13. Melanie #2
My face twisted from shock into anger as I lifted my gaze to meet Sin’s plain stare.
What kind of alphas would treat their omega that way?
Sin paused on the top button of his shirt, pretending he didn’t notice my expression as he continued.
“Camille had an accident when she was fourteen and she has been practically bedridden ever since. Every person who was there was convinced Caspian pushed her into the lake, even though we had seen thousands of times how they felt about each other. So, naturally, Caspian became more protective of her.”
“And you?” I asked, my voice thick with disbelief. “How did you respond?”
My eyes widened as the corner of his mouth hitched, and the darkness from his aura crossed his face.
“She is my sister, Melanie. How would you respond?”
“I don’t think our relationships with our sisters are the same,” I replied.
If someone threw Rosa into a lake today, I honestly couldn’t say if I’d jump in after her to save her.
“Hm.” He lifted his fingers to his chin, watching me closely. “I’ll believe you.”
“How kind of you.” I glared. All the magic of being drowned in Sin’s love was quickly fading as I led him towards what I really wanted to hear. “And how does Caspian feel about her now?”
“Oh, he’s most likely still in love with her. We’re good at hiding our feelings from each other in our pack bond, but he pines for her, in his own way. And there’s that special part of him that loathes me for scent-matching with him.”
The world fell silent around us as my shock grew even heavier, rooting me to the floor.
I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t even know if I could move. I just stared at him,
“But I can assure you, it will be different when you join our pack. There won’t be any question about Kai’s feelings once you’ve bonded with us.”
The words sliced straight through me.
He hadn’t even asked his mates before he made his offer.
Sin might have even said the same thing to Kai. I’d read they were mated to him for five years. Did that mean Kai had to deal with feeling this the entire time, too?
I wasn’t even their mate and I wanted to do anything I could to make sure Caspian didn’t look at her that way. And that was more for Kai than myself.
“Then what about the pack earlier? The Hiscoxes? How are they involved? They said they were Camille’s mates.”
“Ah, yes. I’ve been meaning to discuss that with you, but we become rather… Preoccupied whenever we’re together.”
It even stung that he treated foreplay and sex as if it was some kind of deviation from his plan.
“To put it plainly, as you asked, the Hiscoxes and our mothers have brokered a deal with them and us. If we find ourselves a female omega by the Selection Ceremony, then Camille won’t have to mate with them.”
It was like he had raised a sword and stabbed it through my heart.
Of course, they’d said they needed a female omega. And I’d guessed it had something to do with their families pushing them to bond with another omega.
I wasn’t blind to how people treated Kai. But the way they were deliberately bringing me into their pack and causing Kai so much pain to protect Camille seemed diabolical.
And Sin didn’t even see the way I was reacting. He continued on as if this was an everyday conversation.
“Our mothers don’t exactly approve of you, but you don’t need to worry.
You will be our omega, whether it takes until the Ceremony or afterwards.
” He took my numb hands in his, stroking his gloved thumbs across the backs as he met me with sincerity.
“I’ll talk to Caspian and Kai. I know they’ll understand. ”
I wasn’t even sure if I could talk to him anymore when he seemed so disconnected, but I still managed to get the words out.
“Like Kai understands how Caspian feels about Camille?” I rasped.
“Precisely.” He nodded, tearing at my heart again. “Melanie, you are our mate. Whatever Caspian feels or doesn’t feel, there is no denying that. And Camille will be safe once we’ve mated with you, too.”
“It’s easy enough to deny. Just give it time.” I said, with a whimper of hurt.
His hand slid upward, cupping my elbow as he drew in close.
The shuddering pain wasn’t for me. Even if I felt this strongly about Sin—about all three of them—my heart was bleeding for Kai.
“You don’t have to worry about anything now,” Sin said, his voice heated as his lips pressed to my hair. “I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”
He went to wrap his arms around me, but I couldn’t take it. Not after how sweet and loving he’d been, and what this must have meant to Kai. Because they could feel each other through their own bond. So how had Kai and Caspian responded to Sin when he fucked me?
“What about Kai? How has he felt about all of this?”
“Well, it was difficult for him to adjust, but we’ve made our peace with it now.”
There was no way an omega, any omega, could deal with that. She wasn’t his scent match, wasn’t part of his pack, yet Kai had to deal with Caspian treating another omega like his own.
It didn’t make everything I’d done better or worse, but it shone a new light on what happened. Saying I was drugged up on my own perfume was no excuse. How could Sin invite me to join his pack after knowing all that about his mates and his sister?
“Sin, where is Kai?” I croaked.
“Why do you need Kai?” he asked.
I shook my head, taking a step back from him, pulling out of his grip. I could still feel the imprint of his cock inside me, feel the how hard he’d fucked me, and the absence of him. I’d felt so comforted and so loved, but I’d let myself be dragged to his level.
“Just tell me where he is!” I said through gritted teeth.
I pressed a pulsing palm to my mouth to stop the tears threatening to fall.
I’d craved Kai so deeply since I’d bitten him, but this was the first time I really needed to be with him.
“Well, if he’s anywhere, it’s probably…”
The second Sin told me, I took off. I didn’t know exactly where I was going. I didn’t care that it was raining, or that I only wore awkward heels and a skimpy dress. The only thing that mattered now was finding the omega I’d betrayed.