“You scared?” His voice bleeds through the space.
"What do you think?" I grit my teeth.
"I think I am going to enjoy breaking you." He peels back his lips, and my knees tremble. The fine hair on my nape stands up.
The scent of my fear is so strong I am sure he can smell it, and that's not good. The first sign of weakness and this dominant alpha hole will pounce. My belly twists. A flare of heat tugs low below. No, that should not excite me. The thought of him delivering on his earlier promise should not make my thighs clench in anticipation.
I need to get away from that lethal, coiled, powerful male, before he senses how his nearness is affecting me.
I stagger away from him only for my feet to tangle in the carpet, and I cry out. I go sprawling on my back and stay there.
“Get up,” he snarls.
I blink then slap my palms onto the carpet for leverage and stagger back to standing. Thrusting my chin forward, I meet his gaze. Those startling blue eyes burn into me. Concentric circles of aquamarine, teal and a wild blue, that draw me in. Trapping me in the sphere of his influence.
“Kayden sent you to kill me.”
My chin quivers, and I ball my fists at my sides.
His jaw firms. “I should kill you for daring to burst into my stronghold and trying to assassinate me—”
“But you won’t.” Yeah, that would be too merciful of him.
He’s a monster, and I don’t expect any pity from him. But every alpha has an ego. And this predator more than anyone else I have met. Perhaps I need to appeal to that?
He tilts his head. “Feisty, aren’t you?” His voice is soft, almost casual.
My stomach churns. Whatever he has in mind for me, it’s not good. The thoughts skitter through my head, and I force my brain cells to knit the words together in a coherent sequence.
“You bet.” I set my jaw.
His gaze narrows.
My stomach twists, and not only with arousal. My heart hammers, and a bead of sweat trickles down my spine.
“You are a big powerful alpha. Me, I am but a helpless omega.” I flutter my eyelashes.
So, I am overdoing this, he's going to see right through my act. “Why don’t we make this more exciting for you?” I force out the words through a throat gone dry.
He angles his head.
Guess what? He bought it. A flicker of hope sparks in my chest.
Then his lips widen in a smile, and it’s so feral, I know, he’s not going to let me go. Not that easily. There’s a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. My heart thuds, and I almost lose my will to resist—almost.
“I agree.” He thrusts out his chest.
“Huh?”
Why am I having this conversation with him? I am only delaying the inevitable, that’s all, but I have to try, have to.
“Run." His nostrils flare, "I'll even give you a head start. You have until I count to ten.”
“What do you mean?” I gulp down a breath.
“You are losing precious seconds.”
No, it can’t be. This is not exactly what I'd had in mind when I had suggested making things more exciting. Not.
“Nine.”
The alpha is toying with me? He’s going to hunt me? My palms sweat. It can mean only one thing. He wants to increase the anticipation of whatever is to come. The violence, the ultimate conclusion to this game is only one, and it’s not going to be in my favor.
I close my fists so tightly my nails slice into my skin. The scent of copper leaks into the air.
“On the other hand, perhaps you’d rather we conclude this farce right now?” His eyes gleam.
The bastard no doubt thinks I don’t have a chance of outrunning him. I square my shoulders and thrust out my chest. I will not submit, not so easily.
His gaze sweeps over my breasts, down to my core, and he stares at the space between my legs. There’s no mistaking the anticipation that laces his features.
I want to scratch that look of satisfaction off his face, to deny that my insides tremble in response. More moisture gathers between my legs. What is wrong with me? I am here to kill him. Not to mate him. Not. To. Mate. Him.
My pulse races.
I turn on my heels so fast I almost stumble, then find my balance. A scream boils up, and I bite down on my lips to hold it back.
“That the best you can do?” His voice mocks me.
My legs feel weak, yet I force myself to move, to put one foot in front of the other. Keep going. Don’t stop.
Reaching the exit of the warehouse, I throw myself against the doors.
3
Zeus
The double doors swing open, and she races through, leaving behind the sugary scent of her slick. The spicy scent of her fear leaks into the air, laced with that spoor of the rain on cool dawn air that is so uniquely her.
My cock throbs, straining against my pants. Adrenaline pumps through my blood. I walk after her, my pace leisurely, yet everything inside pushes me to hurry. Hurry. Go after her, claim her, take her.
I’ve never felt such a powerful need as this to have an omega. Never felt this overwhelming urge to shield her from the gaze of other alphas, to hide her from sight until I have had my way with her. I speed up my steps and walk out into the wilderness surrounding the warehouse.
Ethan and Sol stand on either side of the doors, their gaze trained on the figure weaving through the trees.
One of the other alphas breaks formation to run after her.
“Stop.”
He halts and, his shoulders bunch. The fucker angles his body to face me over his shoulder, and his torso leans forward. Every muscle in the man's body is coiled. “You don’t intend to keep her all to yourself now, do you, half-breed?”
“That’s General half-breed to you.” I stalk over to him.
The man turns his gaze to follow the omega who is now almost out of sight. “You’ll give her up to the omega harem, and then I am going to rut her and mark her and—”
Reaching him, I wrap my fingers around his neck and squeeze. The alpha is bulked up to the point of being almost obese with muscle. But I am taller than him, and while I am leaner, I know I am more powerful, and that’s not ego, just a fact.
The man gasps, “Surely you are not going to kill me over an omega.”
“Wrong comment.” I increase the pressure of my grip, hear that sweet snap as his spine breaks. I remove my hold on him, then tap his forehead. His body tumbles over.
I walk over the body of the fallen alpha. “No one hunts her but me.”
Ethan stiffens behind me, but he doesn’t protest. “Of course, General.”
Not that his agreement fools me.
My second has questions, but he’ll table it for later. Much later if I have my way with the omega. “Make sure there’s food and water in my suite.”
“As you wish.” Ethan’s voice has an edge to it this time. He knows what I have in mind and is not happy about it. Big fucking deal.
He’s this close to insubordination, and I need to tell him off. My second is not indispensable, and it’s time he realized it. But right now, I have more pressing things to take care of.
“One.” I complete the countdown.
Adrenaline pumps through my blood. The thrill of the chase kicks in, and I take off after her.