CHAPTER NINE

GREEK

––––––––

An alpha had just fed me. And I let him. All because a beautiful beta encouraged me to do so. How... unexpected. Of course, I’d sniffed the food before eating it. To my surprise, it had smelled only of...food. No cum. No piss. Just food. Food for me. It smelled so good that it almost brought tears to my eyes.

To some, it was just food. Some didn’t realize how often they took having a good meal for granted. To me, that food had been a blessing. I never thought I’d eat such delicious and clean food again. It tasted even better than it smelled. I’d wanted to eat more. I’d wanted to eat all of it. But my stomach had protested, and I’d been forced to stop.

Instead of looking angry at me for not being able to finish what he’d prepared for me, the alpha... Demon had turned to Sofia for help. It seemed she knew just what to say to bend this huge alpha to her will, which was shocking and amazing.

Seriously, I’d never seen an alpha as tall as him. It looked like he had muscles on top of muscles. And I refused to think about his scent that I felt he was masking with some type of scent blocker. Even with the blockers, it was still divine. While being near him and his intense fragrance made me nervous, the beta across from me kept me from trying to run away.

She was beautiful. And her scent had pulled me from my sleep, making me want to be awake to see who possessed such a glorious fragrance. I’d never been attracted to a beta before... well, I’ve never been attracted to anyone. Not when I wasn’t caught in the fever of a heat.

When I was in a heat, anything with a hole or a pole was fair game, which is why I hated being in heat. I hated sex. I hated what I was – an omega, cursed with a biology that forced me to need a knot. Not want one. NEED one. However, I could feel desire stirring within me when this beautiful beta had stared at me earlier.

That desire had surprised and frightened me just a little. She’d spoken to me of hope and strength, speaking as if she truly believed there was a home out there for me. As if I could truly have a second chance at life now that I’d escaped the pack who’d held me captive. She only felt that way because she didn’t know what I was.

She didn’t know who they were – my captors. I was a catalyst, worth a lot at an auction. And they were the definition of true evil. They wouldn’t give up on me. Unless they were dead. Unless their enemies had succeeded and taken the entire pack down. But that presented a new problem. Their enemies knew about me.

Would they come for me when they didn’t find me at the pack’s compound? I swallowed, wanting to believe in her words, wanting to believe I was safe. If I stared at her long enough, I’d probably start to believe. But I was afraid to do that. Afraid this was all a dream. That I’d wake up back in my cold cage instead of on a soft couch in a warm cabin.

Afraid that I’d wake up back to being beaten and treated as a fuck toy instead of a human being. Instead of being fed by an alpha, I’d wake up to having an alpha slam his heel into my ribs. Instead of being smiled at by a beautiful beta, I’d have one throwing food at me and telling me to eat it off the floor like the trash that I was.

I swallowed, still sipping the milk Demon had given me. I couldn’t believe he was truly cleaning the floor as Sofia had told him to do. Sofia, who was tied up at the moment. Yet, she didn’t seem afraid. I had no idea what was going on. Neither of them were behaving the way they should.

Alphas didn’t feed their omegas, at least, not in this day and age. And they sure didn’t obey betas. And betas didn’t have the courage to boss alphas around. I felt like I’d entered a new reality, or... maybe I truly was dreaming. I remained quiet, knowing if I spoke up, I’d probably anger one of them. I didn’t want either of them to be mad at me.

As Demon cleaned, Sofia stared from me to him. Suddenly, she burst out laughing. It was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard. A sweet, chaotic melody that drifted through the air, raising goosebumps over my flesh. A sound I never wanted to end. I stilled. So did the alpha. Both of our gazes were drawn to her.

How could anyone look that happy? There was nothing sinister about her gaze or her smile. She reminded me of my past, a happier time in my life. A time when I was surrounded by bright smiles and pure joy. She reminded me of family. She reminded me that life could be heaven, not just hell.

I felt drawn to this woman in a way I’d never been drawn to anyone before. Then she licked her lips, and my cock jerked as I imagined my cock being the reason she was smiling so beautifully. I pictured myself rubbing my slick over her lips, coating them in my juices. My eyes widened as shock zipped through me.

