Page 29 of Hunted
“Would you mind checking on Robin for me?”I whispered.“She isn’t feeling so good right now.”
“Yes, yes,”he replied instantly.“Cheesy is brave and clever.Brave enough and clever enough to tend to your dragon.Will carry your feel-betters there to her.”
I huffed a laugh and reached out, feeling for his little head and stroking it with one finger, letting my healing magic flow through his little body, ensuring he was well.“Be careful.She wouldn’t want to hurt you, but...she’s not herself right now.”
A disdainful chitter told me the rat thought I was silly to worry about someone as brave and clever as him.“Have survived in places much more dangerous than this, witch person,” he reminded me.Then he patted my leg with his little paw and scurried away, off to play peacemaker to a distraught shifter who snap him up and swallow him whole.
To carry my “feel betters” to her.If only that was something he could do.Though...I had a suspicion that my animal friendsdidcarry something of me with them.So maybe he wasn’t so far off the mark.
Hopefully I wasn’t putting him at risk.
I sighed and stood.Robin might like to bluster on about how she hated having “vermin” all over her theater.But I knew that’s all it was.Bluster.She liked animals.Shewaspart animal, after all.And her dragon might be fierce and scary, but it also saw itself as a protector of weaker creatures.Cheese Crackers would be fine.
And maybe Robin would let her guard down enough for an insignificant animal comfort her, something she wouldn’t allow with a person.
I started down the hallway again, feeling slightly better about leaving Robin to struggle alone.But the neediness inside me was still clamoring for attention.Robin’s rejectionhurt.I could try to logic it away all I wanted, but the truth was, I was overwhelmed with the feeling of being unwanted.
Maybe I was every bit as unlovable as The Mother said I was.Maybe I wasn’t good enough—a blind, defective omega who hadn’t even known what I was until a few months ago.I was naive, and optimistic, and not nearly clever enough to fit in with this court.Who was I to attract the attention and devotion of a noble, powerful, important alpha dragon?OfcourseRobin didn’t want me!Who would?
I nearly jumped out of my skin when I collided with a solid wall.The wall in question was warmer than walls usually were, and just a bit more padded.Strong hands wrapped around my upper arms to steady me, and my aura surged with delayed recognition.Sanka.I should have sensed him.But I had been so lost in my longing and angst, so overwhelmed with the gnawingneed, that I was in my own little world.
“Ruya?”he said, his deep voice quickly moving from amusement to concern.“What’s wrong, sweetheart?What the hell happened?”
I must look miserable.And...oh.I was wearing Robin’s sweater, which was too tight across the chest and kept pulling up in the front to compensate.“It’s okay.I’m fine.”I said evenly.
Then, I burst into tears.
Thank the Goddess for creating betas.Sanka didn’t ask me anything else.He just scooped me up in his strong arms and held me against his broad chest while I sobbed uncontrollably and clung to him like a distraught child.
He murmured low and calm, words I didn’t catch, but that were somehow comforting all the same.I let him take me wherever he was taking me, trusting completely in my beta mate.His strong, warm aura wasn’t what I needed.He wasn’t an alpha.But it would help.Sanka would take care of me.He would try to make it better.Even though I knew he couldn’t ever completely fill the aching hole in my heart and soul.
Only my true mate could do that.And she didn’t want me.
“Was it Robin?”It was the only question he asked, and I was pretty sure he already knew the answer.
“My fault,” I managed between uncontrollable sobs.“I know she doesn’t want me.But I...I...couldn’t help...”
“Shh,” he said, pressing me closer to his chest.“It’s okay, Ru.You didn’t do anything wrong.I’ve got ya.”
I knew I was being overly dramatic, but for some reason, I couldn’t stop myself.Now that I’d started crying, the tears just kept coming.It felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest.
The swaying motion of Sanka’s strides stopped, and he shifted his weight to bang on something.I only dimly registered that he was kicking a door with his boot to demand entrance.I was too focused, suddenly, on the overpowering alpha aura that filled my senses, calling to me, soothing the ache in my chest, in mybeing, to pay attention to anything else.
An angry hiss filled my ears, and Sanka sighed.“I know, I know.Why do you think I’m here?Let us in, will ya.”
Sanka strode into Sadavir’s room and sat on the bed with me still clutched in his arms.“She had some kind of incident with Robin, and her aura’s all...out of whack.Look at it!I’ve never seen something like that.But then, I’m not a big expert on omegas.Thought maybe since an alpha fucked her up, maybe an alpha could fix it?”
Sadavir’s big hands smoothed over my back and stroked my hair back from my face.He pressed his lips to my forehead, and I let out a hitched sigh.The tight ball of pain in my chest that was my wounded omega nature uncurled a bit, reaching for that comfort.Alpha.Safety.Protection.Mine.
“Fuck me, I hate this alpha-omega bullshit,” Sanka muttered, clearly sensing the change in me.“Poor kid.”
I huffed.I was hardly a “poor kid.”But I couldn’t form a response.My senses were still overwhelmed with need.My first response was embarrassment, a tinge of self-consciousness that said if I was in my right mind, I’d be cringing over my behavior right now.But that was secondary to theneed.
Nearly bonding with Robin only to be forcefully rejected had broken something in me.
I reached out my arms and Sadavir was there, the alpha who had never once pushed me away or made me feel unwanted.His powerful aura was like a beacon to the cowering thing inside me, reminding me I was loved, I was wanted, I was cherished.
Sanka released me as Sadavir pulled me onto his lap.Sadavir’s lips found mine and he kissed me, slow and gentle.Not demanding anything or with any other goal than to show comfort and love.I drew in a hiccupping breath.“I’m sorry,” I said on a ragged exhale.
