by Grey, Aspen
My whole body almost exploded as the scent hit me. Everything seemed to pop and crack as my insides began to glow golden and I sat up quickly and stuck my head out the window. And there, standing in the street below me, was the most gorgeous alpha I’d ever seen in my life. And as I inhaled his scent again, coating my lungs with it, there was no doubt in my mind that I wasn’t delusion.
I’ve done it, I thought, exploding with happiness. I found him.
The alpha standing below me was my fated mate.
Chapter Three
Alec
I brushed the varnish onto the table top with extra care, paying attention to my brush strokes. They’d more than likely fade away when it dried, but this was the first time Frank was giving me the brush, and the responsibility, to do the finish work on one of his pieces.
Frank was a fine woodworker and furniture maker who’d taken me on as an apprentice last year after I graduated. I’d always had an interest in wood working, as our school had actually had something resembling woodshop class which had always been my favorite class. I hadn’t even been paid at first, which is how I convinced him to take me on. But after I showed him my skills, he quickly gave me an hourly rate.
This particular piece was a beautiful side table with intricately carved legs that looked like it would belong in some gorgeous mansion in South Beach or Coral Gables. It was the kind of piece I dreamt about being able to build one day.
“Steady hands, Alec. Steady hands,” Frank said from behind me as I finished up the final coat.
“Just don’t blow any dust on it, Frank,” I joked as I stepped back and admired my own work.
“Good job, Alec,” he nodded. Frank was a bit of a father figure to me. I’d never known my real parents and had been raised in the Miami foster system. Sometimes they were nice and sometimes they were horrible. I ran off from those and got in a lot of trouble for it, and looked forward to my 18th birthday when I’d finally be free of it all.
“Won’t be long before you’re doing your own pieces!”
I could only smile as I stepped back from the piece and admired it. The design was all Frank’s, but I had helped him out with the grunt work to make it come to life. He was well known in Miami for his design work and plenty of wealthy people came to him, and as a result, he was flooded with aspiring carpenters looking for work. When I’d showed up he hadn’t even had a position open, but after badgering for two straight weeks and saying I’d work for free, he took me on.
But it wasn’t long before he starting paying me. I rose quickly through the ranks of apprentices and became his right hand man and was trusted on making important cuts and applying the finish. It was my dream to one day have a business of my own making furniture specifically in the Danish Modern vein.
“Any plans for tonight?” he asked. “Hit up the clubs or whatever you young boys are doing these days?”
“Not really my style, Frank,” I chuckled. “I’m no player.”
“Not yet,” he winked.
“Not ever,” I replied firmly. “I’m just looking for love.”
“Aren’t we all?”
“Being one of those guys doesn’t interest me,” I told him. “It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality, ya know? One good omega to make me happy for the rest of my life.”
“We can all dream,” Frank shrugged as he hit the overhead lights for the shop. “But until then, have yourself a little fun. You deserve it.”
I helped Frank close up and then grabbed a scooter from the sidewalk and headed for the beach. It was an evening ritual for me after getting out of work. I don’t know why, but the ocean always calmed me down, listening to the sound of the waves and watching them break across the sand.
It wasn’t a long ride from Frank’s, and I left the scooter by the food stands, took off my shoes and stepped onto the warm sand. The crowd was basically gone, with only a few stragglers left beneath the peach and pink glow of the evening. I picked an open spot on the sand and stretched out, put my arms behind my head and lost myself in my own thoughts.
I guess I was a bit more introspective than most alphas, or at least that’s what Frank and some of the other apprentices told me.
“You got your head in the clouds, boy,” Frank would joke, and the others had plenty of wisdom to add.
“Just find a hole and bury your pole. True love’s for chicks!”
“What do you wanna settle down for? You’re nineteen for fuck’s sake.”
“Rack them numbers up, boy! You’re an alpha!”
It was your typical guy bullshit and I wasn’t interested in any of it. I wasn’t looking to bury my pole or become another one of the Miami boys that hit the clubs three nights a week and brought another guy home every time. It seemed so shallow, and I couldn’t help but think that the guys who did that had been burned by love sometime in their past and turned to the wild life to distract themselves from what they’d lost.
I lay there on the beach for a while, wondering if I could ever end up in that kind of life.
No, I thought. I’ll find my true love. Or I’ll die trying!
Finally, as the sun vanished behind the horizon and darkness swept over the sand, I got up, found another scooter and headed back towards my apartment. I was restless for some reason and decided to take the long route home. I left the beach behind me, past the long boardwalk filled with restaurants, glanced over my shoulder as a group of tourists on mopeds passed by, then took a sharp turn, and swerved around a construction team fixing a pothole.
Then, as I came around a corner into a small sidestreet, something happened that changed my life forever.
My nose came alive as the most delicious scent I’d ever smelled in my life wafted into my nostrils and pushed itself deep into my chest. I almost toppled off the scooter as I hit the break and skidded to a stop.
Was I dreaming? Had I just lost my mind or something? No. I inhaled again just to be sure. There was no doubt about it…
Holy shit! That’s it!
