Page 5 of Mercy & Her Devils

“I deny all responsibility. Not really. Of course I came up with it.”

I wring my hands in my lap. “This male Omega has a name that’s some kind of bird. Fletcher thinks that it’s funny to talk about him like a bird with broken wings. What if…?”

“He won’t do the same to you.”

“But what if…?”

“Mercy, he’s playing mind games. You’re a good Omega.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “What’s the bet that this broken songbird thought that he was a good Omega, until his Alpha decided to officially break their bond?”

Thomas’ expression is unreadable.

He does his best to understand. But he can’t, not really.

My twin is an Alpha, and as much as he talks about equality and treats me with respect, only another Omega can understand about the desire to have freedom.

The type of desire that burns inside every day, until you’re choking on ash.

Blankly, I stare out of the window at the town that I can look at but never touch. The pale afternoon light streams through into the vast room but doesn’t reach me; even its warmth fades before it touches me.

“Why does being bonded have to mean being caged inside this house?” I swallow. “Why, Tom?”

“Fuck, this.” In a sudden tightly coiled swirl of motion, Thomas sweeps to his feet. He towers over me, but I feel safe in his shadow. “Come on, if acehole’s so into birds, then birds fly in gardens. He’s out now, at work. So, why don’t we play? Let’s go.”

My eyes widen. “I can’t.”

When Thomas leans down, his eyes flash. “The sister I knew dared to learn guitar from our best friend, Gabe, tell our dad that she was going to become the world’s first Omega astronaut, and kicked my ass at Fortnite.”

“Kicked it every time, you mean.”

“It’s not my fault. I read this secret article by the Omega Society that Alphas statistically have lower IQs because so much of their blood is always going to inflate their knots.”

I scrunch up my nose.

Sometimes, I can’t even tell when my twin is joking.

I squirm past him to my feet. “Will you shut up about knots around me, if I come with you?”

“I make no promises.” Thomas grins, and I love to finally see him smile.

He hasn’t for the last month.

He strides across the marble floor to the high, oak door.

Suddenly, I’m desperate to walk in the beautiful, manicured gardens with bright rose bushes, which lie behind Ace Hall. I’ve only properly seen them from my bedroom window before.

I need to feel the sun and wind on my upturned face and smell the fresh air.

Yet my mouth becomes dry, as I reach the door.

How many rules am I breaking now?

An Omega is not to leave the lounge, when she is entertaining a guest…

An Omega is not to deviate from the schedule left for the day without her Alpha’s permission…

An Omega is not to exit the house…

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