Beta's Strength: An MMM Mpreg Romance (Irresistible Omegas Book 5)

by Nora Phoenix

  Then an idea occurred to him, and he leaned back to meet Bray’s eyes. “Make sure to stop by to see Kean as often as you can…and hold him. I know he’s hurting, and he may not be open to it at first, but he needs you. Remember what we learned about how Vieno healed through Lidon’s vicinity?”

  Bray looked pensive. “I thought that was just because he’s the pack alpha and has special powers.”

  Ruari couldn’t explain it, but he knew he was right. “Look inside yourself,” he said softly. “What does your alpha want right now?”

  Bray seemed to do as Ruari asked, his eyes turning distant for maybe half a minute. “He wants to be near Kean,” he said, wonder filling his voice. “I have a little time now, so I’m gonna go hold him while he sleeps. Thank you.”

  He kissed Ruari’s head, then let him go, but Ruari yanked him back and kissed him on his mouth, not relenting until Bray gave in and kissed him back, careful at first but then with passion. Ruari closed his eyes when Bray’s bold taste hit his tongue, and he moaned into his mouth. God, he tasted so rich, so powerful. Then Bray lifted him up, and the omega wrapped his legs around him, letting out a little squeal when Bray walked him backward until his back was against the wall.

  “Haven’t had my fill yet,” Bray whispered, then kissed him again, and it mirrored Ruari’s thoughts exactly.

  They kissed for a long time, their bodies pressed together as their mouths explored and tasted, their tongues chasing and catching. “Is this okay?” Bray asked when he broke off the kiss, both panting a little.

  Ruari frowned for a second, then realized why he was asking. “Yes. We’re still together when it’s two of us, not only when we’re with all three. You asked how you were supposed to find your own spot with me. Well, this is how. We need to spend time together as well, and so do you and Kean. Yes, we need to be together with all three of us, but our one-on-one relationships should also be strong.”

  “It feels like cheating,” Bray said. “Especially when we’re…you know.”

  Ruari grinned. “Dude, we were kissing.”

  “Kissing can lead to more,” Bray said, a little defensive.

  “Yes, alpha, it sure can,” Ruari teased him, wiggling his eyebrows until Bray smiled. Then he sobered. “We’ll need to talk about this when Kean is recovered, so I agree we shouldn’t do more than kissing until then, but this is okay, Bray. This is more than okay.”

  Bray nodded. “I want to kiss you all over again, but I need to be with Kean for a bit.”

  Ruari smiled. “Yeah, you do.”

  They gathered outside that night, minutes before midnight. Kean had tried to walk himself, but after attending the pack meeting earlier that day, he’d been too exhausted. So Bray carried him, and while he was humiliated at first, he felt marginally better when he spotted Grayson carrying Lars as well. Someone had put chairs out—Palani, no doubt, Kean thought with a fresh wave of gratitude for his brother who always looked out for everyone—and Bray gently lowered Kean in one.

  “Thank you,” he said, and Bray kissed his head with a tenderness Kean hadn’t seen in him before. He’d changed, the alpha, but then again, they all had. Trauma tended to do that, and there was a word he didn’t use lightly.

  He shifted in his seat until he found the most comfortable position, which was relative, because he still hurt so much he could cry. But there was no way in hell he was missing this, and he’d been grateful his mates had agreed. Everyone was there, including Adar. He looked like he’d keel over any second as well, but he was there, supported by Isam.

  They’d cleared a plot for Jawon’s grave. It was a beautiful bit of land they’d chosen, a gentle hill overlooking a brook. It was peaceful, even at midnight, the full moon generously sharing her light with them. They’d put out torches to provide more light, and it was the most fitting setting for a funeral ever. And yet, despite the peaceful scenery, Kean felt something stir inside him, something old. It was instinctual, fierce, bordering on violent.

  “I feel strange,” Ruari whispered to him, taking his hand. Kean felt him shiver.

  “I feel it too,” he said, carefully lifting Ruari’s hand and pressing a kiss on it.

