Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Attic, Battle House, The Alpha Underworld
I didn’t know that you could pass out from pleasure.
Smiling in memory of Feral and my first time together after our sparring yesterday, I cuddle Feral in the cage.
He lies on his side, cradling me. He is trying to give me as much warmth as possible, while protecting me from the hard wooden floor. He’s wrapped the blanket around me.
I squirm to push the blanket partially over him as well.
Feral kisses me in thanks. “M-m-morning, my Omega.”
“Morning.” I yawn, enjoying the way that my body is aching for the first time not only from harsh exercise but also a vigorous fucking. I could get used to this. “It’s the day of the final fight.”
Feral’s eyes become hard. “Th-the night we win.”
I nod.
My brow furrows with concern, however, when I remember that there was a prize taken for the Championship Special in two weeks.
A male Omega.
Laurent.
The Special is usually some secret, spectacular event that Dad throws to impress not only the other mafia packs but also the elite ones, who have bet the highest throughout the season.
Dad is good at the business side of this, as well as putting on a show.
“We’ll also save the poor male Omega who Vinnie kidnapped as a prize,” I add. “Fuck knows what he’s been going through. He’s a soft elite from a billionaire pack who own ballet academies.”
Feral snorts. “Ballet?”
My lips quirk. “He’s in for a shock, right? What must pampered Omegas like that do all day? Sit around drinking champagne, while wearing pretty clothes? Watch other pretty people dance, as they’re being hand fed? Shit, what a culture shock he’ll be having down here in the Underworld. I bet a thousand dollars that he has a panic attack the first time he sees a gun.”
“Blood.”
“Knife.”
“S-sees a cage f-f-fight.”
“Meets Dad.”
The mirth dies from my eyes.
I wring the blanket between my hands.
“Poor guy.” I look down. “He won’t be built or trained to survive in a place like this.”
“W-we’ll w-win him.” Feral tilts up my chin, stroking down my jaw. “Protect him like w-we do our Beta.”
No one but River and I see this side to Feral.
He’s been molded by the Battles’ into an unhinged weapon in the octagon. But outside the fighting pits, he’s the best of Alphas.
A good man.
I knew that I could rely on him.
I attempt to reach up to kiss my Alpha in reward, but unexpectedly, the door slams open.
That’s not River.
I roll away from Feral.
I don’t want a repeat of the threat from Allegra to shock Feral, simply because we’re lying together.
Feral growls, throwing the blanket off.
He crouches, readying himself to prowl to the front of the cage.
“Inside, Laurent. Be a good Omega.” Dad shoves a male Omega in the back, sending him stumbling into the attic.
Dad is holding his gun casually in his hand as he swaggers after the Omega into the room. He’s dressed in his favorite red suit, jabbing his pistol again at Laurent.
My eyes widen.
Laurent isn’t having a panic attack.
Instead, he sticks his hands into the pockets of his own gray suit and strolls into the blood-red concrete attic like it’s a luxurious spa.
Who the hell is this Omega?
He has some serious balls.
Laurent’s calm is fake, however, which impresses me.
I can tell because he holds himself still but he’s deathly pale. He allows himself to be steered into the room like a stiff doll.
He appears to be a prince who is being led to his execution. Yet this male Omega is attempting to look unaffected.
That takes courage.
Laurent looks , however, exactly as Dad described the billionaire from the Romeo pack over breakfast. The sweet Omega who has been lusted over in magazines and on TV shows by millions as one of the most beautiful Omegas in America.
He’s heartbreakingly beautiful.
Laurent has waist length blond hair, which is feathered around a face that’s as sharp as a blade. His skin is so pale that it’s translucent. His hair is also made pretty with rose clips like he’s about to do a model shoot.
Laurent studies me with cool, gray eyes.
I sit bolt upright, blushing.
Why do I have to look such a hot mess, when I meet him for the first time?
I try to smooth down my tangled hair.
Laurent is dressed in a gray suit that matches his eyes with a glimmering waistcoat, which is embroidered with roses.
