He clutched at the denim wrapped around Graydon’s hips, tugging it to expose the cock more. Then he grabbed the shaft, his fingers unable to fully circle the thick hard-on. Opening his mouth, he strained to lift his face while he tugged the dick down to meet his lips. He was barely able to take the head in, the height difference between the two of them making it hard to reach. Graydon helped with that. With a grunt, he bent his knees, while one hand cupped the back of Ethan’s head. There was no pressure, simply a reassuring anchoring.
Ethan opened his mouth as wide as he could. The width of Graydon’s cockhead stretched Ethan’s lips to their limit, and he could only accommodate a few inches of the length inside his mouth before gagging. In the end, all he did was lap at the silky, hard flesh and gorge on the pre-cum leaking out. It satisfied him, though, a fulfillment of a long-held fantasy that he’d never been permitted to explore before. His former mate had been a good lover, yet utterly focused on triggering Ethan’s heat by mounting him.
The cock pulsed in his grip, telling him that Graydon had almost reached his limit. Ethan redoubled his efforts, determined to take the man all the way. But the alpha had other ideas, and like all of his kind, he was in control and would have his own way. Graydon gripped Ethan’s hair and pulled him off. Frustrated and determined to keep going, Ethan resisted, using his teeth to keep his place. Graydon hissed as his cock got scraped, yet nevertheless forced Ethan to let go.
Ethan whined in frustration, his wolf echoing his feeling for a brief moment before whimpering in submission. There was no time to truly voice his displeasure. Graydon lifted him up and held him against the tree again. Ethan had only managed to free one of his legs before being distracted by that enticing dick. It was sufficient for Graydon’s purposes, however. Ethan’s cock, hard and leaking itself once more, jutted out and his ass was exposed. The itch of his channel had reached epic levels. No longer distracted by feasting on Graydon’s dick, Ethan felt his own desperate need tenfold.
Graydon held him with an almost brutal grip, around his waist and with the fingers of one hand gripping Ethan’s thigh. He pressed his wide, hard body against Ethan’s. The tip of the man’s cock brushed against Ethan’s hole. He whimpered and clutched once more at Graydon’s arms. He looked up at him with pleading eyes.
Graydon stared at him with a stern look that sent a shudder through him. “You are mine.”
That was all the warning he gave before ramming his dick into Ethan’s hole and filling his channel in one swift thrust. Ethan’s mouth popped open on a silent scream. The burn of being stretched to nearly a point beyond endurance caused his brain to short-circuit. For a few seconds, his vision went dark and his whole body spasmed. Then he was coming so hard he smashed his head against the tree. But Graydon was there to cushion the blow with the palm of his hand, and he held Ethan tightly as he rode the orgasm to completion.
Graydon claimed Ethan’s mouth once more, invading his mouth almost as deeply as his dick ravaged Ethan’s ass. The man drilled him with long, hard thrusts, each time driving impossibly deeper. Hot cum flooded his channel within seconds. Graydon growled and grunted his pleasure, digging his fingers into Ethan’s scalp and grinding his pelvis against him.
For his part, Ethan recovered from the initial shock of the claiming to thump his bare heel against Graydon and dig his nails in encouragement. His wolf yipped a few times in some pointless effort to communicate with Graydon’s before howling in frustration. There was a faint echo of the sound, albeit stronger and in a lower register. It was almost as if Graydon’s alpha wolf was answering.
Impossible. Ethan’s wolf whined piteously.
Too consumed by the pleasure of being mounted for the first time in months, and in a powerful way that was beyond his experience, Ethan couldn’t muster much concern for his wolf. He could only hold on and encourage Graydon to keep at it. The alpha didn’t disappoint. Once his copious cum filled Ethan’s ass, Graydon remained embedded until his cock hardened once more and he fucked Ethan all over again.
He lost track of how many times he came or how long they remained joined. Eventually, he became aware of sitting on Graydon’s lap on the floor of the woods. He was cuddled against the man’s broad, warm chest. The alpha was petting Ethan’s head in a soothing motion that conveyed both pleasure and a touching amount of affection. Ethan had never felt more cherished. His hole ached from use, but he hardly cared. In fact, he reveled in the evidence that he’d been well-mounted and hopefully had satisfied his man. He got confirmation of that in the next second.
