DONOVAN

 

Lucas was an Omega, a true Omega. He wasn’t the first man I’d paid to spend time with. No, there were many who were willing to do whatever it took to get even a single piece of gold.

Lucas was different though. He didn’t whine or pout or complain. He didn’t refuse any of my orders. He didn’t even hesitate or show any sign of reluctance. Every Omega I’d been with showed some reservation about sleeping with me for money. But Lucas… He did everything he was asked and enjoyed it.

And I knew he enjoyed it because of the mess he’d made. Omegas weren’t virile like their Alpha counterparts. There was no need for them to have so much seed because they would never be able to sow it. If it weren’t for his small cock size, one would have trouble telling Lucas wasn’t capable of fathering a child.

I lost track of time. I had my way with Lucas and he took a growing delight in it until we were both completely exhausted. Still, I had enough strength to remain awake.

I sat on my balcony and looked out into the ocean. The sound of the waves crashing down below was hypnotizing. I lost myself as I thought about everything I’d seen earlier today.

Pandora was a mess.

I wouldn’t be able to fix it myself. I knew that going in. But now I was beginning to have doubts that I would be able to do anything at all.

“Hey…”

Lucas’s whisper almost startled me because I wasn’t expecting it. I looked up and saw him smiling. His dark hair messy with scruff on his chin that needed a shave, Lucas was handsome despite how unkempt he was.

“Why are you still awake?” he asked.

He put a hand on my shoulder and gently massaged it. Even though I’d hired him to keep me company, he couldn’t deny the affection he wanted to show me.

“I was just thinking,” I said as I looked back out into the water.

“About what?”

“About Pandora.”

“I don’t get it,” he sighed. “Not only do you live in Azure, but you live in the most beautiful part of it. There are men and women who would kill to live in a place like this. Yet, you’re thinking of the worst part of Dirge.”

“Yes. Does that surprise you?”

“It does. Why would you think about it?”

“Let me ask you something, Lucas…

“We’ve been taught to watch over ourselves and our pack. The only thing that matters is the survival of the ones closest to us. It doesn’t matter if you live in Dirge or follow the old ways. It is our hearts that guide us.”

Lucas remained silent, continuing to knead both of my shoulders with his hands as he stood behind me.

“But we must grow beyond that,” I said.

“What are you saying? That we should leave behind the old traditions and create new ones to live as men?”

“No. Old traditions have their place.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“I’m merely suggesting we live in peace. And I want to start with you.”

“With me?”

He stopped massaging my shoulders. He slowly walked in front of me, blocking my vision of the ocean in front of me.

“What do you mean me?” he asked.

“I mean you’re not like all of the other citizens in Pandora. I see something in you. Something that separates you from the rest.”

“I’m an Omega…”

He put his head down and shifted his gaze away from me.

“You’re not like other Omegas,” I said. “There’s something else. Something else about you.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. There was something strange about the way he was acting. The way he was unable to look back at me… I knew something was wrong but I hadn’t a clue what it was.

“Listen,” he said. “I have to go.”

“You have to go?”

He suddenly walked back into my bedroom. I followed after him while he immediately began picking his clothes up from the ground.

“What are you doing?” I said.

“I have to be somewhere. I have to go.”

“At this time of night? Lucas, you’ll hurt yourself.”

“I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”

He finally looked at me. Gone was the kindness of the Omega I just spoke to. All I saw now was a fiery intensity that left me more confused than anything else.

“It’s not safe here,” he said.

“I assure you, you’re quite safe here,” I said with a laugh.

“I’m not talking about me.”

Even though I was smiling, Lucas wasn’t. He was just staring at me with a focus that unsettled me in my heart.

“Lucas, I think you should rethink what you’re saying and—”

I cut myself off.

What is that?

I heard something in the distance. I closed my eyes and tried to listen over the soft sound of music playing in my room.

“And what?” Lucas said.

“Hold on,” I said, putting my hand up. “Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Listen…”

I focused my hearing as best as I could. It was a growing sound. It was rumbling. I couldn’t quite make it out but as it got louder, I sensed something else.

That scent.

A smell so familiar filled my nostrils.

My eyes shot open. Lucas stared back at me with a confused concern in his eyes.

“What is it?” he said.

“Wait here.”

I rushed out of my room and raced toward the entrance of my mansion. The undeniable smell that filled my nostrils permeated my surroundings until it was engulfing me completely.

I made my way out of the front of my mansion and finally saw them.

“Well, look who it is,” the bald man said to me.

