Omega Mine

The human’s blood tasted… good. It made up for his irritation at her scent, which was growing fainter by the minute. Though unusual, it was fine with him as it didn’t fit her at all. The fact that he instinctively knew that but couldn’t understand why was pissing him off, as was her use of a male’s name in his presence.

The only thing more aggravating than her wrong scent was her obvious fear. Though he couldn’t smell it, which was another peculiarity, it may as well have permeated the air around her, and when he was close enough he could have sworn it seeped into his skin, tainting him with her weakness. He hated it, and was furious at himself for not relishing that he was the cause of her fright.

He wanted her afraid, in panic, in pain. Only, when she’d whimpered that he was scaring her, he’d relinquished his hold on her as if she’d burned him. And then, in spite of her fear, she’d struck him, showing bravery he wouldn’t have expected from a human.

It was interesting.

Seven’s nose brushed hers again, almost as if he was attempting to coddle the damned female, and his body tensed, his hand tightening on her wrist.

“Answer me,” he snarled in her face, mesmerized by the flare of anger in her bright green eyes at his command. Her lips were slightly parted as she gasped at the cruel authority in his voice, drawing his attention to her full lower lip. It was plump and biteable, and suddenly his teeth ached to sink into that delicate flesh, remembering the taste of her sweet blood.

“You’re Grayson,” the female whispered, her sensuous voice captivating him. He scoffed, but that only enticed her to continue. “Your name is Grayson.”

His gift was clearly a deranged human, but he found himself clinging to her wrist even tighter until she winced. He dropped his hands to the sides of the tub, leaning back against the metal. “I am Seven.”

She shook her head, her palm on his chest burning into him like a brand he either wanted removed or carved into him. It was too strange to attempt to figure out which, so he didn’t bother.

“No, that’s not a name,” she said adamantly. “That’s a number meant to make you feel lesser. The humans are controlling you, but I can help–”

“Cease speaking and clean me,” he snapped, suddenly uninterested in their conversation. Was this some sort of trap? The city commander had sent a female in here to test his willingness to rebel? Why else would she spout such nonsense? Nothing else made sense.

“But, surely you have to know who you–”

“If you won’t shut your mouth, I’ll shove my cock down your throat to keep you quiet.” His words were like ice and she flinched as if he’d struck her. Good. He wanted her subservient. Pliant to his needs. Yet when she dropped her gaze from his, the look of hurt washing over her face as she continued rinsing off his chest, his gut clenched.

Seven shut his eyes to block out the image, ignoring the odd stirring of dissatisfaction at upsetting her.

He snarled under his breath, hating that Jameson had been right. This gift did require care, and Seven was not up to the task of maintaining such a burden. What did they expect him to do with her?

Likely kill her. Maybe he should. One quick reach and a twist of his wrist and he could snap her neck easily. Instead, his hands remained resting on the edge of the tub, his claws slowly shrinking back to normal fingernails the longer she caressed him.

She paused when her hand slipped past his lower abdomen, nimble fingers lingering just above his dick. He heard her gentle intake of breath, the water sloshing as she began to move her fingers up and away.

“I didn’t tell you to stop,” he growled into the darkness. She stilled for only a second before the water swayed around him and her hand inched further, fingers lightly roaming over his shaft.

Without intending to, desire licked over him, his cock hardening under her care. A small whimper sounded from her again, but he ignored it, keeping perfectly still as she hastily rinsed the rest of him off. Her breathing became heavy, which only heightened his arousal, but the anxiety pouring off of her in waves was enough for him to resist using her to sate his needs.

He might have been a monster, but even he had limits.

He’d been allowed to bed a few human women before, when his rage and aggression had been too high to naturally ease on its own. As far as he was aware, they’d all been willing enough, and none of them had been stiff or reluctant as he’d rutted into them like the beast he was. There was no gentleness or kindness in the act, not for someone like him. There was only taking. Owning.

“Enough.” His eyes snapped open as he stood abruptly. Water splashed over the tub and onto the ground. She wrenched herself away as if he was on the verge of attack, falling on her ass and scooting back. Her eyes were wild as they roamed over him, and that’s when he realized she would be virtually blind in here aside from the glow of his eyes, which she must have been using to help see him.

They might as well have tossed a newborn in here for how useless she was to him.

