Page 44

MARLOWE

My heart was ready to burst, out of both love and fear. My pack was here, but they were in so much danger.

I didn’t want to distract them with words, so instead I continued to send my love down the bonds, letting them know they were in my thoughts always. It felt good to have the channels open again, to give and receive our unspoken communication. I hadn’t realized how much I’d suffered mentally not having that link, but it reminded me of that feeling when your nose was no longer congested after a cold, and you could finally breathe again.

I chewed the skin around my nails nervously as I looked out the window. What could they even do from a haven? How could they get in? Cam told me the pixies—pixies!—were helping them. But they were essentially breaking into a prison. Maybe they could blend in and hide once inside, and that would protect them for now?

But what about when it was time to escape? How would that even work?

One by one they responded with their own confirmations of devotion back down the bonds, and for the first time since I’d arrived in this realm, I felt at peace.

The door flew back open and Alaroth slammed it closed behind him, his chest heaving in anger as he stared at me.

“You’re smiling,”

he spat. “You’ve never smiled for me.”

Even when he’d tortured me, he hadn’t seemed this upset, and I worried he might use more than magic to punish me if I wasn’t careful.

I backed up slowly, soon running into the wall behind me. “Alaroth, we barely know each other…”

He stalked closer and closer, the aqua in his eyes completely overtaken by darkness. “You’re a subject of Vespera, and I am your king! Do you know how fortunate you are to have been chosen by me? To be my queen? And yet you continually show me nothing but contempt. Ingratitude. You openly yearn for others in my presence. It’s inexcusable!”

Shit shit shit. If Ezra managed to find my pack and bring them back here before the king calmed down, he might kill them out of anger and spite.

His ego was bruised, and if I’d learned one thing about non-human males since falling headfirst into this world of shifters, vampyrs, and fae, it was the lengths of depravity they were willing to go to restore it.

I took a step towards him, then another, until finally I was inches away. “Is your title all you have to offer me?”

I asked gently, rubbing my hand along his arm.

His eyes tracked the movement, and I continued. “Your wealth? Your power? Do you really want a queen who only marries you for your crown?”

I slowly raised my face to look him in the eyes, smiling sweetly. “I am not so easily claimed.”

Alaroth rested his hand on my cheek and breathed in deeply, his pulse slowing. “And what does impress you, beloved? How do I claim your heart?”

“Patience,”

I responded. “Time. Care. Security.”

“I already have guards posted…”

I placed my finger on his lips. “I mean security with you. How can I trust you if I am afraid of you?”

He grabbed my wrist away from his face with one hand, and placed the other on my back, pulling me into him. “You fear me, do you?”

I batted my eyelashes, resting my free hand on his chest. “Of course, look at you. I’m just an omega—small, and weak. I can’t defend myself physically against a male such as yourself, so I have to trust you won’t hurt me.”

The energy around him changed, became less aggressive. He picked me up by my thighs, wrapping them around his stomach. “I don’t want to hurt you,”

he said quietly. “I just want you to love and serve me. And only me.”

I rested my forehead against his, rubbing our noses together. “Alaroth,”

I sighed. “I’m not made to be owned by one male, you know that. Asking me to stop loving my alphas is like asking the sun to stop shining.”

Taking a deep breath, I brought my lips to his cheek, kissing him softly. I could feel the anger and tension leave his muscles, now replaced by comfort. Adoration.

I needed to give him reassurance. Initiate enough so he’d think I was interested. So I tilted my head back to allow him access to my scent. His nose ran along the column of my neck as his lust grew exponentially, and he ground me against his erection with intensity and urgency.

I was about to pull back and tell him to stop when he grunted, holding me steady as he released in his pants, leaving a dark, wet mark on his clothes. His cheeks flushed once he realized what he’d done. “Moons, that hasn’t happened in…”

“Shh,”

I whispered, patting him on the shoulder. “I’m flattered, really. Isn’t it just a testament to how much we desire each other?”

He slowly let me back down on my feet. “Yes, yes I suppose it is,”

he replied in a daze. “Would you like me to return the favor?”

I faked a yawn and stretched. “You gave me one this morning, remember? I’m just so tired, it’s been a long day.”

He looked expectantly towards my bed, but I gestured slightly towards the door, hoping he would forget our earlier deal. “Patience, time, care, and security.”

“Hm? Oh, yes, right. Of course.”

He finally left, and I heaved a sigh of relief, then stripped off my soiled nightgown and headed back into the bathroom to quickly wash up.

I’m safe, I sent down the bond. Are you? Where are you? Did Ezra find you?

I started to get nervous when I didn’t hear back. The bonds were there, they had to be okay, but I couldn’t help from pacing around my room, wringing my hands until Cam’s voice finally filled my head.

Babe… we’re fine. But this is so fucked.