His whole body spasmed with the coming, making him curl into the gamma. He fisted the blanket hard enough for his nails to meet his palms. And still he bucked and writhed and cried out his release. Always before when he serviced others, he hoped for it to be quick. Now that it was his turn at pleasure, he felt cheated as he came down from the high of his first climax.
A hand descended on his head and smoothed his hair. “There now, better, eh?”
Seth squinted up at Caleb, who smiled down at him. The look was so infectious that foreign as it was to Seth and his experience, he couldn’t help smiling back. “Much.”
He actually giggled until he caught sight of the splash of cum dribbling over the gamma’s fingers.
Oh shit! He thought it, then he said it, and reached for the hand. He’d intended to lick up the spending, but Caleb snatched his hand out of reach and did something even more amazing than jerking Seth off—he lapped the cum himself.
He grinned down at Seth’s open-mouthed look of what he knew to be horror, the same thing he was feeling at the moment. How could it not show?
“What? You seem surprised that I did that.”
Seth sighed, a strangely languid feeling stealing over him. “I am. Cum is for omegas to swallow, not gammas.”
Caleb barked out a laugh. “That hardly sounds fair. Why should you get all the fun?”
Fun? Did this guy actually like the taste of cum? Seth wrinkled his nose in response, which was met with more laughter.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you healed up some more and go to sleep. I’m hoping you’ll feel well enough to travel tomorrow.”
Too boneless to object to anything, even if he’d dared, Seth passively let the gamma rearrange his position and restart the lapping. He closed his eyes and concentrated on how good it felt. He didn’t dwell on the casual endearment that had slipped out twice now from the gamma, or the fact that he hadn’t corrected himself this time.
Seth also pushed aside the mention of leaving the next day. The thought of abandoning the cave saddened him. Even after such a short time, it had come to feel a little like home. Perhaps that was because of whom he shared it with. But, that was too dumb. Whatever pity had moved the gamma into caring for him meant nothing more than the guy was kinder than most of his type. He hadn’t claimed Seth as a mate or anything.
Not that Seth would want him to.
He wouldn’t.
****
Seth woke feeling stronger and better rested than he had for months. All of that had to do with the gamma who at that moment had his big arms wrapped around Seth in a loose embrace. They’d fallen asleep that way. Or, rather Seth had fallen asleep sometime after his first real orgasm while Caleb had still been tending to his wounds. The fact that the gamma had taken such liberties in their sleeping arrangement should have disturbed him. Instead, it made him feel oddly secure. He’d never known a higher-ranked shifter to elicit that from him.
He stayed still, pondering his reaction and his next move. His cock stood erect again, and he had the almost overwhelming urge to hump it against Caleb’s thick thigh. Just the thought of it had his cheeks warming. Such a provocative move would be entirely out of character for him. He’d spent most of his life trying not to be noticed.
He knew better than to bait a gamma anyway. If he started something like that, he might well end up face-down getting his ass plowed. That possibility should have scared the crap out of him. Oddly, it didn’t. Not exactly. While his heart raced in fear of that possibility, his dick twitched and his hole clenched in a new and disturbing way. He quickly, yet carefully, slipped from Caleb’s embrace before his newly-awakened arousal overtook his good sense.
The sun had already risen as he left the cave to pee against a tree. It took a few seconds to will his hard flesh down sufficiently to start the stream going. Touching himself reminded him of Caleb’s larger, warmer fingers grasping him. With a shudder, he willed aside those memories or he’d never get the piss out. And, he didn’t want the gamma or anyone else finding him jerking off in the woods.
The day was going to be a warm one given the heat and humidity already blanketing the woods. And, while his body still ached where he’d been bitten and slashed, he could see that his wounds had healed pretty well. He could easily shift and bound off, although where he’d go, he couldn’t fathom. He only knew he needed to leave the lands of the gamma’s pack and head away from where the other shifters had attacked him.
