Rough Read online

  I had the room to myself and I nervously licked my lips.

  I wanted to feel what he’d made me feel again, that moment of bliss that had left my body languid and sated.

  With a bit more boldness, I pressed the flats of my fingers more firmly against my clit just like he had done. I slid them up and down as my core began to simmer with an urgent sense of arousal. It was so intense that it caught me by surprise. My pussy clenched as my fingers worked my clit even more fervently. The more I touched myself, the braver I became until I felt the once familiar sensation of pleasure coursing through my veins.

  My thighs began to tremble and even though I bit my lip, I couldn’t help it as soft cries of need escaped my throat. My nipples pebbled tightly, and my other hand slipped beneath my dress to toy with them, squeezing and pinching them lightly enough to send myself into a frenzy. My fingers danced along my clit, circling faster and faster as I approached the edge of bliss.

  My back arched against the soft chair and I moaned, pressing harder until I was close enough that I could taste it.

  My thoughts flashed to the memory of his fingers between my thighs, of his palm branding my bare backside and my needy pussy and then of those same fingers pressing deep into my flesh and my orgasm burst over me.

  White-hot ecstasy rippled through me and gripped me so tightly that it ached. I keened, but my fingers didn’t slow. Every muscle in my body tensed hard and I could feel my inner walls gripping greedily at empty air. I ground my hips into my fingers and cried out even louder as tendrils of scalding pleasure coursed up and down my limbs. My toes curled and I pinched my nipples even more firmly as I dragged out every moment of my orgasm that I could.

  When my release finally began to fade, I slowly explored myself. There was even more slick dripping from my body and even though I’d come once, I only felt partially sated, unlike before. Tentatively, I reached between my thighs once more and pressed against my clit. With my touch, my desire returned with a vicious ferocity and it wasn’t long before I wanted to come again.

  I made myself come several times and by the time I managed to pull my hand away, I finally felt satisfied. My heart was pounding in my chest and for several minutes, I simply breathed and gathered myself. When I was ready, I padded into the bathroom and prepared a bath.

  I languished in the hot water for at least an hour, maybe two, before I climbed into bed. I slept hard that night and didn’t wake once.

  For the next several days, Magnar visited me in the evenings. He brought me the painting supplies I requested and sometimes he sat in silence watching me paint. Occasionally he would bring gifts such as a jeweled necklace or a ring or books about whatever subject I told him interested me. With each visit, I could feel the tension between us growing more palpable and every night after he left, I would touch myself and orgasm while thinking about him. I tried to think of anything else, but my thoughts ultimately always turned back to him.

  One night, he brought with him a set of paints and I begrudgingly took them. I was feeling so incredibly frustrated, both with my uncontrollable arousal and my captivity within this room that I snapped at his kindness. I couldn’t help myself.

  “Why do you visit me like this? Is it so that you can feel less guilty for holding me prisoner?” I spat and he appraised me with a cold stare. His jawline tensed and he crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Do you not enjoy yourself? I spoil you with gifts, omega. Other kings would use you and cast you aside without a second glance. Some would even have you killed,” he answered harshly, but it did nothing to stem the frustration rolling inside me. I felt jittery and apprehensive. His presence was doing nothing but making me feel terribly unsettled. I wanted him to leave so I could touch myself. I wanted him to leave so that he didn’t know.

  My thighs quivered and a droplet of slick rolled down my right inner thigh. I fisted my hands at my sides and turned away from him, wanting to smell anything but the delicious scent of the incredibly handsome alpha here in my room with me.

  He cleared his throat and I swallowed anxiously. I glanced back at him, unable to tear my eyes from his massive hands.

  “I know what you do when I leave you, omega. I can smell the intoxicating aroma of your slick from my bedroom down the hall,” he growled, and I shivered with shame. I hadn’t realized that my chambers were located so close to his.

  “I’ve heard the sounds you make. I’ve heard you scream my name when you come, Ariana.”

  I blanched.

  I took several steps away from him and refused to look at him because then he would be able to see how beet red my face was with embarrassment.

  “Get out,” I demanded.

  “This is my castle, omega, and I will go wherever I please,” he answered.

  My core pulsed with want. I hated that I wanted to fuck the bastard at the same time that I wanted to knee him in the balls.

  For a long while, he was silent as he studied me. I stood there anxiously. Would he lash out at me? Would he beat me for my insolence?

  “Come. Why don’t we take a walk in the castle gardens? Perhaps you need some fresh air,” he said. My gaze flicked down to his big hands as they flexed, and I fidgeted a bit anxiously as I recalled how much it had hurt when he’d bent me over that table and made an example of me in front of everyone watching.

  Another droplet of slick rolled down my thighs. If he could sense it, he didn’t let it show and for that I was grateful. He offered me his arm and I refused to take it. I didn’t want to touch him because I was afraid of what I might do.

  “That sounds nice. Why don’t you lead the way?” I replied gently. Maybe he was right. I hadn’t left that room for some time and perhaps not being contained by four walls would clear my head.

