Chapter Fifteen
Saphyra
E ver observant, Violet noticed my dislike of waste and brought a normal sized portion this morning. I was excited about the food, even though the flavor left some to be desired. It was edible and nutritious, but bland at best. It filled my belly, and I felt much more optimistic after eating.
I was glad the other maids had been reassigned. Violet understood me, and better than that, I didn’t think she’d show up in any beds she didn’t belong in. After last night, the less I saw of Aster and Hazel, the better.
Once I’d finished my meal, she stuffed me into the green dress I’d picked out earlier and left with a quiet smile. I assumed she’d gone to do whatever she did when she wasn’t helping me.
I wandered around the room, stepping off the soft area rug onto the sleek metal floor. It clicked under my shoes in a familiar way, and the sterile smelling furnishing aggravated my nose. This room felt more like the Hive every day. The confined space was stifling and a desperate yearning to get out was growing stronger every second.
It seemed unlikely I’d get away with sneaking out again. Sure enough, when I opened the door, Shadow was sitting in a metal folding chair, spinning a knife between his fingers. The flashing blade drew my attention, but his dark eyes were fixed on me.
“Um. Hi.” Well, this was awkward. It was pretty obvious what I was up to. I wasn’t going to be able to escape with my steadfast babysitter watching over me.
“Your Majesty,” he said, the sarcasm threaded subtly through his throaty growl.
I glanced both ways down the hall and didn’t see anyone, so I wasn’t sure why he used my title when I’d asked him not to. Maybe he was just trying to annoy me. He was quite good at that, and it was working.
I decided to cut my losses. If I couldn’t sneak out, maybe he’d take pity on me. “Can we, I dunno, go do something?” I gave him a winning smile, hoping to persuade him.
“What do you want to do, little omega?” His unblinking stare was all predator.
I shivered thinking of the possibilities, but did my best to banish those thoughts and keep the needy quiver from my voice. “I’m not sure. What do you like to do for fun?”
His grin was dangerous as he stood. He tucked his knife away so fast I lost track of where it went. “I can think of a lot of things I’d have fun doing with you.”
His smokey scent curled around me, tempting me to step into his arms. Our bond was insatiable, dragging us together, and only getting worse the harder we fought it. I was desperate to give in, but this was a dangerous place to give in. Violet could come back at any moment. Or Titus. Heat crawled up my throat and warmth suffused my cheeks, thinking about the last time I’d ignored the dangers. It was far too easy to be caught, but also may be worth it.
My voice trembled when I replied. “Is that so? Like what?”
“Like tying you to my bed and filling every naughty one of your holes until you’re dripping with cum and begging me to stop. Or sinking my teeth into your perfect, unblemished skin, and showing the world who you belong to.” There was a feral glint in his eyes that had me half convinced he was telling the truth. He had to be kidding, didn’t he? Did I want him to be?
I tried to convince the butterflies that were rioting in my stomach that we couldn’t do any of that. Yet.
As much as I wanted to test his words, the best option—the only option—was to brush it off as a joke, despite my fervent hope that it was not. “You’re funny. But really, if you didn’t have to sit with me, what would you be doing?”
“That, little omega, is dangerous and no place for you.”
“But I’m going crazy cooped up in my room. Please, tell me.”
He paused as if weighing the decision, but finally he replied, “It’d be more fun if I showed you.”
Valyx
So the little queen wanted to know what I did for fun. I had a feeling she wasn’t going to like it, but I could use a distraction from her golden eyes and juicy, round ass.
She licked her lips, and I grit my teeth, thinking about that mouth of hers. I hoped her nerves were making her second guess the request. I didn’t think I could keep my hands off her. At the same time, I wanted to see some of that brave, reckless streak that ran through her.
“Okay, show me then.”
Equal measures of anger at the brash disregard for her own safety, and lust from watching her go after what she wanted, pierced me like a plasma rifle charge. Yeah, we needed to get out of here. This incomplete bond was doing things to me. I picked up my comms device and connected to Lanxer directly, letting him know I wanted to blow off some steam and to see if he could round up anyone else with similar interests.
With that settled, I was on the move, heading down the stairwell that would take us to the bottom of the mountain. My little omega trotted along at my side.
Lex was going to be pissed that I’d taken her out of the secure top floor. But if we’d stayed, I would’ve fucked her and bound her to me, and let the others figure out their own shit.
I loved Lex, but whatever drew me to Saphyra was overwhelming, and I was sure the others felt it too. Every day we waited made it harder to resist. I needed a release, and she’d given me the perfect excuse.
She didn’t try to make small talk as we descended the stairs. I loved that about her. There was no need to chatter. We could just be. It hadn’t seemed like it at first, but I was beginning to think that she was the perfect foil for all of us.
When we made it to the bottom, I led the way into a quiet side tunnel heading away from the city center. Saphyra’s eyes darted around, taking in every ramshackle detail of this poorly maintained passage. She seemed nervous, as she probably should’ve been, but even if I let her think otherwise, I’d never let anyone hurt her. Even myself.
The muddy, unfinished hallway ended at a rusty door. Instead of punching in my code on the keypad, I popped open the panel next to it and shifted a few wires around. No one except my team knew about this trick. Everyone else thought it took a keycode just like all the other doors. There was a clunk as the lock disengaged, and I dragged the door open on protesting hinges.
There were a few of these lesser used passageways, but many of them were well-kept secrets, leftover from when this place was a working mine. Lex, Ax, and I had found them as teenagers while exploring the construction site of the city. Not even Titus knew about most of them, and we were happy to keep it that way.
This one was not as well hidden and not anywhere near as secret as most. I motioned Saphyra through the door and pulled it shut behind me without engaging the lock. The people we were meeting wouldn’t be able to unlock it without me.
She was breathless from the long walk when she turned to me in the dark. “Where are we going, Shadow?”
I watched her in the dark. The faraway light from the tunnel entrance was the only thing illuminating the curve of her cheek and the fullness of her lips. I clenched my teeth, grinding my molars together. She was so fragile and breakable it took everything I had to keep from wrapping my hand around her neck and pinning her to the muddy wall to taste that sweet mouth of hers.
A growl worked its way up my throat, and she turned away from me and toward the light. As it should be. Run, little omega. I’m not good for you, and you’re too good for me.
She didn’t run, only sauntered away, seeming curious at the origin of the light when I didn’t answer. Her round hips swishing back and forth with every step, taunting me further. I followed, rigid and restrained, remembering Lex and Ax back inside the city, tirelessly searching for ways we could all have her, and a way to keep her safe until then. I wasn’t the only one hunting my little omega.