Savage Prince by Alison Aimes
9
“You can’t remain in there forever.” Skolov’s voice echoed through the door.
Tess clutched the towel tighter, her gaze raking the area for any kind of weapon.
She didn’t want to hurt him. Only incapacitate him long enough for her to lock him in this room and allow her time to get away.
It wasn’t a great plan, but it was all she had.
When she was younger and still learning how to be a good thief, one of her marks had caught her. She’d been beaten and almost breached, but Rav had found her and, drawing Aldar’s guards to her location, saved her in time. She’d gotten in trouble with Aldar for her failure, but she’d still been alive. And in the dead of night, while the other slaves slept, Rav had taught her how to use a small board—since her fingers would never be strong enough—to press deeply against the Vargus nerve of an Alpha and, if she was lucky, cause a male three times her size to pass out.
It was a risk to attempt such a move on someone as skilled and powerful as Skolov, but the urgency to find her friends was growing. Nor was it just Rav who worried her. The longer she was separated from her young friends, the more anxious she felt about their safety.
Caring for them, protecting them, sacrificing so they could stay alive, had been her sole aim for so long, driving her every decision, fueling her every breath. She didn’t know what to do without that purpose to anchor her now.
Also, after witnessing how much Skolov hated Rav—and sensing the amber-eyed Alpha’s sincerity through their unwelcome bond—a whisper of unease was germinating inside her, some part of her suddenly less trusting of leaving her friend to fend for the young omegas. It shamed her, and she was sure once she heard Rav’s explanation, it would line up with what she’d been trying to tell Skolov all along. But until then, a speck of doubt had wormed its way into her thoughts. It made her feel like a traitor, but she couldn’t pretend it wasn’t there—and growing.
All the more reason to escape.
Except the water closet space was frustratingly sparse.
Like the sleeping quarters, everything in the room was top of the line, but there was little of it.
Utilitarian cleaners for her body and hair—all of which smelled amazing and like him—were affixed to glossy canisters welded to the shower wall. There was a stack of soft, plush towels nearby and, by the sink, a teeth cleanser and a comb.
There was probably more in the hidden drawers that lined one wall, but she couldn’t open them without Skolov’s palm or retinal scan.
Which left her with few options.
“Time’s up.” His deep voiced echoed through the door. “Come out, or I’m coming in.”
She palmed the teeth cleaner and, hitching the towel higher over her chest, walked back into the bedroom to find him standing by the food. “What happens now?”
The same chair was now pulled out farther from the table.
“Time to try this again. Sit.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Sit.”
Their gazes locked.
He was clearly proving a point. One she didn’t fully comprehend. But she understood the rest of his message loud and clear: he was in charge.
She moved on unsteady legs toward the required destination. It seemed to take ages to get there. Water dripped from her hair and rolled down her spine. She wished she could say that was the sole reason for the small shivers rippling through her, but she suspected that was a lie.
Would he interrogate her in this chair until she gave up what she knew about Rav?
Or fuck her until her will was not her own?
Trembling, she made it to the chair and hovered beside it.
“I won’t ask again.”
With no other option available, she sat.
A low growl rumbled from him. “I like seeing you among my things.”
Because he considered her one of them now?
Despite the rush of defiance, she pressed her thighs together, that damned lust in his voice sparking her own.
“Stay.” He turned away.
Like she was a pet.
Except, stay, she did. Because she already knew there was nowhere to run. The door was keyed to his palm.
She gripped the stem of the teeth cleaner tighter in her palm.
Behind her, a drawer whooshed open, then closed again.
“You and I have a lot to discuss.”
She pressed her lips together.
His wide shoulders blocked her from seeing what he’d taken from the drawer.
She braced for the strike—and jolted upright when she felt soft bristles stroke against her scalp.
“Easy, now.” His voice was a low, coaxing whisper. His other hand closed around her throat. His grip was gentle but held her in place all the same.
Her body went perfectly still.
He was brushing her hair.
Brushing. Her. Hair.
