CHAPTER SIX
CAILYN
Cailyn fought against the oncoming Haze with all her might, but she knew it was in vain. In all her years at the Compound, she had never felt the onset of the Haze as strongly as she did now. It didn't help that the deep, musky scent of Alpha surrounded her.
Since she had entered the Great Hall, something within her hadn't felt right but she ignored it, eager to get her meeting with the Emperor over with. As she stood in front of him, his heady scent had hit her. No longer bland, it had shuddered through her and almost knocked out every other sense. Her body reacted immediately. It shouldn't have happened. When she searched her blocks they had simply disappeared, every single one of them.
She glanced around the room again for any possible way of escaping, but the only available exit was the one Drocco had just told his guards to block. Her panic and fear rocketed. If she went into the Haze right now she would most certainly be a slave for the rest of her life. She thought hard, even as the trembling took over her whole body. Slick gathered between her legs and her golden sight had almost fully bloomed.
She moved against the wall, sure that Drocco was going to simply take her in hand and fuck her as viciously as she imagined, but he didn't even move. He simply watched her.
She gritted her teeth and tensed as her trembling increased. The fucking bastard was waiting—waiting for her to go fully into her Haze when she wouldn’t resist him. She needed a way out.
"You will tell me everything I need to know," Drocco said, the triumph in his voice as clear as his desire. "You can try and fight it as long as you need to, but it will happen."
Cailyn pressed her hands against the wall as she glared at him, forcing down the retort on her tongue. In her current state, she could say anything, and every single Omega in existence needed her to keep her mouth shut. As she glared at him, a plan formed. She looked around the room again, noting its shape and furniture. She only had one shot, and time was running out.
She pushed off the wall and walked towards him. He suddenly stilled, his arms uncrossing as she tentatively approached. His black eyes were wilder than she had ever seen them and his nostrils flared with every step she took.
"Yes," Drocco murmured. "Come to me, kitten. Accept your situation."
Cailyn breathed shallowly as she reached him, trying not to take in too much of his scent. Lifting her hands, she dug her nails into his neck and clawed down. She scratched him down to his shoulders, digging in hard until small trails of blood burst forth in their wake. "Do not call me kitten!"
Drocco didn't even flinch. In fact, he smiled. “Your claws are ineffective, kitten, just as I’ve always told you. You're even more a kitten now than you were before.”
He grabbed her wrists and lowered his head to sniff her and breathe along her arm.
She watched, becoming transfixed with the look of pleasure on his face at this simple action.
"You are almost in your Haze," he murmured. He glanced at her, a smirk on his lips. "In a moment you will agree with everything I say, you will do everything I say, and you will think I'm the best thing that exists."
Cailyn snatched her arms out of his hands and backed away. He watched her, his smirk deepening as she took a breath and focused her mind.
One thing about using the Talent was that it forced crafters to train their mental ability to ignore sensory distractions. Once in her Haze, she would barely be able to even think clearly, let alone use the Talent, so anything she was going to do had to be done now. Calling forth the magic in the room, including the energy within Drocco's exposed blood, she backed into a corner of the office and weaved together a sophisticated magical shield that stretched from one wall to the other, locking her into the corner. It solidified, and she let out a breath as she released her mental hold. She stepped forward and placed a hand on it. It was strong and sturdy and would most likely last for as long as her Haze did.
She slumped to the floor in relief. At the sound of stomping footsteps, she looked up to see Drocco slam a hand on the glistening barrier between them. His face distorted. "What have you done?" he bellowed. "You have the Talent? Undo this now!"
She stared at him, pressing her mouth together so she wouldn't speak. Without her blocks, she was susceptible to his demands, but she would work hard to not say anything.
He flew into a rage, punching the barrier over and over as he roared in fury.
Cailyn shifted back until she was as far away from him as possible. She should have included a sound barrier so that she wouldn't be able to hear him, but at least she couldn’t smell any more of him than was already in her small area. His every yell of anger bolted through her, putting her on edge, but there was only so much she could do in this state. The ideal scenario would be if she could still signal her contact or somehow get out of the Palace. She sat up straight, suddenly realizing something. She stood, ignoring the idiot Alpha still pounding the barrier. Trying to focus her mind, she began to create the portal against the wall. She had to go slower so that she could get the casting correct. Since she did not use speech or even actions, her mind needed to be sturdy for the spell to work and her Haze was so close that she wasn't sure if it would. A rectangle of light shone on the wall for a moment and then faded away.
Drocco’s yelling behind her changed, became more urgent, but she ignored him. His own blood made up the barrier; he wouldn't be able to get through and it was unlikely any other weaker Alpha would either. She had basically protected herself from everyone in the building. She doubted the Lox Talent-crafters would be able to get through. She knew for certain that every Omega in her Compound was more skilled than Talent-crafters in the Eastern Lands.
She tried the portal again, but this time it didn't even gleam. Her mind was becoming a complete muddle and she could barely think past the scent of Alpha that still filled her every inhale. She dropped onto the floor, moaning as the familiar thrum of need trembled through her whole body. This was it.
***
It was warm. She lifted her dress up to her waist and pulled her arms out of the wide-neck top. She panted and squeezed her legs together as her pussy throbbed. The smell of Alpha was everywhere, and yet no Alpha lay with her. It wasn’t right.
She settled with her feet tucked under her, watching the Alpha across the room as he paced and watched her back, rumbling growls coming from him and a vicious snarl on his face. His black eyes were beautiful. They were like ink affected by magic—shiny, deep and bottomless—and they looked at her with a fierce desire that sent goosebumps over her whole body. Other Alphas were in the room, but she only watched him. Although the other men were also unbonded Alphas, her golden sight showed her the one with the most potential for breeding. And it was the one with the beautiful black eyes that had the richest, strongest glow. He was perfect to breed an unbonded Omega. The men continued to talk, but she purposefully ignored their words, only focusing on the Alpha with the black eyes. His voice drew forth her slick, preparing her for him. She hoped that if she waited patiently, he would come for her.
However, as the hours went by, the other men left and he did nothing but pace and watch her. She made a noise of disgust and leaned forward onto her hands and knees. Her body ached with unspent release and she stretched, curving her back and lengthening her legs. Her slick ran down her thighs, and she couldn't hold off for the Alpha anymore. She lay on her back and widened her legs, slipping her fingers between them. A thunderous roar erupted in her ears and froze her still.
"Don't you fucking dare!" He was there, his face pushed up against the barrier as he stared down at her, his black eyes intense with fury.
She moved her fingers away, whimpering. His primitive behavior increased her desire for him and more slick flowed from her. His eyes flicked down her body and back up to her face. He said something else but she couldn't focus on anything but his glow. She needed an Alpha like him. He was the only one that would be able to quench the need building in her and nearly wrenching her apart, but he was choosing to leave her to suffer. What had she done wrong?
After a while, he stopped speaking. He watched her, pressed up against the barrier, and she watched him. She wasn't sure how many more seconds, minutes, or hours went by but soon the need was too strong. She inched her fingers down between her legs and began to pleasure herself, ignoring the howling Alpha who would not do what he was supposed to.