Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Romeo Ballet Academy, Sanctum
“ A re you scared of the storm?” Benedict pulls me closer against his side, shielding me with his body against the driving rain. “Do you need my music to help again?”
I angle my face skyward, allowing the rain to lash my cheeks. “Not anymore.”
Storm clouds obscure the moon and stars in the night sky, as Benedict and I stand to the side of the high, iron gates of the Romeo Ballet Academy.
It’s late.
The performance is over.
News of our feud being dramatically ended has hit the headlines. And now, it’s time to finish this.
Benedict holds me against his warm body under his sweeping coat.
I can’t get used to being on this side of the gates, on the snowy, forested road that leads down the steep mountain.
Free.
For four years, I was terrified that I’d be sent into exile, if I took a step outside these gates just like happened to Felix.
Except, that was a lie.
Felix was already dead.
My expression hardens. “I have my pack with me. Now, I’ll never be frightened of the storm that took my Alpha and Omega parents from me. I can face that fear tonight because the woman who took my Beta mom is still alive. And the thunder is like my parents howling out for fucking justice.”
I ball my hands into fists.
“Then they’re going to get it.” Swan pulls the hood of his gray, woolen coat over his head against the rain.
Ambrose and Vito are huddled together next to us, talking in hushed tones to Silvanus. They’re drenched but don’t appear to notice it.
Only a week ago, I’d never have imagined that my cousin would have been standing and talking so intently with Ambrose, his rival, without one of them kicking the other’s ass.
They may only be playing nice because the enemy of my enemy is my friend , as Silvanus explained it to me.
But it makes a wound in my heart heal to see it.
I’m both a Cinders and a Romeo, and finally, I feel that’s okay.
I don’t need to deny either side of myself.
Ambrose’s gaze is piercing, when he turns to the shadows and waves someone else over to join us.
I nuzzle against Benedict because this new Alpha looks fucking fierce.
He’s tall with ebony skin and startlingly ice-blue eyes. He’s in his thirties with a severe expression. His black hair is cut military short, but he’s dressed in an expensive designer suit and coat.
“This is Sheriff Dante Marshal,” Ambrose says. “He’s been doing good work in a unit that rescues Omegas from abusive packs and then protects them.”
“All dynamics, in fact. I’m fostering an Alpha right now, Richard. He thinks that it’s a punishment but truly, it’s a rescue,” Dante replies in a deep, cool English voice. “Some Alphas simply need to be shown how to become better people without the brutality of somewhere like the Alpha Center breaking them. Especially the young ones who’ve been mistreated themselves or were raised in toxic environments.”
“Like Dimitri.” Ambrose turns to Swan and me. “I’ve asked Dante to foster Dimitri for the next year, but only if you’re okay with that. If I exile or fire him, then he won’t survive. He’s institutionalized by this place, his mom, and his cruel contract. I want to offer him the chance to find out who he is outside it, while making sure that he’s somewhere safe where he won’t hurt anyone else.”
Swan and I exchange a glance.
Dimitri has always felt like he’s had the power.
He’s tormented Swan.
But he’s also been secretly in love with him. A twisted, possessive love.
Possibly, because he’s been isolated and alone. He’s been an unloved Alpha, despised by his mom because he reminded her of his dad.
He’s only our age, and now that I know he was sold the same as Swan was, it’d make me sick to imagine him abandoned or sent to the Alpha Center.
I nod my permission.
“Dimitri is a knothead.” Swan pushes his wet hair out of his eyes. “But he’s a fucked up by his mom and seriously confused by what love means knothead. A year being fostered by this Sheriff seems fair. But good luck turning that asshole into a better anything.”
“We have our ways.” A Beta, who is younger than Dante, prowls down the path toward us. He’s holding his phone in his hands. The new Beta is wearing a Rat Pack style suit and hat. His black curls tumble around his face, and his large silver eyes are breathtaking. “I’m the deputy. My name’s Joseph. Joey to my friends.”
Vito studies him warily like he’s trying to remember if he knows him. “You’re not mafia, right?”
Joseph freezes, then he winks. “It’s the hat. Alphas love the hat. Or are you one of those mob fanboys who…?”
“Joey,” Dante growls, “hold your pretty tongue.”
“Yeah, yeah, shut up, Joey . I know.” Joey salutes with a swagger. “You’re the Sheriff.”
Swan grins. “I can see that we’re going to be best friends.”
Dante sighs. “Lord save us from brats, or at least, our spanking hands will.”
