Candescent: A Myth of Omega Standalone Page 9

  “Did you like it?” the general asked.

  Ria nodded but said no more. It felt strange to be talking to the general about mundane things.

  “You were born in the Ariyon mountains.” He said it as a statement, but Ria knew he wanted her to confirm it.

  “Yes”

  “You were taken as a child for the Omega cause.”

  Ria nodded, feeling numb.

  “You were a spy?”

  “Sort of,” she replied. “I gathered sensitive information for my superiors, so they could disseminate it to the real spies.”

  General Thorec was silent for a long while. “You have been trained to hate the Lox.”

  Ria sighed heavily. “The Lox changed everything in the Eastern Lands. It fractured the Omega cause. I didn’t have a purpose after that happened.”

  “So you traveled the Lands?”

  “Yes. But as I said, I couldn’t recognize the world anymore. I have no place in it.”

  The general’s thumb brushed her bottom lip. “You have a place here with me, Ria. Always.”

  Ria didn’t know what to say to that, so she said nothing, enjoying him stroking her face and neck.

  After his knot shrunk, he took her back to the house to sleep in his arms.

  The next day, she left the house soon after Thorec, and this time rode in the opposite direction. Passing a few fields, she came across an enormous farmhouse. She slowed as she passed by, amazed by the size of it, and several young men and women spilling out of the building waved at her, beckoning for her to stop.

  “Welcome, Miss Ria,” one of them said as they approached her. “Would you like some cake? I think you’ll enjoy it. We can give you a tour too.”

  Ria stuttered, unsure how to answer. This was too similar to what happened yesterday—it was strange. She tried to decline, but the young man’s enthusiasm had infected the rest of them, and they were so excited that she agreed and slipped down from her horse.

  She discovered that the farmhouse building was actually a school where many children were educated on farming, Lox principles, and general studies about the Lox Empire, Alpha, Beta, Omega dynamics, and trade law. By the time Ria made her way back out, her head spun with everything she’d discovered.

  She settled down nearby on one of the fields while her horse grazed and drank. It was so peaceful in Ariyon. She’d never stopped to consider it before, but this was much more preferable to the busy, bustling cities she’d been in.

  As dusk arrived, so did General Thorec, and as he approached, she once again ran from him. She wasn’t sure why she did it. It seemed right to make him chase her if he wanted her. And she couldn’t ignore how aroused it made her when he did.

  Of course, he caught up to her and took her brutally in the field, her ass high in the air as he worked in and out of her from the behind, dry grass scratching her face.

  After he’d knotted her and pulled her into his arms as their panting calmed, the general asked about her day.

  “I found a school,” Ria said.

  The general nodded. “One of the Lox training centers.”

  Ria was silent for a moment. She’d seen the Lox training centers when she’d traveled the Lands but had never been in one. It was different from what she expected. “I thought they trained Lox warriors in there.”

  “Different centers provide different things in each of the territories.”

  Ria nodded. “They gave me cake,” she said, watching him suspiciously.

  The general just nodded. “Did you like it?”

  “Why are people offering me cake?”

  “You liked that particular type of cake when you were little.”

  Ria jolted in surprise, her eyes widening on him. “How do you know that?”

  “Your brother told me.”

  Ria could do nothing but stare at him, her mouth dropped open. How had he managed to get information from her brother?

  “Your brother isn’t averse to getting to know you, Ria,” the general said, his eyes examining her face. “Or giving you information. He just couldn’t do what you were asking.”

  Ria nodded glumly. “It was unreasonable to ask, I suppose. I just thought he would be as passionate about finding me again as I was about him.”

  General Thorec was quiet for a long moment. “How did you find out about him.”

  “My superiors told some of us that we had family in the Lands. Non-omega sisters, brothers, and parents. It seemed to make sense to find him instead of wandering around aimlessly. I thought if he could remember things about me, it might give me a clue what to do next, or at least a sense of home.”

  The Alpha nuzzled her neck as he nodded. “Do you know why he calls you Riora?”

  “He said that is my full name.” She hesitated. “So you asked him for information about me, and he gave it?”

  “Yes.”

  Ria wasn’t sure whether she should be annoyed about that or not. She went to him for help, but instead, he’d helped her Alpha. She froze at her thought. Her Alpha. Strangely it didn’t send panic through her like it had when the empress said it. “So, you told everyone I like lemon cake?”

  The general chuckled, a rough rumble in his chest. “The farmers are eager for you to like it here.”

  Ria’s brows rose in surprise. “Why?”

  The general brushed his lips along her cheek. “You are the first Omega who is openly living with an Alpha outside of Ashens. They want you to stay.”

  Ria pursed her lips. “Are you not worried I will escape or be attacked? Letting me roam around Ariyon?”

  The general tightened his grip on her. “Do you think I would let you roam around Ariyon if I hadn’t ensured that you were being protected at all times? Or if I thought you could escape? Everything has been made secure so you cannot—all ports and borders.”

  Ria had to smile. “That sounds like a challenge.”

