by V T Bonds
I free her hands by slicing the ropes with my fangs.
Her cracked, shaking knuckles flex as she attempts to return circulation to them, the tiny movement so full of pain I long to weep for her.
I hook my arm under her knees and pull her side against my chest, cradling her close to my purr.
With my Omega enveloped in my arms, relative calm eases my anger. My deep, resonant purr comes easier, my sole focus on reassuring and rescuing my lifemate.
We must move to a safer location. My transporter is too traceable. But an escape pod will suffice.
Chapter Eighteen
Omega
The excruciating pain infusing my body lessens, my Alpha’s chest emanating the most addicting vibration. I lean my ear against him, momentarily blocking out the cacophony of torment shooting through my anatomy.
Little scabs scrape my swollen face, and I realize tiny drops of dried blood cover him.
My rubbing makes a few break off, and the enticing smell of his powerful life force overrides everything.
I open my mouth and I fill it with his skin, clamping down until my incisors break through.
Pure bliss fills my mouth.
I consume, wishing I had venom to infuse into his bloodstream, but though I am limited, I feel him devour my delight with such greed my heart swells in happiness.
Our souls intertwine, my misery blending with his darkness, our visions of the future fusing together. The once fragile thread between us flares into a robust, living stream of communication.
My purr of contentment joins his deep reverberations, and our bonding ties us together with sweet joy amidst our current nightmare.
His strength flows into me, the delicious nectar passing from his veins into my stomach full of revitalizing cells.
Wanting to bask in the epic moment, I mourn the need to pull away. He resides within my chest, my every memory on display for him, just as his waits for me, but we can’t fall down that rabbit hole.
We cannot bask in the glow of our bonding.
Danger lurks around every corner, and even with the influx of nutrients from my Alpha’s blood, I don’t have the strength to fight.
Even standing on my own two feet seems too exhausting.
Realizing I still suck from his veins like a starving babe, I force myself to stop. Pausing with my teeth still embedded in his flesh, I battle with myself until common sense wins.
He needs every ounce of stamina to get us out of this predicament. I can’t weaken him more than I already have.
A wave of vitality sweeps through me, melding tissues and easing my pain. Shuddering at the slight relief, I lean my cheek against his bloody chest for a moment, soaking up as much courage from him as I can.
Clarity returns, clearing away the cobwebs of wretched terror and abhorred pain, and I shove the fresh memories of abuse under a mental blanket.
My Alpha’s silence as he watches me prepare for battle holds awe and consternation.
He doesn’t want me in such a treacherous situation, but he admires my stubbornness.
Urgency courses through my veins as our combined instincts warn of impending doom.
I throw a few more quilts on the ugly memories and stomp on the mound a few times.
Relaxing my jaw requires a conscious effort, but once my muscles respond I let go of his flesh and lick the wound.
Once he stops dripping his tempting life-force, I tilt my head up to meet his eyes.
“Mine.”
My voice does not sound like my own, but with a damaged trachea and abused chest, I croak out the word my soul demands I say.
My Alpha looks down at me with his fangs fully extended and a mesmerizing light shining from his white pupils. The purple glow emanating from our skin matches, the color so profound we recognize it through the gore covering our bodies.
He leans down and plasters his mouth to mine, heedless of my busted lip and the trauma we’ve both suffered. Our tongues tangle, his texture and taste etching into my memory.
We’re eternally linked, locked together on a level deeper than our molecules—my soul lays wrapped in his massive strength while his preens in my praise.
My Alpha. My lifemate.
A faint noise drifts down the hallway and we both snap to attention.
“Put me down,” I say, my hoarse voice full of my inner struggle.
I do not want to leave his steady embrace, but I cannot impede him. He must be prepared to defend us.
After a moment’s hesitation, he gingerly lowers my legs to the floor. Spots dance in my vision, but I brace myself against him and force my body to follow commands. He circles his left arm around my shoulders, keeping me plastered to his side while I hobble along, refusing to pay attention to my internal injuries as though mental focus will deliver us.
We enter the desecrated hall, revealing the unmerciful and feral side of my Alpha. Trudging through the filth much slower than I’d prefer, my eyesight wavers despite my intentions. Pain threatens to push me into a deep black pit.
A familiar, abhorrent blue face stares blankly down the way, his skull so severely crushed brain matter oozes through the waste. An odd, slightly detached feeling of vindication blooms behind my ribs.
A few steps down the passageway, my Alpha stoops, picks something off the floor, and places it into my palm. I nod in understanding as I grip the smooth bit of metal, adjusting it so the blade sticks out the back of my fist.
In a perfect world, we’d both have a weapon, but the scene around us is a testament to the power my Alpha’s hands wield.
I move shaky fingers around the hilt, memorizing the shape of the tiny knife. A type of throwing blade, the handle has the same shape as the blade, but no sharpness. I’ve used many like it, since these are a common type of weapon, especially in less favorable areas.
