Chapter 98: He’s begging

​I stood completely still in the dark room, my breath hitched. I could not, under any circumstances, give him a reason to move his hand.

But then, his grip on my wrist tightened—not enough to hurt, but it was a sudden, unyielding leverage.

Before I could brace myself, he gave a smooth, downward pull. My center of gravity completely dissolved. I stumbled forward, the glass of water slipping from my fingers and thudding softly against the thick carpet as I tumbled onto the mattress right beside him.

​Panic flared in my chest. I immediately planted my elbows against his broad chest, trying to push myself up. "McCoy, what the hell—"

​"Just stay," Reid whispered.

​His voice didn’t carry a shred of his usual mocking authority. It was rough, raw, and completely frayed at the edges. Before I could scramble back, his massive arms came around my waist, pulling me flat against his chest.

He rolled slightly, burying his face directly into the crook of my neck—right where the skin colored adhesive patch was still keeping his mark hidden and my scent gland sealed.

​A violent shiver racked my frame. The sheer volume of his pheromones hit me like a physical wall, but it wasn’t an aggressive, territorial display. It was a chaotic, frantic pouring out of his system. The scent of frozen pine was heavy, sweet, and practically bleeding with a silent, desperate plea.

​"Reid, let go," I choked out, my hands gripping his shoulders to force some distance between us.

​But he only held tighter, his large body trembling slightly against mine. "Stay with me tonight, Cap. Just... stay with me."

​The words were a ragged murmur against my skin, sent straight into my bloodstream. My mind went completely blank. This wasn’t the arrogant rookie trying to win a power struggle. This was a man hollowed out by an ache he couldn’t even name yet.

Hearing him call me Cap while clinging to me like a lifeline made my chest ache with a terrifying intensity.

​His dependency wasn’t just developing. It was already operating at an entirely different, dangerous level.

​"You’re suffocating me," I lied, my voice cracking as my own traitorous Omega inner-voice screamed at me to wrap my arms around him and soothe the tremor in his chest.

​"I’m not letting you go to the other room," Reid rasped, his breathing heavy and uneven against my collarbone. He shifted his head, his lips brushing the sensitive skin of my throat as he spoke, sending waves of dizzying heat straight to my core. "I felt like I was losing my mind this afternoon when you walked out. Just sleep here. I won’t touch you tonight. Just let me hold you and smell you."

​He’s begging, a horrified voice whispered in my head. Reid McCoy is practically begging.

​If I fought him now, if I kicked and screamed and forced my way out of this room, his panic would cross the line into full-blown aggression.

His instincts would completely take over, and he’d realize exactly why he was reacting this way. My one-day plan would be completely blown to pieces before Sunday morning even arrived.

​I had to pacify him. For the sake of the lie, I had to let him think he was getting what he wanted.

​"Fine," I breathed, my hands slowly relaxing against his shoulders, though my jaw remained tightly locked. "Fine, McCoy. Stop compressing my ribs and I’ll stay. It fucking hurts."

"Sorry,"

​A long, shuddering breath escaped him, a sound of pure, unadulterated relief that vibrated right through my own bones.

He loosened his grip just enough to let me breathe, but his arms remained locked around my waist, effectively anchoring me to his side.

​I lay there in the dark, my back pressed against his massive, radiating chest, listening to the slow, steadying thud of his heart behind my shoulder blades. I was safe for the moment, but for how long?

The thick, intoxicating warmth of his scent began to seep back into my skin, erasing all my hard work from the shower, a cold dread settled deep in my stomach. I was going to make it through tomorrow. I was going to leave on Monday.

​But looking at the terrifying depth of the hold we had on each other, I honestly didn’t know if either of us would survive the snap when I finally walked out that door.

By some miracle, I was able to fall asleep. I mean, his thick arms felt like the safest place to be whenever they were wrapped around me and the warmth from his body lulled me to sleep.

And let’s not even talk about the gentle spray of his frozen one Pheromones. It was like sleeping on a cloud.

​Waking up was a slow, heavy descent back into reality but honestly, my eyelids didn’t want to open and just stay shut.

​I was completely buried in warmth, surrounded by the deep, intoxicating scent of frozen pine that had fully saturated the sheets overnight.

My sleepy mind was entirely too comfortable, completely drugged by the proximity, and for a few blissful, hazy seconds, I just wanted to keep drowning in it.

I didn’t want to think about Vance’s words, or the game on Friday, or the ticking clock. I just wanted to stay suspended in the quiet.

​Then, something opened and reality crashed down on me.

​A large, calloused bare palm had slid beneath the hem of my shirt, moving slowly up the skin of my stomach.

When those long fingers brushed against my chest, lazily but deliberately caressing my nipples, a sharp, involuntary moan broke from the back of my throat, instantly shattering the morning silence.

​My eyes snapped open, reality rushing back in a cruel wave. "Reid..." I called as my eyes met his. He was already awake and he was touching me. "You... you promised not to touch me," I breathed out, my voice thick with sleep as I tried to pull back against the pillows.

​"That was last night," Reid whispered.

​Instead of pulling away, he leaned over me, planting a surprisingly soft, lingering kiss right on my forehead. The tenderness of it made my chest ache, but his eyes were dark, heavy, and completely dialed into me.

​"But right now..." Reid leaned down further, his lips brushing the shell of my ear as his voice dropped into a gravelly, low rumble that sent a violent shudder straight down my spine. "You and I both woke up with morning wood, Cap. And it’s been too long since we did it. My leg is almost healed, so I can fuck your hole exactly how you like it."