  He pressed his mouth to her ear, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine. “It is not, little Ria. The challenge is for you to stay.”

  The pattern of Ria’s day remained the same for the rest of the week and then extended to several weeks. It was only when the season changed, bringing with it blustery winds and smatterings of icy rain that she realized she’d been in Ariyon for at least three months. This was the longest she’d stayed anywhere.

  Every day she considered where in the Lands she would go next. She’d been to almost every territory and knew what to expect when she got there, but she couldn’t decide her next destination. Even so, she tried not to settle where she was, knowing that within the next month or so, she would leave.

  The general continued to ride out to wherever she had traveled during the day, take her on the ground, and then carry her back to his house. He didn’t care who happened to witness them or where she was. At first, she wondered how he knew where she had traveled, but it became obvious that he had messengers all over Ariyon who told him where she was. They were clever keeping out of her view, but that was the only way he could know.

  As she became familiar with the Ariyon territory, she started to make his evening claiming of her more challenging; hiding in barns, swimming in lakes, or tearing across fields on horseback. But it didn’t slow down the general. He was almost belligerent in his intentions to have her wherever she was at the end of each day, and she reveled in it.

  A specific spot on his neck where his scent was most potent began to entice her whenever they were at their most primal, but she knew if she let herself explore that, she would be trapped with him.

  One evening, the general didn’t arrive. Ria paced nervously by her horse, looking out for the Alpha, but when he didn’t arrive by the time the sun had set worry burned in her gut. Nothing could have happened to him, surely. He was a general with the protection of many warriors. She was just being silly. Still, the relief that pounded through her when she heard his horse approach was palpable.

  “You’re late!” she couldn’t help but snap as he dismounted.
“Where have you been?”

  The corner of the Alpha’s mouth quirked up as he lifted her into his arms. “You were waiting for me.”

  Ria was about to firmly protest, but then she saw something in his expression she hadn’t seen for a long time—that hard wariness. “You had a rough day,” she said, peering into his eyes. “What happened?”

  The general stilled, his smile fading from his mouth. “Nothing for you to worry about.”

  “Is my brother all right?” The general had been speaking to her brother frequently; he’d said that he would visit soon.

  “Your brother is fine.”

  “What about…” She thought about all the people who she’d met across Ariyon. “What about all the farmers and merchants and their families? Are they all right?”

  “There’s nothing for you to worry about, Ria.”

  Ria threaded her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss into his jaw, savoring his scent and allowing it to soothe and calm the worry that she experienced. The general’s hands slipped under her tunic, and he groaned when he found how wet she was.

  “I admit it,” she whispered in his ear. “I was waiting for you.”

  Unbuckling himself, the general didn’t even bother to lower them to the ground. He impaled her on his length, grabbing her ass to work her up and down and round on his cock while he stood, until a blistering orgasm seized her.

  The next day, as Ria was trying to decide where she should go, she realized that although she had traveled across all of Ariyon for over three months, there was one place she hadn’t visited. She saddled up her horse, and rode to the mountains.

  She was surprised to see the general's horse at the entrance. It was the first time she had traveled to his location, and she wondered where he usually was during the day. She assumed that he spent most of his time at his base, training new warriors, and overseeing the trading between territories, but she’d never asked him. Based on when they first met, she knew he’d also dealt with the mountain people too.

  The guard at the entrance greeted her but didn’t stop her from entering.

  As she trudged down the valley, she wondered why she hadn't visited the mountains before. Maybe she had unconsciously pushed it aside, avoiding the fact that the mountains had been her home. But it couldn't be home without the people she had been there with. She didn’t remember her mother or father, and her brother was no longer in the territory. She couldn’t also ignore the mountain people there didn’t accepted her. They’d tolerated her for the short time she had questions, but they wanted to be left alone to their own way of life, which she appreciated.

  In the mountain town, they were preparing for a tour to arrive, so they could trade goods. It was busy and bustling, at least busier than usual, and she bumped into the man who'd helped her when she’d last visited.

  “You’re back,” the old man said, his face stretched in surprise. “Does the general know you’re here?”

  Ris shook her head. “Where is he?”

  The man waved his hand, an irritated expression creeping over his features. “He is talking to some of the people deeper into the mountains, in one of the other towns. He’s been here every day lately, getting in the way.”

  Ria thought for a moment, recalling the general’s demeanor the night before. “Is something wrong?”

  The man shook his head. “Nothing more than usual,” he remarked. “Just the Lox trying to interfere with things that have nothing to do with them. At least before, he barely entered the mountains. Now, he’s here all the time harassing us all in one way or another.”

  Ria frowned. The general never once mentioned that. “Where is he?”

  The man gave her a wary look, pursing his thin lips pointedly. “The last time I helped you, the general arrived here infuriated. I thought he was going to attack me.”

  Ria almost laughed but held it in. “I apologize for that, elder. But I assure you nothing will happen this time.”

  The man made a disgruntled noise at the back of his throat but pointed to the location of the town the general had been seen in for the last few months.

