Ryon
Lying with Natasha felt right. I didn’t want the knot to go down, because I suspected she would want her own space, again. She had been amazing. The sex had been the best I’d ever had. And I loved talking to her. Seeing the world through her eyes and helping her make sense of it. I didn’t want this to be a one-night stand. But did she feel the same way?
I held her tight in my arms. Her scent had powered through the suppression spray she’d used earlier. Washing her head, neck, arms and legs had probably helped. An omega’s main scent glands were in her neck and under her arms.
I had never been the kind of guy to go all soppy over a girl, but tonight, after that sex, I could see why some men did. It would be so easy to kiss her. To tell her I wanted her to myself, forever. To ask her to bond with me, so she would be mine in every possible way. To plant my seed in her again so she could bear my young, joining us in yet another way.
Getting her out of this life was my main priority from now on, but the mission was bittersweet. I wanted to save her from the darkness, more than anything. But I wanted to keep her. And I was too entangled in all this to ever leave.
I prided myself on being decisive and in-control, but I’d never felt so conflicted about anything in my life. My instincts demanded that she was mine. I’d never truly fought back against my instincts, before. Alphas usually didn’t. It was what made us so powerful and successful. The idea of doing something against my body’s preference was almost unfathomable. And, yet, here I was. Her desire to be free was the most important thing in my life, now. I was going to make it happen for her.
One day, I would have to say goodbye to her, and I didn’t see any way around that, but it wasn’t today. And in the meantime, I was going to make the most of the time we had together.
I had to.
I looked down at her. She’d fallen asleep. She was so cute when she slept. Vulnerable. There was a sharpness to her when she was awake, which had softened, now. A constant alertness that never left her. Was it sleep, or the aftermath of knotting, that had changed her? I wanted to fuck her again just to find out. Scratch that. I needed no excuse to knot with her. She was my omega. Even if I hadn’t fully claimed her by bonding with her, yet.
I didn’t think U-branch of Imperial Command had any intention of removing the implant that prevented her from becoming pregnant. That might have made other alphas think twice about throwing in their lot with her. Not me. She was more important than just her ability to breed and bear my young.
I was starting to fall in love with her.
The realization was comforting. Feeling happy and relaxed, I fell asleep holding her. I had no work, tonight. My time was my own. Or, more to the point, my time was hers. All of me was. The unusual omega had ensnared me and I couldn’t get enough of her.
But we were dead if U-branch knew.
***
Natasha
Heading to Ghil’s place the day after I’d handed over the vaporizer, I had a strong sense of dread. Every step of the way, I’d been out of my depth, and the hot water just kept rising. He wasn’t going to task me with delivering cookies for the elderly, today, and I knew that.
I was allowed up at once. The crew of betas that hung around outside knew I was one of them, now. No one gave me any trouble. Even Fert moved aside respectfully.
Inside Ghil’s apartment, another beta male accompanied him. They both sat on opposite sides of the couch, looking comfortable and like they knew they were important and untouchable. Probably because they were.
“I’d like to introduce you both.” Ghil waved a hand from me to the beta. I didn’t smile. I wanted to know who this was, before I decided how friendly to be. “This is Natasha, who delivered the package last night. And this is Lenor, who pulls the strings.”
Ghil made no secret of the fact he was taking orders from this man, then?
“I thought you were the one in charge?” I said politely, trying to keep up the pretense that I didn’t know Ghil’s gang worked to fund Beta Liberation.
“I run the gang. I make decisions on who’s in and out. Who lives and dies. But Lenor here... had need of my gang’s services. So much need, in fact, that we work for him exclusively, these days.”
“I see. Pleased to meet you, Lenor.” I flashed him a smile, but it wasn’t the jovial grin of an idiot. My eyes remained suspicious.
“And you. Ghil has reported your progress since you became a member. Kneel before me.”
A voice in the back of my mind told me I ought to obey if I had any self-preservation, but I couldn’t. I shook my head and laughed like I thought he was winding me up. “I don’t kneel to anyone.”