Saving Rhys

by Fel Fern

  “There, Sparky. Now you smell like lemons,” I told the German Shepard in the tub.

  “Sparky?” Nolan asked with a lift of his eyebrows.

  “Yeah, because he’s full of spark,” I answered lamely.

  “Sparky it is.” Nolan agreed.

  “Is he going to make it?” I had to ask.

  It would break my heart if Sparky ended up dying thanks to a couple of careless and cruel teenagers. On one hand, it was amazing being able to volunteer in King’s shelter.

  However, it was inevitable some animals wouldn’t be able to make it. I thought of Tiny jumping up and down inside his cage every time I visited him. Like Sparky, Tiny didn’t have an easy life either.

  The Alpha flashed me a reassuring smile, then he placed his fingers on the nape of my neck and squeezed. It felt good.

  I let out a soft moan, unable to help myself. Only three days had passed since I started living with Nolan. The selfish part of me wanted forever.

  The two of us were so good together and yet I could tell Nolan was doing all he could to act civil around me. I was betting he wanted the same thing as I did.

  Earlier this morning, I overheard him in the shower. Nolan was masturbating. I didn’t eavesdrop on him on purpose. The walls in his apartment were a little thin.

  King returned with Dr. Monroe, the vet. Nolan stopped touching me. I was a little disappointed. Truth be told, I had gotten a little tired of this stalemate. There was a tension growing between us and it would only worsen every single day we denied ourselves of each other.

  Nolan and I stepped to one side to let the vet do his job. I watched Dr. Monroe give Sparky a check-up. I didn’t know how much time passed but Nolan eventually brushed his fingers against mine. I looked up at him as he squeezed my hand.

  “We can’t do anything for Sparky right now. Let’s leave him to Dr. Monroe and King’s care,” he said. “King will update us.”

  Nolan was right. I nodded.

  “You hungry?” He asked.

  I checked my wristwatch, surprised it was almost dinner time. It was six in the evening and the shelter was closed for the day. The last meal we ate was breakfast. It seemed such a long time ago.

  “Yeah,” I answered. He chuckled when my stomach let out a growl.

  We left the shelter and got inside his car.

  “Thanks for coming with me to get Sparky,” Nolan said.

  “You probably would’ve managed on your own even without me there,” I answer with a scoff.

  “Not true. I enjoy spending time with you.”

  My heart hammered at those words. “You mean those words?”

  “I do. Living with you has been rather interesting.”

  “Interesting, huh?”

  Nolan took me to a familiar diner. Sweetie Pie had been in this same spot even before I was born. Nolan parked the car and we got out.

  “My dads always drag me to this diner after Sunday service,” I told Nolan.

  We entered the diner and a waitress led us to a free booth in the back.

  “Sunday service? I knew Gene and Phil were devout Catholics but I never pictured you being religious.”

  “I’m not. I always dread Sundays, because I had to wake up early and dress up. Once I hit senior year, I put my foot down and told my dads I was about to turn 18. They couldn’t force me to go church anymore.”

  I fell silent. The car accident that killed them occurred not long after that.

  “We can leave. There’s a decent steak place nearby. Newly opened,” Nolan said. He reached out and touched my hand. The Alpha looked concerned.

  “I’m good. I miss the bacon cheeseburgers here.” A waitress stopped by and took our orders. Once she returned with our food, I started eating.

  “Do you miss them?” Nolan asked me. He ordered a coffee along with his meal. He took a sip and watched me work on my strawberry milkshake.

  “Sometimes,” I admitted. “But I was never close to either of them. Phil tried to get to know me but Gene never bothered. They were too devoted to their work, to the church. They even donated our family home to charity after they died.”

  “Are you angry about that?” Nolan seemed to have chosen his words with care. “I would be if I were in your position.”

  “A little bit,” I said. My parents didn’t leave me a millionaire but they left me enough to fund my road travels for a couple of months. “Over time, I realized they probably knew me better than I thought.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “They knew I wanted to travel around the country. I didn’t want to go to college. Why would I accumulate a 50k debt for a miserable degree?” I shook my head. “They left me a tidy sum in their will. In the end, I used it all to fund my road trip.”

