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  When I made it all the way to the other side, I stopped for a long few minutes just to listen to the rustling of the grasses and the flowing water of the river. I didn’t hear any signs of anyone else, including the Valgerthian warrior who was likely very displeased with my disappearance. The depth of the cave should have been enough to dampen my scent, but I couldn’t be sure. The stars glimmered overhead, tiny beacons of light that lit up the sky just enough to make the outline of the trees visible to the naked eye. I dug back into my bag and found the knife I’d packed in case I ran into trouble. I pulled it out and kept it at the ready, hoping I wouldn’t find a need to use it this day.

  With a final sigh, I climbed out of the cave and moved hesitantly down the riverbank. My footsteps were silent in the sand. Ever cautious, I kept to the dark shadows, thankful for the dark color of my cloak once again. My heart pounded a hair too loudly and I hoped that no one would be able to hear it. I found myself missing the enclosed safety of the cave and began walking more swiftly in hopes that I could make it back home before I was found.

  For a while, everything but the sounds of nature was silent around me. Now that I was certain of my location, I followed the river until the glowing city lights of Ravenrath came into view. I started to run. I was close enough now that I threw caution to the wind and sprinted toward the familiar place I had once very reluctantly called home.

  Significant portions of the wall had been rebuilt. There were only a few small sections still in the process of reconstruction, but it appeared that the Cult had spared no expense in the design of the city’s defenses. The walls were at least another story taller and looked to be built with at least double the thickness than they had been before. They would be much harder to break through if anyone came to attack the city again. The walls would be a formidable fortification that could hold off countless enemies for days, weeks, or perhaps even months. They would make Ravenrath a fortress.

  With the city looming in my sights, I focused on my end goal. I sprinted hard, thinking of how it would feel to have my daughter in my arms once again.

  From the side, a dark form emerged out of the woods, running just as fast, if not faster than I was. I squeaked in surprise and before long, the person was pacing me until they were just close enough to reach out and touch me. I tried to identify the scent of them on the air, but the wind was blowing toward my face and gave nothing away as to who was behind me.

  It could be a member of the Cult, tasked with capturing me and torturing me in order to learn what role I had to play in the sacking of Ravenrath to Queen Freya.

  He cleared his throat. I knew he was a man at least.

  I ran harder and faster, putting my all into it, but it wasn’t enough. A single hand reached out and grasped the back of my neck firmly enough to almost jerk me backwards. He slowed down, forcing me to a halt with him and I prepared myself to fight. I swallowed anxiously and squeezed my fingers around the handle of the blade in my palm. Quickly, I spun around while his hand still held the back of my neck and I lifted my own blade swiftly enough to press the sharpened edge against the vulnerable skin of his throat. I held it there firmly enough so that a small drop of blood edged at the tip of the knife, a silent warning that I wouldn’t hesitate to kill him should he make any sudden moves against me.

  His hood was pulled just low enough that I couldn’t see his eyes, but when the low sound of his chuckle met my ears, a soft pulsing sensation in my body alerted me to his identity.

  Vikar. I should have known.

  “How’d you find me?” I whispered with annoyance.

  “The cave you used was an old military tunnel from the Great War. I know these lands like the back of my hand, little omega. Very little would surprise me,” he answered carefully. His hood fell back just enough to reveal those haunting silver eyes and I bit my lip in surprise. “You’re a very resourceful little thing. A true omega.”

  “What do you want from me?” I sneered, pushing the knife more firmly against his throat. He didn’t even falter and I rolled my upper lip in irritation.

  “Everything,” he replied softly.

  “I will give you nothing,” I retorted.

  “You will, little Luna. It is only a matter of time,” he said darkly, and a shiver raced down my spine. His fingers tightened almost imperceptibly at the back of my neck, and I stiffened. “Most of all, I want to know why you’re so insistent on returning to Ravenrath. Why would you truly want to return to the place where you experienced so much cruelty at the hands of an alpha that didn’t deserve an omega like you?”

  “I told you, I have to rescue my maid,” I replied quickly.

  “No. I don’t think that’s the reason. I think you’re hiding something else behind those pretty eyes of yours and I will find out what that is, no matter what it takes,” he whispered gently. I sucked in a nervous breath, keeping my expression steady and as emotionless as I could. I’d tell him nothing. I had far too much to lose if I did.

  “I won’t tell you anything,” I spat.

  “I promise you that you will,” he said firmly.

  “What are you going to do? Beat me? Slap me across the face and leave bruises all over my body like Thranar did?” I scoffed. He didn’t move and I didn’t back off either.

  “No. I’d never do such a thing. A real alpha doesn’t need to use such horrific tactics to remind their omegas of their proper place,” he whispered. He sniffed the air and I took a step backwards. “It won’t be long now. Soon, you’ll realize what’s happening and I’m very much looking forward to that exact moment when you truly understand what’s about to take place.”

  I gritted my teeth. What the fuck could he mean?

  His hand fell away from my neck and returned to his side. I swallowed nervously.

  “I want you to know that I am your ally, Luna. I’d never hurt you and all I want to do is keep you safe,” he added, imploring me to succumb to his wishes.

