by Zoey Ellis
Considering she’d just woken up from a forced Haze with an Alpha on top of her, there was no way that life had become better for Omegas. The Lox Alpha army dominated the Eastern Lands now, and they ruled it ruthlessly. If these were the tactics they used, she didn’t trust them one bit.
When the Alpha returned, he wore pants and brought with him a large pitcher of water, a plate of softened bread, and a tunic for her. She dressed and then carefully sipped the water he poured for her. He didn’t speak, just observed her as though she was a rare thing to examine, but she ignored him until she’d drank three cups of water. When she reached for the bread, he leaned forward and pulled her onto his lap.
Yelping, she fought against his hold. “Let me go.”
“No.”
He didn’t provide any further explanation and simply broke off a chunk of bread and held it to her lips.
“I will not allow you to feed me like a child!”
But it was as though her words fell on deaf ears. He kept his thick, heavy arms locked around her and rubbed the bread, which had been drenched in some kind of spiced stew, onto her lips until she opened them to eat.
Annoyed, she chewed hard, her anger rising at how he was treating her. The next time he raised a chunk of bread to her mouth, she took it and bit down on his fingers.
Surprisingly, the Alpha laughed, his chest heaving as the vibrations rumbled out from him and onto her back. “So long as you eat, I don’t care if you want to have my fingers in your mouth, Nyan,” he said, laughter still in his voice. He lowered his tone as he pressed his mouth to her ear. “You’ve had me in your mouth plenty of times in the last few days.”
Her pussy immediately clenched in response. Dammit. Why did he have such a gorgeous bassy voice? It burrowed deep within her, resonating with something that she didn’t recognize within her, something that relished the sound of it. She shook her head, trying to shake the disorientation that clearly still lingered from her Haze.
As he continued to feed her small chunks of bread, Nyan quietly fumed, until a sudden flash of memories hurtled into her mind; the Alpha squeezing her breasts as he fucked her against the wall, spreading her wide as he knotted her on all fours, groaning as he licked her ass, and grunting as he spurted inside her and held her tight while she squeezed down on his knot. Nyan’s heart pounded fast in her chest as the memories flooded back, one after the other, assaulting her with image after image of the Alpha taking pleasure in her body—opening her up to experiences she’d never known… experiences he’d made her drunk on. And she had loved it.
Roclan. He’d told her his name was Roclan, and he’d made her say it repeatedly when that hurricane of divine ecstasy wracked her body.
With the last of the memories came the final piece of the puzzle she was missing. When her Haze was imminent, the Alpha had been furious. You didn’t tell anyone you were an Omega? How did you expect to be protected? So, he hadn’t known.
She took another piece of bread into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. If he didn’t know she was an Omega, how could he have induced her Haze? She glanced at him as he reached for another chunk of bread. She’d heard of Omegas going into their Haze when they met certain males, especially when they have been blocked by magic for a long time. But those males were special. They were highly compatible with the Omega and were suited to her in every way. Is that what happened here? Was this Alpha her true mate? The warm contented feeling that still ladened her bones nudged her. If the Alpha did induce her Haze, could he have induced that feeling of belonging and completeness in her? Both during her Haze and now? If magic couldn’t work in this building, how was he doing that? Something deep inside her nudged her again, but it only caused more confusion as she tried to make sense of everything.
As Roclan fed her the last of the bread, she sat quietly, confusion dominating her mind. When she glanced at him, he was watching her, a look on his face that was part heat, part wonder, and part satisfaction.
After sitting together for a while, Roclan lifted her and carried her to the washroom, where he bathed her and washed her hair. Disorientated by her thoughts, she let him do it and unwittingly found comfort in his touch.
Afterward, the Alpha forced her to lie with him, wrapping her in his arms again as he lay on top of her, face against his chest.
“Why are you still in here with me?” Nyan asked, irritated. She needed to be away from him to think properly—clear her mind and organize her thoughts. “I thought you were investigating my case?”
“I am” was his only answer.
They lay for a few moments, Nyan determined that she was not going to sleep in his arms, but then he began to purr.
The soothing vibration permeated her, mellowing every harsh thought, and every lingering pain that existed within her body until she was soft and content and ready to embrace sleep.
“Where are you from, Nyan?”
“Hallowcryst.” She answered before she even knew what she was saying.
“How did you end up in the southwest territories?”
“I came here after…” Her voice faded as she realized he was manipulating her. He was still investigating the case. Tightening her mouth, she kept her lips closed.
The Alpha rocked her. “You came here after what?”
When she didn’t answer, she could almost feel him smiling, as if amused by her defiance.
Slowly, he ran his nose up her neck, nibbled along her jaw, then continued down the other side of her neck.
Nyan tried to ignore how good it felt, but her body was highly sensitive to his touch.
He shifted himself onto his elbows as he continued to run his nose down to her chest. She watched him, transfixed, as he unbuttoned the top three buttons on her tunic with his mouth and then nudged the fabric aside with his nose to uncover her right breast. Her nipple was already hardening under his gaze.
