Page 44 of Deadly Ties

That static in my chest goes electric, because that’s the move he uses on me. First time we kissed, he said my cheekbones were so sharp, he could cut himself slapping my face, so he was going to stroke it instead. Not that he didn’t still slap me plenty. Kelly’s never shy about putting me in me in place and keeping me there.

But now it feels like he’s hammered a rusty nail straight through my heart.

“How did you get out?” I ask, my voice cracking as his brows lower over his amber eyes.

“Angel rescued me.” He pulls Elvana close, his chin resting on her head. It takes my brain a moment to make sense of the action, and then I realize she fits perfectly there. Like they’ve been pulling the move for years, not days. “Crept into my cell like a ninja, and shoved her claws straight through the asshole guard who was trying to rape me.”

His words sound so much worse in his perfect English accent. They must also echo in the wings as loudly as they do in my head, because they clear the area around us, all the pretty dancers moving away from the violence suddenly swirling in the air.

Or maybe it’s because of Arben Fucking Marku, his jacket over his arm so they can all see he’s wearing a double shoulder holster and a rig round his hips for his knives. Fucking overkill for the theater, but it’s the smirk he gives me that cuts the worst. Especially when he moves to stand behind the omegas and Kellydoesn’t do a fucking thing to get out of his way.

Rape.

Those guards who cut up his arm, who starved and beat my mate, also tried to rape him.

But now he stands in front of Doctor Death like there’s no trauma there at all.

Every hair on my body prickles as I stare at my mate. “Have you fucked him? Is that what this is? You let Doctor Death bite you and now you’re a thing?”

I can’t believe the words actually leave my lips. I have no illusions that I’m an epic asshole - and losing Kelly has only made me more of one – but there are some accusations I’d never throw at my mate. But it’s too late to take it back now.

“Nope.” He runs his fingers through Elvana’s hair, right as Marku’s hand comes down on the back of his neck. My fangs throb at the familiar move, but it’s Rory who steps in and slaps my cheek. Not hard enough to hurt, but my lip still pulls back on my teeth as I snarl in his face.

“Get your head out of your ass, Lincoln. Arben didn’t bite Kelly. I did. And it was about two years overdue, so don’t even think about losing your shit.”

I blink at my brother’s angry face. And a memory swirls back to the surface. Kelly beside me in the shitty bed they gave us in the Tower, my cock inches from my prize and my teeth throbbing in my gums. He’d said I could bite him and make him my mate. But only if I agreed Rory and Cam could claim him, too. Something I’d promised to pass on, but had kept very much to myself.

Guilt swirls in my gut, so I go on the offensive. “And now you’re loaning him out? Is that why another alpha has his hands all over our omega?”

I hear Cam groan behind me, but it’s Kelly who starts laughing. And that pulls a smile out of me, even while my head throbs and my chest aches, because that’s something I never thought I’d hear again. It might be mocking – and the joke’s on me – but Kelly is laughing. And then he’s standing right in front of me, his fingers on my cheekbone. “Still trying to cut me, sweetheart?”

I flinch at the endearment. It’s even more mocking than his laugh. But he can throw shit my way until I’m buried in it. I just need him to come with me. To get in our bed and never leave me again. “Come home,” I murmur as his fingers trail down to my lips. “I’m sorry I fucked up, but I’ve been out of my head. I had to find you. Nothing else mattered. But it’s over now. We can go and forget all this shit…”

It takes me a moment to realize he’s pushing on my mouth, stopping my words. His skin tastes like heaven, but he’s frowning at me. He doesn’t want to hear it.

“Link.” Cam’s hand is on my arm, and I flinch. Because Kelly has used the moment to step away. “Come on, brother, we should go. You can see Kelly another time.”

“No!” I try to push past him, but the guy’s a freaking wall of muscle. I lunge around him. “Kelly! We’re going back home, right? The house is all set up and ready for you.”

My mate gives me a sad look. “That’s not my house, Link. I’ve never even seen it.”

I feel the others looking at me now. Pitying. Like I’m losing my fucking mind. But I can’t keep the words from vomiting out of my mouth. “You’ll like it. It’s got a nest and a wine cellar. And there’s a swing on the deck, right next to the lake. Starlight Lake, but we call it Starling…”

My voice drifts off as they all stare at me. Fuck. They’re all looking at me exactly the same way. Like I’m the fuckingoutsider…

My embarrassment hardens, anger bubbling in my gut. “So that’s how it is? You’re all a pack now? The assassin, my traitor brother, and their shiny omegas?” I swivel to glare at Cam. “Is that why you dragged me here? Are you in on this, too? Or are you just Marku’s errand boy?”

“Shut the fuck up, Link,” Cam mutters, but I know that look in his eyes when he stares at them. He thinks he’s got his shit locked down tight, but he’s as needy as fuck. As needy asIam. They just haven’t given him a green light yet.

Well, screw that. He can get in line. Because if I have to lick Marku’s boots, I’ll do it. And I’m halfway to my knees when Rory grabs my shoulder, jerking me upright. “You’re missing the goddamn point, Link. We’re not the ones you should be talking to.” He waves a finger between the assassin and him, then thrusts me around, so I can see the two omegas.

I force myself to look at Elvana. She still glows like a goddamn angel, but there’s a hardness in her eyes now. There’s also a monster bite mark on her neck, but I’m not stupid enough to comment on it with her glaring daggers my way. I should probably apologize, tell her I never really meant to screw her over so bad, but we’d both know it’s a lie. So I just ask, “What can I do to make this right?”

She cocks her head, and I’d think her wolf was staring out at me if her eyes weren’t tiger bright. “Before you took me to the auction, you said that once it was over, I could ask anything of you. Remember?”

I nod, but it hurts. Everything hurts. Because I know what’s coming.

“Well, I’m not asking, Lincoln. I’m telling you. Walk the fuck away.”

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