The powerful jet of water pummeled his neck and shoulders and Arius turned the temperature up until it was almost scalding, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against the cool tile of the shower wall. It had been a long, long night, and it wasn’t over yet.
This was completely uncharted territory for him. The women he’d bedded in the past had been seductive and willing, either lusting after him or his power—sometimes both. Their encounters had been limited to the bedroom and once they’d slaked their desire, he’d sent them away.
Nor had he ever had trouble conversing with members of the opposite sex, either in his public life or at private functions.
Arius prided himself on his ability to master any situation.
But this was different. Saskia was different. He was constantly battling against his physical need for her, which threatened to completely take over, and there was an equally strong desire to protect her, awakened by her inherent vulnerability.
Nor could he deny the suspicion that she was hiding something from him, a sense that never failed to invade his mind whenever he put enough physical distance between them.
Lathering himself with the leather-scented soap he favored, he took a deep breath, trying to ignore the gnawing, deep ache in his balls and focus instead on some kind of strategy for moving forward. As much as he wanted to simply give himself over to the rut, lock himself in his rooms with her and fuck her until their cycles passed, he didn’t have that luxury.
Deimos had crossed a sacred line; not to mention the stunt he’d pulled earlier with which he’d risked causing considerable civil unrest. Arius knew that had to be dealt with sooner rather than later.
Unfortunately, he didn’t know how.
Once he’d sluiced the last of the suds from his body, he turned off the shower, wrapped a towel around his waist and returned to his bedroom. Saskia was huddled up against the pillows, her knees to her chin, her arms wrapped around her shins.
“Have you had enough to eat?” He eyed the tray, which still held a considerable amount of food.
She nodded. Then, “Aren’t you hungry?” Her tone was cautious.
“I am. I just wanted to shower first,” he said.
“I’d quite like one too, if you don’t mind.”
“Go ahead.”
She scrambled off the bed and he noticed how long his robe was on her. The hem of it brushed her slender, bare ankles. “Thank you,” she whispered.
The door closed behind her and a few moments later, he heard the water running. Arius fixed himself a plate of food and refilled his wine before sitting down at the table to eat, still wondering why he felt so out of his depth.
It was awkward, he realized. That would best describe the situation he now found himself in. Unlike the willing Alpha and Beta women he’d bedded in the past, Saskia was an Omega. As such, their chemistry was beyond anything he’d experienced before. His self-control was being tested in a way he’d never known, and where he usually couldn’t wait to get rid of a partner once he’d climaxed, he wanted Saskia to remain by his side. That was the case before Deimos had tried to take her, and it was even truer now.
On top of that, for the first time in his life, he felt like he ought to take someone else’s feelings into consideration—after all, he was going to spend the rest of his days with this woman. The last thing he wanted was for her to end up loathing him the way his mother had loathed his father.
A sharp rap on the door tore him from his thoughts. “For fuck’s sake!” he exploded, shoving his chair back in a rage and prowling across the room to tear a strip off his servant for disturbing him.
“Sorry,” Evander said as soon as Arius yanked the door open to reveal his friend lounging casually against the jamb. “Don’t blame Cerus. I didn’t give him a choice.”
“Sorry, Sire—” Cerus began, hovering anxiously in the background, but Arius dismissed him with a wave of his hand.
“What is it, like four in the morning? What do you want?” Arius growled.
Evander peered over his shoulder, trying to see into the room. “Where’s your little prize?”
“Shower,” Arius said curtly. “And then we’re going to bed. Where you should be.”
“Hey, I’m down for a threesome if you really want,” Evander quipped, then his expression grew serious when Arius didn’t so much as crack a smile. “Look, I’m sorry to disturb you but I was wondering what you’re going to do about the king. There are rumors of protests being organized. Talk about that little stunt he pulled earlier this evening has spread like wildfire. The menfolk are—understandably—not happy.”
“I will handle it.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look like shit,” Evander pressed on. “I’ve never seen you like this. I know it’s the rut, I saw the change in your expression back at the Facility, and I know that tends to cloud your judgment, make you reckless—”
“I said I will handle it, and I will,” Arius snarled. “After I’ve had some sleep.” And fucked Saskia again. He knew there was no way he’d be able to sleep a wink unless he had her at least once more. The urge to reclaim her after the incident with Deimos was as powerful as before, if not more so.
“Do you even have a plan?”
“Have you ever experienced the rut?” Arius countered.
Evander scowled. “You know I haven’t.”
“It’s incredible. It’s also enough to drive a man insane. I hope that you do get to experience it—and soon—but until then, just believe me when I tell you that I’m doing the best I can. And Deimos… I’ll handle him, too.” He became aware that the shower was no longer running. “I have to go. We’ll talk soon.”
It was clear that Evander wasn’t happy with such an abrupt dismissal but he pushed himself off the doorframe all the same. “Fine.”
“I’ll come find you tomorrow and we’ll discuss it all in detail,” Arius promised him. “And if you come up with any bright ideas, I’ll welcome them.”
