CHAPTER FOUR
EMBER
“I’LL GET IT,” RYUNG offered, already pushing off the bed as he volunteered to go get the items Moon mentioned.
The loss of his closeness almost brought tears to my eyes. I hated that. Hated that my body was starting to orbit around theirs, needing them near me so I could feel balanced.
“The kitchens should still be open because of the festival. I can also send a guard to various booths to get food for us. I’ll have him drop it off at the lower door.” Ryung’s gaze moved to me. “I don’t want him or anyone else near our rooms while our omega is in heat.”
Why was he looking at me with a possessive glint in his wolfish eyes? And why did I love that look? I looked away before I did something silly like purr again. But my thoughts were on his words: lower door.
When they’d brought me in here, I’d been so out of it that I hadn’t been able to get a good look at my surroundings. I knew we were in the tower, but I didn’t know how many levels there were in this place, nor how many rooms.
“Sounds good,” Moon told him. “Be quick. Our omega’s scent is spiking again.” He turned to me. “What type of foods do you like to eat, Little One?”
“The kind at my house,” I replied, loving that he’d asked for my preference, but too stubborn to answer properly. I would not be swayed by these shifters.
“It’s okay,” Ryung stated. “I’ll get her a little of everything. We’ll take our time learning what our omega likes and dislikes.”
How sweet! Ugh!
“While you’re getting the food,” Moon started. “I’ll sprinkle scent-masking powder on each level of the tower. And I’ll station some already mated guards at the lower entrance to keep people away.”
Was he really going to go through all of that to keep other alphas away from me? I could protect myself. Then again, if this were really a heat, I would soon be so far gone that any knot would do. So yeah, maybe that scent-masking powder was necessary.
“Moon.” Ryung paused at the doorway, glancing back. “You sure you want to leave her alone? What if she tries to escape?”
“We don’t have a choice,” Moon replied. “There are things we need before we lock ourselves away for her heat.” His gaze met mine, glare pinning me to the pillows.
“You will stay in this bed,” he ordered, as if he truly believed I would obey his words.
“It’s not safe for you to run off while you’re in heat, omega. ”
He was right. Yet, with the way my attitude was set up, I couldn’t obey him.
“Fuck you,” I whispered.
“Later,” he promised with a wink.
Instead of a sassy retort, I purred. I fucking purred again. Ugh, my omega was taking control, and soon I wouldn’t just be purring for them, I’d be begging for their knots. I’d be bending over, presenting my pussy to them, wanting them to show me just how wolfish they could be.
“You purr so sweetly, little one,” Ryung drawled. “We plan to keep you purring all night long.”
I purred louder because I was a weak witch who couldn’t control herself. The unwanted sound rumbled through my chest, making my nipples harden, increasing the desire already coursing through me.
And they were both eating that shit up, staring at me with love-sick grins on their faces. Hmm... Maybe I could make this work in my favor.
“Sorry,” I whispered, trying to sound as sweet and as innocent as a normal omega should. “I can’t control it.”
“Don’t try to control it,” Prince Moon told me. “That’s your body’s natural response to your alphas. If you’d just let yourself go, let your body feel what it needs to feel, the pain would lessen, and you’d realize we’re not as bad as you think.”
He sounded so convincing. And I won’t lie, I was tempted. More than tempted. But I couldn’t let myself go. I didn’t even understand what was going on. I wasn’t one hundred percent certain this was my body’s natural response and not something induced by drugs.
Even so, I had to pretend I was going with the flow to make them comfortable enough to leave me alone while they went out to prepare for my heat.
“I’m...” I started, allowing myself to feel what my omega wanted me to feel for a moment. “I’m scared,” I admitted, hating the way my voice trembled, hating that I was speaking the truth.
I was scared. I’d never experienced anything like this before. My body had never behaved this way. I was unravelling and spiraling at the same time, and I didn’t know how to stop it.
My sweet scent took on bitter undertones as my fear and sadness started to overwhelm me. In an instant, both alphas were back at my sides, staring down at me with eyes that held promises of a future I didn’t dare imagine, didn’t dare hope for, didn’t dare believe in.
Instead of leaning away from them, I snuggled into their embrace and allowed myself to breathe them in. Of course, I was faking it as I set my plan in motion. But damn, snuggling between these two alphas felt divine.
