Page 37 of Of Daggers and Deceit

I watched the remaining Dominant, noticing his ethereal grace and beauty as he walked. Something about him seemed so different from the others. I couldn’t even guess what someone like him would shift into; something unusual to suit his appearance, most likely.

He paused right before he was to disappear to the other side. The ground continued to groan beneath us as the sands shifted, indicating that the closure of the gateway was imminent. But then, he turned back around, and I swear he was looking right at me, all the way across the expanse, for a single, terrifying second, before stepping through the shield at the very last minute.

The light faded from the edges, creeping closer to the centre of the gateway until it was wholly back to the familiar, shimmery purple. Where once the gateway existed, now the seamless image of shimmering, shadowy cliffs and the glinting night sky rested.

I sat back on my heels, unaware I had leaned forward to watch their departure and the nightly ceasefire. I gently placed the unconscious Omega onto the sand and released the breath I was holding for those last, watchful moments.

With a hand lifted to my heart, I took a moment to focus, grounding myself and allowing relief to ease its way in. Those few short moments of stillness enabled me to process the night and everything I had achieved, simultaneously conducting a final, slow scan of the barren land before me.

A few bodies were splayed out on top of sand dunes, and I prayed they were just unconscious. My eyelids fluttered under the toll of tonight’s exertion. Tomorrow was going to be difficult.

I still had to get this Omega to safety, likely back towards the compound in the distance, and I doubted I could portal us both there again, though I would try. It was still a better option than attempting to walk, carrying her the whole way.

I would be sore tomorrow, that I was sure of. The fight was a thrill, but the toll was heavy. I would be back, though. I’d survived it.

If retribution was now in the cards alongside my family’s protection, then I was going to be a player. The dagger I left behind was a gift to an old friend, wherever he was. If that bird shifter, the thief, was still alive and well, then I did not doubt that Jakari the betrayer was too.

It was that thought alone that had a slow, dark smile curving my lips. I could hardly wait for that deceitful, Dominant to emerge.

If only to show him the end of my blade.

BODHI

Waking up to the intense heat of the sun searing my skin was not pleasant. Second to that was trying to open my eyes, only for it to feel like a knife was etching thousands of tiny cuts on my eyeballs. I knew it was the sand that had found its way underneath my lids, but still, it fucking hurt. I groaned loudly as I tried to lift my upper body off the sandy floor to sit. What a shit show of a night. My body was all kinds of stiff and sore from whatever the hell I’d been drugged with by that silver-haired fucker.

And Raya. That stubborn female would surely be the death of me. I was furious at her, so fucking furious that she had disobeyed my direct order. Instead, she ran directly into the fray, exactly where I hadn’t wanted her.

I smacked my hands in front of me, rubbing them together to get the sand off my palms. Once clean, I rubbed hard at the grit that had attached itself to my facial hair and suit. It poured off everything in a constant stream as I continued wiping until it slowed. My skin was going to be red raw and softer than silk by the end of this.

Taking a moment to orient myself, I looked around, squinting through the glare of the morning to spot all the other Alphas still out cold. Another night of failure. I was not looking forward to this morning’s announcements from the Supreme. I inhaled a sharp breath as I abruptly started to cough from the sheer dryness of my mouth. Sand ground down on my teeth, and I formed a spit ball in my mouth with the last bit of moisture left, spitting it onto the ground in disgust. Fucking hell, it was a bad start to the day.

I mustered up the energy to stand, hoisting myself off the ground, my body stiff and sore. Sand had somehow found its way inside my suit to nestle in alongside my balls. I was already pissed off and hungry, and I’d only been awake for a total of five minutes. I eyed the compound entrance in the distance and prepared myself for the uncomfortable walk ahead. To ease my most pressing problem, I grabbed my suit at the crotch, walking and holding the fabric away from my body to minimise the scraping against the prized goods. I’d be reporting the shit out of these defective suits.

I hobbled back towards the building to shower and change, leaving the other Alphas passed out behind me. They’d be fine. The closer I got to the building, the more pissed off I became when I remembered seeing Raya right near the shield, her eyes glowing vibrantly in the dark as she put her ability to use.

I growled in frustration, pivoting away towards the house, knowing she would’ve gone straight home to Tia to check in on her rather than head to the compound. With every step, my anger heightened. I was in command on that field, and she disobeyed me. That could cost lives. We were meant to be a team.

By the time I’d opened the front door, my main priority was to shower, because with the sand grating against my skin, I couldn’t focus on being rational. I needed to be somewhat rational to deal with her unless I wanted to blow everything up. I’d been so close to kissing her last night. So close, and she’d allowed it. Some of my anger left me at the thought. I’d be getting what I wanted out of this year, I knew it.

I passed Tia on the stairs and quickly checked her over, grateful she was okay as she squeezed my sandy arm, kissing me briefly on the cheek and allowing me the moment of peace I needed. She never asked how it was, just in case we reported another death, but I always noticed how she waited for me by the door. Only when she sighted me did the worry bleed out of her expression.

I took the stairs two at a time, my long legs taking me quickly to Raya’s closed door, the shower forgotten. Not bothering to knock, I turned the knob and threw the thing open as a scream echoed from the room.

“Get out!” Raya yelled as she stood there, wrapped in a towel, her hair dripping wet from her shower, her bare legs on display. I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth as I carelessly took her in with a grin. Raya had an incredible body, one I’d like to take my time with. I craved to touch her in the way I wanted, to show everyone that she was mine.

“I said get out!” Her yelling prompted me to look up at her. Fuck. I’d gone into my head again.

But her thunderous expression made me pause. She was angry at me? No. She wasn’t allowed to be.

“No.” I kicked the door closed behind me.

She inhaled a sharp, furious breath before glaring at me. I shot her a mocking grin.

“Angry I’m not following your orders, Raya?” I asked casually, though my own ire was gearing up for war with her.

She gritted her teeth. “No.” My smile grew knowing how difficult that was to get out for her. “I’m angry that you feel you can just barge into my own private space without knocking and expect me to feel okay about it.”

I walked over towards her, right up to her chest, until I was looking down at her, the pink in her cheeks blooming in a way that made my dick twitch.

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