Page 20

MARLOWE

The chaos in the room stilled as Roland turned his head towards Elias, a snarl curling his thin lips. “What did you say?”

Elias glared right back, refusing to cower as he repeated himself. “I invoke the Rite of Dominion.”

He opened his phone and read the law aloud, “Should more than one pack wish to claim rights to an Omega’s bond, they may nominate a single alpha to represent them in trial by combat. The victor shall claim the omega’s bond on behalf of their pack, thereby securing her welfare by lawful and honorable means.”

These fucking shifters and their stupid goddamn laws. Of course omegas could be fought over like a championship belt. My hands balled into fists and I wanted to rage at the injustice of it all, even if Elias was trying to save me and keep the town from tearing itself apart.

I knew this was a million different shades of fucked, but I also didn’t understand how this was even possible in the first place—I was bonded. Over and over, my pack had assured me that pack bonds were for life. If that was the case, then how could I be handed over from one pack to the next like some kind of community chew toy?

Theodore hooted a laugh. “You really want to do this, boy? Your omega could serve the Conclave, the highest honor for a female of our kind. You invoke this and she could belong to anybody.”

Serve? My guts roiled at the thought. Sure, my alphas had needed to learn to curb some of their overly aggressive behaviors at first, but they had never, ever, made me feel like it was my job to “serve”

them in any way. In fact, it had often been the other way around, what with their desire to provide for and protect me.

But being stuck with a group of alpha males who took gender roles seriously? Who actually expected me to be some demure little sex doll, batting my eyelashes and catering to their every whim?

My mouth was going to get me killed.

The slimy city manager poked his head out from behind the TV screen, where he’d apparently hidden himself during the earlier commotion. “I volunteer for the Rite!”

he called. “It’s open to any pack, and I represent myself!”

This was getting ridiculous. It wasn’t like that twerp even had a chance in a fight against your average alpha, especially anyone from my pack. Who did he think he was kidding?

Eamon, the retired linebacker, looked at Roland, who nodded a wordless order between them. Then he walked up to the city manager and snapped his neck like it was a breadstick.

Bile crept up my throat as the room exploded into madness again. Now I was becoming terrified.

Shifters saw casual murder as a way of life, as a show of dominance and as a way to keep others in line. Not that humans had any sort of moral high ground when it came killing, but it was still a very different attitude than I was used to.

Would being a rare omega protect me from the Conclave? Or would my obstinance be seen as defective, as a reason to cull me from the greater pack?

Roland raised his hands and spoke again. It wasn’t quite a bark, but still had the same suppressing quality, and I fought the urge to shrink at the power he emanated. The other shifters in the room paused, anguish and rage trapped in their captive expressions.

“So be it,”

he boomed. “Pack Wolcott has invoked the Rite of Dominion. In three days time, any pack that wishes to compete for replacement bonding rights with the omega will nominate a member to represent them in the sacred competition ring at the temple. Until then…”

My skin crawled as his attention fell back on me. “She will stay with us for safekeeping.”

I could hardly breathe—replacement bonding? What did that even mean? And where was my choice in any of this? Would it even be possible to get human cops or lawyers involved? Surely shifter law didn’t supersede the rights I had as a citizen of this country?

Cam and Julian prepared themselves to fight again, but I reached out and grabbed them both. This was getting out of hand, and I wouldn’t be able to stand it if they got themselves hurt or worse. “Stop, it’s okay.”

“No,”

Cam replied, his eyes filled with pain. His fists were balled at his side, ready to strike whoever approached us. “How can you say that?”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and stood on my tiptoes, whispering in his ear. “It doesn’t look like there’s any getting out of this for now, right?”

He grumbled his reply, a reluctant affirmative, and I closed my eyes, trying to hold back the tears and present a brave front. “In that case, I’m guessing Julian will be fighting for me. He needs you all to be there for him right now, and to help him train. I believe in you, you can win this.”

He grabbed me tightly and buried his face in my neck. “I can’t let you go again, I can’t let you leave with them.”

