Sol staying away from me and even farther from my scent was like a hot poker to the heart. But he needed rest.
“Thank you. I will.” Sol reached out to me, then snatched his hand back. “But before you go, I need one more thing.” His tired smile turned wicked.
“Anything.”
“Bring the box with the smaller toys over.”
I ran to get it and placed it at his feet. He sat at the edge of the bed and searched through the items inside until he handed me a steel contraption. I grew semi-hard at the sight of it.
“Some Alphas put cock cages on omegas in heat to lessen the pleasure of knotting and breeding,” he said. “But the one in the starter pack was too small for you, so I ordered a size that should fit your monster dick.” He smirked, filling me with light instantly. “I can’t stand touch right now, but I want you to suffer with me. And as much as I’d love to squeeze your dick through the bars, you’d have to do it yourself.”
“Yes. That’s perfect, Sol.” I knelt before him and bowed my head. “My Master.”
“Put it on. I want to see your useless cock stuffed into a metal cage.”
His words washed over me like a comfort blanket, every sliver of his attention healing something deep within me. I’d been to enough parties to know how the contraption worked, so I slowly trapped my semi-hard dick and locked it at the top.
“Give me the key.” Sol held his hand out, and I dropped the delicate chain into his palm. “You’re still my servant, so you’ll follow my orders.”
“Of course.”
Sol chewed his bottom lip. The fire in his gaze, so prominent for the past six days, was dimmed now. Dark circles marred his beautiful blue eyes, and his pale skin was devoid of its usual healthy glow.
Worry churned in my gut.
“You can come in whenever you want as long as you don’t touch me. I’ll let you know when I can be close to your scent again.” He moved to the middle of the bed and gathered theblankets around himself. “I order you to sleep as much as you can, cook something nice for yourself, and eat well.”
“What?” I sat on my heels.
“You need a break too, and I don’t want to drag you down with me.” Sol must have seen the scowl on my face as he quickly continued. “You have to be well-rested and strong in case I need you, okay?”
“Yes, Master.”
I wasn’t sure if the use of our dynamics helped him distance himself from me, or quite the opposite. I’d take anything he’d offer me, because soon he would be ready to leave me and start his new life with the money I’d sent him.
Sol buried himself in the blankets, and I left the room as quietly as I could, feeling like a part of my soul stayed with him.
I returned to my bed and lay with my nose in the sheets where Sol’s scent was the strongest, where his cum landed the night before. I danced my fingers over the cock cage—the last thing he’d touched. How long would he need to recover? Hopefully, he’d be back to his strong self soon.
My watch showed it was Monday, and Sol being away from me felt like I was in prison, marking passing days by scratching lines on a wall. For hours, I rolled in his scent and replayed every moment we’d spent together in my head. Had I done well enough for him to consider returning to me for his next heat? Maybe by then he’d live somewhere far, possibly with a mate. That wouldn’t be me.
The thought made me physically sick, and I ran to the bathroom and emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet. My Alpha instinct screamed that he was mine even though we haven’t exchanged a mating bite. I felt tethered to him, anyway. Coercing him to stay with me could work, but I’d forever know that it wasn’t his choice, and he’d end up resenting me. I wanted him to be happy. Would I be able to let him go?
I had to.
Throughout the day, I wandered around the house, not willing to go outside, to be any farther from Sol than necessary. I cleaned the house, grinning when I recalled what we did on every flat surface, against the walls and windows. Then I grew unbearably sad, imagining my life without Sol again. It would forever be Before Sol and After Sol, because nothing would ever be the same. My career had always been my top priority, but now, that paled in comparison to the life I imagined I could have with Sol if he chose to stay with me once he recovered.
On Tuesday, day two of recovery, Sol agreed to have the broth I made. By day three, color began to return to his cheeks, and after four days, he asked me to sit with him in the room. We ended up talking about the little things in life, like what our favorite food was, or past-time activities. I was happy to learn that he liked reading, just like I did, and watching reality shows that he’d told me I’d get sucked into as well if I’d given them a shot.
I offered to drag the TV from the living room to his bedside if he wished, but he asked for books instead, saying he’d rather watch TV with me when curled on the couch when he’d feel better. I brought him several volumes about horses, and the paperbacks that I found in one of the boxes he’d ordered.
When Sol was napping, he clutched the chain with the key to my cock cage in his hand. He couldn’t touch me, but he held my orgasms in his grasp anyway. During those quiet moments, I would sit in the armchair in the corner and immerse myself in books. For the first time in my life, I read romance novels and understood what the fuss was all about. The ones Sol picked out were about happy omegas finding their perfect mate, having easy and sexy seats, and many healthy babies afterward. I imagined that during post-heat recovery, it would be something to cheer him up.
Instead, he refused to read them, telling me that not everyone’s dreams were the same, and chose a novel about a knight and a stable boy.
On Friday evening, Sol asked me to stay in the room for the night. I fell asleep on the armchair but woke up on the floor next to his bed, craving to be closer to him.
It was Sunday afternoon Sol joined me in the living room, freshly showered and dressed in my shirt that hung on him like a dress. He should be wearing my clothes more often and leave his sweet scen all over them. He looked effortlessly sexy, and the light blue fabric brought out the healthy shine in his eyes.
