Page 3

Chapter 2

He was dreaming.

A part of his mind was aware of the dream, but he could not control or change the events that occurred. He drifted like a ghost, both observing and experiencing, and even though he'd been through the same thing so many times before, it still felt like the first time.

The branches reached towards him like greedy fingers as he made his way through the forest, following a trail of red fireflies glowing like eyes in the darkness. The path seemed to stretch to infinity, an endless reach of red starlight that suddenly vanished, crumpling inwards on itself like water spiraling down a drain. He was sucked down with it all, too, his naked body whirling in space, all colors and all forms mixing and coalescing until he finally snapped back onto his feet.

It was theholy ground, a circular clearing formed in the center of a ring of massive trees with trunks that could easily engulf an entire car. Bryan looked around at the monstrous trees, which were draped with long strips of red cloth that gave the impression of splashes of thick, coagulating blood, and he felt a creeping feeling of dread. He wasn't supposed to be here. This place was not meant for him.

From the dark spaces beyond the clearing, wolves began to emerge, encircling him like a pack surrounding their prey. Bryan had nowhere to run, and when he tried to shift into his wolf form, he found his responses dulled and sluggish. Trapped.

"What do you want from me?" he shouted, a question met with silence. Then, each wolf began to transform into human form. Naked, their faces obscured in shadow, the Alphas closed in on him, their huge cocks hard and ready, eager to bury themselves into his holes.

Then the heat began. A low hum vibrated from deep within him, building slowly like hot embers re-stoked. He felt a tingling ache grow between his legs and inside his belly, and a hunger so great that it frightened him. He wanted every single one of them. He wanted to be pounded and filled with every cock until the itch went away, but he knew with absolute certainty that no matter how much they fucked him it would never stop untiltheyarrived.The red priests. The three hooded demons.

The faceless Alphas grabbed at him; so many hands pulling at his body, holding him down, forcing his legs apart. He was cold with fear, but that nagging want continued to thrum through him. Their cocks were so close he could feel their heat. He wanted to both flee and to succumb to them.

"Why are you doing this to me?" he demanded. "Who are you?"

"We know who you are."

The voice rumbled through him like an earthquake. He turned his head and saw them emerging from the crowd of Alphas. They were clad from head to toe in hooded red robes, their faces hidden by shadow.

Bryan's heart hammered. He'd never heard them speak before, never in all the dreams he'd had.

His body responded to them. His rigid cock pressed painfully against the cold earth, his entrance slick with lust.

The priest in the center came towards him and Bryan could make out two glowing red eyes from beneath the darkness of his hood. He tried to break free, squirming and fighting and writhing against the hands that bound him, but it was no use.

"We’ve been waiting for you." The voice was like a thunderstorm in his mind. Then, the red priest reached up and drew down his hood.

Bryan screamed. In place of a head there was only a skull. A massive wolf's skull with piercing red eyes.

He bolted upright in bed, gasping and flailing his arms to fight away the demonic figure that still lingered in his mind's eye. Panting to catch his breath, he looked around the room and slowly came back to reality. Then, hesitantly, he reached under the covers to feel himself. Again, like every night, his cock throbbed from climax, completely soaked with come.

Groaning, he collapsed back onto the pillow.

Why was he having these dreams?

Maybe it was because of what Josef was putting him through every day, his mind processing the things he tried to suppress. But the orgasms. The deeppleasureand desire he felt. Why could he only experience these things now, and in this way? What was wrong with him?

Bryan had a bigger problem. He needed to have a baby. He needed to get pregnant. There wasn't much time left. If Josef broke the mating contract and sent him back to his parents, that would be it. No Alpha would take him, at least none that could provide the kind of compensation that he needed. He was an Omega, the only one in New Pixia, and that made him rare and desirable to Alphas, but if he couldn't bear children...

He poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher by the window. His room had only enough space to fit a small bed and table. He didn't sleep with Josef; not his decision—though he certainly wasn't complaining about it. Josef's mansion was set on a hill that overlooked the rest of New Pixia, and through the window he could see the lights of the town twinkling below. He could see the Grimault Forest, too, just beyond the edge of town. Smoke curled into the night sky from the logging machinery that worked to chew through and open up the forest. And beyond that...?

The Direlings.

Just like every other child born in New Pixia he'd been raised to hate and fear them. These days they mostly kept to themselves, but he remembered the monthly raids when he was a child, when the Direling wolves would storm the border and attack. The Empire sent more and more soldiers out to the colonies to help keep them at bay until they hardly ever emerged from the forest, only coming to fight when the loggers reached a new settlement in their effort to expand the Xyletian territory further west.

He'd never encountered a Direling in person, and he hoped he never would. According to those who had--people like his father--the Direlings were violent and ruthless shifters who worshipped pagan gods and practiced dark magic. But whatever "magic" they did practice, it certainly wasn't enough to win against the Xyletian Empire.

It was close enough to sunrise that Bryan didn't bother trying to get back to sleep. He went downstairs to start preparing breakfast. Having it ready before Josef woke was ideal—the less time spent in the man's presence the better. After breakfast, Josef would go straight to the temple to serve the morning prayers. From there, he would meet with the other town officials and take care of administrative duties until afternoon, when Bryan was expected to come serve him lunch—and his body. That gave Bryan several hours on his own, and he had important plans for the day.

On the way to the kitchen, he was startled to see Josef sitting at the table in the dining room, his face illuminated by the glow of a viewscreen monitor. He looked up at Bryan and frowned, turning off the device.

"What are you doing awake?" Josef demanded.

"Oh, I was just going to make breakfast."