I breathed him in, my heart feeling like it was ripping into a million pieces. It wasn’t even thirty minutes ago we’d been dancing, teasing each other with light touches and smoldering looks for the night to come. And now we’d be separated. Again. And this time, I wasn’t going to be safe and sound with another alpha from my pack. Instead, I’d be held captive by the Conclave, a bunch of middle-aged creeps who saw me as property and status.

“It’s like with the scenting—we just have to play by their rules for now.”

“Fuck,”

he sighed. His body shook and his hold on me tightened. “I’m sorry I told you to let them do that. I should have protected you better. I should have stuck up for you.”

Perhaps, but I had to stop thinking of myself as a human and start accepting that I was an omega shifter. And if these assholes wanted to think I was just a weak little female, then that was exactly what I was going to be.

Until they were at each other’s throats and positively sick of me.

“We survived my psycho vampyr ex, this will be nothing,”

I laughed, trying to keep him calm.

I finally let him go, and then went around to hug each of my alphas.

Nolan was last, mired in a deep pit of despair and self-loathing

I didn’t even need a bond to feel. “I can’t believe I fucked up this badly, Marlowe.”

“Shh,”

I said, brushing the hair out of his forehead as I looked him in the eyes. “I don’t blame you for this. The thing with the handkerchief was messed up, but I get why you felt you had to resort to that. And the Conclave? How would you have known they were going to come here and pull this?”

He released a shuddering breath, his nose nestled into the crook of my neck. “I don’t deserve you. I don’t think I’ve ever deserved you.”

“Hush. We need to be united more than ever now. I love you, got it?”

He nodded wordlessly.

“And don’t let the others give you too hard a time, or give yourself too hard a time, either. Your punishment is mine to dole out alone, understood?”

He let out a small, sad chuckle, squeezing me as hard as he could. “I can’t wait.”

Roland began to tap his foot in annoyance. “We haven’t got all night, let’s wrap this up.”

Cam growled, leading me towards the general like I was a convict in some kind of sick prisoner exchange.

“Safekeeping means you don’t fucking touch her,”

he warned, giving me one last claiming kiss on the temple.

Roland grabbed my arm and pulled me into his chest forcefully. “Unless of course she wants us to,”

he replied, his fingers digging into my skin. “I mean, we couldn’t exactly blame her for being attracted to the strongest alphas of our kind.”

I kept my biting remarks to myself, sending love and reassurance to my pack through the bond.

Cam inhaled, closing his eyes briefly as he received all my affection. Then he looked at Roland again, his confidence and defiance renewed. “Doubtful. We’ll see you in three days.”

“You’re riding with me,”

Roland commanded when we left the building. Each alpha had his own town car and driver waiting for him, ready to take us all to wherever they were staying.

Torin scratched his cheek, looking at the general like he was trying to decide if it was worth it to argue with him. “Fine,”

he said. “But we’re going to have to work out some kind of system here. You can’t just hog her the whole time.”

I was going to give myself an aneurysm holding back all the things I wanted to say, but considering Roland had already made it clear he thought I was too mouthy, I needed to keep quiet for the time being.

If he wanted an empty-headed, simpering female, then I would play the part.

He gestured for me to sit down first and then followed in, scooting towards the middle. His scent was overpowering in the small space, but not in the sexy, mouth-watering way any of my guys were. This alpha reminded me of gasoline and gunpowder, and I breathed through my mouth to keep from getting sick.

When the car door closed and the driver took off, he pounced. I yelped as I was dragged onto his lap, his hands roaming and his nose running up and down my neck.

I really hoped they were staying somewhere in town, because I wasn’t sure how much of this I could handle. If the Conclave was together, all five alphas fighting for my attention and company, I could play them off each other in the hopes that they’d be too busy arguing to actually do anything.

But alone? I was much more vulnerable, and there was no one to stop them.

“Exquisite,”

he sighed. “Absolutely perfect.”

I didn’t react, keeping my body tense as he nibbled on my ear. “Tell me omega,”

he said, his voice deep. “How does it feel to be with the strongest alpha in the world?”

Like dog shit.

When I didn’t reply, he got annoyed. “I asked you a question, omega.”

My continued silence became uncomfortable for him, and he attempted to switch it up. “I see, you’re just intimidated by my power. You don’t have to worry, I’ll take good care of you. Tell me about yourself.”

