Alpha & Omega: The Complete Collection

by Belinda Burke

  There was a low commotion at the edge of his awareness, as Leon distributed packages, went to help Dmitri with the chocolate, and the pups promptly ripped the wrappings of their presents to shreds. There were pleased yips at the revelations of these first gifts—blocks for Marius, plush pajamas for Markos, and the pelt of a lion for Nyctimus.

  Stelios accepted his cup of chocolate, sipped and wondered what was missing, then almost flushed. Oh. The marshmallows. But he’d save those to share with his mate. He put his cup down and caught up one of Niketas’ limp hands, thumbed the ring on his finger. Another layer of warmth expanded inside him, and Stelios turned his attention back to the movie on the screen.

  Rustling paper accompanied the giggling of Luka’s pups as they crawled their way into the rest of the packages with their mother’s help, while the rest of the pack helped protect everyone else’s gifts from being flayed of their paper. Markos dragged a box under the back of the sofa; Leon caught up Marius with one hand to keep him from following. Nyctimus sat innocently, chewing on a bit of ribbon while he rubbed his cheek on the soft fur he’d unwrapped and rolled himself in.

  Alexandre snickered as he settled himself back in Stelios’ chair. “Hey, Luka. Your pup’s shifting again. Since when do we keep lions in our pack?”

  Nyctimus stuck his face out, waddled over and tugged on Alexandre’s leg. “Not a lion, jus’ me.”

  The elder werewolf ruffled his hair beneath the lion’s mane. “Wolf the lion, that’s you.”

  “Hey, I thought that was me.” Leon protested to no avail.

  Stelios closed his eyes then, listening to the laughter of his brother’s pups, his brother’s pack, mingled with the sounds of Scrooge’s doom and the soft huff of Niketas’ breath against his neck. He blinked, yawned and moved Niketas a little to the left. The Alpha caught Anna smiling, looking at them, and only lifted an eyebrow at her before he closed his eyes again.

  ~ ~ * * ~ ~

  Niketas woke wrapped in warmth, something heavy in his lap and Stelios’ lips grazing his cheek, his ear. “Hey. Wake up, sleepy. Dinner’s almost on the table.”

  The omega blinked, yawning, stretched a little, then lifted his head and pressed his lips against Stelios’ throat. “You let me sleep all afternoon? Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.”

  Stelios shook his head and brushed Niketas’ mouth with his lips again. “Don’t apologize. It was nice to hold you—and you aren’t the only one who passed out.”

  Niketas followed the direction of his Alpha’s gaze with his own, peering down at his lap. Nyctimus, again. The pup had thoroughly sprawled across him, completely relaxed in the presence of another omega.

  “And there, mate.” He lifted his gaze, saw Alexandre dozing in Stelios’ chair, and Ares on the floor beside him, leaning his head against his brother’s leg. Anna, too, was asleep, her cheek on Luka’s shoulder, the twins curled in her lap. She blinked awake as Luka cupped her face, and Niketas stood carefully, lifting Nyctimus as he did so.

  The pup barely stirred, until Niketas handed him off to Stelios, stretching, and stared around the room, amused. Dmitri had been buried in wrapping paper at some point or another; pelts and packages were spread everywhere, and he picked his way through them carefully on his way to the bathroom, then back again.

  The whole pack was stirring by then, and Leon nudged him on his way through into the dining room. “All worn out? Got a good present last night? You didn’t even make it through the movie.”

  Instead of flushing, Niketas sought out Stelios with his gaze and grinned, remembering. “Yeah.” Then he glanced back at the blond. “Why, you jealous?”

  It was Leon that blushed. “Maybe a little.”

  The omega snorted, shoving him with an elbow. “Yeah? Well, get over it, he’s my mate. Sit—and where did Markos go? He was just—”

  “Under the table.” Luka’s answer was dry from behind him.

  Niketas looked back at the Alpha for a moment, then knelt, peering beneath the tablecloth. “Hey—we have chairs, c’mon. We’re wolves, not dogs, I’m not gonna put your plate on the floor.”

  Like a monkey, rather than a wolf, Markos climbed up into the chair beside his omega brother, who was wrapped in his pelt again and trying to reach the table without pulling his chair forward. Niketas blinked. “What’s up with wolf the lion over there?”

