by Sara Fields
“Luna,” she answered softly.
I stared at her as it dawned on me. She was Thranar’s omega.
Slowly, I reached for her and the moment I touched her shoulder, she flinched. I turned her head and looked for his mark on either side of her neck, finding none. Odd. From the rumors I’d heard, he’d had his hands on his omega for some time. I had no idea why he wouldn’t have marked her, unless he’d been planning to try to make me his since he’d taken her.
“Are you bonded to him, Luna? Has he marked you as his?” I asked carefully. Maybe he’d bitten her in a place I couldn’t see, maybe on her thigh or her belly. That wasn’t typical though. Most alphas wanted to display their mark as a very public brand that an omega was claimed.
I didn’t want to leave her here. I wanted to protect her.
Depending on her answer, I had a decision to make. If she didn’t bear his mark, I was going to take her with me. If she was bonded to him, though, I would have to leave her, no matter how much it tore at my heart. Even away from his abusive hands, the pain from the bond would be far crueler. It would probably tear her apart before long. Death would be a much kinder fate than a broken pair bond.
“No. I’m not bonded to him,” she whimpered, and I breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
“Thank the gods,” I whispered.
“Why?” she asked, sniffling as she tried to shift her body. I watched with sorrow as she struggled in her chains.
“Because I’m taking you away from him,” I replied, keeping my voice low. A look of raw terror passed over her features and she shook her head.
“You can’t. Please. I don’t want more people to die trying to save me,” she replied tearfully, and I shook my head.
“Thranar tried to kill me once already and he failed. He’ll try again and next time, I plan to bury a knife deep into his skull,” I answered viciously.
“Who are you?” she eventually whispered, her blue gaze looking at me with more curiosity than fear now.
“My name is Queen Freya of Valgertha,” I said simply and the surprise on her face was more than apparent.
“The legendary alpha female?” she asked, her disbelief obvious now. I nodded my head in confirmation.
“Thranar thought he’d killed you,” she said hoarsely. “He came back and bragged about it to everyone in a great speech.”
I grinned. I’d sent many a person with that message into the wilds and I knew that Aric had too.
“My people did our best to spread that rumor, yes,” I began. “This scar on my chest is from that fight, but I survived and now I’ve come back to conquer his city. I’ve yet to decide if I’m going to take it for myself or burn it to the ground.”
She didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure if her silence was fear or shock or even anger now.
“Flicka, come here,” I said softly and my shield maiden quickly moved by my side. I didn’t even have to tell her what to do. Immediately, she started picking the lock of the shackles. One at a time, she broke them open. Luna lurched forward and I grabbed her arm to steady her. She groaned loudly with pain. Slowly, she made her way back to her feet and rolled her shoulders, digging her fingers into her likely very sore flesh.
“How long has he kept you here?” I asked, almost afraid of the answer.
“It’s been three days,” she replied, almost as if it was something normal. I licked my lips, swallowing my horror as I did so. It was a wonder she could even move at all. I turned to one of the larger alphas among my warriors.
“Luna, are you in any danger of going into heat soon?” I asked her.
She shook her head.
“Floki, you will carry her. When we emerge from the castle, you will return to Ludin at the southern gate and ensure that she is taken safely back to Valgertha. Consider it your new mission. You may take a squadron of men with you. Do you understand?” I commanded. He nodded. I’d known him a long time. He was a strong warrior, but most important, he was already mated to an omega of his own. She would be safe with him, no matter what happened. I was sure of it.
“Yes, my queen. I will make sure she makes it to Valgertha, safe and sound,” he answered.
“I will consider it a grave offense if she is treated as anything other than a royal guest,” I added carefully, and he nodded in understanding.
“Of course, Queen Freya,” he replied.
He knelt down and lifted the omega’s frail form up into his arms. She protested quietly, but he shushed her. She didn’t appear to have the energy to fight him for very long though, and she gave in after several moments. Quickly, we moved out of the room and back into the main hall.
