by Zoey Ellis
She let her eyes wander away from him, as he chuckled at her lack of response.
“Don’t worry,” he said as he nudged his knee between her legs, climbing on top of her. “There is still the rest of my body to go. You can decide later.”
The Alpha general “battled” with her for hours. He twisted her body in so many ways to fuck her, she lost count. Ria just kept urging him on, always needing more.
Their coupling turned feral when he teased her with slow strokes, caressed her nipple lightly with his tongue, and mocked her inability to escape him. Ria kicked a well-aimed heel into his shoulder and used the momentum of his own weight to roll on top of him. The Alpha’s roar thundered through her body, making her hair stand on end, and his beautiful eyes flashed with furious desire. Ria didn’t hesitate. She sunk down on him and rode him hard until her eyes rolled back in bliss, and then all sense of time and place was swallowed in pure, sublime turmoil as the Alpha grabbed her neck and took over. He wrecked her with magnificent, merciless orgasms, and in his low, gritty, growling tone, told her she was beautiful, and strong, and made so perfectly for him.
When Ria woke again, the Alpha was heavy on top of her. It had been a few days now of relentless attention from him, and she remained saturated in his sweat, seed, and saliva, no matter how many times she bathed. He made it his priority to coat her in him again, as soon as she was fed. But as much as she complained, deep down she enjoyed it.
She sighed, relishing the feel of him, taking comfort in the way his weight settled her. She’d never felt so comfortable or more treasured than when he held her tightly and nuzzled his nose into her skin—or trailed his fingers over her hips, her thighs and her shoulder in wonder. But the best moment with the general was when he pressed her to his chest and purred for her. The rumbling vibration rippled into her so deeply, she had never known such peace. She’d fallen asleep immediately, without any fear or thought of escape.
The experience unsettled her. She could see herself getting lost in this Alpha—spending days and nights under him until she was a shell of herself. She turned her head and saw bedsheets and pillows built up in a pile next to them, and her heart sank. She’d begun to arrange a nest, and she didn’t even know when she’d done it.
Fear rose so sharply, it almost choked her. She couldn’t let this Alpha turn her into a breeder. This was a chance to get out, and she would not waste it.
Very slowly, she shifted herself from underneath him, moving inch by inch so she didn’t disturb him. Unfortunately, that didn’t work. Rumbling, the general pulled her back into his arms and lay on his side, cocooning her with his whole body. Ria stilled for a long time, waiting to make sure he was sleep.
Staring at him, she wondered what it would be like to truly be with Alpha—without being a prisoner, without being manipulated or used. What it would be like to have a real relationship? Did such a thing even exist any more? She had hoped the emperor and empress set an example, but when she thought about it, she didn’t know how real their relationship was. Was the empress truly happy with her mate? Ria didn’t know. If Emperor Drocco had found her instead of the empress, would she have been happy with him? She stared at the rugged features of the older Alpha who held her in his arms. Maybe if Emperor Drocco looked, sounded, and smelled like Thorec she would…
Alarmed, Ria pushed the thought away. Shit. What was she thinking? Being with this Alpha was twisting her thoughts, and he was to blame. Yes, she enjoyed the things he did to her, but of all the control General Thorec claimed the Lox gave him, he’d been unable to control himself when he’d found an Omega. If she indeed was his prisoner for trespassing, she shouldn’t be in his bed with her legs constantly spread and her throat full of his come. Leaving now was the best option she had. Once she was out of his grasp, he would move on to the next thing that caught his eye, and she would regain some semblance of the life she was supposed to have—the life that was taken from her.
As soon as the Alpha’s steady breathing suggested he was in a deep sleep, Ria inched herself out of his hold.
It felt like it took hours. She was surprised he didn’t wake up, but when she finally shifted entirely away from his touch, he stirred. She stilled for a long while until he settled again, before she slid off the bed.
Searching the closet, she found grey uniformed tunics that were clearly the generals and much too large for her, but that was the only thing available. She dressed quietly and picked up her boots. After staring for a long moment at the Alpha on the bed, she slipped out of the room.
The house was quiet, but it was unlikely the general didn’t have some kind of security in his home. Ria headed down the flight of stairs, listening for any sound until she reached the ground floor. Tiptoeing through the living room, she peered out the window and saw a guard standing by the front door. She carefully moved around the whole ground floor, checking through the windows where the guards were situated, but there was only one window that was clear. Thankfully, it faced toward the field. Using a pin that she kept in the heel of her boot, she started to pick the lock on a window.
It took longer than she would’ve liked, having to be quiet while learning the locking mechanism, and Ria was alarmed to see sunlight stretching into the sky as she finally managed unlock the window. She would have much less time to get as far away as possible before the general woke up.
Opening the window, she grabbed her books, climbed out, and jumped.
Landing on her feet, she crouched low and listened for any sound, but all was silent. She pulled on her boots and ran toward the middle of the field. She didn’t bother to be quiet. Anyone glancing in her direction would see her running; sunrise was imminent.
