The iron edge, p.11
The Iron Edge, page 11
Thora saw Halcyon's bitter expression and collected the smaller hand into hers. "It done," she said, attempting to close the door on the past.
Halcyon sighed and freed her hand. Thora was right that the incident between Thora and Euclid was over. But for Halcyon, it was fresh and required time to cool her temper. She moved toward the door. "Come." Tonight would be long and trying, especially for Halcyon. At first light, her mate would leave for the barracks, and this evening's dinner was her only social event with him.
Heeding the command, Thora carried the damp linen and the dirty tunic; both needed to be cleaned now. Halcyon stepped out of the bathing room and into the courtyard. She cast a glance over her shoulder at Thora, who canted her head in silent request. Halcyon indicated the items in Thora's arms. "Join me in the suite after you are finished."
Thora dipped her head, then promised, "I quick."
Halcyon smirked and said, "Good Alpha." She savored the pretty blush on Thora's cheeks, then left.
Chapter 9
Halcyon
Halcyon remained sprawled out on the long chair in the mistress's suite located on the second floor. Now that she had a moment to relax, she sensed the onset of her approaching heat. The earlier bath had done little to ease her increasing body temperature. Perhaps she should have taken a cold bath rather than a warm one. Glancing at the open window, she noted the late afternoon sunlight, which meant dinner would be served soon. Halcyon preferred Thora's cooking over Glauce's, but her nearing heat would curb her appetite for food. In the coming hours, she would hunger for sex and a worthy Alpha's knot. By nature, an Omega would try to select an ideal Alpha and fine-tune their pheromones to call to that perfect Alpha, who would answer by going into a rut for her.
Halcyon denied her Omega from making such an attempt.
With a groan, she covered her face, which had a thin sheen of sweat already. Her last heat was long enough ago that she was unsure of when. Halcyon considered why her heat had resurfaced. She told herself there was no logical trigger for her to have one after all this time. A firm but familiar knock at the door coaxed her out of her thoughts. Opening her eyes, Halcyon laid her gaze upon Thora—her trigger. Her Omega confirmed it with a broken mewl that was half strangled, half calling out.
Thora paused a few steps from her owner's chair. She swallowed hard enough for her throat to bob, then she took a deep breath. With stiff shoulders, she closed the gap between them and said, "You must drink."
Halcyon bit her bottom lip when Thora knelt in front of her and offered a full cup of water. Indeed her mouth was parched and the crystal clear liquid was a welcomed sight, almost as much as Thora herself. She accepted the water and drained the clay cup. After she returned it to Thora, she managed to speak. "Sit." She pushed up higher against the back of the chair and scooted to the edge, providing room for Thora.
At first Thora hesitated, but she placed the cup on the small table next to them and then took a seat. She covered her lap with both hands. Was Thora trying to conceal a possible erection? Halcyon banished the idea because she refused to let her heat trigger an Alpha into a rut.
Halcyon dragged her fingers through her hair and considered what they needed to discuss. "You are aware that I am going into a heat."
"Já." Thora curled her fingers together. When she first entered the suite, her scent had been light, but it developed a depth that called to Halcyon's Omega. "You not mate with master." Thora's Greek was imperfect, but it was much improved and easier for them to talk.
"No." Halcyon glanced toward the window and studied the trees located behind the villa. After a sigh, she focused on Thora and said, "He may make another attempt."
"I stop him." Thora fisted one of her hands, then cleared her throat. "If you desire."
Halcyon warded off a jolt of excitement after Thora used the word "desire." She clenched her bottom lip between her teeth but forced herself to relax. "Yes, I wish for you to stay close. He seems leery of you."
"Leery?" Thora tilted her head, revealing the curious spark in her eyes.
"Cautious," Halcyon replied but the new word was still foreign to Thora. "A little scared." The simpler definition seemed to help, and Thora nodded. Halcyon's Omega wanted to ask Thora to protect her. However, Halcyon scoffed at the weakness and strangled down the request before it was too late. She was a hoplite and an elite bodyguard to one of the kings. She refused to ask anyone for protection much less her slave.
"I stay near," Thora promised with a rumble that sent a shiver racing down Halcyon's spine.
