“You mean pregnant?”
“Yes. But all our knowledge was collated before the birth rates dropped—not to mention, only Ulfarri Omegas were studied. There’s a good chance human Omegas—or those created by the serum—are different. It’s highly unlikely you’d already be pregnant after your first estrus.”
“Okay.” She sounds drowsy. I pull her into my arms before she sways to the floor. She’s so small. Even with her curls loose and swaying in a halo around her head, the tips don’t reach my chin.
“But it is possible for a human Omega to be bonded with an Alpha, and bear his offspring.” My heart pounds with excitement at the mere thought. “My darling little moonflower, I cannot wait to breed you.”
A tremor runs through her. Fear? Anticipation? Her scent thickens the air around us. My cock is throbbing—an insistent, dull ache. Leaning down, I rub my cheek over the top of her head, basking in her perfume.
“The nesting is a good sign,” I whisper into her ear.
“I should be freaking out right now. But I’m too relaxed. What does bonded mean?”
“A bond forms between an Omega and her Alpha mate when he claims her. The studies I saw were unclear about when exactly the bond forms—it can be a gradual process, or happen instantly, especially in a soul-bond—but most agree that the advent is the claiming bite.”
“Claiming bite?”
“Yes.” I trace the delicate skin of her neck. She shivers again. “As you know, an Alpha is not immune to an Omega’s scent when she’s in the throes of estrus. He responds to her by going into rut—the Alpha version of estrus. His first priority is to take his Omega—to rut her.”
“Mmm,” Rose murmurs dreamily.
“His next instinct is to claim her fully by biting her. To mark her as his, imbue her with his scent, to ward off competition. He can bite her anywhere on her body, and they will be bound for life.” I can’t prevent my voice from thickening as I describe it. There is no doubt that I want to claim my little moonflower, and that desire grows stronger every day. I came so close the other night…
“Does it hurt?”
“It can. But it seems Omegas are wired to enjoy the pain. In fact, some have described it as the ultimate ecstasy.”
“I don’t know. It sounds pretty intense. Not to mention permanent.”
“It is both of those things.”
“Do you want to… claim me?” Her voice is soft, hesitant.
With everything inside of me. But something keeps holding me back. I reach for an evasive answer. “As an Alpha, I have that instinct, of course. Do you want me to?” I hold my breath as I await her reply.
She swallows. “I don’t know. Permanent sounds so… permanent.”
Her words are like needles in my heart but I keep my tone light. “Then we will wait until you are ready. No—until youbegme for it. And I promise you this: one day, you will beg for it, little one.”
FIFTEEN
Rose
Two thingsI’m learning about Bestian—one: when it comes to knowledge about Omegas, he’s a nerd. And two: when it comes to touching me, he’s a god.
Truth be told, I’m pretty close to begging already.
His strong fingers massage the back of my neck as he tells me, “I’ve read that the bite creates such a strong bond between mates that they can sense each other’s emotions. Fear. Pain. Happiness. Even when they’re apart.”
“How is that possible?”
“Magic.”
“Of course.” I don’t care what he’s saying, as long as he doesn’t stop touching me. “I’m human,” I remind him.
“The human Omegas on Ulfaria have bonded with their Alphas. Or so I’ve heard.”
“Which reminds me… do you think I could meet them? Or one of them, at least?” I’ve been so distracted by everything that I kept forgetting to ask Bestian, but the chance to talk to someone else in my exact position—who knows exactly what I’m going through—would be unreal.
