Chapter 14 – COSIMA
Chapter
Fourteen
COSIMA
I lean my forehead against the cool glass, watching the chaos unfold below. From my vantage point in this ridiculous tower, I can see everything. Including Nikolai barking orders at his lackeys before storming off to dig through storage units himself in search of a suitable toy for me.
I can't help but smirk. For someone who claims to be such a fearsome warlord, he's certainly jumping through hoops over a simple request. Though I have to admit, there's something almost entertaining about watching him frantically search like a man possessed.
He's trying so hard to distract himself. I can see the tension in his shoulders even from up here, the way he keeps running his hands through that stark white hair in frustration.
My amusement fades as my thoughts drift to Azarel.
Where is he?
Why hasn't he come for me yet?
The rational part of my brain knows there could be countless reasons. Maybe he doesn't know where I am. Maybe he's planning some elaborate rescue.
Or maybe... he really has abandoned me.
He certainly hasn't died.
I'm sure I would feel that, somehow.
I shake my head, refusing to follow that train of thought. Instead, I focus on the scene below, my eyes drawn inevitably to the pit where my nightmare has taken physical form.
Except the pit looks different now.
Where before it was roughly circular, now one section stretches out like a reaching finger.
A big fuck you to Nikolai, perhaps?
I'm not sure if the monster is even sentient enough for that—I don't think sentient beings eat omegas, at least not alive—but I appreciate the artistry, either way. But the Knight isn't clawing at the earth in a random direction.
He's working his way steadily toward the tower.
Toward me.
Of course he is.
I press my palm against the glass, watching as those haunting blue eyes lift to meet mine across the distance. Even from here, I can feel the intensity of his gaze. The connection that's always existed between us, the one I've spent years trying to deny.
Trying to fight .
"You're really coming for me, aren't you?" I whisper against the glass.
The thought should terrify me. This is the monster that's haunted my dreams for so long, the demon that's torn me apart countless times in my nightmares.
But there's something different now. Something has shifted since I saw him in the flesh.
The terror is still there, yes, but mixed with something else. Something that feels almost like... recognition.
Like meeting someone you've known your whole life for the very first time.
Which is so fucked up.
I watch as his metal claws tear into the earth with renewed vigor, and I can't help but wonder…
Has he been dreaming about me too?
A commotion below draws my attention back to Nikolai. He's thrown something—probably at one of his men—and is now storming off toward another storage unit.
Despite myself, I feel my lips twitch.
For an alpha who claims not to care, he's certainly working himself into quite a state.
But my eyes are drawn back to the pit like a magnet. To the Knight. To those glowing blue eyes that never seem to leave me. Even if he shouldn't be able to see me from where he is, through these tinted windows, somehow, it feels like he can.
I arrange the couch pillows in my makeshift nest, trying to get them just right. Nothing feels right. The fabric is too rough, the stuffing too lumpy.
But it's better than nothing, I suppose.
My skin feels like it's on fire, every nerve ending screaming for relief.
I haven't had a heat in... how long has it been?
The pills my father forced on me kept them at bay for so long, I'd almost forgotten what it feels like.
The desperate need, the aching emptiness, the way even the softest fabric feels like sandpaper against my oversensitive skin.
I glance around the tower room, taking in my surroundings with fresh eyes.
It's not terrible, I have to admit. The floor-to-ceiling windows offer a stunning view of the airfield below, if the memory of long haul travel is your particular kink.
And there's a certain stark beauty to the industrial architecture, complimented by occasional salvaged statues and paintings that look like Nikolai might have taken them from museums. Raiders don't usually go for art.
But it's far from the luxury I'm used to.
Then again, Monty's mansion is the height of luxury, with its marble floors and crystal chandeliers, and I hated every moment I spent there. At least here, I don't have to pretend to be the perfect omega wife, politely accepting whatever scraps of attention my "mate" deigns to give me.
A wave of need crashes over me, making me gasp. I press my thighs together, trying to find some relief, but it's useless. My earlier attempts at self-pleasure left me even more frustrated than before.
Something's missing.
And I know exactly what it is.
Or rather, who .
But Azarel isn't here.
Every hour that passes leaves me wondering if he ever will be.
