Rise From the Ashes

by Noah Harris

  Josh relaxed in his arms, head leaning back to his shoulder. “Thanks, Adam. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

  Adam smiled. “You just had to be you.”

  Josh chuckled, straightening a little as he returned to preparing dinner. “What would your pack think if they knew their big bad Alpha was really just a romantic softy?”

  Adam snorted. “Millie would probably use it against me and try to usurp me. But I think the others wouldn’t mind. Eddie was a huge romantic with a soft spot for his mate.”

  “I wish I could’ve met him.”

  “I wish you could’ve, too. You would have liked him, and he would have liked you.”

  Silence fell between them as Josh worked. Adam brought him the things he asked for, always situating himself against Josh’s back when he returned. His hands continued to pet and roam, less insistent but still there, still needy, still protective. Josh didn’t seem to mind. As he moved, Adam moved with him, clinging to him like a lovesick pup and not even caring because the smile on Josh’s face was well worth it.

  Josh closed the oven and straightened, wiping off his hands before setting the timer. “There. It should be done in thirty minutes.”

  He leaned back into him, and Adam nuzzled his neck. “You know, I’ve always liked this mark.”

  Josh tilted his head. “What mark?”

  “This one,” Adam said, nosing the patch of skin that was darker than the rest. “Your birthmark.”

  “Oh, that one. I forget about it because I can’t really see it.”

  “I like it.” He pressed his lips to it, tongue peeking out to taste his skin. “It looks like my pack symbol.”

  Josh stiffened in his arms. “Your pack symbol?”

  “Yeah, we all have tattoos of a waning moon.” He stepped away for a moment and stuck out his leg. Josh turned to see, eyes fixating on the back of his right thigh. Judging from his pinched expression, he hadn’t seen it before. Adam found it a little odd, but he did wear pants that covered it most of the time. And when they were naked, neither of them were really looking at each other’s calves.

  “I’ve heard about your pack,” Josh said, eyes fixed on the back of his leg.

  “Yeah?”

  Josh looked to the side, fidgeting and biting his bottom lip. “Yeah. It’s one of the two big packs around here. The two that fight all the time.”

  “We don’t fight all the time,” Adam said, but Josh gave him a flat look. He shrugged helplessly. “There’s just a deep seeded rivalry that goes back generations. A blood feud.”

  Josh still looked worried and at a loss for words. Adam stepped closer, gathering him back into his arms. Josh came willingly, nuzzling into his chest.

  “Hey, it’s okay. Eddie held our pack back and at peace for years, and I plan on doing the same. There’s a lot of tension right now, with all the suspicions around Eddie’s death, but I’m handling it.”

  He leaned back, but Josh kept his head ducked down. Adam lifted a hand to his chin, gripping lightly as he lifted it, waiting patiently until Josh finally looked at him. His eyes were wide, brows furrowed. His bottom lip was caught between his teeth. It was clear he was worried, but there was something more, something deeper that resonated in the depths of his green eyes, making them darker and sadder.

  He could only guess what he was feeling, and Josh didn’t elaborate. He simply stared up at him, capturing him and holding his gaze as emotions swirled behind that mask of worry.

  Adam might not fully understand, but it made his heart clench nonetheless.

  He smiled, small and reassuring, sliding his hand up the side of Josh’s face to cup his jaw. He ran his thumb along his cheek. “I’ll do everything I can to make peace.”

  Josh shivered at the sound of it, nuzzling into his palm. “Promise?” he asked, voice a whisper as he gazed up at him.

  Adam’s smile widened, leaning forward to press their foreheads together. “I promise.” He wanted to make his pack a safe home for him. He didn’t want Josh to question Adam’s ability to protect him.

  The emotion in his eyes didn’t lessen. If anything, it grew. It was a swirling storm within his green gaze, sucking Adam in and threatening to pull him apart. Right when it became too much, when he thought he might lose his footing and be lost to it, Josh’s hands reached forward to grab him. Fingers curled into his shirt, tugging him forward and making him tilt his chin up to capture his lips as Josh went up on his toes to better reach his mouth.