  “When we spoke at their funeral, you seemed like a young man who knew exactly what he wanted. You seemed determined.”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  Nolan frowned.

  “Young man,” I explained. “I don’t like it. It makes it seem like there’s a huge age difference between us but there’s not.”

  “Twenty years is a lot of difference.”

  I bit my lip. “It’s not to me.”

  Nolan held my gaze and I swallowed. This time, I knew I wasn't mistaken. Desire was written all over his face. I was betting Nolan was rocking an erection for me under the table. I was the same.

  “Did you find whatever you were looking for after you left town?” Nolan asked.

  H was changing the topic again? It didn’t matter, I decided. Eventually, we had to confront the elephant in the room. During our rescue mission earlier, Nolan opened up to me.

  That was something. Nolan was the kind of guy who usually kept to himself but he told me about his partner, about why he was no longer a cop.

  I realized I needed to let something off my chest as well. I bet Nolan was a good listener.

  “Not at all. I couldn’t deal with the death of my parents. Back then, I just wanted to get far away as possible from this town, from everyone else. I thought it would just be me and Arthur on the road.” I laughed. “In some ways, I’m a complete idiot.”

  “Don’t call yourself that.”

  “Why shouldn’t I? It’s true. I blew away all the inheritance my parents left me. It’s not a lot to begin with but I could’ve been wiser about handling my money.”

  I took a deep breath. Digging up old wounds was painful, but I needed to confront my past. Nolan didn’t interrupt me once.

  “At first, Arthur and I stayed in fancy hotels and ate at expensive restaurants. Then one day, the money was just gone. I spent way too much during those first few months. One Saturday evening, Arthur told me he was grabbing us some beer from the nearby convenience store but he never came back.”

  “Did something bad happen to him?” Nolan asked.

  I shook my head. “He didn’t answer my texts or calls for weeks. Then I saw he was with someone new on social media. I told myself, screw it. I didn’t need him. The open road still called out to me.”

  Nolan clenched his jaw and fuck but he looked sexy doing it. Unlike Arthur who had trouble trying to grow a beard, Nolan was the very definition of a real man. A true Alpha.

  “He’s a fool for leaving you,” Nolan said softly.

  My heart thumped hard. My breathing changed.

  Just when I thought Nolan and I were finally going to have our moment, the opportunity to take a step forward, he opened his mouth. “An Omega out on the road alone. Sounds dangerous.”

  I stiffened. “I can take care of myself.”

  It was a blatant lie and Nolan knew it. He leaned against the table, his expression intense. I swallowed. It was no use. I couldn’t lie to an ex-cop.

  “There were moments I was backed into scary situations,” I confessed. “But I manage to get out of them. I’m still here, alive and kicking.”

  “What led you back here?”

  “Money.”

  I made a face because I knew I p
robably sounded childish and immature to Nolan.

  I continued, “My car eventually broke down and I didn’t have the money for repairs. The Alpha at the car repair shop offered me a good deal. I traveled to two more states. I used the last of my funds to buy a bus ticket back home.”

  “You’ve had quite the adventure. I bet you have interesting stories to tell,” Nolan said.

  I blinked. There was a reason I’ve been putting off telling him what happened to me. I was afraid he’d judge me, like all the other folks I’ve encountered.

  “You probably have more. You’ve been a cop for a long time,” I finally said. “If my parents were alive, do you think they’ll be disappointed in me?”

  Are you?

  I didn’t have the heart to ask him that question. It struck me I’ve made a monumental mistake. Nolan was finally seeing me for who I was. A coward. A loser. I was afraid he’d finally tell me to get lost.

  I was no good and he was probably better off without me.

  7

  Nolan

  “I think,” I began haltingly. I knew my next words would make or break Rhys. It was finally here. Rhys trusted me enough to let his walls down. “That Gene and Phil will understand.”

