by Merel Pierce
A normal Alpha wouldn’t fault an Omega for obeying another Alpha’s influence in the absence of her caretaker, but Byrne would. No other male ever spoke to her directly without his permission. This stranger was either a fool, or just as dangerous as she first thought.
“I ask you simple questions, myshka. You will answer honestly. I do not have time for games. One blink for yes, two for no.”
She blinked her understanding. With cameras everywhere, the less responsive she seemed, the easier Byrne would go on her later. The Russian seemed to realize this.
“Byrne took you when you were still legally a child, yes?”
She blinked once.
The low hum of his purr continued, soothing the frayed edges of her nerves just enough to keep her from tensing.
“He claims he has not molested you in the time between then and now. Is this true?”
Aislin blinked again, wondering at his line of questioning. She would have expected him to ask about Byrne’s business dealings, not about her.
“Has any man been allowed to touch you sexually?”
This time, she blinked twice.
“Has he marked you, little one? You smell of him too strongly for me to believe he hasn’t,” his voice was lower, the velvet of his tone soothing the offense of his question.
She hesitated, forcing her eyes wide as she debated on refusing to answer. Why did he care? What did it matter? Was he trying to find out if she were valuable enough to steal? She had no idea.
“Be quick, we haven’t much time.”
Aislin whined, tears springing up as she stared at the man across from her. She pleaded silently for him not to make her tell, imploring him to understand.
“I understand it is difficult, but you are not to blame. Now, sweet girl… Answer me,” he coaxed, that Alpha edge creeping in to make the velvety words a command. It left little room for disobedience in an Omega who was so used to being mistreated.
As she blinked, a tear rolled down her cheek.
The man named Dima sighed.
“If he asks you what we spoke of, tell him I inquired about the weather in your city. I asked you how you stand the rain and clouds, and if it is dismal most of the year.”
Another tear escaped as Aislin blinked another response, fidgeting as she looked down at her hands.
“Look at me.”
She obeyed, frustrated to feel her chin quivering as she tried to swallow the threat of more tears. The Russian’s purr grew louder, so loud in fact she’d swear she could sense it in her bones. The tightness in her throat lessened, the muscles in her shoulders loosening under the weight of his noise.
“If you tell him what we truly spoke of, you will have more to fear than whatever punishment he might give for your lying. Understand? Nod this time, myshka.”
Aislin did.
“Sit back, look bored. He is on his way.”
She sat back, brushing the tears from her cheek as she tucked her hair behind her ear. Moments later Byrne towered over her, his energy caustic. She glanced up, offering him a weak smile.
It didn’t help placate him. He wore a look she knew well. Eyes narrowed and jaw tight. Something wasn’t going his way. Soon, someone would pay.
“We’re going to have to cut this meeting short, Dima. I’ll call you after I’ve thought about Petrovski’s offer.”
The Russian stood, taking time to straighten the cuffs of his suit and smooth a hand over his abdomen. Aislin felt justified in glancing towards their guest, since Byrne was now staring at him. Dima dipped his head towards her as he moved out of the booth, his fleeting glance saying more than Byrne would ever know.
“Don’t think on it too long, my friend.”
Chapter 4
The second he’d gone Byrne wrapped a hand around her bicep and pulled her to her feet. He whirled her around to face him, tapping at his ear and mouthing for her to turn on.
Aislin poked a finger in each ear, pretending to turn on her aids. Once she had, Byrne leaned in close. “What did he say to you?” the man hissed. His hand tightened over her arm, making her wince.
“He asked if I read lips,” Aislin whimpered. “Then he asked if it’s always so gloomy here. He doesn’t understand how we can stand the weather.”
“That’s all he asked?”
“That’s all. He said I wasn’t a good conversationalist,” she added nervously. “Wh-What’s wrong?”
“There’s been a security breach,” he grumbled. Byrne turned on his heel and pulled her across the dance floor, paying no mind to how she struggled to keep up. “Convenient fucking timing, if you ask me. This happening right when that bastard comes to town?”
