Chapter 15
Zayd
Every day, I catch an hour or two of sleep before every night, I pull the blindfold over my eyes and lie awake, wrapped around Layla’s naked body. It is torture, but I endure it. For her.
I will do anything for Layla. For the rest of my life. If that is how long I have to hold her against me, for hours, unable to do anything about the aching in my loins and in my heart that is never satisfied, I will endure it.
Though the blindfold renders it completely unnecessary, I squeeze my eyes tight when Layla moans in her sleep and turns in my arms, pressing her breasts flat on my stomach and throwing a leg over my hip, pressing her mound against my neglected length.
I have to remind myself why I am here. The ease of marking her while she sleeps. The closeness we are experiencing is for that purpose alone.
It is not easy keeping my promises, feeling the heat of her, taking in the scent of her. But I would not have it any other way.
That is a lie. If I could have my way, we would be bonded by now.
There are many times I wish I had not vowed to Sutton or Layla that I would not claim her. Not that my vow is the only thing standing in our way. Even if I had not made that promise, I would not claim her until she was ready. She is not. And she may never be.
There are still nights she cries herself to sleep, wishing Sutton would return.
If I thought it would not end in one of us killing the other, I would take a shuttle to his home on the outskirts of the colony and drag him back.
Sutton is more than capable of handling himself in a fight with an alpha.
He more than proved himself in the training comb.
Proved that his success with the alpha at his home was not an accident.
I suppose, though… If I could get my fangs in him…
Knock him out long enough to get him back to the Center…
I roll this idea around in my head for several minutes, if for no other reason than to distract myself from the throbbing between my hips as Layla tightens her leg around me.
Sutton’s scent was not strong, but it was enough to keep her safe. If he were here, not only could he keep her marked, but he could also keep her satisfied in a way I cannot. In a way, she is so obviously desperate for.
I grit my teeth when Layla rolls her hips and slick coats my length.
Her body senses me, even in her sleep. It wants what it wants, regardless of what Layla says she wants.
And I want so badly to strip this blasted blindfold from my eyes. I want to know if she is awake and acting knowingly. Perhaps she is even expecting me to respond. Or is this an unconscious act and another level of torture I simply must endure?
One thing is for sure: it is torture.
When she rolls again, I cannot help myself. “Layla,” I whisper and wait for her answer. My heart in my throat. “Layla. Are you awake?”
Layla’s body stills.
A moment later, her leg slips from around my hip before she turns away.
“There is no shame in wanting, Layla,” I whisper into the night, unsure if she is listening. “An omega’s need is undeniable even to the omega. If your need becomes too great, I am here to fill it.”
“Thank you, Zayd. Not tonight.”
My heart skips.
Not tonight.
Maybe another night?
It is not a guarantee, but it is not a no.
Am I holding onto a false hope?
Maybe.
But at this point, a false hope is better than no hope at all.