Page 26 of Bliss & Her Idols (Pack Bonds Omegaverse #10)

CHAPTER TWELVE

Omega Hotel, Haven

I sigh, cool but exhausted.

My heat is finally over.

The bed’s sheets smell clean

Something scratches and claws under my skin.

What is it?

I frown, unsure.

I have that uncomfortable feeling at the back of my mind like I’ve forgotten something important.

This heat has taken longer than normal, an entire day and two nights for my raging fever to die down.

My heat was a mind-blowing blur of blissed out pleasure.

I can’t remember much of it.

I’m contented though in a way that I never feel after heats, as if I’ve gained something special.

Something I can’t grasp fully yet but am terrified of losing.

Normally, the Alpha has already left. I’ll be lying alone in a cold bed, feeling empty.

But not this morning.

I glance at Torin, who is pulling on a crisp white shirt.

He’s standing, freshly showered at the end of the bed. He’s already wearing a pair of new black jeans. He must have had the hotel deliver the clothes.

I glance down at myself and am relieved that I’m wearing my own clothes. Who knows what Torin would have ordered for me.

Torin slicks his damp hair back from his face.

How can this Alpha, who belongs to the pack that stands for everything my own is battling against, be my scent match?

Because he is .

He’s also the Alpha who saved my life during my heat.

The man who feels like he’s my pack, even if now he’s turning his icy blue gaze on me as if we’re strangers.

“Our journalist Omega has awoken.” Torin glances pointedly at Jin, who is sprawled next to me on the bed.

Is that a warning?

Beneath my fog of happiness from my heat, something is weighing in the back of my mind.

Did something happen during my heat?

Something that I can’t quite remember through the heat induced haze?

My brow furrows.

What have I forgotten?

Has it got to do with this mysterious Alpha, who is agitatedly doing up his shirt and avoiding my gaze?

“Oh, and our Idol heir is getting dressed,” I reply.

Torin stiffens. “If I am an heir, then I’m sixth in line to the music empire. I’m the youngest Alpha son. A nobody. Shouldn’t you know that, Omega journalist?”

“You have no idea what I know, Alpha boss.”

Torin’s lips curl. “ Boss , I like that. Feel free to keep calling me that.”

He moves like he needs the space away from me, otherwise he’d reach to nuzzle at my neck.

He looks as hungry for my scent, as I am for his.

Instead, he throws himself down on the couch, as if he’s scared what he’ll do if he sits closer to me on the bed.

I drag a blanket tighter around myself, wishing that I was still surrounded by the nest of Torin’s vanilla tea clothes.

My heart speeds up.

I’m still trapped in this hotel room with FBI’s most wanted hacker, the target of my undercover rescue mission, and the man who is part of the enemy pack imprisoning him.

What should I do?

How do I keep this pack together?

Torin belongs as part of it. Yet if he finds out who Cricket and I am, would he report us to the authorities and have us executed?

At the same time, I know what it’s like to be judged on the basis of your family. Jin appeared to believe that Torin would be in as much danger from his sibling as Jin would be himself.

Is this rescue mission actually going to be both for my Beta and my Alpha?

“Are you okay, my Queen?” I feel Jin’s fingers dance down my cheek. His voice is like melted caramel. I shiver. “Are you hungry? Can I handfeed you some breakfast?”

I turn my head to smile at Jin. Cricket is cuddled on his lap.

They truly do look like wolf pups.

My eyes widen in shock.

The Beta pup is dressed in casual joggers and black t-shirt, which is startlingly contrasted by his silky, white hair. He’s stripped of any makeup or hair clips.

I’ve never seen him so relaxed. He’s always dressed up in suits, satins, or silks.

Like this, he suddenly looks younger.

Despite deep shadows underneath his eyes, he’s also impossibly more beautiful with everything stripped away to reveal the genuine man beneath the glitz and stage glamor.

Is this what he looks like on the Idol Estate?

Is this the man who Torin grew up with? Fell in love with? Who the rest of the world are never lucky enough to even glimpse?

Cricket is wearing matching clothes, which at least fit.

I have a sense that Cricket could have ordered something else but wanted to wear the same as the man who he reveres.

“Hmm, I’m starving.” I wrinkle up my nose. “What’s that delicious scent?”

“Me.” Cricket blushes at his boldness but still puffs out his chest.

He glances from underneath his eyelashes at Torin.

Torin attempts to hide his smile, picking up a cup of tea from the coffee table at the side of the couch. “Careful, or I may need to eat you…again.”

Cricket’s blush deepens.

Jin laughs. “You’d have to get in line. I’ve tasted all of you in every possible way over the last few days. I want to do it again .”

