Chapter Two
After six months since her union with Sauron, Ayla's terrifying premonition had come true. After her first heat with Sauron they had conceived, but it was not to be. She was standing in the parlor, arranging flowers in a vase, having permission to pick some of the beautiful flowers in the greenhouse. Sauron was sitting in his usual chair by the fireplace, watching Ayla when a sharp pain hit her lower abdomen. The pain had surprised her, coming out of nowhere as she braced a hand on the table and knocking the vase off. The pottery shattered and the pain increased. She had felt Sauron at her side, asking her what is wrong.
"I don't know!" Ayla said, panicked as she doubled over, clutching her stomach until she felt something warm tricking down her inner thighs. The color red bled through her pale blue skirt and instantly Ayla knew what was happening as she looked up at Sauron who stared at the blood stain.
It had been hard on Ayla. She had miscarried just weeks after finding out that she was pregnant. The rational part of her mind, the part of her that still rebelled against this union told her that this was a good thing. A blessing in disguise. She didn't need a child to complicate matters, twisting her priorities.
No amount of rationality will change the fact that she mourned the loss.
Unbeknownst to Ayla, her miscarriage was not natural. Since learning of her pregnancy Sauron had devised a way to implement his plan, to add the final key ingredient to his secret project: Blood of his blood. While his mate was unaware, he had been attempting to extract the pure soul that was coming to be within her body. When it resulted in her miscarriage it had given Sauron the insight that extracting a soul directly from the womb, when the child was not fully developed, would break the fragile soul down. Thus it was useless to him
He will have to be patient.
Now, Ayla had put the trauma behind her under the reassurance from Sauron that she was not angry or disappointed. He comforted her, telling her that it was too soon for them anyhow, and that they had time. He convinced her that she was not at fault (which was the truth) and that had been enough to pull Ayla through the grief and to get her mind further away from it he had invited Ayla to travel with him further east.
Sauron had business with the kings and leaders of the east and the idea of seeing more of the eastern region was too appealing to decline. Her bright eyes lit up, clearly having grown bored of her routine, and the journey to the first city was a day's ride on the back of a wyvern. Ayla dressed warmly, having been warned that travel by air was too cold for humans and wore a thick wool cloak over her layered dress. Her long dark hair braided to keep it from flying around wildly in the wind.
She was seated on the back of the wyvern, with Sauron straddling the beast behind her as she was held securely against his chest. She had let out a frightened squeak when the wyvern took off in a dive off of the tower, hugging her mate's armored waist tightly before the wyvern spread its wings and curved upwards, steadily climbing to the sky and then evening out. Ayla was amazed by this new way of travel though she was reluctant to loosen her hold on Sauron.
Sauron held the reins in his left hand while he wrapped his right arm around Ayla's small shoulders and lowered his head to touch his nose to her hair, breathing in her scent. She was scared, but that was fading away for the building excitement. His omega had grown up too sheltered and he was expanding her world to new experiences. With his arm around her she felt secure enough look out at the open sky they were traveling through, though one look down at how high they were she had quickly buried her face into his chest and held onto him tightly.
xxxxx
Ayla awoke to the smell of incense and the morning light peeking through the wooden shutters of the window. She yawned and stretched, the silk sheets moving along her skin as she sat up in the soft bed. They had arrived late last night; Ayla had been tired and cold from the traveling. She looked to her left, finding the space empty and cool, telling her that Sauron had awoken long before she did.
A knock at the door took Ayla's attention as it opened up and a single woman in a beautiful dress of yellow with pink flowers embroidered into the fabric bowed deeply at the waist to her. She had hair as dark as night and skin that reminded Ayla of sugared syrup that she enjoyed dipping strawberries in during warm summer days. "Good morning, Mistress. Do we have permission to enter and ready you for the day?"
We?
"Yes, you may." Ayla said and as soon as the words left her lips a stream of women dressed in plain, cool grey and muted blue dresses came in. Their hairs were equally as black, pinned back in low, tight buns at the nape of their neck, and their skin all the same tone of sugared syrup. Ayla counted ten in total; surprised and impressed by how uniform they all were as they all bowed their heads in submission to her. The woman in the beautiful yellow dress began to give orders to the others in a strange language that Ayla did not understand nor recognized as any dialect in the west.
The women all scattered, prepping various things around the room. Ayla was taken into an adjoining room where the bath was, a large tub that had been carved into the floor with steaming milky white water that smelled lovely. Flower petals floated on the surface adding to the aroma as she was stripped of her chemise that she had slept in and was helped into the steaming bath. She had one servant sit behind her and began to wash her hair, combing out the tangles with gentle care and massaging oils into her scalp that made Ayla sigh with pleasure. She had never been pampered in such a way before and she had a passing thought of how easily she was being spoiled with such attention.
Another two women entered, both carrying a jar of scrubbing salt as each took one of Ayla's arms and began scrubbing away at her skin, massaging the tiny rocks against her skin, debriding away the layer of dead skin. They scrubbed Ayla's entire body, leaving her skin slightly pink but incredibly soft. After her bath, she was dried and dressed in the most beautiful gown she had ever seen. The red silk had patterns of falling white flower petals on the skirt, the waist of the skirt was high, cinched up underneath her breasts and tied with a simple thick gold ribbon. The dress had capped sleeves that hung off of her petite shoulders and left her arms bare. On her feet she wore a pair of gold slippers that fit comfortably and were easy to walk in.
Once dressed she was sat down on a squat chair in front of a vanity mirror as another servant began to comb through her hair and style it up, curling and twisting her long hair to the back of her head, leaving a fistful of her hair to hang down her back, her hair naturally curling as it dried. They decorated her hair with tiny red flowers and applied a minimal amount of rouge to her cheeks and lips and black kohl on the edge of her eyelids. Ayla stared at her reflection in awe, having never looked done-up before in her life and immediately wondered what Sauron would think when he saw her.
Would he like it as much as she did?
Ready for the day she was then escorted through the halls of the palace. Ayla was in awe by the bright colors of oranges, pinks and reds to mimic the sunset. The beautiful paintings and sculptures that decorated the walls, even the beautiful patterns in the wooden floors. She had no idea that such beautiful art and interior design existed in the east, which proved that she knew very little beyond the borders that was the west. It wasn't full of red desserts and wild barbarians as her people believed. From what little she saw already they had many beautiful things that a civil society could create.
