by Alison Aimes
Except Amora was standing at Magnus’s side—and his uncle’s aim was off.
It all happened in less than a heartbeat.
The green laser beam streaked toward Amora’s chest.
Magnus reacted instantly, throwing himself at her.
She screamed in horror. “No! Not full on. You can’t touch me.”
But nothing was more important to him than her. Not even his life.
Using his momentum to hurl her out of the way, he curled his body around hers like a shield and simultaneously drew his weapon, firing at his uncle. The shot headed for Amora streaked harmlessly by. His uncle crumpled.
Threat eliminated.
Magnus and Amora hit the ground hard, him on his side, her on top. His body pressed tight to hers. No barrier but thin clothing between them.
No sparks, burn, or fire either.
Not even a blister.
Shock thundered through their fated bond.
They stared at one another. Neither even blinked.
Amora was the first to find her voice. “How is this possible?”
He was equally floored. “I don’t know.” He willed his mind to work. He’d honestly expected to be ash. To feel his omega’s soft, warm curves pressed against him instead was nothing short of miraculous. And hot as hells.
He was holding on to his control by the tips of his claws.
Her voice shook. “I-I can feel you against me. Skin to skin. That shouldn’t be possible.”
“We’re fated mates.” He held up his wrists. The band had closed and was now a complete circle. “Anything is possible. With love.”
She blinked. Tentatively, she rested her hands on his chest. He’d expected her to gush over his admittedly gooey words. Instead, her eyes glittered with lust. “You’re so warm. So hard.” Her hips rocked against him. “So big.”
He groaned. She really was the perfect female for him.
She moaned.
He pulled her more squarely onto his cock.
“Brother!”
Magnus stilled as Tarquin’s amused voice reached him. Hells, in his lust, he’d forgotten he had an audience.
“Are you and your female alright?”
Magnus was pretty sure civility was beyond him now. Good thing he was the exiled king of a sector of undesirables and outcasts. He was relying on that to give him a lot of leeway.
“Can’t talk now.” He all but growled at his brother as he scooped his female up and stood, cradling her in his arms. “Got an omega to claim.”
“And she needs to claim him right back.” Amora locked her arms around his neck as if she’d never let go. Her words and actions only made him harder.
His brother chuckled. “You two are definitely a good fit. I’ll take care of removing the body and dealing with the fallout. These guards can attest to the fact that it was clear, self-defense, and no retaliation is required.” An eye for an eye was part of the Brotherhood creed and none of its members were allowed to be killed without brutal and quick retribution, but Magnus had every confidence his brother would smooth things out. He’d become a formidable Alpha in his own right.
Hoisting his omega higher in his arms, Magnus took one more glance at where he’d come from. His uncle lay unmoving in the dirt.
He should have suffered more, but Magnus couldn’t bring himself to regret the way it had all gone down. What mattered most was that the bastard was dead and Amora was safe.
From here on out, it was all about looking forward.
“Before you go,” Tarquin’s voice drew Magnus from his thoughts. “It would be great if you could call off your subjects. They look ready to start gnawing off my head and those of my guards. A war now, when we’ve just established a new peace, seems counterproductive.”
“You think?” Pride surged through Magnus as he took in the fierce army at his back.
He could see a brighter, richer future for all those in the Forbidden Sector. And even more for himself, thanks to the female in his arms.
“Come on, men.” He shot Tarquin one more smile before striding toward his crew. “It’s time to go home. I want to show my female her throne.” Leaning over, he whispered for her ears alone. “After I run my palms over every inch of her and then fuck her like crazy—until my touch is not just imprinted on her skin, but every inch of her perfect heart.”
11
They didn’t make it to the castle.
The distance was too far. Amora’s hands were all over him while her powdered, sugary scent teased his nostrils and her curves pressed against his flesh.
He was an Alpha with control, but even he had only so much.
Her soft touches drove him wild, while the wonder and lust blazing along their bond had the meat against his thigh as rigid as a metal pipe.
He saw the shuttle and made a decision.
It seemed fitting. This was where it had all begun. Where he’d found her. It should be where he’d claimed her too.
Or maybe it shouldn’t be, but the time for giving two fucks had long since passed.
He needed to rut and knot her. The instinct to claim, to breed, was overwhelming.
“Spread out and create a perimeter.” He barked the words at his men. “Out of sight and out of the scent zone. Kill anything that tries to come through.” He paused and pinned Pavel and Axel with a hard stare. “I mean anything.”
From the way his omega writhed against him, he suspected she approved of his choice or was too far gone in heat to care.
His seconds nodded, too smart to let whatever they were thinking show on their faces.
But Magnus didn’t give a shit what they thought as long as they followed orders. Fact was, he wanted every single one of them to know just how bad he had it for his omega. Less chance of anyone stepping outside the lines that way.
“Go!”
His men scrambled, a little slice of calm returning to Magnus’s brain as the other Alphas’ scents drifted away and all that was left was the beauty of his omega’s perfume and the love in her gaze. He strode toward the shuttle, enjoying how she bounced in his arms.
