by Nora Phoenix
Palani whipped out his phone. “On it.”
“Mrs. McCain, I’m so sorry to bother you again,” he said seconds later. “I have a rather personal question, if that’s okay.”
Enar waited while Palani talked to the mother, his eyes fixed on Palani’s face for any signal. Palani’s eyes popped.
“Are you sure?” he said, reaching out for Enar’s arm. He held on to it with such force that Enar was certain bruises would show the next day. “I promise you we’ll come talk to you as soon as we confirm this.”
When he hung up, his eyes were still wide open in shock. “They all used the same fertility drugs. The McCains, I didn’t realize it, but they’re three sisters who married two brothers and a cousin, and they all struggled with infertility. A genetic thing, she said. Her oldest sister got pregnant after using them and they all followed her example.”
“What’s the name of the drug?”
“It was a clinical trial. It never went to market, she said. The drug was labeled X23 in the trial.”
Enar’s head buzzed with the implications. “I’ve never even heard of it, but that’s not surprising as this trial had to be done, what, twenty years ago?”
Palani’s grip on his hand intensified. “Wait. Something doesn’t add up. Robert McCain was twenty-two when he died, which means his mother would’ve been in that trial twenty-three years ago, give or take. So was Colton McCain. But Vieno is twenty-three…that’s a whole year older. And the other McCains who passed away were younger…Adam was twenty and Lance twenty-one. We’re talking about a three-year period between the youngest and the oldest… What clinical drug trial would take that long?”
He was right. That was a way too long period for a drug to be in a clinical trial. What the hell had happened? He tried to make a timeline in his head and realized something else. “There’s another complication with this theory. The first cases of the gene were over a decade ago. Melloni mapped the gene ten years ago and gave it its name. That would put this trial at a running period of fifteen years. That’s impossible.”
“You’re right… But the fertility drugs are too obvious a connecting element to ignore. We should inform Melloni of our theory, see if he has any theories.”
Enar shook his head. “No, that’s too soon. We’ll need to dig what we can find out about those drugs the McCains took first and see where that leads us.”
“If we operate off the assumption that fertility drugs were the common factor, that gives us also tools to discover more potential carriers of the gene,” Palani added.
Enar’s blood froze in his veins. “It also means I have to contact my brother, Sven… Remember what I said, that my mom had trouble getting pregnant again after me? How much do you wanna bet she used fertility drugs, considering she did end up having two more kids…pretty close to each other. What if she took the same drugs? Sven is twenty and could have his first heat any moment.”
8
Every time he drove through the gates, a strange calm washed over Lidon’s heart. It had always been home to him, his ranch, but for a while he’d lost that feeling. It had felt empty to him, but now things had changed. As soon as the gates closed behind him, he felt different. Safe. Calm. As if he was exactly where he was supposed to be.
It could be because of the renovations that had started, he mused. In the last weeks, Jawon had cleared the plot where Vieno wanted his vegetable garden and covered it with top soil or whatever it was that made plants grow, preparing it for Vieno to start sowing and planting.
He’d also knocked down the old chicken coop, clearing the land for a new one. Vieno had become well-versed in growing vegetables by doing extensive research online, and he knew more about chicken breeds than Lidon ever thought possible. It proved how well Vieno matched with this place, which filled Lidon with a deep contentment and pride. He’d chosen his mate well, or rather, fate had chosen well for him.
After some debate, he and Jawon had decided to tear down the old barn, though they would reuse as much of the old wood as possible. Jawon had put up a big tent to temporarily store the equipment that had been in the barn. He’d promised Lidon they’d have the new barn up in a few days, as soon as the ordered wood had been delivered. In the meantime, he would finish building the new chicken coop, using the wood from the old barn, and would focus on fixing the rainwater irrigation system, much to Vieno’s delight who looked forward to using it once his veggies had started growing.