They stopped in front of a double door; two servants stepped in front of Ayla and opened the door for her, revealing a long, low table where the occupants all sat upon cushions. At the far end of the table, at the head, sat her mate, dressed in a white robe with mint green trimming on the cuffs of his sleeves. The robe was open at the top, revealing his smooth, pale chest and abdomen. Ayla felt heat rising to her cheeks at the sight. His snowy white hair gathered over one shoulder with a loose tie holding it together. His black eyes locking onto her, a smoldering gaze letting Ayla know that her alpha approved of her appearance. She saw Sauron indicate with his eyes for her to sit in the empty cushion beside him.
Ayla walked over to her mate, trying to ignore the open stares of the other guests as she sat down beside Sauron who reached out to caress the line of her jaw with his knuckles. She gave him a shy smile, fully aware that they were being watched. Sauron did not seem to care that they had an audience, savoring how his mate was dressed for him with his mating mark on display for the others in the room to see. It filled him with pride to smell the rising scent of arousal from the others, knowing they found his omega desirable and forbidden to them.
"You are an image of beauty, my pet." he said, his deep voice gentle towards her.
"Thank you, my lord." Ayla replied, smiling shyly at him.
Servants entered the room with fluid practice, setting down platters of food and filling their glasses with sweet wine and fruit infused water. The other people at the table spoke and laughed merrily, and none of them dared to speak to Ayla directly. Besides, even if they did, she wouldn't understand unless it was the common tongue of the west. After the meal, Ayla was given the freedom to explore the palace they were staying at.
She learned that it belongs to a king who is an ally of Sauron's. The palace was beautiful, well decorated. The woman from before who directed the servants that morning, she kept close to Ayla and became someone Ayla relied on for translations. They stayed for a week. Ayla had gone out several times to the bustling markets and giving Ayla a firsthand experience about a culture she knew nothing about. Her handmaiden, Keen, was a patient beta woman, following Ayla around who looked at everything with a childlike enthusiasm.
Keen even began teaching Ayla some of the common customs and phrases so that she did not come off as ignorant to the common people. Being around other people it was hard not to accidentally bump into someone and that was when Ayla would get flashes of events reveal themselves to her and would surprise Keen when the omega suddenly grabbed a man by the arm and pulled him back just as tiles from a rooftop that was being repaired came crashing down right where the man would have been. People around them gasped and yelped in surprise and the man turned to Ayla with wide eyes before dropping down to his hands and knees, kissing the hem of her skirt and speaking frantically in his language.
"He gives you praise for saving his life, Mistress." Keen translated, "He is requesting your name so that he may praise you."
Ayla was startled and also flattered, giving a nod of her head to Keen who told the man and all who witnessed. That was not the last of incidents that Ayla would experience a vision from the strangers in the market and would someone divert that person from meeting disaster. Ayla was not doing it on purpose, she simply reacted on instinct to help the people.
And Keen witnessed it all.
xxxxx
The eastern city that Sauron had taken Ayla to was outstandingly beautiful. The architecture of the city was nothing like Minas Tirith with its high stark towers and sharp angles. This city boasted softer angles and bright colors that stood out against the beige and red sand dunes that surrounded it. Bright yellows, oranges, pinks, reds, purples, greens and blues. It was all so beautiful. The air itself smelled of pungent spices that tickled her nose, but it was not unpleasant. The market streets were bustling with noise, merchants selling all sorts of goods, haggling with their customers on prices.
The people were equally as colorful as the city, wearing clothes that made Ayla think of the beautiful, colorful flowers in Sauron's greenhouse. Even the beggars' ratty clothes were vibrant and bright. The people of the city looked nothing like the people of Gondor. Their skins were all shades, ranging from a healthy light tan to as dark as night. Though she had noticed that none were as fair skinned and as pale as she and Sauron. She also noticed that blonde and ginger hair were practically nonexistent as most people had brown and black hair.
They were all so exotic looking to Ayla.
Growing up as the youngest of three, her family have done much to shelter her because they knew she would present as an omega. They thought she was too fragile and delicate because she was small, treating her like she will fall to pieces. She was never allowed to leave the protective walls of Minas Tirith, not even to Osgiliath that was a simple afternoon walk away. Now she was seeing a world of color beyond the dull walls of her birth place, experiencing everything that she had been denied because she was a woman and an omega. She found it sadly ironic that the one person who had been painted as a monster was the one who showed her the most kindness and respect.
Her union with Sauron had opened her world.
She let out a sigh as she gazed out at the city adoringly, feeling serene and content. She felt the heat of her mate before feeling his solid form pressing against her from behind. His strong arms coming to wrap around her waist as his lips descended onto her mark. Ayla tilted her head to the side, giving him more access as she felt teeth gently nip at the scar and she let out a soft sigh of pleasure.
"Are you enjoying the view of the city?" Sauron's deep timbre asked.
"Yes, it is very beautiful here. Thank you for bringing me along, my lord." Ayla said, "As a child, my parents forbade me from ever leaving Minas Tirith, and now I am seeing more than anyone from Gondor has seen."
Sauron's arms tightened, pulling her firmly back against him as he buried his nose into her hair, breathing in her sweet scent and the perfumed oils that enhanced her intoxicating smell. "I understand all too well what it feels like to be forced to be locked away. I will not deny you this world, my pet. Whatever your heart desires is yours, you need only ask."
She touched his forearms that covered her stomach, feeling the hard cords of muscle beneath his pale skin. She felt her heart stutter. He was offering her the world and she thought of her family, her father and brothers who kept her locked away in a gilded cage. Who so eagerly gave her up. How funny that the joke is on them.
"What does my mate desire?" Sauron whispered into her ear, his hot breath sending a shiver down her body, awakening the urge between her legs.
