by Susan Hayes
That quieted her for a moment. “He’s here?”
“Yes. This is his citadel, and you managed to run almost right up to his door.”
“Which one?” she asked, trying to look around. It wasn’t easy and she couldn’t really see much apart from his back and her own hair.
Rath walked faster. “We just passed it.”
“What did that other one mean about not being allowed to claim an omega. You said I was yours. That you could protect me.”
“You are and I will.”
“How, if the Lord Overseer himself said you can’t claim me? Why did you bring me here? It’s not safe!”
Fear made her struggle against his hold again. It was the smartest plan, but it was hard to be clever when everyone around her—including the man who brought her here—was a dangerous alien. How had she managed to forget that?
He growled, hefting her again in his arms. Between one moment and the next she went from being over his shoulder to pinned up against the wall, his hard body capturing hers.
“You are safe,” he growled, his voice softer and his expression softening as he looked down at her. “I am Master at Arms to Lord Tane himself. My family has served his for generations. He trusts me, and he will back me when I explain.”
“Explain what, A’rath?” a dangerously deep and smooth voice invited, making her squeak and jump.
She looked over Rath’s shoulder to see a host of dangerous looking aliens behind him, the one in front the Overseer himself. She’d seen his likeness on banners and posters enough to know who he was.
Fear rolled through her, making the alien’s nostrils flare, and she drew closer to Rath instinctively. The movement made Lord Tane’s eyes narrow.
“My master at arms is quite right, little omega,” he rumbled. “You are safe here. No harm will come to you. On this, you have my word.”
Rath inclined his head, turning so she was sheltered behind him, protected from the others. The Lord Overseer might have assured her safety but the tension running through Rath’s body said otherwise.
“My lord,” he murmured, fist clenched over his heart in salute.
“Explain to me why you have an omega with a claiming mark when I specifically stated that no omegas were to be claimed?”
“He saved me,” Savannah managed to push the words through her suddenly too tight throat.
“Savannah is mine, my lord. Her scent calls to me. I cannot describe it.” He thumped a fist to his chest. “I feel it.”
“That seems to be going around,” Tane intoned dryly.
“You. Omega. What did my Master at Arms save you from?”
“Alphas. Raiders. They raided our village. I think they took all the women. Not just omegas.”
“The L’crav, my lord. They did this.”
Fury twisted the Lord Overseer’s features into something terrifying and Savannah hid behind Rath again.
“Your quarters. Now. Bring the omega.”
The omega. Savannah didn’t like the sound of that at all. She took a deep breath and stepped back into view. “I belong to A’rath of the H’thor.”
She felt Rath’s small intake of breath as the Lord Overseer’s dark gaze settled on her. “What did you say, little omega?”
For a moment fear crawled up her spine, locking her into place. Then she lifted her chin, her decision made. She was in the middle of a nest of vipers, and her only security was the mark Rath had put on her neck.
“I am not a little omega,” she said clearly, looking him in the eye. “I am Savannah, and I belong to A’rath of the H’thor.”
7
His omega had confirmed his claim in front of the Lord Overseer himself. Pride swelled Rath’s chest even as he hoped Tane was in a forgiving mood. The Lord Overseer was rarely addressed directly, and almost never by a female.
“Very well. Master at Arms, bring your omega to your quarters. Immediately.”
Rath brought his fist to his chest in another sharp salute and then turned to Savannah. “You’ve walked more than enough on that leg already. I will carry you.”
She nodded. “Yes, please.”
Scooping her into his arms with care, Rath cradled her against his chest and began to parth. His lovecall soothed her, and within a few steps Savannah pressed her head to his chest and parthed back, her lovecall rolling through him like a song only he could hear.
Feeling ten feet tall, Rath walked behind the Lord Overseer, aware of the interest from the small group that tried to follow them. Tane growled and motioned them away, until only he and the healer accompanied Rath and his omega.
That was good. Savannah needed to see the healer. T’kinn would know why her wound hadn’t healed as it should. And maybe he could explain why his omega was no longer in heat. It should have lasted for several long, glorious days that could end with her carrying his child. He wanted to see her round and full and fertile, providing him with sons and maybe even a daughter. His grip tightened at that possibility—a daughter of his blood.
It didn’t take him long to reach his quarters, and he swept in behind Lord Tane, making straight for the couch in front of the windows. It was long and low, comfortable enough for his omega, and had the added advantage that he wouldn’t have to suffer the scent of another male in the bedchamber around his omega. It was bad enough they were here in the outer rooms.
“Shhh, shar’ai,” he murmured when Savannah complained at being separated from him. “You are safe. I am here.”
Soothing her filled him with male triumph, both at the fact that she automatically turned to him for comfort and that the other males had seen her. She was his. His claim was undeniable. No one would challenge him.
“She was injured escaping from the raiders who took her. I have treated it, but the wound has not healed properly.” He looked at Kinn. “Fix her.”
“I’ll send someone for my things while I examine her,” the healer announced and took a step toward Savannah.
She hissed at him.
“I have given him permission to tend you, shar’ai. I don’t like it either. But you are hurt. He can heal you.” Rath lowered his voice to a growl. “And he will not touch you any more than is absolutely necessary.”
