To Seduce an Omega (14 page)

After he’d seen Viola. Just to be near and breathe in her rose-and-lavender essence would make his day. His decade, maybe. The debriefing kept him from her side, but he couldn’t go to her until he’d dealt with the Jilly situation.

Getting out of Jilly’s anaconda embrace would be a good start. He hated that he’d have to hurt her, but he had a chance of something genuine and honest with Viola. He wouldn’t blow that for anything.

Titus’s world would crumble if Viola sent him away. Bad temper and booze had once offered him solace, but without Viola, he had no hope, no future, and no joy. The wildfire of anger and loneliness in his soul would consume him.

The look on Viola’s face when her orgasm hit would live with him forever. She might be inexperienced, but she’d enjoyed her first taste of sex. Maybe he could seduce her with one-on-one loving. No sharing this time. Hell, he’d kill anyone who laid a hand—or a paw—on her.

Jilly released her stranglehold on his waist and blew him a kiss. “Don’t stay away too long.”

By now, the Rock Prowler pack had crept out from their hiding places to stare at Lipstick, the Fae king’s majestic and ever-hungry war dragon.

Titus watched the sway of Jilly’s hips as she walked away and felt…nothing except relief. He turned to King Caleb. “Shall we adjourn into that keep? Believe me, that outer wall’s coming down soon. I’ll find a better use for the place eventually. Or maybe I’ll just demolish it. We can use the bodyguard’s office for now, but come morning, I’m moving my base into the inn until I figure out what’s best.”

King Caleb pressed more gold into the local butcher’s hand. “Keep the meat coming for that dragon. You really don’t want him wandering off and getting into mischief. He’s a destructive devil, especially when he’s hungry.”

Lipstick wrapped his tail around a dead bullock, hoisted it overhead, and dropped it between his jaws.

King Leonidas laughed. “If my Meena hears you dissing Lipstick, you’ll be hopping around in your new frog form.”

Sylvie stopped between the two powerful kings. “Play nice, boys. Where is Meena anyway?”

Leonidas patted the dragon’s flank. “Don’t worry, Lipstick, we’re not staying long. Meena had an emergency to deal with back home—one she’s better placed to deal with than me.”

The dragon keened a miserable cry, folded his rear legs beneath him, and rested his head on front paws. His piercing howl echoed around the market square.

Titus led the various royals inside even though his beasts demanded he rush off to the inn and clear up this mess with Jilly. Then, and only then, would he go to Viola.

Before he’d met Viola, he agonized over the way he’d driven Jilly away. Now he felt guilty because she’d returned.

* * * *

The head of the healers’ guild took one look at Viola’s aura and begged to train her personally. She even insisted on rescheduling the monthly orgy for the very next night. Viola balked at the idea of screwing strangers, but she needed to charge up her powers to grasp the career she craved.

Meena had stared down the healer, looking every inch the Fae queen as she refused to let Viola move into the healers’ village. “King Leonidas will want to spend time with his new half sister. In fact, expect her to only do half duties while the two of them get to know each other.”

The healer didn’t argue, just pursed her lips and left. Viola relaxed, enjoying the rare comfort of an armchair, but Meena grew agitated when Leonidas didn’t return until early evening.

When he finally flashed into the room, Meena flung herself into his arms. “What kept you?”

Oblivious to Viola, he kissed his wife with hungry intensity. Finally, he pulled back. “War plans. We can’t let those sphinxes terrorize the Rock Prowler pack. Titus and a couple of beta wolves are the only ones who have been inside their stronghold, but they’ve only seen their dungeon. Flashing an army into a cell, even one with a broken door, just isn’t practical.”

Viola felt a fleeting pang of jealousy, but just because Titus didn’t want her, didn’t mean she wanted others to be unhappy. She wished she could do more to help, but she’d seen as little of the sphinx stronghold as Titus.

Leonidas frowned but kept his gaze on his wife’s face. “I’ve sent some scouts into Condita—the sphinx homeland—to find that pack’s lair. Not Titus, though. His true-mate’s just turned up again, and he’s itching to claim her. Personally, I think he deserves better, but he stood there, so happy he was stunned. Even a cynic like me wanted to cheer when they kissed, but I hope she sticks around this time.”

Viola thought Titus deserved better too, but the Fates had paired him with Jilly the Rejecter rather than her. Just thinking about him kissing another woman turned Viola’s stomach sour.

