Omega in the Wild

by Liam Kingsley

  Heaving ourselves to our feet, we packed up our lunches and slung our backpacks back on. I took a deep breath. The air smelled crisp and clean. Matt was right: it didn’t smell like rain.

  As we walked, we heard thunder rumble in the distance but it just added to our excitement as we rose higher and higher into the sky. Exhilarated by the weather, we made better time than usual and soon we were in the home stretch.

  “Two more bends and we’re there!” Matt called to us.

  Thunder broke directly above us, drowning out his final words. Somebody screamed in shock.

  Then the rain came.

  It fell in sheets, as if each drop had joined with its neighbor to form a wall of water. It beat down on us and we cowered, flinging ourselves against the side of the mountain, desperate for what little cover we could get. Something heavy pressed against my back and I felt rather than saw Jake behind me, protecting me with his own body. The rock scraped my cheek and the rushing howl of the water filled my ears, but I smiled.

  And then, as suddenly as it had come, the rain disappeared, almost as if it had been sucked back up into the sky. Thunder rolled above us, but already it was farther away, its noise fading as it traveled across an otherwise clear sky.

  Jake stepped away, releasing me from the wall. I looked at him. His usually buoyant hair was dark and flattened as water ran through it in rivulets before making its way down his cheeks and under his collar.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “You okay?” he asked, his gold-flecked eyes crinkled with worry.

  I nodded. “Are you?”

  “Yeah, of course,” he replied, scoffing as if the very question was ridiculous. And, for the first time since we’d heard thunder, he gave me a real, cheeky smile.

  I laughed. “Of course,” I agreed.

  “Everyone all right?” Matt hollered at us. “Roll call! Fiona?”

  “Here!”

  “Juan?”

  “Here!”

  Matt went through all our names before he let us move again.

  “But move carefully,” he told us. “The rain may have dislodged debris on the path.”

  We murmured our agreement and, slowly, we began to inch forward.

  ..

  Keeping my eyes glued to the ground, I took a few steps. I heard a crack, then a low rumble. “Gabe!” As if from a great

  7

  Jake

  “Gabe!” His name was ripped from my throat as the narrow path crumbled under him and he slid down, into the empty air below us. Ahead of us, I heard somebody scream.

  Without thinking, I lunged forward, grabbing at whatever I could reach. My fingers closed around his arm and his bag. He hung there, dead weight in my arms. Below him, the browns and greens of the mountainside swirled together in one dizzying kaleidoscope. I couldn’t let him fall.

  “Jake?” Slowly, he looked up, his eyes wide with panic. His chin quivered slightly and I tightened my hold.

  “Just stay calm and hold onto me, okay?” I told him, trying to follow my own advice and keep from panicking. His cold hand closed like a vice around my wrist and I forced myself to smile. I hoped it looked encouraging and not like a terrified grimace. On the path ahead, someone was sobbing but I didn’t look up. I couldn’t look away from Gabriel.

  “I’m here,” said Matt brusquely from the other side of the gap that had formed in Gabe’s wake. Without waiting for a response, he shrugged off the emergency rope we always carried with us and clipped it to his harness. Securing it to a large rock that jutted out from the side of the mountain, he tested the line and, satisfied that it would hold, reached out into the void to grab Gabe’s other arm. Technically, attaching myself to the mountainside is what I should have down before launching myself after Gabriel. But, if I had, he would already be lying in a broken heap at the bottom of the mountain. And just the thought of that made me want to vomit.

  I felt Gabe’s bag slip in grip and, desperately, I tightened my grip.

  “On the count of three,” I croaked. “One, two, three!”

  Together, we heaved Gabe up, Matt pulling him into a tight bear hug the minute he could. They toppled backwards, hitting the mountainside with a loud oof! But they were safe. Gabe was safe. My eyes prickled and I wiped them quickly with the back of my hand. The last thing I needed was to go to pieces in front of our already spooked clients.

  “Are you okay?” I called to Gabe.

  He stood pressed tight to the mountain side, his knees shivering violently. “Yes,” he replied shakily. “I’m okay.” Looking across the gap, he met my eyes. “Thank you.”

