Reign to Rule

by Zoey Ellis

  Her annoyance flared brightly again. He had a healer? Where was she when his face was scarred? “You are the one who is supposed to give me what I need,” she shot back at him. “It is your child. You shouldn’t claim a mate you cannot care for.”

  The growl that tore out of him vibrated around the whole room and set every hair on her body alight with both desire and nervousness. It was a bold statement to make to an Alpha, even if he was an Alpha that never demonstrated any care for a mate or a family.

  “Fine,” he said, his voice deep and low. “Get up.”

  Amara slowly got to her feet, her eyes remaining locked with his.

  “I will give you what you need, Omega. Undress.”

  A nervous tremble staggered through Amara at the sudden shift she felt in the bond. His desire for her was deep, raw, and powerful. She couldn't deny she wanted it. Badly. But she couldn't encourage him in this way. He had just called her Omega instead of her name… and for some reason it disturbed her. “That is not what I mean,” she began.

  “Undress!” he barked. “Or I will rip that dress from you.”

  “That’s fine,” she hissed. “It does not belong to me anyway; it belongs to you. If you wish to destroy it, you are welcome to.”

  Malloron growled, and the sound made her nipples harden, sparking a pleasure that ripped through her and made her pussy clench. Magic swept around her so quickly she barely had time to register it, and by the time she did the dress was falling from her in shreds.

  Malloron grabbed her by the throat and immediately all tension left her limbs as she went weak, that strange calm spreading through her. He caught her around the waist and carried her to his bed. An irrational joy swept through her when she saw her half-built nest. This is what was supposed to happen; she was supposed to be in her nest with her Alpha as they prepared for their child.

  Malloron threw her down into the center of the bed and climbed on top of her, pinning her wrists together with his hands.

  She arched her back, straining against the restriction and enjoying the way it settled her emotions. His warm mouth clamped over one of her breasts and tugged at her nipple, and she spread her legs as the pleasure rippled through her, eager for him as he pulled himself free with his other hand.

  Amara moaned at the sight of him working that cock she loved and spread her legs wider for him as he moved to the other nipple. He lapped it with his rough tongue, and each lick caused a jolt that shot straight to her clit. Throwing her head back, Amara sunk into the pleasure of the experience she now realized she truly loved.

  Suddenly, Malloron's cock was at her entrance. She frowned, lifting her head, and saw that he was pushing inside her, but he was still fully clothed. Before she could protest, he began a brutal rhythm, sinking into her deep and rough. Amara breathed heavily, that raw, overwhelming sensation spiraling from her core, but she sensed that something was wrong. She couldn't quite place what and after a long moment trying to pinpoint what it was, she discarded the feeling and simply surrendered to the experience. The thrill of having him inside her inflamed her whole body even though the feel of his clothes annoyed her.

  Her legs splayed, she humped her hips up to meet his hard fucking, and she called his name, eager for his mouth on hers. But that moment never came.

  Her orgasm wrenched through her causing her to fight against the restriction of his hand pinning her wrists and he pulled out and jetted streams over her instead of knotting her. When she whined at the sight of his wasted seed on her skin, he pushed his cock into her mouth and made her drink the rest, forcing his tip into her throat when she initially protested.

  She dug her nails into his thighs as he jerked, the coarseness of his growls just as satisfying as the pungent liquid on her tongue, but she could tell something was wrong. He withdrew, and she tried not to cough too much from her burn in her throat, but instead of gathering her into his arms, like he had always done since she held the tenebris, he buckled up his pants and climbed off the bed.

  “Finish making your nest,” he said, his voice low. “That is what a pregnant Omega should be focusing on.” He stilled, his brown eyes cold. “And if you ever refuse food again, I will keep you locked onto a bench and force-feed you until you give birth, do you understand?”

  He didn't even wait for her to respond. He simply stalked out of the room.

