by Aiden Bates
They agreed to take a break after a couple of hours, if only because they'd started to go around in circles. The main sticking point was the two-year gap between when Emiliana had died and when the rest of the murders started. Neither one of them could get past that for the moment, so they agreed that they needed to think about something else.
Doug cleared away the binders and returned to the couch. Just as he sat down, Ray turned to speak to him, his big, slender hand happened to brush against Doug's thigh as he turned, and his cheeks burned. "I'm sorry," he said.
Doug bit his lip and decided to take a chance. "Are you really?"
"Well, I didn't actually mean to do it." Ray hesitated, and then he moved in a little bit closer. "I don't think that it's any secret that I'm drawn to you, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable."
"You won't." Doug inched closer to Ray. His basil scent was making Doug's mouth water.
"Are you sure?" Ray's voice dropped an entire octave. "You don't know what I want yet."
Doug looked up into Ray's lust-dark eyes. "I know what I want." His lips curved into a smile. He reached out and took the offending hand, and put it back where it had brushed against him. "We're both consenting adults, Ray."
Sure, Doug had gone into this with the intention of focusing on the case. They'd agreed to take a break, so it wasn't like they'd gotten distracted. Doug's conscience could be considered clear, and he could enjoy the basil scent of the handsome alpha without reservation
Ray let out a little growl and surged forward, claiming Doug's mouth with his own. Doug opened up right away, granting Ray access. The taste of Ray, the scent of Ray, the feel of Ray's lips and Ray's tongue and Ray's stubble—all of it combined to demand Doug's focus and attention. There was no room for law. There was no room for courtrooms, no room for serial killers or for suspects.
He laced his arms behind Ray's neck and held tight as Ray's strong hands roamed over his legs. It felt amazing to have those hot hands running up and down his thighs. They warmed him, tantalized him, lured him in and made him want more.
"Bedroom?" Ray growled into Doug's ear.
Doug nodded, and Ray eased up. They rose and walked down the little hallway that led toward the bedroom, and Doug guided his alpha into the correct room. Ray took over then, lifting Doug up and depositing him into the king-sized bed before covering him with his own body.
Ray all but pinned Doug to the bed. Every inch of him was covered and warmed by his alpha, and he loved it. As Ray continued to dominate their kiss, Doug could feel his hard length grinding ever so slightly against Doug's own. He had done that. Doug had caused that reaction in Ray. He could probably take credit for the sudden display of dominance, too, since Ray was usually a pretty mild-mannered guy.
Doug was enough to do that, Doug alone.
He arced his back, seeking more contact, and Ray clasped their hands together. "Want you so badly," Ray told him. "You have no idea what this is like. What it's been like."
"You've got me," Doug promised. He knew that Ray didn't mean anything long-term, although right now every bone in Doug's own body wanted that.
The thought should have given him pause. It should have made him hesitate, and pull back, because Doug didn't generally think in terms of permanent pairings. He had too much to do before he could think about long-term additions to his personal life. Right now, though, Doug was past the point of rational thought. He was operating on pure instinct and desire. He just wanted Ray, in whatever way Ray chose to offer himself.
Ray mouthed along Doug's jawline, up to his earlobe and then down his neck. That had always been one of Doug's favorite sensitive zones, and when he let out a little moan Ray spent extra time nibbling and kissing and sucking right there. Doug was sweating all over by the time he was finished, sweating and begging, and he was still wearing all of his clothes.
Ray apparently decided he wanted to do something about that. "I want you naked," he told Doug.
Doug had never stripped faster than he did now, as Ray rolled off of him. It was that unmistakable note of command in his voice, coupled with the promise of giving Doug what he needed most. Doug felt no shyness, not the way he usually did with a new partner. He stripped off that fitted tee shirt and flung it into a corner. He divested himself of his tight jeans, too, and the little briefs that went underneath them.
Then Doug got back onto the bed and composed himself for his alpha. He wasn't sure when he'd started thinking of Ray as his alpha, but there was no doubt in his mind that Ray was his and that he was Ray's. He knelt on the bed and sat back on his feet, on display for his alpha and proud to be so.
Ray appreciated the gesture, too. He stripped off his shirt and tossed it into the corner. "Look at you," Ray purred. He trailed a finger along Doug's jawline.
Doug didn't even think about it. He took the finger into his mouth and sucked on it, making eye contact with his alpha. Ray gasped when he did it, but he didn't object, so Doug kept going. Ray traced out the lines of Doug's tattoos with his free hand, taking time to play with Doug's nipple rings. Doug didn't mind, as long as his alpha touched him.
When Ray unzipped his jeans, Doug eagerly reached inside and pulled out his thick, hard cock. He stared at it for a long moment, enjoying the anticipation, and then he looked back up into Ray's eyes. "May I, Alpha?"
Ray stroked his face. "Anything you want, Omega."
Doug tried not to react to the title, but that would have been like trying to hold back the tide. He let out a soft moan and mouthed up the underside, from the base to the crown. He swirled around the crown for a few moments, and then he took Ray into his mouth as far as he could.
