Gareth smiled at him. “He’ll be fine. The home guard is staying put and I’ve been teaching him.”
“A few weeks of training does not a warrior make,” said Roth.
Gareth reached over and patted his hand. “I know. But Dewey is a tough kid, more tough then I think either of us realize. He’s been through a lot lately, and he’s still going strong. “
“I suppose,” said Roth, sipping the coffee that was set down in front of him. He waited until the barista went back behind the counter. “At least it should all be over with by tonight, yes?”
“I’d think so. Bertolf has needed to go for a while. They’re there ones pushing the truce. If the other clans want to throw a fit we’ve got that evidence, right? That’s more your thing anyway.”
“That’s true,” said Roth. He sighed. “He’s just come to mean a lot to me.”
“I know,” said Gareth, “me too.”
Later that evening, Gareth checked over Roth as they finished preparing for the raid. Dewey sat on the bed, watching them nervously. “We’ll be fine,” promised Roth, giving him a rare smile.
Dewey nodded. “I just don’t like the idea of you guys getting into a fight or something because of me.”
“Trust me,” said Gareth, “this has been a long time coming. If it wasn’t you now, it would have been something else in a few months or a year.” He finished with Roth and stood up to kiss him, then walked over to kiss Dewey. “Just sit tight, we’ll be back before dawn. You’ve got your training, and the home guard is here if anything else happens.”
“Just be careful,” said Dewey. “I just got you two. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t,” said Roth, giving him a kiss as well before following Gareth out of the room.
Chapter 6
Dewey tidied up the room after they left. He was nervous, though it felt like more than just knowing that Gareth and Roth were going to fight. And fight, in part, because of him. The dagger felt heavy in his pocket, but comfortable.
He picked up the books Roth had left him and thumbed through them, but by now he’d read most of them more than once--at least, the parts Roth had pointed out, and some parts he hadn’t. There was a lot of history saved here, and he dearly hoped that it wasn’t the only copy they had of these things. At least they seemed to have a fairly strong oral tradition as well, from what he’d noticed. Even some of the songs that were sung in the pub were old songs about the clan and the wilds, which sounded like regular old folk music unless one knew the story behind it.
Overall, it was a fascinating combination of hiding in plain sight and keeping traditions alive. He’d met most of the clan by now, and they treated him as if he’d been here all his life. They were quick to help one another, and he noticed that both Roth and Gareth were spoken highly of. They’d done a lot to keep the clan safe, and for that they were respected and loved. Dewey could only hope that one day he could do something just as worthy.
Needing something else to do, Dewey went down to the basement practice room. He closed his eyes and willed the change, groaning as he felt his skin shifting, muscles growing, fur sprouting. When he finished, he took a deep breath and looked down at himself. He was pleased. He hadn’t practiced changing much on his own; usually Gareth was with him. He could feel the call of the wild tickling his mind, but he was able to ignore it. Or more accurately, he acknowledged it, but didn’t let it rule him.
Taking another breath, he closed his eyes and shifted back, stretching out his muscles and taking a few more deep breaths. Suddenly, there was a loud bang upstairs. Frowning, Dewey opened the practice room door and looked towards the stairs. He could hear raised voices and moved cautiously towards the stairs, even though all his instincts were telling him to protect the pack, to charge headlong into whatever was going on.
Dewey ducked behind some kegs as he heard more shouting. There was a strange scent in the air. Something vaguely familiar, and yet dangerous. He heard someone bark orders and watched a figure start to come down the stairs.
Taking a deep breath, Dewey waited and watched. It was a man, and he sniffed the air. “I can smell you, pup. Come out and you won’t get hurt.”
Shaking his head, Dewey pressed back against the wall. His hand landed on his pocket, and he pulled the little dagger from his sheath. He knew he could change, but there wasn’t a lot of room. He listened to the man move closer, heart thudding in his chest.
Suddenly, the man moved supernaturally fast. Before Dewey could react, he was being pulled from his hiding place and tossed onto the ground. The man looked human, but instinct told him he was a werewolf.
