Page 114 of His Stolen Omega

After months together, Levi had a pretty good grasp on who Elm Erskine really was. Even things he hadn’t verbally admitted to had become simple enough to piece together after all of this time observing him.

The omega’s greatest wish wasn’t to become some famous artist.

Or to find himself.

He’d never sought freedom, or accolades, or self-expression. Hadn’t longed for money or power either.

No, what Elm had always wanted more than anything was to be special.

More accurately, for someone to find him special. To choose him. To spend each day reminding him that he was a treasure worthy of a king.

Perhaps it hadn’t happened in the way he’d envisioned, but his king had come to claim him, and Levi was determined to treat him like the valuable omega he was.

After they’d learned some lessons on submission.

He was the Dominus. His life was fraught with dangers. Enemies who wouldn’t hesitate to get to him by harming his mate. Elm had always been a free spirit, even as the brother of Kian. He’d never had to worry about watching his back or whether or not a stranger could be trusted.

If they had to spend the rest of their lives at the lodge, so be it, but that was the very last resort. Levi knew Elm would go stir crazy if he tried to trap and isolate him to that degree.

Never in all his years had he ever cared about another’s happiness, and yet here he was, worried about Elm’s.

“You’ve dreamed of a collar, haven’t you?” he took the risk and asked, unsure if Elm would be honest or try to deny it. When his omega opted for silence, Levi gave him an out. “Are betas gifted collars?”

“Not usually.” Elm shifted, then seemed to come to a decision and climbed off the bed. He approached slowly, as if he still didn’t entirely trust Levi’s intentions, coming to a stop a couple of feet away.

Levi adjusted his legs then motioned between them with his chin, clicking his tongue when his omega hesitated yet again. “If you submit, I’ll let you hold it before putting it on. You want to see it, don’t you?”

Elm worked his lower lip between his teeth but then stepped forward.

“On your knees.” Levi waited for him to follow the order, purring for him when the omega did as he was told. Along with the praise, he sent a soft wave of soothing pheromones at him, then held out the collar for Elm to take.

He’d selected it carefully, the white leather buttery soft, the silver clasp at the back and the ring at the center polished to a gleam. The same symbol that was tattooed to Elm’s finger was embossed on one side, with Leviathan on the opposite. The markings were light enough no one would be able to make them out unless they were standing too close.

And if anyone did get that close to his omega, close enough to read Leviathan’s name and realize who Elm belonged to, it would be far too late for them.

“Here.” Levi held his hand out, palm up, once he’d given the omega time to look at it. Another purr rumbled up his chest when it was given over without fuss. Before the rut, Elm had already behaved so well for him. The two of them had fallen into a routine and a sort of mutual respect that had been comfortable. He wanted to get them back there.

Levi undid the latch and moved to secure the collar around Elm’s neck, adjusting it so the o-ring rested in the center. Then he gave it a little tug, forcing the omega to teeter forward, grinning when Elm’s hands instinctively landed on Levi’s knees for purchase.

Inside one of the smaller boxes was a pair of white gold nipple clamps, and he tsked when Elm caught sight of it and tried to retreat.

“You want answers, don’t you?” he reminded. “Behave. If you do, I’ll tell you—”

“What you did,” Elm interrupted. “I want to know what you did to me while I was unconscious.”

“Aside from oversee your life saving surgery? And the tattoo?”

“This can’t be all of it.” Elm ran his right thumb over the ink. “I remember hearing you. You said you didn’t want me awake for my punishment.”

“I didn’t want you in pain.” Levi quirked a brow when Elm made a face. “Don’t believe me?”

“It’s not that,” he surprised him by saying. “It’s just that only makes me more certain there’s something else. I may not have gotten any before, but I’m pretty sure this one tiny finger tattoo wouldn’t hurt enough to warrant you shielding me from it.”

“Let me get this straight,” he drawled. “You’re supposedly shocked that I would take you as my omega, but not that I wouldn’t want you to suffer?”

Elm’s gaze dropped to the clamps. “I think our ideas of suffering may differ.”

“Played with these before?”