He kept his promise.
As he closed the gap between them, his hands gently cradled her face, his touch both firm and gentle. His mouth claimed hers, demanding yet cherishing, his lips seeking her response.
She surrendered willingly, her body molding against his as if they were designed to fit together.
His fingers dug into her skin while his other hand traced down her spine until it found her backside.
His forceful grip elicited a gasp from her.
With her mouth now open, he took full advantage, his tongue exploring, dancing with hers.
She had given in to her instincts before, but it had never felt like this.
It was like fireworks exploding in her chest, each of his touches making her more aroused than the last.
His hands explored possessively, tracing her body’s curves, leaving a trail of heat behind. She shivered under his touch, all her senses heightened, every nerve ending alive and craving more.
In that moment, the boundaries between dominance and submission blurred, and her body succumbed to the burning desire in her chest, leaving her breathless.
The thought of more was barely enough to keep her grounded.
The part of her she kept hidden was fighting to break free. It would surrender to him more completely than Olivia ever could.
He pulled away from her mouth, leaving her lips tender and swollen.
There was something captivating in his gaze, something that held her attention even when she wanted to look away.
“You shouldn’t be out here when you smell like that,” he said, pressing his forehead against hers. “It’s not safe.”
His gaze held her captive, and it took a moment for his words to sink in. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you?”
She was aware that men could sense when a woman was in heat.
She knew her omega status made her more vulnerable, more enticing.
Olivia had heard tales, various tales, about how packs treated omegas, and truthfully, she never wanted to be someone’s plaything, breeding machine, or obedient little girl.
Regardless of his perspective, Olivia wasn’t interested. She didn’t want his lifestyle, she didn’t want him, and she didn’t want to be his fleeting amusement.
But if she was so sure, why the hell wasn’t she moving?
“No.” His voice reached her as he sniffed her neck, inhaling her scent. “No alpha, huh?”
“Pardon me?”
He raised his hand and held her chin between his fingers. He tilted her head back, forcing her to look up at him.
“You don’t smell like you have an alpha. Am I mistaken?”
“I told you, I belong to myself.”
He chuckled again. “That’s a lot of bravado for a girl who hasn’t budged.”
He loosened his firm grip on her hip. His hand slowly moved up until it cupped one of her breasts. “Maybe you’re curious.”
She held her breath, her chest constricting. “Curious about what?”
His lips were just above hers, barely grazing them.
His body leaned into hers, letting her feel the full intensity of his own desires. “What it feels like when an alpha takes you.”
At his words, she bit her lower lip, teeth piercing the delicate skin.
The taste of blood filled her mouth, but she ignored it, his vow echoing in her mind. As his thumb brushed over her clothed nipple, she knew his words weren’t empty; she could feel it within her.
She wouldn’t feel like she was fading, she wouldn’t feel like a piece of her was absent.
Was this how it was supposed to be?
“I’ve never been with an omega before.”
Her heart froze.
“They say alphas lose control when an omega’s in heat.”
Did they really?
“All they can think about is a taste of that sweet little honey.”
His eyes were half-closed as if he were intoxicated, but she knew damn well he wasn’t.
She had tasted his mouth enough to know there wasn’t a hint of alcohol in him.
She wished she were drunk right now. Maybe then she could handle this. The human in her wanted to flee. The wolf in her wanted to surrender.
Her own heart was constantly pulling her in two directions.
“Are you going to let me taste you? Are you going to let me take care of you?”
Before she could retract her words, he laughed.
“So easy. It’ll feel better, I’ll make it feel better.”
His fingers hooked into the waistband of her pants and she felt the cool air envelop her backside.
She felt weightless as he lifted her off the ground, wrapping her legs around him.
His hardness pressed into her throbbing, wet center, causing her to shudder. She could tilt her hips, grind into him.
If she let go, if she relinquished control, the pain would cease. He’d satiate her desire. It’d make it so it didn’t hurt so damn much.
A single tear trickled down her face and she couldn’t tell if it was from her frustration or from resisting this. It didn’t matter.
His warm tongue touched her face, licking away the tear.
She arched her back, pressing into him.
