by Zoey Ellis
The group looked at each other, and then began to move toward her, but she was ready.
Amara instructed the magic to hit them all at once. All of Malloron's siblings were blasted off of their feet and she ran down the center of the chamber to him. The children ran with her, and as she crouched by him, brushing his hair off his face, a shield instantly surrounded them all.
“Malloron,” she said, trying not to panic. He hadn’t moved once since she entered and the feeling in the bond hadn’t improved. “Malloron?”
Slowly, his eyes opened and he focused on her.
“Malloron?” her voice trembled as tears sprang to her eyes. “Malloron, what did you do?”
His eyes softened on her and then widened. They darted to look at the children and then behind her and then back to her eyes. Whatever his brothers and sisters were doing, it didn’t matter. They wouldn’t be able to get past the shield.
Amara scooted close to him and lay down beside him, lifting his arm around her and cuddling up close to him. “What did you do, Malloron?” she asked again, staring into his eyes as the children settled all around them, pushing them closer together.
He didn’t answer, he just stared at her, his eyes so beautifully dark and mellow with a look she could only describe as his version of sorrow. But she knew he couldn’t answer her, because she already knew what he had done.
She leaned forward and kissed him gently, knowing he couldn’t kiss her back. She pressed her body up hard against his, knowing he couldn’t grip her and do it himself. She ran her hands through his hair and stroked his face, knowing he liked it when she touched him. “Why did you do this?” she whispered, kissing along his jaw as tears trickled from the corners of her eyes. “It hurts so much to see you like this, Malloron.” When she pulled back, his eyes sought out hers, pinned to her completely. “To see my king, my Alpha, my powerful Talent-crafter like this.”
He continued to stare into her eyes, but the bond lurched in her chest.
“I wasn’t going with them, Malloron,” she whispered. “I was trying to stop them from taking the children. Why didn’t you wait for me to return? Did you really believe I wouldn’t?”
He blinked, the look in his eyes told her all she needed to know.
She pressed her lips to his. “I am yours, Malloron,” she murmured. “I am truly yours. Nothing will take me away from you. Nothing.”
The bond stirred in her chest again and she pulled away to look him in the eyes. “Do you know why?” she said softly. “Because you cannot choose your true mate. And you are mine.”
Amara tucked her head into his chest and breathed in his scent and as she did the bond shuddered and unraveled and to her amazement, he began to purr. She pressed herself closer to the vibration, relief bounding through her, only to suddenly realize that the vibration was spreading through them and over them at an alarming rate, almost taking a life of its own. She lifted her head to see the children had all laid down around them, interlinked and connected, the vibration passing through everyone.
Amara looked around the room to see that the portal had closed and Malloron’s siblings were locked in a heated argument with his brother, Elion. She frowned, wondering when he had arrived, but Malloron’s arm tightened around her and her attention snapped back to him. He moved his arm!
She snaked her arm around him as he pulled her closer.
“Amara,” he murmured, his husky voice sending tingles throughout her entire body.
“How are you moving?” she gasped. “And talking?”
He held her tightly to him and kissed her so deeply all thoughts went out of her head. She became a puddle of nerves, soft and whimpering in his muscly arms. He grabbed the back of her head and fucking dominated her, growling into her mouth and thrusting his tongue in for her to suck on. This was what all she wanted… all the time.
By the time he pulled away, she was utterly breathless, but she smiled up at him, glad to see that fierceness in his eyes when he looked at her.
“I thought you stripped the tenebris from your blood?” she breathed.
“I did. Did it release from you?”
She nodded. “It went back into the children.”
Malloron frowned. “In its raw form?”
Amara hesitated. “What do you mean?”
“Did it go straight back into the children in its raw form? Without filtering out the energies so each child got their own energy back.”
Amara stared at him blankly. “I don’t know. I just… told it to help them.”
Malloron peered at her. “And it responded to you?”
When she nodded, he looked around at the children lying all around him. “They have connected to me.”
Amara nodded. “Me too.”
He returned his gaze to her. “An Alpha and Omega. What they have always needed.”
“So they will be… all right?” Amara asked hesitantly. “They seem to be…” She didn’t know how to explain that they behaved strangely.
Malloron shook his head. “I don’t know, but their connection to me is allowing me to move.”
“How?”
“I don’t know yet,” Malloron said thoughtfully. He refocused on Amara. “You said I am your Alpha.”
Amara held his gaze, the tingles around her body now focused specifically between her legs. “Yes.”
“Did you mean it?”
“Yes.”
Nothing changed in his gaze. “How do you know this now, when you didn’t know it before?”
Amara pressed her lips together. He was still suspicious of her and it made sense he would be. “I made a choice, Malloron. After you bit me to protect me and I got taken, I made contact with the Mothers because it was the only way I could contact anyone. They said they were still coming for the children and I thought that if the Mothers could take the children, I would be free to explore what we have without having to worry about them.” She watched him cautiously for his reaction. His eyes remained focused on her. “I made a choice to try to make it work.” She ran a finger along his cheek. “Because I need you.”
A rumble came out of him that rebounded between them and rippled out over the children.
