He shifted with such speed that it made him stagger. Standing more firmly on his human legs, he looked the beta in the eye.
“We need to talk.”
Chapter Sixteen
“The day is beautiful. You’ll have a nice relaxing time out here.” Joey led the procession to the front porch, fluffing pillows and spreading a thick comforter on top of the long outdoor couch.
“You could use the fresh air. Andrea said so. Careful, Lorcan.” Kyle hovered next to his mate, who carried Seth in his strong alpha arms as if Seth were a pup or something.
He wasn’t complaining, didn’t murmur a syllable of dissent. After spending a couple of days in Andrea’s room, then a few more on his own pallet in the communal male bedroom, followed by a whole day on the great room couch, he was delighted to be allowed outside. The fact that he wasn’t allowed to walk there under his own power or do anything more than lie down and be waited on irked, but only a little.
He was still pregnant, and the bleeding had stopped. Andrea had assured him that these were all good signs. A little spotting early in the breeding wasn’t that unusual, especially for the first pregnancy. Miscarriages happened quickly if they were going to happen at all. Joey had confirmed that by quietly telling about his own experience. The guy had spent a lot of time with Seth, keeping him occupied and sane.
The company was particularly welcome given that Seth’s wolf had gone into hiding from the fright over the possible loss of the pup. The poor thing cowered in the back of Seth’s mind still, although Joey’s allowing Seth to hold Little Craig had helped draw the wolf out a little. Cuddling that adorable pup had worked wonders for them both actually. And the scare had solidified Seth’s feelings.
He wanted this pup. And he wanted Caleb, too, although he wouldn’t allow himself to dwell on his mate. Instead, he wallowed in the pleasure of having friends who cared for him. The crisis had proven that he had become a welcome member of the Rogue Pack. The omegas in particular had formed a tight group. Even now, they all crowded around him, offering him a cool drink and a bowl of fruit to snack on.
Mabel had told him that this was how it was supposed to be when he’d shyly thanked her for something. Omegas were a special type of shifter, males even more so. Unlike sigmas who might have one or two pups in their lifetime, if that, omegas produced litters that kept their numbers strong. But that very fecundity made them vulnerable, and they needed help from the rest of the pack, especially the lower-ranked members.
Not all packs saw it that way, of course, and the Rogue’s were different regardless. They were small in number, so everyone pitched in where they could, rank be damned. Lorcan set the tone, naturally. Even in his short time with the pack, Seth had seen how the alpha deemed no task beneath his dignity. That included, mortifyingly, the alpha laying him down as if he were the most precious thing in the world.
“Are you sure you’re comfortable?” Will peered down at him with a concerned expression.
“I’m fine, really. Thank you. All of you,” he added, careful to look each shifter in the eye. He would have done the same with Lorcan, except the alpha had already left him to the others.
Mabel perched on the end of the couch. “One of us will stay with you at all times in case you need something. I get first watch,” she added with a bright smile.
“Thanks, but you don’t have to do that.” He didn’t like keeping any of them from their chores or time with their pups. “I’m fine. Really.”
“Of course you are,” Joey said. “Alpha’s orders. We take care of you until Andrea says you’re okay to be up and moving around.”
“We’re only doing what your mate would if he were here,” Kyle added with a slight grimace.
Just the mention of Caleb caused his mood to drop. Going through the miscarriage scare had been ten times worse because Caleb hadn’t been there to comfort him. But, he refused to feel sorry for himself. His mate had more important things to do than play nursemaid. And he’d be back as soon as he could. Where they’d go from there was obvious, as well. They’d have their own house in a month or so, the pup would be born sometime during winter, and they’d muddle through their lives together as best they could. Seth would nurse his love for Caleb deep in his heart and never let it show. It wouldn’t be fair to put pressure on his mate to manufacture feelings that he didn’t have. Seth already had it better than many omegas. He knew that and he wouldn’t ask for more.
Before the gang could disperse, a warning cry came barreling out of the woods. Everyone froze for a second before jumping into action.
Kyle started issuing orders. “Into the great room, now. I’ll find Lorcan so he can get Seth.”
