Dominic's POV
The moment Ashen hit the water, my body moved before my mind could catch up.
I dived in after him.
The current was vicious, dragging him under like it was determined to take him from me. But I was faster, stronger,I wouldn't lose him. My hands found his body beneath the icy waves, his form limp, barely breathing.
Then it hit me again
His scent.
Mate.
The word roared through my veins, igniting something primal inside me. It made no sense how had I not noticed before? How had he hidden this from me?
But now wasn't the time.
I held Ashen tight and kicked against the current, fighting against the river's pull. He wasn't dying today.
Not when I had just found him
I ran.
With Ashen unconscious in my arms, I sprinted through the dense forest, my breath coming in sharp bursts. The rogues were still out there, hunting us. I needed to get him to safety, somewhere hidden. Somewhere I could think.
Then I saw it a cave. Small, nearly invisible behind a curtain of overgrown vines. It would have to do.
I ducked inside, pressing my back against the rough stone, listening for any signs of pursuit. The wind howled outside, but no footsteps followed. For now, we were safe.
I lowered Ashen onto the cave floor, my heart still hammering. He was too pale, his body trembling even in unconsciousness. His scent curled around me, rich and undeniable.
He was my mate.
And he had hidden it from me.
I ran a hand through my wet hair, my mind racing. How? How had he masked his scent so well, this was something stronger. A witch, maybe? A spell?what
The thought made my stomach twist.
Does he think I'll hurt him?
The idea made something dark curl in my chest,rage, but not at him. At whoever had made him believe he needed to hide.
Hurting Ashen had never been in my mind. Never.
But now that I knew the truth?
I wouldn't let him go.
Not now. Not ever.
I exhaled slowly, staring at the omega who had fought so hard to deny what was always meant to be.
He could run, he could fight, he could deny it all he wanted.
But he was mine.
Ashen stirred, his breathing shallow as his body fought against exhaustion. I watched as his lashes fluttered, his brows furrowing before his eyes snapped open. Sharp. Defiant.
Then he realized,his wrists were bound.
He thrashed immediately, his body twisting against the restraints, his teeth clenched in fury.
"Let me go, Dominic!" he growled, his voice raw, filled with more desperation than strength.
I moved before he could hurt himself, pinning him down with ease. He struggled, but he was weak,too weak to fight me off.
I leaned over him, my grip firm but careful. "Do you still think you're a warrior, Ashen?" I murmured, watching the fire in his eyes. "You can barely move."
He snarled, his body trembling from more than just exhaustion. His scent was thick in the air, wild and unclaimed.
"I see the real you now," I continued, voice low, steady. "No more lies. No more hiding. You can fight all you want, but it won't change the truth."
His breath hitched, panic flashing across his face before anger took over.
"I'm not a sub!" he shouted, his chest heaving. "I will never be a sub! I'd rather die!"
His words sent something sharp through me, something dark and possessive.
I cupped his jaw, forcing him to meet my gaze. "You're not going to die," I said, voice rough with something dangerous. "And you are not weak."
His jaw tightened. "I am not an omega."
I exhaled slowly, my thumb brushing against his skin. "What's so bad about being an omega, Ashen?"
His entire body went still.
For the first time, true fear flickered in his eyes. Not fear of me,fear of himself.
My grip softened. I could see it now. The years of pain. The weight of his past. The war inside him, raging louder than anything else.
Ashen had been fighting his own nature for so long… that he didn't know how to be anything but defiant.
I leaned in, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Who made you believe it was something to fear?"
Because whoever it was,they were already dead.
Or I'd make sure they were.
I kept my grip firm, my body pressing him into the cold stone beneath us. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his pulse wild beneath my fingertips. He wasn't just weak,he was unraveling.
His scent, no longer hidden, poured into the air, rich and unmistakable.
And yet, he still fought.
"Tell me how you did it," I demanded, my voice rough. "How did you hide your omega for this long?"
His breath hitched.
I searched his face, watching the way his lips parted like he was trying to find an answer, trying to find a way out. But there wasn't one.
"What have you done to your omega wolf?" I pushed. "Is that why you hate shifting?"
His body jerked, as if the words physically hurt him.
