Page 5 of Fated or Knot (UnseelieVerse: The Omega Masquerade #1)

5

LARK

W ind whistled past my ears, whipping back my hair. Yet I still heard Fal’s exclamation. “Lark, what are you doing? There are stairs!” He sounded…amused. There was definitely an edge of surprised laughter there.

I called upon the meager lining of essence I still had within me and flapped my wings, briefly lifting in the air with a scattering of magical sparkles. I glided further into the gardens and away from the ridicule I’d find with Fal if I’d stayed. Had I seen his full reaction, it would’ve turned to mockery, something I fully deserved for pretending I deserved to be seen.

Servants like me didn’t get to choose our packs. I wasn’t permitted to chase fanciful ideas like fate and scent matches when I was sold to Pack Ellisar. And why would I want a twisted bond with an Unseelie? He and his brothers would steal me away to Serian, their homeland, to meet the fate all Seelie did at the hands of their cursed kin. Better to evade them and find sanctuary in a city away from alphas of all kinds.

My gaze blurred for several reasons as I descended from my glide. I was running out of essence, and fatigue was less of a suggestion now and more like an iron weight secured around my neck. Cold air wrung tears free from me. I hiccupped a sob and tried to blink hard to clear my vision. This only succeeded in dropping me unwillingly into unconsciousness for one vital moment.

When I came to, I was falling. I had time to scream before landing in a patch of grass in an ungainly tangle of limbs. My smock smacked the ground with a metallic clang I felt to my bones as I vibrated with the force of my reacquaintance with the earth.

I lifted my head to try to take inventory of my new aches and scrapes but gave in to self-pity instead. I curled up into a ball and cried, keening like only a wounded omega could manage. Everything hurt now—my ankle and foot as always, but notably, my heart and the inside of my head throbbed together. And it was all my fault. I should’ve known coming here under false pretenses would only get me hurt.

I cried myself out. After nearly two decades under Cymora’s thumb, it didn’t take longer than a few minutes. I cracked open my swollen eyes and found urgency as I remembered a small detail. Fal had said there were stairs . Stars, he could be right behind me. I’d be much easier to kidnap to Serian from the gardens, as opposed to still being at the Omega Masquerade. Or he could simply find me to mock me for my graceless fall and the resulting pity party. Either way, I didn’t want him to see me like this.

With a huff, I leveraged myself to a seated position and brushed dirt and grass off my side. The world fuzzed in and out of focus as I righted my balance and tried to take a proper moment to note what was wrong with me.

I pinched myself, trying to shake off the lethargy clawing at my body. Don’t go to sleep! There was no telling what I’d wake up to two or three days from now if I succumbed to my lack of essence.

I couldn’t just sit around; I had to move. As I pushed up, the scrapes I’d acquired from landing on my right side pulsed with the more dangerous pain lancing up my leg from my lame foot.

“You can do this,” I said through gritted teeth as I stumbled through a few steps. I ran my knuckles under my eyes and the lingering wetness making chill tracks down my cheeks, smudging the thick coat of my makeup. More tears followed, my eyes still leaking as I struggled to take a deep breath to calm down.

I dragged myself to a garden path that was illuminated by a few sparsely placed essence lamps. With my sight wavering, I just picked a direction at random, and my gait smoothed out some before I walked headlong into something.

It felt like a wall, except no stone had a give of softness or jiggled when it rebounded a crying pixie. Strong arms caught me before I could tumble to the ground. “What’s this? A sad little omega?” a male asked.

Except he had a thick accent, so it sounded more like, “Wuh’s dis? A sad li’l omehga?”

With the nearest lamp behind him, I only had the impression of a broad fae bending down to envelop me. He was hard with muscle but cushioned with extra padding, especially around the middle. And giving off a radius of heat that I appreciated as the evening’s chill pushed past the last vestiges of my pre-heat to settle over my skin.

Another sob wracked my body while this stranger cradled me against him. He stroked my hair and left his broad hand cupped over the back of my head. “There, there. No need for sad,” he murmured. “Omegas most blessed ladies. Li’l and sweet.”

He coaxed a sound from deep in his chest, and it vibrated through every bone in my body. My crying weakened, tears receding like he used some kind of magic on me. I’d heard that an alpha’s purr was soothing, but it was amazing how comforted I felt as I laid my cheek on his chest and snuggled in. He smelled so nice, like mallows toasting over an open flame. I inhaled caramelized sugar mixed with a burnt edge to satisfy with a bit of char.

