Page 31 of The King's Omega
“Pine trees, mostly.”
That surprised me. Omega gifts must include a heightened olfactory sense. The book hadn’t mentioned that.
What if Rigol had absorbed Selene’s scent through the bond? Would it be possible to persuade Vali to mate with a man who reeked of her enemy?
I paused to consider my next move. I hadn’t thought further than convincing the two parties in question to mate. But the girl was clever, and from the reading I’d done, she had to be the one to decide to accept him.
“I need to show you a book,” I said, diverting our steps to another hall. “I hope, after reading it, you’ll reconsider your feelings about King Rigol. It may be the only way to save Rimholt.”
She didn’t answer, but the kitten in her pocket meowed plaintively. She peeked down to reassure the animal and didn’t notice Lorn, who had stopped at the end of the hall.
I signed, “Where is Tarn?”
“Still speaking to his lieutenants.”
“The king?”
“Returning within the hour.”
I nodded and dismissed him. “Bring them to my second dungeon”—we both smiled—“in two hours.”
I hummed low, leading my sweet Omega into the library for story time. She didn’t know how to read, and I wondered if I would have time to teach her before the war began.
She curled up next to me in a wide-backed chair. “What’s the book, Vil?” she asked, petting her kitten.
“It’s about Omegas, about women like you.”
“Oh, Vil, don’t be silly. I can’t be an Omega. They all died out. Everyone knows that.” She hesitated. “Well, except for King Rigol, and the whole city makes fun of him for believing in fairytales.”
“What if I told you that at least one Omega did still exist, and she’s sitting next to me now?”
“I’d say you have a very active imagination.” Her brow furrowed. “Why would you think I’m an Omega? I’m not special in the least.”
“You’re very special; you’re the perfect mate for an Alpha, you know.”
“An Alpha like Axe?”
A sharp pang stabbed my gut. “Or me.” She peered up at me, one lip caught between her teeth. I coughed, trying to focus. “Or Tarn, Lorn, or King Rigol.”
“What makes you Alphas? It’s your smell, right?” She sighed. “I love Axe’s essence. Musky and spicy and—”
Axe again. “It’s not just scent, it’s our nature. We’re aggressive, protective, and can be territorial. We’re also physically stronger—”
“Like Axe,” she interrupted. “He’ssostrong. All muscle-y.”
“I have muscles.” I puffed my chest up, reaching for the buttons on my shirt, when soft laughter interrupted me. “You little minx!”
Her laughter filled the room. “You’re fun to tease. I haven’t had this much fun in months.”
I shot her a questioning look.
“Selene never let me play with the ladies, not after Madam made me Selene’s private lady’s maid.”
The ladies? “The whores?”
Her rosebud lips turned down. “I don’t call them that; people have made it into a mean word. They’re my friends. They have a job not everyone would like, and not all of them wanted it. But they work hard, and many of them were kind.”
“Did you ever consider working there?” Her nature was so open and responsive that I was surprised she’d stayed untouched for so long.
