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Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Goldie

I groan, stretching my hands above my head as I let out a yawn. The sun is bright in here already, letting me know I overslept. I roll onto my side, looking for the Alpha I spent the night sleeping beside. There’s no sign of Dair as I blink the sleep away from my eyes.

Sitting up, the blanket I spent the night snuggling falls to my waist, revealing my bare breasts to the cool morning air, but I don’t mind. I smile at the memories.

I tried so hard to tempt the Alpha into more last night, and I’m not sure if I enjoyed the playful way we teased each other more, or the way he growled that I needed my rest and to stop tempting him.

I knew he wasn’t bothered by my persistence, because when I got out of bed to get dressed after my last orgasm, picking the shirt he had originally planned to have me sleep in off the floor, he let out an unholy growl that practically shook the walls.

“Get that sweet ass back in bed, Omega, before I turn it pink. The only place that clothing belongs tonight, is on the floor,” he barked, and the shiver that ran through me was enough to have slick gathering in my center.

I never knew an Alpha’s bark could be sexy.

“But you said I need to stop tempting you,” I replied innocently, dragging a hand down my chest while I held the shirt loosely in my other hand. Aldair’s response had been to stomp over to me, and toss me onto the bed.

I nibble my lip now, remembering how his flavor stuck to my tongue. Will Cillian be salty too, or will his cracked pepper and sandalwood scent spice the taste? Will Ky be sweeter with the hint of clover?

The thought has me pausing after I kick the blankets off. My Alphas? Can I claim them? Make them mine? Oh, I really fucking want to. I can feel the need to run out of this room and hunt each of them down to mark them with a mate bond coursing through my veins.

“My Alphas…” I whisper, testing out the sound. “Their Omega. Their Mate…” There’s a moment, as something inside me settles around the idea, that I know with my whole heart, that this is where I belong.

With that conviction, I decide to claim what I want.

It’s time to take what's mine.

A short while later, after washing my face and putting my hair up with the ribbon from last night I pull on a pretty pale blue dress. I give a twirl to watch the blue fabric swish around my knees. This dress is the girliest, nicest thing I’ve ever owned. It fits every curve perfectly, especially now that I’m eating so well.

Half of my new life list is complete. Find a safe place to live and eat lots of delicious food. Now I just need to keep enjoying the baths and the orgasms, and I’ll be happy Omega.

I can’t remember ever waking up and feeling this giddy. This, light! I feel as if I could float around the house.

If I can offer these men nothing else, I can at least do for them what I did for Aldair last night. He seemed to enjoy it…

Before I leave the room, I am hit with a wave of need that leaves me clutching the door. The instincts I’ve been suppressing rise to the surface, and scream at me. Yes! Claim them, mate them, let them rut, and fuck and knot… RUN FOR THEM…

I’ve made my way down the hall in a daze, but I stumble mid-step into the kitchen. That last thought had been so loud, but…run from them? Why would I run? Run, chase, catch! BITE, KNOT, CLAIM!

My temperature spikes, and I swallow the lump in my suddenly dry throat. Rushing into the kitchen, I get myself a cup of water and gulp it down, sweat dripping down my forehead and between my shoulder blades. The world spins slightly, and there are no signs of my Alphas inside, so I head out the front door.

I fall into the porch swing that I have yet to make use of, the cool air hitting my skin like a wet blanket, and I gasp. What the fuck is happening?

I’m fanning myself, when from between the trees, I spot movement. For a moment I am consumed with the fear that Donald, or one of the villagers, has found me. Then the shape takes on a more monstrous form. It’s over seven feet tall, black fur…glowing brown eyes.

I screech, leaping out of the swing and scrambling across the porch toward the door as I keep my eyes fixed to the spot between the trees, but as I blink, it’s gone.

“Goldie?” Kylan comes sprinting up to me from the other side of the yard, eyes wide as he searches the area for a threat.

“Ky!” I cry out, and take off in his direction. I launch into his arms, and he catches me easily as I tremble. “I think my mind is messing with me,” I whisper. “I thought I saw the villagers…” I confess, as I tremble in his arms. I am not sure which option scares me more, the threat of my past or the fear of what hides in the forest.

“They can’t get to you here, Goldie. I promise. You’re safe, I will always keep you safe, sweet Omega.” He lets out a strong purr that immediately soothes me, and I melt in his arms. Once my shaking stops, Ky sets me on my feet, and I step back to look up at him.

“Sorry about that.” I frown as the tension holding me fades, but Ky shrugs.

“I’m sorry you were frightened, but I’m not sorry about the hug.” He smirks, but my frown only deepens.

“You aren’t? You’ve been avoiding me…avoiding touching me, ever since our kiss,” I whisper, fiddling with the hem of my dress as my nerves get the best of me.

