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  The horror that filtered into her expression satisfied the raw anger threatening to bubble up within him. “No,” she protested. “He can’t make me. I don’t want to be paired.”

  Torin examined her closely. “And what if he is your true mate?”

  “I know he isn’t,” she insisted.

  “But he doesn’t,” Torin pointed out. “He will keep pursuing you until he is sure.”

  “It’s not enough if I say it?”

  “No.”

  Victoya sighed and leaned back against the wall. “I want him to leave me alone,” she murmured. “I want them all to leave me alone.”

  “Have other Alphas approached you?” Torin asked sharply.

  To his utter dismay, she nodded.

  He stood as still as he could, forcing himself not to demand all their names. What did he expect? She was a stunningly good-looking Omega who had caught his eye even as a scullery maid. Of course other Alphas would notice her. As the empress’ assistant, she was the most visible Omega apart from the empress herself. But that logic didn’t help to pacify the rising need to seek the Alphas out and rip them apart.

  “Thank you for following me at the event.” Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, and he pulled himself from his murderous thoughts to pay attention to what she was saying. Her head was low, hiding her face, but her tone was miserable. “Obviously if you hadn’t been there, it would have been difficult for me.”

  “Look at me,” he said softly.

  She rose her head, lifting those warm light-brown eyes to meet his, and everything seemed to fall away. The world righted, his emotions settled, and there was nothing that concerned him other than her. And she was unhappy.

  He lifted a hand and brushed his thumb along her soft cheek. “You are always welcome.”

  She closed her eyes and sighed, angling her face into his hand. Torin’s heart soared at her acceptance of his touch, and he moved closer to her, fully aware of the danger of his unpredictable feelings but unable to stop himself. “I wish you could be there all the time,” she breathed.

  Surprise hit Torin for the first time in a long while. “You do?”

  Victoya’s eyes fluttered open, and she grinned nervously. “You’re much easier to talk to than I thought, Commander.” Her smile faltered a little. “The Omegas have been very excited about their potential pairing and Cailyn has been busy with Naya…” Her eyes refocused on him. “I have enjoyed our talks during this time.”

  “As have I, Victoya,” he said, unable to help the gravelly tone of desire in his voice. Her scent was, once again, filling his nose and her body was only inches from his.

  “I look forward to our evenings,” she admitted in a whisper.

  He cradled her face, stroking her skin. “As do I.”

  She hesitated. “Why did you follow me? At the event?”

  “To make sure you weren’t accidentally accosted again.”

  “And that mattered to you?”

  Torin stared down into those innocent eyes, accepting the new strange emotions writhing within him. “You said you weren’t part of the event—I didn’t want you to be harassed.”

  She nodded slowly, but something in her gaze suggested she didn’t quite believe him. And he didn’t like that. “Did you think it was something else?”

  She was quiet for a long time, and then said, “You were very interested in why I was here as a scullery maid…”

  Torin breathed in her scent deeply. “And I still am.”

  Disappointment entered her eyes and she lowered them. “Are you planning to investigate me?”

  Torin dropped his hand. “I admit I am curious, Victoya. I’m curious about most things to do with you. Would you be willing to offer that information?”

  She took a breath and her eyes lifted. “I can tell you I was here on surveillance.”

  “Like Cailyn?”

  She shook her head. “Not like Cailyn. She was here for information, I was here to watch and learn and…”

  When she didn’t continue, he nodded slowly. “You have been pardoned. You can tell me without fear of persecution.”

  She shook her head and suddenly closed herself off, her shoulders hunched and her head lowered. “I don’t want to talk about it, Commander.”

  The intimate moment between them evaporated instantly and Torin cursed inwardly that he hadn’t left the topic alone. He wanted her to trust him, but he had put her in an awkward situation. He was the Commander of the Lox and she had been a spy. Of course she would feel uncomfortable, and yet that was never how he wanted her to feel around him.

  He glanced along the corridor, a sudden idea forming. “What if I could always be there for you?” he asked.