A blush creeped up onto her cheeks. "Right now, I desire you, my lord." she said in a breathy tone. She heard Sauron growl in approval as he turned her around in his arms and kissed her hungrily. Ayla wrapped her arms around his neck and felt him lifting her up off her feet, carrying her back inside where he deposited her onto their bed with care. Ayla sat up and scooted back towards the center of the bed as Sauron tugged on the tie of his robe and it easily fell open, revealing his beautiful, naked body inside. His impressive cock already half-alert and coming awake as he moved onto the bed.
Ayla moved onto her knees and placed her hands on his shoulders, pushing him back. "I want to be on top." she said, her voice carrying a husky tone. Sauron's cocked twitched, now hard and at full mast as he smiled and laid back on the silk sheets. Ayla straddled him, moving her robe aside and slowly tugging loose the tie and letting the silky fabric slide off her shoulders, revealing her beautiful body. Her breasts were soft and round, her nipples and areola a dusky, rosy pink that Sauron enjoyed teasing and tasting. His black eyes traveled up to her red lips, still stained from the rouge she wore she had been wearing all week. He could not resist the urge as he sat up and kissed her lips, feeling them mold and mesh with his.
The alpha grinned; putting his hands on Ayla's lower back. Sauron's scent still held onto the metallic musk of smelted metal and oil, along with that underlying bitterness that Ayla had gotten used to. It had taken her some time to get used to his scent, and the constant exposure to it conditioned her to enjoy it, finding comfort in it as an omega should. She separated from the kiss and slowly pressed her nose against the alpha's throat, letting her eyes flutter shut as she tried to figure out what made it so interesting that her inner omega purred in pleasure. Ayla felt herself melting against the alpha. She risked a small nip on the spot where the scent was coming from, then rubbed her nose against it when it strengthened.
Sauron's breath caught. "Do you enjoy my scent, pet?" the alpha whispered, his arms tightening around Ayla. The intimacy of scenting each other always made the alpha in him relax with satisfaction.
"There is something about your scent that draws me." she replied. She swayed once in Sauron's lap before those hands tightened on her hips and righted her. She hadn't realized how quickly the alpha's scent would affect her. Warmth had already begun to pool between her legs just from being this close.
"Does it? And what about my scent that draws you, my pet?" he asked. Ayla tried to move herself but Sauron's fingers dug into her hips. "Stay still," his voice was soft, but it wanted to be an order and Ayla obeyed, stilling herself on his lap. His hard cock trapped between their pressed bodies.
She let out a whine. "You're a prime alpha; your scent holds too much power over me."
Sauron chuckled; the sound was deep and sexy. "I want to do it to you." Ayla gasped as Sauron ground their hips together. She wanted more than this. "Ayla," he groaned softly. "I want to cover you in my scent, make everyone know who you belong to." Ayla tried to keep her breath steady when it wanted to shudder. She held onto Sauron's shoulders as the alpha's hips pressed up into her.
"My lord," Ayla hissed, "stop teasing." And then she was on her back, with fingers in her hair and teeth buried into her mark. Ayla cried out. Her mark was sensitive. Heat was flowing through her in waves. It was too soon for her next heat, not due for another few weeks, but whenever she was around Sauron it felt like that first night she spent her heat with him. Spent, sweaty, delirious, and unable to stop touching. She felt just as hot whenever they had sex, though it did not feel as intense.
The alpha's cock fell against Ayla's belly; its weight chased a pleasurable convulsion through her body. She wrapped her legs around the alpha's hips and pulled him closer, inhaling sharply when the alpha tightened his hand in Ayla's hair and ground their bodies together. She could feel the alpha's heavy balls drag over her moistened slit and shuddered. Friction. She needed more!
"I want to fill you with my seed." Sauron growled into her ear. "I want to see you grow fat with it and birth me the proof of our joining." Ayla's cunt clenched at his words. She reached between her thighs and spread her opening with her fingers, flicking her eyes up to the alpha's when she did. Sauron groaned as he lined up with Ayla's fingers and pressed between them. The skin of the alpha's member felt like hot velvet sliding against Ayla's sensitive lips.
Without being stretched Ayla was tighter. They both held their breath as they joined. She could feel every inch of Sauron pressing or tugging on her. Ayla relaxed and let the alpha have his way—whatever the alpha wanted usually felt good. The waves of pleasure undid the tension in Ayla's whole body. She released a sigh that became a moan. Sauron was moving slowly, but he was strong and Ayla could feel the restrained strength rippling in the alpha's muscles. Warm lips touched her neck over and over again.
She rolled against the alpha's hard body; meeting each motion with her own and deepened every sensation. Her eyes had fluttered closed at some point but when she opened them the alpha was watching her. Their gazes locked and then Sauron was kissing her, slowly, deeply. Ayla found that their kisses enhanced the sensations of their mating. Sauron's mouth was warm and soft, coaxing shivers of pleasure out of her. That added to the feeling of her partner's every stroke had Ayla hovering at the edge of release.
"My-my lord!" Ayla breathed. "I want to—" she bit it off but the alpha sensed what she meant, releasing his grip in her hair to reach down and stroke her sensitive clit, stroking it in time with his steady thrusts. The omega shuddered and came moments later, her body clenching hard around the alpha's length. She could feel it imprinting into her insides as she tightened around it. She knew she could never forget its shape.
The alpha grinned at her. "Was that good?" he teased and nipped her red lips. He moved his lips down to her neck and nipped and kissed their mating mark until Ayla was trembling and mewling again. The alpha shifted and Ayla realized that they were still joined. Sauron braced his hands on Ayla's hips and teased: "Are you ready for more?"
Ayla wound her arms around her mate's neck and rolled her hips experimentally. It was intense but good. She wanted more, but her limbs felt loose and jellied, they couldn't stay tensed. "I am," she allowed, twisting her fingers into the alpha's snow white hair and tugging before the gesture could feel too tender. The alpha winced, but his grin stayed in place. Ayla could feel the movement, the next thrust building in the alpha. Ayla gasped in pleasure as the alpha moved and his cock slid deep.
Ayla was in a haze, her alpha's motion against this body the only sensory input she was making any sense of. The alpha was thrusting faster, harder—trying to finish. Ayla shuddered as the alpha laid deep possessive bites all over her neck and throat, never pausing in his powerful movements. Ayla struggled to breathe, she was so full. The slick feeling of her mate moving was too much to handle unless she stopped trying to handle it, and just let the pleasure course over her. There was no doubt whatsoever that Ayla was a million miles away from the naïve girl from Minas Tirith.
