Aric: The Boundarylands

by Callie Rhodes

  And she would…she really would, just as soon as his knot eased…and she caught her breath…and her mind started working right again.

  "Just rest," Aric repeated, nestling her closer. "I got you."

  I got you.

  Jocelyn's eyes drifted closed and a comforting darkness settled in, muffling the voice that was trying to tell her that was just one more thing to be afraid of.

  Chapter Ten

  Something was wrong.

  Very wrong.

  Even after Aric had managed to calm Jo down, to keep her from hurting herself by pulling away from his knot, her frantic heartbeat didn't slow. He could feel the tension in her body like the threat of a storm still hours away.

  This wasn't how an omega was supposed to behave after knotting. According to what he'd heard—and granted, it was all hearsay, fueled by too much drink and too many hormones and too few women to go around—she would go off like a rocket and then pass out in ecstasy, only to wake up hungry for more. All of Aric's brothers who were now mated had gone off the grid during their omegas' first heat, only to return eventually with stupid grins on their faces.

  But—so far at least—it wasn't happening quite like that with his omega. Aric could feel her tense breaths, her eyelashes brushing against her skin as her eyes darted around the room. He didn't know what she was looking for or what she was afraid of. He just kept stroking her hair, purring in her ear, holding her securely against him—anything he could think of to help keep the rising tide of her panic at bay.

  After the amazing sex they'd just shared, he was more than happy to give Jo anything she needed to recover. But as the seconds turning into long minutes and she didn't seem any more comfortable, Aric grew increasingly concerned. The signals rising from her body simply didn't make sense.

  Jo was an omega—recently awakened, it was true, but well on her way to her first heat. When that happened, she would go into a frenzy of lust that would drive her to mate with him over and over. But her nature should've already been adapting to him. His touch should be a comfort that she sought out, not a threat she recoiled from.

  Was it possible that there was something wrong inside her? Some condition or disease that was keeping her omega nature from flourishing? Briefly, Aric considered taking her to see Randall's mate, who had trained as a nurse—but despite concentrating as hard as he could, he couldn't detect any disturbances in her scent that signaled a biological issue.

  Which left only one other possible source for her angst—that head of hers.

  Un-fucking-believable. Even hours of sex and dozens of orgasms hadn't taken the fight out of his omega. A part of Aric admired Jo for her feistiness. For someone so small and skittish, the woman certainly knew how to stand her ground.

  Aric had underestimated her, and he wouldn't do it again—but he also wouldn't allow her defiance to continue. Not only did it threaten his pride, but it was truly dangerous.

  Jo had already almost hurt herself, trying to tear herself away from his cock. If he hadn't stopped her, she could have been seriously injured. God only knew what would happen if she reacted that way during her heat. She could end up ripping herself apart.

  The worst part was that it was just so damn unnecessary. There was nothing to fear, now that she was with him. Couldn't she understand that?

  Apparently not, given the way she was fighting sleep despite her desperate need for rest. Her elevated heartbeat, the stress hormones introducing a bitterness to her scent, were robbing her body of the chance to refresh and recharge.

  Aric could feel his knot easing. Soon, it would slip out and release her, but instead of comforting Jo, the prospect had her tensing up again.

  Preparing to run…again.

  Aric let out a low growl of frustration. Jo started at the sound, her body jerking in his arms, and his cock pulled the rest of the way out. She struggled to sit up, tugging her dress back down around her hips. When Aric let her go, she scrabbled away from him on the bed to sit with her back against the headboard and her knees drawn up to her chest, watching him warily.

  Waiting for her chance.

  Well, she wasn't going to get it. She ought to know by now that the only way she was getting past him would be when he decided to allow it, and that wasn't going to happen until they got a few things straight. Better to get it over with now, before her heat started in earnest.

  "Relax, Jo," he commanded. "You're not going anywhere."

  She shook her stubborn head. "You don't understand. I have to."

