by Fel Fern
“I’m not brushing you off, Ron. I keep my word. Always,” Sergio whispered against his ear after releasing his lips.
Feeling shaky, Ron nodded, not trusting himself to answer.
“Shift and head back first. Jared and I will remain and I’ll explain we were having a run.”
Ron hoped Sergio’s plan would work. He changed forms, and took one last look at Sergio, at the remnants of his load still coating Sergio’s chest and stomach. Sergio smirked, seeing where he was looking. A wave of possession swept through Ron. Yours, he would have told Sergio, if he still possessed a human mouth.
“Go, they aren’t far,” Sergio said.
He ran, feeling like a completely different person. Not the cowardly Omega the Silverback bullies picked on, but someone else. Sergio’s mate? No. He shouldn’t think that far. Hoping and having expectations would get him nowhere, especially if all that awaited him would be crushing disappointment.
Would Sergio really set aside Diana for him? How would Brendan react? Badly, without a doubt, because if Sergio took Ron, that would go against Brendan’s notions of cultivating a pureblooded line. Sergio himself didn’t belong to a pure blood family. He wasn’t a born shifter, but he possessed the traits, the powerful genes Brendan desired.
No use thinking about that now. Ron needed to head back to his room, before someone found out he was gone. He reached the tree without encountering anyone. Ron quickly donned his hidden clothes and clambered up. Once in his room, he let out a sigh of relief. Ron didn’t see the shadowed figure coming right at him. Pain burst on the ride side of his face. Ron saw stars, and his body hit the floor soon after.
Chapter Five
Ron woke up, head throbbing. The entire right side of his face felt like it was on fire. Damn it. What the hell happened? One moment he hopped onto his window ledge, scot-free, the next, darkness. Ron tried moving his limbs, but his skin rubbed against coarse rope. He jerked his eyes open, and found himself tied to a chair. A quick look told Ron he was in his room. Taken captive in his bedroom?
Ron let out a hysterical laugh, which died down when he caught sight of the two wolves watching him. “Dee Dee, what’s the meaning of this?”
The she-wolf gave him a spiteful smile. “So you think you’re good enough to roll around with an Alpha, don’t you, bastard?”
A chill crawled down his spine at those words. Denial first. Ron didn’t know how much the family knew. Whether they were merely working on suspicion, waiting for him to admit to the crime, or a spy caught Sergio and him in the woods. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Hale,” Dee Dee said simply. “Help our prisoner adjust his vocal chords.”
Ron swallowed at the sound of the second wolf’s name. Hale Beck was one of the pack enforcers, and one of Brendan’s trusted. His other name had been torturer. When the pack needed dirty deeds done, Hale was summoned. No wonder he KO-ed Ron with one punch. The huge shifter approached him. His fist blurred, shattering his nose. Ron screamed, blood dripping down his shirt.
Dee Dee pushed her way past Hale, who stood aside. She took a handful of Ron’s now-stained shirt. “The Alpha has given me the permission to conduct this session as long as I want. Are you going to talk, Ron, or should I let Hale do what he does best?”
Brendan gave her permission? Ron’s stomach sank at those words. If his father knew, then he couldn’t lie his way out of this one. He was on his own too and he was no match for someone like Hale. There were only one card Ron could play, one role he knew how to play convincingly.
He lowered his gaze and slumped in his restraints—a submissive gesture. Not hard to see Dee Dee liked that. In terms of pack structure, Dee Dee didn’t pull much rank, but she was good with one thing. Eavesdropping, and she knew the ins and outs of everything that happened in the pack. A regular spymaster, and Brendan liked using her both in and out the bedroom—according to rumors.
“It wasn’t my fault,” Ron said shakily, looking at her with pleading eyes. God, he hated playing the part of beaten and broken Omega, but he didn’t have a choice. This way, he’d erase all suspicions of Sergio.
He let out sniff. Dee Dee’s eyes narrowed. Was she buying this? Time to kick this up a notch.
“Sergio—he.” Ron bit his lip. “He’s the kind of dominant wolf you can’t say no to. Dee Dee, I tried my best, but he was so strong.”
