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CHAPTER NINE

~Arcay~

“ARCAY, YOU WERE foolish on the human’s ship.” Jursin looked at me pointedly. “You allowed yourself to lose control and your rash actions have caused us trouble. I expect better from my Second.”

I lowered my eyes, jaw clenched and nostrils flared. “My apologies, Arani ,” I gritted out.

I did not need to look up to know there was a smug smile on Ulgar’s face. I could hear him snigger, and I burned with humiliation. I had never been scolded in front of the council before.

“But I know how it is to be in the thrall of an omega’s scent, so I will forgive your indiscretion this once.”

This time I did look up. Ulgar’s smile soured.

“Thank you,” I said.

“You have claimed him?” All eyes on me sharpened with an intense interest that made my hackles rise.

I hesitated. If the other alphas knew that he was unclaimed, they may try to make a bid for him. But I did not want to lie to Jursin, the pull to obey him as a superior alpha was strong, even for me. I turned to Jursin and spoke quietly.

“He was badly injured. He was damaged and required medical attention. I have allowed him time to heal and prepare for the bonding.” I glanced to the side at Ulgar, who was leaning in too, his face intent. “He is not like our omegas, Arani. He seems…resistant.”

“Good,” Jursin said.

I frowned at him.

Jursin sighed before going on, and when he spoke it was not unkind. “In that case, it would be best to return the omega to his people.”

“No.” I stood. “ Arani , you cannot—”

He raised his voice. “We do not know how the humans will react to us taking one of their own. This crew is small and weak, but they might not all be. If they have omegas, they could have alphas. And if we hold one of their omegas, they may retaliate. There is no precedent for this, too many unknowns. We do not even know if humans are compatible with us. If you had considered your actions before you took him, you might have considered this.”

I shook my head. “Humans are no match for us. If they retaliate it will be worse for them.”

Silvun spoke up from the other side of the table, his voice level and calm. “We are Aldar. We should not mix with humans. It is not right.”

I bristled. Of course Silvun would think that—he had the mating urges of a moss covered stone.

“It is my right to claim an omega of my choice,” I growled.

Ulgar stood, seeing his opportunity. “This cannot be allowed,” he said. “This human omega should be made available for any alpha who wishes to compete for it, that is how it has always been done.”

“That is irrelevant. We have not held the Tournament in twenty seasons.” I squared off and snapped my fangs at him. “He is mine. If you wanted him, you should have been faster.”

He eyed me. His only hope was to convince Jursin to force me into giving Clay up. He was the only one who could force me to do such a thing.

Ulgar turned to Jursin and slammed his hand on the table. “You must rectify this injustice.”

Jursin did not move, but he narrowed his eyes at Ulgar’s hand. Ulgar’s reaction was instant; he jerked it back and lowered his gaze.

“There is nothing I must do, Ulgar. I am the First,” Jursin said slowly, putting weight behind each word.

The strength of his dominance filled the room. Ulgar dipped his head, and Jursin turned to me.

“He has a point, Arcay. This is not how we do things. The human is not your mate yet.”

I jumped from my seat, ready to fight. Jursin sighed and looked towards the ceiling in the manner of a father with an overdramatic child.

“I am not going to challenge you for him, Arcay. I hardly think Tallin would like that.”

Jursin and Tallin had been a mated pair for many many years. It was a bond like theirs that I had been craving ever since I rose to the rank of Second. Of course Jursin had no interest in Clay when he already had an omega of his own, I was being irrational. He went on in an even voice. “However, this is a bad idea, Arcay.”

“As I told you,” Ulgar said.

I rounded on him. “You are jealous that I found him first.”

“When did high alphas start to fight like children?” Jursin raised his voice. “This could cause trouble, Arcay. As well as the unknowns, his scent is stronger than a normal omega’s, it is almost irresistible to those unmated among us. It is causing tension and bad behavior. I have already quelled two fights caused by the human’s pheromones. This cannot continue.” Jursin raised a hand to his brow. “Arcay what were you thinking?”

