Not until gray edged her vision and she began to gag on her sobbing breaths did he relent. Knot still locked inside of her, binding them together, he collapsed on top of her. Crushed her for a too long moment before he rolled to his side, taking her with him and arranging her limbs to his satisfaction as she stared at the wall.
It wasn’t long before the knot abated.
He began again, calling to her this time. Pressing his chest against hers as he shoved her into the mattress so she couldn’t escape the sound. Until she was lost in it, unable to breathe anything but him and too thick air saturated with pheromones. Unable to feel anything but the insistent resonance that told her she had to please the Alpha. Had to take it and him.
She did, moaning and tangling her limbs around him.
He was only a little gentler. The next was not much better. The last was even worse.
Not until Quinn was limp and ragged, his cock lying sated against his thigh, did he rise. Gathering his clothes, he left the room without a backward glance.
He’d gotten what he’d come for.
With a force of will she hadn’t been certain she had, Quinn dragged herself from the bed. Chest crumbling in on itself, heavy pulses of virulent crimson spread through her veins, infecting her limbs until she trembled and broke out in a cold sweat. Managing to stumble into the shower, she rinsed away the worst of the slime coating her, scrubbing away the tacky white crust from her bruised thighs.
She didn’t even cry when she viewed the remnants of her nest. She was hollow, the miserable throb filling her up one corrosive surge at a time until she was sure her skin would fall away in frayed tatters. Going to the large closet, she pulled clean linens down and stacked them beside the bed. Within minutes, she restored order. Quinn pulled away the more offensive sheets and blankets to be laundered, the rest buried under the thickest, softest offerings.
He’d be angry if she removed it all, a protest to his presence and scenting of her nest. A quiet sniff was all she allowed herself before she pulled on a robe with shaking hands and headed to the nursery. Elise would quiet the raging turmoil, would soothe all her hurts.
Quinn snarled and flew across the room as she opened the nursery door, snatching the babbling Elise up from the floor. Tucking the startled baby against her chest, she backed away from the too large male that remained on his knees.
“I would never harm her,kroshka.” Ilya sat back on his heels, hands splayed on his knees as if in surrender.
“Don’t you ever fucking touch her,” Quinn hissed, not stopping until she was wedged into the far corner.
“Her diaper needed changing and then she was not so tired. She likes the blocks.”
“You do not come in here!”
“She likes me. She smiles at me.”
“Ever!” Quinn slid down the wall towards the door, refusing to turn her back on the Alpha, her steps hurrying as he began to frown. She turned and would have ran when something dangerous sparked into existence in the frigid blue of his gaze if he hadn’t caught her shoulder and pulled her back.
“He’s claimed you?”
Emotions she couldn’t begin to fathom worked across his rough features as Quinn stared at him, teeth bared and a threatening growl rattling through her chest.
“He only bit me. What? You pissed he might have gotten in before you got a chance at it?” Quinn jerked her shoulder hard, jostling Elise into a fit of squealing tears that helped nothing. “Why don’t you just come for it during her next nap, or did you tell him about that one, too?”
Ilya’s hand fell away, and Quinn’s smile was a bitter, jagged thing that cut them both. She had become complacent with him, allowed him to invade her life in this lofty prison until she’d forgotten what he was. Lee’s muscle, his right hand in all things needing a heavy fist.
And in watching one Omega, telling Lee of all her habits.
Turning on her heel, she stalked back to her bedroom. Slammed the door shut and tried not to burst into tears as she soothed Elise with broken purrs.
She failed when the door swung open. Her first thought was that Lee was not finished with her, fearing his sudden return. The tears and pleas began at once, all of it tumbling out in a jumbled rush that grated her raw nerves and made the insistent agony pounding in her chest explode. The too much sensation, vision doubled and blurred, brought her to her knees. Blackness engulfed her, serrated and ugly as it tore through her with an intent she didn’t understand.
Long seconds ticked by until she could see the mixture of horror and concern painted over Ilya’s craggy face. He knelt inches away, holding her steady with a crushing grip on her shoulders.
By some miracle, Elise remained safe in her arms.
“Breathe, Quinn,” Ilya said, the sandpaper texture of his voice all the worse as he pet at her with rough strokes. Wide palm smoothing back her hair, cupping her neck, squeezing her shoulder hard, it was as if he had to reassure himself she was still whole and there.
Slumping, the first breath was ragged, choking her with the cool sip of air.
She hadn’t realized she had stopped.
Once she had calmed, Elise subsiding into her own wet snuffles, Ilya moved closer. Nuzzling her cheek and ignoring the way she stiffened, he purred. The sound was as ragged as her gasp when he wrapped an arm around her, bringing her hips flush. Free hand settling on Elise’s belly, his fingers were soft as he quieted her.
