“I hate the feeling of it,” he said, nodding to the lube.
“It’s more of a just in case,” Cole said, kicking off his sweatpants and reaching for the condoms instead.
Josh busied his fingers against the nape of his neck as he heard the tear of a condom wrapper. A hand closed over his, Cole making a sound of muted inquiry.
“It’s usually enough by itself to get me ready,” he explained.
In his experience, most people didn’t spend enough time or effort on the warm-up. Better he took it into his own hands.
When he reached for his neck again, Cole stopped him. Josh glanced at him, uncertain. He wanted this to feel good, to feel effortless. Not like a job he couldn’t wait to finish.
“Trust me,” Cole said softly, squeezing his hand.
Josh let the alpha guide his hand back to his side. Then Cole urged him up onto his knees, facing the fire. The alpha sat behind him, his legs either side of Josh.
His hands found Josh’s tense shoulders, massaging them gently. He moved closer and closer to Josh’s neck until his thumbs pressed lightly into the soft skin there.
“Chin to chest,” Cole urged.
Josh did as he was told, and let out a low, mewling moan when Cole kissed the nape of his neck. The alpha’s skilled fingers teased the edges of his gland.
Cole knew every trick in the book, and he used all of them: fingers, lips, tongue, and even teeth, biting down gently and forcing a cry of pure pleasure from Josh’s throat.
By the time Cole was done, he’d wrung half a dozen pleas and moans from Josh’s lips. Josh was wet and more than ready for him.
When the alpha’s hands urged him down onto his side, he moved willingly.
“Are you sure?” Cole murmured.
“I’m sure.”
The alpha’s hand wrapped around his knee, urging it up, spreading him. He felt a finger tease across his crease, over the soft skin of his balls and back to circle his entrance. It pushed inside, Cole letting out a low groan of pleasure matched by Josh’s own.
“You’re ready for me,” the alpha murmured.
“Always,” Josh promised. “If you kiss like that.”
He’d never had someone give his mating gland so much attention. His whole body felt alive with it, a throbbing need centered between his legs.
Cole chuckled and leaned forward, seeking his eyes.
“Believe me, Josh. That is just the beginning. I could spend all day stroking your neck, just tiny little touches, again and again, until you can’t think straight.”
It sounded like heaven.
“Yes. Take me out of my head, Cole. Please.”
Cole kissed his shoulder in answer. He pressed his hand to Josh’s knee, spreading him wider, and eased forward.
The stretch felt amazing: tightness and pressure gave way to the most gorgeous friction as every inch of Cole’s length and girth pressed inside.
“Okay?” Cole’s voice was heavy with tension.
“You’re… you…” Josh was tongue-tied but in a good way. He nodded instead, reaching a hand back, needing to touch Cole, to ground himself on the alpha.
“Then let’s see if we can’t send you soaring,” Cole said. “Get you looking down on us from above.”
The words were meaningless, but Josh got it. Cole pulled out, almost to the tip, then slowly pushed back in. He did it again and again, intense and steady, giving Josh no choice but to feel every inch of sensation.
Cole gradually sped up, settling into a faster rhythm, his hips snapping against Josh with each thrust. His hand around Josh’s knee let go to press against his stomach, then slowly inched downward to wrap around the base of Josh’s shaft. Josh moaned loudly at that, thrusting into Cole’s hand.
If this had been any other alpha, Josh would have been doing more than moaning. He’d have been praising them, constantly aware at all times of his expression, the position of his body, of theirs. Cole didn’t give him room to think. Each thrust filled the space inside him, pushed every thought from his head, and left nothing but feelings of pleasure and closeness.
“I’m close, Josh,” Cole warned, and then he rolled him onto his knees.
The shift in position made Cole’s next thrust sink deeper. The alpha’s cock dragged against that spot inside Josh, the one that ached for contact but rarely got it.
“Please,” Josh moaned; the first word he’d spoken since Cole had started thrusting in earnest.
