“If you ever use your bark on me without my consent again, this is over.”
Shame burned through my body, dark and heavy. I swallowed, trying to find the words, but nothing could undo what I’d done. “I’m so fucking sorry, sweetheart. I never will again, I promise you.”
She nodded slowly, her expression giving nothing away. Fuck, telepathy would come in handy right about now.
“I know.” She let out a slow breath. “I know how scared you were, and you were disoriented from the medication. I just…I can’t handle that again.”
“I promise I’ll do whatever I can to earn your forgiveness.” My chest swelled with emotion, making it hard to breathe. “I’ll spend mylife doing everything I can to make you feel happy and loved. You deserve it. You deserve everything.”
I reached up to touch her face but pulled back. I didn’t deserve to touch her. But she took my hand and kissed my palm. “So do you, Wilder. You deserve all the happiness in the world, and I’ve already forgiven you. You don’t have to earn it.”
Her bright blue eyes met mine, and I couldn’t deny the sincerity I found there. She was choosing to be here with me…choosing to touch me. She wasn’t afraid of me. Emotion welled in my throat. “Thank you,” I choked out. I ran my thumb along the curve of her perfect cheek. She had new little freckles on her nose from the sun and I wondered how many would pop up in the summer. And I would be here to see them.
She shifted to her knees and leaned over the console until her lips were almost touching mine. The most tempting forbidden fruit. I moved to kiss her, but she leaned away, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“But just so we’re clear, alpha, I have no problem with you using your bark on me consensually. And right now? You have my full consent to doanything, unless I say red.”
“What do you—”
She moved like lightning. Her hand was on the door before I realized what she was doing, and then she was out of the truck, running into the woods. A roar ripped from me as my instincts rose to the surface. Without the suppressants in my system, my alpha took full control.
For the first time in my life, I let it.
I jumped out of the truck. A slow smile spread across my face as I glimpsed her golden hair before she disappeared down the trail. The woods were dense here—thick with trees and vegetation, the earthy scent of pine filling the air, but nothing could mask my omega’s scent. It was sweet like strawberry sugar, thick with arousal, and carrying a sharp edge of anticipation.
Fucking perfect.
I kept a slow, steady pace as I followed her, imagining the thrill she’d feel when thinking she’d gotten away, all to be erased when I caught up to her, pinned her on the ground, and fucked her hard. My cock strained against my jeans, my knot already half inflated and desperate to be surrounded by her snug little cunt. Once I knotted her, she could fight as hard as she wanted, but she wouldn’t be able to escape me.
I picked up my pace, heat pulsing through my veins, following her scent until…
I stopped short at a piece of fabric on the ground. My chest rumbled as I picked it up and pressed it to my face. It was my omega’s sweater, but her scent was too strong for her to have only worn it.
She had wiped her slick on it to distract me.
Dark satisfaction pumped through my veins. My little omega was toying with me.
I picked up my pace, my body tense and on full alert. Next, I found her bra. Leggings. Last was a scrap of lace. I pressed her panties to my face, breathing in her intoxicating scent.
The world faded away as my rut took hold.
I broke out in a sprint. Clever little omega leading me on a chase, but she couldn’t hide forever. She would never be able to hide from me.
The world was a blur of green leaves as I hunted her, and it wasn’t long before I caught a hint of gold. I whirled around, my chest heaving.
“Where are you, little omega? If you come out now, your punishment won’t be as severe.”
Nothing.
A smile split my face as I slowly prowled through the trees, my body poised to strike at every snapping twig. My cock strained against my crotch, but at least the pain of it cleared my head. I cupped myself through my pants. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
A sharp inhale of breath.
“You can’t hide from me, omega.”
I lunged to my left, swinging my arm around the base of a tree. My fingers brushed her hair, but she escaped my grasp and took off running. I was momentarily frozen, mesmerized by the bounce of her bare ass.
My heartbeat pulsed in my ears as I gave chase. She was tired, her pace faltering as heaving breaths escaped her lungs. She’d been a good girl and kept her shoes on, but I didn’t want her legs to get scratched up, so I closed the distance between us.