It was undeniable. The smell turning me upside down was the scent of my fated mate.
But where was it coming from? My nose scoured the street, searching for the source of the mind bending smell. Finally, my eyes landed on an open window, where a rotating fan was spinning slowly. Each time it spun towards me, the smell increased ten fold and hammered me almost to my knees.
Holy fuck…
I stood there, wondering what I should do. Should I go knock on the door? Hurl myself into a Shakespearean sonnet and see if my omega-Juliet appeared? Or just fling myself through the open window and seize the omega I found there. Thankfully, the choice was made for me.
A face appeared in the window, backlit by the light in the room, but well lit enough that I was able to see that this was the most beautiful omega I’d ever seen. My body roared and my blood began to boil as I stared at his gorgeous face. He had short hair, almost a buzz cut, which would make most guys look tough, but made him look somehow innocent like a doll made by hand out of porcelain. And then there were his eyes…
…two beautiful blue eyes staring at me through the darkness.
My heart bloomed as I swelled with pride. I’d waited. I hadn’t listened to the other guys tell me how I was being overly romantic or whatever, and it had paid off.
I’d found him.
Chapter Four
Paul
I felt like I’d been hit in the face by a bowling ball, run over by a herd of cattle and then wrapped up in a nice warm blanket and fed a bowl of cookie dough ice cream. I was head over heels, obliterated by the scent of my lifetime. Nothing could have ever prepared me for this, not even all the dreaming I’d done. It was something you had to experience to understand.
It was like the veil of the universe had been pulled back and the truth revealed. It felt almost psychic to stare at the alpha in front of me and just know that he was the one for me. It should have been impossible, and so many people would tell you that it was, but I knew the truth now. It wa
sn’t.
But what do I do now? I thought. What do I say?
Do I go around to the front door and go around the block into the street? Do I say some sort of poem to him or something or just throw myself out the window and into his arms? What the Hell do I do? Thankfully, before I could do something stupid, the alpha spoke.
“Good evening.”
His voice was music filled with strong bass.
“H-hi,” I stammered. He stepped closer so he was right beneath my window and extended a hand.
“Come down,” he told me. It was almost a command. No one had ever spoken to me like that in my life, and it was as though his words had complete control over me. Before I knew what I was doing, I was climbing out the window and into his arms.
His grip was like a vice. His hands were rough, working man’s hands, and his biceps were practically bulging out of his shirt which was stained with dust that smelled like wood. When he set me down in front of him, I realized how tall he was. He must have been well over six-foot, and while devastatingly gorgeous, had a somewhat severe look to him, like you wouldn’t want to see him angry. There was something rough about him, and if I hadn’t known that he was my fated mate, I might have been slightly afraid of him.
“What’s your name?” he asked me.
I tried to speak but my throat was so dry I had to swallow and try again. “Uh, P-Paul. My name’s Paul.”
“Paul,” he mused, a smile appearing in his eyes. “My name is Alec.”
As he spoke, my eyes moved to his lips. The urge to kiss him almost overwhelmed me. It was like a gravitational pull between us. I couldn’t help but look him up and down. His shoulders were broad and I could tell he was extremely athletic. He wasn’t a big bruiser, but was long and lean like a gymnast, and I couldn’t help but think how amazing he must look in full wolf form.
I realized I hadn’t even responded to him and quickly said,” N-nice to meet you.”
“You too,” he said quietly. I gasped as he reached out and gently stroked my cheek with the back of his hand, sending a shiver straight up my spine. I arched my hips towards him and took a small step forward, close enough that I felt the warmth of his body cascading down on me with the strong power of his scent.
“You feel it, don’t you?” he asked me.
Fuck yes, I feel it! I wanted to scream. Instead, I simply nodded. I was overwhelmed.
“I’ve been waiting to find you for my entire life,” he said. His words touched me and if it had been possible for me to melt into a puddle I would have.
“Me too…”
“Come with me now,” he told me. My heart fluttered. I had entered some space that was beyond the normal world of my existence, like I’d been swept away by an angel or a UFO. I didn’t even know what to do or say. I felt as though my entire body had been frozen and he had taken control of my soul. All I could do was stare.”
“Come on,” he repeated. “My place isn’t far. You’re my fated mate. I’m going to claim you and make you mine.”
Claim you…
His words lit a fire inside me. The world glowed and my dick twitched as it started to rise beneath my pants. I could hardly believe what was happening. Moments ago I’d been questioning the very existence of fated mates and convincing myself that holding out for love was the best course of action, and now I was standing in front of him as he urged me to come with him so he could claim me.
A dream come true…
He was breathtaking, tall and serious, standing above me like a towering statue of pure alphaness, and I couldn’t stop my mind from…going places. I felt a tingling back there and knew that my slick was starting to moisten me up, something it had never done before in the presence of an alpha. He was causing sensations to flow through me that I’d never felt before.
My blood felt hot in my veins. My chest heaved. My heart pounded and my dick twitched as it began to grow. A tingling sensation like lightning or electricity took hold of my limbs and a glowing white ball of happiness swelled and twisted inside me like a miniature sun.
