by C. W. Gray
Noah snickered and nodded while Zed tried to shake the goat from his leg. Eventually he sighed and gave up. He didn’t really need to keep these pants anyway.
Diane laughed at him from where she stood next to the minister. Noah’s friend would sign the ceremony for Noah, so he didn’t have to work to understand this special moment.
Zed shook his leg again. Nope, Captain Hoof was still chewing.
Zed soon forgot the goat as he watched Noah during the ceremony. He knew he’d never forget Noah’s rapt face as he watched Diane sign or the feel of his love’s warm hand in his. His family and friends stood at his back and his future was at his side.
Noah kissed Pike’s chubby cheek and hugged him. “Make sure you poop as much as possible for Uncle Carter and Uncle Elijah, alright baby boy?”
Pike gurgled and pressed a wet kiss to Noah’s cheek.
Noah reluctantly handed him to Carter and ignored his brother-in-law’s glare. “Hey, I changed enough diapers for the twins. You owe me.”
Mary hugged him around the waist, and Noah suspected she may be crying. He knelt in front of her. Yep, those are tears. “It’s only one night, right?” She asked, eyes full of worry.
“Just one night.” He hugged her close. He hadn’t expected it would be so hard to leave the kids for the evening, even if it was for a very brief honeymoon night at Reuben and Ernie’s cabin. “Go get another piece of cake and make sure you and Olive stay up as late as you want tonight.”
Carter smacked his shoulder, making Noah and Mary laugh.
“I love you,” she signed.
“I love you too, sweetheart.” He kissed the top of her head, then let Olive pull her to the dance floor.
His niece gave him a wink and signed I love you over her shoulder.
He stood up and stared at Seth, arms raised.
The teenager rolled his eyes, but quickly moved into his hug. Noah squeezed him and shook him around, lifting him off his feet, before setting him back down. “I love you too, kid. Have fun at Jake’s house, but not too much fun.”
Seth shook as he laughed.
A few moments later, Noah and Zed drove away from the crowded reception. Noah closed his eyes and leaned back against the seat. So many people. He opened his eyes and looked at Zed’s profile. His husband looked happy.
Noah’s eyes caught on his own reflection in the side mirror. He barely recognized the look on his face. His eyes were soft with emotion and his lips swollen from the kisses Zed had stolen before they left the reception. That’s what happy looks like.
It didn’t take them long to arrive at the cabin. Noah smiled when he saw the flower arrangements and decorations covering the small front porch.
Zed stopped to study them, before turning back to him and signing. “We need to take these home with us and plant them. Janelle made sure all they were all living arrangements.”
Noah rolled his eyes, fighting a smile. “Of course, she did.”
Janelle and Zed together were impossible. Plants had taken over his house, yard, and even encroached on the barns.
Noah tugged Zed into the house and straight to the bedroom. Three kids meant very little privacy and Noah was ready to celebrate.
He froze when he saw the bedroom. The bed was made and flower petals circled it. The air was scented with vanilla and some flower. I feel like Zoe or Aunt Anna was here.
Zed pulled him into his arms and bent to kiss him. Noah was effectively lost in the alpha’s kiss and any romantic decorations were forgotten. They tugged at their clothes, somehow managing to undress without breaking their kiss.
Noah pushed Zed on the bed and straddled his legs. He wrapped his fingers around Zed’s hard length and pumped, enjoying the silken heat in his hands.
Zed groaned and leaned up, cupping Noah’s face and deepening their kiss. Noah lost track of time, his mind and body focused on Zed. He stroked the other alpha’s dick a few more times, then cupped Zed’s balls in one hand, testing the weight against his palm.
His hand slipped farther down, and he ran a finger over Zed’s hole. He rubbed it for a moment before dipping the tip of one finger inside him.
Zed pulled back from their kiss, panting. “Fuck, Noah. I need you.”
Noah’s laugh felt rough. “Not as much as I need you.” He kissed him again, deep and hard. “I swear I’m addicted to your damn kisses.”
