“You were acclimating me.” This was new knowledge he was going to have to sit with once he was alone. Turn around and see how he really felt about it. A part of him had known, since he’d obviously smelled it, but the omega had perfected the art of being subtle. “You have impressive control.”
Sloane’s comment about imprinting returned to him. She’d been able to sense her brother’s claim by the way Sarang had recoiled at her scent. A dominant of their species could do this to a potential mate, but it wasn’t well known or common, a practice best left in the past with their ancestors.
The fact Shiloh had known about it and had actively been using it on Sarang, silently ensuring he’d find other omegas unpalatable, was just another peeled layer.
It explained why Sarang always found it so difficult to settle on a partner during Den Nights or events like it. What he’d mistaken as instincts recognizing incompatibilities in potential mates was really the imprint doing its job, attempting to wreck any other physical connections so that Sarang was forced to rely on Shiloh’s embrace to get through his ruts.
Years of guilt and shame, thinking he’d been the one manipulating Shiloh with his Gray power, only to learn it’d been the opposite had him fuming. He contained his fury, knowing now wasn’t the time to unleash it, lest he want to undo all the progress he’d just made.
Laying the groundwork so he could walk Shiloh down the path toward him was too important to botch over hurt feelings.
Especially when Sarang held knowledge that he would be punishing Shiloh for every insult and slight soon enough.
“The trick is coating your skin in my pheromones instead of pumping you full of them,” Shiloh stated, unaware of the dark direction of Sarang’s thoughts. “Do you get why I wasn’t offended when you tried to tell me my feelings were fake? It’s because I’ve been feeding you my pheromones all this time, ensuring you prefer me over others without even realizing why.”
So his omega wasn’t a hypocrite. That was something. Sneaky, and unable to feel remorse, but capable of acknowledging his own faults without trying to hide.
“I’ve always liked your scent,” Sarang said.
Shiloh perked up slightly. “You didn’t jump me at the salt fields when we first met. And I was in heat then.”
“Is that what gave you the impression I needed to learn to like it?” Sarang grunted. “It’s called self-control, omega. I was merely exercising it that day.”
“The fact that you were able to, that you could resist the instinct to mate me, had to mean you weren’t all that interested. You made a comment the other night about the omegas downstairs. If I went down while in heat, do you think any of the alphas there would be able to resist? No. I’d be gangbanged and probably torn apart.” He smiled wistfully. “What a way to die.”
“That isn’t funny.”
“I wasn’t trying to be.” Shiloh sighed. “Everybody dies, Rang.”
“What if I died?”
He froze while reaching for the offered cards Sarang held out. “Why would you die?”
“You just said—” Sarang was cut off by Shiloh snatching the entire deck from his other hand and throwing it across the room.
Cards fluttered and twirled, cascading around them, but the prince hardly noticed, too busy staring Sarang down with an eerie intensity.
“I’m doing everything you want,” he said darkly. “I’m being fucking good. Here.” He tossed the blankets off and shifted onto his knees. “Let’s do it now. You don’t even need to give me a heat inducer.”
“Omega.”
“I told you. I’m confident in this. With a little practice, I’ll be able to take you just fine.”
“You’re still torn.”
“So? Got a thing about blood?” He went to crawl forward, and Sarang shoved him back, bristling when Shiloh hissed in pain.
“We’re talking,” Sarang growled, “not fucking.”
“But if you fuck me you’ll want to stay.” There was so much certainty in his voice, it gave Sarang pause.
“…You think your ass is so incredible, it’ll make a man want to live for it?” Sarang found this line of thinking enlightening. “Why? Because—”
“Den Night,” Shiloh confirmed before he could finish. “After that, you wanted me.”
“I wanted you before that.”
“Not enough to do something about it.”
