Page 20 of Bliss & Her Idols (Pack Bonds Omegaverse #10)

“I’ll call you Charming,” Cricket sweetly calls over.

“So,” my lips tilt up at the side, “what should I call you?”

Am I flirting?

Shit, my brothers are watching.

I feel fevered. Too hot. Sweat trickles down my neck.

Why is this Alpha affecting me like this?

Who is this Alpha? Why has he been allowed in this section of the arena?

I can’t look away from his eyes, as he leans closer. “Anything you want, a chroi.”

“A chroi?”

“ My heart .” His voice is like silk sliding over frozen metal.

I shiver.

“That’s dangerous. I could call you sexy knot, boo boo bear, stud muffin, or—"

“Can I safe word? Red .” He shudders. “You win this round. I’m waving the white flag.”

“Win for the cringe.” I grin. “Consent is important to me. I’ll always honor a safe word. What aftercare do you need after terrible pet names?”

“I guess that I need to balance them by telling you my real name.” Amusement ripples in his tone.

Goosebumps prickle along my skin.

It’s intense having all this man’s attention on me.

His dominance isn’t oppressive. It’s like lightning; bright and electrifying.

This conversation is similar to hate sex: a fight and a fuck.

I love it.

When I reach up to brush along his sharp cheekbone, he leans into my hand for a moment. Then my breath hitches, as he noses along my cheek, then up to my hair.

His lips are hot against my ear. My core is throbbing.

I hold myself still.

“My name,” he whispers, “is Tor.”

He waits for a moment, and I can hear his fast breathing loud against my ear, as if he expects me to react…like he expects me to know his name.

He’s anxious.

Scared.

My brow furrows.

There’s something slightly familiar about the name, but I can’t place it.

Tor…?

“Is that an Irish name?” I ask, hoping that it may calm Tor’s panic, which he’s attempting to control but I can hear in his breathing. “It suits you.”

His breathing slows. His shoulders relax.

Tor pulls back from me with a cool smile. “Yes. I’ve only just flown in from Dublin.”

“So, are you pack or friend?”

“I’ll answer, if you do.”

“We’re friends.”

“Are you now?” Tor scrutinizes me with his large, blue eyes. “It’s complicated. Right now, I’m a work colleague.”

“Are you a music producer?”

He certainly dresses like one.

Suddenly, I feel sick.

What if this is one of those bastards who are attending the drinks party, which Jin is being forced to host after the concert?

I take a step back, narrowing my eyes.

Tor shakes his head. “I’m a musician and songwriter.”

My shoulders slump in relief.

It’s unusual for an Alpha to work in those jobs, which are normally taken by Betas.

Perhaps, I’m being paranoid.

What if this Alpha really is a Prince Charming? It’s tempting to take his number, if he’s unbonded.

I’ve never felt this connected to an Alpha before. Plus, most importantly, he’s got the type of coldly dangerous edge to him that calls to the wolf pack side of me.

I’ve been raised as a survivor. Any Alpha that I choose needs to match that energy.

Tor certainly does.

Plus, Cricket sees him as a protector and not a threat, when after the trauma he’s been through, I believed that he’d struggle with every Alpha.

It certainly helps that he’s wearing an Ice Dragon top. How could Cricket, the fan club president, not see him as a friend when he’s wearing that?

“That’s amazing. You must be talented. I would love to play an instrument. I always wished that I owned a guitar.” Cricket rushes to Tor, grabbing his hand. “Have you written any songs for Jin?”

Tor raises his eyebrow in shock, studying where their fingers are entwined.

Pink creeps up Tor’s neck. “I’m not credited because it would be scandalous that an Alpha has this role but I’m Jin’s chief songwriter. In fact, I write most of the Idols’ songs.”

I stare at Tor in shock. “You’re a genius.”

“Actually, I’m a shameful secret.” Tor’s lip curls up at the side. “But thank you.”

All of a sudden, lights illuminate the stage.

My heart leaps.

This is it.

“Immortal’s set is about to start.” Tor pulls Cricket closer against his side. I edge closer as well in my excitement. “I’ve never heard my songs sung live before. I’ve waited so long for this night.”

When I glance up at Tor in the darkness, I can only just make out the outline of his expression.

He’s smiling, but his jaw is clenched.

What’s his story?

When a spotlight appears on the stage, the crowd roars and cheers.

Instead of Immortal appearing, however, to my shock, it’s Zoe.

She’s pale with nerves but speaks into a microphone. “I’m sorry to announce that Immortal has fallen unexpectedly ill and won’t be able to perform tonight.”

The arena explodes with outraged chatter and boos.

Zoe is stony faced.

“Fuck,” Tor growls.

I remember how Jin told me that they punished Immortal, whenever Jin misbehaved.

Have they taken away Immortal’s chance to perform in this special concert as Jin’s punishment for his behavior earlier?

That’s sick.

My stomach is tied in knots.

Is it worse than that?

Has Immortal been beaten badly enough that he physically can’t perform, and Zoe is covering by pretending that he’s ill?

Zoe yells into the microphone, “But don’t worry, Ice Dragon will perform a longer set to make up for it.”

So, it’s a double punishment.

Immortal loses his chance to perform, while Jin has to perform twice as long.

The crowd settles down, expectantly.

I stare at the stage that is now lit by neon blue strobe lights.