  She glanced up at him. “What do you mean?”

  “What if I could protect you all the time?” he asked. “What if I could arrange it so that the other Alphas left you alone?”

  She pursed her lips. “I would like that.”

  “It doesn’t have to be permanent if you don’t want it to be,” Torin said, even though he knew he would struggle if it wasn’t. “But it requires you being close to me and—” He paused, suddenly wondering what he was doing.

  “I like being close to you,” she murmured.

  The elation returned full force, but he tried to force his brain to work. “Victoya, are you sure you don’t want—”

  “I don’t want an Alpha,” she said firmly.

  Behind them one of the doors opened, and a desperate look entered her eyes as she glanced behind him. “I’m very sure, Commander,” she whispered. “Please protect me, if you can.”

  With those words, all of Torin’s willpower fell away. He reached for her, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her against him as he lowered and pressed his mouth to hers.

  In her surprise she stilled, a tiny noise squeaking from her throat, but almost immediately she relaxed in his arms and he pushed her against the wall as he tentatively kissed her, slow and steady. Her mouth opened for him, and he nibbled and licked her lips before dipping his tongue between them and locking his mouth with hers. The elation within bloomed to a heady delight and her sweet scent caused an aching desire for her that made him almost mindless. She breathed heavily, kissing him back, and as her fingers threaded through his hair, he moaned and pressed his entire body against hers, knowing his arousal would be obvious. Their kisses were deep, and long, and languorous, and Torin ran his hands all over her body as he found the sharp edge of blissful agony in the desperation that rose for more of her.

  Time stood still. And in those moments, Torin experienced something deep down he’d never realized had even been missing; peace.

  Finally he pulled away, breathing hard. Was this what Drocco felt with Cailyn? If he even felt half of the lingering completeness that Torin felt, then he could truly understand why Drocco had acted like a fool for her most of the time.

  Victoya looked up at him dazed. She was so fucking gorgeous. He kissed the tip of her nose, thankful she wanted him to protect her. He wasn’t sure he would ever be able to stop himself doing so anyway. Suddenly he remembered where they were.

  He looked up to see the Alphas and Omegas waiting at one end of the corridor trying, unsuccessfully, not to look at them. The Omegas were giving each other knowing looks, and the Alphas seemed curious and bemused. Except Roclan. By his stance, he looked extremely annoyed, but wouldn’t meet Torin’s eyes.

  “What does this mean?” Victoya whispered, drawing his attention back to her.

  “It means everyone will think I am claiming you as my mate,” he responded, his voice low. “We should go. We can always talk more tomorrow.”

  Victoya nodded thoughtfully. “There are no meetings tomorrow.”

  Torin frowned. Tomorrow was a day off in the schedule. “Yes, that’s true.” He paused as he stared down at her. “Can I see you anyway?”

  Her smile sent a jolt straight to his cock. “Of course.”

  He didn’t want to move his body f
rom hers but he couldn’t keep her pinned to the wall either. “Meet me here at the usual time.”

  She nodded and he couldn’t help but kiss her again. When he pulled away, a nervousness twisted in his stomach as he said, “I will be announcing that you are mine at noon tomorrow, Victoya. Any Alpha who approaches you after that will need to answer to me.”

  Her brows rose but the wide smile that spread on her face threatened to have him lose all control. He ached to lift her into his arms and carry her to his room and shut out the world.

  “Thank you, Commander.”

  And suddenly he was reminded why he was doing this. She wasn’t truly his—he was doing this just to protect her. Reluctantly, he released her and watched her make her way, unsteadily, down the corridor toward the other Omegas.

  CHAPTER THREE

  VICTOYA

  “I knew it!” Diantha squealed. “I knew he liked you.”

  Victoya sighed as she placed the scheduling parchment down beside her. She had urged the Omegas to keep their voices down the entire journey back to their wing of the palace, but there was no reason for them to do so now that they were in their private meeting room. Besides, many of the other Omegas were intrigued by what had happened. And Diantha had a big mouth.

