Page 4 of Dragon’s Captive (Prime Omegaverse #1)

CHAPTER 3

DISCOVERED

"You've been hiding what you are," Kairyx growls, moving toward me with terrifying speed for someone so large.

The accusation hangs in the air between us, as tangible as the heat radiating from his massive form. Fear crystallizes in my veins, a decade of nightmares suddenly manifesting in golden eyes narrowed to predatory slits.

I back away, mind racing through options that don't exist. Denial? Useless against senses evolved to detect prey. Pleading? Dragons respect strength, not weakness. Running? Where would I go that he couldn't follow?

"I don't know what you mean," I try anyway, voice barely above a whisper. "Commander, I assure you?—"

His clawed hand shoots out with impossible speed, wrapping around my wrist before I can complete the thought. The contact is electric, terrifying—his skin burning against mine with the unnatural heat of dragon physiology.

"Liar," he says, voice dropping lower, rougher. Not quite a growl but something primal all the same. His grip tightens, not enough to bruise but sufficient to communicate absolute control. "Your chemical deception might fool humans, but not me. I can taste it in the air, little omega. The suppressants failing, your true nature emerging."

My heart thunders in my chest, so violently I swear I can see my blouse fluttering with each frantic beat. But worse—far worse—is what happens next. My body, my traitorous body, responds to his alpha pheromones with a rush of slick between my thighs. Ten years of suppressed biology reacts to his proximity like a starving creature finally offered sustenance.

No no no no.

I struggle to form denials even as my knees weaken beneath me. The heat crawling up my neck isn't just fear now—it's the precursor to something I've chemically postponed for a decade, something I've read about in banned biology texts but never fully experienced. My omega biology recognizing an alpha. The most dangerous alpha.

"Let go of me," I manage, the demand undermined by the tremor in my voice.

His nostrils flare again, and a terrible smile spreads across his face, revealing teeth too sharp to be human. "Your mouth says one thing, but your body..." He inhales deeply, deliberately, his pupils contracting to thin vertical lines. "Your body knows what you truly are. What you need."

Something inside me snaps—survival instinct overwhelming even omega biology's treacherous pull. I twist suddenly, using the surprise of resistance to break from his grip. My rational mind knows it's only because he allowed it, that no human could truly break a dragon's hold, but I don't stop to consider this.

I run.

Behind me, I hear the sound that will haunt my nightmares if I live long enough to have them again—Kairyx's laugh, deep and predatory, genuinely amused by my futile resistance. Not angry, not even offended. Entertained. The sound follows me as I dash between the shelves, knocking them over behind me to block his path. Books tumble to the floor, their pages fluttering like panicked birds. Centuries of knowledge sacrificed to buy me seconds of escape.

"Run, little omega," his voice calls after me, resonating through the library. "It only makes the claiming sweeter."

Claiming. The word sends fresh terror pulsing through me. I've seen claimed omegas—eyes vacant with chemical dependency, bodies swollen with hybrid offspring, existing as living incubators for monster seed. I'd rather die.

I reach the main reading room, lungs burning, legs shakier than they have any right to be after such a short sprint. The suppressants. The doubled dose is affecting my stamina, making my body sluggish when I need speed most desperately. I push through it, eyes fixed on the heavy oak doors leading outside. If I can reach the street, there are hiding places I've mapped throughout the settlement. Underground storage rooms, forgotten spaces, bolt-holes prepared for this exact nightmare.

The doors seem miles away, stretching impossibly with each desperate step. I hear nothing behind me—no footsteps, no pursuit. Somehow that's worse than if he were crashing after me. Predators don't rush when they know prey is cornered.

My hands slam against the oak doors, shoving them open with strength born of pure terror. Sunlight blinds me momentarily, the transition from library dimness to morning brightness disorienting. The town square spreads before me, figures frozen in shock at the sight of their librarian bursting from the building like a woman possessed.

Which way? The administrative building would have people, witnesses, but also collaborators who'd hand me over instantly. The residential sector has more hiding places, but narrower escape routes if he corners me there.

I choose right, toward the old mill with its abandoned storage tunnels. Five steps is all I manage.