  “Their only son turned out to be a disappointment. What’s there to understand?” Rhys demanded.

  He was expecting judgment, harsh words from me. I could tell. I didn’t know know why my opinion of him mattered so much. Then I got it.

  He didn’t want me to see him as a mistake. Rhys needed validation and I wasn’t too sure I was the right person to give it to him.

  “Rhys, will you be happy if you stayed in town, got a job and went to college?” I asked him.

  He pondered on my question for a long moment. Rhys shook his head.

  “No. I can’t picture myself working behind a desk. I hated high school so much, I knew I couldn’t stand college.”

  “You had the opportunity to go on a road trip and you took it. That’s all.” I paused. “You also made a couple of mistakes. So what? Everyone does.”

  “Is that why you let me crash at your place?” He asked in a small voice.

  At least Rhys was no longer acting defensive and angry around me. It was beginning to become clear to me that maybe, keeping my distance from him was not the right move after all.

  Rhys reminded me of a lost puppy. He needed direction. A firm hand. I was starting to believe that destiny let our paths cross for a reason.

  Gene and Phil were gone but Rhys was right. They never understood him. Not truly. If I allowed Rhys to slip through my fingers, some other careless Alpha might find him and decide to keep him. I’d be doing us both a favor if I moved past my insecurities.

  “Everyone deserves a second chance,” I told him. “You just need some help getting back on your feet.”

  I noticed the diner was at full capacity and one of the waitresses was giving me annoyed looks. No surprise there. Our plates and drinks were empty.

  “Let’s go for a walk,” I told Rhys.

  He nodded and allowed me to pay for our food. We left the diner. Rhys began shivering once we were outside. I took off my leather jacket and placed it over his shoulders.

  There was something different in the air. Something had shifted between us because he reached for my hand. At my nod, he gripped it tight.

  We said nothing to each other as we circled the parking lot. We were both feeling full and a little unhealthy after those burgers, fries, and shakes.

  Eventually, we were back in my car.

  “Do you want this back?” Rhys asked me.

  He tugged the sleeve of my jacket, which he was still wearing. It was too big for him but somehow, it also fitted him perfectly.

  “I’m good.”

  “Today was a good day,” Rhys said in a sleepy voice. “We rescued a dog. We had a nice date.”

  I didn’t bother correcting or reminding him that all we had was dinner. It seemed cruel. Rhys was right in a sense. This was no normal evening.

  “I concur.”

  Rhys’ soft snores filled the van. Once we reached our destination, I parked the car and cut the engine. I gave Rhys a gentle shake on the shoulder. He lashed out with his fists. I frowned because this wasn’t the first time this happened.

  “Rhys, it’s me. Nolan,” I said in a stern voice.

  I grabbed his wrists and his panicked eyes met mine. The Omega took deep breaths and nodded.

  “I’m good,” he said.

  “You’re not.”

  Rhys had probably experienced a couple of unpleasant nights on the road. I couldn’t picture my Omega sleeping in his car, vulnerable and unprotected.

  It made me want to hunt this fucker Arthur down and give him a taste of my fists. On second thought, I wouldn’t do that. I might accidentally end up killing him and I would be useless to Rhys if I was in jail.

  “I’ll get over it,” Rhys said with a shrug. His indifferent attitude slightly irked me. We entered the elevator and I gave him a once over. Rhys blinked. He looked more wide-awake now. “W-what now?”

  “I won’t make the same mistake as Arthur. If you were mine, I’d never let you out of my sight.”

  My words came out harsh, barely in control. This was all Rhys’ fault. He unhinged me, made me react in unpredictable ways but I was done trying to dodge this. There was potential here.

  What was between us couldn’t be ignored any longer.

  Rhys swallowed. “Are you for real, Nolan? Because I’ve been wondering these past three days if you do feel anything for me. Is it all in my imagination?”

  The elevator doors hissed open. I steered Rhys out the corridor and back inside our apartment.