What was I thinking? How was I thinking this? I never had thoughts like this. I hated my slick. I hated everything about... me. Damn it. I leaned to the side a little more, not wanting her to see the way her smile was affecting me. Shame filled me. How was I getting hard at a time like this?

She was nice to me. Kind. I shouldn’t be having dirty thoughts about her. Maybe I was just as filthy as Natalie insisted I was. I swallowed down the shame, hating myself for thinking dirty thoughts about the beautiful Sofia. The angel who’d called me beautiful and strong. I knew she could smell my arousal in the air. As an omega, there was no hiding how I felt.

I chanced a glance at her to find her gaze fixed on me. She licked her lips. I nearly choked on the milk I was sipping. I felt it dribble down my chin. Oh, no. I’d wasted some. I’d made a mess. My gaze darted to the alpha, waiting for him to get angry at me for being careless, for being me, the screw-up that I was.

My fingers tightened around the glass as shame crawled over my skin. He was the biggest alpha I’d known. His fist would hurt worse than those who’d come before him. I tensed my entire body, bracing for the impact.

Instinctively, I murmured, “I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to spill...” Before I could finish, Demon’s voice cut through the panic spiraling inside me.

“It’s okay,” he whispered, his tone gruff but unexpectedly soothing. “I’ll clean it up.”

Wait. What?

He placed the dirty napkin on the tray and grabbed a clean one. His hand reached out, the tip of the napkin brushing my chin to catch a stray droplet. His touch lingered, then drifted lower, his thumb grazing my jawline as he cleaned me. I held myself completely still, not moving, not breathing, unable to believe an alpha was cleaning up my mess.

His fingers shifted lower, wiping at the droplets on my chest and stomach, and then...

I stiffened as his hand grazed over my boxers, still cleaning me. His thumb accidentally brushed over my cock. The shock of that touch sent a spark racing through my veins. A strangled noise slipped out of my mouth, a groan, low and needy.

Demon's hand stilled, his eyes widening as he looked down, realizing where his fingers had settled. I felt my cheeks flush as his hand remained where it was, unmoving over the outline of my hardness. Part of my swollen tip was peeking through the slit in my boxers. And that just so happened to be the part his hand landed on.

His napkin was on my boxers, but his hand, his palm, was slightly touching my cock. His fingers twitched as if he couldn’t believe what he was feeling, the warmth of my arousal hot against his skin.

I shivered, trying to swallow down the tremors running through me. I wasn’t in heat. And yet, here I was, desperate for an alpha’s touch, wishing he’d slide his hand into the slit of my boxers and grip my cock.

Just thinking that had me leaking. Damn it! This was new, unexpected, and so unlike me. I knew the moment he felt the wetness against his hand. Demon’s expression shifted, a flicker of something primal crossing his face before he quickly pulled his hand back. With his hand gone, I suddenly felt cold. A whimper escaped me before I could swallow it down.

Demon rushed to his feet, grabbing the tray as he muttered, “I’ll take that glass if you’re done.”

My heart still pounded, but I nodded, my gaze never leaving him. Moving slowly, I reached out to hand him the glass, our fingers brushing. It was the slightest contact, but I felt it reverberate through me, every nerve in my body flaring at his warmth. His gaze flicked to mine, and I caught the faintest growl, low and vibrating, spilling from his lips.

Then, as quickly as he’d touched me, he withdrew, his jaw clenched as he all but bolted from the room, leaving me to stare after him, his scent growing stronger, defying the blocker trying to suppress it. My mouth watered, and I shuddered to think how delicious he’d smell once that blocker wore off. I didn’t look away until Sofia’s voice broke the silence.

“Now that was hot,” she murmured, her voice laced with amusement.

My cheeks flamed with embarrassment, but when I glanced her way, I saw the glint of teasing in her eyes. A smile tugged at my lips, realizing she’d thrown my words from earlier back at me. Words I’d spoken while I thought I was dreaming. This was no dream. That was hard to believe since my reality hadn’t felt as warm as this in a very long time.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, leaning forward, her gaze warm and genuine.

