Page 78 of His Stolen Omega

“The lodge is seven thousand square feet. There’s plenty of space and things to do. Most entertainment can be found on the second floor. You’ll be content here while you stabilize.”

“I’ll still be a prisoner.” Elm chugged half the new glass when Levi didn’t say anything to that. “And after?”

“After?”

“Once I’ve stabilized. What then?”

“What do you mean?”

“What happens after that? Where do I go? Will you—”

“The food is getting cold. Eat. We can talk more about this later.”

Knowing Levi only got chatty when he wanted to, Elm was forced to drop it.

He practically shoved the rest of dinner into his mouth, just to be difficult, and finished off the bottle of wine on his own for good measure.

* * *

“I want to build a snowman!” Elm launched himself out the front door, laughing as his boots crunched in the packed snow. He’d spotted them by the front door and had made a dash for them as soon as Levi had turned his back to do the dishes.

He hooted as the flurries tumbled down around him, getting a kick out of the way his voice echoed and the icy wind licked at his heated skin. The front yard was nothing but white, the tree line far enough off he’d have plenty of room to play around. He’d just bent to scoop up a handful to start his project when strong arms came around his waist, lifting him into the air.

Elm growled and sent a wave of aggressive pheromones directly into the alpha, laughing all over again when Levi dropped him. He darted away, spinning on his heels—almost face planting in the process—and stuck out his tongue.

“You’re drunk,” the alpha said tightly. The reason Elm had managed to make it as far as he had was clear. Levi had shoved his feet into snow boots as well and thrown on a black fur coat. He had another, this one white, draped over his left arm, and when he saw Elm eyeing it, held it out. “Come here.”

“No way.” He wasn’t falling for that. “You’ll just make me go inside.”

“You’ll make yourself sick.”

“It’s just a little snow. Relax.”

Levi stared pointedly at his shins, where the snow came up to. “A little?”

“Good Light, just let me have some fun. Then you can go back to locking me up.” Elm didn’t wait for a response, tipping his head back and opening his mouth wide to catch snowflakes on his tongue. He hollered again, grinning like an idiot.

“Is screaming into the ether really that enjoyable to you?” Levi was standing in front of him, and he shook out the coat and tossed it around his shoulders, helping Elm’s arms into the sleeves. Then he reached into the pocket and pulled out a set of gloves, slipping them onto Elm’s hands.

“You don’t get it,” Elm said. “You’re still, like ice. I’ve always been more like—”

“The currents rushing beneath it,” Levi stated.

He’d been about to say something more obvious, like fire, but yeah, sure, that worked.

“I’m usually loud and messy,” he explained. “Couldn’t really do that these past couple of months.”

“You’ve made up for it the bedroom, trust me.”

“And strapped to your metal table?” He waggled his brows despite the serious topic and then sprung away as soon as the alpha finished with the final glove. “Let’s build a snowman.”

“No.” Levi turned his wrist and pulled up his sleeve to check his multi-slate. “You have ten minutes. Then you’re coming back inside even if I have to toss you over my shoulder and carry you in.”

“Fifteen.”

“This isn’t a negotiation.” He frowned. “For someone who’s allergic to the cold, you sure seem to love snow.”

Who was allergic to the cold? Him? Elm opened his mouth to correct him, but then remembered he was on a time crunch and got to work instead. The snow was the perfect kind for sculpting, and he crouched and began gathering and forming it, lost in his own little world for a brief moment.