by Zoey Ellis
He hadn’t been sure how she would feel being in the mountains. Although she grew up there, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t feel trapped, considering how much she’d traveled in mainland Ariyon. That was the main thing he’d learned about Ria when he brought her home from Ashens. She liked to wander, but it didn’t have to be far. She still spent her days traveling the valleys, visiting mainland Ariyon, and had even shown an interest in helping some of the tours of the mountains.
Thorec was happy for her to do all of that as long as she was on his cock when he was finished for the day. It was harder to be publicly adventurous in the mountains. Thorec didn’t particularly care who saw him fucking his woman, but Ria was mortified at the idea of the mountain people catching them. Still, she made him work for it in their home and when they visited the mainland. And that made it all worth it.
Surprisingly, the mountain people got used to him being among them quicker than he thought. He suspected they tolerated him as much as he endured them, but they seemed to enjoy Ria’s company and her interest and respect for their traditions. Knowing she had once been one of them also helped, but Ria admitted she didn’t yet feel like one of them.
Of course, the treaty between the mountain people and the Lox had to be revised significantly once he moved there, but he had more leverage now. Not only did he now know about their illegal portal, but he also knew that much of the privacy they claimed they wanted to maintain, wasn’t something that existed before the Lox came into power. So he negotiated that both he and Ria, and anyone they authorized could enter the mountains whenever they choose, as long as they respected mountain culture and customs.
As such, Ria’s brother regularly visited, which pleased her. He could only visit when he wasn’t on tasks for the Lox, but Ria was understanding. She’d been more nervous about what he would think of them living in their parents’ house, but soon after he arrived, he was sharing stories of what he remembered about the house and town, and their relationship was building steadily.
When Ria became too heavy to traipse up and down the valleys, Thorec finished his days early so he could carry her up to the higher grounds and look over the nearby mountain towns.
“Don’t you think it’s beautiful up here?” Ria sighed one afternoon, snuggled into Thorec’s lap.
He brushed his lips over the scar of the claiming bite he had given her after she bit him, creating the soul-bond between them. “Yes.”
She glanced at him. “You’re not looking at the mountains, Thorec.”
His mouth twisted into a smile. “I am looking at the most beautiful thing in the mountains, Ria.”
“I can’t believe you don’t see the beauty from up here,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Everyone else can see it.”
“I told you I do see it.”
Ria sighed in annoyance, shifting in his lap. “Did I tell you, Hal thinks it will be a boy? He said he is certain.”
Thorec made a gruff noise in the back of his throat. “Hal should spend more time focusing on his crops,” he growled. “The man is a busybody and provides no value to the mountain people at all. I wish I had known that before.”
Ria grinned. “He’s a complainer,” she admitted. “But he has the best intentions.”
“As long as you call him Elder.”
“That is a sign of respect here,” Ria pointed out. “And I would say his value is keeping the Lox on their toes. He’s the most effective at keeping outsiders out.”
Thorec hummed in agreement, pressing his nose into her hair to scent her. “True, but he is wrong. We are having a girl.”
Ria glanced up at him. “How can you be sure?”
“I just know, Ria.”
They sat quietly for a little while, Ria enjoying the sight, sounds, scents of the mountains, Thorec enjoying her. He had the life he’d always wanted with his Omega now, and he planned to fully experience every moment of it. The most shocking and profoundly satisfying moment with Ria, apart from when she claimed him, was when she first entered her Haze. He’d heard so much about the Omega Haze, but the thrilling experience of seeing his Omega with golden eyes, so eager to breed, and praising everything about him, sparked a rut he hadn’t been able to control. He’d been worried that the energy of the mountains would disrupt their breeding states; after all, neither of them went into one during their time in the mainland, but living in the middle of the mountains seemed to encourage it. Ria went into her Haze almost immediately after they moved.
“I have a challenge for you,” she said after a moment, a mischievous smile on her face.
Thorec narrowed his gaze. “That sounds highly appealing.”
“It is.” Her hands went to his pants. “You’re not allowed to touch me or move.”
Thorec groaned, his cock already half-hard by the time she pulled it out. “This isn’t a challenge, it’s torture,” he said, roughly as she stroked him.