I hesitated, caught off guard by the question. No one had truly cared about my well-being in, well... a long damn time. It took me a moment to find my voice. But instead of answering, I asked a question of my own.

“How are you feeling?” I countered, my gaze drifting down to the ropes that bound her wrists and ankles.

She laughed, rolling her eyes as she glanced down at her restraints. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m going to demand he free me as soon as he returns.” She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a playful whisper. “But if I’m honest, I don’t think he tied me up to be mean or kidnapperish. I think he restrained me to keep me from attacking him.”

A memory rushed back to me from brief moments of consciousness. A memory of me being slung over the alpha’s shoulder while Sofia’s voice rang out, fierce and furious, as she demanded he release me.

“Thank you,” I said softly, meeting her gaze. “Thank you for fighting for me.”

A hint of a smile touched her lips as she gave me a shrug. “Anytime. Sorry, I didn’t win.”

I smiled back at her, feeling something warm unfurl in my chest. She’d fought for me, protected me even though she barely knew me. Though I was thankful, a small, selfish part of me felt grateful she hadn’t won. If she had, we wouldn’t be here, where it was warm and where there was food and an alpha to protect us.

Though I was still nervous of Demon, my body knew he wasn’t like any alpha I’d ever encountered. For starters, he seemed just as skittish around me as I was around him. Plus, when I made a mess, he’d cleaned it up instead of yelling or hitting me. Then there was the way he listened to the beautiful beta, doing as she said without reprimanding her for ordering him around. I’d never met an alpha like him before.

“Thinking about our alpha?” she asked, voice low.

Our alpha. I blushed. I couldn’t help it. Her words and her chuckle were so damn sweet.

“He’s kind of hot, isn’t he?” she asked.

Hot? Yeah, he was kind of hot! He was huge, his body a wall of muscle that looked carved from stone, every ridge and scar a story I’d never have the courage to ask about. His skin was tan, marked with faint scratches and deep scars that told of battles I couldn’t imagine surviving.

His face was strikingly handsome. A jagged scar ran along the side of his jaw, adding a layer of menace to his chiseled features. His nose had been broken at least once, slightly crooked but somehow perfect for him.

His stubble was dark and rough, matching the shadows lurking in his piercing blue eyes – eyes so bright they seemed unnatural, like shards of ice that could cut through you with a glance. They made me feel exposed. Made me feel like he could see every broken part of me.

His hair was wild and dark, just long enough to curl at the edges. As he’d fed me, I’d wanted to reach out and touch it, to see if it was as soft as it looked, but I didn’t dare. Every part of him radiated power, but not the kind that begged for attention.

It was effortless, dangerous, as if he didn’t have to prove how strong he was because the world already knew. I’d never felt so small, so safe, and so terrified all at once. Hot? Yeah, the alpha was hot. But he was also so much more.

“Sooo,” Sofia drawled. “Do you think he’s hot or not?”

Oh, right! I hadn’t answered her. I thought about denying it. But I didn’t want to. I nodded slowly. Yeah, Demon was hot.

“It’s supposed to storm tonight,” she continued in a hushed whisper. “There’s a late-season tropical storm in the gulf. It shouldn’t be too bad because the gulf waters have cooled off. But there’s a possibility of strong wins and tornados.”

“Really?” I asked. Back at the compound, no one updated me on mundane things like the weather or any news unless it was something that would bring me to tears or hurt my feelings.

“Yep,” she said, popping the P in the most adorable way. “My cabin isn’t too far from here. It’s within walking distance. But it’s not in the best shape. Actually, it’s in pretty bad shape.”

She sounded so dejected that I wanted to hug her and tell her it would be okay. At least she had a cabin to call home. I had... nothing.

“Maybe we can ride the storm out here,” she murmured.

I would sure love to have her ride me. I blinked. Shock zipped through me at my thoughts. I didn’t even like being ridden. I hated it, in fact. Where were these thoughts coming from?