She wrapped her legs around the alpha and pulled him deeper, shivering as she came again. The alpha groaned, his hips stuttering. "My beautiful omega, I can feel it when you come." Ayla didn't care about something that she would have found embarrassing before. She felt too good. Instead, she only smiled at the feeling and took great pleasure in the sound of her alpha losing control inside her.
When they separated, Sauron laid down beside Ayla, breathing heavily before pulling Ayla close to him, relishing in their naked flesh pressing against each other. The smell of their two scents mixing together in the heavy cocktail of their passionate sex hung thick in the air they breathed. Permeating into their pores.
"Thank you, my lord. You fulfilled my desire." Ayla said softly, snuggling closer into her embrace.
"Ayla, I've told you before to call me by name when we are alone."
"Yes, forgive me…Mairon."
xxxxx
On the evening of their last night in the city, Sauron indulged Ayla by taking her out to the market, knowing that she will enjoy the noisy crowd of the night market. The look of joy and wonderment on her face was worth suffering the smell of peasants and livestock as he watched Ayla interact with merchants. The people in the market gave Sauron a wide birth and bowed their heads and averted their eyes from him, knowing who he is. Yet, at the same time, the people all looked at Ayla with curiosity and awe, already whispering rumors of how Ayla must be a powerful witch or was another of Sauron's monstrous creations. Such rumors amused Sauron and he would allow them to believe in such things so long as they kept their distance from his mate.
It surprised Sauron, however, that despite the rumors, people approached Ayla without fear. Children came up to her to give her flowers. It was a curious sight. Ayla knew nothing of their culture or language and yet she was being praised and revered as a living deity. She was adored by the people she could not communicate with.
What had she been up to in his absence?
xxxxx
"You are adored by the commoners." Sauron said; coming to stand behind his mate and removing the emerald hairpin from Ayla's hair, watching as her long hair unfurled down her back. They were back in their room inside the palace, dressing down for the night.
"They are very friendly people, nothing like the stories I've heard in Gondor." Ayla said, looking at Sauron's reflection in the mirror.
"It is more than being friendly. What did you do?" he asked with a hint of intrigue in his deep voice as he gathered her hair and pulled it over her shoulder the bare her neck and his mark as he bent down and kissed the scar.
"Hmm, I did have a few visions in the market this past week. But they were honestly very minor events." Ayla admitted, humming softly at his delicate touches on her skin.
"Such as?" he urged gently while his fingers worked on tugging on the ties of her dress.
"The first was of a being crushed by falling roof tiles. I stopped him and then the tiles from the roof fell. After that there was a boy running from guards. In my vision I see them capturing the boy and beating him in the middle of the street. I saw the boy and hid him from the guards, and then gave him some coin."
"What else did you foresee?"
"An elderly woman being hit by a runaway trolley." Ayla said, seeing that he was waiting for her to tell him about the others. "Another child beaten for stealing. A woman's hair catching on fire from standing too close to a burning candle. This is a rather dangerous city due to its dense population."
Now he understood, her many visions were of minor incidents that allowed her to react in time to save those people. That was how it spread quickly and why the people worshiped her. He saw no reason to punish her for her actions, getting the people to rally behind him because of her was playing out to his advantage. His allies in the east were part of his military strength.
He caressed his fingers along the curve of her jaw and down the length of throat, watching color bloom on her cheeks from the lightest of touch from him.
"The peasants idolize you due to your soft heart and compassion. The kings of the east lust after you for your beauty. Their women look upon you with jealousy. You have achieved this in a week of being here and you hardly had to lift a finger." He smiled wickedly at her reflection as she stared back at him, clearly speechless by his praise. In his earlier days when he was rising to power he had made it a game to manipulate people, swaying them to his side with ease and felt it was only natural that his mate do the same, though she seemed unaware of what she had done. "You have done well. As expected of my mate."
Sauron had the charisma to sway with his words but Ayla had the charm and sweet smile to turn even the most feral warg hound into a docile puppy. He could see it, his victory against the west. It was so close now.
He slid his hands down her front, moving slowing over the soft swelling of her breasts and followed the path down her stomach, coming to rest on her lower stomach. "When is your next heat supposed to come?"
Ayla tried to wrack her brain for an answer, thinking back to how long ago her last heat was while her mind was running a million miles a minute, flustering her at what his question implied.
"Is it coming soon?" he asked; his voice now husky and his left hand going lower to nestle between her legs. A small moan escaped Ayla when he pushed his fingers against her. "Well? I'm waiting."
"I don't—I can't recall!" Ayla gasped out as her hands came to grasp his forearms. "Ma-Mairon…you're making it difficult to think clearly."
He let out a low chuckle and nipped at the scar on her neck before pulling back, "It is too much fun teasing you, pet." he said as he vanished into the adjoining room where a hot bath had been prepared for them.
Ayla was happy, the omega in her purring with satisfaction. Sauron wasn't the monster that Middle Earth had painted him to be. They misunderstood him. He was actually kind and generous, he was a man who offered so much and had a vision of uniting the east and west. He shared tales of his time in Valinor, how he learned to be a smith and craftsman and how he had saw the flaw in Morgoth's ambition of destroying the Arda while Sauron claimed that he simply wanted to "give order and purpose" to the creatures of Arda.
It was with sharing a twisted truth of his desires to Ayla that he knew that she was now ensnared in his web. She believed what he wanted her to believe and his manipulations of her continued unbeknownst to his naïve omega who truly trusted that there were no lies between them. He had already known about Ayla's powers of foresight and premonitions before he had met her, what he didn't know was that her visions have become stronger with more clarity since their first coupling six months ago.
Ayla changed out of her dress she had worn for the day and pulled on a white silk robe before joining her mate in the bath. Seeing Sauron lounging so peacefully in the hot water, his long snow white hair wet and clinging to his back and shoulders made Ayla quiver.
"How often do you have visions?" he asked as Ayla picked up a comb from a tray where fresh towels were rolled up with small jars of oils and bath salts to be used if needed.
