Page 37 of Dark Revolution

As if he senses my fear, Jaxxon turns and picks me up, forcing my head into his chest. For once, I oblige without fighting. It’s not like I want to see all the hungry faces as they stare at me. As a beta, no one would have really noticed or even cared, but now that the hated omega part of me is unmasked, everyone, Alpha and beta alike, will want a piece of me.

Gripping the edges of Jaxxon’s shirt, I force my brain to slow down and just concentrate on his scent. His heart still beats steady and strong, as if unperturbed by all the men. He feels confident and capable, the complete opposite of where my heart and mind are right now. He wraps his arms about my shoulders and hugs me close as we make our way through the melee.

Soon, the scents die down until it’s just Jaxxon, Langston, and I, and the air shifts a bit until eddies of cool wind tousle my hair. I still don’t open my eyes. I don’t need to. Any danger that comes our way, the two Alphas can manage it. Besides, if I see one more male and the disgusting look of lust blazing from their eyes, I’m sure I’ll throw up.

Langston and Jaxxon murmur for a bit, and then Langston’s scent fades away. I guess this means we’re at our destination. “I have always wanted to hoist my mate over the threshold,” Jaxxon rumbles, the vibrations from his chest making me dizzy. “Good thing you’re already in my arms. Ready to look at our new living quarters? I want us to see it together.”

Why? Does it really matter what I think? Opening my eyes, I stare at the simple door in front of us. There’s nothing really spectacular about it. In fact, if you aren’t looking close enough, it almost blends in with the mound of dirt surrounding us. Holding my breath, I watch as the door slides open, revealing a stunning interior.

It’s small compared to where Karis and I lived, but it’s clean and cozy. Earthen columns reach up, holding support to the room but also sporting dangling lights. The whole place feels like a romance story. The soft light illuminates the space, but it’s not harsh, more like an ethereal glow. From the doorway, I can see a small sitting area, a kitchen, and an eating area. The bedroom and facilities are obviously somewhere else.

Stepping over the threshold, Jaxxon pauses for a moment and stares at me. We lock eyes, and for a brief moment, time stands still. I can barely breathe when he lowers his head to mine, and I long for his kiss more than I do air. He doesn’t kiss my lips. Instead, he brushes his lips against the tip of my nose before pulling back with a grin on his face.

The traitorous beat of my heart is loud in the empty space, and slowly, his eyes turn from smiling to hungry. For just a moment, they spark like the Ferals, and my heart climbs my throat, but then, he starts purring, and my anxiety melts away until I’m a puddle in his arms. Murmuring soft nothings into my hair, he takes me past the sitting area and into another room. The atmosphere in here is far different from the other parts of the house. The spaces felt warm enough, but they were still meant for a family. This room is made for mates. The small space is intimate, dressed in dark reds and golds.

A massive bed takes up most of the space, with a few chests here and there for clothes. In the corner, a massive pile of blankets, linens, and pillows reside, and I want nothing more than to dive into the center and see if they’re just as soft as they look. Chuckling, Jaxxon walks me over and sets me down in front, and I run my fingers over the sumptuous fabrics and sigh as shivers go up and down my spine.

I pluck up a pillow and hold it to my face, breathing deeply for just a moment, but the scent is wrong. They’re clean, that much is obvious, but there’s a slight chemical smell that’s underneath the fresh linen scent that sets my nose to twitching. Hunching down, I pick through the pile, tossing blankets, pillows, and sheets to and fro. It’s all wrong. Everything about this is wrong.

Turning, I look up at Jaxxon, and his lips are spread in a wide grin. “Something the matter, little omega?” My insides quiver at his low, growly tone. How do I explain to him what I feel when I can’t even put it into words? Looking about, I see the wreckage, and my heart plummets.

“I’ve made such a mess. I’m so sorry. The room looked so much better before....” I reach out and grab an errant pillow and place it back on the pile, scowling as it sticks out at such an annoying angle. Grabbing it again, I smoosh it in the center before smoothing it out and putting it back. It’s still not right.

“The mess doesn’t bother me, Annora. I know you’ll set it to rights eventually.” There’s a thread of laughter in his tone, and it rankles me. It’s like he’s laughing at me, but I don’t know why. Hasn’t he been an asshole enough? “Come. We have other matters to discuss than you fussing about with your nest.”

My nest? Liquid drains from my mouth as my fingers still. Of course. Why didn’t I think of that? I’ve heard stories and rumors, but since I planned on never becoming an omega, I didn’t pay attention. Now I wish I had. I sit there, not trying to ignore the command of my Alpha but unable to move from the spot. Nest or not, I can’t just leave these piles like this.

