Dan
Dan groaned, burying his face deeper into the pillow just as Nick left his quarter. Fuck. Nick was driving him insane. The more Nick resisted, the more unbearable Dan's need became. It wasn't just physical, it was primal, instinctual, a gnawing hunger that clawed at him every waking moment. He couldn't recall the last time he'd come with such violent intensity, his release shaking him to his core, and yet it had done nothing to quench the fire raging inside him.
As a fully grown Grosh male, Dan wasn't accustomed to restraining his lust. He shouldn't have to. By now, he should have claimed his mate, marked every inch of his body with his scent, his venom, his come until it was unmistakable to anyone who came near him who he belonged to.
Dan's imagination betrayed him, conjuring vivid images of Nick, his hole full with Dan's cum, those expressive eyes glazed with satisfaction. The thought alone was almost enough to send Dan spiraling again, a guttural groan escaping his lips.
It was torture—a unique, sadistic kind—to suppress the raw instincts that came with Priming. His Avath was throbbing with a ferocity that rivaled the ache in his cock. The venom it secreted pulsed with demand, an evolutionary imperative to claim, to bind, to mark. His hand, still slick with his own release, rested uselessly at his side, the orgasm providing no solace to his body's insatiable needs.
Dan closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as he focused on willing the rebellious bone back inside. A guttural groan tore from him as its sensitive surface scraped against his inner walls, a sharp reminder of how close he was to losing control. He'd trained his Avath for combat, learned to wield it as a weapon in battles, where it served as a devastating advantage. But this...this was different. It was uncharted territory, the kind of challenge he had never faced. It wasn't about harm or defense. It was about surrendering to the most intimate and vulnerable of instincts.
The bond. The claiming. The keeping.
The thought of Nick as his mate, pliant and willing beneath him, filled him with a possessive longing that bordered on madness. He wanted to hold Nick down, sink into him until they were both so utterly sated that even the Priming hormones would be silenced. He wanted to rut Nick over and over, until exhaustion claimed them both or nature's relentless demands were finally met.
And yet, Nick had run, bolted out of his quarters as though the container Dan handed him were a live grenade. Dan's chuckle at the memory was half amusement, half irritation.
He knew how this worked. Nature would take its course. Nick could deny him for now, could run and resist all he wanted. But the transformation had already begun. It was only a matter of time before Nick's body gave in, before the changes completed and there was no escape. When his mate finally became his Omega in full, there would be no running away.
Dan exhaled sharply, his resolve hardening. For now, he would wait, but only because he had to. Soon, Nick would come to him, because he wouldn't have a choice. And when that happened, Dan would make sure Nick never wanted to leave again.
Dan exhaled sharply as he wiped the last remnants of his release from his body, his muscles taut with the lingering ache of unsatisfied instincts. He dressed in fresh clothes, each fabric brushing against his skin like sandpaper. The hormonal haze from his Priming made everything unbearable—every sound too loud, every sensation too sharp—but he knew he couldn't hide in his room forever. Questions were already being raised about his absence, and the last thing he needed was undue attention from the humans.
Grosh biology, especially during Priming, was a secret Dan was determined to keep. Humans were notoriously inquisitive, and their incessant curiosity would only lead to complications. He made a mental note to remind Ira to keep her study findings confidential. If she didn't comply, he wouldn't hesitate to erase the entire NEAE database, consequences be damned.
With a reluctant sigh, Dan left his quarters and made his way to the conference room for his first meeting in two days. The topic was alien immigration policies, an essential but mundane discussion. Dan did his best to focus, but his thoughts continuously veered toward Nick.
The gnawing ache in his chest and the fire in his veins were unrelenting. A primed Alpha without his mate was a ticking time bomb, his body screaming for the only remedy it recognized—mating. Back on Grosh, such Alphas were given full leave from their duties, secluded with their mates until the haze subsided through the only cure available: relentless, instinctual coupling. Here on Earth, that wasn't an option. Dan had no choice but to endure the pain, the longing, the incessant drive to claim what was his. He could only imagine what Nick was going through. His transformation into an Omega must be wreaking havoc on his body. If Dan was suffering this much, Nick's torment must have been tenfold.
"Are you alright?" Paula's voice cut through his thoughts like a blade. Her hand brushed against his thigh beneath the table, the light touch sparking irritation rather than comfort. Dan hissed low in warning, the sound feral and dangerous.
It wasn't the first time Paula had made such advances, but her timing couldn't have been worse. His body was hypersensitive, his instincts on edge. He didn't want anyone's hands on him except Nick's.