"It comes to me at unexpected moments now during the time I am awake instead of coming to me in dreams." Ayla said, running the comb through her mate's wet hair while he soaked in the bath. Ayla was sitting on the edge, her legs in the steaming waters that smelled of citrus and spearmint.
"Do you have an idea of what could trigger them during the day?" Sauron asked, enjoying the attention of his omega grooming him.
"No, it sometimes happens when I touch something ordinary like a cloth or a person; other times it is just a strange sensation of an invisible rope pulling me in a specific direction until I see something about to happen. I cannot control it. I don't know how."
Sauron turned around in the water and kissed her bare knees, trailing his fingers up her calves beneath the water. He heard her intake of breath and the scent of her arousal pushing through the scented aroma of the bath water. "Do you ever have visions when you touch me?" he asked teasingly, his fingers moving to the back of her knees and pulling them open, the flap of her robe gave way easily to reveal to her heated core. He kissed the inside of her left knee, humming in approval. "Well, my pet? Do you?"
"Not—not yet." she panted.
He bit the soft skin between his teeth, getting a soft yelp and jump from his omega. "How can I remedy that? How can I make you see visions with just my touch?"
"You cannot force it, Mairon." Ayla said quickly, watching him with hooded eyes as he slowly teased his way up her inner thighs. She willingly spread them wider apart and inched closer to the edge of the bath. "They come at random."
He flicked his tongue out against her inner right thigh, his wet hands slowly running up her parted legs. His dark eyes looked up to meet her heated stare. "Shall I make you come on command." he asked darkly.
Ayla felt heat rise to her cheeks and she licked her dry lips. "You can try."
He smirked before turning back around. "I am in no hurry, my pet. I'm sure I will be there when you finally have a vision of me. For now, let us focus on our journey tomorrow to the next city."
Ayla continued combing Suaron's long hair. "Where are we going next?"
xxxxx
They were reaching the end of their tour through the east, the last city of their journey floated upon a lake where the water was so blue and clear that Ayla could see the very bottom. Again, their host provided an army of servants to cater to their every need and more lavish gifts were presented to Ayla and Sauron to curry favor. Everything in this floating city was beautiful, reflecting the reliance and relationship they had with the natural element of water that surrounded them. The most impressive part of the villa they were staying at was the dining hall where the floor was a giant window to show the lake and its ecosystem beneath.
Ayla had been startled, having never seen something so wondrous before, and she had been apprehensive to walk across the glass, let alone sit and eat when all she could think about was the room flooding with water with just one crack in the glass. Sauron took enjoyment in Ayla's pure reactions, the way her turquoise eyes light up and the smile on her face made his heart beats more noticeable in his chest. She made him feel—more. He craved to feel more because of her. He was remembering the man he used to be, remembering Mairon and his love of perfection and order. Ayla was perfection. She was the living embodiment of all that is good in the world, and his ambition of bringing perfect order to the world only grew with the love that Ayla had rekindled in his heart.
She had returned the passion and joy.
It was only fair that he returned the favor by giving her a perfect world.
Sauron looked upon his mate, who was dressed in a beautiful gown of turquoise that matched her eyes almost perfectly. The shimmering satin material mimicked the water and clung to her form, giving everyone a teasing look of her beautiful figure. The neckline was modest, only showing down to her collarbone and half of her mark. Her long hair had been gathered and twisted up into a neat, tight bun at the top of her head and adorned with opals and pearls. She looked like a goddess of the sea.
The food was delicious. Ayla had never known that fish could be so well seasoned and not have the strong fishy aftertaste that often made her avoid it. She supposed it had to do with the fact that their hosts were surrounded by water and fish was a staple in their daily diet. It was not often that Ayla would eat meat of any kind; she didn't have much of a stomach to tolerate meat, other than the occasional fish. Her father and brothers, however, would have roast poultry, salted pork, or grilled steak. They were carnivorous connoisseurs whereas Ayla stuck to fruits, nuts, vegetables and bread.
Sauron brushed the back of his knuckles along the length of her jaw, making her turn her head to look up at him and smile tenderly at him. He returned her smile with one of his own, truly enjoying the sight of her, dressed so finely. He admired the perfection that she was; even the smallest of moles and freckles on her skin were perfect. It was their third and final night before they were to set off and return to Mordor and then, as scheduled, Ayla's heat would then begin. It was all planned out.
xxxxx
Ayla walked along the floating path through the beautiful plaza on her last evening at the beautiful villa. There were no torchlight lighting the path through the area, there was no need. The moon lilies that floated on the water's surface were in full bloom, glowing white and giving off a wonderfully sweet fragrance. Beneath the flowers swam tiny fish that also glowed, looking like blue streaks of light that weaved in and out beneath the lilies. Both gave off enough light to direct Ayla on the floating path, keeping her from falling off the edge and into the dark water. It was quite an enchanting sight to see a different world in the water at night. It was Ayla's favorite feature of this province.
Her appointed ladies-in-waiting were standing nearby, ready to assist her at the drop of a hat. Every city they had visited, Ayla had been given servants to attend to her every need. They even socialized with her despite the language barrier, unlike the unsettling ghouls back home. Luckily her time in the east and the provided handmaids, Ayla was able to pick up the language well enough to hold a simple conversation. Sauron encouraged her to learn, telling her that he preferred that she was able to communicate with their allies because they will soon turn to her for counsel.
She will be looked upon as a pillar of counseling. A figure of authority at the side of Sauron. A sovereign of the east. A world that had become home.
Home.
It was still a little odd to think of Mordor and the eastern lands as home now even though it has been a year since she had left Gondor. Yet it was only natural, right? She was mated and living in the domain of her mate. She had never been mistreated. Sauron was good to her and gentle, and she believed that he loved her as she has come to love him in return. It would be odd if she did not consider Mordor her home. She had no reason to think otherwise. Mordor and the eastern lands was her home.
