Page 44 of Bliss & Her Idols (Pack Bonds Omegaverse #10)

Is Easter truly petty enough that she’d killed a Beta, rather than see him happy with someone else?

What am I missing?

I bend to kiss Jin’s forehead, desperately glad that Torin rushed us so fast off the island after their useless doctor couldn’t work out the problem with Jin.

If we’d waited any longer, then I wouldn’t be able to feather kisses across the forehead of the man who all of us in this room have fought so hard for.

Who has also fought so hard for us.

“Are you certain that the family doctor treated it properly?” I anxiously draw my lips again across Jin’s hot temples. “He’s still feverish.”

“He’ll be fine within twenty-four hours.

” Torin wipes his hand across his face, trying to keep himself awake.

After all, none of us have slept throughout the night.

But then, I’m the one who is desperate to snuggle under these sheets and sleep for fucking days.

But I’m too tight with worry for that. If Jin is fine, why is Torin’s gaze fixed with such concern on him?

“He’s neither hot nor sleeping because of the poison.

It hit him hard because of the other shit. ”

Confused, I stare down at Jin’s face. There are purple shadows underneath his eyes.

Even sleeping, he manages to look exhausted.

“He’s overworked,” I say because I know that it’s true.

“For his entire life,” Torin replies. “But especially since he started to prepare for his Betas of Rock concert. The doctor also told me that the poison overwhelmed him because he’s chronically dehydrated and malnourished.

In fact, that he had no idea how Jin hadn’t already collapsed simply from the overwork and sleep deprivation. ”

Rage sweeps through me.

Cricket edges closer to the bed, reaching his hand to rest it gently on Jin’s slim calf. “But we have him now. We can make him better.”

“He’s not leaving this bed,” Torin says, firmly. “I’ll tie him to it, if I need to.”

“I have a feeling that he’d like that,” I mutter.

Torin takes a careful breath like he’s hardly keeping himself together.

“The doctor also told me that Jin urgently needs shoulder surgery. By continuing to train and perform with the injury, he may have caused permanent damage. But the doctor sniffed and said that since he’d shown this weakness , it wasn’t worth throwing away money on an Idol whose star was dimmed at the end of his career. ”

“Is that why you punched the doctor in the face?” I say with savage satisfaction.

Torin matches my grin. “I only regret that I didn’t also knee him in the balls.”

“Me too.” Cricket pushes the curls out of his eyes. “My Dragon is strong that he’s performed through the pain all these years. You are going to help him, right?”

Hurt flashes across Torin’s face, before he buries it.

He marches across the bed, burying his hand in Cricket’s hair and hauling him to his feet.

He drags Cricket into his arms, staring into his eyes. “I hope that one day, you won’t need to ask that question. I would spend every dime that I have on all three of my little darlings.”

“How many dimes do you have?” I wave around at the dusty bedroom.

“Ouch, the wolf goes for the throat again.” Torin hesitates, as if he’s working out how to explain.

“In this house, I was stashed where I could be forgotten. I grew up with nothing…less than the Idols had. I wouldn’t have survived without those Betas’ help.

They’re my heroes. I had a trust fund from my parents, however, which I could only access when I turned twenty-one.

I’m certain that my brothers and sisters have forgotten about it.

I want to keep it that way for the moment.

It’s why I haven’t touched it. But let’s simply put it that I’m independently extremely wealthy . ”

I cock my head, studying him. “You’re scheming.”

“Always. Aren’t you?”

I rub Jin’s hand between mine. “You hate your family.”

“Do I?”

I can’t work out the tone in Torin’s voice. It’s cool but also, tinged with a deep melancholy.

“Bee is asking why you’d bring us back to the Idol Estate.

” Cricket shakes his hair free of Torin’s hold.

“I’d never return to my family, now that I know what it’s like to be part of a pack who don’t control and beat me.

Won’t we be under the power of your Head Alpha, Mena?

This estate is scarily isolated in the forests.

I know the danger of living with a family who has territory that’s cut off from everyone else.

They can act however they like in secret. I’m scared for us, Alpha.”

Shit, I should have realized that this would be triggering for Cricket.

One may be a poor Omega and the other a billionaire Alpha, but their childhoods are actually similar.

They understand each other because of it.

Yet it worries me because if Cricket is scared, then he knows that there is reason to be.

Torin puts out waves of pheromones to soothe Cricket, rubbing his shoulder. “Would you like to leave?”

Cricket startles, scrambling backwards. “I’m never leaving you. I want to bond with you.”

