Noah's breath came in short, sharp gasps.
His back was pressed tight against the rough bark, Theron's body caging him in.
Too close.
Too hot.
Too much.
But Noah didn't pull away.
He should have. He should have shoved the bastard off, should have snarled something sharp and cutting—something to regain control.
But Theron had his wrists trapped, his hips pinning him in place, and the heat between them was suffocating.
Theron leaned in, mouth brushing Noah's ear, his breath thick with amusement. "You're letting me do this."
Noah's jaw clenched. "I'm letting you think you have control."
Theron chuckled, deep and dark, smug as hell.
"Oh, little omega," he murmured, his hands sliding lower, tighter, keeping Noah exactly where he wanted. "I don't think I have control." His lips grazed Noah's throat, his teeth barely scraping. "I know I do."
Noah shivered before he could stop himself.
Theron felt it.
And the bastard smirked.
"See?" he whispered, dragging his lips slowly along Noah's pulse, deliberate, teasing, cruel. "Your body always tells the truth."
Noah's fingers curled into fists, every inch of him burning with frustration and something darker, something he refused to name.
"You want to bite me so badly," Noah hissed, voice low, dangerous. "Why don't you just do it?"
Theron stilled.
His grip tightened. His breath hitched—just slightly, just enough for Noah to notice.
A tense, charged silence stretched between them.
Then—
Theron's fingers slid up Noah's throat, tilting his chin just enough to make their eyes meet.
Noah's heart pounded.
Theron's golden gaze burned, filled with something raw, something unspoken.
"You don't know what you're asking for." Theron's voice was rough, strained.
Noah's lips curled. "I think I do."
Theron's fingers tightened, his jaw locking hard.
A low growl rumbled in his chest, vibrating against Noah's skin like a warning.
Or a promise.
Noah held his ground, even as Theron's lips ghosted over his own, even as the weight of the moment wrapped around them, suffocating, intoxicating, inescapable.
"You want me to lose control?" Theron rasped, his fingers digging into Noah's hips.
Noah exhaled shakily. "I want you to stop pretending you ever had it."
Theron snapped.
His mouth crashed against Noah's, all teeth and heat and unfiltered hunger.
Noah gasped, his back slamming against the tree as Theron devoured him, kissed him harder, deeper, pushing past every line they swore they wouldn't cross.
Theron pressed in, trapping Noah completely, his hands roaming, his fingers digging into bare skin, testing, teasing, claiming.
Noah's body arched into it before he could stop himself.
Oh, fuck.
Theron felt it.
And he groaned, low and wrecked, his hands tightening, his entire body trembling with restraint he was seconds from losing.
His mouth dragged down Noah's jaw, his teeth nipping, teasing, his tongue soothing every bite like he wanted to push Noah over the edge.
Like he needed to.
Noah hated how easy it was to fall into this, how good it felt to let himself burn.
His nails dug into Theron's shoulders, clinging, because fuck—he couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything but chase the heat.
Theron's hand slid lower, fingers brushing just under Noah's shirt, gripping his bare waist, holding him still.
And when Theron's lips found his throat again, when his teeth scraped, when his breath turned ragged—
Noah knew.
Theron was on the edge.
He could feel it in the way the alpha's hands shook, in the way his breath stuttered, in the way he was fighting every instinct screaming at him to take more.
Noah swallowed hard.
"This is what you wanted, right?" he whispered, voice breathless, daring.
Theron's grip tightened painfully.
Noah could barely breathe. Barely think.
Then—
Theron ripped himself away.
Noah sucked in air, his chest heaving, his body on fire, his pulse pounding so hard it echoed in his ears.
Theron stood there, his shoulders tense, his hands fisted, his breath uneven.
Golden eyes burned into Noah's—wild, desperate, fucking ruined.
"This can't happen," Theron gritted out.
Noah let out a shaky breath. "You keep saying that."
Theron's jaw clenched. "Because it's true."
Noah stared at him—really stared at him—and let a slow, wicked smirk curl his lips.
"No, Theron," he murmured, voice dripping with satisfaction.
"It's already happening."
Theron's breath stuttered.
Noah didn't wait for him to respond.
He pushed past him, slipping into the darkness, leaving Theron behind—frustrated, wrecked, and completely, utterly fucked.