To Seduce an Omega (13 page)

Caleb’s jaw dropped. “You and a Fae? What happened to Jilly being your one and only?”

Titus’s top lip curled. “I guess I came to my senses, or the Fates blessed me with a second chance. There is no bond left between me and Jilly, but me and my Viola are going to make sweet music, if she’ll have me. I’ll go where she goes, do whatever it takes, but I will make her mine. I never expected a second chance, but even my wolves accept her as my mate. The bottom line is she makes me smile, and I’d forgotten how good that feels.”

Caleb clapped Titus on the back. “I’m glad to hear it. Then maybe you should consider the alpha role as a temporary assignment. If you persuade her to have you and she wants to move on, then we’ll have a rethink.”

Already drawn to the Rock Prowler pack and their land, Titus nodded. He needed to fix the damage Zachariah had done, but Viola’s happiness mattered more than pack.

Caleb squinted into the sunshine. “Damn it, that looks like a wing of war dragons heading this way. You’d better stick around and answer Leonidas’s questions.” He looked around and scowled. “One of your first tasks as alpha should be to get rid of that stupid wall around Zebadiah’s great hall.”

Titus forced himself to make a show of compliance, but his wolves howled and demanded he flash off to Viola’s hut and claim her. Hell, even in human form, he wanted to throw back his head and howl for his mate.

Above them, the lead dragon swooped and glided as it circled the marketplace. Finally it landed in the center of the market square, curled up like a dog, and rested its heads on its paws.

King Caleb beckoned one of the spectators forward. “That blasted red dragon’s permanently hungry. Arrange for a couple of wagons of fresh meat, and be quick. Here.” He dug in his pocket and pulled out a handful of golds. “Use this, and let Titus know if it costs more. I’ll settle any debts later.”

Leonidas, King of the Fae, leaped from the dragon’s back, then helped a slender woman with rainbow-streaked hair to the ground. He stole a quick kiss, then stalked to King Caleb’s side. “Where’s the Fae woman? And who dares abuse one of my subjects?”

Before either Titus or King Caleb could answer, two more dragons swooped in low, giving their passengers a clear view of the Prowlerville central square. Two women flashed from their backs and landed in the marketplace. One, Queen Sylvie, ran straight to King Caleb’s open arms, but Titus’s jaw dropped when he recognized the second.
Jilly? Here? What the fuck?

When she stepped toward him, her smile frayed a little around the edges. “Titus? Thank heavens. I’ve been such an idiot, and it’s taken me over eighteen months to come to my senses. I’m here to make things right between us if you’ll still have me.”

Jilly took his silence as an invitation, fastened her arms around his neck, and smiled up at him. Her momentum almost knocked him from his feet. Rather than roll about on the cobbles with her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and braced himself to stay upright.

VIOLA STOOD IN the comfortable apartment above Daniel’s general store and watched the proceedings in the square. She’d bitten her lip and suppressed a scream when Zebadiah’s private army surrounded Titus. When King Caleb ordered Zebadiah’s goon squad to kneel, she’d struggled to stay standing. Like many Lykae in the vicinity, Daniel and Tansy had fallen to their knees.

Viola had cheered when Titus had closed his jaws around Zebadiah’s throat, then gasped at the former alpha’s treachery. Her eyes opened wide, and her mouth formed a perfect O when the war dragon landed. Now she wept as Titus stood immobile in the marketplace, an inane grin fixed on his face as he clamped his arms around another woman’s waist.

For a while, Viola had hoped she could be part of Titus’s life. Dreamed of it, really, but her dreams crumbled to dust as she watched him with this other woman. Her shoulders shook, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Behind her, she heard the door open and close. Her friends must have decided to give her some room to grieve.

An unfamiliar female voice startled her. “It’s all right, you know. Neither Leonidas nor I will let anyone hurt you.”

Viola spun on her good leg. She sniffed back tears and faced the rainbow-haired dragon rider who stood behind her. “Do I know you? And how did you find me, anyway?”

The woman grinned. “I’m Meena, Queen of the Fae. I’m also the most powerful witch out there. Oh, yes, and my father’s the Vampire king. Don’t worry. I sound grander than I am. My true-mate’s the Fae king, and he asked me come when he heard you’d been abused.”

Viola glanced over her shoulder and shuddered. Titus still hadn’t moved, but the woman had wrapped herself around him like an anaconda. Viola hoped he’d be happy and that things would work out better for him and his true-mate this time around. He deserved that, but it left a hole in Viola’s chest where her heart should be. Her head ached, and she prayed she didn’t throw up.

