My magic trickled its way up my spine, as if it was trying to tell me to use it. I released the iron-tight grip that I usually kept it under and let it seep into my eyes, sucking in a silent breath at what it revealed to me.
It didn’t show me any images or let me hear anything this time, but it gave me a sort ofknowing. As I stared up at Orpheus everything finally clicked into place.
Being pitted up against him our entire lives, the way that my mother was treated in the club despite only being a beta, the reason my father and I looked nothing alike. It all made sense.
“We’re brothers, aren’t we?” My voice was strangled as I forced the words out. “That’s why you can’t just leave me alone.”
Orpheus jerked away from me like I’d swung at him, his face crumpling with anger. I could hear the shocked whispers of the MC as they looked between Orpheus and me for similarities.
“I have always thought Rex looked like the old Prez when he was younger,” someone said out loud and was immediately silenced with a harsh voice telling them to shut the fuck up.
I could feel the shock wafting off of my packmates and it reverberated through the bond.
“No you aren’t my brother, I would never acknowledge any bastard that came out of that slut. Alphas are supposed to love their omegas, but all my mother experienced was disgust from my father. Because your mother was there.” Orpheus’s voice was full of venom.
“So why not just let me live in ignorant bliss of it all? We were out of your hair and you got to run the MC just how you run everything. Right into the fucking ground.” I knew it was a stupid thing to say, especially since I was currently knelt on the floor with guns pointed at my head, but I was so sick and tired of Orpheus interfering with my life.
“Shut up, shut up!” Orpheus pressed his hands to the side of his head, his blue eyes going wild. That was my first inkling that Orpheus wasn’t operating on all cylinders. He’d always been cruel and selfish, but never outright crazy. Something had cracked him in the past two years, and I’d just kicked the proverbial hornet’s nest.
Orpheus yanked a gold pistol out of his shoulder holster. It was the gaudiest thing I’d ever seen, but unfortunately for me it still worked like a gun should have.
I felt the pain before I heard the bang of the shot. It blossomed on the top of my thigh and I heard shouting as the men in front of us began to bicker amongst themselves. I stared down at the blood that began to pool where the bullet had entered my leg before looking up hazily to see what was going on with everyone else.
Bat was shouting something that I couldn’t understand over the ringing in my ears, but Tug cuffed him hard enough to make Bat’s head smack into the bar.
Podcast reached over and pressed a rag to my thigh, his green eyes round as he tried to stop the bleeding. I wanted to tell him that everything was going to be okay, but I also wasn’t sure that it would be. I hadn’t been shot in my vision of this moment and that was enough to make me worry that I’d somehow changed the future too much with one of my choices.
“Enough!” Orpheus’s voice cut through the din. He was in control of himself again, the insanity in his blue eyes having faded with his violence.
Orpheus looked down at us again, his gaze settling on Podcast like this was the first time he’d noticed him since walking in.
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you beta-turned-omega. I’ve been thinking about you since that day,” Orpheus purred.
Podcast visibly shuddered at his words and I could feel a thread of rage coming from Juneau as Orpheus’s presence made our omega shrink in on himself.
“Ah-hah!” Orpheus snapped his fingers as if he’d just come up with the greatest idea. “I know just what to do, let’s make a deal, omega.”
I shook my head. “No,” I said, my growl chorused by the rest of my pack.
“I wasn’t speaking to you, Rex, I was speaking to the omega.” Orpheus continued to stare at Podcast, ignoring the rest of us entirely.
“His name is Podcast, you sick fuck,” Doc spat, leaning forward like he was going to lunge at Orpheus only to be shoved back with one of Tug’s meaty hands.
‘What’s the deal?’Podcast asked, his hands still covered with my blood.
Orpheus frowned and gave my leg a rough kick, sending bolts of pain running through my entire body. “What is he saying?”
I scoffed at him. In the twenty-four years that he’d known Podcast, the asshole had never picked up any sign language.
I pursed my lips tightly, not wanting to be the translator for a deal that was definitely going to hurt my omega.
I knew none of the other guys would either, so it surprised the fuck out of me when Tug finally spoke. “He’s asking you what your deal is, boss.”
We all stared at him like he’d grown a second head, but Orpheus shook off his surprise first.
“You and me finish what we started that night and I’ll let your pack go,” Orpheus, his lips tilting up into a disgusting smirk.
Podcast’s entire body stiffened.
