by Susan Hayes
“Say it.”
She hesitated and then blurted out the words like they were something shameful. “You want me to pleasure myself while you what? Watch me?”
“Yes.”
“And if I agree, you won’t do anything else?”
“Not until you ask me to.” He stroked her throat again and moved his head so his lips brushed over hers. “And you will ask. You will beg me to touch you. Very soon.”
She stiffened. “Are you always this sure of yourself?”
This time he did smile. “Always.”
He felt her submission before she said another word. It was there in the way her muscles relaxed and her breath quickened. The scent of her arousal grew stronger, and he rumbled in approval.
“I didn’t say yes, yet.”
“But you’re going to.”
She snorted softly. “You’re still an asshole. But yes. I’d rather do this myself.”
Good. He kept silent and nodded, his fingers gentle against the side of her throat.
“Take my blindfold off,” he ordered in a low voice. She paused, and he felt the resistance in the air so he kissed her again. Just enough that she started to chase his lips but then he pulled away again. It was exquisite torture, but he was in this for the long game. She needed to trust him. She needed to obey him. Without question. It would be critical when the beast came out.
“Take it off,” he murmured, his tone a little harder.
This time, she obeyed him right away. What made her so different from the others? Was his brother right? Were they all like this?
She had to lean in to untie the knot, coming close enough her breasts pressed against his chest for a moment.
“There,” she said as the scrap of fabric was lifted away.
He blinked once and found himself staring into a pair of silver-blue eyes.
“Your eyes!” She leaned away from him, suddenly tense.
“Are black, yes. Because I am aroused. Nothing more. You have nothing to fear from me, little one. I will never hurt you.”
“But...”
He growled in frustration. “No buts. I have given you my word on this. If you question me again, I will have to do something about it.”
She paled slightly. “Okay. No questioning. So...” She sighed and placed a limp hand on her bare breast. There was no passion or even interest in the gesture. “Do you want me to say anything while we do this?”
“You will not need to speak. I will tell you what to do.”
“Of course you will.” She pressed her lips together. “So?”
“Close your eyes. Imagine my hands are on you right now. Touching your breasts. Pinching your nipples.”
She closed her eyes, but before she moved, he knew he’d lost her. She didn’t move, her lips set in a stubborn little line. He leaned forward, just slightly, and brushed his lips over hers. He’d made a mistake and let her think. That’s when she got argumentative and stubborn.
“Relax,” he murmured against her lips. “You have nothing to fear. I will not hurt you. I will not touch you... unless you ask me to. Just listen to my voice.”
He kissed along her jaw, nudging her chin up with his nose to reach her throat. “Put your hands on your waist,” he ordered softly, reveling in the soft skin of her throat. She moved as though in a trance to obey him. “Slide them down... slowly... over your hips. That’s it, not too far.”
She moved slightly in the water, parting her knees for better balance. He bit back his growl. So close and yet so far. “Slide them back up, feel the softness of your skin under your hands, further up... over your ribs.”
She did and then stopped as she reached her breasts. “Cup them,” he murmured, grazing his teeth over the soft curve between her neck and shoulder.
She obeyed, wet hands slowly gliding over soft skin. “Good. That’s good.” He breathed in her scent and tried to ignore the throbbing ache of his cock. “Do you like that?”
She gave a tiny nod and her nipples started to tighten. His mouth watered at the idea of drawing them into his mouth and listening to sweet moans as he licked and suckled them, but that would be later. For now, he’d keep his promise. “You have a beautiful body, Savannah. Did you know that? So soft and delicate.”
The compliment startled her. Her eyes opened and she looked at him intently. “You think I’m beautiful?”
“I know it. Now. Close your eyes again. Touch yourself however you want. Make yourself feel good, little one.”
“I don’t know...”
That tiny confession hit him hard. She had no idea how to pleasure herself properly. Her heats must have been so difficult. Alone. Unaware. This was why omegas had to be found and protected. He growled and nipped gently at her throat.
“Let your hands slide down your body again. Slowly. Yes. Like that. Good girl. Now, go lower. Lower.” He raised his head so he could watch as her hands vanished beneath the surface of the water. “Do you know what I’m going to ask you to do now?” he asked.
Her gaze had locked on to his, and he found himself trapped, unable to look away. She started to shake her head, but he caught the look in her eyes and growled. Just softly. She froze and then nodded slowly.
“Do it,” he ordered. “Touch yourself. Where it aches. Gently,” he warned her. “The softest brush will be enough. A beautiful flower like you should never be treated roughly...”
The water moved with her hand and in the next instant her expression shifted, her eyes widening the smallest fraction. It was enough to send a surge of heat through him, his cock throbbing under the water. Gods, why the xarth had he started this game?
“Does that feel good?” he asked, schooling himself to stay still when all he wanted to do was crush her to him and take over her movements. To tease and stroke her until she shattered apart with his name on her lips.
“Yes!” The word came out as a gasp.
“Then continue. Slow circles. Around and around.” He dropped his head and pressed an open-mouthed kiss to her shoulder, demonstrating what he wanted her to do by drawing the tip of his tongue across her flesh.
She shuddered. So close now...