“Are you saying you can’t win this one?” Ria asked, mock surprise on her face. “Will General Thorec be defeated?”
Thorec growled at the taunt, then dug his fingers into the ground as she worked her hands up and down his length, squeezing and twisting at the tip the way he liked. When she pulled the neckline of her dress down, allowing her breasts to bounce out, he almost grabbed them.
“Hmm,” Ria said thoughtfully. “I thought you might like to touch them.”
“Ria,” he growled, the intense pleasure surging through him.
“Shall I touch them for you?”
Thorec groaned as his mate gently squeezed her breast and flicked her nipple until it was hard and begging for his mouth. “I’m going to fail,” he rumbled.
At that, Ria laughed with delight and lowered her warm mouth to suck on him, her eyes sparkling with glee. “There is a first time for everything, my Alpha.” He came hard, his hips thrusting up into her mouth, and he reached forward to grab her bare breast as she drained him of every drop.
As the orgasmic rush faded, he lifted her up and held her securely against him, her round belly pushing into his chest as he gave her a disapproving look. “That doesn’t count.”
Ria pouted. “You’re a sore loser, Thorec.”
“When I can chase you all over this hill and fuck you until you are delirious, you can try again, my brave challenger.”
Laughing, Ria slipped her arms around his neck. “I hope you know I will keep trying until I win.”
Thorec smiled as he pulled her forward and kissed her deep and long, savoring the feel of his Omega as the sun retreated, and knowing that one day, he would let her.
The End
Thank you for reading Candescent: A Myth of Omega standalone! If you have enjoyed this story please consider leaving a review.
Who will find his Omega next?
COMPULSION: A Myth of Omega standalone
Lox warrior, Roclan, is convinced there is no Omega for him.
How can there be?
He’s tried so hard to find her and been unsuccessful at every turn.
When he is sent to resolve a dispute surrounding the life of an Omega healer, he realizes he must keep her alive and demand that she stay with him.
If only to explore the deep compulsion that she is his to claim.
Secure your copy of COMPULSION
Discover MYTH OF OMEGA
For a deeper experience of this carnal, magical fantasy romance world, start with the story of the emperor and empress, CRAVE TO CONQUER.
He conquered an Empire - and she's next.
The most savage Alpha in the land is relentlessly searching for his Omega.
And she's hiding right under his nose.
Arrogant ruler, Drocco, enlists Cailyn to help him find a mate — but he yearns to dominate her.
Knowing her life would be over if he ever discovered she was an Omega, Cailyn is trapped.
She came for his secrets, prepared for his wild nature, but not for the effect he would have on her.
Their irresistible attraction puts them bo
th at risk… and everything they thought they knew is changed forever.
What readers are saying:
★★★★★ "Hot alpha, all-consuming world, strong heroine - super hot read. Be prepared for addiction!"
★★★★★ "This book is filled with holy hotness, suspense and darkness, and left me salivating for more!"
★★★★★ "If you want RAW, ANIMALISTIC AND SEX-SATURATED content, this trilogy is the one."
DROCCO
As he sat down, he saw Cailyn enter. He couldn’t take his eyes from her as she threaded through the crowd toward him. He almost held his breath as he stared. The woman was utterly gorgeous. Her hair had been swept up again revealing that delicate neck, and the dress clung to every delicious curve. Finally he could see her luscious figure in detail and it had been worth the wait. With the cut of the dress revealing the tops of her shoulders, her simple elegance seemed out of place among the raucous crowd.
His guards let her through at his instruction and she climbed the platform and stood before him, her head low.
“I’m not pleased you had to be summoned, kitten,” he said, lifting his ale and keeping his eyes on her.
“I’m sure you can understand I wasn’t eager to attend, considering your plans to…” Her voice petered out, her head lifted and she closed her eyes, swaying slightly. Then her eyes opened, widening as an expression of horror seeped into her face.
Drocco frowned, confused, and then a scent hit him. A rich, luscious, sublime scent, like nothing he had smelled before. It penetrated every part of him, causing a yearning so powerful that suddenly every fiber of his being switched to high alert.