The entire place was quiet. There wasn’t even a single servant rushing to clean and serve those that lived there. I wondered if they were hiding out in their quarters or if they had fled to their homes somewhere away from the castle. Maybe Thranar had forced them all on the battlefield, but I was left with little time to consider what it might be because in no time at all, we reached the castle gate. Very quickly, I saw that it was bolted shut with a thick wooden beam. Without needing to be told to do so, my warriors lifted the heavy plank out of position so that we could burst through the door as quickly as possible. I knew that Thranar’s forces would be facing away from us and we emerged from the castle ready to cut through them at their backs.
With a battle cry, I threw myself into the fray. I slashed my sword, catching one of the enemy’s arms in the process. He cried out in agony and grunted noisily as he flung himself around, hastily trying to block my next move. I feinted in one direction and he foolishly fell for it. Quickly, I threw myself the other way and swiftly hacked my sword across his throat. He swayed on his feet for a moment before collapsing to the ground in a bloody heap.
I moved onto the next target and cut through him too.
My elite force moved swiftly through Thranar’s army, segmenting them into two factions. We fought furiously and the ground rapidly became a muddy mess beneath our feet. The massive elephants stepped through the streets, swinging their tusks and destroying one building after the next. Both the dogs and wildcat mounts used their teeth to rip through the men, one after another as they charged into battle. Men screamed in the throes of death while my people roared with the adrenaline of battle. We fought long and we fought hard. It wasn’t long before our cries of victory echoed across the city.
Valgertha reigned supreme on the battlefield and when the tiny glimmers of the rising sun edged at the horizon, Ravenrath cried out for a retreat. When the battle finally quieted, I looked up to see Thranar watching from a balcony high above. Quickly my eyes flitted around the battlefield, looking for Floki and Luna, but they were nowhere to be seen. I was glad to not find them anywhere. They’d been able to get away and she’d finally be safe in the walls of Valgertha. Floki would make it back. I had no doubt.
I turned my eyes back upward, facing the man I’d sworn to kill. I tensed as he stared down at me. I was sure that my red hair stood out on the battlefield, making me an easy target to spot. It didn’t take him long to find me. I grinned up at him, knowing that I was probably covered in sweat, dirt, and blood. I snarled loudly in an open challenge, and I saw him tense straightaway. I chuckled under my breath as I watched the awareness of my survival passed over him. He hadn’t killed me. He’d failed.
My smile grew even larger as he glared at me, his fury palpable, which only served to make me even more gleeful at my triumph. I could feel Aric moving close to me, the bond between us pulsing as he approached. I felt him take my hand in his. He squeezed my fingers tightly in his own and I returned the gesture. The battlefield finally went quiet as the rest of his forces and mine waited for what came next.
“Queen Freya, I’d like to discuss the terms of Ravenrath’s surrender,” Thranar yelled down to us, his voice just barely containing his rage. He was pissed and that pleased me immensely.
Without delay, my elite guard returned to my side while Thranar sent out a single unarmed attendant to lead u
s into the castle. We were guided into a large room with a lone stone table. It was very sparsely decorated, with only a few tapestries lining the walls. Aric and I sat down at one end and waited for Thranar to join us. It didn’t take long.
He strode in unescorted, as expected. Even though his forces had been defeated, he walked in with a cocky arrogance that only he was capable of pulling off. I had to hide the sneer on my lips as he sat down at the table with us. His lower jaw wagged back and forth just like a snake and my stomach churned with revulsion.
My gaze dropped to his hands and I remembered all the bruises he’d left on Luna’s pale skin. He was a sorry excuse for an alpha, an abusive bastard who deserved nothing but an arrow right between his eyes. Aric had taken me hard and particularly roughly during the breaking of my heat, but he hadn’t left any marks like that on me. Not a single one. I glanced at him and then back at Thranar. They were two very different alphas. Aric was worlds above this false king. Aric cared for me in everything he did and the more time I spent with him, the more it became apparent that he enjoyed doing it. He also wasn’t afraid to let me lead either. Thranar would have never allowed me that right. I had no doubt I would have been bound in those same chains had he been able to take me for his own.