  More than anything, I wanted to grab him, crush him to my chest, breathe him in, feel his warmth against me. Instead I said, “No problem.”

  He kept looking at me, his dark eyes locked on mine, and I knew he felt the same way.

  “We’re going to lace up,” Matt announced, undoing the rope from its rock. “Everybody loop the rope through your harness, just like we showed you on the first day. Here we go now…” His voice totally calm, Matt walked the terrified group through the safety procedure, getting them secured to the rope. “That way, if anyone else slips, we’ll be able to stop their fall.”

  “What’s the plan from here?” Wendy spoke up, jutting her chin out. She looked terrified, but she didn’t back down.

  “We’re going to call Search and Rescue and have them pick us up in a chopper,” I called to her. “But first we have to get to the top of the mountain. There’s no room for a chopper to land here. The summit is only another dozen yards and the path turns in, away from the edge. We’ll be fine, especially if we’re all attached.”

  “What about you?” Gabe asked, looking at me worriedly. Holding up his arms, he let Matt slip the rope through his harness’s security loop and pull it taut.

  Matt tossed me the end of the rope and I did the same. “I’m coming over to join you guys,” I told Gabe as I secured myself and tied the rope in place.

  “Everybody, brace yourself against the wall,” Matt instructed.

  I waited until everyone was in place. The gap wasn’t large, but the edges would be fragile. Eyeing the corner where the path met the mountain side, I took a deep breath and jumped.

  One foot hit solid ground, the other slid as silt and gravel rolled out below it. But Gabe and Matt caught me, pulling me quickly onto the path with them. Gabe looked at me, his eyes bright with emotion and, not caring what anyone thought, I grabbed him, pulling him into a tight hug.

  When we finally let go of each other, I looked over at Matt. “When we get back, I am going to kill you,” I hissed at him.

  Matt’s eyes slid to Gabe then back to me and he nodded. “I’m sorry,” he replied softly. Then louder, he spoke to the group in his most soothing voice. “Here we go, guys. Let’s keep moving. At the top we can all stop and have a warm drink while we wait for the chopper.”

  And listen to hysterical clients screaming for their money back, I thought grimly.

  The sky had cleared almost instantly, the dark thunderclouds rolling away to reveal a clean bright blue. The sun reappeared, shining down our backs as if nothing had happened. But at least the warmth lifted people’s spirits and, after a few minutes, they began to talk again, rehashing the fall in disbelieving whispers.

  Under the warm sun, the walk to the top was quick, and within minutes everyone had collapsed gratefully on the wide, flat surface of the summit. Matt radioed for the chopper as our clients huddled together, unwrapping snacks, opening thermoses, and talking excitedly with their heads pulled in close.

  All except Gabe.

  He stood awkwardly to the side, looking at the others and looking at me, clearly unsure what to do. Watching him hesitate adorably, I felt my heart clench at the idea of almost having lost him. Leaving Matt scanning the horizon for Search and Rescue, I went over to Gabe.

  “Coffee?” I asked.

  “Yes, please,” he said.

  We sat next to each other a sun-baked boulder, cl
ose enough that we could feel each other’s warmth through our windbreakers.

  “You saved my life,” he said softly as I poured coffee into the lid of my thermos.

  “Well, I mean, that is my job,” I replied, trying to play it cool. But as I passed him the coffee our eyes met. “I was so fucking scared,” I blurted. It came out in a hoarse whisper, and my eyes prickled treacherously again. “I thought I was going to lose you.”

  Gabriel wrapped his hand around mine as he took the coffee from me. He smiled. “But you didn’t,” he replied.

  I laughed weakly, rubbing at my eyes and hoping he hadn’t seen the tears. “I’m supposed to be comforting you, not the other way around,” I said gruffly.

  “You’ve done enough for me for one day,” he replied, sipping the coffee.

  Looking over at him, I smiled. “You’re taking this really well,” I said.

  “I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet,” he admitted. “I’ll probably throw up in the helicopter. Plus also I get motion sick in planes.”

