Twisted Fates

by A. R. Ford

  The Beta in the dungeon huddled in a corner. Metal against metal woke her. The hilt of a dagger carried at my side clanging against the metal bars. Bleary eyes crept open.

  “Have you come to terminate me?” Her query was spoken in a voice devoid of emotion.

  “Not now,” I chuckled, assuming the wide-legged stance I favored during interrogations. The guards remained at my side as I questioned her.

  “What do you want?” she hissed.

  “At one time, I thought you wanted to serve us loyally. And yet, I find you assisting my mate in an escape attempt. Why you would dare such a bold plan is beyond me. Was Gabel’s death not warning enough?”

  Tilda walked to the front of her cage. Dirt-smeared hands encircled the steel bars. “The mate you ignored in favor of rescuing your brethren from the prison. The mate you left in the hands of a man who abused her. The mate who miscarried your heir after being traumatized by an execution carried out within feet of her. The same mate who desperately needed you in the days after the miscarriage, but who was, once again, ignored as you went about building your empire. That mate?”

  “Watch your tongue, Beta, before it is cut from your venomous mouth.” Rage tinged the words. How dare she speak to me in this way? Yet, the words rang true.

  I had much to learn about the proper way to treat my mate. Time in a One World prison did little to improve social, or interpersonal, skills. Instead, it fed my rage, and hunger, to destroy my captors.

  “You would execute me for speaking the truth? I thought as much,” Tilda replied with her head held high.

  Laughter bubbled from my throat. “You have only an inkling of the things I am capable of. Now tell me, who sent you? I’ve investigated your arrival here on Barkjour Isle. No one remembers you before Mia’s arrival.”

  The Beta’s mouth remained closed at my observation. Her eyes narrowed into slits when both hands fell away from the bars. She returned to huddle in the corner.

  “No heated retort? No tossing my failings as a mate into my face? I expected more of you. Perhaps you are not the worthy adversary I assumed you were.” Even my words failed to bring a response from Tilda.

  I left the dungeon with more questions than answers. Something drew me to the room I shared with Mia.

  Mia was asleep when I entered the room. Although her attempt to escape angered me, I could not hurt her. I could discipline her. The thought of taming the unruly streak thickened my cock with need. My little Omega would bend to my will. My fingers wound in the silken strands of hair. A fist tugged her head toward me. Her eyes opened, brows drawn together as she woke, and saw me. Teeth worried her lip.

  “Did you rest well, pet?” My teeth caught her lower lip. An insistent tug forced her to cry out. “What? No welcoming words, or kisses, for your beloved mate?”

  I jerked the blanket from her. A hand slid across her belly to tease the slick flesh between silken thighs. She moaned. Her eyes closed as two fingers invaded the tight heat I wanted wrapped around my cock.

  “Kade,” Mia whimpered when my fingers plowed inside her. They curled to caress the bundle of nerves I knew would drive her to the brink.

  “You require additional correction.” My fingers pulled away. I ignored the hiss of irritation, the writhing, whining Omega who now sought to seduce me to satisfy her needs.

  “Please!” she whimpered. Both hands tugged at my arms after she knelt before me.

  I caught her throat, fingers tightening until she cried out. My grip would leave bruises. My eyes fell on the claiming marks on both shoulders. I claimed her twice. She still tried to run away. The irony of it infuriated me.

  “How is it that I claim you twice, and you seek to run away?”

  “You did not comfort me when I needed you!” she protested. “You preferred the company of your men.”

  Mia’s hand settled on the outline of my cock. Her fingers teased, and stroked, in the way I liked best. She cried out when I pulled her across my lap, face down. My hand comes to rest on the silky, curvaceous bottom. The first blow tried her. She cried out, writhing, a whine of need rising to a high pitch. Another blow followed. She cried out with each blow of my hand on her ass. It was only after more than a dozen blows painted her cheeks red that she tried to pull away.

  By the time the punishment ended, Mia’s eyes were filled with tears. She refused to meet my gaze when I pulled her upright, holding her against my chest. “Tell me what you need. What will it take to keep you here where you belong?” My words were growled in hopes of encourage my mate to gush slick.