Noah pushed Zed back on the bed and stretched out alongside him. He ran his hands over Zed’s chest and across his muscled stomach. His Marine’s obsession with burpees paid off, and Noah certainly didn’t mind.
Zed spread his legs and stroked his hard length, drawing Noah’s attention. He moved down and took Zed’s dick in his mouth, moaning at the taste of his husband’s precum.
Zed cupped his head and pumped his hips, head falling back.
Noah savored the alpha’s familiar smell and taste, wrapping his tongue around the tip of Zed’s shaft and sucking. He slid Zed’s dick as far down his throat as he could. When Noah felt Zed’s body shuddering, he relaxed his throat and drank every drop of cum.
Zed’s body went lax, so Noah grabbed the lube from the bedside table. He grinned at the red bow on the front. Definitely Zoe.
Noah turned back to his alpha and took his time stretching Zed’s hole, teasing him with his fingers and tongue. By the time Noah pushed inside him, Zed was hard again.
Noah pumped his hips, moving slowly in and out of Zed’s ass. He stroked Zed’s dick as he moved inside him, angling his hips to hit his alpha’s prostate as often as he could.
Zed’s eyes rolled back in his head, and Noah knew he’d found the right spot. A few strokes later, Zed came again, splattering cum all over Noah’s hand.
Noah licked his hand clean and let himself go, pounding into Zed’s ass. A few moments later, he came hard. As soon as Zed’s tight ass milked his dick of every last drop he had to give, Noah collapsed on top of him, panting hard.
Zed rolled them and pinned Noah beneath him. He stroked Noah’s hair back from his face. “Thank you for loving me. I swear I will give you everything I have.”
Noah leaned up and nipped Zed’s chin. “You’re my anchor, Z. I know exactly how lucky I am and plan to prove it to you every day for the rest of my life.”
Chapter 18
Noah took his hat off and wiped his sweaty forehead as he watched Olive, her best friend Shelly, and Mary lead the miniatures around the freshly mowed hayfield. Jelly still had the light blue and grey ribbons in her mane from the wedding last week. Peanut and Butter had lost their own quickly.
Captain Hoof hopped around the horses, tail flitting back and forth and tags bouncing. Noah’s goat made him smile, but he had to admit that Tuffy was the smart one. The cat napped on Butter’s back and enjoyed the warm summer sun.
Carrot snuffled against his head, and Noah patted the gelding’s neck. “Almost done, buddy.”
The horse nuzzled his cheek one more time, then ran toward Stinkbug, who was currently rolling around on his back.
Seth tapped his arm and grinned. “Is this the last hayfield? I’m hungry.”
“You’re always hungry,” Noah said, nudging him with his shoulder. “We’ll get lunch after we finish here.”
“Food,” Seth signed. “Please.”
Noah snorted a laugh and shoved him. “We literally have ten bales left to put on the truck.”
Seth collapsed against him, eyes shimmering and his bottom lip trembling.
Noah hugged him and watched Jake and Emmet finish loading the bales while Dean and Saul tied them down. “Look, it’s done, drama llama.”
“I’ll get these back to the ranch,” Emmet signed, shaking his head as he laughed at Noah and Seth. He had been a huge help on the ranch the last couple of months and seemed a lot happier now that he was away from his brother. Noah didn’t know their story, but he didn’t like seeing Emmet upset, and his brother always seemed to set him off.
Saul stretched his arms over his head and laughed at someth
ing Dean said. Noah’s other friend worked part-time on the ranch and full-time at the garage in Hobson Hills. Noah’s cousin Shawn had been happy to hire another good mechanic.
Noah was just happy that two more friends were closer to him.
Mary ran toward him, her long blond braids flying behind her. “Noah,” she signed. “Tuffy and me are hungry.”
Seth gave him a look. “Tuffy’s hungry, Noah. This is important.”
Noah shoved him away with a laugh. “Should we go to the diner, the Irish Rose, or Honey Buns?” he asked Mary, signing slowly so she could follow along. She had started to pick up more signs recently, so he tried to sign more with her at home.
“Pancakes for lunch,” she said aloud, bouncing in place.
“The diner it is,” he said with a smile. “Olive, Shelly, is that alright?”
