Claiming an Alpha's Heart

by A. R. Ford

  “You did this?” The thought shocked me. This beautiful man bought me from Rafe? The man who saved me from one whore house, only to bring me to Evan.

  “I did,” he admitted. Evan began to undress, each article of clothing falling to the floor with a whisper. He turned, gloriously naked, and unashamed. That moment was my undoing.

  A rich, spicy scent, tinged with something more, caught my flaring nostrils. I found myself walking closer, sniffing hesitantly, pausing when a cramp forced more of the thick fluid from my throbbing core. Instead of being afraid, or embarrassed, by his nudity, I found myself hypnotized. His entire body was sculpted to perfection--his broad chest, defined abdominal muscles, even the V leading my attention to his groin. I should have been petrified to see a male organ so large. It bobbed in the air, the crown a deep mauve. Clear fluid dripped from the slit. Lined with veins. I wanted it inside me. Somehow, I knew this would ease the cramps that continued to grow more painful.

  A high-pitched whine filled my ears. I realized I made the noise.

  Evan chuckled as he came closer. His fingers found the tail of my shirt, tugging it upward, over my head. “No clothes, Omega. You won’t need them for days.”

  My hands joined his, aiding in the quest to rid myself of clothing. A growl of appreciation came at my efforts. “What are you going to do to me?”

  A groan preceded his words. “Fucking hell. No one told you, did they? You’ve never been with an Alpha. Never fucked until your mind, and body, melted into a puddle of bliss.” Evan’s hands trailed over my breasts, down to my waist. “Don’t worry, little Omega. I’ll rut you through your estrus.”

  He picked me up, and carried me to the bed, even as a part of my mind screamed that this was wrong. Being sold was wrong. Being bought was wrong. Evan was right. Perfect. Everything I needed. I knew I was lost at that instant. I didn’t understand the full nature of rut, and estrus, but I knew with certainty that Evan intended to show me.

  Chapter 4

  Evan

  Perfection. The Omega was beyond my expectations. She was tiny, curvaceous, oozing pheromones that made my cock ache. She had no clue what was going on inside her body. No understanding of what I intended to do to her. Milk chocolate eyes gazed at me. The pupils dilating as the effect of the estrus inducing stimulant worked with her body.

  My knees grew weak when she stood naked in front of me. I understood the power of the rut that kept both Baron, and Vito, locked in a room with their mates. I would not be foolish enough to claim the Omega. Tie myself down to one woman. No. That would not work. My sexual appetites were intensely varied. I wanted it all.

  The Omega did not resist when I carried her to the bed. A keening whine poured from her. She writhed, both hands pressed between her thighs as another gush of slick scented the air. I knelt between her thighs, pulling her hands away. My fingers found the slick, pink flesh, teasing the sensitive nub at the apex of her sex.

  “Help me,” she begged, a moan turning into a growl as my fingers teased her. It was not the satisfaction she craved. “Do something!”

  Why would I deny her? Slick eased the head of my cock inside her. She tensed, heels digging into the mattress. Her body bowed off the bed. The sweet slickness did not diminish how tight the clasp of her cunt was on my cock. There was only so much she could take, it seemed. I was determined to knot her this first time.

  My growl came at the same instant a fierce thrust forced my throbbing cock fully inside her. My vision blurred when she howled. We were nothing more than animals who clawed, growled, and fucked our way to ecstasy, like none I’ve ever known. I’m not certain how long it took for us to reach the peak. My hands found her hips, fingers digging in, bruising tender flesh. Grinding my cock so deep, the tip burrowed against her cervix. The knot formed at the pinnacle of pleasure. The instant her core clenched around the knot, I roared. She screamed. Thick streams of my fertile essence filled her womb.

  Even as awareness faded, I knew to turn, and hold her against me. An Omega this small would be crushed beneath my weight. That simply would not do. I fully intended to break her estrus. A grin split my face as a purr soothed the writhing, whining female, grinding her pelvis against mine.

  She slept in the circle of my arms. At some point, I nodded off. I woke when the knot softened enough to allow me to pull free. A frustrated whine came from the girl. She licked, and nipped at my chest, fingernails digging into my shoulders.

