Page 103 of His Stolen Omega

Elm stared at the sleeping alpha. How long had he been planning this? Since sequestering Elm away here? Since before? If he had to guess, the idea had most likely begun to formulate the day Elm broke free from the cage.

Levi had started looking at him differently from that moment on.

Or…maybe it had started before. When Elm was in a coma perhaps? He had no personal recollection of what took place between them—for obvious reasons—and Levi had stayed away once he woke.

It didn’t make a difference.

When didn’t really matter.

Why did.

Was Levi hoping to use him against Kian? Had he decided giving up his chance for a proper omega was worth sticking it to his greatest enemy? A single mating bite could potentially be undone through extensive surgery, but six? He’d ensured there was no way out for Elm.

At least, that’s what the alpha believed.

But Elm was no longer that starry-eyed kid who dreamed of being whisked off his feet by his soulmate.

Even if the claim couldn’t be undone, he couldn’t stay here any longer. Couldn’t allow himself to be turned into a weapon against his brother.

Elm needed to run. Now. While he had the chance and the alpha was out cold.

He moved as quickly yet as quietly as he could, going straight for the walk-in closet. His side of the room was packed with all sorts of clothing, and he selected the warmest looking items. It hurt to move, stung when fabric rubbed against wounds, but he ground his teeth and bit his tongue against the pain.

Everything he’d been given was either white or gray, no exceptions. Even the boots, which he picked up and carried out of the room. The color scheme would help him blend in, and he paused in the doorway, giving the alpha one last lengthy look.

He couldn’t see his face from this angle, but the blankets were low on his hips, the length of his back and torso on full display. Scratches marred his skin, and there were bites on him as well.

Elm had returned at least half of the injuries given to him.

If he stopped to allow himself time to think, he’d…hesitate. In many ways, this past month with the alpha had been…pleasant. No one had ever cared for him the way Levi did. No one had ever listened to him talk with such intensity, or been content sitting in a corner for hours while he sculpted.

They hadn’t taken the time to learn his likes and dislikes, cooked him meals based on his preferences, or, admittedly, fucked him so well and thoroughly it felt like he’d been sent to actual heaven.

If this alpha was anyone else in the universe, Elm might have considered staying. Would overlook the rocky start. The kidnapping. The testing. The controlling, overbearing nature. He could do that. He was adept at rolling with the punches. Could let go of most negative feelings and experiences and focus on the good.

But this wasn’t just anyone.

This was Leviathan Morningstar.

This was the Dominus of the White Frost mafia, a cold-blooded killer. A man more than capable of using warmth as a weapon.

As a means of manipulation.

With Levi, Elm couldn’t be certain how much was real and how much was a cleverly crafted disguise.

How much was about him and how much was actually about Kian.

He turned and walked away, each step further from the alpha causing his heart to beat more rapidly in a mixture of fear and unease. His instincts would be chaotic this shortly after the mating. That internal voice told him to go back, to climb back into bed, and be with his alpha. But the fog that overwhelmed him every time he lost control since becoming synthetic was no longer present.

Elm couldn’t waste time checking right now, but he was fairly certain he was no longer at risk of going feral.

He’d finally stabilized.

Thanks to the mating bond?

Probably.

Didn’t matter.