Page 18 of Omega Captive of the Golden Dragon (Alpha Dragons #3)

CAYLEN

I didn’t fall back to sleep right away after my nightmare.

When Varik had held me, I became aroused. After I settled back under my blankets, the feeling didn’t go away.

It had been a long time since I had these sorts of sensations. Weeks. I couldn’t remember the exact last time. My body and mind had been so shocked, I didn’t really think about sex beyond what the slavers said I should expect after being sold.

I refused to even contemplate the subject.

I was still upset, no lies there. But seeing him and Varikan communicate and then respond to my words had been an amazing moment of comfort. And attraction.

Now the questions I’d been avoiding for so long came pouring in.

What would happen when I went into heat? I could try to hide it, but Varik would know. All alphas had that extra sense when it came to omegas. I’d heard some alpha wolves brag they could smell an omega in heat two miles away.

What would Varik do? He’d never been around omegas. Was he a virgin? He’d been a young teenager when he’d been taken. But before that, maybe he’d had some sexual experience?

I had experimented a couple of times in my late teens. Nothing profound. Both experiences had been me getting a needy classmate off with zero reciprocation. Well, at least I wasn’t completely in the dark on the subject.

I lay facing the fire, trying to calm my body. When I heard Varik go back to the couch and the rustle of his blanket, I shut my eyes.

When I opened them again, morning light flooded through the window. I’d slept so soundly I hadn’t noticed any time pass.

When I peeked out the window, the sky was clear which disappointed me. I wanted a storm so Varikan would have to clear the driveway.

Our snowman was still in residence, though he looked more blobby about the head and shoulders.

Varik still slept, so I tiptoed upstairs, took a shower and got dressed.

It was strange to look at the bed in my room which I rarely used except for an occasional nap.

All my stuff was here, including new items I’d ordered online, but I didn’t really feel like it was my room.

The living room was most comfortable for me.

I went down to the kitchen, grabbed some food and my laptop, and sat at the dining room table.

I did this almost every day. I’d been doing a lot of reading about rocks and rock collecting and looking at pictures of beautiful works of nature.

If I had ever been able to go to college, I would have studied geology.

The Internet was a storage house of information, though, so it was the next best thing.

I was super happy Varik had allowed me to have a computer.

After a while, I went down to the gym and did some exercise. I lost track of time on the cycle machine and when I looked up from my tablet, Varik was jogging on the treadmill. I had been so absorbed in reading, I hadn’t heard him come in.

“Hi,” I chirped.

He gave me a nod. “Hello.” He wore a thin short-sleeved shirt, skin-tight, and black knee-length running pants. His rippling hair was tied back. Everything about him was alpha. And beautiful.

“I was thinking of going for another walk and making some touchups to our snowman.”

“Let me know when you go. And take your phone.”

“You can come.”

He shook his head.

“I need sunlight. Vitamin D. Every living creature needs it.”

“Val had UVB lights installed throughout the house. They stimulate Vitamin D production.”

Of course he did.

“That’s good to know.” I should have expected he and Valcor had thought of everything. “But I still like the fresh air.”

After my exercise, I changed into all my warm clothes.

It was apparent Varik didn’t want to go with me this time. But he was at the front door to watch me go.

When I began to check out the snowman, I glanced back to see him at the front window. When he saw me looking, he turned away and the curtains fell back into place.

I didn’t care if he watched. I liked it.

Since my arrival in dragon country, I never felt I was in any danger except when I was on the auction block.

The violations of that time still stung.

But here, I knew I was always safe. The silent chill of the high mountains and the snow had grown on me.

Nature here was stormy and cold but also gave comfort and protection.

I trudged through powder and ice back to the group of pines along the back fence. A chilled breeze bit my cheeks, making me smile. Snow drifted down from higher branches, and I held out my arms and danced.

Almost two months ago, I had met my fate. And I had lucked out. No one would hurt me here. I had everything I needed. I could divorce my past and never look back and be happy. I had not expected that.

I came back around the side of the house and lay by our snowman making snow angels. I rolled around, letting out bellows of laughter. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d laughed so deep and hard.