  Adam leaned into the kiss. Josh’s hands slid up the side of his throat, wrapping around his neck, fingers running through his hair, unable to stay still. The kiss was soft and heady, with an edge of desperation to it that neither of them could hide. When Adam ran his tongue along Josh’s bottom lip, he opened up willingly and eagerly, practically begging for Adam to lick into his mouth.

  His fingers tighten in Adam’s hair, pulling him closer and refusing to let him go, a deep whine sounding in his throat. Adam growled, swallowing the sound down. His hands slid around the omega, slipping beneath his shirt to feel his warm, flawless skin. He moved his hands up and down his back, and Josh arched into him, pressing them flush together. He rubbed himself on Adam, subtle and slight, but still managing to convey his desperation and need.

  His scent was strong and sweet, wrapping around Adam and dragging him in further. The wolf in him growled, the Alpha rising to the scent, latching on to that smell of submission and hunger. This little omega, so meek and shy, had Adam so completely wrapped around his little finger.

  Adam’s hands slid down Josh’s back, over his hips, to grip beneath his thighs. He lifted him with little effort. Josh was light but heavy enough to be a comforting weight in his arms. Josh gasped, arms tightening around Adam’s neck as he took a step forward, settling Josh on the edge of the counter. The omega automatically wrapped his legs around Adam’s waist, pulling them close and keeping them flush as he desperately slid their lips and tongues together, nipping at Adam’s lips.

  Adam pushed into him, drowning in his scent, feeling heat roll under his skin and coil low in his gut. Josh gasped, breaking their kiss as he tossed his head back, body arching, hips rolling into him. Adam bent low, lips and tongue and teeth exploring his neck, breathing him in, marking him. Josh’s fingers were tight in his hair, nails digging into his back.

  “A-Adam,” he breathed, voice shaky. He rolled his hips again. “Adam, please, I need—I want—”

  “Tell me what you want, babe,” he said, nipping at his collarbone, sucking a dark mark into his skin.

  “Ada—Adam,” he stammered, choking off with a gasp as Adam rolled his hips, pulling him to the edge of the counter and fully pressing their hips together, letting Josh feel how hard Adam was already. It was ridiculous how easily this pretty little omega affected him. “You—I want you.”

  Adam chuckled low, moving to grip his hips to lift him, but Josh shook his head, hands already scrambling between them, tugging at the waistband of his pants.

  “Here— now—”

  Adam grinned, lifting his head to capture Josh’s lips once again, brutal and bruising, loving the way Josh keened into him, entire body arching, legs shaking.

  “Please— I need you—”

  “I’ve got you, babe. I’ve got you.”

  Josh rolled into him with these small, needy movements of his body, almost as if he wasn’t fully aware he was doing it. It was clear he couldn’t stop. Using the last of his restraint, Adam lifted him just far enough to slide his pants and boxers down in one pull, tugging them down his smooth thighs.

  The smell of him, slick and waiting and eager, hit Adam hard. If he was embarrassed about how quickly Josh made him hard, it was gone now. Apparently, Josh was just as quick to lose himself.

  Adam took his time stretched him, burying his fingers deep within him and feeling those wet, plush walls. He built Josh up, listening to his needy whines and mumbled encouragements. The more Josh begged, desperately clinging to him, nails biting in
to his skin, the slower Adam went. He loved the control. He loved seeing Josh fall apart beneath his hands.

  He held off until Josh’s pleas turned demanding, until the omega bit down on his neck hard and growled in his ear, demanding what he wanted. Adam shivered, needing a moment to center himself before slipping his fingers out of Josh and lining himself up with his entrance, pushing in slow and strong, burying himself to the hilt.

  He lost control after that, taking Josh hard and fast, one hand on his hip and the other on the counter as he thrust into him again and again. Josh’s hands clutched at him, nails pressing deep enough to cut. It drove Adam faster, harder, urged on by the sounds ripping from Josh’s throat, the breathy gasps and heady moans, the keens and cries.

