For a few seconds, neither of them moved. The room was silent except for their breathing....harsh, uneven, and heavy with tension. Gabe's palms were pressed flat against Alex's chest, feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat beneath his touch.
Heaven knows how much I've wanted to touch these abs, and here we are, Gabe thought, his expression flickering with a mix of excitement and disbelief. His fingers twitched slightly as he cupped Alex's chest with intense satisfaction. So hot!
"Are you done?" Alex finally asked, his tone calm but laced with restrained irritation, snapping Gabe out of his whirlpool of thoughts.
Before Gabe could respond, Alex moved swiftly. In a blur of motion, he flipped Gabe over, making the man land on his back with a soft thud on the tiled floor. Alex hovered above him, the pillow that had been shielding his own erection now pressed between them, a fragile barrier.
"I asked if you're done harassing me?" Alex's voice was low, controlled, yet dangerously sharp.
"Harr... harassing you?!" Gabe stammered, eyes wide in shock.
But Alex didn't bother to argue. He quickly stood up, still clutching the pillow, before positioning it discreetly between his legs. Without another word, he bent down, scooped Gabe up effortlessly in a bridal carry, and placed him gently back in his wheelchair.
"Thank you," Gabe muttered, swallowing hard, embarrassment tinting his cheeks. "And I'm... I'm sorry about the fall."
I used too much force, he thought, glancing down at his trembling hands. I forget sometimes.....I'm an Alpha, not an Omega. But everyone sees me as one because of the pills I take to hide my dominant pheromones, to make myself appear weaker... like normal omegas. Still, even with the scent-suppressant working in my system, making me an omega for now, I can tell....I pushed him hard enough to make a Beta like him stumble. He's weaker than I thought.
"You purposely did that, Mr. Gabe," Alex said, exhaling heavily as he sank onto the sofa. He placed the pillow on his lap again, using it to conceal the painful evidence of his arousal. His gaze lingered on Gabe, steady, assessing, unreadable. "After I told you I wasn't feeling well."
If I hadn't kept my dominant side in check, Alex thought grimly, that tiny push of yours would've left you with a broken bone or worse. Your frail body can't handle my full strength. Even with the suppressant dulling my pheromones, the beast in me isn't easily restrained.
He ran a hand down his face, inwardly frustrated. Maybe it's a good thing I'm affected by your scent. It sells the illusion that I'm sick and it gives me an excuse for why I fell so easily from that little shove.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Alex," Gabe said softly, guilt creeping into his voice. "I just... I just can't bring myself to leave your office. Before coming here, I had to google about you." He gave a small, nervous laugh, his eyes pleading. "It says online that you're the number one therapist who specializes in broken marriages. Only you can save mine."
Alex blinked, slightly taken aback.
"I can't invite my husband here," Gabe continued, his tone trembling. "He would never show up. He hates therapy and he hates it even more when I talk about him to anyone. If I do, he'll just... ruin things further."
Alex leaned back, crossing one leg over the other, studying Gabe with a mixture of pity and irritation. "You told me your husband cheats on you, Mr. Gabe," he said finally, his tone dropping low and serious. "And yet, you still want to win him back?" He sighed heavily, pressing his fingers to his temples. "If I'm being honest with you, I'd say.....love yourself more. Focus on healing you. Because chasing after someone who's already left you emotionally... that's not love, that's self-destruction."
He paused, his gaze softening just slightly. "Although, if you'd brought him here, I could've at least tried to talk some sense into both of you. Let him speak for himself. Maybe see if there's anything left worth saving. But right now? I'm stuck with someone who refuses to see that the marriage is already broken and that sometimes, you have to let go."
Gabe raised an eyebrow, clearly offended. "Is a therapist supposed to say that?" he asked sharply. "I love my husband, Mr. Alex. A lot. And I'll do everything to win his heart back. You just need to guide me, and I promise, everything will be fine."
Alex gave a faint, humorless laugh, leaning back with folded arms.
You're hopeless, he thought with a sigh, his expression unreadable. And yet... something about you makes it hard to look away.
"There's nothing I can do for you, for real," Alex finally voiced out with a heavy sigh, leaning back against his chair as exhaustion crept into his tone.
"There is," Gabe countered firmly, his gaze intense despite the weariness shadowing his face. "You can teach me various sex positions to win my husband back like I said earlier. Anything....anything to win him back." His voice cracked slightly at the end, betraying a mix of desperation and shame.
Alex let out a scoff. "And how exactly am I supposed to do that?" he asked, one brow lifting in disbelief. "Am I supposed to practice all of that on you after which you'll go and use it on your husband?" His tone sharpened into incredulity.
He scoffed softly, trying to mask the discomfort prickling his skin. "If you need guidance on sex, I can recommend some books....ones that explain everything in detail. You can read them, follow the steps, and practice with your husband."
Though I doubt he can, Alex thought bitterly, a quiet scoff slipping through his lips as he studied the man before him. He's crippled. How's he supposed to seduce anyone, let alone chase after his husband if the man finds him disgusting? His eyes softened briefly before turning distant. At this rate, it's only his husband who could ever take the lead....do things to him, not the other way around. But what can I say? He's stubborn. So damn stubborn. I just wish he'd leave me alone. Our first session already made me miserable enough. I'd rather deal with any other client than him.
"Yes, you can practice all that on me. I'm not complaining," Gabe said suddenly, his bluntness cutting through Alex's thoughts. His tone was calm, but the words themselves sent waves of shock and disbelief coursing through Alex's spine.
"What...." Alex's voice caught as his pulse quickened. "What did you just say?"
"We're not going all the way," Gabe clarified, his expression earnest, almost pleading. "Just the basics would help. You're my therapist, which means I should be able to confide in you, to talk about my problems without fear of judgment. A therapist isn't supposed to judge, they're supposed to help. Besides…" he paused, his eyes softening, "…you're a Beta, and I'm an Omega. There's nothing like 'going all the way' between us. Anything that happens here would just be a test run....something to help me rekindle what's dying in my marriage."
Alex let out a long, heavy breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "I'm trying to help you," he said, his voice low but edged with frustration. "But you're pushing my hand away at every turn, twisting everything I say. And I'm not judging you,...I'm doing my best to guide you but what you're suggesting is completely against my profession as a therapist."
"Then guide me," Gabe replied almost immediately, his tone desperate yet steady. "If you want to help me, then help me by showing me. Like I said, maybe this will even motivate me to regain my strength, to get back on my feet." His gaze turned fierce, determination flashing in his eyes. "Who knows, maybe when I can finally stand again, when I can survive outside this broken marriage....I might actually leave him if he doesn't change."
Alex stared at him, caught between disbelief and reluctant empathy. There was something raw, painfully sincere in Gabe's words that made his chest tighten despite his better judgment.
But before he could speak, Gabe added suddenly, his lips curling into a faint, teasing smirk that shattered the heavy silence in the room.
"Besides," he said slowly, "why are you acting all difficult?" His eyes dropped meaningfully for a brief second before meeting Alex's again. "You're already hard."
Alex froze.