“What are you hiding for, boy?” snarled the man. He raised a wicked looking knife, and Dewey could see the glint of blood already on it.
Without much thought, Dewey rolled forward, catching him off guard and knocking him off his feet. Dewey kicked him and ran for the stairs. He could hear fighting as he reached the pub, and saw quite a struggle going on. Uncertain what to do, he took a step out from behind the bar, only to find Kai pushing him back. “Stay out of sight,” he growled, taking out the nearest attacker. “They came to us.”
Dewey nodded, scared for whatever Gareth and Roth were walking into. He saw someone trying to sneak around Kai’s side and darted forward to hit them. He’d never been in a real fight in his life, but this was different. This was family, this was pack, this was clan.
A howl got his attention, and a large man came through the door. Kai even took a step back. “That’s their chief,” he hissed.
Dewey looked at the dagger in his hand and knew what he had to do. Perhaps Kai sensed it too, because he nodded at him. “Go,” he said, moving to protect him.
Diving down, Dewey used his small size to move around the bar full of clashing bodies. The chief was a terror, knocking people aside like dolls. Crouching behind a table, Dewey waited, watched, and, when the moment seemed right, leapt forward driving the dagger into him.
The chief howled and threw Dewey across the room, where he crashed into a wall. He struggled to stay conscious as the chief tried to pull the dagger free, only to sink to his knees. His people fell back, moving to his side.
Someone pulled the dagger free, only to hiss as if it had burned them. The chief collapsed, and his people picked him up, carrying him out. Dewey hoped he’d done the right thing, hoped this they would be safe.
Kai came to his side and picked him up. He could see the older man was wounded, but he was evidently ignoring his own injuries to take care of Dewey.
“I’m fine,” muttered Dewey.
“We’ll let the doctors decide that. And it was very brave of you to do that,” Kai’s tone was gruff but kindly.
Dewey smiled, and let darkness take him.
Chapter 7
“This doesn’t feel right,” Gareth said as they approached the old mansion that the other clan used.
“It is awful quiet, isn’t it?” said Roth, looking around. He could see a few sentries, but the house itself did seem subdued.
Roth turned to voice his concerns to the leader, only to find himself shushed with a gesture. Sighing quietly, he stood by Gareth and waited for orders, giving him a look.
Gareth shrugged. He and Roth were gestured to go around one side, another pair to the other, and the main force up the middle. They hadn’t got very far when suddenly they heard howling from behind them.
“Trap,” growled Gareth, cursing as he changed.
Someone leaped at Roth, and Gareth moved in between, knocking the other one aside. Roth moved behind him, automatically protecting him.
It was very quickly evident that they were nearly over-matched. Gareth and Roth fell back towards the shelter of some abandoned buildings, finding themselves cut off from the others.
“How did they know we were coming?” growled Gareth.
“The dagger,” said Roth. “Has to be.”
Gareth cursed again. “Dewey.... this isn’t their full force. The Chief isn’t here. Wha
t if they’re attacking home?”
“Keep your eyes on the ball, Gareth. Get through this alive and then we can make sure Dewey is okay.” Roth took down two enemies at once.
Gareth saw movement, and caught one as he tried to jump at them from above, throwing the other werewolf to the ground. He changed with a growl and killed him, looking for the next target, taking him out just as quickly.
With his blood up, Gareth was ruthless. Everything started to blur together, and he would have kept going except he heard Roth’s voice, calling him back. “Gareth, come on. Come back to me.”
Growling, Gareth turned, only to find Roth meeting his gaze. “It’s all right. We need to get home, Gareth.”
Gareth gave a snarl, but slowly changed back, stumbling. Roth caught him and looked at his arm. “You’re hurt.” He kissed Gareth’s temple. “Not that bad.”
“Everyone else?”
“We’ve got some injuries. We need to get home and regroup.” Roth put an arm around him and led him back outside. Gareth ignored the mess they’d made and let Roth lead him. They’d get a cleanup crew here as soon as they could, or else the other clan would take care of it.
