I watched Jared roll his eyes, “no, my great-aunt’s. Mom had to say she didn’t know where I was.” Everyone had suspected that Jared was being helped by his mother’s side of the family. This just proved it.
“Not that it matters. We won’t be here long. We have a couple of things to wrap up here before we will travel to our new home.”
“What do you want, Jared?” Hiroshi asked, tear-filled eyes nearly breaking my heart. I had to be strong for him. I squeezed the hand I still held. Jared tracked the motion with a scowl.
“You. And those babies.” He smiled, his pretty face making him almost look angelic when his soul was rotten. “We have families ready to care for them in Europe once they are born. I don’t want to raise another man’s spawn. Besides, once we are bonded, we can make more to replace them, so don’t be sad. I promise they will be well looked after.” Goddess above, he was delusional. Did he really think that Hiroshi would accept him? He had a fated bond with Roan. Nothing could break that. “Tate can keep his with him until he goes into heat again, then he’ll be sold to the highest bidding alpha. I have an alpha ready to train him on how to be a proper omega.”
“Proper omega?” I asked. Why did those words sound like a threat?
“To learn how to serve your alpha properly. How to give him all that he needs to be happy. Once Victor has broken you, you’ll serve whoever you are told to.”
Icy tendrils of fear snaked their way through my body. “You can’t make me bond to someone. It isn’t how it works.”
“It will be possible after Victor gets his hands on you. He’s paid me a lot of money for this. Trust me, I’ve been planning this since I heard about whatever perversion of nature this is.” He pointed between me and Hiroshi. “I’ve planned for everything. I’m going to get my mate as I deserve and we’ll be happy away from this place.”
“But Roan! I’m mated to him. My fated, Jared. Please. Whatever you have planned, it won’t work.” Hiroshi pleaded with Jared for understanding.
“Roan is going to have a nasty accident once he goes home to find you gone.” Jared said in a painfully chilly voice. “Nothing is coming between us again, Hiroshi. You’re mine.” A chill ran down my spin at the callous way he spoke.
“No, please!” Hiroshi sobbed. I wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close and muttering into his hair nonsensical words.
Jared glared at me and I knew if I wasn’t pregnant with a miracle baby, he’d have murdered me to keep me from Hiroshi. He’d have broken Hiro’s heart to get what he wanted. This could never be love. He was obsessed with my mate.
He got up, ran a hand through his messy blonde hair, and strode over to a bar I hadn’t noticed. He picked up a small vial with a glare. “Now, though, we have something for you to drink. Let’s get rid of the bonds between the two of you, and between you and your alpha, Tate. You are no use to me bonded to that worthless lion, and Hiro is mine!”
I wanted to refuse, to run away, but he clearly expected that. Carl and another alpha from our pack, Sven, moved from their places at the door to grab me and yank me away from Hiroshi. My mate cried out in fear, curling into himself and shaking. There was nothing he could do with three large alphas against just us.
Please! Don’t fight them. I’m not worth you being hurt. Hiroshi begged me, his voice still sounding far away over our bond.
I almost sagged in relief at hearing him.I love you, Sunshine. They can’t take that.
I love you too.
Carl held my arms pinned to my body while Sven wrenched my mouth open so that Jared could pour the vial into my mouth. Sven closed my mouth with a snap and held my nose closed, so I had no choice but to swallow the foul liquid.
It tasted just as horrible as I remembered from when Asher and I took it before we bonded to Roan and Asher. My heart gave a pang at the thought of my mate, at the idea of Hiroshi being without me.
Carl gave me a rough shove. Hiroshi moved with shifter speed out of the way, just before I hit the sofa.
I felt the stirring of my raven and wondered if I could shift and fly from here before I had to face Hiroshi without our bond.
“Shouldn’t take long to have an effect,” Jared said cheerfully. “Basil charged an arm and a leg for a double strength one. It’ll strip pack and mating bonds.”
Hiroshi began sobbing as we waited for the terrible potion to take hold. Jared watched us the entire time like every emotion Hiro showed fascinated him.
Hey, calm. I sent the words, the feeling, down the bond to, I dunno, just leave him with a last impression of me before the potion ripped it away.
Instead of hearing it like a whisper, it sounded clear. Hiroshi jerked, his crying paused. His eyes met mine, equally wide with shock.
Jared’s gaze sharpened. “What’s happening?”
Do we tell him?Hiroshi asked with clear stress. He looked a minute away from fainting and I worried about the babies. What would they do if I said it had worked? Would they separate us now?
He must have read those surface thoughts because he answered Jared. “I think your potion is broken. It didn’t work.”
The spoiled alpha let out a scream of frustration, complete with what I could swear was a foot stamp, before striding back to the bar. He tugged on his hair, his anger leaching from him and infecting the room. I felt like I was holding my breath as I waited for an ax to fall.
“I’m going to kill Basil for ripping me off!” He searched for something and came back around the bar with another little bottle. “Princess Poppy made this one. So it will work. I’d bet Carl’s life on it.”