“We could find a way. I’ll think of something. You’d just have to trust me.”
“He’d never let me go.” The scar on my neck throbs. “He’s a possessive bastard.”
“He’s an Alpha. They all are.” Emma sighs, tapping her chin. “Still, I’m certain we could get you out—and even keep him away, if it came down to it. Pyreda doesn’t have a standing army. There’s no reason for it—no one wants to claim an inhospitable land full of fire.”
My first instinct is to defend this kingdom, but I swallow my response. Why should I care what she says about this place? After all, it’s true. “I really appreciate your offer to help but I wouldn’t want you to put yourself out. Or put yourself in any kind of danger.”
She scoffs. “We wouldn’t be in any danger. Unlike Krav, wedohave an army. And Khan is a warrior like no other.” I’ve noticed she glows whenever she says his name.
“You’re crazy about him, aren’t you? Khan?”
Her eyes soften. “Yeah. I didn’t like him all that much at first, but when it came down to it… I couldn’t bear to leave him. The point is, he gave me the choice.”
“He did?”
“Yes. And you deserve someone like that. Someone you stay with because youwantto, not because you have to.”
“You’re right. I do deserve exactly that.” The old Renee, Earth Renee, might not have agreed with her so readily, but I’m not that woman anymore. Give me all—or nothing. No more half-assed crap. No more being a glorified booty call. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. We humans have to stick together. Now, here’s what I was thinking about your escape…”
As Emma explains her ideas, I’m torn between my head and my heart. Could I really do it? Leave the guy I’ve fallen for? Memories of our time together—both happy and sad—swirl though my mind like an emotional merry-go-round.
But at the end of the day, it all boils down to one thing: he doesn’t love me.
And as Emma said: I deserve someone who does.
It’s as simple—and heartbreaking—as that.
Fifteen
Krav
I pacethe halls of my castle, my anger my only companion. The sound of my stomping boots is a hollow replacement for the music in the bond. There is nothing between me and my Omega but a haze of anguish. The pain increased with every tear that spilled from her eyes, and I did nothing. She wept and I did not comfort her. She even rejected my purr.
Ever since, she's been miserable in her rooms. If I reach out, braving the torment in the bond, I can sense her weary sorrow. My talons cut into my palms. I wish I could rip into my chest and tear my heart to shreds. End this agony.
My pacing has brought me to my mother’s set of rooms in her tower. I wait for my memory to play tricks on me, to hear the haunting music as she plays thehriox, making it weep. But for once, all is silent. I don’t need the pain of old ghosts. I have my Omega’s—and my own.
After our argument, I climbed to the tallest tower and prepared to hurl myself into the wind. I'd spend the day flying, terrorizing the villagers. Teach them not to look to a demon for help or comfort.
But I cannot bring myself to fly from the castle and leave Renee behind. What if she needs me? What if she's cold?
The day is chilly and overcast, with low, grey clouds. The slopes of Mount Vracor sparkle under a coat of frost. My Omega’s wardrobe is not heavy enough for these frigid temperatures.
I summon thejynxand conjure a set of thick fur robes—one white, one pale purple like the snow—to send to her.
I avoided her this morning, so I don’t know if she ate enough of the morning repast. I order thejynxto prepare her favorite foods, including theleeberry-flavored pastries she loves so much. Only when my servantsreport that they have given her the gifts and food, and built up her fire, do I relax.
I settle into my chair, the tips of my claws drumming the elaborately carved armrests.
Should I send for her? I could bid her sit on my lap. She would pout at first, but after a few minutes of my playing with her body, my scent surrounding her, she’d be slick and eager, desperate to have me. When we were in heat, everything was easier.
If I had just heeded my father’s advice and maintained a cool distance between us, none of this would have happened. Females are happier in subservient roles, with firm boundaries.
But as soon as I think this, I hear the sad songs my mother used to play, underscored with her weeping. If my father’s way was right, why did it lead to so much sorrow?
A distant roll of thunder heralds the ground’s tremors. The earthquake is minor, barely shaking the room, but when I stride to the window, thick plumes of smoke spiral from Mount Vracor’s summit.
