Page 125 of His Stolen Omega

“He’s just a friend. He’s only ever been a friend.”

“Did you sleep with all your friends, omega?”

“No.”

“Then why him?”

“Kian ordered him to be my bodyguard for a while and I…” Light. It was too mortifying to say out loud.

The alpha somehow knew exactly what he was trying to say though.

“You liked how he made you feel special.” Levi hummed.

“It’s stupid. I know he was just doing his job. I know that. That’s why it was just surface level attraction. For both of us. He didn’t feel anything deeper for me either.” He made himself meet the alpha’s gaze and firmed his voice. “We’re just friends, Levi.”

“You and I are mated.”

He wasn’t ready to confront that but… “Yeah. I know, alpha.”

Levi stared for a moment longer and then sighed and climbed off, scowling down at his shirt when he realized Elm had also creamed all over the silky material. “Come. I have to change, and then there’s work to do. We’ll spend the rest of the day in my office. You have an unfinished book you were reading there the last time.”

“You want me to read?” Elm sat up. “Now?”

“Progress takes time,” he said. “I don’t expect you to come around to your new life on the very first day.”

“Still, we should talk.”

“All right. What would you like to discuss?” Levi waited, his expression making it obvious he was well aware that Elm wasn’t prepared to have any more hard conversations right that second. When Elm glanced away, he sighed. “Our problems won’t fix themselves overnight. Let’s take our time. Now that you’re claimed, we have all the time we need.”

His hands gripped the edge of the cushion tightly, but any further argument died on his tongue.

What exactly could he do in this situation anyway?

The alpha wasn’t going to let him go—and Elm wasn’t even sure it was possible to undo six claiming bites even if he did somehow get away again.

Which reminded him…

“I’m still pissed about the tracker.” He stood, dick twitching when the plug pressed in all the right places. “And the toy you refuse to take out of my ass.”

“I’m still angry that you tried to leave me,” Levi countered. “So we’ve both got some negative feelings to work through.”

Elm scowled and took a step forward, grimacing when he remembered movement like that worked the plug. He stopped and then held up his arms, huffing when the alpha quirked a brow. “Carry me.”

“Weren’t you just complaining about how you aren’t a pet and can do things on your own?” Levi drawled, lifting Elm into his arms despite his comment.

Elm held on tightly and grunted as the alpha turned toward the stairs. “Don’t act like you don’t get off on this kind of mastery over me.”

The alpha laughed.

* * *

“Levi.” Elm stared up at the ceiling. Like he’d been doing for the past hour. “Levi.”

“Go to sleep, omega,” the alpha at his side grumbled, pulling him closer with the arm he’d had over Elm’s middle since he’d put them to bed.

The rest of the day had passed almost like a fever dream of sorts, the slip back into normalcy—or, what had become normal for him these past few months—doing the trick and luring Elm into a false sense of security.

They’d spent hours in the study while Levi had worked and Elm had finished the book he’d been reading before the alpha’s rut had torpedoed their routine. Dinner had been another modest meal, with Elm seated at the counter, watching as the alpha prepared it.