Something seems to change in him, too, for he lowers his head and slants his lips over mine. He thrusts his tongue into my mouth, and his cock expands inside.
The knot snaps into place.
Like it was meant to happen. I know then that everything that has happened in my life has brought me up to this point: to submit to him, to give him pleasure, even as I take from him.
My soft core tightens around him, milking him, and the climax slithers out from my center, flooding me, embracing me as the thick juice of his cum bathes my channel. His big body shudders; the muscles of his back clench.
He kisses the edge of my mouth, the gesture almost tender, then he rests his forehead on mine. A bead of sweat drizzles down his temple. I flick my tongue out to lick it up.
“Yours.”
I only realize that I’ve said the word aloud when he stills over me. Then he scoops me up and turns me over to rest on his chest. He runs his palm over my hair. Once again, his touch feels almost tender. But that’s not possible. Surely, I am mistaken. The most brutal alpha in this part of the world is not capable of a soft touch. He is not.
Is he?
“Sleep now and recover your strength.” His voice sinks into my blood.
There is a subtle command to the words that insists I obey him. I want to resist him, and yet, this once…just once, will it not be okay to shut my eyes and give in to this feeling of warmth and comfort and safety which cocoons me? Can I not give in to that part of me that wants to be owned?
When I wake up, I am alone.
25
Zeus
I walk into the war room for the daily recon to find the place is empty, except for Ethan. He rises to his feet as I walk in. I slow my steps.
It’s not in the man to be that formal. Oh, he respects me all right, only he’s not given to such outward gestures, not when we are on our own.
I pull out a chair, drop into it, and tip it all the way back. “Kayden is preparing to attack?”
Ethan goes still; his gaze narrows.
“Don’t be so surprised, Second.” I set the chair on its front legs with a thump. “The fucker is bound to spring that on us when we least expect it—”
“Namely right after initiating the peace talks?” Ethan frowns. “Why am I not surprised that you’d have already anticipated it?”
“Admit it, you are impressed.” I push back the chair, then prop my legs on the table.
Ethan watches me with a frown. “That’s an antique table.”
Boo fucking hoo. I scratch my chin. Nevertheless, I swing my legs off the table and set my feet on the floor with a snap. “You’re delaying the inevitable, Second.”
“Oh, what the fuck.” Ethan shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “Fine, I am impressed.”
I drum my fingers on the table. “Why do I feel a ‘but’ coming on?”
“You are so able to anticipate Kayden’s moves. Sometimes I think the two of you have some kind of a past that I don’t know anything about.”
My shoulders freeze. “How did you guess?”
“What the fuck?” Ethan’s features harden. He marches to the table and pounds his fist on the surface. “Why didn’t you tell me anything about this until now? Do you know how important this piece of information is to the future of this city, for the future of coming generations? For—”
“Relax, brother,” I drawl. “I was yanking your chain.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Color rushes to his cheeks
“Calm down, asshole. At this rate, you’ll have a coronary and die in this room instead of going out with a bang in a fight.”
“Is that what you want, to meet a bloody end?” He leans down and grabs my collar. “Is this why you can’t wait to leap into a fight with Kayden, so the two of you can slaughter each other?”
“You want a fight, Second? You only have to ask.” I hold his gaze. And it feels weird that I am calm while Ethan, the sensible one, is all worked up. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were worried about losing me.”
“Oh, bloody fuck.” He lets go of me and steps back.
“Can’t remember when you used that four-letter word so many times in one conversation last.” I grin.
“What-fucking-ever.” He rakes his fingers through his hair, but his eyebrows draw down.
“Now you are borrowing my dialogue.” I click my tongue. “Really, E, it’s time you think of something more original.”
“Time you think of how we put an end to this Kayden-shaped problem. It’s bad enough that you took the omega to bed—”
“What’s your point?” I crack my neck from side to side. My shoulders flex. Ethan’s right, much as I hate to admit it. Kayden had sent the omega to kill me…and I had mated her.
What a fucking mess. “The bastard is as much in my head as I am in his,” I growl, more disturbed than I want to let on.
Our two countries have been at war for so long that I’d known it would come to this—a bloody battle which I intend to win. Not for my Council or the citizens of this fair city. I don’t owe any of them anything. Nope, it’s my pride that insists I defeat Kayden, quash any resistance. That and being able to use his resources to restructure this city. Wipe it clean of the dirt and muck, the corruption that grabs at its roots. I am so close now, to getting what I want, I can taste it. The fine hairs on my neck harden. I drum my fingers over my chest. It can’t be that simple.
Kayden couldn’t have been so careless that news of his plans would so conveniently reach me, giving me time to plan a defense.
I rise to my feet, only to pace along the length of the room.
Ethan watches, his gaze hard. “Aren’t you going to gloat we should have listened to you and attacked a few days ago when you first mentioned that offense was the best form of defense?”
I pause and swivel around on my heels. “It’s not in me to strike a man when he is down…not.” I peel my lips back at him, let the glint of satisfaction show in my eyes.
“It’s clear we need to get our troops together, to prepare for a fight.” He turns to leave.
“No.”
He pauses mid-step, then shoots me a glance. “Excuse me?”
So fucking polite. I much prefer the Ethan who says what is on his mind. But then he’s the gentleman, trained in the etiquette that makes him the kind of alpha that omegas yearn for.
Me? I am the marauder, the one who takes. Who protects, too—not that I’d ever admit to that—just without the finer points of behavior that Ethan can lay claim to.
“You heard me.” I rub the back of my neck. “How many people know of this?”
“Just you and me, and the spy who brought the news.”
“Keep it that way.” I set my jaw.
“What are you playing at, Zeus?” He frowns.
“You knew what you were getting when you chose me. You know I don’t trust anyone with my plans.”
“A strength.”
I nod.
“Except when it isn’t. When you hold your cards too close to your chest, when you don’t allow anyone else to see what you are, then what you become is a dictator.”