Page 52 of Bonds of Hate

I schedule three meals a day, plus snacks, to be delivered to her room even if she isn’t there. That way, there will always be a meal available, regardless of any changes to her schedule. I can personally ensure she eats enough when she is here in the apartment or involved in any royal duties withLogan. The thought of a single hungry growl coming from her stomach makes my teeth clench.

And if I catch her deliberately skipping meals, I have a ready reason to punish her.

Not that I really need one.

My phone buzzes with a message from Logan. “Meeting room. Now.”

I close the surveillance feeds and stretch, muscles still humming with satisfaction from an easy orgasm. Whatever game Maya’s playing, I’ll figure it out, eventually. Forget hanging herself. I’ll give her just enough rope to tie her down spread-eagled on my bed.

If I don’t shower and change before meeting Logan, he will definitely smell Maya’s scent all over me.His reaction would be apoplectic.

With a satisfied smile, I glance at the soiled shirt on the floor.

Even if he tries to kill me, still worth it.

Istride down the hallway toward the meeting room, a cold shower and fresh shirt barely enough to ward away the restless energy still thrumming through my veins. The familiar scent of Maya lingers in my nose despite my best efforts.

Poe materializes from a shadowy corner, barely an arm’s length away when I first notice him. Fucking creeper. I swear the guy trains for the specific purpose of becoming one with the wallpaper.

His nostrils flare as I pass. “You reek of Omega.”

“Better that than jealousy,” I goad with a taunting smile.

He snarls, the sound carrying more actual threat than we typically use with each other. “We aren’t supposed to touch her.”

“We aren’t supposed to fuck her,” I correct him without attempting to hide my smirk. “Besides, you’re the one who turned her cunt into a hand puppet. I had some catching up to do.”

“What the fuck did you do?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary. We wrestled around a little in the training room, then there was some light orgasm denial and voyeurism. Typical stuff. Got to break her in gently, you know. Virgin pussy shouldn’t be rushed and all that.”

Anger burns in his eyes, a lightning storm in the darkness. The angry growl trickling from between his teeth turning darker. He gives me a look so angry that it would have constituted a challenge if we weren’t pack brothers.

Normally, Poe is so composed that it’s scary. Out of everyone in the pack, he is the one who least shows emotion. The one who could rip out a man’s heart with his bare hands and not so much as change his expression. Consistent. Unflappable. His rage a frozen depth that never suffers so much as a crack along the surface.

Until now.

I’ve never seen him this worked up over anything — or anyone — before.

The only thing that might be better than turning Maya’s Omega urges against her is needling Poe about it afterwards.

I roll my shoulders back, loosening the muscle inpreparation for what might be coming next. “What’s wrong? Still mad she turned down your little bribe? I know you’re used to paying for it, but Maya might need a better incentive to deal with your temper tantrums.”

Poe launches himself at me with a roar. Even though I’m expecting it, I only react to the blur of movement a split second before impact. His fist glances off my jaw instead of landing dead center and breaking my nose. My head still rocks to the side with the force of his blow, and the metallic tang of blood floods my mouth as my teeth slice into my cheek.

My laughter echoes off the office walls as I spit a mouthful of red onto the hardwood floor. “Getting sloppy there, brother. You know I’m always up for a sparring match downstairs if you need the practice.”

His next blow is quicker, catching me hard enough in the gut that I double over, air forced from my lungs with a laughing gasp. Ignoring the dull throb of pain, I force myself back upright with a chucking cough.

“That’s it, brother. We’ve got to work out all this aggression somehow, since we don’t have an Omega to use.”

Poe’s chest heaves, his usual composure entirely shattered. Gone is the cold and calculated killer instinct, now replaced by raw animal fury. “I am going to beat you unconscious.”

“Do it.” I spread my arms wide, presenting an open target. “Come on, hit me again. And when you do, it’ll be the same as admitting that you’re feeling just as territorial over our shiny new Omega as I am. You goddamn hypocrite.”

The muscles in his jaw flex as he clenches his teeth. His handscurl into tight fists at his sides, knuckles white with restraint. The scent of his rage fills the air between us — sharp and acrid, like gunpowder ready to ignite.

For a second, I think he might actually make good on his threat when we’re interrupted.

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