by L. C. Davis
The alpha's fingers brushed against a spot deep inside that made Jesse arch his back and cry out in alarm. Judging from the tenor of the alpha's laughter in his ear, that was exactly what was supposed to happen. Jesse whimpered in desperation when the alpha pulled his fingers out, but found himself all too eager to accept the erect member that was almost immediately put in their place. Kenneth held his hips still so he couldn't buck and instead gave his shaft a more gradual introduction to the omega's tight entrance.
Jesse found himself grateful for the alpha's restraint when he realized just how generously hung the older wolf was. As an omega, the other wolves observed a reasonable amount of modesty around him, but he had still caught a glimpse of what a beta wolf's shaft looked like now and then. Most were thicker and a bit longer than his own, but Kenneth was proportionately massive in all regards.
"Shh," the alpha soothed, easing his way into the omega, whose body clenched in resistance even as his libido welcomed the invasion. "Just relax."
Jesse obeyed and found himself so calmed by the alpha's reassurances and gentle stroking that he took him in all at once. Immediately, his body tensed in response and the ache in his bottom warred with a new kind of pleasure.
Kenneth leaned down and captured the omega's lips as he rocked his hips gently, creating a steady rhythm. Soon enough, Jesse was moving with him, his hips arched invitingly as his alpha ground against his spot. His nails dug into Kenneth's back and his legs wrapped around the alpha's waist in a desperate bid to draw him closer.
"Good boy," Kenneth murmured, reaching between them to stroke Jesse's shaft. His member responded immediately and all it took was a few more expert strokes combined with the delicious friction of the alpha's head grinding into his spot from inside to give him the release he craved. Jesse gasped as his cock pulsed evidence of his satisfaction between them and Kenneth's eyes glazed over in approval as he licked the sticky white substance off his fingertips.
"You taste so sweet," he murmured, nuzzling the omega's neck as he began thrusting in with renewed vigor.
Jesse shuddered as one wave of pleasure overtook the other. Kenneth filled him completely, or so he thought until a pulsing stream of the alpha's cum elicited a second orgasm soon after the first. Jesse cried out in bliss and dug his nails into his alpha's back, almost as eager to place a mark as he was to take it.
"Please," he choked out, baring his neck. "Please, Kenneth, do it."
The older man hesitated and Jesse could feel his reason warring with the lust they shared. "Jesse...you're not mine."
The words send a wave of grief through Jesse that was worse than any physical pain he had endured in the mating process. Judging from the look on his face, Kenneth felt it keenly.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, cupping the omega's cheek in his palm. "That's not what I meant. Of course I want you to be mine, I just --"
"Then please," Jesse murmured. "Please, claim me."
Kenneth watched him for so long Jesse steeled himself for the ache that was bound to come with rejection. When the alpha swept his hair from his neck and pressed a kiss into the exposed flesh, hope flooded him. Jesse relaxed instinctively even as the newly intimate touch stirred his arousal. He closed his eyes and bit his lip, relishing the pain that accompanied that first bite.
Pleasure that made all else pale in comparison spread from the marks Kenneth's fangs had just opened in his flesh all throughout Jesse's body. He moaned his bliss and winced as a new kind of pain assailed him. He realized only then that the alpha's knot was growing inside of him. Warmth enveloped them both and Jesse ran his hands through Kenneth's hair, rocking his hips to allow the other man to fit his knot fully inside of him.
Kenneth's low growl of possession sent even more ripples of pleasure throughout Jesse's body as he held his alpha to him and relished the feeling of being claimed in every scent. Long after Kenneth's fangs had left his flesh, Jesse could feel the electrical hum of the mark etching itself into his flesh. Even if it wasn't yet visible to the naked eye, its message was clear.
Mine. This is my omega.
For the first time that night, Jesse slept without having the dream. He was already living it.