Vito grabs Swan by the arm and swings him against his side, as if to protect Swan’s ass.
Ambrose arches his brow. “Did you get the authority?”
Joseph waggles his phone. “It’s come through now. Luckily, the new Mayor of Haven is not only hot but a good Alpha. He convinced Sanctum’s Mayor to pass this case to our unit.”
“Good.” Dante’s voice softens. “Are you entirely certain about this? Once we start, there’s no changing your mind. Are you prepared for what this will mean?”
Vito rests his hand on Ambrose’s shoulder.
Ambrose ducks his head. Water runs down his face.
My chest is tight. My nails bite into my palms.
Ambrose is tearing apart his own pack, company, and legacy.
If his mom — a famous billionaire — is arrested, it’ll lead to a national scandal. The press will tear the Romeos apart.
It’s social suicide for Ambrose.
Plus, this is his mom.
I understand that he’s conflicted.
But please, please , let him face these demons now.
My Alpha needs to overcome his fear the same as I am.
Maybe then his wounds will heal too.
I hold my breath.
“Please,” I whisper against Benedict’s honey scented neck. “Please…”
Ambrose’s shoulders straighten. “Laurent and I have been ready to free our pack from our mom our entire lives.”
Respect flashes in Dante’s eyes. “Good man.”
“What mistake did Olivia make because she watched our performance?” I ask. “Do we have enough evidence now?”
“We had no evidence.” Ambrose looks dangerous in the dark, as the storm whips his coat around him. “So, we forced her to give us some.”
Vito’s grin is wicked. “This was the plan from the start.”
“It’s an ancient play,” Benedict adds, “used in court intrigues across the world. If your enemy is too smart to reveal their evil deeds, then you—”
“Mindfuck them, until they do.” Silas rests his arm on Ambrose’s shoulder like they’re best friends. “Our sudden, unprecedented co-operation and the murder being acted in the play ensured that she’d be kind enough to provide us with that evidence.”
“What evidence?” Swan demands.
“As soon as she left the theater, she returned to the academy,” Benedict replies. “Forty-three minutes later, Laurent logged that she began to open hidden files that he hadn’t previously been able to access on the system. She led him straight to them. After that, she started to delete precisely two hundred and eighty-two of them.”
Benedict is struggling to come down after the stress of his first performance on stage but he insisted on being here.
Olivia is his fear as well.
He’s showing extreme courage that most people will never understand by standing here alongside his family tonight.
Group situations are difficult for him, let alone with intimidating strangers like the sheriff and his deputy.
I will never forget it.
In fact, I’ll never forget what all these men have done for me.
“Of course, it’s not easy to fully delete something, especially when my brother has hidden access,” Ambrose says with a hint of pride. “Laurent recovered each of those deleted files, then sent them to the Sheriff. Mom led him directly to the evidence.”
A cold ball forms in my stomach.
I’m shivering. “Does it prove…? About the murders?”
“I happen to be one of the best hackers in the country.” Joseph coughs. “Legally now , of course. I’m one of the bad Alphas, who Dante helped to reform. But I’ve been helping Laurent. Just from a brief look at the files, they include evidence of abuse and trafficking. My bet would be that we’ll find evidence of the killings. But it’s enough to arrest and probably lock Ms Romeo in the Alpha Center.”
Ambrose strides to me, cupping my cheek.
He wipes away the raindrops like they’re tears. “Forced evidence, see? But my Juliet, we have her . Because when she saw Swan and you in the bravest dance of your life, Mom panicked. She thought that it was my way of threatening her. That’d be the type of ruthless stunt that she’d pull. Maybe I intended to blackmail her, go public or to the authorities. It was such an unpredictable move that she tried to get rid of all evidence of illegal activity, before sending a message on a secret email to Jacob, telling him to do the same. She may as well have confessed to the murders.”
I gasp.
“Guess who has access to my poor sick dad’s emails, even his so-called secret ones?” Silvanus gives a sharp smile, looking like a fallen angel.
“I could hug you,” I burst out.
Silvanus flushes, shyly pleased.
“And will your sick dad be miraculously well enough to stand trial?” Dante asks, dryly.
“Aren’t we all praying for his speedy recovery?” Silvanus smirks.
Ambrose twirls away from me, as dominant pheromones roll from him. “We have enough. Follow me. This ends tonight.”
Benedict takes my hand. Side by side, we follow the other men toward the open gate.
