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  The Omega’s face dropped, and she blinked, her eyes wide. “Oh.”

  Torin leaned back upright in his chair and reached for the parchment he had prepared during lunch. “These are the Alphas that will be available tonight. I have listed the Omegas they have asked to see next to their name. If they are available, we can start today.”

  Victoya paused for a moment, seeming to lose some of her self-assurance, and then nodded slowly, looking down the list. “These Omegas can be free tonight.”

  “Good.” Torin rose abruptly. “I will send instructions for where to bring them.”

  Victoya’s eyes brushed over the list again before raising to meet his. “See you then, Commander.”

  ***

  Torin paced the corridor as he awaited the Omegas. He had allocated each of the Alphas in five small interrogation rooms that were in a row along the corridor. It had been easy to arrange the Alphas, the problem was he had spent most of the afternoon distracted. It seemed that the more he saw Victoya, the more she played on his mind, and the mystery of her presence in the palace as a maid grew more prominent in his thoughts. But he had his orders.

  Just as the sun began to set, a group of five Omegas entered the corridor and made their way toward him, led by Victoya.

  “You will each be allocated time to speak to the Alphas in the rooms,” he began once they had arrived before him. “These are all Alphas that you have requested to see again, and who have requested to see you. In order to come to a decision about him, I highly recommend that you remove your blocks once you feel comfortable enough that you wish to get to know him better. They are aware this may happen and will aim to control themselves; however, there will always be a possible risk to you—it is the only way to determine the true mate pairing.” The Omegas nodded, listening to him carefully. “The rooms are small and contained, with only a table and two chairs,” he continued. “You will be nearest to the door so you will be able to leave at any time that you wish. If any reason you cannot, find some way of letting us know that you are in distress—yell, scream, bang the door, and I will get you out.”

  “I will also be monitoring you magically,” Victoya said, addressing the other Omegas. “If I detect any signs of distress, I will assist you.”

  Torin was surprised at the authoritative tone in her voice but it reminded him that she was in charge of the Omegas, more so than Cailyn, who spent most of her time with her baby.

  He allocated the Omegas the rooms they were to enter, and after a flurry of nervous hugs and murmuring talk with Victoya, they all went to their respective rooms.

  Suddenly it was just him and Victoya in the corridor.

  “How do you intend to assist them magically if they are under distress?” Torin asked her immediately. “This was not discussed in our meeting earlier.”

  Victoya frowned. “If they are not to use their blocks, they need another type of magical protection. It makes sense for me to take that responsibility.”

  “It does,” Torin returned. “But it was not discussed with me. I want to know all plans you have in mind to do with these meetings, and how you intend to execute them, if they are to be successful.”

  Victoya’s eyes widened a little and then she dipped her head in a nod. “My apologies, Commander. That was an oversight on my behalf. I intend to simply monitor their energy signals for any drastic changes. It is nothing intrusive, no spells or charms will be used.”

  Torin nodded and turned away but she hadn’t finished.

  “How do you intend to assist them if the Alphas become violent?” she asked.

  Torin turned back to her, his brows knitting. “I will intervene.”

  Victoya shifted her weight on her feet. “And will you be… safe?”

  As his frown deepened further at her insinuation, she hurriedly continued. “I do not doubt your capabilities, Commander. But Alphas in a rut are extremely dangerous, even for an accomplished warrior.”

  Something deep within Torin mellowed at her suggestion that he was an accomplished warrior, but her doubt in him was unsettling. “The Alphas will not enter a rut unless the Omegas enter their Haze. Is it likely they will enter a Haze?”

  Victoya lifted her shoulders as she thought for a moment. “From my understanding, it’s possible for an Omega to enter her Haze if she meets her true mate after being blocked for a while. At least, that’s how it happened with Cailyn.”

  “In which case I will not need to intervene anyway,” Torin concluded.

  Victoya nodded in agreement, smiled at him, and then turned away to stand by the opposite wall.