  Amara wasn’t sure how long she sat frozen on the bed, stunned by his behavior. Of all the ways Malloron had treated her, he had never treated her like that before. He had basically dealt with her as though he was simply satisfying the need and then moved on. He hadn’t taken his clothes off; he hadn't even held her against his chest.

  Amara clawed the blankets under her hands as she balled them into fists. Although she had orgasmed, and taken pleasure in his scent and his semen on her skin like she usually did, she was still deeply unsatisfied that he left. He was supposed to be cuddling her now and purring for her, and letting her build her nest around them both.

  She took a breath, and exhaled it long and slow as she examined his behavior. Maybe she had underestimated his anger that she didn’t bite him back immediately.

  He had bitten her fully expecting her to bite him back, and she instead demanded an answer before doing so. Whether he saw that as a betrayal or an indication that she would not do what she was told, she wasn't sure, but this was clearly the consequence.

  It was unlikely he would take any responsibility for her hesitation, but she never expected this drastic change in behavior toward her, especially now that she was pregnant. Now was the time she needed him the most.

  It would take time for him to come to terms with whatever he was feeling, but the question was would she and the baby be able to survive until then? This was another thing they had learned in the Omega Compound, but not the details of exactly how much time an Alpha should spend with his Omega during the pregnancy. If this continued, she would certainly find out.

  She lay down on the bed, seeking out the bond within her, trying to see if it gave her any hint or clue or idea how Malloron was feeling, but the spinning had slowed. She wondered if it was working properly; this was not how she thought the bond would feel. The awareness of him within her that was created by the tenebris still revolved within her, separately from the bond, and the vibration in her stomach was its own rolling wave. She sighed. There was so much going on within her body that she could not control. All she could do was try to accept her circumstance.

  She pushed herself up, but as she did, the blurred memories of her Haze returned. As she examined them, she realized that Malloron had been fully invested in her while she had been in that state. Granted he had been in his rut, but he’d been so attentive of her, so caring and so capable of knowing what she needed.

  Her mood descended at the realization of just how much she longed for that attention—how much she craved him. Forcing herself to push the memories away, she indeed began to work on completing her nest.

  During the night, Malloron joined her.

  His beautiful warmth surrounded her as his arms scooped her against him, and she sighed as she nuzzled into him. A delicious contentment spread throughout her as he purred, holding her close to him. And all of the conflicting vibrations battling within her aligned, sending her into a deep, peaceful sleep.

  When she woke up the next morning, he was gone again.

  ***

  Amara decided to spend the day exploring the castle this time.

  She still had no idea what had happened with Brecc and Valinor, but it should be possible to figure it out from simply seeing if the castle was still running effectively. Things couldn’t still be running the same if they were under attack, and if the Mothers were truly coming for the children at some point, she needed to have an idea of what was happening in the castle. So she visited the various areas, looking for any sign of how things had changed since Malloron rescued her. Her guards obviously followed her everywhere and still didn't prevent her from entering any area she vi
sited.

  The interesting thing was, no matter where she was, her meals materialized for her. At noon, while she walked down a wide corridor, a table and chair materialized ahead of her covered with numerous plates, glasses, and bowls. Her guards immediately closed off the corridor so she could eat privately, and as soon as she finished eating and rose from the table, it disappeared.

  “Did you know that would happen?” Amara asked the guards when they return to her side, disturbed by the idea that magic was tracking her in the castle. She wasn't sure why she was unsettled by it—it was obvious that Malloron was keeping an eye on where she was; it was what he had always done. “Is there some kind of magical tracker or spell on me?”

  Both of the guards remained silent.

  “Are you going to answer me?”

  “We are here to protect you and the heir of Eiros, as directed by King Malloron,” one of them said. “Ensuring that you have the space and privacy to eat is one of those duties, Your Majesty.”