Ray grabbed onto his hair and held on as Doug sucked him. Doug lost himself in the rhythm for a little while, savoring the enhanced scent of his alpha and the flavor. He knew that he was pleasing his alpha like this, and he knew that he was good at it. He could do this for a good while yet, and he liked it. Why shouldn't he do it?
When Ray tapped him on the shoulder and eased him off of his cock, Doug let out a little whine of disappointment. Ray smoothed his hair and smiled down at him, though. "I only want to come inside of you, Omega."
A little flutter ran up Doug's spine. "Are you sure?"
"Never more sure of anything in my life."
Doug reached into the bedside table and grabbed lube and a box of condoms. When he pulled out the box, however, it was empty. He cursed and showed the box to his alpha.
Ray went silent for a moment, and then he kissed Doug. "I'm clean. Are you?"
"Yeah. Yes. Of course." He blinked. "Are you still willing?"
"Hell yeah. You?"
Doug knew that this was a bad idea, but lots of things were bad ideas. "I want this."
Ray grabbed the lube and lay Doug out on the bed. He slicked up his fingers and stretched Doug out, using his free hand to tease him back into the moment. It didn't take long before Doug was writhing on Ray's hand, once again begging for his alpha.
Ray slicked himself up and worked his way into Doug's body with short, shallow thrusts. It felt amazing. Doug loved the hot, strong sensation, without even the minute dulling that latex could cause. He didn't go bare, ever. He was careful and always had been, but tonight he was apparently throwing caution to the winds. He panted through Ray's entry, committing every moment to memory.
Once Ray was fully seated, he paused for a long moment. Doug could feel the muscles in Ray's body trembling with the effort of holding himself back. He willed his overexcited body to relax. "Move," he told his love.
Ray moved.
He set up an athletic pace. Apparently he needed this almost as much as Doug did, because he seemed to be holding on while his body took over. His face was determined, and his temples dripped with sweat. "So good," he whispered. "You feel so good, Doug. Just like I imagined. My God, you're perfect."
Doug didn't laugh, but he wanted to. He knew that he was far from perfect. This though, this joining of their bodies, this was perfect. This
was bliss, and he wished that it would never end.
Everything came to an end eventually, though. He could feel that Ray was starting to lose the rhythm, and he reached a hand in between them to give himself a little bit of much-needed friction. "Crap," Ray said, in an urgent tone that broke through Doug's blissful haze. "Give me something to bite down on."
Doug reached up to show Ray the pillow. As Ray bent his head down, though, his teeth grazed Doug's neck. It was enough that instinct took over.
Ray latched on. His teeth pierced Doug's flesh at the juncture of his neck and his shoulder, and he sucked until he got blood. It was enough to send Doug over the edge, and he shouted as his orgasm crashed over him. Ray's own climax ripped through him.
The deed was done, but the enormity of it seemed far away. Ray pulled out, gently, and went to go get a cloth to clean them up. He returned to the bedroom and did that, and then he took Doug into his arms. "Mine," he said, kissing the bite mark he'd just left.
Doug wriggled back into his alpha's arms. Later, he'd be upset. He might even panic. For now, before he allowed the consequences to penetrate his consciousness, he felt good. He felt safe. He felt content, and he felt complete in a way he never had before. "Yours," he said, with a happy little smile on his face.
***
Ray woke up with Doug in his arms. He'd have loved to pretend that he woke up blissful, with everything in the world in its place. The fact of the matter was that there was blood on that pillowcase, and a fresh bite mark on Doug's neck. If that hadn't been damning enough, Doug's eyes fluttered into wakefulness at the same time that Ray's did, and that just wasn't natural.
It wasn't natural for normal lovers, anyway.
"I am so sorry." Ray sat up and rubbed at his face. "For real this time. I mean that's something… that's not something we should have done… that way."
Doug closed his eyes. "No. Probably not." He opened them again, and his face was calm. It didn't seem like a normal calm, though. Ray didn't know his omega all that well yet, but he knew guys who faked calm until they exploded. Doug's calm right now had all of the hallmarks of that sort of mask. "But it happened. And Ray?"
Ray winced. "Yeah?"
"Not your fault. At least, not yours alone. I agreed to unprotected sex. And you slipped, okay? Your face slipped, and you missed the pillow." He sat up and sprang out of bed. "It happened. Nothing is going to change if we obsess about fault, or 'should have done.'" He glided over to the dresser and grabbed a pair of briefs.
"Where are you going?" Ray asked him. The bed already felt cold without him.
"We've probably got a lot of talking to do." Doug wouldn't meet his eyes. "I, for one, can't talk about this without coffee. Probably lots of it. I'm going to go start a pot."
Ray lay back onto the pillows—pillows that smelled of him, he realized. They smelled of him, of his omega, and their claiming. They smelled of him and his omega, of the things they'd done together, but in a room that he hadn't even really seen last night, and whose occupant he barely knew.
The room was neutral. The walls were a kind of off-white. The comforter was white, with a gray blanket thrown over it. There was a fireplace, which he supposed was nice, and the marble tilework around the fireplace matched the tile work in the bathroom. Most of the place looked like a designer had decorated the place, but a few personal photos had been put up around the place to show that it belonged to an actual human.
