by Jade Alters
He pulled the curtain aside to smile at me. “I’m fine. Alphas heal even faster than normal shifters.”
Unconvinced, I waited in the bathroom until Owen stepped out, holding a towel. He did look much better, although dark purple bite marks still marred his ribs. Across his chest, the claw marks were present, but healing.
Despite the still-healing wounds, his body was still just as hot as ever. I wanted to touch him. I lifted one hand, and reached out to touch his still-damp chest. Then my eyes spotted the stitches in his shoulder. I yanked my hand back. I had no business touching him until he was well.
He grabbed my hand in his.“Eve.”
I blinked as he took a slow step toward me. Before I knew it, he leaned in and mouthed at my neck. “I saw you looking at me,” he said.
I moaned as his lips skimmed my jaw. “I don’t want to hurt you,” I breathed.
“It would hurt it you didn’t touch me.”
I opened my eyes to see the crooked smile on his face. “That was corny. I was really turned on, and now I’m trying not to laugh.”
“It’s true though. I want you to touch me.”
“Are you sure?”
He lifted his eyebrows and gestured downward. “Doesn’t it look like I’m sure?”
I wrapped my arms around him carefully, very aware of his hard cock pressed between us.
He gave me a quick kiss on the mouth. “Are you okay?” He held my face in his hands. “Were you injured at all?”
“Not one bit.”
“Thank God.” He leaned his forehead against mine, a gesture I’d watched him do many times before. It had seemed sweet when we were kids, now it seemed poignant. I didn’t ever want to take it for granted.
“I don’t know what I’d have done,” he said. “I don’t want to live without you anymore.” He exhaled quickly. “It’s not easy for me to be upfront about my feelings,” he said, the words spilling out. “I’d rather say nothing. But after what you’ve been through, I want you to know.”
He’d been through just as much as I had, and then some. “I don’t want to live without you either.”
His hands dropped down to cup my backside. His lips skimmed over my cheek. “Are you okay with this right now?”
I nodded. I heard what he wasn’t saying: I need you. I needed him too.
“Do you know how much I want you,” he asked.
“I think I have an idea.”
“I like you in my clothes,” he said. “But I want you naked. Let’s get you undressed,” he said.
I pulled off the t-shirt and sweatpants of his that I was wearing. He kissed me, stepping backward and walking me to the bed.
He smoothed his hands over my hair. “You are amazing.”
“You’re pretty awesome yourself.”
“Are you sure you’re feeling okay enough for this?” Owen’s injuries wouldn't scare me off, but I hated the thought of him being in pain for this.
“I feel great,” he said. “I feel a lot better than I look.” He ran his hands down my spine. “Any requests?”
“I want you to take what you need.” I blinked, a little shocked I’d gotten the words out. I meant every word. But who’d have thought I’d ever speak those words to a male?
“You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Then, and now,” he said.
I prided myself on not being sentimental or emotional. But Owen’s words sliced through any barriers I had left. His honesty was refreshing, and I wanted to make him happy. “Tell me what you want,” I insisted.
Owen growl rumbled low in his chest. “Turn around. Lie face down on the bed. I need to see this lovely bottom.”
My blood sizzled. I never thought I’d like being spoken to so frankly. When the words came from Owen, I loved it. I did as he asked. I lay across the bed, with my chest pressed flat against the mattress. “Your bottom is the perfect height for me like this.”
He stood behind me, caressing my backside. He parted my folds with one hand while he rubbed his erection against me. “I had you from behind during your heat. But I didn’t get the chance to really slow down and enjoy the sight,” he said. “Push your knees apart. Spread your legs.”
I hesitated. What must I look like? I didn’t look like other omegas. Sure, we’d done this during my heat, but I didn’t have clear memories of it. And sex during a heat was different. Heat sex was lust-fueled and somewhat mindless. This was careful, deliberate, and planned.
I was confident in myself, and at peace with my non-omega like body, but putting it on display like this was another thing altogether.
“Eve? Is something wrong?” Owen asked.