  It unsettled her further to hear about the baby spoken of as the heir of Eiros. She hadn’t even gotten used to the idea that she was pregnant yet—that there would even be a baby, let alone consider that the child she bore was going to be the heir of Eiros. But another disturbing thought crossed her mind… was that all she was now? The mother of the heir—was that how Malloron saw her? Was that the true cause of his behavior? “You haven’t answered my question,” Amara pointed out.

  The guard did not respond.

  Amara turned, holding in her frustration, and continued down the corridor. What was the point in arguing with the guards about it? Clearly Malloron had made plans for her and the baby, and she just needed to find out what they were.

  He arrived soon after she returned to his quarters.

  “Undress,” he ordered as he closed the door.

  Amara moved to stand directly in front of him, watching him carefully. “I need to talk to you.”

  “There is nothing for us to talk about.”

  “Surely you can understand why I didn't bite you back immediately,” Amara said, ignoring him. “I needed you to explain to me—”

  Malloron swept before her, pushing her until her back slammed against the wall. He moved so quickly, Amara barely had time to register what happened before he was towering over her, his eyes dark, his scent causing her slick to gather. “Nothing needed explanation,” he said, his voice a growl. “I bit you and there was only one action for you to take next. Everything else was unimportant.”

  “It wasn't unimportant to me,” Amara said, annoyed that she sounded breathless. “It was never unimportant to me—and you should have known that.”

  “It was unimportant,” Malloron bellowed, his voice filling the room, “because it didn't change anything.” The air sparked with light as magic twisted into existence. “It didn't change that I am your mate. It didn't change what was already happening to the children.” The magic swept around her, pulling at her dress. Malloron's entire body expanded as he roared. “And it didn't fucking change that I had bitten you!”

  Amara stared at him, transfixed by both his contorted face and the wave of fury rolling off him. Something stopped her from responding to him, from trying to explain; she wasn't sure he would even really hear her if she tried, but the main thing that had her almost paralyzed was the depth of emotion in his eyes. He wasn’t just angry—there was more there, but she couldn't decipher it, and both the bond and the tenebris vibrated within her so loudly that, in that moment, she couldn't even tell one from the other.

  “So now that you have shown me that you will never truly accept me as your mate, you have no further demands to make. You will be queen and you will have my children, and you will do what you are fucking told.”

  Her dress flew from her in shreds again and the magic swirled out into the room.

  Amara could barely focus on anything but the dark look in his eyes. She stepped forward, feeling the need to be closer to him. His eyes narrowed, but she kept going until he was almost within arm’s reach. She lifted her hand to touch his face, but immediately the magic in the room snapped back in her direction, coiled around her wrists, binding them together, and yanking them up above her head.

  “Malloron,” she gasped. “You are being unfair. Let me explain—”

  Malloron turned on his heel and stalked across the living area. The magic pulled her along behind him by her hands, and although she struggled against it, her efforts were pointless. His magic held her firm.

  A startling jolt shot through her when she realized he was dragging her into the room with all the benches. There was no doubt he had fucked other women in that room, why was he taking her there? Her nest was only in the next room! A sharp dismay burned through her so brightly that tears sprang to her eyes, but as she tried to find the words to explain to him, she realized that nothing she said would be enough.

  He turned to her once they were both in the center of the room and froze as soon as he saw her face. For a moment, his expression seemed to mellow, but then it quickly hardened again.

  “Malloron,” she said, trying to stop the sobs. “Just wait. Listen to me.”

  He began to unbuckle his pants, the stream of magic swept around Amara's head, pressing against her eyes and blocking her view. She yelped in surprise at the blindfold, but then magic also entered her mouth, gagging her.

  The magic at her wrists, yanked her forward until something firm hit her stomach. More magic swept around her body, lifting her up and positioning her onto what she recognized was the bench that Malloron had first fucked her on. It clearly couldn't be the same bench, but it was the same shape. Magic secured her wrists to the bars instead of buckles, and her hips fixed to display her ass and pussy, exactly the way that he liked it. He didn't even touch her. His magic did everything until she was prepared. But even though she was wet, she wasn't really ready.