  Alexandre cackled. “Told you—” But little Nyctimus only let out an impressive imitation of a roar.

  The arrival of the food, brought by a line of smiling service from the kitchen downstairs, put a stop, at least temporarily, to antics and commotion. The pups drank their mother’s milk, and ate only a little, but the pack of wolves fell on potatoes and vegetables, at least twenty pounds of roast beef and a half dozen roast birds as if they hadn’t eaten in a month.

  Stelios ate slowly, observing, amused and almost irritated, though definitely resigned, and Niketas watched his mate, amused by his shifting expressions and the way he kept moving his wine closer to keep it from getting knocked over. Someone threw a bone at Ares when he snatched the last rare slice of roast beef; Luka snapped an admonishment that was drowned out by the general hubbub.

  Niketas caught Anna’s eye and saw that she, too, was carefully keeping her drink out of harm’s way. He cast his eye across the wolves at the other end of the table, remembering earlier years, and wondered when he had become the civilized one.

  He looked across at his mate. “Sir, I think you broke me.”

  Stelios looked at him sharply, then back at the table as it bounced. The carafe tilted dangerously. “Broke—what?”

  “I used to be part of that, you realize.”

  The Alpha flashed a grin at him, then reached across and tugged Niketas to his feet. He cast a glance back at the table, but no one had noticed them getting up, and Stelios pulled the omega into the kitchen. A chill breeze was rushing into the room from the door to the stairs, which had been left open for the staff bringing their Christmas dinner.

  Niketas shook his head, grinning. “More food still coming?”

  Stelios shrugged. “Your pack is eating…like a pack.” He gave the omega a sideways look. “I’m fond of forks, myself.”

  The omega snickered, reached up and pulled Stelios down to his mouth, kissing him hotly. Stelios made a surprised sound, then hooked him around the waist with both hands, held Niketas tight against his body and deepened the kiss. When he lifted his mouth to breathe, Stelios dropped his forehead against Niketas’ and sighed. “I needed that. If they hadn’t started falling asleep I think I would have gone insane—we should have watched the movie last night if I wanted to see it without Ares making dick comments every five minutes. And the pups are cute, but—”

  “But they get into everything. Constantly.” Niketas grinned, leaned up and kissed his mate a second time. “Maybe next year we should go back to celebrating on our own. You like Christmas too much, I don’t wanna stress you about it every year.”

  The Alpha shook his head. “It’s fine. They’re your pack, and Luka’s my brother. Family. Besides, by next year the pups will be grown enough to—”

  “She’ll probably have another two or three by then.”

  A wince crossed Stelios’ face. “Don’t remind me. She’s so young.”

  “And Luka is insane. He said he wants a dozen, you know that? A dozen. He wants her stuffed full of pups all the time.” Stelios smirked a little, and Niketas lifted an eyebrow at him. “What?”

  “That’s just Alpha instinct, mate. You should know that.” There were footsteps on the stairs, and Stelios bent close to Niketas’ ear to finish. “After all, I can’t stuff you with pups, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to fill you up every chance I get.”

  A hint of a shiver fled down the omega’s spine. Then he moved back a little as another steaming roast was carried through the kitchen, and greeted with a noise far too close to a howl for comfort. “If the staff here wasn’t werewolves—”

  “I would never have
invited them, family or not.”

  Andrei, the building’s head chef, passed on his way back through the kitchen and down the stairs, and Stelios raised a hand when he waved cheerfully. “I’ll be back. There’s a nice bit of venison coming up, just for the two of you. Don’t lose it to the horde, now—”

  The Alpha blinked in surprise. “Thank you.”

  Still grinning, Andrei waved him off. “It’s no trouble. I grew up in a pack like that, I know what they’re like. You need breakfast sent up in the morning?”

  Niketas felt his mate’s shudder and snickered at Stelios’ answer. “No, thank God. They aren’t staying the night.”

  Andrei chuckled, then shoved his sleeves up and went back to the stairs. “Meat will be up in a minute. Merry Christmas.”