Since he’d run from his own pack, he’d always simply gone where his nose took him. He had no plan for the rest of his life and at this point, given what he’d been through, he couldn’t see anything to look forward to. For the first time, he forced himself to accept that his life was on a fast track to a miserable end. Caleb had been right—omegas weren’t meant to live on their own.
What choice did he have, though? As much care as Caleb had taken with him, he hadn’t specifically offered him up any kind of future beyond the confines of their little cave. And, if the gamma offered him more, did he really want it? Fear of living a life as the mate of a dominant shifter was what had led him to run in the first place. He’d seen how well that had worked out for his dam and other lower-level pack members. He didn’t think he could survive that kind of life, either.
“There you are.”
The sound of the gamma’s voice startled him. He turned away from the tree he’d been leaning against and watched the cheerful gamma find a spot for his own morning ritual. Gods, that big dick was half-erect, too, although whether that was from a full bladder or something else, he didn’t know. Looking away, he told himself he didn’t care.
“How are you feeling?” Having finished, Caleb stood looking over at Seth expectantly. Feeling shy, he merely shrugged. “Let’s go back in and have breakfast. We need to talk.”
Hearing that pronouncement bothered Seth enough that for a second he considered bolting. That would be stupid, of course. The gamma wouldn’t let him go until he was damn good and ready. Maybe this was when he told Seth the price for helping him. Because there had to be something he expected in return. Seth knew no shifter that didn’t put a price on everything.
He trudged back to the cave, vividly aware of the warmth of the gamma as he passed him. Once they were seated inside, Caleb pulled out the last of the granola, peanut butter and bread from his bag. He portioned it out, giving Seth the biggest amount, before opening up the last bottle of water.
With most of his pain gone, Seth felt ravenous and hastily ate all that was put in front of him. When Caleb urged him to, he drank down most of the water, as well.
The gamma nodded in encouragement. “Good to see your appetite is back in full swing. You need fattening.”
Seth had nothing to say to that, so he focused on the label on the bottle, picking at it with his thumb.
“Do you think you can shift? Because we’ve run out of food, and well, it will be easier if we go back in wolf form. You know, faster. Plus shifting will help with your wounds even more than the, um, lapping did.”
Given the gamma’s pale skin, his blush was easy to see. The fact that the gamma was embarrassed by what they’d shared the night before surprised Seth. He would have sworn he was the only one to be unnerved by it. Then the meaning of the guy’s words hit him.
Seth flicked his gaze up to somewhere around Caleb’s chin. “Go back?”
A bit of throat-clearing preceded the answer. “Yeah, back to the compound for my pack. I think it’s for the best,” he quickly added before Seth could respond.
“For whom?” The impertinent question popped out. He instinctively flinched, expecting a blow for it.
The gamma placed his hand on Seth’s knee. “For you. You need more rest and food and a check-up by a proper healer. And, like I keep saying, an omega shouldn’t be out on his own. Someone needs to figure out where you should go from here. Someone smarter than me, that’s for sure.”
“You’ve been plenty smart enough so far,” he muttered wit
hout thinking, and again was surprised when no blow came.
“Yeah, well…” Caleb sighed. “I really think it’s a good idea for you to come with me, and that’s the last idea, smart or not, that I’m going to have on this subject.”
Seth dared to look up at him from under his lashes. “What if I don’t want to?”
As he stared back at the omega, Caleb felt conflicted. On the one hand, he was annoyed that the boy was giving him trouble about returning to the compound. On the other hand, he was proud that Seth mustered the courage to defy him. Not that he should be encouraging a lower-ranked shifter to do such a thing. Their species had survived for hundreds of thousands of years without the upright apes learning of their existence in part through strict hierarchy. When your very survival depended on quick actions, decisions couldn’t be made in a committee. Maybe someday they’d live a more egalitarian life, but not yet, not while they hid in plain sight of humans.
Although he hated throwing his literal and figurative weight around, this was a situation that called for it. Seth’s life hung in the balance. They couldn’t simply go their separate ways. He’d worry that the omega wouldn’t last much longer out on his own. This was a problem that Lorcan and his betas needed to sort out. And, although part of him kind of hoped Seth would join the Rogue Pack, another part of him was scared to death of the idea. In the short time they’d spent together, he’d grown way too fond of the boy. That jerk-off session the previous night had led to Caleb’s dick making all kinds of plans—ones where it got to claim that possibly virgin ass.