The icy courtyard in front of the Romeo Ballet Academy is wreathed in shadows. It’s surrounded by high stone walls, which are topped with snow.
The castle-like academy stands behind it, which was both my home and cage for so many years. Light spills out of only a couple of the barred windows over glistening steps, which are flanked by gray stone columns.
Olivia is standing unmoving in front of the statue of Romeo and Juliet in the center of the courtyard. She’s not wearing a coat, and her flowing evening dress is so sodden that it looks like molten gold has been tipped over her shoulders in an ancient ritual.
Her hair is falling out of its clips wildly around her face.
She’s shivering.
Her hand is resting on the marble Juliet’s neck.
It’s the same statue that Swan and I have danced around.
That I climbed on.
I’ve always found it both beautiful and haunting.
And now I understand why.
A sharp pain stabs my chest. I double over with a whine.
“My Omega? Are you okay?” Benedict lets go of my hand to crouch next to me.
I’m not.
Because I know now.
I fucking know.
At long last, I realize that I was never truly separated from Mom. I watched her out of my window at nights. She was there, when I danced with Swan.
We were held captive together in this academy all along.
With a scream, I launch myself up and forward across the courtyard.
Adrenaline rushes through me. My heart thuds in my chest.
I hear the yells of the men over the rushing in my ears. But I don’t stop or wait for them.
I feel feral.
This killer is touching Mom.
No more.
Never again.
I throw myself at the Alpha, running on sheer feral Omega instincts to protect my pack. I sink my teeth into Olivia’s hand, which is resting on the statue.
In shock, Olivia howls.
She snatches her hand off the statue, shaking me back and forth to try and dislodge me.
“You horrible, rebellious Reject. You’re just like your mother .” Olivia raises her free hand to backhand me.
I only bite down harder, delighting that I taste copper blood.
All of a sudden, I hear Ambrose’s voice, which is as cold as the snowy courtyard.
“If you touch her, Mom, then I’ll use one of your props to accidentally cut off each of your fingers.” Ambrose gently places his strong hand on the back of my neck.
His touch, as well as his soothing pheromones, makes the red mists in my mind clear.
My breathing slows.
Hell, I attacked an Alpha.
Worse, a Head Alpha, and I did it in front of a sheriff.
“Good Omega.” Vito leans over and whispers into my ear, “You’re awesome. I knew that you were my perfect Omega. But you’ve caught Olivia, and trust me, she’s not going anywhere. We’re safe. So, do you want to let go now?”
I don’t.
But I trust my bonded mates.
I force myself to open my jaw and spit out Olivia’s hand.
Olivia hisses in pain, clutching her hand to her chest. “The bad Omega is feral. I want her charged and sent to the Institute.”
“I don’t take orders from criminals.” Dante’s expression is hard as steel.
Swan and I edge closer to stand in front of the statue, protecting it.
We hold hands.
Silvanus’ expression is grim, but he walks silently to join us. He takes my hand, and I know that he needs this touch as much as I do, since he rarely shows it.
Because we’ve worked out where Nova and Felix are buried.
For the first time, Olivia stares around her at the group of men who are now encircling her.
She takes a stumbling step back, but at Dante’s nod, Joseph slips metal handcuffs off his belt. In a single, skilled move, he catches Olivia in his arms, before wrenching her hands behind her back.
“Get your filthy hands off me.” Olivia struggles. “What are you…?”
“Arresting you,” Joseph clicks on the handcuffs. “Stay still.”
“You should be arresting my son after that travesty of a play,” Olivia sneers.
“Everybody’s a critic.” Swan shrugs.
“I meant that he collaborated with our rivals behind my back.” She jerks her head at Silvanus. “That slut who pretends he’s now Head Alpha of the Cinders.”
“I prefer playboy. ” Silvanus’ eyes narrow. “And it was a triumph with a standing ovation and everything. But then, you didn’t stay to see the ending, right? Did something trigger you? The knife, maybe? Or had you already seen it?”
Olivia twists to look at Dante. “I’ll have your badge for this.”
“Original.” Dante rolls his eyes. “But since I head my own special unit, I assure you that I’m not shaking in my truly expensive boots.”
Olivia’s expression shutters. “All this shows is that my dumb son needs to be sent to a private mental health institute for treatment. His years of extensive therapy notes will prove that he doesn’t know what he’s doing or saying. I can provide them. He’s an unreliable witness to anything.”
“Who said that he was a witness?” Joseph asks, quietly.
