CHAPTER TEN
CAILYN
Cailyn stirred and pressed against the heavy, hot, weight that pinned her down. An itchy heat blazed over her, prickling over her skin as she tried to find fresh air. The weight shifted, and cooler air filtered over her, but it did nothing to ease her discomfort. She tried to turn away, but a restriction around her waist stopped her. When she tried to resist, a vibration appeared. A vibration she had missed. She pressed closer to it, and soon her mind calmed and her breathing relaxed. She sighed, grateful for the soothing sensation, for the comforting scent. And then a realization hit her and her eyes flew open.
Drocco. He had her pinned to him, pressing her into his chest as they lay on their sides, using that manipulative purr to try to calm her. She lifted her head and saw that he was awake, looking down at her. She tried again to move away from him, but he didn't allow it.
"Let me go," she said, her voice low.
"No."
She struggled against him, but it didn't make any difference. His thick arm had her scooped into him and it barely budged as she moved. She was secure against him, the way he wanted it.
"Stop struggling," he growled, peering down at her. "Do you remember your Haze?"
"I don't need to remember it to know that you fucked me," Cailyn said harshly, pressing her legs together and feeling the confirmation of it. The beautiful, slightly sore ache of being stretched thrummed between her legs.
"Actually, you fucked me," Drocco said, his tone gruff. “You rode me to oblivion. Numerous times. Don’t blame me for your own desires and instincts—you begged to have that pussy filled constantly. I simply obliged."
Cailyn exhaled harshly, heat flooding her face. Of course, it was likely that everything he said was true, and that was fucking embarrassing. "It doesn't matter," she said, trying to shrug it off. "It wasn't really me, it was just hormones."
Drocco went silent.
Cailyn glanced up at him, surprised he had no remark to make. His smirk hadn’t even appeared.
"Regardless," he said, finally. “Your hormones were ripe.”
Cailyn frowned. "What do you mean?"
Drocco glanced down at her. "Your body did its job."
Cailyn’s frown deepened. What did that mean?
“The records at the Keep say that some Omegas can feel the change,” Drocco said, watching her carefully. “But they feel it in different ways.”
Cailyn wiggled her fingers and toes and checked her body. "Feel what? What are you talking about?"
Drocco released his hold on her and as her body moved away from his, she became aware of a strange sensation fluttering in her stomach. Looking down at herself, her mind leapt from one reasoning to another, reaching for a conclusion that would link Drocco’s strange words to the feeling within her. Finally, she placed a hand on her stomach, unwilling to believe the thought slipping into her awareness.
“What are you talking about?” she said harshly, snapping her head to look up at him as her fear and anger surged.
Drocco didn’t say anything, but his dark eyes glanced down at her hand on her stomach.
An ice-cold realization hurtled into her. "No!" She tried to get up but Drocco held her firm. “It’s not true!” she hissed at him as he pulled her back to him.
Tears filled her eyes as the full weight of what had happened exploded in her mind. She pushed against Drocco’s broad chest harder. “No! It’s not possible!” But even as she spoke, she knew it was the only logical result of them mating during her Haze.
Drocco pinned her against him again, locking her to his body.
"No, Drocco!” she yelled, her voice breaking as she fought him with everything she had.
Drocco didn't respond.
She burst into tears as her anger expanded.
Drocco simply held her still, minimizing her movement. "Be still, Cailyn," he ordered. "You will hurt yourself and our child."
Their child? The words sent a chill straight to her core. They were having a child. The raw dread that bolted through her clawed up her throat, almost choking her, sparking an agitation so fierce, she couldn’t stop the violent sobs that overtook her. “This can’t be happening!” she cried, trying to fight him. “Why did you do that? I didn’t want this. I hate you! Let me go. Let me go!” Soon she could barely understand her own raspy, broken screams but it didn’t matter. Drocco still didn't answer but his purr began again, strong and consistent. She wailed and screamed at him, slamming her fists against his chest as the horror of her situation settled into her.
She was truly trapped now, truly stuck with him, whether she wanted it or not. She no longer had any kind of choice, the pregnancy would not allow one. She had to stay with an Alpha throughout it or she and the child would suffer—it was a well-documented fact. Her situation had turned much more disastrous than before—now, she needed him.
Even though the Mothers had abandoned her, she’d still had a choice about whether she went back to Drocco or not—she’d still had a say as to whether she chose him as her Alpha or not, and that choice had been snatched from her. It proved that, regardless of what the Mothers had said, she couldn't accept Drocco as her mate. Yes, she was clearly more attracted to him than any other Alpha she had come across, but every time she encountered him, he showed himself to be exactly the kind of monster she would never want to spend her life with.
Her already exhausted body couldn’t maintain her outburst for long. As her thrashing calmed and her sobs quietened, Drocco turned her on her front and shifted his weight on top of her, securing her down so she couldn’t move, his scent surrounding her. His purr vibrated through her whole body from his chest, and she suddenly became aware of his cock pressing into her, his rough hand squeezing her ass and rotating her hips to give him easier access. She tilted to accept the burn of his cock gliding into her, seeking the harshness of the stretch to penetrate her mood. Her sobs into the pillow quickly turned into ragged, mumbled exhales as he increased his thrusts.
