Outcast Island (Exiled Sector)

6. Guðrún

CHAPTER 6

GUDRúN

I don’t know how many times I used my fingers on myself until I finally passed out from the pain.

When I wake again, a fever rampages my body and sweat drips down my brow.

Wiping it away, I frown when my fingers come back red.

Not sweat, I realize as I sniff it, finding it metallic, even if it doesn’t quite smell like Magnus, I know what it is. Blood.

My body is rejecting Magnus’s blood that I had pushed inside myself.

There seems to be more than there should be, though. The bedsheets are completely red, and I’m covered in the little ruby droplets as if I had expelled blood from my system for hours.

Maybe some of it is mine.

“I’m sorry,” a male voice says from a dark corner of the room.

I flinch, but I’m too weak to pull the covers over my body. My lower half is sticky, and my legs feel heavy. An ache resides in my stomach, and it’s so powerful that I can’t even see straight. I stare at him as the room spins.

Magnus’s guilt is a refreshing cold cloth this time as he approaches me. He’s covered in blood again, but his eyes have changed.

They’re red.

Or rather, they’re a dull red, muted but different than the dark orbs flecked with embers that I had seen before.

“Where have you been?” I ask, my voice coming out hoarse as if I’ve spent hours crying and screaming.

Perhaps I had. I can’t remember much other than the pain.

His guilt strengthens before he seems to remember I have empathic powers, and his jaw clenches. The sensation of his emotion clamps down in response.

He’s learning control.

“I was feeding on any Vampire Alpha I could find on the island before I returned to you,” he says. “I need to violently kill to stem the blood rage, and you were in no position to take on more of my anger.” His gaze falls over me, taking in the damage he caused. “If you don’t know what a Vampire Alpha even is, then you don’t know that you’re in heat, or what that means.” A swallow works down his throat, and his jaw clenches before he continues. “You need a knot, but if I am to knot you, it is because you want it, and I need to be in enough control that I can help you through your heat without forcing you into estrus, or biting you, if you don’t want to blood-bond.”

I’m not sure what estrus is, but everything else he just said rings true.

There’s not a single wound on my body, but I’m starting to understand what it means to be a Vampire Omega. I have needs, and he denied me at the worst possible time.

Because I’m in heat.

But isn’t it stopping exactly what I had wanted? Maybe I hadn’t said it aloud, but he was frightening me. I wanted it to stop.

I wanted to understand.

And so he did what he had to do to make sure he could pull back so we could have a proper conversation.

“You’re a good Alpha,” I tell him, and I mean it. I might not have my memory, but I know there aren’t many vampires with his kind of control or desire to respect an Omega’s wishes.

After what I experienced at the crash site, I have little faith in my kind.

A dark chuckle rumbles in his chest, stoking warmth inside my belly that has life returning to my dead limbs. “You wouldn’t say that if you knew me.”

“Then let’s get to know one another,” I suggest. Perhaps it’s a ridiculous thing to say when I just finger-fucked myself with his blood on his bed while I rolled in his shirts, but he doesn’t particularly seem to mind.

He nods in agreement. “I’ll make you a deal, little diamond. Let me wash you, let me give you what you need, and you try to tell me anything you might remember about yourself. Okay?”

Warmth kisses my cheeks as I wonder what he means by giving me what I need, especially if that involves being naked, but my mouth already agrees with a whispered “Yes.”

He wastes no time scooping me up with his powerful arms. My nose wrinkles when I scent the layers of foul blood on him.

There are too many scents for me to piece together how many vampires he might have fed on before returning to me.

Another pack?

Meaning four vampires?

Maybe five?

“Nine,” Magnus informs me as if he read my mind, but I know he can see the question on my face. When my eyes widen, he chuckles again as he takes me down a dim hall lit by soft lights that come to life the moment he passes them.

Motion sensor, I guess.

But even with the sensors, it feels appropriate.

He wants there to be light, so there is.

Not that we need it, being vampires, but not having to use my special senses puts less strain on me, and Magnus seems to know that.

Taking care of me appears to be intuitive for him.

Well, after he killed and feasted on numerous Vampire Alphas.

Details.

“Is that going to cause a problem with Alpha Fare?” I ask. Not that I know anything about the politics of this island, but I’ve gleaned enough to learn that Magnus has some sort of truce with another Alpha.

And given the fact that he hadn’t killed the messenger, he seems to want to keep it that way.