  His visits had been a welcome change at first, but with every one, my need was growing stronger. It was difficult to be so close to him and not to touch him and it was even harder to handle his hands not reaching out to touch me. At this point, I would almost welcome a hard spanking over his knee just to feel his fingers on my skin. My pussy clenched down hard at the thought and I couldn’t ignore how much wetter I was just by thinking about it.

  “Please?” I asked.

  His face softened.

  “Follow me, Ariana,” he murmured quietly, and I did. He opened the door for me and walked out. I fell behind him, making sure to study the route we walked in case I needed it in the future and once he opened the door into the gardens, I took a long moment to observe my surroundings. I painted a look of awe on my face, but I was really looking for escape routes and anything else of interest that might be able to help me sometime soon.

  We were on the ground floor. A tall stone wall surrounded the gardens that appeared to be scalable. I had climbed something like it in the past and if I had to, I could do it again. There were several trails and benches that meandered through patches of wildflowers and all manner of other beautiful flowers. I knew much about medicinal herbs that could be used to treat a wound or aid an upset stomach, but I didn’t know much about the ornamental ones growing here.

  There was a sentry posted on top of each wall, but they didn’t appear to be particularly observant and if I looked closely, it looked like the two on the right had fallen asleep standing up. The sun was low on the horizon and a long shadow was cast across the gardens. With a clear sky overhead and an open space around me, I felt so much freer than I had before. I took a deep breath, and a sense of relaxation came over me. Outside of the confinement of that room, his scent wasn’t as strong, and I found that I was able to get a handle on my instincts once again. With a sigh, I forced myself to focus on my mission once more.

  I had to understand Magnar’s role better. I knew he was a Cult member, but I couldn’t yet get a read on him. In the privacy of my chambers, he’d been nothing but kind. He’d given me gifts, brought me even more books to read, and had ensured that the kitchens would provide me with whatever food I wanted. He’d been so different from the alp
ha I’d met that first day. At the beginning, I had thought him a ruthless bastard. I was starting to question that initial impression of him the more time we spent together, so much so that I didn’t know what to think anymore.

  I took another deep breath and shook off the tension I’d felt so strongly before.

  “This is so beautiful. The stars are so bright tonight,” I said softly. It was as if it was a token peace offering and he took it graciously.

  “Indeed, they are,” he answered. His tone was ambiguous. I’d have to give a bit more if I wanted him to open up to me.

  “Sometimes when I look up at the sky, it reminds me of how very big the world is out there,” I said.

  “So full of possibilities,” he answered, and my heart leapt with hope.

  “Have you always lived here in Kingsworth?” I asked.

  “I grew up outside the city walls in a small village far from here, but I’ve lived here so long that I don’t remember much of anything about it,” he answered.

  “Someplace in the wilds? Another city?” I pressed.

  “I remember a place built right into the mountains. The views from the cliff sides were beautiful,” he murmured.

  “Were you born there?”

  “I was,” he replied.

  “Your mother and father? Family? Are they still out there?” I turned my face toward his. As much as my questions were to further my mission, I found myself curious. I actually wanted to get to know him.

  “I have no family. They died long ago in battle. I was too young to remember them,” he answered. His voice had softened.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  Someone nearby cleared his throat and the two of us visibly stiffened. I turned my head to see a man sitting on a bench in the corner of the gardens. He was wearing dark colors and when he leaned forward, I saw the silver flash of his necklace against his chest. It was a fist emblem, a mark that signified the hand of the king.

  “Neegan,” Magnar greeted.

  “King Magnar,” the man answered, bowing his head with respect. His eyes were dark in the moonlight, but he didn’t really look my way. Instead, he seemed more intently focused on the king. “Taking your omega out for a walk?”

  “Yes. She’s been remarkably well behaved for me these past few days, so I thought I should reward her,” he replied. Magnar’s voice had noticeably hardened. I chanced a glance in his direction, noticing that his jawline had tensed and his body language had stiffened markedly. It was as if he was a snake readying himself to strike.

  I stepped away slightly in defense. I didn’t respond to his remark, thinking it would be best not to provoke him even though I wanted to.

  “Keep her on a short leash, my king. It is never advisable to spoil an omega. They’re best dealt with using a very firm hand,” Neegan replied, and I bit my tongue hard.

  “I’ll keep that in mind the next time I remind her who is king,” Magnar answered curtly.

  “From the ancient texts, it seems that sigmas are especially volatile,” Neegan continued.

  “My sigma knows her place,” Magnar replied. “Don’t you?” he asked. His tone had turned especially dangerous and it was then that I knew better than to push him. He wouldn’t hesitate to show off just how much he was ready to make an example of me.

  “Yes, Alpha,” I answered carefully.

  Neegan’s eyes searched mine. They were especially cold.

  “Kneel, omega,” Magnar commanded. I knew better than to argue. Tentatively, I lowered down to one knee and then the other as I stared up into his eyes. What did he want?

  He reached for my face, cupping it with his palm. I tensed slightly as his thumb caressed my cheek. He lifted my chin and gazed into my eyes. His stare was hard and just as cold as Neegan’s. It was as if he’d become a monster and I hardly recognized the man looking back at me. It was so very different from the man he’d been just ten minutes ago.

