Outcast Island (Exiled Sector)

3. Magnus

CHAPTER 3

MAGNUS

Little diamond.

That’s what this Omega is.

Rare. Incredibly beautiful.

Impossibly valuable.

And entirely mine.

I kneel as I allow the transition of power to take place. I know what is happening, but I never expected to find an Omega who could ground me. Her blissful scent of cherries makes my mouth water and my knot swell.

Other Omegas have always smelled a little bitter to me, but not this one.

She is sweet.

Her scent invades my thoughts and permeates my skin, drenching me with her aroma in a declaration that suggests her blood already finds mine to be compatible.

Which is impossible.

I had looked for centuries for an Omega who was compatible with my blood type. I wasn’t like the rest of my family. I was a monstrosity among Vampire Alphas, and I had an unknown marker that set me apart.

That made me feral without a mate.

I had searched for one in sheer desperation to resolve the issue. An easy way to test compatibility is to allow an Omega to taste another Vampire Alpha’s blood.

Incompatibility should simply mean a sour taste.

In my case, it means death. And I have far too many dead Omegas on my conscience as it is.

Never again.

The blood rage had only worsened as the guilt festered. After a close call with my little brother when he’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time, I knew I had to give up my search.

Exile.

Glancing down at the gorgeous female with brownish-blonde hair, I dare to hope that might change.

I could go home.

But where are you from, little diamond? I wonder, because now that I have found a compatible Omega, her needs will always come before my own.

Why is she here? How had she found herself careening in a fireball streaking across the sky?

The overwhelming need to protect her and care for her makes my arms shake, but I will them to remain strong and steady, so as not to jolt her.

Our exchange of magic has to be done before I can properly tend to her needs.

And I will tend to all of them—with her permission.

Next will be the exchange of blood.

Only if she wants it, I remind myself.

I’d rather die than force an Omega to live a lifetime dealing with me. Our magic-bond can be broken. It’s only the first step in a mate bond between vampires.

Dismantling it would hurt.

It might even kill me.

But I would do it, if it pleased her.

Closing my eyes, I allow her blissful scent to dig into my skin and taste the magic that courses through my blood.

My magic is violent and unruly, but a calmness unlike anything I’ve ever felt rolls through me as I let the Omega’s magic saturate me.

You’re so powerful, little diamond.

More powerful than you could possibly know.

The burning escape pod dims from my senses, and the tree line remains quiet. Now that I’ve killed multiple Vampire Alphas, now that I’ve found her , I’ll be able to bloodmist us to my lair without risking insanity. But first I need to make sure I finish the exchange.

My body gives her all the blood rage I’ve dealt with for years, trusting her to handle its impossible weight. Unfortunately, I have no choice in the matter. The alternative would be that I keep it in, and I know what would happen next if I did that.

She would die. I would force my knot on her, then I would drain her.

I will not let that happen.

I am better than those assholes I tore into.

My rage had knocked her out cold, but that was for the best. She was in far too much pain. Her little body shivering in my arms betrays how much agony she was enduring.

It wasn’t just because she had broken her legs when the vampire had roughly redirected its course, but because she was an Omega close to her heat.

She is likely well into the first stage of her heat now that we have magic-bonded, so I have to be mindful of how I handle her.

Especially since I won’t know how much damage has been done until she wakes up again.

A pack of Vampire Alphas growling at her, encouraging her to accept a rushed estrus, would have been excruciatingly painful.

That’s not how Vampire Omegas are supposed to be lured into such a vulnerable state.

A heat notifies the Vampire Alpha that she is ready.

Estrus only happens when she knows she is safe . That is when she will be able to breed.

And she can’t do that unless she trusts the Vampire Alpha who courts her—but it can be forced.

That’s not how my nest runs things, even if some do. But this is Outcast Island. The only rules here are Alpha Fare’s rules.

And he must have given them permission to take any Omegas who found themselves here.

Meaning I will be receiving unwelcome visitors to my lair soon. It is no secret to Alpha Fare where I choose to live—even if it is out of sight and away from the main activities of the island, I am more or less left alone.

But that is because I don’t interfere. Now, that is about to change.

A sense of peace wraps around me like a cherry-scented blanket when the exchange is done. I open my eyes to find the Omega sleeping. She isn’t shaking anymore.

She has accepted me as well.

We’ll see to your needs now, little diamond, I think as I bloodmist us away from the crash site. My lair is on the other side of the island, so it is the best way to travel to tend to her immediately.

And when you wake, I will be here.

And I will rip apart anyone who dares try to touch you again.