"He will leave at first light," Halcyon further explained. "I will rest in here tonight." She would lock the door behind her to ensure that Euclid couldn't sneak in and breed her. A few drops of guilt roiled in her belly, but she smothered it. Even though they were in a union, there was no legal requirement that she breed with him. It was an expectation, and like all such social contracts, Halcyon snubbed it. "You must sleep with your door open tonight and one ear listening."
Thora dipped her head in agreement. "Yes, mistress." She and Halcyon both looked toward the closed door of the suite when someone rapped on it. Thora rose and faced the newcomer, who was Glauce.
"Dinner is ready to be served." With a curious expression, Glauce looked between Halcyon and Thora. "Do you wish to eat in here, mistress?"
"No, I will join my mate in the courtyard." Halcyon swung her legs off the side of the long chair. "You and Cesare will have to serve us dinner. I will be there in a moment." She stood as Glauce murmured her agreement and left. Halcyon found cool blue eyes regarding her again. "You will stay in the courtyard with me."
"Yes, mistress." Thora straightened her back and waited for Halcyon to lead the way. She followed a few paces behind and went down to the courtyard.
Halcyon sat in her usual spot and waited for Euclid's arrival. She glanced to her left and admired Thora standing watch over her. For a beat, she preened like a lovestruck pup until she regained control of her Omega. A soft curse drifted under her breath.
"Hello, my mate." Euclid had come from the open gates of the villa. He was perhaps out at the stable after taking a short horseback ride. He took the other seat and remarked, "Your tutor for the barbar returned."
"Vitus," Halcyon supplied. She suspected he would take his meal in his room rather than interact with them. Once Euclid was gone, everyone would be more at ease. Well, except for the minor problem with Halcyon's heat. Searching her memory, she tried to pinpoint how many days her last heat lasted, but it was fuzzy. At best, it would be two days, then she could return to her normal routine.
Huffing low, Euclid became situated in his chair and commented, "It seems like a waste of coin to teach her to speak our tongue." He pointed in Thora's direction. "How long has it been? She barely speaks Greek and not well."
Halcyon stole a glance at her slave, who was fighting the curl of her lip. Thora understood every word Euclid spoke and his condescending tone. Halcyon cooled her own initial reaction and offered Euclid a smile. "Well, it's my coin after all." She leaned to one side when Cesare arrived with the initial plates of food. "I can squander it as I see fit." Her harsh retort won the verbal spar, silencing Euclid for the moment.
Glauce placed filled cups of diluted wine on the table and left a small pitcher. She backed up behind Cesare, who was taking the lead.
"Anything else?" Cesare looked between his owners, but his question settled on Halcyon's shoulders.
"No, Cesare."
Cesare shifted on his feet and placed his hands behind his back. "There is also a sweet bread with honey and fruit for after. Thora made it." He canted his head and waited for Halcyon's decision about the dessert. Halcyon was known for steering away from treats, but unlike the other slaves, Cesare was aware of Halcyon's weakness for sweet foods. "She made it to celebrate your return home."
Halcyon bit the inside of her mouth after swallowing down a bite of fish. For over a fortnight she had craved fish, but it was never offered at the barracks. It was much too expensive, especially to feed ravenous hoplites who wouldn't appreciate quality food. With a slight upturn of her lips, she gave in to her early heat-induced desire and replied, "Yes, please prepare it." From the corner of her eye, she caught Thora's chest rise. Damn Alphas and their egos. Halcyon wondered whether Thora had learned about her sweet tooth.
"Yes, mistress." Cesare hurried off with Glauce in tow.
Euclid had a slight frown, but he said nothing and ate his meal.
"The Carnea Festival begins in a day's time," Halcyon spoke up, attempting to redirect her mate's attention.
"Yes." Euclid had a more pleased look. The festival was one of his favorites for as long as Halcyon had known him. "Will you have time to join in the festivities?"
"I'll be on duty for much of it," Halcyon replied. She took a handful of olives from the bowl and placed them on her plate. "The movements of the Persian army are a concern." The topic seemed to capture Euclid's full attention. Over the entire meal, they discussed King Xerxes of Persia and his army, which had crossed into Greece back in the spring and marched southward. Everyone smelled war and blood in the air.
