“She was a princess. Her mother offended some demi-gods or nymphs or something. They complained to the guy in charge, Poseidon, and he sent a sea monster to destroy their kingdom. Andromeda was the sacrifice, to be taken by the monster in exchange for the kingdom being spared.”
It was easy to identify with that. Hadn’t I been the sacrifice my people had demanded? “What happened to her?”
“A brave hero named Perseus killed the monster and saved her. And they married and fell in love, and had seven sons and two daughters.” That was a lot of sons.
“Does that make you my Perseus?”
Jethro smiled. “I haven’t slain any sea monsters lately.”
“But you rescued me.”
“I stole you. Which would make me a thief, not a hero.” He didn’t sound sorry about it, not one bit. And neither was I, not really.
“A thief and a traitor.” For all the guilt that I felt for my actions, I liked the sound of that. “I guess we make a good match.”
Jethro put his arm around me, holding me close. “More than you know.”
Jethro snuck back outside just before dusk to check on the climbers’ progress.
“They’re on the plateau just below us, setting up camp for the night. Assuming they start climbing again at dawn, they’ll be here about an hour after. Maybe sooner if they’re quick climbers.”
“So what do we need to do before dawn?”
We’d joined out marks, we’d made love. What else would ensure they didn’t split us apart?
“Fall in love,” Jethro answered easily.
“Too late for that.” The love was there, very much alive within me.
“Is that so?” Jethro said, stalking toward me and backing me against the wall. I watched him, full of anticipation. “I think this needs further exploration, don’t you?”
I’d thrown my T-shirt on as the chill of the evening set in, but I surrendered it willingly a moment later.
“Take my hand,” he said, holding it out. I did, and he drew me across the cave, to lie under the inky black sky. He laid me down on my back and straddled me, bending down to whisper in my ear. “The night is young and the sky is full of stars.”
I parted my legs and caught his face between my hands, kissing the words from his lips and drinking him in.
Afterward, we slept in each other’s arms, too tired and sated to do much of anything.
“What will happen in the morning?” I asked him, my eyes heavy with sleep.
“Don’t worry about that now,” he murmured, wrapping an arm tight around me. “Just rest.”
Chapter Eighteen
Jethro
I didn’t want to wake my bond mate up; he looked so peaceful. But dawn was only a few breaths away and we needed to be ready to face what was coming.
Pressing a kiss to Miles’ shoulder, I watched him stir, yawning as he rolled his shoulders. He came awake with the suddenness of someone who didn’t know where they were, but the minute he saw me, he sighed and relaxed.
“Morning, Jethro.”
“Morning, Miles.”
“Is it time?”
“Not yet. I was wondering if you wanted to watch the sunrise? It’s a bit of a climb but well worth it.”
He yawned again and stretched, his T-shirt riding up giving me a glimpse of his stomach. “Of course. I’d love to watch the sunrise with you.”
I shook off my lust and tried to focus on the matters at hand. It didn’t stop me helping undress him before we both jumped into the pool to wash off. When he dried off, I gave him my spare T-shirt to wear, wanting my scent on him. He smiled at that, hugging my T-shirt tight to his skin.
“When the authorities come, they won’t hurt you, will they?”
I cupped his cheek and kissed him but I knew that wouldn’t distract him for long. Pulling back, I rested my forehead against his.
“No. They won’t. Because we’re not going to give them any reason to panic. We’re going to be sitting down, nice and calm, our hands visible.”
Miles nodded, his expression serious. “And then what?”
“They’ll assist us down off the mountain.”
“Together?”
I shook my head, watching his face fall. “They’re going to insist on keeping us apart until they establish what’s happened. The trick is going to be us staying calm and being cooperative. If you can be brave, so can I.”
What I was trying to tell him, without outright saying it, was that if he panicked and started fighting and trying to get to me, I was going to lose it and fight to get to him, to keep him safe, and all hell would break loose.
“It’s going to be hard, isn’t it?” He spoke with his gaze to the floor rather than on me.
Slipping my hand under his chin, I urged his head up.
“Remember this. I am yours and you are mine. Our marks prove it. They cannot separate us indefinitely. By law, the longest they can keep us apart is seventy-two hours. Three days.”
At that moment, three minutes felt like an eternity. Three days would be torture. But we would weather it if it meant being together on the other side of this.
“But haven’t you committed a crime? Won’t they put you in jail for it?”
Miles’ concern was all for me and none for himself. A little too selfless for his own good.
“You’ve heard of a crime of passion right?”
Miles nodded against my hand.
“Well, there’s a segment of law that deals with the Alpha-Omega equivalent and even a whole section devoted just to crimes committed by those with active bond marks. Yes, it’s a crime, but the courts aren’t blind to what we feel and how that makes us act. There’s a built-in leniency there.”
“And they won’t make me go back?”
I threaded my fingers through his and we clasped hands, our bond marks pressed together. There was still a warmth there, a spark of pleasure when the marks connected. Something I hoped would never fade.
“Not with our bonds marks they can’t.”
