Page 5 of Wicked

His lips quirk up on one side. “Maybe that’s true if you’re with a full red wolf shifter. But lucky for you, I’m half fox shifter, so my thrall is different.”

The sanctuary did warn me Candlewick’s thrall was milder because he was half fox shifter. I didn’t realize his thrall would function differently beyond the intensity level. Is that even possible?

“How does your thrall work, then?” I ask, daring to hope Candlewick is right and we can still be together.

“I lose my pull on most alphas within a year, just like full red wolf shifters. But there was one alpha who my thrall worked on for over six years. Maybe Buddy told you about him. His name is Dorian Gray?”

He means the man who kept Buddy in a closet.

My heart aches as I realize what this must mean. Candlewick’s thrall isn’t unique. Not if the only man his thrall worked that long on was Dorian Gray.

For the last twelve years, I’ve rescued red wolf shifters from human trafficking rings and breeding pits all around the world. During my missions, I’ve learned a lot about how red wolf thralls work. From what I’ve seen, there are three ways the power of an omega’s thrall can extend longer than a year.

The first is living on a red wolf shifter compound. In isolated communities where a group of unbonded omegas live together in the same cabin, their thralls can last for a decade or longer. Scientists postulate that this gives the omegas more time to select a mate within a small community. But this clearly isn’t why Candlewick’s thrall worked longer with Dorian.

The second method is a traditional saffron tea red wolf shifter sex workers make for their clients. The effects of the tea lasts less than an hour and diminish with every use. Candlewick couldn’t have given the tea to Dorian for six years. It wouldn’t have worked that long.

The third way is through trauma. If an omega experiences severe abuse from an alpha, the power of their thrall can sometimes increase as a survival mechanism, leaving their abuser too drunk on lust to continue hurting them. If an omega experiences this surge with an alpha enough times, their thrall will always activate in that alpha’s presence, regardless of how long the omega has known him.

In other words, Dorian Gray must have hurt Candlewick. And not just once. Many, many times.

I wrap my arms around Candlewick, not sure how to tell him what I know. In a perfect world, I wouldn’t find out about the abuse he suffered this way. He’d have the time and space to tell me when he was ready. But nothing about this situation is perfect.

“Were you afraid of Dorian?” I ask gently.

Candlewick stiffens in my arms. “Yes. If you knew him, you’d be scared too.”

“That’s how thralls work sometimes. They keep an omega safe from alphas who mean them harm. Your thrall only lasted that long because your body was trying to protect you.”

He pulls away and searches my face. “How do you know that?”

“I, um, help people out of situations like that. Professionally.”

Anne lets out a huff. I promised her I’d never tell anyone about our rescue missions, and I have every intention of keeping that promise. I just want Candlewick to know a little bit about who I am before I have to let him go. He’s my fated mate.

He looks away from me. “Oh. I didn’t realize that’s why my thrall kept working on Dorian. I wanted to leave him, but I couldn’t leave Buddy. I don’t normally let men treat me like that.”

I take both of his hands in mine. “Candlewick, it’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Right. I know that. I just don’t want you to think I’m… like that.”

“Like what?” I ask.

“Weak.”

“I’ve never met a survivor of abuse who was.”

He finally meets my gaze. “I’m doing that thing, aren’t I? Where I pretend I’m better than other omegas who don’t leave when their boyfriends hit them? I’m sorry. That’s shitty of me.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I just want you to know that I don’t see you as weak. What you did for Buddy was extremely brave.”

He gives me a small smile. “I guess it was, wasn’t it? Not as brave as riding a dragon around and rescuing people, though.”

“Oh, it was braver. A lot braver.”

He leans in and brushes his lips against mine. His lips are soft and sweet and perfect. Even though Anne is watching, I kiss him back until our breathing picks up and Candlewick threads his fingers through my hair. He dives his tongue into my mouth, and my knees become weak with how badly I want this brave, beautiful man.

But I can’t love Candlewick the way I yearn to. Our relationship was doomed before it even started.

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