That had desire burning within his chest, messy cock throbbing between his thighs. He was so wet, rutting up into the air, drool flooding his tongue, incisors throbbing. The power dynamics would be good. Halcyon enjoyed being on top, but with Rue, he was always on the bottom. He'd sensed it then, growing within her, roaring to life, the monster that was rising to meet his inner beasts. He'd have turned over if she were an Alpha, ass up and waiting, neck revealed for claiming, face down and presenting with sweaty muscular thighs and slime dripping down to his knees. But her lips had trembled, and he'd paused, blinking, realising when he watched the emotions dance through her eyes.
She looked at him as if he'd changed.
A vision of his past, and he could see himself in her, the cowering, awful fear that glazed over her eyes. The blankness, the loss of blood in her cheeks, the sweat on her brow. The tremble. The terror. And his heart had fallen.
Fear.
This was no hot-blooded claim from an alien that understood his people. This was her trying to survive. He'd misunderstood her attack. And he'd allowed himself to go limp, feigned his weakness with closed eyes, his mind messy and his heart thumping hard. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He'd fucked up. He'd forgotten how sensitive she could be, and deep in the throes of his pre-Rut he'd forgotten how he'd gotten there. He had forgotten the reasons for why she was upon him, why she had her thighs clamped around his belly, why he was on the ground. And now the need was gone, replaced by an awful despair, desperate to calm his mate's souring scent.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
His mind twisted through the murkiness recalling the rage that had bubbled from his throat. The seething anger. She had sweetened up so good for Seraphim, and jealousy had pulsed in his mind and thundered in his heart. He'd believed himself to be first having had the chance to taste her pussy, to fuck her gummy cunt, to be her mate. The one to feed her. And now that he had lost his place on the pedestal, he'd been a maniac at the thought of another claiming his position. He'd grown white almost immediately, thoughts zeroing in on his Alpha's ability to push through despite her command.
He'd moved.
Halcyon was right. His Alpha could break her spell if he deemed it necessary, if he believed his position as her mate to be usurped. But he hadn't expected it to be so easy. In the first place, he didn't anticipate that he'd feel threatened by his mates as if the six others were enemies.
Fuck.
Levi and Kieran had appeared right after, a curse on their tongues and a whistle followed. They knew he wasn't as hurt as he'd let her believe and Halcyon groaned. "I fucked up. My Alpha tried to claim her," he whimpered, cracking an eye open with panic laced in his voice. "I managed to go against her commands. But it worked out because she started throwing punches, so my Alpha went quiet—"
Understanding had flooded in Kieran's eyes. They'd all had to fight Halcyon to fuck him. "The mating ritual? She's not ready for that shit."
"I know," he wept. "I don't know what I was thinking trying to bite her."
Levi groaned. "She's easily spooked. You're going to push yourself back to square one."
And he did. He did. He did. He did. Halcyon's eyes fluttered open to a hand on his temple, a whine low in his throat. He sobbed. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Inside, his Alpha was howling. But he startled awake through another nightmare, blinking blearily, disoriented by the figure crouched before him in the darkness.
Rue.
He stiffened.
Her voice was quiet, thumb to his nose, gentle strokes over his fur. "Sorry," she whispered, hands leaving his face. And he chuffed against her palm, his heart suddenly melting. She was apologising, she felt awful. She pitied him. "I'm sorry I hurt you." His eyes widened, and she seemed to freeze, hands out, but not before he pressed his head against her palm, cheeks against her fingers. The joy ballooned. Something sparked in his chest.
He purred.
Rue pulled back then, shuffling backwards. Her voice was colder after, hand snatched back to fist within her pockets. And he scrutinised her, the deadpan blink, the weariness on her gorgeous face. His Omega was always divine, skin touched by moonlight, cherry on her cheeks, bird boned delicate but supple and pliant where he needed her to be.
His mind stretched back to the best day of his life—her clingy, dripping hole suckling on his cock, her body to his, chest against chest, lips on her neck. The slow thumps of her heart mirroring his own. And yet the strength that crashed through her was unlike anything he could ever describe. He missed her so much that tears welled in his eyes.
Rue's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Are they here?"
Halcyon blinked, distracted.
She continued. "Levi and Kieran?"
He shook his head.
"So, they do take breaks," she said through a long, heavy drawl. "I guess, sometimes I am alone."
His eyes were wide, staring, noting the tension that occupied her face. He had to let her know. The despair grew and then he was naked. He waited, waited for the lust to grow in her eyes for her sweet, scent to cloud the room. The attraction. But all he got from her was a flinch, a huge step back as if she couldn't bear to look at his human face. His heart fell, sniffing the air for anything, but there was nothing in the wind.
"Rue," he whispered, flexed. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. She didn't even care for his abs. "I didn't mean to disappoint you. I didn't mean to hurt you. I wasn't going to do it, really— I'd never claim you against your will—"
"I don't trust you," she answered, her voice was far away. And he felt odd in the dark, with her eyes so wide, so filled with guarded, awful fear. He was in trouble, and he knew it with his heart sinking lower, deeper into his belly, nausea growing tight and churning in his gut. "Not anymore. But I suppose I shouldn't have."