“B-But why would they do something like that? Isn’t he here to do business?” she asked, trying to introduce reason into the conversation.
“Who fucking knows. It could have been those damn Russo’s too. It’s time for you to go to bed. I have to deal with this.”
A coded elevator took them two floors up from the club to Byrne’s apartments, where he took her to her room and swiped the keycard that secured the door. It kept her from getting out, and anyone who didn’t have the card from getting in.
Aislin’s shoulders slumped with relief when his shadow vanished from beneath the door. She had been certain he was going to punish her for talking to the Russian. This distraction was well timed.
Aislin took her hearing aids out and got ready for bed. She was tired, and she had no idea how long Byrne would leave her alone. It could be minutes, or hours. She’d rest while she could.
Or she would have, if the Russian hadn’t kept her awake.
She tossed and turned for ages, trying to forget about his piercing eyes or the appealing scent of him. It was stupid and childish, but she couldn’t help daydreaming about how an Alpha like him might treat her. Would he be gentle? Would he cuddle her like a kitten? Or would he be rough and handle her like he hated her when he took her to bed?
Never having been with a man, she had no idea how he might act. Byrne was clumsy and cold to the Beta women he fucked. They were just objects to him, a means to an end. Somehow, Aislin didn’t think the Russian would treat her that way. Not that it mattered. It was all fantasy anyhow.
Disgruntled and lonely, Aislin fell asleep.
*
A sudden wave of nausea woke her. Aislin groaned, rolling onto her side and pressing her hands to her belly. Instead of lessening her discomfort, the action made it worse. Her stomach cramped, and she barely made it out of bed and to the bathroom before she lost her dinner.
She broke out in a cold sweat as she heaved into the ceramic basin, panic hitting as she continued to retch long after she emptied her stomach. It was all she could do to breathe, and even that was difficult.
Her body trembled and spasmed as if she were being zapped with one of the electrical prods Byrne liked to use on his prisoners. It pulled her away from the toilet, forcing her into a fetal position on the cold tile. She sobbed, unable to stand or even crawl to get help. She tried to call out for someone, anyone, to come, shouting herself hoarse between blinding pains. She didn’t know if anyone heard her. She couldn’t hear anything but the erratic thrumming of her pulse, beating a violent rhythm against the inside of her skull.
Something was very, very wrong.
How long she lay like that she couldn’t say, but she was sure she would die there on that floor alone. Eventually she closed her eyes, too exhausted and hurt to fight anymore.
It was the metallic tang in the air that first alerted her to the fact that something had changed. The scent grew stronger, and her brain reacted in a volatile way that had her doubling over and crying out like a wounded animal.
Then, a hand cupped the back of her neck, another turning her face towards the ceiling. Confusion and pain made her lash out. She connected with something solid, her fingers twisting over fabric as she tried to push it away.
Then she was upright, pressed against a wall of hot muscle that stank of blood,
adrenaline, and Alpha pheromones. Her eyes shot open; fingers curved into claws ready to rend flesh from bone.
A hand closed around her throat, forcing her head back. The fingers on her throat tightened, the bite of his grip threatening to strangle the fight out of her if she didn’t submit. When he gave her a brisk shake, Aislin’s struggles ceased.
Dazed, clinging to the wrist of the hand wrapped around her throat, Aislin blinked wildly. She tried to focus, tried to see the man she couldn’t hear.
He held something up for her to see, but her vision was blurry. She knew he was talking, she could feel the vibrations through his fingers, but she couldn’t understand. It wasn’t until he crammed a finger in her ear that she realized what he was doing.
Her hand slapped down tight over top of his, afraid the piece of tech he’d just put in her ear canal would fall out when he pulled away.
The pressure at her throat eased as his hand slid out from under her own with care.
Aislin’s finger situated the device, ticking the switch and wincing when the sound of her own ragged breathing filled her head.
