Page 58 of Bliss & Her Idols (Pack Bonds Omegaverse #10)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Torin’s Bedroom, Idol Estate

I pace Torin’s bedroom, as anxiety swirls through me.

How many Idols have been thrown out of the pack as easily as Philomena is planning to get rid of the beautiful Immortal?

Torin needed to force Jin outside by the scruff of the neck and away from the glass mirror that looked through into the dance studio.

Jin’s expression had been murderous, as if he’d been about to shatter the wall and use the shards to slash Philomena’s throat.

I didn’t blame him.

Philomena had been talking about a forced bond.

It’s everything that I stand against — what she intended to do to Jin, if Cricket and I hadn’t been able to match up with Torin and win Jin in the Pack Bonds contest.

“Calm down.” Torin shook Jin, before shoving him against the building’s wall. “You can’t ruin the entire plan now.”

“But Zero…” Jin sounded wrecked.

“We’ll break him out. If he’s in solitary with no food, then no one will notice that he’s gone missing.

” Torin twirled to me. “Return to the manor and make sure that Cricket is safe. It will be less suspicious if my Omegas are in my bedroom, in case anyone checks. If we’re all missing, then it’ll set off red flags. ”

“But what if you don’t come back?” I grasped onto his arm.

Torin’s smile was sharp. “I will. And when I do, we’ll finally be able to introduce you to our best friend. Then together, we’ll kick my siblings’ asses and free every Idol.”

Cricket is dusting the furniture with focused concentration like housework is his safe space.

He’s dressed in nothing but a pair of black briefs and an oversized white shirt, which hangs to his thighs because his borrowed pants were so loose that they slipped off him.

He looks adorable.

I wasn’t sure whether I would hurt his feelings or boost his ego by telling him that I’d love to always see him walking around in nothing but our Alpha’s deliciously scented large shirt.

Cricket has good legs.

I sigh, when my phone vibrates again.

It’ll be another panicking text from Piper. The threat to Immortal being force bonded has hit my younger brother harder than I thought it would.

I should have realized that Piper feels that Immortal is his Beta, as much as I’ve felt for years like Jin is mine.

Cricket shoots me a quick look. “Okay, Bee?”

“I will be when the others are back. Zero is their family, and seeing him being treated cruelly wrecked even me. It hurt Jin the most though because Immortal was being punished because of Jin’s choices. Our Ice Beauty feels responsible.”

Cricket pauses, wringing the cloth between his hands. “It’s screwed up that when you’re bad, they punish your friends. But maybe we’ve all taken on too many burdens and duties that we shouldn’t have done.”

He stares down at the cloth in his hands like he’s only just seeing it for the first time.

I step closer to Cricket, stroking down his arm. “You mean like with your chores and raising your brothers.”

He looks up at me. “I mean like your parents.”

I suck in a sharp breath.

The moment that Cricket voices it, however, a weight lifts from my shoulders.

I feel lighter. Also, inexplicably like laughing.

At the same time, like crying.

Instead, I cover Cricket’s hands with mine.

He smiles, determinedly. Then he throws the cloth to the floor and turns into my arms.

We clasp onto each other: two people who have been lost but now have been found.

We nuzzle each other’s necks, purring.

“Beautiful,” a flirty but raspy English voice says from the doorway.

“I should have known that my two besties would claim not one but two bloody gorgeous Omegas. I don’t know which of them has better thighs.

I don’t blame you for encouraging them not to wear pants.

You lucky bastards. Omega beauties, you don’t have any pretty brothers, huh? ”

Cricket and I jump apart.

Torin and Jin are supporting Immortal into the room. He’s limping but at least is able to walk.

The bruises on Immortal’s face look worse in this light and up close. His sharp cheekbone is almost black and the blood is thick at his temple. His joggers and top are stained with a suspicious rusty color.

Immortal’s silky hair is tangled, while the light catches on the jewel stars that are woven throughout it.

He’s taller than Jin.

Despite his beaten up state, Immortal is stunning.

In real life, he has the same breathtaking charisma as Jin, except with an added bad boy edge.

Isn’t Immortal meant to be the good Beta? The sensible type who fits the stereotype of the Beta who every Traditional pack aspires to bond?

