Chapter 9 Taliana
CHAPTER NINE
TALIANA
The scent of warm bread teases my nostrils, making me salivate. It arrived what feels like hours ago, but realistically, it’s only been ten or fifteen minutes. I just can’t remember the last time I ate.
Taylor sent it up with the clothes she’d promised.
But I don’t dare touch any of it.
The Gold Sector Prince made himself very clear—this suite is not mine. Nothing here belongs to me. I need to respect that. And ignore what Taylor said.
Except… if she lied to me about making myself comfortable in Oros’s suite, what else did she lie to me about?
I shiver, uncertain.
Where’s my father? I wonder. He would know what to do right now… who to trust.
But he didn’t prepare me for all these strange rules. For Oros’s kindness.
Unless it’s all a trick. A trial. A test…
My fingers twist before me, my nerves fluttering inside me. Or maybe that’s my hunger.
Moons, I can almost taste the bread on my tongue. Except I probably can’t swallow it in this state. My throat is too dry, my mouth—
Ding.
My limbs freeze, the sound indicating another arrival. More food? More clothes? The Gold Sector Prince?
But as the refreshing scent of campfire swirls around me, followed by a kiss of power, I know it’s none of the above.
It’s Oros.
I immediately look at him, needing to see his gold eyes, his familiar features, his smile.
However, he’s not smiling as he enters. Instead, he’s frowning.
Shit. The prince must have told him about my snooping. “I’m sorry for exploring your personal space,” I blurt out, instinctively dropping my gaze. “It was disrespectful of me, and I apologize. Please forgive me.”
Please still be my guardian, I want to add. But that just sounds pathetic.
Of course, I feel pathetic right now. And alone. So very alone.
“What?”
Crap. I must not have explained myself well. “I… I didn’t mean to intrude on your quarters. I should have…” Well, I don’t know what I should have done. “Stayed here?” It comes out like a question because I really have no idea what’s expected of me.
And the confusion is starting to exhaust me.
“Taliana.” There’s a hint of command in his tone, one that has me looking at him on instinct. “I invited you into my quarters. You’re free to treat them as your own.”
I stare back at him, confused. “But the prince said…”
He arches a perfectly sculpted brow. “Finish that statement. What were you told?”
“He… he reminded me that these are your quarters and I should respect them.”
“Well, he’s not wrong. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make yourself at home.” He steps toward me with a small smile. “You’re safe here, Taliana. And I don’t mind you treating my space as your own.”
“Is that what guardians are required to do?”
“It’s what they volunteer to do,” he tells me.
“And… and we share everything?”
“We can share whatever you like.”
“Including… the bed?” I ask, my cheeks suddenly warm. “To sleep, I mean. Not… not… the…” I close my eyes and growl a little, irritated with myself for stammering.
I grew up in an environment where this was required of me, but over the last few years, I’ve tasted freedom unlike any I’ve ever known.
And my father encouraged my independence.
Yet he told me to bow upon arriving here, to respect the Gold Sector Alphas, to win over a mate. But what’s the point if it turns me into this incoherent mess?
“Your bed makes me want to nest,” I grit out, too exhausted and overwhelmed to hide how I’m feeling. “I’m also really hungry and thirsty. And… and I hate this dress.”
I finally open my eyes again and find him smiling at me, like he’s amused.
“None of this is funny,” I tell him, miffed at the humor dancing in his gaze. “I haven’t slept well in weeks. I haven’t eaten a meal in… Actually, I’m not sure how long. And the bath I took before arriving here today was in the ocean, so all I taste is salt.”
He’s no longer smiling.
Probably because I gave him a tone.
Which is the wrong thing to do with an Alpha.
But it’s been a really long day. All I want is a bath, some food, and a nap.
In that very comfortable bed meant for nesting, I think, shivering.
“All right, printesa mea,” he murmurs, the foreign words sounding hypnotic on his tongue. “Come with me.”
He doesn’t wait for me to obey, instead moving forward with purpose through the foyer. He only pauses to pick up a tray with one hand and a bag with the other, then continues into the living area of his suite.
I follow because what else am I going to do?
But as he bypasses the dining table—adjacent to his kitchen—and saunters through his bedroom, I begin to frown.
That frown deepens when he leads me into his opulent bathroom.
I freeze on the threshold as he sets the tray down near one of the sinks. The bag goes to the floor, and the Alpha faces me once more. “Come here,” he beckons.
And for whatever reason, my feet do what he asks.
His lips curl a little, like he knows I’m no longer in control, and he catches my hips.
My breathing halts, my insides turning to liquid as I all but melt into his touch.
Except he doesn’t pull me closer. He lifts me up onto the counter instead, situates me between the sinks, lets go…
And hands me a water bottle from the bag.
“Drink,” he demands.
I blink dumbly at him for a full second before I do exactly as he says.
It’s like I’m a puppet.
Yet I’m not sad about it. Actually, it’s kind of nice having someone tell me what to do. Especially when the results of those commands make me feel good.
Within a minute of drinking water, I can already breathe a little easier. And as I finish the contents, the salty brine lingering in my mouth almost dissipates.
“Now eat this.” He hands me a warm croissant stuffed with something savory.
Ham? I guess as the first bite hits my tongue. Cheese, too.
Gods, I can’t remember the last time I ate something so decadent. So filling. So tasty.
Maybe my nineteenth birthday after my father caught a particularly large fish. He smoked it that night, the delicious flavor one I dreamt about for weeks after.
One of the upsides to being immortal is not needing food to survive.
But that doesn’t mean one doesn’t suffer from hunger.
