“Just stuff about being an Omega.”
“Did they touch you?” Ro could see the struggle on Seb’s face as he asked the question.
He hid his face against Seb’s chest as he mumbled his response. “They threatened it. Called me a whore and said they’d pass me around. But then another wolf turned up and fought them off, then helped me back on my bike.”
Seb let out a long sigh of relief, one hand rubbing circles on Ro’s upper back before he took Ro's hand in his.
“What about this?” Seb asked, indicating the grazed knuckles of Robert’s hand.
“I might have got in a few punches. I broke Perry’s nose.” He’s been too scared at the time to get much satisfaction from the crunch as his fist made contact.
To his surprise, Seb began to chuckle.
“Martin will be glad to hear your training has paid off. I wish I’d been there to see that part. Of course, if I had been there, none of them would have laid a hand on you.”
Robert tipped his head back so he could see Seb’s face. The Alpha was furious, eyes flashing with anger. Alicia had told him that Sebastian rarely got angry, but that it was quite a thing to see when he did.
Something occurred to Seb and Ro could see the thoughts doused his anger a little.
“Who came to your aid? I don’t recognize any of the scents on you.”
Ro bit his lip, forcing himself to hold Seb’s gaze. He wasn’t sure how well his Alpha would take what he had to say.
“His name was James. He said he’s with Fenrir’s Warriors.”
Seb went still, troubled eyes watching him.
“What else did he tell you?”
“That he had a connection to my father. And he asked if I was happy here and I told him I was.”
Seb didn’t speak, just continued to watch him.
“He put himself in the middle of everything, fought side by side with me against Eagle Creek. And he threatened them as they left. Told them I was off-limits and they’d kill one of Frank’s sons if I came to any harm.”
The more he spoke, the more concerned he became about Seb’s reaction. He wouldn’t think Ro had any interest in another Alpha, would he? He knew Ro was happy and content by his side.
Seb’s hands were suddenly gripping him, tugging him closer so they were pressed tightly together from head to toe.
“I’m very glad you’re safe. And it makes me very happy to hear that you feel at home here. But I want you to tell me if this James tries to contact you again. We know Fenrir’s Warriors have shown some interest in you since you arrived here but until today we had no knowledge as to why.”
They were nose to nose and Seb pressed a kiss to his cheek and another to his lips.
“What happened today should not have happened. I should have been more careful. But I wanted you to feel like a normal wolf, have the freedoms the rest of the Pack have.”
“It wasn’t your fault. It didn’t even happen at Eagle Creek’s border. From now on I’ll take the longer way home.”
“From now on, you’ll be accompanied to and from college.”
“Seb…” Ro started to protest, but it turned into a strangled moan when the Alpha’s mouth kissed a sensitive spot on his neck. He shuddered, heat spreading through him.
“Just for a few weeks, until things settle down,” Seb said, lifting his head so their eyes met. “As for right now, I think we should test out Alicia’s theory that Alpha Omega contact has healing properties.”
“I’m supposed to be training with Martin later.”
“I think you’ve done enough for today,” Seb countered, fingers trailing the grazed knuckles of Ro’s hand. “You were very brave, Ro.”
“I didn’t feel brave.”
“You stood up to them and fought them off, despite being outnumbered, despite all the history between you, and despite how afraid you were. You may not feel like it, but that is the definition of brave.”
As he spoke, he started to unwrap the blanket that covered the Omega, exposing inch after inch of Ro’s bare skin. "And bravery deserves to be rewarded."
He unwrapped the last of the blanket and Ro lay naked before him, watching eagerly as the Alpha’s gaze raked across him. The Alpha plucked a pillow from the head of the bed and placed it beneath Ro’s hips. It gave Ro no true indication of what was to come.
“Bend your knees and spread your legs,” Seb urged and Ro did, feeling a little exposed beneath the Alpha’s eyes. “Close your eyes,” Seb added and Ro did, feeling anxious and excited all at once.