His suit is buttoned up to his neck and restrictive. A castle is embroidered over the pocket. He’s also wearing castle cuff links.
The medieval style castle feels at odds with the roses, hard with the soft.
Feral’s response takes me by surprise.
He sniffs, before his eyes darken. Then he launches himself forward, slamming his hand against the front of the cage, rattling it.
He lets out a deep, protective growl.
Laurent’s mask doesn’t drop, but his cool gaze assesses Feral.
“Stop growling, you feral shit.” Dad fumbles in his pocket for the small, black box, which makes Feral flinch.
Instinctively, Feral reaches up to his red collar, anticipating the shock.
Laurent’s quick, intelligent gaze notices the movement.
Instantly, Laurent turns to Dad.
He clasps Dad’s wrist and stills him like he hasn’t got a gun held on him.
“No need for that, is there?” Laurent says to my surprise. He’s smiling so sweetly that it could give you cavities. Except, it’s not real. He’s wielding his smile (like the pheromones that he’s suddenly flooding through the room in a thick mist), as a weapon. This Omega is dangerous . “I’m scared. I’m only a weak Omega. Won’t you show me where you want me to live now, Head Alpha?”
I almost snort.
This man isn’t weak .
Physically, Laurent is slim, although his jaw and shoulders look strong, and could be broken in half by every single Alpha, Beta, and Omega in the Underworld.
He appears to be possibly a year or so younger than me.
Yet he’s sharp, even if his sharpness is brittle…fragile.
I’m intrigued by such inner strength from someone who has been kidnapped from Above.
Someone who is prepared to protect the man who I love, even if he doesn’t know him yet.
Laurent twirls a strand of hair around his finger. “Please?”
To my shock, Dad smiles indulgently. “You are a beautiful little thing, aren’t you? How can I say no to you? I wish that I could keep you on silk sheets in the softest nest. I would build an Omega Chamber just for you. I spoil my Omegas, well, the ones who deserve to be bonded with me.”
My stomach churns.
Mom was spoiled with soft nests and gifts, until she didn’t provide Dad with an Alpha kid. Then her bond was broken…
I bite my lip to hold back the memory.
I won’t let Dad claim this stunning Omega.
Laurent may think that he can play Dad, but then, he hasn’t seen the other side to him.
I never want him to.
Laurent slinks closer to Dad. He’s like a siren with how honeyed his voice becomes.
He looks up at Dad through his eyelashes. “Thank you, Head Alpha.”
Dad looks flustered.
Have I ever seen him flustered before?
Dad drops the gun, holstering it.
He pats Laurent on the shoulder. “How about this? If you behave, tesoruccio, I’ll bring you soft blankets for a nest. How about chocolate? Do you like that? I don’t want to be rough with a lovely little thing like you. You’re used to gentle treatment. Plus, you’re a valuable prize.”
“What does tesoruccio mean?” Laurent asks.
“Little treasure.” Dad pinches Laurent’s cheek. “Because you not only should be treasured but are going to bring me in a lot of cash.”
Dad rushes past Laurent to open the door of the second cage in the room, swinging it open.
Behind his back, Laurent arches his brow at me in victory like he already considers us Omegas-in-arms against these kidnappers.
My stomach sinks.
He doesn’t know that I’m his captor’s daughter.
He simply sees me as another Omega in a cage.
Does Laurent think that I’m in the same situation as he is?
I avoid his gaze, dreading telling him the truth.
How will he trust me now?
Feral stops growling in confusion.
Laurent saunters to the cage, before ducking his head and climbing inside. He sprawls on the wooden board like he’s posing for a fashion shoot.
Suddenly, his head snaps to the side.
His gorgeous eyes spark with surprise, as they meet mine.
My breath hitches. I can’t look away.
I’m mesmerized.
Then I’m flooded by his delicious scent.
Sweet, rose chocolate truffles.
My mouth waters.
Except, it’s more than simply the fact that I want to lick and nuzzle down his neck.
Devour the man.
A connection hits me, deep in my soul.
He’s my Omega soulmate.
