Page 96 of Puck & Her Blades

I cry out, half jumping up.

Only Cygnus snatching onto my hand and keeping me on my knees next to him, stops me from leaping to my feet.

Jackson sends me an icy, warning look over his shoulder, and if his hands weren’t also shaking, I’d think that he didn’t care about the way Zev has been knocked across the study desk.

“No back talk.” Roarke holds Zev down by the scruff of his neck, and Jackson stiffens. “Why can’t you — just once — take discipline obediently like Asher does?”

“The yes, sir, no, sir bullshit isn’t really my style,” Zev rasps.

“Zev,” Jackson growls.

“What?” Zev struggles. “I’m the irresponsible, disowned son of millionaires, who’s as much a wild child on the ice as off it. That’s what makes the fans love me. That’s how you spin me to the press. So, don’t expect me to be some good boy, when it suits you. I’m not.”

“I fucking know that you’re not.” Roarke slips his hand to the item, which I’ve been trying to ignore from the moment that I was hauled into the study, a thick, oak paddle with holes drilled into it. “You’re a bad boy, and I know how to deal with those.”

“Father,” Jackson’s voice is tight, “this wasn’t Zev’s decision. It was mine. I’m Chief Alpha. If you need someone to beat over this, then you beat me.”

“Funny, there are literally hundreds of witnesses who swear that it was Zev carrying this Reject over his shoulder and claiming her,” a razor-sharp voice says from the doorway. “I didn’t know you had it in you, Zev, to be so…Alpha.”

Cygnus’ shoulders hunch.

I twist to look at the female Alpha, who’s standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.

She appears to be in her thirties with a pinched but pretty face. Her wavy blond hair is pinned up with silver clips that look like the bars of a cage.

She’s tall with an athletic build.

Her nose and mouth are similar enough to Cygnus’ that I’m sure this must be his sister, Sydney.

Also, the Alpha who’s an exact opposite to Zev and Jackson.

A woman who leaves bruises on her Omega, Lark.

I bristle, narrowing my eyes at her. “He’s nothing but Alpha.”

Cygnus tugs urgently at my hand, trying to get me to stop glaring at Sydney, but I can’t stop myself.

At the same time, if it distracts Roarke from his attack on my Alphas, then I’ll take this opportunity.

Sydney huffs a shocked laugh. “Brother, haven’t you taught this new Omega anything? I only allowed you to spend time with her because I thought your example would help her to fit in. But look! She’s still feral.”

I’ll show her feral…

I growl.

She looks genuinely startled.

“If Lark ever behaved like you are,” Sydney prowls further into the room, “I’d muzzle him.”

“I believe you.” My gaze darts to Jackson.

I’m partly expecting him to stop me. Shouldn’t he, as my Chief Alpha?

Yet Jackson’s standing with crossed arms, watching me with a dancing admiration. It’s the same way that he spoke about my professional talent like we were both equals, no matter my dynamic.

Nobody, even my parents, has ever treated me like this before.

Roarke lets go of Zev like I’d hoped.

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