“I shall rest well tonight now that you have drained my balls, Omega.”
Hardly sweet words, yet they filled Ethan with a warmth that no amount of tender flattery from his former mate ever had. He could think of no answer, so he rubbed his face against the man’s skin and sighed.
Neither of them said anything more for a few minutes. Ethan wasn’t sure how much time had passed since they’d left the gathering. He vaguely wondered if Elijah had noticed his absence and was looking for him. Not wanting any kind of confrontation, he reluctantly lifted his head.
“We should return to the others.”
Graydon pushed his head back into place, gently but firmly. “Not yet. I like holding you.”
“We’ll be missed.” He didn’t bother to try to rise again. Graydon would always best him with his strength, a notion that didn’t frighten him. Quite the contrary.
“I care little.”
Ethan frowned. “I don’t want to upset my brother. Elijah is a very modern alpha, slow to anger and very liberal in his control over me. That doesn’t mean he would take what we just did lightly.”
Graydon slowly lifted Ethan’s head so that they could look at one another. “What your brother thinks of us is of no concern. You belong to me, and if I have to fight him to make that point…” He shrugged.
Alarm shot through Ethan. Putting his palms against Graydon’s chest, he pushed to separate them. The alpha allowed him to, an almost amused look on his face.
“There will be no fighting.” He put as much sternness into his tone as he could manage. It didn’t change Graydon’s expression in the least.
Ethan jerked to his feet, his pants half-on, half-off. He started re-dressing, his movements clumsy with his fatigue. “I gave myself to you because I wanted this pleasure. That’s all. I figure as a formerly mated and barren omega, I’m entitled to a little fun.”
He stumbled in his efforts to pull his pants on. He would have fallen if not for Graydon’s quick actions. The man stood as he steadied Ethan, his manner indulgent and matter-of-fact.
Ethan yanked his pants up and fastened them. “I’m happy to repeat this again before the gathering ends, but that’s all.” He shot the alpha a determined look even as he searched for the one sneaker he’d kicked off. “I’m not yours. We’ll be going our separate ways soon, and I don’t want to cause trouble by letting Elijah know what we’ve been up to.”
Even as he spoke, he knew he was going to have trouble accomplishing that. His ass was covered in dried cum and he didn’t need a mirror to know his lips were swollen from Graydon’s almost brutal kisses. It was going to be hard to hide what he’d been up to. Damn, he hadn’t though this through very well. He hadn’t been thinking much at all. It was pure animal need that had driven him into Graydon’s arms. So long as it didn’t end in bloodshed, he wasn’t going to regret a thing.
He hopped on one foot, then gave up and leaned against Graydon as he put his sneaker on. “Please don’t cause any trouble for me.” As dressed as he was going to get, he gave Graydon what he hoped was a determined look, yet knew was probably more of a pleading one.
Graydon surprised him by running his fingers gently through Ethan’s hair before pressing a soft kiss on his mouth. “From this point forward, I will do nothing other than protect you.”
Ethan had to break eye contact. The feelings were too intense. “I, um, appreciate that. I don’t want you and my brother at odds, though, either.
Elijah would never hurt me. I’m worried that he’ll feel he has to fight you over my honor.”
Graydon chuckled, a deep rumbling sound. “There is no chance of that because there is no dishonor in mounting my mate.”
Ethan gasped and his gaze flew up. “What are you talking about? We’re not mating.”
Graydon raised his eyebrows. “Of course we are.”
Ethan shook his head. “No. Haven’t you been listening? I’m barren.” Saying the word out loud hurt as it always did.
Graydon shrugged. “So you and your brother say. I believe otherwise. It matters not, in any event,” he added before Ethan could sputter out a reply. “We are fated to mate.”
Ethan rolled his eyes. He couldn’t help it. “That is nonsense.” As he said it, his wolf howled in protest. Quiet. “There’s no such thing, and even if there were, you can’t afford to mate with an omega who can’t give you pups.”
Graydon folded his arms. “Says who?”