I can tell by the wary but hopeful expression, which has broken finally through Laurent’s unaffected mask, that he’s realized the same about me.
I’m desperate to break through these bars and wrap my arms around him.
I edge as close to his cage as I can.
It’s physically painful to be separated from him.
I ache.
I want to know everything about Laurent, more than the fact that he’s another of Dad’s kidnapped prizes and the son of a billionaire.
It’s clear that he’s gutsy enough to keep calm, even with a gun pointed at him, as well as courageous enough to charm Dad in order to protect a feral Alpha.
Yet he’s still a soft Omega from the Above who can’t fight. I need to do that for him. He’s in serious danger here.
Yet he deserves to be wrapped safely in a perfect nest and not be locked in this attic with me.
I wish that I could give it to him.
I will.
I’ve dreamed of finding my male Omega soulmate and being able to build him a beautiful nest.
I’m going to keep Laurent safe and return him to the Above and his life, which he should never have lost.
But how can I say any of that?
I’m the daughter of the man who kidnapped Laurent and who intends to give him away as a prize in a fight.
I’m Laurent’s enemy.
Yet the way that Laurent’s eyes widen, and he turns to study me, I know that he’s feeling this connection too.
Has he also fantasized about meeting his soulmate?
I bet that he never imagined that she’d be dressed in red bra and shorts, while being locked in a cage with a feral alpha.
Laurent’s cheeks tint with pink.
He’s dazed, before he shakes his head with monumental effort to clear it.
“Well, this is cozy.” Laurent’s eyes flash, as he looks out at Dad. “ Gentle treatment? Was that why you sent those kind people to kidnap me, before chaining me in their basement to degrade and starve me for the last month? Is breaking Omegas not the same as being rough with them? Strange, they were angry that they couldn’t break me .”
Dad’s expression darkens. “Vinnie is a fucking psychopath. But sometimes, I have to use unsavory people like the Hades for tasks in the Above. Did those biker shits hurt you? Don’t worry, you belong to us now. You’ll be cared for here.”
Feral instantly crawls to the side of the cage next to me, working his hand through the bars. He attempts to hold Laurent’s hand in comfort.
Laurent flinches back.
My heart clenches.
Feral has been taught to flinch because of being shocked. My brother has been taught it through Dad’s beatings but then, he flinched from the moment that he was first adopted. Perhaps, he learned it from the mistreatment of his first pack.
I never expected a wealthy, powerful elite like Laurent to flinch.
“Stay back,” Dad snarls.
Feral grabs the bars between the two cages, as close as he can to Laurent. He doesn’t retreat.
“What will happen to me?” Laurent asks, as if inquiring about the weather.
“There’s a fight in a couple of weeks. You’ll be given as a prize to the winner. Don’t look startled, tesoruccio. I know that you’d prefer to stay with me, lovely little thing. Don’t worry your pretty head about it. Let the Alphas work these things out. For now, you belong to me. Since you’re being such a good Omega, let me treat you. What would you like me to get you? A squashy pillow? Some chocolate cake, hmm?”
When Dad reaches through the bars, Laurent stiffens. I can tell how hard he is working not to flinch away from Dad’s petting hand.
Feral growls.
Laurent waves a regal hand. “A chessboard.”
Huh, not what I was expecting.
I like this Omega even more.
Dad gives a startled laugh, patting Laurent patronizingly on the head. “Why would an Omega like you want something like that?”
“To play chess.” Laurent looks down at his elegant fingers, pouting. I’d believe his act, if I couldn’t see the molten fire in his eyes. The overconfidence of Alphas like my dad will be their fucking downfall. “I get bored.”
Dad finally draws back his hand, eying Laurent with greater respect. “You’re unusual in the same way that my daughter here is. Other Alphas with less finesse like Vinnie simply try to break Omegas. The fucking assholes don’t value uniqueness. But I know that as long as the Omegas are tamed, uniqueness has its merits.”
He turns on his heel. His scarlet coat fans out behind him like flames.
