Poison Ivy Ch. 05

Hunter stared hard at the new leader, considering. He wouldn't deny he had entertained thoughts of strangling the Beta who had put his Omega at such risk himself. If it wasn't for his strong desire to discover how exactly the little shit had found himself among Torrin soldiers, trying foolishly to overtake the main base, he wouldn't be alive. Still, he had thought it might be worthwhile to question him.

The General had the good sense to look uncomfortable as Hunter leveled a threatening glare at him. He wasn't at all happy with how Maverick intended to stabilize the situation, as he'd put it. Maverick might outrank him, might be older than him, but Hunter was a larger, stronger Alpha who, when push came to shove, could take the man down if he felt the need. "You're dismissed," the older man said, taking a seat back behind the mahogany desk and avoiding eye contact. Hunter glared at him for a moment longer, then spun on his heel and stalked out of the office.

The conflict in Torrin might be a lost cause. If not for Ivy, he may have put more of an effort into making sure Lostra accepted Torrin's offer of surrender and secured use of the crucial trading port of Kumek. But he had a pair-bonded Omega under his protection; a mate whose haunted past was slowly coming back to her. It was inevitable, given the situation, that her father would discover she had survived. Hunter wasn't sure if the man would try to take her back... or kill her. He also wasn't sure which possibility worried him more. Neither was acceptable, and either way, the man had to die.

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A few hours later, Hunter stood in the doorway of Ivy's suite which he had, for all intents and purposes, moved into during the past week. Since the day she'd taken her little unsanctioned field trip to the hospital, her nightmares had gotten worse, though she still refused to acknowledge the increasingly distressing flashbacks during her waking hours. The loss of sleep, and the added stress of the returning memories, just compounded her already difficult situation. Although he was the one entirely responsible for locking her up every day, with the added security of a new team of guards, even he could see that beneath her tough, pissed-off exterior, Ivy was beginning to become a bit unraveled.

He couldn't control her past intruding on her present state of mind. Nor could he control the rapidly deteriorating state of affairs in Torrin that necessitated his presence until Maverick had a chance to fully assume command of the base. But he was beyond finished with her infuriating refusal to simply stay fucking put. She seemed hell-bent on getting herself into trouble, and he wasn't willing to put up with any more close calls. The night of her last escape, as he'd laid curled around the body that seemed so fucking fragile and small when she slept, he'd let himself feel the anger he'd buried while he'd taken care of her.

Though he had no desire or intention of stamping out all her fire, he needed to subdue her to an extent, if for no other reason but to ensure her own safety. She was defiant to a fault, and with each escape attempt, she put herself at risk and directly in harm's way.

It seemed like the only time she ever settled the hell down was after he'd fucked her. That wasn't to say that he considered sex with Ivy a chore or something that had to be done. Quite the opposite, in fact. The need to cement and strengthen a new pair-bond just happened to coincide with this time of uncertainty and rebellion in his little Omega's life. With his cock buried inside her, she was less focused, less intent on escape, and more submissive. Every time he knotted her, the pair-bond strengthened, expanding its influence even as she fought against it. It kept her sedate and calm, rewarding them both with its pleasurable resonance when the balance between dominance and submission at the heart of every Alpha-Omega bond was reached.

He watched on as the two Omegas ate lunch, unaware of his presence. Aella chatted away happily as Ivy picked at her food sullenly. That was another thing he would have to address with her soon. She was not eating nearly enough, despite his best attempts to supply her with high-quality meals she enjoyed.

The Beta guards he had ordered to follow the girls around were standing against the walls as they ate and talked, and as he scanned their faces and postures, one of them seemed to stand out against the rest. There was something about the way he watched the two Omegas that made Hunter want to rip his spine out, and he knew enough about his instincts to trust when something felt off. He continued to observe the soldier as the meal went on, remaining silent and somewhat concealed.

Ivy shifted in her seat, causing her shirt to pull down and expose a sliver more of her silky, caramel skin. The Beta's eyes lit up with excitement as he licked his lips. Was it undeniable proof that the Beta would act on his obvious excitement if given a chance? Abso-fucking-lutely not, because Hunter would never let it get that far, with this or any other overreaching male who came within sniffing distance of Ivy.