  Aric's frustration swelled dangerously close to anger. Why did this woman—his fate, his destiny—keep trying to run from him?

  "The shy virgin act is getting a little old," he growled. "Especially after you just spent hours coming all over my cock."

  Her face went tight, her pretty, rosy lips thinning to a hard line. "Just because a woman doesn't want to whore herself out to you, it doesn't make her a frigid bitch."

  Aric's temper settled slightly. At least he'd gotten her talking. "These slick-drenched sheets are proof you're not frigid, sweetheart."

  "You're—you're disgusting." Jo crawled to the edge of the bed and got out. Her legs buckled briefly when she stood, but she grabbed the bedpost and managed to hold herself upright, smoothing her dress into place.

  "You can't pretend you didn't love fucking me," Aric drawled, starting to enjoy himself. "I'm pretty sure your screams are still echoing off the hills out there. Let's see, what was it you were saying? Oh, that's right—'Yes, Aric, more, Aric, please Aric!'"

  At his words, Jo drew herself up to her full height, her lip quivering, her face going bright pink. Aric got the sense that if he said one more word about how hard she'd gotten off, she'd shatter like glass. She was acting like she was ashamed of experiencing so much pleasure.

  "Fine," she snapped. "I liked it. I orgasmed with a man for the first time ever. You were the best I ever had, et cetera, et cetera. Fill in whatever else you need to hear. Now can I go?"

  But Aric wasn't sure he'd heard right. That couldn't really be true, could it? A woman as sensual, as sexually responsive as Jo was, even before her first heat had begun?

  "You never got off during sex before?"

  Her face fell, and she blinked several times. "It happens," she said dully. "I hate to disappoint you, but when I haven't roofied myself on moonshine, I'm afraid I'm not much fun."

  Aric felt a powerful urge to hurt whoever had made his omega believe that about herself, but at least now he knew why she'd been so defensive about being frigid. Someone must have called her that before.

  No one would ever call her that again. And if she believed what just happened between them was due to drinking his whiskey, then he had his work cut out for him.

  "I already told you that you aren't going anywhere," he growled. "And I don't want to hear that kind of shit again."

  Jo turned away, almost as if he hadn't spoken, and picked up the cash and papers that had fallen on the floor and started stuffing them back into her bag, never taking her eyes off the door.

  Wait.

  Aric followed her gaze and realized she wasn't watching the bedroom door at all, but the window. Or more precisely, whatever she imagined was on the other side.

  That was the source of her fear, not him. All this time, Aric had been assuming he was the one she was afraid of. She would hardly be the first beta to find him intimidating. Aric, like all the other alphas in the Boundarylands, was over a foot and a half taller than an average beta male, not to mention several times stronger. His muscles were more developed, his reactions faster, and every one of his senses many times sharper and more highly attuned. Even his voice was deeper and more resonant than any beta's would ever be.

  And yet, as unlikely as it seemed, he wasn't the source of Jo's fear.

  "What are you running from?"

  Jo looked up sharply, as if she couldn't believe that he had finally managed to ask the right question. "It's better if you don't know."

  Aric go
t up and started pulling on his pants. "Bullshit. You're my omega. Everything about your life from this moment on concerns me."

  "Then do yourself a favor and get another omega," Jo said, not bothering to look up from forcing the zipper closed on her overstuffed bag of cash. "Because, trust me, there is nothing about my life you want to invite into yours."

  A rumble started in the back of Aric's throat as rage built inside him—not at his omega, but at whatever force was powerful enough to make her believe what she was saying. There would be no inviting; no problem she faced would deter him. Whatever was plaguing her, Aric was ready to crush it. If it couldn't be crushed, he'd deal with it by any means necessary, from cunning to killing.

  He yanked up his zipper and advanced on her, forcing her to retreat until she reached the corner, trapped.

  "That's not how this works." He tilted her chin up with his fingers, then slid his hand to cup her jaw. "There is no other omega. You're it. You're mine. Just like I'm yours."

