Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
ROGUE
Thistle was glowing as she waltzed into the kitchen the next morning with Ace.
“How are you, Kitten?” I asked as she scrambled up onto my lap and plucked a piece of toast from my plate.
“ So good!”
“Yeh?”
Knox peered at her, glancing between her and Ace, who was pouring himself a glass of water.
“We had sex,” Thistle declared, so fucking proud.
I snorted, watching the faintest shadow darken Ace’s expression as he leaned against the kitchen counter.
“It was—” Thistle began, but Ace cut her off.
“Give anyone the details, Omega, and it will be the last time.”
Thistle clamped her mouth shut, chewing on her lip as she peered up at me.
“Rough,” she muttered, ever so quietly. “He was rough.”
In the bond, she seemed about ready to explode with pride.
“Huh?” Knox asked.
“Nothing,” Thistle said quickly, cheeks bright pink as she crammed the toast into her mouth.
I did, however, shoot Knox a smug look. I’d been spot on about last night.
Even if I hadn’t been confident enough not to hover at Ace’s door for the hour after she’d vanished through it. I’d needed to make sure I felt nothing in the bond that might require me to break his arms and legs.
But still.
I glanced at Ace, this time trying not to make it too obvious. He remained still and impassive as he considered the glass of water in his hand.
I knew the issue.
“Straws are in the top drawer,” I said, nodding to it.
Ace opened it, so impassive as he ripped one out and jammed it into his cup so he could access it through the muzzle. You know, I was starting to see why Knox thought that was funny.
In the bond, there was still nothing.
He was controlled. Almost unnervingly so. I dropped my eyes back down to her, smiling as I honed in on Ace.
It was almost… too little—like static from a TV without signal.
There was something… stiff about it.
Huh.
I tucked that into a back pocket for later since he was a tough read.
“We’ll go to Ace’s mansion today,” Knox said.
I looked up to see Ace’s eyes flick to Knox for a moment, but if he was pleased, it didn’t show. He just nodded, taking another sip of his drink.
“Oooh,” Thistle brightened. “You sure I can’t come?”
“No.” Ace beat us to the answer, and I glanced at him in surprise. Not that I was in disagreement—and Knox wouldn’t be either.
I tugged her closer. “Hate to agree with him, Kitten, but you should stay with the Misfits.”
She frowned. “Are they the ones who gave me the key to your dungeon?”
“Yup.” Knox said.
Ace looked suspicious. “ Who are we leaving her with?”
“They’ll protect her,” Knox put in. “That’s all you need to know. And they have a safe room if anything happens.”
Ace glared, setting his cup down.
“Fine. Oh—and Knox,” Ace said.
“What?”
There was a smug expression on his face as he plucked the straw from the cup, tapping it on the muzzle. “If you want me to do my job, you are going to have to remove this—just like I said you would.”
THISTLE
With Bunny and sketchbook in one arm and a box of Poptarts in the other, I joined Knox in heading to the east wing so I could hang out with the Misfits while they went to Ace’s house.
I think it was fair that Knox was paranoid, so I got why he wanted me with the others if all my Alphas would be out, but I was nervous meeting new people, since I’d never been very good at fitting in.
Knox knocked, then waited for someone inside to call out before he opened the door.
Inside their quarters were nice. A breeze drifted in from an open patio door, and a collision of scents tangled in the air in a way that felt like a family.
It was messy but cosy, pillows and an enviable number of human-sized beanbags everywhere.
“They’re here!” That was Callum, the Omega I’d seen serving guests at the party Knox had hosted. He jumped to his feet and crossed toward us.
Oh—Okay. An announcement…
“I can’t stay long,” Knox said.
“I know,” Callum snorted, eyes darting between me and Bunny as he held out his hand.
I took it, forcing a smile onto my face that I hoped wasn’t too awkward.
“Ah—shit.” Knox was eyeing the counter. Upon it I spotted a sweet smelling dish fresh out of the oven.
An Omega poked her head over the couch, a bright smile on her face as she waved at me. “Tanisha,” she said in introduction. “And I knew it—hook, line, and sinker. He can’t resist my strudel.”
Her skin was like deep sunstone, and her hair was thick, dark brown, glossy waves. I think I might have spotted her in the ballroom during the night Knox had hosted the Ring. Her smile was mischievous as Knox rolled his eyes and made for the counter to dish himself a piece of strudel.
“He doesn’t visit enough,” Callum told me.
“You know I’m busy,” he said. “You want some?” He redirected the question at me.
“Uhh…” I glanced around. I thought it might be rude to come in here and start eating their food. “No… I’m covered.” I glanced down at the box of Poptarts, then suddenly wondered how weird they’d think that was.
I hadn’t thought about it, but now I was here, I felt oddly exposed like I hadn’t since before I’d been kicked out of school.
They all knew each other, and they didn’t know me at all.
I was an outsider.
An oddball—I knew what people thought about Bunny.
They’d think I was?—
“Ey! It’s Thistle and Bunny!” A tall, dark-skinned male Beta with buzzed hair poked his head from a side room, strolling to us and scruffing my hair before taking Bunny’s paw and shaking it. “I’m Vance.”
A flush crept up my cheeks, an involuntary smile on my face. We’d never had a welcome like that before…
“Wait—V?” I asked.
“That’s me,” he said.
My grin widened. The mysterious V was the one who’d given me the key to Rogue’s basement.
“He likes to cause chaos,” Knox snorted as he took a seat on the couch. I joined him, sitting close, fingers digging into his wrist, still a little anxious. It was a good couch. I could sink right in, and with all the cushions and blankets, I might even be invisible.
Knox didn’t stay long, though, joining a back and forth with Vance and Callum as he finished his strudel. But then he was brushing the crumbs from his hands.
He tugged me close for a quick hug, lips brushing my hair. “I’ll be back soon,” he promised quietly. Then he stood, offered the room a nod, and slipped out. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me holding Bunny, staring at the others as silence stretched.