She hummed at the sensations pressing in on her; that gorgeous stretch, Drocco’s solid weight on top of her, and that rumbling purr she had craved for so long. Combined, they brought about a unique state of comfort that soothed every inch of her being.
She hiccupped and sighed into the pillow, the last of her tears soaking the material and smearing her face as she jerked into it. Her orgasm rose in a twisty, sharp surge of overwhelming pleasure, and even though it seized her with incredible strength, she couldn’t move under the weight that kept her in place. She let it overtake her, screaming into the pillow as every muscle exercised its right to clench and contract in delight, fighting pointlessly against the purring mass above. And yet, as the high faded, a sense of calm overcame her. The misery of her situation seemed distant. She couldn't be happy about the fact that she was bringing new life into the world against her will, but the concern wasn’t so pressing when that familiar drowsy, sated, oblivion beckoned.
Drocco came in a series of grunts, his hips slamming into her erratically until his knot plunged in. His purr faded as she drifted to sleep, limp beneath him.
***
For the next few days, Drocco kept her pinned underneath him. Whether they slept, fucked or ate, he pinned her down and secured her with his body, not allowing her to move. She tried to drift away into her misery, but Drocco’s weight on her calmed her mind and didn’t allow her to wallow too long with thoughts of despair. Although she remained subdued, that raw panic that had overcome her when she first awoke from her Haze did not return, even though the niggling, fluttery feeling in her stomach was a constant reminder of the change in her circumstance. Whenever she became too annoyed or upset by it, Drocco pressed her against him, and with his scent filling her nose and his skin on hers, the feeling in her stomach seemed to disappear—she could forget for a while and sink into oblivion.
No doubt, he could sense her anguish over her pregnancy because he never let up. As well as making her feel secure with his body, he purred for her constantly. He made sure she ate, and brought her to incredible orgasms, but did not speak. They remained in silence once more.
The memories of her Haze filtered back to her slowly, but were more fragmented than normal. She didn’t know if it was the fact that she had finally been with an Alpha in her Haze or the pregnancy that caused the memory loss. She remembered being in awe of his glow, being satisfied by his touch, and him demanding to know why she ran. But beyond that, the memories were blurred, snatched moments. She had no idea if he had mentioned his intentions toward her or what he would do now that she was carrying his child.
Eventually, a sense of acceptance embraced her. Her condition could not be changed or reversed. It wasn’t as though she had never thought about or desired children, but with her duties to the Omega cause and a strong desire to become an Omega Compound Mother one day—having children wasn’t something she would have sought out. And certainly not with a barbarian like Drocco. But it was happening.
She was completely aware he had used his body, his scent, and his ability to bring her pleasure to prevent her from falling into a similar depression she had been in before, in his bedroom, and she could only guess that it was to ensure the safety of the child. Any kind of lengthy depression would have certainly harmed the baby she carried. Drocco had acted in the best interest of the child, and although she despised him even more now than she did before, she could understand that intention.
Finally, Drocco seemed to sense that her emotions had calmed. He began to spoon her into him when they slept, instead of pinning her down. The first night of this position unsettled her somewhat, she automatically turned and pressed into him, seeking out any other form of comfort, but he didn’t caress her or purr or shift her underneath him.
In her subdued daze, she nuzzled into his chest to spur him into action. His breath hitched. Then a sharp pain shot through her scalp as he yanked her head back, and glared down at her. “Stop it.”
She blinked at him, noticing the hardness in his eyes for the first time. “Stop what?”
“You are stable now, Cailyn. You don’t deserve any further comfort,” Drocco rumbled, his face becoming a snarl. “Are you forgetting that you attacked me? That you ran from me when I was offering you a home? A nest? A chance to be happy with me? You are carrying my child but you still have lessons to learn.”
Cailyn blinked. Lessons? So he did intend to make her suffer again. She took a breath and tried to firm her mind. She had been following her instincts seeking comfort by him, but he was the reason why she needed comfort. He had caused her distress, like he always had. She had to remember that when her hormones pushed her toward him. It would probably be worse now that she was pregnant.
His fist eased from her hair and returned to his side as they both lay watching each other. As Cailyn took in his harsh glare, she suddenly realized that, even though he had tended to her, his treatment of her over the last few days had been different to the lull of their time together in his bedroom. He had not kissed her once since her Haze ended. He didn’t embrace her or caress her. Their mating had been fiery and consuming, but had not included any of the tenderness she had experienced before. His intentions toward her had changed and she had no idea of his plans. An apprehension grew as she realized just how completely he had her under his control. But what did she expect? He had promised to destroy her when he got her back.
She watched him as he stared back at her. “So… you’re using me to breed your child. And then what?”
“And then you will breed another. And another.”
She lowered her eyes as they prickled with tears. She had become what she had feared for all Omegas… a breeding machine. She turned back onto her other side, her mind racing as she tried to think of a way out, but there seemed to be none. If she distanced herself from an Alpha during her pregnancy, her child would suffer. Of all the children she had tried to not involve in her missions over the years, how could she do ultimate damage to her own? There was no other Alpha that she knew who could take Drocco’s place while she nested and prepared to give birth… only Malloron. Cailyn bit her lip. She hadn’t even thought about Malloron since she woke from her Haze, but they were obviously still in his castle—why weren’t they dead or imprisoned? Why had Malloron allowed Drocco to remain with her when he had wanted to marry her himself? Although the king was just as bad—in fact, she couldn’t even bear the thought of being intimate with him—she had to consider him as an option if it meant getting away from Drocco.