His hands ran through my hair, but when I still didn’t respond he growled and grabbed me roughly. “Speak!”

he barked.

It was strange—the urge to obey flitted through me for a moment, but didn’t stick around long enough for me to carry out his orders. I wondered what made me immune? From what I’d gathered, I should have actually been even more susceptible. This was definitely going to be a godsend in the days to come.

So instead of saying anything I flinched, and then burst into tears.

“Wait, what are you doing?”

The panic in his voice was almost laughable, his discomfort in my display of emotion overwhelming him.

Such a “strong alpha,”

indeed. “Stop crying!”

he barked again.

I sobbed harder, rubbing my eyes to smear my makeup so I’d appear even more pathetic.

Roland dropped his hands but didn’t move me off his lap. He was too confused to say anything, clearly trying to work through what had gone wrong in his approach.

Gee, I don’t know, maybe it was when you all told me I didn’t have basic rights?

The cars all pulled up outside a small bed & breakfast in town, and I thanked my lucky stars I didn’t have to be alone with him any longer. Eamon and Brennan were already outside, waiting to open the door, and their smiles turned to shock when they found me crying on Roland’s lap.

“Thorne, what did you do to her?”

Brennan asked. He reached in and grabbed me, wrapping a coat around my shoulders and briefly inspecting my body for any damage.

“I didn’t do anything,”

he growled. “She wouldn’t speak to me, and when I barked…”

“You barked at her?”

Torin asked, walking up. “Don’t you know anything about omegas?”

“Of course I do!”

Roland snapped. “You gotta be firm, you gotta…”

Eamon pulled me into his chest and started purring. It was a low, guttural sound, like a sputtering lawn mower. Nothing like the smooth, soothing hum of my alphas. But I needed to pretend that I liked it, especially in comparison to Roland’s treatment, so I stopped crying and leaned against the linebacker’s enormous chest.

Torin laughed and gestured towards us. “See? Look at that, even Frost knows better than you do.”

“Bullshit,”

Roland replied. “You’re just going to spoil her.”

“So what?”

Eamon snapped, squeezing me more tightly. “That’s what omegas are for. You spoil ‘em like crazy and it turns them on. You want her in your battalion or your bed?”

I sniffed, looking up at the monster holding me and batting my eyelashes. “I’m so cold, Eamon. Can you take me inside?”

I’d learned a bit more about alphas and pack dynamics since I’d last been taken against my will, and the only way I was going to survive the next three days was by playing these thick-headed idiots off each other.

“Of course, doll,”

Eamon soothed. My alphas easily towered over me, but this one was practically gargantuan. I wouldn’t be surprised if his biceps were thicker than my waist. And with how easily he’d killed that beta, he could do far worse to me with the right motivation. I had to make sure he saw me as someone needing protection by him, and not end up in a position where I needed protection from him.

He ushered me up the stairs to the entrance of the B&B, and the owner opened the door. “It’s an absolute honor to host you on your visit to Maiingan Hollow,”

the beta female beamed. She likely didn’t know all that had happened tonight, so I tried not to take her enthusiasm personally. Her smile faltered as she looked at the group of us. “Oh, are there six of you now? I can prepare another room, it will only take a moment…”

“Unnecessary,”

Roland replied. “The omega will sleep with one of us.”

Oh, great. Which one of these assholes was going to be pawing at me all night long?

He shoved past the owner into the sitting area, setting down his bag. “We do not wish to see you outside of serving our meals during our time here. You will confine yourself to your quarters until we leave. We will have breakfast at 7:00AM sharp every morning. That is all.”

She chuckled nervously, waiting to see if maybe he was joking when Roland turned to face her, his tone biting. “That is all,”

he repeated.

She mumbled something about keys and then left, closing and locking her door down the hall.

He certainly had a gift at sending people running, I envied him on that.

With the owner gone, the pack took over the small room, spreading their bags and large bodies across the space. Roland sat down and patted his knee. “Alright omega, let’s try this again.”

I looked at Eamon for confirmation and permission, which only made Roland angrier. He wanted me to respect his position of authority, and I was going to thwart it at every chance I had. “Omega…”

he warned, his teeth clenched. “I can be very sweet, but only if you deserve it.”

