by Marcy Jacks
Micah was pulled out of the daze of his misery at such a question. He looked up at both dragons. “Someone else?”
“Don’t pressure him,” Stefan muttered, barely glancing to Seth before his attention turned back to Micah. “This isn’t meant to pressure you.”
And for the first time, Micah was starting to feel it.
“I was just asking,” Seth said.
“Well, don’t ask him,” Stefan replied.
It was strange how the man could sound protective and friendly at the same time. The undertone of a threat seemed to be there, and Micah honestly had no clue that any of the dragons in Seth’s clan could threaten their alpha.
Well, most of the dragons were alphas, but Seth was the one in charge.
Micah supposed that was just the difference between wolves and dragons. Different behaviors among the warriors of their kind.
“Actually, there was someone I had in mind, but I don’t think he’s interested.”
“We can talk to him if you want,” Seth said quickly.
“No,” Stefan replied. “He needs time to think this through.”
Micah scratched at the back of his neck. “I don’t want to force anyone into anything,” he said, his heart clenching at Stefan’s reaction.
“It’s not about force,” Seth said softly. “If he’s not interested, then I won’t be forcing anyone to do anything. That’s not the way it works, but we are interested in merging our two groups some more. Let me know the name of the dragon and I’ll run it by him.”
Micah’s heart wouldn’t stop slamming against his ribcage. He was going to have an honest-to-God heart attack, and he couldn’t stop it. He thought about the swift no that Stefan would give him, about how stupid it was for Micah to even hope for such a thing from a dragon of such high standing.
Who the hell was he kidding? This probably wasn’t going to happen, and he was going to look like a complete idiot for bringing it up.
But if he wanted Stefan to ever stop thinking of him as a victim, as someone who would never recover from what had happened to him, then he was going to have to take charge.
Wasn’t he?
“Actually,” Micah started, taking in a deep breath, “one of the reasons why I didn’t want to mate with Van was because I have feelings for Stefan.”
Both Seth and Stefan seemed to have the same reaction. They both stiffened in their chairs, and both sets of eyes widened, but Stefan was the first to speak, sounding unsure for the first time since Micah had met him. “Really?”
“Yeah.” Micah briefly looked away, gathered his courage, and tried to finish speaking. “Look, it’s all right if you don’t want me for a mate. I completely understand, and it’s not my intention to—”
“You’ve said enough,” Stefan replied sharply, nodding. “I’m yours.”
Chapter Two
Micah’s brain almost didn’t translate the noise he heard into actual words. He needed a few seconds, and even then, it was…too good to be true.
“I’m…really?”
“Yes,” Stefan said suddenly, looking to Seth. “I’ll take him as my mate.”
“Ooookay,” Seth said slowly, glancing back at Micah, looking about as shocked as Micah felt. “This is kind of sudden.”
No kidding. “A-are you sure?” Micah needed to hear more.
Why? Why so easily? It made no sense.
But Stefan was looking at him with that intense gaze, a stare that made Micah’s insides feel hot and an energy build up in his stomach. He didn’t know if it was nerves, but his skin prickled with want and desire at the same time. If one wrong thing was said or done, by himself or anyone else, he might just lose his lunch.
Too much stress. This was too much.
“You said you wanted me, so I’ll give you me,” Stefan said, looking back at Seth, repeating what he’d said earlier. “I’ll take Micah as my mate. So long as he’ll have me,” he added, though with the way he looked at Micah it was as if he knew there was going to be absolutely no resistance.
Van had given Micah that look before. The difference this time around was that Stefan was right on the money. There really would be no resistance. He belonged to Stefan already.
Maybe that was what that heat was. Lust. Micah could tell now because his dick was finally starting to catch up with the rest of his body.
He was sitting at the dining room table, getting a hard-on and discussing the chances of being mated to the man he’d literally been fantasizing about ever since he first met him. The men he’d had wet dreams about. It was almost too good to be true, but Micah honestly didn’t care if he was dreaming. He’d let it play out and hope to God he never woke up.
