Page 45 of Dark Company

Even with that little extra stretch, her head only comes to the top of my chest. She’s so small. So unbelievably delicate. For all the show she’s putting on, I could easily crush her with one hand.

“But I chose you.”

She stops for a moment and looks at me, her eyes clearing for the briefest of seconds. In that span, the bond between us thumps. For just that precious moment, it no longer hurts to be alive. Then, in a flash, it’s gone, leaving me flayed from the inside out once more.

Each breath hurts, and I have no idea how it’s not affecting her. Perhaps she’s so blinded by this anger that she doesn’t even feel it? Trying a different tactic, I take a step back, letting her feel less cornered.

Once her body starts to relax, I take in a deep breath and push my feelings of longing and desire into her. I need her to see how she’s the one bright spot in my life. Maybe if I show her what it means to have her as my omega, she won’t be so upset.

But it’s all wrong. Somehow, it has the complete opposite effect. The moment I try to smother her with kindness, she lashes out, her hands swiping the air as if she can make it dissipate by her will alone.

“How dare you manipulate me?” She screeches, backing away from me. “I demand that you stop that this instant. I will not have you filling my head with your nonsense just so you can fuck me again.”

Her words sting like a physical blow, and that’s when the anger starts to well up once more. I’m not doing this to manipulate her. Nothing I have done has ever been meant to hurt her. If anything, she’s the one that’s been manipulative. She marked me for the very purpose of having control. It’s high time she learns that no matter how hard she grasps at it, she will never have control over me. Quite the opposite.

Hunching back down, I stare at her, studying her moves. It’s clear that she’s never trained a day in her life. And why would she? As a beta, there is no need. As an omega, there’s even less of a need. Her movements are shaky, erratic, fraught with emotion as opposed to cool and calculated.

If I wanted to, I could storm over there and grab her, pinning her under me, but I want her to think she has a chance. I want to see just how far she thinks she can go when she’s safe. If anything, it will add fuel to the fire that’s raging just below the surface.

As I reach out my hand, she ducks, missing it, but stumbles backwards over a piece of her nest. I hold back, allowing her to steady herself. At no point do I want her thinking she lost to an unfair advantage. I will hold back all of my instincts and wait for just the right moment to pounce.

My cock is rock hard as I stare at her naked form, blood dripping from her chin. Seeing her like this, like some figment warrior goddess, makes me want to conquer her all the more. Her breasts bounce as she hops about, hoping to keep me guessing, but there’s nothing to guess.

Every move she makes is mapped out in her head, and I can read it clear as day. Even if she could somehow shield from me, I can still tell what she’s planning to do based on her jerky movements alone. A low growl hums in my chest—a warning to her to stand down of her own volition.

I can’t even count how many times I’ve given her a chance, and yet, she rebuffs all of them—choosing violence. Her scent changes as her eyes glance down at my cock. Now, arousal spices the air alongside her feral scent of anger.

It’s like a candy I used to enjoy as a child. Sugar was spun up into a disk, then torched so that it was a mixture of bitter acidity and sweet dessert. It was my favorite. Rich, bold, complex—just like Karis. Grinning, I pull my lips back and show her my teeth, but still, that doesn’t deter her.

Time to finish this charade. An odd tingle flows through my fingers as I stare at her, thinking about how I will punish her. Since she’s an omega, my means are limited. It’s not as if she’s an Alpha I can take out and whip. That, and no one in this camp will ever have the pleasure of seeing her naked, and that includes during a punishment.

Karis attempts to fake a move to the right while planning moving left. At the same time as her, I sweep to her left side and wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her close to me. Her body becomes a flurry of movement. She cries out as she balls her hands into fists and slams them against my chest while her feet kick out at me in a pitiful tantrum.

The blows sting, but not nearly as bad as the utter despair that rips through her soul. Somehow, she actually thought she had a chance against me, that she would win. Shaking my head, I thread my hand through the hair at the back of her skull and grip tight, pulling her head back so I can stare into her eyes.

“Submit to me, omega.”

“Never.” The venom in her tone stops me for a moment, but I brush it aside and force my mouth over hers, silencing any protests she wants to make.

I force my tongue in between her lips, only to be met with the hard cage of her teeth as she keeps me out. Growling, I pull back and try again, determined to win this minor battle.

Some Alphas use their growl to get their way, to intimidate those beneath them, but not me. Not this time. I want my growls to be alluring, desirable, making her crave my invasion. When her teeth give, I sigh into her mouth and slip my tongue inside, tasting her sweet nectar.

Until she bites down. Hard. A roar rips from my throat as I fling her into the nest and glare down at her. For once, fear seems to win out. Karis stares up at me, eyes wide as I stalk towards her and pin her down. My knees cage her body as my hands hold her head still, forcing her to look at me.

No apologies drip from her lips. There’s no sense of remorse. It’s as if she doesn’t even care that she caused me pain. Leaning down, I temper my growl, letting it slide over her skin until she’s trembling in my arms.

“Submit to me, omega.”

“Go. To. Hell,” she bites out, stifling a moan.

Bringing my arm up, I rest it against the front of her throat, pinning her to the pillows with that one limb, allowing me to have a hand free. I’m not pressing down hard enough to harm her or cut her air, but Karis still flails about, her fingers tearing at my arm in desperation to get free.

I shift my knee, bringing it down in between her thighs to open them, revealing the slick that glistens on her lower lips. Her scent of arousal perfumes the air, nearly driving out all rational thought. The need to consume her once more beats at my brain. As her Alpha, it’s my right, but as the Alpha she refuses, I don’t dare. This little minx will learn a lesson by my hand in a way that won’t harm her, just make her uncomfortable.

“Submit to me, omega.”

It’s simple. The moment she submits, this is all over. She’s the one forcing my hand, making me do this. I tune into her breathing, her heartbeat. Though she acts as if I’m killing her, she’s far from death.