  “And you—” Stelios sighed as Andrei’s steps retreated down the stairs. “Mate, remind me to send something good down for tips before New Year.”

  “Yes, Sir.” But Niketas was more interested in the curve of his mate’s neck, the soft skin he knew was sensitive to the touch of his mouth. He licked once, asking permission, and when Stelios didn’t tell him no, nipped at the side of his throat and sucked, then again—then jerked back as Andrei’s voice came again from the kitchen door.

  “Your venison—enjoy.” The omega didn’t look up, only unbuttoned the top two buttons of Stelios’ shirt and pressed his mouth against his mate’s collarbone as the kitchen door swung shut.

  “Niketas. Be good. Come eat, now—”

  “You sure you won’t let me…ahh.” A long groan escaped him as Stelios seized a handful of his hair, dragged his head back and bit his throat.

  “Be. Good.”

  Grinning, pleased with himself, Niketas followed his mate back to the dining room and was immediately climbed as he sat back down. “Smell a deer, wanna deer. Can I?”

  “Can I?”

  “Wanna deer.”

  Niketas stuck a fork in his half of the venison as Stelios put it on his plate, then lifted it to his mouth and bit ferociously. “Nuh-uh, not this time, this one’s my present. And you’ve had enough, go back to your mother, go on.”

  The twins bared teeth at him until Stelios growled and sent them scampering, their brother in tow. But even though it was the Alpha pups who reached their mother first, they put their smaller brother ahead of them, and it was Nyctimus Anna put to her breast first.

  The omega turned back to Stelios, but he was watching the pups still. “Sir?”

  “They spoil their brother—Luka’s twins. When they should command him. I wonder what those three will be like when they’ve grown up?”

  Niketas shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe start a pack of their own.” He bit off another piece of venison, sat back and looked down the table. They had missed something, obviously, while they were in the kitchen. Plate forgotten, Ares had Leon in a headlock, and the larger werewolf was teasing the blond about—oh.

  “Sir, I think Leon’s… I think he’s got a thing for you. Earlier, he—”

  “I know he does. But it’s too bad for him.”

  Niketas gave his mate a look. “I didn’t say it because of—for that. I was thinking maybe you knew someone…”

  Stelios sent a narrow-eyed gaze down the table, then sighed and grabbed his glass as Leon twisted himself free of Ares’ grasp and knocked the table. “Maybe. We’ll see. I don’t want him to get annoying but Luka hasn’t said anything…and Leon hasn’t asked for my help.”

  By the time they had finished their venison, the pack had quieted and dispersed back to the living room. Only Luka stayed, while Anna shooed the yawning pups away from the table.

  There was a wide, satisfied grin on the pack Alpha’s face as he looked toward his brother. “I would apologize for them, but you knew what you were getting into. Thanks for the invitation, anyway.” His grin widened, and Stelios only sighed.

  “I knew, yes. Your pups are brats, but so is your pack. If it wasn’t for the woman—’

  “Yes, she keeps us together now. Life is more settled with a mate, but I like it. Sometimes it’s hard to remember what life was like before I had her…them.” Luka chuckled. “Maybe it’s just that I don’t want to. This is better.”

  Niketas looked up as Stelios reached for one of his hands, entwined their fingers. “It is. It’s good this way.”

  Silence draped over them, broken only by the occasional click of Stelios’ wine glass as the Alpha finished his drink. “I suppose I should have someone get the cars ready.”

  Turning, Luka looked toward the living room. The yawning faces of the twins were visible over Anna’s shoulders. “Yeah, it’s still pretty early but those guys should be in bed soon.” A certain glint entered his eyes. “And Anna, too.”

  Stelios chuckled as he stood and went to the phone. “I know just what you mean.”

  Niketas took that as his cue—there was something he wanted to get ready before the holiday was over, and he was running out of time. “I think I’ll say my goodbyes and get ready for bed, sir.”

  Stelios waved him off as he called down to the garage, and Niketas stopped by Luka, brushed cheeks with him and accepted his embrace. “You should visit more often.”

  “I’ll try. I will. I just—he’s…my mate, you know? This is home now.”

  A heavy palm rocked him forward as Luka slapped his back. “I know. Believe me.”

  The pack looked up one at a time as the three of them came out into the main room.

