Page 143 of Puck & Her Blades

Collectively, the rest of us slump in relief.

Asher still points at each of us in turn. “No more secrets, even if it is to protect me. I’m planning on being an awesome freedom fighter too.”

“I promise.” Jackson crosses his arms over his muscled chest. “Zev and I missed having you in our planning meetings. On the ice, we depend on you. We need you off it as well.”

Asher blushes, looking down. “So, what’s the plan?”

“That’s what we need to decide because it appears that two rebel Omegas have also been plotting.”

Cygnus and I both wear matching smiles of pride at the rebel.

“Snow Bunny, if you don’t mind,” I say, airily.

Instantly, Jackson’s face becomes animated with such conflicting emotions, which are echoed through the bond, that I don’t know whether to scramble for cover or dive into his arms.

Asher appears just as confused, tightening his arms around me, protectively.

Cygnus sends out soothing pheromones in response. “What’s wrong?”

Jackson doesn’t look away from me. “You’re Snow Bunny.”

An Omega is allowed to be proud sometimes, and I’m proud of my blog and journalism.

I nod.

All of a sudden, Zev’s eyes widen. “You’re that blogger…? The one with skating scoops who suddenly stopped posting?”

“A broken leg and being held in the Omega Institute tends to kill a blog.” I shrug.

Jackson’s scrutinizing me like he’s never seen me before. “I can’t believe it. I admire you so much. I followed everything that you posted. I wished that I could be like you. In fact, I tried to be. Your courage to call things out helped me to be brave enough to continue to work for the resistance. I panicked, when you didn’t reply to any of my messages…”

Wait, he couldn’t be…?

Shit, he could be.

“Gives No Pucks?” I whisper.

So, he does have a sense of humor.

Jackson’s gaze softens as it meets mine. “Well, perhaps I gave some pucks.”

Cygnus’ eyes become seductively half-hooded. “That’s it. I’m giving her one of my gifts. Now that everything’s out in the open, it doesn’t even need to be kept as an in-joke. I think this is a gift for all of us.”

He winks at me as he slinks to the bag and rummages around in it, before throwing me a present that’s wrapped in violet paper with a ribbon tied in a bow.

I squirm out of Asher’s hold.

With mounting excitement, I rip through the paper, tossing it aside, leaving behind a pair of silver bunny ears.

Wow.

I stroke my fingers over the ears. They’re adorably soft and floppy. They’re meant to be worn on your head, and I flush when I realize that they’re clearly ordered from a shop that caters to pet play.

Cygnus looks shy all of a sudden. “You’re our snow bunny, get it?”

Jackson snatches Cygnus by the arm and yanks him to his chest.

His eyes are narrowed. “You are the worst secret agent that I’ve ever come across. After all, how could I have possibly cracked your mastermind code? Don’t keep anything hidden from me again because you’re going to get yourself killed.”

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