The force of the alpha’s next thrust rocked him onto his hands and hit that spot inside him again, sending a shock of pleasure through his body. He tightened around Cole, and the alpha growled, chasing the sensation. Cole’s hand on Josh’s shaft pumped him in time with the next thrust and the next, until Josh couldn’t hold out any longer, falling apart with a long, drawn-out cry.
Time fell to pieces, and the room faded around him. All he knew was the press of the alpha inside him, where their bodies joined, and the ecstasy that stretched right up to where the alpha’s lips kissed his neck.
The last thing he remembered was Cole’s arms around him, easing him to lie on the floor. Warm words of praise murmured over and over in his ear. Sleepy but sated, he smiled.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Josh was out for the count, a smile on his face. Cole didn’t want to disturb him, so he just curled up behind him, content to have the omega safe and settled. Once the fire died down, he lifted a still-sleeping Josh into his arms and carried him to bed, climbing in beside him. They slept soundly until morning.
Cole woke first, thinking over the day before and what their next steps might be. As much as he might like to hope that the previous day’s ending said a lot more than anything else, he still had some damage control to do where Josh and the pack were concerned. The first person to talk to was Josh, and then he’d tackle the pack.
“Do you always look this grumpy first thing in the morning?”
Cole glanced over to find Josh watching him, a sleepy smile on his face.
“Most days,” Cole teased. “Before I’ve had my coffee.”
“Coffee sounds good,” Josh said, stretching. “And cinnamon buns.”
“Coffee I can do,” Cole agreed. “Anything more than toast or a bagel requires an errand run.”
“Toast and jam,” Josh amended. “That’d be nice.”
“Breakfast in bed, coming up.”
When he returned, they ate their toast, drank their coffee, and Cole broached what he’d been mulling over.
“How would you feel about talking over where we might go from here?”
Josh chewed and swallowed a bite of toast, looking thoughtful.
“Doesn’t last night answer that question?”
Cole knew it wasn’t that simple.
“Last night was about you and me. That’s a whole other question to you being a Keeper.”
Josh was quiet for a moment.
“You said I had options. I think I’d like to know what they are.”
Cole grinned at that. “I’ll tell you what I know, but there’s some gaps in my knowledge. Oliver should be able to fill some of those, and Brax knows a military recruiter. That guy’ll charm the pants off you, but he’ll give you a good rundown of your options. Shouldn’t be too hard to get someone from a nursing school admissions office to fill in those blanks.”
Josh gave an awkward shrug.
“I can’t really see myself as a nurse. Or in the military. I don’t think I’m cut from that kind of cloth.”
“And I think you’re selling yourself short.”
“You just want to see me in uniform,” Josh teased.
“I’d like your permission to talk with the pack. I want to bring everyone up to speed, and to see if we can talk to you about what your options are with us.”
“Do you need my permission?” Josh asked.
“No, but keeping you in the dark almost lost us everything yesterday. I won’t risk that again. I won’t risk you again.”
The soft smil
e Josh aimed his way was a sight to behold.
“Okay. Then I guess it’s alright with me if you talk to the pack.”
Cole cupped Josh’s cheek and kissed him on the lips.
“Thank you,” he murmured.
They finished their breakfast, and Cole went to take care of the horses. He left Josh to rest but wasn’t surprised when the omega appeared outside to help him a few minutes later.
“I thought you were relaxing.”
Josh shrugged. “I know it sounds strange, but I kind of find chores relaxing. Not just working with the horses, but all the other stuff too.”
“It doesn’t sound strange,” Cole promised him. “Sometimes, there’s nothing more I like than to grab a sweeping brush and set to.”
They worked side by side for an hour before Josh headed inside and Cole made his way to the packhouse. He’d sent everyone a text after breakfast, telling them they needed to talk. They were all gathered in the living room when he arrived.
“I think this might be a first for you, Cole. Calling a pack meeting,” Brax said with a grin. “Is there something you want to tell us?”
Damn it. They thought he was coming with good news about him and Josh.