It seems like the identity that has been forced onto this star is bullshit as well.

Immortal is far more like the swaggering playboy than Jin ever was.

Cricket grabs onto my blouse, shyly. He doesn’t hide behind me, however, which shows how far he’s come.

“Actually, yeah,” I reply. “I do have a pretty brother.”

Piper is going to be so fucking excited.

Immortal manages a wink, which looks funny when one of his eyes is still swollen shut. “When can I meet him?”

Torin rolls his eyes. “How about we think about your cock, when the rest of you isn’t one big bruise?”

Immortal looks offended. “There’s always time to think about my cock. Also, curry and beer. You swore that when you came back, you’d smuggle them in for me. So, where are they? I ordered a chicken tikka masala. I’ve been dreaming of it for five years. Don’t disappoint me, Charming.”

“You may not have noticed,” Torin helps Immortal to limp to the bed, before Jin and him gently lower Immortal onto the bare mattress (the bedding still hasn’t been replaced after it was destroyed last night), “but I’ve been rather busy.”

Immortal stretches out with a groan. Pain flits across his face.

Unlike Jin or Torin, Immortal doesn’t try to hide it.

Jin worriedly sits by his friend’s side, clutching his hand. He grabs a water bottle from the nightstand, nudging it to his mouth to get Immortal to drink.

Immortal takes some greedy gulps, before choking.

His throat must be injured.

Jin careful wipes Immortal’s chin, before using the excess water to wash the dried blood off his temples, as well as out of his matted hair.

I’m fascinated that Immortal casually lies still, allowing Jin to tend to him, as if it’s a familiar routine between the two of them.

“I’ll just imagine that the water is beer.

Lucky that I’ve got a bloody brilliant imagination.

” Immortal studies Cricket and me. “And yeah, I see the bond bites. You’ve been busy all right.

Congratulations.” He appears to truly mean it.

“I’m Zero, in case these pricks haven’t talked to you about their awesome best friend. ”

He says it like it’s a joke, but I can hear the vulnerability underneath.

Still, prick sounds like a term of endearment, when he says it in his London accent.

Maybe it is in England?

Cricket peers at Immortal, clearly having no idea how to talk to this bratty extrovert.

So, I answer for both of us. “Actually, they haven’t shut up about you. It’s been Zero this, Zero that. We’ve been plotting how to rescue you for ages. I’m Bliss. This is Cricket. I hope that we can also be besties.”

As I speak, Immortal’s smile widens to become a grin.

He glows, relaxing back onto the bed.

“How about we call ourselves family? Now you’re bonded to these two muppets.” He smirks at Torin, who glares coldly back.

Yet I don’t miss the way that Torin’s lips quirk.

Torin’s glare also has no effect at all on Immortal, who truly does appear to use insults affectionately.

Immortal turns to Jin, flinching as Jin rubs away another trickle of blood on his temple. “Leave it. If it scars, then it’ll just make me look rugged. I could pull off the bad boy look.”

“Don’t.” Jin’s voice wavers. “What they’ve been doing to you… What they’re planning to do to you…”

“Not going to happen.” Immortal twists with a wince on the bed, wrapping his arms around Jin. “Can you see me being the obedient Beta to some elite Alpha without busting his fucking balls? But you both came back for me. Now, we’re going to put into place our plan, yeah? This all ends now.”

Seeing them like this, I can imagine them together in their dorms. They’ve been best friends since they were kids. Then they saved Torin and pulled him into their found family.

It shocks me how dominant Immortal is within this dynamic.

Perhaps, I should have known that he was the missing piece.

Their caged friendship was.

“I’m sorry.” Tears chase down Jin’s face, as he hugs Immortal tighter. His voice breaks as he tries to talk, desperate to get out the words. “I was p-p-pushed to s-s-stardom…but I was kept in line by threats to you. Every time that I f-f-fucked up, you were punished.”

Immortal wipes Jin’s tears away. “Bloody hell, don’t cry. You’re going to make your eyes as swollen as mine are. We swore that we’d never blame each other for the punishments. I’ve never blamed you, idiot. I knew that you must have a good reason for that stunt at the arena.”

“But you didn’t get to perform.”

