Page 174 of Sweetheart: Part One

Fuck.

I still wasn’t sure what he was going to do.

My phone buzzed, making me jump, and I picked it up before thought, the dark bond commands taking hold.

Alastor: You fucked up, Vex.

Alastor: This was just blasted in the closing ceremony of the Diamond Tides.

Underneath it was a link.

I stared for a long time, something sinking in my chest.

Finally, I tapped on it, scared, and found myself staring at a post titled,The Crimson Fury pack deceived: Sweetheart nothing more than a gold pack omega in disguise.

No…

No no no no no.

I read and re-read it a dozen times, praying I’d missed something.

But Alastor was right.

The faint clicking of heels I’d heard as I’d been in that room… The article was written by Alana Swan. It had gone live in the last twenty minutes.

I read through it once more.

…I saw her leaving with Love—I know him personally. He’s been hurt before by people taking advantage. I went to chat after he’d pushed her away—she’d had a bit too much to drink and spilled everything. But I know what it’s like to be in the spotlight. I just didn’t feel right keeping quiet.

Below were photos of the contents of my purse, the one that usually stayed locked.

Detailed shots, with my contacts and the pill labels. I was in the photos too, and I recognised the back room I’d just collapsed in. I looked out of it, as if Iwasdrunk, fist closed around my bottle of pills in one shot.

I clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle a sob, hearing Alastor’s warning in my head.

“Bonding a gold pack omega like you would ruin them. If they want you—and that’s a big if—they’ll want to hide those eyes of yours. That secret is the highest bargaining chip you have, beside your scent match.”

My cell began to ring, the caller I.D ‘Stale Cigs’ lighting up my screen.

My breath caught, my lungs turning to stone.

I couldn’t… but my hand reached for it, answering instantly. I held the phone to my ear, eyes squeezed shut and terrified. “It… it was a mistake.”

“I don’t care,” his voice was cruel and harsh.

“I can manage it,” I whispered.

“How?”

My mind raced, trying to come up with a solution. But the truth was, I was empty.

“P-please… I c-can… I can still convince them.”

“I don’t think so, Vex. I just got an email. Your contract was terminated.”

The world faded around me.

What?

---