When Laurent’s calculating gaze snaps back to me, it’s so assessing that I feel he can see my soul.
“Head Alpha,” he calls after Dad. I wince. Laurent is pushing it. I don’t know whether Dad or Laurent is more dangerous right now, or who is playing whom. “I’m not used to being alone. Please don’t leave me like this. May the other Omega join me in my cage to cuddle?”
Dad turns back. His expression hardens.
I shiver. My skin tingles.
I would have never dared to ask for that. Laurent shouldn’t have done.
Dad’s temper can erupt at any moment, and there’s no reason that Laurent will be exempt.
Laurent is on thin ice asking for something boldly like this.
I shoot Laurent a warning glance, but he’s staring at Dad. He’s even managing to squeeze a few tears trembling onto his lashes.
He’s a good actor. He missed his calling.
Yet now he’s voiced the request, I realize how fucking desperate I am to nuzzle and hug the other Omega.
Is he feeling the same urge?
When Dad sees the tears, his expression softens.
What the hell? Since when did Dad show kindness and empathy?
Laurent must have a superpower.
He’s the Alpha whisperer.
“Such a sweet thing.” Dad sighs. “If only my daughters were like you.”
I bristle, hurt.
Is this what Dad wants from me? This fake, saccharine submission?
Fuck. That.
Feral has been watching the exchange with the same intensity as he watches a fight.
It’s eerie.
Is it because he can sense the connection between Laurent and me? Or is it something else?
“It’s okay,” I whisper, soothing my hand over Feral’s shoulder. “He will be scared. Let me go and comfort him.”
Feral arches his brow, which shows me just how much bullshit he thinks that is.
I try to hide my grin.
Dad unpadlocks my cage door, before yanking it open. “Out.”
I crawl from my cage, before clambering into Laurent’s. The closer that I come to his delicious scent, the more intoxicated I feel.
I’m unusually shy as I raise my gaze to meet his.
I understand now why Laurent Romeo has been featured in so many magazines around the world. He’s not only beautiful and stylish, his charisma is enough to make me blush.
Instantly, however, Laurent drags me into his arms. “May I nuzzle you?”
Shocked, I can feel that despite his stoic expression, he is actually shaking.
It hasn’t been entirely an act.
“Please…” I breathe.
Laurent pulls me to his neck.
I nuzzle one side of his neck, while he nuzzles mine.
I hear his muffled protest, “Watch my hair.”
I burst out purring at the incredible sensation of cuddling another Omega like this. I’m surrounded by Laurent’s scent, as well as the deep sense that this is how it’s meant to be with Omegas.
This physical touch is what I’ve been missing out on.
I feel a tentative lick on my neck, which makes me shiver. Then a deep, masculine purr that vibrates through me.
My own purr deepens in response.
Laurent tangles his legs around mine, holding me closer.
“Take care of him,” Dad’s gruff voice comes from behind us, as the cage door locks. “You can see how sweet and needy he is. He’s not like you, Harley. I’m holding you responsible.”
I listen, as Dad stalks out of the room.
Laurent clings to me for a moment longer, then he sits back, smoothing down his waistcoat.
I blink at him.
Laurent has dropped his sweet act. His eyes are now as sharp as his grin.
“Isn’t it lucky that Alphaholes are always the easiest to play?” He adjusts the rose clips in his hair with a grimace. “Some of them don’t even look beyond the blond hair and the tight ass.”
“You have a tight ass?” I blurt.
Mentally, I slap myself.
Feral chuckles.
Laurent looks offended. “Do you want me to get up on all fours so that you can check?”
I hesitate.
Well, if he’s offering…
“I’m not offering,” Laurent clarifies, “I do have a tight ass.”
“F-f-funny Omega.” Feral offers his hand through the bars again. I bite my lip, expecting Laurent to flinch. Instead, Laurent reaches and lightly grasps Feral’s hand just for a moment. And that takes bravery. “Sweet.”
“More like a thorn,” I mutter.