  God, every move still hurt so damn much. The painkillers Enar had given him had helped, but they were starting to wear off. At least he’d slept a few hours this afternoon. He’d felt a little better afterward, especially when he’d woken up to find himself plastered against Bray. He’d woken up as soon as Kean had, then had explained he’d wanted to be with Kean for a little bit and had promptly fallen asleep. That simple gesture had touched Kean deeply, but he hadn’t been sure if Bray wanted to hear that, so he hadn’t said anything. He figured their complicated threesome was hard to navigate while sober, let alone when high on pain meds.

  Bray hurried over to take a seat on Kean’s other side, and the pack sat in silence, waiting. They all rose when Jawon’s parents appeared, slowly walking toward them, hand in hand. Behind them, Lidon followed, flanked by his mates. The pack alpha carried Jawon’s body, which was wrapped in a simple white cloth. No casket, Lidon’s Uncle Leland had told Lidon. They would all explain it during the funeral, Palani had informed the pack.

  Kean’s throat clenched shut as he watched, and he wavered, his body seconds from collapsing under the weight of it all. In a flash, both his mates wrapped an arm around him, and they stood as one, holding him up. He’d never felt more connected to them as in that instant, and a wave of gratitude rolled through him that he had them.

  Lidon sank to his knees, lowering the body to the ground, next to the grave that had been dug. A sob rippled through the pack, then another one, and Lidon’s uncle and aunt clung tightly to each other.

  Then Grayson rose and stepped forward, while Lidon remained on his knees next to Jawon’s body. “We are gathered to celebrate the life of Jawon Hayes and entrust him to the earth which brought him forth. We do this according to the traditions of the Hayes pack, which Uncle Leland has shared with us. It is at his request and that of Aunt Sophie that Jawon will be buried on pack land, following the old ways.”

  He sounded different, Kean thought. Deeper, richer. More authoritative? He couldn’t put his finger on it, but it was impossible not to listen. And how wonderful that he’d called them uncle and aunt, because they felt like family to Kean as well.

  “Jawon died in battle on pack land. Who here present will testify to his honor in battle?” Grayson asked.

  Kean’s mouth opened all by itself. “I will.”

  He was almost instantly joined by Ori and Servas, who echoed his words.

  “Kean, speak to his honor, if you will,” Grayson said.

  Kean had to swallow twice before he could bring out the words. “He had a choice to surrender and allow the attackers access to the main house or to fight. He chose to fight.” He had to swallow again. “He showed more bravery and courage than I have ever seen in my life.”

  Grayson nodded. “The pack is satisfied that Jawon died with honor, within the gates he’d promised to defend, protecting the life of the alpha heir he’d sworn his life to. His honor is our honor. His sacrifice will strengthen the pack.”

  Kean frowned. What did that mean? How could Jawon’s death make the pack stronger? That didn’t make sense.

  Uncle Leland stepped forward. “According to the traditions of the old ways, pack members would be buried on pack land if they had died with honor. If they had died dishonorably, they would be brought outside pack land and their bodies would be burned. But those who died with honor would be carried to their resting place by the pack alpha himself, laid to rest at his feet, without a casket, because the body of the fallen warrior will give power back to the earth. This is how it was always done, and this is how it once again will be.”

  Lidon slowly rose to his feet, once again holding Jawon’s body. “Jawon,” he said, and then his voice broke. “You died protecting my pack, my men, my son. Your honor is beyond words. Thank you, my cousin, my brother. May the earth and the m
oon bring your honor and sacrifice back to us.”

  He kneeled again, lowering Jawon’s body in the grave. For a few seconds, he sat motionless, and then Kean felt Bray jerk beside him, a loud gasp flying from his lips. Lidon shifted in one glorious moment, shreds of his clothes still drifting down as he stood there in his magnificent wolf form. The pack went down on their knees as one, Kean with them, all thoughts of pain and discomfort forgotten. This wasn’t optional, you had to bow for the alpha. Even Uncle Leland and Aunt Sophie bowed low, and after a second or three of silence, Lidon howled.

