Savage Prince by Alison Aimes

28

“That’s enough family time.” Damien was in mid-sentence when Maxheim made the announcement. “We’re heading out.”

Tess wasn’t sure whether to be horrified or bemused by his abrupt declaration.

Everyone else seemed more certain.

Alexi laughed.

Damien glowered. “You couldn’t have waited two more seconds for me to finish my story?”

Nikolai was already ushering everyone toward the door. “Thank the gods. I was just about to kick you out myself.” His gaze shifted to the sleeping bundle in the corner. “Jaxson is finally sleeping thanks to Tess, and I can think of far better ways to spend this quiet time with my omega than with the lot of you.”

Dahlia tried to look shocked, but it was easy to see she was equally eager for everyone to go.

“So, you’re not going to tell us what the meeting was about? The one you had before the alarms sounded?” Anya, on the other hand, appeared inclined not to budge.

“No!” Four deep voices chorused all at once.

A lesser omega would have crumbled. Anya’s gaze simply narrowed.

“It’s all going to be fine.” Alexi, ever the charmer, slid his arm through his sister’s and moved her toward the door. “Nothing for you to worry over.”

Damien took up a position on her other side. “You’re never going to make a prime omega match if you keep harping on things that are not your concern.”

“Is there talk of a prime omega contract?” Anya was all wide-eyed innocence, but there was challenge beneath her words. “Are you finally letting me meet some eligible Alphas?”

“No!” Again, the four shouts came at once.

Poor Anya. She really did have her hands full.

From over her shoulder, the dark-haired omega shot Tess a commiserating look of exasperation. Then she was led away, Alexi and Damien’s voices echoing down the hall as they lectured her on proper omega decorum.

“You.” The single word from Maxheim drew her attention.

He pointed at the doctor, a doctor who looked as if he’d been trying to slip out with no one the wiser.

The beta blinked, and fixing his lab coat, shifted from foot to foot. “Yes, Alpha?”

“Walk with us.” It wasn’t a question.

Tess was barely allowed more than a final nice meeting you before she was pulled out the door and down the hall, the doctor hurrying to keep up as well.

Silence descended.

“How did the meeting with the Council members go?” Tess filled the quiet. She was also desperate to know.

Maxheim’s expression closed down. “Not now.”

The doctor’s fingers twitched and she got the feeling he desperately wanted to take out his notebook and record his observations, but he was far too smart to give into the impulse

“What about the perimeter breach?” She refocused her inquiry efforts on Maxheim. “Do you know who was behind it?”

“I have a damned good idea.”

Her heart beat fast. Did he know?

“But it’s over,” he told her. “And you’re safe. No one is going to take you from here. This place is a fortress.”

“I know.” Was he angry with her? She could sense the storm of his emotions through their bond. She just had no idea what it meant. Was he already regretting bringing her? Bonding with her?

“But,” he spoke again, his voice hard. “I am going to need your promise that you won’t use that comms I gave you for anything else but contacting me.”

He might not know, but he sensed something. She could tell him, but it would only worry him and reduce her options.

“I promise.” She had another one if necessary.

“Good.” His voice had a little less edge to it this time.

More silence. The doctor lingered a step behind.

The pit in her stomach increased.

They resumed their speed walk in silence—until they reached a set of nondescript doors.

Maxheim pushed inside. It was a doctor’s office, with blinking machines, tools, and a small cot.

A bead of sweat slid down Tess’s back. She didn’t like places like this. She’d been subjected to repeated health checks as a slave, whether she’d wanted them or not.

As if he sensed her nerves, Maxheim’s arm wrapped around her waist and he dragged her close. “I am here. You are safe.”

Tangling her fingers in his shirt, she nodded and forced herself to relax. He wasn’t pulling back. He just had a lot on his mind and everything between them was so new. It would just take time.

But the storm inside Maxheim didn’t abate. She could sense it even now.

Taking a wide berth around them, the doctor moved toward his equipment. “What is it you’d like me to examine?”

“Absolutely nothing,” growled Maxheim. “Why are my omega’s fated-mate markings incomplete?”

The doctor frowned. “I’m not sure.” He started forward. “Let me take a closer look . . .”

Maxheim growled.

Tess admonished. “He has to look if he’s to make an assessment.”

“I don’t want him touching you and hurting you.”

Her Alpha’s constant care for her was something she wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to.

“Thank you.” She squeezed his arm. “But a beta’s touch has never affected me.”

Maxheim grunted, but he didn’t sound convinced. Turning toward her, he pushed up the sleeve of her gown so that her arm was visible. Then, flipping her wrist over, he held it to the doctor—to examine from afar.

The beta seemed unfazed by the whole display.

Still, a good distance away, he studied the lines.

She did as well.

They were darker and more golden than they’d once been, stretching now at least one-third of the way around her wrists, but like the marks at her throat, they hadn’t closed completely.

“Well?” Maxheim sounded exactly like the entitled royalty mafia boss he was.

“The process of bonding is different for each mated pair.” The doctor instructed as if he was reading directly from a scientific treatise. “The fact that they’re deepening is a good sign.”