“A chroi?”

When Torin’s heavy gaze swings to me, I realize that he is serious.

I grit my teeth, dropping Jin’s hand. Then I sit up on my knees.

I point at Torin. “You’re lucky that I don’t want to leave Jin’s side, or your balls would be busted right now, and I have the Knot Crusher here to help me.

If you need us to be here, then we will always be.

If there’s danger, then we face it together.

That’s what being a pack means. Don’t try and treat us like elite Omegas who need to be coddled…

who you need to stand in front of. No matter what you face, Crick and I will be standing at your side. ”

Torin claps. “You’re writing all my speeches from now on, rebel Omega.”

Cricket growls, stepping forward and grabbing Torin lightly by the balls.

Torin’s eyes widen at the same time that I choke on my tongue.

Has our sweet Omega truly done that to the dominant Alpha?

Well, Torin did want to turn Cricket wicked.

Be careful what you wish for.

I wince.

Is Torin about to finally become stern or at least give us Omegas rules? Possibly, don’t grab your Alpha by the balls ?

Instead, Torin’s eyes twinkle with amusement.

“Are you proving to me that you live up to your nickname? Although you may be confused about where my knot is.” Torin’s voice becomes more strangled, as Cricket yanks him closer by the balls. “Hmm, actually this is one of my kinks. Harder .”

“Tell us what’s really going on.” Cricket leans up to run his thumb over Torin’s lower lip. “No lies, deflection, or banter.”

Wow, that’s going to be difficult for Torin.

Torin leans down and captures Cricket’s lips, lingeringly.

Torin draws away with a sigh. “Good move by the way. I’ll have to remember it. Jin would love being lead around like this, but it’d be rather hard in his typical leather trousers. These suit trousers are loose enough for…”

Cricket squeezes Torin’s balls lightly in warning. “Deflection.”

Torin smirks. “Can we use this in all our conversations? Or how about an orgasm system of rewards where…? Okay, okay, stop squeezing. I get it. No banter. Look, we’re here in the estate because Jin, Zero, and I made a pact with each other when we were fourteen that we’d never leave each other behind.

Right now, Zero is being punished somewhere because of Jin’s behavior.

It’s how the Idol system works. Jin and I always intended to find a way to rescue him. ”

My heart aches for my brother’s favorite Idol, Immortal.

“Is that what happened to Immortal? Why he didn’t perform?” I demand.

Torin nods. “He’s not as successful as Jin.

He would have been thrilled about the chance to perform in front of so many people.

He’s always lived for live performances.

Taking that away from him would have been punishment enough.

But not as much as whatever was done to him, as soon as he was sent back to the camp. ”

“But there’s more.” Cricket is scrutinizing Torin intently. “I told you my secret identity. Bee has shared that she’s a resistance member. You could have us arrested and locked up. Maybe executed. Don’t you trust us enough to share who you really are too?”

Cricket is trembling with hurt.

He finally releases Torin, beginning to turn away.

Torin snatches him by the shoulder, turning him back. “You’re right, mo stoirin. My little darlings are braver than I am. Yet I have played two identities since I was a kid: one with my siblings and one with the Idols. It’s hard to risk finally dropping my mask that’s kept me alive.”

“Try,” I say.

I watch Torin closely, unsure what he’ll admit.

I know how hard it is to let your walls down, when they’ve been built to help you survive.

Torin drags Cricket by the hand to sit on the edge of the bed with him. Then he grabs my hand as well.

“The pact was also to protect each other and all the Idols,” he explains.

“I’m breaking it by telling you this. We weren’t to tell outsiders.

You’re my promised bondeds, however, plus Jin’s as well.

You’re inside my soul already. You have to understand that I wouldn’t only risk being permanently locked up for the Idols; I’d die for them.

Our pact was to bring down the entire Idol system, no matter how long it took. ”

I lean forward, giving a dark grin. “Then it’s lucky that you’ve hooked up with an Omega resistance member and hacker who are committed to exactly the same thing.”

I enjoy watching the way that Torin’s mouth falls open.

See, I can surprise him too.

Cricket chuckles. “Admit it, Charming, you’re turned on that you have Omegas who you can be bad with.”

“Oh, you’re not bad, although I have definitely corrupted you beyond my wildest desires.” Torin’s pupils are dilated. “You are the perfect level of wicked masterminds for me. Look how you’ve worked your way onto the estate. So, it wasn’t only your mission to rescue Jin then.”

“I’m ambitious.” I smirk.