Bard could see the guilt plaguing the beta. “There is no apology necessary. Don’t you know that I would have done anything to protect Loki? Don’t you know that I have loved and wanted him for far longer than I should? Breeding him, even under those terrible circumstances, was my heart’s desire. If there is any guilt to be had, it is mine alone.”
Destin pulled him into a tight hug. “No, you mustn’t think that. You are not to blame for any of this.”
With a short laugh, Bard returned the hold. “Look at us, fighting to see who has treated Loki worse. And, we apologize to the wrong one anyway. Only Loki deserves our contrition and only he can absolve us of blame. Not that I expect he is in the mood to,” he added.
Destin let him go. “I think you will be surprised at how he is taking all of this. He is upset, of course, but also showing great maturity. Please go and see for yourself,” he added with a quick squeeze of Bard’s arms.
Bard nodded and stepped back. “I will. My wolf is restless and so am I. Knowing that Loki is all right isn’t the same as confirming it for myself.”
He turned and hurried away. The longhouse was subdued and little work was being done outside. Griffin’s condition was improving, but he still needed quiet. The bear attack had sent the pack on high alert, as well. Lorcan undoubtedly had most of the dominants patrolling the area to ensure that the danger didn’t return.
The sun was high. When it hit Bard’s torso, he bit back a groan. The heat felt both good and bad on his marred skin. His naked soles enjoyed the warmth of the grass, though, as he headed quickly for Loki’s hut. He was proud of the work he’d done and sorry that it wasn’t completely finished inside. But Loki had really wanted to leave Craig’s hut and live on his own. It seemed a small thing to give in on, and with what they needed to face now, Bard was glad for the privacy.
The door was open, so he peeked inside. Loki lay naked on his pallet. Nearby empty dishes confirmed that the omega had eaten recently. A bottle of water reassured Bard, as well, that the boy was staying hydrated. He let himself feast on the beautiful sight of a safe Loki lying peacefully. The enticement of the boy’s body was hard to ignore. Bard tamped down his growing arousal with an internal reminder that there was a tough conversation to be had before there was any chance of a relationship growing.
Steeling himself for the confrontation to come, he knocked on the doorjamb.
Loki’s eyes flew open. He pushed up on one arm and stared at Bard. “Come in,” he said after a few seconds that made Bard sweat. “Leave the door open, though,” he added, sitting up. “It’s getting hot in here.”
Bard did as he was bade, entering a few feet before sitting cross-legged on the floor. He didn’t want to crowd Loki. “Before we speak of anything else, I want to be sure you’re okay.”
Loki interlaced his fingers and pressed them across his stomach. “The pup is fine.”
“That’s good, but I was asking about you. Are you all right?”
A brief smile crossed the omega’s lips. “Yes.”
“Thank the Gods.”
“No. Thank you and Griffin,” Loki corrected. “You could have been killed because of me. Everyone assured me you weren’t badly hurt, but it’s nice to see for myself. How is Griffin?” he added after a pause.
Bard was quick to reassure him. “He’s doing pretty well, actually. Andrea thinks that other than a few broken ribs and some scrapes, he’s not so badly hurt. Nothing seems to be bleeding internally, at any rate.”
Loki blew out a breath. “Joey said as much. I trust your assessment more, though. You have never lied to me, Bard.”
He blinked back in surprise. “That’s true. I just didn’t always answer your questions.”
“Only the one, and I know that was more Destin’s doing than yours.”
“Yes,” he admitted, although it pained him to say so. “He’s your brother and I’m not anything to you, other than your occasional minder and the dominant who forced his seed on you.” He hadn’t intended to sound so bitter. Obviously he was still feeling the effects of the fight.
“Don’t you dare feel guilty about that.” The vehemence in Loki’s voice surprised Bard. “You did what you had to do. You’ve always been an honorable shifter.”
Bard’s lips quirked. “You of all people shouldn’t defend me.”
“Me of all people should. If you wronged anyone it was me, so I get to say whether that’s true or not.”
Bard closed his eyes for a second. “You’ve grown up a lot, Loki. Thank you for being understanding. But if you feel that way, why did you run last night?”