For a few minutes, I let myself be soothed. I could give in to the weight of fatigue wrapped around my limbs and simply fall asleep here in his arms. This alpha was everything I needed on a level my body recognized and reacted to.

I wished I could stay as his purring lulled me, just “li’l” and protected in the circle of his arms. But my stomach cramped viciously again, and with the stark reminder that my heat was coming with a vengeance, my skin felt flushed and too tight across my frame.

I sighed out of my mouth, clamping my eyes shut in denial. “I need…” I stopped when I heard the croak in my voice and cleared my throat. “I need to go.”

“Go where?” he asked.

“Away from here,” I murmured, trying to tug myself free of his hold. He let me go with slow reluctance. I stumbled a couple steps back before picking a direction and starting to trudge that way.

“But where are you going, wee pixie?” he asked from behind me. For such a big male, he walked quietly.

I stopped under the halo of an essence lamp and craned my neck up at him. He was a salamander, I think, with maroon hair and brass-toned skin marked with a sprinkling of brown freckles. He had a well-manicured beard and mustache to match the fluff of hair on his crown, which was cut short along the sides. His attire resembled traveling clothes, with the exception of a vibrant scarlet cloak secured under his chin with a gold ring. His gray gaze roamed over my expression, and his generous mouth formed a frown.

Those eyes were small in the crag of his face and made tiny by how he squinted at me. That accent sounded suspiciously like Fal’s, just a lot more concentrated. It’d make sense that an Unseelie pack would send the member who spoke Theli the best to the Omega Masquerade.

Stars, two Unseelie in one evening. I shouldn’t just be standing here looking at him, but I had the strange sense that I could trust him. Besides, I didn’t have the energy to run.

When I still didn’t say anything, he shifted closer to me, moving slowly. He pinched the edge of his cloak and lifted it to my face, rubbing away the smudges of makeup down my cheeks. I didn’t flinch away from the tender touch.

“Li’l omega does not know where to go?” he asked. He put a little more pressure on a spot under my eye.

I should’ve been terrified of this male…but if he was Unseelie, he was unlike every stereotype so far. He smelled like a scent match and hadn’t seemed to notice or care about my grass-stained servant’s attire and the dimness of my wings.

I could probably trust him to get me to an inn. “Do you know the way out of the castle grounds?” I asked him.

“Aye.”

I didn’t know what he meant, but he nodded, so I took that as a yes.

“I just want to find a place with a room for the night,” I murmured.

He swung a heavy arm over my shoulders. “I will take you,” he promised.

We made it a few steps before I trembled. The sweat that’d clung to my skin from the last wave of pre-heat was swiftly becoming chilling now that my body was cooling. The big alpha paused and unfastened the hook holding his cloak over his shoulders. He draped the blanket of warm fabric over me, his meaty fingers working the gold ring closed again under my chin.

“There,” he said. A moment later, he added, “Nay.”

“Nay?” I echoed, confused.

He dropped to one knee and withdrew a knife from his boot. The edge went into the beautiful cloak before I could protest, cutting off the bottom third so it wasn’t dragging on the ground.

“There,” he said again, putting the knife away.

“Thank you,” I said, baffled. What was done was done, but I didn’t know how to respond to him mangling his own cloak for me. Even with the bottom removed, it was still voluminous around my frame. I flattened my wings to my back and pulled it closed around my front, taking a moment to breathe in his scent clinging to the fabric.

Well, waste not. I picked up the length he’d cut away before he steered me down the garden path once more, folding it into a rectangle and stuffing it in my smock.

His shirt barely had sleeves, revealing his arms, both thick with muscle and cushioned from plenty to eat, and the ruby-gemmed armband wrapped around his bicep. The gold was engraved with maple leaves.

“I am Tormund. What is your name?” he asked.

I told him, and he grinned. He had a broad, charming smile, wide and toothy. I guessed what he was about to say in my head before his lips formed the words. “Lark, I like. Li’l bird.”

“Where are you from, Tormund?” I asked.

His big smile faded, replaced by a thoughtful squint. There was no answer for a long pause, before he finally said, “I tell you a secret. But it is between you and me, okay?”

I nodded. “Okay.”

“I am from Neslune, capital of Serian,” he whispered behind his hand. “My brothers didn’t want me to tell anyone. But the li’l bird should know.”

