18. True Loyalty

Chapter 18

True Loyalty

Sinclair

M y heart hasn’t stopped racing since Merigold went into that room. 1 I am sickened and horrified, but at the same time, my heart breaks for my alphas. They’ve risked everything, fought their whole lives to make it to these Trials. They put their lives on the line, Bishop almost losing his, to get this far . . . so maybe it’s time I make an equally devastating sacrifice.

I’m about to say something when Titus steps in front of me. I’m shocked when he drops to his knees. Bishop and Ecker’s fretted faces tell me they’re just as surprised as I am.

“Our omega is off-limits. Their mate bond sacred,” he says with unquestionable authority. “But if you’re so desperate to get your shriveled-up dicks wet, then use me.” He holds his arms out, then slaps a palm to his chest. “You want to test our loyalty? Then I will give you my body out of true loyalty.”

My breath catches in my throat, his pronouncement knocking the wind out of me.

“So will I,” Ecker says vehemently and kneels beside Titus. Bishop follows right behind him.

My stomach swoops. I don’t know what to do. What if the Elders accept?

“They can’t fail us all.” I hear Griffin’s voice behind me and am stunned when he, Noah, and Maverick join my alphas on their knees.

I’m dumbstruck as one by one, the Cobalt and Azurite alphas add to the line of kneeling men willing to put themselves on the line for their mates. The other omegas and I are left standing together, exchanging the same look of astonishment and pride.

“This is pathetic,” Yves scoffs, and I whip around to face him.

“No, you’re pathetic.” I close the distance between us, remembering the way Titus jumped back when I accidentally poked him in the chest the other day.

Yves stands his ground with a glare as Eric and Stefan flank him more closely. I scoff internally, They really love three on one .

“Ten men,” I say and thrust my finger into his chest. He howls and stumbles back. “ Ten men ,” I repeat with a snarl, tempted to give him another shove, this time with both hands.

I glance at Merigold as she hoists her torn strap up her shoulder. I hate her. I truly do. But in this moment, I can’t find anything but sympathy for her.

Making eye contact with Yves again, I sneer. “Even pathetic is a generous word.”

“Yeah.” Merigold speaks up, pushing her shoulders back and glaring fiercely at her alphas. “You fucking cunts ,” she spits before storming away with the signature flip of her ponytail and clickety-clack of her heels, nose back high in the air.

Penelope and Twelve help Paisley and me scrounge together some old gas lanterns and hang them from the trees over the dock for our impromptu “Sticking it to the Elders” party.

Griffin was right. Once all the alphas took to their knees, the Elders were faced with two choices. Either they fail every pack but the Cyans and lose an entire generation of Echelon members or they spin it.

They chose to spin it, claiming the request for permission was actually a test of their loyalty to their pack all along, not to the Echelon as it was presented.

Everyone saw right through it. We all knew that was not their original intention, but we beat them at their own fucked-up game.

“How much beer do you think we can sneak out of the kitchen?” Paisley gives her attendant a conspiratorial smile.

“We can acquire anything you’d like, ma’am. If we don’t already have it, I can send a driver into town as well.”

“ Ooo .” Paisley claps her hands together. “What if we do margaritas?”

“We can certainly do that.” Twelve bites back a smile before heading off with a polite nod.

By the time everyone else arrives, the last of the sunset has faded behind the tree line, and the dock is illuminated by the fun and nostalgic light from hanging lanterns. We have a small bar station set up for margaritas and palomas, and Penelope recruited the bartender from the brotherhood night. There are a few floats available, but with the sun down, no one is going in the water, myself included. Even though I wore a bikini under my clothes just in case.

Instead, we congregate on the dock, drinks in hand, with good-spirited music playing from speakers. It’s almost like we’re a regular group of twentysomething-year-olds enjoying a chill lakeside party.

“You did good, baby girl.” Ecker comes up beside me and hooks his arm around my neck. He grabs the side of my face and pulls me toward him for a drunken kiss. Warmth floods my body at the immediate reaction I feel from him through the bond. Being able to feel someone else’s desire for you is such a heady, intoxicating feeling.