  Her eyes glistened when she met my gaze. Her lower lip quivered when she spoke. “I want a child, Kade. Please. I still mourn the loss of our son. Not a night passes that I do not think of him, of the great leader he would have become.”

  Fuck. Mia nearly unmanned me with her plea. For the first time since her attempted escape, I kissed her gently, a hand cupping the back of her head. She responded instinctively, tongue tracing the seam of my lips. My Omega rubbed her pussy against the ridge of my cock.

  What am I to do with my Omega?

  I gave her what she wanted, what she needed. Forcing her onto her hands, and knees, I slammed my aching cock into the perfect Omega pussy. It milked my cock with each stroke. We devolved into nothing more than animals instinctively mating. It was brutal, brief, and fulfilling. Fucking. Grinding. Knotting.

  She rested on my chest, afterwards. Sated for the moment. Licking. Nuzzling, Nipping.

  “You must never try to escape, again. I am a brutal man. One World taught me only cruelty. We must learn to accept each other as we are. The consequences of a second escape attempt will be much worse.” My voice was tinged with steel. I softened its bite by caressing her bare back, a finger tracing the length of her spine.

  “Will you give me what I need?” she murmured.

  “Yes, little one. I will give you a child when your next estrus begins.” A hand cupped the back of her head. She inspired some emotion in me. A strange emotion that I could not identify. I would not let it change who I was. I would remain the brutal ruler who retained control over his people. For their protection. For her protection.

  “Berenger can give me an injection.” Pleading, limpid eyes traced the contours of my face. Her hand cupped my cheek.

  I eased free when it became possible. Mia tumbled to the bed with a gasp. I stood, and dressed, before turning toward her. “Get dressed, pet. We should see Berenger if you want the injection.”

  The walk to the medical bay took minutes. Mia clung to my hand. Color filled her cheeks as I explained to Berenger the need for yet another estrus induction. He hummed thoughtfully before insisting on examining Mia.

  After nearly half an hour of poking, prodding, and laboratory analysis of Mia’s blood, and urine, Berenger shook his head. “No injection.”

  “Please!” Mia wailed, instantly unsettled, nearly frantic. Her eyes flickered from Berenger, to me.

  I felt the frantic need through my end of the tendril. I grasped her neck, fingers caressing silken skin, a purr vibrated in my chest. She calmed enough to listen to Berenger’s explanation.

  “Mia,” Berenger interjected in the soft, soothing tone he uses with all his patients. “There is no need for an injection. You’re in the early stages of estrus. Within the next twenty-four, to forty-eight hours, you will be in full estrus.”

  She smiled, a faint upturning of the corners of her lips. My heart beat faster. There was the damned emotion again, the one I could not decipher. “Come,” I barked, tugging her hand impatiently. She followed without speaking, a giggle muffled by the hand pressed over her mouth.

  “A thank you would be nice,” Berenger called out as we left the medical bay.

  “Perhaps later, old friend. I have a mate to attend to,” I replied.

  The remainder of the day was spent in our room. Mia squirmed as she straddled my lap. Both hands came to rest on my chest. “Promise me, Kade, please!”

  My errant, misbehaving Omeg
a was nearly my undoing. A man can take only so much before his control snaps. I spanked her again, delighting in the whimpers, and cries of pleasure-pain. Her bottom glowed red beneath my hand. She would not to be denied. I ended up fucking her until she was exhausted--not that I minded. It appeared to be one of a few effective methods of disciplining her.

  Mia’s estrus began two days later. She delighted in building the nest, only to beg to be rutted in its center. She took my discarded clothing from the hamper. Each piece was interwoven with great care. Once the nest was completed, I gave her what she needed--my cock. At the end of the three-day estrus, she was exhausted. I woke her briefly before leaving for an important meeting about political matters.

  A drowsy, satiated Omega kissed my palm. “Kade.”

  The jeweled golden collar snapped in place on her neck. Now, I could track her, regardless of where she was. Her gaze questioned the collar’s purpose. “It has a tracking device implanted. Beautiful like you, yet with a purpose.”

  “I won’t run!” she cried, hands desperately fighting to remove the collar.