  Torin stood rooted to the spot, basking in the feeling that had bloomed at the sight of her smile. He’d only ever seen nervous smiles from her during those nights he visited the kitchens, never a real confident one. The urge to find out more about this woman strengthened. He watched her lean against the wall, her eyes flicking along the doors where the meetings were taking place. Forcing himself to turn away, he began pacing up and down the corridor again, taking his time as he passed each door. Each time he turned to face Victoya his curiosity surged until he couldn’t hold back the questions. There was only a short time until the meetings ended and he would no longer have the opportunity. Drocco said he couldn’t investigate Victoya, but that did not mean he couldn’t question her.

  “Have you been in this part of the palace before?” he asked, keeping his eyes averted as he strolled past her.

  “No,” she said. “This is where you keep prisoners, isn’t it?”

  Torin reached the last door and turned slowly, his eyes landing on her. “Yes, this is where we interrogate people of interest.”

  She nodded. “There’s never been a reason for me to be in this area before,” she admitted. “But I did know where it was.”

  “How?” he asked almost too quickly.

  The Omega suddenly stilled. She took a breath, her eyes on Torin’s as her nervousness began to agitate her stance. She looked so small and nervous that Torin could not help but move closer to her. Part of him wanted to comfort her, while the other part demanded that he find out her secrets. As he slowed to a stop in front of her, she finally spoke.

  “I know where everything is in this palace, Commander.”

  “How?”

  Her gaze didn’t waver, but her hands fidgeted. “I studied it.”

  Torin pushed away the urge to ask why. “So you know the layout of the whole palace?”

  She nodded. “Any good spy would become familiar with their surroundings.”

  “How long have you been a spy for?”

  Her demeanor suddenly changed. Her eyes dropped and her voice lowered to a whisper. “Not long.”

  “But you were here for quite a while. Surely you were a spy all that time?” he asked, watching her closely.

  Her head shot up, her brows creased. “How do you know when I arrived?”

  Torin cursed inwardly and he held her eyes. He had noticed her almost immediately when she first arrived. How could he not? As soon as he saw her in the kitchens he had inquired about her. “I noticed you.”

  She frowned, and her nose wrinkled slightly. It was the cutest thing he had ever seen. “But I worked in the kitchens for months when I first arrived. How could you notice me there?”

  He stepped further into her space, inhaling deeply as her soft scent enveloped him. “Why wouldn’t I?” he asked, his voice lowering as a powerful desire shuddered through his body.

  Victoya looked up at him, her frown smoothing as her eyes ran over his face. A smattering of freckles spread across the bridge of her nose and rosy cheeks and blond wisps framed her face. Her lashes fluttered as she gazed at him, and a soft look that he really liked entered her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, and Torin held himself back from pushing his tongue between those plump lips. “I-I..,” she stuttered

  He leaned forward slowly, closing the gap between their bodies, her scent in his nose, his eyes on her mouth. Suddenly, one of the doors opened, and an Ome
ga stepped out. Their time was over.

  ***

  The meetings continued smoothly for the next few days and Torin found himself looking forward to them. All day he completed his duties and his training, knowing in the back of his mind he would have those few moments with Victoya in the evening. Of course, he never allowed himself the step too close to her again. He had almost behaved improperly for a man in his position. Trying to kiss an Omega without consent? Unacceptable. It was understandable for Alphas to behave that way, but not Betas. He would never be trusted if he became known as one of those Beta men who used Alpha behavior as an excuse to take what they wanted. He had responsibilities. He couldn’t allow that to happen. Although she had been a spy, Victoya seemed to be one of the most innocent people he had ever come across. He felt strongly about no Alpha approaching her too roughly, and he couldn’t either. He wouldn’t be surprised if she had never been with a man before, not that it was any of his business, but he couldn’t stomach the idea of an Alpha being forceful with her.

