Page 18 of Forbidden Taste
I sigh, opening my mouth to explain—to tell him about Leo, about us, about how he’s my mate, not some fling—but a growl rumbles from Benjamin’s chest which stops me cold. Terror spikes through me, more than I’ve ever felt around him before. He’s beenpushy, possessive, but never like this—never this raw, this threatening. I step back, my heel catching the chair behind me, and it topples with a crash, my violin case clattering to the floor beside it. My eyes widen, my breath hitching as he stalks forward, his scent finally breaking through—citrus gone rancid, bitter and suffocating.
“You’ve been disrespectful and ungrateful,” he snarls. “Our families have already worked out our engagement. Playing around with that beast isn’t going to change anything.” He looms over me now, his shadow swallowing the light, and I feel small, trapped, my pulse hammering in my throat.
“I never agreed to that union,” I spit back at him, pushing back against the fear. “In the end, it’s still my choice.”
Benjamin laughs, a harsh, hollow sound that chills me to the bone. “You always think you have choices, Riley, but you don’t. You have an image to upkeep, a name to protect, and I might seem patient, but I’m not. Don’t fucking test me.”
I realize I’ve never seen this side of him—this cold, unyielding rage. I’ve never stepped out of the mold they’ve forced me into, never pushed back like this, and now he’s unraveling, the mask slipping to reveal something ugly beneath.
He leans down and grabs a fistful of my shirt, yanking me forward. I let out a little whine of terror as his growl rumbles into my face. “Let’s stop playing these dumb games, alright?”
My hands flail, useless, my heart pounding so loud it drowns out everything else. I’m scared—really scared—and it’s not just the physical threat, it’s the way he’s stripping away my control, my defiance, like I’m nothing but a pawn in his game. “Benjamin, stop,” I manage. “This isn’t you.” It’s a lie—I don’t know who he is anymore, not with this fury staring me down—but I need him to back off, need space to breathe.
One minute, Benjamin’s fist is twisted in my shirt and the next, I’m on the ground again, sprawled beside the toppled chair. A growl—deeper, fiercer, rivaling Benjamin’s—rips through the room, and I look up to see Leo, his massive frame a blur as he slams Benjamin against the wall, pinning him with a snarl that makes the air tremble. “Don’t you fucking hurt him,” Leo roars. His spiced apple scent floods the classroom, drowning out Benjamin’s stench, the warmth wrapping around me like a blanket.
“Oh, this is rich!” he says, his voice dripping with mockery, even as Leo’s fist tightens in his shirt. “You realize all it takes is a few phone calls and you’ll be expelled?” His tone is smug, threat dangling between them, the confidence of an Alpha who thinks he’s untouchable seeping through.
Leo doesn’t back down, his growl deepening. “And what happens if I let them know you were roughing up an Omega you keep claiming to be yours?” he fires back, cutting through Benjamin’s bravado. Leo’s right, but this could go south so fast. If Leo pushes too far, if Benjamin twists this, Leo could lose everything—his scholarship, his place here, all of it.
I scramble to my feet, knowing I need to stop this, need to tell Benjamin off, get him out of here before he ruins Leo. But then it hits me—there’s a better way, a way to show Leo I’m with him, not just in words but in everything. I step forward, hand reaching out, hovering over Leo’s shoulder blade. “Hey, sweetie I’m okay. It’s okay. I promise. He didn’t hurt me.”
Leo’s fist tightens further in Benjamin’s shirt, and for a second, I think he doesn’t hear me but then my fingers brush his skin, and he softens, the growl dying in his throat. He steps back, releasing Benjamin, and turns to me, his hands cupping my face, his thumbsbrushing my cheeks as he searches my expression. “He should’ve never touched you like that.”
I wrap my hands around his wrists, holding him there, and smile up at him, trying to push my terror down deep so he can’t see it. “He didn’t hurt me,” I say again, softer this time, willing him to believe it. I raise up on my toes, aiming for his lips but only reaching his jaw, my kiss landing there at the edge. Leo’s arms slide around me, pulling me close, and I let out a soft purr—a sound I’ve never made before, meant for him, my mate. It rumbles from my chest, Leo relaxing further against me, his breath evening out as he buries his face in my hair.
Benjamin interrupts the moment with a harsh laugh, pushing away from the wall as he brushes his shirt off like nothing happened. “I see how it is, Riley,” he mocks, the sound of a camera flash following his words. “Just realize that the administration’s going to know your beast here threatened me.”
I block out his heavy footsteps and the slam of the classroom door before sagging against Leo completely. He guides us to the floor, dragging me into his lap, silently chasing away the last traces of Benjamin’s scent.
“How did you know where I was?” I ask, my voice muffled against his shirt, my fingers curling into the fabric.
He frowns, his nose brushing along my head, scenting me in slow, deliberate sweeps that make my skin tingle. “I’m not sure. I was just sitting in the cafeteria, picking at my food, and it was like… a call or something. A discomfort in my chest. I just kind of followed it. Then I caught your scent and I don’t know what came over me, but I just…” He trails off, his arms tightening around me, the echo of that protective snarl he’d let loose on Benjamin still running through him.
I tilt my head back, meeting his sea-green eyes, stormy and soft all at once. “Thank you, sweetie,” I murmur, my hand sliding up to rest on his cheek. “I’m not sure what would’ve happened if you didn’t come. Benjamin’s absolutely going to try and do something with that photo, but I’m right here to protect you.”
Leo snorts, my Omega nuzzling into my touch. “Isn’t that my job?” he teases.
“Some of the time. But it’s my job for all the other things.” I pause, my breath catching as his warmth seeps into me. “Now, I still want dinner and cuddles, but…”
He searches my face, one of his hands settling on my waist, his thumb tracing slow circles through my shirt. “Pizza and your nest?” he suggests, a quiet hope threading through it.
“Yeah, I like the sound of that.” I slide off his lap, standing, and put out my hand, my fingers wiggling in invitation. He looks at it, then up at me, his brow furrowing slightly.
“They’re going to talk.”
I shrug, my hand still outstretched. “I don’t care. Let them.”
His eyes flicker with surprise and then something warmer before he takes my hand, his grip swallowing mine as he stands, towering over me in that way that makes me feel safe, cherished.
We step into the hallway after I grab my bag, hand in hand, and I love it—the way his fingers curl around mine, swallowing my hand like it’s meant to fit there. Leo seems uneasy at first, his grip tightening on my hand at first but this is exactly what I want—the hand holding, the showing us off, the telling everyone that us being together won’t fall apart at the mere mention of what does and doesn’t work in society.
I just hope that Leo sees how serious I am.
fourteen
LEO
The scent of garlic, herbs, and fresh tomato sauce hangs in the air, Riley now wrapped around my side like a koala, his head tucked under my chin. I rest my hand on his back, tracing small circles along his spine, letting myself relax in the moment because fuck, it feels perfect.