The two rising suns painted the sky a brilliant gold that felt like an omen, while light glinted off the shuttle’s wings, calling him forward in an invitation.
He reached their destination, pleased to see that while the Forbidden Sector had taken care of any leftover smugglers, the shuttle itself was just as he’d left it.
Disinterested in wasting the time to climb inside, he pressed his omega up against the shuttle exterior.
With a moan, she wrapped her legs around him. “Alpha.” Her hips ground against his hard shaft. “I’ve waited so long. Fuck me.”
Her words pushed him close to the edge, the instinct to rut climbing up his spine. He fought it.
He grabbed her ass and squeezed, a warning. “You’ll wait a little longer.” He sent a firm tap along their bond as well, one that had her bucking in his hold. “I am the one in charge here, omega.”
This was her first time. For so much. He could not allow either of them to rush it. No matter how badly he wanted to just ram inside his female.
“Mmmm.” Her eyes sunk to half-mast. “Yes, Alpha.”
She liked him demanding and in charge. Which was good, since he liked it too.
He kneaded her perfect ass while he claimed her mouth. Their first kiss.
Her taste was even sweeter than he’d predicted, and he was ravenous. He devoured her, relishing the way her tongue met his.
He ran his hands over every inch of skin he was able to reach. Branding her with his touch while she trembled and arched beneath his palms, soaking up his caresses, reveling in his petting as she explored him just as thoroughly.
They broke apart only to breathe.
Her chest rose in wild pants. She stared up at him, awe traveling through their bond.
“The feel of your skin beneath my palms is like the sweetest of burns. Smoother than I expected. The muscles beneath even harder.” She shivered, her voice thi
ck with lust. “I’ve touched so many inanimate objects over the years, but to feel your flesh beneath my fingertips is the greatest of gifts. I can feel your muscles move, your tendons flex and bulge. Such power.”
Reaching out, she laid her palm over his heart. “I can feel this extraordinary organ beating inside your chest too. So strong and steady. A percussion’s call mine can’t help but answer.” Something that looked like tears glittered in her gaze. “For years, I wanted someone to touch me, and some did try, but the longing was always vague and general. Until you.”
His heart hammered against his ribs, beating just for her. Turns out, he liked hearing the words as much as she did.
She pressed kisses to his chin, the corner of his mouth. “When I saw you, it wasn’t just contact I wanted, but your skin against mine. It wasn’t just a connection I craved, but the power of your essence swirling like a storm that cannot be ignored. It wasn’t just any Alpha who would do, it was always you. Only you who I was willing to lose control for. Only you, I would protect with my own life. You light me up as nothing ever has. You make me stronger. Give me courage. A thousand new possibilities have just opened up for me—and I want every one of them to include you.”
Pressure built in his chest, along with his balls, and the back of his throat.
She was so mind-blowing perfect.
All the shit he’d been through: the grief over his father’s death, his uncle’s treachery, his brother’s disloyalty seemed so far away now.
“Before you, I was alone.” He found the words too. “An exile in truth, but not anymore. Now I have a home. Because you make me stronger and better, and all I want for my future is you by my side.”
Her lips trembled. “We fit.”
He couldn’t help himself. He winked. “Let’s see if you’re still saying that in a few minutes.”
Sweet laughter bubbled from her. “That’s another thing I never imagined. Laughter. Thanks to you.”
For some reason, that wound him up and broke him down more than any of her other beautiful words to date.
He wanted to always be the reason she smiled.
“Hold on.” With no more warning than that, he gripped her tight, carrying her to the wing of the shuttle. Sleek and relatively low to the ground, the suns-warmed metal was just the right height for him to position her as he wanted.
“Lie back, Amora, and spread those pretty legs.”
She shivered in need, but he could sense her nerves too.
She was still so innocent in so many ways.
“Trust me to keep you safe, omega.”
“I do.” Gaze locked with his, she leaned back on her elbows, her legs parting oh so slowly.
He fought with everything he had to stay in control. She was so gorgeous with her hair a wild tangle and her eyes full of shy hunger. What’s more, she was still in his oversized shirt and his boots, the picture of sweet, dainty innocence and tempting sin—and all his.
He was so damned desperate to be deep inside her. To make her his queen in full.
But first things first.
He dove in. His first taste of her sweet pussy had his ass clenching, balls drawing to so tight he barely managed to stop himself from coming. She was delicious.
It got even better when her hands wrapped tight around his horns, thighs clamping around his face as her hips jerk upward.
He’d known her shyness wouldn’t last long. Not his female.
He worked a finger into her pussy. Her channel was so wet and tight, he almost lost it again. Grunting, beyond speech, he added another. Claiming. Priming. Stretching her wide. At the same time, he flicked his tongue through her sweetness, lapping at that sweet little nub until her hips lifted in a frantic rhythm and she screamed his name, coming like she was riding a swamp beast, bucking and shaking, her thighs squeezing tight around his face, pussy grinding against his mouth.