  It tore through Kean, that howl, awakening something that had been forgotten. It pulled at his core, his soul, whispering his name, his identity. He wasn’t a mere man. He was wolf, too, his beta no longer stirring, but growling. All around him, bodies shuddered, moved and jerked, restless, as Lidon’s power rippled through the pack.

  Then Bray let out another gasp, and a second wolf appeared. Vieno had shifted, too, taking position next to his alpha, joining in his howl. Tears burned in Kean’s eyes, but not sad tears, not tears of grief. These were tears of being overwhelmed with something so powerful, so breathtaking that you couldn’t hold back. Something rolled through the pack, something deep and forceful. Something ancient that hungered and craved. And then it hit.

  Kean’s body jerked as if he’d been shocked as he screamed, his voice mixing in with those of others, before turning into a howl. And then?

  Then he was a wolf.

  5

  The three of them shifted at the same time, Bray, Kean, and Ruari. Bray knew, because he'd been keeping a close eye on his two mates, worried about the strange ripples of power that were rolling through the pack. He wasn't sure what was about to happen, but he was determined to make sure his mates were okay.

  And then they were no longer three men, but three wolves, standing side by side. He had expected it to be disorienting, but it felt like coming home, his wolf–body as familiar to him as his human one, if not more. The power of his shift still thundered through his veins, making him feel more alive than he'd ever felt before.

  His vision, his hearing, god, the way everything smelled…it was like his senses had been heightened to the max. The world was such a different place, and he felt connected to it, to the very dirt he was standing on, to the moon that had somehow given them power.

  He howled in joy, bumping his nose against Kean's, who had transformed into a beautiful, rich-brown wolf. Kean sniffed him, and Bray didn't know why, but he licked his snout. The sound Kean made was as close to a human giggle as possible, sparking such joy in Bray that he did it again.

  Then Ruari stepped close to them, his smaller frame rubbing against his, then Kean's. God, he was beautiful, as white as Vieno was in wolf form. Bray licked him too, eliciting that same sound, and then the three of them nuzzled their noses together. Bray had never felt this close to them, as if they shared the same soul. They rubbed against each other, happy and carefree.

  He could still think. Lidon had mentioned it, how surprised he had been during his first shift that his mental capacities had remained the same, though his instincts were even sharper when in wolf shape. And now Bray experienced it himself, this fascinating connection of his alpha and his human brain, of his deepest instincts and his rational, analytical mind. He couldn't speak, obviously, but he still thought in words, while at the same time thinking in concepts and with a deep, instinctive knowledge.

  It took a few minutes before he started looking around and realized not everyone had shifted. Lidon and his mates had, the four of them dancing around each other in excitement. He knew them as easily in their wolf form as he did in their human form, and wasn't that amazing?

  A large wolf, only slightly smaller than himself, trotted up to him, and he recognized him instantly as well, bowing low for him. The warm tongue on his head was comforting, a connection deeper than anything he'd ever shared with his dad. Then they stood flank to flank as his dad's two mates came forward as well. Bray focused on Sven first, happiness radiating through him as he saw a clearly pregnant white wolf. How amazing was that, that the baby had shifted with him?

  When he checked out Lars, he realized that their alpha, beta, and omega identities were visible in their wolf shape as well. The alpha wolves were much bigger, more leaning toward silver and gray, with Lidon clearly being the biggest one of them all. The betas were smaller, more brown in color. And then there were the omegas, which were white as snow and the smallest. They were so beautiful, Ruari especially, that it took Bray's breath away.

  Excited yelps made him look toward the pack alpha and his mates, where something was going on. It took him a few seconds to clue in, and then he felt himself get deeply emotional. Enar had the shape of a beta wolf, a rusty-brown wolf that was about the same size as Palani's, though slightly different in color, not even close to the silver-gray color and size of the other alpha wolves. His wolf showed his true identity, and Bray couldn't even comprehend how that was possible.

  But not everyone had shifted, and it didn't take long for Bray to realize who hadn’t. Only the mated men had shifted, those that were in a poly relationship. Their strong suspicions that the shifting abilities were related to the alpha-beta-omega dynamics turned out to be right, apparently. But those who hadn't shifted didn't look sad or jealous, more in awe.

