“Who?” Gray asks.
“Our Soul Bonded. That’s who.”
Everyone stills as Jax swings his head between us with a shit-eating grin.
“I’m serious! She’s fucking beautiful. Short, pretty shy. Amazing pink hair.”
I’m first to break the silence as I blink rapidly. “What do you mean, you found our Soul Bonded?”
It’s a myth. Apart from that one alpha and omega, Soul Bonding only exists in books.
As Jax explains his encounter with the pink-haired omega, Tristan sinks his head into his hands.
“Tris!” Jax says, settling beside him and clapping his hand to his shoulder. “This is incredible! I thought you’d be pleased. I mean, we’ll have to explain to the Council and the Hub, but we’ve found her.”
Tristan shoves his hand off, reaching for the whiskey. Jax hesitates, finally picking up on the atmosphere. “Tris?”
He sounds bewildered, and I don’t blame him. I catch Gray’s eye and he frowns at me in question. None of us have ever seen Tristan like this.
“Are you nervous?” I offer quietly. “About Monday?”
Tristan snorts. “I wish it was that simple.”
Leaning back, he cradles his glass in his hand. “I had a visit at my office tonight. From Erikkson.”
Revulsion fills me. I can’t stand the beta Council representative, and his daughter’s a psychopath.
“What happened?” Gray presses.
Tristan rubs at his eyes tiredly, before he launches into the story. As he speaks, I can see my growing anger reflected in the faces of my pack.
“What the actual fuck?” Jax shouts, standing up. “You need to speak to David, Tristan.”
Tris shakes his head. “I can’t,” he says flatly. “Erikkson will expose him the moment he thinks I’ve said anything. He wouldn’t want to lose his advantage.”
And even if David is guilty, it’s likely he’d hand himself in as soon as Tristan raised it.
“But you said no, right?” Jax presses.
“I tried.” Tristan’s mouth is a thin line as he looks at us. “I tried to say no, but he had something else.”
“What could he possibly have that would make you agree to Alicia becoming our mate?” Gray demands, anger lacing his tone.
Tristan looks away as he slides the folder down until I grasp it, tugging out the photos.
It takes me a moment to understand.
Gray swears a blue streak over my shoulder.
Us. Erikkson has us.
Gray has me pressed up against the car door, his mouth on my neck and his hands down my jeans. My head is thrown back, my face clearly visible to the camera watching us.
“How long?” Tristan asks hoarsely as Jax makes his way down to us. “How long have you been lying to us?”
“It wasn’t a lie.” I shake my head in staunch refusal. “We knew, if anyone found out – what they would say, what it would mean—”
“It was a fucking lie.” Jax snarls, betrayal in his face as he looks between us. “We’re a goddamned pack! You didn’t think you could trust us with this?”
