Page 9 of Ondine: Vol. 2

He looks just how I feel. “Jake, I’m…”

I nod. “Me too.”

I grip his neck and pull his head down. He smiles as I bend him down and we touch foreheads. He loves when I do this. I let him go.

I clap my hands. “This is what we’re going to do. Arnold. I think I like you. Despite you being a weirdo. I’m going to need to monitor that behavior. But anyway. Shadow here needs help. He needs to put together Ondine’s nest for her next heat. You seem to be the expert on nest building. Even better, you have experience with nest building for Ondine specifically. What do you say?”

“What am I agreeing to?”

“Oh, being blackmailed. Sorry. I skipped that part. You will be at my mercy and if you don’t obey me and my pack, I will show Ondine the dirty secret pictures you took of her and ruin her entire perception of you.”

His mouth opens a few times, trying to decide how to react.

“I get to see Ondine again? Build her nest? Be hired by your pack? And you won’t tell her about the photos?”

“No, no, no. Not hired. Bonded.”

“What?” His reaction comes out so fast. “That’s not. Why? What?”

“That’s the major part of the blackmail, Arnold. You’ll be mine for as long as I find a use for you.”

I won’t tell him this, because there’s no need, but he’s crucial in ensuring Ondine doesn’t leave me for Freddie. She’s got her alpha and he’s her scent match. The contract has been broken. There’s nothing tying me to her.

But with Arnold, I’ve got something.

Step 1: Make sure my pack is as desirable as possible for Ondine. Pure Ondine bait.

Step 2: Eliminate all her enemies. Ensure no one else can have her or take her from me. (I.e. Man-ho and the Wong Pack.)

Step 3: Make Ondine mine, not by proxy, but by every sense of the word. Physically. Spiritually. Legally.

I didn’t originally intend Anronolg to play this role. I was just going to torture him and possibly leave him to die in a ditch.When Freddie bonded my woman—my omega—I found a good use for the man. And I think he might assist Shadow.

It was a major setback last night. But I think I got it all figured out now.

“Are you going to bite me? To bond me?”

It’s an interesting question. Bonding a beta is a little different from bonding alphas. He wouldn’t be able to feel our emotions, but he’d have some semblance of awareness of us. We’d need to register him as a new member. You get a tax stipend for the first bonded beta in a pack. They help strengthen the bond between the other members. It would prevent Freddie from stealing him from us.

And that’s the most important thing.

I want to prevent Freddie from going rogue and making his own pack with Ondine. If he found Arnold unbonded, and Ondine asked for him, he wouldn’t refuse her. I wouldn’t refuse her. And then I would lose my edge.

I have to bond this guy.

4

Membership

Sebastian

Iwake suddenly after only a couple hours of sleep. It’s morning. I open the curtains to the windows, revealing a stunning view of the northern mountain range.

Shadow is safe and out of the Crimson Lion. My men are mostly off shift. Creed wasn’t compromised. I needed to rest after all of that.

I stretch the stiffness out of my muscles while Killer dances around my feet. I’m going to need some more sleep for sure.

I throw some more cat food into her dish and scratch her back, hearing her purr like a car engine.