He caressed her breast through the fabric; her nipples hardened. He could ravage her.
The sound of metal clinking as his fingers fumbled with his belt buckle brought her back to reality.
His brief distraction allowed her to drop back to the ground, and she knew time was running out.
His bare chest was right in front of her, making her notice his injury for the first time.
He had a deep wound beneath his ribs. The blood had dried. Stitches perhaps. Why was she thinking about this now?
“Do you want to do it?” he asked as his fingers released his belt.
No, she didn’t want to do any of this.
For once, he wasn’t touching her. At last, the fog in her mind had lifted enough for her to think.
Still, she stood there, anticipating his next move, waiting for him to continue fucking her senseless.
Fucking her until her voice was hoarse. Fucking her until her legs gave out. None of this was helping.
None of this was her battling this heat. Because she wasn’t a damn animal and she sure as hell wasn’t anyone’s plaything.
That was the only thought she could grasp now that the haze in her mind had momentarily dissipated.
She mustered whatever strength she had left to place her hands on his sweaty, gleaming chest and pushed him away.
He staggered slightly, but it was enough to widen the gap between their bodies.
She bent over, her head spinning, and she collected her crumpled pants and put them on as elegantly as she could manage.
The next step was wrapping her shaking fingers around the metal door handle.
Olivia didn’t glance back at him; she didn’t inhale. Not until she was on the other side of that door.
Her scent was potent; he was against the door. But he wasn’t coming out.
A shiver shook her stomach while a tingling sensation traveled down her spine. She had experienced heat before—this wasn’t it. She tried to relax her shoulders, standing taller, but she couldn’t straighten her body.
Every beat of her heart echoed in her head, and her senses were on high alert. She covered the lower half of her face with her hand, tears prickling at her eyes, her own emotions overwhelming her.
There was a hand on her shoulder, this time a much gentler touch, but her body reacted violently nonetheless. She jumped out of her skin.
She tuned back into the world around her, noticing the blonde ponytail bobbing with each nod of her friend’s head.
“Liv, you okay?”
She cleared her throat. “Yeah, erm—I-I’m fine.”
Her heart was throbbing, her chest was rumbling, and there was a sadness buried deep inside of her, clawing its way out.
No feelings. No emotions. No need.
She needed a deep breath, and it would all be over.
The sweat was still trickling down the back of her neck, causing the collar of her shirt to stick to her skin.
She looked at her coworker, who had a puzzled expression on her face, one eyebrow raised. Could Katie tell? Possibly. Did she care? No.
She was too far gone. Her mind was still trapped in that room with the alpha.
But she wouldn’t heed the voice screaming at her.
She smoothed her damp hair, patting it with her trembling hand.
“I’ll be right back.”
In the distance, she heard Katie ask more questions, but she pushed her voice to the back of her mind. She quickened her pace, and by the time she reached the end of the hallway, she was running.
Her blood was racing; her heart inflicted pain with each strenuous beat it took.
There was the phantom of his hands on her, the memory of his mouth on her skin, and the longing left behind in her core.
“I don’t like hide and seek.”
The surge of adrenaline, the fatigue from the double shifts, hit her all at once, and though she tried to back away, she lost her balance.
She braced herself for the pain, but it never came. Instead, strong, powerful arms held onto her. Olivia peeked from her bangs, locking eyes with his blue ones, glowing with desire.
“You need rest,” he murmured against the bare skin of her neck.
The alarm was deafening, reverberating through the corridors and causing her to clutch his arm tighter. He responded by tightening his hold on her, as if shielding her from an unseen threat. “It’s a code,” she stuttered.
“OLIVIA, LET’S GO!”
Katie’s voice thundered through the chaos, and Olivia barely had time to disentangle herself from the Alpha’s grasp before her friend was there.
A cluster of coworkers swarmed around her, their voices a cacophony of instructions she couldn’t make out. But Olivia couldn’t tear her gaze away from the Alpha. His head was cocked slightly, his eyes drawing her in, compelling her to stand frozen in place.
“You can run, Omega, but we’ll meet again.”
“All you need to know is you’re mine,” were his final words to her before she was pulled away.
