His Darkest Devotion

Chapter 1

I was doomed.

There was something sinister about the way a wet male body could feel against an innocent girl. How easy it was for Cyderial to distract me with touch. All under the guise that I would be calmed and feel better after a hot shower.

“Come.” Finger crooking, he’d drawn me from the bed.

Like a nervous vorec cub, I followed.

The more I learned of this man, the more I recognized that my years of observation, of my aversion to his iron fist, had shown me none of his true colors. I had been utterly fooled, and so had the humans who’d placed him in power.

He was dangerous in ways I had not considered.

A potential landmine of enticing smiles and soft words, set to explode and wreak havoc should his mate “be compromised.” And what that might mean to a brain as drunk on my song as his?

I now understood that newly mated males were unstable.

And Cyderial had already been unstable for years.

What did that make him now?

He led me across his bedroom toward the washroom, gentle with me, slow, as if I might bolt or struggle. Drawing me forward with eager grace and softly murmured encouragement, he persuaded. “Trust me to show you how well I can care for you.”

Trust? I had none. But I did have the impetus to learn all I could, to measure his behavior, and study the person who might have absolute control over the rest of my ageless life.

Someone who was already far more experienced, a proven tactician, and well-connected.

A General.

Where I had not even officially graduated from the academy—a subpar student with a reputation for deviousness and escape.

“Lorieyn, you do not need to look so scared.”

Scared? And here I thought I was being brave, allowing him to pull my naked body closer to the shower. I even thought my expression was passive. After all, it was the same countenance I would wear each time I cheated on my exams.

Yet, Cyderial could see right through me.

He could see through me, but I could not fathom what went on in his mind.

Another reminder I was thoroughly outmatched.

After leading me right into the cage of his bathing cubical, smiling, he urged me deeper into the enclosed space. With a wary eye, I watched as he adjusted the settings before water began to cascade over the pair of us.

I jumped with that first hit of spray. I may have even let out a very unsoldierlike yip. But jets of hot liquid came and warmed stiff muscle, pulsating up and down my spine, moving around me in a dance that rinsed the worst of the previous night’s residue from my skin.

“I knew you’d enjoy it.” His grin was feral, as was the way his eyes ran over my body when a long breath escaped my throat. “Good girl. Allow yourself to relax. You are safe with me.”

He was going to stay there, wasn’t he? Crowding me in the shower as he watched me scrub.

My unsaid irritation at his lingering presence evaporated far too quickly, warm water rinsing away my shame. And I did indulge a little. Otherwise, how was I to stay sane? Tipping my head back when a waterfall began to pour from above, feeling a silken stream running over my face, I sensed he sidled closer, placing his body between myself and the door.

Still, I sucked in a gasp when his whisper came to my ear. “Do you know how beautiful you are?”

One moment, I had been marveling at how exotic it felt to wash in warm water; the next, I was so startled I failed to snatch my arm away before he might take a hold of me. Yet, his onslaught seemed innocent enough; he only meant to rub silken foaming gel into my flesh.

He intended to clean me as if I were a child.

Yet, this was no innocent ritual. Wielding no pretense, Cyderial sought to entice. Long strokes, kneading fingers, while he lathered my arm as if touching it was a gift.

And I could not find it in me to rebel.

Not when I could calculate.

Having already allowed the general to do much to my body, to be inside my body, this didn’t seem the moment to protest. What harm was there in giving the male this opportunity, so I could observe what he would do with me?

I needed to be clean.

This was clearly how it was going to take place.

And whether I liked him or not, it felt very good.

The male knew exactly how to manage me. After all, he’d had ten years to study everything he might find to draw me into his proclivities.

“Trust me. Allow.” A terrible request from someone wielding a disarming, fixed stare.

Had it even been forty-eight hours since I woke to find myself in his bed, in his den, fully bonded and in his complete power?

Closing my eyes to him, I pulled in a breath and felt my shoulders ease away from my ears.

“Good. That’s good, Lorieyn.”