“Did you hear me?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yes. Ride. The storm.” What was I saying? Why was I so strange?

Instead of staring at me like I was an idiot, she released another one of her signature chuckles. She should be careful. A guy could get used to that sound and desire to hear it every day.

“Does bad weather scare you?” she asked. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from the storm.”

Storms didn’t scare me. People did. But right now, I wasn’t feeling afraid. And that was new. It had been so long since I hadn’t had fear clawing at my throat, threatening to suffocate me. I swallowed, and for the hundredth time, I wondered if this was a cruel dream. If it was, I wanted to stay here and never wake up.

I’d rather die here than return to my cage. I was warm. I was fed. I was being treated like a human being instead of an unwanted pet. Tears stung my eyes. I blinked them back, not wanting to alarm the beautiful Sofia. Storm or no storm, I wasn’t ready to leave here yet. Sofia went silent when Demon reentered the room.

His gaze flicked from me to her, his signature scowl deepening as he rubbed his hands over his pants, looking anywhere but at us now. I waited for the dread I always felt in the presence of alphas to thread through my veins. I waited for my body to lock up and prepare to be struck.

I waited for the tell-tell signs that I was about to retreat into myself until the fists stopped raining down on me. That didn’t happen. I was slightly tense. But my body wasn’t telling me to shut down, to retreat, to pretend I was anywhere else but right here with an alpha who looked brutal but didn’t feel threatening.

His voice, rough and gravelly, broke the silence. "It has started raining. A storm’s coming tonight. It’s a slow mover and will linger for a few days. It’s not safe to leave. You’ll stay here."

Though his words were clipped and his tone left no room for argument, he seemed nervous. A nervous alpha. Interesting . Then he went quiet as if waiting for us to challenge him, to argue or demand he let us go. But I wasn’t going anywhere. Where would I even go? Out into the storm, barefoot and wearing nothing but boxers?

Without protection, I wouldn’t last an hour. I had no weapon, no shelter. Hell, I didn’t even have shoes. I risked a glance at Sofia. She didn’t look like she was in any rush to leave, either. She wanted to ride out the storm here. That much was clear.

But instead of saying anything to Demon, she was watching me, waiting patiently for my response. Oh. Right. She’d asked me earlier about staying, and I hadn’t answered. I nodded at her, swallowing my nerves. I wanted to stay... for a while.

Sofia smiled, her gaze shifting to Demon. “We’ll ride the storm out here with you, big guy.”

Demon’s only response was a single jerk of his head. He didn’t seem pleased, exactly, but he wasn’t upset either. He just stood there, looming like a dark, brooding shadow, watching us. My gaze returned to Sofia, whose eyes were on the alpha. Her ropes! I don’t know where the boldness came from, but the words left my lips before I could stop them.

“Her wrists and ankles,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. “Free them... please.”

Sofia looked at me, her gaze melting me where I sat. She winked at me and took it from there, lifting her bound wrists with a smirk.

“Yeah, my wrists and ankles, big guy. You’ve had your kinky fun. Now free me.”

“Kink...” he stopped before he could get the entire word out.

Demon’s throat worked as he swallowed, his eyes narrowing like he didn’t want to untie her. For a moment, I thought he might refuse. Then, with a low growl, he stalked toward her. He dropped to one knee in front of her, and I couldn’t help but stare. It wasn’t often you saw an alpha kneeling.

And yet, there he was, lowering himself in front of Sofia without hesitation. It was strange, almost reverent. His broad shoulders blocked her body from my view as he leaned in, his rough fingers making quick work of the knots. Sofia watched him with an amused smile, but I could feel the tension between them.

Not bad tension. This was electric, crackling in the air. I leaned forward to get a better view of her. Once her wrists were free, Demon didn’t move on to her ankles right away. Instead, he removed the handkerchiefs from her wrists, exposing the red marks the ropes had left behind. My gaze narrowed when I saw the bruises marring her skin.

Seeing those bruises sent a ripple of anger through me, sudden and unexpected. My hackles rose, the omega in me recoiling instinctively. Yet, another part of me rose up, defiant and destructive, something I’d never felt before. It wasn’t just that her wrists were bruised. It was the thought of anyone hurting my Sofia, even indirectly, that made me want to defend her.

