Page 62 of Secured By the Buyer

Tears prick the corners of my eyes, and I swallow the lump in my throat, overwhelmed by the depth of emotion swelling in my chest. “I never thought I’d find someone like you. Someone who sees past my rough edges and loves me for who I am.”

He presses our foreheads together, our breaths mingling. “You’re everything to me, Milo. My heart, my soul, my reason for living. The moment we met, I knew you were it for me.”

I savor the warmth of his body, the scent of his pheromones enveloping me. “Yes, I love you.” I brush my lips over his. “Yes, I’ll marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, building a family of redheads.”

Liam’s answering smile blinds me, and he pulls me into a searing kiss that steals my breath. His hands roam my back and hips, reigniting the fire in my veins.

I cling to him, pouring all of my feelings into himas our tongues tangle with promises that need no words.

When we part, gasping for air, Liam rests his forehead against mine once more. “You’ve made me the happiest man alive, Milo. I promise to love you and cherish you today, tomorrow, and forever.”

As we lay wrapped up in each other’s embrace, I know that no matter what happens, what bumps are in the road ahead, everything changed for the better the day Liam bought me.

For the rest of my life, I’ll stay secure in his arms, with a family that loves me.

LIAM

Basking in the afterglow, I trail my fingertips over Milo’s bare skin, savoring the warmth and softness beneath my touch.

I lean down to inhale his sweet pheromones, the scent of them filling me with soul-deep contentment. I gather him close, amazed that this beautiful, courageous, clever Omega is mine.

Drawn to the vulnerable curve where his neck meets his shoulder, I nuzzle his nape and inhale again. “Think I got you pregnant, princess? Or should we have another go, to be sure?”

Milo laughs against my chest, the sound suffusing me with peace. “Can’t knock me up ’til I’m in Heat, stupid.”

A possessive growl rumbles from me. “Guess we’ll have to stay in this bed until it happens, then.”

“Oh, no!” He tips his head back, pushing to escape with no actual strength. “The torture!”

“It’s a great sacrifice, but we shall make it through this together.” My arms tighten around him. “Just so I know how much food to order, when will your Heat start?”

The mirth fades from Milo’s expression, and he chews on his bottom lip. “Honestly, I’m not sure. Those drugs they pumped into me screwed with my system.”

He shifts against me, tension coiling through his lithe frame. “By all rights, it should’ve hit last week. But nothing. I thought it was because I was pregnant, but… So, maybe next week, if the drug acted as a reset for my cycle?”

I process this information as I breathe in his sweet scent, letting it soothe my Alpha instincts that demand I claim and breed him as soon as possible. We’ll get there in time. For now, I’m content to hold my Omega safe in my arms, grateful beyond measure I didn’t lose him tonight.

My fingers dance across the constellation of freckles adorning his arm, connecting them like stars in the sky. I pause when I reach the red scar where wecut out the tracker, and the small dot where it had been re-injected.

I brush my thumb over the offending spot. “Dr. Wallace will be back here in the morning to remove this.”

Relief floods Milo’s face. “Can’t wait to get the thing out of me.” He hesitates, glancing up at me through his ginger lashes. “But…can I keep the one in my hip? Y’know, just in case…”

Tenderness wells up inside me, and I cup his cheek, searching his crystal blue eyes. “Were you afraid we wouldn’t find you, princess?”

He leans into my touch, turning to press a kiss to my palm. “While I knew you guys would be on my trail, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t scary as hell. Especially when those men?—”

Milo cuts off abruptly, a violent shudder wracking his slender frame. He burrows closer, as if he wants to crawl beneath my skin.

I embrace him, rage simmering in my gut at the thought of anyone violating my mate’s body against his will. My mind flashes back to the all-consuming fury that seized me when I burst through the door and saw my beautiful mate sprawled on a filthy mattress, his pants ripped open, those bastards leering at him.

A growl rumbles in my chest, and I tug the blanket higher, cocooning Milo in its warmth. “Was it really a scuffle that tore your clothes?”

Milo tenses. “It doesn’t matter now. It’s over and done, and it’s never gonna happen again.”

But I need to know, even as I dread the answer. “The hell it doesn’t matter.” I force the words out past the rage choking me. “Did they… Did theytouchyou?”

He stays quiet for a long moment, then shakes his head. “No. But…it was close.”

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