“No.” Seth had already swung his feet over the side of the couch. “I can walk.” He wasn’t going to risk his pup if an attack was imminent.
He didn’t have to. Lorcan and Craig came running up the porch steps. The alpha grabbed his mate to shove him inside, while the gamma scooped up Seth in arms nearly as strong as the alpha’s.
“I’ve got you, no worries.”
The gamma didn’t manage to take more than a few steps before a familiar red wolf came bounding out of the woods and headed straight toward them. Seth gasped and his mind worked to process what his eyes were seeing. Caleb was back! Seth’s wolf sprang up and yipped with unbridled excitement. A deep howl reverberated in Seth’s mind in returned greeting.
His mate shifted into human form before he took the first step of the stairs. He skidded to a stop with breath heaving right in front of Craig. Then he bared his teeth.
“No offense, Craig, but if you don’t hand my mate over right now, I’m going to rip your fucking head off.”
Craig wordlessly extended his arms and plopped Seth into his mate’s waiting embrace before taking as step back. Seth wasted no time. Curling against the familiar broad chest, he clutched at the naked, sweaty skin and whimpered in gratitude.
“Thanks,” Caleb spat out to the other gamma before peering down at Seth. “Are you all right?”
As usual, Seth found himself blinking back tears. He’d never cried so much in his life as he had since meeting his gamma. “I-I’m fine.” Caleb’s gaze raked down him, focusing on his middle. “The pup’s fine, too. We, um, had a little scare. I’m much better now, and Andrea says it should all be okay.”
Caleb’s eyelashes fluttered closed for a second. “Oh, sweetheart.” He leaned over and kissed Seth’s forehead before resting his own against it. “I should have been here.”
“No, don’t apologize. You had pack business.”
“Nothing is more important than you.”
“You were out trying to make it safer for all of us.”
The alpha loomed nearby. “Yes, speaking of which.” He gestured behind them.
“Oh.” Caleb straightened and turned.
Over by the trees stood four wolf shifters. Their coats were almost blindingly white, a strange color for a species evolved to live in the woods. This was the reason an alarm had been sounded. Caleb had found the ferals and brought them home. Even at a distance, Seth could tell there was a beta, two gammas, and amazingly a male omega.
Still holding Seth tight, Caleb took a step forward. “Hey, Destin, would you mind shifting and coming to meet my alpha?”
After a second’s hesitation, the beta loped forward. The others stayed where they were, likely to flee if they had to. The gammas flanked the omega in what was clearly a protective formation. Lorcan moved past Caleb, while Craig moved into the spot he’d vacated. The alpha waited patiently at the bottom of the stairs for the foreign beta to come to him.
A few feet away, the beta stopped and shifted into a large man with long white hair and eyes bluer than Caleb’s. They were like sheets of ice almost. Seth shivered at the sight.
Caleb tightened his grip. “Don’t worry. I’ve been living with this group for weeks now. They’re trustworthy.”
Seth relaxed against his mate and watched as Lorcan and the beta sized each other u
p.
“Welcome to the Rogue Pack’s lands.” Lorcan spread his arms out in the way of shifters to show they were not intending to attack.
The beta mimicked the gesture. “Your gamma issued a persuasive invitation on your behalf.” He glanced around. “You’ve accomplished much in the short time since I’m told you settled here.”
Lorcan acknowledged the compliment by briefly inclining his head. “We live simply, but honestly and peacefully. We’re always looking for new members who are willing to live by our code.”
“Again, Caleb did an excellent job of describing your leadership and rules for your pack. My gammas and I happen to live similarly. The fit would seem to be a good one.”
“And, the omega?”
The beta’s teeth flashed, a jarring show of aggression that he quickly banked. “That is my brother. He, more than any of the rest of us, will drive my decision about joining your pack.”
“As it should be.”
That answer seemed to mollify the beta. “Loki is not quite at breeding age, and I won’t have him pushed into it prematurely.”
“Of course not.”
“I won’t allow him to be forced to mate, either, or to become part of your harem.”