  I knew it was serious, but I couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, I’ve got a bag you can puke into if you need to.”

  “Thank you,” he said, leaning his shoulder against mine. “Thank you for everything, Jake.”

  I looked at him, letting myself get lost in his big blues eyes. I knew I shouldn’t kiss him in front of the group but I was caught up in his eyes, my body leaning in, closer and closer until—

  “Chopper’s here!” Matt shouted.

  We jumped apart and coffee spilled across our pants.

  “Jesus Christ,” Gabe swore. “Today is just not my day.”

  I glanced at him as the chopper approached. “We can change that,” I called to him over the noise of the blades. He caught my eye and we grinned.

  Epilogue

  Gabriel

  When I woke up the next morning, Jake was standing by the window, looking out at the mountains. Still naked from the night before, he glanced back over his broad shoulders and grinned at me. “I want to show you something,” he said.

  It was supposed to be the last day of our trip but, after yesterday, everyone had decided to spend the day relaxing in town. Instead of camping at the summit, we’d all booked ourselves rooms in the closest town: Estes Park, a small alpine tourist centre outside of Boulder. It was a decision I was totally fine with. I’d had enough mountains for the time being.

  “Does it involve hiking?” I asked, rubbing sleep from my eyes.

  Jake hopped back onto the bed and kissed me. “Only a little and the path is thoroughly landlocked, I promise.”

  I looked at him. The sunlight caught on the gold flecks in his eyes, making them glimmer and shine. I sighed. “Okay,” I agreed.

  I didn’t regret it.

  Jake drove us up a service road, away from the main trails. He was already stripping off his clothes as he stepped out of the Jeep. Guessing what was coming, I followed his lead. We left our stuff in the car and hid the keys under the front tire. Jake took a long look at my naked body, gave me one last smirk, and shifted. A muscular brown wolf stood in front of me, his yellow eyes full of laughter and his long red tongue lolling between pearly fangs.

  “You even look like a handsome lumberjack when you’re a wolf,” I told him.

  He barked with laughter and I grinned and joined him. It had been a long time since I’d shifted and it felt good.

  Grinning his long, wolf grin, Jake leapt on me, tussling me into the grass. I yipped happily, wrestling him as best I could. But mostly I was just glad of the excuse to breathe in deep and let the smell of him fill my sensitive nose.

  With one last playful nip, Jake let me up and we headed for the trees. He led me into the forest, off the main path and deep into the underbrush. I had no idea where we were or what path we were following, but he seemed to know exactly where to go. Eventually the ferns and bushes gave way to high rock walls slimy with moss and cold rivulets of green water. As we wormed our way between the walls, I was just starting to have second thoughts when the rock walls opened up and I gasped.

  We had emerged in paradise. The sun shone on the turquoise waters of a perfectly round swimming hole. Spilling over the rocks above us, a high, narrow waterfall filled the grotto with a fine mist that caught the light and refracted into rainbows. All around us was the sound of birds singing.

  “Oh my god,” I said once I’d shifted back. “It’s beautiful!”

  Jake grinned at me, once more human. “It’s one of my favorite places in the world,” he said, padding down the rocky ledge and into the crystal water.

  I watched him hungrily, his long, muscular body distracting me from the beauty around us. The sun caught on his tanned back, making his golden skin glow. His cock was at half mast already and I licked my lips.

  “Come on,” he urged. “The water’s warm by this point in the year.”

  I grinned and followed him into the water. Warm was an overstatement, but it was pleasantly crisp after the heat of the summer sun. Jake dove under, coming up glistening as water ran down his skin.

  “Come here,” I said.

  Jake smiled and splashed towards me. I took his hand and led him to the edge of the pool, patting the rocky bank. His eyebrows raised in curiosity, he slipped up onto the smooth grey rock. The cool water had gotten rid of his erection, but I didn’t mind. Kneeling in the shallows, I rested my hands on his rock-hard thighs and took him into my mouth.

  “Nnnngh,” he moaned, one hand grabbing my head and leaning back on his arms and basking in pleasure and sunlight. I smiled as drew my tongue along the soft skin of his member. I could feel him growing already.

