Page 9 of Fall of the Alpha

9

THE OMEGA & THE SIGMA AWAKEN

Bella

Something was wrong.

Bella awoke with a start and the knowledge she was not in her own bed. She also wasn’t alone.

She jerked upright, looking around wildly and clutching the bedding to her chest. The bed was huge, large enough to fit multiple people, and filled most of the room. The other occupant was Alek, laid out on his stomach on the other side of the bed, his eyes still closed.

She gulped as her memories came crashing back into her, staring at his face. He’d… they’d… and then…

When she pressed her thighs together, she could feel the ache between them, partly from post-coital soreness and partly from the faint need still throbbing there. Her body had betrayed her in every way.

Omega. I’m an Omega. And Alek is a Sigma.

That’s what the Wolf had said, though she didn’t know what that meant. She’d never heard of a Sigma, and she was coming to realize what Zone One taught about Alphas and Omegas was seriously lacking. She hadn’t known they had ways of counteracting the suppressors. She hadn’t thought that was possible.

She wasn’t even sure her father knew. If he did, he would have never allowed her to come into the Territories.

Whenever the Zones had taught about the Omegas being overcome with hormones and raped to death, they hadn’t included the fact the Omega wouldn’t care. They hadn’t included the fact it would be so painful not to copulate that she would beg for it. And they certainly hadn’t included the fact Alphas could control themselves.

The Wolf hadn’t been the only Alpha in the room. There had been many. She’d been able to scent them through the haze of her own need. Their desire. Their want.

But they’d all held themselves back and done nothing but watch.

“Bella?” Alek asked thickly, blinking as he pushed himself upright.

“Um, hi.” She had no idea what to say to him. “How are you feeling?”

Because he’d been through just as much as her. A flash of the Wolf looking over Alek’s shoulder at her while he plunged into Alek flickered through her mind. Unwelcome heat slid through her at the memory, and she glanced away from Alek. Not that he could read her mind, but the guilt that filled her at her body’s reaction made it hard to look at him.

“I… I don’t know. You?” His tone was tentative.

She curled in on herself.

“I don’t know either.”

“I didn’t… did I hurt you?” There was real anguish in his voice, and suddenly, she realized how her guilty reaction might appear to him when he didn’t know her thoughts or when she was suddenly not looking at him and curling into a little ball.

He thought it was because of what he’d done.

“No!” She met his gaze, hoping he would be able to see her sincerity. “You didn’t hurt me at all! It was… it was… good.” Really good. Her cheeks heated in a flush. It was the best sex of her life, and she knew that was because of the way her body had reacted without the suppressors, but that didn’t stop it from being true. “I just… I’m sorry. I didn’t know he would…”

“Of course you didn’t.” Alek’s eyes flashed, and Bella dropped her head again. “It’s not your fault, Bella. If I’d known what was going to happen, I would do it all again.”

Because Alek was a protector.

Bella scooted closer to him. She didn’t know what to say, but she could at least show she didn’t blame him. Silently, he held out one arm. It didn’t matter that they were naked, she snuggled in, pushing away any thoughts of Kenet or Liana. Both she and Alek needed comfort. It wasn’t their fault they were naked and had…

Well…

It wasn’t their fault.

It felt so right to sink into the little nook between his body and his arm and lean on him. He smelled so good.

The stirring between her thighs was something she could ignore, for now, but she squirmed in place a little as she tried to push those feelings away. Her body was doing things she didn’t understand and couldn’t predict.

The door opened, cutting off any of those thoughts for the foreseeable future, and Bella squealed again, trying to pull the covers up over her.

Alek

“Come with me.”

The Alpha standing in the doorway was one Alek had seen in the big room. Tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair and eyes, the way he looked at Alek made it clear he considered Alek a threat… and would react as such. Alek’s jaw clenched, trying to keep back the growl that rumbled through his chest at the sight of the Alpha.

Staring back at him, the Alpha looked completely unperturbed.

With Bella tucked against him, Alek couldn’t exactly follow through on the threat, but it made him feel more protective. She trembled against him, peeking up over the covers at the Alpha standing there.

“Both of you, up. Unless you prefer to wait until tomorrow to eat?” The Alpha raised his eyebrow.

Carefully pulling away from Bella, Alek shifted in front of her, getting to his feet and leaving her the bedding to hide herself. The Alpha remained where he was, looking bored, despite the fact Alek was now standing naked in front of him.

“Up, little Omega, if you want to eat tonight,” the Alpha repeated, though he didn’t try looking past Alek.

“We need clothes.”

The Alpha smirked at him and tilted his head toward the wardrobe on the other side of the room.

“Then get up. You have five minutes.” With that ominous warning, he disappeared from the doorway, which slid closed behind him. There were no answers to be had.

Alek glanced back at Bella, who gulped and slid out of the bed. The sheet slid away from her body, revealing her rounded breasts and the soft mound of curls covering her pussy. The sweet scent of arousal drifted off her. Fuck. His reaction was instantaneous, his cock hardening immediately, and he jerked his gaze away even as a purr threatened to work its way out of his vocal cords.

No.

He would control it.

He had to control it.

He was not going to be one of them , even without the suppressors. Somehow, he’d find a way.

Besides, he was different. That’s what they’d said. Neither Alpha nor Omega, not even a Beta. He was something else. Somehow, he’d find a way to use that to his advantage.

For now, they needed clothing. Stalking over to the wardrobe on the side of the room, Alek threw it open. There were two things hanging inside. Calling them clothing was overly generous. They were more like sacks, but they were also better than going naked.

“Here,” he said gruffly, handing one to Bella without twisting all the way around. She didn’t need to see his erection while he got dressed. He felt her take it, then he tugged the other one over himself. It covered him to about mid-thigh, hanging loosely around his body. When he turned, he could see that Bella’s was about the same, though because she was smaller than him, it hung down to almost her ankles.

She looked back at him, wringing her hands helplessly at her sides.

“I don’t know what to do…” she whispered. “I… I’m afraid.”

She had every right to be. Alek didn’t know what a Sigma was, but they’d all been taught about Omegas and Alphas. Even though some of it had turned out not to be true, some of it was. Both of them had already experienced their bodies’ betrayal. They knew how much truth there was to it.

And now they had to go back out there again.

Alek didn’t doubt the Alpha would leave them there with nothing to eat.

“Come on,” he said gently, putting his arm around Bella and letting her lean on him. “We need to eat to keep up our strength if we’re going to figure out how to escape.”

Looking down at her, he saw her close her eyes and felt her breath hitch. Then she nodded, lifting up her chin. So fucking brave.

They walked to the door together. It slid open soundlessly in front of them, and Alek stepped through first, keeping Bella behind him. He might not be very good protection, but he would die trying.

The room he walked into was a living space, fully furnished. The Alpha stood by another door on the far side, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed in front of him and a bored expression on his face. He straightened as Alek walked into the room, Bella trailing behind him.

“Good,” he said. “Are you going to give me any trouble?”

Alek’s jaw clenched, but he shook his head. There was no point. He didn’t even know where in the building they were. As badly as he wanted to escape and get Bella out of there, they needed to be smart about this.

“No trouble,” Bella said softly, slipping her hand into Alek’s as she came alongside him, glancing up at him like she was worried.

The Alpha smirked at her.

“I know you won’t, little Omega. You’re too new to your instincts. Any Alpha growls at you, and you’re going to submit. The Sigma, on the other hand… you’ve got a war going on within you, don’t you? You don’t know whether to submit or fight.” The Alpha’s smirk grew, his voice silky, with a hint of a purr to it. “Let me give you some advice—you’ll live longer if you submit. Now, come on.”