are standing either side of. “Enjoy the concert, yeah?”

“We’re not here with our Beta,” I can’t stop myself calling after him. Except, we are, now that we’ve met Jin. I can hardly announce that in front of the world’s reporters. Talk about giving them a scoop. He stops and looks confused over his shoulder at me. “I’m a music journalist myself.”

“Matter of opinion,” April sneers from across the room.

I steel my shoulders, even as my cheeks redden. “I’m Bliss Wolf, the Omega journalist. And this,” I proudly wrap my arm around Cricket’s shoulders because it’s taboo to form Omega packs but fuck that , “is my Omega.”

There are shocked gasps around the room.

I don’t give a fuck, especially when Cricket’s lips tilt with joy, then emboldened by my public claiming, he’s finally brave enough to meet the eye of the Betas.

I don’t expect Jin to have heard of me. But to my shock, his whole expression lights up.

He glances between Cricket and me like we’re the most delicious and tempting treat that he’s ever been offered.

“You’re the Omega journalist?” Jin swaggers toward the table, perching on the front of it, rather than sitting next to Zoe. Then he winks at me. “Make sure you ask me a question, yeah?”

I feel like I’m floating.

I nod.

Zoe huffs. “Time for half an hour of questions. Then Immortal will be kicking off the Betas of Rock Concert. We don’t have long. Keep it brief. You first.”

I’m not surprised when she points at April.

I’m still struggling to work out how to make my lungs work properly. Jin has sucked all the air out of the room with his charisma.

Does he feel the spark between us too?

Jin’s cocky, frosty mask is firmly back in place, but he’s still sneaking glances at Cricket and me out of the corner of his eye.

I smirk, arching my eyebrow.

I don’t expect Jin to look caught out, crossing and then recrossing his ankles, before determinedly fixing his attention on April.

He does feel it too.

My heart soars.

Jin smiles at April, easy and practiced. Now that I’m actually with Jin, I can tell how much it’s painted on.

“Your popularity is at an all-time high. Even my mom is feral for you.” April doesn’t appear to notice or care how uncomfortable she is making Jin, and nor does his staff.

“How much of your music career do you put down to your bad boy image? The type of Beta that most Alphas fantasize about taking in hand? Have you seen the TikTok edits that show you with various famous Alpha packs…well, being shown your place?”

The other Betas titter, as April quirks her brow, hoping for a reaction.

Next to me, Cricket bares his teeth.

I have to snatch Cricket’s hand to stop him from diving toward April in his anger.

So, it turns out that Cricket is a psycho geek, when it comes to being protective of his pack.

Perhaps, I should have explained what undercover means better to him.

Jin notices the movement.

His concerned gaze darts to us for a moment. Then it becomes icy, as it sweeps back to April.

When he swipes his tongue along his plush lower lip, he has everyone in the room hanging on his next words.

The Beta journalists lean forward.

“Nope,” Jin replies cheekily, popping the ‘p’. “Next question. This time from a real journalist and not a hack.”

April hisses in outrage.

“Idol,” Zoe taps something into her phone, “remain polite to the press and accommodating at all times.”

“Of course.” Jin smiles at me and this time, it’s a genuine one.

My heart flutters. Then he says with studied politeness, “Please do ask me a question. Hold on, I’m always accommodating to the press.

Your Omega is too small to see properly with all those tall Betas standing in the way.

Why don’t you come over here? You can hop up and join me. ”

He pats the table next to him with a mischievous quirk of his brow.

What the hell is going on?

This man is more of a rebel than I am.

I should have guessed that.

Stapleton drops his hand to the gun at his belt. “Sir, I don’t recommend—"

“When do you?” Jin pats the table again.

Stapleton exchanges bewildered glances with the rest of the security team.

I’m honored that obviously this isn’t normal behavior for Jin.

On the other hand, am I dreaming?

Is the rock star, who I have crushed on for years, really asking me to come and sit next to him?

Sure, Jin is probably doing it to piss off both his controlling supervisor along with the journalist who has made him uncomfortable by implying that he should be merrily watching TikToks that ship him with different Alphas.

Not to mention that he’s a singer, and April is treating him like he hasn’t achieved this concert or success because of his talent but only because of how hot he is.

A couple of the journalists nudge each other.

I can’t work out if they’re more confused, envious, or angry that I’ve been selected over them.

Probably, a mix of all three.

To my shock, before I can unfix my feet, it’s Cricket who is grabbing my hand and yanking me away from the chairs and toward Jin.

Then he hesitates, dropping my hand.

I awkwardly perch on the edge of the table, close enough that I can feel Jin’s hip against mine and the slide of his satiny suit against my bare arm.

Cricket dithers, darting glances from underneath his eyelashes at Jin’s lap. He’s trembling, as if now that he’s had the courage to make this move and is in front of so many curiously watching people, he’s not sure how to handle it.

“How about you sit on my lap?” Jin whispers like smoke. “You can hide your face against my neck? Imagine that all these other Betas aren’t here and it’s just us?”