It was him. The man I had encountered earlier at the bar in Pandora. The man Lucas called Seth.

He sat on his chopper with a confident smile on his face. He was surrounded by four of his brethren, who were all grinning at me just the same.

“What are you doing here?” I barked at him. “What do you want?”

“Look at you,” he said. “I always knew that jaguars were rich but it looks like you’re doing pretty well for yourself. I must say, you’ve even got an impressive build.”

I stood naked at the entrance to my mansion. A growing rage building up inside of me, I yelled at him again.

“What do you want?” I repeated.

“I don’t like that tone,” Seth said. “You’d better watch it.”

“Donovan!”

I turned around and saw Lucas rushing up toward me. His attention taken by the five bikers in front of us, Lucas’s eyes widened in shock.

“The Black Stone,” Lucas muttered to himself.

“I did a little research,” Seth said. “It turns out you’re not just a jaguar but a very successful one. I thought I’d come by and pay you a visit.”

“If there’s something you want to discuss, you can come back at another time,” I said.

“That’s just it,” he said. “You came to my territory and trespassed. I figured I would do the same. To collect the rest of my toll. Now…”

He slowly got up from his bike. He took his vest off and set it down on his chopper. His muscular body on full display, he flexed as he slowly walked toward me.

“…How much gold do you have in that house?” he said. “Don’t worry. I’ll only take as much as I can fit on all these bikes. What do you say?”

I gritted my teeth as I stared at him. There was no point in trying to reason with him. I stared right at Seth and lost myself.

I growled and shifted right before him. He did the same. A lousy hyena snarling at me.

I pounced on top of him, swiping at him with my claws. The sound of my roar filled the night sky.

“Donovan!”

Lucas’s shout was lost on me. The beast in my heart had taken control.

Seth kept trying to lunge at me, snatching at me with his sharp mouth. I managed to move out of the way every time and swipe my claws at him. He was sloppy. He fought like the savage he was.

I drew enough blood from his face to draw the attention from the rest of his pack.

Four more hyenas all circled around me. Each one of them showed their teeth, saliva dripping from their lips.

I wasn’t afraid. It didn’t matter how many of them there were. Hyenas were no match for me.

I roared at all of them as they surrounded me. They all followed Seth’s lead and lunged forward. I swiftly moved out of the way, swiping at each of them when I could.

Their efforts were futile. One by one, they kept trying to attack me but they were unable to land a single claw on me.

The smell of crimson filled my noses. The bloodlust I had started to take control of me.

But there were so many of them that eventually the hyenas were able to land a blow. I howled from a swipe across my shoulder.

“Donovan!”

Lucas jumped in. He shifted and took his place next to me. The two of us growled at the hyenas before us. They were bloody but still remained defiant. Seeing that they weren’t going to make a move, I shifted back to a man.

“Let it end,” I said to all of them. “Let it end and you can leave. I have no interest in hurting you but the jaguar in me will do so if necessary.”

The hyenas all growled at me. I stared hard at all of them before they eventually shifted back to their human forms. Their bodies cut and bruised, they all glared at me.

“This isn’t the last you’ve seen of us, jaguar,” Seth said to me.

They gathered their belongings and hopped on their bikes. I stood next to Lucas and watched as they drove off into the distance. The sound of exhaust slowly started to disappear. I closed my eyes and sighed a deep breath of relief, knowing that it was over.

“Donovan…”

Lucas put a hand on my shoulder. I looked down and saw the gash with blood trickling from it.

“Are you—”

“I’m all right,” I said with a smile. “It’s just a scratch.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Don’t worry. Dirk has dealt with worse injuries before.”

“Right… Speak of the devil.”

Lucas and I both turned toward the entrance of my mansion. I watched as Dirk slowly made his way out.

“Sir? Sir, I heard the commotion. I’m sorry I didn’t—”

“It’s okay,” I said, chuckling at my assistant.

“Master Donovan, your shoulder—”

“Get the first-aid kit. This shouldn’t be anything you can’t handle.”

“Yes, sir. Right away.”

Dirk disappeared inside of my mansion.

“Come on,” I said to Lucas. “Let’s go.”

I started to walk inside. I took a few steps then noticed that Lucas hadn’t moved from the spot he stood.

“It’s okay,” I said. “You don’t have to leave tonight. Please, just stay with me.”

“Donovan,” he started. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“It’s… It’s a long story.”

I had no idea what had gotten into Lucas. I wasn’t sure what to make of his sudden change of demeanor but I would get my answers soon enough.

“Come inside,” I said. “We have all night.”