The further she traveled from the house, the more she kept feeling for magic, but it didn’t appear until she was panting from exertion, and the sun was grazing the horizon. Pulling on it, she wove together a portal, brilliant and gleaming in the middle of the field.
Ria was so relieved, the tears prickled at her eyes. She turned to look at the house in the distance and wondered if the general had woken yet. Deep inside, the instinctual, needy, and innate part of her mourned greatly at the idea that she was leaving such a powerful, sexy, Alpha, but she couldn’t let her Omega instincts control her. That part of her would enslave her, and make her life a living hell. Silencing it, she turned toward the portal and stepped through.
Chapter Four
THOREC
Thorec almost killed one of the guards that was supposed to be protecting his house.
He’d taken his temper out on nearly all of them by the time he realized he was wasting precious time he could be using to catch up with Ria. After calming down, as he prepared to leave, his anger turned on himself. After all, his guards were trained to keep people out, not securing a woman who was escaping his bed.
How could he have been so profoundly comfortable, so content that he was unable to tell when the Omega slipped away from his arms? He had woken to find her scent so strong on both him and the sheets, but the beautiful little Omega was nowhere to be seen. They’d had such a perfect night together, and she’d even begun to nest, signifying she was preparing to breed with him. He never thought he could be more satisfied and happier and… deeply taken with a woman. For a short moment, his life had looked like it was becoming what he’d always hoped for.
Thorec examined his room for clues and identified the window she used to escape on the lower floor. The only thing he didn’t know was how long ago she’d left. He needed to find her immediately.
Barking out orders to his guards, he climbed into his carriage and headed back to base to collect his horse, his rage seething in his chest. Ria didn’t seem to understand when he said that she was his. She didn’t argue about it, which probably meant she had discarded the very idea. Thorec wished he had drummed it into her more. She didn’t understand that he had been waiting for his Omega since joining the Lox. And she was it. Gorgeous, smart, beautifully fierce with perfect submissive Omega traits
; there was no other who existed for him but her.
As soon as he reached his horse, he checked him over for travel, then spoke to his men before heading back towards the mountains. That was the only place Ria could possibly be headed.
The ride was long and hard, but Thorec pushed himself and his horse hard. He hadn’t found out why Ria had gone to the mountains in the first place, so he didn’t know where she might go afterward. He may be able to intercept her since she couldn’t use magic. He’d told the warriors at the base to lock down all ports and borders. There were limited ways Ria could leave Ariyon, and he was going to make sure he caught up with her before she did. If he had to cuff her to his body, that was what he was going to fucking do.
The blazing rage in him heightened as he thought of his incredible Omega, and he roared as the wind rushed past him, whipping past his ears as he thundered toward the mountains. He wasn’t just angry that she had slipped through his fingers, he was concerned for her. She was putting herself at risk by entering the mountain range when unable to block that she was an Omega. There must be Alphas among the mountain people who would pin her down and fuck her immediately if they were to smell that rousing sent, and the idea of that fanned the flames of his fury and dread.
He may have captured her as a trespasser, but she was his Omega. There was a difference. And he would never be letting her out of his grasp again.
Finally, the mountain range came into view; it’s luminous glow shone brightly in the gloomy morning sky, a peachy pink this morning, but Thorec was not in the mood to stop and observe. He pushed his horse harder, knowing that his steed had a few more miles in him, until they finally reached the entrance to the mountains.
The guard who had summoned him several days before stood up and greeted him, confusion on his face. “Back so soon, general?”
“Yes,” Thorec said to gritted teeth. “Any problems? Any disruptions?”
“No. It has been quiet since you left.”
Thorec dipped his head sharply. “Good. Tend to my steed, I drove him hard. I shouldn’t be long.”
The guard nodded as Thorec made his way into the valley.
Thorec headed straight to where he’d first seen Ria, staying alert. Everything felt too quiet, too normal, for Ria to have come back, and for a moment, he wondered whether he had made a mistake. What if she had gone elsewhere?
He stood in the center of the town, watching and listening for any sign that something was different. The people of the mountains went about their regular daily routine, barely looking at him. Most of them had gotten used to his presence in the valley, although some remained on edge because he was an outsider.
“I will get the mountain contact for you,” said a woman passerby.
Thorec simply nodded. He didn’t know if Ria would have spoken to anyone in particular, but an outsider would typically be reported to the mountain contact. If Ria had been here, she might know.
“General,” the mountain contact greeted. She didn’t smile, but then she never did. “You are back very soon.”
“Did the intruder I took from here return?”
The woman frowned. “Did you not detain her?”
“I did,” Thorec said, irritably. “I want to know if she returned.”
“I haven’t heard of any outsider being in the mountains.”
“It would have been early this morning. I want to know if anyone has seen her,” Thorec insisted. “She would have come for information.”
The mountain contact frowned. “Wait here.”
She headed to a nearby hut and spoke to the man he had seen Ria arguing with. After a few moments, she returned with the man in tow. “It seems that she was back,” the mountain contact said disapprovingly. “And Halvard said he is the one who spoke to her, surprisingly.”
“She was different when she came back,” the old man insisted. “She was much more respectful.”