When I was ready to go inside and warm up, I had ice on my cap and in my hair. Some of it had melted and run down my back. That made me laugh even harder.

I’d had so many levels of emotion in the past two days. Crying. Now laughing. My muscles loosened. My insides tingled.

On the porch, I stomped the ice from my boots and shook it from my shoulders. I did the best I could before coming inside so I wouldn’t mess up the floor. When I stepped in, Varik was on the couch.

“Did you have fun?” he called out.

“You know I did.”

I sat on the bench by the door and took off my boots, parka, scarf, gloves and cap. Everything was frozen or wet. Water dripped on the floor.

“I promise I’ll clean up my mess here after I change.”

Varik stood and came around the couch. “What mess?”

“I think I got snow everywhere.”

“That’s all right. It will only take a towel or two to mop it up. I’ll get them.”

“You don’t have to.”

But he was already off on his mission and didn’t seem to hear me.

Hmm. He was being unusually thoughtful. I had felt the change yesterday in us both. And last night. We knew things about each other now that no one else knew.

I skipped upstairs to get out of my damp clothes. When I came back down, the puddle by the front door were gone and my winter garb had been hung up on hooks to dry. My boots were gone and when I looked in the living room, I saw they were drying by the fire.

Varik was nowhere in sight.

I headed for the kitchen. Cycling in the gym combined with my outdoor excursion made me famished. Before I got there, Varik came out with a tray of fruit, drinks and sandwiches.

“I thought you’d be hungry.” He brought them to the living room and set everything on the coffee table.

We settled on the couch and watched an action-thriller I’d been dying to see. It was almost like we were having a good time. With each other. What a concept.

To see Varik relaxed was wonderful.

I softly asked, “How’s Varikan today?”

“He’s well.” He smiled softly at me. “He likes movies.”

That was enough to let me know there were three of us here right now. After the darkness of yesterday, today couldn’t have been better.

Warm, fed and content, my body let down its guards. Flutterings started in my stomach and made way to my chest. It was definitely not indigestion. I was enjoying everything from the fire to the TV to the scent of an alpha next to me.

That scent. It filled me up. I’d noticed it before, but all my emotions had been shut down. It hadn’t affected me. Until now. Like burning candle wax and fresh pine. A taste came into the back of my throat like warm cider. It enfolded me. Intoxicated me.

It had happened in the middle of last night and now it was happening again. Arousal.

I grabbed a pillow and pretended to lean into it to hide my response to him. He didn’t seem to notice.

He got up and brought back fresh hot chocolate with whipped cream for dessert. He didn’t say a word when he handed me my big mug.

It was then I realized he had not gone into his studio all day.

He had stayed close by me, even watching me at the window when I went out, as if he was making sure I was taken care of.

It didn’t feel like control or fear, but caring.

It was what alphas did with omegas, but usually those omegas were boyfriends. Or mates.

It felt good. But it was also slightly unnerving because I couldn’t help but feel manipulated into the whole thing. This was what Valcor had wanted for his brother. It was why he’d bought me.

If I felt that way, Varik had to be feeling it a hundred percent more. We were more friendly. He was caring. But did he actually want it?

My thoughts were running wild, ruining my nice day. I turned them all away and focused on the movie and my hot dessert drink.

That night, when I went to bed by the fire, I woke too hot and had to move my bedding six feet to the side. All night I kept throwing off my blankets. I didn’t feel sick, but my body went from burning to chills and then back to burning.

I got up early, unable to get back to sleep. I was fully aroused again and got a little dizzy climbing the stairs.

In the shower, when I touched myself, my entire body jerked from the increased sensitivity. I came with barely a stroke.

While I dried myself off, I remained aroused. The release in the shower hadn’t done anything to relieve the tension.

I stared at myself in the steamy mirror. My eyes looked large, the pupils blown. My cheeks were dark pink. Ripples of hot and cold ran up and down my back and limbs. Water ran down the backs of my thighs.

I swiped the towel back and forth, bring it to the front. More water trickled against my skin. I brought the towel up to my face and sniffed.

It wasn’t water. It was slick.

I was in heat.