Thora remained silent but at attention, as if she were a guard herself. Several times Halcyon stole glances at her Alpha slave. In that moment, she realized that Thora had once indeed been a warrior and trained at some point in her life. There were certain stances, expressions, and subtle movements that soldiers tended to learn. Thora would have blended in with any Spartan hoplite, if not for her height and light hair.
"Have you changed your mind about mating?" Euclid asked when Glauce brought the sliced bread.
Glauce revealed rosy cheeks after Euclid spoke. She scampered off when Halcyon dismissed her.
"No." Halcyon owed him no explanation. She took a piece of the bread, smelling it. The fruity scent made her mouth water. Pieces of cherry stood out against the bread itself.
Euclid was undeterred for the moment and leaned against the table, closer to Halcyon. "Then you will let that barbar knot you."
Halcyon had taken a bite from the bread. She placed the piece onto her plate and eyed her mate while she chewed on the mouthful. He was jealous but also outmatched by Thora, who was a barbarian among the eyes of Greek society. In her homelands, Thora had perhaps been far more respected both as a person and a warrior. Even so, Thora's path in life was different now; a slave was at the bottom. A barbaric slave was even a notch below a Greek-born slave.
"No," Halcyon declared with finality. The power of her voice caused Thora to shift. "None will knot me." For Thora to knot her, she needed to go into a rut and grow a cock. Halcyon's heat scent might be calling to Alphas, but it required a special note in it to trigger a specific Alpha's rut. Halcyon believed she had full control of her Omega nature, keeping herself from triggering Euclid or Thora.
Euclid rumbled low. "You forget that it's my right to—"
"Mount me? I think not." Halcyon rose from the seat, abandoning her dessert. "We are Spartans, not barbarians." She flinched at what sting her words might bring to Thora.
Euclid stood, attempting to tower over her. His pheromones unfurled and slithered toward Halcyon. They were pungent and heavy, like chains wrapping around her. "Yes, and we have a duty to continue our people's legacy."
"Do not speak to me about duty," Halcyon snapped and fisted her hands. The increase of her voice prompted Thora to act. Halcyon felt Thora's Alpha pheromones rise like a tidal wave and push back against Euclid's own. Halcyon inhaled her slave's superior scent that was undeniable and heavy but warm too. Every tendril of Thora's pheromones poured into Halcyon, making it easier for her to breathe after choking on Euclid's scent. With a clearer mind, she fired off another warning to her mate.
"I may have pledged my life and body to Sparta, but I have not pledged my womb." Halcyon took a step closer, rounding the table. "And I certainly never pledged my body to you." Euclid would press her to mate, and she held her silence in the past. Not tonight, not when she was going into a heat that would mean pregnancy. This time she refused to bend. She was not like the rest of the Spartan females or Omegas. Halcyon was a hoplite and the Iron Edge.
Euclid showed off his teeth, but he retreated from his initial assault and looked at Thora.
Halcyon turned her head to the side and caught Thora's calm features. But in her blue eyes, a storm brewed and threatened Euclid. Thora took a step closer, yet remained positioned behind Halcyon. Her slight movement was enough to push Euclid back again. Halcyon returned her attention to her mate, amazed by his submission. Everything made sense to her now. Thora was a superior Alpha, who could outmatch and control other Alphas with her pheromones. Halcyon had heard of such powerful Alphas, but they were far more rare than even female Alphas themselves.
With a low huff, Euclid took a step to his right and said, "When you come to your senses, I will be waiting in our bed." He started around them, as if an invisible wall blocked him from Halcyon. He retreated to the upstairs in the last bit of sunlight.
Halcyon released a low breath while her shoulders fell.
"You okay?" Thora asked, remaining motionless but with concern written across her face.
"Yes." Halcyon faced her slave. She searched Thora's eyes, which had softened compared to earlier. "Thank you."
Thora bowed her head and peered over her shoulder toward the upper level of the villa. "He displeased." She looked at Halcyon again. "Like a cat who had their tail stepped on."
