Rath

by Susan Hayes

  “Rath,” she keened, going pliant in his hold. He grunted again as he touched her. She held her breath, feeling the heat roll over her body again. She felt the tension in her frame ramp up until she was sure she’d go up in flames.

  “Oh god, Rath... please!” she cried out and then shattered apart at his touch.

  She couldn’t have described the sensations if her life depended on it. All she knew was that she wanted to experience it again. She sank her nails into his shoulders, pulling him down to kiss him with her hips still bucking against his body as aftershocks of pleasure flowed through her.

  “Mine,” he growled, the sound so distorted it was barely a word.

  Instinctively she parted her thighs, her head turning to one side and her eyes closing as she prepared for what would happen next.

  When he pressed his cock against her entrance she tensed.

  “Shh, little one. No pain. I promised.”

  She exhaled, tried to relax, and then gasped as he rocked his hips and let himself enter and then withdraw again so quickly she had no time to react.

  “Again,” she demanded, hunger overcoming her fear so quickly it was like she’d never experienced it.

  “You don’t give the orders here,” he chuckled, making her wait several long seconds before entering her again. This time, he went a little deeper and moved a little slower before retreating.

  “Do you want more of that?” he asked.

  “Yes!”

  “Then more you shall have.”

  He thrust, entering her in one slow, relentless movement that filled her to the brim. She keened softly, her hands like claws against his shoulders. He was big, stretching her to the limit. She felt a little pain as her body adjusted, but she didn’t care. It wasn’t bad pain, the kind that hurt... it was good, the type she could get addicted to.

  “Oh god, Rath!” She gasped.

  His skin hardened beneath her fingers, a pattern of markings appearing across his chest as he held himself over her. His breath hissed over his teeth and every muscle in his body was taut as he gave her a moment to adapt to her new reality.

  His beast was present, but she was past caring. He’d promised not to hurt her, and she believed him. Beast or man, she wanted him.

  With a soft exhalation, she arched her hips, trying to take him deeper.

  Rath groaned and withdrew, only to power into her again a second later.

  “Again. Please,” she whispered as pleasure filled her.

  “Yes.”

  She kept her gaze locked to his as he moved over her. The small part of her mind that yammered in panic was ignored. It got quieter and quieter with each thrust, each time he filled her, and the needs of her body roared to the fore.

  A sigh on her lips, she arched her back, rocking her hips against his as she bared her neck to him and demanded more while urging him to claim her fully.

  Rath snarled and dropped his mouth to her throat, his lips suckling at her skin. When his fangs grazed her neck, she arched herself off the bed and keened, suddenly aching for something she didn’t understand. Something more than just the joining of their bodies.

  “Mine.” The word was torn from Rath’s chest a bare second before he sank his teeth into her skin and her world exploded—not with pain but with pleasure so pure, so intense, she thought it might kill her.

  She clung to him as the storm washed through her, wrapping her legs around his hips as he powered into her. Soft moans fell from her lips as he sped up, his hard thrusts shaking the bed beneath them and stretching her pleasure out until she was delirious with it. She never wanted it to stop, moving with him, greedy for everything he could give her. The tension in her body rose and rose until, with a shattering scream, she came apart in his arms.

  6

  Rath had been awake for some time, but he hadn’t bothered to move. Why would he when his little mate was nestled so contentedly in his arms? She slept better when he held her, her soft sighs and adorable little snores growing deeper if she was pressed to his side.

  Savannah was more than he’d ever imagined—passionate, smart, and once she had surrendered to him... Xarth. She was perfect. They’d spent the night mating and sleeping in turns, and today had passed the same way. She’d eat, sleep, and then demand his attentions again.

  A request he was more than happy to comply with.

  Knotting her was glorious, her body locked so tightly to his that even the slightest motion had brought them both to the brink of orgasm again. She’d watched him with eyes gone utterly black as he emptied himself inside her. Was she with child yet? She could be. His child. With his omega.

  He loosed a small rumble of satisfaction.

  Everything was as it should be. Finally. And once her heat was done, he would bring her back to the citadel and show everyone the prize he’d won for himself.

  Her soft sighs and snuffles alerted him to the fact she was waking up. He smiled as he stroked her back, a contented rumble in the back of his throat as she lifted her head.

  “Good morning.”

  He had to hide his amusement as she glared around at the bright sunlight streaming in through the windows like it had personally offended her. Then her gaze locked on to his and he caught his breath as he watched the color in her eyes swallowed by the black of her heat again. He would never tire of the glorious sight.

  “Is it? Morning? Seems very bright.” Her soft hands stroked over his chest, sliding down his stomach to wrap around his already hard cock.

  “Late morning. Or afternoon. I may have lost track. I’ve been… distracted.” He rocked his hips, sliding his shaft between her fingers.

  “Mmhmm. Distracted. I like distracting you.”

  “And I like hearing you scream my name, little omega. You do it so prettily.”

  Her stomach gurgled at that moment, reminding him that in her current state he needed to take care of her. The heat was all-consuming. If he did not care for her, she would forget to eat or drink for days. If she was pregnant, that would not be good for their child.