“What about Malloron?” she asked.
There was no answer but she felt him tense behind her.
“Is he allowing this?” she asked after a long silence.
“I don’t need his fucking permission to take what is mine,” Drocco snarled.
So Malloron was definitely unhappy about it. How long did Drocco think he could stay in Malloron’s castle with the woman he had intended to marry? The fact they remained in this room with food brought to them on a daily basis suggested they were prisoners. Maybe she could still try to appeal to Malloron. She only needed to get out of the room and away from Drocco. Amara could help with the rest.
“Anything you’re planning will fail, Cailyn,” Drocco said, the grit in his voice serving as a warning. “I have thought of all possible options available to you and there are none that will work. So do not risk my child with any foolish attempts.”
“It’s my child too,” Cailyn threw over her shoulder. “I won’t allow it to be harmed either.”
“You gave up all rights to a family when you attacked me with the Talent,” Drocco bit out. “All children you breed are mine, and mine alone.”
Cailyn turned back to him, her annoyance building. “Ask me again, Drocco. Ask me again why I ran.”
Drocco’s eyes darkened. He took in her expression, but said nothing.
“Even after the torture and interrogation, you wanted to take everything from me—my freedom, my choices, my word to protect those I love. And now you seek to force me to have your children, only to take them from me as well. I was, and still am, a prisoner. And all prisoners long for escape.”
“I gave you all you needed for a life you would have been happy with. A life you would have wanted.”
“You never once asked me what I wanted,” Cailyn shot back at him.
Drocco rose, his face contorting as he loomed over her. “You told me plenty of times what you wanted! It was in your gaze, and your scent, and the way you touched me. It was in the abundance of your slick and your urges for me to take you as hard as I could.” His scent deepened as his anger grew, and his fierce expression sent a tremble straight to Cailyn’s core. “It was in your rage when you thought I would fuck another, and in the state of the room you destroyed when I left.” When his voice lowered, her slick was already gathering. “It was in the purr that you offered me in your sleep whenever my mind drifted to troublesome thoughts and you sought to soothe me. It was in the way you kissed me, Cailyn.”
Cailyn was gripped by the intensity of his eyes, unable to look away.
“You told me plenty of times what you wanted and it aligned with my own desires. I did what I could to make you see, but clearly it wasn't enough to combat the conditioning of your captors.”
“I haven’t been conditioned.” Her protest sounded so weak against his argument, but she was compelled to make it.
They glared at each other, the tremble within Cailyn increasing as his eyes ran over her.
He glanced down the length of her. “Then stop doing that.”
“I’m not doing anything,” she said, evenly.
“No?” Drocco reached between her legs and ran his fingers over her soaked slit. She twitched as they brushed her clit but forced her moan to stay in her throat.
“I have given what you craved every time you have been in need,” Drocco said, his voice rumbling as he showed her the slick dripping from his fingers. “You may deny me, but I have never denied you when your body calls to me. If you don’t want me to fuck you, then stop calling for me to.”
Cailyn pressed her lips together for a long moment. She couldn’t deny that her body responded to him in a way she couldn’t help, but he always missed an important point. “Just because I’m drawn to you, and my body calls to you, doesn’t mean I want it. It doesn’t mean I want to be trapped or locked away. It doesn’t mean I want everything else you want to force upon me. There is a difference.”
Something changed in Drocco’s eyes. “Yes, there is.” He slipped his arm under her waist and flipped her over onto her stomach. As he sunk into her, she arched her back, lifting her ass to ease his entry, almost moaning at the divine friction of his cock deep within. But his next words, growled into her ear as he reached full penetration, sent her heart plummeting.
“I’m not offering you everything else any longer. You will serve my needs, as I see fit, Omega. That is the only choice you have now.”
***
Over the next few days, they were like strangers. He watched her constantly and remained by her side at all times, but did not give her the attention he used to. Although he held her when they slept, he barely touched her otherwise, and when he purred it wasn’t any of the versions she recognized. It was harsh and aggressive and although it still soothed her somewhat, it wasn’t as comforting to her as any of the others she’d experienced before. She began to realize that that was how his purr had been since she woke from her Haze. Additionally, every time he fucked her, he turned her on her front, as though he didn’t want to look at her—just as he had done every time since her Haze too.
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, this treatment wounded her deeper than she anticipated. Maybe it was because she was pregnant and her hormones were in overdrive, maybe it was because it affirmed her new position and status as his breeder. But she had to also accept that it could also be because he was her true mate and part of her simply wasn’t satisfied with this perversion of the attention she was supposed to get from him.
One morning, Cailyn exited the washroom to see King Malloron standing in front of the bedroom door, glaring at Drocco, who stood a few feet from him.
She must have interrupted their conversation because they both stopped and turned to her, snarling. She froze in place, unsure what was happening, and a strange fear she hadn’t experienced before locked onto her. She took a step back, suddenly wishing she couldn’t be seen.
"It’s good to see you’re well and healthy," Malloron sneered. "And completely sexually satisfied."
"You do not talk to her!" Drocco boomed, closing the distance between them until his chest was against Malloron's, his fists clenching. "You do not look at her," he snarled. "I’ll consider what you said, now get out!"