“Why did you come to the southwest territories?” he asked, his eyes remaining on her nipple.
Nyan glared at him as her chest heaved, breathing hard, but she did not answer.
The Alpha inched closer and captured her nipple in his mouth. Nyan squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head to the side, trying to ignore the sensations running through her body. But it was impossible.
His tongue flicked over the nipple repeatedly, and he sucked it hard into his mouth before twisting it and biting down roughly. His assault on her nipple roused an exquisite pleasure that was only the tip of the experience of her Haze and felt like a promise of what could follow if she just answered. He kept her arms trapped against her body, and all she could do was clench her fists, while her slick gathered rapidly between her legs, her core clenching in anticipation.
She couldn’t help the moan that escaped her throat, and then louder and longer moans as his mouth became wilder and more brutal.
“Why did you come to the southwest territories?” he calmly asked again.
Nyan wanted to scream. He was trying to manipulate her into giving him information! “I’m not telling you a fucking thing,” she said through gritted teeth, even as she writhed against him, the pain and pleasure of his roughness on her nipple becoming almost too much.
He released his mouth from her nipple for a moment to say, “Why did you come to the southwest territories?”
Nyan cried out in frustration. The pain was becoming too much, and her writhing increased as she tried to get away from his mouth.
“Tell me now,” the Alpha ordered.
“I came after leaving the Omega cause,” Nyan breathed out finally. “I didn’t want to return to Hollowcryst, so I came south.”
The Alpha examined her as she breathed heavily, her nipple sensitive to the cold air. “So why come here?”
Nyan paused, but when his mouth inched toward her nipple, she growled out, “I like the warmth.”
The Alpha paused as he looked down at her. “What did you do for the Omega cause?”
“I was a healer. I healed people all over the Lands.”
“Omega spies?”
“Yes, and citizens too.”
Roclan frowned. “Why would you heal citizens?”
“There are always citizens that need protecting in the Lands. Sometimes my Omega superiors needed to ensure the safety and good health of some of them.”
“Why didn’t you join the Omegas that are based in Lox Palace when you left the cause?”
Nyan wrinkled her nose. “And sit around and do nothing? That would be a waste.”
He digested that for a moment. “You have been helping and protecting citizens for most of your life.”
Nyan nodded.
“So why would you kill?”
At that, Nyan said nothing.
“Nyan,” Roclan growled. “Why did you kill him?”
She turned her head away, tears building in her eyes, but he brought her eyes back to him. She wouldn’t tell him; she couldn’t. He could do whatever he wanted to her.
After a long moment of examining her face, the Alpha’s weight shifted. When she glanced back at him, he was making his way down the front of her tunic and undoing all of her buttons with his mouth. When he reached the bottom, he slowly slid back up her, extending his tongue to dip into her slit and roughly lick her clit on his way back up. She twitched at the sensation, keeping her eyes on him.
“Your pussy is deliciously wet, Nyan,” he said when he was back above her, his voice raspy. He pressed his hips into her, and the hard length of him nudged her. “It is in need.”
Nyan’s eyes widened on him, and slight outrage blustered through her. But her mouth couldn’t move to tell him he could fucking forget it because the illicit memories of her Haze called to her, whispering that she could experience that rapturous bliss once more. On top of that, his scent was deepening, smothering her and making that sensitive nipple tingle. Her mind and body in conflict, she ended up not saying a word.
The Alpha shifted on top of her, lowered his hand, and unbuckled his pants, all while his stunning green eyes held her with that gaze she was beginning to really like.
He plunged, driving inside her with one brutal thrust, and she tensed her legs, gasping as the beautiful burn shot deep within.
He fucked her rapidly, his cock forcing her to take him, and a primal sensation flourished all over her.
“You are so beautiful, Nyan,” he grunted as he slammed her, her body jolting as he grabbed her thigh and spread her leg wide. “I am very pleased you are mine.”
Nyan could only whimper. The reality of him was more powerful than the memories. Her entire body was aflame as he claimed her, reaching so deep she could barely draw breath and stretching her so wide a harsh pang laced every thrust. Fucking incredible.
When her orgasm arrived, it was a raging force of merciless euphoria that violated every inch of her being, physical and beyond. So caught in its grasp, she forgot to breathe, every sense blinded, and by the time she came to, the Alpha had flipped her over onto her front, already pounding her into the bedding, enticing another delicious orgasm.
The Alpha fucked her for hours, until they were drench in sweat and their combined scent was ripe in the cell. When he finally drew her into his arms, she could do nothing but quiver from the lingering tremble that worked through her core, and let him kiss her.
“You will tell me everything eventually, Nyan,” he said gravely, his lips on hers as drowsiness overcame her. “I won’t let you slip away.”
Chapter Four
NYAN
Thankfully, Roclan didn’t stay in her cell all the time, but he returned each day with questions.