  They came together with a strangled sound, lips bruising together as they tried to get as close as possible, hips jerking as they rode out their orgasms.

  When Adam pulled away, he didn’t go far, just enough to peer down at Josh’s dazed expression, the happy lift to his lips.

  He was beautiful. Beautiful and kind and smart and funny. Sugary sweet and sinfully delicious. Adam wanted him, again and again. Couldn’t get enough of him.

  He wanted to wake up in the morning to that face. He wanted to come home to it. He wanted to fall asleep wrapped in his arms. He wanted to bury himself deep inside him and never leave.

  He wanted his everything. He wanted to make him his.

  He let his knuckles trail along Josh’s cheeks, his jaw, and his lips. Pretty and red and swollen. Josh smiled, pressing a small kiss to his hand.

  My Josh.

  My omega.

  Mine.

  Want.

  Need.

  My mate.

  It hit him like a lightning bolt. Sharp and fast. Sizzling through him and shaking him to the core. Hitting hard and gone in a flash, leaving his skin tingling and his blood boiling. Heat coiled in his gut, a flame ignited in his chest. It came as a shock, but that melted away with the calm sense of knowing, the acceptance of something he’d known for a while, but never quite put a name to.

  He loved Josh.

  He wanted Josh to be his.

  He was going to make Josh his.

  My omega.

  _________________________

  In the days that followed, Adam found himself looking over Eddie’s texts more than once. Whenever he had downtime and was on his phone, he would find himself going to their chat box, scrolling through the messages, replaying the words in his head.

  If you own who you are, no one can stand against you.

  Have more confidence and carry yourself upright, and people will follow.

  The sooner you come out, the sooner they can get used to it and over it, and the sooner they can move on.

  There was no way Eddie could have known that it would be the last time he would text Adam. But the message seemed heavy with portent. It made Adam sit down and think. It nagged at his mind day and night. He’d known for a while that he would eventually want to make Josh part of his pack. He wanted the omega with him, his partner, and his omega. But as time went on and his feelings grew, he was starting to realize it was a reality he wanted sooner rather than later.

  And Eddie’s advice was always there to give him that extra push.

  He still didn’t think his pack would respond favorably. Karen was understanding, and while his friends didn’t officially know, they liked Josh a lot. They each made a point of telling Adam that, and their encouragement made him think that they weren’t as oblivious as he might have once hoped. But his friends’ acceptance of his true nature and the pack’s acceptance of a gay Alpha were two completely different things.

  It was an obstacle he was willing to face, one that he was steeling himself against. He didn’t want to give up his position simply because of his preferences, and he was willing to fight anyone who challenged him because of it. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt Josh. He would make them accept Josh as his omega and mate. He would convince them that this didn’t change anything about him. He would still be the Adam they had always known.

  However, as eager as he was to have Josh accepted into his pack, to have the omega officially claim a spot by his side and make their relationship common knowledge, he had to take baby steps.

  The first step was to get Josh into the pack and hope that he fit in and was accepted easily. Maybe then, he would grow on them, and from there, it would be easier for them to accept him as their Alpha’s mate.

  He could only hope.

  It was drizzling, a light rain that he could barely feel that soaked into his clothes anyway. He didn’t mind as much as he once had. Josh had taught him to appreciate the rain, and he found that if he simply accepted the fact that he was going to get wet, it was actually quite relaxing. Besides, it just meant that they could go home, change into comfortable clothes, and cuddle beneath a blanket on the couch.

  Josh walked beside him, a little ahead. They walked hand-in-hand, fingers intertwined and slotting together like puzzle pieces. Josh was smiling contently, head tilted back to catch the rain on his flawless face. His hair was dark and plastered to his forehead, his cheeks, and his temple. He was beautiful, and he made Adam’s insides melt.

  His steps were light and had a small bounce as he purposely trudged through puddles, humming softly to himself and tugging Adam along. It was the weekend, and Adam had managed to slip away from his Alpha duties long enough to meet up with him for lunch. Now that they were together, he didn’t want to leave. The feeling must have been mutual because they’d found themselves silently agreeing to go for a walk through a nearby park.