A growl rumbled in Malloron’s chest. “This is my castle. You don’t instruct me what to do.” He stepped forward, pushing Drocco back, and suddenly their hands gripped each other, and they were wrestling, grappling, trying to get a firm grip.
Cailyn watched them, that odd fear rooting her to the spot. The two Alphas seemed evenly matched. They were of the same height and bulk, and although Drocco had larger, bunchier muscles, Malloron’s were toned and leaner, suggesting he was physically fit and most likely a capable opponent. Drocco landed a few solid punches on Malloron, who kicked and elbowed Drocco’s joints, trying to make him unstable. The room shook as they scrambled to get the advantage on one another.
Cailyn opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. The bitter odor of their aggression reached her, and her hands flew to her stomach as she started to shake. She inched back until she reached the wall behind her, and then slid down and hugged her knees, her chin tucked under as her eyes followed Drocco.
Drocco glanced at her, then shoved Malloron away hard so he crashed into the wall by the door. “All right, stop,” he growled, holding up his hands. “Leave now, Malloron, or the deal is off.”
Malloron breathed heavily as two of his warriors burst in, swords in their hands. He held a hand up to them, his glare on Drocco for a long moment before turning and leaving the bedroom, his warriors close behind.
As soon as the door closed, Drocco stalked to Cailyn and lifted her in his arms. He held her tight against him, tucked into his neck, until her erratic heartbeat calmed and then headed to the bed.
The arresting fear faded as he climbed to the middle of the bed and sat upright, placing her in his lap and holding her against him as he began to purr. She relaxed into him and breathed deep as the vibration unraveled the knot of intense fear that had taken hold. Her fingers absently pressed up his arms and across his chest. What the hell was happening to her? She had never felt anything like that before. The fear enveloped her so completely that she had been almost incapable of thinking. It was worrying how quickly it came on. Her palms drifted up and around his neck, then along his shoulders.
“I’m fine, Cailyn,” Drocco said roughly, pulling her arms down and placing her hands in her lap. “You don’t need to worry.”
Cailyn froze, dismay threading through her. Her fear… it had been for Drocco. She had been worried about him! She forced her hands still, even though the urge remained to reach out and check him for wounds. Her heart sunk with the realization of what had happened. Her hormones were too strong. There was no way she would be able to find a way to escape him if she couldn’t even bear to see him hurt. In fact, Malloron’s appearance in the room had been her chance to tell him that she wanted his help. Instead she had recoiled from his gaze, and possibly even his presence, instantly. It was unlikely she would thrive if he had to be the Alpha that cared for her during her pregnancy. She would struggle to get away from Drocco while her reactions were so strong.
As her fear calmed she looked up at him, ready for what he might say. But his unfocused gaze was directed over her head—he didn’t seem to be seeing anything. His purr was erratic and didn’t have that aggressive edge. He was distracted. She decided to take a chance. "What's going on?" she asked, tentatively.
Drocco was silent for a long moment. "Malloron holds us here, as I’m sure you may have guessed," he began. "He is attempting to negotiate your marriage to him."
“He still wants to marry me, even though I’m pregnant?” Cailyn asked, frowning.
“Yes,” Drocco growled, glancing down at her. “Don’t get too hopeful. I won’t allow any such marriage to take place.”
Cailyn clenched her jaw. "I'm aware of that, Drocco. I thought you may have been reasonable about it before my Haze, but—"
"You were mine to begin with," Drocco snapped. "There is nothing for me to be reasonable about."
Cailyn stayed silent. Malloron wouldn’t simply sit back and let Drocco embarrass him in his own territory. The Alpha was just as ruthless as Drocco, possibly worse.
After a few moments of silence, with Drocco in deep thought, his gaze still above her head, she asked. "What were you talking about just now?"
Drocco's jaw clenched. "Malloron is furious that I have impregnated you. He was intending to have you as his queen, even though he wasn’t attracted to you. He is curious about why you smell differently to what he experienced, and is extremely suspicious about why you went into your Haze almost as soon as I arrived. In fact, he is furious about that too. He would have preferred if you went into your Haze in his presence."
Cailyn couldn't help but shiver at the idea, and the corner of Drocco’s mouth quirked up at her reaction. “He wanted answers,” he added.
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.” He took a breath and looked down at her. “What I want to know is, what happened between the two of you?"
Cailyn's eyes widened slightly. "You mean…?"
"I know you didn't fuck," Drocco said, irritably. "But I want to know if anything else happened—a kiss, a touch…" He watched her closely, his jaw clenched, his whole body tense.
Cailyn narrowed her eyes. “Why do you care?” Her voice still shook. “I’m just a breeder for you, aren’t I? It doesn’t matter what happened between me and Malloron.”
A harsh growl rumbled through Drocco and his face contorted as he exhaled. “It matters.” He reached down between them. “It fucking matters.” He stroked her clit, his fiery eyes locked onto hers. “It has always mattered, Cailyn.”
Cailyn tried to hold her glare at him, but his touch between her legs was so gentle, so intimate compared to what their contact had been since her Haze, she couldn’t help but relax into it. When her slick had drenched his fingers, he brought them to his mouth and sucked it off, the look of desire in his eyes sparking a swoop in her stomach. He tucked his hands under her ass and lifted her up, maneuvering her over his cock, lowering her onto it. She whimpered at the sharp feel of it sliding up into her. She placed her hands on his chest and stared up at him as he sunk her down to encase him completely, sending shock waves of pleasure throughout her whole body.