“Don’t touch that spot again until you feel like you’re ready to explode.”
She made a small sound of protest.
“Not yet.”
Her whimper became more of a keen, and she bit her lip to try and hold the soft sounds back.
“No, let me hear,” he urged her, his teeth grazing over the spot he ached to mark. It was testament to how far gone she was that she didn’t flinch but just moaned instead.
“Good girl.” It took all his willpower not to haul her into his lap and claim her at that moment, but he was H’thor. He had honor, unlike the weak and brutal L’crav clan that had ruled this place before their arrival.
“Tease yourself, little one. For me. I want to watch your pleasure. I want to hear it.” This time, he nipped her a little harder and was rewarded with another moan.
Her fingers moved faster, her hips rocking softly beneath the water. “Yes. Soon... Do you want that? Do you want to feel even better than you do now?”
“Yes... no,” she moaned, leaning more against him. Her hand moved under the water, the soft sound mingling with her moans and driving him insane. Sensing she was getting close, he slid his hand into her hair and gently tugged her head back. Held her in place so he could watch her face.
“That’s it. You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, keeping up a soft monologue of compliments and praise. “Does that feel good? Just a little more, shar’ai.”
“Y—yes.” The confession made her cheeks heat in a delightful blush.
“If you let me kiss you again, you can touch yourself where you need it most.”
Her eyes flew open and she stared at him, lips parted, breath coming in hard gasps.
“You want this. I know you do. Say yes and you can have what you crave.”
She bit her lip and then shuddered as another surge of desire hit. �
��Yes!”
The word tumbled out of her mouth.
“Good girl. Now, come for me.” His mouth crashed down on hers the moment he’d uttered his command. This time, she responded to him fully, mouth open, her soft cry muffled against his lips as she bucked in his lap.
He growled as he crushed her to him, letting her ride out her climax. His lips plundered hers hungrily and, in the midst of her pleasure, she yielded to him so sweetly. When she went limp, he eased off, kissing her gently as he gathered her into his arms.
Then, gently, he began to wash her...
There were words Savannah had heard in her life but never understood until now. Languid. Relaxed. Sensual. Rath had taught her the meaning of them all in a single encounter. She still couldn’t believe she’d done what she had—at the orders of an alpha, no less.
She’d let him see her naked. Let him watch... and she’d liked it. So had he. But even afterward, when she resigned herself to what she was certain would happen next... he hadn’t forced her.
He’d cleaned her, helped her out of the tub, and toweled her off gently but embarrassingly thoroughly. She’d liked that, too.
She had to be out of her mind.
Now she watched him from the comfort of the big couch, wrapped in a nest of soft blankets he’d given her. She flushed as she remembered how she’d snatched them out of his hands, arranging them to her liking.
Now he was cooking for her. At least, that’s what she thought he was doing. It smelled good anyway.
“What is that?” she asked, too sleepy to care that her voice was a little slurry.
“Food. Not the best, but passable fare considering we’re not at the citadel. You’ll like it there.”
She curled deeper into her blankets and then stopped to rearrange them again so the silkiest one was against her skin. “I don’t want to go there.”
He glanced over at her, surprised. “You’ll be safe there. Well fed. Protected. With every luxury yours for the asking.”
“No.” The citadel was a terrible place—blood-stained and full of alphas that weren’t like Rath. They’d hurt her… or worse. “Please?”
He muttered something in a sharp, guttural language she didn’t understand. “We can stay here for now.”
Relief filled her, along with a growing appreciation for Rath’s kindness. “Thank you.”
She snuggled down a little further, trying to quiet the rumbling of her stomach. It sounded like she was hiding a small animal under the blankets she was so hungry. Rath kept glancing her way and she was fairly sure he was trying not to chuckle.
“What kind of food?” she asked when the silence stretched out again. Why she was pushing him, she didn’t know. No woman, certainly no omega, engaged an alpha in conversation. Ever. But, he... she was... she didn’t know. He didn’t act like she expected. Like all the stories of alphas she’d ever heard. “It smells good.”
Instead of answering, he filled a tray and brought it over to her, kicking a small table into place so he could set everything down within easy reach. “Soup. Bread. Juice. Light things your stomach will not reject.”
Fruit was even on the tray, neatly cut into bite-sized squares. She had no idea what it was exactly, but it smelled sweet and tempting and she grabbed that one first.
Flavors exploded on her tongue. It was tart but sweet, and so good it made her want to cry. She grabbed several more and ate them quickly before sucking the juice from her fingers.
“Easy, little one. Go slowly. The food isn’t going anywhere.”
“But it’s so good! What is that?”
“You humans call it melon. We call it cantar. There’s more in the pantry. It’s tinned. It’s better fresh, but there’s nothing like that here.”
“Why not?” She picked a bit of bread up and ate it next. It was fluffy and delicious, without a trace of grit or anything that might crack a tooth.
“This is just a way-station of sorts. No one lives here.”
“All this and no one resides here full time? It’s a palace!”
He arched an eyebrow and she caught the hint of amusement in his eyes. Without a beast deforming his features, he was the most handsome man she’d ever met. She shivered, not wanting to think about him in the... other state and ruin the fantasy she had going on here. Nothing was handsome or appealing about an alpha in beast form.