  “You need food.”

  “No. Need you.” Savannah’s lush lips pushed out into a pout.

  “Later.” He kissed her. “But now, you need to eat. I will feed you myself with you in my lap.”

  She shivered. “That sounds nice.”

  He managed to disentangle himself from her embrace and pulled some pants on to prepare food. While he wasn’t uncomfortable naked, he was uncomfortable with his cock near either naked flame or hot spillages. Damage to his equipment would mean he couldn’t service his little omega during her heat, which would cause her pain, and that he could not have.

  The small kitchen was well-stocked with provisions, but there wasn’t much variety. His shar’ai deserved better than the simple fare on offer here. She should have servants and fine things, every comfort he could offer her. And as the Overseer’s Master at Arms, he could offer quite a bit.

  He started preparing a meal, listening to Savannah dress in one of his shirts and then make her way over to the couch with an armload of her favorite blankets. He’d discovered she liked silken fabrics best, and he planned on gifting her with a wide assortment once they were home.

  If he hadn’t been listening, he might have missed the hitch in her stride and the soft exhalation of breath she made when she walked.

  “You are in pain. Why didn’t you tell me?” He was at her side in seconds. One look at her stance made him scoop her into his arms and carry her to the couch.

  “It’s nothing serious,” she protested.

  “You have a warrior’s attitude toward pain. Admirable, but foolish. You are no warrior. You are an omega, to be cherished and protected.”

  “It’s just a little sore.”

  “Show me.” He managed to keep most of the snarl out of his tone, but not all of it.

  He was slightly appeased when she meekly pulled aside the blankets to reveal her injured leg, but all sense of calm vanished when he saw the wound. It was still
there. She should have been almost fully healed by now. Something was wrong.

  A light touch to the spot made her hiss in discomfort. Her skin was warmer than it should have been, and the edges of the cut were still angry and red.

  “You’re not healing.”

  “It’s better than it was.” Savannah shrugged. “I’ve had worse.”

  His snarl broke free at that point. Anger filled him that she was so dismissive of her injury and that she had ever had to suffer worse than a scratch. No omega should ever suffer and certainly not to the extent these Terran omegas had.

  “This needs more care than I can offer here,” he bit out, baring his teeth at her when she hissed back at him. The little display of defiance would have amused and aroused him at any other time, but right now, his main concern was her welfare. “We need to leave. Now.”

  Savannah burrowed deeper into her blanket cocoon. “No. I like it here.”

  “You need to see a healer.”

  “No.” This time she didn’t hiss. She snarled at him.

  “You will obey me, little omega. I am taking you to the citadel. You dress and I will make you something to eat while we travel.”

  “Please? Don’t make me leave here. I like this place. I like you. I want to stay.” Her words were jagged and tears shimmered in her eyes as she looked up at him.

  His expression hardened as he looked down at her. “We will leave. I will be with you. You will be safe. Do not make me repeat myself.”

  When she snarled again, his temper frayed. With a warning growl, he flipped her onto her back, pinning her down in her nest. Instantly his teeth found the side of her neck, over his mark, almost puncturing the skin in warning.

  She gasped, hands on his upper arms, but she didn’t fight. Instead, she yielded to him as an omega should, her body relaxed and pliant.

  “Do you need my help dressing, little one?”

  “No.” She lowered her gaze until she was staring at a spot on the floor, away from him. “I will dress myself.”

  “Savannah.” He brushed a kiss to her cheek. “You must understand your place. Some of the others will not understand if you forget. Then, I will need to fight to protect you. I’d rather spend my time in bed with you than fighting some brute of a L’crav.”

  She shuddered. “I’m going to hate it there.”

  “It’s the safest place for you. And the most comfortable. You’ll see. Trust me, little one.”

  She didn’t answer him aloud, only nodded slightly and stirred. He helped her to her feet. He wasn’t sure what had changed in the last few minutes, but something had. He’d just have to fix it later. After she’d been to the healer.

  Traveling by air-bike was far faster and more comfortable than anything she’d ever experienced. Tucked in behind Rath, warm and comfortable, it was easy to forget he was her enemy, especially when he only had to smile or growl at her to make her melt. And if he bit her over her mark, she was his, totally. No matter how much of an alpha asshole he was.

  Savannah hadn’t even realized how much she’d surrendered to him until today. It had been so easy to convince herself that he was different than the others. She’d created a fantasy for herself and managed to hold on to it until he’d put her on the back of his bike and taken her to the last place in the world she wanted to go. The citadel.

  That’s where omegas went to die… or worse.

  She shivered as the high walls came into sight, not wanting to cling to him but not having the courage to do anything else. Her eyes widened in fear, her tension mounting as the walls grew nearer, looming over them like a portent of doom. When they rode through the gates, she nearly stopped breathing, her heart yammering in her chest. Every alpha they passed turned to watch them. She felt their eyes on her and tried to make herself as small as possible. It wouldn’t work. She knew it wouldn’t work. Without the suppressants in her system, they would smell what she was.