Ro lay his head back, body thrumming in anticipation. He wasn’t disappointed, as Seb’s hand wrapped around the base of his cock. A moment later, warm lips touched the tip and he had to fight to keep himself from bucking as he hardened rapidly. Seb licked a slow line around the head and across the slit, Ro whimpering at the pleasurable torture. Then Seb’s lips locked around him, sucking and slowly taking in more and more. He rolled his hips and the Alpha rolled with him, mouth never leaving him.
As Seb’s mouth took him deeper, he opened his eyes, following the lines of his body down until he found Seb, the pleasure clear on the Alpha’s face. The Alpha hummed around him, the vibration of his lips heightening Ro’s pleasure.
His gaze flicked upwards and he locked eyes with Ro.
Ro threw his head back, moaning loudly, unable to restrain the sound of his pleasure. It spurred Seb on, the Alpha’s mouth taking him deeper still.
Ro knew he was close, reaching one hand down to grip the Alpha’s hair. He tried to warn the Alpha. “Seb, I’m going to…”
The Alpha didn’t pause, carrying Ro right to the edge and over. The first wave of pleasure had him gasping, eyes fluttering closed as Seb swallowed hard around him. The Alpha’s touch drew his orgasm out, on and on until he flopped back onto the bed, spent and sated.
Seb pulled away from him slowly, pressing a soft kiss to his hip.
He shifted upwards, laying his body against Ro’s side. His fingers trailed across Ro’s cheek, his intense blue eyes full of passion and heat.
Seb was hard. Ro could feel it where he pressed against his hip. They kissed, long and slow.
“We could keep going,” Ro suggested. He bent his knee, wrapping his leg around Seb’s waist.
The Alpha pressed his mouth to Ro’s again, deepening the kiss, his tongue teasing the Omega’s. His hand found Ro’s leg, hitching it up higher on his waist.
Ro melted against him. This was what wanted, this was all he needed.
Chapter One
Present Day
Jay crouched low against the ground, enjoying the feel of the sun on his face as he waited patiently for the rabbit to reappear. His stomach growled, reminding him how long it had been since his last meal. But he’d learned long ago that patience was the key.
The snap of a twig in the distance had him on alert, ears listening for danger. A stillness settled over the forest. Something was wrong.
Another crack of branches, from a different direction. He stood, lifting his nose and scenting the wind. But whatever it was appeared to be upwind of him.
He was reluctant to abandon his hunt but something didn’t feel right and he’d learned to trust his instincts. He turned and loped away, downhill towards the stream. If it was hunters, they’d lose his tracks in the water. If they had dogs, they’d lose his scent too. And maybe he’d catch a fish for his troubles.
But as he moved through the forest, there appeared to be movement all around him. He’d never seen human hunters work like this. They were always in twos or threes, together in a line, not spread out like they were searching for something. Like they were searching for him. The thought forced him onward, feet fast against the ground. It had been years. No one had come looking for him in all that time. Why now?
A sound and scent ahead of him forced him to veer right, looping around the trunk of an old tree. Another sound, closer and to his right, pushed him into a denser thicket of trees and bushes. He burst out the other side, r
elieved to catch sight of the sparkling water of the stream ahead of him. He was almost there.
Then something fell on him. Something heavy. Struggling to free himself, he only got more entangled, until he could barely move. He whined loudly then went silent as a shadow fell across him.
“See, just like I told you. Young, healthy. We’ll need to feed him up a bit but he’ll fetch a good price.”
He whined again, then growled as hands reached for the net he was encased in.
“Shut it,” the voice said, punctuating his words with a kick to his flank. He yelped and tried to move out of reach but it was no use. Hands grabbed the net, lifting him, and carrying him away through the woods.