Stilted movements carry us past an orange carcass, the face ravaged by claw marks. My sense of retribution grows, and although the odd detached feeling continues, my chest breathes easier knowing I will never have to see my rapist again.
Half a foot from the orange monster lays what’s left of Green’s remains. Entrails splatter across all visible surfaces, a gory, stinking pile of broken matter, no one part more discernible from the other except for the torn flesh hanging this way and that.
Muted relief and gratitude rush through me. His is a death I will never mourn.
I turn my attention to putting one foot in front of the other, doing my best to support my own weight but knowing my lifemate has no trouble lending me his strength.
Our route follows my Alpha’s path of destruction. Each maimed carcass bolsters my love for him.
His brutality freed me.
He murdered his own species to find me—something an Ikavu does not do.
He chose me. Each severed limb and snapped neck displays the depths of his heart. Every set of blank eyes attests to his devotion.
He would have savaged anyone who stood between himself and I, no matter the distance between us.
We arrive at a row of tiny escape pods. Foreboding hangs in the air, and when I meet my Alpha’s glance, his alabaster irises reveal the same sense of trepidation.
We’ll be vulnerable in one of these little tin cans, floating through outer space until we clear the station’s sensors.
If there were any other way to escape this station, my mate would take us there.
There isn’t.
He knows the ship’s layout, understands the inner workings of the Ikavu living within, and believes this is our only chance of survival.
He shifts me to his front and wraps both arms around my frame. I clutch his broad shoulders, thankful to have his strength to rely on.
He ducks into a pod and pushes the release button, detaching our tiny craft from Command Central. Gravity disappears, but since we fill the craft beyond capacity—it’s only meant to carry one person—we have no room to knock into things.
Looking up into his violet eyes, I fight down the sudden l
ump lodged in my throat.
Everything he’s ever worked for or thought important, he ruined to be with me. Gone forever, with no hope of returning.
It’s different for me. I’ve lived my entire life being a nomad—never belonging to anything real, besides danger and strife—so I have nothing to leave behind.
He had a purpose. A life. Goals and aspirations.
What does he have now?
Me. A broken Omega.
A wretched, destroyed female.
I couldn’t even protect myself. I couldn’t keep what was meant to be his and only his safe.
The one thing he wants most in life, the thing he sacrificed everything for, I failed to give him.
My stomach curdles as the scents wafting up from my skin fill the tiny compartment, renewing the memories I try so hard to keep stashed away.
“You are my lifemate. My everything,” he states, placing a massive palm on the side of my dirty face.
“Nothing else matters.”
When my expression darkens, my eyes filling with tears of misery, he weaves his fingers into my filthy hair and cups my head.
His deep growl demands I sink into his white pupils.
The truth shines from his eyes as brightly as the gore-covered halo of neon hair frames his face.
“I will have no other. You are mine.”
He tightens his fingers in my hair and strokes my hip with a careful movement, being certain to jostle me the least amount possible. His gentle caress only endears me to him more.
How can someone so strong and fierce show such restraint?
“We will find safety, together. I will take care of you, my firecracker. Forever,” he promises, resting his forehead against mine.
With his bulk surrounding me and his purr woven into my soul, the lump in my throat dissipates and my eyelids droop.
As my adrenaline fades away, I close my eyes and breathe him in.
We aren’t out of danger, but held in his arms and floating through space, I find the most peace I’ve ever felt.
I found my Alpha lifemate.
And he chose me, above all else.
Chapter Nineteen
Alpha
To lose my Omega would mean utter ruin. I’d fall to unbridled hatred and become an unstoppable killing machine, as witnessed in the halls we’ve left behind.
My heart beats for her. She is the better part of me, sweet and feminine, yet fierce and smart. She completes and balances me.
I’d kill for water to wash her with, yearning to delve into her sweet scent untainted by filth and torment.
It will be a long road, but we will recover. We will find a safe place and soothe one another, spending countless days exploring our new life together. We will fight through nightmares and battle with invisible scars, even as her body heals.
A warning ping sounds from the console and the dread seeps back into our bond.
Her instincts sensed this would occur, the slimy premonition lingering at the back of our minds coalescing to a dense ball of worry in our guts.
I growl, noting how fast my hackles rise and how sharp my senses become.
Letting go of her hair, I reach around her and tap the left button on the miniscule console.
A ship smaller than my personal transport pulls our pod toward it. It came from nowhere, and I get the distinct impression its cloaking mechanisms far exceed any I’ve seen before.
They were shamelessly hiding in plain sight.
Dropping a quick kiss on her swollen lips, I let go of her and pivot to face the door.
She places her palms on my waist and shifts, almost as though she plans to shimmy around me, but I snarl and demand she stay behind me.
I am her living shield, her demonic protector, ready to keep her safe no matter what lies ahead.
The hatch glides open, revealing a small chamber.
In the far corner, partially eclipsed in shadow, stands a Beta male wearing odd, formfitting clothing and assessing me with shrewd eyes. His salt-and-pepper hair slicks back from his face in a harsh style, completing the intense aura he emanates.
