Page 41 of Bliss & Her Idols (Pack Bonds Omegaverse #10)

Torin bites his lip hard like he’s trying to stop himself from showing any emotion.

“My distant cousins didn’t want to take me in.

They weren’t overjoyed to be sent a bad Alpha from America.

My sister wrote them a letter. My Irish cousins have a tradition, where an Alpha outcast starts their journey toward redemption in a pack through shame .

I was made to stand on a wooden stool in front of the entire pack, while the Head Alpha read out the letter that Mena had written. ”

I’m vibrating with fury.

Philomena is cruel to have done that to her younger brother simply because he was in love with a Beta Idol.

He shouldn’t have been made to feel shame for that.

No one should be shamed for their love.

How could anyone do that to their sibling?

Thinking of my younger brother, Piper, I’d burn the world down to keep him safe and happy.

I feel sick at the thought of punishing him by sending him to another country, where he’d be treated like Torin was.

“I had to stand there,” Torin’s voice drops to a whisper, “while the Head Alpha read Mena’s words to everyone.

She called me a selfish, worthless whore .

That I was a bad, rebellious Alpha who broke the pack’s rules and didn’t deserve the family name .

Then she begged my cousins to strictly make sure that I understood the importance of becoming a better Alpha because I only had five years to work on myself or I would be sent to the Alpha Center permanently . ”

I stand up in shock. “Tor, you idiot.”

Torin blinks. “I’ll be honest, I expected you to be more comforting than that.”

I twirl to him, while tears chase down my cheeks.

“Send you to the Alpha Center permanently ? All those terrible things that Philomena said about you are bullshit. You’re an amazing Alpha.

You shouldn’t have been sent away. Any pack who could ignore one of their members like that for years isn’t a true pack.

I want to show you that you can be loved just for who you are.

How very fucking seen you are. But what we’re doing now is going to make your sister kick your ass. ”

“Likely.”

Torin’s eyes are as deep and cold as his glacier heart.

I’d thought that I could melt it, but has the mistreatment of his family made that impossible?

I take a step back.

Suddenly, I shiver, feeling frozen inside.

“You always knew that this would end in you being locked up for the rest of your life in the Alpha Center,” I accuse.

Inside, I’m dying.

Cricket scrambles off Torin’s knee.

“That’s not true, right?” Cricket looks at Torin in despair. “Please, tell me…”

Torin can’t hold Cricket’s gaze, ducking his head.

“The most important thing is to save Jin. Maybe it was only a threat, and Mena won’t really do it.

I barely know her. Growing up, she was more like an intimidating stranger.

She’s almost twenty years older than me.

She was always away on business or holed up in her study.

I only saw her, when I’d been sent to be disciplined, and even then, it was more common for the twins to punish me.

I bet that she couldn’t tell you a single real thing about me.

Huh, I wonder if she even knows what color my eyes are. ”

“You’re gambling with your life,” I breathe. “You’re just as reckless as Jin is.”

Torin cocks his head, giving a sharp grin. “Why do you think we were drawn to each other? I’m just better at pulling off my rolls of the dice.”

“And if you don’t?” Cricket balls his fists.

“I’ve made my peace with being locked up, if it means saving the Idols.

If we get through this, I’ll explain how I’ve been planning to rescue the Idols since I was a kid.

I’m happy that I’ve been able to have this time with you.

I’ve finally got to experience what a pack should feel like.

This Pack Bonds show, however, is as public a way as I could think of to claim all of you.

If I am sent to the Alpha Center, then at least you’ll have public backing to free me.

Mena won’t be able to quietly get rid of me. ”

I rush forward, grabbing Torin’s hand.

The thought of him locked behind the barbed wire of the concrete Alpha Center because of this mission makes my knees almost buckle.

I tighten my hold on his hand like that way he will never be taken from me. “It’d be the biggest campaign you’ve ever seen. Your sister wouldn’t know what hit her.”

“I’d get every Jin fan around the world on side. You’d have a pack fighting for you, along with everyone who is watching this program and who has ever listened to your songs. It would be an army .” Cricket’s expression is grim. “You have no idea the power of fans or a hacker like me.”

“Hacker?” Torin questions, although some of the tension has bled from him.

Cricket and I will fight for this man.

Plus, he doesn’t know just how many resources we actually have on our side.

Torin isn’t alone any more. We’re going to show him that.

Cricket exchanges a glance with me.

I nod.

Torin has shared a vulnerable, painful side to himself.

He’s been prepared to give up everything for Jin to be rescued and have a chance to live with Cricket and me.

Isn’t it the purest love to suffer without an expectation to end up with your pack? Torin is a possessive Alpha. It must have been agony, knowing that his endgame was to still end up alone.

How can I not trust him with my secrets now?

“Have you heard of the infamous Knot Crusher?” Cricket’s eyes twinkle with pride.

Torin huffs. “Of course. Who hasn’t? That genius kicks the asses of pretty much every corrupt knothead who I hate. Plus, he’s funny. When that hacker changed Immortal’s album cover, it was…” Torin trails off, narrowing his eyes at Cricket. “Oh, tell me that it’s not you?”

Cricket puffs out his chest, leaning forward to cage Torin on the chair with a swaggering confidence that’s fucking hot. “It’s me.”

It’s easy to forget what a different person Cricket is as soon as he’s talking about the online world, rather than the real one.

Torin stares up at Cricket, crossing his legs hurriedly. “You’re not intending to crush my knot, are you? CBT may be one of my kinks, but I prefer my balls being squeezed to my knot being crushed.”

“I only go after bad Alphas.” Cricket brushes his lips over Torin’s. The Alpha’s eyelashes flutter. “And you’re good .”

Torin moans like he can’t stop himself.

I file that reaction away.

Our Alpha needs to be called good Alpha. I’m going to make sure that I praise him as much as I do the rest of my pack.

The tips of Torin’s ears turn red. He blinks, as if coming back to himself.

“But you’re at risk of being arrested…?” Torin’s lips become pinched with concern.

“It doesn’t feel nice to learn that type of secret does it?” Cricket says.

“Touche.”

“While we’re talking about being at risk of being arrested…” I cross my arms, wishing that I’d pulled on my clothes before this conversation. Fuck it. I could make this my thing: the naked rebel. “…I’m actually also at risk of being executed.”

Torin’s scent becomes burned in his shock. “Hey, are we playing badass criminal one-upmanship? Because I don’t like this game.”

“I’m a member of the Omega resistance,” I get out quickly.

“I’m part of a unit that investigates forced bonds.

In fact…” Here goes . “I’ve been investigating the Idols and your family for years.

Cricket here has been my source. We turned up at the arena to start putting a mission in place to rescue Jin. ”

“Both of you…?” Torin’s gaze swivels between us in shock. “You’re fucking with me.”

I chuckle. “Now you know our secrets too. Scared?”

“Turned on.”

Cricket gives a sweet smile, reaching to finish doing up Torin’s bow tie for him. “Small is dangerous. Omegas are powerful. And now, let’s go win our Beta in the Pack Bonds final.”