Page 72 of His Stolen Omega

Oh.

Actually, maybe that last part was fairly obvious at this point, considering the size of the toy Levi had used on him.

“Perhaps I’m being shortsighted,” the alpha said. “There’s no way of knowing whether or not the artist is even one of us.”

“You don’t know who created it?” Was this really a coincidence?

“They go by Median, but no one really knows who they are. I tried to find out, even threatened the gallery that held the auction where it was listed, but no one would reveal their identity.”

“You must not have tried that hard.” Elm highly doubted anyone would put their neck on the line to protect an artist who, at the time, wasn’t even a high school graduate. “Pretty sure you’ve never taken no as a final answer in your life.”

“True.” Levi smiled, that half smile he typically gave.

The one that Elm was now realizing matched the expression an eighteen-year-old him had given the Rabbit God.

He took in the alpha’s expression when the older man stared at the statue. There was more than appreciation there, but Elm couldn’t place his finger on what other emotions lurked behind his gaze.

“You really like it,” Elm decided, feeling a mixture of things himself now. It’d been a tough decision to put the statue up for auction, but his art teacher at the time had an in with a prestigious gallery here on Synastry, and had urged Elm to list it when he heard Elm didn’t have any plans for it.

He’d created it for his final project, a task that had taken him almost the entire school year to complete. If he did it now, there were things he would do better, but he hadn’t made anything of this scale since. Materials were expensive, and while he and Sky made enough to get by through their shop, it wasn’t like he was rolling in it. His family was well-off, and he could probably ask them or his brother for a handout, but he’d never felt good enough about his skills to go that far.

Even with this statue, he’d eventually agreed with his teacher because Elm had been certain no one would want it and it’d be returned to him.

Then he’d found out someone had paid eight million coin for it.

Some of that money was still sitting in his savings account.

“It called to me,” Levi replied. “I could sense the yearning within it. The artist most likely is a person who often feels alone and overlooked. He’s used to being there for others and giving of himself, and longs for that type of care and consideration to be returned. Yes, they took liberties with his cock, but I bet that was a last-minute decision. The true story lies in the rest of it.”

“You got all of that just by looking at it?” Elm’s heart skipped an actual beat. “Why a rabbit?” Every culture gave a different meaning to the creature, and on many planets, the rabbit wasn’t a native species. There was no way the alpha would get this right, even if he’d managed to accurately guess the rest.

“The mask shows they wish they were someone else,” Levi stipulated. “Or perhaps something else. As for why they chose the rabbit out of all creatures, I’ve pondered over this in the past and come to the conclusion that they’re curious in nature, and the artist longs to play a different role than the one they carry in real life. The rabbit is a swift, but delicate creature. Clever, yet vulnerable. Soft, yet fierce with tooth and claw. They stand for fortune and prosperity, but are also associated with being tricksters.”

“Sounds like the creator is indecisive and doesn’t know what he wants.”

“On the contrary,” he said. “He knows exactly what he desires most. You’re looking at it.”

Elm snorted. “You would think he’s after a man.”

“Not just any man,” Levi corrected. “He isn’t well endowed because the artist was horny. This is about yearning, remember? About perfection.” He reached out and traced the statue’s jawline with his thumb. “This is their version of an ideal mate. Someone who can provide,” he pointed to the moon cake, then to the lantern, “someone who can guide them out of their dark thoughts.”

“Everyone wants someone kind,” Elm replied, trying to play it down, but the alpha clicked his tongue chidingly.

“Is that what you see? I see something different. His expression, his size—and yes, his cock—show a man who is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Look at his eyes. At the gaze. The moon cake? The lantern? Snares. He’s trying to lure his prey in and get them to let their guard down. This is the trick. The truth of the Rabbit God. The artist gave himself away with his title.”

“I don’t follow.” He really didn’t. Everything else had been so spot on it made his skin buzz, but this… “You make it sound like he wants someone who will manipulate him.”

“No,” Levi said. “He wants someone who will guide him. Someone who can take control and lead him to his desires without having to be asked. Someone who can untangle desires the artist isn’t even aware of himself. Someone who can make him feel special and safe. Who better to provide that than a god?”

“You’re reaching.” Was he? The problem was, Elm wasn’t so sure.

None of that sounded…unappealing.

Maybe being locked up these past couple of months, not having to worry about anything other than going feral or taking a bullet to the head, had rewired his brain in ways he couldn’t yet comprehend. The idea of having someone taking care of him. Of taking the lead and making Elm feel like he was worth something…

He liked it.

“It’s possible. But I doubt it.” Levi sighed wistfully. “You wanted to know why I didn’t push for a name? I cut a deal with the gallery owner instead. Whenever another piece by the artist came into their hands, I would get first dibs. Too bad that hasn’t happened. The artist all but disappeared. This may be their only work in existence.”