  Jo's eyes narrowed in distrust and aversion as she tried to wriggle from his grasp. But Aric had her number now. He wasn't the one who had inspired a lack of trust, but he knew now that someone else had, and the scars were deep.

  "Let me go," she hissed. "I don't want this."

  This. Not him. There was a difference, even if Aric couldn't yet tease the layers apart.

  "I know," he told her as gently as he could manage. "But it's still happening."

  "And you don't want me," she said miserably, her voice breaking. "Trust me."

  Aric forced her gaze back up. "Why shouldn't I want you?"

  "It's better if you don't—"

  Aric cut her off with a grunt. He was a goddamn alpha, for fuck's sake. Top of the chain. There was nothing he couldn't handle. "Tell me."

  The resolve in her eyes flickered and then went out, and she drew in a shuddering breath. "My name's not Jo, it's Jocelyn. Jo is just the name I gave those prostitutes last night."

  "Okay…but you have to admit, it's not really all that much of a jump. And 'Jo' fits you."

  "I guess," she conceded. "I'm not a great liar. It's not something I like doing."

  That much was obvious. Even another beta would know she'd been lying. "If you hate it so much, how did you end in the Boundarylands pretending to be a hooker with a fake name on a Friday night?"

  "I had no other choice." Her stubborn resistance flared, though it faded more quickly than before. "It was either that or end up dead."

  Aric figured that bag of cash probably had a lot to do with her predicament, but there was still so much he didn't know. He'd settle for a name for starters, then move on to the tearing-limb-from-limb part. One thing was certain: no mortal creature would ever harm his omega again. Aric would drag them to hell himself if he had to.

  "Who is trying to kill you?"

  "My old boss," Jo said heavily. "The one I kept the books for. That's his money in the bag. I stole it to help start a new life after running away."

  Aric was skeptical. Nothing about his omega led him to believe she was capable of stealing. Righteousness made up the foundation of her scent, belying a strong moral compass. "So, he wants his money. That's not a problem. I can see he gets it back. Like I told you, money doesn't mean much around here."

  "No!" Jo said quickly. "You don't understand. It's not about the money."

  "Then what is it about?"

  She twisted in his arms, and this time, he let her go, knowing her nature wouldn't allow her to stray far, even if she hadn't accepted that yet. Shame had crept into her scent, choking her other emotions.

  "Up until yesterday, I thought the man I worked for was a construction contractor," she told him, her eyes not meeting his. "You have to believe me."

  "Of course," Aric said. "Now tell me who he is."

  She bit her lip before answering. "A contract killer who is responsible for dozens of deaths—and those are just the ones I can prove. God knows how many more there have been that no one will ever know about."

  "Let me get this straight." Aric tried to keep his expression neutral, but it was doomed endeavor as amusement tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You're terrified because your old boss was a hitman?"

  "Why are you laughing?" Jo cried. "This isn't funny. John isn't some—some two-bit hustler who threatens to break people's thumbs when someone doesn't pay up. He assassinates people, important people, and the men who hire him to do it are even more important. There is no way any of them are going to let me walk away, knowing what I know."

  Aric wrapped his arm around her and resumed the low rumbling that he knew would ease her anxiety. "And you don't understand who I am," he murmured against her neck. "I'm an alpha…your alpha. Even if this beta is stupid enough to come to the Boundarylands, he wouldn't dare come onto my land."

  "You don't know John." Jo pulled away, utterly unconvinced. "He's not just some beta, he's a killer, Aric. Cold-blooded and ruthless. Not only can he track me down anywhere, I can feel in my bones that he will."

  Gently, Aric took her hand and led her back to his bed. She didn't resist. Her instinct for self-preservation, strong though it was, was no match for her transitioning nature. The scent of her arousal filled his nostrils, even more urgent than before.

  Now that her body had a taste of his cock, her heat was coming on fast. Soon there would be no stopping it.