“I’ll handle that,” Magnus says, making me pinch my lips as he takes me into the bathroom.

My concern vanishes as I blink at the sheer size of it, marveling at the stone whirlpool tub and large shower.

He smiles as he settles me on my feet, then flicks a switch.

The stone basin comes to life as steaming water pours through holes. Bubbles rush to the surface as it quickly fills.

“So, could you command me to do something right now?” I ask, letting my gaze drift back to him.

He doesn’t shy away from my attention. I’d expect nothing less from the intimidating vampire. But he doesn’t choose to loom over me, either, and instead he leans down to lower his stature while we talk. “I could,” he says with a grin. “Do you want me to try it?”

I smirk, then shake my head. “No. But I’m glad that you did, before, I mean.” He had been too far away to help me with the first vampire. His command was what had saved me. “It’s a pretty cool power to have.”

Much cooler than feelings .

He surprises me by pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “I would trade it in a second, little diamond, if only I had found you sooner and spared you pain.”

Another blush warms my cheeks as he tugs the shirt I’m wearing over my head and slowly settles me into the water. He peels off his clothes while I shamelessly watch.

His body is an incredible work of art, and it would be impossible to look away even if I wanted to.

He’s not skinny like the other vampires I had come across, nor is he pale. His skin has a healthy tan to it as if he’s spent time in the sun, and the caked blood on his skin does little to hide his perfection. My eyes sting even at the thought of the sun, but I know a vampire like Magnus can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. A little sun won’t stop him.

My eyes dip, taking in an erection he doesn’t attempt to hide. The swell at the base of his cock holds my interest the most.

“Do you like how my knot looks, little diamond?” he asks with a smooth smile.

I try to look away, but I can’t. “Yes,” I say honestly as I appreciate the masculine beauty that is all Magnus.

Feeling self-conscious, I glance down at myself, seeing my frail, malnourished form and my scraggly hair that’s sticky over my breasts, making it look like a spider web has taken over my chest. I’m not shy about my body, but it’s not much to look at.

When I glance up at him to see if he’s disgusted by me, I’m surprised to see the soft desire lurking in his gaze.

“You said we were magic-bonded?” I ask, because that must be clouding his judgment. I’m a horrid sight, to be sure.

He eases into the warm water across from me. When I start to shiver, he comes to my side and tugs me into his lap. His erection presses against my back, but he makes no move to take advantage of our naked state. Instead, he grabs some oils and a small bowl and starts lathering my hair with warm water and something that smells like lavender.

My eyes nearly roll into the back of my head when he massages my scalp.

“Yes,” he responds after a few moments of washing and rinsing my hair until he seems satisfied. He changes to a different type of lotion and massages my shoulders as he talks. “We are vampires. That means most of us have magic determined by our blood markers. It typically depends on the bloodline, but there are outliers.” He pauses for a moment, making me wonder if there are any others like him.

If there are any others like me.

“And our magic types are compatible?” I ask.

He hums in agreement. “Surprisingly, yes. My power resides in emotion, as does yours. They just work in very different ways.” Desire stirs in my core as his touch caresses me with a quality of adoration I can’t fully describe. “I’m an Alpha, so my magic pushes my emotions outward instead of inward, like yours seems to do. But there’s another part of my blood type that also gives me a surplus of rage and bloodlust to deal with. It’s something I’ve never fully been able to control—hence my exile.”

I tilt my head as I watch the bubbles simmer across the bath’s surface. Focusing on them is my effort to try to ignore the urge rolling through me to turn around and do something stupid, like kiss him. The urge to comfort him is almost overwhelming, and I want to do that with my tongue.

But he’s finally giving me answers, and the last thing I should do is stop him from talking.

“You were sent here because of your magic?” I ask.

“Something like that,” he says, his voice rumbling low with a hint of a purr, but he pulls it back before it can fully manifest. I realize that he’s fighting his instincts to claim me. Instead, he’s giving me this time to adjust and learn. “I am an Alpha,” he repeats, as if he needs to remind me of that dangerous fact, “and that means I require an Omega to shoulder the burden of my magic.”

“And Omega like me?” I ask hopefully. I find myself wanting to be that anchor he obviously needs.

I’m strong. I know I am, but I have the sense that my magic is just as difficult for me to control. While his magic is an outward projection that hurts others, mine is like a sponge.

And all it does is hurt me.