Well, I’d figured him out pretty quickly. He wasn’t exactly a subtle member of the Unseelie. He certainly didn’t seem to possess even a sliver of the deceitful nature they were known for.

Or maybe he’s an excellent liar.

“Where’s your animal feature?” I asked, hoping that wasn’t a rude question.

“Oh, it’s hidden. You want to see?”

“Um, sure.”

He tugged his armband off, and an illusion faded from his face. We were walking through the part of the garden illuminated by essence-filled flowers, so I saw the change immediately. He had the same pack mark as Fal, which suggested they were both princes and half-brothers born of the same omega.

His Unseelie trait poked from his hairline, a pair of dark gray horns twice as thick as his fingers. They were pointed triangles, about three inches long. I saw why he had his hair cut short on the sides, as the longer middle rested perfectly in between his horns.

“Thank you for showing me. You might want to put them away before a guard sees,” I suggested.

“Aye, smart.” He put the armlet back on, erasing all signs that he wasn’t a salamander. I didn’t know what race he was, only that he and Fal couldn’t be more different.

We passed out the front gates of the castle, which were propped open now that a stream of partygoers were leaving the masquerade. I kept my head down and my shoulders hunched just in case the kindly guard from before was still at his post and could recognize me without my illusion.

Tormund still had his arm around me, and when we reached the street, he murmured, “This way, li’l bird.”

He steered me in a different direction than the cottage my stepfamily had rented. As long as we weren’t heading toward it, I didn’t care where we went anymore. I was bone tired, my belly was aching and empty, and I’d never see this Unseelie again after tonight. I’d take comfort in his presence and scent for the limited time I could.

Many of the street revelers had turned in by this point, though the ones that remained were well into their cups. I was glad of the giant beside me and the big cloak hiding my pixie wings, as no one dared to bother us.

My limping steps forced Tormund to slow a few times before he glanced down, made a throaty sound like ach , and bent. He picked me up under my knees and behind my back, carrying me secured to his chest as if I weighed next to nothing. I looked up at him, confused but not exactly unhappy to be off my feet. “Why did you do that?” I asked, echoing his brother after another baffling action.

“You are hurt and tired. I am strong for you,” he said, giving me a squeeze.

I told myself it wasn’t like Willis dragging me onto the dance floor without permission. He probably wasn’t taking me to a magirail. This isn’t a kidnapping. He had good intentions. But I searched within for the reason I trusted this Unseelie so much and disregarded the answer with a flick of denial. He’d put me down if I asked him to.

I just didn’t ask. He carried me for several blocks, humming an unfamiliar tune and smiling to himself all the while. We passed by a few inns before he turned toward one and scented the air with a long inhale. I did the same, mostly picking up the caramelized sugar that represented him with an undertone of other, less interesting alpha scents.

“I can take it from here,” I told him.

He shook his head. “Let me get your room. No one questions an alpha.”

“If you insist.”

He nodded like it was settled and didn’t put me down until we were inside. My feet protested their acquaintance with the ground immediately, and my sight grew hazy at the corners. I propped myself against a wall and rode out a wave of dizziness.

Tormund marched up to a desk where a couple keys hung on hooks behind a tired-looking barkfolk. He spoke in a low tone, slapping down a couple extra coins and pointing to the key he wanted. My gaze slipped longingly toward the taproom, where a mixed crowd of fae were still celebrating and the ale was flowing. Although, I was more interested in the sandwiches and pretzels being passed around.

“I got you the last room on the third floor,” Tormund said, announcing his presence right before he picked me up again. I couldn’t help a surprised squeak, though I had no complaints as he bounded up the stairs two at a time. If anything, I envied his energy.

“How much did it cost?” I asked.

“It’s okay.”

“I’ll pay you back. How much?”

He gave me a big smile. “Not too much. No worries. Small price to pay for a safe room.”

I frowned in return, sure I was taking advantage of him.

This seemed to trouble him. “Don’t be sad again. No omega should be sad.”

He set me on my feet and handed me a key attached to a small wooden tag that read 312, the same number carved into the door.

“I’m not sad,” I assured him. “I’m just not… Nobody buys things for me.” Maybe he’d missed how I was dressed earlier. Shrugging out of his mangled cloak and passing it back to him, I let him get a good look at what was underneath.

He squinted down at me. “Be right back,” he declared, walking off without waiting for a response.

