He’d wanted Shiloh after that crap with the Leviathan. Had understood that it wasn’t Shiloh’s fault.
As much as he loathed to admit it, Shiloh was currently a victim.
The disgusting alpha rutted into him, but Shiloh’s mind was elsewhere, and he barely registered it. When he’d been younger and his mother’s punishments had been particularly brutal, he’d perfected the art of separating mind from body, and that’s what he did now, tucking himself safely away somewhere—anywhere—that wasn’t here.
Until the sound of approaching footsteps cut through his thoughts.
A second later, the metal entrance clattered open, and Sarang stepped out onto the roof.
Before Shiloh could react, he found himself flipped onto his back, head flopping over the edge of the mattress. The new position allowed him a better look at the underboss, who looked about as horrified as he currently felt.
Diogenes hadn’t exited his body during the move, and even drove pointedly into him, laughing when Sarang roared. There was a click, and then his arm went up, high enough for Shiloh to catch a glance at the weapon now aimed Sarang’s way.
“Accept the bite,” Dio threatened, “or I blow the underboss’ head off.” He laughed again, lowering so his mouth was close to Shiloh’s ear, and said in a quieter tone, “We both know you don’t care about him enough to sacrifice yourself. Let me kill him, then we can take on the rest, and leave this place. If you still want to cut me up, I’ll gladly let you. I’m that confident that you’ll eventually see reason and take me as your alpha.”
“You aren’t making it out of this alive,” Sarang snarled.
“Actually, you aren’t,” Dio replied. “If Shiloh lets me shoot you, I’ll put a hold on my plans to mark him. Since he’s pretty pissed off at the moment that I did this on my own, I bet you can guess which option he’s going to choose?”
And Dio wouldn’t mind, because to him, getting rid of Sarang was every bit of a win as delivering the claiming bite.
The psycho really believed that Shiloh would forgive him. Hell, he’d probably even convinced himself that Shiloh would be impressed by this whole stint and find the bloodshed and aggression of it all attractive.
Really, who could blame him?
Just this morning Shiloh had been hot over the fact Sarang had kidnapped him.
But that was different.
That was Sarang.
Sarang, who Dio would absolutely shoot without any hesitation.
“Bite,” Shiloh croaked, grateful he could even do that.
Diogenes stilled over him. “What was that?”
“Bite.” He sucked in a breath, surprised when some of the tightness in his chest loosened. “Me.”
They could only take a claimed mate once in their lifetime, and if he wasted it here on Dio, he would never get the chance to be Sarang’s. But…He couldn’t let him die. Even if that meant Sarang could no longer stand by his side. If it meant being tossed aside by his true alpha.
Shiloh would rather lose him than watch him killed.
Diogenes, however, would suffer greatly. The second he regained control of his limbs, he’d make the man pay for all of this. Once the alpha was dead, the bond would die with him. It would leave Shiloh feeling empty, unable to get wet for anyone else during his heats, but whatever, that—
At his sides, his fingers twitched.
Was the drug wearing off already? There was no way. Diogenes wasn’t an idiot. He would have dosed Shiloh with something strong enough to keep him down for hours.
“You aren’t serious?” Dio searched his face, but it wasn’t like Shiloh could do much emoting at the moment. “You’re willing to accept the bite to sparehim?”
Shiloh nodded his head almost imperceptibly, and Dio must have been too shocked to realize he shouldn’t have been able to move at all, because the only reaction he gave was his mouth dropping open.
The drug was definitely wearing off. In another minute or so, Shiloh might even be able to fight back. His eyes drifted toward Sarang.
His alpha was strung taut, still glaring at Diogenes, one hand gripping a knife already covered in blood. There was a furrow in his brow, almost as though he was concentrating on something, and he’d gone very pale.
Life-bond.