  “And if you do, I’ll know precisely where you are.” She refused my kiss, anger lighting her eyes. “I’ll return, soon, Mia. Rest if you can. A guard will be posted at the door.”

  The meeting with my top advisors was a distraction. It took every ounce of control I possessed to concentrate on their reports. Mia’s anger roared through the tendril. Between the two distractions, I found it necessary to ask more than one advisor to repeat portions of their reports. Berenger sat at my side, a grin revealing gleaming teeth. The bastard enjoyed the fact that my mate nearly exhausted me.

  One of the guards pulled me aside after the meeting ended. He reported the beta secluded in the dungeon refused to eat. She could be dealt with later on. At this moment, I only wanted to retire to my room. The room where my mate would be pouting. Much later, as sleep pulled me under, I wondered why I found it so difficult to be as brutal with Mia as I was with others in my world. Perhaps one day, I would understand.

  Chapter 9

  Mia

  Cold metal caressed my neck. A tracking collar. How dare he! Anger rose, but was quickly replaced with a voice of reason. You tried to run away. What did you think Kade would do?

  I expected retribution. Although, he had not seriously injured me, the spankings meted out over the past few weeks bordered on the edge of pain melding with pleasure. Instead of protesting, I found myself aroused each time his big hand came down on my bottom. The stinging slaps made my body hum with need. Raw, aching need that only Kade could fulfill.

  He returned a few hours later. I remained silent, observing him as he undressed. Dark circles marred the underside of his eyes. The rut drained an Alpha in much the same way as estrus did an Omega. He pulled me against his body, spooning against me. He nosed my neck, tongue tracing a path to my ear. Teeth tugged insistently, hot breath caressing my flesh.

  “Gods, Mia, you drive me to the point of insanity,” he muttered. “You are my queen. Accept your place. Rule with me. Give me many strong sons, and beautiful daughters.”

  Too tired to argue, or resist, I brought the palm of his hand to my mouth. My lips pressed gently against the callused flesh. “You frighten me at times, Kade. I ... I need you to be gentle sometimes, listen to what the pair bond tells you.”

  “We will learn together, little one. You will not leave me, again,” he grumbled.

  You will not leave me, again. The words were a slight variation of the same thing he had said dozens of times since my attempt to escape. Something occurred to me. Kade was insecure. My massive, brutal Alpha, feared losing me more than he feared anything. Could it be true? Thoughts swirled in my mind, muddling together when he began to purr. Liquid warmth filled my veins. A drunken sense of calm overwhelmed me.

  “Does the position come with a crown?” A giggle burst free at the silly thought from my childhood. How many times did I pretend to be a princess? I only had a crown of woven flowers to place on my head when I was a child.

  “If it pleases you,” Kade replied.

  I turned to face him. For once, he was relaxed, jaw no longer clenched. Even his brows were not drawn together in a scowl. “You please me. I have no need of crowns, riches, or fancy titles.”

  My Alpha rested his head in one hand, elbow propped on the bed. A thick finger teased my chin. “Does this mean you agree to be my queen?”

  My lips met his in a tender kiss. I nuzzled his throat, and chest. Even the grief over the miscarriage had eased. “Only if you agree to be my king.”

  “You shall have your crown, minx.” Kade’s fingers carded my hair. “A majestic crown with many jewels.”

  “You are the only jewel I need, husband. You, and the child you promised to give me. Fresh milk, you, and a babe. I will be content.”

  Kade’s laughter vibrated within his chest. “And to think, all I needed to do was bring a herd of cows here, and you would be more amenable?”

  “More than cows.” Further words were interrupted by a yawn when he purred. My eyelids grew heavy.

  “We both need to rest. I have learned my mate is demanding during her estrus. So many sexual demands.”

  I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  His purr soothed me. His arms encircled me. I fell asleep with my head cradled on Kade’s massive bicep. Perfection.

  *****

  I forgot to be irritated at Kade. Sleeping while wrapped in his warm embrace soothed whatever made my mood turn sour. He was kinder than I thought possible since the attempted escape. There were still the rough edges, the Alpha demands, but they no longer bothered me. Kade’s scent had changed. No longer was it tinged with Alpha aggression. I could not identify the new scent. A sense of calm pervaded my being.

