Asher
I'd kept myself busy. Found other things to take my attention. I even went hunting, which happens to be a sport I did not quite enjoy. I've combed through old books, took a walk around the city, and even tried new spells. For two whole weeks, I've been at it.
I haven't had a moment to think or feel anything and yet, yet I cannot seem to stop thinking about the dark haired omega who's been my prisoner, locked up in a cell.
Where else was he supposed to be? In your bed?
He's the one in chains, with his freedom stripped away and yet, it feels like I'm the prisoner instead. His prisoner.
I had wanted to drag this out. Let him rot in prison for at least a year before blessing him with my presence. But for some stupid reason, I go to bed with him in my thoughts and wake up with him still in my thoughts. I've had dreams for days. Even my cock jumps at the simple mention of his name.
What do you want, Asher? The question kept ringing inside my head. It didn't stop while I was putting on my robe. It didn't stop when I descended the stairs to his cell. It didn't stop when I lingered at the door, and even now when I'm staring at those bewitching eyes, it's still there.
I stepped inside, and the moment I crossed the threshold, Edmund's breath hitched.
He immediately bent his head. He didn't look up at me and for some reason, it infuriated me.
His head stayed lowered, and his shoulders were tense, his hands resting against his thighs where the chains allowed him just enough movement to sit properly on the edge of the bed. The room was dim, but I could still see the strain in his posture.
"Look at me," I said.
My voice was calm.
He didn't move.
His fingers tightened slightly, but his head stayed down.
I let a second pass.
"Look at me, Edmund."
This time my voice was sharper.
He flinched.Then, slowly, like it took effort, he raised his head.
His eyes met mine for only a second before they wavered, but that was enough.
I walked toward him, taking my time to watch his countenance.
Up close, I could see everything.
The faint tremor in his lips.
The way his breathing wasn't even.
The tension in his neck.
I reached out and brushed my fingers lightly over his lips.
The reaction was immediate.
He stiffened, a small shiver running through him before he could stop it.
I watched him closely.
"Why?" I asked.
My voice dropped. Unable to restrain myself from asking for the answers that have kept me awake every single night for 5 fucking years.
"Why did you betray me?"
For a moment, I thought he wouldn't answer.
Then, slowly, a smirk formed on his lips.
"Anyone with good sense could see how ignorant you were," he said quietly. "It was only right to betray you."
Something in my chest snapped but I didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing how much his words affected me.
My eyes burned with fury, and I let the heat from my body sink into the atmosphere. Edmund started sweating and pulling at the sheets.
"I should have had you in my bed a long time ago," I said, my voice low and steady. "I should have taken the only thing you were offering the very first day you asked."
He shook his head slightly, like he was trying to hold onto control, but it didn't work.
I leaned closer.
"Maybe that's why you did it that night," I continued. "Maybe you were afraid."
His eyes flickered.
"Afraid that once it happened, you wouldn't be able to walk away from it. Afraid that once I made love to you, once you've tasted my cock, you'd want more."
He let out a shaky breath.
"Tell me, Edmund," I said, watching him carefully. "How badly did you want me to claim you? How badly did you want me to fuck you?"
He didn't answer but it was clear that he was suffering from the heat oozing out of me. I was a powerful alpha after all and even the most stubborn of omegas would cave from the simple effect of being in my presence.
"I remember," I went on. "I remember the way you looked at me on multiple occasions when we were together."
His jaw tightened.
"I remember you asking for it. Begging me to take you."
His hands clenched.
"I remember you coming to my room one night," I said. "I was fully awake but you didn't know that. And even if there was a chance that I was heavily asleep, the atmosphere that night was so thick with the smell of your lust, it would have woken me up. But if you had come even an inch closer to my bed, I would have claimed you in ways that would have left you crippled by morning."
His breathing grew heavier.
"And now you sit here and pretend none of that meant anything."
I leaned down slightly, close enough for my voice to drop to a near whisper.
"You've never been a good liar, Edmund."
He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, then opened them again, forcing himself to look at me.
"I'll ask you again," I said.
This time, there was no softness in my tone.
"Why did you betray me?"
Silence.
I straightened.
"Who had that kind of power over you?" I asked. "Who made you think you could stand against me?"
"You knew you couldn't defeat me, your family wouldn't have been able to even lay a scratch on me," I said.
His expression shifted slightly at that, something passing through his eyes before he buried it again.
"So tell me," I pressed. "What made you do something so foolish? Who's this person that you were willing to throw it all away for?"
Willing to throw away everything we had.
His body trembled, but he didn't speak.
I watched him for a long moment.
"Tell me," I said quietly, "and I might consider making this easier for you."
"Or maybe, I should start now." I leaned forward, lifting his chin up. Those bewitching lips. It's been so long but I remember exactly how they tasted.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door.
"Your Majesty."
Fucking cock blockers!
"Your Majesty," the voice repeated.
"Apologies for the interruption, but there is something that requires your immediate attention."
I closed my eyes for a brief second.
Then I disengaged myself from him.
His pupils were dilated and full of lust. He looked so needy. His pheromones were all over the place as well and despite my feigned control, it was badly messing with my head.
If I claimed him right now, it would defeat the whole point of him being my prisoner and no matter how badly I want his ass clenching my cock, I can't forget about his betrayal.
It took everything in me to step back.
"By the time I come back," I said, my voice calm again, "you should have my answers ready."
His gaze flickered, but he said nothing. And then I left the room.