Chapter 25
Istared at the ceiling, lying near the end of the bed, the blanket tucked around my shoulders. Sprawled diagonally, my brain trudged to push free of the fog. Why was I so weak? It was bullshit. Anger swelled but quickly leveled under the numbness.
I’d been up for a while now. When I roused, footsteps had paced outside of my cracked door. They’d left me alone as I’d requested, but they still hovered.
And tonight, Elias was my supervisor. I hadn’t seen him since I’d shoved him out.
I rolled my head to the side, staring at the dark shadow near the door.
Light from the hall behind him outlined his frame. Wide shoulders, a more tapered waist, and his mess of hair.
His side of the bond must be bothering him. Making him want to be near me. He approached the threshold of the bedroom . . . and then retreated, leaning against the wall and spearing his hands through his hair once more.
He straightened and then came to the door. I thought he was going to turn around again with how much he was hesitating, but he finally entered.
He stopped right above me, while I watched him from under my eyelashes.
Elias reached out, and his hand extended over my head, close enough that I felt the warmth. My hair moved under his fingertips, under his light touch. He thought I was sleeping?
“Elias.”
He jerked his hand back.
“You’re awake,” he murmured huskily. He crouched, bringing himself closer to my face.
Now he was near enough for me to see the half of his face not shadowed by the dark.
Moonlight coming in from the window above the bed caught his green eyes.
“Briar,” he whispered, his voice doing something to my body I wished it didn’t.
I pushed upright while Elias remained crouched. I looked down to keep hold of his gaze.
“Briar . . .” He trailed off again. Another bout of silence.
My pulse picked up, and he audibly swallowed. A heaviness lived between us, weighing on my shoulders.
“When do I get to leave?” I blurted.
His eyes narrowed.
“Leave?” he enunciated slowly.
“Yes, leave,” I insisted. If they thought I was letting it go just because they changed their mind, they were crazier than I’d originally thought. “Remember, this all started because I needed help getting out of the U.S.?” I couldn’t help the dry, sarcastic tone.
He stood so quickly. Pale light illuminated his features from his deep frown to the lines carved between his brows and the dark circles under them. He looked spectral.
“Why are you so moody?” I muttered, scooting upright and inched closer to the pillows—away from him—to lean against the headboard.
“I haven’t slept.” His tone was accusatory.
“And that’s my fault?” I raised an eyebrow. I exhaled sharply, stopping the rest of the sarcasm about to spill out of me. Using the energy wasn’t worth it. “I didn’t ask you to claim me.” I could no longer hold back my frustration. “You shouldn’t have—”
“I didn’t intend to!” he snarled, raking his hands through his hair and nearing me. I already knew it based on his shock, but hearing it from his mouth hurt.
I scoffed, shaking my head.
“You don’t need to worry. I’ll be gone within a few weeks.”
“That’s not—I—fuck,” he spat.
I kept going as if he hadn’t spoken, “As soon as you get me out of the country, you’ll never have to see me again.”
His claiming bite would fade since I wouldn’t claim him back. I was hoping it would be sooner rather than later.
“Leave?” Elias scoffed, head shaking. “You think you’re leaving?”
The audacity in that statement left me wordless. I only stared.
His chest was heaving, and his hands kept clenching at his sides. Instead of exploding, which I half expected, he popped his neck and then met my gaze.
“I’ll buy you everything you need for a nest. I-I’ll make sure you’re okay. Stop talking about leaving.”
As much as he ordered, it didn’t matter. Staying here wasn’t an option. It never had been. They’d always planned to get rid of me, and they’d made that painfully clear. Why were they switching up now? Because I’d found out? Because of guilt?
It wasn’t necessary.
“The plan—”
“Fuck the plan,” he hissed, bending over me. “Stop talking about leaving. You are staying put. We will find a way to clear your name.” Now they wanted to clear my name? “This will be your permanent nest. We can set it up however you want.”
I scoffed.
“I’m not staying here,” I shouted, emotions bursting through the veil of numbness. I pushed to my knees, glaring at him. “So get that out of your fucking stubborn head. I. Am. Leaving.”
“No,” he shouted, grabbing the back of my neck. “You’re not going anywhere.”
I had to get away from them. I no longer cared about how. His hold on my neck spawned panic within me.
“Keep living in delusion—”
Suddenly, he was on top of me, his hand sliding to band around the front of my throat. He wasn’t pressing hard enough for it to hurt, but it didn’t allow me to move.
“No,” he barked.
