6

CHAPTER SIX

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Javier rushes through the castle hallway; the gossip from the servants has already reached his ears. 

Without money and an ailing mother, how did Rene think it would be easy to escape or even survive outside?

Javier cannot dispel the worried feeling and guilt that Perhaps Rene had made this hasty decision because of his constant pestering. Did his advances scare the boy into trying to leave the castle?

As Javier bursts into the long hallway which will lead him to the Chief's chambers, he is stopped by Princess Kyra, his fiancee; she stands in front of him, a smile gracing her soft features. 

"I was just on my way to you; there are some things I would like us to discuss"

"Out of my way!" Javier grits impatiently,

"Our marriage is only several days from today, can we not at least respect each other?"

Javier usually isn't this cold to her, but right now he has more pressing issues that cannot wait. 

"Not now, let's discuss later"

He sidesteps Kyra, but her voice follows after him.

"Are you looking for that slave half-brother of mine?"

Javier halts and rapidly turns around, his hooded eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"What do you know?"

"Why do you care about him so much? You cannot have feelings for a slave and a male; it taints upon my image; your actions will cause people to laugh at me, too!" Kyra's voice rises bitterly, and much to her anger and dismay, Javier doesn't seem to care about her feelings.  Javier starts to turn away from her and Kyra grasps his arm firmly. 

"I'm afraid you are already too late,"  her eyes gleam with malice. She has made the right choice to get rid of Rene, It will also teach this unfaithful fiance of hers a lesson. 

"He made a mistake of trying to escape, so, my father gave him a very important task as punishment, I'm also rooting for him to succeed,"

Fear pokes Javier's heart at the cold look of triumph in Kyra's gaze, he snatches her hand away from him as though the mere touch of it burns. 

"What have you done?" he demands, his voice low and menacing.

Kyra shrugs, her smile growing wider. "I have no hand in it; I don't know why Rene made a foolish choice; maybe it was your unwanted affection that pushed him to the wall!"

Kyra hates Rene for making Javier lust after him, her loathe runs even more deeply in her veins because she knows that Rene does not return Javier's affection. Is she meant to marry an Omegas reject? A man that not even a worthless slave wants!

She loves Javier deeply, but her pride makes her want to punish both Rene and Javier.

She has made so much effort to plan everything; she will make Javier aware of who should be more important to him, and as for Rene, he can die along with his sick mother, and she wouldn't bat a lash!

Javier pushes past Kyra and strides into the Chief's chambers.

"My Lord" Javier bows, his voice trembling, 

"He is your son, after all, your own flesh and blood. Will you let him get used by that barbaric criminal?"

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In the dungeon, thick chains connect Lyrien's wrists and ankles to the wall; it's been several days since he was locked in this dark, foul-smelling place. 

He has been tortured, drugged and starved, yet his defiance and unbroken spirit breathe life into these cold walls.

His intent gaze watches the Omega's slender form trembling like a leaf on a rainy day.

A male omega? 

"The food is not p_poisoned!" The boy gasps, his eyes watering in obvious pain that makes Lyrien's teeth bare in a snarl, exposing fangs. 

He is aware of the lies the boy spews; this is not the first time Jaron has poisoned him in the last few days. Poisons to weaken him in an attempt to extract any useful information from him. 

There is no need to kill the messenger; this slave has probably gone through more hell than him. Apart from the potent smell of the Omega's fear, Lyrien's nostrils flare as he inhales the soft smell of jasmine and a sweet, tangy orange. 

Ignoring the boy's whimper of cowardice, He grabs a bread and takes a huge bite.

He is a dominant Alpha, poisons in general do not have much effect on him, and he needs to gather all of his strength because he will need it soon. 

The soup tastes better than he expected, certainly not what a prisoner deserves. 

A good meal, plus this slave to serve him. 

Lyrien eats quietly, but his eyes remain focused on the omega, who is looking everywhere else but at him. All the boy does is shake in fear as though he is facing a beast that will gobble him up.  

If this slave is meant to seduce him to get information, then the boy is doing a very terrible job of it, not that Lyrien will welcome any sexual advances from him.

He has never been attracted to even female omegas, They are never able to withstand his intensity in bed.

Lyrien can already smell the boy's submissiveness as expected for an omega; his bright golden curls had been easy to spot amongst the crowd. He had somehow noticed this fair-headed boy on the day he was captured.

This omega is too timid, the innocence reeking from him is repulsive. When Lyrien feels the urge to mate, he usually prefers strong, experienced ones as his sexual partners. 

Still, Lyrien cannot tear his gaze away from his delicate neck, which is exposed from the torn rags he wears as clothes. The ivory-smooth skin beneath the moonlight makes his fangs itch and drool. 

He has just finished eating, but he is restless. A different type of hunger, so raw, it begins like a small seed in his basal region which sprouts in his loins like pure fire and primal agony. 

"The meal is not safe, after all!" Lyrien snarls; even though he already anticipated it; he hadn't expected it to be a sex-stimulating poison. 

He lurches at the boy, grasping his vulnerable neck. Killing him will send a clear message to Jaron, that old leecher.

The last thing Lyrien wants to do is to lower himself and rut with this slave that Jaron has sent, he cannot allow lust to interfere with his plans. 

The flecks of gold in the boy's eyes disappear when the boy's pupil enlarges in fear.

Lyrien growls when his need only intensifies; like a predator, sensing its prey 

It grows stronger when the boy whimpers in pain, the faint sound causing his entire muscles to quiver with need.

Lyrien's eyes, normally a piercing silver, have darkened to a deep, almost black hue as his pupils dilate with unbridled lust. 

An animalistic snarl ripples from his chest and with forceful motion of his hand, he sends the boy flying and landing on the ground some distance away.

' No, he cannot rut with this slave! '

He inhales and exhales raggedly for several seconds, but the need does not abate;  It only burns wildly until Lyrien feels as though he will explode in hot flames.

Ordinary poisons have little effect on his dominant Alpha genes, so what is this? It's different from everything he has ever felt.

Is he experiencing...Heat? 

An Alpha can't be in heat themselves, they only respond to an Omegas heat period.

His ravaged eyes glower at the boy who looks so scared and on the verge of tears.

Stupid Omega, Good for nothing __ Well, not entirely good for nothing. 

His predatory gaze follows the boy's movements as he bangs on the dungeon door and begins to scream at the top of his voice.

"Let me out! Please!" 

The boy's frantic movements to escape provoke the predator within Lyrien that craves to chase and splinter out of control.

'Why is he running?'

Isn't this what he wanted? To mate with a dominant Alpha.

Rene's pain-filled cry echoes the entire dungeon when a clawed finger digs fiercely into his hair, yanking hard and dragging him backwards into the dark room like a worn-out plaything. 

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