“Poor bastard,” Dee Dee crooned. She slid her long-nailed painted fingertips up his hair. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
“I wanted to get some air, so I went for run, despite knowing I shouldn’t,” Ron admitted. She nodded, playing the part of concerned older sister. His ass. Dee Dee didn’t give a fuck about anyone. She’d sooner turn on her own siblings, if that meant climbing up the pack ladder.
“That was a worrying move, Ronald. Brendan thought you would,” she admonished.
“You saw the way he looked at me.” Ron shuddered. He changed his tone from frightened to bitter. “But it turns out I was wrong.”
“How so?”
“I thought…well, it doesn’t matter. It turns out all Sergio was interested in is taking a bite, and disposing of me after he had me.”
Dee Dee nodded. Of course she’d believe the lie without question. In their world, the strong did whatever the fuck they wanted. Logic stated a powerful Alpha like Sergio would take what he wanted without permission, and throw Ron away once he was satisfied.
“You should have known that, Ronald. Sergio Esteban is a monster. Everyone knows that.”
Ron hung his head. “But what about Diana?”
Dee Dee snorted. “That little virgin isn’t going to last long under a man like Sergio. Doesn’t matter though, once he’s bred her, then she no longer has any use.”
Anger surged into Ron at those words. He clenched his fists, aware Hale was studying closely now. What the hell was that? Usually, the enforcer was a silent shadow, never seen, until he was holding a knife up the throat of his target. Ron stored that curious bit of information for later. For now, he focused on Dee Dee and how she was soaking up his pain. Bitch.
“What will happen to me?”
Dee Dee trailed a sharp fingertip down the fresh bruises on the side of his face. Ron avoided a wince. He refused to give her a smidge of satisfaction. “
“If you weren’t a half-breed bastard, I would have liked you better, Ronald. You know why?”
“Why?”
“You’re just like me, concerned about preserving your own skin.” She let out a laugh. “Brendan is giving you one last chance. Stay away from Sergio Esteban. Let the negotiations and paperwork come through. You, he’ll deal with later.”
“What will happen to Sergio?” Suspicion flittered across to her features. Ron quickly said, “Will he be punished? Can you make sure he doesn’t do the same to Diana, take her against her will?”
Dee Dee gave him an annoyed look. “Brendan will point out to Sergio that he’s taken liberties without permission, but he wouldn’t make this much of an issue. This alliance is too important to him. Diana, well, Sergio isn’t allowed to touch her until the deal is signed.”
Ron breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“Don’t know why you care so much about the little bitch.” Dee Dee nodded to Hale. “Hale is required to teach you a lesson, Ron. You know the rules.”
“I do. I won’t fight him. I understand my place.”
“Good.” Dee Dee walked to the door. She paused and turned to Hale. “Hale, don’t make a mess, and remember to leave him intact. Brendan doesn’t want him dead.”
Dee Dee exited the room. Heart thumping painfully against his chest, Ron watched Hale walk to the door and lock it. The shifter looked at him for a couple of minutes, not saying a word.
“Look, just get on with it,” Ron finally said.
Hale shook his head. “I have one question.”
“Go ahead. It’s not like I’m going anywhere anytime soon,” Ron retorted.
“
Why did you lie to her?”
“I didn’t,” Ron said. Shit. Did Hale see through him after all? Trusting his instincts, Ron told him the partial truth. “I lied some, and told parts of the truth. What are you going to do about it?”
“But you genuinely care about Diana.” Ron couldn’t read the other shifter’s tone, or the emotion in his gaze.
Ron expelled a sigh. “We grew up together. She’s blood, but she’s also the only soul here who gave a damn about me.”
“I, too, have watched Diana since she was a child. She deserves better than this blood thirsty Alpha.”
Ron didn’t need to know what Hale thought about him. Like the others, Hale saw Ron as nothing more than an annoyance, but perhaps, he could use Hale’s strange concern for Diana to his advantage.
“Look, Hale. I know you don’t like me. The feeling’s mutual, but perhaps we can come to some kind of arrangement.”
Hale narrowed his eyes. Ron didn’t bother lying to him, because that would lead him back to square one. He needed all the allies he could get. Did he have a plan? No, but Ron formed the brief sketch in his mind.