Ayla stopped in her tracks of her leisure walk, as she suddenly had a strange feeling come over her as the hair on the back of her neck rose. She turned away from the observing pool and looked behind her to see a man dressed all in black with only his eyes showing. Eyes that were yellow like topaz. Ayla gasped in alarm and looked for her two ladies, only to see that they had vanished. A feeling of dread settled in the pit of her stomach as she made to run away but was caught effortlessly. Ayla struggled and let out a scream that was quickly muffled with a gag tied around her head. She was roughly tied up and then knocked out with a white powder thrown in her face before she was hauled over her kidnapper's shoulder.
A pearl and opal hair ornament fell out, dropping to the wooden path as she was carried off.
xxxxx
It was getting late and Sauron was surprised to find Ayla had not yet returned. Had she lost track of time again? He was just about to call for a servant when a knock came at the door and one of the guards entered.
"Forgive me, my lord, but Lady Ayla has been kidnapped!" the guard said, bowing low to him. Sauron felt the heat of rage surge through him. Someone would actually dare steal what is his?
"Who reported this?" Sauron demanded, "Why were there no guards to stop those kidnappers?"
"A thousand pardons, my lord! The guards on duty had been killed and so have Lady Ayla's chaperones."
With one swift move of his hand the guard's head was cleanly decapitated from his shoulders as Sauron roared through the villa, demanding that his mate be found and her kidnappers be brought to him for justice. It had been a frightening sight to see the Dark Lord so angry. His beautiful mask had been replaced with a shadow of terror, with ashen skin and black voids where his eyes and mouth should be as he screamed and raged.
xxxxx
When Ayla awoke, her head was in a fog, pounding incessantly as if she had drunk too much wine. She let out a groan and blinked, getting a hold of her bearings. She was laying on a bedroll inside a tent. That was strange. Last she recalled…She had such a headache and found that it took a lot of effort for her to slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position. For a moment she was confused as to where she was until it all came flooding back to her and she felt fear grip her. She had been kidnapped. But by who? She thought the easterlings were allies of Sauron's.
The flap to her tent opened and in entered a man dressed in a blue robe. He looked no older than her eldest brother, carrying a waterskin in one hand. "Oh, good. You're awake." he said in the native tongue, moving to sit beside her. "I was worried that Abalas had overdone it with the sleeping powder. Here, you must be thirsty." he said, holding out the water skin to her. When he saw the apprehensive look on Ayla's face he chuckled. "It's just water, nothing more."
He was speaking to her in the eastern language and she understood most of what he was saying but she could use it to her advantage. She shook her head, "I don't know what you are saying." she said softly.
"Ah, forgive me. I simply assumed." he said, speaking the language that Ayla knew as he gave her a friendly smile. "You may call me Alatar."
"What do you want with me?" Ayla asked, trying her best to put on a brave face.
"You are touched by the Arda, and Sauron the Abhorred plans to use your gifts to bring all of Middle Earth to its knees in complete submission to his image. He will destroy all way of life as we know it." Alatar said.
Ayla didn't respond, knowing that whatever she had to say in defense of her mate will fall on deaf ears. Whoever these people are already believed that Sauron was evil personified and it would be a waste of her breath and time to make them see otherwise. After all, she was the omega mate of their enemy; they probably think that they are liberating her by kidnapping her in the cover of night.
"What I say is true." Alatar continued, "And with your gift of foresight in the wrong hands will spell doom for us all. Yet now, there is a chance for us all."
Ayla knew that she shouldn't be surprised that her powers would not be much of a secret yet it still made her stomach drop. "How do you know about my gift?" she asked.
"I am one of the five wizards of Middle Earth. I am Alatar the Blue. There is another blue wizard here in the east, his name is Pallando. It is our duty to hold the darkness at bay from ever taking over."
It was hard for Ayla to keep her mouth shut but being afraid helped her from opening her mouth. She didn't know how these people would react. All she could think about was how she could get away and return to Sauron, but then that little voice in the back of her head was making noise again after being quiet for months. Telling her that this was a good thing. That she can escape. That she could use these peoples help. Yet her heart and the mark on her neck yearned to go back. Begging to return to her mate. She already knew that she was a good distance away, feeling the effects of it.
Alatar took her hands in his. His hands were rough and callused. "We can help you be liberated from that monster."
Ayla pulled away immediately, the omega in her appalled that this beta would touch her knowing that she was claimed.
"I know you're frightened, but you must trust us. We will keep you safe." Alatar said.
Ayla shook her head. "No. I must go back, please."
"That is merely the bond forced upon you speaking. I promise that we can fix it. There are other alphas who you can bond with and erase the taint of Sauron from you." Alatar said.
"I said no!" Ayla shouted, giving the wizard pause as his brown eyes widened in surprise. She was feeling livid now. How dare he assume the worst! "What would a beta like you possibly understand what a bond—forced or otherwise—does to an omega? To say that allowing another alpha to touch me will make it all better—you're disgusting for suggesting it!"
Alatar let out a sigh. "What you said…you're right, I should not have suggested such an idea. As a beta I will never understand what it is like to be bonded, but please know that I mean no disrespect." Alatar said. Ayla stayed silent and turned her face to the side to silently tell him that the damage was done and that she would not speak to him further. Alatar lowered his head, understanding perfectly that the omega was upset. He could smell her fear and anger, despite having a less keen sense of smell. "Would you like to come out and sit by the fire at least?"
Silence.
Alatar sighed sadly, "Very well. It is a three days journey down the river, so please, get some rest and in the morning we will be heading out."
Once Alatar was gone, tears slid down Ayla's cheeks. She was being taken further away and her rational mind was at war with her heart.
xxxxx
The next morning Ayla was taken to the waiting boat in the river that was only an hour walk from the camp. In the daylight she was able to get a better look at her kidnappers, seeing that it was a group of three dark skinned elves and Alatar. The elves were nothing like the ones in the west, who were fair and graceful; these elves had skin like copper and hair as black as night. They were tall and muscular, and wore clothes of simple cotton and animal skins. Yet what was most captivating about these elves were their eyes; their eyes were the color of topaz yellow. And one pair of topaz eyes continued to look at her, making her mark throb.