“What are you doing?” Her voice sounded far too breathless, her spine so stiff she was sure it would crack in two.
“Exactly what you think.” The bristles slid down the length of her curls.
Goosebumps rose on her flesh. Her skin tingled.
The act was intimate—and overwhelming.
It left her terrified.
Her response too needy, too wanting.
She didn’t know what to do with this sensation of being cherished. Cared for. No one had ever done it for her before.
The brush glided through her hair, the slight tug at her scalp sending a corresponding ripple through her core. The hand at her throat, a constant reminder of his control.
“Tell me your favorite color. I want to have at least some of your new clothes made in that shade.”
She sat up straighter. New clothes? “I-I don’t know.”
The brush stilled. “Don’t know or won’t tell?”
“I don’t know. I never thought about it much. Blue?” It emerged as more of a question than she intended.
He resumed his brushing. “Blue is perfect. I’ll have several gowns made in different shades, and some other colors as well. You’ll look hot as hells. Though I already know I like you best in a towel—or even better, nothing at all.”
She shivered.
“What about your favorite dessert?”
Was he toying with her? Her anger grew. “I don’t know. I’ve never had it.”
“I’m going to change that too.”
Another rush of confusion arrowed through her.
“Your hair is fucking gorgeous.” He growled once more. “I love the blue streaks. Vibrant and unexpected. Like you.” His voice thickened. “Makes me want to wrap it around my wrist while I fuck you from behind.”
Her breath hitched. Raw longing swept through her.
Oh, gods. He was laying to waste all her good sense without laying more than a finger on her.
It was too much.
None of this fit with who she was, what she’d done. What she deserved.
“I’m not some doll you can just position as you want, play with as you want.” Shaking off his grip, she jumped up and whirled to face him, the violence of her movement sending the chair tilting to the side.
It crashed between them.
She waited to see what he’d do next; the weapon clenched in her palm.
His grip on the brush tightened. “We don’t have to be on opposite sides.”
“You’re right. Let me go, free the omegas, relinquish all rights of ownership, destroy our trackers, and stop threatening my friends, and then we can be buddies.”
His jaw clamped tight. “I’m not a slaver. My family deals in arms and high-end casinos. We don’t traffic in bodies.”
“And yet here I am.”
“You’re not just property to me. I intend to make you my prime omega. To give you everything those slavers denied you. Our interests are more aligned than you’re letting yourself believe.”
His words were so shocking—so unexpected—it took her several seconds to find her voice.
“Don’t lie to me.” The words emerged shriller than she liked. “You think because I’ve been a slave for so long that I don’t know how to reason? Someone like you would never take someone like me as a prime omega.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Don’t forget I’ve been part of Aldar’s cons for a while,” she continued. “I know how easily Alpha’s lie. Do you think I can’t see that all this talk of claiming, luxuries, and being yours is nothing more than manipulation? Hollow promises made to a lowly slave you think too desperate or too stupid to see the truth?”
He growled low.
She forced herself to keep going. “I heard your brothers. Your syndicate wants me dead. But before you hand me over to the Brotherhood Council, you want me to betray Rav. You blame him for whatever this plot is against your family and the Brotherhood, but I’m telling you, he’s not the one to hold responsible. Aldar forced me to kill those males and, if Rav did something to you or the Brotherhood, he didn’t have a choice, either. It’s Aldar you need to hold responsible.”
“Not another word, omega.” Skolov stormed forward and drew her close. “I don’t want to hear you say Byrel’s name, much less defend him.” His grip tightened. “And there is nothing hollow about my promises to you. Do you understand me?”
How could she? Everything he was saying and doing was outside the realm of anything she’d experienced.
His fingers flexed as he released his hold and stepped back. “This is not how I saw this proposal going.” He blew out a breath. Cursed once more. “I’m not handing you over to the Brotherhood Council. Nor am I lying about my intent.” He shifted gears before she could challenge him once more. “Let’s discuss the omegas we brought on board.”
