Billionaire Byte: Geek to Alpha

The Bond That Shouldn’t Be

Chapter 18:

Nathaniel’s POV

For nights, sleep had eluded me. Every time I closed my eyes, Naomi was there—her defiant green eyes, the curve of her lips, the intoxicating scent that lingered in the air after she left the room. It was maddening. I had sent Victoria home to wait for my call, hoping the distance would help me think clearly, but the reality was I was going insane being around Naomi.

My wolf, Dom, was relentless. "Claim her. Mark her. She's ours." His voice was a constant growl in the back of my mind, urging me to give in. I wanted her so badly it hurt. But that couldn’t happen. It wouldn’t happen. I needed to extinguish this fire burning inside me, and if Naomi wasn’t an option, Victoria would have to do.

I hated myself for even thinking it, for using Victoria as a means to an end, but I was desperate. Desperation changes men—it makes them do things they’d never imagine, cross lines they’d never consider. And so, I made up my mind. I was going to Victoria’s villa.

As I approached her house, she spotted me from the window and ran out the door like an eager pup, throwing herself into my arms.

"I’ve missed you, baby," she cooed, pressing her lips against mine.

I let her kiss me, ignoring the overpowering smell of her perfume that clung to her skin like cheap cologne. When her lips parted against mine, she tasted like ash, and I forced myself not to gag. I needed a release. She would have to do.

Dom growled in disapproval. "This is beneath us."

"Shut it," I snapped internally, gripping Victoria’s waist tightly.

"Let’s go upstairs and have some fun," I teased her after breaking the kiss, my voice low as I kissed down her neck.

She giggled, her hands roaming over my chest as she led me inside. By the time we reached her bedroom, she was practically ripping my clothes off, her enthusiasm grating on my nerves. Her scent made my head ache, and the playful purr of her voice sent irritation rippling through me. When had being with Victoria become so difficult?

Once, I had thought she was everything I wanted—beautiful, confident, desirable. Now, everything about her grated at me. Her touch was too cold, her voice too shrill, her movements too eager. But I kept going, forcing myself to focus.

Clothes hit the floor as she pressed herself against me. Her hands trembled slightly as she tugged at my belt, and I gritted my teeth. I tried to accept her, tried to find some semblance of the attraction I used to feel, but nothing worked.

When my pants finally came off and my c**k sprang free, the memory of last night hit me like a freight train.

I hadn’t meant to see her. I needed to tell Naomi not to wake me the next morning since I planned to work from home. When I opened the door to her room, she had been mid-change, slipping into a sheer, silky nightgown. Her bare skin glowed in the dim light, and her curves were breathtaking. I growled before I could stop myself, slamming the door shut and bolting back to my room before Dom could take control.

"She’s ours," Dom had purred, his voice dripping with satisfaction.

Now, standing in Victoria’s bedroom, that memory burned in my mind. I tried to focus as Victoria dropped to her knees, taking me into her mouth with practiced ease. I exhaled, my body reacting out of habit rather than desire.

Her hands gripped my thighs as she moved, her lips sliding down my length. I closed my eyes, desperate to conjure a feeling—any feeling. Instead, all I could think about was Naomi. What would it feel like if it were her lips around me? Her hands gripping my thighs?

"You’re an i***t," Dom growled. "This isn’t what you want."

I ignored him, pumping hard into Victoria’s mouth, trying to lose myself in the sensation. Her gagging noises filled the room, and I hissed through my teeth. “Open your pretty little mouth for me, baby,” I growled, forcing myself to focus on the moment.

But then it hit me. A sharp, searing pain shot through the bond—Naomi’s pain. I froze, my hands tangling in Victoria’s hair.

“What the hell?” I muttered, stepping back abruptly. Victoria looked up at me, confusion and frustration written all over her face.

“What’s wrong?” she asked breathlessly, wiping her mouth.

I didn’t answer her. I couldn’t. The bond was flaring stronger than ever, Naomi’s emotions bleeding into mine. Fear. Pain. Desperation.

"You’re connected to her more deeply than you think, pup," Dom said, his voice heavy with satisfaction. "She’s hurting. Go to her."

I shoved Victoria away, pulling up my pants and buckling my belt.

“Nathaniel!” she snapped, scrambling to her feet. “What’s going on? You’re just going to leave?”

