Page 11 of Marigold Run

Mari

No one speaks, leaving my question hanging in the air. It’s a bit awkward, but I refuse to break eye contact with Izan.

The sooner he fucks me, the sooner I can check this place out without someone breathing down my neck.

That, and I hate putting off the inevitable. I’m here for these men to rut me. There’s no point in pretending otherwise.

I just wish I wasn’t so nervous.

Izan leans down, looking deep into my eyes. “You want me to take you to bed?” There’s an obvious bulge at the front of his pants, telling me he’s eager to give in to my request, but I’m sure they’ve been told too many times that omegas are too reserved and fragile to outright ask to be fucked.

The stereotypes that surround my kind are beyond stupid.

“Yes, alpha.” I place my hand on his chest. His heart pounds beneath my fingertips, and his fresh scent grows thick. He smellslike vanilla-dipped apples, crisp and warm at the same time. It’s a nice scent. Almost romantic. “Will you take me to bed?”

A soft growl pushes from Izan’s chest as a shadow crosses his face. Then his hands fly out, snatching me up and flinging me over his shoulder. I let out a girlie gasp, pretending to be too weak to fight him off.

Izan marches up the staircase on the right, and I catch a quick glimpse of Dassy deeply kissing Everly before I’m carried down a long hallway. I have to be honest, the beta is nothing like I pictured. She’s tall and thin with black-rimmed glasses and mousy brown hair. She seems very kindhearted, but she looks like a frightened librarian.

I memorize every turn and every painting. I count the doorknobs and take note of every window. Everything is painted a silky white with matching white molding along the ceiling. All the paintings are modern, with clean lines and bright colors. We turn another corner and one wall is covered in high windows that look out over a large garden, and the other wall is draped in colorful silk canvases. The threads are blue, green, yellow, and gold.

“You need a bath,” Izan says, pushing open a door at the very end of the hallway. This must be his bedroom.

I quickly take note of the two large windows covered in thick blackout curtains. There’s a king-size bed with light blue bedding in the center of the room, a neatly organized desk, and a spacious sitting area with a couch and matching arm-chairs near what looks to be the bathroom door. There are cables near the chairs, telling me Izan charges a laptop or maybe his phone there, but I don’t see the electronics anywhere.

“Do you prefer a bath or a shower?” Izan carries me into the massive bathroom. Everything is white. White marble countertops and tiled floors. White cabinets and a large clawfoottub. Everything except the fixtures are white. Those are solid gold.

“Do I prefer what?” I ask as he sets me on the bathroom counter. The marble is cold, pressing against the back of my exposed thighs.

Izan moves a little closer, wedging his big body between my legs as he looms over me. His expression isn’t the enraged lust-filled look I’ve grown to expect from horny alphas, but instead he looks almost concerned. It makes me feel a little better.A little.

“What do you need, omega?” he asks, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

“I just need you,” I say, pressing my chest to his. His body radiates so much heat through his crisp white dress shirt.

“Omega,” Izan cups my cheek, forcing me to look up at him. “Please know that we don’t have to rush into this right now. You can have dinner, or sit with Everly for a bit. We can connect later.”

“No,” I say a little too firmly. Izan’s eyes narrow at my tone, but I clear my throat, quickly speaking in a softer, more flirty manner. “I haven’t been touched by someone else in over two years.” And that’s the truth. “I want to feel an alpha’s hands on me.” That’s a lie, but it doesn’t really matter. “I want to feelyourhands.Yourmouth.Yourtongue.” I sit a little taller, ghosting my mouth over his. “Please, alpha.”

The corners of his lips lift, then he presses his mouth to mine in a gentle kiss.

The second our lips touch, my stomach churns.

It’s a startling reaction to his touch, and I have to remind myself that Izan won’t hurt me. Alphas don’t rape the omegas they intend to mate. They coax them, maybe even manipulate them, but they don't outright hurt them.

“Let’s wash the day off of you.” Izan places one more gentle kiss on my lips, before stepping back.

I try not to fidget as he moves to the shower, turning it on. The water grows steamy, and he begins to strip down. He removes his tie and dress shirt, followed by his pants. His big dick pops free and my pulse skyrockets. My plan was to put on a bit of a show for the alpha. I was going to slowly undress, tempting him inch by inch, but now that I’m faced with the sight of his bare enormous body, all I want to do is run and hide.

Suck it up, I silently scold myself.You HAVE to do this.

“Let me help you.” Izan places his hands on my hips, helping me get off of the counter.

I stand frozen in place as he lifts my dress over my head. His hands are gentle as he removes my bra and then my panties. This is probably the last time I’ll wear undergarments. Alphas prefer their omegas ready to rut at a moment's notice.

The second I’m fully naked, I angle my hips away, covering my sex with my hands. It’s not that I want to hide from him, but I have deep ugly scars along the insides of my thighs and I don’t want to answer any questions about them.

“You are stunning,” Izan purrs. He tenderly runs the back of his hand down the top of my left breast. He pauses at my one inverted nipple, caressing it, and my face burns with embarrassment. The small flaw has always made me feel self-conscious, but not as much as my scars. “Come.” He takes my hand, leading me to the shower.

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