Page 22 of Devil May Hunt
Brennon lifted a brow. “And on Synastry?”
Gunho clicked his tongue and looked away.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” The alpha wasn’t fooling anyone. “You might technically be Glyphian, but let’s be real here. You’re a Syn through and through. I’m the only child of my line. I grew up wealthy, pampered, and most importantly—”
“Spoiled.”
Well, yeah, but he didn’t like the way Gunho said it.
“I’m not used to taking anyone’s orders outside of the Academy,” Brennon continued, pretending not to be offended. “Not even my parents could control me. I might not know a lot about your kind, but the fact you hunted me down the moment I left the hotel, practically dragged me all the way here, to a house you bought on a whim…Hell, you wouldn’t even let me leave until I promised to eat something.”
“I’m taking care of you.”
“I don’t need someone to do that. I’m an adult.”
“Who can barely stand on his own two feet for longer than a minute, and yet insists on walking out of here.” Gunho stood slowly, and Brennon got the impression it was done in an attempt not to spook him.
It didn’t work. He went still as a statue, air freezing in his lungs when the alpha made his way around the table to his side. His mind screamed at him to get up and move away, but instincts kept him frozen in place, even after the alpha stepped behind him and disappeared from view.
Strong, warm hands settled on the tops of Brennon’s shoulders, and he jolted but didn’t turn or attempt to shake the man off.
“See?” Gunho praised. “Your subconscious knows how to please me. Your fears are misguided.”
“I don’t want to cower from my life partner,” Brennon replied, but his voice had dropped, lacking the bite he’d held only a moment ago. His eyes remained fixed on the sink across the room, the need to drop his gaze and curl up on himself strong.
“This is submission,” he corrected, “not cowardice. You know if I’m happy, you’ll be rewarded. You should also know, if you displease me, I won’t harm you, pretty lover. You’ll be punished, absolutely, but you’ll come to enjoy thosepunishments too.” His right hand moved, catching Brennon beneath the chin, lifting his head back with pressure on his jaw. “I want respect, but you don’t have to fear me. In return, I’ll show you the same kindness.”
He snorted, momentarily breaking the spell, and grateful for it. “When have you respected me, exactly? When you fucked me even though I was too drunk to give proper consent, or when you forced me into your hovercar and brought me here against my will?”
“I’ll apologize for taking you while you were intoxicated,” he surprised him by conceding. “I was also not in my right mind. The rut had started to take control, and I couldn’t resist how pretty you look and how pleasing you smell.”
“I don’t smell.”
“You do. It’s delectable. Better than any omega, I would imagine.”
“Imagine?” Brennon frowned. “That sounds like you’ve never smelled an omega before.” Oh. He’d sort of mentioned that, hadn’t he?
“Synthetically, I have. But I’m unable to catch natural scents emitted from their scent glands. It’s rare, but not unheard of. There has to be an almost perfect genetic match for me to be able to smell my mate. That’s how I knew you were the one.”
“I’m not an omega. Smelling me shouldn’t make a difference.”
“You have Syn blood,” Gunho stated. “It’s written in your medical files.”
Brennon shot into motion, shoving Gunho away and darting from the chair. He swiveled on his heels and moved to put the table between them once more. “You’ve read my medical files?”
“I’ve read everything about you,” he confirmed, not bothering to come after him. Instead, he allowed him thespace, slipping his hands into his front pockets, as though he had everything under control and Brennon’s reaction had been expected. “It isn’t hard to access personal files when you’ve got a title like mine.”
He moved fast. Really, really fast.
Brennon ran a hand through his hair, a bit panicked now that the reality of his situation was starting to drive home.
“You’re serious about all of this.” Everyone knew there was no reasoning with an Imperial once they set their mind to something. “What if I begged you? Would you let me go then? If I insisted I don’t want you, or this?”
“I’ll make you want this.”
“We’re talking about my life here!”
“Your life belongs to me now.” Gunho cocked his head, giving him a sultry once-over. “As does your body, and your mind. I’ll consume all of you, mind and body, blood and bone. Hopes and dreams. I’ll infiltrate your thoughts and take over your heart, and you won’t be able to stop me, pretty lover, no matter how much you resist. If you give in now, I promise to go easy on you. But if you continue to push me away, I’ll make you work for it when the time comes.”