  “Tell me what you need,” I growled.

  “Do something! Why are you smiling?” She crawled on top of me, sniffing my neck, and chest. Invariably, the heat of her tongue, and sharp pain of her teeth nipping at my flesh, followed the sniffing exploration. Each flick, and nip, set skin on fire, my heart racing.

  Unwilling to allow the Omega to assert any dominance over me, I shoved her onto her back before mounting her again. “Who owns you, little Omega?”

  The first thrust took my cock deep. Her heels dug into the muscular globes of my ass. Head flung back, eyes rolling back in her head, she refused to answer. Instead, she humped my cock, hissing when my groin teased her swollen clit. Fingers fisting in her hair, I yanked her head up, forcing her to look at me, even as I thrust inside her body.

  “Who owns you, little Omega? Tell me, or I will deny you what you want most.” The feverish madness of rut infiltrated my brain. It demanded that I control my Omega through any means necessary. Denying her what she needed was the easiest way to control her.

  Her refusal to answer drove me to madness. She cried out when my cock withdrew from the spasming passage that milked it so well. My thumb settled on her clit, circling, tugging, driving her to the point of madness. “Who owns you?” I growled.

  “You!” came her scream.

  “Good girl.” I rewarded her with my cock. My hips set a frantic, brutal pace. Driving inside her, fingers tugging her nipples until she howled. Driving her sweat-slicked body into the mattress as I rutted her. The second knotting was the most fulfilling. I rolled onto my back, clutching her limp form against me. My fingers threaded through the silken strawberry blonde strands. The purr came without conscious effort, modulating to a pitch, and frequency, that calmed the fussy Omega.

  She remained with me in the penthouse of the hotel I purchased upon arriving in Walden. It took a week to break her estrus. My favorite game was to deny her, forcing her to beg on hands and knees for what only I could give her. During that time, I did not claim her. There would be no pair bond to annoy me. No mate to hold me hostage. Yet, every time I saw her curled against my side, exhausted from being fucked into oblivion, my gut clenched, and a possessive growl vibrated my chest.

  The day her estrus broke, we both lay in the massive bed, unable to move. Exhausted from a seven-day fuckfest that made me grin when I thought about it. We were covered in sweat, slick, and semen. To my horror, the Omega began to nest a few days after she arrived. I allowed the behavior to continue, although, I knew the instant her estrus was done, so was I.

  I left the Omega sleeping as I went to shower. Returning to the room, refreshed, and fully dressed, I nudged her. She woke up, glancing around the room in confusion as the fog of estrus abated.

  “Take a shower. Your clothing is waiting for you in the bathroom.” My gut clenched at the dismissive tone my voice took. Shouldn’t I be keeping her? Claiming her to ensure she was mine? Two value systems were at war. It was difficult to decide which I should listen to.

  She obeyed, without question. Breath caught in my chest when she appeared fresh from the shower. Strawberry blonde hair still damp. She smelled fresh, but faintly retained the sweet scent of slick. Her eyes caught mine as she chewed on her lower lip. That full pink lip I loved to tug between my teeth as I took her.

  “You can go, now.” I tossed a wad of credits wrapped in a rubber band on the bed, near her. The hurt reflecting in those chocolate eyes was nearly my undoing. Tears welled, one trailing down her face. Just as I thought better of my decision to dismiss her, she walked fr
om the penthouse. The wad of credits lay on the bed.

  What the hell had I just done?

  I spent hours pacing the floor. Nothing held my attention. Not even the blatant flirtation of the maid. Her less than discreet flirtation fed my rage. She left the penthouse in tears after I fired her for inappropriate behavior. Inappropriate? What is going on in my head?

  The old Evan would have jumped at the chance to bed a willing partner. The Omega managed to trap my mind. Memories of her came, unbidden. Of silky skin. Of strawberry blonde hair. Of my name on her lips.

  Rafe appeared at my summons to join me for dinner in the hotel restaurant. My first order of business after purchasing the aging hotel, was to renovate the penthouse, and revamp the restaurant. Venison stew every day, all day, was not an acceptable menu. I hoped the dinner would take my mind from the Omega. There was no hope of that. Rafe came with an axe to grind.

