I let out a slow breath. My protective instinct kicks in, anger rising inside me. Even though Fred is not my beta, his suffering is hard to stand.
"Was this the first time?"
He nods.
"When is the next time he’s supposed to come to you?"
"In four days."
"I’ll try to do something. This is a sick, humiliating situation, and it can’t just be ignored."
I pat his shoulder gently, careful not to overwhelm him with my presence. "Hang in there, Fred. Maybe I can come up with something."
He nods shyly.
It occurs to me that even though Bashir is considered a dominant alpha who defeats others, his hormones were apparently not strong enough to awaken fertility in Fred. Are only freaks of nature like Drax capable of altering a beta’s hormonal profile, of initiating a sub-gender transition? But at what cost? For me, that cost is too high.
"Take care," I say, turning away toward our module. Fred remains by the wall, clearly trying to pull himself together.
My head is spinning, but gradually a plan begins to take shape, clearer with every step. It involves risk, but doing nothing is not an option. I would never sleep again if I did.
I lived in Anzo’s fortress, forced to witness violence against the innocent, and back then I swore that when I was free, I wouldn’t be that kind of alpha. I would be the one who says no when it has to be said, because my morals demand it, even when it isn’t convenient for me.
I grip my phone in my hand, the video still saved on it. I intend to put it to good use.
SALT
It’s pale dawn when I slip out of the module, leaving Eliano asleep behind me, sprawled in a blissful wide spread with his arms and legs thrown loose, black-violet strands falling softly over his forehead, his full lips parted just a little. He looks like a wet dream, definitely. My hole clenches, but what's new? It's become a habit over the last two days.
I pull on a hoodie and jeans and head out for a walk. The first rays of sunlight are only just appearing on the horizon, the sky shifting from muted gray into a soft peach-pink hue. I climb lazily up the slope, my whole body humming with the pleasant vibration of knowing that I just had sex for the first time and that it was, truly, better than I ever let myself imagine. Fucking incredible.
Before guilt can catch up with me, I let myself break into a wild sprint along the ridge of the hill, letting out a shout or two. I’ll enjoy being happy just a little longer, before my brain snaps me out of it.
Basking in the morning sun, I wander around the slope above the double rows of residential units. My mind drifts, replaying flashes from last night, short, intense bursts of joy mixed with the memory of my multiple orgasms.
Gosh, I wish my life were that simple. Great sex, no worries in the world, and the thrill of exploring a romance with a hot Sicilian guy!
I keep on walking for a while, staring at the sky, the distant ocean, and the grassy hillside.
This whole damn stay on the island has turned out to be far more challenging than I expected. I never accounted for Eliano turning out to be so… decent. So easy to like.
Slowly, the self-torture mechanism kicks in, downplaying it all.
Maybe it’s just because I don’t really have experience with guys?
Could it be I kept my virginity way too long? Now this whole thing has gotten into my head and I’m making it a bigger deal than it is.
Probably.
The question is: how am I supposed to get out of this?
Especially because inside me there’s still an absolute, unshakable decision that I must escape this island. Fast!
Unluckily, the other half of me wants the exact opposite, raging and clawing and demanding its rights. Whining for more pleasure in Eliano’s arms, more of that soft, pink, weightless feeling I get when he touches me.
Fuck, I can’t. Senu deserves revenge in his name, and he will get it, even if it is the last thing I ever do in my life.
I raise my hands to my temples and yank at my hair, frustration shaking me hard.