“I will not betray our Alpha, Ronald, as you are so keen to do. Brendan should have killed you, instead of raising you.”
Well, that hurt a little, but Ron couldn’t afford to show Hale weakness. “So you’ll let Diana mate Sergio? Can you stand by, and watch that happen? Sergio isn’t as nasty as you all seem to think.”
Hale’s figure blurred. Ron let out a croak when Hale wrapped one large hand around his throat.
“Who is Sergio to you, Ron? How well do you know this Alpha? Have you been secretly working with him for years without our knowledge?” Hale growled.
“No. I only met him yesterday.” Ron gasped. Hale loosened his grip, but distrust and doubt lingered in his gaze. Ron decided to answer his question. Ron continued, “I don’t know what Sergio is to me, or I to him, but I do know he isn’t happy about this arrangement either.”
Eventually, Hale spoke, “What is your plan, Ronald? I will hear it, and decide from there.”
“Fair enough,” Ron agreed. “Can you untie me?”
Grunting, Hale cut through his bonds, setting Ron free. Ron began to speak. After, Hale looked troubled, but Ron couldn’t blame him. Hale had been by Brendan’s side for years, his loyal guard dog. Breaking the habit wasn’t easy, but Ron knew a man like Hale wouldn’t betray his word. Hale cared for Diana deeply. Ron suspected his affections ran toward the intimate side, but that wasn’t any of his business.
“If Diana ends up hurt, then you will die under my hands, bastard.”
Ron nodded. “I understand the risks”
He held out a hand. Hale shook it, grip firm and steady. After Hale left, Ron went for a shower. He let the hot water cascade down his head and body. Closing his eyes, Ron imagined he could still smell Sergio’s lingering scent on him. Without second thinking his decision, Ron had set certain events in motion.
Was his relationship, or whatever he had with Sergio, doomed from the start? Ron didn’t know, but he had to believe a future existed between them. To reach that stage though, Ron couldn’t stay idle or wait around for fate to lend a hand. He’d fight for it with every breath in his body, because for the first time in his life, he found something worth fighting for.
Chapter Six
“How are you feeling, brother?” Alessio asked Sergio, tone cautious.
Sergio didn’t bother masking the truth. Irritably, he jerked off his silk tie. “I’m going fucking insane. Did you get the information I asked for?”
Alessio frowned, as if he was debating whether or not to tell Sergio the truth. Three days had passed since Sergio last saw Ron. Asking any member of the Silverback wolves about Ron would raise suspicions, so he tasked Alessio with spying for him. It bothered Sergio Ron and he never had the talk. Ron mentioned Diana and he were close, but in the last three days Sergio had never seen Ron with his bride-to-be.
It didn’t help Ron’s absence made Sergio’s wolf twitchy and restless, and Sergio knew he made for a horrible fiancée. Every rehearsal and every waking second he spent with his Diana Silverback felt like torture of the worst kind. All Sergio thought of was Ron. Ron’s lean body underneath him and the way Ron’s pulse leaped each time Sergio touched him. Held him close, like an intimate lover would, or a mate—fuck, Sergio could think about that path.
“You look good in your wedding tux, Sergio,” Alessio said, changing the topic. Frowning, Sergio regarded his brother. He was never one for tact. Did Alessio think he’d manage to avoid his query?
Sergio let out a warning growl. “Alessio, did you see Ron around the house?”
“Fuck, Sergio. What the hell is this Omega to you? You’re going to wed Diana in a couple of minutes in an official capacity, with a minister, rings—everything.”
Sergio wondered why he played the charade this long. “Alessio, answer the fucking question. I’m asking as your Alpha, not your brother.”
Stiffening, Alessio glared at him, but finally answered him. “He’s around. Locked up in his room from what I hear, not allowed out until the mating is over.”
Anger flared in Sergio at those words. He recalled the way Brendan took him aside two nights ago. How the smug bastard told Sergio he’d taken “liberties without permission,” but he’d forgive the offence on account of understanding that as an Alpha, Sergio needed relief.
