“Do you need something to drink or eat?” The Procurer asked, not unkindly.
“No.” She pulled away and stood up straight, squeezing her eyes shut briefly as another wave of nausea moved over her. “I’m fine.”
“Then I suggest we be on our way before those brutes at the door come bursting in to ensure you haven’t leapt from the window.”
He spoke in jest with no seeming awareness that she had seriously been contemplating doing just that, but she saw no need to share the darker turn of her thoughts with him. The Procurer seemed different than when she had last encountered him. Perhaps he was even sympathetic to her plight, although it was impossible to know for sure. Who could she really trust at this point?
But he did squeeze her arm in a fatherly way before letting her go. He was the first person she had encountered that day who wasn’t openly hostile.
“I’m pregnant.”
The Procurer froze in place, only his eyes moving as his gaze raked over her. “Truly?”
“Yes.”
“Your scent has not changed.”
“It’s still early.”
She would never know what else he might have said. His lips parted to speak, but they were abruptly interrupted as the door opened. Two Guardian Alphas filled the doorway, rifles slung low across their chests but gripped tightly. Clearly, it was time to go.
If she thought that they would leave her to the Procurer then she was wrong. The two silent Guardians accompanied them to the Procurer’s personal skycar. Inside it, Ianthe was pressed uncomfortably between them as the Procurer sat alone on the other side. It all seemed like a dreadful parody of what she had experienced on her first trip to Eros House. But unlike the first time, she understood that absolutely nothing good awaited her there. She had been so naive to think that her decisions would not have catastrophic consequences.
Her sister had insisted from the beginning that all of this was too much to risk and she had been too stupid to listen. Ianthe had deliberately forced her mind away from thoughts of her family, they likely had no idea what had become of her. She stared out the viewport as the skycar lifted gently into the air. They were too far up for the details of the lower levels to be visible to the naked eye. She liked to imagine that Circe and Eaon were down there living their lives in some sort of peace, with no knowledge of the suffering she would endure.
But eventually the credits that Legion had provided them with would run out. And she didn’t want to imagine what would happen to them next. Neither of them could work, Circe struggled with even leaving the house for more than a small amount of time. Eaon was too young for legitimate employment. And he already seemed much too tempted by the criminal element that always festered from the desperation in the slums. There would be nothing to sway him to a better course if he and Circe were starving. He would quit school, turn to crime and likely end up in detention before the year was out.
Ianthe barely felt it as the skycar landed and settled gently on the ground. She did not even realize her eyes were squeezed shut until she opened them to find the Procurer staring at her with an unreadable expression.
“Welcome back to Eros House, my dear.”
Chapter Five
Eros House was exactly as she remembered it, save that it was deserted.
Ianthe had never seen the luxurious space in the daytime. It somehow seemed less imposing with unfiltered light illuminating the shiny floors and gleaming fixtures. The Procurer’s shoes tapped against the floors as he strode inside, echoing around the room and reinforcing the size of the entryway.
The Procurer glanced back at the Guardians who had taken up stations on either side of the door. When he spoke to them, his voice was gently mocking. “Will you two be joining us for long?”
Neither deigned to answer.
“Do they ever speak, do you think?” Ianthe asked. “I haven’t heard a single word this entire day.”
“Well I suppose it helps to maintain the mystique,” the Procurer mused lightly as if they shared some sort of inside joke. “Has it truly been only a day since your unfortunate arrest.”
“A little more, I think.”
“And you must be completely exhausted.” He gallantly offered her his arm at the foot of the tall, spiral staircase. “Let me show you to your room.”
Thankfully, the Guardians did not move from their sentry positions at the door. The Procurer led her down a far hallway and further into the apartment than she had ventured previously. As soon as they were reliably out of earshot of the Guardians, the Procurer spoke again. The tone of his voice substantially altered.
“These rooms cannot be locked from the inside, I would encourage you to keep that in mind.” He stopped at a door and fished a set of ornate keys out of the pocket of his jacket. It was unnecessarily old-fashioned, something he and Legion apparently had in common. “I cannot assure your safety.”
“No one ever has before.” Ianthe did not attempt to conceal the dark tone in her voice. “It was a Guardian Alpha that killed my parents.”
The Procurer gave a solemn nod. “I read something alluding to that incident in your file. It occurred shortly after your first estrous, I believe. Is that when you made the decision to hide your dynamic from the authorities.”
“My mother had already offered me the choice before that. She gave me my first round of hormone suppressants. It was always important to her, being able to choose. And she never really cared for Alphas.” Ianthe glanced at the Procurer, obviously an Alpha himself, before quickly looking away. “She just didn’t trust them.”
“Rightfully, it would seem. Are you aware of any other details?”
“No, that’s it. The Guardian responsible was caught and executed but that doesn’t really change anything.”
“I’m surprised that you consented to join us here at Eros House given your history.”
“People will do all sorts of things out of desperation.”
“Desperation?”