He needed to shut that train of thought down. This wasn’t about him. Seth’s welfare was all that mattered. Which meant he couldn’t be allowed to make his own decisions. Like it or not, Caleb needed to take charge.
With a sigh, he said, “I’m sorry, Seth. This isn’t up for discussion. I’m not letting you go off on your own.” He got up and started packing what little there was into the bag. “I’ll leave this stuff here and come back for it later. I don’t want to have to worry about carrying it in shifter form. It’s awkward.”
It would also make him slower and possibly harder for him to chase after Seth if he decided to take off. He didn’t say that, but he could tell by Seth’s expression he didn’t have to. The omega had reasoned it out on his own.
Caleb tossed the bag down. “Look, I’m sorry. I only want what’s best for you. I promise my alpha, Lorcan, is a great guy.”
Seth glared up at him. “Except he won’t allow me to make my own decisions.”
“I didn’t say that. I don’t even know that. What I do know is that-”
“Omegas aren’t supposed to be on their own.” Seth bit his lower lip, making him look both stubborn and adorable.
Knowing that this conversation was going nowhere, Caleb hardened his heart and reached down to grab Seth by his shoulders. The omega squeaked in alarm as Caleb pulled him to a standing position.
“Come on, now. You know I’m not going to hurt you.” In case his words didn’t do the trick, he pulled the boy into a quick embrace. Gods, he was so short, Caleb had no trouble pressing a quick kiss on the top of his head.
Leading the omega out of the cave, he reluctantly let go. “Okay, time to change.”
Amazingly, his quietly spoken words caused the omega to quickly shift. In the blink of an eye, the small, black wolf stood in front of him. The omega shook once as if wet, then whined. Caleb bent to pat the poor thing on the same spot he’d kissed moments before.
“Everything’s going to be all right. Don’t give me any trouble now. You know if you take off, I’m going to chase after you.”
It was hard to be stern with the weaker shifter, but he forced himself to do it for the omega’s own good. The little wolf peered up with moist, brown eyes and a human-looking frown. It was so cute, Caleb couldn’t help laughing. He was still doing it even as he shifted, so the sound ended on more of a growl. He stretched his neck, appreciating as always the awesome power of this more primitive form. Then, with a nudge of his snout, he urged the omega into moving in the right direction.
He kept the pace slow so as not to tire the still-recuperating Seth. Any time he felt the omega balking at his fate or looking in the wrong direction, he nipped at his heels to keep him on the right track. It didn’t take long to return to the compound, and he felt a sense of relief when he spied Deidre watching them from her higher vantage point on the perimeter.
The sense of coming home was particularly strong. He hadn’t been away for even a day since joining his new pack. He hadn’t realized how much he’d acclimated to his situation until his heart sped up at the sight of the longhouse. For the first time, he felt keenly the need to finish up his probationary period and be welcomed in as a permanent member of the Rogue Pack.
First, though, he had to sort out Seth. The omega’s steps started to falter, his reluctance to enter the compound obvious. Not entirely sure if he’d done the right thing bringing the strange shifter back anyway, Caleb decided to park him on the edge of the yard until Lorcan’s permission could be secured. Trotting ahead, he herded Seth over to an area by the outbuildings and stopped him. Then, he shifted.
“Good job, sweetheart.” He didn’t know why he kept using the endearment. He really had no business calling Seth anything so intimate—blowjob and handjob, notwithstanding. But, there was no taking it back, and there seemed no point in calling attention to it with an apology.
“I want you to stay here while I go talk to the alpha.” He squatted down and ran a soothing hand along the back of the omega’s head. “You’re safe here, I promise, and I’ll be back in a flash.”