“If you deem me worthy,” he finally says.

He shifts me so that I’m flush against his back and he can work his strong fingers down my sore thighs where the bones had healed. My core burns at the proximity of his touch. He’s so close to where I want him, but he continues his agonizingly slow circles over my muscles while his knot pulses at the base of my spine.

“You said I ‘take’ your anger?” I press. I need to understand how this bond between us works. If I can help him control his power, maybe he can help me control mine.

“Yes,” he answers. His voice seems closer now as he practically purrs in my ear, but he’s not yet releasing that delicious sound. He seems to want me to fully digest what he’s telling me. “Your empathic powers draw in the emotions from around you. I’ve never met an empath, much less one who is an Omega. Given your accent, you must be from one of the neighboring nests in Greenland. There are many smaller ones, and I’ve investigated most of them—all except one.”

That piques my interest. “And which nest did you avoid?”

A growl vibrates in his chest, making me flinch before he immediately pulls it back. “The ?lva Nest,” he says.

My vision sprinkles with red dots as the name seems to awaken something within me.

“That’s where I’m from,” I recall as pain slices through my head. Memories flood back without my permission, but hearing the name of my nest dismantles a barrier that was keeping them at bay.

It wasn’t the impact of the crash that took my memories.

It was the trauma of the Vampire Alpha blood in my system.

The blood I had been sweating wasn’t Magnus’s, I realize as my eyes widen.

It was the blood I had digested of any Alpha who wasn’t him .

“I’m an heiress,” I say as I recall my father’s cruel face. His bright red eyes were somehow always simultaneously dark, even though he made sure he never went hungry.

He didn’t just feed on my mother. It would kill her if he fed on her as often as he preferred—which meant he had many mistresses.

Nausea rolls through my stomach as I recall the culture of the ?lva Nest and why Magnus might prefer to avoid it.

“But my father couldn’t find an Alpha that I was compatible with,” I remember as pain pinches in my chest, but I force myself to speak the unfolding memories aloud while Magnus quietly listens. “He thought I needed a sort of kick start into activating my Omega traits. That’s why he sold me to Bariloche Sector.” I swallow a lump in the back of my throat. “I was force-fed Vampire Alpha blood.”

Magnus curses but manages not to growl, which I’m aware is an impressive feat. “That’s why you were already into the first stage of your heat.” Molten anger burns through my back where I’m touching Magnus and winds its way down my chest. He’s not able to contain his emotion, and I shiver in response. But now that I know my purpose if I’m to become his bonded Omega, it’s a weight I need to learn to bear.

“They’re dead,” I tell him. I had been rescued, only for there to be an incident on the plane that resulted in me being in an escape pod all by myself.

There were other Omegas on that plane, too. I had befriended a couple, but their names continued to elude me. Still, I hoped they had escaped and landed far away from here.

“That’s why I was in an escape pod,” I explain. “I was on a return flight from being rescued, but something went wrong on the plane.”

I thought that might soften his rage, but all it does is add a layer of frustration to his burning hatred for Alphas who would do such a thing.

“Why didn’t your father just keep you in your nest and force-feed you blood, then?” he asks.

I frown. “Well, I required a catalyst to go into my first heat. And he was in need of Omega entertainment, which a place like Bariloche Sector provided.” It had been a win-win situation for my father. I would be primed to be forced into an estrus—something that I now know the meaning of. I couldn’t normally have a child, not without going into true estrus. And when I did, I would be capable of producing a child with whomever he approved, and he got to fuck around and feed on the side. “My contract was a loan. My father sold me, but only for a limited amount of time, expecting me to return ready to bear a child with a Vampire Alpha of his choice who could force my womb to open. And if I failed to submit after my training , well, I don’t think he really cared if I lived or died.”

Magnus’s growl rumbles to life, making me whimper. “This is your first heat?”

I curl into myself as if that’s something to be ashamed of, but I know Magnus doesn’t mean it that way. “It is,” I say quietly.

We both go silent for a moment. It explains why I’ve been in so much pain.

The first vampire I encountered might have been an asshole, but he wasn’t wrong.

I need an Alpha to get me through this. An unaided heat, especially one of an Omega my age, is dangerous. Most Vampire Omegas go into their first heat around eighteen, and I’m twenty-five.

“So your father still lives?” Magnus asks with lethal neutrality to his tone.

