Page 53 of His Stolen Omega

“You’re helping yourself.”

“I’m helping us both.” The omega didn’t want to live like this either. “I’ll help you regain control of your body. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

“And then?”

“I was planning on killing you,” he said, releasing calming pheromones when the omega’s panic spiked. “Past tense. As of an hour ago, I’ve decided against it.”

“I’m just supposed to believe you?”

“That’s your prerogative.”

“If you changed your mind once, you can do it again.”

“Let’s say I have leverage this time. Something to help motivate you to stay in line.”

“What?”

“I’ll tell you tomorrow. For tonight, calm down, omega. Nothing is going to happen to you.” Levi eased him back, glad when the omega only put up a little resistance before he was resting against his chest once more, his head tucked beneath Levi’s chin.

They lay like that for a lengthy moment, the omega lost in thought, Levi content to just hold him and wait.

“What’s playing?” The omega glanced up at a speaker set into the ceiling. Classical music drifted from it, the volume set low.

“Hor’ Ent Thirty,” Levi said. “Not a fan?”

“I don’t really know classical music.” He lifted his arm from the water and pointed at a statue set in the corner by the entrance. “I can tell you about that though.”

“Can you?”

“The Ice God,” the omega began. “Sculpted seventy-two years ago by Market Sang, over the course of three days, after the birth of his first and only child. He’d hoped for a boy, one with the power and grace of a dragon. When he ended up with a daughter, he disappeared into his studio and created the Ice God, supposedly as a gift. He claimed he intended for it to watch over her.”

Levi was taken aback. He’d expected the other man to mention it was a dragon, or maybe know the name and little else. “Are you a fan of Market Sang’s work?”

“Not particularly,” he said. “I find him kind of sexist. Like, because she was a girl, his daughter couldn’t defend herself? She needed a statue to provide things like power and grace? Yikes.”

“Yet you know a lot about this particular statue.”

“I did study fine arts,” the omega replied, giving a shrug. “And I like dragons.”

“You’re an artist?”

The omega leaned to the side so he could turn and look at him. “Seriously? You didn’t even know that much about me?”

He had not.

“I have a life on Glyph, Levi,” he growled. “I’m a person. With my own interests, and feelings, and loved ones. I run an art studio with my best friend and have dinner with my parents once a month. I like pop rock music, and action movies, and animals—”

“Do you like rabbits?”

He frowned. “What? Yeah. Who doesn’t?” A gasp slipped past his full lips. “Why are you getting bigger down there?!”

This time, when he pulled away, Levi let him go, watching as the omega scrambled out of the tub.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Elm stood there dripping all over the floor, his hands covering his dick, as if Levi hadn’t already seen it a million times.

“No one ever talks to me like that.” It was a bit cliché, but he kind of liked it. Liked seeing the omega all flustered and twitchy. Disappointedly, keeping him that way wasn’t conducive to healing.

“What are you doing?”