Maxheim blew out a breath. “Okay. Good. That’s what I thought.”

She hid a smile.

“And, ah,” she’d never heard Maxheim sound so hesitant, “my control?”

The doctor stilled. “What about it?”

“It’s fucking non-existent,” barked her Alpha. “All I want to do is fuck her—and kill anyone who looks at her.”

Heat pinked Tess’s cheeks. “Maxheim!”

He shrugged. “This is the doc, baby. He knows all our shit.”

“I am also an expert on the fated bond.” The doctor’s tone was more soothing than arrogant. “So, please do not be alarmed. This is still unchartered territory, but I am very pleased with the progress in my research and recent confirmation that the bond can indeed be a force for power and good in both the omega and Alpha, rather than the destructive force it has incorrectly been labeled by the lay male and history, which so often gets it wrong and—”

“Any chance you’re remembering how I just told you about my non-existent control?”

“Right.” The doctor backed up a few paces. “Normal.”

That was it. Succinct diagnosis delivered.

Then the doc pulled out his notebook and dashed off a quick note.

Maxheim’s fangs flashed. “What are you writing now?”

It might be rude, but she was glad Maxheim asked.

“Powerful bond developing.” The doctor didn’t even look up. He simply read his recent note back to them. “Alpha M. exhibiting all the signs of normal attachment. Omega T’s gift and marks evolving in tandem. Expect stabilization within Alpha limits, but increased time and effort should help.”

“Huh.” Maxheim considered. “Increased time and effort? So, what you’re saying is we’re doing great but should fuck as often as we can to really cement our bond.”

“Maxheim!” She couldn’t quite stifle her horrified laugh. He really was outrageous.

“What?” He shrugged. “That’s what I heard.”

Truth be told, she didn’t exactly hate his interpretation.

They both stared at the doctor.

The beta blinked. Then blinked again. “I, ah, I would do whatever feels right.”

“So that’s a yes.” Maxheim slid his hand down her hip and palmed her ass.

She sucked in a breath, her nipples tightening.

Which is why she startled when the doctor’s analytical voice resumed. “I am correct in assuming that the calming abilities you recently exhibited with the youngling and Maxheim’s brothers are a new development, yes?”

Gathering her senses, she nodded. “Yes.”

It was exciting to be able to talk about it. For so long, her gift had only been a source of pain and shame.

“I can do so much more than before.” She hesitated, the slow drag of Maxheim’s thumb at the crease of her ass making it difficult to concentrate.

Whenever he touched her, she melted.

But this was important.

She gathered her courage. “But I worry it will all disappear.”

She wasn’t even sure she was just talking about her gift anymore.

Maxheim’s grip returned to her hip, and she was slammed up against his hard chest in the next heartbeat. “It won’t.”

His equally formidable will flowed through her, soothing her in this way as well.

“A natural fear.” The doctor cleared his throat, unfazed by her Alpha’s manhandling. “The fated bond is a powerful force, but after observing Dahlia and continuing to conduct my own research, it is my conclusion that you are in charge of your gift’s course.”

“I’m not sure I understand.” Tension tightened her voice. “I never wanted to hurt those males or have their aggression affect me so violently.”

Maxheim held her tighter. He sensed her growing agitation and didn’t like it.

Tess tried to reel it in.

The doctor’s voice gentled. “Of course, you did not. But you were in an intolerable situation. Your body could only draw on what it knew and had experienced: pain, lust, rage, helplessness.”

“That is not the case anymore.” Maxheim sounded as if intended to wipe away those feelings for her forever.

“Exactly.” The doctor’s excitement was obvious. “Now, you have choices. And more emotions to draw on besides just rage and fear.” His gaze bore into her. “Don’t be afraid to trust yourself, omega.”

The words seared into her.

She’d spent so much time fighting her impulses, but now the situation was different. She was in a safe place, with a good male, and she’d already proven to herself she could handle her gift.

Before her eyes, the bond at her wrist darkened.

“Holy hells.” Maxheim sounded awed. “Look at that.”

She felt stronger, more powerful.

“Thank you, doctor. I think you’re right. Trust my instincts. No one has ever told me that before. I—”

“Talk more later, doc.” Sweeping her into his arms, Maxheim carried her from the room.

Shocked, she clutched his neck. “What are you doing?”

“I’m just carrying out the doctor’s orders.” He hustled down the hall, snarling at any of the guards who tried to talk to him. “He said to follow my instincts, and I know exactly what they’re telling me to do.”

* * *

“We’re here.”

Her pulse picked up speed.

He’d told her he was taking her to her new sleeping quarters. She knew they wouldn’t be sleeping, and though a part of her wanted to push him to discuss his plans regarding Rav, another part of her was happy to just have this time with him.

To be selfish. Indulgent. And “follow their instincts.” Especially since she had no idea how long this near perfect joy would last. This was all so new to her.

Plus, she’d told herself she would talk with him in more detail about their options and how she could help once he was more relaxed.

But now, as he carried her down the last steps toward an imposing, opaque double door that was at least two stories high, it was her nerves that resurfaced.

