“I’m sorry for what’s happened to you. It’s truly tragic. I hope I can make you feel better.”
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but she gave him a small nod. Pasting on his usual smile, he leaned back in his chair and released her hand when she pulled it away again.
As reluctant as he was to lose contact with her, he didn’t want to push too hard and drive her into the arms of another. If he had his way, she’d already be under him, but Verik decreed that she got to choose, and no one was allowed to pressure her.
It was silly since the arrangement obviously made her uncomfortable. All she needed was a dominate male to put her in her place and her instincts would convince her she was content.
Darcon glowered at him, and Aesir was sure if Autumn hadn’t been between them the grouchy alpha would have attacked already. The man was a loner with a short temper, though he was respected as a hunter and tracker. They were only a few years apart and Aesir had known Darcon his whole life, but he’d barely heard the man say more than a handful of words unless someone spoke directly to him. The smile he’d noticed on Darcon’s usually stoic face had been surprising.
The little omega jumped to her feet when he released her hand, almost knocking over the chair she’d been sitting on. Eyes darting between him and Darcon, she stammered for a moment before snapping her mouth shut and turning to run from the cavern. Aesir rose to follow despite Darcon’s snarl until he noticed Larok heading down the tunnel behind Autumn.
Dropping back into the chair, he huffed and shot Darcon a grin.
“She’s a skittish little thing. This might take longer than I thought.”
Darcon glared for a moment before rolling his eyes and standing. Striding away without a word to him, every line of Darcon showed his irritation.
Aesir shrugged, pushing to his feet with a wink at the women sitting nearby. Giggles followed him as he made his way to the cavern where he was bunking until Autumn made her decision.
He had every intention of being the one she chose. It was only a matter of time.
Chapter Four
Autumn
She fled back to the tiny cave, not knowing where else to go where she could have a moment alone to collect herself. The second alpha taking a seat at the table startled Autumn, sending her pulse spiking as the feeling of being trapped overcame her. Darcon’s growling hadn’t helped, and the interrupting alpha’s words reminded her of her own recent loss.
Overwhelmed, she had no choice but to listen to instincts screaming for her to run and hide. She’d thought she was over the worst of the grief, but it still took her breath away as tears burned their way down her cheeks. It had only been a few days, and the loss was still sharp.
Once again Larok found her huddled against the back wall of the first cave she’d been brought to. He remained silent, standing in the doorway until she looked up at him through wet lashes.
“Come here little one. Let me comfort you.”
He spread his arms but left it to her to accept his offer or not. Sniffling, Autumn only hesitated a moment before seeking the shelter of his embrace. While his scent was wrong, if she closed her eyes, she could pretend it was her father holding her.
Larok’s deep purr vibrated under the ear pressed to his chest, fresh tears spilling despite her struggle to contain them. He held her until they slowed, and her breathing evened.
“Did one of them do something to upset you?”
The question pulled her thoughts from the fog that had enveloped them. Leaning back to look up at Larok, Autumn shook her head.
“I know you’ve had it rough, and you have every reason to mourn. I’m proud of you for taking the initiative to approach one of your suitors.”
His praise caused a spark of warmth in her chest. For a moment she’d thought she could handle getting to know the alphas, but the surprise of the second one’s arrival had thrown her off balance. She was left feeling unsure of herself and what she needed to do.
“Can’t I wait to choose someone?”
She cringed at the plaintive note in her voice, but she felt like she was being rushed, and she didn’t want to make a bad decision. Bonds were for life, and she’d only been in Andtay for three days.
Omegas rarely got a say in who they bonded with, but given the chance, Autumn didn’t want to squander it. Her entire life had been shaken, and she felt like she needed a strong connection to lean on.
She could feel Larok’s denial in the way his muscles tensed and his body shifted away from her. Dropping her arms to her sides, she took a step back and ducked her head as he spoke.
“This is what Verik ordered, and the sooner it’s done, the sooner the alphas will settle back down. Omegas here are spoken for before they mature so there’s no tension between the warriors. You’re too close to your heat for you to wait.”
Autumn sucked in a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. Nodding her head, she resigned herself to the discomfort she was going to go through. She was tired of feeling like a fallen leaf thrown around on the river, and the only way to end it was to push forward.
“Okay. I can do this.”
As bad as Autumn wanted to get it over with, it was two more days before she could bring herself to approach another of the alphas. She’d slipped away from a group that tried to corner her the day before and had mostly avoided speaking to any of them though she could feel their eyes on her constantly.
When she took a break from the weaving Freida had her working on, she noticed one of the men washing his clothing in the stream and decided to take another chance. One eye out for anyone approaching, she knelt beside the massive warrior.
He was the biggest alpha she’d ever seen, bigger even than Larok. His skin was tanned dark from endless time in the sun, and he kept his dark hair cropped short. He was quieter than most of the other alphas as well, though his clean-shaven face showed an easy smile when his hazel eyes raised to meet hers.
“Would you like help?”
She felt awkward, but she figured offering to help was a good reason to approach him. She was a bit surprised when he shook his head, declining her offer.
“I’m almost done here. Thank you.”
Autumn floundered for something else to say and was relieved when he continued.
“I didn’t talk to you sooner because I didn’t want to rush you. You needed some time to settle in. I’m Kull.”
She gave him a grateful smile as she laid her hand in the one he held out to her. Thick fingers gently closed over hers, pulling her hand up so he could press a chaste kiss to her knuckles.
Autumn felt a blush warming her cheeks as he released her before she had reason to feel uncomfortable. He went back to wringing out his clothing as he continued to talk to her.
“How are you settling in? I’m sure living in a cave is different than you’re used to.”
Relieved to have a safe topic to talk about, Autumn sat back on her heels.
“It is different, but it’s nice. I get to spend the day doing what I like, though I do miss the sun.”
Though Kull’s strength was obvious, Autumn was surprised by the grace of his movements as she watched him finish his chore while they talked. He asked questions that showed he was listening to her, and by the time he was done with his washing and she needed to go back to her task, she felt comfortable in his presence. He reminded her of her brother Cedar, if her brother had been an alpha.