Jursin was on the verge of taking my omega away from me, I could see it in his stern expression. I couldn’t let that happen. I leaned in close to him, urgent, aware of the eyes of the other alphas on me. “There will be no more problems, I swear it,” I hissed. “You know how much I want this, Jursin, do not take it away from me. I will claim him, and there will be no more problems.”

Jursin sat back, head inclined. “You have until the end of the day, Arcay.”

I bowed my head again, relieved. “Arani.”

“ Arani, this is not fair—” Ulgar started.

“Enough.” Jursin cut him off with a swipe of his hand. “I have spoken.”

At that moment, the door slid open and Lendel hurried into the room, bowing at the assembled alphas, then touched my shoulder. I frowned at him. He was supposed to be preparing Clay to be claimed.

“What is it?” I said, irritation clear in my voice.

“ Arani , could you step outside for a moment?”

I saw Ulgar smirk at that. As if being challenged and humiliated in front of the council was not enough, now my beta was giving me instructions. I bristled and growled without turning to look at him.

“Can you not see that we are having an important discussion, Lendel? If you need to speak to me just tell me now and cause no more interruptions.”

Lendel hesitated, then cleared his throat and, after a moment’s pause, plunged on.

“Arani, the human omega is refusing to let us prepare him. When we explained the situation to him he…barricaded himself in the sickbay pod and is refusing to come out.”

I spun. “What?”

Jursin raised an eyebrow, and Ulgar let out a triumphant snort, gesturing to the rest of the council.

“You see. He cannot even control the human omega. It would be best to give it to an alpha who can. You do not even know how to keep an omega, the proper ways to punish him to keep him in line. If I had him, I would—” Ulgar said.

My chair teetered as I stood. “One more word from your mouth, Ulgar, and I will throw you out of the airlock.” He smiled coldly at me, knowing that his jab had found a weak spot. I turned to Jursin. “I will sort this out,” I said, and swept from the room.

As we hurried back to my quarters, Lendel trailing a step behind me, I muttered, “You could have told me that outside, Lendel.”

Lendel pursed his lips. “Don’t blame me, Arani, I tried.”

I grumbled under my breath. Clay had embarrassed me, not only in front of the high alphas, but the whole council as well.

“How did he lock the door? He does not have access.”

“He didn’t so much lock it, Arani , as piled things in the doorway.”

“And you could not have moved them?”

“Well, yes, Arani, we could have moved them, but I was not sure if we should.” He twisted his hands. I understood his reluctance. Once an omega was mated to an alpha they took on their rank. As the Second, my mate could be challenged by no one but Jursin and his omega, Tallin. Although of course Clay was not my mate yet . “He does not seem to want to be cleaned.”

“Why not?” I said.

I could just about understand his resistance earlier; he was injured and unaware of what was happening, so I could allow that he might feel the need to fight for his survival, even though it irked me. But what kind of omega did not want to be cleaned and tended to? Omegas, by their very nature, were meek and compliant.

“I do not know, Arani .”

“It is time I put him in his place.”

In my chambers, Kesk was standing by the door to the sickbay pod. The door was mostly closed, and it appeared that something was pushed up against it on the other side, a small sliver of dark showing through the crack of the door. The sickbay bed. He’d turned it on its end and pushed it against the door. What kind of omega did something like that?

“He won’t come out,” Kesk said dryly.

“Stand aside.” I banged on the door with my fist, shifting it slightly. “Open the door.”

“ Fuck off, ” came the muffled reply, helpfully translated by the device Kesk still held in his hand.

Kesk shrugged at me and I growled a warning in my throat.

“Open the door, omega, or I will break it down.”

No reply came this time, but I heard something shifting inside. He was pushing the bed harder against the door, as if that would prevent me from entering. I could easily push it aside, but that was not the point. He was supposed to do as I told him; he was supposed to obey me.

“So be it, you leave me no choice.” I left a moment’s pause to allow the device to translate and him to see reason and open the door himself. The moment passed. So be it.

I took a step back, angled my shoulders and, channeling all of my frustration and anger, smashed the door down.