The alpha fused their lips in a hard kiss that gentled almost instantly. Graydon’s tongue swept Ethan’s mouth. He devoured him with surprising softness and stole the breathless moans he made each time Graydon rolled his hips. His body bounced in time to the relentless drilling of his ass. Each twitch of Graydon’s cock sent sparks pinging through Ethan’s balls and straight up his shaft.
He flung his head back when another orgasm burst out of him, and he clenched his hole tightly around Graydon’s knot. A flood of warm cum spilled up inside his pulsing channel. He clawed at whatever skin on Graydon’s shoulders he could find. His legs flailed until his world tilted once more. A grinding pain around his stretched hole made him utter a keening cry until he found himself face down, ass up. Before he could register that fact, Graydon struck.
The alpha’s fangs sunk deep into Ethan’s neck. His breath caught, hovering in the back of his throat, before he let out another long, keening cry. The air was filled, as well, with the sound of fluttering wings and skittering claws as the woodland creatures fled the area. But Ethan barely heard them over Graydon’s wolf howling in triumph. Ethan’s joined in, rejoicing at the strength of the connection. They no longer sounded as if they called to each other from across a great chasm. They were side-by-side, forever in each other’s shadows. This was nothing like his first mating, a tenuous thread between shy and uncertain wolves and men alike that had weakened into nothingness as if one of them had died. This bond was strong, everlasting. He understood that without thought and so did his wolf.
As he sank into darkness, he wasn’t afraid because Graydon had him. And he always would.
Graydon gave free rein to his wolf, too happy to have claimed his true mate at last to show restraint. But when Ethan went limp in his arms, he licked the wound clean and reversed their positions. It was tricky given how tightly his knot joined them. He winced at the spark of pain. The presence of his knot had hyped the pleasure of his climax to an unimaginable degree. If he’d been a lesser man, he might have passed the fuck out from the intensity of it, much as his mate had. Of course, he hadn’t. He was an alpha and more, a Strongblood. He did not swoon no matter the provocation.
His wolf made a sound that was almost a human snort before curling up in total contentment. Now that the tie he’d been working to form with Ethan’s wolf was in place, his agitation had ended. He was finally giving Graydon a break.
Graydon was unconcerned with the place of their mating. The woods were a fitting setting, one borne of long heritage. That didn’t mean he wanted his mate to be uncomfortable. The mere thought of anything prickling or scratching his omega caused a fierce sense of protection to rise within him. He would never let his mate be hurt again. At least, no more than was unavoidable by the frantic mating that would continue to be in their near future. The swelling of his knot had to be uncomfortable for the boy, although it was necessary to allow the breeding to occur as quickly as possible.
His wolf perked up and howled at the idea, his complacency gone in a flash. Well, that was the way of things—finding a fruitful place for their seed was paramount to their nature. He couldn’t really fault the wild creature for his eagerness.
Nevertheless…Hush! He settled his wolf back down so as not to rile up Ethan’s. The boy and his wolf needed some peace before his heat roused him again. Graydon’s wolf curled up and chuffed. There was an answering yip before Ethan’s did the same, eager and happy to have an alpha to follow.
You should have had this from the beginning. Opening all of his senses, he sought any remnant of Ethan’s former mate. He found no trace of him, no echo of his wolf remained tied to Ethan’s. It was as if the man had died.
“Weak, pathetic bastard,” he murmured. “You were never meant to have this omega.”
Ethan stirred and started to lift his head. “What?”
“Nothing.” Graydon cradled his mate’s face before urging it down again against his chest.
His still-hard cock remained embedded in Ethan’s ass, ready to get back to work. Lifting his hips, he ripped away the scraps of his shorts that he’d torn in his haste to mount Ethan. He should have perhaps waited until after he’d spirited him from his idiot brother. Certainly Ethan had deserved the privacy, except that matters had gone too far. Ethan had been suffering needlessly.