Since he doesn’t have Alpha markers, my mind claims him as Beta, but my instincts clamor in warning.
He’s larger than most Beta males, though not near as big as an Ikavu Alpha, and something in the way he carries himself keeps my hackles raised in anger.
His sharp nose and strong chin give off an air of calculation.
Through our bond, I feel the history between him and my lifemate.
My fierce snarl ricochets around the tiny space, their connection making me want to tear him to shreds.
My Omega’s absolute stillness stays my lunge forward.
She tugs on our bond, warning me of unseen problems.
This situation is more delicate than I understand. There are implications in each movement I won’t comprehend.
This tenuous situation must be handled with utmost care.
One wrong move will bring certain death.
I must trust her.
Chapter Twenty
Omega
Memories flash through my mind, both sweet and yet grimy.
The Beta standing on the other side of the chamber relives none of it, despite being the focus of every scene.
His hard expression hidden behind gorgeous features as he coerces me to try again, not an ounce of pity in his eyes. His gentle words of praise as I return from my first mission.
The immature crush I carried for him in my preteen years. His soft hands as he helped me through my first heat. His unrelenting countenance in training sessions, coupled with strict, disapproving eyes over my failed attempts.
Now, with my true Alpha in front of me, the Beta who once ruled my days seems puny and undeserving.
His eyes hold a demeaning coldness, slapping me in the face with truth.
I did unspeakable things for his praise, yet not once did he mean a single word of it.
He used me.
He orchestrated every mission, put my skills to the test time and time again, all so he could better his own standing.
He trained me to use my Omega tendencies in the field, all while using those same instincts to draw me to him.
He built a bond, knowing I had no clue how a true relationship should feel, using my own yearning against me.
How blind I’d been.
I peek around my true Alpha’s massive shoulder and watch with cold detachment as he raises his arm and aims his gun at us.
“Exit the pod and take two steps to your right,” he instructs, and the sound of his weapon charging sends dread through me.
My Alpha’s deep, threatening growl continues, his menace filling the air.
I push my vague plan through the bond, urging him to comply. He snarls when I release his waist, but I yank on our bond and stand still.
Continuing to heap his threatening vibrations through the room, he follows the verbal commands with slow, measured movements.
My handler keeps his weapon trained on my Alpha, but his eyes focus on my destroyed body. His pupils dilate, but no real shock crosses his face. Without a glimmer of sympathy, he meets my stare.
“Give me the file,” he demands, pointing at the floor a foot in front of his boots.
Shaking, weak, and damaged, I hobble forward, keeping my hand on the wall for support.
As I move closer to my handler, my Alpha’s growl grows unbelievably deeper, making me scramble to control my thoughts.
I want to run to his arms, but I can’t. My handler would shoot us, or worse, activate the small beacon device at his belt.
If he were to press that button, every spy across the galaxy would receive his coordinates. The tiny computer within would mark me as the culprit, since my DNA stands within the same room as him.
There’d be no way to call off the attack.
I focus on my lifemating link, imploring my Alpha to heed me. We must put on a show. He must trust me, even if he hates what I need him to do.
&nbs
p; I move closer to my handler, waiting until his pupils shrink to show his discomfort at my proximity.
He raises his hand in warning.
“Toss it from there. Onto the floor.”
I stand there, misery coating every inch of me, easily portraying the wretched, humiliated female.
My mate and I both know there is no file, but the Beta firmly believes I have it in my possession. He believes I retrieved the Alliance’s scientific findings on resource renewal. Since Algar-din teeters on the edge of extinction, he thinks I pursued my mission and gathered the key to saving everyone on the planet.
I did not.
Given my years of training, I pour tears down my cheeks and scrunch up my face with ease, finding these skills easier to handle than the few feet I shuffled.
“I need help to… retrieve it.” I say, my damaged vocal chords grinding through the ugly words. Gesturing to my abdomen, I don’t bother to feign embarrassment.
This male has seen every inch of me, inside and out. He’d never believe any embarrassment I portray, because he broke me of such things long ago.
Knowing why he did so makes anger leap in my chest. He played me for a fool.
My lifemate’s furious rumble almost hides the Beta’s impatient sigh.
“He’ll do it,” my handler says, gesturing toward my Alpha.
A sickening glint of interest shines from his eyes as he says his next words.
“Present for him.”
The tension in the room threatens to crush my lungs. We are all on edge, ready to attack at any moment.
Agony fills me as I partially collapse to the floor, unable to find any grace in my current state. My wounds protest, but I keep my blade hidden from view, almost slicing my thigh open as I flop to the floor.
Keeping my face shielded with my matted hair, I prop my knees on the floor and stick my ass in the air, trembling from the effort.
After staring at me for a moment, my handler turns icy eyes toward my lifemate, never wavering his aim from my Alpha’s heart.
I wait, looking for an opening before time runs out and he discovers our ruse.
“Slowly walk to her. No extra movements. Don’t worry about damage—get me the file. You have twenty-five seconds,” my mentor instructs, his features set in a harsh expression.