Chapter Nineteen

Kiandra

I felt a mixture of guilt and an unusual sense of relaxation. While I remained under guard and restricted to the ship's deck, I had at least been provided with some form of entertainment. Perched on a small stool by the ship's side, I delved into a tiny book about the Mainlands. There wasn't much reading material available on the ship, as it hadn't been a priority for their journey, but Cartan had managed to provide me with this small diversion.

He, on the other hand, was occupied in a large room, engrossed in conversations with other Alphas about matters I was not privy to. It grated on me that I appeared to be nothing more than a source of pleasure for Cartan. I understood what I had agreed to—the surrender of myself to him in exchange for the protection I knew I would need. Yet, it didn't diminish the feeling of being used.

I even began to doubt if my confusing behavior had anything to do with my heat. When Cartan wasn't nearby and other Alphas were around me, yet kept their distance to avoid angering him, I felt nothing. There was no sense of safety or longing. I could simply look at them and shrug. Why was that? I pressed two fingers to my forehead, desperately searching my mind for the answers I knew were buried within.

"Come on," I urged myself. I knew the answer was there somewhere. It wasn't just a result of the time I had spent with him. The powerful reaction had been immediate. I tapped my finger against the book, momentarily abandoning my reading about the Mainlands. The book wasn't providing me with much new information anyway. My thoughts were consumed by the enigmatic Alpha who had been claiming me every evening and throughout the night.

Perhaps that was why my memories eluded me. Whenever he was near, he would possess me with such intensity that rational thought became a distant memory. I needed proper rest to figure this out, but sleep was elusive unless Cartan was close by. My Omega instincts had grown accustomed to his presence, finding solace and safety in him. His purr was a soothing melody to my ears, and his scent was both dark and delightful, making me want to bury my nose in his neck all day.

I was getting distracted again, a clear sign that something wasn't right. Was it solely my heat, or was there something deeper drawing me to him? Why couldn't I think clearly? I groaned and leaned my head back, gazing up at the boundless blue sky above. I hadn't taken the time to appreciate my surroundings.

The fear of leaving my home, the small island where I had grown up and the familiar library I knew, had overwhelmed me. But now, out on the open ocean, heading to a new place filled with new knowledge and experiences, I realized I had overlooked the beauty around me. A small smile tugged at my lips as I tried to find a positive aspect in all of this. Yet, my thoughts soon circled back to what I had revealed to Cartan.

He now possessed knowledge of places where he might have a chance to find my sisters. Regret gnawed at me. I shouldn't have divulged anything. My sacrifice appeared to have been in vain, but my worries for my sisters still lingered. How would they fare out there? What if I had unwittingly exposed them to new hardships? Perhaps belonging to an Alpha wouldn't be the worst fate in the world.

There might be some silver lining in it all, especially if I could convey to my sisters how marking an Alpha could shield them from unwanted advances. Cartan, despite not having marked me, exuded an unmistakable possessiveness, and I hoped that would deter anyone else from desiring me. Maybe this was the way to safeguard ourselves. I just needed to find a way to communicate this message to my sisters, wherever they were.

I returned to my book, attempting to immerse myself in its words to distract my mind from the multitude of unanswered questions and concerns that plagued me. However, before long, the door to the cabin that Cartan had entered opened. The other Alphas exited, and Cartan's gaze immediately found me. He motioned for me to join him, and I rose to my feet. The dress I wore was unlike anything I had ever donned before. We were heading toward warmer climates, so the fabric was lighter, but the wind tugged at it, brushing over my nipples and sensitive skin, intensifying my awareness of the fact that I was walking toward the Alpha my body yearned for.

I ascended the small staircase to reach him, and it was evident that Cartan could sense the change in me, detecting my need for him. Still, he only smiled. He didn't seize me and take me with wild abandon. Instead, he guided me inside, where I spotted a large map spread out on a massive brown table.

Cartan urged me forward, his warm hands resting on my hips, and I struggled to stifle a moan. He halted us in front of the map, which depicted the entirety of Verocca. I had seen numerous maps of this land before, but none as grand as this. I even noticed how the edges extended beyond the table, hinting at additional undiscovered territory. I spotted more landmasses and islands that had previously escaped my attention.