“Pancakes are always alright, Uncle Noah.” Olive hugged him tight, then grabbed Mary’s hand and pulled her to the car.
Shelly gave him a shy look and nodded before following her friends.
“Jake, you’re coming with us, right?” Seth asked, eyes hopeful.
Noah shared an amused look with Dean. The two teenagers had become almost inseparable over the past month since they’d both been working on the ranch during the summer.
“Can I, Papa?” Jake asked, eyes on Dean.
“Sure.” Dean patted Noah’s shoulder. “I’ll drive these two, if you take the girls.”
“Deal, but you have to bring Emmet and Saul too.” Noah arched his back and winced. “You know how annoying they are on a drive.”
Dean gave him a pitiful look. “I thought you liked me.”
Noah laughed. “Only sometimes.”
He hurried to top the water off in the trough next to the pasture’s gate. Usually he just used this field for hay, but Captain Hoof and the horses looked too happy to move. Peanut stomped her feet when Jelly rolled around in the grass like Stinkbug. Uh oh. There’s dissention in the ranks.
He must have lingered too long because Captain Hoof ran over and hopped around him.
“Sorry, buddy. You know Gib won’t let you in the diner.”
Mary ran to him, face flushed with happiness. “Come on, Dad. I’m hungry.” As soon as the words left her, her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth.
He blinked, eyes watering. “Did you just call me dad?”
“I’m sorry,” she said. She spoke too fast for him to understand the rest.
“Slow down, M.”
“I’m sorry,” she said again. “I love you, and it just slipped out.”
Noah hugged her tightly, lifting her off her feet. “I love you too. It’s okay if you call me dad or Noah, either one.” Her stomach grumbled against him. “Your tummy is telling me it’s time for lunch.”
He set her down and noticed Olive watching him with a huge smile on her face. “You’re a good dad,” she signed.
He wiped his eyes. “Okay, let’s go eat. Captain Hoof, you can come, but I’ll have to leave you tied up all alone outside.”
The goat ignored him and ran to Olive. Noah winced. The goat may have already learned that they would take their food to the park to eat.
Later that night, Noah straddled Zed’s lap and kissed him again, mouths pressed hard together as their tongues dueled.
Zed’s hands ran down Noah’s naked back and cupped his ass, pulling their hips together. Noah moaned, enjoying the press of their bodies. He rocked slowly against Zed, wishing they hadn’t worn pants to bed.
Zed reached between them, and Noah leaned back, letting his alpha free their erections. He panted when Zed pressed their dicks together and slowly began jacking them.
He curled a hand around Zed’s neck and pulled him in for another heated kiss. He could never get enough of Zed’s taste. He cried out against Zed’s mouth when he came and felt the heat of his cum soak his stomach.
Zed’s chest rumbled with his own groans, and he came soon after, soaking them both. Zed buried his face against Noah’s neck and pressed his hand to Noah’s chest in a very familiar sign. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Noah stroked his hands over Zed’s back, savoring the moment between them. Both of their jobs kept them busy in the summer, and they definitely had less privacy. Despite that, or maybe because of it, they’d grown closer and more reliant on one another the last two months.
Noah knew Zed was his in a way that no one else was, just like he filled a place in Zed that no one could. Elijah had spoken with him about how it felt to love Carter, but Noah hadn’t gotten it. To him, love was family and security.
His love for Zed held hints of that too, but it was more. Zed was his person. He was his best friend, his lover, the man who adored him, but still challenged him. Zed accepted Noah just as he was and didn’t demand anything from him except honesty. He let Noah be grumpy and tired when he needed to be and took care of him when Noah didn’t feel like caring for himself. My person.
Zed leaned back and cupped Noah’s face before reaching over to the nightstand to grab Noah’s phone. It was vibrating, but Noah hadn’t noticed. Whoever it was, they were calling instead of texting.
Zed raised a brow, and Noah nodded, yawning. He was more than happy to let Zed deal with it.
He slid off the bed and went to the bathroom to clean up and grabbed a fresh pair of pajama pants from the dresser. Mary had taken to grabbing Pike and bringing him in to wake them up early in the morning.