  So few people were out due to the rain, and they silently weaved through the trees, following the paved path, and feeling like they were the only ones left in the world.

  It was private. It was peaceful. And Adam so rarely felt as content as he did then. He knew it had little to do with the rain and everything to do with the sweet omega at his side.

  He stopped, and Josh took several more steps before he was tugged to a halt. He turned, smile fading into a curious look.

  Adam smiled, giving his hand a gentle pull. Josh came willingly, stepping into Adam’s embrace, thin arms wrapping around his waist. He tilted his head up automatically, eager and patient as Adam bent down to press a soft kiss to his lips. The kiss was long and languid, slow and sweet. He loved the taste of him, drowning in the sweet scent of omega and the clean scent of rain.

  When he pulled back, he didn’t go far, simply pressed his forehead to Josh’s, took in the sight of that small smile and those green eyes, pupils blown wide.

  “Do you want to join my pack?”

  Josh pulled away, eyes wide and mouth falling open in his surprise.

  Adam backtracked, smiling hopefully and sheepishly. “I’m not saying... I don’t mean now. Not right this minute. I’m just... Eventually? Soon? We’ve never really talked about it, but... I’m Alpha, and I would like for you to join my pack and eventually be my official mate.”

  It could have been from the rain, but he felt Josh shudder, watched the way his eyelids fluttered, watched the slow, happy curve of his lips.

  “I’d like that,” he said, arms tightening around his waist. Then something passed over his face, a shadow of something darkening his expression that was gone before Adam could really get a grasp on it. He bit his bottom lip, gaze dropping to Adam’s chest. “Not... not yet, though.”

  Adam was smiling. He could feel the ache of it in his cheeks. He pulled Josh to his chest, letting the omega bury his face in his neck and tucking him beneath his chin. He ran his fingers through Josh’s hair, one arm wrapped around his lower back. “I’m not asking you to break it off with your pack right now. Just... soon. Make all the preparations you need to. I don’t want you to have to leave on a bad note.”

  They stood in silence for several moment, with nothing but the soft patter of rain hitting leaves to keep them company. It was peaceful and quiet. Josh was warm against his chest, slight and b
eautiful in his arms.

  “You know,” Josh said, voice light and teasing, “if I join your pack, with the way you can’t keep your hands off me, they’ll figure out we’re together pretty quickly.”

  Adam tossed his head back and laughed, boisterous and loud. When he looked back down, he was grinning. Josh’s head was tilted back, gazing up at him with dark eyes and a teasing smirk on his lips. “You have a point there.”

  Josh pushed up onto his toes, pressing his lips quickly but solidly to his neck. “I don’t mind. I like your hands on me.”

  Adam stepped back then, leaving Josh reeling and confused. Before he could utter a question, however, Adam squatted and wrapped his arms around the omega’s legs, then stood and listed. Josh bent over his shoulder perfectly with an indignant squeak.

  “Adam!” he gasped, voice gone high-pitched in his surprise. “Put me down!”

  “Nope,” he said cheerfully, turning on his heel and striding away. “I’m taking you home where I can really get my hands on you.”

  “But what about your pack? You said you still have work to do!”

  “They can wait.”

  “Adam—” He cut himself off with a loud yelp as Adam playfully swatted his ass, taking a moment to grope him. Josh kicked his legs weakly, slapping at Adam’s back and ass with his hands, all the while unable to contain his laughter, perfect and rich and genuine.

  It was like music to Adam’s ears.

  Work had become dreadful. His time spent in the office felt like a ticking time bomb, an itch beneath his skin. Every moment was simply a moment he wasn’t with his friends, wasn’t with Josh, and wasn’t dealing with the plethora of pack problems that weighed heavily on his shoulders. It had once been a place for him to escape, and now he spent every minute in the office watching the clock, foot twitching and irritation rubbing him raw. Where it was once a home away from home, a safe haven where he could relax and just fit into the mould without having to worry about his problems or his responsibilities, a place where he could be himself and do work he knew was appreciated, it was now one of his biggest headaches.