Chapter 8
KENNETH
Kenneth woke later than usual, which was easy to do now that his bed had a remarkably enticing omega in it and there was nowhere else he would rather be. The alpha had woken up certain that the night before had been yet another dream, but the young man in his arms was more real than anything in Kenneth's world of isolation and routine.
Jesse was still sleeping, but Kenneth knew that wouldn't last for long. Omegas in heat were nothing if not demanding, and after five rounds the night before, Kenneth decided it would be best to take care of his chores around the farm while he had the chance.
He also knew reality would come calling, but the damage had been done. Right or wrong, he knew he had done more to resist an omega quite literally begging him for his mark than any other alpha could have done, and if any thought otherwise, they were welcome to challenge him. He had been willing to defend Jesse even when it meant returning him to his pack, and now that a pair bond had formed between them, that wasn't about to change.
That was the only explanation for what had happened. Kenneth knew there was only one circumstance in which an alpha's knot emerged and that was during sex with his destined mate. For whatever reason, the Spirits had seen fit to give him an omega to call his own, and even an old wolf like Kenneth wasn't stubborn enough to call their judgment into question.
Now it was just a matter of defending his claim to Jesse's pack. Not that they had any room to talk. Kenneth knew from what little Jesse had told him that the Blue River Pack had no Alpha to call its own, but surely even a beta should have enough sense not to let a young omega run off all but unprotected. Especially knowing his first heat was just around the corner. The thought of what would have happened to Jesse if another wolf had found him when he...
Kenneth stared down at the rake that had snapped in his hands before tossing it by the shed. Well, he'd been meaning to make a run to the general store anyway. He wanted to put in another call to the Blue River Pack to at least let them know they were coming, even if there was some news that was better delivered in person.
As Kenneth trudged back to the farm, he found himself staring up at the window to the bedroom loft. He shook his head. How alphas ever managed to get anything done around an omega in heat was a mystery to him. The mere scent of Jesse was enough to drive him mad.
The door flew from Kenneth's grasp and sure enough, Jesse was on the other side, smiling up at him. The alpha had barely made it inside before the omega was in his arms and seemed to have grown another four of his own. "I missed you."
"I was hardly gone an hour," Kenneth scoffed, stumbling into the room in an effort not to trip over the omega who was already fumbling with his coat. He paused and sniffed the air. "Do I smell pancakes?"
"Oh, yeah," Jesse said sheepishly, running over to the stove to flip a thick pancake over in the skillet. "Almost forgot."
Kenneth cocked an eyebrow as he watched the scene in front of him. If someone had told him a year ago that a pretty young thing would be cooking the alpha's breakfast while wearing only his shirt, he would have laughed them out of No Man's Land. At the moment, all he could do was enjoy the view and decide that maybe he could stand to pray more often if it yielded such unexpected results.
Chapter 9
JESSE
Jesse had spent years dreading the onset of his first heat, been taken by surprise by its unexpected appearance, and found himself sad to see it go a few days after it began. While the primal take-me-now instincts died down, he was relieved to find that as the days wore into weeks, his underlying desire for Kenneth hadn't changed at all.
The weather, on the other hand, was changing rapidly. The moment the door opened and Kenneth came to the table after taking care of his morning chores around the farm, Jesse knew what was coming. He could
feel it. He had learned more of what it meant to be an omega during his time on Kenneth's farm than he had his entire life.
Unfortunately for both of them, there was nothing he could do to ease the source of their shared anxiety. Kenneth leaned down to kiss the omega before taking his seat at the table. Jesse placed a plate of food in front of him before taking his own.
"How's Ellie?" asked Jesse. Kenneth's favorite horse had been favoring one side over the other but it had been hard for him to figure out what was wrong with her the night before since she was wary to leave the stable for a jaunt out in the cold.
"Still not up to par," Kenneth said, shoveling another bite of eggs in. Jesse noticed he wasn't eating at the same pace as usual, which always meant something was wrong where an alpha was concerned. "Now that the snow's let up, I'll make a trip into town and see if the vet can come take a look at her."