"It's just one time," he begged. His mind snapped to the camera, swearing to remove it, to end his spying before he fucked it all up for good. "I'm not going to do it again. Never."
"I have too much to lose."
"B-but I do too, I'm an empe—"
The look in her eyes silenced him, the disapproval, the judgement. The sliver of disgust.
He whimpered and curled into himself. "I don't want you to look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like-Like I'm a monster." His voice rose a pitch, a wild burn in his throat. His heart rate escalated into a panic that had sweat beading on his forehead. It felt like a century of shame had passed, a long moment that had his heart roaring in his ears.
There was a pause, her eyes on him, in the dark, he couldn't read them. His moon was too far away. "You are a monster," she answered. And Halcyon's heart fell, lips trembling. But her eyes darted, and there was a rush of hope through him then. "But maybe I am one too."
"No," he whispered. "You…" He searched for the words, squinting for the look on her face. "Have always been perfect to me."
"You always say that."
"Your strength, your ability to beat me. It's—"
"Not normal," she told him. "For an Omega. But not enough, for an Alpha." Her gaze snatched at his, dragged him deep into her beautiful eyes. "Have you ever considered that I might not be a good person?" Her fingers clenched. "That we're not—"
"N-No, no," Halcyon shook his head. Suddenly it felt as if everything was on the line, and he was years back, fresh out of the transformation. His eyes were on Rue behind the counter, her words piercing in his gut. The coldness swallowed him, the memories flashing in and out. "I'll be good."
"Halcyon—"
"The contract exists," his words were guttural then, deepening into a snarl. "You're mine." Her expression grew grim, and he shuddered and shook his head before she could speak. "You are extraordinary," he answered. "I don't care. I won't tell them about what I know, about what I. And you can use me to harness that power if you want to. We can practice, and see how far it can go, how much you can steal from me." The disbelief shone in her eyes, pinched into her muscles. She scowled.
"Steal. What do you know?"
His lower lip quivered. Truth dancing on his tongue. The snap of strings to his limbs, the sudden lock of something in his head. The rush of too-good pleasure, hazy and sweetened by her presence slipped deeper into his. The resistance had eroded from him, and he had sunk into what felt like submission at its maximum. "It felt like you were holding me."
Rue gulped, the swallow loud in the silence. "Just forget what you saw."
"Already forgotten." He scrambled then to his knees, hands reaching back for what he had prepared. A last resort. "I have something," he raised it to show her. The leather glistened; the buckles caught in the light. "To show you my sincerity, I had it made."
"What the fuck," her incredulity rose, brows knotted. "Halcyon—"
"It's a muzzle, of dark bone and elder dragon hide. It's the only thing I can't break free from because it was made from the corpses of my ancestors," he said, clipping the contraption on, and wrapping it over his face. It was a mask of solid, sleek leather with an opening for his lips, ropes of metal stitches stretching over the hole—metal that would sting him, remind him what was at risk. He smiled through them. "I'll keep it on as long as you need me to."
Her surprise shone in her eyes. But he knew he had to do it, had to show her that he was serious. He was losing her and Halcyon was willing to do anything for his beautiful mate. "What the fuck?"
"It's strong," he tapped a finger on the teeth, where his mouth was. The gate of it prevented teeth from snapping upon her neck. "You won't have to fear if I have this on. It'll keep me in check. If you need me to give you a key for this and for m-my cock—" He flushed.
"For fuck's sake, I told you to fuck your mates to keep your goddamn Rut in check." Her voice crept lower, danger slamming into his brain, roaring into his throat. She was teetering on a line of no return. He whimpered. "I'm not a fucking toy you can use to rile each other up—"
"N-no, nothing like that. Alright, no key I promise," he nodded desperately, hands pressed to the ground. Halcyon had to be careful and slow. "And I will make peace with them. I just wanted to give you more to show my sincerity. But I'll use the mask until you're ready."
"Don't be stupid."
"I want to do this," he replied. "And it's not your fault," his eyes were on hers then. "I pushed you to your limits; you defended yourself. And I'm fine." His brows furrowed. "Please don't blame yourself, a-and I'm sorry." His voice dropped into a low groan, his heart swelled, desperation pouring from his soul. Honesty. But he held back three other words on his tongue, pulled tight in his throat. She didn't need to hear that now, not when her trust in him was gone. It would merely sully the sweetness of his apology. He looked at her then, eyes to eyes, allowed her to search him for lies, allowed her to find her conclusions.
Her breath escaped her in a whoosh, a flicker of vulnerability twisting across her face. And suddenly there seemed to be a break in her walls. A rush of it twisting in the air, slightly sweet, slightly warm. Halcyon smiled.
"I'll wear this and be better," he promised quietly. "A better mate."
"Halcyon you can't be serious." She retreated into the darkness, heading towards the door. A laugh bubbled from her throat. Oh, how quickly he had lost her when he had her right in his arms. Halcyon was bitter with that thought. "You'll give up. Your soulmates will make you give it up. Don't destroy yourself for someone temporary."
Temporary. Did she believe him to be so weak that he'd give her up once the contract was done? Halcyon shook his head. "I won't," he promised. "You just have to wait and see."
Read to chapter 44 on
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tinyeyecat
Inkitt Subscription: https://www.inkitt.com/tinyeyecat