Page 15

Phoenix backed away, and Lars found himself moving behind him, sheltering close to his body. His heart was hammering with excitement.

Delefont straightened his suit and, without another word, hurried out of the command room.

"Make sure he finds his way off the base safely," Phoenix grunted to the lieutenant, who saluted and quickly left after the Marquis.

None of the officers in the room batted an eye at the incident. Everyone carried on with what they were doing as if it had never occurred at all. Lars had read about mating challenges, but from the seclusion of the royal grounds he had never experienced or witnessed it in person.

Lars wondered what would've happened if the war had never occurred. During his isolated existence he'd never felt much yearning to know the outside world. He was ignorant to it all, and perfectly happy to be. Perhaps he would've remained a caged bird, eventually given to an Alpha who would've also kept him locked away.

He hated Phoenix, but this display of possessiveness had only further stoked the fire of primal desire inside of him. It disturbed him that he had to remind himself of who the man was and what he'd done to him. How strong were these instincts that they could wipe memories of things that had happened just minutes prior? That they could turn disgust into lust? The training from the advisors and healers certainly had not prepared him for this. Looking back, they hadn't taught him much of anything about being mated.

The power of the bond was intoxicating and potent. He knew it was blinding him, changing the way his mind looked at things, and yet there was so little that he could do. If an opportunity to escape presented itself, would he even be able to take it?

Lars stood off to the side, ignored and invisible as Phoenix discussed combat strategy with the officers over the table map. He watched Phoenix. His eyes were drawn to him like moths to a flame, and his mind flashed with memories of the things he'd done to him, a slideshow of depravity. He was getting aroused again, now imagining everything Phoenix and Griffin would do to him. He still ached from the punishment, not just from being struck on the behind but from the lack of release. His body craved more. It was thirsty for their seed, needing to be sated by their cocks.

His enraptured gaze was interrupted by a sight that, if not for his sharp eyes, he wouldn't have been certain he'd even witnessed it at all. In the span of less than a second, Phoenix reached his hand over and slipped a piece of paper into the hand of the officer standing next to him. There was no other acknowledgement between the two, and the officer spirited the paper away into a pocket so quickly and so smoothly that it barely seemed to have happened at all.

What was that all about?

The meeting ended and the officers returned to their stations. Phoenix snapped his fingers. "Omega. With me."

He turned to leave and Lars followed after him. For a moment he considered bringing up what he'd just seen, but then remembered what would happen if he did. And maybe it'd be worse--after all, he was sure that what he'd seen was not meant to be witnessed.

Griffin met them downstairs. "Colonel," Phoenix said to him. "Zone E requires our immediate attention. I've arranged for us to make a joint inspection, since we can't leave this one behind." His eyes flicked towards Lars.

"Understood."

They walked outside and moved across the grounds. When they were isolated and away from command building, Griffin quietly said, "The package was successfully delivered."

"Excellent," said Phoenix. "As was mine. It's finally under way, then."

Again, Lars's sharp eyes caught an unexpected sight: the smallest hint of a smile on Griffin's lips.

"Yes, Brother," Griffin said. "We've waited our whole lives for this. Honor will be restored."

Chapter 5

During the invasion,Zone E was one of the offensive positions the Empire had taken to assault the capital and cut it off from supply trains. It encompassed a small town and a portion of the neighboring forest, and now that the capital had been won and Ekdol had fallen, it remained as a defensive outpost and checkpoint for those coming into the capital from the southern territories.

They drove in a caravan, the three of them in the back of an armored transport that was led and tailed by two assault vehicles carrying a detachment of troops.

"May I speak now?" Lars asked, knowing that there was just the slightest hint of snarky insolence in his voice.

Phoenix glared at him, and Lars felt his heart flip. Was he in for another punishment? Was hehopingto be punished?

"What do you want?" the Alpha grumbled.

"Where are we going?"

Phoenix ignored him and stared out the window, his chin resting firmly in his palm.

"Zone E used to be the bloodiest zone of the war," Griffin said. "Things have quieted down considerably in the last week. You'd barely know any fighting had occurred at all. The blood has been washed from the streets and your soldiers have laid down their arms. The people of the town fly Xyletian flags from their windows. It'll be like this throughout the country."

"Not willingly," Lars said. "The people will be dreaming of rebellion. And when the opportunity comes, they'll rise up and take Ekdol back."

"They'll forget, Omega," Phoenix said. "Once the Empire puts food on their table and money back in their wallets as the blockades are lifted, they'll all forget. Within a generation, any loyalty they'd had will have vanished."

"I won't have forgotten," Lars said, angrily.