“Duke jumped the gun yesterday and let the cat out of the bag. Josh learned we think he’s a Keeper, and he took the news pretty badly.”
Duke pressed a hand to his face as Oliver spoke up.
“Badly how?”
“Packed his bags and took off on foot, in the middle of all that rain. He thinks—he thought—that was why we were keeping him around. So our pack would have a Keeper until someone better came along.”
“Damn it,” Duke said. “I’m sorry, Cole. When I spoke to him about it, it sounded like he knew. If I’d realized…”
Cole gave a sharp shake of his head. “Wasn’t your fault, Duke. I should have told him sooner. That’s on me.”
“You talked him around?” Brax asked.
“He’s agreed to stay for now. In return, I promised we’d be open and honest going forward. And that we’d make sure he was aware of the options available to him as a Keeper.”
“Our pack isn’t good enough for him?” Thorn sounded amused rather than insulted.
“All he’s known since he was fifteen is people manipulating and taking advantage of him. What happened yesterday made him believe we might be doing the same.”
“And you told him we weren’t,” Thorn said.
“Of course. But we need some time to rebuild the trust between us. I think it’s only fair that he knows he has choices. He’s never had that. All he’s had are people dangling ropes in front of him and telling him they’re lifelines.”
“Tell him we’d like to audition for him,” Brax said. “Ask him to give us a chance to show him what pack life is like. What he’d gain by joining us.”
“We’d all like that,” Oliver agreed. “Since he’s going to be around for another few weeks anyway, why not make the most of this time? If he decides by the end that pack life isn’t for him, he hasn’t lost anything.”
The others agreed, and Cole felt the makings of a plan fall into place.
“I have a question,” Thorn said, looking troubled. “Because, by now, it’s pretty clear you and Josh having a thing going on.”
Cole didn’t deny it. He and Josh were growing closer.
“Where does that leave you if Josh decides against joining the pack? Could a relationship where one party is pack and one isn’t even work?”
It was an important point, one Cole had been trying not to think too hard about. It made his head hurt.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t want to have to choose between all of you and Josh. Either way, I lose. It would be like cutting myself in half. I’d say my chances of finding happiness would be pretty miserable if that happened.”
“Then let’s hope that eventuality doesn’t become reality,” Brax said.
“Being pack is a big responsibility,” Oliver said softly. “I can understand why Josh might be hesitant. But if he loves you, do you really think he’d make you choose?”
“Turn it around,” Cole said. “If I love him, would I really force him to join a pack if he didn’t want to?”
They’d reached a stalemate, no one happy but no solution to be found.
“Here’s hoping he loves all of us enough to take us on,” Duke said. “Or this is going to be a mess of epic proportions.”
“I like to think we’re pretty lovable,” Thorn joked. “Cuddly, even.”
“Yes,” Oliver said blandly. “Like a pack of teddy bears. With claws and teeth.”
Cole stood and stretched, ready to get out of there. He couldn’t see talking it over getting them much further. The only person who could make a difference now was Josh.
“Tell Josh we’ve having a movie night tonight,” Brax told him. “You’re both very welcome.”
“I’ll let him know,” Cole said. “Can’t promise he’ll agree to come. He’s still rattled after yesterday.”
“All the more reason he should come over. It’ll give us a chance to clear the air,” Oliver encouraged.
“I’ll do my best to convince him.”
Who didn’t like movie night? Maybe the lure of popcorn would be stronger than Josh’s anxiety.
Chapter Thirty
Josh followed Cole into the packhouse. He couldn’t decide how he felt about being there. When he’d left the day before, it had been with the certainty that he wouldn’t be back. And yet, there he was.
Duke was the first to greet them, a sheepish grin on his face.
“I hear I really put my foot in it,” he said, nodding to Cole. “I’m sorry, Josh. I know that wasn’t how Cole wanted you to find out. I got a bit carried away.”
“That’s okay,” Josh told him. “I get it.”
