What choice do I have? With his venom scorching my insides and his sharp gaze trained on me, I wouldn’t make it five steps before he caught me again. Plus, I don’t know what other, worse creatures lurk out in the night, if there are any. And the glimpses of care, however brief anddifferentthey may be, light a candle of hope within my soul.
Maybe he doesn’t plan to hurt me, despite the pain he’s wrought. Maybe he’ll surprise me, like he already has with his gentle tongue.
He might be my only hope of becoming part of the planet’s two percent survival rating.
Unable to hide my wariness, I slowly lower myself to my haunches, reaching for the closest bit of moss.
Instinct rises the moment my fingers grasp the silky bundle of fibers, the texture unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. My ears melt at the pleasure-filled purr weaving through the sounds of nature until I realize it originates from my chest.
Dropping into my basal needs like a rock plopping into a lake, I gather and knead the materials, sinking onto my knees and purring louder. No embarrassment rises, the joy of such decadent luxury in a wild, ruthless place too stunning for any other emotion. Spreading the tufts all around to create a soft layer between myself and the stone, I shuffle to the next pile, my hackles rising at the scattered materials. In disarray from his tail, the lack of order snaps me into a feral beast incapable of higher thought processes. I sweep the offending items toward the outskirts of his den and snarl, tearing a colorful bundle of vines in two before crawling to the next stack.
Less perturbed by the slightly misshapen mound, I sink my hands into the fronds but immediately yank them back out, hissing at the itchy, scratchy strands. Red spikes flash across my vision as my alpha swipes the pile away with his tail, sweeping the entire mound out of the circle with a single move. I jump and clutch my heart in fear, but the feel of my crusty, filthy shirt distracts me.
Grabbing the bottom hem to rid myself of the repulsive garment, I freeze as talons settle on my shoulder.
“No. Mine. Nest.”
He nudges more material my way with his tail, pulling me out of my startled shock, the moment of clarity slipping away as silky vines fill my lap.
Scooping them into my arms and nuzzling them in delight, a sound I’ve never made before slips free of my throat. Hummingand pressing my cheek deeper into the squishy, elastic ropes, my logical mind drowns in instincts.
I shuffle to my partial nest and drop the vines in the center before scurrying across it to the other side of the clearing, primal needs demanding I inspect the bright splotch of colors. Approaching the mound of flowers with massive petals, I rumble my appreciation as every part of the plant proves soft and pliant, my ostentatious side preening over the colors so vibrant they shine in the moonlight.
My mate pampers me with his luscious offering. I approve.
Gathering every bit of the flowers, I hurry back to the center of the nest and glance at the other piles before sneering and turning to the mess in front of me. Nothing else seems even remotely enticing compared to what I already have.
I spread and organize, fluff and toss, rearrange and smooth until satisfaction outweighs the discord in my soul. Still, after picking up and setting down the same piece of moss exactly where I’d picked it up from three times, I snarl and hover my arm along the edge of my creation, prepared to wipe all my hard work away.
It’s wrong. Despite the perfect balance of materials and fresh scents wafting up from the nest, all I want is to destroy it for mocking me with its incompleteness.
The ominous click of talon on stone stops me. I stay poised in my half-squat, half-kneeling position, the sound filling me with dread.
How could I sink so deeply into basal needs with him so close by? How could my omega self bask in his attention as he silently watched me during such an intimate moment?
My omega no longer agrees with my horror. She wants him to sate the heavy magma bubbling within my core. This alpha is the only one she wants, no matter his reptilian features and deadly aura.
Only he can fulfill the ache in my body.
I press my palms to the cool stone beside my nest, relaying the end of my ridiculous urge to send my creation of comfort across the clearing, and look over my shoulder at the beast brooding as far away as our den will allow.
Moonlight shimmers off his scales and makes the yellow speckles in his eyes shine. He taps his curved claw against the rock again, tilting his head and flexing his talons by his side. His inhale tightens my nipples and makes my core clench in want.
A moment passes where we study each other. Even with the mud and gore covered clothes encasing my body, I feel more exposed than ever before. More possessed and claimed.
Heseesme. The real me. The terrified, hopeless omega who fought for scraps her entire life. The woman who always feared she’d either die alone and worthless or get claimed by an asshole alpha and spend her days in anguish.
In return, his eerily intelligent eyes reveal the complex, and yet refreshingly simple creature peering back at me.
Hewantsme to see him. He yearns for the connection of our souls. He expects to provide for and pamper me, to care for and protect me.
He intends to earn my loyalty and tie me to him so thoroughly that thoughts of separating from him never enter my mind again.
He wantsme. Now.
His talons scrape along stone as he shifts into an intimidating stance, his forearms lifting and claws clacking in a lethal promise. Straightening his head, he sucks in another breath and unveils his creepy grin.
Slick bursts from between my folds as he releases his breath with a trill, his entire throat vibrating with dark promises.