I was not going to whine about my curvy backside to Owen after he’d almost been killed by the shifter who was stalking me. No way. “No, I’m fine.”
“If you want to stop, we stop. But if you’re just feeling shy, then let me assure you that I want you more than words can express.” Owen kissed my shoulder blade, then my spine. “I don’t know if you care what I think, but in case you do, you are the hottest, sexiest, most stunning female I’ve ever seen.” He crawled up to breathe the words against my neck. “And seeing you like this makes me want to explode.”
After a speech like that, no fucking way did I want to stop. If he said he liked looking, then I’d take his word for it. I was turned on now, a heated fired coursing its way through my body, concentrated between my legs, where the arousal made me ache for Owen. “I want you too, Owen. Don’t stop.” I was grateful to hear him open a packet. Owen would be a great dad, but I wasn’t ready for that.
“I’m going to put my cock inside you.”
“Alpha. Please.” It felt good to call him Alpha, and I needed his cock. I needed him to fill me up. Maybe one day soon I’d be able to say the graphic words out loud to him, when I wasn’t in the throes of a heat. If we stayed together and became mated, we’d have this every day. Not just the sex, although it was incredible. But we’d have the closeness, and the companionship. I hadn’t known what I was missing.
But now that I’d had a taste of Owen in my life, I didn’t want to go back to living without him.
Owen’s chest rumbled with growl of pleasure. “I love it when you call me Alpha. I wish you could see this. Next time we’re getting a mirror,” he said, voice gritty as he pushed into me.
“Owen!” I cried out in shock at the suggestion. A mirror? Six months ago, I’d never have agreed to seeing myself exposed like this. But with Owen, I was intrigued, and I might just get there one day. I arched my back, vaguely recalling him saying he liked that during my heat.
Folded over on my knees, with my head down and my bottom up, I’d never felt more like an omega.
It was a position I’d never thought I’d accept, yet during my heat, I craved it. Now that I was aware enough to consider it, I savored the feeling of Owen behind me, and inside me.
It was no secret that this was the position shifter mates used during their first time, and when they wanted to conceive. I wasn’t sure if Owen chose this on purpose, or if instinct was driving him. It didn’t matter whether he chose it or not, because how he felt was clear.
I had to let him know I was ready to accept him as a mate, though this wasn’t the right time. This moment was for expressing the raw, primal connection between us. I had to tell him soon; I didn’t want to wait another day to let him know I wanted him -- not just as a human boyfriend, but as a permanent partner, one that was loyal for life.
I had to tell him I wanted him as my mate.
Owen
Last night, I thought I was going to die. And for a moment, I’d been terrified I’d lost Eve.
But now, we were together in my bed. I’d told her to bend forward on the bed and get on her knees, and to my surprise, she’d done as I asked.
She’d laid her naked body out for me, with her backside presented for me. As I pushed my hard cock to her entrance, her curvy cheeks parted for my cock. Her pussy opened for me.
I thrust into
her, relishing the sight up her upturned bottom. I drove into her, over and over, until the need to see her beautiful face overcame me. As hot as her round ass made me, I wanted to see her eyes, her mouth, her full lips.
I rubbed my hand down her back. “Sweetheart. Turn over.”
I pulled out and helped her turn to her back. In front of me, she lay with her legs spread. Her scent soaked into my flannel sheets. No matter how much they were washed, they’d always smell of honey and spruce to me.
My bear’s satisfaction strummed through my chest. When she’d called me Alpha, my bear had nearly erupted with happiness.
“Your bottom was the perfect height.” I knelt on the floor and tugged her to the edge of the bed. “But now so is your pussy,” I said.
She flushed all over at my words. “I tasted you during your heat. But I need more.” I ducked down to lick her sweet honeyed folds. I held tight to one of her ankles while she thrashed. I pushed two fingers into her drenched sex. I licked and sucked at her clit, unable to get enough.
“Owen! I’m close!” she yelled.
All these years, I’d gone without her. I would do anything to make this work between us. “Don’t fight it.”