"There's more here," I whispered.

"Some maps don't show the entirety of Verocca. I found very old ones that depict it all," Cartan explained.

My fingers traced the uncharted regions, and my eyes gravitated toward our current location. There was a tiny ship icon in the midst of it all, positioned close to the Mainlands. From there, I could see our journey would take us to the Black Desert, Cartan's home, and the domain of many tribes.

Verocca was inhabited by various Alpha tribes, but these Alphas had managed to establish a treaty and operate as a unified entity. It was an impressive feat, but Cartan diverted my attention as he took my hand and guided me around the table. We stopped by the Rocky Island, and I observed the numerous cities and towns listed on the map, a rarity in cartography. Most maps I had encountered only mentioned the most significant locations, those integral to trade and commerce.

"Incredible," I whispered in awe.

"Velisha," he said, pointing to the small town where my mother had sought refuge.

I nodded, uncertain about his intentions.

"Do you see all this forest surrounding it?" he questioned.

"Yes," I replied.

"And do you notice this town here?" he asked. He pointed to a much larger town outside the forest and closer to the other side of the island.

"I do," I confirmed.

"Do you know in that town, slavery is still legal?" he revealed.

"What? No, it can't be," I protested. "That's a matter for the Mainlands."

"In some places, yes, it's still perfectly legal, including this tiny town here," he said, tapping the location on the map.

"But my father wouldn't have allowed it," I argued.

"It's such a small town, much like Velisha. I believe he may have overlooked it, and the laws there are somewhat … questionable," he explained.

"How so?" I inquired.

He flashed a smile and retrieved a rolled-up paper, spreading it out in front of me. His warm body pressed against mine as he held the paper open, making it challenging for me to focus.

"These are some of the town's regulations," he clarified, and I read through them.

"But it clearly states that buying people is illegal," I pointed out.

"Yes, it does. However, it is not illegal to sell them or even to own slaves. The legality only pertains to purchasing, creating a loophole that they exploit," he informed me, causing a lump to form in my throat. He took the paper away and once again pointed to Velisha. "You mentioned that the town was once terrorized, and your father protected its people?"

"Yes," I affirmed.

"From what I understand, it should be relatively peaceful now. But look how close these two places are. If Velisha is nothing more than farmland with no real protection, how easy would it not be to capture a beautiful princess disguised as a mere Beta woman and turn her into a slave?" he insinuated, sending shivers down my spine.

"Why are you telling me this?" I whispered, slowly turning toward him.

He lightly tapped my head with the paper before taking a seat in one of the chairs around the table. He stretched his long, leather-covered legs in front of him, watching me intently.

"To show you how ill-conceived your plan was," he stated.

"You're trying to teach me a lesson?" I retorted.

"Indeed, I am. Omegas like you belong with Alphas," he asserted.

"Oh, yes, what a promising future, always there to please so many Alphas. So you intend to throw me to the wolves," I snapped, and Cartan growled darkly before standing up. He took a single, menacing step toward me, seizing me by the throat and pressing me firmly against the table.

"I told you, you belong to only one Alpha," he growled.

"Yes, and he refused to mark me in return, leaving me vulnerable to others," I reminded him.

Cartan shook his head, his eyes turning completely black before me.

"No other Alpha gets to touch," he snarled, his voice taking on a more animalistic tone. The bond between us radiated with his emotions, filled with the pain of being unable to mark me. He wanted to, but something held him back. I knew I needed his mark to seal our connection, leaving no room for others. I wondered if I could extract an answer from him or provoke him enough to lose control. I reached for my dress and began to lift it, inching it up over my legs. Cartan's gaze dropped, noticing how the soft blue material ascended higher. His nostrils flared, detecting my desire for him. Another growl escaped him, this time a gratified one. If he could use my pleasure against me, then I could do the same.

"Do you truly want others to have me?" I whispered, feeling his grip on my throat tighten. But I didn't stop lifting my dress until it was bunched around my hips. I reached between myself, sliding my fingers through my wetness, and then brought those fingers up to trace across Cartan's lips. This made him snarl, his fangs revealing themselves. "To let someone else taste me?"