And when they both began purring for me, I couldn’t resist letting out a little purr of my own. Alphas purred to comfort their omegas. And their purrs were making me relax and washing away my fears.
Damn, who knew an alpha’s purr could be so powerful. And I had two alphas purring for me. My limbs were starting to feel like jelly.
Escape where?
I wanted to stay right here, trapped between these two shifters.
And that terrified me. Their sounds mingled with mine, and for a moment, there was no more pain, just arousal that had me growing wet between my thighs.
What was once a desert was now the wetlands. And it was all thanks to these alphas.
“I’ve never smelled anything sweeter than you, my omega,” Ryung groaned, his nose pressing against the crook of my neck as he inhaled my scent.
“I can’t wait to see if you taste just as sweet,” Moon growled, his nose pressed against the other side of my throat.
More arousal coursed through me, and for the first time in my life, slick pooled at my center, causing my scent to grow stronger and sweeter, like the sweetest cinnamon rolls with a hint of brown sugar.
I was making my own mouth water, so I knew my scent had to be sending my alphas into a frenzy. Oh, no! I’d called them my alphas. It was happening. I was letting myself become too relaxed, too familiar with my targets. I needed some distance between us. Now!
“Fuck, omega,” Ryung growled, hand going to my thigh above the covers, making me shiver. “If you keep perfuming for us like this, we won’t be able to part with you for even a second.”
Moon’s lips pressed against the side of my neck, making me shudder, causing more slick to spill from me.
Damn it, pussy, how wet can you get?
“Omega,” Moon whispered. “This will be my first time, so you’ll have to be gentle with me.”
His first time? Oh, right. He still had his V card. I felt his smile against my neck. Then his hand clamped around my throat, gripping me there, making my clit throb. I had a feeling he was simply teasing me, which only made me want him more.
“Gentle isn’t in my vocabulary, alpha,” I whispered, eyes drifting shut as their hands roamed over my arms.
“Good,” Moon growled. “Be as rough with me as you’d like.”
I gushed for them. Gushed! And since I didn’t have any panties on, my slick was coating my thighs and the sheets, my sweet scent permeating the air. Ryung started to slide his hand underneath the covers.
My omega cheered him on, pussy clenching nothing but air as it awaited his touch. But he pulled away suddenly, causing my omega and my pussy to pout.
“Fuck! We need to get our things together quickly so we can get back to our mate,” Ryung snarled.
Moon growled, slowly moving away from me. It was a struggle to remain still and not reach for them. I had to clasp my hands together to keep from doing just that as my omega pushed me to grab them and pull them back into bed with me.
I knew it was my approaching heat making me feel all vulnerable and clingy. But I really felt like crying now that they were no longer near me. I bit my lower lip to keep it from trembling and reminded myself that I needed them to leave so I could flee.
“We’ll be right back,” Moon promised. “Don’t try to escape. There are guards on the bottom floor, little one. And I’d hate to have to kill them if they put their hands on you to restrain you.”
Now, why did he have to go and say something romantic?
There was nothing sweeter than a man who’d kill for you. I swear these alphas were chiseling away at the wall of ice surrounding my heart. They moved away from the bed, eyes lingering on me as they made their way to the exit.
Watching them leave was bittersweet. Bitter, because the next time I saw them, I’d have to kill them. I was no longer as excited by that thought as I had been. But it was sweet in a way because with them gone, I could finally escape this place.
I kept my eyes on them, and they kept their eyes on me until they stepped through the archway and out the door. The moment they were gone, the room felt emptier, lonelier. Did I... Did I miss them?
Impossible.
I didn’t even know them. Yet, my inner omega was pining for them, wanting her alphas back. If I stayed here, I was going to break for them. I couldn’t let that happen.
“Goodbye, Moon and Ryung,” I whispered as I stared toward the exit. “Maybe if we’d met under different circumstances, we would’ve had a better outcome.”
I sighed. It was time for me to escape.
“Move,” I told myself. “Now or never.”
But moving was harder than I’d expected. It was like my body was fighting me. It took everything I had to roll onto my side. The world tilted, nausea roiling through my stomach. My fingers curled into the blankets.