“You belong to me, whether you are my mate or my breeder.”
Cailyn dropped her gaze and took a deep breath, annoyed with herself. The man was a possessive Alpha who had consigned her to a life of slavery. No amount of tenderness could erase that. "No," she said, looking back up at him firmly. “Nothing happened.”
Drocco examined her face.
"Malloron didn't try to approach me in any kind of sexual way," Cailyn insisted. "He was a perfect gentleman. "
Drocco scowled. "Only because you were using the Talent to hide your Omega signals," he snapped. "If you hadn't been, he would have fucked you raw, regardless of what perception of himself he wanted to deceive you with."
Cailyn nodded slowly. She didn't bother to point out that’s exactly what Drocco had done.
"It’s a good thing in any case," Drocco said darkly. "He would be already dead if he had."
A pleasurable tingle skipped down Cailyn's spine. She chose to ignore it. Her thoughts drifted to Amara and her mission. "Is there any possibility that we may eventually gain access to the rest of the castle?"
Drocco's face contorted in anger as he looked down at her. "You want to stay here? Are you hoping to offer yourself to Malloron? Because I’ll never let that fucking happen!"
Cailyn paused, ordering her thoughts before she spoke. "You know that Malloron deals quite heavily in slavery? It's possible that he may have children as slaves in this castle."
Drocco shook his head. "What another ruler does in his own territory has nothing to do with me," he said firmly. "I'm not interested in anything that happens here. My only interest is getting you out."
"That may be," Cailyn said sternly. "But I don’t have the same outlook as you. I believe that if there are people suffering, they should be helped."
"And you intend to help them?" Drocco asked, almost mockingly. "A pregnant Omega, locked away with her Alpha? How do you intend to do that? You’d sooner be joining them than getting them out."
Cailyn scowled at him. Clearly, she hadn’t thought it through but a strong part of her, the part of her that had been trained to do something about children suffering, couldn’t let it go. "I don't know yet," she said. "But I want to make sure that they get help. If I can find a way to—”
"Cailyn!" Drocco boomed. "You’re not a spy anymore. Anything that is going on in this castle is not your concern. I won’t allow you to jeopardize my child for a cause that has nothing to do with you. Besides, you have no say in the terms of your imprisonment."
"You could do something," Cailyn shot back. "If you give me a day to think about it, I could find a way for you to—"
"No!" Drocco's voice vibrated through her. "There is no reason for it." He leaned her back, his cock twitching within her as he forced her to look up at him. "Malloron intends to keep us here until you give birth," he said, his voice quietly intense. "He intends to take this child and put it into his slavery system."
Cailyn’s face contorted in horror as he continued.
"He has promised that this will be the child’s fate, because he is furious that he was deceived. I can only assume that once you give birth, you will be entered into this slavery as well, and I’m imagining that he will find a way to kill me before I have a chance to stop him."
Cailyn was speechless. King Malloron was much more ruthless than she ever imagined. "Didn’t you come with any warriors?" she asked, a worry snaking through her as her hand drifted to her stomach.
"I brought the Lox, Cailyn," Drocco said, incredulously. "They surround the castle as we speak. They have been surrounding it since I entered. They are the only reason why Malloron hasn’t killed me yet. Commander Torin is leading them, but Malloron’s use of the Talent is impressive. He could find a way to kill Torin over the course of the next few months. That would displace the army because there is no other trained to lead them." Drocco shook his head slowly. "I practically gave him a manual on how to defeat armies of all sizes. I know what he could potentially do next, but I have no idea how he will use the Talent. This is my concern. Not his choice of slaves or how he runs his kingdom.”
Cailyn sucked in a deep breath. Sexual slavery for her and her child—that was the possible fate for her if she stayed. And yet it was already her fate with Drocco, though he wouldn’t see it like that. She began to wonder if there was any hope for her to escape it at all.
As her mind raced, Drocco lowered her to the bed and his erratic purr morphed into the newer aggressive vibration. “We’re not in this together,” he said, leaning over her, his cock throbbing inside her. “You don’t need to concern yourself with anything but my child. I’ll ensure you don’t experience any of the aggression that caused your fear again.” His arm snaked underneath her and turned her over, and began with slow, hard thrusts.
***
Cailyn lay awake that night, trying to analyze her situation to find a solution. If she couldn’t seek out another Alpha, she was stuck with him, at least until the birth of the child. Unless she could somehow make it back to the Omega Compound. If Drocco took her back to the Eastern Lands, she may be able to use the Talent and return to the Compound. But then what? Would the Mothers help her?
She remembered their faces around the table—dejected, forlorn, regretful, but all in agreement. Go back to your Alpha, Cailyn.
No, they wouldn’t. They told Amara they wouldn’t help her get away from Malloron, so they certainly wouldn’t help her now. As far as they were concerned she was where she was supposed to be, regardless of the actual circumstances. They were convinced this was where she belonged and that she could make it work. What had Mother Azia said? You just need to find a way to tame him for yourself. You have more power than you think. How could she do that? It was impossible with such a monster. Besides, she didn’t want to tame him. She didn’t want him at all.