“Your constant fear is grating on my nerves,” Seven spit down at her as he stepped from the tub. He wasn’t allowed things like towels, so he let the stagnant air in his cell dry him, watching as her eyes narrowed, fury overriding her weaker emotions.

How peculiar she was becoming.

She unleashed a choked noise before slowly standing to her feet, chains rattling around her. “Well, if you’d stop snapping at me like a-a-a beast, then I wouldn’t be so afraid!”

“I am a beast,” he bellowed, finding his way to her side in an instant. He grabbed her arms, dragging her into him until he was leaning down to get in her face, needing to be closer to the fire that was burning in her eyes. “You’ll do well to remember that.”

Whatever flame he’d begun to crave disappeared as she lowered her gaze, tilting her head and exposing her throat in surrender.

Why was she doing that again? And why was something primitive in him responding to the motion?

Needing that surrender.

Needing…?

Seven didn’t know, nor did he care as he caught sight of the tiny bite mark he’d placed on her skin, a deep rumble of satisfaction vibrating his chest. There was a tiny trickle of blood that went from where he’d bitten her before it disappeared into the collar of her shirt.

Unable to help himself, he leaned in, one hand leaving her arm to palm the back of her head while the other latched around her waist, pinning her to his rigid body. He barely noticed his erection digging into her stomach, too focused on his tongue as it darted out, swiping over the trail of blood.

He grunted, eyes rolling to the back of his head as he licked her again, tasting her. Her scent might have been off, but her blood was right. Potent. Addicting.

This time when she whimpered, there was less fear, the stirring of something far more carnal filling the air as he lapped at her, needing more. His mouth followed the trail back up to the bite he’d given her, and he sucked, drawing out a few more delicious drops.

Her legs went weak, small hands latching onto his forearms as he held her to him, licking and sucking until he could have sworn he inhaled a scent that caused his blood to heat, his groin tightening with want and his mind going completely blank.

It was there one second and then gone the next as she began struggling against him, pushing at his chest uselessly. He could have kept her there, trapped in his embrace until he’d taken what he wanted from her neck, but he didn’t.

Letting go, he watched her stumble backward, nearly tripping over the chains before she righted herself.

“Why do you keep exposing your throat?” he asked, surprised when his question came out more curious than hostile.

She must have thought the same thing because her eyebrows rose in surprise and she cleared her throat, a hand going up to cover the mark he’d given her. He didn’t like that, snatching her hand and pulling it down until he could see it clearly once more.

“You’re my Alpha,” she told him softly before shaking her head. “I mean, you’re the Alpha. Do you know what that means?”

“Sounds made up.” He turned from her, suddenly antsy and in need of some exercise. Used to the confines of his cell, he dropped to the floor, powering through several pushups as she stood awkwardly beside him, fidgeting.

“It isn’t made up,” she informed him over the sounds of his breathing, her eyes lingering on his bare back as he moved up and down in rapid succession. If he hadn’t known she couldn’t see, he would have sworn she was fixated on his muscles bunching as he moved. “Alphas, Betas and Omegas are genetic mutations from humans. Superior in every way that matters.”

He stilled briefly, those designations floating through his mind and settling somewhere deep inside of him. Since he’d become trapped here, he’d often felt the harsh names spit at him had been wrong. Abhorrent, even.

Freak.

Abomination.

Beast.

None of them had seemed right. But this did.

“Do you not remember your heritage? Your name?” she asked quietly, almost as if she felt sorry for him, and she didn’t even realize she was right. He couldn’t remember anything beyond this place. Her pity should have ignited his temper, and normally it would have. But the taste of her blood on his tongue kept it at bay for whatever reason.

“Continue,” he said nonchalantly, losing count of his pushups once he passed one hundred.

Without missing a beat, the woman went on. “Alphas are dominant; leaders. They’re the strongest of all. The fiercest and most powerful, though they are quick to fury and even quicker to war. Decades ago, the world was very different from how it is now. Alphas ruled over everyone, including humans.”

He scoffed in disbelief, though he slowed his exercise to hear more of her words.

Unperturbed, she continued. “Betas are almost as strong as Alphas, but they aren’t nearly as dominant. They’re loyal to the bone to their Alphas, and are often more calm and collected.”

Giving up on doing anything other than listening to her, he stood to his full height.

“What about Omegas?”