Dominic's POV
I knew Ashen was stubborn.
Knew he had walls higher than any damn fortress.
But this? This was different.
He wasn't just being difficult—he was protecting something. Or maybe protecting himself.
And I hated that I didn't know why.
I watched him, standing stiff, his fists clenched, his entire body wound tight like a predator backed into a corner. He wasn't scared. Not in the way most people would be.
No, this was something deeper.
Something personal.
I pushed, just enough to see if he'd break. "Who is he?"
His jaw clenched. "None of your business."
The words were sharp, final. A dismissal.
Too bad for him—I didn't take orders from anyone.
"Ashen—"
"I don't need your concern, Alpha."
The title was a wall between us. A deliberate shift.
I ignored it.
"I'm not asking because I feel like it," I said, my voice measured. "I'm asking because if someone hurt you—"
He moved fast. Turned on me with wildfire in his eyes, all heat and fury, like he was trying to burn through whatever had just rattled him.
"What? You'll go rip him apart?" His laugh was bitter. "How noble. But I don't need saving, Dominic."
My patience frayed at the edges.
"I never said you did."
"Then leave it."
The silence that followed was thick, tense.
I could've pushed again. Could've forced the truth from him.
But something about the way he was standing—like holding himself together took everything he had—made me stop.
Not because I was giving up.
But because I recognized that look.
It was the same one I used to see in the mirror.
I exhaled sharply and stepped back. "Fine."
Ashen blinked, caught off guard by my sudden retreat.
Good. Let him think he'd won this round.
I turned to leave, but paused at the door.
I didn't look back when I spoke. "You don't have to tell me." My voice was quieter now, steadier. "But if you ever want to…" I finally glanced at him, meeting his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, Wolfe."
Then I walked out.
And for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel victorious.
I felt like I'd just lost something I didn't even know I needed.
I barely made it three steps down the hall before I stopped.
Frustration coiled in my chest, hot and suffocating. I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply.
Damn him.
Damn his stubbornness.
Damn the way he locked everything inside, acting like it didn't matter. Like he didn't matter.
I turned back.
No. I wasn't letting this go.
Without hesitation, I shoved the door open again.
Ashen whipped around, his eyes flaring with anger. "Are you serious?"
"Deadly." I stepped inside and shut the door behind me, slow and deliberate. "You're gonna tell me what the hell is going on."
"I already told you—it's none of your business."
I cocked my head. "See, that's where you're wrong." I stalked toward him, watching the way his shoulders tensed. "You're mine, Ashen. My pack. My—" I stopped myself, jaw tightening. "Whatever the hell this is between us, I'm not letting you deal with it alone."
His laugh was sharp, bitter. "Oh, so now you care? Since when?"
"Since the second I met you." The words left before I could stop them.
Ashen froze.
For a split second, something flickered in his eyes. Something raw. Unsteady.
Then he buried it.
He scoffed, looking away. "I don't need your pity."
"That's not what this is."
"I don't need your help."
"Tough." I took another step, closing the space between us. "Because I don't give a damn what you think you need. I'm not walking away."
He inhaled sharply, but didn't move.
Didn't shove me back like he should have.
I narrowed my eyes. "Tell me who he is."
Ashen clenched his jaw, his breathing uneven. "I don't owe you an explanation."
I growled lowly. "Then why did you hide?"
Silence.
Thick. Heavy.
His fingers curled at his sides. "Because I didn't want to deal with it." His voice was quieter now. Tired. "Because seeing him was the last thing I ever wanted."
Few seconds passed, with us just staring at each other,I had him pressed against the wall, my hands gripping his wrists, my body caging him in. His breath was uneven, his chest rising and falling fast.
But it wasn't just the way he looked the way his lips were slightly parted, his pupils blown wide.
It was the scent.
Rich. Overwhelming. Absolutely intoxicating.
I inhaled sharply, my grip tightening without thinking.
"Ashen…" My voice came out lower than I intended. "Is that from you?"
His eyes widened slightly, realization dawning.
"Impossible," he rasped. "The suppressants—"
He broke off, chest heaving. A flicker of panic crossed his features.
I leaned in, pressing my nose against his throat, right where his pulse pounded against his skin. Fuck. The scent was stronger here, warm and utterly his.
I growled low in my chest.
"You're in heat."
He let out a sharp breath. "No." His voice shook, but not with fear with something else. "The suppressants won't allow that."
But I could feel it. Smell it.
It wasn't fully there yet wasn't the all-consuming, undeniable pull of a true omega in heat but it was creeping in, curling at the edges.
My restraint was hanging by a thread.
I pressed closer, inhaling deeply. His body tensed under mine, his scent thickening as I crowded him against the wall.
"Get the fuck off me," he gritted out.
But his voice was weaker this time.
Unsteady.
I let out a low, dangerous hum. "You can barely say that."
His throat bobbed. His skin was burning under my touch.
I shouldn't be doing this
But his scent his fucking scent was making every instinct in me snarl.
Possess.
Claim.
I pressed my forehead against his, fighting for control.
"Fuck, Ashen," I growled. "You smell so good."
His breath hitched. His fingers flexed under my grip, like he wanted to push me away but couldn't.
I dragged my nose along his jaw, breathing him in.
Ashen's body trembled against mine, his scent thickening by the second. His pupils were blown wide, panic and something else something more primal swirling in his gaze.
His breathing was ragged, shallow, like he couldn't get enough air.
"Please don't do this," he begged, his voice barely above a whisper. "Help me…"
Fuck.
He didn't even know what he was begging for.
That realization cut through the haze gripping me, snapping the last thread of my restraint into place.
I forced myself to breathe, to loosen my grip, to pull back even when every instinct screamed at me to press closer. To claim. To make him mine.
Instead, I let out a slow, steady breath.
"It's okay," I said firmly, keeping my voice as calm as possible. "I won't mate you. I promise."
His body was burning up, sweat slicking his skin, making him shudder violently.
I released his wrists carefully, my hands lingering just in case he lost his balance.
He swayed.
Shit.
I reached for him instinctively, gripping his waist before he could collapse. His skin was hot too hot. His scent was thick enough to suffocate, rich and overwhelming, laced with desperation he didn't understand.
I clenched my jaw, forcing my instincts down as I guided him toward the bed.
His legs gave out the second he sat, his fingers digging into the sheets as he let out a low, broken sound.
I turned swiftly, locking the doors. My mind was racing.
This wasn't normal.
Not for an omega on suppressants.
Something was wrong.
I pressed a hand to my temple, forcing my voice steady as I mind-linked Ryker.
"Don't let anybody near Ashen's room. No one."
Ryker's response was immediate. "What the hell is going on?"
I glanced back at Ashen.
His body was trembling, his breath coming in harsh pants, his fingers curled so tightly around the sheets his knuckles were white.
He looked wrecked.
Completely helpless.
My chest tightened painfully.
I gritted my teeth. "Just do it, Ryker."
A pause. Then "Got it."
I severed the link, my attention snapping back to the omega struggling on the bed.
Ashen let out another strangled noise, his body twisting slightly like he was trying to escape something he couldn't outrun.
His scent was driving me crazy.
I clenched my fists.
Focus.
I moved to his side, crouching down so I was at eye level.
"Ashen," I said, carefully.
His glassy gaze flickered toward mine, filled with something I wasn't sure he even understood.
He swallowed hard.
"I don't—" His voice cracked. "What's happening to me?"
I exhaled slowly.
"That's what we're going to figure out."