Page 66 of Shadowlands Omega

“You can relax.” Yaron’s grunt is terse, but his chest continues rumbling against my back in a way I find immensely soothing.

“Hard to relax here.” I glance to the left and right into the dark woods. Black roots crisscross over the highway line before us, rendering it almost invisible. The highway lines were originally built wide enough for three carriages to fit side by side, but here, our three lines of horses — not carriages — have been reduced to two and, in some places, we have to march single file.

“I can assure you, we are alone.”

His hand slides around my body, through the slit in my cloak across my lower belly. The fabric of his tunic feels very thin all of a sudden and his hand feels so warm. Warm enough to melt beneath. I inhale and the sharp scent of Paradise Hole’s musty, misty forest assaults me with a memory of a time when he told me he did not want me and never would moments before he threw me to the ground at his feet.Present for me.

“Whatever you are thinking, stop it,” he whispers in my ear. “Not only are there other Alphas present, but I have no intention of repeating my poor performance the last time we were in Paradise Hole together.”

I drop my voice, worried about being overheard. Cyprus rides near the back of the group, but still, I’d willingly launch myself from a canon before having a conversation about sex in front of my brother. “Poor? I found your performance quite…adequate.”

Yaron’s fingers tense and I feel the sting of his nails as they form claws and prick my stomach through my tunic. “Adequate?”

I try really hard to keep from smiling. It’s so hard. “Yes. Perfectly satisfactory, my Lord.” I give the back of his palm a couple condescending pats.

His hand jerks me to him even harder, pulling my ass to his groin, his heat clashing over mine. His shoulders curl around me. He brings his face down to my cheek. I feel caught in his shadow, alone even though we’re surrounded by people. “Do you mock me?”

“Teasing you, my Lord. Do you not understand the difference?”

“Teasing is something done between children.” His fingers crawl down my body and I try to wriggle back, away from him, but there’s nowhere to go.

I grab his wrist. “Yaron…” I hiss, but it’s too late. He’s already cupped my core. His thick fingers can feel everything through the fabric, and they push ruthlessly at the thin cloth barrier, massaging my entrance, fingering everywhere around my clit, brushing softly over it. “Yaron!” I feel suddenly flush. My mind goes hazy. The Alpha riding directly in front of us coughs.

“If you intend to tease, you must be prepared for me to tease back.” He removes his hand all at once and the cool that follows the warmth of his palm comes as a shock. I feel tingly all over. Desire bounces between my bones. I shove my elbow back into his abdomen hard and he emits a softoomph.

“You do that again, I’ll light your underwear on fire,” I whisper.

He barks out a laugh. The sound is so startling that the Alpha in line in front of us whips around, her hand on the sword at her belt. Her eyebrows are raised and her pale skin is flushed. “It’s okay, Mara,” Yaron says, holding me tight, but this time, thankfully, outside of the cloak. “The Lady Kiandah means me no harm.” Ah. He thinks she’s surprised because I elbowed him. No, no, no, my Lord. She’s surprised for the same reason I am. I doubt she’s ever heard him laugh before either.

His erection digs into my back as we continue through Paradise Hole, emerging finally through the dark trees into a darkening world. Elation skitters over my skin. The sight of the sea blows me away every time. I will never get used to it.

“What is it?” he says to me, his breath warm.

“It’s so beautiful. Zaoul. The stars. The ports and the ships bobbing in the sea. The lights from the Night Market. I’ve only been twice before. Once, when I was really small, and again a few years ago. I love the way it feels.”

“And how does it feel?” He brushes his fingers against the side of my face, over my ear, like he’s tucking back hair that isn’t there. But I don’t mind it. I minded it once, but I’m starting to get used to having very, very short hair. Yaron’s soft, loving touches are helping.

“Like magic.” I glance at his face over my shoulder. I can’t keep myself from looking at his lips. “You know, if your guards weren’t here, I’d almost say this feels a little like a date.”

Lord Yaron practically leaps away from me. He swings a leg over the back of his horse and drops to the ground quickly enough to startle both me and Brega, who rears back. My hands scramble over the saddle, which feels so huge beneath me without Yaron there to dominate the space. My fingers twist in Brega’s mane, clinging for survival. He doesn’t seem to like that much, either, and lifts his front hooves into the air. I squeeze my aching inner thighs together around the massive stallion and just when I think I’m about to go slumping off the side, Yaron grabs the reins and whispers something softly to his horse that calms the creature.

“Yaron?” I say, heart beating erratically. I press my palm over my chest to try to calm it.

Yaron doesn’t answer and I can’t see him well enough around Brega’s neck and I’m too scared to lean over. His Riders have scattered from formation and are slow to return to it. They’re looking between us. Some have their hands on their weapons. I search the back of the queue for Cyprus, who has one eyebrow cocked and is asking me what happened and if everything is okay. I shrug and nod, and he nods in return, casting his gaze back out towards the markets as a loud bout of laughter and shouting picks up near the well-illuminated entrance — a market staple.

“Apologies,” Yaron mumbles up to me gruffly, stepping back around his horse and to my side. He has a funny expression.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine. Shall we go to the market to gather supplies for your family first?”

“Like this?” I glance around at the Riders in militant formation around us. “We won’t be able to talk to anyone about anything if that’s our goal tonight.”

Yaron seems to struggle to look up at me. I’d be concerned if I weren’t also so determined. Yaron only begrudgingly let me come on this trip and, judging by his erratic behavior, I don’t know if he’d let me come again. I want to make it worth it.

“We should shop first. Worry about our garbage friends later.”

I snort at his description, and at his suggestion. “I take it you’ve shopped at the Night Market even fewer times than I have. You can’t go through with a horse. It’s labyrinthine and narrow. And no one will want to talk if there are a million Riders around. It would be best if we split up. I can go through with my brother and…”

---