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His lips lift in a crooked smirk and steal the oxygen from my lungs. I stare in mute shock as he releases me with a soft caress of his fingers. Without a word, he settles on the bench next to me and props a massive arm on the railing behind me, commanding the space with his presence and cornering me with his bulk.
I drop my gaze to my lap and relax my arms as I work through my confusion. Fear and worry mingle within the tingly anticipation he created throughout my body. When my thoughts continue in a hopeless loop, I shove them into the back of my mind and focus on shoring up my defenses for our next inevitable altercation.
I want to believe I can find some way to protect myself now that I’ve tasted his power, but I’ve never been able to stomach false hope. Hera is the dreamer, not me.
My lower lip trembles, so I pull it between my teeth, close my eyes, and inhale through my nose.
The lungful of delicious pheromones fans the flames of desire brewing in my core, so I open my eyes and scan the horizon.
A black speck grows into the largest floating civilization I’ve ever seen. With several rusty ships, part of a skyscraper, what could be a section of bridge, and dozens of random structures welded together, the mishmash of metal gleams red and orange in the fading sun.
Dread settles in the pit of my stomach as the speeder races toward the vessel near the back of the conglomeration. With faded black paint along the bottom and four massive stacks jutting into the sky, the ocean liner lacks the militaristic air of the nearby cruiser, but is no less imposing.
Its aura matches the alpha sitting next to me. He overflows the bench and commands the space with the barest of movements. Every time his thigh brushes against my own, I lose another sliver of hope. Each fresh lungful of his pheromones lures me deeper under his spell. Every shift of his belt around my wrists highlights my vulnerability.
The closer we get to the ocean liner, the larger he seems.
I’m doomed. Trapped. Fated to be destroyed underneath the alpha who calls an old ocean liner his home.
I turn my head and wipe my cheek on the shoulder of his gigantic jacket, instinctually hiding my tear as it slips from my lashes.
No matter what happens, I can’t show weakness.
My family’s life depends on it.
Chapter 4
Deck
My aggravation grows as we near the cargo bay doors. Despite the anticipation pulsing down my spine and the lust pooling in my balls, worry twists my guts and incessant tugging plagues my chest.
The urge to pull the defiant omega into my arms and soothe the angst emanating from her increases tenfold with each passing moment. Her single tear shines on the black leather of my jacket.
I push the weakness away and stay lounged beside her until the speeder stops underneath the tie point. When the ropes lower from above, I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pin her against my side, ensuring she stays safe as they winch us up the four decks to the cargo doors.
As soon as the hull settles into the padded cradle, I stand and toss her over my shoulder before heading toward the back of the speeder and jumping over the engine to land on the reinforced exit ramp. Normally I would vault over the railing, but the thought of doing so with the delicate female over my shoulder doesn’t sit well with me, so I stalk down the ramp and nod my approval as my men continue their work.
By the time I reach the stairwell, the second speeder already swivels through the doors and hovers above its designated cradle.
A cacophony of sounds echoes through the ship as workers complete their tasks. Metal bangs against metal. Water rushes through pipes. Electricity buzzes in the power lines.
As much as I appreciate the quiet of the open ocean, I take pride in the overwhelming amount of noise vibrating through my section of the city.
These sounds mean progress and growth, unlike the growls and screams echoing through the lawless halls of the other crafts.
I take the stairs two at a time and duck deeper than usual when I reach the porthole, careful to protect my omega from the frame.
The beta standing guard gives me a terse once over before averting his eyes and pivoting out of my way without question. I snarl and clap a hand on his shoulder as I pass, offering him thanks and warning in one motion.
He reaches to shut the hatch, but I knock his arm aside and gesture to the hall behind me as I continue around the corner to my quarters. I smirk as heavy boots stomp up the staircase.
The tiny tigress has no clue her family will be so close as I ravage her, but I’ll rest well knowing my collateral will be safe under the watch of my most trusted men.
I duck through the hatch to my den and spin the handle to seal the watertight door before I lower my female to her feet, spin her to face the wall, and press her against it.
“Stay,” I growl.
She doesn’t move when I release her, so I drop onto the metal bench beside the door, remove my boots, tuck them into their cubby, and kneel behind her. The fear seeping from her pores stings my nostrils, but I press my palm to the back of her knee and gently lift her left ankle from the floor. She follows my lead without issue, bending her leg and holding her foot aloft as I unfasten her sandal and toss it under the bench.