She looked at him, their gazes catching, and he saw the fear there. The depth of it took his breath away. What had the xarthing L’crav done to these females? Quickly, he took a step closer, setting himself up as a sentinel by the side of the couch. He knew Kinn would not hurt her in any way, but, if she needed... wanted the reassurance of his presence, he could do that. Would do that. For her.
Her breathing still quickened as Kinn moved toward her, her entire body tense as he reached for her leg.
“Which idiot put this on her?” the healer growled in irritation.
“The only one in the area,” Rath shot back. “And do not growl at me, healer. If you upset my omega, I will tear your arms off, beat you with them, and then leave you to find a way to reattach them on your own.”
Tane snorted. “Ignore them both, little omega. You will speak to me. Have you been in hiding all these years?”
“Obviously. I only came out of hiding to get water.” Savannah’s voice was soft and tinged with fear, but she gripped his hand and kept speaking. “I knew it was a risk. Especially since we were low on...” she hesitated. “On food. I was too weak to run fast. It was a risk I had to take, though.”
“You should not have been at risk at all. I issued orders that no omegas were to be taken.”
“It would appear that your orders are not being obeyed, Overseer.” She lifted her chin in challenge. Rath closed his eyes. Of all the people to backchat, she had to choose the Lord Overseer.
Tane’s jaw tightened and his gaze landed on Rath. “Indeed.”
“Don’t you blame him! He wasn’t one of the assholes who hurt me and many others. He helped me, saved me.” She growled, full-on growled, at the lord and that was it, Rath thought, both their lives were over.
Tane watched her
for long moments, utterly still and devoid of movement. Then his lips twitched and he barked a laugh.
“Okay, little one, spare me your fierceness.” He frowned, obviously confused by the confrontational little omega. “You seem familiar to me.”
“I’ve never been to Zabor T’ah in my life. Every omega knows that to come here is to court death… or worse.”
Rath decided it was time to take his lord’s focus off Savannah before she got them both killed. “They’d rather risk starvation than trust us, Lord Tane. They fear us so much they are willing to die before submitting.” He pulled the little curled knife out of the pouch he kept it in and held it up for Tane to see. “She tried to kill herself with this when I found her. It’s not a defensive weapon. It’s made to open arteries. We’ve seen them before on the bodies of females out in the woods. We didn’t know what they were, though.”
Tane snarled and took the blade from him. “Omega. How many of you have these?”
Savannah looked at the blade in Tane’s hand and something primal flickered in her eyes. Darker than the blackness of the heat, it was the blackness of despair and misery. “Some. All? I don’t know. We stay away from each other most of the time. It’s too dangerous to be together. You hunt us.”
Her expression seemed to stall Tane in his tracks, his fingers stilling as he held the crude blade in his hand.
“We do not hunt you, little one,” he replied, his voice softer than Rath had ever heard it. “Those here before us did. We, the H’thor, do not hunt you. We want to protect you.”
“He speaks the truth, little one,” T’kinn confirmed. “You are the most precious thing in the worlds to us.” His voice hardened to its usual dry tone. “Even if your alpha is in need of remedial medical training.”
“I had to make do,” Rath snapped. He’d been at a safehouse he couldn’t even admit existed. Supplies were limited.
“Then you need better medical supplies. I’ll see to it.”
“And once she’s better, her heat will return?”
Both males turned to stare at him. “She was in heat?” Tane asked.
“And it stopped? What did you do?” Kinn demanded.
“I brought her here to get treatment.”
“You,” Kinn growled, “are an idiot. You do not move a female once she is in heat.”
“I told him I didn’t want to come,” Savannah added, an edge of grumpiness in her voice as she shot him an “I told you so” look. “I liked where we were.”
“You should have been kept there,” Kinn grumbled, bending over Savannah’s wounded leg. “But... with your mate’s abysmal medical abilities, I can see why he brought you to me.” He looked up at Tane. “She needs S’tranisaa. It’s all I can give her that won’t overwhelm her system and interfere with her heat.”
“Get it. Whatever she needs. Fix her. That’s your job.” He looked at his lord. “And no one told me not to move an omega. Perhaps we need our healer to be more forthcoming about what we’re supposed to do since these omegas are not like the ones we are used to?”
“If my orders were being followed, this would not be an issue,” Tane was still staring at the blade in his hands. “Why didn’t you wait to claim her?”
“Because I couldn’t. She was mine.” Rath slapped his chest hard. “Her scent compelled me. I can’t explain it.”
Tane arched an eyebrow. “I suggest you try, Master at Arms.”
The threat of violence was heavy in the air, as Rath resisted the urge to square up to the lord himself. But then a pained little squeak from the sofa got both their attention.
“My apologies,” Kinn murmured, his deep voice soothing. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Savannah had never felt so exposed. After a lifetime of hiding, she was alone in a room with three huge alphas, one of them the Overseer himself. She kept reminding herself of the rules her mother had taught her. Don’t show fear. Don’t back down but don’t stare. Looking an alpha in the eyes wasn’t allowed, yet Rath seemed to like it. The Overseer didn’t seem to mind, either. Much.