His control broke.
With a roar, he gripped her ass and slid her to the edge of the wing. Fisting his cock from beneath his loin cloth, he lined up the swollen head with her soaking slit.
His gaze locked with hers. “My exile led me to this moment. It led me to my destiny. It led me to you.”
He rammed himself inside.
The thin membrane gave way beneath the force of his will and cock as he claimed her as his.
She jerked against him, stiffening. “It hurts.”
Her protest ripped a hole in his soul. It was the last time she’d ever hurt. He’d make damn sure of that.”
“Only for a moment, beautiful.” Pulling her upright, he pressed kisses to her temple as he sent soothing assurances through their bond. “You’re so perfect—and you feel so right.” He was barely in. “I’ve got a big Alpha cock and your pussy’s tight and sweet. Just like the rest of you.” His praise relaxed her, her body producing more slick to ease his way. Accepting the invitation, he worked himself deeper. “I’m going to make you feel so good. And you’ll have plenty of time to adjust. I’m going to be here a lot.”
She whimpered, but she didn’t fight him.
He rocked deeper, her channel giving way as her thighs softened.
“Oh, yes.” Her fingernails curled into his back. “Magnus, yes. That feels so good.”
It was all the encouragement he needed.
Hips thrusting, he ground himself deep into her snug, sweet hole.
Her body moved in time with his. Her channel squeezed the thick ridges of his cock, sending pleasure shooting up his spine.
She purred.
His heart stopped, and then started up again, tripping over itself. That sweet sound of contentment so beautiful, he was already desperate to hear it again.
The shuttle rocked as he pistoned upward and slammed in over and over.
The bond between them was already so strong he could feel it burrowing deeper into his cells. His knot swelled.
He felt her awe. Her pleasure. Her joy.
He was determined she would feel that way forever.
His omega. His female. His.
“Magnus!” she screamed his name, and he knew she was going to climax again. “I-I’m so full. I can feel you everywhere now.”
“You always will, Amora. I’m imprinted on every fucking part of you.”
She purred once more and that sexy sound, along with the sensation of her tight channel squeezing his cock, made his fangs flash.
The dominant display only aroused her more.
Her back arched, her body trembling as her neck tipped back, her throat bared in invitation.
Without hesitation, he leaned down and sunk his fangs into the flesh, claiming her this way as well.
Her reaction was explosive and instantaneous.
Her purrs turned to wails as she shuddered, her channel clamping down like a vise.
The pressure built at his spine and in his balls.
With a final roar, he gripped her ass and jerked her up and down on his cock, pounding into her pussy as he filled her with his hot come. He flooded her so full of his essence it spilled onto her thighs and the dirt. His knot made a sucking sound as it swelled and locked her tight to him.
His.
Always.
Knees near to giving out, he grabbed her and took her to the dirt, cradling her in his lap as he pressed kiss after kiss to her temple, and a peace he’d never known before rippled through him.
When he’d intercepted that package, he’d been searching for revenge.
He’d been delivered salvation instead.
He really was the most fortune-favored male.
He would love her to his dying rotation.
Epilogue and Ruthless King Excerpt
One year later…
“Such sugary sweetness. I will never get enough.”
With a moan, she wrapped her palms as best she could around his thick horns and held tight.
His tongue worked her faster.
“Magnus!”
He hummed against her clit, his growl driving her need h
igher while his thoughts stroked along their bond like the most erotic of touches.
The male was truly a master at overwhelming her senses and making her burn.
Thankfully, though, he never caught fire in the process.
True to his word, he’d made her indescribably happy.
True to his word, he’d imprinted himself on her skin and her soul.
True to his word, they’d worked it out.
“Come inside me, Alpha, please.”
He slid a finger inside her, then another. Even now, he always thought of her. She was so tight, and he was so big, he liked to prepare her first. Before he pinned her down and rammed home.
Just the thought of what was to come sent more pleasure crackling through her.
She would never get enough of him. Even after months and months of wild rutting and fierce lovemaking, her craving for him only grew.
A soft sound echoed from the next room. Barely a murmur.
Still, Magnus’s head popped up from between her legs. “Did you hear that?”
Amora hid a smile and rose to her elbows. “She’ll go back to sleep.”
“But if she does not?” He paused, head cocked to the side, his scowl deepening. “I will go check on Shula just in case.” He pinned Amora with a warning stare. “Don’t move. I am not finished with my dessert.”
This time she did smile.
Too bad it was at his back. He was already moving to the door.
He might be the fiercest Alpha around, but when he was with her, he was still the sweetest of males.
And, it turns out, the best of mates and fathers.
Since Shula was born, he’d only grown more protective.
He was also still the stubbornest, boldest, and most formidable of males she’d ever met—and she loved him more than she could have ever thought possible.
A tiny flutter rippled within her belly.
She patted her stomach. “You will be just like him too. I am sure of it.”
She was only a few months along with their next offspring, but this one was already proving an Alpha in the mold of her mate, demanding her attention at all hours.