Laurent looks delighted. “It’s like you already know me. So, it turns out that I’m Laurent Romeo, the new prize for the day. Since I don’t intend to be anyone’s forced breeder, how about we start working on how to get out of here? I’ve already worked out step one by getting us Omegas together.”
Panicked, I slam my hand over his mouth.
I dart a worried glance at the door. “Shh, keep your voice down.”
Laurent wriggles harder than I’m expecting him to be able to, shaking my hand off. “ Watch the hair .”
He truly has a thing about his hair.
But then, it is beautiful.
I watch Laurent running his fingers down the lengths, which run to his waist fussily, and wish that I could touch it too.
Is it as soft as it looks?
“A male Omega ran once.” I need Laurent to understand. He has no chance of succeeding in an escape on his own. If he tries to flee, I won’t be able to bear watching the punishment. “He was bonded to Vinnie.”
Laurent sucks in a shocked breath. “Having just suffered his hospitality… fuck .”
I nod, grimly.
The last thing that I want is to frighten this Omega from the Above. But he needs to understand how things work here.
“I guess life was just too… He couldn’t deal with being in that pack anymore,” I continue. “Vinnie hunted him down in the tunnels. The Hades made a game of it. There’s no way out of here, unless you know the codes that open the only door, which leads out of the Underworld. There is no other way to escape back to the Above.”
“What happened to the Omega?” Laurent hugs his knees to his chest.
I don’t want to tell him.
But sometimes, fear allows us to survive, as much as hope does.
We need both.
“He was thrown into the next cage match.” I start to tremble. I was only a teenager but was taken to watch along with every other Omega in the Underworld. Dad wanted nobody to forget the consequences of attempting to escape. “Vinnie’s Alphas were allowed to toy with him for hours, before Vinnie himself finished him off. I never thought that anyone could do that to their own bonded Omega.”
“I wish that I couldn’t believe it. But I don’t trust pack bonds.” Laurent isn’t looking scared like I imagined, only determined. Shit, this is the most dominant male Omega that I’ve ever met. He shuffles closer, before steeling himself to wrap his arms around me. “You’re shivering.”
I melt into his hold.
I don’t feel like I deserve it or his kindness.
He doesn’t know who I am yet.
Laurent rests his chin on my head. “Let’s be smarter about how we plot our own escape. After all, there is a door that leads out of here. I can develop a strategy. I overheard the Alphahole who brought me in here talking about that big extravaganza of an event in two weeks, where I’m the prize. So, that gives us two weeks to work out our scheme. But he also mentioned a fight happening tonight. Are you the prize for that, Harley?”
He thinks that I’m an elite Omega like him…? That I’m worthy of being handpicked by Dad to be a prize, rather than being an outcast, unfavored Second Omega…?
When I snort, he raises his eyebrow.
Hell, I hope that it was an attractive snort.
I cringe. It wasn’t.
I cough, glancing up at Laurent, unwilling to move from his arms.
I didn’t know that someone was capable of having the perfect silhouette, but this man truly does.
He’s model-like.
“This is Feral.” I point at Feral.
Laurent pushes me back slightly. His gaze becomes colder.
“There is no need to be rude.” He strokes down the back of Feral’s hand. “ He is gorgeous and so far, protective of me. Don’t talk about him like that.”
Where has Laurent learned to be so commanding?
Feral and I, however, both laugh at the same time.
I don’t miss, however, how Feral leans even closer to the bars and turns his hand to entwine his fingers with Laurent’s.
Laurent lets him.
“Sorry,” I say, touched by Laurent’s defense of the Alpha I love. “Feral is his name.”
“Oh.” Laurent gives a sheepish grin. “I shouldn’t be surprised. One of my best friends is called Swan.”
“C-call me Fer.” Feral’s gaze flicks to me like I may protest.
That’s my name for him, and sometimes, River’s too.
Yet the way that Laurent’s cool expression warms at Feral’s permission makes me glad that Feral is trusting him with the name.
“Thanks, Fer,” Laurent replies.
It gives me courage to admit in a rush, “We’re not kidnapped. Fer was fostered into the pack to be a cage fighter. And I’m his fighting partner.”
