Page 36 of Bonds of Hate

Even I have to admit that the girl is a vision, probably the most striking of all the Omegas in the room. Which is really saying something considering they’re all biologically designed to call as much attention to themselves as possible.

Wanting to rip off that tease of a dress and fuck her through the floor in front of the entire court is also just a biological response.

Maya gives the entire room a brief once-over. When her gaze finds us, it stays there. She ignores everyone and everything else as she confidently strides across the room, head held high like it already bears a damn crown.

“Goddamn,” Ares mutters.

Maya sinks into a curtsy so perfect that it could appear in an Enclave training manual, which is probably where she learned it. One thing I’ll give her is that she plays the role of a royal Omega better than anyone else I’ve ever seen.

Custom dictates that a royal greeting doesn’t end until the prince instructs his subject to rise.

Logan leaves her in the deep curtsy for a beat longer than is appropriate before finally acknowledging her with the barest of nods.

If the position was a strain, Maya doesn’t let on. She rises gracefully, the fire burning in her dark eyesonly for us to see. “I am humbled to accept your invitation to the palace, Prince Logan.”

Logan gestures for a nearby attendant. “You’ll be taken to the harem to be prepared for your new duties. Someone will explain what is expected of you.”

The obvious dismissal is deliberately insulting. Eavesdropping courtiers make no secret of watching the exchange. Logan is clearly establishing the hierarchy here and repaying her in kind for her rejection a year ago. Within the hour, the entire court will know that Prince Logan’s Omega is already out of his favor.

“Your wish is my command.” Maya curtsies again, but does not wait for the prince to release her before turning on her heel and stalking away.

A hundred pairs of eyes track her exit. If Maya realizes she has the attention of the entire room, she appears unbothered by it. If anything, she shines even brighter as she dramatically exits the proverbial stage, leaving behind an after image of twinkling diamonds and the scent of cherry vanilla on the air. Even the king appears to take note. He barely paid attention to the other Omegas paraded before him. But he watches Maya, an unreadable expression on his face, until she disappears from view.

So fucking dangerous.

Logan’s murmured words are barely audible as he also watches her go, fingers clenched tight enough on the arms of his chair that his knuckles turn white. “Remember, she can’t be trusted. No one touches her until I give the word.”

The warning is likely meant for himself as much as it is for us.

Ares makes a sound of protest, but one glance at Logan’s face kills whatever argument he might have made.

Even I feel a burst of annoyance at Logan’s pronouncement. I’d been hoping he would fuck Maya out of his system as soon as possible, then set her aside for a safer option.

The smell of her still wafts over me occasionally, giving me a visceral reminder of how it felt to have my fingers buried inside her. If she hadn’t been a virgin, I’m not sure I would have been able to resist the urge to fuck her up against the wall of that pathetic attic room.

That’s what Omegas do after all, use their natural allure and the potency of their scent to turn Alphas into their sexual slaves. Sure, Alphas have physical prowess on their side. But what use is brawn when you’ve lost control of your mind?

I’ll bury her six feet under before I let another Omega control me.

Chapter Eight

MAYA

Ihave absolutely no memory of being escorted out of the throne room and down the winding corridors of the palace to the harem. Blinding lights and incomprehensible whispers distract me until I can only focus on putting one foot in front of the other without making a fool of myself.

One moment, Logan’s dark voice is commanding me away. In the next, a room full of harem betas is staring at me, their expressions varying from mildly curious to openly hostile.

A few of them size me up, gazes lingering on my form-fitting dress, which is probably the most expensive thing I’ve ever owned. After paying off my debt to the Enclave, I’d used every bit left to buy it because I knew I’d be under intense scrutiny from the moment I stepped foot in the palace.

When every gaze lingered on the hundreds of crystals woven into the gossamer fabric, I knew I’d made the right decision not to spare even a single credit.

I already knew that Logan would do his best to humiliate me. We haven’t officially signed a mating contract, not yet anyway. When I finally received the palace summons, part of me wondered if he would publicly reject me in front of the entire court and have me thrown out of the palace on my ass.

But I came anyway, because I had no choice. Consoling myself with the thought that I’d, at least, have this dress and a paid off balance with the Enclave to show for it. A damn sight more than I had yesterday.

That debt was a problem I hadn’t expected to solve so quickly. It was another reason that I avoided going to my mother for help. She would have dumped me at the Enclave’s front door, bound and gagged, before she risked them trying to recoup any of their money from her.

Poe’s bribe presented a much more elegant solution. I’d almost be grateful to him if he wasn’t such a raging asshole.

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