“Yes,” I whisper as I squeeze my eyes shut.

“Can you handle me leaving you for a few hours?” he asks.

I know why he’s asking. He intends to kill my father for his cruelty. And given that he knows the location of my nest, he absolutely could pull it off.

While I’m not opposed to the idea, the thought of him disappearing again makes my stomach twist.

“Don’t leave me,” I plead as I grip his forearm and hold him to me with all my strength while I blink away burning tears. The mere thought of his absence sends fresh blades slicing me open from the inside, and I’m not sure if I could handle that sort of agony again. “Please, don’t leave.”

When I close my eyes once more, I picture his rage like a molten ball of fire, and I imagine dousing it with a waterfall. An endless one made of ice and soothing promises.

You will get revenge on my behalf, if you wish it.

But don’t leave me.

Not now.

Not when I need you.

My effort is rewarded by the tempering of emotions that sizzle the air. I feel like I’m swallowing a pill of fire, and it burns all the way down, but I make it settle. I order it to behave, just like Magnus does when he commands others to submit.

In turn, I command his rage to submit to me .

To my surprise, it does. The flame settles into a manageable flicker inside my chest, and it nestles there, content, as long as I don’t push it out.

Magnus releases a long sigh. “Little diamond, I don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve you to take this burden from me. It is not yours to bear.”

“Is it not?” I ask. “If you want me, then you will inherit all the wrath of the ?lva Nest.” I have many brothers who do my father’s dirty work. I didn’t stand a chance as the sole Omega heir, with all the responsibility of breeding falling to me. Any Omegas my brothers choose to mate will allow them to splinter off into their own nests, creating new bloodlines that they will rule. If my father wishes to keep his legacy, then it is my womb that must be filled by an Alpha who accepts abandoning his nest and becoming initiated as an ?lva vampire.

And I’m pleased to know Magnus would do no such thing.

“Of course I want you,” he says as he grazes his fingers over my swollen sex. My mouth parts at the faint touch that is barely a caress before he grips my thigh again, as if to restrain himself. “But you don’t need to take on this burden. Not if you don’t want it,” he reminds me. “We are merely magic-bonded. And I apologize that it happened the way it did, but that was the only way to protect you. It is reversible, so now that I am more stable, I can undo it if you like, but it will hurt.” He presents his wrist to my mouth, making my eyes widen as I eye the attractive veins wrapping around his muscles. “But you should eat first.”

“You want me to feed on you?” I ask, bewildered by the offering.

Blood is precious. Vampires don’t share with each other except for very intimate situations.

Or to show dominance—often in a fight to the death.

He takes a deep breath. “As long as one of us doesn’t feed, a blood-bond won’t lock into place. I promise I won’t feed on you, not if you don’t want me to.”

I find myself believing him. If he wanted to force me, he would have by now.

He brings his wrist closer to my mouth. “But I think you should eat before I break the connection, because our bond is what is keeping you out of pain right now.”

I realize that he’s right—I’m not hurting like I was. His hands on me are doing more than soothing me with his talented fingers.

His magic seeps into me, mingling with mine and unwinding the knots in my stomach. The slicing pain I had been feeling is now a dull ache, as if my body has quieted with the expectation of what’s to come.

Everything Magnus is doing right now is exactly right. It’s what my instincts are telling me how it’s supposed to be between an Alpha and Omega.

It makes me feel safe.

But is that the illusion I already fell for once before?

What happens when he loses control again and needs to massacre another pack of vampires? Can he really maintain that sort of existence?

But… I like being treated like a queen.

I like being cherished and listened to.

I like this .

“And if I don’t want you to undo the magic-bond?” I ask as I pull his wrist to my chest. My words are so quiet that I’m not sure if Magnus even heard me, despite his sensitive hearing.

He massages my breast, seeming unable to resist since I put him there.

The hand he has on my thigh creeps toward my core, and I widen my legs for him out of reflex.

“Then I will give you what you need, my Omega,” he says with a revived purr rumbling in his words. His fangs graze my throat, and I realize I’ve exposed my neck to him again, this time an invitation that I fully mean. “But first, I’ll test your limits, little one. Because if you’re going to be my Omega, I need to know how far I can go.”

What little restraint he had been exhibiting seems to slip as his knot swells and throbs even harder at the base of my spine. He massages my breast as his other hand returns to the apex between my thighs.

Then he slips two fingers into me, and I see stars .