Page 13 of Of Daggers and Deceit

“Do you think the Omegas and Alphas of this city will ever mingle without regulation?” I forced myself to steady my breathing, though my heart was pounding its assault against my ribcage, my nerves ruling my body.

His response was almost instantaneous, firm and hard, offering no further insight into his opinion. “No.”

I licked my lips in mounting frustration.

I forced the next question past my lips despite the shake creeping back into my hands again. I clenched them to make it stop.

“I don’t mean to pry, but I am genuinely curious and want to understand. Why is that so?” I held my breath. I had never prodded before on any topic.

He fidgeted slightly beneath me, his silence causing my heart rate to spike to a deadly pace. His rough exhale tickled the hair on my head.

“Unfortunately, I do not trust Dominants, and an Alpha is exactly like them. Alphas and Dominants still shift to an animal and still fall prey to their baser instincts. The only difference is that a Dominant wields a dark energy that can force bond someone to them, and they always chose to use that on an Omega. The Haven is also home to several Omegas who have been deeply traumatised before the isolation of this city. This city was built solely for them, and it is my vision to keep this in mind always.”

I pondered on his words. I only knew bits and pieces of information provided to me by my mum of the city of Asrar. She had said some Alphas and Dominants were good people, but so many died, and they became more difficult to identify in the time of the war. Zander had already told me so much of his experiences from before the construction of the Haven.

All of it was horrific.

I shuddered, and he wrapped my arms tighter around me, as if to keep me warm. He didn’t know my bodily response wasn’t from the cold.

“Do you think the Alphas and Dominants supporting the freedom of Omegas could have won the war?”

He scoffed at that, and my face flushed with embarrassment. “My Rose, I thought you were smarter than this. What sort of Dominants breach our borders four times a year to steal Omegas if they supported our freedom?”

Shame bloomed within me. That was a stupid, stupid question, something Raya would likely ask just for the sake of challenging an opinion.

I shoved down the remainder of my ideas and questions as they sought to burst out of me the second I felt soft lips touch my forehead.

“We do not need to worry about that life anymore. We are safe here, and I get the privilege of enjoying this moment spent with the most beautiful Omega in the entire city.”

I closed my eyes and let out a breath. Everything was okay. I had plenty of time to work on this.

He was right. I shouldn’t waste our moments together like this. Our time together was often fleeting, and my loneliness and isolation of late had become a consistently deepening hole that I could never quite get myself out of. I should enjoy this.

I clutched him closer, his smooth palms caressing my cheek. But the moment didn’t last. It never did as the ding of the elevator interrupted our peace.

Zander immediately became more rigid as he carefully rolled me off him, allowing him to turn and sit up to address the Omega entering. I moved gracefully to follow suit, making an effort to smooth out any hairs that were out of place and position myself with poise.

Inside, disappointment began to slither in.

Sly entered quietly and assuredly as he broached our intimate space. Zander’s favoured commander of our guard.

He dipped his head towards Zander, not even bothering to acknowledge me at all.

“Your presence has been requested by Benefactor Mitchell, sir.”

I looked over at Zander, who stared impassively at the guard. My disappointment began to gnaw away at me when he didn’t immediately decline. His warmth began to seep out of him, the one thing he only ever truly reserved for me.

I knew what was coming next, though. What always came.

“Please look after the Rose. I have advised that she is allowed to enjoy this space for the night. She is not to leave anywhere beyond the building. Her safety is paramount.”

Defiance reared inside me.

“But I?—"

Zander shot me a lethal glare, not even bothering to let me finish my sentence.

“Not tonight.”

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