“All right.” Evander turned, then looked back over his shoulder. “I still can’t believe you left me to walk all the way home from the Facility,” he said.
“I’ll make it up to you.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
Saskia ached in places she’d never ached before. Her mind had been racing as she’d stood under the hot shower, scrubbing her body until her skin glowed red in a vain attempt to get rid of the dirty feeling she’d had all evening.
Why did Arius have to be a match? If only he hadn’t been, if only he’d strode right on past her at the Facility, leaving her there with at least some hope of escape, no matter how slim.
If only she hadn’t been captured on market night.
If only she’d been born a Beta, like Nat.
If only.
It is what it is. You’re here now. Mama once said there would be a situation in which I’d be tested, and I guess this is it. And what was it she’d said after that? It’s not how we fall that matters, it’s how we get back up.
She’d underestimated the wine, she realized as she almost lost her balance while drying herself off. Gods, it was strong. The potent alcohol combined with Arius’s constant assault on her senses was enough to make a girl lose her damn mind.
Donning his robe once again, she made her way tentatively to the bathroom door, sliding one hand against the wall for balance. She’d taken her time. Perhaps he’d fallen asleep. Unlike her, he hadn’t slept earlier, and it was almost morning. Surely he’d be worn out by now?
Her heart sank as she opened the door to reveal him lounging on the bed, his deep brown muscles gleaming in the low light, his jet black hair curling to his shoulders.
That he was so incredibly attractive just made everything worse.
He patted the space beside him on the bed. “Come here, little one.”
She hesitated until his eyebrows knitted together in a frown, immediately changing his expression from warm and welcoming to one of cold demand.
“Now,” he growled. “Don’t make me come over there.”
Even as she realized that it would be better to obey, to submit until she had a chance to get away, to give him reason to trust her, she lifted her chin and remained where she was. “Why? What are you going to do if I don’t?”
The flash of impatience in his molten iron gaze was curiously rewarding. “Last warning.”
Instead of doing as he commanded, she glanced around the bedroom. Realizing he’d brought the wine decanter in with him, she steeled herself and sauntered over to it, pouring herself yet another glass. Lifting it to her nose, she inhaled deeply, trying to focus on the fruity aroma instead of the musky, heady scent emanating from the Alpha on the bed.
She’d barely taken a sip before he was on her, moving unbelievably fast for a man his size. The glass slipped out of her hand and shattered into a million pieces as he spun her around, lifted her into his arms, and pressed his mouth to hers.
It was the first time he’d kissed her, she realized in a brief moment of cognition before he forced her lips to part beneath his and slipped his tongue into her mouth to tangle with hers. He tasted of wine and musk, his scent drowning her, possessing her.
Saskia’s belly clenched in a spasm of lust which was becoming all too familiar, and her body overruled her mind with an ease which would have outraged her had she been capable of rational thought.
Instead, she yielded to his firm embrace, going limp in his powerful arms, whimpering against his commanding lips as her nipples hardened beneath the robe and the throbbing in her core caused the first gush of slick to dribble between her thighs.
She wasn’t aware that he’d carried her back to the bed until he allowed them both to come up for air—just long enough to set her down, tug the robe from her shoulders and toss it aside before pushing her down and slanting his lips over hers once more.
The insistent thrumming in her clit grew stronger with each passing second until she thought she would explode just from his kiss.
But then he broke away, his lips and tongue trailing down over her collarbone, her right breast, her navel… until he reached the very epicenter of her arousal.
When he took her swollen bud in his mouth and sucked it hard, she cried out with the force of her release, feeling herself gush and contract as he began to lick it with the flat of his tongue slowly, languorously, over and over again until the last wave of orgasm had subsided. Still, he didn’t stop and she tried to twist away, desperate to halt the constant, steady, now painful stimulation on her over-sensitive clit.
His huge hands clamped tightly on her hips, holding her in place, forcing her to endure the relentless assault as he lapped up her slick, licking and sucking her taut, swollen, aching nub until she was begging, pleading with him to stop, her fingers twisting the sheets in a desperate attempt to redirect the tension in her body.
Ignoring her protests, Arius paused only long enough to slide a thick finger inside her, then two, roughly stroking a place deep in her raw pussy which made her shudder and leak helplessly into his hand. He moved his other arm across her lower belly, pinning her down, his fingers and tongue working in tandem to drive her up to yet another peak.
“No, please…” she moaned as he forced her to climax again, every stroke of his fingertips deep inside her and every lick of his broad, flat tongue against her clit invoking another spasm… and another… and another… until her slick was pooling beneath her lower body, coating her buttocks.
She was still contracting when he grabbed her, flipped her over and tugged her hips up until she was on her knees. With a primal roar, he slapped her buttock hard and thrust his cock into her sodden sex.
She cried out at the sensation of his thick, blunt shaft plunging all the way up inside her, forcing her tender, aching tissues to stretch around his considerable girth as he set a brutal rhythm, his fingertips digging into the soft flesh of her hips, yanking her ass back to meet his pelvis with each stroke.
The combination of pain, pleasure and sheer helplessness woke something deep inside Saskia and she decided to fight back in the only way she could.