“Everyone!” Ethan backed up with his arms splayed wide. “You need an alpha heir and I can’t give you one. And, I don’t want to be part of a harem, either.” He swallowed hard. “I thought I would be okay with that when my former mate said he was returning me to Elijah. I was desperate then. Not now. I don’t think I could handle being someone you simply fuck for fun.”
Graydon’s eyes turned stormy. He took a step toward him. “While I’m glad you hold yourself in appropriate esteem, I resent your assumption that I want a harem. All I have ever sought is the mate who has been chosen by the Gods to be mine. You are that one, Ethan. There is no mistake. My wolf knows it and so does yours. You are being stupid in your refusal to accept that.”
Ethan lifted his chin. “No I am not. I may be only an omega, but I know my mind and I am in charge of my destiny. I will be your lover for the duration of the gathering, and that’s all. You can accept my offer or reject it. You cannot dictate my actions, nor foretell my future.”
With those points settled, Ethan turned and fled, his heart in his throat and his body demanding once more the alpha’s attention. He ignored them both. Harder to ignore was the mournful howl of his devastated wolf.
Chapter Five
Griffin stuck to the perimeter of the group, not wanting to call attention to himself. He’d specifically volunteered for patrol duty while the big bonfire dinner was happening. His reasons for doing so were totally selfish—he hadn’t wanted to watch Elijah’s pursuit of Ryan. While his head told him it was the best thing for the omega and his pup, his heart couldn’t bear it. During the course of the day, his feelings of jealousy had grown, not diminished. Not even running with Jagger had lightened his mood. As foolish as it was, his affection for the omega had only grown.
Call it by its true name—love.
Yep, that was the sad fact of his life. He was in love with a boy he could never have. No matter what kind of encouraging signs Ryan had thrown his way over the last few weeks, now that a man worthy of the omega was interested, the only honorable choice was for him to stay far away. Elijah required the room necessary to encourage Ryan to accept his suit. Griffin had to give it to him. To do otherwise would be an act of pure selfishness.
His nobility, however, was being undermined at the moment by his stomach. It rumbled as he spied a table heaped with what was left from the grilling. His hunger didn’t even mind that everything was likely cold by now. As he contemplated a plan to snag some, a figure approached, backlit by the dwindling bonfire. He would have known that shifter in the pitch black. His heart did a slow roll at the sight even as his brain told him to shut it down.
The adorable omega held a plate heaping with charred meat and vegetables in one hand and carried a mug of what he hoped was beer in the other. The boy’s gaze was fetchingly downcast as he approached, but there was no hesitation in his steps. He stopped only a foot away and looked up at Griffin from under his lashes, the perfect image of a servient shifter. Except there was something more flashing in those pretty eyes.
An invitation? Griffin’s brain registered it as such without any hesitation, and his wolf growled soft and low in agreement. His dick went hard, although that hardly signified. That dumb thing stiffened anytime Ryan took a breath within sight. Thank the Gods Griffin had already thrown on some clothes. The last thing he wanted to do was wave the proof of his appalling lack of control in the shy omega’s face.
Shy? It was hard to describe the boy that way, not when he’d sought Griffin out after obviously thinking of his needs. It wasn’t the first time, either, or even the first time that day.
Ryan held up the plate and the mug. “I put some food and beer aside for you.”
Griffin suppressed his sigh. He needed to find a way to both show his appreciation and reject the personal overture. If Ryan wasn’t going to look out for his own interests, Griffin needed to do it for him. Through the crush of people, he spied the Green Mountain alpha across the yard.
He took the offering and backed up to sit on one of the logs placed on the ground for that very purpose. “Thanks, Ryan. That was, um, sweet of you.”
Ryan’s mouth turned up in a pretty smile. “I knew you were on patrol and wanted to make sure you were well fed when you finished. And,” he added with a bit of a flourish, “I have dessert too.” He pulled a wax paper baggie out of his back pocket. A squished s’mores was inside.
“You needn’t have gone to so much trouble.” His tone wasn’t very convincing even to his own ears. It was hard to act indifferent to the gesture.
