“Thank you.”
“This way,” he said with a grunt.
Liam started to climb the stairs. He didn’t bother dragging the luggage. He hefted it without much effort. The Omega packed light although he wouldn’t be surprised if all of Eli’s essentials were inside his luggage.
“What were you doing, before I came in I mean?” Eli asked behind him.
Eli was curious about him, huh?
“Repairs. The roof was leaking. Don’t worry. Everything should be working fine in your room.” Liam assured the Omega. He didn’t want Eli suddenly changing his mate. It wasn’t about the money either. The prospect of Eli leaving and Liam never seeing him again daunted him.
“Oh. That’s good then,” Eli said.
Liam sensed another presence lurking on the second floor. Recognizing Lucas’s scent, he let out a low, warning growl. Lucas didn’t bother Eli or him. Good. Liam wanted to get to know his Omega better. Find out what exactly brought Eli here.
His Omega. When did Liam starting calling Eli that? It didn’t feel wrong calling Eli his. It felt exactly the opposite. Too bad Eli could never be truly his.
For one, Eli wore another shifter’s claiming mark on his neck but his bear wasn’t concerned. He wasn’t sure why, but Liam knew that with time, that mark would fade.
Whoever had a hold on Eli, it wasn’t a true bond. A gift like Eli shouldn’t be wasted on a brute like him. Liam lived on this mountain with his brothers and far away from the rest of the town by choice.
Up here, they made their own rules. They weren’t defined by the mistakes or sins their father made—at least they could pretend they weren’t. Liam stopped in front of Eli’s room.
“Keys,” he said.
Eli nudged him aside. Liam took a step back and let Eli open the door. The Omega slipped inside the room. Liam turned the lights open.
Liam gave Eli this room for two reasons. One, it was recently cleaned and two, the lights and the heater worked. Liam couldn’t say the same for the rest of the lodge.
This place was a sinkhole. The plumbing was a nightmare. There were cracks in the walls and ceiling. The floors needed to be replaced. The roof constantly needing patching up.
Just last week, a sink from a room on the second floor simply fell. Everything was falling apart or on the verge of breaking.
Liam and his brothers knew that but none of them could bear to let the place go. The lodge was like a reflection of Liam and his brothers. They were broken, beyond fucked-up. Unfit to mingle with the rest of the civilsed masses below the mountain.
“Well, have a good night,” Liam said.
He had no other reason to linger. War raged inside of him. Liam wanted to get to know Eli better, and yet if he did that, Liam would only doom them both.
He was already attracted to Eli. Liam hadn’t felt this kind of magnetism to anyone before. Sure, Liam had been in lust once or twice but this was beyond lust.
Was it obsession? Something else?
“Wait,” Eli blurted, grabbing his arm.
Liam looked down at the same time Eli did, at the rough mess of scar tissue that covered his forearm. Eli widened his eyes. Liam almost expected Eli to ask, to pry about the old injury but Eli didn’t.
“Thank you, for everything.” Eli let out a laugh. It was a nervous sound but it didn’t fail to stir his dick awake. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“Liam,” he said.
Liam didn’t trust himself around this fragile Omega. Not one bit. Fragile. Eli certainly wasn’t that but if he lingered any longer, he’d put Eli in danger.
Liam entertained dirty thoughts of throwing Eli on that big king-sized bed and having his way with him. He doubted Eli would fight him because he didn’t miss the hard-on Eli spotted for him earlier or Eli’s scent of arousal.
“Liam,” Eli said his name tentatively as if he was tasting the syllables on his tongue.
“Good night, Eli,” he said, then shut the door behind him.
4
Eli
After unpacking, Eli didn’t know what to do next. He looked at the gigantic room. Like the rest of the lodge, the furniture in the suite looked old. The walls could use some paint or new wallpaper.
Back in his car, all Eli could think about was reaching his destination and falling asleep on a warm bed. He didn’t feel sleepy. The adrenaline of meeting Liam hadn’t faded yet. Maybe a hot shower could help.
Eli stripped out of his clothes and entered the bathroom. He stepped inside the shower. The blast of icy water made him shiver. He waited and the water finally turned warm. Eli shut his eyes and touched his stomach.
“We’re safe,” he whispered to the empty bathroom.
Eli did it after all. He finally managed to escape Steve’s clutches but for how long?
Eli didn’t have a job. The cash he swiped would only last him a couple of weeks. Steve’s cash. Hell, he never worked a single day in his entire life, although he wanted to.
His parents forbade it, believing Eli would catch the eye of some opportunist Alpha who would steal him away. Steve refused to hear of it, believing Omegas were meant to stay at home and remain servants for the rest of their lives.
Eli could drive down to town and look for a job. His funds would run out sooner or later. Eli decided he liked that solution. If he could generate his own income, he could stay here a little longer.
And do what? Play house with Liam?
He knew next to nothing about the mysterious and growly werebear. Eli normally squirmed and couldn’t meet the gazes of Alphas he came across. His wolf would usually hide, curl into a tiny ball until Eli could barely feel the animal.
Some days, he was sure a chicken shared his skin, not a wolf. Strangely, Eli didn’t feel threatened by Liam one bit. He felt the exact opposite.
Eli
