by Nora Phoenix
And then that shift, that glorious transformation into the body that felt more like his true self than his human body. He had never mentioned to anyone how much he had feared that even when he shifted, he would still look like an alpha. And then he'd seen his own wolf body, had compared himself to the other betas, and a joy unlike anything else had taken hold of him. His wolf had known, had taken form in his true self, and he'd felt like his mind, soul, and body had matched for the first time in his life.
They’d hung back to talk to the pack members that had lingered around, hastily wrapping some blankets around themselves that Palani had fetched from the main house. The being naked part had been awkward as hell, but Enar assumed they'd get used to it. Grayson and his boys had left first, making a run for the main house. No wonder, after that sexual boost. Enar was still hard himself, and that had been an hour ago.
Bray and his men had followed. Enar wondered what Lidon had talked about with Kean. It had been sweet to watch, the powerful yet naked alpha having a serious conversation with a wolf. Enar had a suspicion why Kean had been the last one to shift back. He would've talked to him himself, had Lidon not beaten him to it. It had surprised him, considering the alpha was usually not the most emotionally tuned-in person in their foursome. But in this case, he'd clearly been effective, seeing as how Kean had shifted back and then had taken off with his mates. It had been obvious what they were about to do, much like Grayson and his boys.
In fact, Enar had hoped for a similar activity with his mates, but of course, Lidon had obligations as the pack alpha, especially after an emotional event like this. And so they stayed, all four of them. Enar wasn't sure why Vieno and Palani had waited as well, but maybe it was for the same reason he did. If he left now with even one of them, he wouldn't be able to hold back or stop, and he wanted to share this experience together. They belonged together, now more than ever.
Finally, they hugged Uncle Leland and Aunt Sophie for the last time, then walked them to their car. Everyone else had dispersed, and Enar saw some men leaving together that made him smile. It was a good thing none of the omegas on the ranch were in heat, because that could’ve led to truly explosive encounters, with possible permanent results.
The second his uncle and aunt's car had passed through the gates, Lidon turned around toward his mates. "Bedroom, now," he commanded, and Enar smiled. He still loved it when Lidon got all authoritative.
"Fucking finally," Vieno said. "I swear, a few minutes more and I would've spontaneously combusted."
Enar was grateful beyond words that Vieno looked like himself again, felt like himself again. The shifting had changed him, healed him, and his sexual appetite was back. It brought such joy to see him happy again, even under these circumstances.
The omega dropped his blanket on the way to the bedroom, and Enar grinned as Lidon attacked. One second, Vieno had been walking; the next, Lidon pinned him with his back against the wall, diving in for a deep kiss. Vieno's giggle turned into a low moan as he wrapped his legs around Lidon. Their kiss turned frantic within seconds, and Enar's breath caught in his lungs as he watched Lidon line up his cock and sink inside Vieno. It was the one thing Enar envied about being an omega, that you were always ready for sex. How wonderful a self-slicking hole must be.
Seconds later, Palani wrapped his arms around him from the back, his own hard dick poking against Enar's legs. "That never gets old," he whispered.
Enar felt the fluttering warmth of the beta’s breath against his back, then the soft press of his wet lips against his shoulder blade. He melted, leaning into that touch that always steadied him. Lidon could ignite him with one touch, and Vieno only had to look at him to make him want to sink deep inside him, but Palani? Palani was his anchor, his lighthouse. With him, it could be anything. It could be wild, violent, with him totally in charge. Or it could be soft, peaceful, though with him still in charge. Enar took whatever Palani decided to bestow upon him, and he'd never been disappointed in that gift.
One press of Palani's hand and Enar turned around, allowing the beta to push him against the wall, almost shoulder to shoulder with Vieno, who was bouncing on Lidon's cock with a blissed-out expression on his face. Then Palani's mouth found his nipple, sucking gently before biting down with the perfect amount of force to make Enar jerk in pleasure. Palani knew his body so well by now, could make it sing with ease.
"I'm in the mood to drive you a little crazy," he whispered against Enar's chest, and Enar groaned.
"We could go for a quick fuck, just like those two next to us," he suggested, his voice hopeful.
Palani let go of his nipple for a second to shoot him an amused look. "What would be the fun in that?"
Enar was about to answer with something smart when Palani's hand wrapped around his balls, squeezing. It didn't hurt, but it sure as hell made him reconsider, and laughter danced in Palani's eyes. "Did you have something to say?"
Enar shook his head. "Nope, nothing at all."