“Go to sleep, Cailyn.”
She drew in a sharp breath. He seemed to always know when she was awake. She turned her head over her shoulder. “I can’t sleep.”
“You’re not trying.”
“You cannot control my sleep,” she snapped.
“I can control everything about you,” he shot back. His hand appeared around her neck, applying that pressure he knew settled her.
As she went limp, she felt something underneath his hand, like a cord around her neck. Her hand flew to his, clawing at it to get underneath.
“Be still,” he ordered.
“Something is around my neck,” she insisted.
He softened his grip and moved his hand and she felt her neck for the cord, but nothing was there. She sat up, carefully running her hand around her whole neck, but the skin was smooth.
“Can you feel anything?” Drocco asked.
“No,” she muttered, confused. “I was sure I could feel…”
“You wear a charm chain.”
She turned to look at him. “A what?”
“A charm chain,” he repeated, his eyes hooded from where he lay watching her on the bed. “It has been made especially for you.”
“What is it?” She tried to stop the panic entering her voice, but failed.
“It prevents you from using the Talent.”
She stared at him. She had never heard of anything like that before, but of course, he had found a way to prevent her using it before, and since she had attacked him with it, it wasn’t surprising he would make it a high priority to keep her from using it.
“As long as you wear it, you cannot use the Talent, unless I permit it,” Drocco added.
Cailyn’s fingers lingered on her neck, still seeking it out. “But I can’t feel anything.”
“Only I can remove it, Cailyn.”
Her hand dropped to the bed, her thoughts rolling. If she couldn’t even touch the chain there was no way she could get it off. And if she couldn’t use the Talent, no amount of planning would assist her escaping her situation.
“So even though you despise the Talent, you will use it when you see fit?” she snapped at him, her anger rising as the true nature of her entrapment became clear. She couldn’t try to get back to the Mothers without using the Talent. It was impossible.
“I already told you I’ve thought of all possible options available to you. There are none.” His eyes bore into hers, dark and hard. “And I won’t allow you to use the Talent and damage my child.”
“The Talent doesn’t damage children.”
“The Talent itself is damaging to those that use it,” he said. “All Talent-crafters eventually go insane. That is the life your captors have been preparing you for. Any mental strain on you will affect my child. I won’t allow it unless it is absolutely necessary.”
“The way I use the Talent doesn’t do that.”
“How do you know?” Drocco growled. “Were there many pregnant Omegas where you were held?”
Cailyn didn’t respond. Of course, she had never seen any pregnant Omegas in the Compound, but she also knew that the recorded effects of using the Talent weren’t true for Omegas. The Mothers were all Talent-crafters, and had been using the talent for decades, and they still had all their mental faculties.
Drocco grabbed her arm and pulled her back down to the bed. “Go to sleep, Cailyn. You need your rest.”
Only one thought resounded in Cailyn’s mind as her head hit the pillow: she didn’t have the Talent anymore. The thought sliced through her so sharply that she went numb. She had been using the Talent almost all her life. Without it, she wasn’t herself anymore. Not only could she not escape but she was simply a vessel to carry heirs for a savage that had no understanding and no care for who she truly was.
Drocco’s arm wound around her and his aggressive purr began again but she didn’t even register it. Tears filled her eyes and, as she cried silently, she tried to hold onto her determination that she would still find a way to be free, but any option she came up with eventually required her to use the Talent. Without it, multiple Alphas would mount her until she was dead, even in her condition. They probably wouldn’t even be able to tell that she was with child because her scent would be too new to them. Drocco truly seemed to have thought of everything.
She squeezed her pillow as the sting from unspent sobs prickled her sinuses. How could she allow any child she would give birth to, be raised by this man? She couldn’t protect it. She wouldn’t have any influence on it. She would simply have to watch as her sons or daughters were taken away—over and over again.
***
The night was uneasy, and after a rough, sticky mating, her thoughts rolled, repeating her situation in her mind. She tried not to allow the bitter gloom of her fate to seep deep into her, but it couldn’t be helped. She had once been willing to endure any suffering to protect the Omegas, but that had been with the support of the Mothers. She had no one now—she had nothing. Even the child within her was not her own, she would give birth to it only for Drocco to create another monster like him. The gloom took hold deep within her, snaking around her mind and her heart, cradling her with its sullen numbness. It wasn’t like the hopeless despair she had back at the Palace—it was raw fucking anger distilled into a calm rage. It was the only comfort she had now. Drocco’s purr only existed to manipulate her, his touch only to twist her mind and deceive her; nothing was real.
She relaxed into the bleakness, which dulled her appetite and dimmed her ability to care about anything. She simply lay on the bed waiting to be mounted. If Drocco wanted a breeder, he would get one—and she would be as corpse-like as humanly fucking possible. But, of course, that kind of submission didn’t satisfy him. He barked demands at her, moved her around the room, and pushed books into her hands like she was supposed to happily read and enjoy herself. She tried not to react to anything he did but always ended up responding with short, sharp, simple retorts.
He started force feeding her like he had done back in her other prison, but eventually, she didn’t even bother to chew. She simply spat it back out.
“I’m losing my patience with you, Cailyn,” Drocco bellowed one afternoon. “You’d better start eating, you’re damaging the child!”