Seth looked like he wasn’t really in the mood to argue. He shrugged. “Well, all right. Micah, you don’t have to make any decisions right now, but the door is apparently wide open for you if you want to go ahead with this.”
“I do,” Micah said quickly, as if the opportunity was about to be snatched away from him at any second and Van would end up walking back in the door, coming for him. “I want to mate with Stefan.”
Stefan’s smile looked like a cross between pleased and predatory. It showed off the white of his fangs.
Micah shivered, realizing how he must have sounded to the other man.
He still couldn’t bring himself to care. Not too much, at least. As embarrassing as this was, as hot as his face felt and as much as his heart thumped, he wanted this.
“All right,” Seth said, still sounding slightly lost. “Should we set up some sort of date for this to take place, a proper ceremony, or do you two want to just get to it?”
Micah didn’t know what he wanted, but it seemed as if Stefan was a little different. He did know what he wanted, and he got to his feet. “I’ll take him to my rooms right now.”
He would?
Stefan looked down at Seth. “I’ll need the rest of the night off.”
Seth nodded. “I can do that. You’ll get tomorrow as well. Might as well give you some more time off, considering the occasion.
Holy God, this was going to happen. The heat in Micah’s face increased as Stefan grinned down at his alpha and then turned that intense stare back to Micah. He walked around the table to where Micah was still seated, and he held out his hand.
Micah looked at it, and he knew right then and there that this wasn’t about words anymore. The second he took Stefan’s hand he would be making a formal agreement. It would be done, and he would be taken up to the man’s rooms to become a proper mate.
It was terrifying and exciting at the same time, and Micah swallowed hard, taking Stefan’s hand.
The dragon pulled him out of his chair, his strong, heated hand sliding around Micah’s waist, holding him close.
“You made a good choice,” Stefan rumbled, his deliciously low voice a growling purr that made goosebumps pop up all over Micah’s body.
Micah nodded. He wanted to say something to the man, but he couldn’t think of anything to say. He was completely and totally tongue-tied. He was…oh God, he was overheating. He couldn’t believe this was happening.
So fast, too.
Stefan didn’t say another word to Seth. He didn’t even look back at the man. He walked out of the dining room with Micah under his arm, and Micah couldn’t take his eyes off the man for the entire walk. Even as they passed by other omegas and dragons in the hall, even as they passed by Van, Micah couldn’t take his eyes off the dragon that wanted him.
He was either incredibly lucky or Stefan was taking pity on him and this was just a mating in namesake only.
Maybe it was a little of both. Stefan likely didn’t love him, but Micah was more than willing to be by the man’s side, to share his bed, and make that unlikely scenario a real possibility over the course of their lives.
* * * *
Van’s eyes flew wide as he watched Stefan, the goddamned motherfucking second-in-command of the clan that Van lived in and fought for…he walked out of the dining room with his arm l
ooped around Micah’s waist.
Van saw bright red. The sudden rise of rage within him was a force he could barely contain, and he didn’t want to contain it.
That piece of shit. That cocksucking asshole! He knew Van had wanted to make that claim, and now he was leading Micah away as if…as if he was intending to do more than escort Micah back to his room. No, Stefan was very clearly bringing Micah back to the more elaborate rooms the dragons had taken for themselves, and Micah was looking up at Stefan as if he was completely enamored with him.
That…was not right. That was not fucking right. Van hadn’t been making it up in his head that he’d felt something between them when Micah had cared for him after Lucian’s bullshit fight.
The omega had helped him to his feet, pulling Van’s arm around his shoulder and walked him back to his rooms, even though he wasn’t supposed to be sleeping in them anymore thanks to his punishment from Seth.
Stefan didn’t seem like the sort of dragon who would steal another man’s lover.
Just because Van and Micah weren’t yet lovers didn’t mean a damned thing. Van had stated, in front of the other dragons around that table, that he’d wanted Micah for his mate, and then Stefan was going to do this to him?