  “We going home?” Luka nodded, and Ares stretched, sighed, stood. “Better get this stuff together then.”

  His brother got up to help him, while Leon and Dmitri took a sleeping pup each, leaving Anna with only one to manage. “Thanks for the day, Niketas. I know Stelios invited us because of you—”

  The omega patted the head of the twin in her arms as he smiled at her. “It wasn’t any trouble. Sorry I slept through so much of it. Have a good New Year, yeah? I doubt I’ll see you before then.” He turned to the others. “That goes for the rest of you bastards, too.”

  Ares nudged him with an elbow as he made his way to the door with a bundle of rolled up pelts and clothes, with toys balanced on top of that. “And you—don’t forget you’re our omega too.”

  Grinning, Niketas stuck a fallen block back onto the top of Ares’ pile. “Luka said that already. Haven’t yet, have I?”

  Leon and Dmitri grabbed hold of him at the same time, and the omega slapped them on the back, punched Alexandre’s shoulder, then caught Nyctimus as he attempted a final escape. He handed the pup to Luka, then turned away from his pack. While they were distracted with goodbyes and thanking Stelios, Niketas slipped down the hall to the playroom, and then, when no one was looking, into the bedroom.

  ~ ~ * * ~ ~

  Stelios stayed at the door, playing the good host, until the last of his brother’s pack mates had vanished laughing into the elevator. It took two trips to get them down, as it had taken two to get them up, and he was still waiting, as he looked around his bedraggled living room, for someone to come racing back and say they’d forgotten something.

  The Alpha picked up a mug from the mantle, pulled a piece of wrapping paper from where it was sticking out between the couch cushions, and put one in the sink and the other in the trash. He sighed again at the state of the dining room. If not for the fact that he paid people to clean for him, he’d be more than a little bit irritated right now.

  Maybe Niketas had a point. Next year it would make more sense for them to go visit Luka’s pack in the mountains if they wanted to spend time with family.

  As he poured himself a half glass of wine, Stelios sighed into the blessed quiet, then frowned. It was too quiet. Where was his mate? “Niketas?” There was no answer. Had he really just gone to bed? “And after he slept on me all day, too.”

  Caught between concern and frustration, the Alpha went down the long hall, wine in hand, and jerked open their bedroom door…only to let out a long sigh of pleasure in the shape of his mate’s n
ame. “Niketas.”

  On his knees, shaking a little as the hum of something vibrating intensified, the omega presented a picture just as beautiful as the one he’d made the previous year. He hadn’t tied himself up, but the soft red silicone base of the plug inside him stood out against his skin, and the paddle that had been his present for Stelios last Christmas was laid out carefully beside a pair of remotes and a small box wrapped in glittering paper.

  The Alpha put his glass down on the dresser, then walked around his mate once, looking at him carefully. Steel glinted at him from Niketas’ chest, and he saw the thick circle of the vibrating ring tight around the tip of his mate’s cock. “Omega mine, you lied to me. I thought you said you had nothing like this to give me. What’s all this, hmm? And what’s in the box?”

  Moaning, Niketas turned his face in Stelios’ direction, though he was blindfolded and couldn’t see anything. “It’s a—it’s a present. I wanted this to be tradition, Sir.”

  Stelios took a step forward, went to his knees by Niketas side and ran both hands up the line of his back. “Is that so?” He stroked his fingers down the omega’s spine, then started to undress. “Well, I can’t disappoint you, can I? Not on Christmas.”

  “Sir.”

  Out Now from Belinda Burke

  Luka’s Pack #3: Otavia In October

  Special Preview

  Chapter One

  The pair of wolves came down into the edge of the trees from somewhere higher in the mountains, beyond what Otavia had considered for their range. Researcher, naturalist, and specialist on wolves and wild dogs, she’d come to find out if there was any truth to the rumors she’d been hearing about some kind of howling canine near Athens.

  She had, indeed, found wolves, but everything about this pack was strange, even its existence on this mountain. It was why she was here, in Greece, where there weren’t supposed to be any wolves at all. Otavia had counted four so far, including the Alpha who appeared most frequently, and she thought there had to be more—she’d seen no females.