Deviant Games (The Controllers #8) - L.V. Lane Page 0,4

association. Under Erison Tsing’s directives, she’d been given drugs at just eighteen, turning her into a muted Omega.

Then Lucian had entered her life, and the ruthless Alpha, not realizing she was an Omega on suppressants, had administered her with a second dose of the virus and bonded her as his mate.

Now the once muted Omega was pregnant and displaying burgeoning psychic skills.

She was cagey whenever I’d tried to discuss her first non-medicated heat, and I had a feeling that Lucian might have forced it.

Forced heats had been an official practice the military had employed to better control Omegas many centuries ago. As was the way of things, it remained unofficially in play, even today. Ethan had let this little detail slip—I knew he had done this with other Omegas. Despite his evident dedication to me, the mere thought of him experiencing a heat with another Omega, forced or otherwise, brought out my possessive side.

I’d questioned my father about forced heats. He was a senator and should have influence over such matters.

He had told me it was an entirely natural occurrence that had been in practice as long as Alphas and Omegas had existed. And if I wanted better information, I should have gone to the Omega classes like every other Omega did.

The subject was disquieting. I’d been interviewing Omegas as part of the viral program since I joined it—seven long years—and not one had mentioned this.

I wanted to believe Ethan would never do that to me. Yet, the fluttering in my stomach whenever I thought about it said otherwise.

“Did Lucian force your heat?” I asked, mentally wincing at my uncensored slip.

Madelyn blinked several times. “I’m not sure. Is this an official question?” Her eyes darted toward the recording cube.

I switched the device off. “No—personal.” I didn’t elaborate. She was intelligent, and I was sure she could read between the lines.

There was no easy route to becoming an Omega, but Madelyn’s had been traumatic. Had Lucian not acted swiftly, she might have ended up on Tolis as a prize for a barbaric contest like me.

She’d been pregnant at the time.

I might have been pregnant now had my body not been through so much abuse. I had entered heat while hanging over the fighting pit, malnourished, and subject to many days of unrelenting stress and torture at the hand of an Alpha bitch. It was hardly surprising that I hadn’t caught with child. I was sad about that. Nothing would have made me happier than to carry Ethan or Ryker’s child.

It had taken me weeks to recover, but Ethan had been making comments lately about my improved health.

Was I jumping at shadows? He had no reason to force my heat, yet my thoughts kept skipping back to the idea.

“My memories of the time are a little hazy,” Madelyn said. “I was close to heat anyway, and my emotions were volatile because I’d imprinted on Lucian, and he’d left me alone for a long time. He was—rough with me.” Her fingers explored the delicate pink leather collar at her throat. “Afterward, he said that he’d forced it. I didn’t know it was possible. I took suppressants during my previous heats, so I’ve nothing to compare with.”

Her words settled a low, nervous tension in the pit of my stomach. Tonight, we would be attending the charity ball, and I would be safe for now. Putting personal worries aside, I plastered on a bright smile and focused on my visitor as I switched the recorder back on.

CHAPTER TWO

Ethan

THE NERVOUS THETA assistant escorted me into Victor Brach’s office.

He had reason to be nervous—I still hated that dynamic. My low growl was one of warning. He backed up a step as I entered Victor’s room.

My nose was still stinging from the blow my little princess had meted upon me. It would heal; we all healed quicker now, even Lilly.

I wouldn’t have minded anyway; she needed to claw back some confidence after what had been done to her. If bloodying my nose made her feel like she had some control over her life, so be it.

I couldn’t be with her every second of every day, and neither could Ryker. I wanted to be, but I understood she was an Omega who had lived with a measure of independence until Ryker, me, and that fateful drop-door had entered her life. If I wanted the scars left by Tsing to heal, she needed this.

Besides, she would be breeding sooner than she might presume if all went to plan. I was