  Bray trotted over to his brother Lucan, who instantly recognized him, judging by the look on his face, then sank to his knees to get a closer look at Bray. Tears formed in Lucan's eyes, and Bray licked them off, a weirdly intimate gesture that he wouldn't have dreamed of doing in human shape but that seemed completely natural now. In response, Lucan put his arms around Bray's neck and hugged him.

  Bray had no sense of time as the wolves made their way among the human pack members, allowing them to touch and hug and explore. He reunited with Kean and Ruari, realizing that Kean walked as easily as all the other wolves. Didn't his injuries bother him in wolf shape? Or were they only affecting his human form? That was something they'd need to look into.

  Uncle Leland and Aunt Sophie sat on the dirt, clinging to each other, both crying in a mix of joy and grief. Bray could see the mixed emotions on their face, the smiles that broke through as they watched the pack’s delight at being able to shift, then their grief as they turned their heads toward the body of their son, which was still in an open grave.

  He watched Lidon make his way over, still in wolf shape, then bow down low before his uncle and aunt. Both of their hands landed on his massive head, and they scratched his ears as you would a dog, but it was done with such reverence and affection that it made Bray emotional. He hadn’t known he could feel emotions like this in the first place, that he was capable of these depths and heights, let alone when he wasn't even human.

  Uncle Leland bowed over and pressed a kiss on Lidon's head, and then Aunt Sophie did the same, before they both rose to their feet. Lidon stood next to them as Uncle Leland said, "Jawon's sacrifice has been deemed worthy and honorable by the earth and the moon, and they have bestowed the gift of shifting back to the pack. His power will live on in all of you. Never forget, the blood of sacrifice is the seed of the pack."

  When he was done speaking, Lidon dropped into a sitting position, raised his head at the moon, and howled. Bray joined him, as did the others, and it sent a chill through his body. It was powerful, disturbing, and deeply emotional, this joined plea to nature. He wasn't sure what they were asking for until a tremble rippled through the earth beneath their feet, and he watched in amazement as Jawon's grave filled with earth all by itself, covering his body until he was no longer visible.

  Their continued howls swallowed the gasps of the humans around them, and they didn't stop until the tremble had quieted and the grave had disappeared, becoming one with the earth around it.

  Uncle Leland's voice was remarkably strong and loud as he spoke. "Earth to earth, dust to dust. So it was done in the days of old, and so it shall be done once again."

  They walked p
ast the grave, one by one, humans and wolves, nodding their heads in respect. It was solemn, and yet the heaviness of their grief had been lifted. It was like the air was lighter. Bray could see it on everyone’s faces, even the wolves.

  His father was the first to shift back, followed by Lars and Sven. They clung to each other immediately, and Bray had to look away, focusing on his dad, because it was just damn awkward to see his father’s mates naked. And fully aroused. Holy fuck, his father was sporting a…

  He tore his eyes away, then shifted back himself, immediately covering his groin to hide the massive erection he had as well. Damn, this shifting back was awkward as fuck.

  Kean watched them shift back, one by one. At first, they all showed a little confusion, followed by obvious embarrassment about the fact that they were naked, their clothes torn to shreds by the shift. Yes, that would take some getting used to, being naked around other pack members. Kean didn't think he would care all that much, but then again, he hadn't shifted back yet.

  Instead, he watched with amusement as Bray made a valiant attempt to cover his massive hard-on with his hands, Ruari glancing at him with laughter in his eyes. The omega didn't seem to care much about being naked, though he was sporting a boner as well. Kean looked around. Everyone was, it seemed, those who had shifted and those who hadn't. No wonder. If Lidon shifting had already caused such as sexual frenzy, it only made sense that this many people shifting had made it way worse.

  A lot of people would get lucky tonight, he thought. Ruari's expression was already changing from amusement to desire, the omega licking his lips as his eyes dropped to Bray's cock. The alpha had given up on the attempt to cover himself, maybe emboldened by the fact that others had as well. Or maybe the reaction of his omega had helped, because Ruari was about to start drooling.