I know from experience just how starved an immortal can feel. Which allows me to enjoy this meal even more.
I finish it faster than I should, only to be rewarded with a bowl of berries soon after.
Oros doesn’t need to tell me what to do with them; I start indulging in the flavor before he can even speak. By the time I finish, he looks amused again.
I’m too content for that look to bother me now.
“Better?” he asks.
“Yes.” It comes out on a sigh, one that seems to amuse him even more.
“Good.” He places his palms on the marbled counter on either side of my hips. “Now I want you to strip.”
My bubble of contentment pops. “Wh-what?”
“We are going to take a shower together. And I’m going to show you how Alphas treat Omegas in Gold Sector.”
I swallow. “Oh. Um. Okay.”
If he notices my discomfort, he doesn’t comment on it. Instead, he rotates toward the large shower and turns on three different heads.
There are actually five in total, something I focus on as I try to calm my now-racing heart.
“Taliana,” he says, his subtle accent curling around my name.
I look at him and notice that all his gold has vanished, leaving him shirtless in front of me.
He’s very… sculpted.
Just like an Alpha should be.
Yet there’s something even more majestic about this male. Maybe it’s his scent. Or it might be the powerful aura surrounding him.
I’m not really sure. But whatever it is, it’s alluring.
I find myself leaning toward him, only for his hands to suddenly snag my hips and drag me off the counter. My palms land on his bare chest, his skin hot against mine.
Every part of me shivers.
This is it. The knotting test. I’m sure of it.
Only, a strange thing happens. The expected sensation of dread never comes. Instead, I feel something else entirely.
A hint of unease, perhaps? The subtle churn deep inside?
Except it’s not very unpleasant. It’s… it’s welcome. Warm. Enticing.
“If you prefer, I can keep my pants on,” he tells me. “But most shifters don’t mind nudity. So I just assumed…”
I nod. “It’s… it’s fine. But Doctor Taylor said I’m not allowed to shift.” Something I’m eternally grateful for now because it means I have a reason not to reveal my wolf.
“Oh? Did she say why?” he asks, his hands still on my hips.
“Um, yes. She said it might cause me to go into heat. So she advised me not to shift until I have a plan in place for that.” My cheeks burn with the admission.
Not only is it embarrassing, but it also somewhat links back to the suppressants.
And while Taylor didn’t seem to think it was a big deal, I’m sure this Alpha would disagree. All Alphas would.
“Mmm, and did you discuss potential plans?” His voice lowers an octave with that question, his thumbs suddenly burning me through the thin fabric of my dress.
“We discussed options,” I admit, my voice breathier than intended.
He nods. “Good.” He draws a circle against my hip.
I stare up into his gold eyes. “Why?”
“Because consent matters here.” He tugs on my dress. “Now, will you let me take care of you? Or would you prefer to shower alone?”
“I have a choice?”
A serious expression overcomes his handsome features, and he releases me. “Always.”
“Okay.” I study him for a beat. “I… I want to know what you mean by taking care of me. Show me.”
Because I want to trust him. Even if I can’t have him.
Once he realizes I’m a wolf, he probably won’t want me.
But I want to experience what it’s like to be a desirable Omega. A true Drakonian.
Oros says nothing, just reaches for me again. Except this time he takes hold of my dress and slowly draws it upward.
It’s intimate.
Unexpected.
Arousing.
It’s particularly erotic because he’s holding my gaze the whole time. At least until the fabric moves over my head. But as he drops the garment to the ground, his focus is still on my face, his golden eyes swirling with heat. “Still okay?” he asks me.
I nod.
“Good. Now go stand under the water. I’ll join you in a moment.”
My feet move on autopilot, my body seeming to bend to his every command.
I’m not bothered by it, though. I rather like the relief I feel being under his control. Like I’m safe to just… exist. To simply breathe.
My wolf likes him. Perhaps a bit too much. Because there’s no part of me that feels uneasy in his presence. It’s all so natural. So right.
I barely feel the warm water on my skin or the slick tiles beneath my feet. I’m too focused on his movements behind me to appreciate that this is the first hot shower I’ve taken since living in Obsidian Sector.
His heat bathes my skin as he steps in right behind me, his scent a blanket of comfort to my senses.
Gods, I can’t tell if it’s my impending heat or him, but I… I haven’t felt anything like this before.
Instant safety.
Deep need.
A bizarre desire to wrap myself up in his arms and stay there for eternity.
It’s like my wolf is threatening to come out of my skin and rip right into him. Not to hurt him, but to… to bite him. To claim him.
Moons, this is bad.
This has to be my estrus. Taylor warned me it would be intense. But this…? I…
A purr ignites behind me as Oros takes hold of my hips and draws me back into him.
He’s naked.
I can feel him. Every hard, muscular inch.
And it takes considerable effort not to rotate toward him, to bury my head in his rumbling chest, and explore him with my hands.
“Is this okay?” he asks me.
I can’t speak, my tongue too thick for my mouth, so I nod instead. It’s more than okay. It feels amazing to be touched like this. Held. Protected.
“Can I wash your hair?”
I nod again, swallowing as his fingertips gently run up my sides. One hand leaves, the other trailing all the way up before shifting back to round my shoulder and reach my neck. He pulls my hair aside and leans down, his lips against my ear. “You’re a beautiful Omega, printesa mea,” he whispers.
My eyes fall closed. “Thank you,” I somehow manage to say, the words a bit choked. I don’t think an Alpha has ever called me beautiful before.
“I bet your wolf is just as stunning,” he adds, causing me to freeze against him.
My wolf.
He… he knows… about my wolf.