Marxus put his hand on Van’s shoulder. “Sorry, man, but you should let it go.”
Van yanked his shoulder away, glaring at the other dragon. Though Marxus wasn’t usually the sort of dragon to back off, he lifted his hands and did just that.
“Or don’t,” Marxus said. “Though I think you should.”
“And I think you should mind your own fucking business.”
Van stomped off. He had chores to do with the omegas, more of his punishment for what he’d done to that bloodsucking vampire.
He regretted nothing, and if he could get away with it, he’d probably rip that bastard’s teeth out a second time.
The people around him, the ones he’d thought were his friends, somewhere along the way it was as if they were all turning against him, and he was beyond pissed off with the lot of them.
He needed to go and calm down, think about this. Maybe something was up. Maybe he’d missed something. Or maybe Micah was being tricked into something?
The way he’d looked at Stefan, as if he was completely smitten, something had to be up.
Van wouldn’t be able to get to the bottom of it now. He had to wait until Micah was alone, though he dug his fingernails into his palms at the idea that they would fuck for hours before Van could have that chance.
This was bullshit. He wasn’t going to let this go.
* * * *
Stefan unlocked and opened the door to his bedroom, helping Micah inside.
He sensed the man’s nervous tension. It was in the thin layer of sweat that had started to build on his skin, as well as in the frantic beating of his heart.
Yeah, he was nervous.
Stefan didn’t blame him. Omegas usually were nervous when it came to this sort of thing.
Stefan closed the door behind him, locking it, guaranteeing their privacy.
“I need to ask you something, and don’t take it the wrong way,” he said.
“O-okay. What is it?”
Stefan looked at the smaller man. He seemed to be fighting to keep his tail from tucking between his legs. His gray wolf ears were flat against his head of white-blond hair.
“Are you a virgin?”
Those ears immediately perked right up. “Sorry?”
Stefan turned his body, facing him fully. “Are you a virgin? Will this be your first time?”
“I…yes.”
Stefan heard the answer, but he forced himself to feel no relief over it. Not yet.
“Is that the truth? You don’t have to worry about keeping something like that from me. If you were forced to do anything when the vampires were here, I wouldn’t hold it against you.”
“What? No.” Micah shook his head, his face filling with even more color.
Apparently, that was still possible.
“I am a virgin. I mostly mopped the floors and cleaned the toilets. The vampires didn’t exactly want someone like that in bed with them.”
Micah’s body tensed immediately after he spoke those words, as if he thought he was giving something of himself away with them.
Stefan stepped forward. He was just glad to hear that his mate hadn’t been touched, that no one had forced themself onto him.
He reached out, settling his hands onto Micah’s shoulders. The clothing he wore was still plain, cheap, the sort of stuff he’d had before the house and surrounding property had been taken back from the vampires’ control.
Stefan would provide him with better. He would give Micah everything.
“There’s nothing wrong with you because you cleaned toilets. I’ve done it before, and it’s hardly something to be ashamed of.”
Micah’s eyes flew wide. “You have? Really?”
Stefan smiled down at the man. God, he was so cute. “What do you think we all did before we took over this house? We have to clean up after ourselves.”
“Oh,” Micah said, briefly glancing away. “I guess that makes sense.”
Their eyes met. Stefan wanted to get lost in those gorgeous mismatched eyes. He would have thought that, because of that fact alone, Micah would have been considered beautiful enough to have been taken by the vampires.
“Your eyes are beautiful.”
Stefan felt the warmth of Micah’s body increase. “Thank you.”
Stefan raised his hand. Micah’s hair was much shorter than Stefan’s, though he still had to touch it, to run his fingers through it.
Soft. He liked that.
“I am happy you were never touched like that by the vampires, and that I will be your first is a gift.”
A sharp intake of breath. Stefan looked Micah right in those pretty eyes. One a hazel brown and the other an ocean green.