“What. Happened. To. Her. Wrist?” I growled low, a sound I’d never made before.

Demon’s shoulders tense, his hands stilling on Sofia’s wrist. Her gaze locked onto mine. Something in my eyes must’ve alarmed her because her smile brightened, but it was stiff, vastly different from her pure, happy smile. This one was forced.

“I’m fine,” she told me. “It doesn’t even hurt.”

Hurt. Pain. Was she in pain? Before I knew it, I was on my feet, my sore feet, limping over to her. My ankle throbbed, but I needed to be at her side.

“Sit down, Greek,” Sofia rushed to say. “You’re still healing.”

Too late. I was now perched on the edge of her couch, staring down at the bruises on her wrists, ignoring my own. Mine didn’t matter. I was used to the lingering pain. I couldn’t recall the last time I’d gone a full day without hurting. Agony was my constant companion. What hurt right now was the fact that she was in pain. She couldn’t be in pain. Not ever. I wouldn’t allow it.

“How did this happen?” I asked, balling my hands into fists, though I really wanted to shake the alpha and demand how he let this happen to her.

She swallowed, her gaze dropping to Demon. She looked even smaller now that I was closer to her. And I could feel the heat emanating from her body, chasing away the eternal chill that seemed to have sunken into my bones over the years. Then there was her scent... how could a beta smell so sweet?

Her gaze rose to mine again, and I almost got lost in her hazel eyes. The freckles splattered across her face were adorable. I wanted to count them with my mouth, kissing each one as I tallied them up. Her flaming hair fit her personality perfectly. I imagined myself fisting it, making a mess of it as I pleasured her.

I’d been told that I wasn’t a good lover, that I was an unnatural omega because I didn’t crave being touched, licked, or sucked. Yet, for her, I’d learned to be better at it. For her, I’d learn to be the perfect omega.

Her lips parted, bringing my gaze to her pink lips. I bit my tongue to keep from leaning down and pressing my mouth against hers to see if her lips were as soft as they looked. This woman was the definition of beautiful. The kind of beauty others would kill to possess. I would not let them have her.

I would not let them hurt her, break her, ruin her. I had to protect her. Mine , my omega purred. I didn’t realize it was me growling until her gaze rose to mine, her eyes widening, her scent spiking, filling the air with her sweet perfume.

“I’m okay, Greek,” she whispered.

“What happened?” I choked, trying not to breathe in too much of her, afraid of what I’d do if I let her fragrance go to my head.

“Big guy here tied me up and told me to stay still. But of course, I’m a rebel, and I tried to get free, not stopping even when I felt the ropes biting into my skin. Though he’s completely at fault for tying me up in the first place, I’m the one who hurt myself.” Her gaze dropped to the alpha, and I instantly wanted her eyes back on me, only me, MINE .

“Big guy here almost fainted when he realized I’d hurt myself on the ropes. He applied medicine and put the handkerchiefs on me to keep the ropes from touching my bruised skin.”

She faced me again. Finally, her eyes were back on me. The knot in my chest eased a little.

“You can calm down, omega. I promise you, I’m fine. But thanks for worrying about me. I appreciate it.”

I replayed her words over and over in my head, allowing them to settle over me. I had to repeat them three times before my fists relaxed, my palms now resting on my legs as I sat beside her, breathing in her scent. I should move. I should return to the couch I’d been on. But my body wouldn’t do it. I didn’t want to leave this beta’s side. In fact, I wanted to be even closer to her.

“Is it okay if Demon goes back to freeing me now?” she asked me.

That’s when I noticed that Demon hadn’t moved since my first growl filled the air. I swallowed, growing nervous. Had I angered him? I truly don’t know what had come over me. Seeing her hurt triggered something inside me. I couldn’t stop myself from reacting. But had my actions placed us both in trouble with the alpha? Would he kick us out because of me?

I’d screwed up again. And now my Sofia would have to suffer because of it.