  I wouldn’t fall for it. I had to remain strong and escape him so that I could return to protect my daughter. She was far more important than whatever this was between him and me.

  “I don’t believe you. For all I know, you plan to kill me yourself,” I replied. There was a tiny part of me that wanted to believe him, and it was growing strong enough so that it was becoming extremely difficult to ignore. I knew he was a different kind of alpha, but that didn’t mean that his intentions weren’t wicked in nature. I didn’t know him well enough to truly judge the kind of man he was. At the end of the day, he was still an alpha. He had instincts too, which included forcing me flat on my back so that I could take his knot.

  Either way, I had to get away, no matter what he had planned for me. My child’s life depended on it. I swallowed heavily, knowing what I had to do.

  He had to die.

  With a shriek, I lurched forward and slashed the knife across his throat, intending to cut deep into him and end his life. What I didn’t expect was for him to be ready for exactly that. He arched backwards, completely escaping the bite of my blade. At the same time, his right leg swooped forward and swept me off my feet so that I fell forward into his waiting arms. I squeaked in surprise when his fingers caught my wrist and wrenched it backwards just enough to cause a flash of agony to burst up my arm. The knife clattered to the ground, bouncing off a rock. I gasped at that ominously loud clang in the silence of the night. For a long moment, I just stared at the glint of the blade in the dirt in disbelief and he pulled me in close to his chest, imprisoning me with his arms against my will.

  This couldn’t be real. I prayed to the gods that it wasn’t.

  “Shh, little omega. It will be alright,” he whispered, and I felt my legs go weak. I didn’t know if I was afraid or numb or even worse than all of that, aroused by the presence of his alpha. I didn’t even want to think about the fact that it could be desire.

  “It won’t,” I spat. I pushed against him, but his arms were too tight around my shoulders, his scent too strong as it surrounded
me. Woodsy spices that spoke of ginger and nutmeg lulled me into a false sense of security while jasmine and citrus aromas circled around me, lighting my core aflame with unwanted desire.

  I told myself it was just because he was an alpha. There couldn’t be any other reason other than that. I would refuse to believe it.

  “Why would you say that, omega? You’re safe with me and once we can return to Valgertha, I will send word to ensure that your maid is rescued as well,” he answered carefully, and I could tell that he was doing his best to keep his curiosity at bay.

  I bit the inside of my cheek hard, refusing to say anything more.

  He cleared his throat, giving me several seconds to answer and when I didn’t, his expression hardened with suspicion.

  “I was gentle with you before, Luna, although you may find it hard to believe. If you do not talk to me, I will have to punish you far more firmly than that,” he said darkly.

  “I don’t owe you anything,” I exclaimed, trying to push back against his chest so that I could earn my freedom once again. I put everything into it, but it was like pushing against a rock wall. He didn’t even move an inch and I screeched in frustration.

  “I will give you this one warning, little omega. Should you not heed my instructions, you will be punished until you’re sore and sobbing and ready to tell me your story. For running from me again, you already earned another session over my knee. It is up to you now whether it will end with your bare little bottom thoroughly striped from my belt or with all the tender places on your body welted from the end of a switch,” he threatened. I tensed in his arms and pushed harder.

  “I won’t tell you anything. Let me go right now, you alpha bastard,” I spat.

  He sighed loudly and a jolt of fear simmered deep within my belly.

  “By the time I’m through with you, little omega, you’re going to tell me everything,” he said, so incredibly sure of himself with every word. His voice had deepened with his own excitement. There was little doubt in my mind that he was aroused too.

  “Do your worst, Vikar,” I dared him. This time, I didn’t even try to hold back the snarl that escaped my lips. Any time an omega growled at an alpha, it was a direct challenge.

  I expected him to strike me in anger. Instead, he did the exact opposite of that.

  He held me even tighter and then he purred.

  My body pulsed with unexpected sensation and I gasped at the sudden unprecedented intensity of passionate need within me. I froze, feeling my core clamp down hard. It twisted and turned with an initial burst of pain before a much more powerful warmth blossomed across my belly, traveled to the tips of my fingers, and made my toes curl.

  I panted in shock, trying to quell the desire that had been seemingly unleashed with that single all-consuming sound.

  I’d never heard any alpha make that noise before.

  I’d never felt it either.

  “Don’t do that,” I whispered, my voice very clearly straining with the effort to contain my unanticipated arousal.

  He did it again and my legs tingled. My desire swelled forward, bathing every single nerve in my body in a blanket of ever-firing electricity that left me feeling hot and needy in a matter of seconds. I tried to push it away. I tried to think of my daughter, and for a moment it worked. I felt the warmth ebb away the tiniest bit, but he purred for a third time. It was louder this time and went on for far longer than either time before.

  I was utterly defenseless under its power. No matter how many times I tried to picture my daughter’s face after that, nothing could overcome the overwhelming desire inside me that had seemingly answered to Vikar’s call.

  A powerful cramp nearly doubled me over and I pressed my fingers against my belly in hopes to calm the raging storm that was brewing to life inside me. The longer it roared from within, the more I began to fear it would never go away. Soon, I would realize that I was right.