“I have to go,” I said shortly, grabbing my shirt and shoes.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she yelled, her voice shrill and piercing. “I’m your fiancée, and you’re leaving in the middle of—”

“Go to bed, Victoria,” I said coldly, cutting her off as I stormed out the door.

I raced home, the bond pulling at me like a leash.

The pain hit me like a freight train, sharp and relentless, radiating through every nerve in my body. At first, I thought it was Naomi’s physical pain, something immediate and tangible. But the more it persisted, the more I realized this was different. It wasn’t just pain—it was betrayal. A twisting ache in my chest that clawed at me from the inside out.

I needed answers, and I wasn’t about to wait for them. Pulling out my phone, I dialed the only person I trusted with matters like this—Dr. Marcy Behrens.

Marcy was wolfless, but also one of the best doctors specializing in wolf physiology. Her lack of a wolf made her work even more remarkable; she understood us better than most wolves did themselves. She picked up on the second ring.

“Nathaniel,” she said, her voice calm and professional. “What can I do for you?”

“I need you to come to my penthouse,” I said, my voice tight. “Now.”

The moment Marcy said it, everything in my world tilted.

“Betrayal pains,” she had explained, her voice steady and clinical. “They only happen in wolves with a deeply connected bond. Even unmarked mates can feel them if their bond has strengthened through time or emotional closeness.”

Her words hit like a sucker punch to the gut. Betrayal pains. I’d read about them in passing, but they’d always seemed more like folklore than reality—something rare and almost mythical. And yet, there I was, sitting on the couch in my own penthouse, feeling like the biggest i***t in the world.

Because I caused it.

I’d spent so much time fighting this bond, pushing Naomi away, treating her like a nuisance instead of my mate. And in doing so, I had inflicted the very pain I’d felt rip through me earlier. My wolf, Dom, growled low in my mind, his tone both scolding and smug. “I told you, pup. You can’t run from this.”

“Shut up,” I muttered aloud, though I knew he was right.

I looked up at Marcy, who was packing away her medical equipment with her usual efficiency. She’d examined Naomi earlier, confirming that the episode was indeed the result of our bond. Naomi had been quiet through the whole thing, her green eyes avoiding mine as though she couldn’t stand to look at me. And why would she? I had done this to her.

Marcy straightened, looking at me with her usual no-nonsense expression. “Nathaniel, this bond is stronger than you think. You’re both feeling the effects because you’ve gotten closer—whether you admit it or not. Emotional proximity can strengthen the connection between fated mates even without a mark.”

“But why would the Moon Goddess give me this type of connection with her?” I asked, my voice heavy with frustration. “Naomi Rae? The girl who bullied me in high school? How does that make any sense?”

Marcy sighed, her sharp eyes softening slightly. “Sometimes, the strongest bonds come from the most unexpected places. Maybe the Moon Goddess paired you with her because you’re meant to heal each other. Or maybe she’s forcing you to confront something you’ve buried.”

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees as her words sank in. Heal each other? That seemed laughable. Naomi and I had spent years as enemies—well, mostly me hating her while she tormented me. Even now, with everything that had happened, I wasn’t sure I could forgive her.

But then there was the bond. That inexplicable pull that made me want her even when I didn’t want to. It wasn’t just physical—it was deeper, more primal. The thought of her being in pain, especially because of me, made my chest ache in a way I couldn’t ignore.

Marcy’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Nathaniel, the bond isn’t going away. The more you resist it, the worse it will get—for both of you. You need to figure out what you want and commit to it.”

“What I want is to stop feeling like I’m losing my mind,” I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.

“That’s not going to happen until you stop fighting the inevitable,” she said bluntly. “You’re mated, Nathaniel. Whether you like it or not.”

After Marcy left, I paced the living room, my mind racing. Naomi had retreated to the guest room, and I could feel her through the bond—a faint hum of emotions that were muted but still present. She was hurt, and not just physically.

Dom growled again. “You caused this. Fix it.”

“Fix it?” I said aloud, shaking my head. “How the hell am I supposed to fix this?”

“Start by being honest—with her and with yourself.”

Honesty. That was rich, coming from a wolf who had spent years badgering me to claim a mate I didn’t want. Except now…

I stopped pacing, staring out the window at the city lights below. Did I still not want her? Or was I just too stubborn to admit that I did?