Page 111 of Psycho Alphas: Part Two

A beautiful mess of madness and Omega instincts.

Her beauty was real, but tonight was a performance from all of us. I had to remember that. Even if Rogue had balled the chain in his fist and was tapping it against his other palm. Even if each clink of metal was like a splinter in my brain.

This was a show.

The doormen were two young Alphas wearing suits with the signature dead look of those working at Bella’s mansion. They ushered us up the steps, taking in Ace and Thistle, then Rogue, and finally me before I saw a spark of comprehension in their eyes. One turned to a spot behind the door, vanishing for a moment before reappearing with a thin metallic box with a ribbon around it.

Ah.

Great.

It was one ofthosenights.

This wasn’t an event in which we engaged with the ‘product’. No buying or selling—and it wasn’t a sex party. What any of these demons did after hours was their business, but the event was supposed to be clean. Bella pushed those boundaries, though, and many of the Ring enjoyed that as if it was a game, with different levels to play on. All too rich. All too bored.

Ace took the metal case, not revealing for a moment that he had no idea what it was. Perhaps he did. Could he have enough intel on the Ring that he understood a detail like that?

I internally kicked myself, furious at having fallen into his trap. He bluffed at every turn, knowing it kept people guessing—that was his fucking M.O.

Of course he didn’t know.

Ace’s eyebrows raised as we stepped into the expansive entry room with two massive doors open to the party beyond. Bella’s absinthe scent lingered everywhere, and I gagged, forcing the bond further away as the proximity threatened to pull me under.

I made to follow the other two as Ace led Thistle to the room, but Rogue coiled the chain, drawing me up.

“Let Thistle have her moment.”

I scowled. I knew the translation of those words: Rogue wanted me to have my moment, too—he wanted the spotlight on us when we entered.

I didn’t answer—I could feel the eyes of the two doormen on my back. The show we were putting on tonight had already begun.

Rogue’s gaze slid to me for half a moment, uncontained humour glittering in his eyes as he tapped the chain with his finger. “You want to share a pack, Knox?” he asked. “I get tonight.”

I grit my teeth.

I wanted Thistle, I reminded myself. This great oaf was just the price.

One night only, though—and if Rogue didn’t think I’d keep score, he was sorely mistaken.

Ahead, the talk in the room quieted down, which meant Ace and Thistle had entered. I don’t know how far rumours had reached, but this was Ace’s first public appearance since he’d been declared dead.

The Ring hadn’t been in his close circles, but they knew who he was—if they hadn’t, Thistle’s auction wouldn’t have caused such a stir. A few had dealings with him personally, like the badblood between him and Evan Green. Rumour had it Evan had tried to back out of a deal. The Brotherhood had hunted down half the members of his pack, and Ace had been the one to kill them one by one. Those videos had circulated for a while among our own.

That prick would be here tonight, too. He never missed a gathering like this. There were so many ways tonight could go wrong.

Rogue’s tug on my chain drew me sharply from the spiral.

“Our turn.”

He led me into a huge space, where members of the Ring had gathered along a table stretching to the far end of the room. Bella sat like a queen at the head of the table, and on the opposite end, nearest us, a chair had been left open for Carrion. Of course, it was empty; he never showed, but Bella, who didn’t hide her attraction to power and dominance, never failed to show him deference.

We had, however, made a disruption.

Every eye fell on me as we entered, and my flesh crawled as they fixed on the muzzle before their attention turned to Rogue.

They’d witnessed this before, but last time Rogue, thanks to Ace, was on the receiving end.

I knew how much Rogue hated these people, but this was the same crowd I’d used to humiliate him, and tonight, he was clearly pleased with himself as he held the leash, presenting a different image.