“This was in my file, wasn’t it? Now that my parents are gone, I’m the only one who can provide for my family. My sister is unemployable and my brother is too young to work.”
“How do they fare now?”
“I don’t know.” Ianthe forced herself to swallow past the sudden lump in her throat. “Legion promised me that he would provide for them. I’m not sure what’s going to happen now. Without me there to help...I just don’t know.”
“But why should that responsibility fall solely to you?” He tilted his head to the side in a mockery of confusion. Deft fingers continued to play with the ring of keys in his hand, as if he were unsure which one matched the lock in front of him. “Surely you have other family that could have helped to support them.”
“None that ever came forward,” Ianthe replied with a weary sigh. This was the last thing that she wanted to be talking about. “There was no one else but me.”
“Why?”
“Because...” she trailed off, unsure herself of the true answer.
“Because you are Omega. The urge to nurture is written into your DNA.”
She bristled at that. “I am more than my biology.”
“I’m not sure that’s true of any of us, my dear.” The Procurer selected a key and fit it easily into the lock, clearly held known which was the correct one all along. “But you’ve proven yourself to be unique in ways that are difficult to anticipate. I would think that the more information I have, the less likely I am to end up in an unfortunate circumstance.”
Ianthe entered a room that was nearly identical to the one she had been placed in before. The bed was slightly smaller and there was no couch, but otherwise it was the same. A small spread of finger foods was laid out on the side-table, but seeing it did nothing to inspire her appetite. There was another door behind it that she assumed led to the bathing room.
The Procurer did not enter the room behind her, as if making a point by stopping at the doorway. “You should have everything that you need. There is a terminal by
the bed that is only connected to the internal network here at the house. You may use it to contact the staff should you need anything.”
It surprised her that he seemed to be treating her so kindly. He certainly did not act like a jailer. “You’re being very nice to me.”
He raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “Do you wish I were otherwise.”
“No, of course not.” She hesitated at the bed, unsure of what she wanted to say or if there was really anything left to say. She felt buffeted by forces that were completely outside of her control. “I’m sorry that you got dragged into all of this.”
The ghost of a smile twisted his lips. “That certainly means something, coming from you. But if what you’ve said is true, you have little to hold yourself personally responsible for. I suggest you try to rest.”
“Thank you, I think.”
He started to pull the door closed then hesitated. “Do not become alarmed, but I’m required to lock you in.”
It wasn’t as if it were the first time she’d been locked in a room against her will. “Okay.”
The door shut gently behind him. She heard the distinctive sound of a bolt sliding into place and then quiet descended on her.
Ianthe eyed the food left out for her with distaste before turning away. The bed beckoned her with soft sheets and a blanket thick enough to comfort her from the chill air in the room. But she feared the onset of sleep, feared that she would awaken in a situation worse than the one she had left.
How much time would they give her before the first Alpha showed up to rape her? And that was precisely what it would be, she held no illusions to the contrary. She had tricked herself the first time, allowing Legion’s obsession with her to cloud the transactional relationship of their relationship. And at least he had wanted to claim her for his own, afford her the small amount of protection that came with being his mate rather than just a piece of flesh.
What occurred with Legion was nothing close to what would be happening here now.
And now that so much space separated them, now that a metaphysical wall had been erected where their bond should be, Ianthe found herself questioning the contradictory feelings that she held for her mate. Before they’d been forcibly separated, part of her had truly wanted to be with him, convinced that she could feel something real for the monster who had freely abused her body from the first moment that they had met.
But now, she questioned even her own emotions.
Perhaps, it was even possible that the pregnancy contributed to the swirl of feelings welling up within her. An Omega relied on her mate in a fundamental way while carrying his child. She had preciously fragile life within her and was incapable of protecting it on her own. Biological imperative would compel the Omega to draw closer to her mate during the most vulnerable time that she was capable of experiencing.
What she had mistaken for love was just as likely to be a trick of hormones and mutated biology.
More importantly, Legion was gone. Whether it was the result of his own failures or not, he was still completely unable to protect her. But what was to become of her if she couldn’t protect herself?
The room had no windows, likely a deliberate choice. And there was nothing that could possibly be used as a weapon. She inspected the side-table where the small buffet had been laid out, but it was made up entirely of bite-sized foods. No silverware had been provided.
When she entered the bathroom, she found only the most utilitarian items. A single bar of soap rested on the side of the sink and a small towel hung from a hook on the door. There wasn’t even a mirror on the wall, as if they worried what she might do if given access to broken glass.
Resigned, Ianthe returned to the bedroom. She laid down on the bed still fully clothed and stared up at the ceiling. Despite the bone deep exhaustion permeating every cell, her mind raced and sleep eluded her. Her hands came to rest on the inverse curve of her stomach. She had a difficult time imagining the small fluttering cells inside as anything more, much less a child that would grow up in this terrible world.
At some point between the flurry of thoughts and the cascade of emotion, she fell into an exhausted sleep.
