The bond we can't escape.

The air between us grew heavier with every passing second. Thorne could hear the rhythm of my pulse from where he stood, my body locked in a state of need and burning desire. The unbearable ache in between my legs pulsed stronger, spreading waves of heat through every inch of my skin.

I couldn’t believe this was happening to me.

An alpha reduced to this—a heat-stricken omega, completely at the mercy of instincts I never imagined I would feel. And worst of all, the only alpha in the room was him. My rival. The man I hated more than anyone else.

Thorne Brown.

He was trying, truly trying, to maintain control. He was rigid with tension, his fists balled, breath caught in his throat as he stood a few feet away. But I saw it, the lust and burning desire behind his eyes. The alpha inside him was fighting to get out.

And my scent was making it harder for him with every second.

“Damn it,” he cursed under his breath, running a hand through his hair as if he was trying to shake off the pull physically. “This isn’t how it’s supposed to happen.”

I whimpered again, squeezing my thighs together as a fresh wave of heat rolled through me. I could no longer stop the soft, desperate sounds escaping my throat. I was in heat and all I could think of was sex, hot, steamy sex. The kind that made your brain and insides melt from pleasure.

Thorne’s nose widened. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his back to me as if distance would help him resist.

“Thorne…” I gasped, my voice breaking. “Please… I-I can’t control myself any longer.”

“Don’t,” he snapped, his voice hoarse, almost pained. “Don’t beg me.”

But I wasn’t even sure if I was begging him — or the unbearable heat itself. My body no longer listened to logic. It was screaming for release, for relief, for him.

Sweat beaded on my skin. My vision was blurry. My mind grew hazy, and I was drowning beneath waves of desires I never thought I'd experience.

Thorne finally turned back, and he breathed in short, sharp pants. His sharp eyes swept over me, dark and hungry.

“This heat will get worse before it gets better,” he said, his voice raw. “If you don’t get relief soon... your body might go into shock.” Hearing him speak seemed to turn me on even more.

I bit my lip hard, trying to suppress another desperate moan. My pride was already shattered, but even in this vulnerable state, the thought of surrendering to him was almost more unbearable than the heat itself.

Almost.

Thorne stepped closer, slowly, as if approaching a wild animal. He gazed upon me, searching for something — permission, maybe.

“We can wait for the doctor, if you can endure it.” His voice lowered. “But I don’t think you can.” 

‘’I am already going crazy with the thoughts of having you, I cannot suppress my desires for long,’’ He said, being vulnerable and honest.

Another sharp wave of need tore through me, and I couldn’t stop the broken sob that slipped past my lips. My body trembled uncontrollably, and my breath came in shallow gasps. My scent grew thicker, sweeter, filling the entire suite.

Thorne’s control visibly slipped.

“Shit...” he growled. His pupils widened, his breathing harsh.

He was so close now that I could feel the heat radiating from him. The clean, powerful scent of his alpha pheromones enveloped me, sending my body into an even more frantic state.

“Tell me to stop,” he whispered, his voice shaking as though he was hanging on by a thread. “If you say the word, I’ll back away.”

But I couldn’t speak. My body was burning up from the inside out, and every instinct screamed at me to surrender.

Tears gathered in my eyes as I whispered the one word that sealed my fate.

“Please.”

The moment the word left my lips, the thin thread of control Thorne had been clinging to snapped.

He came forward, capturing my lips in a desperate, burning kiss. I could barely catch my breath as our mouths crashed together, the world spinning wildly around us. The taste of him, the feel of him — it was overwhelming, terrifying, and yet I couldn’t pull away.

His strong hands gripped my waist, pressing me down into the mattress as his body covered mine. The friction sent a moan escaping my throat, embarrassing but uncontrollable.

The thick scent of our combined pheromones coated the room like paint. I could barely think anymore. My body moved on desire, arching into his touch, desperate for contact, for more.

His lips left mine to trail down my throat, his breath hot against my burning skin. “I won’t Thorne you,” he growled, his voice heavy with restraint. “Not unless you beg me to.”

Even in this haze, his words sank in. A small part of him was still trying to give me some control.

But it wouldn’t last, not with how my body responded beneath him.

Thorne’s hands roamed down my sides, exploring every inch of my trembling form. Each touch sent sparks through me, making my back arch, my breath come faster.

The ancient bond between alpha and omega wrapped around us like chains, pulling us deeper into a storm neither of us could escape.

My mind screamed at me to stop, but my body sang a different song.

When he finally moved lower, pressing himself against me, the friction made me cry out in relief. My heart throbbed, desperate for the next step, for him to finally claim me, even if just temporarily.

His breath was ragged as he fought to maintain the last of the control he had left.

“This changes everything,” he whispered, his lips brushing against my ear. “You know that, don’t you?”

I couldn’t speak. I could only nod, tears streaming from my eyes — whether from shame, fear, or desperate pleasure, I no longer knew.

There was no turning back now.