“I don’t have a harem.” Lorcan’s tone had turned as icy as the beta’s eye color. “I have one mate, whom I love. There will be no others.”
That satisfied the beta. “I’m glad to hear it. When the time comes, Loki gets to choose who mounts and breeds him. That is non-negotiable.”
“Again, I agree, although the choices are thin on the ground around here.”
“Understood. Hopefully by the time that issue arises, your ranks will have increased even more.”
“That is certainly the plan.” Lorcan paused a moment. “We have trouble brewing.”
“I know. Caleb told us. We are willing to explore joining you. We would like permission to roam your lands while we do so. If a fight happens in the meantime, my gammas and I will come to your aide, but only on the condition that the boy will have a refuge here in your longhouse.”
“That is a given even if you didn’t fight for our side. We protect vulnerable shifters as a matter of culture and law in this pack.”
The beta, Destin, gave a curt nod. “Then we have an understanding. Sir,” he tacked on. “If the day comes when my males and I join your pack, I will pledge my loyalty to you as alpha. As will the gammas, of course.”
“Your omega, as well, I presume.”
An indulgent smile crossed Destin’s face. “Loki is a good boy. He does as he’s told. Which is why it’s critical to me that his alpha considers the boy’s needs in decisions affecting him. Loki has no ability to look after himself.”
Seth grimaced at hearing those words. Shifters the world over didn’t think twice about treating omegas like perpetual pups. It irked, although being cocooned within Caleb’s protective embrace was overwhelmingly the perfect place to be. For the first time in weeks, he felt truly happy.
“I’m sure you do an admirable job caring for him, as will I if you accept me as your alpha. We have an understanding as far as I’m concerned. Enjoy the hunting and relative safety of my pack lands.”
Destin inclined his head. “Thank you. Caleb told us of a small cave nearby that will serve well as a base for us. A place to keep Loki safe from the elements.”
Seth realized with a jolt that the beta referred to their cave—his and Caleb’s. He didn’t much like the idea of another omega calling it home. But that was foolish. He’d spent a small amount of time there, most of it in pain. It shouldn’t matter to him, except it was where his love of Caleb had started even if he hadn’t recognized it at the time.
“Don’t fret,” Caleb whispered into his ear. “We’ll have our own home soon. The cave will serve their needs better than ours.”
If Seth had loved Caleb before, his feelings swelled to greater heights at the reassurance. His mate understood him. Without a single murmur from Seth, the gamma had caught onto the idea that handing the cave over to others might bother him.
He rubbed his head against the hard chest. “I know you’re right. It’s okay.”
After giving Lorcan another brief nod, Destin turned, shifted and rejoined his group. The four of them took off into the woods. For a few seconds, no one said anything or moved. Then Lorcan bounded up the stairs. He clapped Craig on his back before waving him off to whatever the gamma had been doing before Caleb had arrived with the ferals.
The alpha smiled at Caleb. “Welcome home, and thanks for convincing Destin to come with you.”
“I had intended to spend more time with him and the others.” He glanced down at Seth. “I returned as soon as I knew something was wrong, of course. Fortunately, I’d already established a tie with them.”
“No one would have blamed you for cutting your journey short even if they hadn’t come with you. We took the best care we could with your mate. Obviously, he needed you most.” He looked in the direction the ferals had gone. “I have a good feeling about Destin and his small pack of ferals.”
Caleb resettled Seth in his arms, easing the strain on both of them. “I could tell by the way they treat Loki that they’re a decent bunch. The gammas, Carr and Bard, are completely committed to Destin. If he pledges allegiance to you, they’ll follow suit. And Destin’s devotion to his little brother is reciprocated. The omega worships him.”
“Well, a good job all around. Thank you, Caleb. The pack will be safer and stronger for it. Now, I’ll let you two have your reunion.”
Caleb wasted no time carrying Seth back to the couch and sitting down, cradling him in his large, naked lap. In an instant, Seth felt his mate going hard. The rigid shaft rose up between them, pressing against Seth’s thigh.