“No,” Cailyn whispered, taking a step back. “No. It can’t…”
Drocco ignored her and leaned forward, trying to decipher what he was experiencing. A fog began to swamp his mind, and the only clear thought emerging was that he needed that scent—it belonged to him. He turned his head slowly seeking it out, and then snapped back to Cailyn. It was her.
Cailyn glanced around wildly as she backed away, her whole body tense and poised to bolt.
Drocco rose slowly, every inch of him aware of every inch of her. A raw hunger developed as he took in her terrified expression, her scent blossoming into an aroma so enticing, so complex, his cock hardened to rock. At the same time, the guards behind her began to turn and look at her, their nostrils flaring.
Something snapped in Drocco. He swept forward and lifted Cailyn, throwing her over his shoulder before storming out of the Great Hall. He maneuvered through the corridors of the palace to the nearest private space he could find, trying to ignore the sweet aroma filling his nostrils. He could barely think. All he knew was that he needed to be alone with her. His guards would be following him; he wanted to lose them.
He arrived at his barely used office and entered without breaking his stride. Heading to the center of the room, he put her down, keeping his hands on her soft body as he breathed her in.
She looked up at him and he froze. Her brown irises had morphed to include a hint of gold—a gold he had only ever read about, a gold that no one had seen in one hundred and eleven years.
“Are you an Omega?” he said, his voice hoarse with disbelief.
She took advantage of his shock to stumble away from him to the far wall. “What did you do?” she cried. She pressed herself up against the wall and almost sobbed. “They’re gone. They’re all gone! What did you do?”
Drocco watched her eyes turning more golden as the seconds passed. “Explain yourself, Cailyn Lefroy,” he demanded. “Are you an Omega, or have you taken something?”
The woman moved along the wall and then back again, looking around frantically. Her scent seeped into the room almost lazily, and it called to Drocco to cease all the questioning and rip that dress off of her. But he forced himself to resist. He needed to know what had changed. How could she suddenly smell so good and have acquired the infamous golden eyes of an Omega in her Haze? Was it a trick? Hadn’t Malloron mentioned Haze recreators coming into the city more often? She could be trying to trap him as revenge for her sister. And yet, as Drocco continued to watch her, she became more desperate.
“Tell me,” he demanded. “Are you an Omega?”
She bent over, pressing her hands between her legs, and groaned. That groan shuddered through him, and his already hard cock jumped painfully. He stepped toward her.
Her head snapped up. “Don’t move!” she snarled at him, holding out a hand. “Don’t come near me.”
Read CRAVE TO CONQUER
SIGN ME UP!
Acknowledgments
Randie, you are amazing! I don’t know how I would get by without your input, not only with the edits but your knowledge and understanding of my work. Thank you for being so committed and supportive, and always going over and above.
Margarita, what fun we had with this one! You are truly an incredible person. Thanks so much for talking things through with me, and for all your patience and support and cheerleading.
To my Dark Halos, I hope you enjoyed this little addition to the Myth of Omega world! It only exists because of all the support you’ve shown the series. Thank you!
As always, I couldn’t do this without the incredible support of my family and friends. Love you all so much x
About Zoey Ellis
Zoey Ellis is a Fantasy Romance author who writes dark-edged romances about tortured, possessive, alpha anti-heroes and the sassy heroines who belong to them (even if they don't want to!). Filled with passionate, carnal steam, Zoey's stories feature couples that go through tough journeys and make mistakes but ultimately have to grow for each other to survive the dark worlds they inhabit.
Described as 'deliciously dark' and 'unputdownable', Zoey's thrilling, fantastical romances come complete with roller-coaster twists and turns, unique worlds, and happy endings.
Zoey is a Londoner, cat mama, and proud romance and epic fantasy addict. She loves jealous/possessive heroes, sexual tension that jumps off the page, and memorable, magical worlds. She reads most genres of romance and has a special love for the 'true mates' trope and dark angst.
When not working on her stories, she is usually gaming, buddying reading with friends or stumbling upon new and ridiculous ways to mess up a date!
She offers exclusive news, bonuses, and giveaways to her reader's group, Dark Halos: to get the extras, join the Facebook group and join the readers list.
Snoop around Zoey's online home for her favorite reads, release news, and bonus media about her fantasy worlds: www.zoeyellis.com
