He didn’t give Shiloh a chance to reply.
“Here’s the thing though, omega,” he tapped his bottom lip with a finger, “If you aren’t a good person toward me, then by that logic, I don’t have to be good toward you.” He settled himself over Shiloh, hushing him when he released a pained sound as mild pressure was placed on his rib and his ass was pressed into the mattress. “So, you and I are going to work on it. In here. Just the two of us. You’re going to learn how to be honest with me, how to trust me with all of your truths,” his fingers brushed damp strands of hair off Shiloh’s forehead, “How to be good for me again, and in return, I’ll figure out if I can accept the real you.”
“If?” Shiloh growled it, but ended on a whimper when more weight was applied over him.
Sarang had never hurt him in the past. Hell, a couple of months ago, if he’d so much as given him a papercut, he’d be all apologies, fawning over him.
“What? You think you’ve earned my bite, omega? Doing what, exactly? Tricking me? Making me believe you’re someone that you’re not? Locking me up and forcing me into rut?” He grinned when Shiloh’s eyes widened. “Don’t worry. I won’t do the same to you. I promise I’ll be present for every one of your forced heats.”
“Rang,” he swallowed the lump in his throat, “Got to admit, you’re scaring me a little.”
“That’s my intention.” Sarang placed a chaste kiss to the tip of his nose. “As soon as you’re fully healed, we’ll begin. An eye for an eye. You’ll take the heat inducer even if I have to shove it down your throat myself. You’ll experience every single one of those forced mating periods you made me go through. The only difference is, I won’t leave you alone. You’ll cry andbegfor me, omega. Plead and promise and agree to give me whatever I want in return for the chance to sit on my knot. And I’ll eventually let you.” His grin widened. “Ifyou’re good.”
Shiloh wasn’t sure how to feel about this impossible turn of events.
On the one hand, evil Sarang?
Hot.
So hot.
Like staring too long directly at the sun hot.
But on the other hand…
“Did I break you, Rang?” Shiloh searched his face but couldn’t find any answers. “Should I be apologizing?”
The alpha cocked his head. “You sound like you’re really asking.”
“Because I am.”
“Ah, right.” He nodded to himself. “You follow social cues. Mimic others to pass as—”
“What’s so fucking great about being normal?” he spat before he could hold himself back.
“Did I hit a nerve, omega?” Sarang looked like he was considering hurting him some more, but then surprisingly decided against it. In a swift move, he pushed off of Shiloh, standing at the side of the bed and adjusting the collar of his black dress shirt, checking his cuff links.
The crown shaped ones Shiloh had gifted him three birthdays ago.
Sarang caught where he was looking. “These? Don’t take it personally. It doesn’t mean anything. Half of what I own came from you. Isn’t that part of the reason you think I stuck around all these years? To leach off of you?”
“No,” Shiloh said. “I think you stuck around because of guilt.”
He didn’t deny it, but he did smirk again. “I don’t feel guilty toward you anymore.”
He’d demanded truth, right?
“I thought if I was nice, you’d like me enough to stay even if coin was off the table,” Shiloh admitted, hating how it made him feel small. “Then I found out about the life-bond, and learned it wasn’t just coin that was keeping you with me.”
“If I don’t visually monitor you, anything could happen. There’s no telling what a life-bond will do to you, since you aren’t a Gray. It was for your own benefit. Your own protection.”
“It was so you didn’t have to try to fall asleep at night thinking you were your father,” he corrected.
So much for the gentle and cooperative approach.
Sarang’s eyes narrowed. “Do you know what you helped me realize? I was going about it all wrong. Instead of trying so damn hard not to be like him, I should have been doing everything in my power to make it so no one could ever abandon me like he did.”
“I locked you up to keep you,” Shiloh reminded quietly. “Why would I ever leave?”