  “She has such pretty lips, doesn’t she, Neegan?” Magnar began.

  “That she certainly does,” the king’s hand answered boldly.

  Magnar’s thumb grazed along my lower lip. He gripped my chin even more firmly and pushed inside my mouth.

  “So soft and wet,” he whispered and Neegan chuckled knowingly.

  I whimpered, the sound almost silent, but I knew Magnar heard it by the way his lips turned up in a knowing smirk.

  “Open your mouth. I have need of it, omega,” he demanded.

  I narrowed my eyes.

  With his other hand, he casually unbuckled his belt. I swallowed anxiously at the sound of leather sliding against leather, but when he unbuttoned his pants I truly started to grow nervous. Neegan leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees as he watched the two of us.

  I wanted to ask Magnar what he was doing, but I wasn’t brave enough.

  “If you do not obey, omega, perhaps I’ll mark your bare bottom with my belt,” he snarled. His growl twisted something deep inside of me. My body wanted to obey him. My mind did not. I glanced from him to Neegan.

  Magnar was far more dangerous when others were around.

  I begrudgingly opened my mouth while I glared daggers back at him. He picked up on my silent challenge and cuffed my cheek roughly with the seat of his palm. The slap caught me off guard. To be honest, it hadn’t hurt but it wounded my pride far more than I cared to admit.

  “Remember your place, omega,” he warned. He tapped my cheek lightly again and I swallowed every last word that I wanted to say. Instead, I opened my mouth a bit wider, making a show of just how obedient I could be.

  He continued unbuttoning his slacks and when he finally pushed them aside and freed his cock, I sucked in a terrified breath.

  His cock was massive. Long, thick, and impossibly hard, it was as if just the sight of it awoke something deep inside my core. Arousal flared to life inside of me and my pussy clenched tight.

  I’d never taken a man before and taking one like Magnar would undoubtedly hurt. A lot.

  His veins throbbed before my eyes, his blood pumping through his erection and making him even harder for me. In the darkness, his skin was pale, but his cock was an angry purple. I couldn’t take my eyes off it and I squirmed just a little as I imagined what it would feel like thrusting in and out of my body as roughly as he pleased.

  But he didn’t want me like that.

  I forced myself to look away, scared and terrified and aroused all the same.

  “Open wider, omega. Show your alpha just how much you want to take every last inch of his cock inside your pretty throat,” he commanded, and a shiver of submissive desire rattled me from within. My omega nature reared her head and despite the loathing I felt deep in my bones, I opened my lips as wide as I could.

  He thrust forward and dragged the head of his cock along my lips before he slapped the same cheek he’d cuffed with his palm with his cock. For a long moment, I stared at his length in shock, feeling a sense of arousing degradation and throbbing need deep inside me. When I finally pulled myself together and processed what he had done, I wanted to bare my teeth at him, but with Neegan watching I wasn’t brave enough to challenge him so openly.

  I also realized with a deep-seated sense of loathing that I was wetter than ever.

  He’d done that to me. He’d made me this way.

  His cock slid against my tongue for the very first time. The taste of him was bitter and masculine, but as he pressed further into my mouth, I found that my initial reluctance began to fade. There was a strong saltiness that was overwhelming at first, but the muted sweetness that followed was utterly intoxicating. Tentatively, my tongue pressed up against his shaft, exploring him and wanting to taste more of him all at the same time.

  He allowed my hesitant explorations for only so long. The hand that had been holding my chin slid to the back of my head and fisted roughly into my hair. I cried out as he thrust into my mouth, pressing himself further into my throat than I’d been ready for. I gagged hard, unable to control my body
’s natural reaction to try to force him out. I tried to pull back, but his grip on my hair didn’t allow it. I tried to push against his thighs with my palms, but that didn’t seem to make a difference either. Nothing I did stopped his cock from taking my throat and the more I thought about that, the more I began to panic. He started to slowly press in and out of my mouth and with time, I got used to his rhythm. I still gagged, but my fear lessened and I was able to take him even more deeply. My throat opened gradually to his slow thrusts and my panic disappeared altogether.

  I could do this. I could take an alpha’s cock in my mouth.

  His tempo increased and the wet sound of his cock thrusting in and out of my lips made my stomach plummet in shame at the same time that my slick dripped down my thighs. I was wearing a dress, but I was naked underneath it and Magnar knew that.

  I shuddered hard with arousal.

  His thrusts grew harder as his grip on my head tightened. He fucked my face with his cock, and I tried to take back control, but I was fighting a losing battle. The more he slammed in between my lips, the more I realized that I’d never had control in the first place.

  He’d taken it the moment he’d commanded me to get down on my knees.

  He used my mouth as hard as he pleased, not caring that my cheeks were beginning to ache or that my throat was getting sore. If anything, he took my mouth harder because of it. I whimpered around his cock. I swirled my tongue around his length and sucked him as enthusiastically as I could, trying to show him I was willing to play his game and be the dutiful omega in front of other people, but none of it seemed to matter.

  Right now, my mouth was his and he would do with it as he wished.