Chapter 43: "I won’t thrust deeper"
Ash lay trembling, stretched across the chilled stone, frost gathering faintly beneath him as if the ice itself fought to soothe the fire inside. His core, fractured from the drain of mana, left him hollow and weak. Soft, broken words escaped his lips.
"Adrian...I miss you. Lucien...are you okay..."
Adrian and Lucien froze, their eyes locking on him, confusion clouding their faces. Before either could move, footsteps echoed from the hall.
"I’ll make it clear again. I just want you to bond with him once, then it’s over. I’ll pay what we agreed."
The two Alphas snapped their heads toward the door. Aster stood there, another Alpha beside him. His aura marked him clearly as one of their kind, though faint, lacking the weight and authority of theirs.
Aster’s face paled in shock.
"You...what are you both doing here?"
Before anyone could say another word, Ash’s pheromones thickened, rolling out like heat. The effect was instant; both Alphas staggered, eyes glazing as a raw need flared up inside them. Their own pheromones answered in kind, sharp and pulling, dragging them toward Ash’s heat.
The Alpha who had come with Aster tried to step forward, but Lucien shoved him hard. The man went sprawling back through the doorway and hit the floor outside.
Aster’s voice cracked with panic. "Master, what have you done? Ash needs him!"
Lucien slammed a hand against his chest, voice rough. "The one he’s supposed to need is me." He moved to go forward, but Adrian shoved him back.
"Stay away from my brother," Adrian snapped.
Lucien tasted blood as it ran into his mouth from the force of the shove; he wiped it away and lunged again, trying to push Adrian off him, but missed. Adrian shoved him once more, anger flaring and his pheromones turning hot and dangerous.
"Last time I spared you," Adrian said coldly," this time I’ll surely kill you."
Still, Lucien forced himself up, swinging toward Adrian again, but Adrian’s fist landed first. The blow sent Lucien staggering back into Aster’s arms.
"Stop it, Alpha Adrian," Aster snapped, holding him upright. "He’s still unwell; he’s been through too much already."
Adrian’s eyes burned. "Then get his ass out of here before I change my mind."
"Adrian...Adrian..."
Ash’s trembling voice cut through, snapping Adrian’s focus as he rushed to his side.
Lucien struggled in vain against Aster’s grip, his body too weak, his pheromones unstable from the tragedy and Adrian’s blows.
"That’s enough, Master," Aster said firmly, dragging him back.
"Adrian will..."
"I don’t think so," Aster cut in. "He is his step-brother, and that bond is forbidden."
"What about Ash?" Lucien pressed, breath ragged.
"You already drove off the Alpha I brought," Aster said coldly. "Now I’ll have to wait until Adrian cools down... then I’ll bring in another Alpha."
"I can..." Lucien started, but Aster cut him off again.
"Forget about it."
...
{Hours ago}
When Adrian regained consciousness at Prophetess Anette’s sacred hut, she handed him a small bundle of soulleaf; a ritual herb meant to steady his fractured core for a short while. Her voice calm yet firm as she instructed, "Go to St. Haven, third floor, Room 306. That is where your destiny waits. It will heal what is withering inside you. When your body loses control, do not resist-let it be."
Adrian frowned, unsettled. "What do you mean?" he asked.
But the prophetess only shook her head. "Go."
Still puzzled and restless, Adrian left. He instructed Bravin to drive him to the place, unware of what was already waiting behind that door.
...
Adrian looked at Ash, who lay sprawled on the chilled stone slab, frost gathering faintly beneath him even as sweat beaded along his temples. The sight tightened something in Adrian’s chest. Ash’s pheromones rolled out from him; warm, floral, maddening, and every breath Adrian took fed the pull. He’s been hiding his omega identity all this time, Adrian thought, stunned, as the heat rising from Ash clawed at his restraint.
He tried to step back, to put distance between them, but the ache only grew. The more he fought it, the stronger the draw became, dragging him forward instead. He leaned down until his breath stirred Ash’s hair. "Ash...I can’t control myself, your scent is too strong to resist," he murmured.
Ash said nothing, only looked up with a soft, urgent stillness that felt like want. Adrian fought for composure as Prophetess Annette’s words echoed in his mind: When your body loses control do not resist-let it be.