  “From the first night of the meetings, when I came out of the room, he looked like he was about to devour you!” she exclaimed in delight.

  “What was it like?” Lailie asked, her voice somewhat dreamy. “Did you enjoy it?”

  “Oh, she enjoyed it,” Hayara chuckled. “There was no way not to enjoy that.”

  Victoya flushed. She couldn’t deny that kissing Torin had been one of the best moments of her life. It had been so deeply erotic and touched every part of her inside and out. She had felt things in parts of her body that she had never experienced before, and he had been so gentle, even though he’d pushed her against the wall and touched her as though he wanted to own her. She hadn’t even been able to walk properly afterward—she had been so dazed… and so wet.

  Maelyna, who hadn’t been in the corridor, frowned. “I thought you didn’t want to be paired?”

  “I don’t,” Victoya said firmly. “I don’t want to be paired with an Alpha.”

  “But a Beta is fine for you?” Maelyna said, wrinkling her nose.

  “He’s not just any Beta,” Lailie shot at her. “He is Commander Torin. Have you seen him fight? Have you seen him handling the other warriors or out in the Lands with the emperor? He is practically an Alpha.”

  “And he’s better looking than a lot of them,” Diantha quipped.

  Taherah, a slightly older spy, pressed a hand on Victoya’s arm. “You are such a cute couple,” she grinned. “I’m so happy for you.”

  Victoya was unsure what to say. Torin had agreed to protect her by claiming her as his own, but that didn’t mean he truly liked her in that way. After all, she had practically begged him to do her a favor. He seemed particularly concerned about the fact that she did not want to be paired with an Alpha. Perhaps he was giving her time to reconsider. But something deep within her niggled that he truly liked her the way she liked him. The way he had taken her into his arms, the way he looked at her, the care with which he kissed her, and the look in his eyes when he told her that she was his. Everything screamed this was something more than just him protecting her because she’d asked him to. “Thank you,” she said hesitantly. “But I think you are all making this a bigger event than it actually was. It’s not like Jalara and Temmon—they practically tore the door down.”

  All the Omegas in the room laughed. It had been a true excitement for everyone when the first true mate pairing between Alphas and Omegas had been recognized since the inception of this organized pairing. The Omega, Jalara, had been so embarrassed when she finally returned back to their wing to collect her things, but at the same time she was adamant she didn’t regret one single moment. The other Omegas teased her relentlessly, and fondly referred to it now she was no longer with them, but were ultimately pleased for her.

  “But you have always said you didn’t want to be paired,” Taherah pointed out. “I’m so glad you changed your mind. The Mothers decided that we would live a life without love or the care of a man, so to deny it seems like denying our freedom. Alpha or not, he is worth it if you like him.”

  Victoya smiled at her, grateful. “Thank you, Taherah.” Taherah squeezed her arm and then left her to be questioned further by the others.

  The next day, during lunch, Lailie rushed into the room and headed straight to Victoya. “Your mate has a challenger,” she panted. “Come and see.”

  Victoya stared at her, unable to decipher what the hell she was talking about.

  “Come on,” she urged, grabbing Victoya’s arms and pulling her up. “If he loses, he loses his claim on you.”

  “What?” Victoya asked, bewildered as she stumbled up from her seat.

  “Commander Torin,” the girl said, exasperated. “He has been challenged about his claim to take you as a mate. They are fighting now.”

  Victoya’s heart jumped into her mouth as the other Omegas exclaimed in surprise and excitement and shot to their feet. “Who? Who is fighting him?” she managed to get out.

  Lailie shrugged as she dragged Victoya across the room. “I don’t recognize him.”

  The uncomfortable nausea that fluttered in Victoya’s stomach spread throughout her body with each step she took to the training grounds. Torin was fighting over her, and it was her fault. She had asked for his protection, and now he could potentially be hurt. By the time they reach the balcony that gave them a view of the training grounds, and saw that the challenger was Roclan, she was shaking.

