Page 18 of The Demon's Pet

Honestly, I was pretty pleased by my restraint.

“You are to be his comforter, counselor. Accept and understand his rages, his difficult moments, because you can never know the burdens an alpha carries.”

Everyone grew solemn, pitying the poor alphas.

“After all, the alphas protect the pack from threats, and it is up to all of us to support them, but omegas most of all, for that is their gods-given role.”

“What threats?” I couldn’t help saying. Oh shit, where had that come from? I wasn’t supposed to ever speak back to an elder, let alone a priest, let alone anyone.

“Other packs,” he said. “The celestials protect us from demons, but the alphas ensure no other rogue alphas ejected from other havens can come to take anything from us.”

“When’s the last time an alpha had to deal with a threat that wasn’t another of our alphas?” I spat out, unable to help it anymore. “How is it honorable to protect us from yourselves when you’re the problem? Why should we choose one of you to hurt us just so we aren’t hurt by all of you? If alphas are so great, why can’t they just stop fucking around and hurting people?”

I clapped my hand over my mouth, eyes wide, as I realized I’d just sworn in front of the entire pack.

Fuck.

“How dare you insult our alphas?” the priest said, coming forward and grabbing me by the neck. “Without our alphas, this entire village wouldn’t exist.” His eyes glowed red, a sign he was losing control as an alpha, but I didn’t care. I kicked out at him, trying to catch him in the jewels.

“Omegas carried the alphas inside them!” I yelled back at him as he struggled to keep hold of me while being actively kicked by me. “They carried the stones to the church. They built houses. They tended children. They’ve carried this world on their backs, and you think they need some shithead who can’t even control himself to control them? I don’t fucking think so!”

Damn it, damn it, this was all going wrong. I was going to get in huge trouble at this point.

The priest shoved me back so that I hit the ground on my butt, and I knew there would be grass stains on my dress—not that I cared about it.

I glared up at the priest furiously. If I had to listen to one more stupid word about how awesome being a slave was, I’d spit in his fucking face.

Part of me wished I could be docile like the omegas around me, able to bow my head and step back and await my fate.

Sara sent me a nervous glance, but I shook my head at her, and she moved back into place.

The priest approached ominously. “You have always been an unruly omega. You have never accepted your place. Perhaps tonight is the right night for a stoning ceremony, since you’ve decided on blasphemy rather than an eternal mate.”

Eternal mate. Eternal slave owner. I wanted to puke.

“You can call it what you want, but you’re selling us off to the highest bidder under threat of rape or worse,” I said. “If I say no, or am not picked, I’m fair game, aren’t I?”

“If you refuse to help one alpha contain his urges, then you will be available for group use, yes. But you may not hate it. You may actually enjoy it,” he said, crouching, grabbing my chin, and forcing me to look up at him. “Omegas are always asking for it with their pheromones, after all.”

He stood, letting go of my chin and shoving me aside at the same time.

No one did anything about it, as usual. Everyone in the crowd watched in wonder.

“No one is going to choose you anyway,” he hissed at me. “So you might as well prepare yourself—”

“Hold on,” Bran said, stepping forward. “You step away from her. I’m selecting her as a mate.”

5

I looked up at Bran, so shocked I probably went paler than the full moon above us.

His smile was pure, well-meaning condescension. “I can tame her. I’m sure of it.” He reached out a hand to me, helping me to my feet. The other alphas behind him looked upset, particularly Zane, much to my shock.

Had more than one been planning on picking me when all of them knew I hated them? That only made this whole thing sicker.

He moved closer to me, raising my hand to his lips. Odd prickles moved up my skin, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.

“Choose me, and I’ll protect you,” he said, eyeing the priest, who was stepping back now, looking nervously at Bran and his father, who was seated in the front as pack alpha.

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