A shadow passes overhead, massive and swift, accompanied by the leathery snap of wings unfurling. Before my mind can fully process what's happening, Kairyx lands directly in my path, the impact of his arrival cracking the cobblestones beneath his feet. He's shed the pretense of human form now—massive black wings extend from his back, scales covering more of his visible skin, his face elongated slightly into something that bridges the gap between man and monster.

"Running only makes this more entertaining, little omega," he says, eyes gleaming with hunger as he advances. His wings fold partially but remain visible, a display of power and transformation that makes several onlookers gasp and retreat. "Your suppressants are already failing. I can smell your fear..." He inhales again, and that terrible smile returns. "And your arousal."

My face burns with humiliation as acute as my fear. Because he's right—beneath the terror pulses something my suppressed biology can't fully contain. A response to his alpha pheromones that makes my core clench emptily, that sends another rush of slick soaking my underwear. My omega body recognizing what it was evolutionarily designed to want, regardless of what my mind chooses.

I back away, but there's nowhere to go. Behind me, a growing crowd of townspeople watch with the horrified fascination of witnesses to an inevitable disaster. No one will help me. No one can help me against a Prime alpha, let alone the territorial commander.

"Stay back," I warn anyway, voice cracking with desperation. "I'm not what you think."

"Oh?" He stalks closer with predatory grace. "And what do I think, librarian? That you're an unmated omega who's been hiding from her biological imperative? Who's been using illegal suppressants to avoid Conquest registration laws?" Another step. "Who belongs, by right of Conquest and biology, to the Prime alpha who claims her?"

Each word lands like a physical blow. Each accurate accusation strips away another layer of the identity I've so carefully constructed. I continue backing away until I hit the wall of a building, the rough stone scraping my palms.

"Please," I whisper, hating myself for begging but unable to stop. "Please don't do this."

He moves with that unnatural speed again, closing the distance between us before I can blink. His massive form cages me against the wall, one clawed hand slamming into the stone beside my head hard enough to crack the mortar. Heat pours from him in waves, his scent—smoke and cinnamon and something metallic—overwhelming my senses.

"You have no idea what I'm going to do," he rumbles, voice so low it's almost subsonic. "But your body does."

And God help me, it does. Even as my mind screams in terror, my omega biology responds to his proximity with unmistakable preparation. My nipples tighten painfully against my blouse, my pulse speeds up but not from fear alone, and between my thighs, the evidence of my body's betrayal grows more embarrassingly obvious with each passing second.

One last desperate attempt. I duck under his arm, making a break for the narrow alley between buildings. I make it three steps before his hand closes around my upper arm, yanking me back with ease. My feet actually leave the ground briefly, my body twisting in midair before slamming against his chest.

His grip is unbreakable now, one arm wrapped around my waist like an iron band, the other holding my wrist in a grasp that allows no possibility of escape. I struggle anyway, my efforts as effective as a sparrow fighting a falcon's talons.

"Enough," he growls against my ear, the heat of his breath making me shudder involuntarily. "You've provided sufficient entertainment for one day."

I become aware of our audience then—the entire town watching my capture, my humiliation. Some look away in pity, others in disgust that I've hidden among them all this time. A few omega women stare with naked envy that the Commander himself would bother with a plain librarian. None, not one, shows any sign of wanting to help.

"By Conquest law, all unmated omegas belong to the Prime who claims them," Kairyx announces, his voice carrying across the square with effortless authority. The formal declaration turns this from capture to legal proceeding, from violence to sanctioned claiming. "And I'm claiming you, librarian."

The words fall like a death sentence. Worse, in many ways. Death would be final; what awaits me now is a living surrender, a future where my body belongs to this monster, where my purpose narrows to bearer of his offspring, where my will matters less than the biological imperative he can trigger with his presence alone.

"No," I say, still struggling despite the futility. "I won't. You can't make me?—"

His laugh vibrates through his chest against my back. "I don't need to make you do anything. Your biology will do that for me." His free hand moves to my throat, not choking but resting over where my scent gland would be most active during heat. The touch sends an involuntary shiver through me, another rush of slick betraying my body's response. "You're already beginning transition from suppressant withdrawal. Within days, perhaps hours, your heat will manifest fully." His voice drops lower, meant for me alone. "And then you'll beg for what you're fighting now."

"I'd rather die," I hiss, meaning every syllable.