Hunter let out a low growl, glaring threateningly at the offensive soldier. All six Beta guards snapped their heads up at the menacing sound, and the girls fell silent, sensing the growing tension. Hunter kept his eyes on the Beta who, even now, displayed some ill-defined characteristic that rubbed him the wrong way. His growl deepened as he thought about the fact that the little shit had been around the girls for hours without Hunter's presence.

Aella cleared her throat and rose gracefully from the table. "You know, now would be a great time to explore my own rooms and get settled. Thank you so much for hosting me, Ivy. Why don't you come over to eat breakfast with me in the morning?"

Ivy smiled and nodded. "That sounds nice." Aella beamed at her, and then walked away from Ivy and Hunter toward the far wall and the door connecting their adjoining rooms. Three of the Beta guards followed close behind, having been assigned to stay with Aella whenever the girls were separated.

"Get out," he barked to the Betas assigned to Ivy, stepping away from the door to let them leave. "Stay close," he directed. As the soldier he'd been uncomfortable with came closer, he stepped in front of the door, preventing him from leaving. "You look at her like that again, and I will tear you, limb from fucking limb, do you understand me?" he said quietly. The boy nodded, the stink of his fear saturating the air. Ivy remained silent, despite the anger he felt resonating from her side of the bond. Good girl. She was learning.

"Leave. You won't be back. Tell First Lieutenant Levi you'll need another assignment because you couldn't keep your mind out of the fucking gutter while guarding the two Omegas on base." He stepped aside to let the Beta scoot around him. When the little shit was gone, he looked up at Ivy, who had narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "Was that really necessary?" she asked, clearly irritated with him.

"Yes." He didn't elaborate. Ivy huffed and pushed back from the table to stand, ready to escape him by locking herself in the luxurious washroom, the only place she could lock him out of.

Of course, Hunter had the key. But she didn't need to know that unless it became necessary for him to use it.

"Come here," he said sternly, holding out his hand. She rolled her eyes, but she changed directions, and instead of heading into the washroom, she came to stand in front of him. He suppressed a smile, pleased with yet another sign of her growing sensitivity to the effects of the pair-bond. She refused to take his hand, but she'd done well by coming to him when bidden, and he counted it as a win.

He put his hand on her lower back, and instead of allowing her to lock herself away, he walked her into the washroom with him. Pausing to turn the faucet on and fiddle with the temperature controls for the massive clawfoot tub, he stopped her in front of the mirror, methodically undressing himself behind her while he watched her face in the reflection.

Her gaze roam over his broad chest and shoulders, muscular arms, and jagged abs. He had avoided showing her much of his skin outside of her first estrous, preferring to keep his clothes on even as he stripped and explored her toned, beautiful body.

A long time ago, when he'd been too small to prevent it, and before he'd been big enough to stop it, scars had been put on his body by a man who had ultimately paid for his actions with his life. She had seen them before; she'd traced them with her fingers like lines on a map. She'd learned the texture of them, and knew how they felt on her tongue. But outside of her estrous, it was... different. More difficult to expose old wounds without the drugged haze of her hormones. In estrous, the body pleasuring hers could have been anyone's, and he found comfort in that as much as he resented it. He did not like to show signs of his weakness.

But Ivy had her own scars, and he very much liked the way she was looking at him now.

The quiet hiss of his belt sliding through the loops in his pants seemed to fascinate her, and he watched her pupils dilate. He watched her as she watched him. Her eyes fell to where he always seemed to be rock hard anytime he was even remotely close to her. She bit her lip, and through her shirt, the hard buds of her nipples became visible. Did she even realize the ways her body gave her away? She could play at reluctance, but by the time he was ready to slide into her tight little pussy, she was never anything less than enthusiastic. He wondered what it would take for her to beg for it.

Not a whole lot, that was for damn sure.

"Ivy." She looked up, their eyes meeting in the mirror's reflection. God, he could lose himself in those emerald depths. "Take your clothes off."