“The pain will fade. It always does.” She shrugged.
The healer, Kinn, winked at her. “True. But I still regret causing you pain. Once my bag is delivered, I promise you won’t have any more. Then your idiot alpha can take you back to your nest. That’s what you want. Isn’t it?”
“Yes. Very much.”
Rath glared at the healer, flashing a hint of fang. Savannah found it funny. She’d never imagined the alphas bickering or posturing like this. It was… surprising.
“And that is another thing, Lord Tane. These omegas live in fear and pain. They’re suffering.” Rath gripped her hand tighter. “We need to protect them.”
“Agreed. But first, we need to find them.” He looked at the blade again. “These might help. If the omegas carry them, we know what to look for.”
She froze, realizing she’d given these alphas a way to identify women like her. Omegas. But... would that really be so bad? She looked at Rath and Tane again and then back at the healer fussing over her leg.
“They will resist you,” she said quietly.
“So I’ve been told.” Lord Tane gave her an odd look. “Quite recently, actually. You are not the only omega to arrive at Zabor T’ah recently. I’m taking it as a sign.”
Rath cleared his throat. “I have been told there are others like Savannah, my lord.”
“Interesting. I look forward to hearing your report on that, Master at Arms. Once you have seen to your omega.” The little curved knife flickered as he twirled it over his fingers. “I think we will have much to discuss.”
“You’re going to start hunting us again?” Savannah asked and then looked at Rath. “You know that won’t work.”
“Hunt is a strong word,” Tane replied, watching her. “More... persuade the omegas that surrendering themselves is in their best interests.”
She met him look for look. He made it sound so simple, like he had made the decision and that’s all there was to it. That of course the human omegas would cede because he, the Lord Overseer, had decreed that it was for the best.
He had a lot to learn.
Savannah could have told him so, but she didn’t. She wasn’t going to help them any more than she already had. They knew about the mercy blades now. The rest, they’d have to learn for themselves. If they were decent—like Rath—maybe they’d succeed where the other invading clan had failed.
Kinn kept working on her leg while they spoke. Apart from that one touch, he’d been gentle enough she had been able to ignore his ministrations. In fact, the pain was gone.
“You numbed it?” she asked, glancing down at her leg.
“For now. By the time that wears off, you should be almost fully healed.” The big man shot a disgruntled look at Rath. “Don’t treat it yourself. You’re not qualified.”
“Thank you,” she said softly, offering the healer a small smile. The warning growl from Rath made her frown as she growled back. “I’ll smile at people if I bloody well like!” she hissed. “And he’s been nice to me.”
Rath bared his fangs. “Who do you belong to, shar’ai?”
“You.” She touched the mark on her neck. “And only you.”
“Better.” He rose and lifted her into his arms without warning.
She squeaked and threw her arms around his neck, grumbling. “Bossy alpha.”
“Your bossy alpha,” Rath informed her and then turned to T’kinn. “I should take her back to where she was happy?”
“As soon as possible.”
Savannah smiled at the healer again. “Thank you! I want to go back. It was nice there. Quiet. Comfy.”
“Stubborn omega. You’re safer here. With better food and more soft blankets.”
“We can bring food and blankets.” Now she was feeling more herself and the pain was gone, she just wanted to go home. And home was where she’d been with Rath, out in the wastelands.
Tane’s lips twitched into a ghost of a
smile. “I believe you have your orders, A’rath. Let me know when you have returned. We have work to do.”
8
The journey back to their “home” was much less fraught with tension. Warm and comfortable against Rath’s back, the soothing rumble of the engine and the reassuring presence of her alpha ensured that Savannah could doze lightly, only waking as the noise of the bike changed when they neared their destination. She opened her eyes to find that night was beginning to fall, just before Rath pulled the bike into an underground garage. The doors were already closing behind them when she sat up, blinking sleep from her eyes.
“We’re home?”
“We are.” Rath sounded amused as he powered down the bike and dismounted. “I still think the citadel would have been safer, but this is what you need, little one, so this is where we are.”
“Thank you.” She let him help her off the bike, leaning in to hug him once her feet were on the ground. “I feel safe here. It’s just us. I was afraid those others would be waiting for us. That you’d have to fight again. They scare me.” So did Rath when he became the beast. Logically, she knew they were one and the same, but it was so hard to accept.
“They would not dare,” he rumbled, the edge of his beast in his voice, and she looked up sharply to find him watching her. But his features were the same handsome ones she was used to, his eyes normal. Curious, she reached up to push gently at his lip. His teeth were normal.
“Where do they go?”
“Go?” he asked, lips moving against her fingers. “Ah, the fangs.”
He raised his upper lip into an exaggerated snarl. “They’re there. Just smaller. They lengthen when the change hits.” He held up one hand. “Like the claws. It is part of who we are.”
“But it’s still you?” She touched one canine tooth with her fingertip and then reached out to take his hand, letting it engulf hers. “Fangs, claws, and twisted features aside, you’re still my Rath?”
He purred, a low rumble that made her stomach flutter in the most pleasant way. “Always, little one. The shape changes, but I am always your alpha.”