Graydon wanted to blame Elijah, but knew the fault lay with himself. He should never have let Ethan go after their encounter the night before. He’d been too concerned with showing a veneer of civility that he didn’t really possess. It had been done in an effort to ease Ethan to the inevitable. Stupid. And this had been the outcome—Ethan writhing in pain and confused about what was happening to him while his brother searched for a solution that didn’t involve the obvious.
Well, he would deal with the man later, once Ethan was breeding. While he hoped that a fight wouldn’t be necessary, he was prepared to kill Elijah if it came to that. Nothing and no one would ever come between him and his fated mate. That included himself and his own misguided attempts at gentleness. His mate needed him to be strong, as well as kind. He could do both. Hadn’t he mastered it with his own little brother?
Ethan stirred, rubbing his cheek against Graydon’s pec, while gripping his shaft with undulating waves of his tight channel. Slick descended in such amounts that it slipped past the knot, easing the way again. The scent of it made Graydon smile. Bending his knees, he planted his feet on the ground and bucked his hips. The position allowed him to fuck his mate with shallow thrusts as much as the knot would allow. It wasn’t nearly satisfying, but this wasn’t about his own pleasure. His job was to ease Ethan’s growing need.
“More.” Ethan’s quiet demand was punctuated by his hole clamping down on Graydon’s dick.
Graydon grimaced, surprised to find that his knot was sensitive. He’d always assumed it would be nothing more than a plug. But it was far more than that. Sparks of pleasure shot from it to mingle with the ones generating in his balls. All of that stimulation made his cock pulse within its confines. He watched Ethan try to ride his dick with determination and felt pride at the effort. His mate wasn’t weak or pampered. He was the perfect match for Graydon’s own passion. That impression was confirmed a moment later when Ethan sat up and seated himself fully on Graydon’s shaft. Somehow he got the knot to sink a little bit deeper into his tight channel.
The omega stared down at him with glassy eyes and blown pupils. He grinned. “I want to ride you, but your damn knot isn’t making it easy. Does it hurt?”
Graydon shook his head. “It’s helping me breed you, so I can’t resent it too much. My body is here to serve you in your heat. Use it however you will and don’t worry about the effect on me.”
He cupped his hands around the boy’s ass and gripped him hard enough to help him. Up and down, his mate fucked himself with Graydon’s cock with the tiny amount of movement permissible. Using one palm on Graydon’s abdomen for leverage, he grasped his own dick with the other. He jerked it as he rode, picking up speed with each pass.
Ethan gnawed at his lower lip, his gaze steady on Graydon’s eyes. That mouth was a tempting sight, but Graydon feared he would break his mate’s rhythm if he tried to kiss him. And again, this was all about what was best for Ethan. When Graydon’s orgasm threatened to release, he held it back until milky cum spilled out of his mate’s dick. The sight of it proved too much for him. He came in a rush that had him roaring.
A fountain of deep, powerful emotion overwhelmed him for a few seconds. He pulled his mate into a tight, awkward hug. Wrapping his legs around Ethan’s, he rolled them both onto their sides. Now, he indulged in his wish to taste his mate. He started with his mouth and when the boy gasped for air, he proceeded to rain kisses down his throat, then his chest. He swirled his tongue around first one hard nub, then the other, bending awkwardly as his cock remained stuck inside the still-grasping ass.
Ethan panted and moaned, and his wolf yipped gleefully. Graydon’s wolf being as enthralled as he was, join
ed in, prancing under his skin, egging him on.
“More, Graydon, more.” Ethan beat his heel against the back of Graydon’s knee.
He didn’t require further encouragement. He fucked his mate sideways, and when they both came yet again, held the boy while he slept.
Graydon lost track of time, but eventually, the gloom for early evening descended upon the forest. He caught Kael’s scent and another’s, Elijah’s beta, before he heard them approaching. His knot had retracted, enabling him to disengage his dick from Ethan’s now lax ass. He rose to meet the two shifters. They wisely stopped well away and waited for him to approach. One of them held a large wicker basket and the other a duffle bag, each of which they placed on the ground before him.