Her spine snapped straight. “They’re innocent.”
“Agreed.”
She gripped the towel tighter.
“You want them safe.” He watched her closely.
“I want them free.”
He shrugged. “If that’s what you want, it can be done. But I think it would be cruel. They’ll just get snatched up by another small-time predator who will treat them like shit until someone else, even more brutal, comes along. Better to fly them to one of our businesses and place them under the shelter of Skolov protection so no one messes with them. Working at our resorts, they’ll have jobs, access to consistent food and medical care, and, if they want, a mate. They’ll get to decide who they fuck and when. It’s the closest and safest shot they’ll get to real freedom.”
She started. “Are you truly offering this as an option?”
“Yes.”
“How can I believe that?”
A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Ask me about you. Then you’ll know I’m not lying.”
Her heart slammed against her ribs. “Will you give me the same opportunity as the other omegas?”
“Fuck no.”
She waited.
He said nothing more.
“Why not?” she pushed.
“You know why.” His voice was a dangerous rumble as he stared at the faint marks at her wrist. “For the same reason I will never give you to the Brotherhood or share you with another Alpha or ever let you go. You’re not going to be working at any of our outside businesses. You’ve got one job: me. One mate: me. One male you’ll need to please for the rest of your life: me.”
Overwhelmed was too small a word for the sensations that barreled through her.
She clutched her towel so tight the weapon tucked into her palm bit into her skin. “As your prime omega?”
“Yes.”
She could barely fathom what he was offering. Permanence. Security. Protection.
But that kind of future wasn’t meant for someone like her.
“Still don’t believe me?” he challenged. “Choose what happens next for the omegas on board the ship.”
Her heart pounded against her ribs. “If-If you really mean what you say, I would like the omegas to be freed from slavery and placed under Skolov protection, free to choose where they resettle and what they do next.” She paused. “No matter what happens afterward between you and me.”
“Done. You have my word.”
Her body swayed. Done. And, mad as she might be, she believed him.
But,whispered a voice inside her head, there was always a cost.
And payment came sooner than she’d expected.
“Now that we’ve settled that,” he declared. “Bend over the bed.”
Her lungs seized.
So, this was the price.
Still, this she understood. This made sense to her. And, if this was what it took to free the omegas, she would gladly pay it.
She far preferred sacrificing herself in this way over having to kill to keep the omegas alive, as Aldar had demanded of her with her young friends.
Nor would she lie to herself. Her mind might scream in fury at the way Skolov had leveraged the omegas to assure her submission, but her body loved his command. Heat bloomed between her thighs even now.
She didn’t know what would happen once he learned she would not be so compliant when it came to giving up information about Rav, but at least she would know she hadn’t been so powerless, after all. She had managed to make a difference in the lives of a few omega slaves.
She forced her feet forward.
“Give it here first.” Skolov held out his palm as she passed.
She sucked down a sharp breath.
He’d known about her makeshift weapon all along.
She’d never had a chance. “Do you mean it about the omegas?”
“Yes.”
With a determined breath, she dropped the teeth cleaner into his palm and moved toward the bed. And, if there was a small part of her that noticed the wetness gathering on her folds, she told herself that was survival too.
Her thighs hit the platform. Her hands convulsed around the towel.
She let it drop.
His gaze bled red. “Good girl.”
She swallowed hard. Bent. The silken fabric of the coverlet soft against her cheek and the tops of her thighs.
She thought he’d pounce.
Instead, he moved toward the wall with the paneled, hidden drawers. He placed his hand against one and it slid out. The brush he’d been holding and her makeshift weapon went inside. Something shiny and not much bigger than his palm came out.
“W-What’s that?”
But Skolov didn’t answer. And there was no time to prepare.
One heartbeat, he was across the room. The next, he was behind her, the rough material of his trousers searing the back of her thighs.
Her breathing hitched.
His big hand pinned her neck to the bed. “Stay.”
Fear got the better of her. She bucked against him. “I’m not a pet!”
