Page 46 of The Omega's Unexpected Bounty
The spheres hummed, then stopped massaging Taleen’s feet and ankles and floated away. He flexed his slender legs slightly, then sighed. “I think I could be here all day… well, when I’m not with Balo.”
I had issues with being an Omega, but I’ll say one thing for the Volardi, they treated us well. We both got tailor-made treatments. My ankles were worse than Taleen’s while I didn’t share his sore throat. Currently, he wasn’t too big to walk, but with his bulk, it took time to roll and steady himself up. I came up with a rocking motion that seemed to work although I wonder for how long. This was my first, but I’ve seen plenty of videos of the upcoming enormous stomachs. Most of them went out so far the Omegas, or Femeni couldn’t see their own dick.
He wobbled to an upright position. I held my hand out while I continue sitting. He mouthed a ‘Thank you,’ and his gaze went down. I wondered if he was thinking about something to say. If he did, he decided against it. My eyebrows rose as he waved goodbye without saying anything.
The spheres continued the massage while I thought. As a whole, the pregnancy experience – minus Tiny’s manipulation – wasn’t too bad and that’s exactly what was troubling about it. The Volardi were great at getting people to join their empire. They were the warriors of the galaxy, and most races couldn’t compete with them, be it one on one with a muscled Soturi or against their technology.
If there was a word to describe the Volardi, it was ‘insidious.’ Augo wasn’t their home planet; several hundred years ago they came to a polluted world and offered their help to the aquatic Ryba. They cleaned the water, healed the sick, made sure there was plenty of food, then took the agreed upon one-third of Augo as compensation forever. My hand went over my stomach while I saw the parallels. I knew the terms of the agreement; imprisonment or be a pretend mate for one year. It didn’t seem too bad at the time; more of a temporary setback.
Although that’s not true anymore is it?
I’ve gone from a one-year ‘vacation,’ to having a child. I didn’t think Graden manipulated me at least not overtly. It was very Volardi; offer something and make sure the payment works to their advantage.
The chair violently vibrated. I opened my eyes and gasped when I saw Balo’s frowning, bearded face. He quickly grabbed both of my wrists and leaned down. “Stay away from my mate. He doesn’t need your ideas. How many times must I warn you?”
A momentary chastisement went through me. There was a time when a man wouldn’t have gotten the drop on me – back when I could fight. Technically I could try, but it wasn’t just risking me, but also my child. I did something I never thought I would do. I screamed loud for help then activated my implant. Nothing came. If I didn’t turn off Tiny, he could have helped me or called for help. Instead, I had a muscled Soturi over me with his fingers digging into my flesh. I’m a fighter, and the worst position is when they’re over you. He had weight and strength to keep me down.
For now, all I could do was just keep talking. “We have the same appointment, perhapsyouneed to schedule Taleen elsewhere.” He leaned back, pulled me up and then slapped me across the face quick and then slow as if smearing his essence against me.
I didn’t want to fight. Not for my sake but for my baby. Rolling around on the floor or getting kicked in the stomach wasn’t an option. I went with the tried and true. I’m shorter than all Soturi, and right now that served me well. My knee jerked hard toward his crotch as best I could from my seated position then readied an elbow against his face when he would soon buckle down in agony.
Instead of moaning on the ground he laughed “Pathetic.”
Again, he slapped me across the face on the other side making sure I felt the pain from each. I sensed he could have hit me harder, and this was just a mind game to let me know how powerless I was against him.
With inhuman speed I wouldn’t have expected, Balo grabbed both of my wrists and pulled me up into a standing position. His voice was a whisper. “You cannot beat me. Do you want to risk the baby out of pride? I came to deliver a message, and I have done it. Stay, and you will receive more of this.”
With that, he released his vise-like grip. I didn’t lay down but backed away. I held my hands up in a fighting stance ready to throw a punch. Years of bounty hunter experience battled Omega instinct. Both said I had to defend against him even if paradoxically, it might hurt our baby.
To his credit, he was a product of the Volardi and wouldn’t risk a child – at least more than he already did. He stepped out of the chamber while I listen to his footsteps soften.
Despite my efforts, warm tears streamed down my face. Every man likes to think of themselves as capable and maybe because of my sex I wanted to prove it more. Instead, a guy came in and tossed me around like I wasnothing. It was everything people thought the Omegas were; soft and incapable of defending themselves.
I adjusted the pregnancy band over my stomach while I repeatedly attempted to contact the implants. Once I was away from the room, a sporadic connection opened. It took several tries amid the static, but Graden’s voice was in my ear. My voice shook. “I-I need your help. It’s Balo.”
***
Chapter Twenty-Six
CAAN
I gave him a quick overview, then leaned back against the stone wall where I could see if anybody came – although there was only one person in my mind. After an agonizingly long, few minutes Graden arrived, and again I elaborated on what Balo did. His face reddened, and my heart raced with fear as I looked up into his wide, purple eyes. Despite the circumstances behind my arrangement, Graden’s a good man – more than I would have expected.A good as I am at least.We both didthings,but never to each other. I fought Soturi men before, but I’ve never had one so close and for so long. Sweat and the smell of copper wafted out while his nose flared. With his muscles and fighting ability, he could seriously hurt me. I know he wouldn’t, but physically he could. That was enough to fill me with a healthy fear – although I think I was still shivering from Balo’s attack.
Graden’s growl was more animal than man. He closed his eyes, and I presume he queried the implant for Balo’s location. It took longer than I thought, and I wondered what else he was doing. The answer came in a humming hoverchair. “Sit,” he whispered.
“I can walk.”
His yell echoed in the stone hall. “I said sit!”
My nose flared while he glared at me. I was an Omega, but not traditionally subservient. Still, there was practicality. We could pant slowly down the hallways or go several times as fast, so I sat. The phrase ‘like a good Omega’ went through my mind.
There were other things to think about – like what was coming. Graden ran next to my hoverchair while we zoomed through the hallways. I raised an eyebrow as I saw his tanned thigh and calf muscles flex with the long strides. He was obviously muscled, but now he was almost scary beautiful. Every move was like a machine. Precise, quick, with a copper smell of anger as his hot breath blew out. He mumbled something, and I missed the first part. “Meet me in the Addressing Chamber, now!” The hoverchair slowed before two large brown wooden doors. I recognize the golden archway adorned with golden shells. It was the same place where we quickly stood and observed King Delius speak to his subjects. Graden’s foot kicked the door in the middle. It flew out and hit the other side of the wall while I heard wood crack and splinter.
It was just a snapshot within a few heartbeats, but I saw it all in slow motion. Before King Delius was a green-brown male Ryba. His short, squat nature against tall Volardi was enough to instantly identify him as were the rolls of this sharp teeth. This one had no female bodyguards, and for that I was grateful.
Balo was off to the side while Taleen sat in his own hovering chair. I presume both were watching King Delius as Graden and I did earlier. Balo’s eyebrows rose, and his lips curled into a soft smile. “Brother, you know how to make an entrance.” Gooseflesh went down my arms, and it wasn’t because of the upcoming fight. Something was…wrong, but I’d be damned if I could figure out what.
When kings speak, others listen, including their sons. It’s a rule, I thought Graden would obey. As if he heard nothing or ignored King Delius’ questions, Graden walked around the squat Ryba. I had confidence in his skill, but I didn’t want him to fight anything that had claws and sharp teeth.