“I bring food and water, Alpha,” Kael said.
“And at my alpha’s bidding, I give you blankets and clothing for Ethan.” The Green Mountain beta held his gaze steady. “Elijah asks after his brother’s health.”
Graydon held back his inclination to be affronted at the question. It said something that Elijah had sent his man instead of intruding on the breeding himself. Either Lorcan was holding the man in check, or his own good sense was. Regardless, Ethan wouldn’t benefit from Graydon escalating the tension.
“Tell him that my mate is well and still in heat. I am servicing him appropriately, of course.” That last bit was hard to get out, as if he should have to make such an obvious assurance. But again, his pride was nothing compared to Ethan’s well-being.
The Green Mountain beta nodded once. “Thank you. I will inform him.” With that, he turned and left.
“Is there anything more that I can do for you, Alpha?”
Graydon turned his attention to Kael and grinned. He couldn’t help it. In this moment of respite and in front of his life-long friend and most trusted beta, he could relax. “Thank you, no. I have all that I need. All that I want,” he added with a broader smile.
“I am happy for you, sir. It’s been a long time coming.”
Graydon nodded. “Yes.” He bent to grab the basket with food. “This feels like quite a few days’ worth of provisions.”
“It is. We assumed that you’d want only the one interruption.”
“Who is ‘we’?”
Kael grimaced. “Lorcan, Elijah and me. Things have calmed down to a…simmer.”
“Meaning Elijah doesn’t intend to challenge me when I return.”
Kael nodded. “I believe so, yes. He’s, ah, thinking more clearly and the fact that his brother went with you more or less willingly helps.”
“More or less?” Graydon bared his teeth.
Kael backed up a step and lifted his chin to expose his neck. “His words, sir, not mine. You know an omega in heat isn’t exactly the most rational being.”
“Once I’ve bred him and we’ve returned, Elijah will see that his brother knows his own mind.”
Gods, he certainly hoped that was true. And that spark of doubt made him mad at himself. Of course, Ethan wanted him. They were fated mates. Their wolves knew it and once the heat had lifted, Ethan would accept his destiny without question.
“Return and keep control of the others. Make sure there is no trouble between our pack and the Green Mountain one. I don’t want my mate upset by a war between us.”
“You can count on me, Alpha.” Kael turned to leave, then looked over his shoulder. “And congratulations.”
Ethan was awake when Graydon returned. He blinked up at him with wide eyes. “Is everything all right?”
“Fine.” Graydon gave his mate a reassuring smile and put the basket down beside him. “You must be thirsty.”
“Gods, yes.” Ethan scooted up to a sitting position. “Starving, too.”
“Water first.” Graydon lifted a bottle to Ethan’s lips. He only let go again once he was sure the boy’s hand was steady.
Ethan guzzled a good amount, some of it dribbling down his chin. “What do we have?”
“Hand pies, for at start.” Graydon sniffed at one. “Venison and vegetables.” He swapped it for the bottle and watched as Ethan took a huge bite.
“Hmm.” The omega grinned around his mouthful, choking a bit in his haste to eat.
“Careful. Slow down.” Graydon pressed the water against Ethan’s mouth to make him drink more. “We have plenty of time to eat our fill.”
Ethan swallowed. “Do we? I mean, how long before my heat makes me crazy again?”
“I don’t know.” He carded strands of hair back from Ethan’s face. He really didn’t like the way the boy’s hair was shaved on the bottom. Too modern and human. Once they were back home, he would insist that it be grown out. “This is all new to me as much as to you.”
Ethan grabbed another pie, bit into it, chewed, drank more water. It was delightful, actually, to see him have such a hearty appetite. He swore his mate’s face glowed in the waning light. Taking some food for himself, he sat and watched with amusement.
“It’s so different, isn’t it?” Ethan asked.
“What?”
“Fucking while in heat.” He closed his eyes for a second. “The way your knot stretches me, and the orgasms are intense.”
