The tension rolling off Sergey continues, but at least he keeps his goddamn mouth shut for a few moments, letting me take a breath. Until he can’t, of course. He lashes out into a tirade, full of hand gestures and impossible-to-understand dialect delivered again in cold, punchy words.
I refuse to budge an inch, because his mistress watching as his brother and I consummate my vows to Sergey is manipulative as fuck.
Santiago and Kade stay quiet and calm, but they back me up with the small discernible clicks as they unlock the safety on their guns.
Aleksei stays next to me, but he lowers his arm and reholsters his gun. He’s not relaxed, by any means, but he’s not on edge either. I risk a look at him and am struck once again by how goddamn gorgeous he is.
“Anything I should be worried about?” I ask with a cheeky grin.
He looks at me, and there’s a sparkle of something in his eyes. It’s fleeting, but I saw it. When he blinks at me, the hint of humor is gone, replaced by a solemn expression that matches the mood. Except, he doesn’t manage to grab a hold of his scentas quickly. It layers and cocoons around me like cuddles on a cold day.
“Don’t push him like that,” Aleksei warns under his breath.
“You don’t have an issue?”
“I have lots of issues with what he is doing, but I know now is not the time to provoke him.”
“I think I’ve done pretty well, all things considered.” My lips barely move when I answer, and since I turned to face Sergey again, I miss watching his reaction.
But I lean into Aleksei’s scent and his presence. And then I take my fill of Kade and Santiago, too, before I touch their shoulders lightly as a sign to drop their guns. Sergey watches suspiciously, so I keep my hands to myself and lock up my emotions before I look at him again, standing in surrender.
“I did not intentionally set out to upset you.” I have to pretend I’m sucking on a hard caramel to stop from pulling a grimace at the lie. I honestly just want to get on with this day before I can crash out in my rooms. “I’m sorry if I offended you. Sometimes our traditions clash, and the very nature of our world makes us overly suspicious, anyway.”
He stays simmering in his quiet rage, despite my overdone apology.
I stay quiet and unmoving as he speaks with Bambi. His emotions and mood still fluctuate, but this time, it’s not directed at me.
As he talks, my thoughts drift to Victor, and I hate that I’m spending so much time thinking about my father. He’s a disgusting human being and an abhorrent parent. I guess it’s because I see so much of his behavior in Sergey that I think of him. All it does is confirm to me, once again, that power really does corrupt the weak.
It takes a lot of coaxing, but eventually Bambi leaves. The death glare I get as she struts towards the door has Roshka growling softly.
She surprises me, though, by not slamming the door.
Sergey didn’t watch her leave. Instead, he goes and speaks to his guests quickly before making a call. I use the time to lock myself away in a safe place in my mind, where I remember times with Kade, and the one afternoon with Santiago, and fantasize a little about Aleksei.
I feel a touch on my shoulder before Aleksei leans down to whisper in my ear about being careful. I knew how close he was because of the one-sided bond I have with him.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
SANTIAGO
Istay near enough, the only thing she sees is me. It’s a bonus that the closeness will ensure the only thing she breathes is my scent. And Kade’s.
As much as I want to be the only person to claim this Omega as mine, the magnetic draw they try desperately to hide is hard to ignore.
Aleksei touches her shoulder, and she turns her head to look at him. She’s calmer than I thought she would be, but at the same time, Quinn isn’t one to cower from what’s thrown at her.
Her pupils are darkened by the magic of our scent and presence, and hopefully, her mind is back in that hotel room where life as I know it changed.
“It’s okay, Aleksei,” she says.
And he drops his head, succumbing perhaps to the guilt he undoubtedly feels. Of course, she turns right around and tries to soothe him.
He keeps his gaze averted, but she doesn’t let him avoid her for long.
“I won’t be defined by his actions, nor am I ever going to hold this over you. It would be a deep pain I would carry if you felt guilt when you were forced into this more than I was.”
“How can you say that?” he bites back.
