"You'll do."

Even with his back turned to the audience, the words were clear, loud enough. He'd raised his voice for their sake.

You'll do? Do for what?

I met his stare, and the answer was obvious, and yet absurd.

Don't be sick, I thought again, but then I realized I wouldn't be sick because I wasn't even breathing. The edges of my vision were growing black. And yes, that was a smile on his lips—small, but there—and it was vanishing now, his brow creasing with worry.

Fainting was a slight improvement on vomiting, at least.

I hadn't remained under, in the consuming darkness, for long. Just enough time for Alpha Cadogan to carry me off the back of the stage into the small retiring tent. I'd awoken cradled in his arms and promptly closed my eyes again before he or anyone else might notice I was awake.

What had he done?

No, that was obvious. The Alpha of Bleake Isle had chosen me as his omega. It was outrageous. Laughable. He was insane, or so spiteful he'd thought of the cruelest and least imaginable insult to Adelaide.

But he held me in his arms like I was no burden at all, his heart steady under my ear, until someone brought a cot to the tent, and then he'd settled me there, my face turned toward the soft canvas wall.

Which meant I was able to listen.

"Are you mad?" Hugh Gamesby all but shouted, bursting into the tent.

"I would've assumed you'd be relieved, Gamesby."

My lips twitched at the alpha's dry tone, and I turned my head into the prickly, hay-scented pillow on the cot.

A throat cleared, and Hugh Gamesby changed his track. "I mean, my gods, man, of course I'm delighted you haven't stolen the finest omega this island has seen in over a century right out from under me, but…"

But why? Hugh wanted to ask.

"I ought to claim goodwill on my part, but in truth, I picked the woman I was most interested in."

I stiffened at the words, my head blanking, heart drumming. Liar! Or did interested in mean baffled by?

Hugh had no response to that—how could he?—and a moment later, the tent was opening again, new voices arriving.

"My-my lord, you've quite—" I winced at the breathless notes from my father.

"You've foiled an arrangement, my lord," Mr. Evans bit out.

It took everything in me to keep from curling in on myself, the memory of the old dragon's harsh grip on my body still painfully fresh.

"Are you denying me the right to choose my omega, Mr. Evans?"

I opened my eyes and found the alpha's shadow high on the tent wall. Someone had left the curtain of the tent open. How many more acquaintances would burst inside to question the alpha on his choice of me? How many would it take before he changed his mind?

"Of course not, my lord. However, there now remains an issue for you to address as our esteemed alpha. The price exchanged between Lord Posy and myself for the honor of his daughter." Mr. Evans made no effort to quell his voice, and I wondered if I might conjure another round of vomiting now, rise from the cot and coat him in it. But now that I was lying down, my previous bout of anxious queasiness had passed, and I was loath to draw attention to myself.

"Send the receipt to me, and I'll settle it myself," Lord Cadogan said, his own voice dropping gently.

"No, my lord. I told the gentleman I could manage it myself. I fully intend to. There was no need to bring this to you."

"Don't trouble yourself, Lord Posy. I'm more than happy to take on the burden in exchange for the boon of your daughter."

I snorted and then froze, hoping the sound was muffled in the pillow. Thankfully, they carried on without me.

"You're very generous, my lord," Mr. Evans said, all silk and slime now that he'd gotten his way. "And I quite preferred the Huberts girl anyway. So isn't this a happy circumstance?"

"Our alpha has chosen an omega for the first time in almost a century," Hugh Gamesby said, low and smooth. "'Happy' isn't the word."

"Indeed. And now, if you gentlemen wouldn't mind, I'd like to tend to the young woman in quiet."

"Of course you would. What an auspicious beginning for you," Hugh said, finding any dig he could now that he'd wasted Adelaide in his plans.

There was a shuffle of steps and then a small and familiar clearing of a throat. "Gwenievere and I would…be grateful for a chance to say goodbye to our little mouse before you leave, my lord."

"Of course, Lord Posy. I'm sure we'll be out directly."

My father hummed, paused, and then his feet scuffed over the grass. The alpha's shadow vanished, and the light in the tent dimmed.

I must've expected the earth to tremble as the stage had, because I nearly leapt off the cot as a hand touched my back.

"You can stop pretending to sleep now," the alpha—my alpha said.

OceanofPDF.com

Chapter FiveRONSON

Mairwen jolted up from the cot I'd placed her on, eyes wide and wild and that warm shade of honey that suited her so well.

"What were you thinking?" she blurted out.

I had to check that my claws were staying sheathed after the bickering of Gamesby and Evans. The betas had grown far too bold in the past fifty years. Mairwen was also too bold, but I suspected that had more to do with her nature than a lack of respect or fear for me. And sure enough, she blanched and shrank back slightly as the words left her lips.

"Do you object?" I asked, crouching at her side.

The thoughts flitted across her face almost as clearly as if I were reading the books she'd always had on her person during the courting season. Could she object? Yes; I wouldn't drag her back to the castle with me. But would it leave her with Evans?

"I can keep the old dragon out of your way," I said, because I was more curious to see if she would choose between her own freedom and my bed, than if she would choose between Evans and me.

"I don't object, my lord," she said, and the words were measured and careful. "But I'm very surprised. And so will the rest of society be. I know no one should question you, but they will. You might want to think of an answer for them."

She's smart. I'd realized as much yesterday while walking her home, sharp observations about all of the isle's dragonkin just bubbling out of her. She knew more than I did, had seen more than I had, simply by hovering at the edges of events.

I rose up, and she craned her neck back, unafraid to meet my stare. "You're right. But I know I did make the right choice, Mairwen Posy."

She blinked at me, and a slight whiff of that amber-sweet scent floated up to my nose. I'd been hunting for it on the stage, wondering if I'd imagined it yesterday, and it'd been elusive, almost vanishing. But there it was, a sliver of promise, one that carved a deep hunger in my belly. This woman was an omega—my omega now, for better or worse. Perhaps the rest of dragonkin had managed to overlook her, to leave her behind for a man like Mr. Evans to pick off. I would not.

"Are you well enough to deal with their stares?" I asked, holding out my hand.

She paled again and the hint of perfume vanished, but she took a steeling breath and placed a cool hand in mine. She had a smooth palm and long fingers, comfortable in my grip—a woman's hand rather than a young girl's. I was glad that she was older than the others, even if it was only a handful of years.