He touched with intent, lips at her ear as he described how greatly her softness pleased him. Telling her how comfortable her future would be. She would want for nothing. Never go hungry. Never suffer loneliness as he had while waiting to find her.
In time she went limp.
Breath soft at her ear, he asked, “Is that better?”
A raspy croak complained, “I’m hungry.”
“Good.” Her sullen words drew him to hold her a little tighter. “I brought you food I had specially prepared. A gift we might enjoy together before I must depart for duty.”
Chapter 8
Though Esin seemed optimistic with Morgaine’s behavior, Sergeant Uriel continued to press for a rapid and drastic change.
When he had come to see her upon Esin’s retreat, he shared none of the lower-ranking male’s smiles.
One sniff of the nest told a story Esin either failed to notice, or discounted out of pride.
But the astringent sting in the air spoke of much more than fear. It spoke of revulsion, of shame…
Even with direct stimulation, Morgaine failed to respond as expected. He climbed into her nest, unsettled the furs, sniffing often and growled in a ceaseless low hum of displeasure.
Damaged.
He might have muttered it under his breath, but she’d heard.
Maybe she was broken, but better to be broken than a mindless Alpha puppet. Standing where the sergeant had told her to wait, Morgaine watched him grow openly agitated. Before she might earn a lesson, she pleaded her defense. “I did everything he wanted.”
The sergeant’s slipping tolerance was been replaced with antagonism. Snapping his attention from the inadequate nest to her face, his voice came rough, angry and unforgiving. “Not only did he refrain from penetrating you for your comfort, he saw to your pleasure before his own.” Frustrated with her utter unwillingness to allow Corporal Esin to so much as smell the air around her without stinking of fear, impatient with her anger, her pleading, and her disgust, Uriel climbed from the nest, marching forward to stand over her and accuse. “I watched you enjoy it.”
It was uncanny knowing strangers had watched her scream at the top of her lungs, careless of how raw her voice had become when Esin began to rip off her furs. Morgaine had bit and scratched until sound failed her completely. She had cried for her mother when he’d forced open her legs.
The effort was for nothing.
Drawing her arms protectively around her body, Morgaine found she could not meet his gaze. She had felt unseen eyes on her from the first moments in this pretty prison—the lights, the tub, the cold air that would blast about as if there had been a change in the false forest’s wind… the images on the wall. All were coordinated by whomever was tasked with monitoring her.
Her blood like ice, Morgaine said aloud what they all knew, certain every move she made had been projected for strangers to witness all these days of her captivity, “You watched?”
“Of course.” Sergeant Uriel pointed at the artificial view of the forest on the screen that had previously shown the death of Esmerelda and the mating of the estrous-high Omega. “Beyond that wall, many Alphas observe your every move. There is a team in place to regulate your keeping and assure your happiness. Many among them are your suitors who have a legal right to have proof you are honored.”
Honored? If Uriel was frustrated, Morgaine was exasperated.
Love, happiness, safety, joy, pleasure—these words had been barked at her over and over, but never once had she felt any of them in Alpha care. Honor did not exist here.
He wasn’t done. “Furthermore, all mated Omegas are broadcast in their finest moments. How else are Alphas to learn how to please them, care for them, and discipline them where there are so few to go around? Grow accustomed to being watched.”
Amazed these monsters had found another way to shock her, Morgaine’s jaw dropped. “You allow other men to view your mate during...”
Pride swelling his chest, Sergeant Uriel stood tall. He even dared a hit of a smile. “Alphas need release. If they can find pleasure in the same moment I do, then it is my duty to provide it. An undrained Alpha is dangerous.”
“She is comfortable with this?”
“Like you, she has no choice.” He seemed to consider as if the thought had never occurred to him, following with, “I believe she takes delight in doing her duty for both me and the crew.”
Cheeks fiery red as the concept sunk in, she dared to meet the Alpha’s eyes. “Have you asked her?”
“Why would I?”
It was such a flippant reply that Morgaine could not help but snarl, “Because you love her… Because sex is sacred? Because even now I feel as if it was more than Esin who violated me.”