"Keep your hands to yourself," Dan growled, the menace in his tone making Paula flinch. She recoiled, her shock evident, and Dan regretted his harshness, if only slightly. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't understand the depth of his reaction. His hormones were making him volatile, every fiber of his being rejecting anyone but his mate. Even the cloying perfume Paula wore seemed to amplify his headache, its scent overwhelming his heightened senses.
"You don't look fine," Paula pressed, her voice softer now, but she didn't dare touch him again.
Dan shot her a warning glare. "I said I'm fine."
"Dan, haven't seen you around lately," another council member chimed in, a middle-aged human whose name Dan couldn't recall—or didn't care to remember.
"I was unwell," Dan replied curtly, his tone dripping with contempt. "Must be some nasty human flu."
The air in the room shifted as several members exchanged pointed looks, their offense clear. Dan didn't care. He had little patience for humans on the best of days, and today was far from one of those days. The only exception to his disdain was the one human male now primed to him—the one person who occupied his every thought.
By the time the meeting concluded, Dan felt a small measure of relief. The council members seemed disinclined to engage him further, and Paula wisely kept her distance. As he rose to leave, the tension in his body remained, but at least he was free from the stifling room and the prying gazes. He just wanted to retreat, to isolate himself until the next inevitable confrontation with his instincts—or with Nick.
Dan's steps echoed in the corridor as he strode purposefully toward his next meeting, his mind preoccupied with the grueling effort of suppressing his instincts. But all of that evaporated when he spotted Nick down the hallway.
Nick stood close to Kabir, one of the lab assistants, who had a hand draped over Nick's shoulder, leaning in far too intimately for Dan's liking. The sight made Dan's blood boil. His vision seemed to tunnel, his instincts roaring louder than ever. That was his mate, his Omega. No one else had the right to stand so close to him, to touch him like that.
Dan clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms in an effort to control himself. He told himself it was probably nothing—just a work conversation. But then he saw Nick's face. Flushed, perspiring, with a slight quiver in his movements. Dan knew the signs of Priming all too well, and Nick was clearly suffering worse than he was.
The ache of Nick's need was evident in every line of his body, in the way he shifted uncomfortably under Kabir's touch. Dan cursed under his breath. His mate's stubborn refusal to come to him was infuriating. He wanted to be the one soothing Nick's torment, easing the fire in his veins, but Nick's insistence on avoiding him was pushing Dan to the edge of his control.
Unable to hold himself back, Dan closed the distance between them in a few long strides. His heart thundered with a mix of anger and need as he stopped just a breath away from them.
"Excuse me," Dan said, his voice softer than he felt, though his jaw was tight. "Sorry to disturb you, but I need to talk to Nick."
Both Kabir and Nick turned toward him, surprised. Kabir, in particular, looked startled—Dan rarely interacted with staff, and his sudden presence was clearly unexpected. Nick, however, glared at him, his expression deadpan yet hiding something deeper.
"Alone. Now!" Dan's voice dropped, the growl escaping before he could stop it. It was harsher than he intended, and he saw Nick flinch, his body jolting in shock.
Nick shot Kabir a quick apology, then excused himself, walking stiffly toward Dan. His movements were guarded, his body language screaming irritation, but Dan knew better. He could scent the underlying need rolling off his mate.
"What do you want?" Nick asked in a clipped tone when they were out of earshot, crossing his arms defensively.
Dan didn't like the tone. No, he didn't like it at all. His Alpha instincts bristled at the disrespect, but more than that, it grated against the raw need clawing at him.
Without a word, Dan bent down and hoisted Nick over his shoulder in a fluid motion. The action was quick, primal, and impossible for Nick to fight off in his weakened state.
"Put me down!" Nick whisper-yelled, his fists pounding against Dan's back. His tone was more mortified than angry, likely because he knew Kabir—and half the staff, for that matter—were watching them.
Dan didn't care. Let them watch. He had one priority, and that was getting Nick somewhere private, somewhere safe, where they could finally stop this ridiculous dance of avoidance.
"You're drawing attention!" Nick hissed, his voice low and panicked, but Dan kept walking, his strides long and confident.
"Good," Dan said without breaking pace. "Maybe they'll finally understand you belong to me."
Nick's body stiffened at the words, but he stopped struggling. Dan could feel the tension in him, a mix of anger, embarrassment, and something else—something more primal. The fight in Nick's protests was half-hearted, and Dan knew deep down, Nick wanted this too. He was just too stubborn to admit it.
Dan pushed open the door to his quarters and kicked it shut behind him, locking it firmly.
***
Read the explicit version of full book on my Patreon.
Link- https://www.patreon.com/c/RHRose