He could have easily stayed there all day, petting the boy, but that would be stupid and presumptuous. So, he hefted himself back up and went looking for the alpha. Naked as he was, he wanted to first put on some pants at least. He didn’t have that kind of time, or rather Seth didn’t. The omega might decide to bolt any second. Putting aside his modesty, he elongated only his snout in order to sniff the air for Lorcan. Scenting him, he shifted back to his human nose and jogged into the longhouse’s back yard.
The alpha was easy enough to spot, sitting on the grass with his mate. Their baby girl crawled between them. It was a happy family moment, and he really hated to interrupt. If he didn’t tell Lorcan soon about a strange shifter being in their midst, someone else would. It was a security issue even though Seth was only an omega and not much of a threat. None at all to the adults, but there were pups to consider.
“Hey, Alpha, got a minute?”
Lorcan looked over his shoulder and jumped up to meet Caleb halfway. “Is this about the omega?” He didn’t wait for an answer. Tipping his head up, he mimicked Caleb’s earlier effort to sniff the air. “Kyle, take Hope inside.”
The alpha mate didn’t argue. He simply scooped the pup up and did as told. Lorcan trained his gaze on Caleb, waiting for a response.
“Yes, sir. I healed him up as best I could and brought him back here. I didn’t know what else to do.”
Clapping him on the shoulder, Lorcan said, “It’s fine. I’m not taking any chances, though, with my family until I meet this boy. Come and make the introductions.”
“Of course. You’ll find, sir, that’s he pretty skittish. I kind of pulled rank on him to get him here.”
“No surprise. You did the right thing. A feral omega is hardly going to be in a position to make sensible decisions. How are his wounds,” Lorcan added as Seth came into view.
The omega had stayed put, although he cowered near a large rock, his head moving back and forth in a constant scan of his surroundings. Off to the side, Deidre stood, keeping an eye on him. Caleb waved at her in appreciation, and she loped off back into the woods.
The closer he and the alpha got to Seth, Caleb felt a nameless agitation steal over him. It took a few seconds for him to recognize it as his gamma sense of protection rising up. The feeling became so acute and so clearly focused on Seth, that he found himself pulling ahead of t
he alpha to get to the omega first. That breach of protocol barely registered in him. His need to guard the omega from harm overwhelmed everything else.
As he put himself not by Seth’s side, but more in front of him, he understood the folly of his actions. What did he think he was protecting the omega from? Or whom? Lorcan? He was the alpha, the ultimate decider of who got to be in the pack and who was a risk that had to be driven off. If the guy believed that it was best for the pack if Seth were killed, he could give that order and no one had the right to gainsay him. Least of all Caleb—a gamma, on probation no less.
And yet, the alpha hadn’t reached within five feet of Seth before Caleb heard the low growl rumbling out of his own throat. His canines descended as well, and he bared them without thought. Lorcan stopped in his tracks, stared at Caleb with eyebrows raised, and said nothing. The look in his eyes started out as surprise, then morphed into curiosity, before settling on quiet amusement. He didn’t admonish Caleb in the least, merely stood waiting until Caleb finally pulled himself together.
Appalled at his weird lapse, he hastily pulled his wolf teeth back and swallowed the aggressive noises still trying to come out. He was pondering what he could possibly say to his alpha in way of explanation and apology when a whine caught his attention. Looking down, he saw Seth cowering against his legs and hiding between them. The omega made another pitiful noise of fear.
Caleb forgot Lorcan in an instant. He bent down and ruffled Seth’s furry head. “Oh, sweetheart, it’s okay. Nothing to fear. The alpha won’t hurt you.” If he tries, I’ll rip his fucking throat out. Whoa, where had that thought come from?
“Caleb’s right. You have nothing to fear. This is a safe place.” Lorcan had crouched down, and he tried to peer at the omega. “I need to talk to you, though, so you have to change now.”
Just like that, Caleb’s hand went from petting fur to petting hair. Seth still hid behind him, but now in human form. He made no attempt to stand, and neither Caleb nor Lorcan pushed the matter.
Taming the Omega (The Rogue Pack Book 4) Page 6