Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 69711 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69711 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
See? my father’s ghost whispers. She forgets her place. You must constantly remind her by remaining stoic and setting boundaries because if you give her any leeway, she will take over your life.
In the back of my mind, I hear doors slamming. My father stomping through the halls. Someone is weeping.
I blink, force myself back to the present.
Renee is gazing out of the window, unaware of my reverie. “All my life, I’ve settled. Made do. But heck, I’m on an alien planet, living with a demon. And it turns out I could have everything I want with him. A child, maybe two. A family. Why shouldn’t I go for it?”
“Because it’s my decision, not yours. I am the master. You are my pet.”
“Is that all I am to you?”
I clench my fists by my sides, steeling myself. “Yes.” The statement is an agonizing blade which knifes through my organs, slicing them in two. But I let no sign of it show on my face. If Renee turns to look at me now, she will see nothing but a cold, hard Alpha. A king. A demon.
In my memory, the sound of weeping fades, replaced by a distant rumble. The thunderous sound grows louder. I feel it in my bones, cracking and surging. But it’s not coming from within. I’m sensing the upheaval in the land.
Boom! The room shakes. The hriox judders off the table, smashing to the ground.
Without hesitating, I leap to Renee, wrapping her up tight in my wings. She holds on to me, burying her face in my chest. Shelves fall, chairs and stools tip over, the ceiling cracks. Dust rains down.
We cling to each other for long moments after the aftershocks die away. I want to keep her pressed up against me, but settle for steadying her. I’m not coddling her. Omegas are fragile. I want to keep her safe.
Renee is the first to speak. “Was that…”
“The volcano.” I crane my head to see out of the window. Thick, dark smoke billows from Mount Vracor once more.
“That’s not a good sign, is it?” She pushes away from me. I’m reluctant to let her go, but my newly made resolution forces me to remain still as she hurries to the window, careful to avoid the debris. “Is it going to blow?”
I shrug. “It could… any day now.”
She whirls on me, the color rising in her speckled cheeks. “Don’t you even care?”
“Why should I?”
“If the volcano erupts, people will die! Their village is right in the path of that thing—”
“They should have thought of that before they settled underneath an Ulfdamn volcano.”
“Where were they supposed to settle? Next to the lake of lava? It’s not like there’s anywhere around here that’s completely safe. This whole place is a hellscape.”
Her accusations grate on me. “Welcome to my kingdom.”
“Exactly. Your kingdom. You're the king. You have a responsibility—”
“The Pyredii must be strong enough to fend for themselves! I will not tolerate weakness!” I roar.
All the color ebbs from Renee’s face. “And there it is. You don't care at all. Not about them.” Her voice breaks. “Not about me.” She fingers the fire-stone set in the collar around her neck.
I take a breath, ready to say something cutting but her eyes are brimming. The words shrivel on my lips as a fat tear escapes and trickles down her pale, freckled cheek.
“Damnit,” she says, wiping it away with a sniff. “Never let ‘em see you cry.”
I’ve never seen her weep before. There’s a searing ache in my chest. “Pet—”
Ignoring me, she stands in the wreckage of the room, sobbing so hard her shoulders shake, her face in her hands. Her sorrow lances through the bond, screeching like nails raked down a smooth rock surface.
On instinct, I begin to purr.
“No!” she barks, raising red-rimmed eyes to meet mine. “Don’t. I don’t want your fucking pity!”
Is that what I feel? I stop purring. “It’s not pity. It’s just to soothe—”
She interrupts me again, holding up a trembling hand. “Whatever it is, I don’t want it. This is what got me so messed up in the first place. You blowing hot and cold, showing hints of affection, when in reality…” She exhales shakily and wipes her cheeks with the back of her hand. “I wish I had a dang tissue, a rag, anything to blow my nose.”
I make a square of the softest cloth and hand it to her.
“Thanks. Ugh.” She presses it to her face. A moment later, she raises her head again. Her eyes are still wet but her sobs have stopped.
Females, my father would say, shaking his head. He would always stomp away, slamming doors in his wake, drowning out the sounds of weeping.
Squaring my shoulders, I lift my chin and point to the doorway with a single talon. “Go to your chambers, and stay there. You will not leave them until I summon you.”