Chapter 39
Opular’s master bedroom in the ancient crumbling mansion is full of a hundred naked women having an orgy.
Opular is the only male, with about – well, I try to count.
But I can’t seriously count how many lie with him, across him, upon him, hands even threaded through his hair as he lies stacked up on too many pillows. I think I’ve walked into a porn set.
Hades stands by my side with his hands clasped in front of him.
While I stand with him, staring at the Imperator getting fawned upon.
Opular does not watch or acknowledge us, instead, he closes his eyes as multiple mouths caress his shaft.
“Cough, cough, old friend,” Hades says the words, “I bring you – ” Opular’s nostrils flare.
“Two wolves,” Opular growls, eyes still closed as he rests his head back, “…not interested in wolves… male or female…”
“I wasn’t on offer,” Hades snaps, then chuckles, “Open your eyes, you fat cat.”
“Mmm? No,” Opular growls a bit deeper, now annoyed.
“You’re not interested in the Free Kind?” Hades asks.
“Nothing’s free,” Opular drawls, husky, his voice a deep rasp as his pleasure obviously starts to peak. Lionesses around lick his neck, his pecs, his abbs, his feet – his elbows, his mouth, his knees. Every inch of him. Hades and I have the unfortunate sight of watching Opular climax – and the girls suddenly fight for his cum, “Tongues only,” he snaps, opening his eyes to glare at them grasping his cock with their hands.
As they cower and move aside from his rage, they all witness his bulging eyes as he now stares right at me.
“Everyone out,” Opular speaks as an Imperator all of a sudden.
It doesn’t just shock Hades or I – but every single lioness in the room, tilt their heads with curiosity at him, and then us.
I quickly scan over them, and almost immediately pick the ones who recognise me, perhaps from seeing me enter or exit Opular’s presence in Wolf Dominion.
“Everyone out except you,” I point at them, each of them, using base instincts to pick them from my training, “You – and you… and you. Stay.”
They glance to Opular who nods his approval at my command.
The rest of the naked females scatter out of the room, intrigued and confused but eager to obey.
“See?” I whisper to Hades, “I don’t need to fuck anyone.”
“Lock the doors,” Opular commands the remaining females, “Keep silent.”
He asks for the silence to take me in without any noise.
I step forward into view as Opular puts on a robe and ties it around the middle. His long mane of thick straight golden hair, lies out in a mess, little parts braided by his ‘kitty cats’.
He approaches swiftly to put a hand on my cheek, checking I’m real. Then he licks his thumb and smudges the fake Serpent marking on my cheek. He wipes it back into a soldier’s marking instead.
“Hmm,” Opular’s lips are tightly held together, unable to fully process this turn, before he glances to Hades, “Strange. Why did you bring her here?”
“She woke from a heavy coma, Opular. She needs reassurance,” Hades adds, “I haven’t told her but I’ve seen her hands shaking, and her gait is hypervigilant – she’s traumatised but it hasn’t hit yet. But it will.”
Okay, now I’m confused by all that extra stuff.
Opular and Hades share a knowing look.
“Mmm,” Opular agrees and points Hades out, “Have fun, free of charge.”
“Nothing’s for free,” Hades raises a brow, mocking him.
“Seeing her is enough,” Opular adds, seriously, “…distract them…” he whispers that at Hades, “They love a wolf’s cock,” and he says that louder.
“Noted,” Hades turns to go and puts his hand through my hair, seeing my disgruntled look, “Shh.”
I hadn’t even said anything!
I go to lunge at him with a real punch to the face, but Opular grabs my arm and pulls me back.
“Go and say nothing of her,” Opular murmurs at the other lionesses.
All too quickly, everyone leaves. But still the stench of sex remains. As the doors shut, I pull out of his firm hold and walk away from him, toward his bed, looking over the scattered mess of clothes and sheets and towels.
“You’ve been having fun,” I growl.
“…this is the first time I see you again, Luna, after you jumped to your death away from me,” as Opular speaks it’s not a sweet reassurance. It’s scolding and pain rolled into one. I don’t have time to pity him.
“Oh, well, the human Ryder was murdered by her Alpha,” I say, stone cold, “And that trumps suicide, so get over it –” Opular’s golden eyes go wide with pain as he walks over.
And he slaps me.
Nope. Worse.
A full blown back hand.
I almost feel my cheek crack as the swelling immediately begins from the force of his knuckles.
I back right up, holding my face steady as my eyes spin. I had lost a lot of strength.