I taste lime and tequila on his lips. When we pull apart, I tease him. “Where’s my drink?”

“You want one?” His eyebrows raise in question, even though his eyes themselves are half-mast and lust-filled. I nod and he winks. “I’ll be right back.”

He comes back with the entire bottle. He holds it up and flicks his chin at me. “Open.”

“No.” I laugh.

“Fine, then we’ll do it my way.” He smirks devilishly then takes a big swig straight from the bottle before fisting the back of my hair and yanking my neck back. The movement makes my lips part, and he further opens my mouth with a thumb on my chin.

Heat pools in my belly as his wicked eyes meet mine and tequila spills from his lips into mouth. Once I swallow, he lifts my head back up and dips down to whisper against my lips, “Next time, that will be one of my brothers’ cum after I lick it from your dripping cunt.”

My cheeks burn, and he must be able to see it even in the dim light because he laughs warmly. “God, I love making you blush. It’s so fucking hot when I can see exactly how much I affect you.”

I shove him playfully in the chest, and Titus and Bishop join us.

“So, we were talking with Griffin and Noah, and we realized we may be able to switch up the outcome of the Intelligence Trial like we did today,” Bishop says.

Titus adds, “Yeah, you know how they acted like giving us the Berylls as a target was this big exception?”

“They gave that same spiel to the Berylls about us, didn’t they?” I ask, unsurprised.

“Yep.” Bishop nods. “What if the whole point of the Intelligence Trial was never to gather information on outsiders. What if it’s always been about digging up dirt to keep us in line? Think about it, what better way to keep the rank and file from acting out or rising up than to be able to blackmail them from the start?”

“ Damn .” Ecker exhales, impressed. “That actually makes a shit ton of sense.”

I nod in agreement. “So, what’s the alternative plan?”

“We get dirt on the Elders instead,” Titus says then snatches the tequila from Ecker and waterfalls a pour into his mouth. My eyes catch on his veiny hands wrapped around the bottle neck and the sharp, square angle of his jaw as he tilts his head back.

Has he always been this beautiful?

Of course he has, except his shitty personality has always shown through. But after visiting my grandma, I’m beginning to wonder how much of that was all an act.

Ecker’s smokey chuckle pulls me from my thoughts. “Careful, Ti, Sinclair’s lookin’ a bit jealous of that bottle.”

“Oh, shut up,” I scoff and lightly slap his shoulder.

Bishop laughs, but Titus’s face goes hard as stone. I can’t tell if he’s covering or is actually repulsed by that notion. And I don’t know how to feel if it’s the latter.

“Anyway.” He clears his throat. “I was gonna try to hit up Opulence again tonight. It’s Friday, so most of the girls will be there.”

“That’s a good idea,” I quickly throw out, eager to take this change in subject.

Titus quickly looks down at his feet then back up to me. “You wanna come?”

“ Me ?” I can’t help my instinctive tone of shock.

“Yeah, or not.” His jaw ticks, and he swallows. “I was just thinking that they might share things with another omega they wouldn’t with me. But whatever.”

He tries to brush it off, and I find myself quick to clarify I’m not disinterested. “No, I want to. I just wasn’t expecting an invite is all. When are we going?”

“Now?” he poses.

“Yeah, okay,” I quickly agree, not caring to change out of my suit or trying to disguise the hint of excitement in my voice.

He shoves his hands into his pockets and gives me a nod. And maybe I’m imagining it, but I’m pretty sure he bites back a smile too.

I go to give Bishop a hug goodbye, and Ecker jeers at Titus. “Who knows, maybe you’ll get lucky and be able to fuck something other than your fist tonight.”

Trilling a buoyant laugh, I lean in to kiss Ecker next, my palms flattening on his chest. Right before our lips meet, I say, “Don’t be a dick.”

Then I push him hard with both hands to send him tumbling off the dock and into the cold water. He yells as he falls backward, making a loud splash.

I turn to Titus and lift a brow in question. “Ready?”

He sucks on his teeth and nods, and this time, I’m positive I’m not imagining the smile he’s fighting back.

1. Continue playing “Start a War” by Klergy, Valerie Broussard until ornamental break