Leonidas sat on the sofa and pulled his wife onto his knee. “You should have seen him with his arms around her waist. He looked as though a lightning bolt struck him. Watching the pair of them kiss made me so hot I almost flashed to your side just so I could steal a kiss. So, my lady”—he turned to Viola—”how do you like being Fae rather than Lykae?”

Goose bumps covered Viola’s arms, and she felt as though spiders crawled over her flesh. Even her knee throbbed more than usual. If she could have curled her knees into her chest and hidden in the chair, she would have. All the Fae king’s talk of Titus kissing Jilly felt like a spear thrust in her heart, and she just wanted him to keep quiet or at least change the subject.

Meena glowered at her husband. “Leo, shut up about Titus, and for goodness’ sake, take a proper look at Viola.”

He raised an eyebrow at her snarky tone, turned, and when he spotted Viola, he dropped to one knee at the side of her chair. “You’re safe here, I swear. Take as long as you need to acclimate to our ways. I’m sure Meena’s had the healers examine you. What did they say?”

Such concern from a stranger blindsided Viola. She forced a smile despite the pain stabbing at her heart. “Your healer agreed to train me.”

He rose to his feet and stepped toward Meena. “We can always use another healer.”

Meena sighed. “Leo, look at her aura.”

The Fae king narrowed his eyes and studied her. “Elves’ blood, girl. How did I not see that you’re my half sister?” He snatched her out of the chair and waltzed her around the room. “Welcome to the family.”

When he finally put her down, he shrugged and swaggered to Meena’s side. “Viola, pleased as I am to find you, my subjects consider me cool, calm, and collected. If the Lykae king ever learns how overjoyed I am to find you, I’ll never hear the end of it. I’ve got a reputation to protect. Best we keep my reaction between the three of us. Meanwhile, I might forgive the Rock Prowlers for hurting one of my subjects, but I’ll destroy them for hurting my half sister.”

She laughed and promised it would be their secret. Her newfound half brother’s grin warmed her soul, but her pack didn’t deserve his anger. “Please, leave them be. Some of them were kind despite Zebadiah warning them off. They’ve been through enough.”

Leonidas’s face grew grim. “They haven’t, but for you, I’ll back off. Back to those war plans. We can take those sphinxes down, but our problem’s the children they bragged about to Tansy. God knows what the sphinxes have put the captive she-wolves though, or even if they still survive. Titus impressed me when he dragged his mind from mating Jilly long enough to insist the Rock Prowler pack take them in.”

Viola shut her eyes and shuddered. Titus had impressed her too, but the instant bond she’d felt for him was all one-sided. She’d thought her life sucked before, but the thought of never seeing Titus again left her weeping inside. Still, she’d have felt a million times worse if she’d stuck around and watched him paw his true-mate.

Leonidas slid his arms around his wife’s waist. “He’ll make a great alpha once the mating bond’s in place. Meanwhile, Meena, can you make us some amulets to trap the sphinxes in human form and prevent them from flashing away?”

The Fae queen considered a moment. “I can, but it will take almost everything I’ve got. Any idea how many the Lykae will need?”

Viola yawned. “I’ll do whatever I can to help. Meanwhile, would you mind if I retired to my room? It’s been a very long day, and I didn’t get much sleep locked in the sphinxes’ dungeon.”

Instantly, her thoughts revolved around Titus and the way he’d lapped at her cunt. She tingled deep inside, and she wanted him to screw her all over again. Preferably daily. When his cock had slipped inside her, her world had refocused, but knowing he preferred Jilly to her ripped the heart out of Viola’s chest.

“Go get some rest,” Leonidas dismissed her.

As Viola left the room, she heard her newly discovered half brother tell Meena, “Titus looked like he’d been poleaxed when he spotted Jilly. You should have seen how close he held her. It’s always good to see true-mates come together, but it will be a long time before I forget what that woman put him through. I’m pretty sure King Caleb felt the same, but we kept our mouths shut.”

Viola scurried toward her room as fast as her aching knee would let her. The joint locked and almost sent her crashing to the floor. She leaned on the wall, caught her breath, then inched down the corridor like a tortoise with a limp. When she reached her room, she cried enough tears to fill a lake.

She pictured Titus chained to the cell wall with his erection poking up so far it could have put out his eye. She wished she’d taken the time to explore his dick. Tasted it, maybe, but they’d been on the clock. In her daydream, she smiled up at him when he came to her, stripped her naked, and spread her legs wide over the bed.