  It didn’t take much to get him hard. Within seconds, I was working his stiff erection in two hands, sucking and swirling his head with my tongue as I pumped his thick, veiny shaft. When I first saw his cock in the hotel, I’d been worried that it wouldn’t fit, but instead its girth filled me perfectly, bringing me pleasure I hadn’t even known was possible.

  “Let me—” Jake panted between moans as, feebly, he reached for my shoulder.

  Gently, I slapped his fingers away, working him with my hands as I pulled back to say, “No. It’s my turn, Jake.”

  “But I—nnnngh—okay,” he mumbled as I took him entirely into my mouth and throat. “Okay…” he repeated faintly as I ran my tongue along his length and around the sensitive ridge of his head. “Sure….” I smiled at his weak protests.

  He tensed, approaching the edge of his orgasm, and I pulled back, lathing his shaft with the flat of my tongue but taking away the warmth of my mouth. Jake whimpered, looking at me with wide eyes. I grinned and stood, pushing him gently down onto his back. Rising out of the water, I straddled him and spread my cheeks. Looking him the eye, I brought his thick, slick cock deep into my ass.

  Jake let out a wordless cry, the sound echoing off the rock walls. Reaching down, he grabbed my ass in his hands as I drove myself down onto him.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he groaned - and then I felt it. His knot. I moaned as it pulsed down his cock, stretching me tight and anchoring us together. “I want you so fucking bad,” he panted.

  “Show me,” I ordered as I began to move again. I felt light-headed, swinging between pain and pleasure – but mostly pleasure – as I rode him. “Show me how bad, Jake!”

  He moaned, his strong fingers digging deep into my thighs as he tried to control himself. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he gasped.

  “I said show me,” I replied as I fucked him. Jake whimpered and his whole body clenched as he began to drill into me desperately. I grabbed myself in one hand, jerking myself off to the sight of his beautiful body consumed with desire for me. It felt incredible to know that someone this stunning wanted me so badly.

  “I’ll fucking show you, Gabe,” he panted as his pace grew even more frantic. “I’ll fucking—Jesus, I’m going to—”But his orgasm came before he could finish his sentence and I felt him explode inside me, filling me with thick, hot cum. I m
oaned, shuddering with pleasure, as my own orgasm followed on the heels of his.

  Exhausted, I fell forward onto his chest. His heart was hammering against mine. His arms came around me and he kissed my hair.

  “Fuck, you’re incredible,” he gasped, still breathless.

  “Only when I’m with you,” I replied. It was true. I’d never been like this with anyone else. But Jake made me feel confident and powerful. And so that’s what I became.

  He shook his head as, slowly, he eased himself out of me. “For now, maybe,” he smiled. “But soon you’ll be doing it all on your own.”

  I smiled back. Who knew? Maybe he was right.

  We rolled apart and Jack slid back into the water, his eyes never leaving me. Knowing I was a mess, I followed him in. We swam in silence for a moment, letting the water wash away the evidence of our passion. I looked at the sun reflecting on the ripples and gathered my courage.

  “Hey,” I said at last. I looked down intently at the water, too scared to meet Jake’s eye. “Um…so, I was thinking…”

  “Yeah?” Jake’s voice was close, surprising me. I looked up and found him next to me. “What about?” he asked, moving behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

  Another deep breath. “I took the whole month off,” I blurted out. “I was going to go to California after this, to a spa, but…but I was thinking I’d…maybe I’d stay here a bit longer.”

  Jake was silent. All I could hear was the thundering of my heart. Oh shit, oh shit, oh—

  “Really?” he asked softly, interrupting my swearing. “You’d do that?”

  I turned in his arms so that I could see his face. “Do you want me to?” I asked.

  “Yes,” he replied, beaming at me. “God, so much. I’ve been trying to work up the nerve to ask you, but I—”

  But I didn’t let him finish. Throwing my arms around his neck, I kissed him.

  His arms tightened around me. The sun shone on us. Everything was perfect.