HERLO: A No Is A No

I didn’t answer him, I couldn’t. It was hard thinking rationally when I felt hot all over, my mind clouded with his pheromones.

I could plead to have him scent-mark me, but I wouldn’t. Not a jerk like him. All I needed were suppressants, I would survive on them alone. I didn’t need him.

Romare’s inscrutable expression changed a bit. He continued looking at me in silence, his gaze sharp. it was a hundred times more unnerving than any words.

But suddenly. “Don’t even think about it! Because I won’t.”

“I didn’t ask,” I said calmly—or at least I tried to. “You know it would be better for you to just kill me.”

His lips thinned. “Why do that, when I can punish you for what you’ve done? You’re only alive because killing you would be me giving you the easy way out. Did you think I was going to let you go scot-free after trapping me?”

“I didn’t trap you. Your actions were your own fault!” I fought the urge to squirm under his cruel stare, my breathing ragged. “And you refusing to simply kill me i-isn’t because you want to take your time punishing me for a crime I didn't commit. You simply know that if you kill me, your life is going to be nothing short of agony. But you’re also forgetting something.”

“Herlo—“

“I can kill myself.”

Romare quickly moved closer and grabbed my chin, so hard it hurt. “Do you think it’s wise? Testing me?”

Of course not! Hell I was trembling on my knees. He was Romare fucking Vitale, the only eixtsing supreme alpha, and the most godlike of our kind to ever walk the earth.

His strength was rumoured in a way it was frightening: not even his father knew of his full potential, what this man could completely become, I might even add I’d glimpsed fear in his father’s eyes back there in the hall for a few seconds. He naturally had better speed, and strength, nothing any other alpha could ever taste. Roamare Vitale was simply better than everyone…ever.

I opened my mouth to talk, but his phone rang and he raised his finger at me, shutting me up while he proceeded to answer his calls.

“What?” he snapped after a moment.

My ears perked. I didn’t have a wolf, but my six senses weren’t anything dull.

“This incident is already on the tabloids and everywhere,” I heard the man on the other side say. “I don’t know which of the guests started it, but it’s already circulating that you marked a wolfless omegas, in an unguarded very filthy heat. They are wondering what could make a man like you fall so low.”

“Take them down, Leo,” Romare ordered.

“Sir, it’s not going to be easy and—“

“Leo! Don’t make me repeat myself!”

“Yes sir. But…I may not be able to stop the reporters that may wound up at your company tomorrow morning. What should I do?”

Romare’s hardened gaze shifted to me and he hung up the call without ever answering the man. His movement was quick before I could stop it and I winced at his fingers suddenly wrapped around my throat. Every ounce of intention to kill me was clear on his face.

“Let…go of me,” I bit out.

He didn’t.

“Why did you do it?” he instead questioned.

“Do what?”

Romare snapped, shouting, “Why did you trap me? You definitely had the intention, because while the invitation said every unmated omega could attend, it never said anything about omegas in heat!” with every word, his anger seemed to grow. “You came in there hiding beneath the suppressants, did you really think nobody would find out?”

I studied him curiously.

“For the third time, I didn’t…” My breath caught in my throat, my head becoming fuzzier. “…I didn’t trap you. Please…please get away from me.”

But he didn’t. He tilted my chin up, forcing me to look into his emerald eyes. “I’m going to ask you again, what the fuck was your motive? Why did you come here in the heat?” he growled at my lack of response. “I do not ask things twice.”

“B-but you just did,” I pointed out, involuntarily leaning into the touch of his hands, caressing his wrist to scrap every little of his warmth. As much as I hated the idea of everything, he was my mate, my alpha and I wanted his touch, his scent, anything at all just to help me through this.

But he wouldn’t, Romare Vitale would never.

He snatched his hand back, rubbing it off on his coat as if I was a filthy dirt he couldn’t stand.

I glared at him, my hands fisting by my sides.

He waited with a bated breath, but with every passing second, it was becoming increasingly obvious that this man was as cruel and unfeeling as he looked. There was pure satisfaction in his gaze as he watched me struggle, knowing I was in pain.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he said, lacing his thick fingers together. “Why did you come here in heat? If you don’t answer me and tell me what I want to know, I’ll make this more painful than it already is.”

Hatred crawled up my spine and I managed a grin on my lips, all the while maintaining my heavy breathings of need. “I don’t need you to get through this.”

Silence.

And then I watched his eyes narrow as he tipped his head to the side.

“What do you need then to get through it?” he asked. “Suppressants?”

I nodded. “Give them to me.”

“No.”

I blinked at him. “W-what do you mean, no?”

“A no is a no.”

“Are you crazy?” I searched his face for a trace of a lie or a joke, but frowned when he continued to be stone-faced. “What is your problem? I need those suppressants! I’m not going to survive without one!”

“Who says I care?” He arched a dark brow. “Didn’t you threaten to take yourself out? Well, you need to learn that I’m a tough man, and losing a ma—you, whom I have no emotional bond with or care about isn’t going to ruin me. I can help you die very slowly if you want. Do you want that, Herlo?”

“It’s all your fault!” I screamed at him, frustrated and in pain. “I had suppressants, you ruined it! Give me the suppressants, Romare.”

“Answer my questions and get it.” His fingers rushed to my curls, gripping and jerking me closer. Hard green eyes bored into mine. “Why the fuck did you come here in heat?”

“Answer me!”