Vieno was over-the-top excited with how things were going, which endeared Lidon. He loved the pride Vieno took in making the ranch shine again, even if it was in little steps. He’d cleaned his way through the rooms they already used and had suggested opening up a few more rooms. Lidon had shoved a credit card in his hands and told him to buy whatever he wanted or needed.
Lidon was excited to see the changes and renovations, even though they were just getting started. He’d walked over to his cousins a few times when they were working. It was good to see them and even better to know that he was helping them financially. They still lived with their parents except for Urien, but Lidon was sure they were dying to move out. It wasn’t easy in this economic climate, and it made him realize once again how fortunate he was with his wealth. At least he could help his family out by giving him work. Fuck knew there was enough to keep them busy on the ranch for months to come.
He trusted them around his ranch and around Vieno. Jawon and Urien were betas, which posed a medium risk with an omega around, but Ori was an alpha. That in itself was remarkable, that an alpha would work for a beta and a cousin at that, but Ori seemed happy in that role. Lidon had watched him like a hawk the first time he met Vieno, but Ori had shown nothing but friendliness and had kept a respectful distance.
Servas was an omega, which was even more remarkable, because they rarely had jobs like this. Jawon had assured Lidon Servas was a hard worker who pulled his weight on his crew, and that he would stay home around his heat to not entice anyone. Lidon was fine with it, as he figured Servas would know better than anyone else what would work. The guy was twenty-two, so he’d already had his first heat. Thank fuck he didn’t have the gene at least, Lidon had thought when he’d heard his cousin had experienced his first heat at eighteen, the normal age.
All these changes made the ranch feel more like a home, but it was more than that. Palani hadn’t spent a night at his own place since Vieno’s heat almost a month ago and Enar had been back to his townhouse once or twice when he’d been too tired to drive to the ranch. That, Lidon thought, was also something he needed to figure out a solution for. He did not like Enar driving by himself in the middle of the night in the first place, let alone when he was dead on his feet like ten days ago. The man had slowed down a little, but he was still working more hours than Lidon thought was healthy.
Maybe he should bring it up with him. After all, Enar hadn’t protested when Lidon had said he wanted to order him to do shit, right? Still, he hesitated. In bed, he had no trouble dominating the hell out of all three of his men, though somehow, Vieno was always at the center. But during Vieno’s heat, Lidon hadn’t asked if he could fuck Enar, he’d assumed he could—though he had waited for him to consent. But outside of the bedroom it was hard to navigate because he didn’t want to humiliate Enar. Ugh, why was this so damn complicated?
He parked his car in the garage and headed inside. As soon as he stepped into the hallway, a mouthwatering smell informed him Vieno was cooking. Something Indian, judging by the faint aroma of coconut and spices. Korma, maybe?
He heard his mate’s giggle before he reached the kitchen, and his heart warmed. Then the giggle transformed into a moan, and his cock stirred. Who was Vieno playing around with?
He walked in to find Vieno pinned against the wall, with Enar kissing him as if his life depended on it. He unzipped his shorts, taking out his hard cock. Mmm, talk about a nice dinner show.
Enar broke off the kiss when Lidon walked over to the fridge to grab a water. There was always a flas
h of hesitation and insecurity in his friend’s features in moments like this, as if he still doubted Lidon would allow him to play around with Vieno. Lidon gulped down some water before sauntering over to the two.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he said to Vieno, bending over to kiss him.
He always kissed him first and not just a quick peck either. Somehow, his alpha demanded he lay claim to his omega, to his mate. Then he turned to Enar and without a second’s doubt, bent in to kiss him as well. When Enar opened up eagerly, he deepened the kiss, not stopping until he’d conquered his mouth and tasted him on his tongue.
“Don’t stop on my account,” he teased him, then slapped his butt when he walked away to take a spot at the kitchen table. “I’m in the mood for a little dinner show.”
Vieno giggled again, that happy sound that made Lidon’s heart jump up in his chest. “You heard our alpha… He wants a show.”
