Outcast Island (Exiled Sector)

11. Magnus

CHAPTER 11

MAGNUS

I had always been curious if that command would work on Ja’ar. He never seemed to burn himself whenever he showed it off.

So ordering him to burn himself until he died had an interesting effect. He ignites with flames, going up with the rest of my lair in a spectacular blaze of light.

He snarls at me, but he can’t do anything but obey the command. I had just drained a Vampire Alpha dry—I have enough blood to force him to do what I want.

It sends him to his knees as his healing instinct expends all of his reserves. His skin tries to harden to protect himself from the fire, but it starts to blister with holes.

His trigger finger is stuck on the torch as he keeps it aimed at himself. When that finally falters, the wall behind him burns, so he leans into it, forced by my command.

The effort to heal uses up all the blood in his system—most of it likely unwilling Omega blood that he doesn’t deserve.

I wait until I watch him sanguinate before my eyes. He practically melts until there are only bones left, and finally his fire-resistant blood marker can’t protect his form from the flames anymore.

Even his bones burn until they turn to ash.

“It’s time to go, my diamond,” I murmur as I return to the nest.

It is a surreal sight. The bed is the only part of the lair that remains untouched with my little diamond deep in peaceful torpor on top of it.

Nothing had disturbed her. Her face still holds complete and utter trust that I will protect her as her golden hair flickers with the light of the flames all around us.

Your trust will not be misplaced, I vow as I carefully pick my way through the nest. Soft embers are falling now, so I lay my hands over her as I wrap her as much as I can.

I’ve never bloodmisted this kind of distance while injured. But, for my Omega, I will try.

Imbibing in Vampire Alpha blood helps, so I draw what energy from the sour notes in my stomach while I collect my Omega and myself into my focus.

Then I take us to the one place I never thought I would return.

Welcome home, I think as the familiar lilac scent of my childhood home rushes all around me.

The bedsheets beneath us are fresh, pinching my chest because it means my family keeps up my bedroom even though there’s no way I was ever going to return.

And yet, here I am.

I take a moment to listen and see if we are alone. There are no sounds that I can detect, but that just ensures the soundproofing of my room is working.

That was necessary when the bloodrage began to manifest at an early age. I could scream for hours and slam myself into the walls in a fit of fury that never seemed to go away.

The long gouges are still streaked across the ornate decor. I suppose that it made sense to my family to leave the marks and remind themselves what happens when vampires breed outside of proven lines.

Like my brother, I am a product of an experimental union with outside bloodlines.

Unlike my brother, I don’t know what bloodline I come from other than it is now extinct, given that my mother died giving birth to me.

One more Omega to add to my conscience.

Now, though, I have a precious Omega to protect.

To adore.

To cherish.

“We’re home, Guerún,” I say fondly as I lean into my Omega’s neck and indulge in her cherry scent. The only time this room should be disturbed is for cleaning, and based on the fresh scent, it had been recently maintained. Which means that we should remain undisturbed for as long as we need. “I’m going to wake you,” I murmur into my Omega’s neck, “so I hope you’re ready for me.”

She would not have gone into torpor had she not fully trusted me.

And she can’t ever wake again unless I knot her, unless I bite her and complete our bond so that she can feel safe to come back to me again.

It’s time, I think as I sink my teeth into her delectable flesh. I groan as her cherry blood fills my mouth and sends electricity jolting through my entire body, zinging fried nerve-endings to life as my burned flesh rushes to heal.

A pulse beats through my Omega’s body, thrumming faster as she begins the process to awaken.

And I can’t fucking wait when she opens her eyes, because I want to see her expression when my knot is stretching her open.

And if she commands me, I will fill her with my seed and impregnate her.

Or if she commands me to stop, I will rip out my own heart and let it bleed.

Because that’s the only way I’ll be able to end it.