“What did she want?” Thorec asked.
“She wanted to know about someone who lived here years ago,” the man said, leaning on his long stick. “She wanted to know what happened to him.”
Thorec stiffened. Him? He hadn’t been expecting that. Unease twisted in his stomach. “Who was he?”
“A man who lived here, an Alpha.”
“What did she want to know about him?” Thorec almost barked.
“She wanted confirmation that he did indeed live here and where he was now. She needed to find him.”
The unease in Thorec’s stomach soured. “And what did you tell her?”
“She already knew much about the man,” the man shrugged. “I think she had been with him before. But I told her that he was stationed in Ashens last I heard.”
Thorec frowned. Stationed in Ashen? “He is a member of the Lox?”
When the man nodded, Thorec growled long and hard. Ria was looking for a Lox warrior? That was why she was asking all those questions about the army—it wasn’t because she had an interest in Thorec, but some other Alpha. That put him on edge slightly. He needed to know what kind of warrior this man was. “Do you know why she was looking for him?”
“She said she belonged with him.”
For a moment, Thorec couldn’t see or hear anything. Potent, primal rage clawed in him violently, urging him to find and claim what was his, and make sure she never made the mistake of denying that claim.
When his surroundings finally returned, both the man, Halvard, and the mountain contact had retreated back a few steps, staring at him as though he was dangerous. But he didn’t have time to deal with them right now. “I assume she is heading to Ashens next?”
The older man nodded, fear softening his features.
“How is she traveling there? I didn’t see her on the way here.”
At that, Halvard glanced at the mountain contact, guilt streaking across his face. “Well, we got talking, and it seems that she knew quite a lot about our older customs, not so much the new ones since the Lox came.” He rose an eyebrow at Thorec. “Surprisingly, she is not a fan of the Lox.”
“I know,” Thorec growled. “I want to know where she is.”
“She needed to go to Lox Palace,” the man said hesitantly. “And since magic is not permitted, I took her to where she could get there.”
The mountain contact’s face became stern as the man spoke. “Hal, you didn’t! You know that is not permitted to outsiders!”
“She already knew of it, Kolina,” he insisted.
“How?” the contact exclaimed. “No outsider knows that—no one!”
“I don’t know.” The man shook his head, confusion filtering into his expression. “She knew many of our customs.”
“What are you talking about?” Thorec demanded. “Where is she?”
When they both didn’t answer, Thorec drew his sword. He was tired of tiptoeing around these people. They knew something about Ria, and they would either tell him or die.
The mountain contact, Kolina, stiffened at the sight of Thorec’s sword. “We have a portal here.”
Thorec didn’t think he would be surprised by anything the mountain people did or said, but this was indeed a shock. “You realize magic is illegal unless permitted by the emperor himself?” he said harshly. “You did not disclose this as part of our treaty.”
“I know,” Kolina murmured, shooting a harsh look at Halvard. “But it is deep in the mountain range and very difficult to get to. It is maintained by the energy of the mountains, we do not control it. Well, most of the time…”
“Take me to it,” Thorec thundered. “You have broken the treaty, and I will deal with that another time. Right now, I need to find this woman.”
“I can show you,” Kolina said miserable, though she looked at Halvard like she was going to rip him apart. “It is not that far, but it is a tricky route.”
Thorec nodded. “Lead the way.”
As he trudged behind the mountain contact, his mind revolved with all he’d been told, but could only reach one conclusion. Ria had lied to
him. She told him she didn’t have an Alpha when clearly she felt she belonged to the Alpha she was seeking. It didn’t seem to fit with anything she’d told him about her past, but if she’d lied about that, what else had she lied about?
In a way, it didn’t matter. There was no one else for Thorec but Ria, and she would come to that conclusion too. The lies, she would have to pay for, but she would still be his. And as long as the other Alpha didn’t try to fight him for her, he would live.
The way to the portal was indeed difficult, full of steep climbs and rocky paths. Thorec looked carefully to ensure that Ria hadn’t fallen somewhere and injured herself. When they finally reached within sight of the portal, Ria was nowhere to be seen.
“She must have gone through it already,” the mountain contact said warily.
Thorec growled, and the mountain contact stepped back from him nervously. “How do I use it?”
“The portal?” she said in surprise. “You just step through. You picture where you want to go when you step through.”
Ria would have been smart enough to know it wasn’t possible to enter Lox Palace via magic. “If she went to Ashens, but couldn’t go to the palace directly, where would she end up?”
The mountain contact shrugged. “Depends on her experience of the palace and if she had been there before. If she had, she would most likely go somewhere nearby, but if she hasn’t been there before, she could end up anywhere.”
Thorec nodded. Ria hadn’t been to the palace before, but she had probably traveled to Ashens. The whole thing made him extremely agitated. Not only was Ria heading to the heart of the Lox Empire to find an Alpha, but she was also going to be surrounded by Alphas constantly. And no magic could be used inside the palace; she would be completely vulnerable.
“Tell the guard at the entrance that I will not be returning for my steed,” he said to the mountain contact. “Someone needs to collect him and return him to the base.”