He lay his head in the crook of Caleb’s neck. “I missed you,” he confessed.
Caleb huffed. “I missed you, too.”
“I know. I can feel how much.” He giggled from the relief of worry lifting. With his mate back, he knew everything was going to be okay.
Caleb rolled his eyes. “Don’t pay any attention to that. My dick doesn’t yet understand it’s on lockdown for the foreseeable future. There will be no mounting while you’re pregnant. Or, nursing for that matter. I figure we’ll get back to that maybe when the pup’s four or something.” The set of his mouth made it clear he wasn’t joking.
“Oh, Caleb.” Seth sighed. “I’m sure Andrea will give us the all-clear soon, if not right now. It was only a bit of spotting. I told you the pup and I are fine.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll wait to hear that from the healer herself. I need a few minutes to just hold you, then we’ll go see her.”
“She examined me this morning and said I could lie out here all day. I don’t need another check-up.”
“Uh, huh. All the same, I’ll carry you to her in a second, and then we’ll see. Regardless, there will be no fucking.”
Seth shook his head before giving up and snuggling in. He was wasting his breath. His mate wasn’t going to be moved on this issue, and really, did Seth want him to be any other way? There would time enough to wear the gamma down on the sex issue. Even if Andrea said no more mounting, there were other ways to take pleasure. Seth intended to explore every single one of them whether Caleb liked it or not.
They sat quietly, Seth taking comfort from the steady beat of his mate’s heart. “I love you.” The words popped out before he could stop them. Caleb stiffened a second before hugging him tighter. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. I don’t expect you to feel the same way. Honestly.”
Staring straight ahead, his mate grimaced. “I heard it. Up in Canada. I heard your wolf cry out, and I knew you were in trouble. I never understood how strong that mating bond could be. And yet, I heard your wolf’s anguish across that great distance.”
The gamma shook his head and gazed down at Seth. His expression was so tender, it hurt Seth to look at it. “In that instant, nothing mattered more than
getting back here to be with you. All during the return journey, I kept listening for you. I didn’t know if it was a good sign or a bad one that I heard nothing more.”
“I think after the initial shock, I kept pretty quiet. Andrea also gave me something to calm me. My wolf kind of did what it usually does when it’s scared—went into hiding.”
Caleb’s mouth thinned into a straight line. “I was too frightened to try to reach out to you. I was afraid you couldn’t respond.” A shudder ran through his large frame. “We couldn’t go fast because of Loki, and the closer we got, the more worried I became about what I’d find.”
Seth dared to reach up and stroke his mate’s cheek. “I’m sorry.”
Clasping his hand, Caleb pressed a kiss on the palm. “It was unavoidable. I was such an idiot believing that I could mate with you and sire your pups and still keep my heart out of it all. I think I must have fallen in love with you the first time I saw you.”
Seth’s heart skipped at hearing the declaration. “You don’t have to say that.”
“Oh, sweetheart. I’m saying it because it’s true. I’ve had time to think about it, and remember how I was able to heal you with my saliva? Andrea said that’s a biological thing that happens when shifters mate. The only thing that makes sense is that my heart already belonged to you. My brain just needed to catch up.”
It was almost terrifying to accept his mate’s words. “You love me?”
By way of answer, Caleb bent down and fused their lips. He took Seth in a slow, languid kiss that caused Seth’s cock to rise. With a whimper, he encircled Caleb’s neck with one arm and pulled him closer. He tried to crawl right into his mate’s mouth, using his lips and tongue to convey his passionate love.
Caleb matched the intensity, his low groan echoing inside Seth’s mouth, raising goosebumps along his arms and causing his dick to jerk. His gamma was equally aroused, his hard cock practically drilling a hole in Seth’s thigh. A trickle of wetness slid past his spasming hole. This time, however, he knew it was only slick, could feel the almost itchy need it caused in him. Just as Seth was considering how he might slip off his jeans and impale himself, Caleb broke off the kiss. They breathed heavily against each other, and Seth allowed a short whimper to escape.
Taming the Omega (The Rogue Pack Book 4) Page 16