“I didn’t!”
“Oh, Loki, it’s okay. I understand.” He did, too. After everything the omega had been through, naturally he wanted to return to what he considered his home. A place of comfort and security.
“No, you don’t. I wasn’t trying to get back to the arctic. I was only having fun chasing scents and didn’t realize the pack had gone straight instead of taking a turn around a stand of trees. I was stupidly inattentive and allowed myself to get distracted. When I saw that I was alone, I went from being joyful to being scared, especially when I noticed the bear right in front of me.
“It was particularly awful because it was at a place where I’d recently been happy.” When Bard shook his head in confusion, the omega clarified. “The little waterfall and pool. You brought me there, remember? It’s where you finally showed me how much you wanted me.”
It took a few seconds before the import of the boy’s words sunk in. “You remember that fondly?”
Loki huffed and pulled up his legs to cross them. “Yes. I scented the place and thought the alpha was taking us there for a mid-run drink. I was elated for a few seconds before I understood my mistake. And it nearly cost you and Griffin your lives. I’m sorry!” With that, the omega burst into tears.
Bard scrambled over and pulled the boy into his arms. Loki collapsed against his chest and clung to him as he sobbed. Bard wrapped him up tightly and made soothing noises. He hated seeing Loki so upset.
“It’s all right. I’m fine and so is Griffin. Don’t fret yourself. No real harm done.” That wasn’t entirely true given Griffin’s injuries, but he was worried that Loki was working himself into a dangerous state.
Loki’s nails dug into him and if anything, his crying intensified. “You saved me. I would have died,” he wailed.
“No, no. I would never have let that bear get you. I’m sorry it took me so long to notice you’d veered off.” It was one more thing for him to feel guilty about even though his job had been to watch all the servients, not simply Loki.
Loki climbed higher on Bard, burying his face in the crook of his neck. “I couldn’t have survived it. It would have killed me if he’d gone through with it. I know it would have. My own sire!”
And that’s when Bard realized that they weren’t talking about a bear attack anymore. He hugged the omega even tighter, giving him a solid place to let out his grief. He rocked him and petted him and made soothing noises until the storm of tears finally abated. Loki melted against him, hiccupping and whimpering, obviously worn out.
“Here,” Bard said, reaching for the water. “Drink some, baby.” He helped the omega get liquids into him, not minding when some dribbled on his chest. “There now,” he said as he put the bottle down and patted the boy’s back, “you’re all right. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Not even me.
In that moment, he knew with a clarity that had alluded him before that he would do anything that Loki wanted or needed. He would bury his dreams of mating with the omega and become whatever friend and protector that the boy expected him to be. Even if it meant watching Loki pick another dominant to be his mate and a sire to their pup, then so be it. He owed it to him, and he owed it to himself to see the omega happy.
Loki curled a fist over Bard’s heart. “I want you.”
Startled, Bard choked out, “What?”
Lifting his head, Loki stared up at him.
“I want you to mate me. Now,” he added, pulling away and trying to slide onto the pallet.
“Wait.” Suddenly hopeful, but determined that Loki make no precipitous decisions, he stopped the omega. “We need to talk about this.”
Loki sighed. “Why? It’s want you want.”
“Well, yes, of course it is.”
“So, mount me and bite me.” As if to make his point clear, Loki lifted his braid to expose the back of his neck.
The sight of it along with the omega’s words stirred Bard’s cock. His wolf woke as well and yipped at the prospect. Bard fought to maintain control. It was hard, yet necessary. In Loki’s heightened emotional state, now was not the time for this. Once done, there would be no going back.
Instead of biting, he bent to place a chaste kiss on the spot before turning them both onto their sides and sliding down. He fit Loki’s slender, naked body against his own half-clothed one. He imagined the denim of his pants did little to hide his erection.
As if to confirm it, Loki wiggled his ass against Bard’s crotch. “You want me.”
Bard chuckled. “Of course I do.”
“Then take me,” Loki commanded with another wiggle.
Bard groaned. “You can be cruel.”