Such soft blankets.
Why would anyone want to leave such soft blankets?
Ugh! Stop thinking like an omega, Ember.
I couldn’t help it. They’d awakened a part of me that had been dormant all my life. Putting the lid back on it would take time I didn’t have right now. Sweat beaded my skin, causing Moon’s shirt to stick to me.
Cursing under my breath, I slid toward the edge of the mattress. I miscalculated and ended up falling over. I landed on my knees with a thud, pain jarring up my spine as I prayed my alphas were far enough away to not have heard that.
For a second, black edged my vision. I shook my head to clear it. This could be my only chance to escape. I couldn’t let my omega take over and force me to stay here with these alphas, my targets.
I dug my nails into the rug fibers and forced myself upright, using the bedpost as leverage. My legs shook, muscles quivering as if I’d run for miles. I stared down at my body.
“No pants or panties,” I muttered.
There was no time to search for clothing. Even if I found some, I didn’t have the coordination to wrestle myself into them. The shirt hung just low enough to keep me technically decent. That would have to be enough.
I staggered toward the archway, one hand trailing along the stone wall to prevent myself from falling. Every step sent a pulse of heat through my core, slick gathering, thighs trembling.
I refused to give in to my omega. She was not the boss of me. I could do this. I was a strong woman. I was not a slave to my omega instincts. I kept moving forward, placing one foot in front of the other until I was out of the rut room.
I opened the door and peeked out. The stairwell beyond was narrow and steep, circling down the inside of the tower. It looked like I was about five or six stories high. I gripped the inner rail and started down.
Moving as quickly as I could, I padded down the steps, the cold stone biting into my soles. I could tell when I’d made it down a level because there was a door on each level. I was curious about what was behind those doors, but didn’t have time to take a peek.
I’d passed three doors when I finally saw something that made hope bloom within me. A window. I moved toward it like a moth to a flame. The window was narrow, but big enough for me to fit through.
I fumbled with the iron latch, which was stiff from disuse, but I managed to wrench it up. The window creaked as I shoved it open, the hinges protesting. Night air crashed into me. It was brutally cold, the wind knifing straight through the thin silk of my shirt and biting at my damp skin.
I sucked in a lungful of cold air, and for the first time since the heat had started to build, I felt something like relief. A relief that wasn’t caused by the touch of Ryung and Moon.
Goosebumps prickled over my arms and thighs as I leaned out the window, closing my eyes, letting the wind lash my face, my throat, my chest. I opened my eyes and stared up at the stars.
The full moon sat high in the sky, illuminating the snow that blanketed the ground. The drop from the window was a long one. Far enough to do damage if I landed wrong. Not far enough to kill me, though.
I’d jumped from worse. The snow would cushion some of the impact. Some. It was time to move. I hauled myself up onto the narrow ledge, fingers gripping the outer edge of the frame.
The world swayed beneath me. Heat and cold warred under my skin, sweat turning chilly against my brow as the wind whipped around my bare legs.
“Don’t look down,” I told myself, immediately looking down. “Okay, do look down. Judge the distance. Remember to bend your knees and roll as soon as you hit the snow. You can do this, Ember.”
I could also break both ankles and lie in the snow until I was captured by my shifters. Not happening. I tensed when I heard a door open on one of the floors below me. Were they back already?
Impossible. There was no way Ryung was done running his errands. It had to be Moon sprinkling the scent-masking powder on each floor. I needed to jump before he caught a whiff of my scent.
“One, two, thr....” My count was interrupted by Prince Moon.
“Little omega, are you out of our room?” Moon’s voice echoed up the stairwell. “I know you are. I can smell your sweet scent.”
Damn it. He’d scented me.
“Don’t try to flee us, Little One,” he drawled, his voice sounding closer now. “That’ll just make us give chase. And you know wolves like to hunt.”
His voice rolled over me like a physical caress. My eyes started to drift shut as my body swayed. Then I heard footsteps racing up the stairs.
Snap out of it, Ember!
I shook my head as his footsteps drew closer. Every instinct I had screamed at me to turn around, to run to him. To apologize for daring to escape. To promise never to leave his side again. But that was my omega talking, my omega pushing me to submit.
Instead, I took a deep breath and jumped.