Page 9 of Bliss & Her Idols (Pack Bonds Omegaverse #10)

CHAPTER FOUR

Burrow Forest, Haven

“ W hen I said have fun with your man, I didn’t know that he was actually the infamous Knot Crusher.” Harbinger tightens his arm around me, holding me in front of him on his battered, all-black Harley.

“Surprise,” I call weakly over my shoulder.

Chase expertly speeds the motorcycle through the narrow path that leads into the shadowy forest. He skids to the side to avoid a tree stump, ducking to avoid a branch.

My pulse roars in my ears.

I lean low over the front of the Harley, safe in my brother’s arms, as he expertly handles the Harley through the dark summer night.

Normally, I love the freedom of riding with my brother.

As a teenager, I’d beg Chase to take me out with him.

When Piper would refuse to do his homework or go to bed, Chase never punished him. He only needed to casually mention that Omegas who did what they were told would be taken out for a ride on his motorcycle.

Piper instantly became the best behaved Omega in the world.

It’s like flying.

I’m dressed in matching tight, well-worn black leathers to my brother. Our helmets are decorated with the same wolf design that is inked onto our skin.

“I also didn’t know that your lovebug was a member of the outlaw Burrow pack,” Harbinger drawls.

“They own this part of the forest. Did I say own ? I mean that no one comes here, unless they want their knot crushed for real. I’ll have to show Lion how grateful I am to him for his loyalty to you that he didn’t run to me with this address earlier. ”

“Leave Lion alone.” My brow furrows. “He’s used to keeping secrets. It’s how he was raised. He probably thought that he was protecting me. What do you mean outlaws?”

“Robbers.” Chase gives a bitter laugh. “Shit ones because Hudson and Possie are always getting arrested and then being sent for spells in the Alpha Center. It must have been tough on the kids. They’re broke because of it.

I fought the Dad, Hudson, when I was younger in a couple of fights. He must have needed the cash.”

“Did you win?”

“Hudson is a psychopathic asshole. But since I’m awesome — and also a psycho — of course I won. You can praise your brother now.”

“I’ll write a song in your praise, when we rescue Crick.”

“The Burrows are Alphas. I didn’t know that there even was an Omega in their pack. Are you certain that this is your bug’s family?”

I’m too anxious to correct Harbinger on Cricket’s name.

I simply nod.

I wish that I wasn’t right.

Because everything fits now: The violence of Cricket’s pack, being surrounded by Alphas, and needing to care for his younger Alpha brothers when his parents must have been locked in the Alpha Center.

The powerful engine of the Harley rumbles in the silence of the night. The vibrations are intense.

I can smell the mingled scents of the earthy forest, as well as my brother’s furious pheromones, which add a bitter note to his vanilla bourbon scent.

I told Chase enough of what happened to have him immediately rushing to drive out to save Cricket with me.

As long as Cricket chooses to leave with me, he can either decide to remain with Piper and me in our flat above Coffee Knot Tea or be fostered into an elite pack where he’ll be safe.

It’s a scheme that the Knight pack set up for abused Omegas.

My brothers and I will never stand by when an Omega is being hurt.

What the fuck are you doing, whore? Are you touching yourself? And who are you talking to? Who gave you permission to go on the computer? You bad, disobedient little slut…

I shake at the memory in distress.

Harbinger tightens his arm around me, smelling my own soured pheromones. “Almost there.”

Cricket called me his only friend. He’s been isolated in these woods. Rejected by his pack because of a jealous Omega. Surrounded by outlaw parents.

I promised that he was mine .

Isn’t that a claiming?

My chest tightens.

I’m an idiot.

To someone who has been played and thrown away like trash before, words like that must have made Cricket believe I was promising a pack .

I don’t have one, at least, not pack bonds.

Yet I’ll never go back on my promise. I’ve wanted Cricket in my heart for longer than I have been prepared to admit.

We can be an Omega pack, despite that being taboo.

I didn’t know that we would meet this soon. But this is my fault, and I need to make it right. I encouraged Cricket to break his pack rules.

Why the hell do I forget that not everybody is lucky enough to live in as liberal a pack as my own?

I shiver at the memory of touching myself, while Cricket touched himself. The way that we both broke apart at the same time with waves of pleasure.

As I kissed him with words alone.

Yet did I break him in reality because of that?

What is happening to him now?

What if he’s being killed because of me?

Tears slip down my cheeks. My lip trembles. Yet I steel my expression.

I’m not leaving tonight without my Omega.

This will be the last time he’s hurt or yelled at again by his pack.

All of a sudden, I glimpse light through the thick trees.

“There,” I call.

