Beginning of Chapter 37

Rue

Fuck.

Her hands shook in the bathroom, scrubbed clean, skin all raw and pink, stinging from the blows she'd exchanged with Halcyon's handsome face. The bruises blossomed like ink to water. And his body had coiled, tensed, hard and velvety under her skin, squirming between her thighs. The adrenaline of the fight remained in her as a surge of bile, a lingering ache of hatred, and a desperate churn in her belly. The sharp prick of terror was falling steadily, replaced now by a deep, angry sense of dread.

She hated that her arousal had grown from their exchange. Pussy dripping hot, sweet slick at the sight of an Alpha that needed her so fucking badly. Her body was clenching, shivering all over as he succumbed. And she hated that she had enjoyed his goddamn tears. That she had loved the way he'd submitted at the end of it — neck arched for taking, unwavering gaze still begging to be claimed, tongue curling over her name.

Rue, and then in his eyes with furrowed brows, a plea.

And that was right before he'd gone cold. It had turned her on so much that her incisors now ached. Her body thrummed. It had the flames of desire rising, smouldering in her body, setting her mind on fire. His Alpha had practically been on his knees, hoping so desperately that after the last punch, she'd sink her teeth into his neck and take him like he was her little bitch.

He might as well have been with the way he'd lost, slipping into a submissive role that was against his nature. He'd been obediently docile, willingly submissive when he knew she had him. His arms slack, body soft, cock hard and waiting for her fangs to sink into his flesh by accident.

Halcyon had been a consenting individual hoping for more.

She knew what he had wanted with his wide eyes, filled with a puppy-like breathless sort of pleasure. His head had turned to the side, all primed up, all ready. He'd closed his eyes as if he had been waiting for more, and he must have been. Without the roar of fear now, she could see it in her head, the playback of their exchange like a crazy sort of romance. The heat he'd ignited in her so that she might lose control in their battle. The godly reverence he'd bestowed upon her because of her growing strength. The way his eyes had locked upon hers, the corners of split lips pulling into a sick little smile.

All planned.

He'd enjoyed seeing that, had wanted to see that.

He'd been hard, and his tears had been filled with goddamn happiness.

He'd loved it, and she'd enjoyed dominating his sorry ass. She didn't know where the fuck he'd acquired such a kink. But it did resemble an archaic sort of claiming, a more beast-like ritual which had once existed on Planet 4, Halcyon's planet. It involved a fuck ton of running, killing, and biting. The Omegas would vanish into the woods, desperate for an Alpha that could beat them. And the Alphas would go after them, killing rivals on the way, chasing their mates to the end of the world. They'd fight and then the Alphas would fuck their Omegas until they were round and full of pups.

Planet 4 used to do it with their Omegas. But now it was all Alpha and Alpha, dick-on-dick, bloated semen-filled belly action.

And the worst part was that her eyes were now his. His with their dark, angry slits in the centre like a dragon's. Her eyes were flecked crimson shards in tourmaline gold, like embers, like fire, like ares. They weren't the piss yellow shade that she had grown up with—pale, emotionless crystals. Gods, no. These were not her eyes. They were eyes that she had seen more than once on Halcyon when he was angry as fuck and desperate to win.

These were dragon's eyes.

How the fuck did she have his eyes? She rubbed them then, blinked twice, and still they remained like a glowing reminder of her victory. Her success against a naughty Alpha that needed his ass paddled. She glared at her reflection, distraught, breathing hard, heart pounding in her temples like the beat of a drum, pulsating to the pleasure in her clit. The pounding had been necessary. She knew it was. All defence, all desperation.

She knew he'd been skyrocketing towards a full-blown Rut filled with the powers of Rampage. She had inhaled his scent, the call of him compelling her to submit. Halcyon had been lost in some kind of territorial need, had been snarling with lust, frenzied in his attempts to claim her. Some shit about kisses, about not being his. She pondered that thought, an angry heat flooding her cheeks. He must have found that out from Seraphim. But it didn't matter. That scent he'd unleashed today? Another Omega would have gotten on her knees, allowing him to take her just because of his mouthwatering scent. A weaker Rue without a backbone, without a strong will, would have been fucked tonight.

But Rue was no pussy.

She had given him the chance to step back, to retreat, to fucking listen to her goddamn voice. But he hadn't done that, for Alphas deep in the beginnings of Rut only understood rage. That was something she'd realised, something she'd learnt back at the den. But now Halcyon knew that his Alpha, in his raw unbridled form could avoid her commands. He could ignore her if he wanted to with his Rut. Her breath hitched, horror swelling.

Fuck.

She'd lost her cards, her goddamn upper hand, in a single fucking day.

That had her fingers to her teeth, nibbling, chewing, anxiety growing. He knew she had a weakness. How much longer before the seven would ambush her, dragging her down her goddamn throne? A throne that was built with sand, sticks and false confidence. She growled, fingers on the sink. Rue had to be stronger, stronger than those idiots, mentally and physically. It was the only way this shit fest could ever work. And now she had a helios and hades outside her door waiting for answers. It wouldn't take long before Halcyon would be up and blabbering the truth.

She needed to distract them.

But the eyes, the fucking eyes. Her fucking eyes. Why the fuck did she have his eyes? Her theories stormed through her mind. Had he infected her with some sort of poison? Was this some kind of hallucination? But she could remember how it had all felt, how something good had burned inside her, molten energy, twisting within like the after-effects of guiding. How it seemed as if she were gaining strength — Two splashes of water to her face and they were gone, slipping back to her piss-coloured orbs. The relief was palpable, and she sagged against the wall.

Thank fuck.

She had to get out of there right before Halcyon roused and Levi called the pack for a meeting to hunt her down. And they would if they knew, Dante would be first to fuck her in the ass.

Fuck.

Rue stormed out of the bathroom, a whirlwind of feigned rage, eyes searching for the trio. The trash, as she'd so politely named him, was on the couch already awake, blinking wearily at the ceiling with disappointment etched in his features. Halcyon's Rut had seemed to wane, strangely softened by her exquisite touch. Levi had his tongue all over his face like a dog, fixing his wounds and Kieran inspected them both with crossed arms. Their eyes snapped to hers the moment she entered with a scowl. She had to be amicable, Rue reminded herself. Halcyon could be a wild dog. And if she wanted things to go her way, she needed to be tough.

He couldn't say a word about what he had just learnt.