The elevator dings, but I barely glance up as Nikolai strides in. His scent hits me immediately. Blood and steel. I hate how my body responds to it, how it makes the emptiness inside me throb with need.
"Did you bring what I asked for?" I ask, deliberately keeping my tone bored as I continue arranging pillows.
I hear him growl, the sound sending an unwanted shiver down my spine. "I'm working on it," he snaps. "This isn't exactly a shopping district."
Finally, I turn to look at him and see he's carrying an armful of blankets. They look softer than the ones I've been working with, at least. Without a word, he dumps them onto the edge of my nest.
"How thoughtful," I say dryly. "The warlord's version of a care package."
His jaw clenches and I catch a glimpse of sharp canines. "You're welcome, princess," he growls. "Would you prefer I throw you back in the basement?"
I blink. "Did you do those yourself?"
His smug expression drops. "Did I what?"
"The teeth," I say, pointing to my own incisors to show him what I mean. "Did you file them like that?"
His eyes narrow and I can tell he's not sure how to respond to that. "So what if I did?"
I burst out laughing before I can stop myself, which only seems to infuriate him more. At least I'm laughing too hard to focus on the dull, increasing ache of my heat. "Oh, my god. You can't be serious."
"Fuck off!" he snaps. "They look good."
Now I'm laughing so hard I collapse on the edge of my nest. "Shit," I choke, doubled over.
My eyes are brimming with tears, and I can barely see the furious expression on his face.
I wipe tears from my eyes as I try to catch my breath between fits of laughter.
"I'm picturing you with a nail file, trying to get them even… worrying you've gone too far…"
"That's enough," Nikolai growls, but there's something different in his tone now. A dangerous edge that should probably make me stop.
But I can't help myself. "Did you practice your scary face afterwards? Give yourself a little pep talk about being the big bad alpha?"
He stalks closer to my nest, his scent growing stronger with each step. "You're playing with fire, princess."
"Am I?" I challenge, tilting my chin up defiantly. "What are you going to do about it? Flash those fangs you worked so hard on?"
That strikes a nerve. "Careful what you wish for, little psycho. You might find out exactly how sharp they are."
"Is that supposed to be a threat or a promise?" The words slip out before I can stop them, my heat making me reckless.
The air between us crackles with something I don't want to dignify by naming. Nikolai takes another step closer, close enough now that I have to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact.
"That depends entirely on you, princess ."
"On me?" I echo, hating how breathless I sound.
His lips curve into a predatory smile that shows off those ridiculous filed fangs. "On whether you keep pushing me until I snap, or if you finally admit that you don't find me nearly as repulsive as you pretend to."
I bare my teeth at him in return. "I'd rather kiss the Knight."
"Would you now?" He leans down, bracing his hands on either side of me. His scent surrounds me, making it hard to think straight. "I think you're just scared."
"Of you?" I laugh, but it comes out shaky.
"Not of me," he purrs. "Of how much you want me. Of how good we could be together if you weren't such a stuck up?—"
He cuts himself off when I grab the front of his shirt, fully intending to push him away. But I hold onto him instead. "You're delusional."
"Am I?" His voice drops lower, rougher. "Then why are you pulling me closer?"
I freeze, realizing he's right. Without conscious thought, I've been drawing him nearer, until our faces are mere inches apart. I can feel the heat radiating off his body.
"I hate you," I whisper, but the words lack conviction.
His smile widens. "Keep telling yourself that. Maybe eventually you'll believe it."
"You're insufferable," I snarl, my fingers still twisted in his shirt.
His lips curve into that infuriating smirk. "And you're not pushing me away."
Something in me snaps. Before I can think better of it, I lunge forward. My teeth catch his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. The taste hits my tongue—metallic and dangerous, exactly like his scent—and a shock runs through my entire body.
I freeze, horror washing over me as I realize what I've done.
I just bit him.
Like some feral animal.
I bit the most dangerous alpha in the Outer Reaches.
He's going to fucking kill me.
But Nikolai doesn't pull away in rage like I expect. Instead, his hand tangles in my hair and he crushes his mouth to mine. The kiss is bruising, desperate, filled with all the fury and frustration that's been building between us.