“From now on, if I’m not around, you are to watch him carefully,” Blaze went on. “I wasn’t aware that he was a mage.”
I couldn’t tell from his tone whether he was angry or not, but it sure seemed like it was creeping towards it. I tensed.
“You said you found new knowledge on your journey. Good. You can use it to keep Matheson under control, I hope,” Blaze said.
“Yes, of course,” Noro agreed. “If you’re not present, I won’t let him out of my sight.”
He said it so easily that--if I didn’t know him any better--I might’ve been worried. But Noro had a good, kind soul. I was extremely grateful that he was on my side and not Blaze’s.
“Now, then,” Blaze said, a little more upbeat. His mane puffed out as if he was suddenly in a better mood. “I’d like Matheson to see my quarters. After all, he’ll be spending a lot of time there once he’s given birth.”
Dread curled in my stomach, even though I knew we had a plan to escape this place.
“Right,” Noro said. He made no reactions to that comment, no sympathetic glances my way, nothing. He was a damn good liar to the point where it was almost spooky, but at least this way Blaze would believe him.
“Excellent,” Blaze said, his tail raising high. “Then get ready and come along with me, Matheson. I’ll give you a grand tour.”
Oh, great.
Blaze gave me fifteen minutes to clean up, get properly dressed and eat a quick breakfast that Bastian had brought for me. Then I joined him in the hall, feeling like a child about to get dragged to a much-dreaded dentist’s appointment.
Except I’d rather get all my teeth pulled than deal with this…
“You look wonderful,” Blaze remarked, looking me up and down. “An omega in his prime. Amazing. And soon, we’ll have a pride full of them, just as nature intended.”
“Yeah,” I said listlessly.
What does he think? That every child that comes out of me is going to be an omega? And that I’m going to let them live here? Please. Blaze is either stupid or out of his mind.
Blaze led me through the halls with his dignified march. Every gryphon we passed smiled or bowed their heads or both. But not just as Blaze--towards me, too. I truly was an honoured member of the pride in their eyes. I felt grateful for that, at least. They could have thrown me in a prison, or worse.
Then I realized that every gryphon smiling in my direction was probably just waiting for their turn with me, and promptly felt sick.
This place was a prison of a different kind. Just because there were no shackles and chains didn’t mean I wasn’t a captive held against my will.
But for now, I had to go along with whatever Blaze was doing. I had to act the role of a good little omega and not cause trouble. My mates were coming. Colton, Eric and Ramsay--and Noro, too--were all planning my escape. I just had to bide my time, and if that meant playing the perfect part that Blaze expected, I could do that.
The wing we just entered was somehow more luxurious than the rest of the keep. High arched ceilings hung above us, probably tall enough that a gryphon could actually fly here.
All this unnecessary luxury was definitely Blaze’s pride at work--his actual, personal pride.
As usual, the grand scale of the architecture made me feel very small. But I refused to feel weak anymore. I was armed with knowledge, and Noro had my back. I’d make it out of this all right.
“Here we are,” Blaze said as we approached a huge golden door. If the door was solid gold or just coated in it, I didn’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the former.
We entered into a room that was easily twice the size of the guest room I’d been staying in, and eventhatroom was big for my standards. This place was enormous, like I could get lost in it with little effort.
It was separated into different sections--a sleeping area with a ridiculous bed, an office-type area with scrolls and books, and a bath section with a massive tub that sunk into the marble floor. Everything was out in the open.
I cringed. If Blaze intended for me to be his personal mate, where was I supposed to stay? Here, in this forest-sized room? There were no walls, so I’d be sleeping and bathing right in front of him…
Gross.
I found myself feeling lucky that he’d given me the guest room, which now felt small compared to this.
The door shut behind us, and I realized suddenly that I was alone with Blaze--king of the gryphons.
I swallowed the uneasy lump in my throat. I didn’t feel so confident anymore.
