“The Crown Prince?” Dharia’s eyes narrowed, she’d clearly noticed the familiar tone that Aura had taken when referencing him. “I doubt it. He almost never comes here. The high-and-mighty Prince Castor wants nothing to do with an Omega.”
That was enough to pique Aura’s interest. “What do you mean?”
“Even before he came of age, Castor always swore that he would never mate an Omega. He’s one of the few Alphas that resists his natural urges. Apparently, he imagines a world where the dynamics aren’t a part of daily life. It’s pure fantasy.”
The mark burned as Aura fought to keep the cascade of emotions off her face. This woman did not describe the man who had fought for her in the Forbidden Zone and claimed her in a frenzy of passion. The sick part of her missed the hulking Alpha that had stood between her and the darkness, but she also hated herself for even thinking it. That had to be why Castor had taken such pains to stay away from her, it was shame that motivated him.
And Aura still struggled with the concept of what it meant to be Alpha and Omega, since such things had not existed on the Citadel. But she was quickly coming to realize that she had ended up on the wrong side of the power equation.
“Have you ever considered trying to leave?” Aura asked. “There has to be something more out there for you.”
Dharia gaze grew more considered, a sort of shrewdness hiding behind her dark eyes. “How did you say that you came to be here, again?”
Realizing that she was about to talk herself into a corner, Aura regurgitated the story that Castor had made her practice over and over again. “I’m from the lower levels. My parents died when I was a child and I was offered the chance to come here after my dynamic revealed itself. It was that or starve.”
“So you understand then,” Dharia acknowledged with a sigh. “Choice is an illusion for Omegas. We can only play the hand we’re dealt.”
But something she had said alerted Aura to the possibility that there were other options, even if Dharia considered them impossible. “You mentioned renegades. What did you mean?”
“You know. Omegas who attempt to hide their dynamic through artificial means. Some of them take medications to suppress their scent and prevent a heat cycle. Others keep themselves hidden away to avoid being mated, but that’s no sort of life.”
It was hard for Aura to imagine that the reality of being raped by the men who visited the harem could be worse than a life of hiding. She had not seen enough of this city to know what existed outside of the opulent palace, but it couldn’t be worse than what she already faced.
But escape was impossible, at least for now. She had to find some way to send a message to Castor. If he knew that other men freely used the women in the King’s harem then he would do something about it.
Unless he already knew about it and simply didn’t care.
He had said himself that he had no intention of ever touching her again. And he had dropped her here like a piece of trash to be discarded. Perhaps he had known all along what awaited her and had filled her head with pretty words, so that she would not fight him as he abandoned her.
Aura wanted to hate him, but her feelings were too much of a confused jumble. In that moment, there was only room for more confusion.
Dharia seemed to notice Aura’s sudden change of mood and spoke to her in a more cheerful tone. “There is one interesting thing here. Do you want me to show you?”
Reluctantly, Aura followed the older woman out into the main hall of the pavilion. Tiny curls of steam rose off of the heated pool at the center the room, leaving a slight fog in the air while beads of sweat sprung up on her skin. Few of the woman lounging around the pool reacted as they picked their way across the carpet-covered tile.
To Aura’s surprise, Dharia led her to a wood-paneled wall on the far side of the room cut with intricate patterns in the shape of flowers and curlicues. Dharia knelt on the floor and indicated a gap that was large enough to see through.
“We’re right above the main hall,” she said. “If you put your eye up to one of the holes, you can see what’s happening down there. And you can even hear a little, if it’s quiet enough.”
Resigned, Aura pressed her face close enough to the wall that her nose pushed against the wood. Down below was a reception hall, similar to others she had seen during Castor’s impromptu tour, only significantly larger.
And a handful of people were gathered. A man sat on a gilded throne on one side of the room with several others behind him while another group faced them.
“That’s him,” Dharia whispered excitedly. “That’s Castor.”
And Aura realized with a start that it was Castor sitting on the throne. He was speaking, but in such low tones that it was impossible for her to make out what he said. But he faced a group of people who wore clothing that was distinct from any she had seen since arriving, but clearly rich and ornate.
“Who are those people with him?” she asked, curious in spite of herself.
“Foreigners, looks like.” Dharia pressed her face close to the paneling until her features smashed against the wood. “Oh, I know who that is. That’s the emissary group from Vigil.”
“Vigil?” Aura asked before she could stop herself.
“You really don’t know much of anything, do you? I didn’t realize things were so bad in the lower levels that you can’t even get a basic education.” Dharia turned away from the panel to regard Aura with a narrow gaze. She did not seem suspicious, but was clearly making assumptions about Aura’s intelligence and ability to comprehend basic concepts. “Vigil is a neighboring sector, one of the closest. We’ve been in a conflict with them for ages.”
Aura watched as the group from Vigil approached the throne and the waiting prince. The group was almost entirely composed of men, but one woman stood at the center, wearing heavy robes made of glimmering fabric that made her shine like a beacon, even from far away. “Why are they here?”