Olivia opens and shuts her mouth, caught out.
Then she glares at Ambrose so viciously that Vito instinctively steps to stand between them. “Is this your way of taking over the Romeos, dear? I should admire this level of ruthlessness and cunning. Clearly, you’ve been taking pointers from me. But do you truly think that I’ll lie down and let it happen? You’re destroying the company that I’ve worked my entire life to build up. The legacy of your ancestors.”
“Which is it?” Dante drawls. “Either your son is experiencing difficulties with his mental health and doesn’t know what he’s doing or he’s a ruthless man who’s deliberately worked to take over your company. It’s interesting that you’re contradicting yourself by claiming that it’s both.”
Got her.
Silvanus squeezes my hand.
My throat is dry.
Seeing the powerful Olivia lost for words is a highlight of my life.
“Check mate,” Benedict declares, before glancing at me, as if to make sure that he got it right.
I smile at Benedict, nodding.
We allowed Olivia to think that she dominated the board. But now, the pawns are attacking the king and winning the game.
Ambrose prowls around Vito to stand in front of his mom.
He takes a steadying breath. “Of course you wouldn’t lie down and let it happen. That’s why my smart Omega brother has been gathering the evidence to destroy you.”
“Laurent?” Olivia’s gaze is icy. “That dumb Omega is only good for looking pretty. If that’s your best shot, then my lawyer will have me out by tomorrow lunchtime, and you know how I’ll punish every one of you, Laurent included.”
The sword held across Swan’s hamstrings…his eyes wide with fear…the threat that he’d never walk, let alone dance, again…
“Enough,” Ambrose growls with such dominance that Olivia cringes back against Joseph. Her eyes shoot open like she’s never truly seen this side of her son, and now she’s awoken it, she’s scared. “You treat Laurent like a sweet rose, but in fact, he’s the thorn who’ll make you bleed. You never saw either him or me. It didn’t matter how smart or tough he was, you only saw a beautiful Omega who could be used. And I was the Alpha who needed to be the best in town, at grades and sports, or else you made me suffer.”
Next to me, Silvanus stiffens.
Ambrose reaches to touch the scar just below his eye. “But I won’t live with the feel of your blade on my skin anymore. I won’t let you hold it to anyone else’s throat. I’ve filed for emancipation, and Senator Knight is granting it. You’ll never hurt Laurent, the Beta dancers, or any of my bonded again. Dad will dance every day, if he wants to. But right now, I’m asking you to give Juliet and Swan some peace. Tell them where you buried Nova and Felix.”
Silence.
Swan’s hand tightens around mine.
I’m shaking.
“I don’t know what you mean, dear,” Olivia replies. “But do you know who’s dead to me from now on? Laurent and you .”
Ambrose blinks rapidly for a moment or two before drawing back.
My heart aches for him.
Vito slips his arms around Ambrose’s shoulders.
Ambrose’s lips tighten, before he turns his back on his mom.
She pales with rage like no one has dared to dismiss her before.
“I can guess where they’re buried,” I say. Ambrose looks at me, startled. “When were these statues added to the courtyard?”
“About four years ago,” Swan says, confirming my memory. “Just after you arrived.”
“Shit,” Vito breathes, glancing down at the frozen ground at the base of the statue.
Olivia becomes ashen. Involuntarily, she glances down as well.
It’s all the confirmation that the sheriff needs. He nods at Joseph, who yanks Olivia after him along the path toward the gates.
My throat feels like it’s closing up, but I force myself not to cry
We did it.
Ambrose is Head Alpha.
Swan and all my fated mates are saved from Olivia’s cruelty.
Finally, the dancers can fly.
We’re free.
A bitter-sweet joy sweeps through the bonds.
Swan, Silvanus, and I let go of each other to turn to face the statue.
Then I rest my hand on Juliet’s cold, outstretched marble one.
Peace washes through me.
The restless anxiety that’s made me an insomniac quietens.
Surrounded by a dark storm that no longer scares me, I finally smile. “I danced tonight in the Prima Ballet Theater as a principal just like you did, Mom. I shone. It was incredible. I wish that you could have seen it, but it’s okay that you didn’t. I’m learning to live in the present now, rather than the past. I’m sorry that this happened to you. But I’m glad that you found love. I have too. My bonds make me happier than I knew it was possible to feel. I’m safe now. I have a family and a home. Perhaps, more than watching me dance, I wish you could have seen that. But it’s time for me to move on now. Goodbye, Mom.”