“It’s nothing, really.” Instead of handing over the treat, the omega sat right next to him. Close enough that their legs brushed. He placed the bag on the log in the narrow space between them. The back of his fingers touched Griffin’s hip.
He froze for a second, unsure of what to do. It was impossible for all of this to be anything other than deliberate. There was an ample amount of log available for Ryan to perch his small rump on. Choosing a spot guaranteed to cause him to make contact with Griffin’s body was hardly a mistake. Not even a dim-witted omega, which Ryan certainly was not, would have made that kind of miscalculation.
Griffin knew he should move. Get up, maybe. Shoo the boy away. He simply couldn’t. Rather he took a long swallow of his beer as if somehow he’d find courage in that little bit of alcohol. It didn’t work. Putting the mug on the ground on his far side, he fiddled with the fork on his plate.
“You should leave,” he finally said. “Elijah won’t like your hanging with me.”
Ryan didn’t say anything right away. He wore at a spot on his knee with his thumb. “Why would I care what he thinks?”
Griffin nearly dropped his plate. “Oh, well…” Damn, could the omega be that naïve? Had no one explained to him what Elijah’s attention meant? “It’s, ah, because he’s you know…interested in you.”
He winced at his doltish efforts at answering the boy. “He’s courting you,” he added with more firmness.
Ryan huffed. “I know that. I’m not stupid, Griffin.”
“Of course, you’re not!” He said it forcefully and immediately regretted the way his tone made Ryan blink rapidly. It was easy to forget sometimes how Ryan was the kind of shifter that was the most servient and skittish. His behavior often belied that genetic heritage, like it was now. It was true regardless, plus the boy was so very, very young.
“I didn’t mean to imply that at all,” he added in a softer voice.
When Ryan said nothing else, Griffin decided to satisfy his hunger and show his appreciation to the omega by starting in on his meal. For the next few minutes, he stuffed his face with delicious food. It remained warm, testament that Ryan had gone to extra trouble on his behalf. He practically cleaned his plate with only a few forkfuls and drained his mug to wash it all down. Somehow, the omega had managed to keep the beer cool, as well. It was delicious.
“Would you like some more to drink?”
Griffin was afraid to look at the boy, not wanting his emotions to show on his fac
e. “No, thanks. I’ll get it myself in a moment.”
“That’s okay.” Ryan popped to his feet and reached around Griffin to grab the mug in a swift, graceful move. “I don’t mind. You’ve been literally running around for hours. You should sit.”
“Ryan.” Griffin reached out to snatch the omega’s arm and tried to ignore how much he liked the feel of it. “Please don’t wait on me. I’m not worthy of your attention. Go find Alpha Elijah.”
Ryan stood unmoving, other than a fine tremor that ran through him, strong enough for Griffin to feel. “I don’t want to do that,” he said in a low voice. “I want to get you more beer.” His mouth formed a thin line.
Griffin couldn’t resist running his fingers along Ryan’s arm to clasp the boy’s hand. “Ryan, can’t you see the opportunity this presents? Elijah is by all accounts a good man, as well as a strong alpha who is respected by his pack.”
He swallowed past a hard lump forming in his throat, threatening to choke him to death. “He’ll be a good sire to Milo and he will provide for and protect you both. He’s exactly who you deserve as a widowed alpha mate. A man worthy of your status.”
On a gasp, Ryan tugged his hand free. “You think I care about that? The status thing, I mean.” He folded his arms and stamped his foot. “Of course I want a mate who will take care of Milo and me, but the rest doesn’t matter.”
The omega looked away. “I remember my own sire telling me I was the luckiest of omegas on the night he gave me to Haldon for mating. I don’t have to tell you how that worked out.”
Griffin winced at the reminder of the abuse Ryan had suffered. Balancing his plate on the log, he stood. “No, you don’t, and I can’t tell you the shame I feel when I think of it.”
Now Ryan’s eyes blazed as he gazed at him. “Why? You had no control over his actions. You were the only one to even offer me any help.”
“It wasn’t enough.” Griffin closed his eyes for a moment before staring at the ground.
Omegas Unchained (The Rogue Pack Book 8) Page 9