“Castor has worked hard to establish diplomatic relations with Vigil. He was on his way back from their sector when his skycar crashed and everyone thought he was dead.” Dharia looked through the panel again and an excited note entered her voice. “I know who that woman is. That’s Princess Sirena.”
“Who?”
“Heir to the throne in Vigil.”
“Why would they send a princess here if there’s conflict?”
Dharia made an exasperated sound. “How do you think Castor is securing an alliance, idiot? Uniting the two thrones is the best way to ensure that there’s peace.”
A sick feeling settled in the pit of Aura’s stomach, but she still felt compelled to ask. “But why is she here now?”
Dharia cast her a strange look, as if the answer should be obvious.
“For the wedding. She’s his fiancée, of course.”
Chapter Five
A sick sense of dread had overwhelmed her since the revelation about Castor and the princess from Vigil. Aura recognized that she shouldn’t have been surprised. He had made her no promises and had seemed primarily concerned with keeping her as far away from as possible. It shouldn’t be a shock that he was engaged to another woman.
Anger accompanied the sadness, as she contemplated the fact that he had left her here without so much as a backward glance. It didn’t make sense that he would devote so much time to procuring her a translation unit and a believable history, just to leave her locked up here.
It was hard for her to understand Dharia’s apparent contentment with their situation. And her mention of other men who would eventually come to make use of the women in the harem sent cold chills running down her spine. Aura had no intention of being used and abused by Alphas with no understanding of the concept of consent.
She had to find a way out of this place, with or without Castor’s help.
To her relief, none of the other women appeared interested in speaking with her. Most of them were older than she was and had clearly been here for a significant portion of their lives. Dharia
was the only other one similar to Aura in age, which likely accounted for her eagerness to be friendly. If anything, the women here seemed entirely lost to their own little worlds.
Aura walked around the pool in endless circles as her mind whirled. Food had been brought and laid out on a table at the far side of the room, but she had little appetite. When she had approached the large doors, the locked barrier mocked her. She had attempted to push against the doors, testing their strength, and they hadn’t moved so much as a millimeter.
She was trapped.
The guest that Castor had promised her finally arrived a few afternoons later and was more of a surprise than Aura expected.
When the woman entered the pavilion, escorted by burly guards who quickly shut the door behind them, Aura’s gaze was immediately drawn to the baby in her arms. Infants were not a common sight on the Citadel and only a small number survived to later childhood. Aura had never really considered the possibility of a child of her own, but found her gaze drawn to the shifting bundle that made strange sounds.
“You must be Aura.” The stranger’s voice was light and melodic like a breeze whispering across the surface of the heated pool. “I’m Ianthe. Let’s find somewhere to chat.”
Suspicion tightened Aura’s lips. “Did Castor send you?”
“I insisted, thinking you might want the diversion.” Ianthe breezed past on a wave of light perfume. “Is this room here yours?”
“Yes.” Aura had no choice but to follow the other woman into her small bedroom. She sat on the bed, while Ianthe took a seat at a small table across from her. “Who are you to Castor?”
“My mate is responsible for your rescue from the Forbidden Zone.” Ianthe eyed her with a gaze gleaming with intelligence. “Although I don’t expect you to thank him for it.”
“So you know how I came to be here?”
“In broad strokes.” The baby shifted in her arms and Ianthe leaned over to shush it, rocking the bundle gently on her lap. “It’s a little hard to believe, if I’m being honest. I had no idea that other sectors had conquered space travel, or that there are people living out there among the stars.”
She made it sound much more romantic than the reality, Aura thought. “No one up there has any idea that civilization still exists on the planet’s surface. It’s been generations since we’ve had any contact with the outside world. The elders tell stories about it sometimes, but those always sounded more like myths than reality.”
“And now you’re here. It must be quite a shock.”
Fabric from the bedspread bunched under her hands as Aura’s fists clenched in an unconscious movement. “I want to go home. Castor won’t help me get back.”
“He made it sound like the station was falling apart, full of starving people and rot. Why would you want to go back there?”
Aura felt her hackles rise. “The Citadel is my home. My family is there.”
Ianthe’s eyebrows went up, her expression curious. “Your family?”
“Auntie Nona and the twins. I’m the only one who can take care of them.” Inexplicable tears burned in her eyes, even as frustration remained the dominant emotion. “I can’t stay here.”
Standing, Ianthe came to the bed and placed a comforting hand on Aura’s shoulder. The baby squirmed between them, its weight oddly comforting. Aura hated that a baby was enough to distract her from her misery, even for just a moment.
“It may not seem like it, but this is among the best places that you could find yourself. Things could be significantly worse for an Omega.”
“Omega,” Aura spat the word out like it tasted bad in her mouth. “If I never hear that word again it will be too soon. There is no such thing as Omegas or Alphas on the Citadel. No matter how much we struggled, that alone makes it better.”
A brief expression of shock crossed Ianthe’s face. As if sensing its mother’s swift change in mood, the baby let out a sharp cry and took several minutes to finally quiet. “I had no idea,” she finally said after the noise ceased. “How is your society structured without dynamics to guide it?”