Showed just how much Brendan thought of him, but Brendan’s low opinion of Sergio worked in their favor. Protected Ron, because if Brendan thought Sergio’s interest was a one-time fuck and roll in the dirt, then Brendan wouldn’t be able to use Ron against Sergio.
Maddening politics, and Sergio thought this whole affair would be a simple transaction. Meet his bride, make her his mate, and hopefully get her pregnant to seal the deal. A marriage of convenience that went off-script the moment Sergio laid his eyes on Ron. The fact Ron didn’t try to contact him once also alarmed Sergio. A crafty wolf who managed to escape his room once could do it again. Ron stayed away from him for a reason.
Did that mean Ron didn’t want him anymore? Sergio assumed Ron was no longer interested, until an unexpected ally approached him the night before.
“Sergio, what are you going to do? Everyone is gathered at the gazebo. Guests, representatives from both our packs, and the human minister.”
Alessio watched him carefully, but Sergio could see his brother was struggling to understand why he was acting this way. Examining the problem from all angles didn’t give Sergio any other answers. He and his wolves were outnumbered.
Stuck in enemy territory and the Silverback pack called the shots. If Sergio broke off the engagement, Brendan wouldn’t suffer the insult. Sergio and his wolves wouldn’t leave the compound alive. There was Ron to consider, too. What would Brendan do to his bastard son, once he found out Sergio was interested in taking him as a mate, than his pureblooded daughter?
Frightened daughter, Sergio thought. Despite his attempts to get to know Diana better, to prove to the young woman he wasn’t the monster in the overrated stories, she was afraid of going anywhere near him.
Someone knocked on the door. Hale, one of Brendan’s enforcers appeared. “How long do you need, Alpha?”
Both Hale and Alessio looked at him expectantly. Letting out a heavy sigh, Sergio fixed his tie.
“Allow me,” Hale offered, surprising him and Alessio.
Alessio bit back a remark when Sergio spoke, “Of course.”
Sergio’s gut instincts told him Hale came to him for a reason the night before. His wolf watched the other man carefully. Large fingers fixed his tie. Alessio shot him a look of curiosity, but Sergio couldn’t explain to Alessio now. Wordless, Hale caught his gaze. Jerked his head slightly to one side, to the corner in the dressing room Sergio suspected the cameras were embedded. They were being watched, like always.
“My thanks. Will you tell Brendan I am ready?”
“Very well.” Hale nodded curtly and wa
lked out.
Alessio gave him a steady look. “Sergio, I’m not asking again, but…are you sure?”
“There’s no other way. Complications blinded me at the start, but this is for the good of the pack.” Sergio fingered the thin strip of paper Hale passed to him when he fixed the tie. As they headed out the room, Sergio passed the slip to Alessio. Quickly reading the note, Alessio disposed of it after.
“Midnight, wedding suite. What does that mean?”
“We’ll see,” Sergio answered. Ron. That note was from Ron, he was sure of it. Sergio wasn’t sure if he could trust Hale before. Still didn’t, but he had no choice but to rely on Hale’s word that Ron and Hale were working together to get them all out of here.
Alessio dropped his voice as they exited the mansion and headed to the outside gardens, where the ceremony would be held. “I don’t like this.”
“Be ready to move. Talk to Jane and everyone.”
His brother might not get the gist of the message, but Alessio knew something was up. Sergio trusted Alessio would keep his guard up, throughout the wedding and the evening after. They fell silent when they reached the site. Brendan didn’t spare any expense. The decorations were done up in Silverback colors of black and silver. Black petal scattered the path leading to the minister and Sergio. A hundred guests graced the ceremony—allies, enemies, and prominent members of the supernatural community. A brilliant farce.
The band played the moment Diana appeared at the end of the line, dressed in an expensive designer gown Sergio helped picked only two days before. The she-wolf looked nervous, pale under all her make-up. Sergio could practically smell her fear, even this far. She clutched at her bouquet of black roses, fingers pricking on some thorns.
Poor girl. Sergio wore a brilliant smile as she came close with her retinue. Shyly, she smiled back at him. He took her hands in his, and gave them a kiss. Diana shuddered, not the good kind. Not like Ron, whose body screamed for more. Sergio shook off his irritation and played his role.