She nodded absently, but he didn't give her a chance to do it herself. Slipping his fingertips beneath the hem of her shirt, he slowly moved up, revealing more and more of her tantalizing caramel skin as he bent to kiss and suckle her neck. "Lift your arms," he whispered, trailing his lips against the shell of her ear. Pliant and calm, she did as he asked, and dragging his hands up in the same languid speed, he slipped the shirt over her head and let it fall to the floor. She wore no bra, and he groaned at the sight of her bare torso in the mirror. He cupped her small, firm breasts, flicking the dusky, hardened buds of her nipples with his thumb as he rolled his hips, pressing his erection into the cleft of her ass.

Her chest began rising and falling rapidly. She watched with hooded eyes as he unbuttoned her jeans, raking his nails gently down her toned thighs and calves as he slid them down to the floor, prompting her to step out of them, one at a time. His arms wrapped around her middle when he stood up, dwarfing her with his height.

"Look at yourself," he murmured, delighting at the goosebumps he elicited with a single, sensual touch.

"Hmm?" Distracted, her eyes fluttered closed, lost in the moment. But he had other plans for her. He wanted her painfully aware of this thing between them. He slipped a hand between her legs as his other hand pinched and twisted her sensitive nipples. One finger dipped into her core to collect her slick. She hissed at the first touch of her clit, rolling her hips against him as he made slow, torturous circles until the little bundle of nerves engorged and pulsed. His fingers abandoned her nipples to slide up her neck. Grasping her chin gently between thumb and finger, he growled against her ear. "Look. At. Yourself."

Her eyes fluttered open, and as soon as they focused on her own writhing body in the reflection, he sped up. Pumping two fingers in and out of her clenching core, his thumb pressed against her clit. He kept his fingers on her chin and kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear. "You're drenched, Ivy," he groaned against her neck, and it was all he could do not to bend her over and fuck her into the vanity when he felt her hips buck against his rapidly thrusting fingers. She couldn't deny it. Slick already coated the inside of her thighs and ran down her legs with no provoking growl. He hissed, pulling her back from the edge, slowing his movements until she whined and writhed, desperate for the friction she knew would make her come. He pulled his fingers out of her, bringing them up to her lips as she watched him, her eyes heated and slightly unfocused. "Suck," he commanded, bringing her own juices to her lips until she opened to accept them. She moaned, her eyes fluttering closed as she swirled her tongue around his soaked digits, and he pushed them further back, only stopping when he reached the soft spot at the base of her throat.

He took her hand and wrapped it around his cock, as it pulsed and hardened in her hold. "Do you feel what you do to me, little Poison?" he growled, nearly losing control when her hand slowly started stroking him. "You drive me crazy," he whispered. Ivy shivered. "Look." He jostled her chin gently, drawing her eyes back to the mirror, watching her watch herself suck her slick off his fingers as she fisted and pumped his cock. She fucking exuded pure sex.

Ivy had been a virgin when he took her through her first estrous. Her defiance was infuriating at times, but when he was able to push her past all the bull shit, this was underneath it all. And this wasn't just a female he had really good sex with. Not just a sexy female who knew how to handle herself between the sheets. Not even an Omega whose pussy was biologically designed to grip his cock like a vice and milk it dry of his seed when he came.

Ivy transcended all of that. Everything she was right now was entirely real; brutally honest; inarguably raw. He could handle Ivy's anger and defiance. Her infuriating ability to find the surest, fastest way into trouble was a bit more of a struggle, but even that... It was for moments like this that made it all worth it, when she was, utterly, entirely, 100% his.

"Mine," he growled, unable to hold the word back. He glanced over his shoulder to find the tub halfway full. "Come here." Pulling her backwards with him until they reached the edge of the tub, he lifted her in with an arm banded below her breasts. He stepped in, letting her slip down his body before he tugged her down with him and settled her on his lap, her back pressed to his front. Gathering her rich, chocolate locks in one fist, he slipped a hand between them to position his cock. Without being prompted, she braced herself on the sides of the tub and lifted.

