Absolute Obedience

Chapter Forty

When my paws landed in the cave I scrambled for a place to hide.

My heartbeat thundered in my chest, my wolf was in a daze.

Rules.

I had to remember them.

I needed to be good.

I froze.

Don't touch the Alphas things.

My eyes scanned the den. I was on his land, everything was his. I wasn't in a packhouse so there was an unknown factor to the rules. Could the ground get me in trouble? Was I supposed to sit, stand, lay down? Should I sit up so that only two paws touched the den's floor?

What would my punishment be if I chose wrong?

Was this a test?

Rules, I needed to obey.

Never show fear.

I could do it. I could hide it, I would hide it. I wasn't scared, I wasn't.

My thoughts were barely believable but I needed to try. I needed to please, needed to meet the Alphas expectations of a good Omega.

Don't make any noise.

I was loud. My heart pounded harshly like a beating drum, and my panting also brought forth too much noise. I needed to calm myself. My thoughts seemed loud to my ears as well.

I could do this, I could be a good Omega.

I cou—

"Omega!" I didn't turn my head towards Lilah's voice.

Was I allowed to be near her?

Was this a test? What was the right choice? Obey her or only the Alpha?

A hand touched my back and unconsciously I jumped away from her. My ears going flat against my head and eyes widening with the fear I was desperately trying to mask.

"Calm yourself, Aegis is strong, whoever is here will be gone soon." Her words were gentle but they did nothing to soothe the panic I felt. They did nothing to deter me from remembering the rules. Did nothing from the plague that was deteriorating my mind.

I clenched my eyes closed. I needed to calm my heart.

My wolf whined, he didn't know the rules as well as I did, he felt the need to be good but was confused for the reason why we were trying to be good. I would have to teach him.

I was too caught up in my own head that I didn't notice the small fire being lit nor the burning of herbs until the smell wafted into my nose. The smell was almost soothing.

Lavender.

I redirected my eyes to face the flickering flames and where Lilah was tending to her small fire.

Don't make eye contact.

I kept my eyes on the orange flames where fresh lavender was slowly being burned, filling the den with its therapeutic scent. My heart rate slowly calmed itself but I didn't move. This scent used to aid me in sleep when I was a child, but that only lasted until the older Omega had died.

I shook my head of the wayward memories and moment of reminiscing. I didn't need to go down that path, not right now.

My eyes moved around the den, I didn't feel safe here, not with him nearby. My wolf refused to shift, his unease with my manic thoughts and his own anxiety was causing our instincts to go haywire. Hold habits clashing with a primal side didn't mesh well. Instincts wanted us to get further away from here, find somewhere safer, even just being near Aegis would possibly appease the need, but we had rules to follow and instincts didn't have a place next to the rules. My wolf was slowly understanding the need for them; he saw their purpose and the rewards that could follow.