Enar smiled. “And the alpha always gets what he wants…”
Enar took Vieno’s mouth again, his hands making quick work of both their shorts. He hoisted Vieno up and settled him on his cock. Lidon cocked his head to get the perfect view of Enar’s big cock sinking into Vieno’s round ass. Man, what a gorgeous sight.
Vieno moaned as Enar bottomed out. “Ungh, so good…”
Enar folded the omega’s legs around his waist, then pinned him against the wall as he fucked him with slow, deep thrusts. His grunts mingled with Vieno’s groans into a mix that made Lidon’s cock weep with excitement.
“Hi guys,” Palani called out as he walked in, then laughed as he spotted Enar and Vieno. “I see we’re all in the right mood for the weekend?”
His eyes searched around the kitchen until he found Lidon sitting there. He walked over, his eyes searching Lidon’s face for permission before leaning in for a kiss.
“Hi,” Palani said, breathless after Lidon had kissed him thoroughly. What a lucky man he was, to have three men to kiss. Three men to claim.
“Wanna keep me company and watch the show?” Lidon said with a soft smile, delighted when Palani nodded. He pulled Palani on his lap, slipping his hand under his shirt.
“Hey, you said watching,” Palani teased.
“I’m watching using my hands,” Lidon said, his smile widening.
They sat like that for a while, observing Enar thoroughly fucking Vieno into the wall, Lidon’s hands roaming Palani's tight body. Palani wasn’t as vocal as Vieno but by now Lidon could read his body language better. The beta liked being manhandled a little, though he did his fair share of bossing around as well. God, watching him and Enar together was entertaining as fuck. Palani could be both brutally bossy and super sweet with him, and Lidon loved that his friend got to be himself with the beta. Palani got Enar, somehow.
Palani shifted restlessly on his lap, his ass rubbing against Lidon’s cock in the best way, even with layers of fabric in between. It made Lidon’s cock grow to steel, and he didn’t doubt Palani had noticed. It seemed he was in the mood to play, which suited Lidon just fine. Watching Enar and Vieno made him horny as fuck, and he’d love to take that out on Palani’s ass.
“You sure watching was all you wanted?” Palani asked.
“What are you suggesting?”
Palani grinned, then whipped off his shirt and started pulling on Lidon’s. “I say we give those two a show of our own.”
Seconds later, their clothes lay discarded on the floor. Palani grabbed a big bottle of lube from the kitchen counter. Bottles of that stuff stood everywhere in the house now, including several places in the kitchen. Highly convenient. He’d have to thank Vieno at some point, who made sure to constantly restock throughout the house.
Lidon prepped Palani with rough moves, smiling when the beta started fucking himself on Lidon’s long fingers. “I’ve got something better for you,” he promised, pulling his fingers out.
Palani lifted himself up, then lowered himself on Lidon’s cock. Lidon spread his legs to ground himself on the chair, content to watch Palani’s ass take him in.
“Dammit, you’re so fucking big,” Palani grunted.
“You say it as if it’s news to you.”
“I keep underestimating your size, fuck you very much…”
Lidon grinned as he put his hands on Palani’s hips to help him steady his balance. “Wait till I knot you.”
“Not gonna happen, I can damn well guarantee you that… Oh!” he moaned as Lidon finally bottomed out.
Lidon pulled Palani with his back against his chest, holding him close. “Fuck, you feel so good… You’re so snug around my big cock, your body struggling to take me in. It’s such a damn turn on.”
Palani relaxed against him, wrapping his hands backward around Lidon’s neck. “Mmm, this is good.” He turned his head for a quick kiss.
“Look at Enar, ravishing our boy’s ass…” Lidon commented. “He’s so focused when he fucks.”
Enar had Vieno whimpering now, begging him to speed up and make him come as well. Judging by the streams of cum that dripped from Vieno’s ass every time Enar thrust in, he’d dumped a good load there, but Vieno hadn’t come yet. The little omega clung to him with all his might, but he was losing the strength in his muscles.
“Quit tormenting the poor man and make him come,” Lidon called out to Enar.