  “You know the Omega found her way to the Catacombs, don’t you?” Rafe sat with me eating dinner in the hotel restaurant. “It’s a rough place. You sure letting her go was a good idea?”

  The fervor with which I stabbed a piece of steak said more than words could. My gut twisted in knots, an ache filling my chest. There was no pair bond. Why the hell did I feel this way? “She’ll be fine. Survived on her own in the wasteland for at least a month after her family died. That says something about her.”

  Rafe leaned closer. He cast a glance around to ensure no one was listening. “What if she conceived a child? Your child, Evan.” He swore, fist pounding the table. “Had I known you would treat her this way, there would have been no deal.”

  My gut clenched again as a wave of nausea nearly overwhelmed me. My chest ached, an empty hollowness begging to be filled. The sensation so intense, it demanded my fist grind against my sternum, to no avail.

  “What do you suggest I do? I didn’t claim her.”

  Rafe sat back. The fork held in one hand, clattering on the plate. “I can’t believe you. The only Omega in the past thirty odd years to be found on this continent, is delivered to a prime Alpha who, then, refuses to claim her. Are you fucking insane?”

  I leaned toward Rafe with my jaw clenched. A finger stabbed the air inches from his nose.

  “I don’t do relationships. Understand?” Lies. I never did relationships before meeting Emmy. Every part of me, from my brain, to my heart, to my soul, yearned for Emmy. Begged me to admit a horrible mistake was made. And, yet, my foolish pride talked me into denying what I wanted most in this world.

  Rafe stood up. His mouth twisted in a grimace. “Emmy is her name. She deserves to be revered, and loved. I’ll see she’s protected.” He turned to walk away. “If she’s carrying your child, I’ll claim it as my own. You best believe that.”

  The words echoed in my mind. That night, I found it nearly impossible to sleep. When sleep finally came, I dreamt of a tiny Omega named Emmy.

  Chapter 5

  Emmy

  Evan wanted nothing to do with me. My heart shattered in a million pieces. No, it disintegrated. The rejection was more painful than losing my parents, and Katrina.

  Guardians, not parents. Guardians who beat you for being an inconvenience. The thoughts came, without warning. Bitter truth amplified the pain of rejection.

  The Catacombs drew me in. The maze of tunnels, and rooms, extended for miles underground, according to an old woman kind enough to answer my question about finding a job. I managed to find my way to the pizzeria she said needed help.

  I sat at a corner table where I hid as best I could. I must have fallen asleep. The scrape of a boot on the floor near me, drew my attention. Rafe stood there, watching me. He caught my shoulder when I tried to run past him.

  “I’m sorry, Emmy. I didn’t know he would abandon you.”

  I pulled away, and ran. Rafe caught me before I made it to the entrance. I kicked, and clawed, and cried. He managed to pick me up, and hold me in his arms, without losing an eyeball. The instant my tears wet his shirt, he stiffened.

  “Main directive restored.” Rafe’s oddly mechanical enunciation, drew my attention.

  “What was that?”

  He lowered me to the ground. His fingers caught the tears trailing down my cheeks. “I think the main directive has been restored. It was corrupted in some manner.”

  His expression was different. His voice was soft, and gentle. Rafe being nice, and polite, was strange in a hundred different ways. I wasn’t sure I could trust him, but what choice did I have?

  “Why did he just kick me out? I was nothing more than a whore.”

  “I don’t know what makes Evan Quinn tick. I’m not sure he knows. Come with me, Emmy. You look like you could use some food, and rest.”

  “I don’t have any credits.” My voice sounded forlorn, and lost. It reminded me of how Katrina sounded when she was sad. I was sad, lost, and different, now. Estrus changed me. There was something else. My scent was different.

  “What’s going on in that head of yours?” His eyes were soft with what I thought was compassion.

  “Why is my scent different? I feel strange. I want to build something in a bed. Blankets, pillows, and sheets arranged a certain way.”

  Rafe stiffened up at my words. His eyes closed. A hiss of breath escaped his mouth. “I think you’re pregnant, Emmy. Let’s go. You need some rest, and food.”

