Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 63982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
This was his fault. He had been careless in his vanity and cruel in his temper. Angry with more than himself, he stated, “You believe I am taking you to be terminated.”
Her voice caught, but she was brave enough to turn pretty eyes up and meet the gaze of the male she thought was to have her killed. “I’m not the only Omega under the Dome.”
He put a finger to her chest, tapping it on her breastbone. “And which Omega would replace you?”
“The blonde female was very beautiful. She made you laugh.”
Dry, he quipped, “I was notified that she entered the early stages of estrous this morning. I could pair-bond with her immediately.”
“That…” Brenya blinked, exhaled, then offered, “is convenient. I’m sure you will be happy.”
Scoffing, he shook his head. “You have honestly considered this, haven’t you?” The corner of Jacques’ lips curled, equally pitiless and amused. “I was under the impression that only seasoned wives thought to tell an Alpha male what to do.”
The word wives shut her down. “Will you purr like I asked? I would appreciate it if you started now.”
Anticipating a different reaction from the female, Jacques sighed. On his next breath he did begin to purr. Seeing the small thing’s immediate relief, he reached out, took her face in his hands, and watched her eyelids droop. Smoothing a thumb over her trembling lip, he murmured, “Last night was unpleasant, but I did not intend this to be your reaction.”
He’d been working to inspire jealousy, not fear for her life. The whole show after dinner had been to make her desire him more—the laughing with the females, the prodding of her pride. He should have known better. Brenya Perin was not wired that way.
Instead she had made him insanely jealous—seeing the feed of her talking with the scrawny Beta pushing him past the pale. She had even dared to throw her arms around the man. She had dared to smile when he’d talked.
Perhaps he had overreacted. The earlier meeting with Shepherd had been a blow. Knowing the Dome was under an invisible siege, and that in a very real sense his hands were tied, burned his ego. Brenya’s naiveté and innocence burned him more. “What if I do not desire to terminate you?”
The magic of his purr could not change the look of terror when her eyes flew open. “I don’t want to be given to another Alpha.” Throat, flexing, color draining from her face… Brenya looked on the cusp of being ill. “I can’t imagine another person… on me.”
That appeased him somewhat. “That won’t happen.”
She took a shaky breath, nodding. A tear even dared to fall from her eye. “What is going to happen to me then?”
“You’re going to learn how to handle my temper.” He reached to stroke her hair, purring all the louder. “I’m going to work on choosing my words when I’m angry. And I am still angry… as I am sure you sense. You acted against your best interests today, and I took action to prevent it in the future, but we will discuss that later. Right now we are going to walk back to our nest. I’m going to feed you dinner, and we will relax. And then I am going to mount you. It will be rough. I can’t bring myself to be gentle, because you have been rebellious and I need to see you punished. But I promise you, when you come, your screams will be those of bliss, not pain.” He set his lips to her forehead, pulling his sweet, unyielding mate into his arms. “Tonight, you will learn the difference between rape and discipline.”
Her scent changed, fear fading into something hinging closer to excitement. “Will you sleep in the nest when you’re done with me?”
“I promise my knot will be inside you. There may be very little sleep, though. I intend to be thorough for both our sakes.”
Sweat matted her hair to her head, Brenya unable to catch her breath.
Looming over her, the Alpha glared down, an expression of perfect violence playing off the joy of his conquest. “What did you learn?”
That he could do so much more to her than she knew. Moaning as her insides throbbed, Brenya grimaced, unable to speak.
He tweaked her nipple pulling it upward until her ribcage bowed. He smiled. “What did you learn, mon chou?”
It should have hurt, a great many of the things he had done to her had… but it did not. Not anymore. When he released the puckered flesh, and took its twin to offer the same treatment, she swooned.
Soft, timbre exceedingly gentle, Jacques said, “You are more beautiful in this moment than I have ever seen you.”
Lashes parting, she found his blurred form glowed. Dreamlike waves of warmth moved over her weighted limbs. She tried to move them, having forgotten he had chained her to the bed.