“That bitch used her pheromones to attract you,” Oberon growled, seemingly growing angrier with each breath. “After everything you’d gone through, the years you’d spent half out of your mind, of course you’d been willing to believe her when she’d told you she was helping you. Especially since she’d been slipping pheromones to you the whole time and you were too out of it to be aware. It helped ease you into a false sense of security. It’s why you were so willing to trust her.”
“I don’t.” He didn’t trust her. “I tolerated her because I didn’t have any other options.”
“Sorry to break it to you, precious, but you don’t have any other options here either. I guess you’re just going to have to learn totolerateme instead.”
“I’ll help you get to her, but you have to promise to let me go after.” Fenrir had already decided that wouldn’t work, but it was worth a shot. The alpha's smell was altering, growing more irritated, and that made Fen nervous.
“Not a chance.”
“You’re claiming she never helped me at all,” he reminded. “Why would I want to protect someone like that? You have to believe—”
“Oh, I one hundred percent believe the connection she fabricated has been broken.”
Fenrir felt the tingle of his ability and brought it forward. Just another minute at most, and he’d be able to unleash a burst strong enough to formulate ice crystals.
He didn’t like that he didn’t want to.
Didn’t like the way his heart seemed to beat in response, as if just thinking about the alpha’s death was enough to send his anxiety spiking.
It had to be because of Oberon’s pheromones. The hypocrite was doing the same thing Michelle had and thinking he was too stupid to recognize it. They were both monsters. Playing on his omega nature, like he was less than. Like he was nothing more than a plaything to be used and discarded.
Neither of them ever really wanted him.
They just wanted to control a Shout.
“Relax.” Oberon’s fingers flexed where he still held Fenrir around the nape, and when Fen flinched, he let out more soothing pheromones. “Hey. Does it still hurt? It’s mostly healed, but even with the second skin, the wound kept reopening because of how frantic you were.”
Wound?
The alpha’s touch gentled, and his finger traced something at the base of Fen’s neck. “How’s that? Any pain?”
“What are you going on about? Did you hurt me there?”
Oberon paused, his strong body hovering behind Fenrir’s, hot breath fanning across his bared skin.
“King?” Fenrir hated to be the first to break, but the silence was starting to freak him out.
“I didn’t realize you weren’t aware.”
“…Aware of what?”
“That explains why you kept asking what I’d done to you.” It sounded like the alpha was speaking to himself.
Fen summoned his power.
“Try to remember for me, will you?” Oberon’s tone turned cajoling.
“I have no clue what you’re talking about.” Remember what?
“It’s probably similar to what you experienced before,” he surmised. “Parts have been blacked out. That must be one of them. That’s okay. We can do it again. Now that you’re stabilized, you shouldn’t suffer from any more influxes. Your body has already adjusted, even if your mind hasn’t caught up with the reason for it yet. And with me, you won’t ever have to go through that again. I’m not a Whisper, but after some research, I’m positive my body will still act like a conductor.”
Enough of this.
Maybe Fenrir couldn’t bring himself to kill him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t hurt him. It was either that or stay locked up. He’d use enough force to seriously injure the alpha and knock him out.
The alpha buried his face in the crook of Fenrir’s neck and inhaled deeply. Then he pulled back enough to peel something sticky off Fen’s nape. “It’s healed now. You shouldn’t be feeling anything. So it doesn’t hurt?”
“Whatdoesn’t?” he growled.