Miles sighed and rested his head against my chest. I held him for a few moments longer before gently detaching.
“Let’s go take in that sunrise, hmm?”
Getting to the spot we’d sit in the watch the dawn break was a little trickier than I’d led Miles to believe. We had to climb up the wall at the back of the cave and through a gap where the rock had been worn away. Then there was a short drop onto an outcropping that faced due east. It was there we sat, arm in arm, as the distant sky lit with pink hues before the sun peeked over the horizon, throwing rays of light across the beautiful forest below us and bathing us in an orange glow. Birds sang in the valley below, the perfect soundtrack to our first dawn together.
I kept an ear out for the climbers. Though we’d only been bonded a matter of hours, it was even easier to hear them than it had been the previous day.
They were getting close now. Kissing Miles’ temple and then his cheek, I nudged him around to face me and pressed my lips to his. I wanted him so badly, needed him in my arms. But there were ducks to get in a row, and they weren’t going to wait for anyone, man or Alpha.
“Time to go,” I said, urging him up to his feet.
We climbed back into the cave, grabbed our bags and crawled out through the tunnel to await the arrival of the climbers. We sat our packs against the wall and took seats on the ground, both of us sitting cross-legged and leaving about two feet of a gap between us.
“Whatever happens,” I said to him, keeping my voice quiet so that new arrivals wouldn’t overhear. “Remember that I love you and that we’re meant to be together. That’s what the bond marks mean. No matter what anyone says your purpose is by my side, your duty is to me and our clan. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Miles held my gaze, his eyes clear and tearless though I knew how scared he was.
“I’ll remember. And you remember, too. I love you and you’re mine.”
The first of the climbers appeared over the edge of th
e cliff. I laid my hands on my head, took a deep breath, and let what had to happen, happen.
Chapter Nineteen
Miles
The officers were kind, especially Officer Riley. They spoke softly to me, they only touched me when they had to. They didn’t even bind my hands. They did cuff Jethro once we got to the base of the mountain, walking him ahead of us and out of sight.
“Where are you taking him?” A spark of alarm ran through me as Jethro disappeared from view.
“Don’t worry. He won’t come to any harm. As long as you and he stay calm,” Officer Riley said, standing by my side.
A few minutes later, among the trees ahead of us, I saw a helicopter rise into the air
“Is Jethro in there?” I asked, pointing.
“You’ll be following him soon enough,” Officer Riley said.
“They won’t hurt him?” I didn’t want him harmed because of me.
“No, they won’t. It’s a tough situation, I won’t lie to you, but the law protects you both up here.”
“Yeah, it’s not like down in the South,” another officer added.
“Why? What would they do to us down there?”
Officer Riley fixed the other officer with a glare. “Never mind that. You’re in the North, under Northern law. That’s all that matters.”
We reached a large clearing just as another helicopter was landing, its rotors whipping up a wind that ruffled all our clothes.
“Ever been up in a chopper?” the officer asked me. I could only shake my head. I was getting into that?
“You’re in for a treat. If we ask nicely, the pilot might show us that mountain we just brought you down from.”
There was a man in the clearing wearing a uniform nothing like what the officers who found us were wearing, but I recognized it as Southern military, like what my father wore. And he was an Alpha.
“No talking to the prisoner,” he bit out. “Not until the interrogation.”
A wave of cold swept through me at his words but Officer Riley surprised me, putting a warm hand on my shoulder.
“With all due respect, Commander Tate, that might be how you do things in the South, but here in the North, we like to put frightened people at ease. And while Miles here might be in our custody, it’s a protective custody, and he is not our prisoner.”
Tate glowered at us and I shrank back, glad of Officer Riley’s presence by my side.
“Let’s get you onboard,” he said, urging me forward. With one last look at the furious Alpha, I kept going.
A few minutes later I peered past Officer Riley as we flew by the mountain. The pilot, at Riley’s request, slowed down to Riley could show me where they’d picked us up from. I’d never have guessed we were up that high.
“Though how you scaled it without a stitch of climbing gear between you is a mystery to me,” he said, with a significant look in my direction. All I could do was shrug. It wasn’t my secret to tell. Who knew when that mountain might be needed as a place of refuge again?
The pilot finished his circle and made a radio call, turning the chopper around and heading east. I relaxed once I was sure we weren’t going south. From Officer Riley’s reaction, he’d guessed at my fear, and he started explaining where we were headed to. I did my best to look anywhere except at Commander Tate who was sitting across from us, but I could feel his gaze on me, my skin crawling, especially around my mark. I was wearing Jethro’s T-shirt and his jacket, my mark hidden from his view but we both knew it was there and we knew what it made me.
We came into land on a helipad inside what looked like a military base. There was another helicopter on the pad next to ours. I hoped that meant that Jethro was already here. I remembered what he said, that the longest they could keep us apart was seventy-two hours. So by dawn three days from now, we should be reunited. I could wait three days, if I had to
They led me inside a large building, Officer Riley staying by my side.