Her beautiful gown was not suited for walking on such rough terrain, the skirt too restricting for her legs, making her trip and fall many times. One of the elves actually stopped in front of her when she fell again and ripped the skirt of her dress to free her legs. Of course Ayla objected, trying to hold the ruined fabric together yet it was pointless. She was forced to keep up with their pace, their long strides was nearly two normal steps for her, tiring her out quickly. On top of that, she was beginning to feel the effects of being so far apart from her mate as her mark throbbed harder.
At the boat there were five more copper-skinned elves waiting and once boarded they were sailing down the river. Ayla kept to herself, not looking at anyone and refusing to speak when Alatar translated when a question was directed towards her. Her headache was back and her stomach felt queasy. Alatar showed her some kindness by giving her a blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders to keep her warm.
"It gets cold on the water." he said to her gently. Ayla just nodded her head and resumed keeping to herself.
It was a long three days and even before she was put on the boat and the ill effects of being so far away from her bonded mate was worsening. She had developed a low grade fever and hardly ate or drank anything. Her body ached and she felt dizzy. Ayla was not at all surprised to learn that Alatar had no idea of what to do or how to help Ayla's condition. On the third day, Ayla was too weak from the distance and was in and out of consciousness. When she awoke from her fever, again she was once more in unfamiliar surroundings. The smell of pine was in the air and she found herself in a beautiful room of neutral colors. Sitting up, Ayla noticed that she had been changed out of her blue evening gown and into a thin wool nightgown.
She got out of bed quickly and once on her feet immediately felt vertigo come over her as she staggered to the bedpost, leaning heavily on it as she waited for the dizziness to subside. Once the room stopped spinning Ayla went to the door, pulling it open and rushing out and gripped the railing in front of her with a gasp of surprise as she discovered she was high above the ground and in the trees. Her turquoise eyes went wide as she looked around, seeing that it was an entire village within the trees. She didn't see an immediate route of escape and fell to her knees, feeling weak after her short burst of adrenaline.
Panic and hopelessness was beginning to sink in.
She was trapped.
"What are you doing? You should be inside!" came a gruff voice, alerting Ayla as she looked to her right and saw an elven guard approach her, dressed in armor of midnight blue with gold strips along the collar and joints. Ayla would have run but she was too weak to move. Rough hands picked her up and she dragged back inside her room that she quickly learned was her prison, albeit a nice prison, but a prison nonetheless.
The only exit slammed shut and an audible chink of a latch locking was heard. Touching her throbbing mark, Ayla was at a loss of what to do. How will her mate find her?
Several hours had passed and Ayla's stomach tightened with hunger and her head pounded persistently. She sat on the bed, her back leaning against the wall with her knees hugged to her chest. Her "prison" was furnished with the minimal of things. A bed, a trunk, and a small table with one chair. No windows and just one single door. Just as she was about to doze off from boredom the sound of the latch on the door being moved got her attention and as the door swung open she saw Alatar entering the room, and following him was one of the elves.
"Ah, good, you're awake." Alatar said in the common western tongue. He offered Ayla a kind smile which Ayla did not return, her turquoise eyes on the second visitor and looking at him with caution as the door was closed behind them. "This is Abelas; he is the Chief of the Avari."
Abelas simply stared at Ayla, his topaz eyes making her uneasy as she recalled what Alatar had said to her the night before they went on the boat. How they planned to force a new mate on her. Was Abelas the alpha who would force his mark on her? She would sooner die than allow for that to happen.
The Avarian Chief moved past Alatar to stand at the edge of the bed, the look in his eyes intensifying. Ayla caught wind of his alpha musk and it made her stomach turn. She knew what he was doing; he was asserting his dominance over her, trying to force her into submission with his will. She felt her inner omega stir uncomfortably, but she did not submit. Abelas was not as powerful of an alpha as her mate, he was no Prime. To show that her will would not break she did not look away, defying him by meeting his gaze and not backing down. She will prove that she was not a weak-willed omega.
Alatar shifted nervously, not quite knowing what was happening. He could smell the intensity between them and could see that they were having a battle of wills. He cleared his throat and Abelas looked away first, smirking at the beta.
"She is strong. I am looking forward to taming such an omega." Abelas said, looking back at Ayla who glared defiantly at him. "Your heat is nearing, I can smell it. I will return to you when it has arrived and cleanse you of the Abhorrer's taint."
xxxxx
A few days had passed and Ayla learned that the elves of the east were called avari, and their way of life was wild compared to what she had heard about the elves of the west. Ayla chose to say very little when Alatar would come to visit her, and he would idly chatter away. It was how she learned that Alatar was one of the five wizards of Middle Earth, a blue wizard. Ayla didn't know any of their names except for Saruman the White, whom she had heard about from listening to her father tell stories when she was a child.
The fever of her heat was coming, making her feel hotter than she already was from the sickness that came from being so far away from her mate. She was short on time and will need to act quickly, lest she be bitten by a lesser alpha such as Abelas. Later that night Ayla attempted her escape, the latch on her door had been unused since that first day, and with Alatar who had been her constant visitor it had gone forgotten.
Fools.
Finding a way down the trees to the forest floor she kept to the shadows as best she could. She had no idea where she was, all she knew was that she needed to follow the river upstream. But where was the river?
xxxxx
Ayla ran through the dense forest, running into bushes and low branches in the dark. She couldn't see very well and knew she was more than likely to be killed by some wild creature by her clumsy and loud running, snapping twigs beneath her feet and yelping in pain when she hit her body against something. She slumped against the base of a tree, hugging her knees up to her chest. She knew she had not been running for very long and was sure that she was not far enough. What she did know was that she was completely lost and it felt hopeless of finding her way back to her mate.
Her body ached more than just from the physical exertion but also from the physical distance from her bonded mate. The mark on her neck throbbed and her low grade fever was steadily warming up. Her heat was coming. And she was afraid of what will happen to her once it went into full bloom.
The sound of a beast's growl alerted Ayla to immediate danger, her entire body freezing up. She dared not to move, fear keeping her rooted until she saw something move in the shadows. It was large and smelled feral. It let out another growl, the sound guttural as it stalked towards her, picking up the pace it came closer. Ayla closed her eyes and ducked her head down, waiting for a painful death when suddenly there was a low grunt and then a whine before a massive body dropped to the floor with a heavy thud.
