by A. R. Ford
Mia’s fingers clawed at my arms. She howled, writhing, and bucking, as I took her roughly. The instant my orgasm began, the knot swelled. Grinding deep, locking it behind her pubic bone, I gave in to the crimson haze that demanded I claim her.
Had it not already been done?
The beast within me assumed control. My teeth ripped into the flesh of her pristine shoulder.
As the crimson cleared from my vision, I realized I lay on my back with Mia sprawled on top of me. She whimpered, and writhed. A purr rose within my chest. When she calmed, I slept. I woke much later to find her huddled at my side; a blanket’s hem held against her face. She wept, soft sobs that made my gut coil, and clench.
I yanked the blanket away. My eyes fell on the wounds now marring both shoulders. The first was the least serious of the two. The second was a fucking mess. A flap of skin dangled onto her collarbone. Both were bruised, deep purple merging into crimson. An indentation marked each of my teeth on her flesh. My feral nature made me mutilate my mate. The pair bond writhed in my chest, the tendril’s dissonance telling me of her fear, and pain.
The purr came as she wiggled away. Both eyes opened to reveal a flat, lifeless light now lived within her. I felt it in my chest. The anguish bitter, and intensely painful. I carried Mia to the bathroom where I attempted to tend both wounds. Though her jaw, and hands clenched, not once did she cry out. Closer inspection of the second wound revealed stitches would be needed. The intercom system within the Garrison made summoning Berenger a simple task. I wrapped Mia in a clean blanket. She lay unmoving on the bed while I pulled on a pair of pants.
Berenger’s arrival was signaled by three sharp knocks on the door. His nostrils flared at the scent filling the room. “I’m surprised you called me to come here seeing as how this is only the second day of her estrus.”
“Tend the claiming marks.”
“Marks?”
“Just tend the damned marks!” I roared, rage at my own loss of control with Mia worsening my usually foul temper.
Berenger approached the bed. He spoke to Mia in a soft tone. She did not respond. He glanced at the wounds, then at me over one shoulder. “What in the hell have you done to her, Kade? The one on her left shoulder is completely normal. The other? Fuck!”
Time passed as Berenger lay a suture kit on the bedside table. I watched as he cleansed, and sutured the worst wound, before bandaging it. Ten sutures held the flap of skin in place.
He tended the other claiming mark. Without a word, he vacated the room. Judgment lingered behind him. Its stench was almost tangible in the air.
Mia’s estrus continued for five days. I managed to control the crimson haze I knew came from my feral nature in the time that remained. She submitted to me only because instinct demanded she must. My concern grew over that time when she refused to eat, drinking only water, or milk, which I knew was her preferred beverage.
I tried to repair the damage created by my brutality when we both thought with clear minds.
She lay sleeping one morning. Pink cheeks, rosy lips, a hand curled on the pillow by her face. The perfect image of peace, and beauty. I woke her with a kiss against one ear. A hand cupped her face. My thumb stroked her cheekbone when she faced me. Dilated pupils. Parted lips. The pulse beating madly in the hollow of her neck. All indicators that my Omega needed my calm strength.
A purr vibrated in my chest. Mia’s breathing, and pulse, slowed. The trembling of her body eased. Could I learn to be the Alpha she needed?
“Did you rest well, Mia?”
“I did, thank you,” she murmured.
She accepted the hand I offered. The embrace we shared after I helped her from the bed, warmed my heart. Tranquility filled the pair bond. An almost overwhelming sense of peace filled the center of my chest. A gift from my Omega. I now understood the process. Her feelings filtered through the tendril.
“I would like to take you for a walk. A meadow filled with beautiful flowers lies a short walk from The Garrison. Would you do me the honor?” I bowed, and beamed at her.
“I would enjoy that,” she murmured. She disappeared inside the bathroom, only to reappear moments later wearing a loose dress belted at the waist. Simple sandals completed the outfit. She wore only her ample natural beauty. No cosmetics marred the sheer perfection of her face. Raven tresses fell in waves down her back.