My angry words got stuck in my throat.
“You are not fucking leaving, Briar.”
“You can’t stop me,” I gasped with effort. A glaze filmed his eyes, and his fingers dug into my throat, cutting off my breathing.
Elias jolted forward with uncontrolled movements, falling on me, his hips forcing my thighs apart as he pinned me on the bed. Slick gathered between my legs, my needy Omega instinct hungry for the claim.
I’d show him how a good fuck wouldn’t change anything. I tilted my hips, and he slammed inside. Gasping, I dug my nails into his shoulders. I wanted to feel his skin.
He settled into a slow pace, and I yanked and tugged at his shirt until it was over his head. I tossed it across the room.
Elias did the same to me, pulling Kyan’s sweater up until my breasts were exposed. He dipped, catching a nipple between his lips. My channel clamped down on him, and he grunted, pulling away with a pop. I gasped, my hips moving restlessly.
“Harder,” I ordered. His pace picked up, flesh pounding against flesh. The wet sounds hurtling me over the edge.
Moans came from me in a cacophony of noise. I kept digging my nails into his shoulders harder and harder.
“If I have to breed you to make sure you stay, I will.”
Joke’s on him. I had an implant that wouldn’t allow any accidents.
He pinned my hips, and my arms stretched out on the mattress.
Elias kept thrusting, hard enough to rattle my teeth.
I twitched from the hypersensitivity of his claim.
It didn’t take long for another orgasm to wrack my frame.
Spots danced in my vision. Still, he didn’t stop.
I tried catching my breath, but his every ram into me made it difficult.
He licked the mark on my throat—right where he’d bitten me. My stomach tumbled down a steep hill, and I was coming.
I screamed, and he took it as an invitation to slam into me harder, heightening my release until I couldn’t breathe.
Elias curled an arm under my back, bracing me. Shoulders bunched, he hoisted me closer as he knelt on the mattress.
His thrusts slowed, giving me respite from the intense orgasms.
I was a whimpering mess.
Elias cupped my jaw, forcing me to look at him. He captured my lips, kissing me with need so visceral, I could feel it in my stomach.
I was weak from the orgasms.
“Stay with me. Always.” His mumbled words melded together, and his fingers spanning my ass pressed harder, rolling him onto me. The movement rubbed my clit against his thick shaft. My legs shook so intensely.
“I can’t do ano—mmm.” My moan cut me off, and I felt like I was floating. He bellowed—then nothing but darkness—
“There she is,” Elias rumbled, flipping us so I was on top of him, fully seated on his knot.
I blinked at him, my limbs like noodles.
I’d passed out.
I’d fucking passed out from the amount of orgasms he’d forced me through.
He curled me against his chest, arms around my limp body, hand caressing my side.
It couldn’t have been long that I’d been unconscious.
His knot loosened, and our need slicked out of where we were joined.
“I’ll clean you up,” he croaked.
I yanked myself free of the sexual stupor and rolled onto my back, detaching from his cock.
“Come here,” he muttered gruffly, catching my hand.
Panic crowded my throat. “Do you think a good fuck will convince me to stay?”
“You’re not leaving,” he repeated, pulling me into his arms until I landed on his chest.
His bloodshot gaze begged.
I wanted to comfort him. To tell him it was okay. To soothe his pain . . . but it would be a lie.
And I wasn’t going to lie about this. Not something so sacred as a Scent Match. I wasn’t them.
Anger swelled, and I turned my head away.
“Look at me,” he begged. His breathing turned shallow. “Look at me,” he snarled. His hand clamped around my jaw, and he tugged my chin to force me to turn.
I met his frantic features mingling with fear.
His expression crumpled, the vulnerability spearing me through the heart.
“I . . .” He licked his lips, not taking his green, pained focus away from me. “I need to tell you. I . . .”
He looked tormented, like the words he was trying to push out were nailed into his throat. My Omega Instincts flared and demanded I soothe him.
My fingers sank into his hair, and he stiffened, anger flaring through them.
“Are you okay?” I whispered, pulling my fingers back.
He blinked, and the tension melted away, his eyebrows furrowed.
“Am . . . I okay?”
I continued to study him, unable to fight the spear of concern for him.
“Fuck,” he cussed and spun away from me, the stricken look on his face not fading.
“I have to—” Another scrape back of his hair. “Fuck!”
He stormed out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
What the hell was wrong with him? He was acting like I’d tortured him.
I lay my arms by my side, staring at the ceiling.