“No, you are,” she returned. “The child doesn’t want poisoned food. Just leave me alone.”
She began to curl back up on the bed, her face smeared with the soup she wouldn’t eat, but Drocco yanked her up.
“What?” His eyes blazed. “What do you mean?”
“The food,” she snapped.
“What about it?”
"Malloron was drugging me using potions in my food. He’s probably still doing it."
Drocco’s nostrils flared. "For how long?"
Cailyn shrugged.
“Cailyn!” Drocco roared. “How long?”
Cailyn exhaled, realizing he would only shut up if she spoke. "I'm not sure exactly. When I realized I stopped eating from him so much. He used to take me out into Eiros, and I started to eat from the markets there."
Drocco worked his jaw, and inhaled sharply, his body tensing. "How did you know he was doing this?"
Cailyn opened her mouth, trying to find a way to explain without mentioning Amara.
"Do not lie," Drocco demanded.
"Fine, I won't," she snapped.
Drocco narrowed his eyes at her. “Who?”
Cailyn said nothing. It didn’t matter.
Drocco leaned down toward her, almost vibrating with anger. “You had better tell me now who else is in this castle helping you, Cailyn.”
“She’s not helping me.” Cailyn tore herself out of his grip and curled up on the bed facing away from him. “Not anymore.”
He was quiet. “An Omega. There are Omegas here.”
Cailyn didn’t bother saying anything. He would never be able to get to Amara anyway. She just wanted to sink into her own thoughts, into the irritated nothingness she found comfort in.
“That fucking underhanded, sly bastard,” Drocco muttered, behind her. She heard him pacing, becoming more and more agitated. He stormed around to the other side of the bed. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?” he growled at Cailyn. “All this time he could have been drugging us.”
“I had other things on my mind.”
Drocco shot her a look but continued pacing. “No wonder he has been asking the same questions about your scent over and over. He is trying to see if his potions have taken effect.”
Malloron seemed obsessed with trying to get to the root of why her scent changed. “You didn’t tell him I use the Talent?" she asked.
"No. I didn’t want him to know."
Cailyn frowned at him. "Why?"
Drocco was silent for a long moment. “Because I needed it as a final failsafe.” He stopped pacing and turned to her. “You need to use it to get us out of here.”
The fog surrounding her suddenly thinned. "What?"
"We need to leave,” Drocco said. “You need to open a portal and take us back to my Palace."
Cailyn stared at him. Of course, that was a brilliant idea, except for one thing. "King Malloron has prevented anyone accessing the magic that permeates his castle. I haven't been able to use the Talent since I was on the ship."
Drocco nodded. "Yes, except we are in a part of his castle that will allow the use of the Talent. I specifically asked him to situate us in a bedroom with a washroom attached. According to the Keep, these kinds of rooms are near his bedroom, and the magic in and around his bedroom can be accessed."
“But you don’t know if that information is accurate,” Cailyn argued. “We could be anywhere in the castle. He might not have wanted us to be near accessible magic.”
“The Keep has clerks roaming about these very walls and Malloron knows nothing of them as far as I know,” Drocco said. “The records are likely to be accurate. And there is no need for him to suspect that I would want to use magic, not with my aversion to it.”
Cailyn squinted up at him. “I can’t feel any magic in the air around us, normally I can.”
“It’s likely to be the charm chain. Or your access may be affected by the pregnancy. It’s possible the baby is preventing you from feeling it in the normal way.”
Cailyn's eyebrows rose. He had thought this through well enough. He was known to be somewhat intelligent, but this was indeed unexpectedly clever. And it was surprising that his whole plan relied on her and her use of the Talent. “You’re encouraging the use of the Talent,” she said, dryly. “I'm surprised."
Drocco leaned forward, his intense eyes on hers. "I’ll do anything to protect you and my child. If that means using the Talent to get the fuck out of here, then that's what we will do."
Cailyn nodded, the fog thickening again. “I get it,” she bit out. “You only want to use it when it benefits you. When do we go?”
“Immediately,” Drocco said, beckoning for her to get up. “He could have been drugging me since I arrived. The fate of the Lox will be worse if I’m drugged and under his influence. I want to be out of here before he does something that I haven’t prepared for. I’m not happy about you using the Talent, but we need to go. Now."
Cailyn climbed off the bed slowly, her brain catching up with what had just been discussed. Drocco needed her to get them out of there. He was actually relying on her for something—and it included her using the Talent. She had to think carefully. And yet every thought led back to one truth; she had no access to magic. Nothing else mattered if she didn’t have that.
She led him to an area of the bedroom that had a smooth wall.
“How do I—” She gestured to the chain around her neck that she couldn’t feel.
Drocco stood behind her, the heat of his body pressing into her back, and wound his arms around her waist, one hand on her stomach the other on her chest. She felt the chain reappear at her neck.
“Do it,” Drocco murmured, his cheek settled next to her head.
Cailyn closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and breathing out slowly to settle her mind. Focusing, she reached out to feel for any magic surrounding them. A spark of relief bolted through her when she felt it swaying in the air around her, and at the same time, an idea suddenly formed. She embraced the new thoughts, realizing that she could not give up the Talent. Living without it was like being stifled from taking a breath that would never come—unless Drocco allowed it. She couldn’t allow that to be her existence, it was impossible for her. And now was her only chance to make any kind of decision about her circumstance.
