Black and Blue (Rise Book 2) by Kamryn Foxe & Emilia Foxe

Author:Kamryn Foxe & Emilia Foxe [Foxe, Kamryn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-01-05T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

The servers move through the room with exacting precision, placing food in front of each guest within seconds, and sweeping away just as fast. More omegas and several young betas; Nolan’s other mates, Alex assumes. And the betas… his children? Again, no one talks to each other, no one makes eye contact, despite their obvious relation.

The Mayor’s eyes linger on Matthew the entire time, no doubt gauging his reaction. Remarkably, he says nothing, not until food and drink fill the table and those not seated have departed through a side-entrance.

“Well?” Nolan says. “What do you think of my family?”

“They are very efficient,” Matthew replies in his usual mild tone, wrapping his hand around the stem of a wine glass and raising it to his mouth for a delicate sip.

Nolan laughs. “They are indeed.” He picks up his fork. “Dig in, everyone.”

Like flipping a switch, the table comes to life. Almost jarringly so, as the clink of silverware and hum of conversation envelopes the previous silence. The alphas at Matthew’s end of the table talk and laugh raucously, masking whatever it is he and the Mayor are saying to each other.

Alex dares to raise her eyes to the other omegas. A few of them speak in low voices amongst themselves, but most of them remain quiet and expressionless while they take robotic bites of their food. The food smells good, very good, in fact, and Alex’s mouth waters despite the continuous churning of her stomach.

“I guess we should eat something,” she says. Niko doesn’t respond, and she glances his way, finding his eyes glued to the surrounding omegas. “Niko, we should eat,” she repeats in a low voice.

His gaze flickers to her. “Okay.” Without another word, he spears a piece of meat with his fork and pops it in his mouth. “It’s good,” he says without looking up.

Alex swallows back her concern. She’s gotten used to the Niko who taunts, jokes, and argues with every other breath. This version of him, this pliant, quiet creature, is far too similar to the one she’d first met.

“He won’t try to keep us,” she says under her breath between bites, leaning close enough so only he can hear. “He won’t risk upsetting the Federate.”

Niko continues chewing mechanically. Equally soft, he replies, “Then how does he have so many omegas?”

Alex takes a slow breath before shaking her head.

She doesn’t know. Nothing about this place makes sense. Most alpha gangs existed in a brutal cycle of violence and continuous upheaval, far too lost to their aggressive tendencies to form anything close to a community. Most tore themselves apart long before anyone else could intervene. For so many alphas to have assembled together, for them to have elected a leader… It’s unprecedented.

As they eat, Alex sneaks more glances at the other omegas. The youngest one, sitting across from her, speaks to nobody, eating and drinking methodically from her glass of wine. She’s beautiful, her eyes so dark they appear black, her skin the color of warm honey.

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