  The two men had already begun, and were moving fluidly across the ground as they advanced and retreated in a hypnotic but brutal motion. Torin was almost as tall as the Alpha, but not as wide and heavy. Still, his muscles rippled as he jutted, sliced, and thrust his weapons. He was clearly the most accomplished of the two—he was more steady on his feet, and didn’t seem to move that much in order to make an impact. Roclan, however, swung his weapons with the full force of his weight, making any blow he did manage to land, extremely powerful. She held herself tense as they battled. She cried out when Roclan’s blade sliced into Torin’s arm between his armor but Torin didn’t even wince. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Torin knocked Roclan to the ground.

  The Omegas cheered and chattered with excitement, but Victoya simply stared at Torin, the tension seeping out of her replaced with an enormous relief that it was finally over. Torin glanced up at the balcony, and a flash of nervousness shot through her whole body, but then he turned to look at the other Alphas that stood around watching. He spoke to them, but she was too far away to hear what he was saying. Without looking back, he left the grounds.

  ***

  It was a long wait outside of Torin’s bedroom before he arrived. Victoya wrung her hands nervously, wondering what she was going to say when she saw him. Did he regret it? Would he regret claiming her? They had certainly grown closer during their evenings together and she believed he enjoyed her company just as much as she enjoyed his. In fact, she loved being with him. She never thought she would ever feel comfortable around him, but as long as she kept herself against the wall, there was minimal chance for him to see how clumsy she could be and she could simply focus on talking to him. He was a great listener and their debates allowed her to have an insight into his thoughts—he was an extremely clever man and she loved that. She shouldn’t have asked him to put himself at risk for her just because she felt uncomfortable about the Alphas that approached her—she shouldn’t have asked him to take that on. She sighed heavily, hoping he hadn’t been too hurt by the battle.

  Finally, footsteps sounded from the end of the corridor and the commander turned into it. As soon as he saw her he froze, surprise on his face.

  She rushed to him. “Are you well? You’re not hurt are you?” She went to touch him and stopped abruptly. What was
she doing? She couldn’t just touch him randomly!

  But he immediately slipped his arms around her and lifted her as he kissed her. She kissed him back as her worry transmuted to relief and desire, and her arms threaded around his neck as she pressed herself as close to him as she possibly could.

  “I was so worried for you,” she said, as soon as he put her down. “I didn’t mean to get you into any fights with any of your warriors, Commander. It wasn’t my intention for you to get hurt when I asked you to do this for me.”

  “I offered,” he said, his voice beautifully husky and his eyes full of desire. “None of this is your fault. Is that why you’re here?”

  She nodded, suddenly feeling silly that she had tracked him down. “I assumed you would be getting treatment,” she said nervously gesturing to his bandaged arm. “I saw some of those blows. You took them well but they must have been painful.”

  She was surprised to see him scowl.

  “You shouldn’t have been watching. That battle was not for your eyes.”

  She smiled wryly at him. “You couldn’t expect the Omegas not to find out. Many of them think it’s beautifully romantic. I think they wish you had claimed them instead.”

  Torin lowered his face to her until their noses touched. “I don’t even see them. I only see you.”

  The swoon in Victoya stomach was so deep, her knees weakened. She had no idea how to reply to him; her mouth was dry and her mind went blank. As she stared into his gorgeous gray eyes, she suddenly realized the truth. She didn’t want to be with an Alpha, but she did want to be with Torin. She leaned up and pressed her lips to his, and he kissed her back so hungrily, there was no doubt of his need for her… and a dizzying happiness bloomed in her.

  The strength of his kiss pushed her backward until she hit the door of his bedroom, and still he pushed her up against it, trying to get more of her. Every nerve rejoiced as he took her mouth, reducing her to a quivering, whimpering mess. Her nipples needed his touch, and her clit fluttered every time he moaned into her mouth. His scent was beautiful, he tasted amazing, and the feel of him sent tingles all over her. She needed more.