“No, I’m not–” he starts but snaps his jaw shut when I glare at him.

“Don’t treat me like I’m stupid. Please. If you don’t want me…” I trail off, shaking my head. My heart and my instincts tell me Ky is mine, but maybe I’m wrong.

“Fuck, Goldie no…” Ky shocks me into silence as he falls to his knees before me, and wraps his arms around my waist. While kneeling in front of me, the top of his head comes right up to my chin. Slowly, I lower my hands to his shoulders, before allowing them to trail up his broad muscles and push them into the hair at the nape of his neck.

He leans down and presses his face to my abdomen, breathing me in deeply, and now it’s Ky that’s trembling in my arms. My heart aches. I don’t want Ky in pain or doubting our connection… I don’t like this.

I release a gentle purr, just for my kind Alpha, and when he looks up at me, meeting my eyes with a sheen of tears in his, I shake my head. Lifting one hand to cup the side of his bearded cheek, emotions clog my throat, but I force myself to speak.

“I take it back, ignore me. I’m sorry…” I whisper, but Ky shakes his head, his hold on me tightening. He sits back onto his heels, allowing my hand to fall back to his shoulder, and lets his arms slide away to cup my hips in a possessive grip.

“Your feelings are valid, Goldie. I wasn’t trying to hurt you, but I was avoiding you. Not for the reasons you’re thinking, though. I… I…” His amber eyes fall closed as he takes a deep breath, before meeting my gaze once more. “I struggle with control. I’m scared I’ll lose what grip I have and do something I can’t take back. I’m scared I’ll hurt you, or take things too far… Waking up with you in my arms, at first it felt like I’d woken up in heaven, but then the urge to bury myself inside you, and lock you to me on my knot, took over, and I panicked.” His confession is strained, but it’s having the exact wrong effect on my body right now.

Stupid Omega, this is a serious moment, focus you hussy!

“I would have let you,” I mumble softly, before nibbling my lip. “If you need space, I’ll keep my distance, but don’t distance yourself from me for the sake of my virtue, or the fear that you’ll hurt me… You could never hurt me, Ky.” I press my hand to his heart, holding his gaze for a long moment so he sees how deeply I feel those words.

“I’ve hurt Ma, I could hurt you too,” he whispers, his eyes falling closed as he drops his head in shame. “Her scar…” He doesn’t elaborate, but I frown. What about her scar? Why does he feel responsible? What happened? “I’m not ready to tell you the story, but… You need to know what I’m capable of.” He sounds so broken, and I can’t stand it anymore.

Dropping to my knees, I pull him down for a hug. I’ve got my arms locked around his neck as I grasp him tightly. My purr intensifies, and I hold him until the ache in my own chest settles, and then I pull back. With a firm grip cupping his jaw, I force him to look at me.

“Nothing you could ever do to me, could ever be worse than what I’ve already been through. The difference is, I know you don’t want to hurt me. I don’t know why you think you can’t trust yourself with me, but I trust you, Ky. I trust you more than I’ve trusted anyone else in my life prior to meeting you and your brothers. Do you trust me?” I ask, and Ky’s eyes flare.

“Of course!” he says with a conviction I wasn’t expecting.

“Then trust me enough to know myself. Trust me enough to say I will tell you if I’m scared, or if you’re taking things too far. Trust me enough to know that I trust you, and I want you near me. Touching me. Knotting me…” I whisper the last words, but the fear of knotting me is what sent him running from me yesterday morning.

“Fuck…” Ky swallows thickly, making me giggle.

“Sorry, I just wanted to make it clear where I stand, with the knotting and other stuff,” I add, and Kylan nods.

“Got it. Please stop saying knotting,” he blushes, and my giggle gets louder.

“Right, sorry.” I stand and take a step back as Ky follows. “So, what are you doing today?” I ask, but my stomach growls loudly, cutting off whatever he was about to say.

“Hungry? After the night you had with Aldair, I would have thought you’d be ravenous this morning,” Kylan teases, and I gasp, mouth hanging open.

“Wow, I expect that kind of sass from Cillian, but you too, Ky?” I shake my head and hold my hand to my chest mockingly, as we head toward the house. “And I am ravenous. Are you going to satiate that hunger, Ky?” I ask sweetly, making his scent flare, and his eyes burn with a look of desire that matches mine.

“Oh, you don’t fight fair, do you, naughty Omega? Come on, let's get you fed, you little vixen.”

The growl of frustration that leaves me as I swing the ax could rival a grizzly bear. Catching the grain at the top of the log, the tool slips to the side, causing the wood to splinter in a very awkward shape, not at all the way Aldair likes them for the fires. Honestly, I don’t care. I’m too frustrated to make a genuine effort.

The lingering scents of the men in the house are making me crazy, but they’re gone before I wake every morning, and don’t return until late at night. Kylan is the only one that’s ever here, but he’s always busy with the animals.

