Page 61 of A Promise of Forever
Forrest's expression grows a little more serious, his eyes searching my face. "Are you really okay with me fighting Wilson, little dove? I don't want to upset you or make you feel like I'm choosing violence over keeping you calm, but I can't..."
He trails off, clearly struggling with conflicting desires. I can see it written across his face; the need to protect me warring with the need to eliminate the threat Wilson represents. The desire to honor my request not to kill anyone fighting against his instinct to remove dangers permanently.
"I'm not upset," I assure him honestly, cupping his face in my hands so he has to look directly at me. "I just don't want you to get hurt. But I understand why you need to do this. It felt so good when I was hitting that bag in the basement earlier. I imagined it was Wilson's face, and it felt incredible to let out all that anger I've been carrying. I don't like violence, but I get why sometimes it's necessary." I sigh, running my thumbs along Forrest's cheekbones. "Wilson has hurt me in so many ways for so long. If beating him in the ring helps you protect our family and gives you closure, then I support that. I trust you to come back to me safely."
Forrest's eyes darken with heat and something that might be relief. "Then bite me for real," he says, his voice dropping to that register that makes my knees weak even when I'm lying down. "Mark me so everyone can see who I belong to."
I know the bite won't be permanent. An Omega's mark on a Valla doesn't create the same kind of lasting bond that a Valla's bite creates on an Omega. It's a biological inequality that's always bothered me. But right now, I don't care about permanence. I want Wilson to see the mark when Forrest faces him. I want visual evidence of my claim, even if it's temporary.
I lean forward and sink my teeth into the meat of Forrest's neck, right where it meets his shoulder. The skin breaks slightly under the pressure, and Forrest roars, the sound reverberatingthrough the room. His hands tighten on me, one gripping my hip hard enough to bruise while the other tangles in my hair.
The connection between us strengthens as I bite down, our bond flaring brighter and more intense. I can feel Forrest's emotions flooding through me, a mixture of pride, possessiveness, love, and arousal so strong it makes my own body respond immediately. Slick gathers around my rim, threatening to make me need more than we have time for.
I pull back after a few moments, releasing my hold on his neck and staring at my work. The bite mark is shallow and won't last past morning. I didn't even break the skin deeply enough to draw blood. But right now, in this moment, it's beautiful and everything I needed.
"Fuck," Forrest breathes, his chest heaving. "I didn't know how much I needed that. Feeling your teeth in me, knowing you're claiming me back... It's perfect, little dove."
A strained giggle escapes me, the sound slightly hysterical with lingering emotion and building arousal. "We're both so bad at this. Neither of us knows what we're doing."
"It just means we can only go up from here. We'll figure it out together and make our own rules." He adjusts our position slightly, getting more comfortable on the narrow bed. "I'm thinking I'll hold you a little longer and then we can get dinner before I have to go."
As if summoned by the mention of food, my stomach rumbles loudly. The sound is embarrassingly loud in the quiet room, my face heating with embarrassment.
"Dinner first, then. I'm not picky about the order as long as you're fed and comfortable." He leans in to kiss me, his lips gentle against mine despite the heat I can still feel radiating from him. When he pulls back, his hand moves to rest on my still-flat stomach. "I can't fucking wait until you're all swollen with our child," he murmurs, his voice full of wonder. "You're goingto be even more beautiful than you already are. Watching you grow with our baby, seeing physical evidence of what we created together... It's going to be incredible."
His hand spreads wider on my stomach as he leans in again, his lips brushing my ear, whispering one word with absolute conviction: "Mine."
My eyelids grow heavy, exhaustion from the emotional rollercoaster of the day finally catching up with me. Forrest's purr continues, a steady vibration that lulls me toward sleep. His scent surrounds me, his arms hold me securely, and the bond between us pulses with contentment. "Sleep it is then, little dove," Forrest murmurs with a hint of a chuckle in his voice, his hand resuming those soothing patterns on my back. "I'll wake you for dinner, and then you can watch from up here while I handle Wilson. You'll be safe the entire time."
I want to protest that I should stay awake, that there are things we should discuss about the fight and Wilson and what happens after. But my body has other ideas, already sinking deeper into relaxation. I drift off surrounded by his warmth and scent, the mark I left on his neck a visible reminder that for the first time in my life, I have someone who's truly mine. Someone who chose me just as completely as I chose him.
My last conscious thought before sleep claims me completely is that no matter what happens tonight, no matter how the fight with Wilson unfolds, I'm going home with Forrest. That he’s going to come back to me.
Wilson has already lost. He just doesn't know it yet.
Forrest
I leave Sterling after making sure he eats something, the poor Omega falling asleep seconds later, unable to stay awake. Not that I’m complaining. I’m not entirely sure I want him to see what I’ll do to Wilson once I step into that ring.
Caelan is waiting outside the door when I emerge, nodding at me with understanding written across his features. He knows what's about to happen, knows that tonight marks a turning point for our family and our organization.
We walk out to the main floor together, descending the stairs as the last scheduled fight dies out below us. The crowd isrestless, energized by the violence they've witnessed tonight but sensing there's something more coming. The announcer looks up at us with confusion, clearly not expecting the owners to make an appearance at this point in the evening.
Everyone gets silent as we approach the ring, the sudden hush eerie after hours of shouting and cheering, hundreds of people holding their breath to see what's about to happen. Caelan makes a show of climbing into the ring first, gesturing for a microphone with the practiced ease of someone who knows how to command attention.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Caelan's voice booms through the speakers, carrying to every corner ofThe Forge. "We have a very special guest fight tonight. My brother, Forrest King, will be stepping into this ring against a longtime opponent who's been causing problems in our city." He pauses for dramatic effect, letting anticipation build, a wild smile playing on his lips. "Some of you might know him as Thatcher. But tonight, we're going to introduce you to his real identity. Our opponent tonight is none other than Detective Wilson Cromwell himself."
Everyone hushes even more intensely, shock rippling through the crowd. Then someone shouts from the back, "Wait, you’re fighting the goddamn drug dealer everyone's been trying to track down?" Another voice joins in, "The cop is Thatcher?"
The revelation sends murmurs cascading through the venue, fighters spilling out of the locker rooms to witness what's about to unfold. This is bigger than just a fight now. This is about exposing corruption and protecting our territory from someone who's been playing both sides.
I hold my breath as I look up to the clock that sits across the venue from the box. The hour hand hits the twelve, nine pm coming and going without so much as a sound. No one entersThe Forge.No one makes a point to leave. Everyone's eyes turn toward the entrance, waiting for Wilson to make his dramaticappearance. But nothing happens. Seconds tick by, then a full minute, and still nothing.
Caelan grins at me, and I hold out my hand for the microphone. My voice bellows through the crowds, realizing that Wilson is playing a different game. "It seems that the little Alpha cop has decided to run rather than face me like he promised. This is the same man who's been making false statements about Sterling King, my rightfully bonded Omega."
More gasps sound around the space as people process the information. The fact that I'm publicly claiming Sterling, that I'm willing to fight for him in front of hundreds of witnesses, makes a statement that can't be ignored.
"We agreed as men to step into this ring tonight to settle our dispute over the person I love," I continue, letting my emotions bleed into my voice. "There is no chance of me losing because I have something precious to protect. That waste of space only has something he wants to control, to possess, and to hurt." I pace the ring like a caged animal, violence radiating from every movement. "However, the fear he's spread and his reign of corrupt power stops tonight. I will not allow him to continue operating in my territory, threatening my family and hurting vulnerable Omegas. He will no longer be my Omega's nightmare, will no longer haunt Sterling's dreams and steal his peace."