  The gold collar was a beautiful, intricately engraved creation set with jewels. It no longer irritated me. A strange gift from Alpha to Omega. I now treasured it regardless of its hidden purpose.

  He insisted that I join him in the massive communal dining room for breakfast. A roar of conversation filled the air. Conversation stopped instantly when Kade, and I, stood at the head of the main table that ran along the length of the dining room. I identified the significance of the table. The men who were always with him, sat there. Trusted warriors, and advisors. Berenger sat at Kade’s right hand.

  “Let us eat,” Kade announced. He pulled my seat from the table. He beckoned for me to sit with an elegant motion of one hand, then pushed the chair into place after I sat down.

  At least two dozen Betas appeared with platters of food, and drinks. They placed platters on our table first, before returning with more platters for the remaining tables. The hum of conversation returned, softer now, interspersed with curious glances in my direction.

  A pitcher of milk appeared on the table in front of my plate. Kade filled my glass. I could not help but rub my cheek against his arm. Kade kissed my forehead before resuming his conversation with Berenger.

  What is wrong with me?

  I hesitated with the glass of milk at my lips. The events replayed in my mind. I thought I hated Kade. The inner voice of reason interrupted the negative direction of my thoughts.

  You were hurt, grieving.

  I tried to escape with Tilda. Then, he imprisoned me in our room.

  Kade wants to keep you safe.

  Something was different. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Even my estrus was off. It only lasted three days.

  I nearly dropped the glass of milk when a memory from the instruction of a village elder echoed in my head. Estrus is a short-lived event, intended only to increase the odds of pregnancy. It ends when pregnancy occurs, or after five to seven days.

  When I glanced up, Berenger stared at me, a brow raised inquisitively. I smiled, raised the glass of milk, and took a drink. I ate a bit of everything, suddenly hungrier than I have ever been before.

  “You honor me,” Kade rumbled in my ear, the caress of his lips against my ear bringing a shiver. “
You behave as a ruler’s mate should. Thank you.”

  Breath caught in my throat when his eyes met mine. My heart raced, face flushing. An emotion I was not familiar with, pulsed through Kade’s end of the tendril. The same flowed from my end of the tendril, to him.

  “I should thank you, husband. The food was much appreciated.” I found his hand beneath the table, interlaced my fingers with his, and smiled.

  “Gods, Mia. You’ll unman me if you continue to look at me with blown pupils, and your fuck-me smile. More than one of my men has noticed.” He glanced pointedly around the room.

  My eyes scanned the crowd of men. His assertion was correct. More than one man met my gaze for the briefest time, grinned, and quickly looked away. Fear of Kade’s response no doubt tinged their response. A giggle burst free. I lowered my gaze. “My apologies, husband.”

  Berenger interrupted our intimate exchange when he paused at my side. “Mia, I hope all is well?”

  “Yes,” I murmured, nearly dizzy at the strength of emotion pulsating through the tendril.

  “You should drop by the medical bay. I’d like to repeat the lab work. You won’t mind, will you, Kade?” Berenger’s deference to Kade was a sign of his respect.

  Kade’s only response was the slight nod he gave. Berenger departed, no doubt on his way to the medical bay. Other followers stopped by the table to greet me, and pay their respects to Kade. None caught my interest until I met an Alpha who introduced himself as Kade’s general, Gorn. He was not as massive as Kade. Nevertheless, the red-headed Alpha, with a braided beard, and hair, was a striking man.

  “Greetings, my queen,” he said. “It is good to see you out, and about. You have my condolences.”

  The vague reference to the miscarriage brought a mist of tears to blur my vision. I murmured my thanks, looking at hands folded in my lap. The pain grew less with each passing day.

  Kade conversed briefly with Gorn. Deep in thought, I missed a majority of what was said until I heard a reference to a prisoner held in the dungeon.

  “...still on hunger strike,” Gorn mused. “I suppose we could have Berenger insert a nasogastric tube for feeding. Wouldn’t want the traitor dying before you’re done with her.”