Cartan roared, yanking me higher up and spreading my legs wide. His head descended between my thighs, his short beard grazing my skin, and I cried out in pleasure. His wicked tongue licked along my wet pussy and pushed inside me, teasing my core. I was spread wide for him as he feasted on me, causing me to unravel in moments. I lifted my hips, and he growled in satisfaction as I offered myself to him.

He sucked on my clit, pushing me over the edge before moving up my body, pulling me to the edge of the table, and yanking down his own pants to enter me. He thrust inside, making me gasp as he buried his entire length, causing my nipples to become incredibly sensitive. I wriggled out of the top part of my dress, and the moment my breasts were exposed, his mouth latched onto one of them, sucking hard. I cried out again in ecstasy, and he sucked harder until it almost bordered on pain. Then he switched to the other breast, subjecting it to the same treatment while his hips moved faster, driving his cock deep inside me with each thrust.

I reached for Cartan, gripping his hair and pulling him closer. I made him bury his nose in my neck, right where he was supposed to mark me. I felt his canines graze my skin and pushed him harder against me. However, he growled his disapproval, pulling out of me and turning me around.

My toes were barely touching the floor before he was thrusting inside me once more. He took me without restraint, his hand around my neck, pressing me against the table. I saw stars, and my entire world dimmed with blinking lights as I climaxed harder than ever before, unable to even scream. My voice was trapped while he continued pounding into me, losing himself in the moment. His grip tightened so much that it became painful as he released himself inside me, his knot stretching and locking us together. But then we were both panting, trying to catch our breath.

"You won't deceive me with your sweet scent and pussy," he warned me. "I will mark you. No one else will even entertain the thought, but it will happen when I decide."

"Why? What's so important that you're willing to leave me vulnerable to someone else? Just because I've marked you doesn't mean another Alpha couldn't decide to kill you and claim me for himself or even attempt to force his own mark on me," I challenged him.

Cartan simply chuckled darkly, his hand sliding into my hair, his fingers gently grazing my skull, sending pleasurable shivers throughout my body.

"You think another Alpha can kill me?" he taunted.

"There's always a greater opponent out there," I replied.

This time, his grip tightened painfully, and I whimpered.

"Do not underestimate me, little Omega," he snarled in my ear. "I am your Alpha, and anyone who dares to look at you for a moment too long, I will tear them apart and feed them their own eyeballs. Do you understand?"

Surprisingly, my body responded by tightening around him, making him chuckle again as my physical reaction answered him.

"Good," he whispered before a soft purring began, and I sighed contentedly as a silence enveloped us.

However, I soon felt Cartan's hand slide beneath to touch my stomach, sending shivers down my body.

"You're not pregnant yet," he observed.

"I told you when my heat is," I replied.

"Yes, but I've taken you many times by now," he noted.

I gulped, trying not to appear too obvious, but I couldn't hide anything from the Alpha behind me. He grabbed my chin and turned my head.

"You're keeping a secret from me," he declared.

"I..." My eyes darted to the side. I was a terrible liar.

"What have you done, little Omega?" he inquired.

"N-Nothing," I stammered.

"Answer me. Why aren't you pregnant yet?" he pressed.

"You won't mark me, but you're more than willing to get me pregnant?" I attempted to deflect from his question.

"That pup would be the first true Alpha to have been born in decades in The Black Desert. It would be the greatest honor. So why aren't you pregnant yet?" he questioned.

"I am not in my heat yet!"

"No, there is something else," he snarled. His thoughts were racing, and I knew it wouldn't take him long to piece it together. Admitting my secret would likely lead him to go easy on me.

"The herbs…" I whispered, my gaze shifting downward.

"The herbs. Of course. So they not only mask your scent but also prevent pregnancy?" he demanded.

"Yes…"

His growl resonated with dark aggression, causing me to whimper, even though his grip wasn't overly tight. It frustrated me that my body only grew wetter in response to his anger, even though it was directed at me.

"In less than a week, they will wear off, and when they do, you will take nothing to prevent a pup from being conceived. I will keep you bound in my tent until you're with child," he threatened. With that, he withdrew from me, pulling me upright before escorting me back to his cabin, where he locked me inside.