Taking her time, she bent the magic to her will, inserting her instruction upon it as it gathered together in a glistening rush. The magic rushed toward her, responsive and abundant, and she took her time to weave a smooth layered pattern, infused with the location. Within a few seconds, the portal was spreading along the wall, creating a vibrant, colorful doorway.
Drocco straightened behind her and gripped both upper arms. "Let's go," he said, shuffling her forward.
As they stepped through the portal, the magic washed over Cailyn skin, the cold rush of it making her shiver. And then instantly, as she moved through, it disappeared.
They walked into a large room. The furniture was scarce, and the wooden floor looked as though it needed treatment but the sturdy fireplace and a worn couch suggested signs of life.
"This isn’t the Palace," Drocco said slowly, looking around.
Cailyn quickly focused her mind on the portal behind her, willing the magic to disperse. It loosened, unraveled, and then trickled away.
"Where are we?" Drocco asked.
"Ricsford."
Drocco spun her around to face him. "You need to take us to the Palace. Why are we here?"
"I wanted to come here."
"Why?" Drocco demanded. "This is not what I told you to do."
Cailyn kept her gaze steady on him. “This is where I want to be.”
Drocco released a harsh growl as his hands tightened on her. “Take us back to the Palace, now!”
“No.”
His face contorted. “I will drag you there if I have to.”
“Do you know where we are?” Cailyn said, her voice tight. “We’re practically in the Wastelands—the furthest we could be from Ashens in the most remote part of Ricsford. There isn’t a single person within carriage distance.”
Drocco roared, his eyes becoming darker than she’d ever seen them. He grabbed her hair and yanked her into him, pulling her head back. His anger rolled through him so strong, the energy of it almost choked her, but she didn’t care.
“I should have known that you would try to deceive me the first chance you got,” Drocco snarled. “I told you to take us to the Palace, and you have disobeyed me. You will be punished for this."
"Yes, because I’m a true slave to you, aren’t I?" Cailyn asked, her voice hardening. "You want me to obey and follow demands? To roll over and open my legs when you feel like it. Is that the kind of connection you want with the mother of your children, one no better than the interactions you have with your servants? No better than what Malloron has with his slaves? How will you explain that kind of precious connection to your son or daughter?"
Drocco bristled and she knew she had hit a nerve. Drocco had always talked about how much he prized the Alpha/Omega connection—he could not preach that shit to his children if he had no regard for their Omega mother.
“And how else could you possibly punish me anyway?” she said through gritted teeth. “You have imprisoned me, tortured me, forced your child on me, and manipulated me the whole way.” Her voice rose to a yell. “What else is there? What more could you possibly do?!”
Drocco worked his jaw, his ink black eyes flashing. “You should hope that you don’t find out. I don’t care where we are. I will drag you back to Ashens.”
“Fine,” Cailyn snarled back. “I will die before we reach the nearest town, and that will suit me fine. Death is the only relief I have to look forward to. That is the only thing you failed to do that I truly wanted anyway.”
Drocco stilled. “What did you say?”
“I said I can’t wait to die from starvation and the exhaustion of traveling across Ricsford by foot,” she snapped at him.
“Not that,” Drocco bellowed. “You wanted me to kill you? Back in our bedroom?”
“Our bedroom?” she repeated, incredulously. “It’s not our bedroom, it was my prison.”
“You wanted me to kill you?” Drocco repeated, shaking her a little.
“Yes,” she hissed. “I wanted to die. I still want to die.”
“You’re with child and yet you still speak of welcoming death?” Drocco asked, his nose wrinkling in disgust. “Pregnancy is a source of joy for an Omega. What kind of an Omega are you?”
“An Omega that has nothing else to live for,” she whispered, tears blurring her gaze. “An Omega that has had everything stripped from her. An Omega that only has sexual slavery left to look forward to.” Her sobs threatened to erupt from her before she could say any more but she held them in. “I don’t care anymore, Drocco. I don’t care if we’re really true mates. I don’t care about this child. I don’t care about my life.” Cailyn’s resolution resounded through every word as her tears dropped on her cheeks. The caustic gloom billowed to encompass every part of her as she realized the only freedom she had left, and she had to antagonize him into it again like she had done before. “This is my home. I want to be here. You’re welcome to leave for the Palace if you wish, but I will not be coming. If you want to kill me before you go, do it now.”
Drocco held her still. “You expect me to leave you and my child here?”
Something snapped in Cailyn, a raw frenzy whirling in her at his persistent stupidity. “No!” she screamed, attacking him. “I expect you to kill me. Just kill me! Do it now!”
She tried to fight him but he gripped her too tightly. She pulled her head away from his grip on her hair, relishing the pain that spread over her scalp, but he adjusted his arm and the pain lessened. She sobbed and shrieked and fought him, trying to spur him into the violence she knew he was capable of, but no pain came. She screamed and wailed and yelled, struggling against him with everything she had until, eventually, she completely lost all sense of place and time.
As her awareness pressed back in, she found herself lying on the couch in her living room, her wrists and ankles bound together with sheets. She had no strength to look around for the Alpha but she couldn’t feel his presence near her. Hopefully, he had gone—headed to the Palace—leaving her to find the ultimate relief she sought.