Page 19 of Bliss & Her Idols (Pack Bonds Omegaverse #10)

CHAPTER NINE

Knight Amphitheater, Haven

“ I ’ll sign the NDA,” I gasp. “Don’t send him away. Please.”

Cricket is whining in pain, as his arms are twisted behind him by both of the grim faced Betas.

I’m terrified that Cricket’s arms will snap.

He’s already covered in bruises, and now his arms are going to be marked as well.

My gaze meets Cricket’s panicked one.

He’s panting.

I promised that he was mine now. I won’t allow anyone to take him away from me.

Cricket’s entire life, he’s been curious about but also scared of the world outside his territory. He’s vulnerable in ways that he doesn’t even understand.

He’d be destroyed by the Institute.

“I said that I’d sign.” I’m pleading, and we all know it.

Zoe looks smug. “Are you sure?”

“Please,” I whisper.

I duck my head, staring at the swirling blue floor of the meeting room.

Zoe hesitates, and it’s the longest fucking minute of my life, as she glances between Cricket and me.

“All right,” she finally replies like she’s being gracious. “Sign now, then I will return your phone. My men will kindly escort you, so that you don’t miss the start of the show.”

When she taps on an icon, a long document, which is filled with technical legal jargon appears. She swipes through it far too quickly for me to read it.

I should never sign it without reading.

I could be selling myself or my soul.

Normally, it’s Alphas who must sign legal documents. Chase does for the important business ones for Coffee Knot Tea.

I’m not the type of dumb Omega that Zoe takes me for to sign something without checking it thoroughly first.

But this is about saving Cricket.

I immediately scrawl my name.

Zoe marches to Cricket.

Cricket gives me a searching look.

I nod.

Cricket winces, when his right arm is released. Then he trustingly signs his name as well.

Well, if we have sold ourselves, it’s done now.

I bet Piper is fucking raging. Chase will be memorizing the faces of all three of these Betas.

They’re dead Betas walking.

“Good Omegas,” Zoe says, sickeningly sweet.

Then she pulls out my phone and tosses it to me.

I clutch it to my chest. Then she barks out an order at the suited men, “take them through to the friends and pack section of the arena. Don’t allow them to escape anywhere else or it’s your asses, understand? ”

“Yes, ma’am,” the men chorus.

Hurriedly, I slip my phone into my pocket, before it can be taken from me again.

The Beta who let go of Cricket to allow him to sign, prowls across the low-ceilinged room to me and grabs me by the scruff of the neck.

I wince, hating that he’s holding me in a dominant way close to my scent gland.

Instinctively, I feel violated.

Only my Alpha should be touching there or the men who I choose to bond with.

“Let go of her.” Cricket struggles. “Please.”

“It’s okay, Crick.” I catch Cricket’s eye, trying to hide how distressed I am. He’s hurting himself by thrashing around. He looks like he’s already pretty bruised. “Let’s just let these nice men escort us, huh?”

Finally, Cricket calms down and nods.

I flinch, as I’m shoved forward.

I’m beginning to feel sick.

Are my jangled Omega nerves catching up on me without an Alpha or an Omega’s pheromones or physical touch to calm them?

Sweat drips down the back of my neck.

I keep my gaze firmly trained on the ground, as Cricket and I are roughly led stumbling through the Knight Amphitheater.

We’re taken through narrow shadowy, back corridors closer to the arena stage. The buzz of thirty thousand people grows louder.

Despite myself, excitement coils through me.

This concert always meant so much to me.

Yet now that I know the real Jin behind his stage creation, Ice Dragon, it means the world.

Finally, Stapleton’s men drag Cricket and me through two heavy oak doors into a small, cordoned off area.

For a moment, I’m both blinded by the bright lights of the stage directly in front of me and deafened by the roar of the crowd that’s directly behind me.

Then I stare around in wonder.

The arena is vast. It’s the biggest building that I’ve ever seen.

Cricket is looking around himself in the same wonder. It must be shocking to him.

Behind us, more people than I’ve seen gathered together are standing in a sea of waving lights and phones, which are already recording the evening.

It’s magical.

I crane to see the stage.

In the shadows at the back, rock musicians who are dressed all in black are tuning their instruments.

BETAS OF ROCK blazes in neon blue lights across the back between a huge screen, which projects a magnified image of the stage to the crowd.

Shimmering dragons are projected crawling up the sides of the stage out of giant cages like they’re attempting to escape.

It must almost be time for Immortal’s set to start, right?

I struggle to reach for Cricket.

The Beta security guard tightens his hold on my neck. “Behave, Omega.”

“Strange way to talk to friends of a star,” a cold voice says behind me, which is edged with a slight Irish accent that somehow makes it more menacing and not less. I shiver. “How about you let go of the little darlings, and I don’t break your arms?”

