Page 97 of Puck & Her Blades

Instead, he directs his attention to me. “And this is the Omega who you chose out of everybody…?”

“Yes,” Jackson says, proudly, “it is.”

Zev straightens, before twirling to me with a grin. “She’s awesome.”

“She’s the daughter of the Monroes.” Roarke assesses me, darkly. “I admire her courage and her beauty. She’s already achieving more than most Omegas with her role as our mascot. But I won’t have our pack sullied with—”

“Well,” Sydney draws out the word, studying me like I’m a new and exciting business proposal, “she’s not ideal but at least she solves some of my brother’s deficiencies.”

Cygnus flinches.

I hate how she talks about him. I slip my arm around his shoulders.

Jackson’s eyes flash. “Talk about him like that again. I dare you.”

“Sweet,” Sydney says, insincerely, “how you dote on him. But you have to admit that it’s true. He’s at least accepted her, and some Omegas who have difficulty breeding won’t allow others into the nest without a fight. But then, he’s always been too kind for his own good.”

Cygnus’ eyes glimmer with tears. “Sister, please…”

“Lark is upstairs caring for my child like he should be. He knows how he’ll be disciplined, if he fails to act like an Omega should. But you do nothing but laze around in bed. You’ve failed in your Omega duty…”

Jackson launches himself at Sydney, until their faces are almost touching.

Hell, he looks deadly.

“Don’t you dare say another fucking word to my perfect Omega,” Jackson snarls.

Sydney merely arches her brow. “Struck a nerve, have I?”

And that’s it.

Cygnus is shaking apart in my arms. Our Head Alpha could still deny me the right to bond. And I won’t allow any other pack member to be hurt.

I stand up, dragging Cygnus with me. He slips his arm around my waist, and I feel stronger with him by my side.

Zev stalks around us to stand at Jackson’s shoulder.

Now, more than anything, I feel part of a team.

Roarke is watching us, intently.

Jackson points at Cygnus and me. “These are my Omegas. I treasure them both. Hundreds saw our selection of my little Puck. The news will have traveled all around the world by now. It’ll be posted everywhere on social media and fan sites. I posted the happy announcement myself to my followers — over four million of them.”

“You ungrateful, ruthless asshole.” Roarke shakes his head. “To think that I adopted you, gave you a home when no one else wanted you, trained you, and now, am leading you to Alpha Cup glory.”

Jackson studies him, coolly. “I only learned from the best, Father.”

Zev slips his phone out of his pocket and holds it up. “Wow, that hack journalist April Laevere has already worked out that our new claimed Omega is the mystery woman inside the puck, love. This is going to be a full-scale Cinderella romance. They’ll be asking us for the movie rights.”

I can’t help myself. I giggle.

The fact that April Lavere, the Traditional leaning journalist and usually the enemy of the Omega resistance, has ended up helping me, is the icing on the fucking cake.

Roarke slams his hand down on the desk. “Do you think that you can manipulate me? I’m the Head fucking Alpha. Now take up the position over this desk, son, and let’s see how cocky you are then.”

I stiffen.

Shit.

---