Laurent quirks his brow. “Two cage fighters who are trapped between fights in cages. Interesting. Also, interesting methods that they use to keep their fighters controlled. Shock collars and…” He gestures around at the dank attic. Then he smiles at me. My heart leaps. His smile could launch armadas or destroy worlds. “I have a thing for badass Omegas. I’m impressed.”
Please let that be true .
Involuntary purring bursts out of me.
I blush.
Embarrassing.
Laurent’s smile widens.
My only fear is that he says everything like it’s a move in chess. Right now, he thinks that he’s on the same side as me.
Together, I have the feeling that we have an even better chance of taking on Dad.
But what happens when Laurent realizes that I’ve been secretly fighting on the other side of the chessboard all along?
I can’t do that to him, even if he hates me.
I can’t hide that I’m part of the Battles pack.
I’m not a kidnapped Omega like Laurent. I’m his enemy’s daughter.
My pulse races. I brace myself for what is likely to be the most painful rejection of my life.
“Laurent.” I tilt up my chin, refusing to ignore his gaze, even though I’m terrified what I’ll see in it. “I’m not from Above like you are. I was born here in the Alpha Underworld. My name is Harley Battle. The Head Alpha, Don Battle, is my dad.”
I hold Laurent’s gaze, steeling myself.
“You’re that Alphahole’s daughter…?” To my surprise, Laurent’s expression gentles. Then he scrambles toward me, nuzzling my neck and holding me on the edge of too tight. “I’m sorry. What a bastard. Gentle treatment ? Spoiling ? Perfect nests ? The fucking hypocrite. How dare he talk to me like that, while ignoring his own daughter and keeping her locked up like this?”
He pulls back from me, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Where’s your nest?”
“Here.” Feral sounds hurt, as he gestures at our single blanket and the paper roses that he’s entwined around the bars.
I send Laurent a pleading look.
Please don’t crush Feral.
He’s always done the best that he can for me.
Laurent clears his throat. “Of course, what am I thinking? I couldn’t see the roses before. They’re truly beautiful. I wish that I had one like that to add to the clips in my hair.”
Feral glances at me, questioningly.
I nod.
Feral selects a rose with great care, before handing it between the bars to Laurent.
Laurent doesn’t let go of me but reaches to take the rose like it’s more valuable than the priceless gifts, which he must have been given throughout his pampered life.
He lifts it to his nose, then takes a deep breath of Feral’s scent. His long eyelashes flutter.
He looks embarrassed at himself, before hurriedly fixing the rose behind his ear. “Perfect, thank you.”
Feral growls, deep and rumbling in his throat in satisfaction.
I don’t hate the look of the paper rose in Laurent’s hair. It’s like Feral and I have marked Laurent as part of our pack already.
Yet we need to win him in the Championship Special match for that to be true.
“You don’t hate me then?” I force myself to check.
“Why would I?” Laurent pulls at his high collar like it’s too tight for him. I’ve never seen anyone in such restrictive clothing. Is that the fashion Above for male Omegas? I feel seriously underdressed. “You don’t get to choose who your parents are. I’d never judge someone because of who their Head Alpha is, only on their own actions. I have some experience of suffering under a brutal parent, until I escaped. Mom only saw me as a beautiful honey pot for investors. She’d dress me up in flimsy, transparent clothes and drag me around the globe. She’d keep me at her side for dinner parties and events, teasing who I’d bond with . Of course, she’d beat me, if I disobeyed.”
Feral’s expression darkens.
Well, that explains the flinching. Also, why Laurent was able to so easily charm Dad.
Laurent was trained in those skills, as much as I’ve been trained to fight.
I was wrong. So fucking wrong about the life of this elite Omega.
“How did you escape?” I ask, intrigued.
