“Do you not enjoy yourself? I spoil you with gifts, omega. Other kings would use you and cast you aside without a second glance. Some would even have you killed,” he answered harshly, but it did nothing to stem the frustration rolling inside me. I felt jittery and apprehensive. His presence was doing nothing but making me feel terribly unsettled. I wanted him to leave so I could touch myself. I wanted him to leave so that he didn’t know.
My thighs quivered and a droplet of slick rolled down my right inner thigh. I fisted my hands at my sides and turned away from him, wanting to smell anything but the delicious scent of the incredibly handsome alpha here in my room with me.
He cleared his throat and I swallowed anxiously. I glanced back at him, unable to tear my eyes from his massive hands.
“I know what you do when I leave you, omega. I can smell the intoxicating aroma of your slick from my bedroom down the hall,” he growled, and I shivered with shame. I hadn’t realized that my chambers were located so close to his.
“I’ve heard the sounds you make. I’ve heard you scream my name when you come, Ariana.”
I blanched.
I took several steps away from him and refused to look at him because then he would be able to see how beet red my face was with embarrassment.
“Get out,” I demanded.
“This is my castle, omega, and I will go wherever I please,” he answered.
My core pulsed with want. I hated that I wanted to fuck the bastard at the same time that I wanted to knee him in the balls.
For a long while, he was silent as he studied me. I stood there anxiously. Would he lash out at me? Would he beat me for my insolence?
“Come. Why don’t we take a walk in the castle gardens? Perhaps you need some fresh air,” he said. My gaze flicked down to his big hands as they flexed, and I fidgeted a bit anxiously as I recalled how much it had hurt when he’d bent me over that table and made an example of me in front of everyone watching.
Another droplet of slick rolled down my thighs. If he could sense it, he didn’t let it show and for that I was grateful. He offered me his arm and I refused to take it. I didn’t want to touch him because I was afraid of what I might do.
“That sounds nice. Why don’t you lead the way?” I replied gently. Maybe he was right. I hadn’t left that room for some time and perhaps not being contained by four walls would clear my head.
His visits had been a welcome change at first, but with every one, my need was growing stronger. It was difficult to be so close to him and not to touch him and it was even harder to handle his hands not reaching out to touch me. At this point, I would almost welcome a hard spanking over his knee just to feel his fingers on my skin. My pussy clenched down hard at the thought and I couldn’t ignore how much wetter I was just by thinking about it.
“Please?” I asked.
His face softened.
“Follow me, Ariana,” he murmured quietly, and I did. He opened the door for me and walked out. I fell behind him, making sure to study the route we walked in case I needed it in the future and once he opened the door into the gardens, I took a long moment to observe my surroundings. I painted a look of awe on my face, but I was really looking for escape routes and anything else of interest that might be able to help me sometime soon.
We were on the ground floor. A tall stone wall surrounded the gardens that appeared to be scalable. I had climbed something like it in the past and if I had to, I could do it again. There were several trails and benches that meandered through patches of wildflowers and all manner of other beautiful flowers. I knew much about medicinal herbs that could be used to treat a wound or aid an upset stomach, but I didn’t know much about the ornamental ones growing here.
There was a sentry posted on top of each wall, but they didn’t appear to be particularly observant and if I looked closely, it looked like the two on the right had fallen asleep standing up. The sun was low on the horizon and a long shadow was cast across the gardens. With a clear sky overhead and an open space around me, I felt so much freer than I had before. I took a deep breath, and a sense of relaxation came over me. Outside of the confinement of that room, his scent wasn’t as strong, and I found that I was able to get a handle on my instincts once again. With a sigh, I forced myself to focus on my mission once more.
I had to understand Magnar’s role better. I knew he was a Cult member, but I couldn’t yet get a read on him. In the privacy of my chambers, he’d been nothing but kind. He’d given me gifts, brought me even more books to read, and had ensured that the kitchens would provide me with whatever food I wanted. He’d been so different from the alpha I’d met that first day. At the beginning, I had thought him a ruthless bastard. I was starting to question that initial impression of him the more time we spent together, so much so that I didn’t know what to think anymore.
I took another deep breath and shook off the tension I’d felt so strongly before.
“This is so beautiful. The stars are so bright tonight,” I said softly. It was as if it was a token peace offering and he took it graciously.
“Indeed,
