Chapter Forty Rosemary

"We think it was the bandits who set the fires," Davos announced at breakfast the day after we collected taxes and saved a mill. "They know we have an omega. They were probably hoping to snatch her when we all ran to deal with the crisis."

Davos insisted I join the pack in their smaller dining room for breakfast the next morning, rather than eating with Cantor or Bastian in the main dining hall.

It was strange sitting there with all of them around me, particularly now that I knew bonds were growing between some of us. I found I could tug at where Cantor's bond sat so sweetly in my chest, and we would lock eyes and smile at each other. Bastian was there too, like a dab of warm pudding behind my ribs, not quite as strong as Cantor but easily recognized now I knew what to look for. His face wore his usual, practiced smile but his presence in my breast was apprehensive, almost flustered, which surprised me. I didn't intend to alert him to it yet if he didn't know it was there, but he caught me looking at him and gave me a saucy wink.

Lynter's presence was cool in a soothing way, like a fresh pillow on a hot night, and almost as elusive. I examined it carefully but left it alone, sensing it was fragile.

One other murky spot remained inside me, so faint I wasn't sure if it was Carlile or Sinclair, or possibly just a figment of my imagination. Both of them were visibly brooding at the table in a way that would match what I was feeling in that bond. Carlile was upset that he'd missed out on most of the excitement, when Lynter insisted he stay behind to gather supplies, rather than dashing straight away back to the fire.

Sinclair was just being Sinclair.

"Why are they still bothering with me?" I mused out loud and then felt my skin prickle with nerves as everyone at the table focused in my direction. But there was no judgment or impatience.

"What do you mean, Rosemary?" Lynter asked.

"I mean…" I hesitated, trying to gather my thoughts. "I'm just one omega. Trying to recapture me has led to a lot of them being killed. And they must know that you're a Prince pack. The leader said as much." I shrugged, forcing myself not to press my hands to my hot cheeks. It wasn't easy being under the eyes of so many alphas. "It seems ridiculous that they keep trying. It's not logical."

"Sometimes anger or greed can overcome logic," Davos replied. I had expected his voice to drip with condescension, but he spoke as if I were just another member of his pack. "It's also possible they saw you and I leaving the castle and thought to separate us. A crime of opportunity."

"Seems like a long shot," Bastian added. "Although it's possible they weren't expecting our little Wildcat to have several alphas trailing around after her."

He grinned at me and I dropped my eyes, but not before I caught Cantor blushing to the roots of his white hair. His bond gave me the smallest, unrepentant tug.

"The bounty is worth even more to each of them now that they are fewer in number," Lynter suggested. "Or they might have met up with other criminals and told them we have an unbonded omega." He pursed his lips and shrugged. "It's also possible they informed the king somehow and have official support. We know there's a leak somewhere."

"There are probably several leaks ," Sinclair said, as he smoothly sliced into a breakfast sausage. "They would not have anything to report if we all kept our mouths shut ." He directed a sharp glare at Lynter, who narrowed his eyes in response.

"I trust everyone in this room," Lynter stated.

Sinclair snorted, but kept his eyes on his sausage. I frowned, uneasy. Was he talking about me? I glanced around the room and saw no one else but his pack. Even the servants had left after delivering the food. I took a small sip of my coffee, too queasy to eat any of the eggs and warm bread still on my plate. I supposed Sinclair shouldn't trust me after all, but it wasn't like I intended to report anything to the king. I just wanted to escape.

Probably escape. Almost definitely.

"Official support?" Carlile snorted. "Official support and all they can manage is a few tiny fires?"

"I just don't think I'm worth the effort," I said and then rolled my eyes as Cantor, Bastian and even Lynter immediately began to protest. "I'm not being self-depreciating. I mean I'm literally not worth enough money for this kind of suicidal attempt at capturing me. Especially since, for all they know, I could already be bonded." I lowered my eyes, hoping no one would comment on that.

"Unfortunately… They might have realized you are…" The packlead trailed away as I cocked a brow at him. "That we hope to bond you," Davos finished. "As I told you, the king would do anything to prevent us from having an omega. It's possible they've been offered even more than the usual bounty." He hesitated, glanced at Sinclair who frowned at him, then back at me. "You're priceless to us, little omega. Unfortunately, that means you're priceless to my father as well."

My heart sank and I made myself take deep breaths as Cantor squeezed my hand. I had realized that the Phoenix Pack taking an interest in me meant a normal life would be difficult to obtain. However, I had still hoped that if I somehow escaped, or even convinced them to let me leave, that I could still find a way to be safe.

