Page 79 of Claimed By Blood

“Finn,” I begin, but he sighs, cutting me off.

“Betas protect the pack. Omegas keep the pack together, and alphas…”

“Lead the pack?” I suggest.

“Yes,” he acknowledges. “It’s why they can be so… controlling. But they also have one major flaw: hyper-fixation. When a threat to the pack becomes so significant, and they’re on high alert for so long that they stop eating and sleeping and start running purely on instinct. Sometimes it can go on for months. Their biology allows it—encourages it—because they need to function to lead the pack out of danger.”

“And Gideon…”

“He’s prone to it,” Finn admits. “In general, the stronger the alpha, the worse it is; and Gid is strong.”

There’s a hint of pride in the last part of his sentence. It’s magnified down the thrall bond as—for a second—his anger clears, replaced by softer, sweeter emotions.

Thank God. Whatever issues they’re going through, Finn still clearly loves Gideon.

But the fond moment breaks as Finn continues, “Hyper-fixation usually happens when their pack feels threatened for a prolonged period of time. Or when the alpha feels like the situation is out of their control. It’s evolution’s way of ensuring the pack survives by making sure our leader is alert and ready for anything.”

I bet that goes down well. Gideon is the dictionary definition of control-freak. Having his own biology wrench that away from him must piss him off to no end.

Finn must be paying attention to our bond, because he nods. “But the pack knows, and we help him manage it.” He sighs again. “Usually, I can break him out of it. And I did—”

“Wait… break him out of it, how?”

The omega takes off his glasses and starts twirling them around his hand as he thinks. “Sex, Evie. The best way for them to feel in control is for them to have it. Omegas submit completely in the bedroom so that their alphas can feel in control, and then their instincts are satisfied and the hyper-fixation retreats.”

Oh, I see where this is going.

They had sex, and something went wrong.

“Normal alphas rut their omegas regularly to give them that peace… that way it’s not too much. But Gid has a lot of history with his old pack. He doesn’t like using me, even though I’ve told him over and over—” He cuts off with a curse. “It’s his story to tell. But it doesn’t help thatmyold pack were a bunch of assholes either. He doesn’t want me to feel like I’m only good for sex, so he puts all these schedules and plans and contingencies in place to make sure he doesn’t fall into hyper-fixation.”

“But he spends so much time on those that the only time you ever spend that kind of time together is when he loses control,” I guess.

Finn doesn’t answer, but the pulse of sadness down the thrall bond tells me I’m right.

“I’d be okay with that—some great rough sex with no emotional strings can be great, and Silas makes sure I get romance and the cuddly stuff—but the way Gid hates himself after every fuck isn’t great for my self-esteem.”

God. That’s got to be the understatement of the century. To have sex knowing that the person you’re with will regret it afterwards is the kind of thing that would ruin any relationship.

“Bastard.”

“It’s not—”

“He’s an asshole.” I can’t believe anyone would do that to someone they profess to love. “I don’t care how much he hates himself, if he’s putting that on you straight after you’ve been intimate with each other… No relationship can be all about one person meeting the needs of the other, Finn. That’s not healthy.”

EvenIunderstand that, and I grew up around some of the most messed up relationships in history.

“It wouldn’t be so bad if he’d just fuck me more than once every few years and during the full moon.” Finn’s head drops back against the wall. “If he’d just listen to his instincts, he’d be less at their mercy. I’m convinced that would make him less rough during, which would make him less angry at himself afterwards. I don’t really want him to change and give me soft sex all the time, but if that’s what will make him happy…”

So the answer is making sure Gideon gets laid in the hopes that it will miraculously turn him into a gentle lover?I bite my lip, sceptical.

Finn might believe that will fix this, but I don’t think it will. Having sex isn’t the way to fix any relationship, not really. Even if it did somehow change Gideon’s entire personality, that would only lead to Finn being dissatisfied.

The two of them being together more regularly in a healthy way would be great, but they have to deal with their issues first.

I can feel Finn’s anger. Even if he goes in there and Gideon does miraculously agree listen to his instincts and the two of them fuck like bunnies, I don’t think anything will change. The same thing will happen. Gid will continue to disbelieve everything Finn says and nothing will be solved.

It’s clear the omega doesn’t really want his alpha anywhere near him. The way Finn was trying to merge with the car door to avoid touching Gideon made that much very clear.

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