Page 24 of The Hive

Stars, this was awkward. I had to find a way to change the subject. “I’ve never smelled an alpha, really. Only Ghost when I first met him before they neutralized their scents, but that was only for a second.” At some point during the conversation, I had crawled closer and found myself straddling his thighs. His hands rested lightly on my hips as I leaned in to fill my lungs with his scent.

“And who is Ghost?” His low voice was filled with a dark menace that made me shiver.

I sighed at my slip and despite his tone, the comforting scent of him held me close. Would I ever stop calling the decoys by their stupid nicknames? I should have known better than to name them, but it was too late now. I had to explain, again.

“Soldiers don’t have names, only numbers. They are hard to keep track of. When a soldier dies, their number is recycled back into circulation, so there could be only one of a number, or ten or a hundred. I wanted to give names to the decoys assigned to me. It seemed only fair. Your Axion is my Ghost. Valyx is Shadow, although sometimes Asshole fits him better.’’ By the time I finished explaining, I had leaned into Lex’s wide chest where I nuzzled the collar of his shirt.

Lex chuckled, his previous mood forgotten. The quiet sound rumbled against my ear, where I rested it against his chest. “Valyx is a cranky bastard, but his loyalty is unquestioned. There’s no one I would rather watch my back. His respect is hard won, but once you have it, he would gladly take a knife in the gut for you. You are his queen. He would die for you, too.”

I shook my head slightly, getting more comfortable against the warmth of the thickly muscled body I was draped on. “That’s the problem. Too many people have already died. I don’t want anyone to die for me or any other reason.”

“Everyone dies eventually, love. It’s how you choose to live that matters.”

The edge of my lips brushed against the warm skin of his neck and he tensed. My eyes flew wide, and I sat up straight as I noticed I had inched my way onto his lap and rubbed his scent all over myself. “I’m so, so sorry. This is incredibly inappropriate of me.”

His hands closed on my hips, stilling my panicked movements. “I told you, I am here for anything that you need. However, you wiggling around is wearing my resistance thin. I can smell your slick pussy, and it’s difficult not to do something about it.”

Heat filled my cheeks. “You’re absolutely right. I should go.”

During the short time burrowed against his warmth, my panties had grown damp and fluttering began in my belly. I needed to leave, or risk being pushed into my emergence before we were ready. Just the thought of that made my tummy clench and slick to seep down my thighs. I scrambled off his lap and hurried over to where the vent cover was slightly askew, looking around helplessly for some way to get back through the hatch.

“As much as I wish I could argue with that, and as much as I wish I knew if you tasted as sweet as you smell, you’re right. You need to return before anyone notices you’ve been gone.”

He followed me over to the vent and lifted me as if I weighed nothing. I pushed up the grate on its creaky hinges, and he helped me through. His hands cupped my ass under my skirt, steadying me. The swipe of his thumbs along the inside of my thighs was the only sign I had that he had stolen a sneaky taste.

From inside the galvanized tunnel, I spun around and watched as he ever so slowly dragged the tip of his thumb between his lips. “Sweeter than honey.”

Once the airlock was sealed behind me, shutting out his intoxicating pheromones, I leaned back against it, panting. Slick coated my inner thighs, and my nipples beaded into hard, aching peaks. Cut off from his scent and the warmth of his skin, my clarity of thought came racing back. What if someone had come to fix the camera while I was still there? What if we had been caught? We’d risked everything for a fleeting moment. His mere proximity clouded my mind and eradicated my judgment. Lex was dangerous—so much more dangerous than my decoys—and he knew it.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Alexi

My dick was hard as nails as I held on to the memory of her fading scent even as the scrubbers kicked on, carrying it away. As much as I wanted to do something about my problem, I knew someone would be along to address the camera issue. I was a little surprised they hadn’t already shown up.

Letting her cuddle up to me and tell me her problems was stupid, at best. But it seemed like the most natural thing in the galaxy. Her hips felt perfect in my hands, and her fucking perfume when I buried my nose in her hair, I couldn’t get over it. A guard could have come by at any point, but I couldn’t find it in my heart to stop. My instincts were in control.

It took all my will to let her go in the end, and then when I found that little puddle of slick, there was no helping my reaction. I had to taste her. That was a mistake, because now I was addicted and savored the honeyed flavor lingering on my tongue.

The light above my door clicked on. It was time. That same monotone female voice poured from the speaker. “Drone 4569, your monitoring device is malfunctioning. Please place your hands in the receptacle so that your restraints may be reapplied.”

I knew this was coming, and whatever happened would be worth it.

It went against every bit of training and self-preservation I had in me to submit quietly, but with the wheels in motion, I would suffer any punishment they dished out. If they moved me or reassigned Saphyra to a different drone, the whole plan would be compromised. So when I’d put the restraints on and the lazy, pot-bellied alpha from the first day entered with a sick sort of single-minded glee in his eyes, I stood by, docile as a baby ailouros, as he jabbed me with the charged end of his taser baton.

If he caught the faint, lingering scent of omega clinging to my skin, he didn’t react. In fact, he didn’t say anything at all. He must not have reviewed the security feed or this might have been a very different interaction. I could only assume he was so excited by the prospect of beating me senseless he rushed right over. Based on the shortcuts we’d taken on the way to this cell, I wasn’t surprised that he’d ignored his duties. He didn’t act like the type to be thorough at his job.

This beating must have been the exception.

After the initial electrical surge, I could have retaliated. I could have killed the little fuck, even restrained and electrocuted, but I allowed him to take his temper out on me without a word of complaint. They needed to think I was broken so they would lower their guard.

The strong current dropped me to my knees, and I let it. He probably thought I was disabled, but prodded me again, to be sure. The next charge was stronger than the last, and my teeth clenched as my muscles locked up. I found myself on the ground. The guard stood over me, bringing the blunt end of his weapon down on me repeatedly.

My mind drifted to the days when the villages teemed with trade and the royal palace was safe for children to run the halls. Before the Imperatrix drove us underground and the drought ravaged our land. Back when I used to pull on the golden braids of the king’s daughter and complain about spending time with her. Back when I would beat the other boys bloody for teasing her and making her cry. My father told me it was my job to protect her, and I took my responsibilities seriously.

He told me to protect her, yet when I asked to come here to save her, he denied my request. He was worried about retaliation from Altaira, but I had a plan. Even bigger than this. But I needed our queen back first.

The baton continued to fall, breaking through my reverie, and I could feel the heat of bruises forming and taste the blood coating my tongue. It was uncomfortable, but I had been through worse. I would suffer this and more for the chance to see her again.

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