Chapter Twenty-Seven

Cartan

The other clan leaders stood around a small, flickering fire in the center, having taken their seats among the low pillow-filled benches. Their collective gaze bore into me as I stood by the staircase leading down into the sunken area where the seating arrangement had been made. I didn't sit down, nor did they expect me to. I waited for my Omega to enter, and I could sense the moment she did. So did all the other Alphas, their interest piqued as they caught sight of this concealed princess.

Kiandra froze for a moment upon seeing the other Alphas, and their low growls greeted her hesitation. This prompted me to emit a deeper one in response, my protective instincts on full display. I didn't like the way they were scrutinizing her. When they turned their attention away from her, I waved her closer, and she heeded my call, descending the steps and stopping beside me. Her focus remained on the ground in front of her feet, avoiding eye contact, and she displayed her submission. While I understood that it appeased them, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of discomfort seeing her submit to anyone other than me. However, her instincts demanded it.

"Welcome, Omega," High Alpha Seran greeted her, causing Kiandra to slowly raise her gaze.

"Thank you," she replied, her voice timid and small. I sensed her seeking closer to me, her hand brushing against mine, which seemed to calm her. Every Alpha in the room noticed how she gravitated toward me, and I couldn't help but smile, knowing none of them would ever lay a finger on her. She was mine, entirely mine.

"Are you the third one?"

"The fourth princess," she corrected.

"So it's true," High Alpha Recor chimed in. "There really was a fourth?"

"Yes," she affirmed.

"Why were you hidden?" High Alpha Kylos inquired, the only one in the room not overtly displaying an interest in my Omega, as she wasn't his type.

"I was declared dead when I was born," she explained. "However, I miraculously survived, but my father saw an opportunity to keep me even more hidden."

"But you chose to reveal yourself to High Alpha Cartan?" Alpha Recor probed.

"No, he found me."

"How did he find you?" Alpha Kylos asked.

Kiandra shifted nervously, her hands clasping together in front of her. I could tell she didn't want to discuss how she had distracted me, but there was no need to keep it a secret. I only had one princess with me now.

"She was familiar with the secret tunnels in the castle. She had studied them and used those tunnels to reach her sisters," I explained.

"And yet, you somehow managed to capture this one," Alpha Seran said, the long scar across his face adding a menacing edge to his features. While others might find it frightening, it thrilled me, as I was the one who had given it to him.

"I was about to catch the rest, but it's no exaggeration when we are warned that an Omega can be quite distracting to an Alpha. At this very moment, all of you are likely pondering what it would take to kill me and claim her," I pointed out. I saw them exchange glances, except for Kylos, who smiled. High Alpha Peros had yet to speak, but he rarely did. Still, I could sense his displeasure in his eyes, and the way he watched my Omega. He appeared to be the closest to making a move, and I glared at him, warning him not to try. I would rip his throat from his body before he could get near her.

"So what? She dropped to all fours before you could catch the others?" Alpha Seran taunted.

"Close," I admitted, causing Kiandra to gasp and turn to look up at me. Yet I wasn't lying. She had knelt down.

"A rather feeble excuse," Alpha Seran growled. "You promised Omegas for all of us, and yet you return with one who has evidently laid claim to you."

"I am searching for the other princesses. They are unfamiliar with the many lands and can't hide forever. You will have your Omegas."

Seran didn't appear satisfied and shifted his attention back to my Omega, making her take a step back.

"Why did you choose him?" Seran asked, and I tensed a little.

Both Kiandra and I understood why she had chosen me. While I admired her intelligence and choice, I was fully aware that her answer would intensify the other Alphas' desires to take her from me.

"Perhaps we shouldn't question their connection so directly," Kylos suggested, the calmest one among us. "You're clearly putting High Alpha Cartan on edge, and it's unsettling his Omega. Soon, this floor will be stained with blood, and I'd prefer not to have the room reek of it."

Seran crossed his arms, looking irritated, but he redirected his attention away from my Omega. Instead, Kylos leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees.

"He is only asking, Omega, because anyone here would consider themselves worthy of an Omega mate. It's a simple curiosity, not a challenge," he explained, but his gaze turned to me when he mentioned the challenge part. "Just answer honestly."

I felt my Omega's eyes on me, scrutinizing me from head to toe. I knew what she had to say, and I welcomed her honesty. I turned to her, silently encouraging her to speak her mind. To my surprise, she didn't avert her gaze from me.

"It was instinct," she replied. "There wasn't much time to think, but it just felt right."

I knew my Omega was incapable of falsehood, and while her words didn't convey the full truth, they held sincerity. It filled me with pride, and I turned back to the other Alphas, wearing a reassuring smile.