I saw it then,guilt. Raw, suffocating guilt. It bled into his scent, mixing with his fear, his rage, his desperation.
Ashen's throat bobbed, his hands clenching into fists where they were tied. His voice, when it came, was a broken snarl.
"Reject me."
The words were a knife to my gut.
"No."
"Reject me, Dominic," he spat, his body trembling. "You found your mate. Congratulations. Now let me go. I'll leave. I'll move far from the pack,I'll disappear."
I stared at him, my wolf snarling at the mere idea of losing him.
His eyes were wide, desperate. "Just let me go."
"Ashen—"
"No," he choked out. "I can't— I won't—" His breath was uneven, panic creeping in. "If you let me be a submissive, I'll kill myself."
The world stopped.
Silence crashed down between us, thick and suffocating.
Something inside me twisted, tight and painful. I had faced war. I had killed, fought, ruled. But this? This terrified me.
The way he said it.
Like it wasn't a threat,just a fact.
I grabbed his face, forcing him to look at me. "Stop this," I said, my voice shaking. "I can't let you go."
His lips trembled, but his eyes,his damn eyes—were full of so much fear.
I exhaled shakily, pressing my forehead to his, my grip still firm but my touch softer. Desperate.
"I won't let you go," I whispered. "And I won't let you break."
Because I had just found him.
I had thought tying him down would force him to listen. That exhaustion would leave him with no fight left.
I had been wrong.
Even now, barely conscious, his spirit was unshaken.
And I—damn me—respected it.
I exhaled, shifting my grip on him, watching his expression carefully. "Okay," I said finally. "Let's make a deal."
His body stilled, his brows knitting together in wariness.
"I'll let you continue," I murmured, my voice even. "Use whatever you've been using to hide your wolf. Your spells,your tricks,whatever you need to feel in control."
His throat bobbed, but he said nothing.
"But in return," I continued, "you come back to the pack."
His fingers twitched. I could feel the storm raging inside him, the war between his instinct to fight and the desperate need to believe me.
"Get to know me," I added, softer this time. "And don't hurt yourself, Ashen. Please."
His breath hitched.
I let the silence stretch between us, let my words settle.
Then I met his gaze again.
"Being a submissive isn't bad," I murmured. "But if you hate it so much…" I exhaled, my chest tight. "Fine. I won't force it."
His eyes widened, lips parting in disbelief. He hadn't expected that.
Hadn't expected me to listen.
I wasn't lying.
I wasn't backing down.
I just wasn't going to break him to claim him.
"Tell me what you use," I said. "The portion,the blockers, all of it." I held his gaze. "Let Ryker get it."
He swallowed hard, but still didn't move.
I leaned in, voice low. "He's on his way. I sent a signal to him."
Ashen's voice was quiet but firm. "The suppressants… they're in my room. Under the bed."
I watched him carefully. He was still tense, his body stiff like he was expecting me to go back on my word.
I didn't.
I slowly reached for the ropes around his wrists and untied them. His skin was raw from struggling, but he didn't react to the pain.
The moment he was free, he sat up, rubbing his wrists, but his movements were sluggish. Too weak.
I frowned. "What's in them?"
He didn't look at me. "Blackroot," he muttered. "Mixed with silver shavings."
I went rigid.
Silver. Fucking silver.
"That's poisoning you," I growled.
"It works." His voice was flat, emotionless.
I ran a hand down my face, exhaling sharply. No wonder he never shifts. No wonder he's this weak. He's been slowly killing himself.
I forced my voice to stay level. "You're not taking anything until I know you're stable."
His head snapped toward me. "You said—"
"I said I wouldn't force you into submission," I cut in. "But I'm not letting you destroy yourself."
His jaw clenched, but he didn't argue. Not this time.
I let out a slow breath and stood. "I'm going out to find Ryker. He might not see the cave."
Ashen blinked at me, his lips parting slightly. He looked… surprised.
Like he hadn't expected me to leave him alone.
I stared down at him. "Stay here," I ordered. "Rest."
He didn't answer.
But he didn't fight me, either.
That was progress.
For now.
I turned and left the cave, my mind still racing