For five days now, I’ve gotten out of one of their beds, walked into a kitchen filled with food, but a table empty of men.

Two hours ago I ran into Ky, who was fresh out of the garden, covered in sweat and dirt, and I wanted to lick the man clean. He yelped, YELPED! And then ran from me like I was about to eat him alive.

In his defense, I probably would, given half the chance.

Aldair and Cillian have been scouting, according to Ky. The men from my old village are still looking for me, and they’ve gotten close to Alma, so Aldair and Cillian are setting traps to scare the villagers off before they get too close.

Things between Ky and I are still better than before. He’ll give me kisses and hugs. He cuddles me after dinner by the books, but always wants to go to bed alone.

“Ah!” I grunt, as I take my anger out on another piece of wood. I’m sweating profusely, but I’ve been sweating, so that's nothing new. My temperature has been rising for days now. I drench the sheets I sleep in every night.

Right now I’m pissed, covered in sweat, and so fucking desperate for a knot, that I’m ready to fuck myself with this ax.

That thought pulls me up short. I stand up quickly from leaning over, and look at the handle cautiously.

“What the absolute fuck?” I hiss at myself. That was unhinged and kind of gross. Fuck the ax? I shake my head, before slamming the ax into the round stump of a tree that Aldair uses as the base for his wood chopping. Without even thinking about it, I kick my shoes off, rip my dress off, and head for the river. I haven’t bothered with underwear, because every scrap of clothing against my body makes me want to shred my skin.

Stomping up to the bank of the river, I jump right in. The cool water soothes my heated skin, and I moan at the reprieve it provides me.

“Fuuuuck,” I whisper, as tears sting my eyes. “What’s wrong with me?” I cry. I’m all over the place today. I’ve never been this emotional in my life! I mean, I couldn’t be…there was never time to break down… “Ugh! So dumb,” I grumble, tipping my head back, and lifting my arms, attempting to float along the current. It fails. I’m in a river.

Smacking the surface of the water with my hands, I catch a scent in the air that makes me grin as I stand in the waist deep water. Kylan. Keeping my back toward him, I smile and tip my head to the sun. I let my eyes fall closed and sigh.

When I run my fingers across my wet skin, the moan that escapes is real. I’m so worked up and touch starved, that the sensation has me teetering on the edge. I need my Alphas.

My pheromones spike, sending a heady wave of my desire into the air, and I hear a masculine groan, as Ky gets closer to me.

“Unless you’re going to touch me, don’t get any closer, Ky. I’m so needy right now, and I couldn’t take it if you reject me,” I say, feeling like the last five days have been building to this moment.

“Fuck, Goldie, why didn’t you tell me?” Ky whispers, and my eyes pop open, finding him close enough to touch as he kneels on the riverbank.

“You couldn’t scent me?” I ask, because maybe I haven’t been sending them subtle fuck me signals after all.

“I could, but to be honest, your scent hasn’t changed much since you arrived. Maybe a little today.” He swallows thickly, and I huff.

“Oh.” I pout. I know I do, but I don’t know how else to respond. “I want you, Kylan,” I say, deciding it should have been more direct before. “I need you… I need you inside me,” I add, making it very clear what I want.

“Cillian and Aldair will be back soon,” he murmurs, frowning, and I can see the look of fear in his eyes as he follows the droplets dripping down the curves of my naked body. There’s desire swimming in their depths too.

“What about you? You don’t want to touch me?” I ask, not moving. I don’t want him to do anything he doesn’t want to. But fuck, I really, really want this.

“I do, it’s just–” his words end with a growl, his amber eyes seeming to glow. My heart rate kicks up, and the scent around him changes. Thickening. My heart races, and my instincts scream at me to run. RUN, CHASE, KNOT… “Fuck, Goldie, I… I can’t–” and then he’s jumping up and running into the treeline behind the river, and my mind clouds.

RUN, RUN, RUN…mate, mate, MATE!

Two more scents fill me then, and I look around. The other Alphas must be close… I didn’t hear them come through the cottage. Were they already out here? Hunting, maybe.

I shake my head. Crawling up onto the bank of the river, on the forest side, I turn my head to scan the trees.

I’m not supposed to chase. They chase me…

A large, dark form appears between the trees, easier to spot this time than five days ago.

Monster. The guttural sound I release is instinctual. Something in my soul knows what my mind doesn’t fully understand yet. Something my heart has been trying to tell me all along.

“Mine,” I growl, dropping to a crouch as the sun sinks lower behind the mountains. The darkness covers us, it doesn't scare me like it once did. The scariest thing in the depths of this forest are the three Alphas currently watching me. Hunting me.

I do the one thing you’re never supposed to do when face to face with a predator. I turn my back to them, and run.

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