Cricket nods.

Jin leans down and in a single movement that shows how strong he is beneath his willowy figure, picks Cricket up and places him on his lap.

My eyes widen.

Damn.

Instantly, Cricket does his limpet move, burrowing his face on Jin’s neck.

Cricket loops his arms around the Beta like he means safety, as familiarly as if they’ve been friends for years.

Of course, they have been.

Only, Jin doesn’t know that.

Jin looks shaky for a moment, overwhelmed.

Has he been hugged by an Omega like this before?

It strikes me that I’ve never seen any photographs of Jin with an Omega. He’s not bonded. Idols are always Betas. And the owners of the company and the leaders of the pack are Alphas.

Jin definitely appears to be enjoying the experience.

Zoe is staring at Jin, scandalized. “You should not be petting stray Omegas.”

“He’s not a stray.” I glare at Zoe. “He’s mine.”

Jin raises his eyebrow at me, impressed.

“I’m just being kind, humble, and polite to the press,” Jin somehow manages to reply with a straight face.

I’m equally impressed with how Jin appears to be a master at weaponizing what’s clearly an Idol rulebook.

“Thanks,” I whisper.

Jin meets my gaze and smiles. “Love your style, by the way. Leather suits you.”

My cheeks are on fire.

April is glancing between us with seething jealousy. “But that Omega isn’t even a real music journalist.”

Jin’s expression instantly becomes as cold as any Ice Dragon’s.

My Ice Dragon warrior.

“Is that why I’ve read her articles, when I haven’t read yours ?” He bites out. “I loved hers on rebellion in rock. Insightful.”

Shit, he’s actually heard of me? More than that, he’s read my work.

I barely thought anybody had.

I never expected the biggest singer in America would have.

Why are nerves flooding me?

I gape at Jin. “You read that…? But it was published in Omega Weekly.”

Jin laughs, musical and unrestrained; I’m instantly wet. “They stuff those magazines behind the scenes at venues like this for tours and photoshoots. Sometimes, those are the magazines with the most fun pieces in them. Yours are great.”

“This isn’t a date.” Zoe finally loses her cool, slamming her phone onto the table. “This is why Omegas shouldn’t be allowed VIP passes.”

I snort.

It was only a matter of time, before someone like Zoe would say something.

The memory of how she treats Jin in his vlogs flashes through my mind.

How she forced him to eat a Carolina Reaper…ruined his magic trick, dimming his joy and turning his smile fake… Pay attention to your posture …

I study her face to remember it because somehow, I will find a way to kick this woman’s ass.

Yet this is my first and best chance to learn about Jin.

April may be a journalist but she doesn’t truly know about investigating like I do. You don’t need to ask simple questions to learn about someone, along with their situation, and everybody around them as well.

I’ve learned a lot already.

I slip my fingers to the back of Cricket’s neck, giving a light squeeze and hoping that he knows to play along.

“Please, help me .” I look up, meeting Jin’s startled gaze. “He’s breathing too fast. He feels trapped. Can you help ?”

Jin’s dark eyes have widened, before becoming searching.

This is a man who has been hiding codes in smuggled letters, the lyrics of his songs and song titles like “Caged Dreams”, and even tonight’s costume.

He’ll be able to work out that I’m repeating his code back to him.

Jin glances between Cricket and then me again.

Cricket instantly begins to playact.

He whines, before peering up at Jin.

Then Cricket mouths against Jin’s neck, hidden behind the silver waterfall of his hair, “ Help me. ”

“Cricket…?” Jin whispers only loud enough for the two of us to hear like a desperate prayer.

Cricket nods.

“He’s having a panic attack.” I jump off the table, waving my arms around in pretend alarm. “I’d better take him out of here…”

Time for us to leave, before any of the smart journalists in this room catch on. I need to find an empty bathroom to call Chase urgently to report back and make plans.

Then the concert will be starting.

To my surprise, Jin’s smile becomes dangerous. “Don’t worry. I’ll help.”

“W-w-what…?” I stutter.

In a flurry of moves, which show just what an incredible dancer he is, Jin leaps from the table with Cricket still clutched in his arms, at the same time as grabbing my arm.

His coat twirls around him like blue mist.

Then he drags both of us through a small door that I hadn’t even noticed to the side of the table.

My heart leaps into my throat.

Stapleton yells out, diving for Jin. He snatches Jin’s sleeve.

Jin flinches, shaking him off.

Then he slams the door shut behind us, hurriedly standing against it to stop it from being opened.

My heart is racing. My hair is damp with sweat.

What the fuck has just happened?

This isn’t the plan.

How exactly am I meant to get any of us out of this?

The room is in darkness. I tumble over a bucket, crashing into a row of shelves.

Jin has just closed us into a janitor’s closet.

Outside, I can hear Zoe, screaming and furious.

I shudder.

Loud, furious banging on the door echoes in the dark.

“Open up,” Stapleton growls, “or I’ll break it down.”