“The other one is here. Take it.”
Her vision was clearing, making it easier to spot the little device resting in the palm of his open hand when he lifted it in front of her face. Fumbling fingers snatched it up, quick to insert it and turn it on. She whimpered when another cramp hit, forcing her to clutch at his chest for support so she wouldn’t double over in his lap.
Dima gathered her close, a lion’s purr erupting as he pressed her head to his chest and forced the vibrations into her body. “I know it hurts little one, but you must focus. Do you understand?”
Aislin bit her lip against the pain and nodded her head, unable to do anything else.
“You are ill because I have killed your Alpha. Do you understand what that means for you?”
She sobbed, nodding her head as she tried to bury herself against his chest. She knew exactly what it meant. Byrne made sure she was aware of what happened to an Omega who became separated from her bonded mate. He didn’t want her getting any ideas about escaping.
None of what he’d told her was good. In fact, it was horrifying. Depression, anorexia, mood swings, mental and physical illness, and death were all possible outcomes for the Omega who suffered a broken pair bond.
He held her tight, purring and rocking her like a child. “I will help you, myshka. But it may not be pleasant for you.”
The hair on the back of her neck stood up, a chill zigzagging down her spine. She pushed and shoved at him until he gave her enough space to look up. What she saw in the Russian’s eyes didn’t comfort her. Still high on the kill, pupil’s half blown, he looked the part of a prime Alpha as much as he smelled it. “How?”
Dima gave her a tight smile, scooping her up from the floor as he got to his feet and backed out of the bathroom. “A new bond must replace the old.”
Chapter 5
He was taking her back to her room, she realized, towards the twin sized mattress on the floor in the corner.
“Wait,” she begged, eyes widening in fear as she realized what he meant to do. “Wait, wait!”
But he didn’t. Instead, he came to his knees on the edge of the mattress and sat her down in the bedding. Aislin scrambled away from him, but she had nowhere to go. Backed into a corner, she could only put her hands out in a desperate plea for him to stay away.
“Please, I can’t…”
“You must, little one. There is no choice if you are to be saved from suffering.” Dima unbuttoned the blood-stained shirt, shrugging it off and tossing it aside. He kicked off his shoes, edging towards her on his knees until he towered over her once more. “But I will be a good Alpha to you. I will treat you well, and you will suffer no pain at my hands after this day.”
She shook her head, shrinking in on herself as she pressed her palms to his chest and tried to hold him at bay. “I can’t be a prisoner again! Just let me die!”
The purring grew louder as he bent forward, his fists pressed to the mattress on either side of her body as he caged her in. He dipped his head, tucking his nose beneath her ear to inhale deeply. The groan of pleasure he released at scenting her made Aislin shiver, her tired muscles clenching for an entirely different reason than before.
“I am nothing like that pathetic excuse for an Alpha,” he murmured. “I will be a good man for you.”
“You’re lying.” Aislin whimpered, squirming as another cold sweat broke out across her skin. He was too close, his pheromones and heat saturating her senses. Each breath she drew filled her lungs with his scent, soothed her aches and ignited a spark somewhere low in her belly. His constant purring took the edge off the pain, and the modicum of relief it offered weakened her protests.
“I have taken his empire for the Bratva. All within is ours. You have been promised to me, myshka. No other man will touch you again. No man will give you pleasure or comfort save me. And any who seeks to do you harm? Will meet his end.”
His mouth moved against her skin, trailing kisses along her jaw. She pushed at him, fingernails testing the strength of his flesh as she tried to put distance between them. He was feeding her those pretty words, filling her up with promises that he would be a good Alpha, a better Alpha for her than Byrne had. Anyone would be a better Alpha than Byrne.
All she knew about this man was that he was ruthless and cunning. His actions tonight proved that much. Byrne was dead the second Dima came to town, he just hadn’t known it yet. The most feared crime boss in Tinsul city was eliminated in a single evening, and this man was responsible. The planning alone must have been a monumental task to execute.
