"Asher?" I laugh, the sound sharp and cruel. "You mean the same Asher whose bones you're currently pressed against?" I gesture to the ornate bed frame beneath us, shadows dancing across the polished white surface. "Look closely, Omega—those aren't ivory inlays. If you squint just right, you can still see his teeth embedded in the headboard. Rather fitting, don't you think? He's finally useful for something."
Her face goes white with horror as the implications sink in, her body going rigid beneath mine.
"Asher is dead," I whisper against her ear, relishing how she stiffens even more. "And his memory will fade with each night I spend erasing him from your body."
She begins to struggle beneath me, suddenly desperate to escape, the realization of her tactical error evident in her widened eyes. My hand clamps around her throat, not enough to choke but enough to still her.
"No other Alpha will ever touch you again," I growl. "From now on and forever, your body and your pleasure belong to me."
CHAPTER 8
THE BOND SEALED
Malakai
While my shadow magic remains dominant, her light occasionally flares in resistance, creating an unexpected dance between our powers. Light and shadow intermingle where our skin touches, creating a visual manifestation of our new, still-forming bond.
Her strength surprises me; she's powerful, this one, more than I expected. Even through the suppressants dulling her Omega biology, I can smell her—sunshine and honeysuckle breaking through the chemical barrier, calling to something primal in my Alpha blood. Her knee nearly connects with my groin before my shadows wrap around her legs, forcing them apart.
The bond betrays the complexity beneath her hatred—curiosity, unwilling awareness, and something darker that mirrors my own hunger. She keeps fighting, roaring with insults, but her own body betrays her so much. I feel the pure lust that shifts in her magic, identified desire. Her scent spikes with it, sweet and intoxicating despite her attempts to suppress it.
"Look at me," I demand, waiting until those golden eyes lock with mine. "Good."
My shadows gather more densely, wrapping around her throat like a living collar. They tighten slowly, deliberately, restricting her breathing just enough to make her gasp. Her eyes widen, pupils dilating as the pressure increases. Then I move my hand over her thigh slowly, then closer to the edge of her throbbing pussy, tightening the grip on her throat at the same time. She's struggling for air now as my fingers brush her clit, then dip in-between her drenched folds. Her eyes widen, and I keep the pressure on her windpipe as I start to stroke her slowly. I run my finger along her opening. She's fucking dripping for me—slick coating my fingers, her Omega biology responding to my Alpha presence despite every mental barrier she's constructed—so I must be doing something right even if she pretends my touch disgusts her.
"Let me prime that sweet pussy of yours before you come for me," I murmur, watching her struggle for air, fascinated by the flush spreading across her golden skin. I roll my finger over her clit and she closes her eyes, releasing a strange sound, a growl or a moan. "You're so fucking wet for me, so stop pretending you don't want this and enjoy it."
She can't respond as I slowly choke her, but her eyes are half closed as she tries to control her desire. Her scent grows stronger, headier—the suppressants losing their battle against her body's response to me.
I keep fondling her clit as she is still trying to fight me, making my heart pound harder in my chest. I sense her pulse quicken, so I thrust two fingers inside her as I ease off my grip to keep her conscious. Her arousal drips down my fingers, slick and hot, as I keep finger fucking her. My own emotions are heightened, my cock throbbing against my zipper, my Alpha instincts howling to claim, to mark, to breed. She's struggling now, her face pales, so I intensify the pressure of my thumb on her clit. Fuck, my Omega is so responsive, the walls of her pussy clench around my fingers as I slowly keep thrusting in and out of her, until she is at the peak of her orgasm. This is insanely arousing, just seeing her completely at my mercy. I keep pumping my fingers in and out, while my shadows take over, rubbing her clit. She's close to orgasm, her heartbeat slows down while she's struggling to breathe. I think I might burst just watching her.
Through our bond, I feel a spike of something that isn't entirely fear, a realization that makes me smile against her neck.
I keep fucking her with my fingers, driving her to the edge of the most intense pleasure, picking up the pace. Then, right at her peak, I tighten my grip, allowing her to come and draw a desperate breath at the same time. She screams coming for me, arching her head backwards as I continue to rub her clit with my thumb. For a moment, her light magic flares in defense, burning my shadows where they touch her skin, but it's not enough to break free. The sound she makes—half gasp, half moan—makes me want to seize this moment forever. Her scent explodes around us, pure Omega arousal cutting through the last of the suppressants, and my Alpha responds with a growl that rumbles through my chest.
I finally pull away, taking long breaths of air as my cock throbs painfully hard, but pure satisfaction fills me. Fuck, watching her coming and breaking for me like that makes me want to do it again and again. She's stunning when she pretends she doesn't want this.
"Fucking fascinating," I murmur, growing more obsessed with each passing moment. "Your body betrays your mind, Omega."
"Fuck you!" she growls and a tear drops to the side of her face. That stings my chest for a moment. I hurt her, but this pain brought her pleasure, too, so the show must go on. I take off my pants, then my shorts; taking my rock hard cock into my right palm, I stroke it slowly, ready to fucking explode the moment I enter her.
"With pleasure," I smirk.
She twists beneath me, light flaring between us again, burning where it touches my bare chest as I situate myself between her legs. Her naked body against mine is maddening, all golden skin and unexpected strength, her light magic pulsing beneath the surface. Her Omega scent wraps around me like silk, and I have to fight the urge to bury my face in her neck and never come up for air.
"Look at me," I command, the tip of my cock right at her entrance, waiting until those golden eyes meet mine. When she tries to turn away, my shadows force her head back, wrapping around her jaw like a vice. "If you hate me, do it with your eyes open, sweetheart. I want front-row seats to watch your righteous fury crumble when your body betrays you. Go ahead, curse my name while you drip for me. Your cunt's a terrible liar, and we both know it." My lips curve into a cruel smile as I hover at her threshold. "Tonight's performance requires an audience, and I refuse to miss a single tear of your delicious moral conflict."
Then with one powerful thrust I enter her, burying myself to the hilt and I nearly come apart when she feels so tight, so fucking amazing. Her back arches off the bed, a ragged cry tearing from her throat that vibrates through my chest. The scorching heat of her envelops me, her inner walls clamping down with a vice-like grip that nearly makes me come.
"Fuck," I hiss through clenched teeth, my control hanging by a thread. Every Alpha instinct I possess is screaming at me—mate, claim, knot, breed—and it takes every ounce of my centuries of discipline not to lose myself completely.
Her eyes water at the corners, pain and unwanted pleasure warring in their golden depths. The sight should satisfy me, but it only ignites something raw and primal. I can't wait—won't wait for her to adjust. My hips snap back and drive forward again, the sound of flesh striking flesh echoing through the chamber.
Her nails rake down my back, drawing blood as I establish a merciless rhythm. Each thrust forces small, broken sounds from her lips despite her obvious effort to remain silent. Her bottom lip is caught between her teeth, the soft flesh turning white under the pressure, a thin line of crimson appearing where she's broken skin.
Our magic clashes where our bodies join, shadow and light creating electric pulses that shoot up my spine. The sensation threatens to undo me immediately, my release building far too quickly. I grip the sheets beside her head, knuckles white, forcing myself to slow down even as every instinct screams to claim, to ruin, to mark.
"Let me hear you," I growl, angling my hips to hit deeper, pounding into her. For gods, I'm breaking. She feels better than I imagined, our bond getting stronger as I drive my shaft into her cunt. I can feel the base of my cock beginning to swell—my knot forming already, responding to her Omega heat, to the rightness of being inside her.