Jesse nodded. It was coming, he could feel it.
"I should put in another call to your mother, too. Tell her we plan on heading back."
"Yeah," Jesse murmured. "I figured."
"Come on, I know she's your mother, but one little omega can't be that bad."
Jesse stared at him, wide-eyed. "You'll see."
Kenneth laughed but there was a hint of wariness in the sound. "You could come with me."
Jesse bit his lip. "Kenneth, there's something you should know about me. Before we go back. Before you talk to my mom about...this." His hand went to his neck out of instinct. As of yet, there was no visible mark where Kenneth's fangs had laid claim, but Jesse knew that would come after he had been marked in his beastform. He could feel the invisible cord between them winding tighter every day. He just hoped his secret wouldn't jeopardize that bond.
The alpha listened patiently, his brow knit in concern as he reached across the table to squeeze Jesse's hand. "You can tell me anything. You know that."
Jesse gulped. "You know how when we first met, I told you I was related to Edmund Fields?"
"Sure. Your uncle, I figured."
Because that's what I wanted you to think, Jesse thought, cringing. That I was just another omega. Just extra.
"Jesse," Kenneth said slowly, "what is it?"
Jesse opened his mouth and he swore to himself that the next words out of it would be the truth, but the knock on the door jarred it right off the tip of his tongue. Kenneth let out a growling sigh and muttered, "Hold that thought," before lumbering over to the door. When he opened it, a tall, older man in a dark brown uniform was standing on the other side, covered in a thin layer of snow the same shade as his beard. Jesse saw the star on his chest and panic rose up in him as he stood from the table.
"Rand..."
Kenneth was at his side in an instant, pushing the omega gently back into his chair. The sheriff watched them both in deep curiosity but gave them a moment before he said anything. "Maybe you and I should talk privately, Ken."
The alpha hesitated, looking down into Jesse's pleading eyes. "No, it's his brother and he should hear it, whatever it is. But do get to the point, if you don't mind."
The sheriff nodded and stepped inside, letting the heavy wooden door fall shut behind him. Kenneth offered him a chair and a cup of coffee. After what seemed like forever, the man announced, "We found the SUV but no bodies. There was a trail but we lost it. Whoever was in that vehicle was alive and well enough to drive it fifty miles clear of here." He paused, scratching the snow out of his thick scruff. "More of a miracle the damn tank survived."
"Where did you find it?" Jesse asked, feeling a burst of hope.
The sheriff looked at Kenneth and cleared his throat. "This is the part we really maybe ought to talk about in private."
Kenneth shook his head. "No, Hudson. Tell it like it is."
The older beta sighed. "The car was on the edge of Mountain Ridge territory. The trail leading away from it didn't exactly run cold."
Jesse's eyes widened as he listened. "It went past the border," he whispered.
"Now, I've already put in a call to the Council, but I figured I'd let you talk to the Mountain Ridge Alpha yourself," Hudson said, looking to Kenneth. "I know you two are on friendlier terms with him than most."
"Thanks," Kenneth muttered, already standing to get his coat. "I'll take care of it."
"The trail," Jesse said, leaning over the table. "Do you have any idea how many there were?"
Hudson shook his head gravely. "Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't talk to an omega about such unpleasant things, but..." He trailed off with a heavy sigh. "All I can say is if there were any bodies to be found in those woods, my boys would've sniffed 'em out. In my professional opinion, your brother and his friends were alive before they went onto Mountain Ridge land."
Jesse fell back into his seat and let the sheriff's words sink in. He didn't need to say anything else. The implication was clear. Just because Rand and the others had been alive before crossing the border, that didn't mean they were alive now.
Chapter 10
KENNETH
Kenneth traded his work boots for four legs, which he had always found a far more effective mode of transportation than anything with the possible exception of a snowmobile. After the winter he'd had, one of those was going on his shopping list. Normally, he liked the fact that his cabin made it difficult for anyone to get to him, but if he was going to have an omega staying with him, he was going to have to make some concessions to his hermit lifestyle.