He needed her so much it physically hurt. Notching himself at her entrance, he wrapped her gathered hair around his fist and tugged back, pulling her closer. "Take it, Ivy." She moaned at the raspy, lust-thick quality to his voice and let herself fall, impaling herself as he grew impossibly hard in the silken heat of her tight cunt. "Fuuuuck," he hissed, her slow descent killing him in all the best ways. His teeth found the still-swollen indents of his claiming mark, and he bit down, making her yelp as her core spasmed. He grunted like he was in pain, and no longer able to hold himself back, he wrapped one arm above her breasts and another across her hips and yanked her down until he was fully seated. Her sharp intake of breath was the only outward sign that he'd caused her any pain, but he knew his mate better than she thought, and her discomfort, real discomfort, spurred on the caretaker in him.

Giving her time to adjust, he traced his mouth over the smooth, soft lines of her neck and shoulder, playing with her nipples until she began to clench around him and move on her own.

He moved with her, bracing her little body as she rocked her hips back and forth on top of him, helping her chase her pleasure while fucking her with full, hard thrusts. His finger found her clit, and she arched her back and whimpered. Warm water lapped over the rim of the tub as the waves they made broke against their bodies. "Oh fuck. That's it, Ivy. Take it," he grunted, sensing she was close. He waited until she was right on the brink, teetering on the edge of her orgasm, and then he closed his teeth over the mark on her neck and pressed his fingers firmly to her clit. "Come, Ivy. Come now."

She rarely let herself say his name, but when she came on his cock, she screamed it. He covered her mouth with his hand and wrapped his arms tight around her torso as he held her still and pounded into her, his movements fevered and unforgiving, the rhythmic squeezes of her cunt setting off his own dizzying climax. He felt his knot start to form and shoved into her as deep as he could get, and then he came, and came, and came. Hot spurts of thick cum filled her belly as they locked together, and he pulled her tight against him, holding onto her like a drowning man, and pressed his brow to the back of her head.

Hunter pulled Ivy back against his chest as they caught their breath. His arms crisscrossed hers and he stroked his thumb against her skin. He treasured these quiet moments with her. When she allowed him to simply hold her and care for her until his knot abated, he could imagine his life filled with nothing but happy moments like this. He looked forward to that life, he craved it, and nothing would stop him from having that life with the precious creature cradled in is hold.

After a while, when the temperature of the water began dropping and he felt Ivy beginning to fall asleep, he reached across to the small stone shelf beside the tub to grab a washcloth and a bottle of very lightly scented lavender soap. He preferred Ivy with her natural scent undiluted by perfumes or lotions, but he had noticed she preferred the soothing smell to others when given a choice, and had procured a small arsenal of light purple gels and creams.

When the washcloth was sufficiently sudsy, he began massaging her shoulders, neck and arms. She groaned, her head bent forward, her tight muscles relaxing under his touch. He moved to her front, focusing on her perfect breast and peaked nipples, the lavender suds making her smooth skin slippery. She sighed and sank into him further.

"How are you getting along with Aella?" he asked her as he continued to run his soapy hands over her perfect skin.

Ivy tensed. "You mean, the lovely soul?"

Was she... Was she snarling? He chuckled. "You're jealous."

She scoffed, and he could almost see her rolling her eyes. "I'm not jealous," she protested. "You were just being ridiculous."

He was quiet except for the deep rumble of his purr, enjoying the knowledge that his polite, expected comment toward another man's Omega had irritated her. He was constantly reminded of how new she was to all of this. She had even offered her hand to the General, a completely inappropriate action on her part. He didn't blame her for it. Today was most likely her first time being anywhere near another Omega. It would all come in time, and she met more of her own dynamic.

"I don't like him," she said sleepily. He didn't have to ask who she meant. He thought about not saying anything, or even defending the General, but decided against it.

"I'm not sure I do either," he told her truthfully.

She laughed at that. Fuck, he would gladly kill to hear that sound more often.

Ivy hadn't been the best judge of character recently, but she wasn't too far off the mark with this one. Hunter had been seething as he'd watched Maverick look her up and down. If Aella hadn't been there, he would not have tolerated it, and he certainly wouldn't allow it to happen a second time.