He was inside a moving darkness, the rocking sensation vaguely familiar. That was how he’d gotten to the woods, long ago. They’d brought him in a car, on a very long journey, opened the door and lifted him out. Then they’d driven away, leaving him all alone in the forest. He’d been small then. Too small to wade across the stream. Too small to catch a rabbit. For a while he’d spent most of his time in human form, playing with sticks and pretending they were swords. But as the days wore on, it got colder and harder to find shelter. Being a wolf was warmer, easier. And he was better at finding food that way. He still changed sometimes, back then. Like when the berries on the bushes ripened or he found something left behind by other humans. But it was a long time since he'd needed to.
It was rare that anyone crossed his path. Sometimes humans would come, with their guns, and hunt deer. A few times he’d caught the scent of other wolves. And if he’d known they were there then maybe they’d known he was there. Which might be how he found himself ensnared in the back of their truck. He tried chewing on the netting to free himself but though he frayed the rope a little, it didn’t do him any good.
They must have known he was a shifter but who were they going to sell him to, and why?
Hours later, when the sun had sunk towards the horizon, they reached their destination. He was carried inside, into a small windowless room and freed from the net.
“Now.” One of the men grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, shaking him hard. “You’re going to shift back into a human so we can clean you up. Then you can have some food. If you’re good and do as you’re told, we won’t have any reason to hurt you.”
He didn’t believe the man, nothing about him suggested he was trustworthy. Besides, it had been a very long time since he’d been in human form. He preferred being a wolf. It felt safer.
The men stood back, arms folded as they waited for him to change. Crouching with a growl, he merely glared up at them.
“Fine. You don’t eat or drink until you shift. Let’s see how long it takes before you change your mind.”
They left, the door clanging shut and the light flicking off, throwing the room into darkness. He found himself a corner and curled up, ears alert for any sign of the men’s return.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed with no daylight or night sky to help him keep track. The men would come in every few hours, sometimes with food, to try and coax him to change. When that didn’t work, they took to making threats. Their words had little effect on him which they must have realized because they came back a little while later with something else.
He wasn’t sure what it was. It looked like a long metal stick but it made an odd sound when one of the men pressed the end of it. He didn’t like the look of it, nor the excited expressions on the men’s faces. Tucking himself as far into the corner as he could manage, he growled as they came closer.
“Are you gonna change for us?” one man asked, holding the stick out towards him. In response, he snapped at it, jaws closing in the air beside it.
“Oh, boy, you’ll wish you had. It didn’t have to be like this.”
He jabbed the stick against Jay's flank and a sudden flash of pain seared through him. He howled, trying to get away, but there was nowhere to go, his back against the wall.
“Change, or I’ll do it again,” the man said, moving the stick to press against his underbelly. Whining softly, he dropped his head submissively.
“Don’t give me that shit. Change!” the man demanded, jabbing the stick into his skin. But he couldn’t. The fear was too great, his body too tense. The pain coursed through him again, forcing another anguished whine from him. Why were they doing this? Couldn’t they see he wasn’t like them?
As he panted from the pain, trying to curl into the wall, the man trailed the stick along his fur.
“Here’s how this is going to go. We’re going to leave the room and you’re going to change back. If you’re not in human form by the time we return, we’ll start this all over again, only this time, we won’t stop.”
The press of the stick against him disappeared, the door to the room opening and slamming shut as the men's voices faded into the distance.
Jay knew he’d have to change. He knew he’d have to try. There wasn’t anything else for it. Crawling out from the corner, he moved to the center of the room to give himself space.
It was hard to remember how this worked. At one time, it used to be so easy, second nature. But now…
He dug deep down inside himself, to the human part of him that had hidden itself long ago. Hidden from the pain, from the loneliness. It wasn’t easy to drag it to the surface. It clung to him, unwilling to let go of its safe space within. But he needed it, now more than he ever had.
It gave finally, coursing through him with a wave of agony that started him howling again. The world faded around him as he felt his body contort.
Chapter Two
Seb sat in the kitchen drinking coffee with Alicia.