Phantom hands stroked her skin. No matter how her body twisted and turned, the light touch followed. Searching fingers slipped easily past the thin barrier of her dress and between her shaking legs. Another hand moved to her throat, first tracing the delicate hollow but then gripping hard enough to rob her of breath.
The scent of her mate surrounded her, earthy and spiced like heady cologne. Her body reacted to him as if it had been programmed to do so. The aroma of slick rose to fill the air, combining with his scent in the most tantalizing way.
Her own hands stroked down the mass of his chest which flexed and twitched against her fingers.
“You always want to be fucked when you first wake from sleep, don’t you little bird?”
The dark whisper in her ear sent her higher into a spiral of want. But she had lost the ability to speak. She responded to his query with only a soft cry that left both their ears ringing as she arched up against him. His satisfied chuckle conveyed his pleasure at her responsiveness.
Ianthe opened languid eyes to survey the shadowed features of her mate. She did not question how he had returned to her, unable to focus on anything more immediate than the pleasure he wrung from her willing body.
His lips moved to her neck, blazing a heated trail along her skin. His teeth scraped hard enough to sting and she gripped him tighter, nails digging in hard enough to leave marks. That small burst of pain seasoned the pleasure. It was enough to loosen his hold on control.
Without warning aside from a low growl, he pushed his fully engorged cock deep inside of her as she writhed beneath him. Her movements grew frantic and she fought the impossible stretch of her nether walls. But that did not stop her hands from clutching him closer and lifting her hips to entice him deeper. Her body was designed to be filled by him. Despite the merciless stretch, her cunt pulsed around him, milking his cock for all that it was worth.
They spiraled higher together as he pumped in and out of her. He murmured silken words into her ear, enticing her to move with him and rewarding her submission with small growls that called forth more slick to ease his passage. Taking her by the throat, he pushed his wriggling mate deeper in the mattress, pounding into her with a strength that only an Omega could survive. Only his growing knot arrested the powerful movement, the rhythmic clenching of her inner walls hooking him deep against her womb.
She keened from the enticing pain and terrible pleasure, her pussy sucking him deeper inside and clamping down with incredible force as she fell over the precipice into bone-shattering orgasm. He followed close behind, roaring in pleasure as he coated her womb with sticky ropes of cum.
Thick fingers played at the little ball of her clit, teasing at the flesh to prolong her release. Small shockwaves quivered through the muscled walls of her cunt, each wave sending a sparkling sensation down to her toes as she continued to milk his slowly diminishing knot. Every nerve-ending crackled like lightning as she was forcibly reminded once again that she belonged to him.
That they belonged to each other.
For a single sparkling moment, Ianthe felt as if she were precisely where she belonged, trapped beneath the heavy weight of her mate with his knot caught deep within her. Each twitch of her womb forced a corresponding splash of semen to bathe her insides with no signs that it would diminish any time soon. Caught briefly in this moment of peace, she was able to forget about the gulf that still separated them. Her thoughts did not need to turn to the terribly unfair society that forced them both into limited roles or the near-constant threats that constantly rose up to separate them.
As their breathing slowed, each inhale and exhale perfectly synced, Ianthe wondered if this was love or simply biology. Or if it even mattered either way.
Ianthe woke alone with her hand caught between her own legs and her dress stuck to her skin by sticky beads
of sweat. Her breathing came in harsh gasps as she struggled to reorient herself to reality. Silence echoed around the small room like it was a palpable force. She could still feel the hands trace along her skin, as if the memory was so strong it could trick her mind into perceiving it as real.
Legion was not truly there with her. The orgasm that still sent aftershocks trembling through her body had been created by her own fingers. She was alone, locked in a room in Eros House. Eventually a stranger would burst through the door, intent on raping her unwilling body.
That was reality. Her mate would not be coming to save her, if he were even still alive.
It wasn’t fear that she felt anymore, but a deep and abiding numbness that pervaded every sense. She would lie here and wait to slowly die. Fighting was futile and hope was an illusion that only served to torture her mind. Pain and degradation just an inevitable feature of being Omega.
She simply needed to accept that.
And perhaps she had brought this on herself, at least in part. She could have acknowledged her dynamic from the beginning and allowed herself to be courted by an Alpha in the proper way. She could be living in comfort with her family provided for, even if it meant that her soul died a little more with each passing day.
When the sound of a key scraping in the lock broke the oppressive silence, Ianthe did little to react. Her head shifted slightly on the pillow to watch as the door was pushed open, her curiosity tempered by a malaise so deep it suffused every pore.
The mocking face of Undersecretary Barnard filled the open doorway, his narrow gaze full of an evil light.
“I told you that I would see you again, renegade.”
Chapter Six
If the Undersecretary hoped to enjoy her fear, he was immediately disappointed. Ianthe merely turned her head to the side as he approached the bed and stared off into space, her eyes tracing patterns in the wallpaper.
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