His hand landed on her bottom. Not hard, just firm enough to hold her in place. “That’s right. You’re not. You’re mine. My prime omega.”His hand kneaded her flesh. “And if I tell you to stay, you’ll stay.”
She hissed in fury, but she didn’t move. She knew better.
Thick, muscled thighs slid between her legs, spreading her wide. “This will only hurt if you fight.”
Panting, she let herself go lax. He was right. This was madness. She couldn’t stop what was about to happen. In fact, if there was a chance she could save the omegas, she needed to do as he bid.
Still, a sudden whirring sound made her whimper. She instantly hated herself for it.
“Shhh, baby girl.” The heat of him warmed her back as he leaned closer. “It will only hurt for a moment.”
As if. The male was enormous. Already she could feel the monstrosity of his rod pressing against her bottom.
“Brace yourself.”
Panicking, she did, and yet the sharp pinch at her neck still came as a shock.
She sucked in a gasp.
The palm securing her neck to the mattress rubbed gently up and down. “It’s okay, just a few minutes. The tracker remover will find the tracker in your bloodstream and pull it out. The worst is over.”
Her heart slammed double-time against her ribs. If he’d bothered to explain… But then again, that definitely wasn’t the Alpha way, and this male was more Alpha than most.
“Is that a tracker remover?”
“Yes. I want this fucker’s mark out of you.”
For once, they agreed.
Extracting Aldar’s tracker was one of her greatest wishes, but it had seemed as unreachable as touching the stars through the bars of her cage. Except now, in the blink of an eye, Maxheim Skolov was making it happen.
She went lax beneath his hold.
“That’s right,” he crooned. “Any minute now.”
The pinch intensified.
She tensed despite herself.
“Shhh. You’re okay.” Strong fingers stroked over her skin in slow circles. “This is the most painless remover on the market. Top of the line. I tried it out myself.”
She wasn’t sure what shocked her more. That he was trying to comfort her or that it was working.
Her body responded to his touch, the rough pad of his finger against her skin making her nipples stiffen despite the pain radiating from her neck to her shoulder.
When it came to this male, her body was a mess. Her mind even more so.
Lips pressed together, she concentrated on breathing slow. “How long will it take?”
“Any moment.” But he didn’t sound as relaxed as a moment ago.
“What’s wrong?” She tried to sound casual, but the burn was spreading. Even the warm pleasure of his touch was losing its ability to counteract the intensifying pain.
“I’m not . . .sure.” It didn’t sound as if he liked making that admission. “It should have worked by now. Are you okay?”
“Fine. Just a little pinch. Don’t stop. I’m sure it will work soon.”
The shooting pain radiated to her toes. Her body jerked despite herself.
“What was that?”
“I’m fine.” She sucked down a sharp gasp. Her head rung, the force of the burn eating at the edges of her consciousness.
But she’d handled discomfort before. For a chance at freedom, she’d endure this. And with the tracker out of her, and her movements no longer traceable by Aldar, she might truly be able to help her friends. Warn Rav. If she could escape.
A new plan and a new hope bloomed inside her.
Her limbs twitched.
“What in the hells?” Skolov brushed the hair from her face. “You’re in pain. I can feel it.”
She clamped her hand atop his thick wrist. “Please don’t stop. I need it out.”
“That’s enough.” He shook her off easily.
“No!” she cried out, but he’d already jerked the tool away.
The pain vanished. Along with her best chance to be able to help her young friends.
She panted into the mattress.
“Tess!” Rough hands rolled her over. “Tell me you’re okay.”
He sounded concerned. She was too upset to care.
“Why did you stop?” She lunged for the device.
“Enough.” He shoved her back onto the bed. “What in the hells were you thinking? You should have told me you were in pain.”
“I was thinking I want this out.”
“It’s not worth the damned risk.” His voice rose in tandem with hers.
“It’s worth any risk.” Frustrated, her fist slammed against his chest. “Stop making me hope for things that can never be.”
It was the wrong thing to say.