A sharp tug to the leash brings my gaze back up to Jaxxon, and he’s no longer amused. With a sigh heavy on my lips, I start to stand when he pushes me back down onto the floor. “No. You’ve been very disobedient to me today, and it’s high time you learn your place. I’m not normally one to lord my status as Alpha over people, I find it...distasteful, but you, little omega, seem to have no regard for yourself or your safety. If I have to demean you a bit to teach you that we are, in fact, not equal, I will do so.”

Shocked, I sit back on my heels and stare up at him. He can’t be serious, but as I look at his eyes, my stomach plummets as I realize with dread and trepidation that he is. Walking back to his earlier spot, he tugs on the leash, jerking it hard enough to send me forward. The soft carpet now feels like grit and sand as it abrades my tender hands and knees.

Swallowing a cry, I shuffle onto all fours and glower up at him. How could I ever think he was kind? This just shows that he’s like every other Alpha out there. Smirking, he drops down to one knee and clenches my chin in his iron grasp.

“I know what you’re thinking. I can read it in every defiant inch of your body, and let me tell you, you’re far from the truth. Am I being harsh? Yes. Am I being cruel? No. Being cruel would look like me stripping you naked and parading you around all the other Alphas and betas in the main hall. But I’m not going to do that, and do you want to know why?”

He pauses for a moment, giving me time to respond. As if I’d grant him that. “It’s because I own you. I own your body, your heart, your soul, and eventually, your bond. Every inch of you is mine to do with as I please, and I’ll be damned if any other man, Alpha or beta, ever looks upon what’s mine ever again.”

Standing, he backs away again and tugs. Again, I dig in my heels and refuse to move. Unless he’s willing to give in and physically move me, I’m staying rooted to this spot. “Do you know how hard it was to watch them look at you, touch you at the auction house?” He pulls again, and once more, I hold firm.

He shakes his head and attaches his end of the leash to a tall pole of the bed before clicking a metal tab. The part around my neck begins to tighten, not fast, but too much for comfort. Jaxxon pushes it again, and the movement stops, but the pressure remains. “Come.”

I shake my head, not able to trust the words to come out of my mouth correctly. Again, he pushes on the tab, and the leash begins to tighten. After another moment, he pushes it again, and it stops. “I’m ordering you, omega, and I’d prefer you obey me without me having to growl. I have so many other creative ways to make you mind me.”

Fear thrums through my body as I stare deep into his eyes. They don’t seem cruel like Caulder’s, but they aren’t kind either. They’re hard and determined. The leash isn’t tightened to a point where my air is cut off completely, but it’s tight enough to where my panic starts to override my thinking, convincing me I’m unable to breathe. Perhaps if I move just a little bit, he’ll loosen it again?

Testing my theory, I swallow my pride. I take a tentative crawl towards him, looking up after moving about a foot. “You’ll have to do better than that, omega,” he growls, taking the end off of the bedpost and moving until the line is taut between us. I consider not moving again until his thumb edges towards that button. I can’t chance passing out, not when he’s so upset with me. Who knows what he’ll do?

“That’s my good little omega,” he purrs, the sound rich and warm over my skin. I shiver a bit and crawl closer, wanting to hear him speak to me like that some more. It’s demeaning, but hearing his purr takes the edge off. It scrambles my mind until all I can think about is him.

“Come to me, Annora,” he urges, stepping back even further. Heading towards the door, he takes me out into the living space, and my heart stops. Perhaps he’s changed his mind and will parade me before the men after all? We walk past the door, and what little breaths I manage come a bit easier.

“You’ve done quite a lot to put yourself in danger today, little omega. On top of that, you’re still refusing to acknowledge your dynamic, even when something as insignificant as a misplaced pillow can get you riled up.”

He never stops walking. As he lectures me, we take a trip around the living space again and into the kitchen, making a figure eight as we wind around the living space. He’s not angry. If anything, he sounds disappointed. Guilt gnaws at my insides as I contemplate what he’s saying. None of what he says is untrue, but then, he still doesn’t understand my side of things.

“I cannot convey to you the absolute horror that fills my gut at the idea of Caulder or one of the High Echelon getting their hands on you. What you suffered from them is already horrific enough. One day, you’ll tell me everything they put you through, but I won’t force that from you right now.”

Pausing, he reaches over and slides his fingers in my hair, gripping the follicles before letting go. An odd sensation twists in my gut, and for a brief moment, I want him to pull harder, to cause me pain that I’m willing to accept instead of what’s forced onto me.