He paused when he noticed Zed sitting still on the bed. His alpha watched him with sad eyes. “What happened?”
“Your dad was killed late last night,” Zed signed. His hands hung in the air, and he looked torn. “I’m so sorry, love.”
Noah looked away, eyes focusing on the window shelf of potted succulents to his left. His stomach twisted, but he honestly couldn’t say what he felt. Dad’s dead, he thought, trying to make himself react. He fucked up and got killed. He’s gone. There’s no redemption for our relationship. He’ll never be a real grandfather or father. He’s dead.
He didn’t move when Zed pulled him into his arms. Noah pressed his face into Zed’s shoulder and tried to cry. Tried to feel. Nothing.
Noah held Elijah’s hand as they watched them lower their dad’s casket into the ground. It was a beautiful summer day, and Noah wanted to be anywhere but there. Steven Wilson would be buried with generations of other Wilsons, but whether or not his family would mourn him was another question.
Marco, Anna, and Barry were hard-faced and angry. Steven hadn’t been a particularly likable person, little less a good brother. All of their kids, Noah and Elijah’s cousins, were there to show their respect too, but like their parents, they hadn’t liked the man. They were there for Noah, Elijah, Gramps, and Grammy.
Noah’s grandparents had taken Steven’s death hard. He thought maybe, like him, they had held out hope that Steven would suddenly become a decent son and father.
Mary’s small hand on his back and Seth’s hand on his shoulder were a reassurance. Pike and the rest of the Wilson littles were with a sitter, but his two eldest had insisted on being with him.
Juan stood next to the minister and signed for Noah. The minister spoke of living life to the fullest, loving one’s family, and taking no regrets to the grave. It wasn’t exactly reflective of how they felt about Noah’s dad, but he supposed the ceremony wasn’t for the dead. It was for the living.
Noah laced the fingers of his free hand with Zed’s. His husband had held him last night when he’d finally broken apart. He’d let him ramble on about nothing and did his best to soothe Noah. He’d held him again when he woke up screaming from a nightmare.
Zed knew how he felt. He’d gone through the same thing with his own dad’s death a few months ago. Noah remembered what Zed had said the first time they had met. Parents have a way of fucking with our heads.
Noah took a breath and let it out slowly. Steven Wilson was dead, and Noah needed to let the past die with him. He had one hell of a future to
look forward to.
Epilogue
Noah gently rocked his newborn niece, Ellie, while Zed paced the front porch with Griff’s newborn, Rose. Ellie’s little poof of black hair stood straight up on her head, and her little round cheeks were baby soft. He couldn’t stop rubbing them.
The whole Wilson family and all their friends were gathered at Gramps and Grammy’s home for Noah’s grandparents’ anniversary party. Mary and the other Wilson littles ran around the house while everyone ate delicious food and visited with one another. Seth played soccer in the front yard with the other teenagers, and Pike was currently in the napping room with a few other babies.
Noah’s eyes went to Elijah and Carter. The two were snuggled on a bench nearby. The way they looked at each other didn’t spark envy in Noah’s chest anymore.
Zed settled beside him on the front steps and patted his knee. The alpha’s crooked smile sent heat straight to Noah’s gut.
He knew his own face probably looked as embarrassingly mushy as his brother’s. I’ve found my forever.
Also by C.W. Gray
Charybdis Station Chronicles – science fiction/fantasy, mpreg
The Blue Solace Series
http://mybook.to/BlueSolaceSeries
The Mercenary’s Mate
The General’s Mate
The Soldier’s Mate
The Lieutenant’s Mate
The Engineer’s Mate
The Captain’s Mate
The Rebel’s Mate
Charybdis Station
Death’s Mate – Coming Soon
Fire’s Mate – Coming Soon
Rune and Silas – Coming Soon
The Hobson Hills Omegas – non-shifter, mpreg, omegaverse
http://mybook.to/HHOseries
Falling for the Omega
Snow Kisses for My Omega
Romancing the Omega
Healing the Omega
A Pint for my Omega
Unraveling the Omega