  When Malloron thrust into her, she cried out in shock and alarm. He set a steady rhythm, heavy with his thrusts, that shunted her body backward and forward on the bench. The padded leather underneath her stomach did nothing to prevent the pull of her skin and she gripped tightly onto the handles to try to keep herself steady. She tried to fight against the weight of him on her, tried to call to him to make him understand that she needed him, but not like this. But magic kept her blinded and gagged, forcing her into silence and darkness, heightening every sensation she could feel. Disappointment bounded through her as she realized that every time he sunk deep into her, she could feel his clothes pressing against the backs of her thighs and her ass. He still hadn't undressed, even now.

  Through the pleasure rocketing within her, she held in the sobs, her body jolted faster as his speed increased. He wasn't treating her like a queen or a mate, he was treating her as though she was nothing. Nothing but one of the women he had fucked in this room before. That raw, instinctive part of her, deep in her core, wailed at his treatment of her. This wasn't right; it wasn't supposed to be how things happened between an Omega and her Alpha. She had done her duty, she had made her nest, that was where they should both be. And yet she knew that in his anger, he wouldn't care. He had already told her that he didn't know much about Omegas, he had even given her books to read in order to make her aware of his severe lack of knowledge, but why wouldn't he listen now? As his thrusts became erratic, her understanding unfolded; he didn't care about the baby. He never had. The baby was a means to an end, and so was she. If he had an heir, the Visant family line could continue. That was all he really cared about, it was all he ever cared about, and now that he had an Omega, it was the next obvious and logical step. Her inner core viciously refused that idea, but it was the only thing she could think of that made sense.

  Malloron leaned over her, and captured her earlobe in his mouth, running his tongue along the edge as his fingers dug underneath her torso and sought out a nipple. All of her concerns faded into the background as the pleasure registered, causing a spiraling rush of intensity to overwhelm her unt
il she was wildly convulsing in climax.

  Malloron's breathing became deep and his growls guttural. He pulled out of her and his warm liquid spurted over her pussy and ass.

  Amara panted around her gag, holding herself still as she could, barely able to comprehend what had just happened. Then his body covered hers, bending over the bench and smothering her with his warmth. His purr penetrated her and she took a shaky breath as it calmed her taut nerves. His nose nudged away her hair at the back of her neck, and ran along it as he dropped more of his weight onto her.

  The pressure settled her and she relaxed underneath him. Maybe she had it all wrong, maybe he just needed to get his anger out of his system. Maybe she could explain to him what she needed so he could provide for her. Because she didn't want anyone else, she already knew that. She had already committed to the fact that she was going to be with Malloron. And she had already known that she was never going to change him, not fully, not to the degree that she would have liked. But it wasn't as though he didn't have any honorable qualities. And from her point of view, most of them were the way that he handled her.

  After a while he rose up, lifting himself off her and she heard a rustling and shuffle of his clothes. And then his footsteps faded.

  “Malloron?” she called, barely able to believe that he left the room. However, the door to his rooms slammed shut. And only then did the magic around her wrists, eyes, and mouth dissolve to nothing.

  She slid to the ground, disbelief rendering her speechless and limp. If this was how he was going to treat her, she may not even survive the pregnancy. She remained on the floor, numbed by what had happened, going backward and forward trying to figure out how to get through to him but she couldn’t see how. When she finally got up, her meal appeared on the table in the living area, and she, miserably, sat down to eat.

  That night, Malloron once again joined her in her nest. He cuddled her as though she was the most important thing in the world—securing her against his chest and purring so loud, and deep and strong, that she could almost forget what had happened earlier in the day. The peace that came over her made her drowsy with contentment, and she couldn’t help but fall asleep in his arms. As she drifted into that tranquil darkness, she hoped he was over his anger with her.