His shoulders tense beneath my hands, muscles going rigid.
Then a wave of cold, sharp fury cuts through our bond, a primal need for revenge so potent it makes my own blood run hot.
My chest fills with a sudden rush of warmth. It’s a wonderful, dangerous heat at the thought of this alpha wanting to avenge me.
But before it can envelop me completely, I cling to my rage, using it like a shield against the unfamiliar feeling.
“Stop it!” I smack Cass’s chest hard, the sound wet and pathetic against his skin. "Stop fucking with my head!" I yell, my voice cracking. “You're tricking me. You're tricking my body into wanting you, into believing that you're safe. But I won’t fall for it!”
Slowly, Cass moves. He reaches up and cradles the back of my head, warm and steady, his fingers tangling gently in my wet hair. His other hand pressing against my breastbone, the pressure gentle but firm.
"I haven't tricked you, omega," he says quietly. “Not even a little.”
My breath stutters.
“Your body knows you’re safe with me,” he continues. “That’s why you’re yelling. That’s why you’re fighting instead of shutting down or freezing up.” He searches my face. “You can be loud, because youknowI won’t hurt you. None of us will.”
“No.” I suck in a deep breath, trying to fight the urge to cry. “That’s not it.” Tears burn the back of my eyes.
“Think about it, sweetheart,” he says softly. “Have you ever yelled at an alpha before? Have you ever felt safe enough to challenge one?”
His question makes me go still.
My thoughts scatter, then stop.
No. I haven’t.
Even as a child, I wouldn’t have dared to raise my voice at one of my fathers. Not at anyone who could decide whether I ate, slept, or stayed.
And Cass has that power now, too.
He’s my mate. My pack alpha. He has the power to control anything and everything I do.Why am I not scared of him?
My chest tightens around the realization.
Cass watches the fight drain out of me all at once.
“Exactly,” he murmurs. “You’re yelling at me because your body knows you can.” His thumb brushes my temple, grounding me. “You can say or do whatever you wantaround me, Tansy. You can be angry, irrational, or even abusive.” His eyes narrow, looking at me with fierce honesty. “Fated matesknowthat their alphas won’t hurt them.”
Fated?More like bullshit.
Fated mates is textbook alpha manipulation. It’s been used for centuries to dress up control as inevitability.
Cass’s kind uses fate as a leash to control their omegas, dressed up as love.
But I don’t say that.
I’m too tired.
My limbs feel heavy, my muscles loose and sore, my skin too sensitive for the constant press of steam and water. It also doesn't help that my head is fogged up with post-heat hormones and the constant, humming presence of our bond.
I don't have the energy to fight anymore.
Defeated, I sag forward before I even realize I’m doing it, my forehead resting on Cass’s chest. I feel a brief flicker of panic at the loss of control, at the way my strength just leaves me. But I don’t have it in me to hold onto my anger right now.
Cass drops the washcloth and curls his arm around my back, the other still holding the back of my head, solid and warm, pulling me closer without squeezing.
“You’ll see,” he says quietly, voice low and sure near my ear. “You belong here with us, Tansy.”
