Three Alpha Princes for an Unwanted Omega

”You cannot possibly think if my King was here then you are safe?” Alistair chuckled. ”You will be the first person he comes for and believe me, Soren. You do not want to fuck with him.”

Soren regarded Alistair with a smirk.

He had seen men try to bluff their way out of tight corners and right now, Alistair was in that tight corner and he was bluffing.

He was afraid.

”What is your plan, Alistair?” Soren asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Alistair’s jaw tightened. ”What do you mean?”

”I mean, what is your plan now that your king has decided to grace us with his presence? You have been here for weeks now, cozying up to Cassian, and you still have not gotten what you came for. And now your king is impatient enough to come himself.” Soren tilted his head. ”That does not bode well for you, does it?”

”I will get what I came for.” Alistair muttered.

”Will you? Because from where I am standing, you have nothing. You failed to gain access to the archive room. How long do you think you will survive once he realizes you are useless to him?”

The words hung in the air between them.

Alistair’s hands curled into fists at his sides and Soren watched him with a smile of satisfaction.

He knew he had him.

”What do you want, Soren?”

”You admit you need me as well I need you. None of that, I will do it myself or you do not need to know what I have planned. I would like to save your life, Alistair.”

”Touching.” Alistair’s voice chuckled, his voice dripping with contempt. ”Truly, I am moved.”

”Sarcasm does not become you. Now you will listen to me. You need to find your king and convince him to return to the borders before he exposes us all and everything falls apart. Do you understand?”

Alistair’s throat worked. ”He does not listen to me.”

”Then make him listen.” Soren’s voice was hard. ”You are his man. You have served him faithfully and you have risked your life for his cause.”

Alistair was silent for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper.

”I will leave first thing tomorrow. I will find him and convince him to return to the borders.”

Soren studied him, searching for any sign of deception and when he found none, he extended his hand.

”I will not apologize for trying to kill you, Alistair. You would have done the same. But this thing with your rogue king being here in my pack cannot happen and you know it.”

Alistair looked at the offered hand for a moment before he reached out and clasped it.

”What is in it for you?” Alistair asked.

The door burst open before Soren could speak and both men turned to see Brenna standing in the doorway, her chest heaving.

Soren straightened, schooling his features into a mask of calm.

”You may leave, Alistair. I will come for the medicine later.”

Alistair bowed his head and brushed past Brenna without a word.

Brenna watched him go, her eyes narrowing.

She could recall Ayla saying this was the man who had dumped the bodies for her and asked to be friends with her. Who was he? Because she was certain he was no ordinary healer.

When the sound of his footsteps faded, she turned to Soren.

”What did you need from the healer?” she asked.

”Medicine.” You heard me tell him that. Now what do you want, Eva?”

Brenna’s eyes narrowed again.

He was lying.

”Do you know anything about the bodies that were found? Did the hanged man confess on why he did it?” she asked.

”Why do you ask?”

”I am just curious.”

Soren looked her over. She was less than her usual composed self and there was something in her gaze that instantly made him think she knew something.

”Eva.” Soren drawled. ”What do you know about the other two bodies that were found?”

”I know nothing.” Brenna answered immediately.

”Then why are you so curious?” Soren stepped closer, his eyes fixed on hers. ”Do you know who did it?”

”What do you mean?” Brenna’s voice was too high. ”Was the hanged man not guilty?”

They stood facing each other with Soren studying her face. A slow smile spread across his.

”You know something about the bodies that were found but you will not tell me because whatever it is affects something you care about and you only care about yourself, Eva so it affects you.”

Brenna swallowed hard. ”You are saying nonsense, Soren.”

Soren closed the distance between them, stopping inches from her. He could smell her fear.

She knew something and whatever she knew, she was protecting it. Was it the rogue king? Did Brenna know where he was? Was she helping him whilst pretending to help him.

Is that why she suggested he kill Alistair? To give the rogue king the opportunity to infiltrate?

”Do you know where he is?” Soren shot at her. ”The rogue king...Are you the one protecting him?”

Brenna’s eyes widened at this, the color draining from her face so fast Soren thought she might faint.

”The rogue king?” she rasped. ”Is he not supposed to be...” her voice trailed off as the realization hit her square in the face.

Her hands flew to her mouth.

”Moon goddess.” Her voice cracked. ”Soren, is the rogue king here?”

Soren did not answer.

She was convincing, he thought. Did she know nothing about it?

”Did he kill that guard?” Brenna whispered.

Soren’s eyes narrowed.

She had asked about just the guard and nothing about the other traders.

It could only mean she knew whoever killed the guard was not the same person who killed the traders.

Because she knew who killed the traders.

Soren’s mind raced, piecing together the fragments.

Alistair had found a scapegoat with suspicious ease even when he could have just let him be caught and blamed for everything. After all, he did try to kill him and failed.

Alistair too was protecting the killer and he knew now it could not be the rogue king because Alistair had no idea he was lurking in the pack and neither did Brenna so what other connection did they have?

What other reason to protect the killer?

Except?

Soren immediately recalled the one time it had been reported to him that Alistair had spoken to Ayla, right before Damon sent him off.

Ayla? A killer?

She was many things but no... there was no way.

Yet...

Soren looked up at Brenna, his jaw clenching.

”What did your daughter do, Eva?”