“Where are we going?” I asked, noting Commander Tate was walking right behind us, and worried his threat of interrogation was all too real.
“To the infirmary to get you checked out.”
Doctors? No, I didn’t want that, not again. I slowed down and started looking for an escape. I didn’t want the drugs, the hands touching me.
“Miles?” Officer Riley called to me and I turned to look at him. “Are you okay? You’ve gone pale.”
“No doctors, please,” I whispered.
Understanding dawned in his eyes, which were full of sympathy. “It’s just to make sure you’re not hurt. There won’t be anything invasive. If you were injured or sick, and we missed it, there’d be hell to pay.”
There was something very calm and reassuring about Officer Riley’s manner. I took his words to heart and fell into step beside him again.
When we got to the infirmary, they led me into a side room. I heard voices nearby, including Jethro’s, but though I strained to see him, I didn’t manage to catch a glimpse before we entered the room.
A stern woman dressed in scrubs followed us inside and set a gown down on the bed.
“Hello, Miles. My name is Sandra and I’m your nurse today. Change into this gown for me, please. I’ll be back to you in a few minutes.”
She didn’t wait for a response but pulled the curtain closed around the bed, shielding me from the view of the two officers and Commander Tate, all three having followed me into the room.
Just the fact that she’d used my name, introduced herself, and even said ‘please’ meant this was already a very different experience from the Intake Center. I was still on edge but I knew that the sooner I cooperated, the sooner I might see Jethro again. That was all that mattered.
I changed into the gown and took a seat on the bed.
Sandra popped her head through the curtain a few minutes later.
“How are you getting on? Oh, good. You’re changed. I’ll just take these.” She picked up the clothes I had folded and stacked neatly at the end of the bed.
“Wait, will I get them back? They’re my Alpha’s.”
She paused at that. “I’m sure you will, but I’ll check, okay?”
“Okay.”
She gave me a bright smile before ducking away again, leaving the curtains drawn. I got up and peered out into the room. Officer Riley was there but the other officer and Commander Tate were gone. I was relieved at that. Until a man in blue scrubs walked into the room, Commander Tate a step behind him.
“We insist,” Commander Tate was saying, “on a full examination, as per the South’s Omega protocol.”
“I’m familiar with the South’s protocol,” the doctor said, washing his hands at the sink. While Tate’s tone was heated, his was icy in comparison. “In my opinion, it is unnecessarily invasive and is not indicated in this situation.”
“The South insists-”
The doctor held up a hand. “The South is perfectly entitled to insist on its own protocol being followed in its own jurisdiction. I will not have it in my infirmary. I have to ask you to step outside, please. Your presence appears to be unsettling my patient.”
It took a moment to realize he meant me and I noticed the curtain was fisted in my hands, my whole body a knot of tension.
Commander Tate looked over at me, his gaze so full of contempt that I shuddered and dropped my head.
“I must be allowed to observe the examination so I can give a thorough report to this Omega’s Alpha team.” I felt a pang of guilt at the mention of the team I’d abandoned.
Nurse Sandra returned, pausing a few steps into the room as she read the tension in the air, and changing direction to approach me.
“Now, Miles, let’s get you settled.”
But I couldn’t move, not until I heard the doctor’s reply.
“In my infirmary, the patient is of primary importance. Their health, their comfort, and their privacy. I won’t compromise that for spurious reasons. I’m the doctor. The only report that matters in this instance i
s mine.”
“That is unacceptable.”
“What’s unacceptable is you still standing in my infirmary after I expressly told you to leave. If you don’t exit this room immediately, I will have you escorted out.”
Officer Riley stepped forward, seeming as keen as the doctor to get Tate out of the room. He glowered at them both before turning on his heel and pushing through the doorway, the door slamming shut behind him.
It was only then I could breathe and allow Sandra to help me onto the bed.
“Officer, if you don’t mind standing watch at the door, I’d rather not have any more interruptions.”
“Of course, Doctor.”
I listened to this exchange, waiting tensely until the doctor appeared behind the curtain.
“And you must be Miles Benson. Is it okay if I call you Miles?”
I nodded cautiously. Names were a good start.
“Miles, I’m Doctor Singh. I’m very sorry about all that and I want to assure you that you are safe here. We won’t cause you any harm and we won’t do anything you aren’t fully in agreement with? How does that sound?”
“That sounds okay.”
“Good.” He took a seat at the edge of the bed. “So, first things first, I see you have a bond mark on your arm. May I ask when that was formed?”
“Yesterday.”
He made a note on his clipboard.
“Good. Alright, next question…”
Chapter Twenty
Miles
After the medical check, which wasn’t nearly as scary as I’d feared, Officer Riley took me to get some food.
“Where is Jethro?” I asked him as I took a seat at a table. We were in some sort of canteen, but there weren’t many people about.
“He’s had his own medical check and now he’s answering some questions.”
“Did he get something to eat? He must be as hungry as I am.”
“I’m sure he did.”
Love Before Dawn: An Omegaverse Story (Kindred Book 1) Page 9