  The thing he liked most about their time together during the Alpha and Omega meetings, apart from looking at her, was their discussions and talks. He paced along the corridor as they talked while she stood in one spot, leaning against the wall. The second night, he asked her about her time in the Omega Compound and learned of her obvious love for her sisters. She talked about them with such admiration and respect that he learned she valued competence, skill, and kindness. Over the next few nights, they discussed the conflicting plans the ruling couple had for the Empire—Victoya obviously agreed with the empress while Torin firmly supported the emperor’s ideas. The discussion was somewhat pointless, since they didn’t really have any decisions in the matters, but Torin learned that Victoya was passionate about the Omegas contributing to the Lox Empire with skills they had learned at the compound. It was a thrill to see her debate so fervently about something she believed in—he had never seen that side of her before and he couldn’t deny it made her even more intriguing to him.

  Victoya questioned him back about his time as Commander, and although he was a competent enough interrogator to avoid her questions without making her feel as though he hadn’t answered, he found himself comfortable enough to open up to her. He told her about his time training when he was younger and that he always knew he would have a love for combat training, discipline, and order. He surprised himself by telling her that he considered Drocco his brother—a demanding, sometimes uncontrollable brother—but a brother nonetheless. She was delighted, because she considered Cailyn her sister—an outgoing, sometimes risk-taking sister—but a sister nonetheless.

  After that, he felt a deeper connection with her, but it conflicted with everything he had learned as a Commander. He didn’t really know enough about this Omega to open up to her about personal experiences and thoughts, and yet he felt compelled to.

  It was on the sixth night, that one of the doors banged suddenly, causing Victoya to jump. She immediately headed toward it, but Torin grabbed her arm and stopped her.

  “Listen,” he urged, as she tried to explain to him that the Omega may be in trouble.

  They both quietened and from beyond the rhythmic banging on the door, the quieter sounds of growls and moans and flesh hitting flesh filled the corridor. Victoya turned to look at him, her mouth open in surprise.

  “It seems there is a true mate pairing,” Torin said to her wryly.

  “Oh,” she breathed. She stared at the door for a long moment and then suddenly seemed to notice that Torin was watching her. “I thought there was trouble,” she said, her skin turning a deep shade of dusky rose as she avoided his eyes.

  Torin nodded and released her, but did not move away as he knew he should. Not only was her embarrassment attractive, but he was suddenly gripped by a disturbing thought. “When will you be behind one of those doors?” he asked, a grit entering his voice that he couldn’t hide.

  Victoya glanced at the door again as it banged more intensely. “I won’t be,” she murmured.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not going to be paired with an Alpha,” she said, still avoiding his eyes.

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t want to be.”

  Torin frowned as he took in her stance. She was tense and stiff, but not because of his proximity. She was nervous or uncomfortable about something. “You are an Omega. Why wouldn’t you want an Alpha? Are you nervous about being hurt?”

  “No, it’s not that.”

  “Then what is it?” Torin was aware that his question sounded like a demand, but he couldn’t help it. Here was the one Omega that seemed to turn him inside out by her mere existence, telling him that she didn’t want an Alpha. He needed to know why. And he needed to know why a light elation danced on his nerves at the idea.

  “I’m not a true Omega,” she said quietly.

  “So? Many of the Alphas in the Lox are not true Alphas,” Torin said. “It doesn’t mean they won’t still find a true mate.”

  “I’ll never be mated to an Alpha,” she said adamantly. “I just know that I won’t. I know you believe that Omegas should all be paired off with Alphas, but I don’t believe that. I would appreciate it if you would not pursue this matter, Commander.” She turned and headed back to lean against the wall as the thumps on the door increased in speed and intensity, and the couple’s voices beyond it rose to a vocal crescendo.

  Torin watched Victoya closely, his curiosity piqued even more by her strange attitude toward Alphas, but before he could decide how to approach the topic again, one of the other doors opened and the Omega who stepped out grinned at Victoya and pointed at the noisy door, giggling. Their time was up.

