Chapter Seventy One

Chapter Seventy One
Lincoln

As soon as I walked through the door I knew that something was wrong. Elliot was home earlier than expected as I got the call from his bodyguard that he and the others were skipping the café today. When I inquired about the reason all he said was,

“I don’t know. He won’t tell me sir. But something must have happened while in the school because…well, to be honest, you won’t believe me unless you see it for yourself, Master Lincoln.”

The curiosity and worry overflowed within me that I nearly sped down the streets to get home. I arrived minutes after Elliot did. And when I stomped through the doors his name on the brink of my lips I stop to see both Tristan and Cameron standing there in the foyer. They both swing my way, both with identical looks of concern on their faces.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” I demand as I rush to Elliot’s side, where he was leaning against the console that was placed against the wall of the foyer, a large round mirror just above it.

He had his head leaned down, his eyes tightly closed. I take his shoulders gently in my hands, turning him to face me. But when he opens his eyes I gasp in surprise. Quickly taking his face in the palm of my hands I stare at his eyes that were half green yet half bright icy blue, his iris a shock of white.

“What happened?” I demand in an authoritative tone.

He gently closes his eyes again, taking a deep calming breath he states, “I got royally pissed off.”

Tenderly rubbing my thumbs under his eyes I ask more gently, “Why?”

He sighs again, his shoulders sagging in defeat. “Quintin came to my school.”

Instantly my anger flared, but I try hard not to show it. “Do I need to step in and talk to him myself?” My voice sounded a bit dark even to my own ears, but I couldn’t help it. Just the thought of that asshole was enough to get my Alpha to arise within me.

He shook his head just as Cameron says, “Oh trust us, I think that man got the picture after Elliot slapped him and gave him a good dialogue.”

Protectiveness swims through me like a gush of water. “You slapped him, why? What did he say to you, what did he do?” Remembering what he told me about the forced kiss flows through my mind instantly.

“Nothing like that.” He quickly says, sensing my displeasure. “He just said some things he shouldn’t have and had no right to say that’s all.”

“He disgraced your character and Elliot got really mad about it.” Tristan pipes up, Axel right by his side. “Pissed me off too, actually.” He scowls.

Suddenly I couldn’t help grinning now. “You defended my honor?”

He gives me a deadpan look that sober me up quickly. “So, you got so angry that your eyes turned blue like this?” My voice turning soft.

He shrugs. “I guess. I didn’t know they did and according to these two my pheromones were leaking out profusely. Enough to affect everyone around us.”

I quirk a brow at that. Elliot’s pheromones were weak, the weakest out of any Omega I ever came across before. But to hear this and to see the evidence of his eyes changing…there was no doubt whatsoever in my mind that he truly was an Omega after all.

“And you’re disturbed by that?”

“Well…no.” He hesitates. “It’s what Quintin said afterwards that has me confused.”

“What did he say?”

He shrugs again. “He asked, well more like stated, that you marked me. I don’t see how he would think that.” He crosses his arms. “I asked him what he meant and he pointed at the back of my neck. I told him I’ve had it for years. It’s just a skin pigment condition called Hyperpigmentation according to my doctor.”

Axel suddenly comes forward. “When did you get it?”

“Well, I don’t exactly know when. My dad realized it was there when I was pregnant with Cyan. So, I didn’t discover it until I was like nineteen.” He frowns looking confused on why this mattered.

“Can I see it?”

“Sure, but you can barely see it. So it’s not much of a big deal.” He turns around for us to look.

I gently move the collar of his shirt to see the exact same thing I have on my neck. I look to Axel whose eyes were brightly shining. “Well, I think this is proof enough.”

“What are you talking about?” Elliot turns back around with a frown creasing his brows.

“Are you serious? But how is that possible if neither of them knew about it?” Cameron comes up with Tristan, who looked just as excited as Axel.

“They’re both faint. Maybe it hasn’t fully manifested just yet. But years, that’s insane.” Axel says.

“Okay, what the hell are all of you talking about?” Elliot was getting impatient as he looked to Axel and Cameron.

“They think we have been Marked, Elli.” I finally spilled out.

Hie eyes widened in shock. “I-Is that really a thing?”

“Oh yes. Me and Axel are Marked. See.” Tristan turns to reveal his neck and forces Axel to do the same.

“I thought those were just matching tattoos.”

“Nope. It’s the color of our skin just darker after we confessed wholeheartedly.” He faces him again with a grin.

“Okay, hold on. Explain to me the whole process of this.”

Immediately all three of them go into details of their marks, how they got them and the sensations they went through when they appeared.

“But I never felt any burning or pain. I didn’t even know it was there until my dad said something to me.”

“Same.” I admit my arms crossed in concentration now.

“And why is ours so faint? Me and Lincoln confessed our love to each other a long time ago. Nothing happened then.”

“You were teenagers then. Neither of you were presented yet.” Axel says, frowning now.

“But what about afterwards? Lincoln presented at fourteen.”

“Maybe…” Cameron thinks for a moment. “Dr. Lee has been specializing this since us four had been marked. His studies might help us understand this better. You two should go see him about it.”

“I have a theory. Lincoln did present at fourteen, but you didn’t Elliot. In fact, didn’t you state you weren’t aware you were an Omega until you found out you were pregnant? You’re a late bloomer. What if your status is so weak that the Mark didn’t make its appearance like some grand entrance as ours did? It’s possible that it appeared the night you two conceived Cyan, not trying to embarrass anyone, but maybe neither of you felt it because your trait isn’t strong to begin with.” Tristan spouts animatedly.

“It came slowly. Or to be exact, silently.” Cameron pitches in.

“Can I see yours Lincoln?” Elliot demands.

I turn to show him mine and he sucks in a breath. “It really does look like mine. It’s an exact replica.” He gently strokes my neck, causing a shiver to race down my spine.

“Earlier, when you were feeling angry at Quintin and your eyes changed colors, I felt an unexpected anxiety hit me out of nowhere and then disappear like it hadn’t happened at all. Maybe, if what we have are our marks, that we’re now connected in more ways than just physical.”

“You had an anxiety attack?” He slightly panics.

“I’m fine. It was over within seconds, but it was like a warning or something.”

“It is.” Tristan comes forward. “Axel gets it all the time with me. Especially during my pregnancies. When I’m overwhelmed to my highest peak or when I’m going through flashbacks of my past he calls me out of nowhere knowing that something is wrong.”

“That’s true.”

“I still get nightmares of Brett when he kidnapped Sia. I always get woken up from a call from him when he gets called in for a job in the middle of the night knowing something happened.”

“Wait, Sia was kidnapped?” Elliot looked shocked by that.

“I was kidnapped too.” Tristan pitches in.

“Wait, what? Why don’t I know about this?”

“Okay, we’re getting off topic here.” Axel places a hand on both our shoulders. “I’ll call Dr. Lee to make an appointment for you both. You should talk to him, get his input.”

We both look to each other. Elliot nods, a slow smile crossing his face. “Okay, I guess it couldn’t hurt to hear the man out. And while we wait, you two better start talking on this whole kidnapping business.”