“This is no palace. Wait until you see the citadel.”
“Not yet, though. Right? You promised we’d stay here.” And for some reason, she trusted him to keep that promise. She was definitely losing her mind.
“Not yet,” he agreed and then leaned forward, dipped a thick chunk of bread into the soup, and then offered it to her. “Eat this. How’s your leg feeling?”
She took a tentative bite of the bread. Dipped in the broth, it was even better than the fruit. “I still can’t feel it.” In fact, she’d forgotten she was hurt at all. She’d gotten so used to ignoring her body’s various complaints over time. Pain, hunger, and cold were constants in her life. Or they had been.
He frowned, the expression tiny, but she caught it. “The painkillers should have worn off by now. Perhaps I used too much? You’re so tiny.”
She didn’t speak again until the bit of bread he’d given her was gone. Then, with reluctance, she made herself actually pay attention to her body. The pain was there. It was little more than a dull throb, though. Tentatively she moved the blanket aside and poked at the edge of the wound. The pain flared hot and bright again, and she pulled her hand away. “I guess I’m just good at ignoring things I can’t change. It does hurt, but I think it looks a little better.”
“Do not ignore the pain again. Tell me when you hurt and I will give you something for it. You will not suffer while in my care. Do you understand?”
The suppressed anger in his voice made her pull back a little, instinctively wanting to bury herself into the nest of blankets. But she straightened her back and looked him in the eye. “You’re bossy.”
He blinked, the surprise evident on his face. “Yes. I am. I am your alpha.”
“So, you’re all like this?”
“Yes. But you are not like other omegas. You are still...” he sketched his hands in the air. “Difficult.”
“Difficult?” She laughed. “You think I’m stubborn? You should meet my mother. She could teach a masterclass.” The mention of her mother brought with it a wave of sadness. She’d never see her again. Couldn’t. Even if Rath wanted to help find her, she wouldn’t do that... it would mean her mother would be caught, too.
“Your mother has been unclaimed all this time?” he queried lightly, almost absently as he kept feeding her, but she didn’t for a moment believe he wasn’t hyper-focused on her. She also didn’t miss the fact he had her bracketed with strong thighs, his hands strong yet gentle as he dipped chunks of bread in the soup to feed to her.
She should have felt caged in and threatened to have him so close to her, but she didn’t. In fact, she wanted to touch him, to put her hand on his thigh or touch his fingers. They were long, strong, and deft, every movement graceful and efficient at the same time.
“Yes. We were both free… until the raid. And before you ask, I don’t know where she is. I don’t even know where I am. Once I got away from those others...” she shuddered at the memory. “I kept running.”
“Those others will die. All of them,” he growled, the sound harsh. It should have scared her, but it didn’t. Instead, she leaned forward for the next bite, her teeth grazing against his fingertips. His growl softened, his eyes darkening, and she couldn’t help a small smile, her expression innocent as she looked up at him.
“Dangerous games, little one,” he warned. “You will tell me about the others. Now.”
“There isn’t much to tell. I went to find water. It was a calculated risk. I thought it would be alright.” She shrugged, enjoying the way the silken blanket moved over her skin. “It wasn’t. They came on those flying bikes you ride. We all ran. Some of
them got away. I didn’t. They...”
Her mouth went dry and she reached for the glass of juice, drinking it down in big gulps until she choked.
“Gently,” Rath said as he took the glass from her hand. “You’re safe.”
She was injured and alone with an alpha. Safe was the last word she would have imagined applying to this scenario, but... it felt right.
“They took us somewhere. Caged us. I was still unconscious when they started on the others... their screams woke me up. I got away.”
His hand tightened on the glass until it shattered. He kept looking at her, ignoring the blood dripping from his cut fist. “How long did you run? Which direction did you come from?” he demanded, his voice harsh and his features hardening.
The blackness of his eyes terrified her, but rather than retreat from him, instinct had her moving the tray with the food and practically crawling into his lap. Her hands smoothed over his arms, his shoulders, his chest. “It’s okay... I’m okay,” she whispered but then stopped at the weird rattle that filled the air between them.
His gaze snapped to her and she realized... it was coming from her.
“I… I don’t know. Until I was exhausted. I’ve been hiding here ever since. I hurt myself getting out of the cage. I couldn’t… I don’t…” She touched a hand to her chest. “Why did I make that sound, Rath? What was that?”
He smiled, the expression full of triumph as he pulled her closer. “It’s your parth. Your love call. It means you have accepted me as your alpha. An omega only makes that sound for her alpha. It’s the only thing that ca—” He stopped abruptly and bent his head, whispering his lips over hers. “It means you’re mine, little omega, by your own admission.”
“How can that be my admission when I didn’t even know I could make that sound?”
“Stubborn little female. You will have to take my word for it for now. You are mine.” He touched the side of her neck with his fingers. “After I have claimed you, you will bear my mark right here. It will tell every other alpha that you belong to me. My omega. Mine to protect.” His lips brushed hers for a brief moment.
“Only yours?” she whispered. “No one else?”
