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"I won't," Bryan breathed. His body still shivered with pleasure, the humming vibration and the smoldering heat just barely quenched with their sex. How could he ignore what had happened? They had captured him. And more than that, Bryan didn't want things to be reversed. He was addicted.

"You already do," Gan said. "Otherwise you wouldn't have returned to the forest."

Bryan looked down at his dirt-caked body, wincing as control and clarity returned.

"Come back to the village with us," Nugai said. He reached out to help him stand, but Bryan recoiled. He couldn't reconcile the fact that hewantedto go with them despite everything he thought he believed about Direlings. It was like he was suddenly tempted to do something that he'd always known was dangerous. He'd gone his entire life being told stories of Direlings and how brutal and horrible they were, and now he wanted nothing more than to disappear into the forest with these Alphas. He was being tugged in two directions, and it felt as if he might split apart.

"I can't," he said, muttering to himself. "My family. I can't..."

Gan crouched in front of him. "This is a place for rituals and mating, not for conversation. Come with us. Clean yourself, eat, and we will speak."

Gan offered his hand and Bryan stared hesitantly. Could he even trust his own judgement? How much further down this rabbit hole could he go? He reached out and took the Alpha's hand.

He was willing to find out.