Rocky guitars burst into the opening of “Caged Dreams.”

The crowd goes wild.

The atmosphere is electric. My skin prickles. The audience are dancing and waving lights. It’s a sea of souls.

Jin starts singing, before he can be seen.

His voice is spellbinding.

Then Jin appears rising on wires above the stage, soaring on a high note into the sky.

Cricket gasps, letting go of Tor’s hand to clap.

The crowd are singing along, as they dance.

Under the lights, commanding the stage with charisma and swagger, Jin is a rock god.

He’s wearing the suit of glimmering blues with dragon designs picked out in silver that I saw him in earlier.

I see now how well it works on stage.

His floor-length, diaphanous coat flies around him.

Jin’s hair clips like wings behind each of his ears, along with his frost white hair that has been styled with delicate silver chains, which are matched by chains hanging from his waist and his wrists, truly make him look like an Ice Dragon.

My cheeks flush.

This singer who commands an entire arena — the hearts of millions around the globe who are currently watching him — is tasting me on every note.

So is the male omega who is standing next to me.

Both men were on their knees, kissing each other, as they kissed between my thighs.

All three of us are connected in the most intimate way, even as Jin seems untouchable on the stage.

When I glance at Tor, I’m surprised that he seems as entranced by Jin as I am.

He must be a fan as well.

I guess that if he’s written these songs for Jin, it must be an incredible feeling to finally watch them being sung live.

I gasp along with everyone else, as lights spark behind Jin, as if they’re his beautiful dragon wings. At the same time, dry ice curls beneath him like he’s swooping above dragon’s breath.

It’s amazing.

Jin is finally lowered onto the stage.

He swaggers to the front. I notice that he winces, passing the microphone from his right hand to his left.

Has Zoe hurt him, or is it his shoulder injury playing up?

Next to me, Tor frowns like he’s noticed the same thing as I have.

When the song ends, the crowd explodes with joy. The sensation of so many people together and united is incredible.

If this energy could be harnessed, it would be powerful.

It could change the world.

It’s exactly what our Omega resistance needs.

How can we replicate the powerful emotions that Jin is able to tap into?

I glance sideways at the tall Alpha next to me because it isn’t simply Jin who is causing these emotions.

It’s Tor.

If he wrote these powerful songs, does he feel caged? Is he the one who has been sneaking in the subversive lyrics?

How close is he to Jin?

Jin prowls to the front of the stage, as the wires are disconnected from his costume. “This song is dedicated to two Omegas who are the best in the world: my King and Queen. You know who you are. I’ll never forget you.”

Both Cricket and I draw in a sharp breath, at the same time that the crowd explode.

On the largest stage in Virginia, the most famous idol has just dedicated a song to us.

I’ve dreamed about a moment like this.

It’s the most romantic thing that a singer could do for a music journalist.

That a Beta could do for his two Omegas.

Only, this isn’t my dream because that was definitely a romantic goodbye.

I can just imagine what journalists are writing and gossiping about across social media.

I hate that Jin sounds like he doesn’t believe we really can save him.

I swallow.

I burrow closer to the Alpha’s muscled chest, reassured by the hard feel of him.

I can almost smell him.

There’s something itching under my skin.

I’m shaking. My hands are clammy.

I whine, taking a desperate breath of Tor’s scent gland.

It’s wrong that he doesn’t smell of anything.

I need to know his scent.

Tor gently raises his arm to encircle me, before he pets my head.

All of a sudden, fever flares through me.

I’m burning up.

Something’s wrong.

Another wave of heat hits me, stronger than before.

Wait, this can’t be… it fucking can’t be my heat.

My heats are regular. I don’t have another one for two weeks.

I’d never have taken on this mission, if I had a chance of tipping into a heat in the middle of it.

Jin steps even closer to the edge of the stage.

This close, he’s no longer blinded by the lights. He can just see the three of us in the VIP section at the front.

When Jin catches sight of Tor with his arm around Cricket and me, he stumbles.

Hurriedly, Jin pulls on his cold mask again.

It’s strange because it’s like Jin is mimicking Tor’s look, or one of the men has echoed the other.

Do they truly know each other well enough that Jin has taken Tor’s energy as his signature look?

Somewhere at the back of my mind, the alarm is sounding again.

Since Tor writes Jin’s songs, it’s possible that they work together closely. But then, if they do, why is it shocking to Jin that the Alpha is here?

Plus, Tor told me that he lives in Ireland and has just flown from Dublin.

I try to steady my breathing but I can’t.

Please, fuck please, not now.

Not here in the middle of thousands of Alphas.

If I go into heat, then the entire mission is blown.

How can we rescue Jin?

Then my pussy gushes with wetness.

It’s too late.

My heat has come early for the first time in my life.

Please, no…

“Crick,” I call. “Help.”

Cricket turns to me in alarm. Tor tightens his arm around me.

My knees buckle.

My gaze has become blurred.

When I collapse forward, Tor cusses and hauls me into his arms.

Dazed and panting, I watch in shock, as Jin breaks off from his song to leap off the stage.

He lands elegantly like the perfect dancer, running toward me.

The crowd is in uproar.

My eyes flutter closed, but I sense that I’m shielded from the view of the audience by all three of my men.

I must get out of this arena.

I need to be somewhere safe.

I need a nest.

I need an Alpha…

Then finally, everything goes black.