“I realized that more intensely than ever these last few weeks. I didn’t have a chance to tell the Mothers to stop their mission. I tried to stop them. I—”
“You said you’re my queen,” Malloron interrupted her. “Are you?”
Amara nodded. “I am, Malloron,” she said, taking a deep breath. “And that is one of two conditions I have to talk to you about.”
He frowned. “Conditions?”
She nodded and took a deep breath. She had no idea how he was going to react to what she was about to say—she had only just realized what she wanted. “I want to be your queen,” she began, “but I want to rule at your side as an equal voice. You told me once that we can continue to debate the things we disagree on, but I want our debates to mean something beyond us. I want them to matter to the people of the Western Lands. I want us to build something worthwhile that I can be proud of as well as you.”
He gazed at her for a long moment. “And your second condition?”
“I want to be a family,” she said, her voice quiet. “I want us to be a unit—me, you, and our children. To be able to trust and love each other, a family no one can touch with lies and hate and jealousy.”
“And do you?” Malloron asked. “Do you trust and… love me?”
Amara smiled. “I have recently realized I can trust you, but I know you need time to trust me.” She leaned forward. “And I do love you, yes.”
He said nothing for a long moment, his eyes remained locked on hers, but in the bond she could feel the lift of his mood and it unraveled the bond back into a gently revolving orb, tucked deep within her ribcage. “I don’t need conditions for you to be mine, Amara,” he said solemnly. “You belong to me already. I do not want or need to make agreements with you for you to recognize that.”
Amara’s heart su
nk as she realized he still didn’t understand the difference between her being with him physically and her thriving with him as his mate.
“But,” he continued, his voice softening, “I would be happy for us to make those commitments as vows to each other.”
Amara inhaled sharply. “Vows?”
“At our wedding.”
Amara’s mouth dropped open. “Wedding?”
Malloron smiled at her slowly, and as he did, a warmth spread through her entire body at the sight of it. “You cannot expect to be a queen without a royal wedding, Amara. That’s not how it works here.”
She laughed but fresh tears filled her eyes at the same time. “So you agree?”
“Of course, I do, chameleon,” he rumbled, sobering as he stroked the back of her head. “I warn you now, you will fight with me and argue with me about many of the plans I’ve made about how I wish to run these Lands. You will shout and glare at me with those beautiful eyes when I won’t do what you want. You will be disappointed that the people of the Western Lands won’t change the way you think they should.” He kissed her again. “But I cannot deny that the Land is ripe for change. I cannot deny that I want you with me as that happens. And I cannot deny that the throne means nothing without you, Amara.”
Amara smiled as both relief and joy spiraled through her.
He glanced again around at the children. “I am beginning to wonder if both the throne, and the Lands, require an Alpha with his Omega to thrive.”
The remainder of the thought he didn’t say ran across her mind; like the children. Amara pursed her lips, a thought occurring to her. “Has there ever been an Alpha and Omega ruling couple in these Lands?”
Malloron squinted as he thought. “I think there was, sometime far in the past, though. I would need to look it up.”
Amara nodded and suddenly realized where they were, she lifted her head to look around and saw that Elion now stood on his own in the chambers, watching them.
“Can you move?” she asked Malloron. “Can you get up?”
Malloron shrugged. “We shall see.” He began to move, and as he did, the children moved too. Half of them stayed close to him as he rose to his feet, clinging to his legs and slipping their hands into his. The other half did the same with Amara as she got to her feet.
“How do you feel?” she asked Malloron.
“Normal,” he said suspiciously as he glanced at the children.
“I have to say I’m somewhat surprised to see you surrounded by children,” Elion said, dryly.
Malloron’s face hardened. “What do you want? Where are the rest of them?”
Elion lifted his palms. “I apologize for them,” he said quickly. “They only came to collect me before they left these lands. It seems they were going to take the opportunity to dispose of you before they left, considering how they found you. But their main intention was to find me.”
“Do not make excuses for them,” Malloron snarled. “They stormed in here, into my castle, to track me down to find you. What right did they have!”
“Malloron,” Elion said warningly. “They are your older brothers and sisters. This castle was home for them long before you came along. They would not necessarily think they are breaching it in order to come in here.”
“You mean you wouldn’t!” Malloron bellowed, taking a step toward him. The children all stepped with him. “You led them here!”
Elion stared at him, breathing steadily. “I assure you I did not.” He held up a stack of parchment in his hands. “I have been searching for Grandfather’s research in order to return it to you… I am truly sorry for what I did, brother,” he said. “I know you don’t believe me, but I never intended to put the Visant family in any risk.”
“I do not believe you,” Malloron snarled.
Elion’s hand dropped. “Malloron.” The pain in his voice caught Amara in the chest. “Please try to understand. We were very close…” He shook his head, his long hair swinging around his face. “And we have all suffered, there is no need for any more. We have learned.”
“They were just about to kill me!” Malloron bellowed. “Once again, while I was incapacitated, they sought to destroy me. They have learned nothing!”
“They just discovered that Sonila is dead!” Elion’s voice rung out in the chamber. “She was our youngest sister and none of them saw her again since the day you sent them into slavery,” he said sharply. “They were hurt by that news, Malloron. They didn’t come here seeking to harm you, but decided to take advantage of the situation to avenge her. Surely you can understand that?”