As she turned back to face Meena, an unnatural calm descended on Viola. “It seems like forever ago. I thought Zebadiah was my father back then, but I was six years old. All I knew was that my father sent me away and my mother disappeared. I didn’t understand, but that didn’t make it hurt less. Six years later when I hit puberty, I didn’t develop like a normal she-wolf, and he sent his hired killers to dispose of me. They beat me and left me crippled, but I refused to give them the satisfaction of dying.”

Power flashed like a rainbow around Meena. “I assume that’s his body littering the square? Shame. I’d have melted his bones and turned his skin inside out for that.”

Unfamiliar with acceptance or support, Viola stared at the Fae queen. “Thank you. I’d have cheered you on too. I hated him ever since he sent his bullies to burn down the only home I’ve ever really known. Elspeth was the nearest thing to a mother I had, and she died of smoke inhalation in my arms. I can’t prove it, but I think he sent those sphinx things to destroy me last night.”

Meena reached out her hand. “At least there’s nothing to keep you here. Come with me to the Fae palace. You can rest and recover there. I think it’s time someone cosseted you.”

Viola wiped her sleeve over her face and tried to stem her tears. “I’m sorry. It’s just… Well, I’ve just lost something precious, but he wasn’t meant for someone like me.”

The Fae queen’s head jerked up. “He? Not one of Zebadiah’s bodyguard, surely?”

An unexpected giggle rose up inside Viola, but if she gave into it, she might break down completely. Hysteria, she supposed. “Them? Never. My heart belongs to the new alpha, the one in the center of the square with his arms around the woman who arrived on the dragon.”

“Jilly?” Meena asked. “She’s his true-mate, but she’s put Titus through hell. She rejected him and even walked out on her pack, but apparently she’s come to her senses now.”

Viola’s world shattered, but Titus had never promised her future—just a quick
business, not pleasure
fuck in a sphinx cell.

Desperate to comfort Viola, Meena held her close. “You poor thing. Give it time, and you won’t feel so bad. You never know. Some handsome Fae warrior might eventually sweep you off your feet, but take some time to decide what you want out of life first.”

The Fae queen’s words made perfect sense. Viola needed to move on. Without Titus beside her, she’d no reason to stay with the Lykae. Watching him bond with his true-mate would destroy her. “I’d like to train as a healer, but I need to find work first. I have four golds stashed away in my hut, but how much will it cost to buy an apprenticeship?”

Meena laughed. “Healing’s a vocation, and if you have the potential, our healers will train you for free. Truthfully, it’s a hard path, and we can always use another healer. Go say good-bye to your hosts. Then we’ll leave. Better to make a clean break than weep over Titus and his Jilly. Tell your friends you’re leaving and you won’t be back. Of course, they are more than welcome to visit you anytime.”

Viola sought out Daniel and Tansy, hugged them, and cried again. A moment later, she took Meena’s hand, and the Fae queen flashed them away. Viola closed her eyes as the world spun around her, and when she opened them again, she stood in the elegant chamber with sumptuous wall hangings.

Meena sank onto a sofa and pulled Viola down beside her. “Healers are born, not made. I can summon the head of our healer’s guild and have her check out your aura. If you prefer, I can use my sight on you and check you out now.”

Impatient and a little nervous, Viola wanted the examination over and done. “You do it, please. If your healers won’t help, I’ll move on and find someone who will.”

Again the Fae queen held Viola’s hand, and her eyes glazed over. She hissed in a sudden breath, and color drained from her cheeks. “Hell and damnation, Leo’s going to spit blood over this.”

Heart pounding, Viola knew the Fae queen had discovered something shocking in her aura. After living beneath Zebadiah’s harsh rule, she didn’t want to anger the Fae king. “What is it? What did you see? Should I leave now?”

Meena clutched Viola’s hand harder. “Leave? Gods, no! Not now I’ve seen your origins and your family.”

Viola winced. “That bad. I’m so sorry.”

Meena grinned. “Bad? More like amazing. You’re my husband’s half sister. His father was the worst sort of man-whore, and he scattered his seed like a dandelion clock in a gale. Leo’s been trying to track down his siblings for years, but it’s not easy. He’ll be delighted we’ve found you, but he’ll decimate that Lykae pack for standing by and letting you suffer.”

