Page 19 of Drowned By the Dreadnought

“You’re right, I will. I’m finally having my first heat. I waited for you.”

She breaks down into heart wrenching sobs. I gather her to my chest, keeping one towel between us so I don’t lose control and rut her on the floor, and drop my cheek to the top of her head.

“Wait just a few more minutes, little mouse. You deserve better than the kitchen table, don’t you think?”

She leans into me and cries harder.

Something I said triggered her, but there’s no appeasing her in this state. Omegas suffering through their first heat are volatile beasts, and my female has been too strong for too long. She needs the outlet.

I stalk from the kitchen and cross the living space to the narrow ladderwell tucked in the corner. With one arm supporting my omega and my other on the handrail, I climb the steep steps and stop in front of the watertight hatch.

“Open the door,” I murmur into her hair.

She bites back a sob and wipes her face before she lifts the lever with shaky, hesitant hands. As I push the metal open with my shoulder, she sneaks her palm over my heart and leans closer, but doesn’t lay her head down.

I close the first hatch and turn to the second. She glances at the new door and meets my gaze.

“Go ahead, little mouse,” I insist.

She breaks the seal and braces her palm on the door. I step over the threshold and enjoy her gasp of surprise as the hatch swings open and reveals an omega wonderland. She stops breathing. Stops blinking. Stops thinking. Just stares in shock.

Guilt dampens my delight, and I know if I’m ever to feel worthy of her trust, I can’t lie by omission. I swallow my fear and hug her tighter.

And pray I don’t ruin my only chance at happiness with my next words.

Chapter 7

Morwenna

I must be dreaming. This can’t be real. Even my dreams as a child were never this fantastical.

Shelves full of soft, fluffy things line the walls. A couch sits at the front of the room, layered with smaller blankets and throw pillows. Three doors to our right lead to mystery rooms. The entire back half of the room is one massive sleeping alcove, with four mattresses wedged together and stacks of linen acting as the head and sideboards.

My hands itch to dive into the materials, but my alpha tucks a finger under my chin and guides my attention to his face.

“This is all yours now, but I have to be honest. I didn’t gather them with the best intentions,” he says.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

He stalks to the closest door and removes a chain before twisting the knob and pushing it open. Other than a thin sleeping pad, a single pillow, and a small blanket tucked in the corner, the room is completely empty. The bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling and the stark white walls make the space seem cold and unwelcoming.

“You’ll never sleep in here. Your place is with me in a shared nest. We’ll find a new purpose for this room,” he growls.

I can’t speak through the lump in my throat.

I blink and fight a wave of cold as I piece together the meaning behind his words.

He meant to parade me through the carefully curated omega wonderland before he locked me away in this miserable, lonely, barren room.

The last time I had a proper nest was when my mother was still alive. Compared to the room my father locked me in, this one is worlds better. I swing my gaze up to Russt.

“There are no holes in the walls for rats to crawl through, the floor is clean, and you gave me both a pillow and a blanket. It’s a hell of a lot better than what I’ve had the last few years,” I say through numb lips.

His pupils shrink. He stares at me for a long moment before swinging around and setting me on the desk tucked in the corner. My feet dangle toward the ground. I wrap the towel tighter around me. A chill runs down my spine as he steps away.

Wood cracks as he kicks the center of the door.

One kick and the solid panel becomes two. Splintered wood clatters to the floor. With one violent shove of his bare foot, he removes the possibility of me suffering through another cold, miserable night alone.

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