“Zane’s making the popcorn. He’s afraid if he lets Thorn do it, it’ll end up on fire like last time.”
Josh laughed, but he was the only one. “Seriously?”
“What can we say?” Cole threw in. “The guy likes fire.”
He followed the alpha to the living room, where they kicked off their shoes and went to sit down.
“Where are the kids?” Josh was surprised not to see any.
“Kira, Nathan, and Alice volunteered to take kid duty this evening,” Oliver said. “We’ll probably have a cub or two down here at some point.”
“We switch it around,” Brax added, pulling the curtains and throwing the room into darkness. “Sometimes we watch a kid-friendly film, and everyone joins in. Otherwise, we take turns with the kids depending on who’s interested in whatever film we’re watching.”
That sounded more positive. So it wasn’t just the betas and Oliver being left with all the childcare.
“What are we watching tonight?” he asked, settling onto the couch next to Cole.
Oliver curled up on the second couch, leaving space for Brax.
“It’s Thorn’s choice. Some secret agent action thriller with a side helping of romance. Lots of explosions,” Oliver said.
“I like explosions.”
“Great,” Cole said, giving him a look. “But we have backups if you’d prefer to watch something else. Maybe take a look?”
“I’m sure whatever Thorn chose will be fine.”
“What if you’ve already seen it?” Cole pressed.
Josh wasn’t sure what he was getting so twisted up in knots about until the alpha said, “Or what if you know someone in it?”
“You mean, what if I’ve had a bad experience with someone who’s in it?” he said flatly.
“We just don’t want you to be uncomfortable,” Oliver said.
“I’m not made of glass,” he grumbled. “If I don’t want to watch the movie, I’ll leave. I won’t make you change your plans because of me.”
“That kind of takes away from the whole point of you spending time with the pack,” Brax pointed out.
Josh felt like he was dealing with
a posse of first-time directors. So anxious about doing a good job that they tried to micromanage every moment.
“It would really help if you could all relax a bit. I’m not going to decide whether I join the pack or not based on Thorn’s taste in movies.”
There was a stunned silence as Zane and Duke carried in bowls of popcorn.
“I should certainly hope not,” Zane said. “Thorn has terrible taste in films.”
“Hey, I heard that,” Thorn groused, following them in with stacks of glasses and cans of beer and soda.
“Good to know you’re not going deaf,” Zane said. “Doesn’t make it any less true.”
He grinned at Josh, and Josh smiled back, relaxing a little. That was what he needed, people at ease, happy to joke and insult each other. Not walking on eggshells around him, afraid the wrong word might set him off.
The others grabbed seats around the room. Duke sat on the couch to Josh’s right, next to Oliver. Zane and Thorn settled on the floor in front of Cole and Josh. They turned the lights down, passed around the drinks and popcorn, and sat back to watch. The first half-hour of the movie was engaging, full of excitement and explosions. And then it became a tense game of cat and mouse.
At some point, Josh’s concentration broke, and he realized he was surrounded by virtual strangers, most of them alphas, all people with expectations of him. A panicky sensation started in his chest, like pins and needles. He glanced toward the door, but there were two people between him and the exit. His heart rate kicked up a notch. Next to him, Cole shifted position, and Josh could feel the alpha’s gaze on him.
Without Josh saying anything, without Cole uttering a word, the group around him moved. Thorn, who’d been sitting on the floor leaning back against the couch right next to Josh, swapped places with Zane, and Duke moved to the other end of his couch, leaving Oliver next to Josh. Their changing positions also left a clear path to the door. If he wanted to leave, there was no one in his way.
The anxiety in his chest eased, and Cole leaned toward him, bumping his shoulder. Josh noticed how the alpha didn’t put an arm around him, subtly ensuring that he didn’t feel trapped or confined. He slowly calmed down, seeing their reaction as more than proof of their sincerity. It was a clear sign of how close they all were with each other, and how in tune they were with him, that they hadn’t had to say a word. They knew instinctively what he needed, and they gave it to him.
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