Adrian’s thoughts tangled. When she said my destiny waits...did she mean Ash?
Before the question could settle, Ash’s warm lips brushed his, cutting through every barrier. Adrian froze for a heartbeat, then instinct overtook him. He deepened the kiss, climbing onto the chilled stone slab, his mouth exploring as Ash answered softly, falling into the rhythm they shared.
When Adrian finally pulled back, his breath ragged, his eyes searched Ash’s. "Are you sure...you want this?"
Ash gave a small nod, silent but certain.
Adrian’s fingers trembled as he worked at Ash’s shirt, easing it open before slipping it off. His lips trailed across Ash’s chest, pressing lower until they hovered over the flat of his stomach. He looked up once more-Ash’s quiet nod met him, steady, waiting.
Slowly, Adrian lowered the rest of the barrier between them, peeling away cloth and undergarments, his breath uneven as the truth of Ash’s body lay bare before him.
He tugged off his own shirt, his hands pausing with a faint tremor as he reached for his belt. For a moment, he hesitated; but Ash’s fingers moved first, brushing his away, unfastening the buckle and sliding the belt free. The small act steadied Adrian, giving him the silent assurance he needed.
He shed the rest, until he stood bare before Ash.
Ash froze, eyes widening as his gaze fell on Adrian’s length; broad, long, intimidating in its fullness. For a heartbeat he couldn’t move, breath caught in his throat.
Adrian noticed, reading the shock in his silence. His hand came up, brushing lightly against Ash’s cheek. " I won’t thrust deeper," he murmured, his voice low and steady, as if to soothe away the unease.
Then, with measured care, he parted Ash’s legs and drew him closer across the cold stone, their bodies finally aligning. He pressed forward, his length slowly, inch by inch. Ash’s body tensed, the sting of being stretched forcing tears to gather at the corners of his eyes.
Then, without warning, Adrian pushed deeper in one hard thrust. Ash gasped, tears spilling down his cheeks at the sudden pain.
Adrian groaned, his voice breaking rough. "You’re so tight...it feels too good inside you." His hips began to move, a steady rhythm building as his Alpha instincts clawed at him, demanding more.
The rhythm grew harsher-deeper, faster-each thrust dragging a chocked sound from Ash. His voice trembled as he cried out, "You said...you wouldn’t thrust deeper..."
"I can’t control myself," Adrian ground out, his breaths ragged, his body driving harder against Ash’s. The air thickened, their pheromones mixing heavily, drowning the space in heat.
He leaned down, swallowing Ash’s cries with a desperate kiss, trailing along his jaw and neck. In the haze, his fangs slipped free; piercing Ash’s skin as instinct overtook him.
Ash shuddered beneath him, their bodies convulsing together as release overtook them both.
Adrian’s breath slowed, awareness creeping back into him. His eyes widened when he saw the fresh bite mark on Ash’s neck, faint blood trailing from it. Ash had gone still, unconscious in his arms.
A sharp worry stabbed through him. Did I go too far?
Lowering his gaze, Adrian’s chest tightened at the sight of blood staining the cold stone beneath Ash’s thighs. Guilt pressed down heavy on him. He brushed a kiss against Ash’s damp forehead, a soft gesture that carried both regret and longing.
Quietly, he dressed himself, then reached for the white sheet folded on the nearby couch. He wrapped it gently around Ash’s body before lifting him carefully into his arms.
Carrying him out to the car, Adrian’s voice was firm but edged with strain as he told Bravin, "Drive to my penthouse."
...
Lucien lay on the bed, eyes shut, pretending to sleep though unease stirred in his chest. From the chair beside him, Aster let out sigh of relief.
"At last, you’ve fallen asleep," he murmured, rising to his feet before leaving the room.
Lucien waited, listening until the sound of footsteps faded down the hall. Then, without hesitation, he sat up and slipped out, moving quickly toward the third floor-Room 306.
He pushed the door open, only to find the room empty. Ash and Adrian were gone.
His brows furrowed. Where did he take him?
Something caught his eye. Lucien stepped closer to the stone slab where Ash lain, his breath hitching as he saw the dark stain spread across it.
The truth struck him with crushing force. Blood.
His heart ponded hard against his ribs. His fists curled tight as a wave of hot, angry pheromones surged from him.
"The Devil has already devoured him"