  Then there would be no more talk about running away or fear of hitmen. Whatever bullshit from her past life still bothered Jo when her heat finally subsided, they would deal with then.

  But for the next four days, there would only be the two of them. Touching, tasting, exploring, and fucking each other's bodies until the bond between them was sealed and cemented.

  "I'm warning you, Aric," she tried, even as the look in her eyes went hazy, and her leather bag slid from her grasp onto the floor. "You don't understand what's headed this way."

  As Aric slid the soft fabric of her dress up for the second time, feasting his eyes on the gorgeous body that was now all his, he conceded that it was possible that he really didn't understand.

  But right now, he had more important things to worry about.

  Chapter Eleven

  Once his omega's heat had really caught fire, it didn't take long for her to abandon the swirling thoughts that had tethered her inside her own head and start to fully inhabit her body. There was no more talk about money or running away.

  There was only her body and Aric's coming together, again and again.

  And it was pure heaven. Aric didn't even mind the rogue thought that once would have made him scoff. Maybe there was a God, and maybe there wasn't, but he was a lot more open to the idea after considering that Jo might be His creation.

  Now, when his knot swelled inside her, she didn't struggle or try to pull away. Instead, she moaned, spread her legs wider, and welcomed every last drop of his come.

  In fact, as one hour slid into the next, and night and day lost their meaning, she wasn't the only one to get lost in the haze of sexual frenzy. Somewhere early on, Aric joined her there. He was pretty sure that the sun had gone down and come up again twice, but he wasn't completely confident even of that.

  Aric had never felt anything like this need to constantly be inside Jo. It wasn't merely desire; it was even more primal than that, as though their bond existed at the cellular level. And he had absolutely no control over it.

  This must be what destiny felt like.

  Unlike his omega, Aric had no problem at all ceding control to his nature. His instincts, and the body he inhabited, had never led him down the wrong road.

  And this time they'd brought him to a perfect place, one he never wanted to leave. He'd happily stay forever between Jo's legs, where no living creature could interrupt them.

  At least, that's what he believed…right up until the bullet smashed through the window.

  Shattered glass rained down on the floor of his bedroom as the bullet lodged deep in the thick redwood wall, missing Aric's head by i
nches.

  What the…

  Aric struggled to switch his brain to threat mode, coming up fast from the hazy, lust-filled stupor like a diver surfacing from the deep. His perception lagged—infinitesimally, perhaps, but enough that it took his mind too long to fully comprehend what he was seeing, what he was hearing, and what it all meant.

  Luckily, his instincts reacted to danger without thought.

  Aric threw his arms around Jo and rolled off the bed and onto the floor, shielding her with his body. His omega didn't react, so deep was she in her heat, her mind in another place entirely, unable to sense anything that wasn't her alpha. Even as Aric covered her body with his own, she still writhed against him, riding his cock for everything she was worth.

  This couldn't be happening—not now.

  Aric knew he needed to be the one to pull away from her—from the intoxicating scent of her slick, from the heavenly warmth of her cunt, from the sweet welcoming tangle of her arms—but it was almost impossible. He too was at the mercy of his nature's focus on mating with her, rutting deep and hard so as to leave no doubt who she belonged to. Even the thought of separating from her sent searing shocks of pain through every nerve.

  Aric gave a roar—half in rage against whoever had dared to come after him and his omega, and half in frustration at the interruption of this sacred act.

  But it had to be now. Pulling out of Jo might be torturous, but the idea of the next bullet finding its target in her flesh hurt even more.

  As if summoned by his thoughts, another bullet whizzed above them, embedding in the wall next to the first one.

  The shock of it was exactly what Aric needed to force himself back to the present moment, to deal with whoever was trying to kill them. He pulled out of Jo with a grunt of frustration and rage that was eclipsed by her own howls of need. He had no choice but to hold her down by her wrists to keep her from clawing her way back on top of him. Even then, she twisted her body, her shoulders and hips coming off the hard wooden floor in her desperate efforts to reach him.