Mia willingly accepted my hand. She followed at my side, meekly holding my hand. I waited until we arrived in the meadow to broach the difficult topic with her. I led her to a stream cut through the center of the field. A rainbow of colorful, exotic flowers highlighted the field of emerald. Sunlight danced on turquoise water as it flowed toward the sea. Mia’s intake of breath gave me hope.
“We can sit here by the stream. The water comes straight from the mountains. If you would like, we can dangle our feet in the stream.”
Mia kicked the sandals off her feet. I joined her after unabashedly removing the boots, and socks that served as a staple of my wardrobe. Cool water soothed my heated feet. I reached for Mia’s hand. Holding it gently between mine, I broached the topic.
“It’s beautiful here,” I remarked. “This is the only place on this island I’ve seen wildflowers of this nature.”
“It reminds me of my home.” Her eyes remained focused on the water. Anywhere but on her mate. This would be more difficult than I expected.
“I wanted to apologize for what occurred during your estrus. I did not intend to treat you so harshly.”
An intake of breath combined with the tightening of her fingers against mine. “I thought the act of claiming only occurred once. That’s what the village elders told us.”
“May I share with you some of the things that occurred in my life? I can’t excuse my behavior, only explain what influenced the events.” Her nod gave permission to proceed. A deep breath, and moment of silence, strengthened me to revisit the most traumatic event of my life. “I was just a boy, perhaps ten, when soldiers stormed the village where I lived with my parents. All the adults were murdered. I could not save them. None of us could. The soldiers took me, and boys like me, hostage.”
“That’s horrible!” Mia gasped, eyes widening in reaction to the first chapter of my story.
“We were held in a prison. Any boy who refused to obey, met the god of death in a corner of the prison yard. I only had to hear the gunshots a few times to know I wanted to live. Sometimes, I wonder if I made the best decision.” Breath whistling between my teeth followed those words. Mia leaned against my body, her lips coming to rest against my hand. The simple show of support gave me strength to continue.
“We were kept in cells, fed slop not fit for hogs. Occasionally, we would receive meal replacement bars. Those were rare treats that I appreciated. Alphas were moved to a section of the prison set aside for the breeding program, the day they reached the age of eighteen. The things that occurred there horrified everyone in one way, or another. I chose to channel my fear into the need for revenge.”
“What happened?” Mia whispered. She released my hand only to encircle my waist with her arms.
An arm around her shoulders, I pulled her closer. The warmth of her embrace comforted me. I thought I could hold the emotion in. The fear, and rage, threatened to burst free. Harnessing every iota of my self-control, I continued with the story of my nightmare.
“Occasionally, an Omega in estrus would be forced into a cell with a group of Alphas. They intended to create an army of feral Alphas to wage war on mankind. We ... the Omegas died at our hands. My hands are covered in innocent blood, Mia. None of us were taught the proper way to rut an Omega through her estrus. We did not know purring calmed an Omega. All I ... we could focus on was the need to rut, and knot, and breed. I’m nothing more than an animal, Mia. That animal took control during your estrus. I can never apologize enough for what occurred.” Biting back emotion that threatened to break free, I clamped my jaws shut. Grinding my teeth, taking deep breaths. Focusing on Mia, I managed to regai
n calm—or, some semblance of it.
“I can’t imagine what it was like for you, and the others. I’m so sorry you experienced those horrific things.” Her fingers clutched my shirt. A whisper of a caress of her lips on my chest forced me to smile.
Gods help me! She’s too pure, too good for a beast like me.
“Don’t feel sorry for me. You know what I am capable of--at least to a degree.”
“I don’t feel sorry for you. My heart breaks when I think of you as a little boy being treated that way. It helps me understand.”
A shuddering breath rushed from my lungs. “Help me learn how to be the Alpha you need, Mia. I will try to learn.”
“That’s all we need, Kade. I promise to be more understanding of your inner demons.”
My gut clenched to hear my name on her lips. “How can you trust me so readily?”
Her shoulders rose and fell. “An Omega will tend to her mate and offspring. It’s a part of my instincts.”
“I’m not certain I deserve that gift.”
Mia glanced up at me. Her eyes caught and held my gaze for a second. “You won’t know unless you accept it.”