Wow, this guy would get on with Chase.

He’s also clearly an Alpha.

Despite the scent ventilator making it impossible for me to smell him, his dominance is still coming off him in waves.

Except, he’s not the one with the gun.

To my shock, however, Stapleton’s men let go of Cricket and me as hurriedly as they can. They even back away just to be certain that they’re not accidentally touching me.

I’m impressed.

“Sorry, sir, just following orders,” the older of the two men offers.

“Now let me see, where have I heard that before…? Just get out,” the new Alpha barks.

The security team stumble over their feet in their haste to sprint back the way that they’d just come.

I twirl around to look at what I hope is our savior and not a psychopath.

Possibly, he’s both.

Then my breath catches.

The Alpha looks as startled as I am, when our gazes meet.

He’s stunning.

He’s casually leaning against the stage like he owns it.

His pure blue eyes are mesmerizing.

He looks to be around a year or so younger than Jin with translucent skin, high cheekbones, and a strong jaw.

His thick, crow-black hair is neatly brushed back from his face.

He’s dressed like the type of man who is truly a billionaire and could wear designer suits but knows the music industry well enough to realize that only people who don’t wear suits are taken seriously.

So, he’s dressed in blessedly tight jeans with a low slung belt with dragon buckle and a limited edition Ice Dragon t-shirt.

It's so limited edition that I’m itching to beg to try it on.

Also, if that means getting the Alpha to undress, then I’d be okay with that because he’s tall, broad chested and more or less my ideal Alpha.

Apart from the fact that alarm bells are already going off in my head about him, as much as I’m drawn to him.

“Thank you.” Cricket, with his typical na?ve optimism, bounces up to the strange Alpha with a chirp. “They kept hurting Bee. I’m ashamed that I couldn’t stop them.”

“Bee, huh?” The Alpha’s gaze slides to mine. I shift from foot to foot. “Does she sting?”

“Only if attacked.” I run my hand through my hair, attempting to smooth it back into place.

“Then let’s be friends and not enemies.” The Alpha smiles down at Cricket. “What’s your name, mo stoirin?”

Cricket scrunches up his nose. “What does that mean?”

“My little darling.”

Cricket flushes.

He hesitates for a moment, looking longingly at the Alpha’s strong chest like he needs the comfort.

He’s normally shy around strangers.

Why is he comfortable with this man?

But then, why am I?

“Want to nuzzle?” I offer, hoping to pull Cricket over to me.

Unfortunately, Cricket misunderstands me.

He nods, happily. Then he nuzzles against the Alpha .

The Alpha who laughs, giving me a smug look.

The Alpha lightly cradles Cricket’s head, as if a stranger nuzzling him is no big deal. “What’s your name?”

“Cricket.”

“A Bee and a Cricket. Are you certain these aren’t code names? How exciting. Are you secret assassins? Spies?”

His eyes gleam like he’s truly imagining it.

Shit, I need to stop this guessing game as quickly as possible.

“My real name is Bliss,” I blurt.

“Pretty.” He casts me a glance. “Are you sure that you’re not giving me your cam name now? Can I follow you on OnlyOmegas?”

I bare my teeth. “I can feel a stinging coming on.”

“Promise?” The Alpha smirks. “Your friend is touch starved. Did the security team bruise his face or…?”

“None of your business,” I reply, sharply.

“Ouch, your sting is vicious.” But he looks delighted.

Cricket glances between us. “Can I go and watch the band setting up?”

“You can do what you like.” I smile. “This is amazing, right?”

Cricket rubs at the fast forming bruise on his arm. “Best day of my life.”

I wince.

Despite the fear and pain, Cricket still believes that this is the best experience that he’s ever had.

I watch, as Cricket wanders closer to the side of the stage with the band. I’m glad that he’s still within earshot.

After what happened with Zoe, I’m nervous about something else going wrong.

And I don’t know this Alpha.

He may have saved Cricket and me. But I don’t trust him.

I eye the Alpha again.

He’s stuck his hands in his pockets, and his gaze is firmly fixed on me.

Fuck, he truly is gorgeous.

“What’s your name?” I ask.

The Alpha hesitates.

Why does that ignite a warning spark inside me? But then, the embers die down again, when he shoots me a reassuring smile.

“My friends know me as Charming,” he replies.

I snort. “That has to be a pickup line.”

He swaggers closer, until we’re standing face to face, and I’m staring into his eyes that are so blue all I can think of is the heart of a glacier. “Prince Charming.”

“As in Bond, James Bond?” I tease.

He runs his hand through his hair. “I didn’t choose the name. And I’ve never offered to allow an Omega to call me it before.”