“Because I prevent it.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“The same way I use a little magic to heal you after, to ensure I can fit inside you without causing you harm, I use magic to prevent any… consequences. To prevent my seed from taking root.”
Her eyes are wide, her fingers creep to her lips. They’re trembling. “Why?”
“As I said, I don’t want progeny. Demons don’t make good parents. Ulf knows, my father proved that.”
“But… why didn’t you tell me you were doing that?”
I’m baffled by her question. It never occurred to me. “Why should I?” She seems to be waiting for more of an explanation so I cast about. “You’re my pet, not my queen.”
She flinches as if I’d struck her. Her eyes are glistening. “All this time, I thought you were just emotionally unavailable. But now, I’m starting to wonder… do you even care about me?”
A crack forms in my chest at the accusation, but I infuse my voice with frost. “Of course I care. I see that you are sheltered and fed. I conjure pretty things for you. Ensure you’re clothed—albeit to my liking.” My gaze darts to her bare legs. “What else could you possibly desire?”
“That’s just it.” She rises and paces past me, knotting her fingers together. “I thought I could be content with that. Living here, surrounded by magic, with a guy who can fly—and who lets me explore my kinkiest fantasies with him. But I want more.” She stops in front of the window. Her posture changes—her shoulders draw back, her chin lifts. “I deserve more.”
See?my father’s ghost whispers.She forgets her place. You must constantly remind her by remaining stoic and setting boundaries because if you give her any leeway, she will take over your life.
In the back of my mind, I hear doors slamming. My father stomping through the halls. Someone is weeping.
I blink, force myself back to the present.
Renee is gazing out of the window, unaware of my reverie. “All my life, I’ve settled. Made do. But heck, I’m on an alien planet, living with a demon. And it turns out I could have everything I want with him. A child, maybe two. A family. Why shouldn’t I go for it?”
“Because it’s my decision, not yours. I am the master. You are my pet.”
“Is that all I am to you?”
I clench my fists by my sides, steeling myself. “Yes.” The statement is an agonizing blade which knifes through my organs, slicing them in two. But I let no sign of it show on my face. If Renee turns to look at me now, she will see nothing but a cold, hard Alpha. A king. A demon.
In my memory, the sound of weeping fades, replaced by a distant rumble. The thunderous sound grows louder. I feel it in my bones, cracking and surging. But it’s not coming from within. I’m sensing the upheaval in the land.
Boom!The room shakes. Thehrioxjudders off the table, smashing to the ground.
Without hesitating, I leap to Renee, wrapping her up tight in my wings. She holds on to me, burying her face in my chest. Shelves fall, chairs and stools tip over, the ceiling cracks. Dust rains down.
We cling to each other for long moments after the aftershocks die away. I want to keep her pressed up against me, but settle for steadying her.I’m not coddling her. Omegas are fragile. I want to keep her safe.
Renee is the first to speak. “Was that…”
“The volcano.” I crane my head to see out of the window. Thick, dark smoke billows from Mount Vracor once more.
“That’s not a good sign, is it?” She pushes away from me. I’m reluctant to let her go, but my newly made resolution forces me to remain still as she hurries to the window, careful to avoid the debris. “Is it going to blow?”
I shrug. “It could… any day now.”
She whirls on me, the color rising in her speckled cheeks. “Don’t you even care?”
“Why should I?”
“If the volcano erupts, people will die! Their village is right in the path of that thing—”
“They should have thought of that before they settled underneath an Ulfdamn volcano.”
“Where were they supposed to settle? Next to the lake of lava? It’s not like there’s anywhere around here that’s completely safe. This whole place is a hellscape.”