Graydon didn’t like this reminder of how his mate had been mounted repeatedly by another. His wolf chuffed in agitation.
Ethan froze and his omega wolf whined. “I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be.” Graydon moved swiftly to gather his mate up and sit him on his lap. “You have nothing to apologize for.” He kissed the top of Ethan’s head and ran his hand down his arm.
The omega relaxed against him, the best sign that he wasn’t afraid, and began to eat again. “I don’t understand how a year of being mounted by Walden did nothing while once with you triggered my heat.” He punctuated his words with smacks of his lips as he devoured the rest of his pie.
“It’s simple, my mate. He was weak while I am strong. Plus, the Gods intended you to be mine from the moment you were born. No other man could ever breed you.”
“Oh.” Ethan turned and buried his head against Graydon’s neck. “I can’t believe I’m going to have a pup at last. Thank you for that.”
“No thanks are necessary. That is my duty to my mate. And my pleasure,” he added, because he wanted the omega to feel cherished.
“You didn’t have to do that. Mate with me. It would have been enough to simply breed me.”
Clasping Ethan’s head with his hands, he pulled it back so that he could look him in the eye. “There was never any doubt of that. You’re mine and always will be. I will give you many pups and care for all of you in my own longhouse on my own pack lands.”
He kissed him fiercely, possessively, branding him with his lips almost as sure as he had with his teeth at the moment of mating. And when his mate started whining and squirming, his slick descending to assail Graydon’s nostrils, he lifted him and slid his cock in where it belonged.
Chapter Seven
“That should do it.”
Ryan wiped away the sweat beading on his brow as he shut the oven door on the last few loaves of bread. With the gathering going longer than expected, food production had gone into overdrive. He glanced over at where Mabel was doing triple duty, stuffing three pups’ mouths with oatmeal, including Milo.
His little boy seemed over the moon at the taste of solid food no matter how bland, and after sucking Ryan dry less than an hour ago. It was clear weaning was going to happen sooner rather than later. It put pressure on Ryan to mate with Griffin quickly, but that wasn’t going to happen until the foreign shifters had left their land.
Kyle entered the kitchen carrying an empty tray. He’d been catering to the dominants in the alpha’s office all morning. He looked as stressed as Ryan felt, so he hurried over to help.
“Here, let me grab those dirty plates and wash them.”
Kyle shot him a grateful look. “Thanks. This isn’t strenuous work, but the tension in that room is like a vice when you enter.” He shook his head as he put the tray on
the counter. “Lorcan’s keeping everyone on a tight leash, but it’s dicey. I think Elijah’s head is going to explode if Graydon doesn’t bring Ethan back soon.”
“It can’t be long now,” he said, running water in the washing side of the sink. Ethan’s heat had started three days ago. Given the Strongblood’s obvious virility, Ryan figured the guy would have the omega breeding in short order.
Not that anyone was interested in his opinion. He kept his head down and worked hard like the rest of them and tried to ignore Griffin’s displeasure over the whole thing. His soon-to-be-mate had been taking good care of him, making sure he got a break from Milo and much-needed rest. It was amazing to feel so cared for and practically cossetted.
It was also surprisingly irritating. In the time since Haldon’s death, Ryan had grown used to managing his own life. He’d become the one to decide when he’d get up and what he would do during the day. Although he had designated chores, he’d been allowed to choose where he could provide the best help and no one breathed down his neck over how he did it. The simple freedom had been scary at first. Ryan hadn’t been raised to feel confident about himself. Eventually, though, he’d come to value it and trust his judgment about the everyday small things that impacted his and Milo’s life.
He’d also gained sufficient confidence to pick his next mate. So what’s my problem?
It made no sense, and yet he’d snapped—literally snapped—at his future mate earlier that morning. When Griffin had finished his turn on the perimeter and insisted Ryan go back to bed for a couple more hours of sleep, Ryan had refused.
“I have extra bread to make this morning, Griffin. Every last crumb has been consumed.”
Omegas Unchained (The Rogue Pack Book 8) Page 13