  “Well?” Rhys demanded. “Because in case you’re completely clueless, I like you. A lot.”

  “I convinced myself it’s better for the both of us if I kept my distance from you.” I cornered Rhys against the closest wall.

  “Did you finally change your mind?” He asked.

  The Omega fixed his gaze on my mouth. I wondered if Rhys had any idea how often I had imagined this moment. Instead of answering, I kissed him. I closed my hand on the nape of his neck and plundered his mouth.

  Holding back was no longer an option. I sucked on his bottom lip, then thrust my tongue down his throat. Rhys gripped my shoulders. I moved my hands down his sexy and slender body.

  I got annoyed our clothes were in the way.

  Pulling away from his mouth, I gave him an order, “Lift your hands. I need to touch you.”

  “Yeah. That sounds like a good idea,” he said.

  Rhys obeyed as I took off his jacket and the shirt he was wearing underneath. His chest was completely hairless and smooth.

  I groaned, aware of my dick pressing against the zipper of my jeans. I was about to unbutton his pants but Rhys pressed the palm of his hand against my chest.

  I took a step back.

  If he changed his mind, I'd respect his decision. The last thing I wanted to do was to push Rhys into something he didn’t want to do. I could wait until he was ready but he surprised the hell out of me when he knelt in front of me. Rhys flashed me a confident smile.

  Fuck, but this was happening. I couldn’t believe just how perfect Rhys looked in this position.

  I took my shirt off. He looked up at me, licking his lips. Rhys unzipped me and pulled my dick out. I was rock-hard for him. The red tip of my cock was already leaking pre-cum. I speared my fingers into his hair and brought his face close to my shaft.

  Rhys darted his tongue out and swiped away my pre-cum. He reminded me of an eager cat as he traced my dick from root to tip. I moaned as he finally opened his mouth to take my length down his throat. Rhys gagged at first, probably not used to the size of my prick.

  He managed the second time around.

  He bobbed his head up and down. Damn. His mouth on my cock felt like heaven. I used his hair as a handle and guided my shaft in and out of him. Knowing I was about to blow, I pulled away.
/>
  Rhys shot me a questioning look.

  “I want to finish inside your ass.”

  He blushed. “I’m clean. I haven’t been with anyone.”

  It took me a second to process his words. “You’re a virgin?”

  My desire for him grew threefold if that was possible. Rhys blushed.

  “Maybe a part of me knew Arthur wasn’t the one. It’s one of the reasons he grew tired of me.”

  I scoffed. “I don’t want you thinking of that bastard when I’m inside you.”

  “You haven’t fucked me yet.” Rhys smiled coyly at me. I was about to wipe that smug look off his face. “How do you want me?”

  “Get on my bed Don’t worry, I’m clean too. It’s been ages since I’ve been with anyone.”

  It struck me that all I ever wanted was standing right in front of me.

  8

  Rhys

  This was finally happening. Nolan and I peeled off the rest of our clothes. By the time I crawled into his bed, we were both buck naked.

  For a second, I was worried Nolan would take one look at my skinny body and decide he’d changed his mind. The Alpha in comparison, looked like an impressive Greek God come to life.

  Every inch of Nolan was cut. I moved my gaze to the package between his legs and let out a breath. Nolan’s dick was thick, long, and meaty. He was rock hard for me. I felt a little out of my league.

  After all, Nolan would be the first man inside me and the last. I didn’t know what made me think that last word but I was certain I wanted no other Alpha but him.

  “Eyes on me,” he said in a harsh voice.

  I looked at his face, stunned by the hunger in his eyes. I had nothing to worry about after all, because Nolan wanted me badly. I was the same.

  He patted the edge of his bed. I scooted down, swallowed when he closed one hand over my left ankle. Nolan did the same with my right. He parted my legs wider and hefted them over his shoulders.

  Splayed like this, Nolan could see all of me—my aching cock, my balls, and my virgin ass, which was all his for the taking. I was already slick for him. Omegas were self-lubricating and Nolan knew it.