I released a tired sigh and let myself into the room. It was nice, for my standards, certainly not the kind of place I’d had to myself before.

The first thing to go was my smock. I’d count the contents tomorrow before setting off to find a pawn shop. If I woke up tomorrow, considering how low my essence level was. There was nearly no glow coming off my wings.

Hopefully my fall hadn’t damaged many of the goods within. As soon as I was free of my smock, I stripped the cushions off the small couch and checked the tiny closet for spare pillows and blankets. There was an extra set of sheets, so I grabbed them and started arranging everything on the bed.

My inner omega wouldn’t stop to let me rest until it was just so. But once my nest was in place, with a small space in the center for me to curl up, there was still something missing. I made a whimper of denial when I realized what I needed to add.

A firm set of knocks stopped me from lying down anyway. Waiting outside my room was Tormund, who waited for me to answer before he hung a wooden token on a hook by the door. “I ordered you dinner,” he told me. “It’s on the way.”

It was such welcome news that I actually teared up. My belly had grumbled the whole trip to the inn. Tormund only saw the crying, though, and opened his mouth with a draw of his brow. I launched at him before he could say anything, putting all my gratitude into the hug.

He hugged me back and started to purr for me. I buried my face in his chest and breathed him in. For a moment, I hoped he’d hold me for a long time and pet me with those huge hands of his. But he drew away with a gentle look. “Good night, li’l bird. I will see you tomorrow.”

If the stars were merciful, he wouldn’t. But I didn’t know anymore if that mercy would be for him or me.

“Good night, Tormund,” I answered, lifting a hand in farewell as he walked away.

When the food arrived, it came with its own table. My eyes widened as a pair of fae passed plate after plate into my room. There were nibbles with dipping sauces, pull-apart breads, pretzels with cheese cubes, so many different variations of sandwiches… and the desserts. I could’ve simply started there. A slice of chocolate cake, moist and dense. Brownies with chilled cream, berries and foam, and perhaps cheekily, toasted mallows in their own separate bowl.

I thanked the pair who’d delivered all this and stood there with my lips wobbling. All this was for me?

I ate more than my fill and cradled my stomach with a content sigh as I headed for my nest to pass out, just to stop short. It smelled clean, but it was still missing two key components.

I told myself I couldn’t have the males I’d just met, even while doubling back to pick out Fal’s mask and the piece of Tormund’s cloak from the things I’d stolen. I snuggled into the soft bed and tucked the two items close to my heart so I smelled grassy days and mallows roasting over a fire. My scent wove into theirs with perfect harmony.

But they weren’t actually here, and my most familiar companion, empty loneliness, came to settle with me instead. The ghosts of Tormund’s purr and Fal’s leading hand on the small of my back lingered. I just wanted them to touch me more.

How was it possible that two Unseelie were my scent matches? I pictured them on either side of me in my nest and loosed a rusty purr that startled me anew. The part of me that was all omega instinct knew I needed them. Their skin on mine…but not only that. I blushed with a heady wave of pre-heat. I needed their knots, too. With my heat built and denied for four years, I probably needed their knots over and over and over so I didn’t burn myself to a stifled cinder.

My fingers drifted to my pussy and the slick that coated my folds. My perfume leaked out, made richer as my heat threatened to arrive. I circled my clit with my thumb, then inserted my fingers one at a time to stretch my overheated core. All the while, I pictured Tormund and how gentle he would be with my body. And Fal too…whispering teasing words in my ear while he knotted me with just the right amount of pressure. My toes curled as I found release, but it was a hollow and brief high.

What did a knot even feel like? I’d been too afraid to dally in Osme Fen. One curious encounter could trigger the point of no return with my heat, and then it would be Pack Ellisar biting me when I couldn’t tell them no and soul bonding us until the end of days.

I huffed in disappointment, but just thinking about the trio of barkfolk who’d purchased my first heat was enough to dampen any sort of afterglow. What if I could have something else?

“I see you, Lark.”

No. I refused to even entertain the impossible. If I veered off the path of my plan, I was doomed. It didn’t matter that neither Unseelie had seemed as monstrous as the stories, even if Fal had laughed at me and Tormund was unusually large.

I had to leave Ilysnor before my stepfamily tracked me down. No exceptions.

Still, their lingering scents were a comfort. Dessert after a warm summer’s day. Mmm…

I was asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.