Crave To Conquer (Myth of Omega, #1)(39)

If following his instincts didn’t work… A tightness gripped his throat at the alternative. Giving Cailyn to another Alpha to mate with so he could find another Omega was not an option. He had yet to experience her laugh or her smile or her kisses, and he knew deep within him that there wouldn’t be another Omega as beautiful, one who would taste so good, look at him like he was incredible, or flick their hips on his rough thrusts like they couldn’t get enough. It didn’t matter what other Omegas they found, he would always want Cailyn. He had wanted her before he had discovered her true dynamic, and that was with her defiant nature. It made sense now why that was. She was his. And he had to make her see that, even if by force. She had to bond with him—he needed it and she needed it.

A few hours later, Drocco stood outside his bedroom with a platter of fruits from Cillford cut into small pieces and a range of clothing folded over his forearm. He had spoken to Torin and given orders to be followed regarding his investigation and the Empire. He then issued a blanket order that he not be disturbed. He repositioned the guards to the other end of the corridor so the room felt more private—the door had a triple lock mechanism that meant he could both open and lock it from the inside anyway. Food and drink were to arrive via the guards, but they were never to knock.

He steadied himself, discarding thoughts about finding the other Omegas, about his Empire, about Malloron, and about her betrayal. He abandoned all concerns about everything but the Omega beyond the door. He had his plan, and he needed to follow his instincts for it to work. Twisting the handle, he entered the room.





CHAPTER TEN


CAILYN



Cailyn rocked in her cocoon, thoughts rolling ceaselessly through her mind; everything the Mothers had said about Alphas, her training, poor plans of how to get out of her situation, and the fact that she hadn't been lucky enough to die from Drocco's hand.

She was in a worse situation than she had been before. Drocco hadn't killed her, but he would certainly make her suffer like he always did. He may even be more careful about punishing her so that she didn't die. And yet, he was the best option for her death. Yes, she could starve herself—in fact, she welcomed the gnawing emptiness of her stomach—but it wasn’t as effective as having the Emperor crush her quickly.

She considered how she could aggravate him again. Maybe she could goad him with more lies about other men. She frowned. He had been upset about that. Had he been jealous? She shook the thought from her head. There was no way that he truly wanted her for who she was. Any possessive thought he had was due to his unwillingness to share something that no one else had. As soon as he found the other Omegas, he would discard her. He was fooling himself if he thought he would not be enticed by other Omegas.

Her thoughts revolved in her mind, so consuming and continuously, she barely heard the door open, but when it shut, she stilled. Shuffling and soft sounds reached her, but the door did not open straightaway like it had done since he tried to kill her. He had remained in the room. She curled up tighter, hoping he would go to sleep and leave her alone.

"Cailyn."

Cailyn started at the sound of her name. She froze, suddenly unsure what to do.

She listened again, a silence building.

"Cailyn, come here."

Her heart began to pound. He had never called her by her name before—something was wrong. She considered staying in her blankets but she couldn't ignore him. She was mentally and emotionally weak, and her resistance was depleted.

She climbed slowly out of her cocoon and peered over to the other side of the bedroom. Drocco sat on the couch next to the table, his black eyes watching her. He was bare-chested and barefoot but wore black trousers. She dropped her eyes and padded towards him slowly, trying to prepare for whatever pain he was about to issue this time.

She slowed to a stop before him, staring at the floor, as the hint of his scent began to surround her. “Emperor,” she began, shakily. “I will not—”

“Drocco.”

Cailyn paused, unsure what he meant by his interruption. “Um… Yes, Emperor.”

“Drocco,” he repeated. “You will call me Drocco.”

Cailyn stared at him, confused.

He held out a piece of fabric.

She frowned, glancing at him as she took it. Lifting it up, she shook it out to see a red tunic dress. She looked back at him.

Drocco simply nodded.

Fumbling, she put the dress on, confused by his change of heart about her lack of clothing. Maybe he was trying to unsettle her.

"Come here."

Cailyn stepped forward tentatively until she stood right in front of his legs, wide on the couch.

In a swift move, he lifted her up and maneuvered her onto his lap, her legs straddling his hips. Cailyn kept her eyes averted. She leaned away from him, balancing on his one wide, outstretched hand on her back.

She sat, not looking at him. She didn’t care what he was doing—whatever his new plan was, she would find a way to annoy and anger him so he would wish she were dead.

A faint, steady, rumble caught her attention, and as it swelled she realized it came from him. He was purring.

She stared at him, her eyes wide in shock as the strength of his purr increased, the vibrations seemingly penetrating the space between them and seeping into her.

Cailyn closed her eyes and sighed as it became stronger, working through her and cutting through her emotional gloom. She had heard about the Alpha purr at the Omega Compound. It had been touted as one of the few good things about Alphas, and something only they could do for Omegas that no others could do so satisfyingly. Many of the younger Omegas had no idea how that could be, but it was talked about fondly and some of the older Omegas from her childhood had been reduced to tears after discussing it.