Page 24 of His Snowbound Omega

Their time at the White Hunt must have been thrilling for some reason, enough that the alpha wanted to continue the game.

And there was nothing inherently wrong with what Baal was saying either. If Thorn’s subconscious began to associate Baal’s presence as a safe space, the odds of him getting pregnant during his next heat would rise.

“Take a shower,” the alpha instructed. “I’ll bring you a change of clothing. It’s too cold to walk out in a towel.” His expression darkened. “Did you know your heating system isn’t working?”

“I couldn’t…” He couldn’t afford this month's bill. “It’s fine. I have a pile of blankets I can sleep under.”

“It isn’t.” Baal tugged his arm free and then walked out of the bathroom, leaving Thorn standing there staring at the closed door.

A part of him wanted to follow, maybe even try to convince the alpha to leave, but the smarter part of him understood this was the lesser of two evils and he should be grateful. Whether he liked it or not, he’d signed himself over to the other man. If Baal had insisted on screwing, Thorn wouldn’t have been able to deny him.

There was too much to think about, but the energy drained out of him, and before long, it was difficult just to remain upright. When was the last time he’d slept? This morning didn’t really count, since it couldn’t have been for more than a few hours. The nights leading up to the White Hunt, he’d been too anxious to sleep much either.

Thorn stripped out of his clothing, taking care to fold it nicely and set it on the counter. The items were expensive and he didn’t want to give the alpha the wrong impression and come off as ungrateful, so he couldn’t leave them in a pile on the floor like he would have if he’d still been in his t-shirt and jeans.

The hot shower spray caused him to moan once before he caught himself, and he froze, ears straining to hear any sounds outside. If the alpha had heard him, however, it didn’t seem like he was going to interrupt.

He didn’t know what to make of that.

Didn’t know what to make of any of this.

“Tomorrow,” he promised himself as he quickly washed up and rinsed the suds from his skin. “I’ll deal with it all tomorrow.” Tonight, he’d allow himself a bit of grace. If he didn’t rest, he wouldn’t be able to function properly, and something told him he was going to be kept on his toes where the alpha was concerned.

The fact that Baal had predicted everything Thorn would ask for and already came prepared with an adjusted contract was frightening in its own way.

It meant the alpha had put real thought into this.

After one night?

Did that make sense?

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he muttered. He had no clue how the White Frost operated. Baal probably had a string of lawyers on retainer he could contact at any given hour. The contracts most likely hadn’t taken him long at all to get drawn up, not like it would for someone like Thorn.

This was just another passing fancy for the alpha.

Thorn didn’t need to overthink it.

Stepping out of the shower, he dried off and was about to reach for the door when it suddenly opened.

Baal stepped in quickly, shutting it behind him before too much steam could get out, and then handed over a bundle of clothing.

Thorn took it and waited, but the alpha made no moves to leave. With a sigh, he started to dress, careful not to drop the towel around his waist until he was already in the oversized t-shirt he was used to sleeping in. It didn’t cover him completely, but enough that he wasn’t too embarrassed. Not that he really had need to be, considering Baal had seen it all already, but there was something almost intimate about this moment.

He didn’t like it,

Or maybe he did.

Maybe he didn’t know.

“Who taught you how to dry your hair?” the alpha sounded displeased. He grabbed a clean towel from the rack by the door and came forward, cornering Thorn against the counter.

“It’ll air dry,” Thorn said, going still when Baal brought the towel over his head and started to take care of the job himself.

“I told you,” he growled, “it’s cold. What if you get sick?”

“I’ll be fine. My constitution isn’t that weak.” The alpha wouldn’t have wanted him as a potential baby daddy otherwise.

“I contacted the company. You’ll have heat by morning, so we’ll have to make do tonight.”