Chapter 2 - The Den

They carried me like I was already theirs.

My wrists burned where Aurelius gripped them. Cassian’s hands stayed firm on my waist, fingers digging just enough to remind me I could not break free. Thorne walked ahead. His long strides set the pace. Every step crushed leaves and breaking branches under his boots. No one spoke.

The forest grew thicker. Branches clawed at my arms and legs. Moonlight barely reached us now. The air turned colder and heavier. Their scents wrapped around me tighter. Thorne’s metal and leather. Aurelius’s smoke and aggression. Cassian’s dark spice, quiet but everywhere.

My body would not stop betraying me.

Slick kept dripping. It soaked through my thin pants. Every time I shifted, the wet slide between my thighs made me clench harder. Heat pulsed low in my gut. My hole fluttered, empty and desperate. I hated it. I hated them. I hated myself most of all.

We broke through a line of pines. A stone structure rose ahead. Not a house. A den. Built into the side of the mountain. Thick timber walls. Iron reinforcements. Narrow windows like slits. Torches burned outside the heavy door. Guards nodded to Thorne as he passed. They did not look at me. They knew better.

Thorne pushed the door open. Heat rushed out. Firelight. The smell of wood smoke and fur and sex. My stomach twisted.

They carried me inside.

The main room was large. Stone floor covered in thick pelts. A massive hearth roared on one wall. Low couches and furs scattered around. Chains hung from beams in the ceiling. Not decoration. Tools.

Aurelius let go of my wrist first. He shoved me forward. I stumbled onto a wide fur rug in the center of the room. Cassian released my waist but stayed close behind me. Thorne shut the door with a heavy thud. The sound echoed.

I spun to face them. My chest heaved. “Let me go.”

Thorne smiled. Slow. Dangerous. “No.”

Aurelius circled me again. He sniffed the air. “Gods, he reeks of need. Already dripping like a bitch in heat.”

“Shut up,” I snapped.

Thorne stepped closer. He towered over me. “You talk too much, little omega.”

He grabbed my shirt collar. One hard yank ripped it down the front. Fabric tore. Cool air hit my skin. I tried to cover myself. Cassian caught my arms from behind. He pinned them to my sides. Strong. Unyielding.

Thorne’s eyes roamed over my bare chest. My nipples hardened in the heat of the room and under his stare. He dragged a rough finger down my sternum. Slow. Deliberate. Stopped just above my waistband.

“Pretty,” he murmured. “Soft. Breakable.”

I jerked against Cassian’s hold. “Don’t touch me.”

Aurelius laughed again. “He says that now.”

Thorne hooked a finger in my waistband. He tugged. The pants slid down my hips. I twisted. Kicked. Cassian tightened his grip. My pants pooled at my ankles. Slick glistened on my inner thighs. Obvious. Shameful.

Thorne crouched. His face level with my groin. He inhaled deeply. “Fuck. Sweet. Wet. Mine.”

“Not yours,” I hissed.

He looked up. Green eyes dark. “We’ll see.”

He stood. Nodded to the others.

Cassian lifted me. Effortless. He carried me to a low, padded bench near the fire. Thick leather straps waited at the corners. He laid me face-up. My back hit the padding. My arms stretched above my head. Aurelius fastened the wrist cuffs. Tight. Secure.

Thorne took my ankles. Spread my legs wide. Strapped them down. Exposed. Open. Helpless.

I thrashed once more. The bench did not move. The straps bit into my skin.

Aurelius leaned over me. His golden hair fell forward. “Look at you. All spread out. Leaking. Ready.”

“I’m not ready for anything,” I spat.

Thorne stepped between my legs. He palmed himself through his pants. The outline was thick. The piercings glinted even in firelight. “You will be.”

Cassian moved to my head. He knelt. One hand rested on my throat. Not squeezing. Just holding. Claiming. His amber eyes never left mine.

Thorne unbuckled his belt. The sound echoed. Leather slid free. He shoved his pants down just enough.

His cock sprang out. Thick. Heavy. The piercings caught the firelight. A thick ring through the head. Smaller bars along the shaft. Designed to drag. To hurt. To make you feel every inch.

My hole clenched. More slick leaked out. Traitor body.

Thorne stroked himself once. Slow. “First taste is mine.”

He lined up. The pierced head nudged my entrance. Cold metal against hot, slick skin.

I sucked in a breath.

He pushed.

The head breached me. The ring caught on my rim. Sharp stretch. Burn. I gasped.

He sank deeper. Inch by inch. The bars dragged along my walls. Every ridge. Every bump. Fire and pressure and too much.

I arched. Tears pricked my eyes.

“Fuck,” Aurelius breathed. “Look at him take it.”

Cassian’s hand tightened on my throat. Just enough to feel my pulse race.

Thorne bottomed out. His hips flush against mine. His knot already swelling at the base. Not locked yet. Teasing.

He leaned down. Breath hot against my ear.

“Welcome home, little omega.”

Then he started to move.