Loki froze. “I don’t mean to be. I don’t want to be a brat anymore.”
“Hush.” Bard kissed the top of his head. “You’re not. But I’m not going to mate you now. It’s not the time. I need to be sure that it’s really what you want.”
Loki grunted. “Gods, when will you ever take me seriously as an adult? I know my own mind.”
“I’m sure you do. Honor, however, dictates that I give you more time and space to consider taking this step. I don’t want to worry that I pressured you into it. This waiting is for me, if you please.”
“Huh!” Loki huffed. “You don’t fight fair. When you put it like that…”
Bard kissed his head again. “Thank you. I’m also tired and would love nothing more than to lie here for a few hours with the omega I love in my arms.”
“You really do love me, don’t you?”
“With every breath I take and every beat of my heart.”
“I don’t know why. I’ve been nothing but trouble for you.”
“Perhaps that’s part of your charm.”
“That makes no sense.”
Bard stroked his palm down Loki’s smooth chest, enjoying the little shiver it caused them both. “No, I don’t suppose it does. Maybe it’s just me, but I like a little feistiness. Too much docility would make you boring.”
“You want me to stay a brat?” The skepticism in the boy’s voice made Bard chuckle.
“Well, maybe sometimes. So long as you don’t put yourself in any danger.” He swatted the omega’s flank to emphasize his point. The flesh rippled under the minor assault and a hint of slick hit Bard’s nostrils. He ignored it…with difficulty.
Loki brought his hand up and placed it over Bard’s. “I won’t, I promise. No more wandering off and I’ll listen to your counsel always from now on. I’ve learned how wise you are.”
Bard chuckled once more. “I’m a gamma, so not very smart.”
“You are! I can’t think of any time when you were wrong compared to all the times I was.” Loki went quiet for a few seconds. “I think…I think maybe I love you, too.”
Bard’s breath caught and he tightened his hold on Loki for a second. “Do you?” It seemed impossible to be true. It was what Bard wanted more than he could say. It was almost too painful to hope for.
“Yes,” came Loki’s quiet reply. His fingers roamed Bard’s arm, the touch raising the hairs on the skin. “You know, when you’re not being really bossy and making me drink milk and stuff.”
Bard laughed. “Oh, baby, I can’t help it. I’m a gamma. I’m always going to want to make you do what’s best for you.”
“Yeah. I know. It’s okay.” The omega yawned loudly. “I guess I could use more sleep, too. You won’t leave, right?”
“I shall stay right here. I promise.”
****
Loki woke warm and restless, his wolf egging him to do something. Bard’s hot and heavy body kept him anchored to the pallet, the gamma’s thick, long leg and arm draped over him in a tight embrace. The man’s hard cock still pressed against him, as well, just as it had as they fell asleep. The clear sign of how much the gamma desired him no longer scared or irked him. Instead it caused Loki’s own dick to swell and rise and made his wolf prance delightedly under his skin. His hole itched from the slick seeping out.
He felt both drained and rejuvenated. The shock of learning why they’d left home had faded somewhat from his crying jag and his wolf no longer whined in horrible distress. Having Bard to hold onto both physically and emotionally had helped tremendously. He knew that his anger and disbelief would plague him for the rest of his life at some level, but having a strong mate like Bard would help him navigate the turmoil. In the meantime, he’d been liberated from his resentment and pointless yearning to return to the arctic. Now that he understood what he’d been running from, he was able to run toward something. Someone.
Within the limited range Bard’s embrace gave him, he squirmed against the bulge. It wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy his growing need, but it did serve to wake up the gamma. The arm across Loki’s chest tightened and the leg pressed his body more firmly into Bard’s. The gamma’s wide hips bucked, rubbing the man’s denim-clad dick along the cleft of Loki’s ass. He wiggled in protest. This wasn’t enough.
“More,” he moaned. “I need…”
“This?” Bard’s sleepy voice asked right as he clasped Loki’s cock and jerked it with slow, sure strokes.
The way Bard’s firm grip worked Loki’s shaft made him moan and writhe. There was no slow building of arousal. He went hot and heavy in an instant, the climax threatening to peak with a dizzying speed. From the way Bard jerked his hips, it was clear the gamma was in the same state.
