Page 136 of Puck & Her Blades

Cygnus’ gaze becomes steely, before he pushes to stand by my side, even though he’s shaking. “I’m not going to be locked inside my room anymore, Syd.”

“Are you back talking?” Sydney’s voice is low and dangerous. “I’d have thought that this was the last place that you’d want to push me, brother.”

Cygnus becomes ashen.

My gaze darts between them.

What does she mean?

She sighs. “I have about a million and one things to manage tonight. This is big, and I must get the PR on this right. So, get your bad asses back inside. Some of us have jobs to do and can’t laze around in bed all the time.”

I growl. “Don’t talk to him like that.”

Sydney turns away, dismissively. “I’ll talk to him any way that I like. Pick up your shit and follow me, or as the Alpha in charge of the estate, I’ll show you my favorite method of keeping Lark in line, and you won’t like it.” She huffs a laugh. “Brother, you really are a joke. You’re going to be relegated to the position of Second Omega. Even her purr is beautiful, while you…?”

To my shock, Cygnus lets out a bellow of rage.

He drops to the floor, scooping up snow in his hands and then launching it at his sister.

The snowball hits Sydney on the back of her head.

Cygnus stands shaking with rage.

My eyes widen.

Oh, fuck.

My heart pounds, and I’m frozen on the spot.

My tiny warrior.

But what have I done? I’ve incited Cygnus to rebel for real.

Now, his sister is going to kick both of our asses. Because I’m not going to let her hurt the man who I love without fighting to protect him.

Yet we’re alone here by the lake. No one will hear us, and our pack won’t be back home for hours.

She’s strong enough to take us both.

We’re fucked.

For a long moment, Sydney stands still, although her hands ball into fists at her sides.

Then she slowly turns around.

Her expression is dark and stormy. “I knew that Dad was being too soft on you. He let Mom spoil you as her favorite and he’s always coddled you and wrapped you up in cotton wool. Now, I’m going to show you what real discipline feels like.”

Cygnus holds his ground.

“Bring it on, sister,” he snarls. “If you think that I don’t know what pain and suffering feels like, then you really have been ignoring me since you stole my purr and wrecked me forever.”

She gasps, paling.

Wait, she stole his purr…?

What does he mean?

If we’re fucked anyway then I don’t have anything to lose.

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