“People scavenge and trade. Some have the knowledge to grow food in the hydroponic garden or work the water reclaimers. Nona makes blankets out of scavenged fibers that we sell for rations. There are bad people, but nothing like these Alphas who seem to just take whatever they want without consequences. The Citadel isn’t perfect, but it’s better than this.”
“From what I understand, soldiers from Vigil have taken over your station. Legion told me that ships return from there every day.” Ianthe’s tone was gentle, as if she realized that she delivered very unwelcome news. “I can only assume that many more people like you are being brought down to the planet. You may not have a home to return to.”
“What will happen to them?”
“I’m not sure you want the answer to that question.”
That was enough to overwhelm Aura’s control of her emotions. She burst into tears as the frustration and hopelessness became simply too much to bear. The chances that she would ever be reunited with her family seemed to grow more remote with each passing moment. But she had to hear the truth, even if she wasn’t sure that she could handle it.
Aura looked up as tears streaked down her cheeks, expression suddenly determined. “If the ship that brought me here hadn’t crashed in the Forbidden Zone, what would have happened to me? Where were the Sotiri taking me?”
“Sotiri? You mean the soldiers from Vigil.” Ianthe sighed and hugged her baby closer to herself, as if using it as a barrier between herself and the darkness of the conversation. “I don’t know for sure. But there’s only one reason I can think of that Vigil would deploy a technology that awakens dormant dynamics and then take Omegas from the station.” She hesitated, as if unsure how to phrase the next part. “Omegas are valuable. Many Alphas would kill for the chance to claim one for their own.”
“You mean slavery.” Even to her own ears, Aura’s voice sounded like a harsh whisper. “They want to own us.”
Ianthe shifted closer and put a comforting arm around Aura’s shoulders. “It might not seem like it right now, but Castor is trying to protect you. You have no idea what it means to be an Omega alone in this world.”
“But you do,” Aura guessed, seeing the answer to her question in the other’s woman’s gaze. “Why don’t more Omegas fight? This can’t be what most of them want.”
“Some do. There are resistance fighters who sometimes offer shelter to renegade Omegas, but that’s a dangerous sort of life. I hid my dynamic for years, but every day was a struggle. I’ve never been safer or more loved than I am now.”
“But the choice was taken away from you. How can you stand it?”
“I fell in love. The biological impulses that make Alphas so terrifying cut both ways. By the end of it all, I wanted to be claimed by my mate. I wanted to be his. You’ll understand when it happens to you. It’s hard to fight yourself.”
Aura did not reveal that she had already been claimed by an Alpha who’d overwhelmed her ability to resist. Because he had then abandoned her here because he was already engaged to marry someone else. Any thought of him made the mark on her skin burn as if it had been set aflame. And in the moments when her mind quieted, she could practically feel him like an invisible presence in the room.
“What if I want to fight?”
Ianthe regarded her for a long moment. “You know, I’m convinced that Prince Castor only gave me permission to come see you because he hoped that it would make you more accepting of what’s happened to you. But I think it’s doing the opposite.”
“He saved me in the Forbidden Zone, but now he’s abandoned me here. He doesn’t get a say in what I decide to do now.” Aura noticed the spark of sympathy in Ianthe’s eyes and jumped on it. She had no other allies available. “Could you help me escape this place?”
“Where would you even go? You don’t know anything about Pandora.”
But Aura had already latched on to the idea, eager to ha
ve a plan even if it was an ill-advised one. “You told me that there are people out there who might help me. Just tell me how to find them.”
“We shouldn’t even be talking about this.” Ianthe glanced at the partially open door, as if concerned someone might be listening on the other side. “You act as if I could just call them up on the CommNet. Some of them are terrorists. They blow up buildings to force Central Command into changing our laws. They’re dangerous.”
“Would they pimp me out to whoever fancied me, like what’s happening here?”
The shock on Ianthe’s face was genuine. “Pimp you out? What does that mean?”
“Another girl already told me that other men will come to make use of the women in the King’s harem. It’s only a matter of time before the same thing happens to me.”
That revelation seemed to be enough to tip the scales. Ianthe’s lips thinned in displeasure. “Does Castor know about this?”
“It’s impossible to say. I haven’t seen him since he dumped me here three days ago.” Aura leaned closer. “You have to help me find these Omegas who resist. Please.”
Ianthe sighed. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
“Your mate would. His name is Legion, right?” At the other woman’s slight nod, Aura eagerly continued. “I’ve heard Castor talking about him.
“Legion won’t tell me anything, if he thinks that I’m trying to help you escape.”
“Then ask someone else.”
“I haven’t actually agreed to any of this, you know.” Ianthe hugged the sleeping baby closer to her chest and stared off into space for a long moment, as if in deep contemplation. “Are you sure that the women here are being taken advantage of? It’s a punishable offense for any man but the King to touch a harem Omega.”
Aura clasped her hands in supplication, begging with the expressive emotion in her eyes. “I don’t want to be here long enough to find out.”
Ianthe stood, cradling her child close and staring down at Aura. “I need to speak with Legion and Castor. Something needs to be done about the King’s harem if what you’ve said is true.”
Alpha's Corruption Page 4