“Almost all my Lions have taken their life for the women to eat,” Opular snarls at me, “Arrogance isn’t a good look on you, Ryder,” My eyes well up with tears. I – I didn’t know. I feel sorry but I feel it’s too late to say it. I just back up away from him some more as he starts to pace around, “Congratulations, you survived death again and have a third chance now!” Opular snarls his rage at me, “What will you do now, Ryder, take your Dominator down?” he goes cold and quiet as he asks me this, and he stops pacing to look right at me, “Or betray us all for the love you feel for Skye?”
Bam.
First Hades says Skye loved me.
Now Opular says I love Skye.
But – his handsome face flashes before me.
Skye.
Put a bullet.
In my face.
Or was it a laser?
Even as I think it. I hear an explosion and see a blinding light.
The stark and full blown memory of my own death slams into me like it just happened – and I throw my hands up in front of me.
I open my mouth to scream but silence comes out.
My throat has closed off so much no noise can be made.
I spin around from Opular’s staring and I claw at my neck, trying to make it open again for air.
I try to breathe but it’s almost impossible.
For a few seconds I’m breathless – then I gasp in, as if my consciousness had shut down and then rebooted.
I’ve lost my balance and my face hits the wall for a second, bringing me back out of it.
I turn around, dragging my metal foot, all too heavy as I think I’m human.
Opular is watching closely.
I feel my Luna’s training, my programmed and cloned brain, clash with my human’s consciousness. I had only survived due to Transcendence.
Transcendence.
I think the word and I faint forward.
My Messier Luna’s body collapses.
I escape this time into another available choice. I can’t help it while in my state of panic.
So many smells. So many thoughts, shared with a Beast. Xrat rears his head from the bottom of an underground parking lot, as I join him in his mind.
As he feels my presence there, he lifts his head up and about, his eyes roaming the room for me.
A heavy chain is on his neck, chaining him down – while other Wolf Beasts roam freely.
Signs are up stating BEWARE so he is left in isolation.
I feel Xrat’s mind – also equally traumatised by loneliness and despair and violence.
But above all, he missed me.
I miss you too, I whisper to him.
He couldn’t quite believe my voice, but as I’ve spoken to him, he’s tail suddenly wags and starts slapping into the wall, bam, bam, bam, as a high pitched whine comes out of his throat – just like a puppy.
I feel the residents of Wolf Dominion, who are all camped underground, turn to look at him. I also sense Skye is watching through Xrat’s sense of smell.
I immediately close Xrat’s eyes and hope it looks like he’s sleeping and just having an animated dream.
After a while, I still his body and wait for the attention to pass.
Then I open one eye, as our nostrils flare with his scent, now right in front of us.
I try to leap out of Xrat’s head, but something keeps me there.
The Dominator has approached. I panic silently and this time I stay still next to Xrat’s warm consciousness.
Skye has come to put his hand on our nose, turning to sit next to the wolf Beast, speaking, “Hush. It’s just a dream. She’s gone. I miss her too,” what did he just fucking say? Skye looks over his shoulder, up into Xrat’s eyes, “Those times are over now, buddy. Hush.”
Skye speaks so calmly and so normal to Xrat while no one is watching.
Like a normal human being.
The irony of that has me gobsmacked. I don’t know what to even make of it. I didn’t even think he was capable of such behaviour. I’ve never in my life heard him talk with that relaxed tone.
It was always bark bark bark with Skye.
I test his patience by knocking our snout into his side, until he’s pushed over and has to roll.
Xrat and I huff out a mocking laugh.
Skye stands up, red in the face, and looking at Xrat differently as the Dominator looks flustered.
“You haven’t done that in years,” Skye murmurs, his eyes flashing with recognition.
I can sense his Alpha’s knowledge growing quickly and I get scared.
Xrat can sense it too and he suddenly forces me aside, as he jumps up and starts to howl – and it’s loud and piercing and then low and sombre as it draws out, so long – it makes everyone cover their ears.
Xrat stops – then starts again.
Stop thatnonsense, I hiss at him, hoping he shuts up.
Xrat doesn’t listen, and howls even louder.
Skye has now stood back, and he starts to close his eyes.
He’s about to Transcend into Xrat!
Boom. Another mind flares up–
Oh, no!
I flee right back to my Messier form.
I wake up in a startled panic, but Opular is sitting cross legged, with me over his lap, as he holds my shoulders, waiting for me to wake. He holds me nice and still so I don’t thrash.
The immobilisation after Transcendence was no longer an issue for me.
“You Transcended to Xrat?” Opular inquires, “…and what did you see –?”
I nod as I gasp out, “I – did but I – I backed the fuck out,” just in the nick of time!
I –
I think.