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Rory
I sat for a while after the Alphas left, not really seeing or hearing anything—too much in shock, I guess. When I started this evening, I knew I was supposed to meet the Alphas who would bid on me, but I was so naïve, I never realized how quickly everything would happen. Stupid, really, when I considered it. I knew how much my stepmother hated me, had always hated me, and how much she wanted me out of the way.
I just thought I’d have a little more time.
Just like that, I realized that all the times I starved myself or ran down the mountain trails until I was exhausted—all attempts to hold off my heat cycle—all had been a ridiculous waste of time. I’d done it so no Alpha would have me, but it was all in vain. My heat cycle would begin in full force just as soon as the suppression pills in that little bottle ran out, and then I’d be at the mercy of my body.
The Alpha would come for me in the morning, take me to his home, wherever that was, and my life would be short and unpleasant until my father died. I’d no doubt have one child after another with him, and meanwhile, Lexington would carry on an affair with my half-sister to get her pregnant as well. He would need back up after all, in case my children didn’t survive, not always a sure thing in our kingdom, where medicine was not a priority and not at all advanced. If I and my child both survived, then my “mate,” Lord Lexington, would take over as Regent while I fell down some steps, or ate something that didn’t agree with me, or met my tragic fate in some other unfortunate way.
Unless I did something to save myself by taking matters in my own hands.
It seemed to me I had only one option that didn’t involve me giving in to him. I could run just as fast and far as I could and then hide out until he forgot all about me. Like in a hundred years or so.
It was a bad option for all the reasons I’d already thought of and for one more. Because Lexingtonwouldn’tforget me; there was too much at stake. Too much money and an entire kingdom to be had. No way he’d just shrug his shoulders and say, “Oh well, easy come, easy go.”
Winter was coming on too, and in this part of the kingdom, and especially to the north, where Lexington said we were going, winters could be harsh or even downright deadly. I had to also worry about going into heat from time to time and somehow managing that, on top of finding food and shelter. I had no friends and no one who cared about me except Griselda, who, according to Billy, was married to an itinerant tinker. There was no way of telling where she was and no way to get in touch with her. I’d be nothing but prey to anyone with a dick, though only an Alpha’s knot could truly satisfy me.
Chasing after a knot would be what I craved and what I longed for, day in and day out when I was in my heat cycle, but it would be dangerous, not to mention painful, and there would be no guarantees I’d even be able to find an Alpha willing to help me. No guarantees either that even if I found some benevolent, willing Alpha, his own omega wouldn’t claw my eyes out for poaching.
No. Running, though it sounded good at the moment, was justnota viable option.
But even if it was a bad option, I had no choice but to take it. I refused to give up and give in. I refused to be afraid. I had to finish this meal as it may be the last one I got in a while, get back to my room and then once everyone left or went to bed for the night, I’d sneak from the castle and make a run for it.
I stood up to leave and Berinda’s head whipped around like a snake’s. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“To my room to pack. If I’m to be ready to leave early in the morning, I need to get started.”
She waved her hand at me, dismissing me, and then she went back to celebrating my leaving soon by drinking another glass of wine. I slipped out of the Great Hall. I wanted desperately to go to the privacy of my room and fall apart, but I didn’t have that luxury. As I passed the door leading out to the castle ramparts where I’d been earlier that evening, however, I couldn’t resist stepping outside for one more look up at the stars. I might never see them from these same ramparts again.
I slipped outside the door and went back over to the walls to gaze out. Time had finally run out on me. All my dreams of never going into heat at all and just living quietly in the castle had all gone up, literally, in that puff of Lexington’s cigar smoke. Those dreams had all been foolish and unrealistic anyway. As soon as my father passed away, everything would have changed, and I wouldn’t have had a room to hide in anymore. Berinda and Callista, not to mention the new male heir, would make certain of that.
I stood for another moment looking out at the night sky. I saw a flash of movement coming from the direction of the forest and saw an owl plunge down from a tree at the edge of the forest to pounce onto some unsuspecting lemming or mouse. Because of their large wings, owls could glide soundlessly down to attack their prey. They were beautiful and formidable hunters.
I felt a little like that unsuspecting creature that had met the owl’s claws. Lexington had swooped in unnoticed, too, and attacked without warning. Now he and his gorgeous cousins had me under their claws, and I had little chance to escape.
I could run, but I knew they’d come after me and hunt me down, no matter how long it took—and somehow, I didn’t think it would take all that long.
I heard a small cry from below and I leaned way out over the narrow, vertical aperturein the fortifying wall to try and get a glimpse of the owl’s unfortunate supper. I guess I identified with that little creature, in a way, and I thought someone should bear witness to the poor thing’s final moments. Suddenly, as I leaned way out over the opening, I felt a rough arm around my waist as someone behind me grabbed me and hauled me back down to my feet. I had only a moment to register Lexington’s furious face before he hurled me up against the walls of the castle.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Lexington, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, yelled at me, his voice fierce and his face full of rage. He shook my shoulders for good measure, banging the back of my head once against the wall. “Are you crazy? Did you think to escape me by throwing yourself off the castle walls?”
“What? No, I…”
“You won’t get away so easily, Rory. You’llneverbreak free from me, do you understand?”
“What?” I got my hands up between us and pushed on his chest with both fists. I didn’t budge him, but I felt better. “No, I don’t understand! I don’t understandanyof this!”
I was shouting, so his hand slipped over my mouth to shut me up. I struggled uselessly against him for a moment, soon realizing his hands were like iron bands, and he was incredibly strong. “You’re hurting me!” I cried from behind his hand or tried to. He must have been able to understand the muffled complaint though, because he immediately let go of me and removed his hand from over my mouth, though he kept his strong, hard body pressed against mine and pinned to the wall.
He glared down accusingly at me, his face only inches from mine. “You were trying to kill yourself, weren’t you? Admit it.”
“What? No!”
“You were leaning out so far your feet were off the floor. Were you trying to work up the courage to jump?”
“I said, no!” I shouted back at him, and he growled at me.Growled.
“Don’t you talk back to me,” he said, hitting me with a pouty, domineering, who-the-fuck-do-you-think-you’re-talking-to look that made me want to laugh. At the same time, it was so damn overbearing it made my slick spurt out onto the pad covering my backside. Gods, he was so fucking dominant that it made me shiver. He lifted his face up and sniffed the air as my pheromones swirled between us, growling again, even louder this time, as he got a nose full of my slick.