  The next day, Torin spent his lunch searching out the head steward that had hired Victoya, and located her on the other side of the palace. Unfortunately, the woman struggled to remember exactly how she had come to hire Victoya, which frustrated Torin to no end.

  “I think she was one of the maidens looking for work in Ashens Square,” the steward said thoughtfully. “Or she could have been a recommendation from one of the services in Ashens.”

  “Which is it?” Torin asked through gritted teeth.

  The steward squinted her eyes as she lifted her head to the ceiling in deep thought, shifting the stack of parchment in her arms. “I think she came from Ashens Square,” she said finally. “I don’t recall speaking to her individually until we arrived back at the palace.”

  “Did she ask for any specific role?”

  The steward shook her head. “She had the specific skills we were in desperate need of in the kitchen. She didn’t need to ask for anything—she wouldn’t have been granted any other role.”

  The kitchens were situated centrally to a number of wings in the palace. They were the perfect place for a spy to be located if they were aiming to have access to the main areas of the palace that were frequented by Drocco. “And did she indeed have the skills?” Torin asked.

  “I don’t know,” the steward said apologetically. “She would have been given some kind of supervisor who would have ensured that she was appropriate to stay. The reports I got back about the group she was in were good, and whenever I witnessed her working, she seemed to be doing fine.” She paused. “Is there something wrong?”

  “Tell her supervisor to compile a detailed report of her time working under him,” Torin said abruptly.

  The head steward spluttered in surprise. “But she was only a scullery maid, Commander. I’m not sure what kind of detail—”

  “Whatever he can remember,” Torin interrupted. “It’s not urgent… but I would like a full picture of her time.”

  By the time he left the steward, he was late for his afternoon training session, but at least he had made some progress. There was more to this girl than met the eye and he wanted to know what he was missing.

  That evening, the Omegas were already in the corridor when he arrived with the group of Alphas, which was unfortunate because Roclan was with hi
m. Torin immediately began allocating them to their rooms, but Roclan took it upon himself to head straight to Victoya.

  Torin battled the wildness clawing in his chest at the sight of Roclan crowding Victoya against the wall, yet again. He quickly finished pairing each couple, trying not to glare at him, but unable to stop himself.

  “Roclan!” he barked, as soon as the couples headed to their rooms. “Your Omega is waiting.”

  The Alpha pulled away from Victoya, his eyes lingering on her as he turned.

  “I would like to speak to you afterward about the next Omega I would like to meet with, Commander,” Roclan said respectfully.

  Torin felt like roaring at the man that he would never, ever be in a room alone with Victoya, but he simply nodded and gestured to his allocated room.

  As the door closed, he headed over to Victoya who was still pressed against the wall. “Are you well?”

  Victoya took a breath and nodded, but didn’t say anything. He moved closer, ignoring the warnings he had given himself until he was as close as he had been the first day of the meetings.

  “Victoya?” He almost cursed as he noticed her slight shaking. “Are you well?”

  She blinked up at him as she took another breath. “Why are they so big?”

  “The Alphas?” Torin asked. “That is just the way they are. I’m surprised you don’t like that.”

  “I don’t like it when he cages me in,” Victoya muttered. “It’s like he’s surrounding me completely.”

  Torin immediately stepped back, realizing he was doing the same thing, but she shook her head at him. “You don’t feel that way,” she said quickly. “And also he was saying something to me…”

  Torin frowned as he moved back closer to her. “Like what?”

  This time her blush was a deep crimson that crept up her neck. “I’d rather not repeat it, Commander.”

  Torin never thought a growl so vicious could have left his throat. “I will ask him to leave you alone,” he said darkly, although the way he felt right now he would not be asking Roclan anything, but demanding it upon penalty of death. “But it looks as though he wishes to request time with you in one of those rooms.”