I waited for Thranar to begin. I wanted him to begin offering terms of surrender and after that, I would counter. He would learn that I wasn’t going to just take his first offer.
“It seems I wasn’t quite prepared for an attack of this caliber,” Thranar said. I saw him visibly pull his anger back in an effort to appease me. He’d lost and he knew it. His cockiness was still there though. He couldn’t hide that.
“I can imagine,” I answered cagily.
“I don’t think I’ve met your friend, Freya,” he replied, his gaze bouncing curiously from me to Aric. I noticed that he had purposefully dropped my title too. Aric cleared his throat in irritation.
“You will refer to her as Queen Freya, Thranar. Do not insult the woman that just infiltrated your city and defeated all of your forces,” he paused, letting my enemy really feel the full effect of his chastisement. When Thranar appeared to drop his head in a silent apology, Aric started to speak once more. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, my name is Aric. I am King of Valgertha,” my alpha continued. I smiled softly, glancing toward him with respect. I very much appreciated how he let me take charge in the company of others.
“It is good to meet you, King Aric,” Thranar answered carefully this time. He was well aware of the dichotomy of power between the three of us now. Aric and I had taken control. Together.
Thranar still looked between the two of us, trying to figure out who was in charge. I decided to take control and show him.
“Enough of the frivolities, Thranar. You wanted to meet to discuss your surrender and we accepted. What do you have to offer?” I demanded. I’d had enough of his games. I’d already been at the end of his blade and I’d seen what he’d done to his omega. The less that I was in his presence, the better for us all. I waited, imagining how it would feel to tear his head right off his shoulders right then. The asshole didn’t even flinch.
“I want you to leave my city, Queen Freya. I also want to ensure that you don’t return either,” he finally replied.
“What are you offering, Thranar? Right now, I can’t decide what I’d like to do with your city. I could burn it to the ground. I could take it for myself, or I could leave it under your rule, but you’d have to make that last option very, very attractive to me if that’s what you really want,” I demanded.
He licked his lips, his hatred for me burning behind his eyes. I could only imagine what he would do if he could get his hands on me right now.
“An alliance of peace. Ravenrath will pay a tribute to you for a period of three years. I will also provide one thousand warriors for your conquests,” he offered finally.
“Tell me more about the tribute you’re offering,” I continued, “I expect a fair offering of coin, food, and drink, along with expensive silks and riches.”
“We will offer five thousand coin, one hundred tons of food, and the best wine we have to offer, as well as one hundred tons of the finest silk we can procure from upriver,” he offered.
I drummed my fingernails on the table, listening to the tapping sounds echo throughout the chamber. Thranar fidgeted just the slightest bit in annoyance, but I didn’t pay him any mind. He didn’t hold the power here any longer.
“You will pay us ten thousand coin each year for five years. You will also provide two hundred tons of food, two hundred tons of the finest mead and wine you make, as well as five hundred tons of the best silk that comes into your hands. Not only that, but you will provide one thousand fully trained warriors to join my army. Not once, but each year that you offer tribute,” I commanded.
His lips tensed before he remembered himself. Thranar wasn’t used to obeying demands, but I had quite thoroughly defeated him. He’d never lost to anyone, let alone a woman, and it was more than obvious that he was far outside his comfort zone.
“I agree to your terms,” he finally murmured. I could have sworn he pouted when he muttered the words.
“I’m pleased. Remember though, if you break the terms of this alliance, Valgertha will come for you and you won’t survive the next time,” I warned.
“I will honor the terms of this arrangement,” he answered, but I couldn’t help but distrust his words.
Thranar would eventually want to conquer the woman who conquered him.
