Page 59 of Dark Goodbye

This time, it’s Jaxxon’s turn to chuckle. “I will admit that it might not have been my brightest moment.” His expression turns serious as he stares down at us. “However, I cannot allow you both to leave from here unscathed. Though Ladria’s crimes are not nearly as serious, yours, Alpha Healer Davix are still beyond reprehensible.”

The omega by his side slides her hand over his arm and grips him, drawing his gaze. No words pass between them, but it’s no doubt they’re communicating through the bond. Eventually, her pinched expression gives way as Jaxxon gives her a soft, indulgent smile, making my heart flutter with hope.

“My decree is this. Davix, Healer Alpha. You are hereby ordered to be the first Alpha to take part in a new bonding ceremony. One week from today, you will stand before the people of Stanlion, and claim Ladria as your own. Ladria, omega, you are hereby ordered to love your mate, to submit to him in all things. It is so ordered.”

Without waiting for a reply, Jaxxon stands and extends his hand to his mate. She beams over at me before slipping her hand into his. One by one, they all leave until it’s just Davix and me alone in the room. We stare at each other, the bond writhing between us as uncertainly floods both of our systems.

Is that it? Are we truly free?

Yes, my precious omega. We are free. You, however, are not free from the punishment that awaits you when we get home. His voice melts into my mind, both arousing me and increasing my anxiety. Deep down, I knew I was going to have to pay for the fear and anguish I put him through, but I never thought I’d have the chance.

“I feel your fear, little omega, as well as your arousal. Look at me.” I tip my face up, once more expecting anger or recrimination, but like every other time, there’s not a trace of it there. “Things are going to change between us. They have to. Somehow, you’ve managed to shield yourself from me, hiding away. No more.”

“I’m sorry.” I go to lower my head, but Davix lifts it right back up.

“Once we’re fully bonded, I will be able to burst through your shields. I don’t want to. I want you to trust me enough, to love me enough, to keep them down. Can you work on that for me?”

Unable to speak, I simply nod, allowing myself to remain open when all I want to do is crawl away and hide. With a soft smile dancing across his lips, Davix gathers me into his arms and lowers his lips to mine.

It’s not a rough, ferocious kiss. Instead, it’s soft, insistent… claiming. My toes curl as pleasure zips through my body, forcing slick to gather at my folds.

“I almost lost you again today,” he whispers against the top of my head after he finally pulls away. His voice is thick and raspy with emotion as he holds me tightly against him, near the point of pain. “I cannot live without you. Do you not understand? Is there nothing I can say or do to get it through to you that I’m devoted to you to the point of madness?”

“It was never you,” I croak out. “Not directly. I-I saw what the other omegas were like. I saw what future awaited me. Despite the feelings I had for you, I knew I would still end up the same way. There was no way you could convince me that you weren’t going to use the dynamic as a club, wielding it like a weapon against me. “

“But I’m not-.”

“I know that now,” I interrupt, my stomach flipping at Davix’s fierce frown. “But I didn’t realize it until I almost lost you. You have to understand, as an omega, I was losing myself daily. It scared me. But… you’re not like that. You won’t use your growls to force me to do something I don’t want to do. You don’t — you won’t — make me some mindless slave. I know that now.”

Lifting my hand, I slide it across his cheek, reveling in the feel of his beard scratching my palm. Davix leans into my touch, sighing as he turns and kisses my hand. “Don’t be too sure, omega mine. I still plan on mastering you, turning you inside out until you don’t know which way is up.”

Moaning, I wiggle against him, need rising through my body. “Yes, please, Master.” The words are out before I can stop them, flooding my mind with shame at how easily I gave in.

Not give in, he whispers into my soul, making my body tingle. More like your body knows exactly who it belongs to. I promise to keep you, to cherish you, to make you want for nothing. But I also promise to feed that submissive deep inside, to make you crave my iron dominance.

“Yes, Master.”

CHAPTER 27

Davix

The ride home is silent, but this time, it’s far more companionable. There’s still a gulf there, but it’s far smaller than what it had been before. No doubt having both of us brush so closely with death is what's bringing us closer together. It’s not ideal, but still a welcome catalyst.

Gripping the steering controls in my hand, I glance over at Ladria, noting her pensive expression. With the bond open the way it is, I can see the thoughts as they whirl about in her mind. They’re not clear by any means — more muddled shadows, discernable, but just barely.

What pieces I can gather, however, make my heart seize in terror. Though it fills in the gaps of what transpired while I was prepping for surgery, I can live the rest of my life without knowing just how close to death she really was. Hearing it in passing from Jaxxon is one thing, reliving it through her mind is another. What was she thinking, jumping like that?

I have half a mind to throttle her right then and there. Pulling out of her thoughts, I stare at the road, formulating my own plans. She will learn one way or another to never put her life in jeopardy like that again.

A heavy sigh slips through my lips, drawing her attention over to me. The guilt on her face says it all. “I’ve already seen your thoughts, little omega.” The bond jangles in abject terror. Without a second’s hesitation, I unleash my purr, letting it fill the confines until her heart settles back down. “I’m not going to harm you, Ladria. Or do you know nothing about me at all?”

Though I try to keep it out of my voice, the hurt shines through all the same. After everything we’ve been through… After everything she’s witnessed. What else will I have to do to convince her that I only have her best interest at heart?

“Reflex, I suppose,” she murmurs, balling her hands up into her lap.

“Let’s start over,” I breathe, parking the transport near the house. “I’m Davix, a Healer Alpha, sadistic bastard, and hopelessly in love with my omega mate.” In a comedic show of solidarity, I turn to her and extend my hand.

The smile she shoots my way is nothing short of breathtaking. “I’m Ladria, an omega, somehow used to be a beta, and I-.” She stops short for a moment and looks at me, tears glistening in her eyes. “I love my Alpha mate.”