His hand tightens fractionally around my throat, just enough to remind me of the absolute control he wields. "That's not one of your options, little omega."

Before I can respond, the world tilts alarmingly as he lifts me bodily, tucking me against his chest like a child's doll. I renew my struggles, fists pounding against his scaled shoulders, feet kicking uselessly at air. The contact only intensifies my body's reaction—the hardness of his scales beneath my hands sending unwanted sparks of awareness through my fingertips, the heat of his body triggering responsive warmth in my core.

"Release the female at once!"

The shout comes from across the square, where a figure steps forward from the crowd. My heart stops, then restarts with painful force. Darius. My resistance contact, my friend, my fellow fighter against Prime rule. His weathered face is tight with determination as he levels an ancient rifle at Kairyx's massive form.

No. No no no. He'll be killed instantly.

"Darius, don't!" I scream. "Run!"

Kairyx's body tenses beneath me, a rumbling growl building in his chest that I feel more than hear. His head turns toward the threat, golden eyes narrowing to dangerous slits.

"A challenger?" he asks, voice deceptively soft. "For my rightful claim?"

"She's not yours," Darius declares, the rifle steady in his hands despite what must be crippling fear. "She's a human being, not property."

I watch in horror as Kairyx's chest expands, his mouth opening slightly to reveal sharpened teeth and—oh god—the faint glow of building flame behind them. Dragons can breathe fire. Commander Emberscale can reduce Darius to ash with a single exhale.

"No!" I yell again, twisting in Kairyx's grip with renewed desperation. "Darius, please! He'll kill you!"

Kairyx's attention shifts back to me, something calculating entering his golden gaze. "You know this human," he states, not a question. "A friend? A lover? Perhaps part of the same network that supplies your illegal suppressants?"

The blood drains from my face. One word from me could condemn not just Darius but our entire resistance cell. Years of careful operation, dozens of lives, all balanced on my next breath.

"He's nobody," I lie, voice steadier than I feel. "A town resident. I know him from the library."

Kairyx studies me for a long moment, clearly assessing the truth of my statement. His nostrils flare again, scenting the air between us. Then his attention returns to Darius, who hasn't lowered the rifle despite the futility of his stand.

"Your concern for the female is noted," Kairyx says, voice carrying easily across the distance. "But unless you wish to join today's entertainment as a pile of ash, you'll lower your weapon and remember your place."

I lock eyes with Darius, silently pleading with him to back down, to live, to continue the resistance even if I'm lost to it now. After what feels like eternity, his shoulders slump slightly, and the rifle's barrel dips toward the ground.

"This isn't over," he calls, the words foolishly brave.

Kairyx's chest rumbles with another laugh. "For you, it is." He shifts me in his arms, securing his hold before his wings begin to unfurl to their full, impressive span. The crowd gasps and retreats further, giving him the space he needs. "For her, it's only beginning."

The last thing I see before we launch skyward is Darius's face, etched with helpless rage and sorrow. Then the ground falls away with sickening speed, my stomach lurching as Kairyx's powerful wings carry us upward with impossible force. The wind tears the scream from my throat, cold air rushing past as we climb higher into the sky.

Ashton Ridge shrinks below us, the neat grid of streets and buildings becoming miniature, toy-like. My hands clutch desperately at Kairyx's jacket, terror of falling momentarily overriding my hatred of touching him. One of his arms secures me firmly against his chest while the other guides our direction, making minute adjustments to our flight path with practiced ease.

"Enjoy the view, librarian," he says, his voice somehow perfectly audible despite the rushing wind. "Consider it your first lesson in your new reality."

I risk a glance downward and instantly regret it. We're so high now that the town is merely a smudge against the landscape. The Appalachian mountains spread in all directions, their tree-covered slopes and jagged ridges a testament to the wild beauty that survived even the Conquest. Under different circumstances, I might have appreciated the breathtaking vista. Now, it only reinforces the hopelessness of my situation.

There's no escape from this height. No running, no hiding, no chance of rescue. I'm completely at the mercy of the predator carrying me to his lair.

And in the distance, growing larger with each powerful wing-beat, looms a jagged mountain peak that can only be our destination. Drake's Peak—the fortress carved into living stone where Commander Kairyx Emberscale makes his home. Where I will be taken. Where I will be claimed.

Where my life as I know it will end.