With silence.
If there was one thing she’d learned in the short time she’d been with Arius, it was that, for some reason, her pleasure was important to him. Why else would he take the time to make her climax before slaking his own lust? Lubrication couldn’t be the reason—his scent alone was enough to make her produce enough slick to ease his entry.
He held all the power over her—both in a physical sense, thanks to his sheer size, and due to his royal status—so she had no choice but to submit to his sexual demands.
But she could deny him the satisfaction of her enjoyment of it.
Deliberately breathing through her mouth, she pushed her face into the pillow and bit her lip, going limp and allowing herself to be used as he saw fit. No matter how good it felt, she would no longer show it.
He began to growl, then, and she felt herself spasm around him. Gripping the sheets, she distracted herself as best she could, remaining silent even as he thrust harder and faster, his pelvis slapping against her buttocks, the sound echoing through the room.
Squeezing her eyes shut, Saskia tried desperately to ignore the sensations shooting through her core as the knot began to form, thickening to fill her completely, to join her inescapably to Arius until he’d filled her with his seed.
He came with a series of deep, guttural grunts, yanking her against him with such force, her lower half was lifted clean off the bed. She could feel him pulsing inside her and her body reacted in a way, which was becoming all too familiar, her sex tightening around him… and still she didn’t make a sound.
At last his hold on her went loose and he collapsed onto the bed, drawing her down onto her side in front of him, the knot still joining them as one. He was panting with exertion as he held her tight and kissed the spot where her neck met her shoulder.
Saskia froze, suddenly terrified of feeling his teeth there. Once an Alpha had claimed his mate, they were legally bound. There would be no going back.
But Arius simply nuzzled instead of biting down, and then she felt a whisper of cool air replace his rough stubble. She breathed a silent sigh of relief.
“It’s never been like this before. With anyone,” he said at length, and she waited for him to expound on that statement.
When he didn’t, curiosity got the better of her. “How do you mean?”
“It may surprise you to hear this, but I wasn’t a virgin when we met.” There was a trace of humor in his voice and she felt the corners of her mouth lift in response.
Thank the gods she had her back to him so he couldn’t see her expression. “I’m shocked,” she said drily.
“I thought you might be. But I’ve never been with an Omega before. Never had the knot. Never experienced the rut. It’s… different. More intense.”
Better? she found herself wanting to ask. Instead, she simply said, “I see.” She was irked that he hadn’t even noticed her small show of defiance. He’d probably been too lost in his own desire by that point. Next time…
“Gods, I’m so glad I’ve found you at last,” he murmured, running his hand over the curve of her hip before tugging her even closer to the heat of his body. “I was beginning to despair of ever finding my mate.”
It was hard to imagine this spoiled, arrogant royal ever feeling anything even close to despair. “Really?” It slipped out before Saskia could stop it.
“Of course. I’m the heir to Sandor. Unless Deimos still finds a mate and breeds with her, it’s up to me to further our bloodline. It’s my duty. Our duty.” He nuzzled her neck again.
At once, she was reminded of all the events of that night. The thought of women being forced from their beds to be rounded up and sent to the mad king made her shudder.
“Are you all right?” he asked gently.
“Do you think Deimos might still find a mate?” She countered his question with one of her own.
“It’s highly unlikely. Especially if I kill him before he gets the chance.”
“You didn’t kill him earlier.” She knew it was a sensitive subject—she’d seen it in his eyes the last time she’d asked the question—but it still haunted her. “Why not?”
There was such a long pause, she thought he might have fallen asleep. Then, “I don’t want to discuss him right now. Especially not here, in our bed.”
“But if you had, you’d be king now,” she pressed on.
“You think I’m not aware of that?” he snapped, his tone suddenly icy. “That fucker’s death would solve all my problems.”
Not all of them, she thought wryly. “Then why—”
Her words died in her throat when he brought his huge hand down on her thigh with a resounding, stinging slap. “You may be in my bed, little Omega, and you may be the future mother of my children, but you would be wise to learn when to hold your tongue,” he growled. “Gods, didn’t they teach you obedience at the Facility?”
Stunned, reminded of her precarious position, Saskia slid her left arm beneath the sheet and whispered, “They did. I’m sorry.” She was unable to suppress a flinch when he caressed the red handprint on her pale flesh.
“No, little one, it is I who should be apologizing. It’s been a long day. We should get some sleep.”
Apparently his moods could change at the same speed with which he could move. She wriggled, trying to ascertain whether the knot had softened enough for him to be able to withdraw. It felt like it but she wasn’t sure.
“Where are you going?” he said drowsily.
“I need to use the bathroom.”
Gripping her hip, holding her steady, he withdrew from her with a short, sharp motion that made her gasp. “Come straight back here after,” he said.
On wobbly legs, Saskia tiptoed naked to the ensuite and closed the door with a soft click. Only once she was inside did she sink to the bathmat, bury her face in her knees and give in to the tears.
Chapter Seven
Primal Possession: A dark Omegaverse Romance (Alphas of Sandor Book 1) Page 6