“I understand that they have learned nothing,” Malloron said forcefully.
Amara could feel the waves of anger coming from him. She moved to stand next to him.
“Where are your siblings now?”
Malloron jolted at the sound of her voice, glancing at her as though surprised she had spoken. She ignored him. He would need to get used to it.
“They have left for the Eastern Lands. They want to find Sonila’s children.”
“Are you going with them out of the Lands?” she asked.
Elion looked between them and settled his gaze on Malloron. “They have offered,” Elion admitted. “However, I was hoping to make it up to you, Malloron. I was hoping that you… that you would allow me to stay in the Western Lands…”
“What for?” Malloron bellowed. “What possible use—”
“Of course, Elion,” Amara interrupted.
Both men looked at her in shock. She glanced up at Malloron and smiled. “He is our children’s uncle. They will need at least one.”
Malloron turned to her, hulking over her as he spoke. “This is not wise,” he uttered, fiercely. “He has deceived us. He has shown himself to be—”
Amara placed her palms on his cheeks, loving that he included her, but he had to learn that the cycle could not to continue. “He did deceive us. And we shall decide together what to do about it. But for now, if he wants to stay, let him stay.”
Malloron’s expression remained hard but something in his eyes changed. He glanced toward Elion, who was staring at them intently. “There are some wounds that cannot be healed, Amara.”
“I know, Malloron, I know,” she said, stroking his cheeks and trying to be as soothing as possible. “And I am not trying to dismiss everything he has done. But let’s not decide anything today.”
Malloron’s chest heaved as he took a breath and nodded curtly. “Fine. We will make the decision to kill him tomorrow.”
Amara almost rolled her eyes, but instead, inclined her head and smiled. “That is a start, Malloron. That’s a start.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
MALLORON
The children were a problem.
They were everywhere. Thankfully they didn’t need to remain touching Malloron in order for him to continue to make use of his limbs, but he was disturbed by how much they filled the castle. Strangely, they didn’t behave or act like normal children. They didn’t talk. They didn’t play. They didn’t do much of anything but wander around the castle or sit and watch the staff. Emric reported that the staff found it strange at first, but then they seemed to take a liking to them. They would talk to them and feed them or have them walk their shifts with them and generally include them in the running of the castle.
Malloron drew the line at the children entering his bedroom and more specifically his and Amara’s nest. For some reason, the younger children followed her around and sat with her no matter what she was doing, and he was sure she encouraged it, but he didn’t like it. He finally had Amara the way he wanted her, and he wasn’t fucking sharing.
He entered his rooms one afternoon and cursed inwardly at the number of children lounging around in almost every nook and made his way to the bedroom, keen to enter their nest. It had become the center of his existence, the only place where he felt true peace, and he needed to spend a significant amount of time in there with Amara.
Children lay curled in the b
ed, on the outside of the nest, while others sat on the floor, quietly watching him as he made his way through. Although the children gave him the power to walk and keep his sanity, they were a damn nuisance. Never in his life did he think that he would be so completely surrounded by children constantly.
“Out!” he barked at them and again to a tiny red-haired girl Amara was cuddling with in their nest. Amara was curled around her, rocking her gently, and the sight shot something through him that he couldn’t describe.
Amara reluctantly let the girl go, kissed her and smoothed back her hair, urging her to go to her bed in the living area. The girl climbed out of the nest, hugging Malloron’s arm as she passed him, before climbing off the bed and trotting out of the bedroom door, followed by all the other children who finally decided to follow his instruction.
Once the door was shut and the children gone, Malloron immediately pulled Amara under him and opened her legs. “I said I didn’t want any of them in here,” he ordered roughly, as he pulled on magic to bind her wrists.
“I just like spending time with them, Malloron,” Amara said, her voice on a breath as the magical binds pulled her tight. “Don’t act like you don’t either.”
“I don’t!” He ran his hand up her stomach to her breasts and played with the nub, while lowering to lick her clit.
“You do,” Amara breathed as she writhed. “I’ve seen you talking to some of the boys in the throne room sometimes.”
Malloron growled into her pussy, and a tremble shuddered through her as her slick gathered. His response soon went out of his head as her scent dominated him. He licked and sucked on her until her clit throbbed and she humped her pussy into his face, moaning his name as her slick dripped down his chin. He rose to his knees and plunged into her, hard, rough and wild, groaning at that delicious strangle on his cock that he loved. Her breasts jolted with each slam, her cries telling him how much she loved it and her scent intensified beautifully. Malloron found himself in a frenzy. He couldn’t get enough. The beautiful curves of her body, her sloppy wetness, and her complete ability to submit to everything he wanted drove him mad with desire. Grabbing her ass, he dropped on top of her, smothering her screams with his mouth and pummeling the tight slick channel made solely for him. He pulled out and slammed deep into her, crushing her each time he dropped onto her small frame and buried himself deep into her, but she spread her legs even wider, giving herself to him completely and begging him for more with every gust of breath that expelled from her lungs each time he impaled her.