However, if the king knew about me, and specifically wanted me , that dream became even more impossible. I would never be safe. This pack had ruined me.

Even if Ivan left with me and we pretended to be betas, it was only a matter of time. I looked up from my uneaten meal and met Davos' cool, dark eyes. I wanted to hate him, but after everything he had told me yesterday, and after seeing how hard he had worked to help save the mill…

I pushed aside my plate and stood up. Cantor went to stand with me, but Davos gestured at Lynter and Bastian instead. The two men rose and moved closer to me, the scents of fig and cucumber soothing my troubled thoughts.

"From now on, until we hunt down the remaining bandits, I want there to always be two people from this room with you, omega," the packlead commanded. "But Cantor, you absolutely need to tend to the herb supplies first. We have no burn creams left, and we need more decongestant teas for smoke inhalation. Sinclair, I need you to find out whether the well at the mill is completely dry, or if it can be restored."

I wavered a little, wondering if there was something I could do to help, but Lynter ushered me to the door, scolding me for not finishing my breakfast. I walked in a daze, still trying to think of some way to make it up to the miller and his family. If the bandits had set the fires, then it was my fault their orchard had burned. My fault that Cantor needed to provide remedies.

And what if they did something else to get at me? Something worse.

Yet I couldn't think of a single way I could stop it from happening, short of surrendering myself, which wasn't an option. Eventually, I found my way back to my room, without a single memory of how I got there. I stood, staring at my door, wondering what I should do next.

"Davos wants us to stay with you, so we'll just wait out here," Bastian said at last, breaking through my increasingly panicked thoughts. I huffed impatiently at the thought of the two alphas hovering outside in the corridor.

"Just come in," I said and impulsively grabbed each of their hands. The bonds I could feel in my chest twinkled with joy at the touch of their skin, and it was difficult to tell if the happiness was coming from me, from them, or from the bonds themselves.

I quickly led them both to the long, cushioned chair that Ivan told me was called a settee. I sat on a much smaller chair opposite them. If they were going to be hovering around me I decided I was going to get something out of it.

"So how long have you been lovers?" I asked.

Lynter turned pale and spluttered, while Bastian's mouth dropped open and then he roared with laughter. For a moment icy fear gripped me and I wondered if I had insulted them both by guessing wrong, but then Bastian took Lynter's hand and said, grinning, "about three years now."

Lynter glanced from their joined hands to me and back as if expecting me to be horrified. I made sure my face was calm and friendly.

"How does it work?"

Bastian laughed again. "Which part?"

My face flushed and I gestured at them vaguely.

"You know… Uh… two men. Together." I swallowed and my eyes darted between them. Bastian looked as if he were struggling to stop laughing, while Lynter seemed to be struggling to breathe. I had assumed that, even if Davos didn't know, it was still an open secret. It seemed perfectly obvious to me, but I suddenly wondered how much was genuine deduction based on their interactions, and how much was information I had gleaned directly, but perhaps unconsciously, from the bonds. Surely I wasn't the only one who had seen how they looked at each other?

Bastian cocked his head to the side. "I imagine it works much the same way as with you and Cantor. Well… except that we occasionally fuck each other in the ass." Lynter actually gasped and snatched his hand away.

"Don't say it like that," he scolded, and Bastian only smiled at him, completely unrepentant.

Now my whole body was burning in embarrassment, which of course was what Bastian had wanted, and Lynter looked like he wanted to strangle his lover. Still, the stoic alpha only gave me a side-long glance and didn't resist when Bastian suddenly gripped his ponytail, pulled his head back, and kissed him on the mouth.

My eyes were wide as saucers as I watched them, lust racing into me through our half-finished bonds. In fact, when Lynter gave a husky moan I could have sworn his bond in my chest strengthened significantly.

So much for true love. These bonds seemed more than happy to sizzle and surge with lust.

Bastian pulled back and licked his lips, then glanced slyly at me. "Just like that."

I stared back at him, unable to say a word.

"He's a very good kisser," Bastian continued. "Have you kissed him yet, my sweet Wildcat?"

All the air in the room seemed to go missing as I belatedly realized what might be about to happen. But, did I want it to happen?

I looked at Lynter, his eyes dark with lust, his lips damp and swollen with Bastian's kiss. Yes . Yes, I wanted that. And not because it might gain me freedom.

But because it looked like freedom.

"No, I haven't." I said, my voice cracking slightly.

"Would you like to?"