When I’d woken up outside and hadn’t seen Eve, I thought my life was over.
If Eve and I lived together, we’d have this every day. Not just sex, but love. Time together. I’d asked her to mate with me. She’d lived among humans for ten years, so marriage might mean something to her too. I would also propose. If she accepted, we could have both a human wedding in Denver, and a shifter mating ceremony in Avon.
With my tongue on her sex, and my fingers in her pussy, she came. Wave after wave of pleasure crested as she writhed. “Now you’ll come on my cock.”
I crawled up on the bed. I lifted Eve and settled her against the pillows. “Comfortable?”
She nodded. “Good. Because I plan to take my time.” I positioned my throbbing cock at her slick entrance. I plunged into her as she cried out. “I love you,” I said.
“I love you too,” she said, moaning into my ear. “But that’s not all.”
I stilled, hovering above her. I rose up on one elbow so I could see her pretty face. My ribs twinged as I moved, but it was worth it. I traced my thumb over her lush mouth. “Not all?”
Eve’s eyes met mine. “When we talked. Earlier. When you said you loved me… ” Eve swallowed hard and glanced away, breaking our eye contact.
Inside her body, my cock stayed hard, but my heart began to batter against my chest. Eve was gifted with words, and yet now she was struggling to finish her sentence. “What’s wrong?” I asked. Surely she wouldn’t tell me she was leaving right now, not while our bodies were connected. I’d survived heartbreak once. I couldn't do it again.
“Nothing.” Eve squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them. This time she met my eyes, with her familiar steely gaze. “I’m only nervous.”
“Tell me,” I said.
Eve ran her hands over my shoulders and down my back. “I promised that I wouldn’t leave again. I’m ready now. I want more. I want us to be together. I don’t know what that’s going to look like. We can figure it out,” she said, all her words tumbling out in a rush.
My heart slowed its pounding beat, but my stomach started to swirl. “Eve. You know that I want you as my mate. Are you trying to say you want the same thing?”
She breathed out a sigh. “Yes.”
“You want to be my mate?”
She lifted her hips, spurring my body to react. “Yes,” she said. She wrapped her legs around my waist. I rocked forward with her smooth thighs pressed against me.
I pushed up on my hands, changing the angle so I could hit her sweet spot with each thrust. “If I wasn’t already making love to you, I’d have you on your back in two seconds,” I panted. I scented her, inhaling her sweet scent. “I’ll go to Chicago,” I said.
Under me, she writhed. “What are you talking about?”
“The job you want in Chicago.” My thrusts picked up speed. I was close. “I’ll go with you, if that’s what you want.”
“You would?” she asked.
“Without a doubt.” I couldn't believe we were carrying on this conversation right now. But I was unwilling to stop either. I wanted her to come for me, and I wanted her commitment too.
Eve’s breathing turned fast. She sucked in a breath as she lifted her hips to meet each thrust. “What about your job?” she ground out.
I couldn’t answer that right now. Nothing mattered but what was going on in my bed. I lowered my body to press against hers. I got both my arms under Eve and held her close, still keeping most of my weight off of her. I couldn’t get close enough to her as I slowed my thrusts. Rolling my hips, I pulled all the way out, then drove back in. I slid one hand down to rub between her legs.
Within seconds, Eve’s body shook. Her folds fluttered against my cock, drawing my own orgasm from me. As I spilled into her body, I kissed her cheek. “You’re it for me, Eve. Always my mate.”
“Owen. You’re the same for me. It took me ten years to get here, but you are my mate.”
I didn’t let go of her. I rolled us to the side, and we fell asleep with my body still inside hers.
We must have slept for about an hour. I woke up long enough to pull the blanket over us. Eve snuggled into my side. “Mmm. Warm.” She blinked up at me. “How are you feeling?”
Now that the endorphins from sex had worn off, as well as the industrial strength painkillers, each bite and claw mark ached, and each breath brought an insistent sting, but it was a small price to pay for having Eve in my arms, safe from that bastard. “A little beat up, but otherwise great.”