“You really are more than I deserve.” Tired of dwelling on the topic, I stood up. “Would you like to pick some flowers?”
Mia dried her feet in the grass. We put on our shoes before walking hand-in-hand into the meadow. Scarcely a dozen flowers made their way into her bouquet before the urge to hold her close overwhelmed me. She fit against the planes of my body as if carved by a master sculptor for that purpose. Lashes so long the tips touched her eyebrows, fluttered as I held her gaze. I felt the trembling, a clear indicator of her uncertainty. The purr came instinctively, vibrating my chest as I caught her lips hungrily. The hunger was tempered with concern for my mate. A fierce growl came on the heels of the purr’s end.
I could not withstand the command in the heady scent of her slick. Mia did not resist when I pushed her onto the ground. The peaceful babbling of the stream by our side calmed the feral beast as it rose within me. I took her gently, tugging, and rubbing her clit as my cock stroked deep in her honeyed channel. She came undone around me, with a gasping cry that made holding back impossible. We lay sprawled in the sunlight, intimately joined, sweaty, and replete.
Mia nuzzled my neck. The touch surprised me. The salty warmth of her tears wet my chest. A soft sob rippled through her body.
“Talk to me, pet?” My fingers tangled in her hair, fingertips massaging her scalp.
“You didn’t mean to hurt me, so badly. I know that, now. What they did to you was so utterly wrong. How could they?” Her voice was muffled against my chest. My finger beneath her chin lifted her tear-streaked face.
My mate cried for the suffering I experienced as a child. The knowledge rocked me. “I was only Kade then. It felt like I was much less than that. To be wanted only for my seed. The ability to reproduce. For the first time, I feel like I belong to someone. I belong to you, Mia, for what it is worth.” Mia nestled closer, her hand cupping my cheek.
“What do I mean to you?” Her whispered question forced a twisted shaft of anguish through the tendril.
“You are my mate, my Omega. I want everything the Alpha-Omega pair bond offers. Be patient with me. I am learning how to control my feral nature. If I frighten you, or treat you roughly, tell me.”
Our conversation came to an end when the knot softened. My cock slipped free, only to be followed by a gush of seed pouring from Mia’s body. She gasped, fingers curling against the fabric of my shirt. Thankfully, I had the foresight to strip her of the dress, and myself of pants, and shoes, before making love in the field. My shirt faced the ultimate sacrifice as I tore it into two pieces for my mate. I dipped one piece of cloth into the cool waters of the nearby stream. The makeshift washcloth cleansed the evidence of our joining from our flesh. The other pieces of my shirt served as a towel.
Something changed after that day in the meadow. Mia became more relaxed. She no longer froze in fear when I sought to hold, or caress her. She initiated mating, taking great pleasure in our joining. When I became too aggressive, or drifted off into the crimson haze, she called my name, demanding that her rightful mate return to her. My chest soon filled with not only the pair bond, but something more.
Our idyllic time came to an end two months after Mia’s arrival at the Garrison. Word came from scouts on the mainland that One World held more Alphas in a prison. My focus shifted to rescuing my brothers.
On the morning of our departure, I assigned Gabel, a Beta with just over a year in my service, to attend Mia while I was gone.
“You will see that she is safe, and cared for. Do not allow her to escape. Do you understand?” I asked Gabel before boarding the transport. The threat remained in my eyes. I willed it there to warn him what would happen if he failed to care for my mate.
“I understand, sir,” he bowed his head, the bald spot in its center gleaming in the sunlight. The man reminded me of a ferret. Thin faced. Sharp-toothed. Beady, bright eyes, dark as coal.
He was the only Beta remaining who could fill the role as Mia’s caregiver, and keeper. I pushed my misgivings aside just before entering the transport. It was time to bring my brothers home.
Chapter 5
Mia
Kade’s claiming during my estrus made me question everything. I vaguely remembered the savage ripping of his teeth on my flesh not once, but twice. The second time was the worst. A flap of skin allowed blood to dribble constantly down my breast. Even Berenger was horrified by the wound.