Theodore put a hand on my shoulder. “Come on, then, let’s get this over with. We won’t get any time with you until the general’s satisfied.”

Wow, like that was a reward?

I swallowed and nodded silently, hanging my head as I headed over to the chair. Roland roughly grabbed me again, and I let out a small whimper, watching the rest of the pack wince at the sound.

“Now, omega. Tell us about yourself. When was your last heat?”

I fought back the urge to gag. Of course that would be the most pertinent thing to ask. They had my designation, so what else was important about their new property aside from when they could use me?

The pack surrounded me, sniffing the air as they waited for me to speak.

I was already exhausted, and wondering if maybe I could just shift and kill them all right now. It would save me a lot of time and effort, that’s for sure.

My wolf seemed to like that idea. “Um…”

Before I could start speaking, a knock sounded at the door. Roland looked at Torin, wordlessly ordering him to answer it.

The actor sighed and plastered a fake smile on his face as he greeted the unexpected guest. “Can I help you?”

A familiar voice spoke from the porch. “Good evening, I’m Detective Linda Oakley with the Maiingan Hollow PD. May I come in?”

Before Torin could even respond, the alpha female walked straight past him inside, nodding at the Conclave. She stood tall, hands clasped behind her back. “I’m sorry to disturb your evening, but I’m here to collect Ms. Linden.

Roland’s grip on me tightened and Theodore snarled. “Like hell you are!”

She ignored the senator’s comment and gestured towards me. “It’s time to go, Marlowe.”

Brennan scooped me up off Roland’s lap so the General could stand and look down at her. “What makes you think you have any authority here?”

To her credit, Linda didn’t flinch or back down. Her alpha temperament and experience on the force probably gave her all the tools she needed to deal with alpha male assholes. “Unbonded omegas and those whose bonds are being contested need to be housed in female-only spaces. It’s part of the Omega Haven Act of 02, as I’m sure you’re well aware. And we just so happened to have re-opened the Omega Sanctuary here in town this very evening to ensure Ms. Linden’s safety.”

Eamon growled and started to move towards her, but Torin held out his arm to stop him. “Whoa there, buddy, perhaps this is for the best.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Theodore replied with a growl.

Brennan reluctantly put me down. “I think it means we can admit we weren’t going to wait until after the Rite to start knotting this sweet little thing.”

He took my chin and raised my face to look into his. “Let’s wait til this is official, hm?”

Roland gritted his teeth as he thought it over, then released a short sigh. “Fine. We can postpone this get-to-know-you session for now.”

“Oh, thank god,”

I replied, wrenching myself from the tech mogul’s grasp. “I didn’t know how much longer I was going to be able to keep this up.”

The pack turned to me in surprise, and I wrapped my arm through Linda’s. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“Wait…”

Torin reached out to touch my arm but I dodged him. “What’s that supposed to mean? You weren’t scared of Thorne or the rest of us?”

I laughed, delighted as their faces contorted with confusion and anger. “Me? Scared of a bunch of assholes?”

Eamon flinched, as though he was actually hurt that I didn’t like him. “Hell no. I mean, at first I was just going to play you like a bunch of chumps, which wasn’t too hard because you’re all idiots, but that seemed like a pain. So then I was considering just shifting and tearing out your throats while you slept instead, but my wolf doesn’t care much for the taste of old alpha blood. I mean, if you think about it, you really should have been way more scared of me then the other way around.”

“Hold on!”

Roland commanded, his eyes narrowing. “What do you mean shift?”

Oops.

“That wasn’t in the report,”

Theodore added. He stepped up closer, his face inches from mine. “Who else can shift here? How?”

I hadn’t realized that Nolan had left that part out. I probably shouldn’t have said anything either, but the wolf was out of the bag now.

At least the looks on their faces were priceless.

Linda pushed him away and started guiding me back to the door. Without turning around, I stuck up my middle finger. “Later, bitches!”

Everyone but Torin erupted into a series of growls, snarls, and shouts, but right before the door closed, I overheard him chuckle. “Shit, I think I’m in love…”