“I’m so glad,” she said. She sighed. “I realize that bringing up a bunch of important topics during sex probably wasn’t my best idea.”
“Nah.” I kissed her nose. “Seemed to work out just fine.”
“You didn’t answer my question though.”
I had no idea what question she was talking about. She said she wanted to be my mate, so I was good. At this point, I didn’t have the brain power to pretend to know. “What question was that?”
She smiled. “The one about your job. How would you work in Chicago?”
Ah, that question. It was important, but not as important as Eve. “The military has bases all over the country. The shifter units are small and well-connected. I can get reassigned.”
“Is that something you want? To leave? Your team here seemed like family.”
“I don’t want to leave.” I traced my finger over the shape of her ear. Every part of her was beautiful. “My team here is family. But you’re my mate. You’ll be my home.”
Eve sniffed. She patted her face with my sheet. “Don’t make me cry. I’ve made it through all of this without falling apart.” She grabbed my hand. “Thank you. For sticking by me. For not giving up on me.”
I pressed my mouth against hers. After making out for a few minutes, she cuddled into me with a sleepy sigh, and fell asleep on my shoulder.
Once I was certain she was asleep again, I crept from the bed and pulled on some clothes. In the den, I started a fire. By the time I was done outside, the entire room should be warm. As shifters, we didn’t feel cold the same way humans did, but a fire would still be cozy.
I had to find something to make a ring with. At my cabin in Avon, I had tools and woodworking supplies. Here, there was no garage, no shed -- I had only what we needed to survive.
In the kitchen pantry I found thin wire and wire cutters. I cut off three strips, and I measured the size against my own. Eve’s hands weren’t tiny, but they were smaller than mine, and her fingers were slim and elegant. I did my best to braid three wires together.
I crept outside. Near the edge of the cabin, I spotted John, who must have taken the night watch. My team had saved my life. And not only that, they’d accepted Eve without question, because I did, even given our rocky history together. They hadn’t asked questions, they
hadn’t snubbed her. They’d just protected her.
“Hey Alpha,” John called out. “Feeling better?”
“Much. I should have come out earlier to let you know.” I gripped his arm. He and the rest weren’t on duty now that Bull was dead. They’d stuck around for me, and for Eve. “Thank you. For everything.”
John nodded. He could certainly tell Eve and I were in the process of mating, and he likely knew I was in a hurry to get back to her. I’d make it up to my team soon enough.
In the woods, I found a Spruce tree. I hoped I wasn’t going overboard. When I was fifteen, I’d put a little sprig of spruce in everything I gave Eve. I’d even taken to dropping spruce needles on her paperwork at school, or sticking them under the windshield wipers of her car. That was the year my love for Eve had changed from friendship, to that of a mate.
Eve had always grinned, and tucked the spruce needles into her pockets. I hoped the memory was happy, and not an unpleasant reminder. The smell was spicier than Eve’s gentle scent, but it would do. With my knife, I cut off a small bundle.
I slipped back into bed. When my frigid skin touched hers, she shivered. Shit. I’d forgotten to warm up before I hopped back in the bed. I’d been so preoccupied with getting the ring and the tree needles into an envelope that I hadn’t noticed the chill. “Cold?” I asked.
She rubbed her face against the pillow. “A little.”
Oh well. I’d made the perfect excuse to leave the bedroom. “I have a fire going in the den.”
“Sounds perfect,” she said. I lifted her, and carried her into the den where I had blankets in front of the fire. “Please be careful,” she said. “Don’t crack the rest of your ribs carrying me.”
“Are you implying that I’m not strong enough to carry my omega?”
She grinned. “If I’m going to say something, I won’t imply. I’ll just say it.” She gave me a big smacking kiss on the cheek. “I could get used to this,” she said as I lowered her to the floor.
I really hoped she would. I would happily carry her around for the rest of our lives. I kept that thought to myself, not wanting to ruin my surprise. She wasn’t wrong about my ribs, although it had nothing to do with carrying her. Bull had really done a number on me. But I would not let that bastard screw up my plans for one second.