“Leave me out of it.” Torin grimaces. “I have knot chafing as it is.”

I wince.

Ouch.

Jin gives a cheeky grin. “Of course, the smell could also be these pastries that Torin ordered for our breakfast.”

“What? Nothing to do with me,” Torin replies, coolly.

Lie.

Jin enthusiastically points at the tray on the nightstand, which is overflowing with pecan muffins, buttery croissants, pain au chocolats, and scones with pots of cream and jam.

I’m relieved to see that the knitted golden cricket is lying next to the tray and hasn’t been ruined in the carnage of the nest, abandoned in Jin’s costume pocket.

Next to the tray is a pot of tea.

I raise my eyebrow. “No coffee?”

Torin is unable to hide the way that his lips quirk, before he takes a deliberate sip of his tea. “As I said, nothing to do with me. I thought that you liked my scent…?”

I do.

I want to be surrounded by it for the rest of my life.

I can’t tell him that.

Instead, I clear my throat. “I’m not a scent vampire. I’m not sucking you dry of your scent, am I? Although, that would be a great idea for a romantasy novel. Look, you don’t want to see what I’m like in the mornings without my coffee.”

“I think I am now, aren’t I?”

Cricket splutters with laughter, before sending me an apologetic look. But his eyes still dance with amusement.

I can forgive the lack of coffee — just — to see that look in Cricket’s eyes.

“Here, this chocolate chip muffin is amazing.” Jin snatches up a muffin.

Then he does a breathtaking magic trick, which makes it appear in his other hand.

Cricket gasps, clapping. “I love your tricks. You’re amazing.”

The tips of Jin’s ears redden. He looks delighted, as if he isn’t a rock star who is used to being applauded.

“You really like my tricks…?” He sounds heartbreakingly unsure.

“You’re great at magic,” I reply. “I remember seeing it on your vlogs.”

Jin’s ears redden further. “Shit, you’re watching those…

? I kind of thought that nobody was. It’s strange being filmed all the time.

I’ve never seen them myself. I try to sneak in things that I love, in between Zoe’s cruel games.

Zero showed me how to play card games. I self-taught myself magic from that. ”

“Zero taught me to play guitar.” Torin looks down. “He’s an incredible friend.”

Sadness flashes across Jin’s face.

“He’s a badass.” Then Jin’s expression brightens, before he holds out the muffin to me. “I’d heard that chocolate tasted sweet but not that it was almost as good as a fucking orgasm.”

“It is,” Cricket agrees, chirping. “Before Bee, I had no idea that food could taste this good either. I mean, that people ate it not only because they were hungry. Can we both handfeed her?”

My heart shatters at not only the implication that Jin has never been allowed chocolate before, but also that for very different reasons, Cricket hasn’t either.

I want to make sure that from this day on neither men go without food.

They’ll never starve again.

Torin raps hard on the side of the couch. “Journalist, anamchara.”

That was a definite warning.

Jin’s smile fades. “ Pack , Charming.”

Torin pretends to busy himself by taking another sip of his tea.

Cricket grips Jin’s chin, kissing him gently.

When Cricket finally draws back and purrs, Jin looks like he would do anything to keep him purring forever.

“You’re safe with us,” Cricket says. “We’re helping you.

I’ll never forget that you stayed up for an entire day and two nights, caring for the rest of us.

You were unbelievable. He had the hotel deliver new bedding and stuff, Bee.

” Cricket turns to catch my gaze, clasping his hand around Jin’s to break the muffin in half.

“Charming and I gave you a bath and did your hair. Then we dressed you. We thought that it would feel nice to wake up clean. Does it?”

I smile. That’s thoughtful.

Every other heat, I’ve woken up covered in sticky, dried slick and cum, then needed to shower and scrub myself clean.

I feel treasured.

I especially appreciate that Cricket has done this for me, since he’s a Non-heat and doesn’t have experience to draw from himself.

Some Non-heat Omegas would have found it too hard to help another Omega through their heat. Cricket has put my needs first, however, and supported me.

Jin passes half of the muffin to Cricket.

I push myself to sit up against the headboard. “This is true luxury. Thanks. Bring it closer. If I’m denied coffee, this Omega needs her chocolate.”

“I really do love a woman who takes charge.” Jin winks, holding his portion of the muffin up to my lips at the same time as Cricket does his.

I take a deliberate bite of the muffin held in Jin’s hand and then Cricket’s.

They both look delighted, when I moan at the sweet, gooey taste.

“Delicious,” I mumble around the mouthful, giving a thumbs up.