Page 39 of Devil May Hunt
“Too late. I’ve filed the paperwork. It’s official.”
“That’s not what I meant.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You think I don’t understand how this works? I’m a born Royal. There was a fifty-fifty chance I’d wake up and discovermy parents had sold me off on some marriage contract every day from the moment I turned of legal age.”
“I did ensure they understood and signed off on our binding when they handed over their company,” Gunho unhelpfully supplied.
Interesting how his mother failed to mention that at all when she’d called him.
“Perfect.” So he’d found himself basically sold off to the highest bidder, chemically tied to a man he barely knew, and now had no family business to fall back on if his ventures in the Academy failed. “It’s every man’s hope and dream to be treated like his opinion doesn’t matter.”
“Of course your opinion matters.”
“But I can’t contest this, and I can’t leave you?” Brennon grunted when Gunho’s expression confirmed that for him. “Why are you settling for a mate who doesn’t want you? You’re attractive, hell, you’re the most attractive person I’ve ever seen. There’s no way you’re struggling to find a suitable omega back home, so why does it have to be me?”
“Because it does,” he said. “Because it is. It’s you, Brennon, whether either of us are comfortable with that or not. I’ve never been attracted to anyone else’s scent before, and you aren’t even omega. It might not seem like a big deal to you because you’re Vital, but for me, tuning into our partners' pheromones isn’t just a lifestyle, it’s a necessity. Why do you think I’m so careful during my ruts? It’s not just because of my grandfather, it’s because an unmated alpha who can’t even take comfort in an omega is volatile.”
“Oh please. Not being able to smell someone doesn’t prevent you from fucking them.”
“No, but it prevents my instincts from being able to react the way they were meant to. The slick of an omega does more than ease the way for my cock. It helps with hormone imbalance.It’s the same with scent. The smell of a compatible omega can be as soothing as it is enticing during a rut. You’ll make me better, less irritable. I can do the same for you. Once you stop resisting, you’ll see we’ll be good together. I promise.”
“You can’t promise me something like that.”
“Why?”
“Because you can’t guarantee it will be true.” What if they ended up hating each other? What if Brennon was a morning person, and Gunho was a night owl? Brennon was laidback and preferred not to overly complicate things, but the alpha was used to being in charge and was clearly driven. Brennon liked espresso, not French press. “What if the sex is the only good thing between us?”
“Impossible. I’m already a fan of our banter. Aren’t you?”
It was…Okay, yeah, it was kind of fun—when the controlling nature of the alpha and this whole situation was stripped away, of course.
“What are the other side effects of those drugs you gave me?” he asked, and he didn’t need to elaborate for the alpha to pick up on where he was going with that.
“The drugs won’t change your perception of me,” Gunho said. “It’ll just make you crave and need my cock. That’s all.”
“But you smell…better.”
“Sniff me now.”
Brennon hesitated but then did, brow furrowing. “I don’t really smell anything.”
“Come closer.”
“I’m fine right here, thanks.”
He chuckled. “If you get close, you’ll probably be able to pick up on my natural scent, but it won’t be anywhere near as extreme as it is when you’re experiencing a heat.”
“A fake, chemically induced heat.” His eyes narrowed. “Which, if I’m not mistaken, are meant to happen once every three months.”
“It’s doctored to force you into it weekly so you’ll grow addicted to me,” he confessed.
“You could at least pretend to be a little guilty, you know.”
“I was brought up learning a true alpha does whatever it takes to procure his mate. I won’t apologize for playing dirty. You’re mine. You’ll stay with me, let me pet you, take care of you,fuckyou to both our hearts' content. Or you’ll suffer the consequences like you did yesterday.”
Chapter 12:
Brennon seemed calm.
Too calm?