He was leading her to their sleeping quarters. Theirs. Together. She’d dreamed many times of having such a space of her own, but she had so little sense of what that experience might really be like, she wasn’t sure what to expect.

The guards outside the door opened it, and Maxheim carried her inside.

Her jaw dropped.

She’d imagined splendor. After all, she’d seen several other parts of the compound, and it was all magnificent.

But this was above and beyond. This was romance. This was magic.

Every single flat surface of the gorgeous room was covered with blazing golden candles.

They flickered from the crystal bookshelves that rose to the top of the two-story high ceiling and along the ornate matching his and hers drawers. There were more candles perched on the shelf above the huge fireplace—with a roaring fire within—as well as on the shelf that ran the length of the massive crystal bed positioned on a platform at the other end of the room.

“This is . . .” she whispered the words, “incredible.”

“It’s a home-coming celebration.”

“For me?”

“For us both.” He hoisted her higher, sounding very pleased with himself. “I asked the betas to put it together for me.” A slight tinge of annoyance entered his voice. “Why do you think we stayed with my family so long?”

So long?She hid another smile, her gaze trying to take in everything at once.

A five-tier sparkling chandelier hung from the ceiling, centered right over the massive ornate bed with animal etchings carved into the ice.

Like his room on his ship, the space was neat and clean, but this area was far more sensual and indulgent, much like the Alpha behind the cool, controlled persona he showed the galaxy. The bookshelves were part curio and made of the same sparkling composite ice material as the chandelier and the rest of the furniture. Displayed within, spinning slowly for ideal viewing, were tiny, crystal structures similar to the one he’d made for her. She suspected he’d made all those beauties as well.

“This is more than I could have ever wished for. I can’t thank you enough.” She nuzzled his jaw with her nose. “But maybe I’ll find a way to at least try.”

After that blatant innuendo, she thought he’d put her down. Or at least throw her on the bed and rut her until she screamed.

He did neither.

Instead, he growled low. “Such a handful.” Then he sauntered forward. “But I have more to show.”

He headed toward the bed.

She liked where this was going.

“What do you think?” He’d paused before the small platform stairs, putting her in line of sight of the bed itself.

A ripple of shock rushed through her, followed by awe—and tenderness. “I think . . . I think it’s more than I ever hoped for.”

He held her tighter. “But not anymore. Now, it’s what you expect—and what you deserve.”

She looked down at what he’d done.

Piles of luxurious fur blankets and pillows in different colors, sizes, and textures lay atop the huge mattress. Many of them were blue. Because of her hair? Because she’d once told him it was her favorite color? Whatever the case, the bedding was a far cry from the thin stained mattress and two threadbare pillows that had been her existence as a slave.

The omega in her was already going wild at the sight of all the possibilities. Her palms twitched with the urge to trail her fingers across each soft piece of bedding. But even more powerful was the urge to pull her Alpha into the sheets and blankets so their shared scents could saturate the room and their bodies create the perfect haven that belonged only to them.

“You’ve never had the chance to nest before.” His intense gaze bore into hers. “You will do that now. Here. This was a room before. Now that you’re here, we will make this a home.”

Her throat grew so thick it was hard to speak.

He’d given her solid walls, blankets to build a nest, a home where she could feel safe.

He understood her needs and didn’t judge.

His command truly was her pleasure, their interests aligned. Just as he’d always insisted they were. It had taken her a while to believe, but now she did with every fiber of her being.

Touched, she blinked back the stupid tears she knew upset him and, pressing her mouth to his ear, whispered, “Wherever you are, that feels like refuge to me.”

A purr erupted from his chest. Followed by another.

Pride and pleasure thundered through her. She’d made him happy. Just as he was making her.

“Alpha.” She pressed her palm to his heart, the vibration rumbling through her hand and into her soul. “Take me to our bed.”

This time, he did toss her.

Her spine hit the mattress with a gentle bounce, her body sinking into the pile of soft furs.

He followed right behind, his arms and legs caging her as he crawled up her body, his eyes blood red and feral, his expression fierce, that soft purr rumbling from his chest all the while.

Driving her wild. Making her wet. Needy. Primal.

His hands went to her cloak and dress, his intent clear. He was going to rip them from her.

“Wait.” She pressed a palm to his chest. “My ice castle gift. It’s in my cloak. I don’t want it hurt.”

He paused, as always showing tremendous control for an Alpha on the edge of rut. “Give it here.” His voice was a beastly rumble. “I had a spot cleared.”

Her fingers dug into her pocket, bypassed the comms, and found her ice castle.

He’d grabbed it, placed it in its new spot on the bookshelf, and was back looming over her in the next heartbeat. “Anything else?”

The comms lay heavy in her pocket.

“No, nothing else.” She smiled up at him, winding her arms around his neck and drawing him to her. “Except this . . .” She molded her lips to his. Let her soft purrs join with his deeper rumble, melding into one joyful sound.

Her cloak and dress were ripped from her only a few heartbeats later.

And with every touch, she fell further under his spell, unable to help herself, hopeful that this might all be more than just a brief, extraordinary dream—and that she never had to use the comms now tossed on the floor with the rest of her clothes.