She bunched up her skirt, rolled onto her belly, and slid her fingers into her cunt, massaging her clit until it wept for sex. She’d wanted forever in his arms, not one night of stolen bliss.
Not happening. I’m not his true-mate, remember?

Even as she accepted Titus would never be hers, she pictured him tasting her pussy as she sucked on his cock. He’d taste strong and clean with a hint of herbs and spices.

Facedown on the bed, she sobbed until her chest ached and her eyes turned bloodshot. She couldn’t drag her thoughts from Titus and how good she’d felt with his cock inside her. There hadn’t been much pleasure in her life so far, but she already knew nothing would ever top last night.

Lost in her daydream, she ran her fingers around her clit. Pleasure shot through her, making her rotate her hips faster as she applied more pressure. She pictured Titus’s fingers making her pussy damp. Her breathing quickened, and in her daydream, she swirled her tongue up and down his penis. Maybe she’d lap precum from the tip before running her tongue in long, languorous strokes down the length of him.

She regretted not doing just that, especially since Tansy had suggested it, but it was too late now. In Viola’s daydream, he groaned as she licked harder before he teased her clit with his tongue. Instead she applied a steady pressure with her fingers.

As she slid two fingers inside her pussy, she homed in on her G-spot. Normally, when she masturbated, she just rubbed on her clit. After loving Titus so completely, she needed to touch herself deep inside. Within seconds, she hovered on the brink of orgasm.

Eyes closed, her breathing quick and unsteady, she stroked her other hand though her damp cunt. She came in a torrent of hot honey and stifled moans but still ached to have Titus inside her again.

Chapter Fourteen

Titus sat through the makeshift war cabinet, determined to rescue as many she-wolves and their cubs as possible. Losing even one of them would be a tragedy. For a man who’d had no dreams or roots, the depth of his bond to the Rock Prowlers’ pack amazed him.

The welfare of every member concerned him. It was a stain on the on the Rock Prowlers’ pride that those cubs had never known their home or their pack. For the first time in over a century of loneliness and pain, he cared about something other than his absent mate.

His thoughts constantly turned to Viola. No matter how much he needed to find her and grovel, he’d have to sort things out with Jilly first. The meeting couldn’t finish quickly enough for him. Finally, King Leonidas hurried to his war dragon and took to the skies.

King Caleb laughed as he slid his arms around Queen Sylvie’s waist. “He doesn’t like being away from Meena. So, Sugar Plum, where did Jilly spring from?”

Sylvie leaned into his embrace. “I don’t like being away from you for long either. Jilly just wandered into the great hall a couple of minutes after you left, and demanded to see Titus. I knew he’d be pleased, so rather than waste time, I took her to the Fae court with me and left her with the seamstresses while I filled in Leonidas. Once he and Meena realized you had an abused Fae woman here, they called for Lipstick and an escort of war dragons while I grabbed Jilly and brought her along. Anyway, Titus, why are you still here? Don’t you have a life mate to claim?”

King Caleb grinned at Titus over the top of Sylvie’s head. “Actually he might be the first Lykae ever to have two. Didn’t you say something about a hedgewitch?”

“Just one. And her name’s Viola, not Jilly,” Titus growled. He stomped toward the inn, determined to end this farce with Jilly. Behind him, the Lykae king and his queen flashed away.

Titus hesitated outside the inn. Telling Jilly he no longer lived to mate her took more courage than facing down Zebadiah’s massive army. He’d rather fight a thousand battles, but he took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The drinking hall had dark corners and an unlit fireplace. The far wall of frosted glass let in light from the inner courtyard. The drinking hall was deserted, but he’d planned to take Jilly into the private office and explain there was nothing left between them. When he stepped into the courtyard, it felt wrong that the scent of roses and lavender filled the place—a scent that reminded him of Viola.

Iris bounded toward him and flung her arms around his waist. “Don’t be angry that we’re here. Fleur insisted that without Pops to protect us, those thugs might turn on us. Did you save Viola? She’s not hurt, is she? Is she back at her hut?”

Titus grinned down at her. “Actually, Viola saved the rest of us, but I haven’t seen her since Daniel and Tansy flashed her home. She’s my next port of call, but I need to see the lady who accompanied Queen Sylvie first.”