Page 53 of Ruled By The Alpha

And since they were in their private cave, she slipped into his comforting hold, pressing herself against him, the laces of his leathers digging into her skin. He’d taken to wearing some clothes in deference to her kind.

They might still have work to do, but they’d come so far. Truthfully, she could not have been happier.

She loved her beserketh, her powers, her life.

Yes, there were still other menacing predators around, including other berserkeths, and migrating gerlex to contend with as well.

But these menaces were no longer the life-ending threat they’d once been. Now, her kind had Cheim. A beast and predator to rival any other—and protect them all.

Thanks to him and her new skills, her clan had experienced more births than deaths the past few planetary rotations, andthe majority of those new arrivals were female omegas who might one rotation breed themselves. It no longer seemed as if the omega clan was doomed to die out, but instead would thrive in the coming era.

Yes, her clan had been skeptical—and terrified—when she’d first brought Cheim to meet them. But they’d come around when they’d seen how her beserketh cared for her—and refrained from tearing them apart.

Soon, the elders had decreed their union the beginning of a new age, one of greater balance, of hope, of the possibility for growth and innovation. They’d seen the hand of fate in her and Cheim’s union and declared it to have been blessed by the stars.

The elders had posited too that if she and Cheim could find each other amidst such obstacles and fear, there was a good chance there were others who might experience this as well. That somewhere out there were more rare Alpha-omega, fated-mate pairs just waiting to find each other and soar.

To celebrate, they’d named this new epoch in her and Cheim’s honor, blending their names to signal the harmonizing nature of this new age: the Anarcheim. Anara and Cheim joined together, a beacon of hope for all.

It was the highest of tributes and, while Cheim didn’t seem to care much, the knowledge that she was bringing hope to her kind and to future generations warmed her.

There was still ugliness and violence, hopelessness and brutality within their star system, but there was now the chance for beauty and pleasure and kindness too. An opportunity for even the most aggressive and brutal of beasts and the most cowed of prey to be altered by tenderness and love.

Rising to her tiptoes, she placed kisses over his heart—and then used her power to float high enough to slide her tongue against the seam of his lower lip. “I missed you and am more than ready to be devoured.”

He gripped her bottom and rocked against her. “Delicious.” He drew back. “But first, you will eat for real.”

She bit back a sigh. Her male was very sweet—and more attentive about all aspects of her welfare than she could ever have imagined he would be when they’d first met.

“Thank you, mate.” She cupped his shaft through his leathers. “But that’s not what I’m hungry for.”

He growled low. But he did not grab her hand and grind against her palm. Instead, his hand settled on the rounded curve of her belly. “After. You and my young need sustenance.”

“We’re fine. Really.” After four pregnancies and births, she was confident in her abilities to keep their little ones healthy and safe.

“I will cook it,” he insisted. “Then you will eat.”

“Or perhaps you can help me work up an appetite first?” She paused. “Please.”

A gleam entered his gaze. She wasn’t a fool. She knew exactly how to entice her fierce beserketh. And while his protection and care was much appreciated, it was sometimes over the top, especially whenever she was breeding.

“Yes, you are right. I will devour you with my tongue and then my cock and then—”

Laughter echoed from outside. Followed by a happy scream and then more shrieks.

Cheim scowled.

She grabbed his arm before he could storm outside. “They are just playing, my love. Let them be. My clan is watching them.”

He hesitated. Even now, it was sometimes hard for him to let go. He had never had the kind of carefree moments their offspring had, never experienced a life not centered solely around death and pain—and nothing mattered more to him than keeping them all safe.

“They will signal if there is any danger,” she assured him.

When he still hesitated, she took matters into her own hands, stroking along his chest—and then down. “I can almost feel my appetite returning already, hungering for more training—perhaps even a chase.”

His eyes bled to a brighter red. Even now, the need between them was as bright and wild as ever—leading them to soar to even greater heights. She doubted they’d ever reach a limit.

She could scarcely remember when she’d been afraid of him. Now, he was her greatest refuge and the conduit for her strength and confidence.

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