Halcyon snorted low at the joke and smiled when Thora beamed at her. "I agree." She found herself leaning into Thora's space, breathing in her wonderful scent. Shaking her head, she moved away and said, "I'll retire to the mistress's room." Not waiting for a response, Halcyon left the courtyard and headed upstairs, but not to the master bedroom. She returned to the suite reserved for her and other females. Once inside, she bolted the door to ensure no one could join her without permission, especially Euclid.
* * *
A strong knock at the door stirred Halcyon from her light sleep. She groaned from the elevated heat in her belly that she could do little about. Swinging her legs off the long chair, she stood and grumbled at the soreness in her body. The chair was fine for a few hours, but too hard for any meaningful rest. Once the heat fully manifested itself, she would fail to have any sleep. Another bang encouraged her to hurry across the moonlit suite.
She yanked open the door after unbolting it. "What?" she barked, until the tantalizing Alpha pheromones washed over her. "Thora," she breathed out in a husky voice. "It's late." Her attempt to glare was weakened by Thora's rather inviting presence.
"I sorry, mistress. I bring supplies for tonight." Thora indicated the items in her arms and hands.
Halcyon studied the various things, which included blankets, full waterskins, a linen, and a bowl of grapes. At first the blankets seemed ludicrous considering the sweat that coated her from head to toe. It was also late summer. Then her inner Omega reminded her that the blankets weren't for warmth but rather for nesting. As her heat strengthened, she would feel the natural urge to build a safe place for breeding. Many Alphas would overlook the importance of allowing an Omega to prepare a special space.
Thora was different.
Halcyon strangled her inner Omega's desire to whine at her Alpha slave's thoughtfulness. She instead forced herself to step aside. All of the items were important and necessary for the next day or two. Thora took the invite and placed the blankets on the long chair. The bowl of grapes went on the side table, while the water skins were slung over the back of the chair.
Thora returned to her owner's side and asked, "Chamber pot bring?"
Halcyon crinkled her nose at the idea of having one of the pots in the room with her. Her villa was set up with a specific room for the chamber pot. "No." She glanced at the open door and said, "I will relieve myself now." She would be fine until first light, after Euclid left.
Thora nodded and followed her owner out of the suite. Halcyon decided against ordering Thora to leave her. The unconditional protection created a wonderful hum inside Halcyon. Thora waited outside the chamber-pot room until Halcyon was done, then escorted her back to the suite.
"Inform me when Euclid leaves," Halcyon ordered after she entered the room. Then her eyes roamed all over Thora's tall figure. Even in the overhead moonlight, she caught sight of Thora's mild erection that she was hiding with her hands in front of her. Thora's growing cock was due to Halcyon's heat. The wonderful idea that she had triggered Thora's rut almost elicited a moan from Halcyon. To have a superior and gorgeous Alpha rut for her elated her Omega. She pictured Thora pleasing herself later tonight with Glauce asleep next to her.
"Yes." Thora took a step back and dipped her head. "Goodnight, mistress."
Halcyon grunted and forced herself to close the door despite her Omega's yearning for an Alpha tonight. "Goodnight." She sealed the door and bolted it, then pressed her back into it. She slouched heavy against the cool wooden door. Halcyon was determined to outmaneuver her heat, which wanted her to throw herself at Thora. Even with brewing a cup or two of the infertilis herb, the risk of pregnancy was possible. The safest option was to remain locked in the room until the heat ended.
Returning to the long chair, she studied the items that Thora had brought her. She smiled at her slave's consideration, then berated herself for being too soft. Looking at the small table, she spotted a piece of cloth with something wrapped inside it. Too curious, Halcyon unfolded the item and rumbled at the slices of cherry bread. "Damn that Alpha," she muttered under her breath, then bit into a piece. How could an Alpha, like Thora, be sweet and thoughtful?
One slice of bread was gone in a few bites. Halcyon grumbled at the thought of the restless night ahead of her while glaring at the long chair. It was a tight space even for someone of her smaller stature. She glanced across the room and decided to use a second chair. With ease, she managed to bring over another long chair and set them together to create more room. Then without consideration, she started to arrange the blankets in an inviting manner. After it was perfect, she crawled onto the long chairs and curled up in the middle of the blankets, which carried a mild scent of Thora. For a brief period, she rested well and at ease, until the heat took over.
