Page 11 of The King's Omega
“I-it’s unknown, Sire.”
My cock hardened at the thought of lifting my hand to redden my Omega’s perfect, rounded ass. But the ass under my hand in the fantasy wasn’t Selene’s. It was the hellion, the little lumpy kitten girl. I unintentionally growled, and the scholar spoke more rapidly, a slight hint of urine in the air.
“They built nests in their bedding before accepting a mate, and during their heat cycles needed adequate blankets, pillows, sheets, and other items to build a nest large enough for both the Omega and her mate.” Another finger. “When the nest was complete, it was necessary for the mate to request permission to enter.”
Permission? “Sounds like a load of shit. She’ll do what I tell her.”
“She?” The scholar froze. “You have found the King’s… I mean, an Omega?”
I sniffed the air, scenting fear, rage, and something else, oily and shadowed. The man was hiding something.
“Keep speaking.” Silently, I communicated with Axe.
“He’s hiding something. Information or identity.”
“Where did he come from?” Axe signed.
“Tarn brought him from the borderlands near Mirren.”
“Should I kill him?”
I shook my head slightly. “I will ask Vilkurn to have him followed when he leaves.”I checked the shadows in the corner, but for once my master spy was not there.
Where else would he be?
“Th-that sums it up,” the academic stammered, listing a few more physical attributes. The man might have been describing a painting of Selene.
“Any other non-physical attributes? Stories of unique Omega powers?”
“Uh, n-no, Sire. Though the blood of a true Omega will taste sweet to an Alpha.”
“Sweet?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The tasting of an Omega’s blood was always a part of the mating ritual. Initiated by one partner, and reciprocated by the other, the mating bite sealed the bond between them for life.”
My mouth went dry, and I swallowed hard. “For life?”
“Yes, Sire. As you know, Alphas may choose not to mark their Beta mates. In fact, the practice fell out of fashion even before this century—”
“I know that.” Cold sweat gathered on my brow. No one gave mating bites; the bond formed was irreversible. I had heard horror stories of Alphas who had bitten a female, and when the woman died in childbirth, the Alpha died as well.
Other, darker tales counseled wealthy men to avoid biting their mate at all costs, though receiving a bite was of no concern, as long as he kept his teeth to himself. If one mate refrained from returning the bite, the bond was uneven, and supposedly felt like an itch that could not be scratched.
Decades ago, a cunning, impoverished woman had tricked a wealthy older Alpha into biting her and had not returned the mark. When she murdered him in his sleep a few months later, she survived and went on to repeat her crime with a half dozen others before she was found out and executed.
I ground my teeth to keep from shuddering. “Bites are unnecessary for mating.”
“Yes, well… they seemed to be necessary, at least for Omegas, before the plagues. Omega-Alpha pairings, according to the texts I have studied, were always marked. During the first mating, each partner was compelled to deliver the bite. And so, as you must know, when one partner died, so did the other. The bond tethered them permanently, through the blood.” His thin lips curled up. “Supposedly, an Omega’s blood tasted of honey and fruit.”
“Peaches. Add that to your books.”
“Sire, Omegas were believed extinct decades ago. If one survived, she might not still bear those physical characteristics…”
“She does.” I cut the man off and handed him a few more goldani. “Thank you for your service. Will you stay for dinner and meet my Omega?”
The man’s eyes almost fell from his skull. “I-I would be honored, Sire. Thank you.” He bowed so low he nearly fell over before scuttling from the room.
“It has to be her, Axe. Selene matches the description perfectly. That aroma…”