Anxiety rode me hard when his attention to washing my arms ended. An open palm slick with foam landed on my flat stomach, leaving a trail of sensation in its wake. From hip point and across my navel, he then stroked until he cupped my ribs and began working his fingers between the bones.

All the while, he cooed his soothing praise, moving slowly as if I were some frightened animal.

Knowing he prepared for intimate moments of this nature for years.

That he imagined all outcomes, had contingency plans in place for every nervous breath I might take, each complaint I might voice.

That, should I strike or refuse him, all he need do was thrum and scent the air.

Shift my weight to the right? He’d shift to the left. Should I turn my head away? He’d lay a kiss on my exposed throat.

Should I grouse, he’d thump out a single brazen pulse that calmed my racing hearts.

And when his diligent fingertips found a spot that made my breath catch, he’d chase out every tingle he might inspire my body to experience.

I’d never really understood the term “luxuriate” before.

Now, I understood why that word rolled over the tongue, why you had to feel it with your whole mouth. Rounded, sensory yet cognizant, it was a waving energy that lulled even as it roused.

And I liked it. After years of hard labor, pain, discipline, and hypervigilance, I liked it in a way that made me understand how tenuous my self-control might be under an expert touch.

Parting my lashes, I dared take an unhurried look at the seductive, grand liar with his hands all over me.

He was delighted to do as he pleased. Had been waiting for me to rouse enough to remember to glower.

Green eyes found mine through the steam.

This man was no stranger, no lover, no prince come to whisk me away to his castle tower.

No, the one testing techniques he learned from God only knew how many manuals was the very authority figure responsible for every day I endured since we met.

My mate.

In the Omegaverse, characters fall into one of three unique dynamics—Alpha, Beta, or Omega (A/B/O)—which shape their physiology, mating instincts, and even their personality traits. In Addison Cain’s version of Omegaverse:

• Alphas are dominant and instinct-driven, often larger in stature and naturally assertive, sometimes to the point of aggression. Their unique traits include:
  • A mating growl that compels their Omega partner to produce slick, a natural lubricant that prepares Omega’s for penetration. The scent of slick is like ambrosia to an Alpha.
  • A deep, comforting purr that forces Omegas to calm when agitated.
  • The ability to form a lifelong pair-bond with an unmated Omega—with or without explicit consent.
  • Upon reaching the point of ejaculation, Alpha’s males form a knot at the base of their member—a primal, animalistic act—locking their partner to them with the express purpose of sealing semen inside to increase odds of fertilization and/or compliance. This knot forces their partner to climax and assures they cannot escape.
• Betas are typical humans, free from the overwhelming instincts that define Alphas and Omegas.
• Omegas are Alpha’s counterparts—rare, deeply emotional, and due to their biology, irresistibly alluring to mates. When aroused, females produce copious slick to ease the entry of a large Alpha organ. Omegas enter heat cycles (estrous) every few months, and have an insatiable need to mate until it is over. This makes them vulnerable to those seeking to take advantage. Due to unfair social hierarchy, Omegas have little choice in their life partners, as the strongest Alpha claims what they want. Once pair-bonded, they are tied to their Alpha for life.
• Pair-bonded Alphas and Omegas cannot be separated for long periods of time without serious mental and physical decline. Omegas become physically addicted to their Alphas, and will desire them regardless of their willingness to be claimed.

These are not exhaustive rules for Omegaverse as a whole. Each author lends their own unique perspective and world-building to the genre.

Omegaverse is rooted in the concept of instincts and dominance, but it remains grounded in a world where the characters' humanity is key. Characters in Omegaverse do not shift form. In fiction, shifters occupy their own niche genre and often exclude A/B/O dynamics (knots, slick, etc) altogether. Omegaverse is to shifters what vampires are to zombies—they share similar traits but are not the same.

Whether you're new to Omegaverse or a longtime fan, Addison Cain’s take on the genre is as addictive as it is emotionally charged. Prepare for gripping narratives, unforgettable characters, and a dark romance unlike any you’ve experienced before!

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