Page 23 of The King's Omega
I lie on a warm cloud, surrounded by the aroma of my fairytale prince, who has a wicked scar on his neck and massive hands that keep me safe from all the dragons. Someone floats onto my cloud, someone cheeky who pulls back my cloud wrappings and peels off all my clothing, even the improvised bandages on my legs. A voice murmurs, “Kitten? Are you awake?”
Vilkurn! He is the angel on my cloud. The pungent medicine he uses tickles my nose, and I ask for more. “Can you take me back to the not-torture dungeon soon?” I ask. “After I sleep, that is.” Then others are here, their loud voices intruding on my serenity. “Vil, tell them to go away. I want you.” I stretch luxuriantly on the cloud. “Tell the stupid king he’s mating a spy, Vil. And tell Axe I need him on my cloud, too.” I have a delicious, wicked thought. “Fetch Tarn and Lorn. They’re so pretty. They can sleep on my cloud as well.”
“But not the stupid king?” someone asks.
“No. He can have Selene. He deserves her. She smells like cat pee.” And then I sink back into the cloud, dreaming of the hands of four angels on my body.
And a sad, green-eyed demon, tied with ropes made of dark fire, watches from a distance.
Axe
Ineeded to go to her. Needed to make sure she was well, to care for her, to feed her. Needed to touch her, to mark her tiny body, and to make her so wet she could accept me…
“Axe,” Rigol interrupted my thoughts. “What do you think?”
Tarn snorted from the chair by the fire. “It’s obvious what he’s thinking of.” He gestured at my trousers. “Or who, anyway.”
I turned away, struggling not to attack him. My fingers itched to stop his laughter permanently. I let my hands speak instead.
“We’ve searched the castle, and the men have turned the grounds and the city upside down looking for Selene. Lorn announced a bounty of two thousand goldani for her capture. She has gone to ground, brother. We must turn our attention to battle.”
There was no way she could have escaped; we’d locked the city down with double patrols around the walls for a week, awaiting the impending Verdanian assault. She had hidden too well though and, like Vali, discovered the tunnels. We had to be on our guard now, as that secret could find its way into the hands of our enemy.
“What about the lass?” Lorn mused, his eyes on the door that connected this suite with his. His room, where my Omega lay sleeping in his bed. I could not stifle the growl that began in my chest. I snapped to get Lorn’s attention.
“Mine. The girl will be mine.”The truth of those words made me want to smile.
I wasn’t pleased that the seer had been false, that Rigol had mated a spy, or that Vali had been hurt… but it meant she could be mine now. There was no dire prophecy about a last Omega. I could mate her, make her mine alone. Although sharing her with Vilkurn had been eye-opening. If my little mischief-maker wanted his hands on her, too, and craved the clever tortures he devised, I would consider indulging her.
As long as she was mine first.
Tarn cleared his throat. “About that, Axe. I’m afraid the seer might have buried a lie in the truth.”
Vilkurn moved out of the dark corner, grabbing the book Tarn had been perusing as we argued about our next steps. While he skimmed the pages, Rigol looked up, his red-rimmed eyes full of rage and regret. “What did you find?”
“The scholar didn’t lie, although he hid much. Mature Omegas do have gifts, according to the book. And they appear as Selene did—although not necessarily blonde. They have exaggerated figures, and the scent… and certain gifts that only manifest once they are truly mated.”
“What gifts?” Vilkurn muttered, then stilled as he found a page of interest. He read aloud, “The first gift of the Omega is the lure, a scent that calls her mates to her.
“The second gift is her nectar. When the Omega has accepted her mate, nectar will pour forth in abundance to allow him entry into her womb. The womb itself will open and allow his knot to tie them as one…. Ah!”
“What?” I leaned forward.
Vilkurn looked up, eyes shining and a sly smile spreading across his face. “The third gift is the gold. During her heat, once the male has locked his knot and bitten his mate, the Omega’s gold will flow.”
Rigol recoiled. “Gold? It can’t be metal.”
“The book doesn’t say,” Tarn answered. He leaned over Vilkurn to read, “Ah, here’s more: Not all Omegas will bless their mates with all the gifts.”
“So, there is no guarantee an Omega would provide whatever magic this gold is?” Rigol cursed.
“What does the gold do?” I asked. “Does it say?”
“No, but there’s a notation on the side of the page.” He brought the book closer to the torch to read it. “Handwritten, an account of the Battle of Belgorn in 1124. ‘Barbarian hoards overwhelmed the King’s forces. The Royal Omega Cyndil summoned the King and his Generals to her before the last battle. She received her lovers and gave them all her gifts. Each General, as well as the King, received the strength of ten and became invulnerable to swords or arrows. Their troops also received the gift of her presence through their leaders and gained courage and strength. Their eyes shone golden, and seeing this, the barbarians fled as they knew of the Goddess’s gifts and perceived they had gone against Her in their warring.’”
My heart pounded. It couldn’t be true. If it was… I still had to sacrifice my Vali to protect the kingdom.
I still had to give her to Rigol. Fuck.