  Ria followed his directions, marveling at all the things that she hadn’t taken the time to notice about the mountains before; grazing herds, orchards, and the laughter of children playing nearby. She came upon the town the man had mentioned and asked about the general. The people, although even more suspicious and reserved than the initial town closest to the entrance, pointed to where he was.

  As she approached, she was shocked to find him outside one of the houses, bare-chested and chopping wood.

  She stopped in her tracks, wondering what was happening. Was he not working in his capacity as a general anymore? She approached slowly, confusion forcing her forward.

  “General,” she said as he swung the axe down.

  The general straightened, surprised. “Ria. What are you doing here?”

  Ria found it difficult to answer. Although she saw the man’s body every day, underneath her, on top of her, around her, seeing his muscles bulge and contract as he swung an axe was something else. “I… just wanted to see the mountains today.” She inched forward. “What are you doing?”

  A faint smile graced the general’s mouth. “You spoiled the surprise.”

  Ria stared at him blankly. “What surprise?”

  He lifted a hand, gesturing toward the house. “We are moving here.”

  “We are?” That certainly was a surprise. “And the mountain people are all right with that?”

  “No, of course not,” he growled. “But I don’t care.”

  Ria lifted her shoulders. “We don’t have to move here. We can stay where we are in the mainland.” In the back of her mind, it occurred to her that leaving Ariyon would also be easier if she wasn’t in the mountains. But she wasn’t sure that was a genuine concern anymore.

  The general tilted his head toward the house. “Go and look inside.”

  Ria shot him a strange look and headed toward the house. It was larger in comparison to some of the others in the mountains—most of them were cottages, but this had an upper floor. She explored the large living room and fireplace on the ground floor, then the small kitchen. Upstairs, a master bedroom took over most of the space, and two smaller bedrooms were tucked away on one side. Everything had been simply decorated, more homely than the general’s house in the mainland, but still simple. It was nice.

  As she walked around the house, a strange feeling grew in her stomach until it erupted as she looked around one of the bedrooms. She recognized this place. She’d been in this room before.

  When she exited the room, the general stood out in the passage, filling it with his bulk. He stared at her with a knowing look.

  “This was where I lived?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

  He nodded. “You, your mother and father, and your brother.”

  “How did you find this place?

  “Your brother and some of the people here.”

  “And they just let you have it?” That seemed unlikely.

  “Not exactly,” he said ruefully. “I told them I wouldn’t have their secret portal destroyed, as long as I monitor it, of course, and they let me buy this property.” He glanced around the house. “I’ve been getting it restored.”

  “Is that why you were angry yesterday?”

  The general tensed a little. “The mountain people enjoy making things difficult. I wasn’t angry, just tired of them.”

  Thea nodded, a lump forming on her throat as she looked around again. This had been her home once. After a long moment, she glanced back at the general. “And you want to live here?”

  The general lifted her up into his arms. “I think you would be happier here than in my house.”

  “But I thought you didn’t like the mountains?”

  “Yes,” the general admitted. “But I love you.”

  A rush of pleasure spread through Ria’s body so quickly that she was giddy. “You do?”

  The general t
urned, taking her into the master bedroom. “I was looking forward to a life with you for a long time, Ria, even before I met you. I am determined to have it.” He lay her down on the bed, stroking his fingers through her hair as she stared up at him. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that you are from the mountains, the source of my frustration for the last two years.”

  Ria couldn’t help but smile. “We mountain people are all difficult, General. You should have learned that by now.”

  He smiled, and it was breathtaking. “It’s Thorec.”

  “Thorec,” she whispered, suddenly shy.

  He began to unbutton her tunic, and Ria watched him, a strange feeling coming over her that what was happening was unusual for them. He was not chasing her, they were not outside, and they were not in his bed at his home.

  He ran his large fingers over her skin, squeezing all the pudgy parts of her she knew he took pleasure in.

  “You will carry my children, Ria,” he said solemnly. “It is time.”

  Ria squeezed her eyes shut. “I cannot promise that to you, Thorec,” she whispered. “I still don’t know how I can be yours when I don’t know who I am.”

  Thorec pressed a firm kiss on her neck, sending goosebumps racing down her arms. “You are the Omega who owns this Alpha, little Ria. Accept that that is enough.”

  Her eyes opened, and their eyes locked as she examined his gaze, seeing only adoration and desire in them. She’d been more comfortable here with him than any other time in her life. Could she really ever leave him now? Lifting her head, she flicked her tongue across his lips, whimpering as his tongue darted out to graze hers, then dipped her head to the sweet spot at his neck and dug her teeth in, claiming him as her own.

  Epilogue

  THOREC

  Ria was beautiful pregnant.

  She glowed with a radiance he’d never seen before, and Thorec found he was unable to stop looking at her. He also struggled to spend his days too far away from her, returning to the mountains numerous times a day when he was out in the Ariyon mainland. It wasn’t that he worried about her safety. In fact, the bond that hummed deep in his chest told him that she was content and happy. He just wanted to be with her and their child.