Mountain Ridge territory was as tightly guarded as ever, it seemed. The acceptance of the pack into the Council had done nothing to change that, and Kenneth couldn't blame the massive pack's Alpha. His transition into the good graces of the Council had not been an easy one and he still had his share of enemies. With twin toddlers and another pup on the way, Mitchell had more to protect than ever.
Kenneth came to a stop at the very edge of the border that divided No Man's Land from the South Unit of the Mountain Ridge pack and waited. Before long, a huge blond wolf made his appearance through the trees. Kenneth recognized him as Toval, Mitchell's chief beta, immediately.
Kenneth? Usually I'm the one who has to track you down.
The large gray wolf chuffed. I have a message for your Alpha and a question for you. Did your men pick up a group of betas traveling in a dark green SUV last Friday?
The blond wolf looked back at the mountain ridge that shielded his lands and shook his head. No word of anything of the sort, and I would have been the first to hear. Who are they?
Kenneth sighed, loping past the younger wolf. Do you mind if we do this on two legs? It's a bit of a long tale and I'm getting too old to stand out in the cold for no good reason.
~
Kenneth found himself sitting across from Toval at a surprisingly cozy diner in borrowed fatigues. If it wasn't for the two alphas occupying a booth in the far corner and the military complex looming through the windows, Kenneth might have thought he was in any other diner in small-town America.
"This is...new."
Toval smirked. "The South Unit alpha's new mate has a fondness for strawberry milkshakes. It was his mating gift to her, if I recall correctly."
Kenneth snorted before taking a sip of the soda in front of him. He had never been much of a drinker and never heard the end of it on the rare occasion he went out to socialize. As luck would have it, the beta across him seemed to share his taste in refreshments. "Things really have changed since old Mitch took a mate, haven't they?"
"You don't know the half of it," Toval said, rolling his eyes. "There's talk of a yoga studio in Central."
"And your omega? I hear he's making some changes of his own to the Tribunal."
"You've probably heard about as much from him as I have lately," Toval said, running a hand over his closely shorn hair. "Well, I'm sure you didn't come out here to talk about omegas."
"Matter of fact, I did," Kenneth said, clearing his throat. He wasn't sure where to begin but figured stumbling upon Jesse in the snow was as good of a place
as any. Half an hour and three root beer floats in, he found himself shaking his head. "I've never even met those damn betas but I've got plans to throttle all three if their necks are still attached to their heads when I find them."
"Please do," Toval muttered. "I'll be the first to admit that betas without the leadership of an alpha have a tendency to go off half-cocked, but taking an omega along on a hunting trip? That's just pathetic."
"You don't have to tell me. Given the fact that he's seen as expendable over there, I don't expect I'll have as much trouble convincing the stand-in alpha of the Blue River Pack to honor the mate mark," he muttered.
"You might be wrong about that," Toval mused. "I hear Barnabas has made an emergency appointment in light of everything that's happened."
Kenneth frowned. "Who?"
"His name is Benjamin, from the Cold Water Pack. He's the son of their current Alpha."
Kenneth resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Council wolves always did value blood over qualification. Let's hope this one has the sense to keep a better eye on his omegas." He frowned. "You really have no idea where those betas are?"
"None."
Kenneth sighed. He knew Toval well enough to know that he wasn't a liar and he knew Mitchell even better than that. For a Mountain Ridge wolf, there weren't many acts lower than lying, especially to someone he owed a life debt. "I believe you, but the Council might be another story."
"Just what we need," muttered Toval. "Another scandal. I'd better go send out a search party and tell Mitchell...and Mel. Maybe he can do some damage control before the rumors get out of hand."
"Good luck with that," said Kenneth, standing. "You mind if I take a look around while I'm here?"
"Be my guest. Anyone gives you trouble, just say my name."
"Much obliged," said Kenneth.
"Oh, and Ken?"
The alpha stopped and turned, halfway through the door.