  Omega. Prey.

  Rath growled, the furious sound blending with the rumble of the engine. “They will not hurt you, little one.” He raised his voice. “They best not even look too hard!”

  Several of the aliens turned their attention elsewhere, but not all. A handful followed them. They were unkempt and unpleasant looking, and one of them had a malnourished and dead-eyed omega on a leash.

  “Rath?” she whispered.

  “I see them. They are L’crav. Beneath your notice.”

  She wanted to close her eyes and burrow against his strong back to escape back into a fantasy that they were back at the house. That she was safe. But she’d long since left childhood fantasies behind. She wasn’t safe here, and she needed to keep her wits about her.

  The alphas still followed them as Rath pulled the bike up to park it next to lots of others. Some of them still bore dust from outside. She studied them as he dismounted, wondering how difficult they were to ride. Perhaps she could just—

  “Don’t even think about it, little one,” he growled, dark eyes watching her as though he could see right down into her soul. “You’d never get it out of the courtyard.”

  He was right. For now. The streets were bustling and people—no, aliens—were everywhere. But if she could remember where these bikes were, she might be able to come back another time when things were quieter.

  “As you say,” she murmured as he helped her to the ground. Her leg throbbed, but it was only a dull pain she could ignore easily enough. Strength mattered here. She would not show weakness.

  “Where did you find that one?” one of the alphas asked Rath.

  “Any more with her?” another chimed in.

  Horror slithered down her spine and she stiffened in recognition. She knew that voice. She’d heard it somewhere before. It was like seeing a face from a nightmare while walking in the daylight. Savannah moved closer to Rath, who managed to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder even as he moved her behind him.

  “She was alone in sector seven, and she is mine.”

  He’d named a spot almost three days’ walk from where he’d found her. The lie made her feel a little better for some reason. Rath might be an asshole at times, but he was doing what he promised. He was protecting her.

  “No one is allowed to claim an omega right now. So she’s not yours.” That familiar voice spoke again. She was almost tempted to peek out from behind Rath to see the face attached to the dark voice, but she decided against it.

  “Mine!” Rath snarled, the words weirdly distorted.

  That’s when it happened. He… changed. The man she knew was taken over by something else. A beast. His shirt tore at the seams, revealing the same hardened skin and swirling marks across his back she’d seen on his chest.

  She stumbled backward, every instinct screaming at her to run and hide. But he shot a hand out, clamping hard fingers around her wrist.

  “Mine!” he roared, his voice deeper than she’d ever heard it. A small whimper broke from her throat and all she could think of was breaking free and running, finding somewhere to hide.

  She heard a low growl from somewhere in front of her, but Rath snarled again and the next thing she heard was the scuffle of retreating footsteps.

  “R-Rath?” she whispered his name and then reached out to place a hand on his back. Without thinking, she started to make that soft purring noise again.

  “No!” Rath turned to glare down at her, and she saw his face for the first time. All black eyes and fangs, his handsome face twisted into something terrifying and bestial.

  She squeaked and tried to pull away.

  “Do not run, omega. Prey runs. Predators chase.”

  She was too far gone in her fear to understand the warning. She needed to get away from him. Away from this place. Heart in her throat, she wrenched her wrist from his grasp with a small cry of pain and ran.

  The roar echoed off the walls behind her, and her world narrowed down to corridors closing in on her, rough stone beneath her feet and the alpha chasing her. Terror added wings to her feet
as she reached some stairs and tore up them. Halfway to freedom, though, a wrenching, wrong pain in her leg stole her ability to run. Crying out, she staggered to the side, trying to use the rail to pull herself up. But he was right behind her, the vicious snarls terrifying. So she did the only thing she could.

  She dropped and curled up as small as she could where the wide step met the wall.

  She expected to be grabbed and shaken.

  Instead, a gentle hand touched her hair. “Shar’ai… what have you done?”

  The question tore a laugh that was almost hysteria from her throat and she looked up to find black eyes studying her levelly. His beast hadn’t fully receded and she sucked a breath in at the sight. It wasn’t enough to hold her tongue, though.

  “What did I do? Me? You did this!” she hissed. Fear gave way to anger and she embraced the emotional change. Anger was easier. She shoved at his chest. “You went all beast and grrr and I told you I didn’t want to come here!”

  “And I told you not to run.” Rath’s voice was little more than a growl. He reached forward and picked her up like she was a wayward child instead of a grown woman.

  “No!” She struggled against him but he held her easily against his broad chest. “I want to go back! Take me back to our place.”

  “No.”

  “Yes! Put me down and take me back!”

  She tried to kick him, but he just growled again and hefted her into his arms like she weighed nothing. The next moment she found herself over his broad shoulder with an excellent view of his back and firm, tight ass as he stalked off.

  “No! Stop it! Let me go!” She wriggled, not thinking that if he dropped her, it was a long way down to the floor.

  “Behave!” he snarled, and his large hand landed heavily on her ass, spanking her. She squealed in outrage, struggling harder.

  “Unless you wish to meet Lord Tane from your current position, you will stop fighting me. Now.”