“How is Ro’s assignment coming along?”
“It would be going a lot better if he hadn’t gone into heat last week. It completely knocked him off his timetable. He got an extension, but only for twenty-four hours. He’s been up half the night getting ready for this morning's presentation.”
As if on cue, they heard quick footsteps on the stairs and Ro dashed into the kitchen. He grabbed a bagel, popped it in the toaster then poured himself a cup of coffee, not acknowledging the other two people in the room. He poured a liberal amount of milk into the cup then downed half the contents.
“Long night, Ro?” Alicia tried.
Bleary-eyed, the Omega turned towards her. “Oh, hi, Alicia. Morning, Seb. I have to go to college…”
“I’ll drive you,” Seb said, reaching for his keys.
“No, Seb, it’s fine, you don’t need to-”
“You’re exhausted. It would be irresponsible of me to let you take your bike. Besides, it’s raining.” He gestured out the window where a steady downpour of rain was soaking the grass.
The toaster popped, startling Ro, who was staring doubtfully out the window.
“Okay. A ride would be great. Thanks, Seb,” his mate capitulated.
“I’m delighted you’re seeing things my way.”
“Of course,” Alicia pointed out. “It’s not like Sebastian is good at taking no for an answer.”
“Not when I’m right, like in this case,” he reasoned. “Have you got everything you need to bring with you?”
“It’s all in my bag,” Ro replied, waving his bagel in the direction of the living room between bites. He checked his watch, eyes widening.
“I’m going to be late.”
“Relax,” Sebastian said, holding up one hand. “I’ll get you there in plenty of time. And I won’t need to break any speed limits to do so. Finish your breakfast first.”
Ro did, then got his things together.
“How do I look?” he asked when Sebastian joined him at the door.
Gone was his usual casual jeans and t-shirt, instead he wore a blue shirt that brought out his dark eyes and a pair of dark gray pants.
Seb reached for him, smoothing out a wrinkle in his shirt and straightening his tie. “You look great.”
And he did. Long gone were the gaunt, wasted features he’d
had when he first arrived. He’d filled out, putting some well-needed muscle on his frame. He was still slight, still smaller than the average shifter would be, but Alicia assured him Ro was healthy.
He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Ro’s lips. The lingering effects of Ro’s heat meant every bit of his skin itched to just pick the Omega up and carry him back to bed.
“You do clean up well,” Alicia commented, her smile suggesting she knew exactly what Sebastian was thinking.
“How’s Tate?” Ro asked and inwardly Seb cheered his mate’s bravery. Not too many people risked asking Alicia about her relationship. Having been burned a few times too many, Alicia was keen to play things low key.
“He’s fine. Don’t you have a presentation to give?” she replied but her tone was playful. Robert was one of the few people Alicia would open up to these days. There was a mutual trust there, in part borne of a shared concern for him. He liked it, liked the closeness of his family.
“She’s right, let’s get going,” he said, handing Robert his coat and donning his own.
“See you for dinner this evening, sis,” he added as he herded Ro out the door.
“Tomorrow,” Alicia said. “I’m seeing Tate this evening.”
“Tomorrow, then.”
“Bye, Alicia,” Ro called.
“Good luck with the presentation,” she called back. “Go break a leg or whatever you young people do these days.”
Sebastian returned to pick Ro up afterward.
“How was it?” he asked as the wet, bedraggled Omega climbed into the car.
“It could have gone better. But I still came second.”
Seb, about to pull off, put the car into park. “That’s fantastic. Congratulations.” He leaned over, pulling Ro into a tight hug. “You’re really something. Have I told you that?”
“Only a few thousand times,” Ro replied, smiling and rolling his eyes. A shiver shook him and Seb turned up the heat.
The drive home was quiet, Seb turning on the radio and filling the car with music he could tap along to.
The Alpha's Love: Lost Omegas Book Four: A M/M Shifter Romance Page 2