Sometimes they were about her family, sometimes her work, sometimes her past. But she could tell that all of them were to try to find out why and how she killed the general. It fucking annoyed her. What was he trying to prove? There was no need to put all of this effort into the case when she had already confessed. His need to know why was a luxury that she was not going to give him, so Nyan refused to answer. She would have refused to eat too if he didn’t force-feed her with his own hands. She wanted to hate the way he babied her, the way that he bathed, and fed her as though she couldn’t do anything for herself, but deep down, she enjoyed the attention and care. It wasn’t as though he was doing it like it was a chore. When he bathed her, he explored all of her body with his hands, his eyes drinking up everything as though he was committing it to memory. It was the touch and attention of an Alpha who was pleased at the sight of an Omega, and she was secretly flattered by it.
He also fucked her every day, multiple times a day. His appetite for sex was insatiable, and he reveled in it in a way she’d never known anyone could. He used his tongue and fingers, his gaze and his voice to make her as wet as he possibly could, and then smeared her slick everywhere so he could lick it off her—including places she didn’t want him to lick, like her armpits, the crack of her ass, and soles of her feet. Still, it wasn’t as though she fought him not to do it. She loved the feel of his tongue brushing against her skin, no matter where it was, and when he drenched her in his seed, covering her with his pungent scent, the satisfaction that beamed through her was a pleasure she’d never known. The taste of his seed, heady and slightly bitter as it was, satisfied something within her, and when he began to smear it on his face, his neck, his balls, forcing her to lick it off him, she did so with an enthusiasm that made it obvious she loved it.
As the days blurred into each other, Nyan began to feel like she was high on him. She found herself irate waking up to his absence, annoyed if he didn’t visit before midday, and positively outraged if he spent too long fucking around with her food and baths when he arrived instead of sinking deep between her legs. Of course, one look from him, one mellow growl, one quirk of his smile, and her irritation mellowed like a child pacified with treats. It was disturbing, almost like she was drifting back to a state similar to her Haze, even though it wasn’t possible to have two Hazes in a row.
Whether or not he was in the cell with her, she could smell him and taste him constantly, and it made her paranoid in her clearer moments about what she’d said to him when gripped in ecstasy, drunk on the things he did to her, and she began to hate it. Why was he torturing her like this? What was the purpose? Everything had been fine before this Alpha had arrived, and now suddenly, everything that she had prepared for could potentially go awry. If he kept on using his cock, his scent, his body to entice and devastate her daily, she didn’t know how long she would be able to last against his interrogation.
Eventually, she resolved to push all thought of the investigation to the back of her mind and just enjoy the sensations the Alpha brought her. Why shouldn’t she enjoy her final days? If he was willing to indulge in her, surely she couldn’t be blamed for indulging in him?
Unfortunately, the Alpha was not prepared to let her simply ignore him.
“Tell me why you killed the general,” he asked again one afternoon after feeding her.
Nyan scowled, suddenly annoyed at his unwavering persistence. “I felt like it,” she shot back, flippantly.
“You are a popular healer among the citizens. You treat citizens across Dorei, Jynora, and the Islands of Ashens. Why would you suddenly kill a Lox general? And how?”
Nyan held his gaze. He had been researching her background and history, and although it was obvious he would, it somehow felt like a betrayal. “Just because he was a general doesn’t mean he was honorable.”
Roclan frowned, handing her a cup of water. “So you just took things into your own hands.”
“What other hands are there?” she said sharply. “The Eastern Lands are now the Lox Empire. What system is in place when one of your own is corrupted?”
“There are ways to report that. No one would be loyal to an Alpha not upholding Lox principles. They are the foundation upon which the Lox was created.”
“The Lox principles?” Nyan almost laughed. “You forcibly took these Lands,” she said, spitting out the words. “Your emperor had a problem with the King of A
shens, and instead of focusing on just Ashens and whatever dispute they had, he decided to force the entire Eastern Lands under his rule. What kind of ‘principles’ can a man like that have?”
The Alpha’s eyes narrowed. “It would never have been possible to only take Ashens and not the rest of the territories. You know as well as I that all of these Lands are interconnected—many rely on others. Misbury relies on Raydelmore, Neka relies on Grence, and so on. Without Ashens, most of the southwest territories would have suffered—Dorei probably the most.”
“That is your justification?” Nyan shook her head, disgusted.
Roclan’s bulky shoulders tensed, and his face hardened. “Lox principles have been communicated to every territory. If you wanted to know what rights you have within them, it would have been easy to find out. You didn’t want to. No one else can be blamed for that kind of willful ignorance, and it doesn’t justify killing a general.”
If Nyan could have punched the self-righteous expression off his face, she would have done it. “When someone is small, challenging somebody who is abusing their power is a risk that can destroy them. You have no right to tell those being abused they can turn to the very system that put him in power to solve that problem.” She shifted to look at him. “You have always been big, and you are used to being treated well. Some of us have always been small.” A strange expression flitted over the Alpha’s face, and she watched him, curious. “Tell me truthfully, if a trader or healer or merchant came to Lox Palace with a grievance against General Freydon, would it have been dealt with fairly?”
