Page 12 of Alpha's Magic

Lex tilted his head a little and got an intense look of concentration on his face. After a moment, he nodded, looking a little surprised. “Now you mention it. Maybe we should have him come out. If you think you can control your feelings. Can you?”

“All I can do is try. Stop me if I begin to get aggressive with him.”

He nodded and stood up. “Call him out then.”

I went to the opening of the passage and called to him. “Banshira—if that’s who you are—we need you to come out and talk to us now. We won’t hurt you, but we need to talk. Come out, please.”

I heard a sharp intake of breath from inside and then a soft, breathy voice. “No.”

I got an immediate funny feeling of outrage that he’d said no to me. I already felt as if he were mine and he was disobeying me. Which was stupid, because even if he were my own omega, I’d never felt like an Alpha was “the boss” in the relationship. I’d always frowned on that idea and often took Wyatt to task about the way he sometimes talked to Darcy. Lex was dominant and controlling too, but everyone knew that Rory had him wrapped around his little finger.

Still, I took a quick step forward until Lex barked out my name. It was almost too late. A whiff of something powerful and sweet that I’d never smelled before was teasing my nostrils. Intrigued and compelled to get closer, I took another quick step inside the passage. Lex took my arm and hauled me backward.

“We don’t mean you any harm,” Lex called out to the omega. “We won’t hurt you. I promise.”

“I don’t know you. What good are your promises to me?”

His words startled a small laugh from Lex. “Fair enough,” he said. “But do you really think you can stay in there forever?”

“No. Just until you leave.”

“Let me talk to him,” I said from right behind Lex.

“What do you think you can say to convince him?”

“Maybe nothing. But I’d like to try.”

“I do know a bit about stubborn omegas. It won’t do any good.”

I had to concede that point. But still…

He shook his head at me. “No, Asher. Your emotions are too involved. I insist you let me handle this.”

Technically, he had the right to do that—I had sworn my allegiance to him long ago as the strongest Alpha in our pack. But between me and Lexington, there was really very little difference, and we both knew it. Harrison was the king and too weighed down by his many heavy concerns to ever be a real member of the pack. Brandon had too much heart and emotion and Wyatt was ruled too much by his passions. I was the only one as strong physically as Lex with almost as much magic. I’d conceded to him because he’d had more ambition and wanted it more, but he had no real power over me. Except for my affection and regard for him—he had that in spades and always would.

I nodded to show I agreed, and he squeezed my arm. “Thank you.”

“Banshira—is that your name?”

“Yes,” came the reply. Even his voice was making me hard. It was so breathy and soft.

“I think if Grimora were here, he’d want you to come out and let us help you. Please, Banshira.”

“Ah, the magic word, huh? I know that you’re both Alphas. Grimora told me you’d do bad things to me.”

“I don’t think he expected this particular situation, do you? And I already have a mate named Rory. I would never cheat on him. He’s the king of Igella, and he’d want me to keep you safe, as his subject. I promise to do that and take you to him. But first you have to come out and let us talk to you.”

There was a deep sigh, and a long hesitation. Finally, his voice came again. “I’m not his subject or yours. I came from Morovia before I lived here, and I’m a citizen of Sudfarma, like my parents were. But all right then. Stand back.”

We backed away a bit and then heard soft footsteps coming toward us. He stepped out of the passage, wrapped up in a fur blanket, with only his face peeking out from the top and his bare feet from below. He dropped the blanket to his waist and right away, I was startled and confused. This couldn’t be the one everyone called a monster. This couldn’t be Banshira.

With high cheekbones and an adorable, straight little nose and a stubborn chin, he was beautiful. Long, dark eyelashes swept down over his eyes, and he was pale, like his skin hadn’t seen the sunlight in years. He dropped his gaze and stared down at his small, pale feet. His hair was dark and curled riotously over his head, dropping down in long ringlets and waves all the way to his waist. His eyes, when he raised them to us, were a deep chocolate color. My brain screamed mine, and the strongest, most primal urge I’d ever experienced came over me, urging me to push Lex aside, pull him to me and fuck him until he screamed. Or until I did, and I wasn’t sure which would happen first. I managed not to do that, but not by much.

I didn’t care who he was, but he was mine and that was all that mattered. Many Alphas preferred males, as the male omegas’ sex drives tended to be higher on average than the females’, or that was the supposition—of Alphas, so that could be taken with a big grain of salt. But this little omega could have been either one, for all I cared. He was the closest thing to perfection I’d ever seen. I knew in an instant that this omega, my beloved, belonged to me—was made for me, and I think I’d known it from the first time I heard his sweet voice or smelled his scent in the cave. It was like musky roses, and it had called strongly to me. It was calling to me still, a sweet, delectable smell that perfumed the air around us and made my cock stand up and take instant notice.

“Gods, who are you?” I asked, taking an involuntary step toward him.

“M-my name is Leo.”

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