“Mom was cruel to the Betas who trained in her ballet academies. My brother and I schemed for years to save them. We were always five steps ahead of her without her knowing. Mom never suspected that an Omega like me could take her down.” Laurent’s smile is dangerous. “She was wrong.” But then, he sighs. “Shame that the moment I went to celebrate my first freedom in a bar, I was snatched. I never should have listened to my sister’s Alpha, Vito, about how good beer tastes. Typically, I never even got to taste it for the first time.”
“Aren’t you too young to drink in the world Above?” I demand.
“That’s what the bartender said.” Laurent rolls his eyes. “I’m busy saving and reforming America’s entire dance industry, while risking my life, but I can’t even drink a beer…? I’m twenty, you know. If he hadn’t thrown me out, then I probably wouldn’t have been kidnapped.”
He would have been .
If Dad wanted Laurent, then Vinnie’s men would have been stalking him for weeks.
I don’t think that it’ll make him feel safer to tell him the truth that Dad makes his selection of who to take ahead of time.
“You can drink in th-the Underworld.” Feral grins, looking devilish.
“Hey, don’t corrupt him, he’s only just arrived,” I protest.
But it’s true. You can drink from eighteen.
Except, only Alphas are usually allowed to drink and only then, after fights.
Still, it would be brilliant to find a way for Laurent to have his first taste of freedom and beer to make up for missing that drink, which had meant so much to him, but instead, led to his captivity.
“Corrupt away.” Laurent’s purr is as sinful as Feral’s half-hooded look. I flush, unable to stop imagining what it’d be like to be caught between these two men. “But first, tell me that you have a plot already underway about how to get out of this place.”
Feral and I exchange a glance. “Yeah, we do. But it’s difficult, risky, and not fully worked out yet. First, we need to win the last fight of the season, which is happening tonight. Then I need to convince Dad to name me as his heir over my sister and brother. And after that, most importantly, we need to win the Championship fight — win you .”
Laurent’s eyes light with hope.
I love putting the hope there far more than fear.
“Can you win those matches?” Laurent asks.
“You haven’t seen Feral fight yet,” I reply.
Feral smiles at me proudly, as if to say or Harley .
“I look forward to it. But…” Laurent draws out the word. “…I propose that we make this an official deal. After all, this is my tight ass on the line. I’ve already taken down my mom’s cruel empire. I promise that I can do it again. Ballet or the mafia, it’s all the same at its heart. You teach me what I need to know over these weeks, and I’ll use my skills to bring your plot into focus. I’ll use my mind, if you use your fists and fangs to protect me.”
“We’d have done that anyway,” I reply.
“I still prefer a deal.” Laurent holds his hand out to me, firmly.
Is this the first time that anyone has shaken my hand?
I grin, as Laurent’s slender hand grips mine.
Why does this feel so right?
When Laurent holds his hand out to Feral, Feral licks his lips anxiously.
I know for definite that he’s never seen this gesture before.
Laurent’s expression softens.
His hand is swallowed by Feral’s much larger one, as he grips it, lifting it up and down to show Feral what to do.
Feral catches on and shakes Laurent’s hand hard enough to nearly drag him into the bars.
Feral is going to need to watch his strength around Laurent; he’s not me.
Yet Laurent only looks amused. “Deal.”
Laurent is the first outsider apart from River who hasn’t treated Feral as lesser, been condescending, or else been terrified of him.
“Aren’t you scared of Feral?” I can’t help asking. “He could hand you your ass in a single move.”
“So could you. Am I meant to be scared of both of you?” Laurent enquires, dryly. “My brother is an uber dominant Alpha. He’s a growly grump, but you only need to truly see him to know how good Amby’s heart is. I’m used to dominant Alphas. If I don’t have the courage to be around people who could kick my ass, then I wouldn’t talk to many people. I’m guessing that I’d have to hide from pretty much everyone in the Underworld.”
He's right.
Still, it takes a lot of inner strength to be the physically weakest in the room but still have the courage not to be scared.
Most Alphas back away, when Feral growls.
This Omega is special.
“The first part of the escape plan is happening tonight,” I say. “It’s the last fight of the season. I’ve been saving from the prize funds to pay off Feral’s contract. This is my final chance. We must win.”