Page 103 of Mercy & Her Devils

Lark holds himself still. I can tell that he’s fighting not to flinch.

Gabriel caresses his cheek. “I’m sorry that I made you think I’d punish Toni for real. You clearly expect an Alpha to discipline their packs for every broken rule, and no amount of promises that I won’t hurt any of you will help, until I can prove that I’m telling the truth. But this is how Toni and I play. It’s our dynamic. If it’s too triggering for you, then I’ll try to remember that.”

“Play?” Lark says, softly.

Gabriel nods. “It’s what Toni needs and wants. But none of you have anything to fear from me. I hate that an Alpha must have hurt you severely to make you feel like this.”

“Not an Alpha. Many.”

“I’m sorry. All I can only say is that Alphas have hurt me too, despite the fact that I’m an Alpha myself. I’ve been neglected, beaten, and sent away. I’ve been forced to fight in a military unit with the strictest discipline, where I was taught that I wasn’t allowed to show any emotion. I spent many years without love or even friendship. Until Kai and then Antonio, I never thought that I’d find it again.”

Lark’s expression gentles. “I know how that feels. I didn’t even understand what romantic love was, until I met Mercy. I thought that it was a lie, a fantasy peddled in books, movies, and fairy tales to make Omegas comply with pack bonds.”

Gabriel glances at me.

My chest is tight with emotion both at the love in his expression, but also, the rawness in Lark’s tone.

My songbird didn’t believe in love, until me.

Gabriel brushes his thumb lower along Lark’s jawline, and I don’t know if Lark is aware of it, but he’s leaning into his touch now. “I knew that romantic love was real all my life because I was raised alongside my scent match. But then, I was torn away from her. I hope that now I’ve found Mer again, I can also find my own connection with you. We already have something in common: We both love Mer more than life itself. That’s a starting point. We have good taste.”

Lark laughs.

Then Gabriel’s cheeks pink, when Lark turns his head and presses his plush lips to his palm in a kiss.

“Indeed we do,” Lark purrs. “We also both love our bad boy Beta. So, we have doubly good taste.”

Then it’s Antonio’s turn to blush and look flustered.

I think that it’s at both being told that he’s loved and Lark calling him bad boy.

He likes that.

Antonio scoots even closer to me on the bed, fiddling with his scarf. “You don’t need to be worried about Gabe punishing me outside play. He can fuck me into the mattress, while I’m bound head to toe, and I’ll be calling out for more and harder. Well, as long as I’m not gagged. But the Alphas in my family would punish me by ignoring me. As a kid, I’d forget a chore and so, they’d forget me. They’d pretend that I didn’t exist, sometimes for weeks. Hands up, maybe that makes me crave attention, both bad as well as good. At least then I’m not ignored.”

I feel sick.

It’s possible to think that only Omegas are treated cruelly or that a family needs to be violent to be toxic.

It’s not true.

I grip Antonio’s hand, entwining our fingers. “You have a pack who love you now. How could anyone forget you? We’ll never treat you like that. I promise, if you need someone to hear you, just come and find me. I’m always happy to give you the good type of attention.”

“Me too,” Lark says. “But if you’re craving the other type…”

“You can come to me,” Gabriel adds. “Or I have a feeling, Lark here too.”

Lark and Gabriel exchange a glance that contains a sudden understanding.

Antonio’s a lucky guy.

But also, had better watch out.

Antonio appears to think the same thing.

He hesitates like he’s debating whether to drop on the good or bad side of the divide, before his eyes glint with wickedness, and I can tell that he’s made up his mind.

“Of course I can,” he agrees. “Because Lark must be at least forty or something. I mean, he’s old enough to be my daddy.”

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