What could I do? You are a pathetic, weak, Omega. My mind brought the darkest thoughts to the forefront. I retreated inside my mind in an attempt to protect myself.
Kade would not have it. Each day he forced me to talk to him. Conversations that exhausted me. It was impossible to deny his magnetic charm. The day in the meadow broke through the walls erected around my heart, and mind. I began to trust him. Allowed myself to believe things would be different.
For a time, things changed. Kade treated me with gentle respect, reserving his passion, and constant need for mating, for the privacy of our room. I opened my heart. We did not speak the words. One day we might say the words aloud. At this moment, I felt them only in my heart.
When summer faded into fall, and the air cooled, Kade received word that more Alphas were held in One World’s prison on the mainland. I knew he would go before the words fell from his lips. The ache in my chest, the writhing tendril, told me all I needed to know.
“I won’t be gone long,” he promised the morning he left. “Just long enough to bring my brothers home. Gabel will watch after you. Promise you won’t try to escape, Mia.”
“I promise,” I murmured as I stood on tiptoes, face uplifted for his kiss. The urge came to tell him that his baby grew within my womb. No. It would distract him from his purpose. The secret would greet him upon his return.
My life changed the instant the transport rose high in the air. Gabel came to my room carrying a chain, and shackle, in one hand. “Come with me, little Omega. I have something to show you.”
An icy shard of fear pierced my heart. Beady eyes gleamed with hatred. I followed with great trepidation. Gabel’s intentions were not honorable. I cried through the tendril for my Alpha to return, to save me.
Kade did not return.
Gabel led me to the stable, to a far stall where a pile of hay, a ragged blanket, and a bucket of water awaited me. Frigid metal clamped around my ankle. The key turned in the lock. The free end of the chain nailed to a post as large as Kade’s thigh. I would not be going anywhere soon.
My torment lasted four weeks. Gabel called me the Omega whore when he brought scraps of food. The remains of the food eaten by those left behind to guard the Garrison. He resorted to kicking me when I refused to react. The heavy boots bruised my back, buttocks, and legs. I turned away, knees drawn close to my body to protect the baby.
A prayer for death fell from my lips after a week of such treat
ment. Begging the gods for death that night as frost covered the land. “Let me die,” I whispered. “They hate me. Save me from this fate, I beg you!”
No reply came. I buried my face in frigid, dirty hands. It was then I heard an angel’s voice.
“Miss, I’ve brought you something to eat. Don’t be afraid. I’m not here to hurt you,” the girl whispered with a smile. She was a tiny thing, younger than me. Wisps of blonde hair protruded from beneath the hood pulled over her head. I could barely make out blue eyes in the bright light of the full moon. “It’s a sandwich. I made sure the bread, and ham, were thick. I hope you like ham. I have a pint of milk.”
I sat up slowly. One hand pushed hair tangled with hay away from my eyes. “Why would you help me? The others call me Omega whore.”
The girl smiled. “I’m Tilda, by the way. You’re not a whore. Master Kade chose you. You are his mate.” She handed me the sandwich, and milk.
I ate like a starved animal, cramming bread, and ham into my mouth, scarcely chewing. I sobbed after the last bite disappeared into my stomach. The milk was fresh. A hint of sweet cream mixed with its taste. I drank it all, even turning the bottle up several times to see if another drop, or two, would fall upon my tongue.
“I’m so cold,” I admitted as a deep shiver wracked my body.
“I’ll stay with you until dawn. At least you’ll be warm for a few hours. Would that be alright, Miss?”
My arms closed around Tilda’s body. The hug soothed me. A pang of loneliness came unbidden. “Yes, please. I don’t want you to be in trouble.”
“I won’t be, Miss. I’ll leave at dawn before they come to feed the horses.”
That night, I slept so soundly I felt hungover when I woke. Gabel appeared. Crawling into the corner of the stall, I sought to make myself small, and inconspicuous. For once, he did not kick, or curse me. The bowl of scraps sat just out of reach. A new game he concocted. The bowl of food remained just out of reach. At least the bucket of water was close. Starvation would have been my fate had it not been for Tilda’s nightly appearances with food, and milk.