Thranar signaled for an attendant to join us and had him draft up the peace agreement. I read it carefully ensuring that everything we agreed upon was put down on paper before the three of us signed it. At the end of the meeting, I gave Thranar a firm handshake, even though it made my insides quiver with disgust. His fingers were cold and gripped at mine possessively, but I did my best to ignore it. Aric did the same, keeping his composure by my side. We were offered wine and food, but we declined. I didn’t want to eat anything he served me. Poison wasn’t outside the realm of possibility here. I’d only be safe once I was back inside the walls of Valgertha, surrounded by my people and my alpha’s arms.
When we were done, my warriors escorted me out of the castle, and I joined the rest of my army waiting outside. Our combined forces wasted no time moving out. With haste, I returned to the riverbank and boarded my longboat before beginning the long journey upriver. It would be harder on my rowers, but the current wasn’t especially strong. We would make good time although it would still take us three days to return home. Aric would be there waiting for me when I arrived and I was looking forward to shedding my armor and lying naked against him once again. I kept that image in my mind as we made our way along the waters.
* * *
Three days later, my fleet slipped into the docks of Valgertha and disembarked to the wild cheers of those who had remained back home. There were copious amounts of beer and wine thrust into our hands as we walked through the streets. Celebrations lasted long into the night.
A great feast had been prepared and I enjoyed every last bite. Before it was over, I congratulated those who fought by my side and made sure to credit them with our great victory. After a few drinks, I excused myself and Aric followed. My advisors quickly informed me that Luna had indeed arrived and that she was being taken care of in the medical wing. I made sure to tell them to give her the very best we had to offer. When I was through taking care of a few additional things, I made my way back toward my chambers.
When I entered my bedroom, Ariana was there changing the bedsheets. She nodded respectfully in my direction, before she cleared her throat and looked expectantly at Aric. I glanced from her to him and lifted an eyebrow. He smirked knowingly.
“Ariana here has been my eyes and ears of the castle, haven’t you?” he murmured, and I sat down on my bed.
“I have,” she answered.
“When did this happen?” I asked with a grin.
“You were asl
eep for a while. I needed to get things done,” Aric answered with a smirk.
“Should have run it by the queen first,” I teased. “I can’t have you stealing my best servants.”
“We can talk about the matter of your servants later, Freya, but you’re going to be fully bare and over my knee for the entirety of that discussion,” he warned, and a thrill of desire raced through me. My pussy clenched in excitement at the upcoming threat of a spanking.
Ariana was smart enough not to let her expression give away what she was really thinking.
I didn’t say anything in response. I was sure that the blush caressing my cheeks was enough and when he grinned at the sight, I knew that it was.
“Ariana, why don’t you come back in the morning and we can discuss what you learned. I’d like to spend the rest of tonight with Freya undisturbed. It’s been a great many days since I’ve reminded her of her rightful place before her alpha,” Aric said darkly as he sat back in his chair.
She nodded once before vacating the room.
Aric turned toward me and raised a single eyebrow.
“Strip,” he commanded.
Chapter Nine
Freya
I simply stared at him and when I didn’t move, he growled softly. My core tightened immeasurably, a reminder of his pull over me and I whimpered quietly.
“I gave you a directive, Freya. Have you already forgotten that inside these walls, you answer to me, omega?” he said. Without a word, he stood up from his chair and walked over to my dresser. My mouth went dry as I watched him pick up my wooden hairbrush. I bit my lip as he strode purposely over to the bed and took a seat, frozen in place as I realized what was about to happen.
He cocked his head to the side as he waited for me.
“If I have to tell you to strip again, this discussion is going to end with you sore, needy, and sobbing over my knee, my beautiful little omega,” he warned once again and I shivered, feeling my pussy moisten with arousal. He patted his hand with the back of the hairbrush, and I started to unlace my leather armor. My fingers clumsily undid the laces as I rushed to bare myself for him. He waited patiently as I finally pulled it free and bared my breasts. Quickly, I unbuttoned my pants and pushed them down over my hips as I kicked my boots off.