“Don’t you have your own man to fuck?” Enar called back over his shoulder. “Why don’t you focus on making him come and let me handle this one?”
Palani chuckled. “He’s got a point.”
Suddenly Lidon realized with blinding clarity why the ranch felt different, why it felt like coming home every single day. It wasn’t the building or the renovations. It was them, these men, their foursome. They had turned the house into a real home.
“I want you guys to move in here,” he said with a fierce passion that came straight from his heart. They were his, and they belonged here with him. “Permanently.”
Vieno was seconds away from a mind-blowing orgasm, his balls already painfully tight against his body, when Enar froze halfway inside him. What the hell was he doing? Vieno vaguely remembered Lidon saying something, but he’d been too preoccupied with the agonizing torture of Enar’s way-too-slow fucking after he’d shot his load inside him to focus.
“You want what?” Enar said over his shoulder.
“I want you to move in here. Sell your house and come live here for real.”
Vieno let out a frustrated growl. “Can he finish this first, please? We were just getting to the good part.”
Lidon’s laugh boomed through the kitchen and then Palani joined in as well. Vieno groaned with frustration, knowing it was only a matter of seconds, till… Yes, there it was, Enar’s body was shaking with laughter.
“I hate you all right now,” Vieno muttered. “Seriously. Two, three more seconds, and I would’ve… Ugh.”
Enar pulled out and gently put him down. “Sorry, little one. I’ll admit Lidon’s timing wasn’t ideal.”
“It fucking sucks,” Vieno said, still frowning.
He had to hold on to Enar until the blood flow to his legs had been restored. When he could walk again, he stepped past Enar to find Palani on Lidon’s lap, the alpha’s cock buried deep inside him. What, Palani did get to come while Vieno was denied?
“We need to have a discussion about your priorities,” he told Lidon. “Or rather, your lack thereof.”
He saw the others smiling, thinking he was joking around, but he meant it. A strange irritation had a hold of him. As much as he loved the idea of Palani and Enar moving in, why couldn’t Lidon have waited until after he’d come? His body was aching now, his hole protesting the emptiness and lack of fulfillment. He felt…denied. Ignored. Frustrated. And he sure as hell resented it.
“Vieno…” Palani said, his voice loaded with meaning.
It would’ve been Palani to first pick up on Vieno’s mood, tuned in as he was to him after all these years. Tears formed in Vieno’s eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“I’m being unreasonable.”
The three men looked at him, each with a different expression. Enar was studying him, probably determining what the issue was and how he could fix it. Palani’s eyes showed worry, because he’d seen Vieno’s volatile emotions before, and he knew these were not a joke. And Lidon’s face turned from flabbergasted to determination in a blink.
“Palani,” he said.
“I know,” Palani said, lifting himself off the alpha’s cock, aided by the man’s strong hands on his hips. He stumbled as he got to his feet, but Lidon held him until he’d found his footing.
“Come here, sweetheart,” Lidon said and Vieno came almost running.
He didn’t even do it on purpose, but as soon as Lidon lifted him on his lap with their faces toward each other, he sought his cock, needing to feel it inside him. He couldn’t even capture the emptiness inside him in words. All he knew was that he needed what Lidon was offering, even if it meant Palani was slighted.
He took him in in one surge, more tears forming as Lidon was fully seated. The alpha looked at him quizzically. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice kind and soft.
“I don’t know… Honestly, I don’t. I…I felt empty and ignored and so fucking frustrated and I needed you.” He bowed his head, looking up at Lidon between tear-stained lashes. “I’m sorry for being selfish.”
“You’re not selfish, sweetheart. I’m trying to understand what happened.”
Vieno bit his lip. “I needed that orgasm. I wanted it and I was so damn close, and then you…”
“I distracted Enar, and the moment was gone,” Lidon understood.
“Yes. It doesn’t make sense, but…”
Lidon lifted his chin up with a single finger. “Emotions don’t always make sense. Brutal honesty, remember? You don’t have to understand, but please tell me what you need. Your needs come first.”