Ayla slowly looked up and let out a startled gasp to see a massive bear lying dead in front of her with a long spear pierced through its neck. Before she had time to react she was grabbed by the arm and roughly pulled up onto her feet and then pulled against a hard body. An alpha. She recognized the scent of Abelas and immediately she pushed against him but he held fast to her and released a low growl of warning to her. Ayla hissed back at him in defiance. He was not her alpha, she was already claimed and bonded, she did not have to obey or submit to him.
He had no power over her.
He shoved her roughly back against the tree, making her wince in pain from the force he used. Regardless of the pain she will not submit. It was her right as a bonded omega to refuse the advances of another alpha. It was her right but her resolve was quickly crumbling under the spiking fever of her impending heat. Once her heat came she will be in too much of an alpha to resist. She shoved Abelas back with all the strength she had, glaring up at him. She could just barely make out the flash of surprise on his face as he took a step back from her to keep his balance.
The avari chief found the omega's sudden aggression rather erotic, covered in scratches and dirt from her pitiful attempt at running away. Her defiant stance and the heated glare of her turquoise eyes and the sweet, intoxicating smell of her pheromones made his blood run hot. Her loyalty to her bond was admirable, but in the end futile. Tracking her had been easy, her trail obvious by the broken branches and footprints in the dirt. Not to mention her scent. It was changing, becoming sweeter than before. When he first laid eyes upon her, he understood how Sauron had chosen her as a mate; the omega was beautiful beyond words. Standing in the dark with only the lights of the flowers and the small fish from the water casting their atmosphere against her fair skin and making her eyes glow brightly.
Abelas had thought she was of the Arda itself, not just simply touched. Her fair skin was like the moon in the darkness and her eyes were like jewels. Then there was her scent, so sweet that it made his mouth water and awakened the urge to claim her. He had a sense of satisfaction when he scented that her heat was upon her. Soon he can claim her and remove the claim of the other alpha, erase their scent with his own as soon as he knots her. The idea of taking what once belonged to his enemy and make it his was getting him excited.
Ayla leaned back against the tree, her body feeling unbearably hot as a deep ache thrummed inside her. This was not good. Her heat had come, feeling the slick between her legs as she lost her strength. She hugged herself and began to pant, sweat beading up on her forehead as her temperature rose.
Mairon…someone…help me!
"You're in heat." Abelas spoke, his voice sounding distant in Ayla's ears as the sound of her own pounding heart beats. She felt strong hands grip her shoulders, shoving her against the tree as lips descended upon hers. Lips she was not familiar with and made her mark throb painfully. The only thing she can think clearly to do was to protect her neck, her hands flying up to cover her neck as best as she could. She could not—will not—allow this alpha to mark her!
Ayla dared to look up through the haze of her heat to see Abelas, already consumed by the influence of lust created by the pheromones she was giving off. It frightened her and as last effort she pushed away, her back scraping along the rough bark of the tree as she attempted to get away but was stopped when Abelas grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her back. She fell back and landed at his feet, feeling him forcing her into the ground from behind, his nails scraping her legs as he pulled her nightgown up to expose her.
Ayla struggled to get away but Abelas and pinned her head down into the earth and all Ayla could do was cover the back of her neck with her hands as she felt him enter her from behind. She let out a pained cry as Abelas plunged deeply into her, holding her hips in a vise to keep her still. She felt his weight on her back and a sharp pain against the backs of her hands and fingers as he bit her. She gritted her teeth, grunting out in pain as she was forced to endure, letting out a whimper when he came inside her.
"Your resistance is admirable but you must know that you are nothing to him but a tool. With the avari you will be free." Abelas said, pulling Ayla up and turning her to face him. In the dark he could see her perfectly, tears wetting her cheeks while flushed and hot from her heat. A pitiful image that made the alpha in him preen with a sickening sense of satisfaction to ruin the prized omega of his enemy.
"You're no better, then." Ayla said back in his language, surprising him. Abelas released a growl as feral as the beast he had killed earlier, pushing Ayla down onto her back and grabbing her legs, forcing them open as he entered her again. Ayla cried out while she kept her neck covered with her hands.
"You have cheek for keeping a secret about knowing my language. Your rebellion makes me want to punish you more. Put you in your place. And yet…" he slowed his hips to a leisure, gentle rhythm. Sliding in and out of her, letting her feel every inch of him inside her. His topaz eyes looking down at her. "And yet I also wish to treat you gently, make you fall in love with me and willingly welcome me into your embrace."
Ayla felt repulsed and ill, her inner omega screaming as it knew that she was being taken by a stranger and not her mate. Abelas began to thrust harder again, making Ayla yelp and arch her back as he hit the very bundle of nerves inside her, telling her that her body was a traitor for carnal pleasure.
She looked past Abelas to the dark canopy above, able to see a few twinkling stars in the inky black sky. More tears fell from her eyes as she cursed the heavens for making her an omega.
xxxxx
Ayla watched with indifference as flames surrounded her. All around her were bloody corpses, blood, warm and wet, covering her hands to her elbows and down the front of her white nightgown. She turned around and was then standing on the shore of the river, clear and crisp until she steps into it and the streaming water turns red with blood.
Ayla.
She turns her head to look over her shoulder, to see who called her name.
Her eyes open then, awaken from her sleep. Her entire body ached and she felt weak and ill. The fever of her heat had waned, though she was still warm to the touch. Her stomach felt heavy and sour, the slightest movement threatened acidic bile to rise up. This pain was torture.
It was then she realized that she was back in her "prison."
Alone.
She rolled onto her side, squeezing her eyes tightly as she felt her stomach slosh about with sick and she willed herself to not vomit. Once it abated Ayla was able to open her eyes again, when she did she immediately took notice of all the red and scabbed bite marks all over her hands and arms. Bruised and swollen from the abuse they took during her heat. She touched her neck, feeling only the one familiar scar on her neck from Sauron. Nothing else.
Thank goodness.
Her body had been used by another alpha but she had at least managed to keep him from marking her. That, at least, was a victory. Right?
Will her mate forgive her for what had happened if he ever came for her?
Will he come for her?
Have you abandoned me, too?