  As I struggled to bear the weight of the arousal inside me, he wound his arms around my waist, lifting me up and tossing me over his shoulder. Without hesitation, he carried me off into the woods and away from the city of Ravenrath.

  And away from my daughter.

  Chapter Five

  Luna

  Vikar carried me some distance into the forest until we happened upon a small clearing lit by the light of the moon high overhead. Slung over his shoulder, I kicked and punched at him in an effort to force him to let me go, but my protests went unheeded. He said nothing at all, and I wasn’t quite sure if his silence was worse than if he was threatening me with whatever sordid punishment he had in mind. When he finally swung me off of his shoulder and placed my feet back down on the ground, I made an effort to run but he was ready for my hasty attempt at escape. He grasped my wrist firmly in his fingers and unhooked a long rope from his belt. Swiftly, he lashed my wrists together and flung the rope over a branch that hung at least two feet above me. He grabbed the other end and pulled it hard enough to string me up so that I had to balance on the tips of my toes in order to not fall over. I whimpered softly when the precariousness of my position washed over me.

  I wouldn’t be able to defend myself. I was helpless before him.

  I was relieved enough to realize that the rope was soft, but my heart beat anxiously all the same. I didn’t know what he had planned for me, which only seemed to strengthen the arousal burning through my veins. I bit my lip, watching as he circled around me like a predator about to pounce on his prey. He cocked his head to the side and pulled a long knife out of a leather sheath at his belt. I quivered in my bonds, staring at him boldly and pretending like I wasn’t afraid even though I was terrified.

  “Such a defiant little thing. Willing to directly challenge an alpha all in the hopes of getting back to Ravenrath again, almost as if you have unfinished business there. What do you have planned back in the city, Luna? What do you need to return for so badly?” he questioned cautiously.

  I sneered back at him.

  “I won’t admit anything to you,” I spat.

  His silver eyes met mine, confident and cocky and far too fucking arrogant. My upper lip curled, and he reached for me. Expecting him to slap me across the face, I flinched, and he hummed in dissatisfaction at my instinctual reaction.

  “I will never hurt you like that, Luna,” he said softly. He cupped my cheek and traced his thumb along my lower lip. I still half expected some sort of retribution, but the longer his palm pressed against my face, the more I realized that he wasn’t going to hurt me that way. The way he held me was comforting. The roughness of his skin on mine made my body pulse with need. I hated that it did.

  I didn’t even notice that he positioned the knife at the cusp of my breasts and slowly traced it down against my flesh until it caught the edge of my blouse. His movements were light, and the blade never cut my skin, not even once. Carefully, he dragged it down further and the awful sound of ripping fabric finally alerted me to his intentions. I tried to sway my body out of the way, but I quickly lost my footing only to have his arm loop around my waist and hold me steady.

  “What are you doing?” I asked in a panic.

  He paused and I found my balance once again.

  “You ran from me again, Luna. Now you have to be punished,” he explained, and I sucked in a nervous breath.

  “But why are you cutting off my clothes?” I pressed, trying to delay the inevitable.

  “I think baring this beautiful body completely will make this punishment far more effective, little omega. It will also very thoroughly remind you of your place before me,” he explained, before he continued to shred my shirt with his knife.

  “Just put me over your knee, spank me, and get it over with,” I sneered.

  “Oh, no, little Luna. You’ve earned a much firmer lesson than just a simple spanking with my hand,” he said darkly, his tone dropping several decibels in warning. My stomach dropped precipitously, and a soft keening sound escaped my lips. I clamped them back together and tried to be brave,
even in the face of an alpha that was more than ready to subdue me.

  “Don’t you dare touch me,” I threatened.

  “The more you fight me, the harder this is going to be for you,” he said.

  “Fuck you,” I spat.

  He didn’t say anything at all. He just stared me down and finished cutting through my shirt with his blade. Meticulously, he gripped the fabric and sliced it into strips, baring my upper torso in the process. Deftly, he made quick work of the thick fabric of my pants until I was stripped down to my bra and panties in front of him.

  I did my best to show as little emotion as possible, but my nipples were beginning to harden underneath the thin cloth of my bra and my panties were impossibly wet. Strung up before him like this, I had never felt more beautiful and vulnerable in my life. Even though he had plans for me, the way his eyes swept across the expanse of my flesh made me feel sexy and wanted despite all the scars that marred my skin. He didn’t look upon them with sadness or anger; instead he marveled at each one like they were a token of my strength rather than a brand of my captivity.

  The knife slipped in between my breasts. Carefully, he flicked it back toward him and cut straight through the connector of my bra as if it was a sheet of paper. My breasts bounced free, heavy and full of desire, but he left them untouched. With deliberate intentions, he decimated the bra straps and pulled the destroyed undergarment free from my body, leaving my upper half entirely bare to his view. I shivered and my nipples hardened visibly. His gaze dropped to look at them and returned to mine. He didn’t say anything at all, but I knew that he had seen the evidence of my body’s betrayal, and I bit my lower lip, trying to rein in the raging blush that was surely turning my face scarlet even in the moonlight.

  My heart pounded noisily in my chest and I prayed that he couldn’t hear that each beat was growing faster and louder than the last.