My heart is in my throat.

Light blazes from a large but tumbledown wooden cabin.

Is this where Cricket has been living? Oaks crowd around the cabin, threatening to cave in the roof. The porch leans to the side like it’s close to falling down.

Shit.

The cabin is barely still standing.

“I see it.” Harbinger speeds up.

Then I stiffen in shock.

Raised voices drift from the front of the cabin.

Then the stink of cabbage like beer: furious Alpha pheromones .

There’s wild movement in front of the cabin.

Adrenaline rushes through me. My pulse roars in my ears.

“Be ready,” is all the warning that Harbinger gives me.

I brace myself.

My heart hammers in my chest.

Harbinger slides to a sharp stop, applying maximum pressure to the front lever.

My heart is in my mouth. I’m breathing hard; it’s all I can hear inside my helmet.

For a moment, I sit frozen.

“ Now ,” Harbinger commands.

Instantly, in a coordinated move, we’re both ripping off our helmets and tossing them to the ground.

Chase puts his feet down, parking the Harley and kicking on the stand.

Then we both jump off the motorcycle and sprint toward the front of the cabin.

In horror, I can now see that a tall Alpha in his forties with black hair and scruffy beard, which must be Hudson, is standing in front of a low barrel. He’s dunking a smaller man face first into the freezing water.

The smaller man is submerged all the way to his waist. He’s thrashing desperately.

Two male teenage Alphas are hanging back in the doorway, watching with large, frightened eyes.

But they’re not helping the other man.

I almost hurl.

It has to be Cricket who is being drowned. A nd his own Alpha brothers aren’t saving him.

A female Alpha, Possie, with brunette hair and freckles, who is the same age as her husband, is watching with her arms crossed like nothing unusual is going on.

“Filthy Omega,” Possie sneers. “This is what happens to dirty creatures like you. You need to be washed clean…”

I let out of a howl of fury.

Next to me, Chase throws himself in full fighter mode on Hudson, taking him by surprise because he’s been so focused on holding Cricket beneath the water.

Chase is strong enough to grab Hudson by the scruff of the neck and drag him away from Cricket.

At the same time, I cradle my arms around the wet and still panicking Omega, catching him as he falls backward, which knocks us both in a tangle to the hard ground.

I let out a gasp of pain, as the male Omega lands on top of me. I instantly twist and clasp him to my chest, patting his back to get the water out of him.

Cricket splutters and coughs, still hitting out with his arms and legs in panic.

I hush him. “You’re safe. I’m here now. It’s me, Bee.”

Trembling, Cricket stops moving, blinking the water out of his eyes. “It’s you.”

He appears dazed like I’m not real.

As if I’m a dream that his traumatized mind has disassociated to as his happy place.

Or possibly, as if he’s died, and I’m his heaven.

“You’re not dead,” I find myself whispering like the words need to be spoken out loud for both our sakes. “I got here in time.”

Cricket’s gaze sharpens and focuses on me. “It’s really you.”

Finally, able to relax for the first time because he’s alive, soaked through but held in my arms, our gazes meet.

And it’s like electricity shocking me.

Because despite his brunet curls being plastered to his head and being dressed in nothing but a stained white nightshirt that’s several sizes too large for him, Cricket is the prettiest Omega that I’ve ever seen.

Cricket is tiny but his body, which I can see because his nightshirt has been made transparent by the cold water, is hard and athletic.

His eyes are huge and amber.

They’re stunning.

I can’t look away.

Breathe.

He looks to be Piper’s age. His skin is tanned, and he has adorable freckles over the bridge of his nose.

I hate, however, that his cheek is swollen. Both his eyes are purple and bruised.

He blushes, burying his head next to my neck.

Then we both freeze.

My scent must hit him at the same time that his hits me.

It’s intoxicating.

Cricket smells like honeycomb cherry cake.

This is the scent that his first female Omega dared to criticize as disgusting… ?

I whine, as my eyes drop to Cricket’s bow lips. I’m desperate to kiss and taste him.

He’s my soulmate Omega.

I can tell by the way his eyes widen that he can tell the same thing.

He chirps adorably.

“Who the fuck are you?” Possie snarls. She reeks of beer. “We’ll tear you apart, Omega.”

“Unlikely, bitch.” My eyes flash. “Fucking try it.”

Cricket shakes his head at me in alarm.

I ignore him.

Possie doesn’t know that I’m here with Harbinger , the ring name for my brother, the Champion cage fighter.

Chase will be the one to tear these assholes apart.

Possie looks confused like she’s never been challenged by an Omega before.

She directs her glare at Cricket instead. “Stop that stupid chirping.”