I wanted to go with him. I needed to.
“O-okay,” I whispered back. Alec’s beautiful lips twisted into a knowing smile and he reached out and took my wrist. My body flared with heat at his touch and my heart almost sprang from my chest. I couldn’t help but think that this was how it felt to blast off in a rocket on its way into space.
He took a step and pulled me away with him, but as he did, I heard my father call from inside.
“Paul! Let’s go, buddy! Family meeting time!”
Shit! My jaw clamped down and my free hand balled into a fist. The family meeting!
“Your father?” Alec asked.
“Yes,” I growled. “Shit. I have to go back.”
Damn it!
Alec didn’t like what he was hearing—not one bit. But he understood. He had to. He couldn’t be that much older than me, so he knew that when your dad called, you came, even if you’d just run into your fated mate and were ready to run off with him.
“I’ll come back,” I assured him.
“Promise?” Alec asked. He was joking. He knew I meant it. How could I not? He was my fucking fated mate! Of course I’d be back!
“Promise,” I told him. I turned to head back inside, but as I did, Alec spun me around to face him. A gasp escaped my lips as he leaned in. And then he kissed me.
My whole world rocked beneath me like the Earth had been struck by a meteor the size of the moon. Everything went white as my eyes closed and I accepted his lips. They were soft but firm, and his kiss was skilled and determined.
My first kiss, I thought with glee as I kissed him back and inhaled his powerful scent. He was fierce, dominant, knew what he wanted and wasn’t going to hesitate. It was almost impossible to tear myself away from him, and the only reason I was able to, was that he broke our embrace first.
“Okay,” he told me as a feeling of loss swept through me. “Go talk to your dad. I’ll wait for you.”
“No,” I replied, shaking my head. “It’s a family meeting. It could take forever. Why don’t I meet you somewhere?”
“My apartment,” he told me. “I’ll give you the address.”
“I don’t have my phone. How about the beach? I’ll meet you there and we can go back to your place…”
Go back to your place.
Just saying those words made me feel different. It had such naughty implications, but also was something that made me feel like I was taking a step into a new stage of my life.
“Okay,” he replied. “But don’t make me wait too long.”
“That’s up to my parents,” I groaned. “But I’ll try.”
“I’ll go there now and wait for you,” he told me. “Do you know where the slushy stand usually is?”
What!?
“The slushy stand?” I laughed. “I fucking love the slushy stand! I know exactly where it is.”
Alec smiled. “Meet me there. I’ll wait. I’ll wait all night if I have to.”
“Okay,” I told him, arching my body against his and feeling the warmth, the strong muscles. “I’ll be there.”
“Promise?”
I nodded. “Promise.”
“Paul!” my dad hollered again.
“I have to go,” I said. This time, before turning away, I let my lips part for him, begging him for another embrace. He leaned forward. I thought our lips would touch, but he stopped short, so close that I could almost feel them.
“You’ll get this one when you come to the beach,” he told me.
“Oh, that’s torture!”
“Paul!”
“Coming!” I shouted over my shoulder. “Okay. I’ll see you soon.”
“See you soon.”
I leapt up, stepped on a trash can and sprang back into my bedroom window. I turned around to see Alec standing there and waved to him. He waved back, and I headed inside, my head spinning and my heart blooming like a wild rose with thoughts of how my life had just changed forev
er.
See you soon…I thought as I went to meet my parents. This better not take long!
Chapter Five
Alec
I was alive in a way I’d never been before as I walked back down to the beach. I could have taken a scooter but I wanted to take my time getting there so I could do my best to recover from what had just happened.
I’d found him. My fated mate.
It was like one of those Hollywood treasure hunter movies where after two hours the heroes finally came upon the chest of gold or the hidden message or the priceless idol and the audience finally got to breath a sigh of relief or even clap. That’s how I felt, only magnified a thousand times.
Paul…my sweet Paul.
He was absolutely beautiful. I’d never really been into guys with short hair before, and his was almost a complete buzz cut, but for some reason with him I loved it. It gave off some impression of innocence, and that made sense, because when I kissed him, I knew that I was the first one to do so.
I don’t know how I was so sure, but I was. Maybe it was the way his lips had simply accepted mine and not kissed back, or maybe it was the shudder I felt run through his body when we connected, or maybe it was something deeper that I couldn’t explain—but I knew.
Paul was untouched, innocent. He was a virgin, unexplored territory just waiting to be claimed by me. And what’s more, so was I. We had both waited for each other without even knowing it. How poetic was that? And now I’d found him and he had found me, and all that was left was to seal our bond and move through the rest of our lives together.
I couldn’t even stop smiling, despite the obnoxious bulge in my pants making it difficult for me to walk. He’d turned me on beyond belief and I couldn’t stop thinking of all the things I wanted to do to him; bend him over and watch his ass shake against my body as I fucked him, get him on his back and stare into those beautiful eyes while he took my dick, hold his cock while I fucked him and milk the cum from his balls, watch him blow me and gag on my monster…