Pain flashes across Immortal’s expressive face, but he makes himself shrug casually. “Neither did you. I hear that you dramatically jumped off the stage. And you say that I’m the one who always thinks with their cock.”

I blush.

When Torin growls, Immortal doesn’t look repentant.

Immortal smirks. “You too, Prince Charming. That’s some Disney level shit.”

When Torin dives toward Immortal, I stiffen in panic.

Has Immortal pushed the Alpha too far?

“Don’t,” I shout.

Yet Immortal only laughs.

My eyes widen, when instead of attacking Immortal, Torin hugs the Beta.

“I missed you, Zero,” Torin whispers.

My lips curl into a smile. “Time for a snuggle pile.”

Cricket and I exchange a mischievous look, before we prowl to the bed. Then we dive onto the three men, nuzzling and purring.

Immortal looks shocked. “I could get used to this.”

“Not too used to it,” Torin warns, possessively slipping his arm around my waist and then Cricket’s.

“When we escape here, and we are breaking out,” Jin offers, “you can be a part of our pack, right Charming? You won’t be alone. You’re family.”

Immortal wriggles between us, flustered. “You don’t want me being the cock block in your sexy little pack. I’d get in the way.”

“Don’t ever talk about yourself that way again,” Torin replies, icily. “If every Idol in the camp wants to still belong to my Idol pack, then they will. Ever since I was kindergarten age, I saw the Idols as my true family. Don’t you see me that same way?”

Immortal’s expression becomes serious. “Of course I do, grumpy. You’re the only Alpha who has treated me with respect like I’m actually a person.

You belong to the Idols, as much as we all belong to you.

” His gaze slides to Cricket and me. “As long as your Omegas don’t mind you having a lot of Beta friends.

Some Omegas are the possessive type. I don’t want to be nuzzled to death. ”

I chuckle. “What a way to go.”

“I grew up without any Beta friends.” Cricket peers at Immortal from underneath his eyelashes. “I’d never stop my mates having friends. Would you maybe be mine too?”

Immortal’s face lights up. “Aren’t you bloody adorable? Of course I’ll be your friend. We already are. You too, beautiful Bliss.”

He glances at me with that hint of vulnerability that he appears keen to hide beneath his flirting.

“Friends, family, and pack,” I say, firmly.

Immortal’s gaze becomes steely. “Now that’s settled, let’s work out how we’re breaking your biological family because these Alphas aren’t messing around.

I’ve kept our pack together for all the years that you were gone, Charming.

I protected Jin and the Idols whenever I could.

I had someone undercover to secretly help me.

Your face will be a fucking picture when I tell you who took over your role to play the dashing savior. ”

I perk up in interest.

Who is this person who has been secretly helping Jin, while Torin was in Dublin?

One of the other Alpha siblings? Una or her pack?

Stapleton? Another security member?

Surely it wouldn’t be Zoe or a supervisor?

“Who is it?” Torin growls.

“Patience.” Immortal grins. “We only have until tomorrow night, when that music executive will be turning up to claim me. She’s a bitch who has been creeping on me since I put out my first single.

But the Idols would bloody die for both you and me, Charming, and they’ve been drilled like cadets their entire lives.

An army of pissed off dancers and singers is more dangerous than the Alphas on this estate know.

They’ll do whatever is needed. They’re loyal. ”

This is going to work.

All of a sudden, I hear a noise at the door.

Shit, is someone listening?

Startled, I look to Torin.

“Charming,” Immortal warns at the same time as Jin does.

Torin’s expression transforms in the moment, freezing over into an icy fury.

Dominant pheromones roll off him, powerfully enough to make Cricket wind his arms around me.

We’re both shaking.

Yet neither of us are scared of Torin.

Torin’s Alpha strength is used to protect his family and not abuse his power over us.

But anyone who hurts us had better watch out.

Torin snarls, marching to the door.

He waits just for a moment with his hand on the doorknob. He breathes deeply, taking a deep sniff to test who is on the other side.

Then his expression becomes even deadlier.

My heart rate picks up.

I scoot to the headboard beside Jin, dragging Cricket with me.

Has the eavesdropper heard everything that we’ve said? Our plan?

Are we fucked? Caught?

Who is on the other side of the door?