Page 19 of The Hive

Ghost shifted above me as he lowered his weight, rubbing himself against my core, which was now throbbing from the slight contact. “Very nearly. I should be able to control the canopy and locking mechanism from inside.” He dragged his steely cock against my pussy again, and I couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped my throat. My heated breath caressed the front of Shadow’s pants, my lips almost touching his dick as it twitched, reaching for my mouth. I was suddenly desperate to taste him and arched my neck, pressing my lips to the cotton of his pajamas.

His sharp hissing intake of breath was reward enough as I saw the embers in his dark eyes flare and his pupil eclipse the golden motes that lay within. His face was a harsh mask of anger as his fingers speared through my hair and made a fist, holding my mouth away from his cock. “I am clinging to the barest thread of control. I can smell your weeping cunt, and if you don’t want me to fill it until you are screaming my name, you will stop your teasing. Right now.”

My scalp stung in the most delicious way, making slick seep into my thin panties, drenching the fabric. Much to my surprise, I did want him buried inside of me until I was screaming. I wanted both of them, Shadow’s cock in my mouth and Ghost in my soaked pussy. Just like the show we were putting on for the camera. The cold bath was supposed to have helped, but I was ripe with desire and desperately needed to be fucked.

Before I had the chance to embarrass myself by begging for exactly what he threatened, I heard a click above my head and Ghost moved down. “Valyx, let her go. She is nearing her heat. She can’t help it.” All the humor that usually laced his voice was gone.

I wanted to argue, and when Shadow’s grip eased and his hand left my hair, I wanted to beg for it back. There was a monster lurking in the depths of his soul, and something about it was comforting. As if I could crawl into him and wrap myself in that protective darkness to hide. I didn’t know why, but he no longer frightened me as much as he should have, despite doing his best to keep me away.

Shadow rolled over and moved to the far edge of the nest, but his back rose and fell with heaving breaths. He wanted me to think he was unmoved, but he was just as affected as I was.

Once Shadow had retreated, Ghost’s smile crept back. He was still settled between my thighs, and he looked down into my eyes. “You gotta try to calm down, princess. It’s already hard enough to sleep next to you, but when you’re all riled up and smelling so sweet, it makes it nearly impossible to keep my hands off you.” He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine, coaxing them apart to deepen the kiss. His tongue lavished mine, and his bare chest pressed down on my breasts, my nipples chafing against the silky lingerie. This did not help me relax as my center clenched around nothing.

“Please,” I gasped against his mouth as he pulled away.

He rolled off of me and stared up at the crystal canopy of stars overhead. “Not until you’re safe. Then I’ll give you anything you want.”

The grumble from the far side of the bed let me know exactly what Shadow thought of that promise. I wasn’t going to dwell on his ever-shifting moods, but he wasn’t entirely wrong. Promises made now meant nothing unless we could save Lex and get out of this place. If we failed, I would be sent to the brood chamber to live the rest of my life in luxurious captivity, or sold as a slave on the surface of Altaira. They would be killed or used as slaves, and I knew I couldn’t live with that outcome.

Chapter Nineteen

Greylan

“That’s a nice prospect you’ve got there,” Corbin, 9295, one of the up-and-coming handlers, called to me from down the hall. I had no time for small talk, and certainly not with this buffoon. I had a very narrow window of opportunity to complete my task without getting caught, and my omega couldn’t afford any delays. There was no avoiding it, though, as he jogged to intercept me.

“Yes, Saphyra is doing very well. All her indicators are strong and moving in the right direction,” I said as I scanned the corridor for any logical excuse to escape this conversation.

Corbin drew alongside and matched my stride. “I hoped that little purple haired one would show some promise, but not enough markers in her blood, I guess. Even after I drilled that virgin cunt until she cried. Still nothing. You win some, you lose some, am I right?”

His chuckle turned my stomach. I wish I could say his words surprised me, but far too many of the personnel on the Hive took advantage of their position. The staff could do what they wanted as long as it didn’t interfere with the primary directive, the breeding program. Breed omegas to get more alphas to fuel the war machine. Not that the students understood that, but the faculty knew enough, and they used that knowledge for their own ends.

Corbin was not only stupid, but he wasn’t an alpha. His interference would only slow down an emergence. His abuse would unsettle an omega prospect, which would push her estrus back. Didn’t he read the training material when he took this job?

The goal was to put omegas at ease so they would go into heat on a regular and abundant cycle. If they were upset or uncomfortable, it would take longer or wouldn’t happen at all. There were ways to force it, most effectively with the help of alphas and their pheromones, but the outcome of more drastic tampering often ended badly.

“Yes, unfortunately,” I lied, hoping that would end the conversation. I would rather have told him what I really thought about his depravity, but I didn’t have time to argue morality with someone who had none. It was easier to let him think I agreed. To the staff here, the students were animals to be raised and bred for the Imperatrix’s purposes. I wasn’t sure what more I could accomplish with my minor rebellion, but if I could save this one woman, at least I would have done something.

While I was in my last year of med school, my Aunt Iris had com-linked me with stories about a wonderful girl who had been full of vibrant tales of magical kingdoms and golden princes, but the longer she was on the Hive, the more her stories faded. My aunt became convinced they weren’t make-believe, but actual memories of a time before the girl had been brought to the Hive. Shortly after my aunt started investigating her theory, I was informed she had died in an accident. I knew then that I had to take over where she’d left off.

Massively overqualified, I was hired right away and given my pick of assignments. Lucky me, my aunt’s charge was still in need of a handler. So, here I was, making small talk with Corbin, one of the most disgusting staff members on the entire station, all the while carrying on my dead aunt’s crusade.

“I heard they assigned Zillarah to Vane, poor girl. He’s a beast, and with both her decoys in rut, too. That’ll be a wild ride. At least she wasn’t given to 6667. That red-haired fucker is going to kill someone one of these days. Actually kill someone, not just breaking bones like last time. Vane’s impressive enough himself, but with the two decoys in rut, I might check the security playback on my off day.”

I nodded noncommittally, not wanting to think about what D-6667 did to omegas. He was a monster and a liability. I couldn’t understand why he hadn’t been put down yet. His alpha offspring were testing off the charts on all physical abilities, but was that worth the safety of the omegas? That would be a no from me, but the Imperatrix had her own goals. So he stayed, even if he endangered every omega they gave him to breed.

Without waiting for an answer, he went on. “Do you know which drone your prospect’s assigned to?” Corbin asked with a lecherous grin.

The information was available to the staff, so even though I would rather not talk to Corbin about Saphyra, there was no reason to withhold it. He could look it up anytime he wanted, and it would seem suspicious not to answer. “She is currently assigned to Drone 4569.”

“Oh,” he replied with too much enthusiasm. “That’s the new drone from Verden, isn’t it? He’s massive, even for an alpha. If you need any help breaking her in, just let me know. We’d be doing her a service, really. That beast is likely to rip her in half with a knot the size of his.”

I shuddered. I did not want to know why Corbin knew how big Lex’s knot was. “Sure, I’ll keep you informed, but I think her decoys will ease the passage.” There was no way I would ever let this degenerate touch my charge, but I went along with it to avoid unwanted suspicion.

“Oh, they are definitely easing something, all right,” he said.

What in the Stars did that mean? “I’m sure they are doing the job they’ve been given.”

“Man, last night that white-haired monster was pounding her while she had that dark devil’s cock down her throat. Hottest security feed I’ve seen in a long time. Only caught a glimpse in passing because you know, technically I’m not authorized to watch, but…”

---