Almost all of them were of Doug and his father. Ray's soulmate and the guy Ray had put away, who Doug just happened to love more than anyone else in the world.
Ray closed his eyes. Was there any way in which this could go worse?
He peeled himself out of the bed and grabbed his underwear and jeans. He could at least face what was to come with a little dignity, he supposed. He slouched out of the bedroom to find Doug cleaning up the food from the night before while the coffee finished brewing. "How are you holding up?" Ray asked him.
Doug paused and tilted his head to the side. "I have no idea," he admitted. "I might be in shock." He tilted his head toward the kitchen. "Come on. Coffee's up."
Once they both had coffee ready, they sat down at the little round table with their mugs. "Okay. Obviously, there are some logistical issues that we need to discuss." Ray wrapped his hands around his mug.
"You think?" Doug snorted. He braced himself against the counter, bowed his head, and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. That was unfair of me. I guess my head is still spinning." He heaved a sigh. "So, we have a few different options."
Ray scratched his head. "We do? I mean it's a claim. It doesn't matter if it was intentional or not, there's pretty much just one outcome. This is it."
"Not necessarily." Doug shook his head. "I mean technically, this is it for me, yeah, but there are still options that we can work with." His cheeks reddened up. "And, of course, we don't have to figure our crap out right away. While there are couples that do plan out their claims and all that, there are still plenty of couples that let instinct be their guide and apparently it works out for them somehow. We wouldn't be alone." He took a deep breath and walked over to a seat.
"Okay, but what are our options then?" Ray sipped from his coffee. "Claims are permanent, Doug. If we try to split up, you'll die."
"True. I mean if I find another alpha, he can claim me. But I'm not exactly looking, so maybe we can take that one off the table for the moment. I don't need your financial support, so that's not an issue." Doug bit his lip, an adorable gesture that had Ray ready to go again. "One option is obviously for us to just shack right up, right now, and try to seamlessly mesh our lives together. Even though we barely know each other. Other couples do it, and they make it work."
"Looking forward to living in Framingham, are you?" Ray raised an eyebrow.
"I think the South End is just lovely." Doug grinned and indicated his condo. "I'm emotionally attached to it, as it happens. It's where our claim happened." Ray tried not to react to that. It was probably just hormones making Doug say that, but he couldn't help but feel good about the words anyway. "But I think we can put that option to the side for the moment, because neither of us is ready to move out of our house."
Ray frowned. He couldn't understand why he felt such deep disappointment. It wasn't as though they'd discussed it. "Okay. So, what's the other option?"
"Well, the other option is kind of the other extreme. An omega only technically needs contact with his alpha once a month. So we can go our separate ways, only meeting up once per month for sex. You'd have to disclose to any future omegas you claim that you had this prior claim, of course, but I certainly wouldn't try to enforce any sort of first-omega rights. I'd go about my business."
Ray recoiled. Then he forced himself to relax. "Is that what you actually want?" He frowned. "I mean it seems like an awfully bleak life for you."
Doug's face was sad, but he shrugged. "It's better than nothing. And hey—awesome sex once a month is a hell of a lot better than I was doing before last night, so I'll take it." He looked away. "Anyway, the other option is that we kind of wait and see."
Ray laughed hysterically. "Well that's definitive."
"Thanks for your support, darling." Doug blew him a kiss. "Look. We can wait and see how we feel after a little while, let it sink in. I'm not sure that I like the idea of making a decision when we're both under a kind of emotional duress anyway, you know? I mean I know that's not what you meant to do, it's not what you wanted, and that's okay—"
Ray grabbed his omega's hand. "Look. You're right. I didn't show up here last night thinking, 'Hey, I'm going to claim Doug and not even ask him if it's okay!' I feel awful about that. But I mean I was, you know, drawn to you, in ways that I've never been drawn to an omega before. It was more than just sexual. Okay? So maybe we should wait and see." He swallowed. "If you're willing to consider more than just occasional sex with me."
Doug looked down. "Is it wrong to admit that I'm not mad?"
Ray stroked Doug's cheek. "Wh
at do you mean you're not mad?"
"I mean I guess that there might be a part of me that's a little upset because there wasn't a big deal, there was no romantic ask or something, but then there's part of me that's… I mean… " Doug blushed, deep and red. "Look at me, for crying out loud. You'd never know that I get up in front of a crowded court and make judges cry. I'm not mad that it happened. Maybe I'd rather that it happened differently, but it didn't. I think I'd be furious if it had been someone else. I'm scared, but I'm willing to see how far we can take it." He looked into Ray's eyes.
Ray kissed his lips. He didn't notice the morning breath. "That's not the answer I expected to get from you. I think—probably because it affects you so much more immediately—I expected you to be livid."
Doug folded his shoulders in. "I should be. I know that I should be. I've got a lot of work to do. My priority should be my father, not an alpha. But what's done is done, and I think I'm more upset that I don't feel bad about it than that it happened." He frowned, and then he picked his head up. "For God's sake, I'm almost thirty. I can name the act." He rolled his shoulders into a more normal position. "I'm more upset that I don't feel bad about it, than I am upset that you claimed me. That I'm your omega."