Page 59 of His Forsaken Alpha

“Look at me,” Cavanaugh commanded, collecting his face in both big hands.

He lifted his lids, the look of adoration in Cavanaugh’s eyes almost enough to bring him to tears.

“You’renotgoing back to him,” Cavanaugh declared, eyes wide.“You’re mine.”

Wynter glanced up at his fierce alpha. “We barely know one another.”

“I know all I need to know,” Cavanaugh said. “He’s mistreating you, Wynter. You can’t live like that.”

He couldn’t live like that. It’s why he sported the scars on his wrists.

“I know we’ve just met, but I can’t walk away knowing you’re returning tohim.”Cavanaugh continued. “It’s screaming in my head to get you away from him.”

Instinct, not affection—though it was more kindness than Warden had ever shown. He wanted to say yes, to disappear into the night with Cavanaugh, wherever they might land, but knew it would be impossible for them to be together. Warden’s family was just like his—always fearing their position on the social ladder. He doubted Warden would allow him to run away… at least not forever. If taking his life would cause a scandal, what would him running away cause?

Warden wants space, though. I can give him all the space he wants… and more.

“You know I can’t stay w?—”

Cavanaugh pressed his finger to Wynter’s lips. “No. I don’t want to hear can’t and won’t come out of your mouth. You’re mine. You’renotgoing back to him.”

“Cavanaugh…”

“Sh-sh-shhhhh,”Cavanaugh crooned, again pressing his finger to Wynter’s lips.“Say it.”

Wynter didn’t want to lie. He knew it was impossible what Cavanaugh was proposing, yet he wanted to imagine the possibility existed. If he said it out loud, would that make it real? Would it change the course of where they’d been traveling and bind them together for real?

He knew it likely wouldn’t change a single thing, but he had to hear how it sounded.

“I’mnotgoing back to him.” A lie, only—Wynter didn’t want it to be a lie. He’d gotten a little taste of real intimacy, of desire, and he didn’t want to let go. He wanted Cavanaugh. He wanted to see where their fate together might lead.

He wanted to be happy.

He wanted a reason to live.

“Damned right you’re not,” Cavanaugh said, smiling. “You need your alpha to love you right, baby.”

Wynter stared into his alpha’s eyes, wishing their lives were different. He wanted nothing more than to give in and leave the life he’d been forced to live behind. How could he? It was impossible.

Cavanaugh carefully moved to the side. The pull bordered on pain, but somehow, his alpha avoided more than a couple of seconds of it and slid behind him. He spooned Wynter and drew him close.

He lay in Cavanaugh’s arms, sure he should feel shame for what they’d done yet how could he? In the law of nature, he was Cavanaugh’s, through and through. Not Warden’s

His true alpha had made him feel alive and desired for the first time in his life. His body was scorched by a lust so powerful they’d both been consumed by it. Hadn’t he deserved to know what that felt like? To be truly loved?

But was that better to know? To have a little bit of amazing only to return to an alpha’s indifference?

He didn’t want to go back to the emptiness awaiting him.

Cavanaugh had showed him more care in one evening than he’d gotten his entire life.

“I never asked you—wherewereyou going?” Cavanaugh cast a look down as he rubbed a gentle hand down Wynter’s back.

“An omega spa.”

Cavanaugh frowned. “One of those hoity-toity places where omegas avoid their alphas during a heat?”

“Or the alphas want to avoid their omegas.”

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