“This will get good,” Kitty mutters behind me.
Judge smiles an annoyingly handsome smile when someone says something to him, and it makes me hate him more. As he scans the space, like he’s a casual attendee, we finally make eye contact.Everythingabout him hardens, slowly turning his whole body to face me. Those pale eyes widen with fury, then flit toKitty, his head tilting to the side like he’s asking what the fuck is going on.
I can’t help it when I look up at the alpha I caught the attention of, like I’m asking for help, whose eyes are still burning into me like he’s assessing if I’m worth it or not. Judge looks over his shoulder to where my attention is. The other alpha doesn’t move a muscle, as if asserting himself, lowering his head as if he might do something… and then he turns away with a scowl, even leaving.
Judge approaches with a casual demeanor, as if not to draw attention. He swipes his chin with his thumb withsomeaggression, and I look away, arms crossed. My heart is hammering so hard I wouldn’t be shocked if I started vibrating. I roll my eyes when Judge’s scent is probably one ofthebest here, but Iknowit has to be related to the familiarity of that alpha properly pleasing me during my heat.
My biology is utterly betraying me.
“Kitty, remove her.Now,” he commands, far too calm. That voice is low, dangerous, and yet warm like honey in tea.
I look back up at the railing, and that alpha is gone.
No.
“Ravina forced us back outside,” Kitty mutters.
“Remove Diana.Now.”
When Kitty motions to follow, and I don’t, Judge says, “I’ll use a bark here on you right now if you don’t move. You need toleave.”
Biology continues to be this communicator for me that I’m not used to listening to, and I’m suddenly very aware of my situation.Thealpha of Dominion is in front of me, and I don’t need to be hurting his fragile baby ego when all eyes are on us. I don’t look at him, which can just be seen as submission, but I don’t care. I follow Kitty, but not before looking back up at the balcony one more time, with Judge watching me.
Thatwill be my act of defiance. I owe himnothing. All thatpossessive talk back in that breeding house was of a rutting alpha. He left me with the scraps—plus, I don’t even care what he thinks of me!
I want to rip this omega heart of mine out. And I’ll show him that he does not, in fact, own me.
As the doors shut, I make eye contact with Judge through the glass, who appears to be filled with so much rage I wonder if he’ll hurt me for this. For whatever line I clearly crossed in his mind.
But when my back is to him, it just confirms that Iwillclaw my way out of this.
The Black Mirage.
In the chaos that’s my body, I don’t have to fear being caught anymore. Maybe I can push boundaries more and demand that Ravina let me meet with alphas. She has some authority, does she not? At this point, I’d be willing to even mate with an alpha, just to piss Judge off. Because it’s not as if the mark is staying.
I know the Witch Doctor can break even a mating bond.
I don’t want to go through the effort of faking my interest in someone, but I will if it’s necessary. Maybe he can take me on walks around so I can get a better view of the terrain. All I need is a capable vehicle, and I can drive south where it’s warmer, where the Black Mirage is. If I can just keep my head straight, Icando this.
I can fucking do this.
JUDGE
My fingers curlwith an incessant need to grip a throat so tightly I canfeelthe air leaving a body.
Challenging my fucking authority like that, placing Diana in a situation that makes her seem available. And then Colt looking atmyomega like that? The rationality of my mind knows that he has no idea, but I don’t care. It’s all wrong.
It’s all fucking wrong.
And I can’t let it show. Not here. Not now. Too many loose ends in Dominion for me to flash teeth over an omega. Every look, every order is another set of eyes on me. Diana needs to be hidden withoutappearinghidden.
I stalk toward Ravina, the cunt who thinks that just because the Witch Doctor is involved, she has any authorityoverme. When I’m on her, she presents with that dim-witted smile that is more fucking creepy than anything else. “Whywas Diana here?” I ask.
“The omegas are mine to dictate,” she quips, like she’s not even concerned. “That’s the arrangement. You still want your security from the Witch Doctor, correct?”
I gnash my teeth together, even snarlinglike I want to bite her head off. “You are given an unusual amount of control over Dominion’s omegas in exchange for a deal that I made,” I correct. “But there are always exceptions, and Diana is one.”
She raises a brow, those eyes of hers hungry for information. She’s so unlike the brotherhood we have at Dominion. Ravina has no idea how much her safety means nothing to me once Titan is dealt with.
