Crave To Conquer (Myth of Omega, #1)(35)

Drocco had kept up the pretense—boasting in the triumph and celebrations like he was supposed to, but he and Torin knew the truth. Finding the Omega had been luck, and in fact, she had tricked him for a long time. He had been furious that she had been right under his nose, even as he had berated his warriors about being vigilant for spies. His anger had fueled his main goal, which was to get Cailyn to tell him where the other Omegas were. After that—after she had been through the appropriate punishment—they could start their real relationship. However, nothing with Cailyn had gone how he had expected it.

“You’re not on the same kind of battlefield anymore, Drocco,” Torin said, after a long moment of silence. “This political battlefield is all about image and perception. Everything you do will be watched, and your army has expectations of you.”

Drocco growled in the back of his throat. “My army has no right or inclination to question anything I do.”

“You promised them Omegas,” Torin said. “Now you have one for yourself.”

“So you’re saying they are angry that I benefit and they don’t?”

“No, they are encouraged by this and happy for you,” Torin insisted. “But eventually they will want your success to lead to their own.” Torin eyed him. “This isn’t the first time you have come from your bedroom furious and ready for blood. If it becomes clear that you cannot handle her, word will spread. You will lose some of your warriors.” His voice lowered. “If you are having trouble with the Omega, you can assign someone else to break her.”

“No one touches my mate,” Drocco thundered.

Torin stared at him, shock in his eyes. “You are claiming this one as your mate?”

“Of course I am.”

“I didn’t realize,” Torin muttered. He glanced away and then peered back at Drocco. “You realize that as a spy and a Talent-crafter she is everything the Lox despise—”

“Torin,” Drocco said, a clear warning in his tone. This was exactly the same vein of conversation he had just had with Cailyn.

“I’m just saying you don’t need to select the first one—”

Drocco swung his sword so quick, Torin barely had time to react. Even though he jerked backward, the tip caught his chin. The Beta stumbled back and the warriors at the edge of the grounds started in surprise.

“She is my mate,” Drocco growled, as Torin cradled his chin. “I have been sure since I first scented her, perhaps even before then. You will never discuss this with me again. Understood?”

Torin nodded, a stunned curiosity in his eyes as blood dripped from between his fingers.

Drocco glared at him, his fingers twitching on his sword handle. Cailyn had looked upon Torin twice—one of those times while in her Haze. Was he the kind of man she would seek to fuck? A man he could cut down easily before she could even make that choice?

Drocco caught his train of thought and threw down his weapons before he could do anything stupid.

“May I make a suggestion, Drocco?” Torin asked, quietly.

Drocco grunted his consent.

“It has been a while since you looked at your reports. There may be something you have forgotten about Omegas that would help you.”

Drocco exhaled as he thought. An idea formed in his mind and he dipped his head in a sharp nod and glanced at the warriors. “Carry on.”

Drocco headed straight to his carriage house and told them to prepare to leave immediately. He sat and waited as they rushed about, a deep agitation within him about what he had almost done to Cailyn. Much of it was because she fought so hard against her instincts. It was almost as if she didn’t want to bond with him, and the thought of that angered him even more. Her body and her responses to him during their mating told a completely different tale, however, even though there were moments when she seemed like she was settling, she was simply distant. Her mind was somewhere else and not focused on him. It was displeasing.

As a spy, she should surely realize he had to torture her to get information. He had to break her, and he had to do it with his knot. That was the trick to breaking a prisoner—enforcing pain on the one thing that made them who and what they were. Omegas were the only dynamic that could be truly knotted, and so that was where Cailyn had to suffer. Of course, it didn’t help that it had to happen after he fucked her. Her body was exquisite in every way, her sweet, dripping pussy was made for him, and yet neither of them could fully enjoy the experience past their base needs. When she orgasmed now, it was nothing like the beauty of the first time because she knew what was coming next. It tainted their mating, and that was even more of a reason to get the information out of her so they could move on.

It didn’t sit well with him when she cried. In fact, he fucking hated it. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t been in utter agony too every time he had to pull out of her. But he had made sure he fully lathered her in the healing cream before he left to treat himself. If he hadn’t been sure it would repair her completely, he would’ve had to find a different method to break her.

He had been surprised at how resilient she had been, proud of her even. He had only made her come in his mouth that first time as a reward for holding out so long to give him that information, but then he found he couldn’t stop sucking her. It was the only time she was unreserved and without fear. It was the only time she had touched him outside of her Haze—gripping his hair and scratching his scalp. He loved the way she writhed and wriggled, the way she spread her legs and humped her hips so nastily to feed him, not even to mention how good she tasted. He couldn’t get enough. When that unique blend of her slick and come saturated his face, dominating his every inhale… nothing else was important. He had suspended the interrogation so that could continue for a little while. He hadn’t even fucked her, even though the desperation rose violently every time.