Deviant Games (The Controllers #8) - L.V. Lane Page 0,2

swatting my ass or any opportunity to hold me down. I’d yet to work out how to use the power to get him off. I would figure it out eventually, and then he was going to be sorry!

His desire leaked through our bond, along with something else that I could not quite quantify. I swallowed past the sudden tightness in my throat. “We have an audience,” I said because the military practice pit tended to gather a crowd whenever we came here for my training.

Someone let out a loud whistle, and a couple of catcalls followed. Ethan’s brows drew together, and he huffed out a breath. But he got off me and held out a hand to help me to my feet.

“Go and get yourself cleaned up, and I’ll take you over to the research center.”

The research center was buzzing when I arrived due to the charity ball this evening.

It was our first such event since relocating to Chimera, an opportunity to replace a painful memory with a better one, and to bring closure to Tsing’s era at the helm.

I had lost track of how many people had approached me and congratulated me on my appointment as Tsing’s replacement. Besides my wonderful assistant, Merry, none knew of the events surrounding my disappearance, assuming my absence was due to my heat.

I still had nightmares about my capture, and could picture that dreadful Alpha female as she ordered the Beta to electrocute me to force my flush.

The cage hanging over the pit.

The fighting.

The Uncorrupted Alpha ripping a chunk of flesh from my throat.

My body might not carry the physical scars, but my mind certainly did.

Ethan left to do whatever secret things he did. He wasn’t a field operative anymore; he’d retired from those duties. But I knew he continued to work for the government, and my father, indirectly. He was never absent overnight, unlike Ryker, who was still deployed on regular rotations.

Ethan didn’t disclose details of his work, but I understood. Aspects of the viral research program could not be disclosed, either—it was the nature of our perspective work.

Merry, frizzy pink hair and all, greeted me with a beaming smile when I entered my corner office. She had been my assistant for ten years. There were many variations to the Beta dynamic, but Merry was a treasure, happy, efficient, and loyal to a fault—she was a million times more than a mere assistant. I was grateful to have her in my life.

“How was the training?” she asked.

“Good!” My smile was probably a little smug. “I bloodied Ethan’s nose.” My vulnerability during capture needed to be exorcised. Learning self-defense went a long way to healing the mental trauma. “I feel bad about how pleased that makes me.”

Merry burst out laughing. “How did he take it?”

I shrugged. “Well enough.” Then I remembered the sensations that had flooded the bond as he lay above me.

Ryker was the master of masking his feelings. My blood had changed him to some extent, but while he wasn’t by any means as detached as he had once been, he could still conceal his thoughts and feelings with ease. Ethan was the opposite, projecting his will however he deemed appropriate. At times, I took comfort from it, and at times, it smothered me.

I was an Omega, he was my Alpha, and the push and pull of the bond was as integral to our relationship as the physiological changes to our bodies.

Yet, today was the first day that I had sensed deception from Ethan.

“He’s planning something,” I said at length. My distant focus returned to Merry.

“They’re Alphas,” Merry stated with an impish smile. “If they are not scheming how to better control you, then it probably means they’re dead.” She rolled her eyes for emphasis. “And they did nearly lose you to the Uncorrupted. You’re going to give me premature grey hair with your antics!” Her cheeks dimpled, and her eyes suddenly sparkled. “Oh, wasn’t he waiting until you were fully recovered for your punishment?” She winked. “Sounds like tonight is the night!”

I shook my head. “No, I’m sure he’s forgotten all about it.” Was I in denial? I had a very odd feeling that it was worse than punishment. What could be worse than his belt? No, nothing was worse than that. The post discipline sex had been scorching hot, but still, I wasn’t ready to go there again.

Merry chuckled and, turning back to her console, made like she was returning to her work before musing to herself, “Yeah, Alphas