Page 7

Chapter 3

When Lars awokehe had no idea where he was, but the state of his body gave him the first reminder. He was still naked and everything was sore. He could feel the cold, sticky presence of the brothers' finish still on his legs, soaking the sheets of the bed. He was a mess. How long had been out?

He looked around. Being underground, there was no indication of how much time had passed. There was a clock on the wall, but he hadn't noted the time before everything had happened.

Everything...

A strange feeling came over him—disgust and anger that was quickly replaced byneed. He hated them, but he wanted them so badly. Where were they? He felt empty without their presence. How could he feel such a longing for two men he didn't even know? For two enemies. Two monsters.

Because he was their mate now.

He belonged to them.

The scent that hung in the air was heavy and potent and only made the desire stronger. He thought that the coupling would've burned away the intense cravings that'd struck him in their presence, but he’d been wrong. It lingered, along with a humming vibration deep inside of him. He touched his belly, wondering if the strange sensation would ever subside.

Lars had always been a fastidious person. In his protected residence on the royal grounds he had a small team of people to care for him and provide him with baths and spa treatments whenever the whim struck him, trusted members of the court who of course had been with him since birth. He focused on his appearance, kept himself clean, and spent a lot of time decorating spaces around the residence, because as Omega there really was not much else required of him.

But right now, Lars wasn't concerned about the state of his body. He had no desire to wash away the scent of sex that clung to his skin. He felt like keeping it on himself for as long as possible, wanted to nest up on the bed where it was most potent.

He pulled himself away from the soiled sheets, wincing at the ache that throbbed down below. His legs couldn't support his weight, and he crumpled onto the cold concrete floor. It felt like he was being pulled in two directions as the little voice that’d been caged in the back of his mind managed to momentarily overpower the all-encompassing, intoxicating fog that now gripped him, triggering his base desires and incapacitating everything else. And that little moment was enough to send him into a trembling shock. He squeezed himself into a ball, wrapping his arms around his legs as his entire body shook from the sobs.

"I am Prince Lars Lyandri of Ekdol," he whispered to himself. "Prince Lars Lyandri of Ekdol..."

He repeated it over and over again until the tears stopped. He felt a little stronger then, and brought himself to his feet. He was alive. That was the most important thing. He was alive, and mated to two powerful officers in the Xyletian military, men who did not seem to have any intention to turn him over to the Emperor or to end his life.

Why were they protecting him? What did they have to gain by keeping his existence a secret from the leader of the Empire? Their deaths would almost certainly be guaranteed if the truth got out. Men like them could take their choice of any Omega, so if mating was the only goal... Why would they take such a dangerous prize?

Lars moved to the desk and tried the drawer where his pendant had been stored. It was locked. He pulled harder, suddenly driven by a mad need to get it back into his possession. That was his last connection to his family, his nation, his life, aside from what was held in his memories—and those seemed to be slipping. The lessons on what he could expect as an Omega had failed to adequately convey just how incredibly powerful the experience of mating would be.

He searched the surface of the desk for something that could pry open the drawer, rummaging through the layers of maps and military paperwork, when his fingers landed on the cool kiss of polished steel. It was a letter opener, its handle wrapped in red leather, the blade stamped with the Feral Fangs skull emblem. He held it in the palm of his hand, eyes tracing the glimmering taper of the blade to its point. He forgot about the pendant. He stopped thinking about everything except what he could do with the tool he held in his hand...

The door opened and Lars turned around, concealing the letter opener behind his back. Phoenix and Griffin entered, once again clad in their Xyletian uniforms. Griffin carried a tray of cooked rations, and Phoenix had with him a bulging tote bag which he tossed next to the bed.

"Good," Phoenix said. "You're awake."

Griffin walked over to the desk and set the tray of food on top of it. Lars squeezed the opener tighter against his lower back, hoping it wouldn't be seen.

As if he were just casually taking off a jacket, Phoenix stripped off the top of his uniform down to his bare muscles. Immediately the hunger struck Lars again, and his grip loosened on the letter opener. His eyes dilated and sweat prickled on his body as a flush of heat rose through him. There was no urgency or compulsion to hide his own nakedness from the two—the thought didn't even cross his mind. It already felt normal to show himself to them.

"First you will bathe," Griffin said. "Then you will eat."

"I don't want to," Lars said, his eyes moving from Griffin to Phoenix, unsure why the Alpha was stripping himself of his clothing.

Griffin glared. "I wasn't asking if you wanted to. I was commanding you."

"I'm not one of your soldiers to command." His voice was small, but gained some strength as he went on. "I'm Prince Lars Lyandri of—"

The Alpha's palm clamped over his mouth, stifling the words. Lars gripped the tool behind his back. From this distance he could plunge it into Griffin's arm, or his chest, or maybe even his neck.

"Be quiet," Griffin rumbled. "You are our Omega, and you will do as you are told." He brought his face close, until their foreheads were touching. Lars shrank back. He was overwhelmed at first by fear, and then by arousal, that mind-bending feeling of sobadlywanting to please his Alpha.

Then Griffin kissed him, his hot tongue teasing his lips. His hand slid down Lars's chest, moving across his nipples to his abdomen, then to his thighs where the thick come still clung to his flesh. He ran two fingers across it, collecting it, and then brought it back up to Lars's mouth. He didn't object, didn't deny it. He parted his lips and accepted the Alpha's fingers, licking them clean.

Phoenix opened a door on the far side of the room, revealing a private bathroom with a shower. "Come here, Omega," he said.

Griffin lowered his hand from Lars's mouth and slid it around his back to where the letter opener was hidden and took the blade into his hand. Lars, his breath heavy and his cock growing hard, released it and handed it over. Griffin said nothing and placed it back on the desk. He then draped his arm around Lars's shoulder and guided him to the bathroom.

Lars moved forward. His body would not do anything else. He had to obey. Tears filled his eyes. His fate was sealed and there was nothing he could do. He was so weak, so powerless.