That hysterical giggle threatened Viola’s self-control again, but she felt numb inside. “Then I’ll leave. The Rock Prowlers have suffered enough under Zebadiah’s rule, and they deserve a chance to regroup and regain everything they’ve lost. The only thing I have left is being a healer.”

“And you’ll be a great one,” Meena agreed. “In fact our healers and spell casters will fight to train you. It’s just that healers use up more magic than most. That means they need more sex than the other Fae women to keep their magic strong and work their spells.”

Viola shrugged and hid her distress. Her only sexual experience had been in the cell with Titus. Much as she wanted him, there was no chance of a rerun there.

Unaware of Viola’s distress, Meena kept right on chattering. “You’re probably desperate for sex anyway. Unmated Fae females think of nothing else as they hit their late twenties. It’s nature’s way of ensuring they stay in touch with their magic, I suppose. Anyway, the healer’s masked orgies are popular with our unattached males. It’s no-strings sex for them and a necessary power source for our healers.”

Sex? With some who wasn’t Titus? No way. Besides, he’d be too busy screwing his true-mate to think about Viola. Maybe no-strings sex and a masked orgy were the way forward. It beat staying home and brooding about the love she’d lost—never had, really.

Chapter Thirteen

Titus, the wolf who never backed down from a challenge, froze. He’d wanted Jilly forever, but she’d left him alone in a pile of hurt. For a while, he’d gone freaking insane, but since he’d come to Rock Prowler territory, he’d finally found someone who made life worthwhile—and her name was Viola, not Jilly.

Holding Jilly in his arms should have felt like heaven. Instead he shuddered, and not in a good way. He couldn’t think, couldn’t move for the guilt and confusion. Once he’d regretted driving Jilly away. Now he wished she’d never come back.

Screwing Viola in the prison cell had felt like a betrayal of everything he’d once felt for Jilly. Not that he’d seen much of her. He’d danced to her captor’s tune, just to keep the child he thought would mature into his mate safe. Worse, the woman who kidnapped Jilly still ran free. His thirst for vengeance had evaporated once he met Viola, but he’d see Jilly’s kidnapper punished one day. Standing here, with Jilly clinging onto him like a limpet, disrespected everything he felt Viola.

He prayed Viola didn’t despise him, but his record wasn’t good. He’d insulted her, threatened her livelihood, and unaware of her crippled knee, he’d shoved her to the floor. Then to escape the sphinxes, she’d had to screw him.

Their first time should have been special and private, not spectator sex where others got to fondle her body. Much as Titus had hated seeing anyone’s mouth on Viola’s breasts, he thanked the stars Tansy and Daniel had been there to prepare her virgin body.

Claiming a true-mate meant intermingling love and sex, but he wanted neither with Jilly. The irresistible pull between them had evaporated like a puddle in the scorching midday sun. His inner wolves demanded he flash to Viola’s hut and check she’d arrived home safely. Instead he stared down at Jilly as her lower lip trembled and tears flowed down her cheeks.

Her voice sounded like a stage version of a temptress. “Aren’t you going to kiss me?”

What the hell’s wrong with me? A week ago, she was my world. Now, even thinking of kissing her makes me want to spew
. Because of his disastrous failure with Jilly, he’d been ready to marry the alpha’s daughter—at least he had been until he met her. No bonded male, not even one who hadn’t bitten his partner and completed the mating bond, would have ever considered doing that.

Jilly stared up at him and licked her lips, obviously inviting his kiss. Trapped and miserable, he’d give anything to walk away. Jilly took his lack of response as an affirmation, went up on tiptoe, and brushed her lips against his. Disgusted, his primal wolf howled while his natural wolf turned tail and vanished somewhere deep inside him.

That brief touch of his lips didn’t satisfy Jilly. She moved one hand behind his head, pulled him closer, and shoved her tongue down his throat. Treacherous bastard that he was, he recoiled. His stomach heaved.

King Leonidas grinned and clapped him on the back. “Take it inside, man.”

Queen Sylvie shared a delighted smile with her half brother, the Fae King. “It’s good to see those two together at last. Titus, much as I hate to put a damper on your celebration, your debrief comes before sex—even with your true-mate.”

Titus sighed with relief. “Yes, of course it does. Jilly, there’s an inn just down the road. I’m planning on making it my temporary headquarters. It’s more accessible to the pack than that monstrous great hall, and it isn’t tainted by Zebadiah’s actions.” He beckoned a stallholder over. “Will you show Jilly to the inn and tell them to give her their best room? Jilly, we’ll talk later.”