It wasn’t enough, though. The itch inside Loki’s ass increased, an incessant demand, while his wolf yipped in frustration. This humping of bodies wouldn’t do the trick. He needed a hard cock to scratch his needy channel. And, this wasn’t some biological imperative to breed that drove his desire to be mounted. This was for him, his wants, his urges to find sexual fulfillment at the hands of a dominant.
Loki moaned again and shook his head. “I want more. Mount me, Bard. Fuck me, please!”
Bard’s movements stilled for a moment. He squeezed Loki’s dick hard enough to make him squeal. Then, he had him flat on his back. Bard loomed over him with a ferocious look that pinned Loki to the spot. With this gaze fixed squarely on Loki, Bard tore open his jeans and shoved them down only so far as necessary to free his rampant dick. It sprung out, hard and glistening with pre-cum. The sight of it robbed Loki of his breath.
But the sight was nothing compared to the feel of it being shoved deep inside him. Loki had barely registered Bard’s intent before the gamma had his legs spread wide and pushed up high enough that his knees almost touched his ears. Bard’s cockhead had breached Loki’s hole in the next second and slid home without pause.
Loki threw back his head and cried out. His wolf howled. Bard froze with his hands pressed against the back of Loki’s thighs. The gamma’s hot breath bathed Loki’s face, the laboring sound of it testament to how much control the man exerted.
“Have I hurt you?”
Loki shook his head back and forth, closing his eyes. “No.” He licked suddenly dry lips. “Don’t stop.” Gripping the bedding, he hoisted his legs up even farther to give greater access to his body.
Bard didn’t question his demands, nor did he hesitate to give him what he so desperately wanted. With long, sure strokes, the gamma began to fuck Loki in a way that made him feel totally claimed. Each thrust sent Bard’s cock deep up Loki’s ass, forcing his channel to open and accept the broad, hot shaft. The spot that itched most of all got rubbed with every pass back and forth, making Loki�
��s own dick jerk and weep. He unfurled the fingers of one hand to reach for it, only to be batted away by Bard.
Then the gamma worked Loki’s cock with the same certain intensity that he used to fuck him. Loki climaxed within seconds, arching his back and crying out with pleasure. Bard swallowed the sound by leaning down and taking Loki’s lips in a bruising kiss. He pressed his tongue inside and swept every corner.
This was new. They’d never shared this simple intimacy before. And it was Loki’s first kiss. Of course it was. Even in the throes of his orgasm, he shyly met the invasion by twining his tongue with Bard’s. His reward was for the gamma to shove his cock in balls deep and hold it there while he explored Loki’s mouth. All the while, the man worked Loki’s dick until it was dry.
Loki reached up to wrap his own fingers around Bard’s biceps. He felt the slight tremors running through them as the gamma held himself up in order to not crush him. So much strength and power. He knew it would always be used to care for and protect him, not to dominate or abuse. The love he spoke of earlier welled up inside him. He wanted to turn on his stomach and offer up his neck, but Bard’s hold was impossible to break.
Loki did the next best thing. With his own climax receding, he worked to bring Bard’s on. Tightening his hole, he wrapped his legs around Bard’s waist and pressed his heels against the gamma’s muscular ass. Bard grunted into Loki’s mouth. Then he drew his dick out to a point where only the head remained inside. It stretched Loki’s hole to a point of almost pain. He bore it with determination, wanting to make this mounting as good for Bard as he could. Sex was something they would do together from now on. There would be no more forcing Bard to do all the work.
Bard’s slow slide back in was enough to make them both groan. Bard retracted his tongue to nibble at Loki’s lips as he bottomed out once more. The gamma repeated his movements—in and out, his cock, his tongue—until Loki was no longer working only to bring the man his release. Now, Loki’s cock, still clasped by Bard, started to engorge. He could feel the way it filled Bard’s hand. His balls tingled and his slick descended once more to coat the dick still embedded within him.
Omega Lost (The Rogue Pack Book 7) Page 16