Page 27 of Where the Current Takes Him
Loriun didn’t respond, but his silence itself was an answer.
“I thought not. Do you imagine Beaumont would be pleased to know that he was bought? Sold to the highest bidder?”
Ice lanced through Loriun’s veins. “What are you talking about? You said he selected me personally.” But even as the words left his mouth, pieces of the puzzle were clunking into place.
A humorless chuckle left Ashford’s lips. “I did say that, didn’t I? It wasn’t strictly true, if you get down to it. Beaumont agreed, but the choice was easy with only one option available to him.”
All the breath left Loriun’s lungs. “You forced him. You sold him.”
Ashford shook his head. “No, Mr. Kolhn. You bought him.” The old man got to his feet and stretched. “You’re an intelligent… individual. I trust you will make the right decision.”
Without a backward glance, Ashford Montgomery was gone.
Loriun fell back into his chair, thoughts tumbling and crashing against his skull. Beau may have wanted this life, but he had no say in the Alpha who would give it to him. His father was just using him as a chess piece. And now, he was worried about the repercussions of his latest maneuver.
Loriun knew he needed to talk to Beau about what he truly wanted, but some small part of his mind wondered if he would look for a new Alpha, if given the choice. What if Beau left the moment Loriun set him free? Those beautiful images of his children—Beau’s children—disintegrated into dust before his mental eye. The tall, delicate Omega with his sandy hair and papaya scent, gone as soon as he arrived.
But this wasn’t about Loriun. It couldn’t be. This was about Beau’s right to agency. He deserved the opportunity to direct his own path, even if it would leave a scar on Loriun’s heart. Beyond that, he deserved to choose what his future family would look like.
Even if, by some miracle, he did choose to stay, Loriun would then have to confront Ashford’s unspoken threat: Do not get Beau pregnant or he would learn exactly how he came to be with Loriun.
∞∞∞
Loriun’s drive to the beach house was tense. He’d spent hours agonizing over what the right thing to say would be.
“Beau, if you want to find your own Alpha, you can.” That sounded like he wanted Beau to leave.
“Beau, were you forced to choose me?” He already knew the answer to that.
“Beau, is this really what you want? A life with me?” An improvement, but tasted bitter on his tongue.
The house came into view all too soon. Loriun pulled into the driveway and turned the ignition off. He rested his head on the seat behind him for a moment. His stomach was writhing with tentacles of anxiety and fear.
Warm papaya ghosted through the air and infiltrated the cab of his car. Loriun inhaled deeply, feeling the scent settle into the anxious knots. He could do this. He had to.
Loriun stepped out of the car and followed the stepping stone path to the front door. Beau’s scent was stronger here. Very strong. Abnormally strong. Worry pierced the nerves in Loriun’s gut. Was something wrong? As he unlocked the frontdoor, a wall of musky, sweet air struck him like a tidal wave. His dick jolted behind his slit. Omega pheromones cloyed in the air, and summer fruit settled on Loriun’s tongue.
Beau was in heat.
Chapter 14
Beau
The sound of the front door barely registered to Beau. He scraped just enough energy together to reach up and tug the incriminating dildo from the headboard and toss it under the bed. He was shivering now, curled up under the blankets, but soaked with sweat. He might have believed it was the flu if not for the persistent ache in his member.
He’d lost track of how many times he came. The duvet cover was in desperate need of a wash, and now lay in a heap near the laundry basket. As much as Beau didn’t want Loriun to walk in on this, there was little he could do to stop it.
“Beau?” Loriun’s low voice sent tremors through his balls.
Beau let out a high-pitched sound that wasn’t quite human.
“Beau, are you okay?” The voice drew closer. The door swung open to reveal a very discomposed Mer. Loriun sucked in a breath, then appeared to swallow back a groan.
“Tyr… You are…”
“I think I’m sick,” Beau whispered. “I don’t know what’s wrong.”
The Alpha squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Beau could only imagine the scent that must be saturating the air. A heady mix of sweat, sex, and desperation.
