Page 137 of His Stolen Omega

“I am.”

“Okay.”

Levi pulled his head back when Elm tried to kiss him again, but didn’t stop him from riding him. “Okay?”

Elm hummed. “Okay.”

How very like his treasure to boil something so important down to just a single word and mean it. His acceptance truly knew no bounds.

Levi brought their lips together in an almost chaste kiss. “Okay.”

Elm bottomed out over him, then adjusted, clinging with his arms and legs. “Take me to bed, alpha.”

Standing in one swift move, he carried the younger man out of the spring, barely feeling the cold as his bare feet walked across icy stone, the warmth of the moment more than enough to keep the inferno burning within him.

Chapter 32:

Elm escaped into his art. Not to hide, but to adjust. His mind needed to process and he’d always emotionally regulated the best when he was creating.

A week passed by like that, most of his time spent in the studio. Breakfast and dinner were with the alpha in the kitchen, but Elm absolutely refused to break and relocate for lunch, so Levi brought him easy to eat meals and let him pick at it as he worked.

They had sex every night before bed. Sometimes in the studio, sometimes the bath, or on the mattress itself. The physical intimacy was helping, and they both initiated. With his pheromones regulated, there was no longer any risk of him losing control and he felt steadier than he had in months.

Present and…maybe happy wasn’t the right the word. Maybe using it would be the same as admitting he’d allowed himself to be molded by the Leviathan with the same skill Elm was currently molding clay, but…

Pretending he wasn’t happy would be a lie.

He’d never felt so loved and cared for, not even by his parents growing up. There was an attentiveness the alpha showed, an understanding, like he could see directly into Elm’s soul and knew what he needed at a glance.

Levi was a calming presence, the type of person who could sit in the same position for hours without complaint, so different from Elm, but in the best ways possible.

The alpha had taken to working in the studio with him, seated on the other side with his holo-pad. He’d take calls when necessary, speaking quietly yet firmly to whoever was on the other end of the multi-slate. He didn’t leave the room or try to hide anything, comfortable going about his business.

And Elm liked that.

Liked having someone with him who was comfortable doing his own thing. In the past, the few relationships he’d tried had failed because the amount of time he’d had to dedicate to art during university. Elm hadn’t blamed any of those people for wanting someone who could spend more energy on them, go on more dates, but that didn’t mean it hadn’t still sucked being dumped.

With Levi there wasn’t any pressure. He could be satisfied with easy silences and the occasional longing glance.

Maybe that was why Elm made a point of calling it quits for dinner, giving them the evenings together. It felt fair. Right.

The piece he was working on was large, meant to pair with the Rabbit God. Technically, it was a redo, since the original design was at Kian’s, but Elm had a vision and was going with it. Things had changed since he’d first created the set years ago, and he wanted an updated version. A visual representation of the person he was now and who he was becoming.

Who he was allowing himself to be.

“That’s coming along quickly,” Levi said one morning after they’d entered the studio after breakfast.

“I work fast.” Elm was busy readying for the day. Removing the protective layer and setting out clean tools on the small table.

“I don’t want to interfere,” Levi tentatively began, “but you will be giving yourself pants, won’t you?”

“The Rabbit God isn’t wearing any.” He gave him a smirk. “And since this is made in my image and I haven’t worn pants in forever…”

The alpha had walked out without a word, only to return with white jeans and a t-shirt for him.

And that was how Elm “earned” his clothing back.

The next two weeks passed much the same way, but Elm made a point to set more time aside for the two of them to do other things. He managed to convince the alpha to explore some of the more interesting rooms with him, asking questions about particular items. Learning about Levi’s past and his family dynamic helped Elm understand why they’d been unable to discuss Kian.