"Have you interacted with any other Alphas before?" Recor inquired, drawing Kiandra's attention to him.

"Only my father."

"None outside your family?" Seran pressed.

"My father had a few Alphas around him, but I mostly kept to myself or spent time with my sisters in private," she explained.

"So that's a ‘no'," Seran concluded.

"But I've been with the army on this journey. I've spoken to many Alphas from each of your clans. Nevertheless, I still want the Alpha I've marked," she assured them. I couldn't help but notice the way they tensed, emitting low growls. However, an Omega's mark could not be coerced. She had chosen me, and they had to accept it.

"It doesn't change the fact that you've acted selfishly," Peros finally spoke up, his eyes on me. "No one was supposed to be marked until they arrived here, even if you only brought one."

"She hasn't been marked," I revealed, then grasped Kiandra's hair, causing her to gasp as I forced her head back. "There is no mark."

"But you're marked," Seran pointed out.

"That's not what we discussed. Moreover, I've found the Omegas and brought one here. This very Omega claimed me as her own. None of you can say you have achieved the same, despite calling yourselves High Alphas," I retorted, my words inciting growls throughout the room. "I will bring the other sisters here. I have a good idea of where they might be, and then you will have what I promised you. However, this Omega chose me, and nothing prohibited her from doing so."

They exchanged glances once more, with Kylos continuing to find amusement in the unfolding drama. However, he had nothing to worry about. Kiandra would never be a desirable prospect for him. Should I ever come across a male Omega, he would be the one to claim them.

Recor's voice took on a snarl, and I instinctively pushed Kiandra slightly behind me while growling in response to the other Alpha's aggression. He rose from his seat, matching my fury. I could sense this confrontation was distressing my Omega, but I couldn't allow anyone to challenge the fact that Kiandra had chosen me. The moment I could, my mark would be on her neck, and every part of her would belong to me.

"I have unequivocally acted in the best interests of the clans," I retorted, my voice strong and unwavering. "I swore upon the blood in my veins that I would bring the Omegas to the Mainlands or find suitable ones for you. However, I will not tolerate being called selfish or accused of acting solely in my own interests. It was always understood that I had the first choice. More importantly, I have already begun the process of mating with the Omega. We will be the first pair to bring a true Alpha or Omega into the lands. I will not stand for my honor to be insulted."

Growls continued to reverberate through the room, the tension escalating to alarming levels. I found it perplexing because I believed my words were reasonable. Then, I noticed that the only Alpha in the room who should not be affected by my Omega's scent had eyes as dark as night. At that moment, an alluring aroma filled my nostrils, and I glanced behind me, discovering that my Omega's eyes had shifted to a slightly golden hue. Omega eyes turned golden only when they entered their heat.

"Fuck," I groaned in realization. In an instant, the first Alpha leapt over the fire. I swiftly pushed my hand into his chest, propelling Seran right into Recor, causing them to tumble to the ground. To my surprise, Kylos, influenced by my Omega's heat as nature dictated, managed to hold back Peros, who was growling and struggling beneath Kylos's restraint.

"Go! Now!" Kylos ordered.

I didn't hesitate. Kiandra bowed forward in pain as the first waves of her heat washed over her. I scooped her up and threw her over my shoulder before sprinting from the scene. I stormed through the camp, which had luckily quieted down due to the late hour, but I knew my Omega's scent would soon send the place into chaos.

Fortunately, I made it back to our tent, placing my Omega on the fur-covered ground. She was deep into her heat by now, her normal bodily functions shutting down to sustain her throughout the week-long cycle. She struggled to control her limbs and remove her dress, while my rut-driven instincts made me growl ferociously with a burning desire to claim her.

She tried to crawl away from me, hissing in fear, but she couldn't escape. My rut had taken hold of me, and the sight of my Omega fleeing from me only fueled my anger. I grabbed her leg, pulling her back to me, and then tore her clothes from her body. She thrashed against me, whimpering as I handled her roughly, flipping her over and presenting her enticing ass. I ripped my own clothes apart in my desperation.

Her pussy wasn't just wet. It was swollen, red, and dripping slick in long, sticky lines. It was the most exquisite little cunt I had ever seen. I thrust into her wet passage, howling in ecstasy as she wiggled and whimpered beneath me, clamping down tightly around me. Her response only spurred me on, intensifying my determination to mate with her. I pounded into her mercilessly, thrusting over and over, her wetness coating both of us and making our coupling delightfully slippery.

She whimpered, cried, and begged me to knot her. The way she tightened around me during her second climax made it impossible for me to hold back any longer. I thrust a few more times, and then my knot expanded and locked us together. I released every drop of my cum inside her, marking her on the inside before leaning over her and sinking my teeth into the sweet spot on her neck.