  I went with him. Not because I suddenly trusted him. Because I had nowhere else to go, no one to care about me. Rafe let me make my bed in the closet of his hotel room. He even called the front desk for extra pillows, and sheets. He made sure I ate before I climbed into the creation in the closet. My chest ached so much; it took rubbing it before I could fall asleep.

  The next morning, Rafe insisted we eat breakfast in the hotel restaurant. My heart skipped a beat when Evan walked in. He stopped, jaw clenched hard as stone, and glared at Rafe. Fire filled those jade eyes.

  Rafe looked over the rim of the coffee cup as he took a drink. He grinned at Evan. “Problem, Evan?”

  “Bastard.” Evan’s entire body tensed, the cords of his neck growing taut, while a vein in his forehead pulsed. His fists clenched, and unclenched, when his head rotated mechanically from Rafe, to me.

  “I told you what would happen, and why it would happen.” Rafe’s words came out in a taunting tone. “You didn’t claim her. I’ll protect her, and the child she carries.”

  That’s when it hit me. I was nothing more than a pawn in some sick game they were playing. A dick measuring contest. Something Emmett used to say when people would get competitive. This time when I ran, I made sure no one could find me.

  At least, that’s what I hoped would happen. That I could just disappear. The Catacombs offered a lot of things. A whore house. Pizzeria. Weapons. Supplies. And a massive drainage system that people forgot about. I found a ledge just inside one of the sizable tunnels. It was high enough, the water draining through wouldn’t touch me. Concrete offered stability. It took some time, but I managed to gather everything I would need to turn it into a shelter. Now, if I could just find a way to make money.

  The pizzeria was open when I arrived. It was early morning, so there weren’t any customers. A woman with pink hair stood behind the counter. She had soft brown eyes. She was at least six inches taller than me. Her body was lanky. The instant she saw me, a smile tugged the corners of her mouth upward.

  “I don’t see a lot of ladies in here,” she stated. Her hand came over the counter, extended in a gesture of friendship. “I’m Posie, by the way.”

  “Hi, Posie. I’m Emmy. People call me Em, or Emmy.” And little Omega. The memory of Evan’s refusal to call me by my name during that week, tugged at my heart. Tears clouded my vision for a moment.

  Posie came around the counter when she saw my expression. She hugged me, one hand stroking my hair. “You can tell me anything. I don’t have friends because most of the idiots in the Catacombs are asses.”

  I found myself talking to her. Spilling my guts. Everyth
ing from my guardian’s illness, and subsequent deaths, to being taken by Jinx, saved, and betrayed by Rafe, and Evan. His refusal to claim me. The fact that he used me only for sex during my estrus, with no intention to claim me. And the biggest bomb of all popped out before I could stop it. “I’m pregnant.”

  “Oh, hell, no!” Posie growled, delicate brows drawn together, her eyes flashing with Beta indignation. The next words came in a screech. “Do not tell me that the rich asshole from Jade Island did this to you.”

  “He paid Rafe to bring me to him. I didn’t know what he would do to me. He didn’t want me. Now, I’m pregnant. I have no job, no place to go. My entire life is a screwed-up mess.” By this time, Posie and I found a seat behind the counter. She gave me two slices of pizza, and water. Sweet, purified water. It was more valuable in the wasteland, than credits.

  “You can help me here if you want. I always need someone to help in the back. That way, you can stay out of view, so if the assholes come looking, they won’t find you. I’ll pay you. You can eat here, so you won’t have to worry about food. You can stay with me if you want. I’ve got a room in the back.” Posie’s voice was soft, and low. “What do you say, Emmy? It would be great to have another woman around here.”

  “I’d like that.” It was the first, but certainly not the last, of our many conversations that ranged from the weather, to the rumors about One World.

  Posie and I became close friends after that. It took a few days to learn all the things I had to learn for the pizzeria. Who knew making pizzas was so complex? Making dough was the hardest. Hot water, oil, yeast, and a special blend of flour in a big mixer that Posie shared, was a real antique.

  “Hobart,” she grinned. “Even a nuclear bomb can’t break these things.”