Page 26 of Brandy Snap: Part One

Kai blew out a short breath. “You and Cas are already so wound up over her that five seconds in you both went back on everything you promised me about being your only omega forever. Which was never gonna be true with Cas anyway, but I at least believed you.”

His hurt stabbed more frantically with every word. Any ache that had grown over the years as Caspian entertained his feelings for Camille was nothing compared to it. Because Caspian had never touched Camille as a lover since we shared a bite.

“So, let’s fucking do it. You and Cas can slobber all over her, we get a shield for these fucking parties, and we can find out if she really is a plant by sticking her in front of Zania and watching her get torn apart.”

A light growl rumbled at the back of my throat at the idea. I started in surprise the second I realised what I’d done.

Kai’s heart plummeted as the colour fled from his face. He choked on his pain, guilt piercing me as Kai’s shock quickly morphed into a murderous stare as we both realised what had passed between us.

The only people I’d ever growled for were Kai and Camille. And never once in my life had I ever raised my voice or threatened either of them. After growing up under our families’ tight fists, I refused to use anger to subjugate others.

“I’m sorry,” I said, reaching for him, stroking my bare and battered fingers over his neck, softening us both. “I’m truly sorry, Kai. But those reasons are why this is a terrible plan,” I replied.

“It’s exactly why it’s ageniusplan. And, at the end, you can get rid of her and we can be a nice, happy, three-man pack with no other shitty omegas getting involved.”

Even so, abandoning Melanie now that we had matched with her was unthinkable.

The match was part of our biology. Once we found a scent match, our bodies would literally ache to be with them until there was a rejection or a bite. We were blessed enough to not have to endure the separation, but there were reports of people dying of drug overdoses as they attempted to manage the pain of being without their scent match. There were awful stories that some would catch a whiff of their match in a crowded place and never be able to find them again. Unable to bond, they were left in limbo, dealing with the chronic pain of not being together.

But there was still rejection.

And, as much as Kai and Caspian may despise me for it, I didn’t want to reject her.

If we rejected her, we severed the psychic bond that had already formed between us when our scents matched. The bond would only grow stronger the more time we spent together, until the ache became too much and we either had to break or seal that bond with a bite.

But with a bite would also come the hell my parents had rained on Kai since we bonded. And I didn’t feel that Melanie deserved that simply for scent matching with us. We had learned the hard way with Kai that an instant bite was not the answer.

I sighed deeply as Kai glared, and I finally replied to him. “She won’t have appropriate clothes, she won’t know the etiquette, she’s probably unprepared for social niceties. If she really is innocent, is it fair to subject her to the whims of our life?” Though, I had to admit, it would be enjoyable to see the look on our families’ faces if we appeared with a prostitute in tow. The horror alone would be enough to make it worth it, but we couldn’t put Melanie or Kai in further danger.

“We’ve fucked her.” Kai shrugged. “That’s basically the criteria. Zania just wants something with a pussy. Why not her?”

“You know better than I that that is not what she wants.”

I wouldn’t voice my real thoughts. Because I wouldn’t dare tell Kai that I was already thinking of what life would be like if we brought her home.

“There’s no fucking way someone like her can even think of being worthy of people like us if she can’t deal with the high society bitches. Even if we just use her for a month. As far as your parents know, she’s going to be dealing with it for the rest of her life, so why not wind her up and watch her go?”

Because after all the mistakes I’d made introducing Kai to our family, I didn’t want our new omega to suffer the same fate.

Kai was naturally strong, but the way Melanie cried and begged as Caspian fucked her had woken up my innate need to do everything I could to protect her.

“If she really is a fucking whore, just imagine how cruel Zania will be? And then you can swoop in like the hero and save her because—”

“Kai,” I pressed, cutting him off, my brows creasing.

Another mistake.

Kai flinched, pain beating from him as he met my stare with wide eyes.

That was twice within barely a minute. I was already affected so deeply by her, yet Kai was suffering the most for it.

If it wasn’t for the heat-laden scents that blurred my mind, I could approach the matter more logically.

But Kai’s concern was founded. My circle of attention expanded the longer she was curled against me. My alpha instincts beamed with pride at having a sated omega buried in my arms. But Kai was the omega who carried my bite, who I would spend my life with, who had my heart.

“I am not a hero,” I replied. “I simply despise misplaced cruelty.” Especially when it was thrown at Kai by everyone in our families’ social circle.

Kai bounced back quickly, his shocked look morphing into a grin as he edged closer to her.

---