Page 208 of Juliet & Her Romeos

“Love?” Miss Katerina sneers, rapping her cane on the floor. Dimitri jumps as sharply as I do. “You weak waste of a knot.”

Katerina prowls toward us down the wing of the stage.

Dimitri looks as scared of his mom, as I am of Olivia.

Yet to my shock, he determinedly stands in front of Swan, before glancing over his shoulder.

“Anything to keep them safe and smiling,” Dimitri says like each memorized word is precious to him.

Swan blinks, unsure how to react.

Dimitri turns back to Katerina, straightening his shoulders. “It doesn’t matter. They’re bonded to the CEO. We need to leave them to put on a spellbinding performance.”

“I expect nothing less.” Katerina raises her cane. “But you, on the other hand, have disappointed me.”

She swings the cane, cracking it down across Dimitri’s face.

I gasp, and Swan cusses.

But Dimitri doesn’t even yell out like he’s used to it.

Instead, he staggers, raising his hand to the bleeding welt on his cheek.

Yet he doesn’t move from his position in front of Swan.

He widens his stance. “I’ve always known that.”

Katerina glances past Dimitri at me. “Juliet has potential. Real potential. And this Beta who you talk aboutloving,as if that word isn’t poison…” She bares her teeth at Swan. “…Has ruined her.”

“Love isn’t poison.” I touch my bond marks, each in turn. I tingle as I feel the connection to my mates. “It’s the blood in your veins —life.”

“You’re living in a delusion, all of you,” Katerina barks. “Dimitri, you’ve truly turned into your father. Aren’t you ashamed?”

Dimitri flinches. “Yes, finally I am. I wish that it hadn’t taken me this long. Aren’t you?”

Katerina’s pheromones stink of burned coffee. She raises her cane again.

Dimitri doesn’t move, as if he’s been trained the same as us dancers, in the face of Katerina’s cruel treatment.

Swan and I, however, don’t hesitate.

This is an Omega and Beta revolution.

We’re no longer scared of Alphas or this Dance Master.

Together, we dive around Katerina and snatch the cane. Katerina is so shocked that her hold loosens enough for us to drag the stick away from her.

As if it’s a trophy, Swan and I hold aloft the cane.

“Ah ha! The cane of power,” Swan says, cockily. “We’re now the King and Queen of Ballet.”

Katerina reddens, launching herself toward us, but Dimitri places his strong hand on her shoulder and shoves her backward.

“Never again, Mom,” he says, quietly.

Katerina stares up at her giant of a son, as if only just realizing that he’s become an adult who has grown to twice her size. “How dare you? I’m your Head Alpha—”

“Actually, according to the contract that you signed tosellme as a baby, Olivia is my Head Alpha,” Dimitri replies. “Since I’m already fucked, this is me officially telling you that I’m no longer obeying you. And maybe I am like my dad, but it seems to me that you’ve turned into him too.”

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