As they drew near the pub, the hair on the back of Gareth’s neck stood up. “That’s why so few were at home...they attacked us.” Gareth broke from Roth’s grasp and hurried forward, knowing his mate would be right behind him. The pub was a mess, and people were cleaning up.
“He’s in your room,” said one, as they saw Gareth looking frantically around.
Gareth took the stairs two at a time, needing to see their omega. He could feel Roth right behind him. By the time he hit the top floor he was half out of breath, but he didn’t stop until he pushed open the door. Kai was standing by the bed and he turned around quickly.
“He’s resting.”
“Is he hurt?” asked Roth, before Gareth could.
“Just got thrown.” Kai met their eyes. “He took down the Bertolf chief by himself.”
Gareth and Roth exchanged a look. “How?” asked Gareth
“Bravery, and the dagger. He saw an opening and took it. Did they ambush you?”
Gareth nodded. “Yeah. They sprung a trap on us. Managed to get out without losing anyone, though.” Roth squeezed his shoulder.
“I don’t know that this will be the end of their clan, no matter what the prophecy says, but they’ll certainly have to lick their wounds. They should at least think twice before attacking us again.”
“What happened to the dagger?” asked Roth.
Kai picked it up off the nearest table. “One of theirs pulled it out of the chief and dropped it. Probably didn’t realize the significance, or else he would have brought it with them.”
“No doubt,” said Roth, moving forward. “Thank you for taking care of him.”
Kai inclined his head. “Of course. Though really, he took care of himself.”
Excusing himself, Kai headed out. Roth sat next to Dewey and pet his hair. “Go get that wound looked at, Gareth. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“All right.” Gareth kissed him and went to the infirmary.
There were other wounded here, of course, both from their raiding party and from the attack here. It was only a minor cut, so he waited a while, watching, thinking. He’d known Dewey was brave from the first; this only proved it. He’d never be a warrior like he and Roth, but it was good to know that he could defend himself if necessary. It was good to know that Gareth’s training had been effective. That, and Dewey had good instincts.
At last Gareth was seen to and got a few stitches for his trouble. It was a small price to pay. He checked on some of the others, knowing Roth would want to know. Overall, things could have gone a lot worse for all of them. Maybe the Goddess was watching over them after all.
Kinney came up behind him. “How is Roth?” he asked.
“Fine, not a scratch on him,” said Gareth, turning and baring his neck to the leader of the council.
“You were injured?”
“I...went a bit feral when they cornered Roth and I. He talked me down,” admitted Gareth.
Kinney studied his face for a long moment. “I know you would do anything to protect my son.”
“I really would, sir,” Gareth agreed. “I understand our Dewey played an important role as well, here.”
“He did.” A small smile crossed Kinney’s face. “You two have accepted him as your omega.”
“Yeah. He’s good for us. Feels like he fits. Hard to explain, really.”
“The relationship between alphas and omegas is hard to define,” agreed Kinney. “I never opposed you and Roth because I know how much you care for one another, even if some others on the council had to be convinced.”
Gareth raised an eyebrow--he hadn’t known that.
“It’s in the past now.” Kinney waved his hand dismissively. “What’s important is that you two are happy. I know how happy I was when I found Roth’s mother. I only ever wanted that same happiness for my own children.”
“He is happy, sir. He was happy when it was just me, and he’s happy now that we have Dewey.”
“I know. Thank you, Gareth, for watching out for him, for everything you’ve done for him, for me, for the clan.”
Gareth bowed his head, “Thank you, sir.”
Kinney squeezed his shoulder and went to check on some of the others. Gareth watched him go, then turned to head back upstairs to his family.
Chapter 8
Dewey woke to find Roth watching him. “What?” he asked starting to sit up.
“Shh, you need to rest, still,” said Roth, offering him a bit of water. “Gareth is fine, just a bit banged up, he’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Dewey sipped the water and lay back down, reaching for Roth’s hand. “I think I killed the chief.”
