Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 58365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
“Was?”
A golden head shook, Morgaine correcting herself. “Is.”
“You must miss her a great deal.”
Hackles raised on the Omega, playfulness morphing into distrustful sharp edges. “Is this some trick?”
“Tell me what she’s like?”
Bitterness bleached her expression into a blank slate of nothing. “She’s wonderful.”
Leaning back on an elbow, affecting his voice to keep it light, Simin prodded, “And?”
“And I don’t want to talk about her with you.” The snap was rude, it was loud, and across the room where Omegas lounged, several turned their heads.
Brushing off her temper, ignoring the spying women, Simin rolled a shoulder and teased, “I’m my mother’s favorite. All my brothers would disagree, my three sisters would as well, but I’m convinced. You might not realize this, but I’m extremely charming.”
Morgaine snorted, Simin grinning.
“My father found her on… oh, what was the name of the planet?” For the life of him he couldn’t remember. “Somewhere very cold. She led the opposing army. One look at her and he knew, took her right there on the battlefield amidst some very confused warriors who didn’t know if they should cheer on the show or keep trying to kill each other. Deep down, I’ve always suspected that was her strategy all along. Seduce and destroy. Now she is Empress to all Omari and doting mother to twelve, yes you heard me right, twelve children. Though I will remind you again, that I am the favorite. My father is a hard-ass son of a bitch, but he adores her to an embarrassing degree.”
His Omega looked stricken, lashes already brimming with unspilt tears. “He raped her before her people?”
Clearing his throat, Simin eyeballed his nails. “The way Mama tells the story, she ran right for him, knives in hand to tear at his leathers. Had him naked and on his back in three seconds flat. Rode him right there on the battlefield for all to see.”
First the girl was horrified, then she was confused, and then it seemed to dawn on her what ‘rode’ might mean. “You’re teasing me.”
“Nope.” That charming grin was back. “Every word is true, though from the look on our scandalized translator’s face, she’s never heard how their romance began. Now, twelve children later, I think it’s safe to say they are both very pleased with the outcome of that battle.”
Reaching down for a crumble of his cake, Morgaine took a bite. Sighing she muttered, “I always wanted brothers and sisters.”
Eager to hear more, Simin turned his eyes from his nails to lay them upon the most perfect Omega that ever existed. “You’re an only child?”
“Of course. I’m Alpha born. My mother was shunned for carrying me.”
What? That made no sense to him in the slightest. “I don’t understand.”
“Alphas are the enemy. They only come to take what they will. One of them took her and it was considered unforgivable by my neighbors.” Tossing her hair over her shoulder to open the pot of gruel and dig in, Morgaine added. “Esin’s ship discovered who my father was while I was in their prison. They executed him.”
“You speak of something horrible so lightly, yet I can sense deep sadness between your words. I’m sorry that happened to her, and I’m sorry it happened to you.” He meant every word, knowing that someday she would learn more about Omari culture and hate him for their ways with conquered women. But today was not that day. Today, she looked up, mouth full of the food he had made for her, and met his eyes.
This was the moment he had been waiting for. Far from the dividing line, he made his goodbyes and climbed to his feet, purposefully cutting their time short. “I must leave now, sweet Morgaine. My apologies. Please enjoy my gifts.”
With her mouth full, she could not reply.
Chapter 21
Morgaine wanted to pretend these compulsory meetings were tedious, but over the last few weeks they had become the best part of her day. Though it was still hard to look at the Alpha when he walked in, he moved slowly, as if not to scare her.
Or did he move at a snail’s pace to show of all that shiny skin to best advantage? She was beginning to suspect it was the latter. The giant lounged on his side, leg out, knee bent, exactly how he had lounged next to her in the sleeping pit before, after, and between bouts of sex. He licked his lips just like that after he had tasted her in places proper women didn’t speak of.
Why did he have to arrive practically naked?
A leather loincloth around one’s hips was not clothes. Heck, he’d had more on the first time she’d seen him on Esin’s awful ship. Yet day after day, Simin marched in with his chest gleaming and his hair a sleek waterfall of black pouring down his back. More than once he’d caught her staring, but who wouldn’t stare?