Chapter 5

Kael Voss  Pov

Dawn light crept through the windows, gray and quiet. The room was still too warm from the long night. Elias stayed curled tight against my chest, his skin damp with sweat, breathing uneven. I had held him through the worst of it, but now my own body was turning on me. A heavy ache built low in my stomach and spread through my veins. The rut was kicking in strong, triggered by his scent and the way he kept pressing closer even in his sleep. I needed to get out before I lost control.

I started pulling my arm out from under him.

Elias woke up fast. He grabbed my shirt with both hands, fingers digging in hard. “No, Kael, don’t go,” he said, voice cracking. His body jerked like someone had hit him. More sweat broke out on his face. “It hurts so bad when you move away. Please. I can’t take it.”

I froze halfway off the bed. He looked completely wrecked — eyes glassy, legs twitching, face twisted in pain. I could see how much that small movement cost him. My own rut flared hotter in response, my knot already starting to swell. Part of me wanted to stay and fix it for him. The smarter part knew this was dangerous.

“Damn it,” I muttered. I sat back down on the edge of the mattress. “This wasn’t the plan. You’re not ready for this and neither am I.”

“I am ready,” he said quickly, pushing up on one elbow even though it clearly hurt. “It gets worse if you leave. I feel like I’m falling apart inside. Just stay. Please.”

I looked at him for a long moment. His silver hair stuck to his neck, dark circles under his eyes, but he didn’t look away. That stubborn streak pulled at me again. I cursed under my breath and climbed back onto the bed, pulling him close. He melted against me right away, face buried in my neck.

“If we do this,” I said, keeping my voice low, “forget the contract. You’d be my mate for real. Mine. No going back after. You understand what that means?”

Elias nodded against my skin. His breath felt hot. “Yeah. I understand. I’m yours. Just make the hurting stop, Kael. I need you.”

That was enough. I kissed him hard, one hand on the back of his head to hold him there. He kissed me back just as rough, desperate and hungry. We got the rest of our clothes off fast, hands moving quick, breathing heavy. When I pushed inside him I went slow at first. I didn’t want to hurt him more than he already was. But he made a sound that broke something in me and I went deeper. He felt tight and warm, pulling me in.

“Tell me if it’s too much,” I said, voice rough.

“It’s not,” he panted, wrapping his legs around me. “Give me more. I can handle it.”

We moved together. The bed creaked under us. Sweat made our skin slide. I kept watching his face, the way his eyes would close tight then open to look straight at me. This wasn’t just heat or rut anymore. It felt heavier. More dangerous. I didn’t let people get this close, but here he was, trusting me even after everything he’d been through.

When my knot started to swell I slowed down. He pushed back against me, wanting it.

“Come on,” he said, voice rough. “Don’t stop now.”

I let it happen. The knot locked us together and pleasure hit me hard. I came deep inside him, groaning into his shoulder. At the same time I bit down on the gland at his neck, marking him properly. The bond snapped into place strong and clear. But then Elias twisted up suddenly, eyes wild, and bit me back on my own neck. Hard. His teeth broke the skin and everything flooded into me at once — his feelings, his memories, all of it pouring straight in.

I saw the cold rooms where they tied him down. The needles and tests over and over. People calling him livestock like it was normal. He had been so alone for years.

Then a deeper secret hit me. His family had sold samples of his blood and genes to Lucien Draven. Draven’s face appeared clear — pale skin, cold red eyes full of cruel hunger, no warmth at all. His voice was sharp and calculating: “We’ll find you, little Omega. You belong to the Draven bloodline now.”

Anger exploded in my chest. I roared loud, the sound filling the whole room and shaking the walls. My arms tightened around Elias without thinking. His eyes went wide with fear for a second, then rolled back and he passed out in my arms, still locked to me by the knot.

I sat there breathing hard, chest tight, still inside him. My head wouldn’t slow down. Draven had a claim on him because of what his family sold. Genetic material. My mate had kept this secret and I found out through the bond instead of him telling me. It made me furious and scared at the same time. Scared because I didn’t want to lose him this soon.

I held him closer, one hand rubbing slow circles on his back even though I was still mad. The new bond felt raw between us. I could sense little bits of him even while he was out — his fear, his relief, the way he wanted to trust me but didn’t fully know how yet.

This changed everything. The contract, the heir we might have, the pack. Draven wasn’t just another rival trying to take territory. He was a real threat to what was mine now. Cold, dangerous, and already had his hooks in Elias before I even met him.

Elias made a small sound, still passed out but moving a little against me. I kissed the top of his head, trying to calm myself for his sake. But inside I was already planning. No one was taking him. Not Draven, not anyone. Not after this bond.

I stayed there holding him as the knot slowly went down, thinking about how different Draven and I were. I built my power with blood and loyalty. Draven built his with secrets and cruelty. He saw Omegas like Elias as things to own and use. After tonight, I wanted more than just an heir. I wanted Elias to stay because he chose to.

The bond hummed quiet between us. There was no going back for either of us now.