“It’s okay. You were defending yourself and your clan. It was very brave of you.”
Smiling softly, Dewey squeezed his hand. “It’s what I had to do. I was so worried for you and Gareth.”
“Well, it was a trap, but we got out of there fine. And Bertlof shouldn’t bother us again for quite some time.” Roth leaned down to kiss his forehead.
“This is all so very strange still,” said Dewey. “But I’m glad I came here.”
“We’re glad you’re here too. You don’t have to stay, you know, you’re free to come and go as you please. But I know Gareth and I would like it very, very much if you stayed.”
“I want to. Lay with me?”
Roth nodded and moved to curl up behind him, holding Dewey to his chest. The smaller omega sighed happily and closed his eyes again. A few minutes later Gareth came back in. He came over and lay on the other side of Dewey, giving him a soft kiss.
“I saw your Dad,” he told Roth quietly, evidently thinking Dewey was asleep.
“He all right?”
“Yeah. He gave his blessing to this, to all of us. Not in so many words, but I know what he meant.”
“Good. I’m glad Dewey is here.”
“Me too.”
Dewey smiled softly and settled down a little more, this time actually falling asleep.
When Dewey woke he felt better. Sitting up a bit, he looked at his two alphas, Gareth snoring softly on his back, Roth curled up on his side. He smiled at them and stretched with a yawn.
Gareth rolled onto his side and wrapped an arm around Dewey’s waist, pulling him closer. Dewey bit back a moan at the close contact, not sure if either of them were really awake.
Roth opened one eye. “Gareth, you’re teasing him.”
“So?” mumbled Gareth, kissing a bit of bare skin Dewey’s hip. Dewey let his moan go this time.
Roth chuckled and reached over to rub his growing erection through his pants. “We’re all wearing too many clothes.”
Gareth grumbled, but started getting out of his own. Roth and Dewey followed suit, and Roth moved Dewey so he was on his hands and knees. “You were very brave, Dewey. You want a reward?”
Roth moved to sit against the headboard, guiding Dewey’s head down. He moaned as he felt Gareth’s fingers pressing inside of him. Dewey groaned as he heard Gareth kissing Roth before moving behind.
Gareth worked him open while Dewey went down on Roth. The smaller man groaned as he felt Gareth shift up and press inside of him. This was perfect, this was all he needed: to be between these two men. He felt safe, he felt loved.
Dewey was soon lost in bliss, Roth’s hand in his hair, Gareth’s hand on his hip. He made soft noises as they all moved together in pleasure.
Finally Gareth’s hand slipped around his hip and took Dewey in hand. Dewey cried out around Roth and he felt the two alpha’s shift so they could kiss one another over him. It was perfect. Gareth sped up his movements and gave a soft moan as he came. Roth came next, Dewey swallowing every drop.
Dewey was shifted, drawn into Gareth’s lap. Roth went down on him and in no time at all he was coming as well, arching up, reveling in the strength and safety of the men around him.
Roth kissed him, then Gareth. “I’m a very lucky man.”
Gareth chuckled. “We all are. We’re glad you’re here, Dewey.”
“I am too.” And it was true. This was never, ever, in a million years, a direction he thought his life would take. But he couldn’t be more grateful, happy and satisfied than he was in this moment.
Orphan Omega
Gay Paranormal Romance
Chapter 1
Seth lay still on his stomach as Aidan thrust into him from behind. They were rough thrusts, devoid of any love. They were thrusts meant to state dominance, and likely meant as punishment for his mouthing off earlier in the day. The crickets outside the hut sang their nightly symphony, a distraction to the pain he was not yet used to, and the soft fur that made up the bed beneath him was an ironic statement to the aggression he was being dealt. He had learned the hard way to never utter a painful cry, and in any event, he could not. Markel’s cock filled his mouth and plugged the entrance to his throat.
Hang Em' Up: A Bad Boy Sports Pregnancy Romance Page 23