Page 50 of The Omega's Unexpected Bounty
“He was sitting by the docks.”
I waited for the rest.
“That’s it. He goes out there, speaks with nobody and sits, looking out for hours.” The ambient sounds around dulled to silence. “You can see him if you wish. My father believes in family and would allow visits.”
There was the temptation to mouth off and give an insult, but I thought about Nate staring out into the ocean. I saved him from the mining colony although it was more than that: a plaything for men. Admittedly, he was there because of some reprehensible things. I couldn’t say whether that kind of man could get rehabilitated but where did my responsibility end for a guy who wanted no responsibilities of his own?To say nothing of the other things.
Graden leaned back with a thinned, perplexed expression. I speculated on what he thought, and I’m sure the same was for him.
The term ‘Not Real Mates’ didn’t seem right anymore, yet there was some validity to it. Circumstances, a manipulative sim and the threat of imprisonment are what got me in this position.
But there’s more.I looked up into those big, adorable purple eyes. I liked Graden – more than that. Saying I enjoyed his cock deep into my ass was obvious. Graden folded his arms, and I bit my lip as his biceps flexed. I like my body fine although the pregnancy was a new condition I had to get used to. I made plenty of guys smile and get hard, but now he did it to me. I sensed no effort, but every move made his shiny tanned muscles stretch out as if there was no way he couldn’t show off his power. From behind, I felt my channel slick, and I don’t think I could’ve blamed itallon the pregnancy hormones.
No that’s all him.My musky arousal grew around and over us. His eyes half-lidded and I almost expected him to fall as if drunk. If he was intoxicated, then it was all me. I smiled with Omega power, I didn’t have his brute strength or political authority, but what I had was enough to make an Augo prince hard and lightheaded.
He shook his head as if trying to throw off the hold I had on him. “I have a surprise for you Caan.” My lips curled into a smile before he continued. “My father has forbidden you from leaving this island.”
“Rising up against your dad?” I teased.
He must’ve heard the mocking in my voice because I heard it in his. “No, I cannot stage a coup because you are bored.” His warm fingers went over my jaw. “So frustrated.” He licked his lips. “Simmering with so much pressure you might explode.” With a slow but gentle pull, he lifted me until my belly hit his hard, defined abdominals. His fingers caressed my jaw, and he softly angled my head up. “Balo, thinks I’m weak because I give the Hand to our subjects. My father has mentioned how reluctant I am to give the Boot.” His face temporarily went into a frown. “I’m the quiet son.” His nose nuzzled against my hair as he spoke. “You’ve seen videos of the Ryba guards. They are still as an untouched pond before turning into a gale of death. Ask anybody who fought them what happens when their claws come out, or they spit venom. They and I are quiet like the ocean. Yet nobody will go out on a boat during a storm.” His eyes narrowed. “Do you understand?”
I swallowed hard, and my heart thumped in my chest. There are few rules about men that are a near absolute. Those thattalkabout what they can do, usually can’t. I’ve seen plenty of guys back on New Texas claim they were the best shot or could beat up any man in the bar. It was never true, the bullet in their chest or their new saloon floor bed proved that.
I believed him even as it shamed me. Despite the situation, I was his mate, and he shouldn’t have needed to say those things, but he did. I breathed in heavily and his clove and citrus scent mixed with mine. I hoped my scent glands told him the truth. “Graden, you know my profession, and the men I’ve fought. You never have to tell me what you’re capable of.” I wish I could’ve found more beautiful words, but from his smile he liked it.
He stood tall. “Months ago, I taught you in the dojo. Now, for another lesson; how to sneak out of the castle.”
***
My nose wrinkled at the dank mildew smell as Graden carried me down the tunnel. From ahead and behind, intermittent drops fell from the stone roof. Only the white glowing crystals provided the light. There were no windows, but I sensed we were underwater either from the pressure on my ears or location sense. I didn’t know how thick these stones were, but theyfeltold. If they burst, we’d drown for sure.
Despite the danger, I had to raise my eyebrows in admiration. There were several ways to describe the Volardi; insidious, intelligent, but practical came to mind. This castle wasn’t built with tunnels. Like with all their creations, they refined continuously. Omegas initially required extensive surgery, and then it was nanites.
Before the Ryba peace and the Gloom attacks, castles were an obvious target. Enemies could check the oceans and air. Per Graden, this tunnel went deep into the crust. After several minutes I sensed an upward slope even if he was carrying me. I wasn’t used to this, but I couldn’t complain. Having a good-looking man hold you is not something I would fight against.Especially with my sore feet.
After another few minutes, my eyes narrowed and turned away from the bright sun. It was the same one as two weeks before, but after being indoors, it was much stronger.
The castle was far behind us and ahead was the swaying ocean. Low ebbs came mixed with the occasional high crest that crashed against the black, jagged rocks.
Graden stepped down onto a weathered, black stone path. Like the tunnels before, I sensed their age. It was a few minutes before we got down to the black sand coast. All the while, I looked out to the boats, the occasional flying sphere, and pushed against his hard, warm, chest. The roar continued while I shouted over the noise. “Is this what we snuck out to see? The ocean?”
“Please.” He said. “I’m Augo Royalty. When we do things, it’s huge.”
There were different interpretations, and it was all true. Like a thick tree against the ocean, he stood still while he held me in his arms as he waited. The flat grey metal ‘boat’ with bright, purple force fields on each side answered my question. From the shore, I saw long bundled logs, the diameter of my head. To the front were wooden blocks, and then metal crates I couldn’t see within.
I raised my eyebrows in question. Except for the heavy wooden door outside the royal chambers, hobbyist boats, and some furniture, Augo didn’t use much wood. Seawater and moisture eventually warped it. If motivated they could create aquatic lumber. I suspected stone, and Smart-Metal was their preference.Nice and solid like them.
I jerked when I saw faceless doughy sims lift black boulders and then place them on the barge. From above purple spheres went over the barge illuminating it with purple beams before they flew away.
“Transport barge from Matros’ kingdom,” explained Graden. “We’re speeding up trade if we leave the empire.”
“You won’t trade in the future?”
His shoulders went up in question. “Most likely out of necessity, but we must sign new treaties. It might delay things, and I didn’t want that.” Again I raised my eyebrows in question, but he smiled at what I didn’t ask. “You’ll see.”
He walked to the moss-covered black rocks, and I fought the temptation to say, ‘be careful.’ There were two reasons I didn’t. He was my Soturi, and I had to make sure I showed confidence. The second reason was obvious, he lived on a watery world and grew up next to the ocean, I shouldn’t need to tell him how to walk along the beach, so I didn’t.
Back home, we would have said ‘He walked like a mountain goat.’ There weren’t goats here, but he walked like he was born from the ocean and in a way, he was. He sat me down on the barge over blankets, making sure I was comfortable. I leaned my back into the crates and stared off into the distance. Somewhere in the tall stone castle was a man that had forbidden me to leave and by proxy, for anybody else to help.