“It’s no wonder Van set his sights on you. I would say I was sorry to steal you from him, but that would be a lie.”
Stefan leaned in, pulling Micah forward until their mouths met.
And it was glorious.
Chapter Three
Micah’s body trembled. Stefan could feel it beneath his hands and his mouth as he kissed the man.
That was all right. He sensed no real fear, just the nervous tension that something new was about to happen.
Excitement, lust, want, it all boiled beneath the surface of Micah’s skin, waiting to be tapped into, and Stefan couldn’t wait to give this omega, his new mate, everything he never new he wanted.
Stefan pulled his mouth back, enjoying the darkened look to Micah’s lips and the glazed expression in his eyes. “I’m going to put you onto the bed, and then I’m going to make love to you.”
Those hazy, mismatched eyes briefly widened. “O-okay.”
Stefan smiled, easing the man backwards, toward his bed.
And he was so damned glad he was going to be Micah’s first. He had no words to describe the relief that came with that. He would be able to give Micah the sort of pleasure he deserved, without the memories of a vampire’s touch tainting the experience.
He gently pushed Micah down so he was sitting on the bed. Micah stared up at him, his gray wolf ears perked.
Stefan couldn’t help himself. He reached out and touched them, petted them. They were soft.
“I thought of this from the first moment I saw you,” Stefan said. “When Van talked about taking you, so sure of himself, I thought I was going to lose my damned mind.”
He crawled over Micah’s body, the heat between them mingling. Stefan was still very much in tune with the sound of Micah’s beating heart.
The omega swallowed hard. “If…if you wanted me before, why didn’t you do something about it?”
Stefan’s fingers had been playing with the buttons of Micah’s plain shirt when he stopped suddenly. He looked the man in the eyes, giving Micah his full attention. “I suppose that’s a fair enough que
stion.”
Stefan continued to unbutton Micah’s shirt, a slow process, one button at a time. He didn’t want to stop for anything, and God willing, he wasn’t going to, either.
As inch after inch of smooth skin was revealed to him, Stefan honestly found it difficult to concentrate.
He snapped himself out of it when he had all the buttons undone and the two pieces of Micah’s shirt parted, exposing his chest and stomach.
God, he was beautiful.
“I suppose the only reason why I didn’t say anything sooner was because of the situation.” Stefan leaned down, pressing a kiss against Micah’s heated skin. He pulled back, rubbing the pad of his thumb over the man’s budding nipple. “You were a recently freed slave. That could have meant any number of things for you. To be honest, I didn’t think you would show an interest in anyone.”
“Oh,” Micah said, puffing for breath as Stefan leaned down and let his lips and tongue play around with the hardened nipple. Stefan gently pulled on it with his teeth before he made love to the other one.
“I guess that makes sense,” Micah said. He lifted his hands and put them into Stefan’s hair.
Stefan liked that. He liked how Micah’s fingers played in the strands, how his nails came out and gently scratched against his scalp.
Actually, Stefan pulled back and had a look at Micah’s fingers.
Those weren’t his fingernails. His small claws had come out.
Stefan chuckled.
“Sorry,” Micah said suddenly. “I couldn’t help it.”
Stefan took Micah’s hand and brought the man’s knuckles to his lips. He kissed them sweetly. “You can do whatever you want to me. Don’t you worry about a thing.”
“I feel like my body is on fire,” Micah said. “Is that normal?”
Stefan looked down at him, at his flushed skin and the tent between his legs.
“Very normal,” Stefan promised, undoing the button and zipper to the pants Micah wore.
They looked like slacks, but they were worn, as if Micah had been working in them before.
Stefan had heard from some of the other servants that they did wear the old clothes of their masters. Some of them had to wear the newest pair of shoes to break them in before the shoes were passed on to their vampire overlords, and others received clothing that had stains, rips, or tears on them, the sort of thing that could be repaired but that the elite vampires would never bother with.