“Please…”
He slid a hand beneath the small of her back, the broadness of his fingers spanning her entire waist. He pulled her out of the corner, sliding her beneath him until she was on her back in the blankets. His knees settled on either side of her body, lowering to his elbows above her. He paused then, stroking her hair back from her face as he studied her expression.
Aislin wasn’t a fool. Even if she weren’t the victim of a severed paid bond, her chances weren’t good. If Dima set her free, it would only be a matter of time before someone else would stake a claim. Whether she wanted them made little difference. That was the lot of an Omega in today’s world. But, as bad as Byrne had been, it could be far worse.
“Alphas don’t want damaged mates,” she accused, repeating what Byrne had told her so many times before. “Damaged mates make damaged babies.”
“Hush,” Dima warned, his fingers slipping through the silken strands of her hair to knot against her scalp. “Do not regurgitate that man’s poison at me. Your impairment is miniscule. Do you think me so foolish that I would choose an unsuitable mate? You insult me.”
“No!” she clamored, afraid he’d grow angry with her. “Please, I-”
“I wish for you to be mine. Will you choose it of your own accord, or must I force it? I would prefer the first over the latter, but I am determined to have you either way.”
For all his matter-of-factness about the situation, he seemed genuine. Closing her eyes against another surge of pain, Aislin gave in. She drew a ragged breath and forced herself to meet his probing gaze.
“I just don’t want to hurt anymore.”
His mouth tipped up at one corner as he bent to press an unexpected kiss to her temple. “Family is very important to men of the Bratva. We live for them, bleed for them. Be brave, and the pain will soon be over.”
He lowered his head, scenting her for a second time. The smooth rumble of his purr changed pitch, erupting into a licentious growl that set her nerves on fire.
She gasped as her body contorted beneath him, stomach clenching and slick gushing in response to his call. She tried to double in on herself, but his position wouldn’t allow it. Pajama bottoms soaked, legs pressed together tight, Aislin struggled to catch her breath.
His mouth was on her again before she regained her senses, his tongue and teet
h pinching and teasing at the skin along her throat. He stroked her hair, the pads of his fingers grazing along her cheek and jaw with each downward stroke. When his mouth reached her shoulder, his free hand drifted up from the blankets beside them, skimming over her breast as he reached for the buttons of her flannel top.
Unconsciously, Aislin arched into the fleeting touch. When he started to work the buttons loose, reality intervened. Her hands clutched his wrist, fingernails biting into his skin as she whined.
The first three buttons were undone, splitting the collar of her top down to her sternum.
“Omegas are made for Alphas,” he reminded her, his words tickling her skin as his mouth traced a path over her shoulder and across the flat expanse of skin above her chest that he’d just exposed. “You will take me, myshka. You will want me.”
He illustrated his point by growling again, palming her breast through the fabric of her top as he continued to taste her skin. The heat of his touch was magic, bleeding through her body to ease the aching in her ribcage.
By the time the decadent noise faded, Aislin was breathless and panting beneath him. Byrne had never allowed anyone to growl for her, never allowed her to be touched by another male. Even with the pain of the severed bond, she couldn’t ignore the way her body responded to the Alpha now covering her body with his own.
Dima’s explorations continued, his touch growing more heavy-handed as he resumed unbuttoning her top. He shifted his weight to one elbow, allowing him to slip a hand beneath the fabric and split the garment in two once the buttons came free. Her skin tingled as his fingers played over her belly and across her hip before curling under the waistband of her pants.
“Lift your hips.”
She obeyed without hesitation, needing to be out of the sticky, wet garment. This time, it wasn’t a cold sweat that plagued her. The heat was real, almost feverish. Branching out from her belly in feathering tendrils, it made her skin flush pink and her breath come more quickly.
He jerked the pants down over her hips and past the swell of her ass, turning them inside out as he pulled them off. She felt light-headed, and the way he groaned when her scent bloomed around them only made it worse.