CHAPTER TWO #2
“Too many to count,” I lied, surprised by the low growl that came from the prince at my answer.
That minty scent grew stronger, darker, taking on more of a menthol edge. The prince’s jaw clenched as he stepped closer to me, now standing shoulder to shoulder with his guard.
“This will be the last sex room you enter,” the prince sneered, his scent spiking, surrounding me.
The room suddenly felt smaller, the air thicker, making it harder to breathe. Their scents mingled together, threading through every breath I took, seeping into my skin, becoming a part of me.
Mint and whiskey.
Cool and hot.
Ice and fire.
Such a stark contrast, yet highly addictive. And beneath it all, I caught a whiff of a faint, new fragrance. Something sweeter. Something that hadn’t been there before.
Warmth. Spice.
A hint of cinnamon and sugar.
My stomach twisted, pain pulsing through my abdomen.
“Did you hear the prince?” Ryung asked.
I hadn’t heard shit. How could I hear anything over their loud ass smells and this pain?
“Let’s try this again,” Moon rasped, taking another step forward.
He was much too close. I leaned away from him, pressing my head against the stone wall, wishing I could disappear through it.
“Why were you in our forest, omega?” Moon asked.
“Target practice,” I whispered through the pain.
Whatever they’d given me was kicking in and beating my ass.
“Who paid you to kill us?” Moon asked.
“Doing it for free,” I muttered, sweat creeping down the valley between my breasts.
“Why do you want us dead?” the guard snapped.
“Consider it community service,” I drawled, feeling close to passing out.
My eyes started to drift shut. A hand on my chin made them pop open. It was Ryung gripping me, forcing me to look up at him.
“No passing out,” he sneered. “We have ways to keep you awake and alert, little one. Don’t make us use them.”
“It hurts,” I whispered, feeling weak as hell.
I had a high threshold for pain. I’d been tortured before, stabbed, thrown from a three-story window, and even almost set on fire once or twice. But none of that compared to this. Whatever they’d given me, I wanted it out of me. My body couldn’t handle it.
“What’s wrong with her?” Moon demanded, a hint of worry in his tone.
“Nothing,” Ryung replied. “She’s faking it, doing that omega in distress thing omegas do.”
“Not an omega,” I lied, not understanding how he knew what I was.
I didn’t have a sweet scent like normal omegas had. I wasn’t soft and frail like they were. My voice wasn’t all whimsical and singsong like most of theirs were. I didn’t talk to woodland creatures like I was Cinderella or some shit.
Okay, that last one wasn’t an omega trait. Still, nothing about me screamed omega. Yet, they kept calling me that, seeing through what most people completely missed. Why? How?
“You’re clearly an omega,” Ryung told me, still gripping my chin. “It would not be wise for you to lie to us again, little one.”
“Not lying,” I rasped, stomach clenching.
I felt like I was about to be sick.
“Something’s wrong,” Moon muttered, placing his palm against my forehead.
A low whine escaped me at the feel of both of their hands on me.
More.
I needed more.
Touch me, alphas.
My train of thought frightened me.
OMG!
I knew what was happening. An aphrodisiac. They’d given me an aphrodisiac. It had to be a powerful one because those things didn’t usually work on me. Trust me, I’d tried plenty of them, hoping to get aroused.
They never worked. Not once. The few sexual encounters I’d had, had been unpleasant and not worth my time. I felt nothing. Didn’t get wet. Didn’t get aroused. Didn’t get remotely turned on.
I just lay there, waiting for it to be over. After my last one-night stand, I decided to give up on sex. I’d much rather read a book than let some guy go to pound town on me, leaving me sore and sticky for no damn reason at all.
But I think what I was feeling now was what arousal was supposed to feel like, minus the pain part. The pain part had to be my adverse reaction to the drug. Moon lowered his hand from my forehead and placed it against my cheek.
“She’s hot,” he told his guard. “Feverish.”
Ryung slid his hand from my chin to my other cheek. I’d much rather have them cupping a set of different cheeks right now.
Ugh!
What was I thinking? This wasn’t like me. It was the damn drug.
“Shit,” Ryung cursed. “Little omega, when was your last heat?”
My last heat? I didn’t have heats. I was a cold omega. I...
Another pain shot through my abdomen, so strong that I cried out.
“Please, alphas,” I whispered, tears filling my eyes. “Make it stop.”
I hated to beg anyone for anything. But I couldn’t stop the words from leaving me.
“Get her down,” Prince Moon ordered. “Hurry. Our omega is going into heat.”
“Shit,” Ryung cursed, hands moving to unclasp my chains. “We didn’t get to interrogate her. We don’t know who sent her.”
“That can wait,” Moon was saying, voice sounding distant as my eyes slowly fluttered shut.
I fought to keep them open as the alphas rushed to free me. My mind was screaming for me to touch them, to beg them to touch me. Were they telling the truth? Was I, a cold omega, about to go into heat?
I couldn’t.
Not here.
Not with them.
I had to flee. I had to get away from them. My body dropped as soon as my arms were free. The alphas were there to catch me, their large bodies pressed against mine. Another whine crawled up my throat, escaping my lips without my approval.
“It’s okay, little one,” Prince Moon whispered. “We’ll take care of you.”
Fuck that!
I didn’t want that.
So why the hell was I melting into them, nuzzling my nose against Ryung’s throat, breathing in his whiskey scent? And why was my mouth watering, craving the taste of mint on my tongue?
Their drugs had ignited something in me, triggering my first heat. I should be happy. I wanted to be normal. But I’d wanted time to prepare for this. Time to find worthy partners to see me through my first heat.
These two alphas were not worthy!
They were my targets. They were cruel and deserved to die. As soon as they lowered their guard, I had to escape before I did something I could never undo. Like bond with the two wolf shifters I was sent to kill.