Palani's hands slid across the skin of his chest, sending an electric charge up his spine. "I didn’t think so."
His hands continued their dance across his body, as if he were touching him for the first time all over again. "I love the way you touch me," Enar whispered.
"I love the way you feel," was the reply. Those nimble fingers found his nipples and rolled them, pinched. Enar made a sound in the back of his throat. "And I love how you sound when I do this."
He repeated his move, and Enar whimpered. Then Palani sank to his knees in a fluid move. "I want to feel you," he said, and the raw desire in his voice hit Enar deep.
His cock was leaking, the fat head nearly plum-colored with desperation, and he wasted no time. He grabbed the base, then circled around Palani's mouth, rubbing his fluids all over Palani's lips. He licked them with a low moan, then opened wide. The want in his eyes was clear, and Enar slowly filled him. After two or three careful thrusts, he felt Palani’s throat relax, and he sank in deep.
He was always beautiful to him, that unique mix of strength and kindness, but when he was on his knees like this, all but choking on Enar's cock, he was exquisite. He pulled back, allowing him to breathe, then sank back in again. Palani sucked, tightening his throat, then releasing again. When Enar pulled back a little, Palani teased the slit with his tongue, increasing the pressure until Enar could hardly stand still anymore.
"Palani…" he sighed, his balls pulling tight already. He didn't want it to end too soon, not even when he knew he'd recover in no time. It was too fast, not worthy of what was happening between them, of the magnitude of this night.
Maybe Palani felt the same, because after a last thorough lick up and down his cock, he let go of Enar. "I want to feel you inside me," he said, his voice hoarse.
"Bedroom," Enar said, because unlike Vieno, they needed lube, and while they had stashed it pretty much everywhere, the hallway wasn't one of those places.
They stumbled into their bedroom, Lidon following them, still buried to the hilt inside Vieno and well on his way to his second orgasm, it seemed. Palani stretched out on the bed, and Enar immediately went for the lube. Seconds later, he slid a finger inside Palani. He prepped him fast without much elegance, too impatient to continue what they had started.
As soon as he had two fingers in, Palani waved him away. Enar quickly slathered some lube on his cock, then turned on his back. "Ride me, please..."
The last sound hadn't even left his throat when Palani straddled him, gripping Enar's cock behind him, then lowering himself down. He rocked back and forth as it penetrated him, and their moans mingled. Enar grabbed his hips, needing that contact, then ran his hands up his body, smoothing over that perfect chest, those strong muscles.
"You're so beautiful," he said, his voice full of emotion.
Palani sank down all the way, throwing his head back. "God, this is what I needed. I love you so much, Doc."
He rose up, then dropped down, and Enar couldn't tear his eyes away. Palani rocked himself back an
d forth, then rode him again, sweat breaking out all over his skin. The next time he rose up and came down, Enar lifted his hips, meeting him with a loud slap that made Palani cry out.
"God yes, like that."
They met halfway, then again, their bodies colliding with increasing force. Enar's muscles started to hurt, almost as much as his balls, which were protesting against the tight control he had on himself. Palani wasn't ready yet, and so Enar would wait until he was.
But what a spectacle he was, his body rippling, those strong muscles tightening as he slammed himself down, taking what he needed from Enar's cock. He met him thrust for thrust, grunting with the effort. Oh, the sounds their bodies made, it was a beautiful symphony.
"Doc," Palani wailed, and his eyes crossed as he came, spurting his load everywhere, thick ropes of cum painting his own chest but dropping down on Enar as well.
Enar released the tight hold he had on himself and with one final, desperate shove, unloaded inside Palani, who collapsed on top of him. He held him for minutes as their breaths calmed down. Just when he wanted to say something sweet, Lidon spoke up.
"I think I've worn out Vieno after two rounds. Which one of you is volunteering for round three?"
7
When Palani walked into the kitchen that morning, it was a busy hub with multiple people walking back and forth to set the large table for breakfast. It had seated twelve originally, but they'd bought an addition to create a few extra seats. It was a tight fit when everyone came over for breakfast, but they made it work.
Besides, Jawon, Ori and Servas rarely joined them since they usually started work early to avoid the worst heat later in the day. A deep pang went through Palani's heart when he realized he'd still included Jawon in that group. It would take a while to get used to his loss, he assumed, swallowing back his sadness. They weren’t here this morning, his cousins, and Palani couldn’t blame them for needing some time to grieve and recover.
It had been an emotional night, to say the least. Palani still couldn’t get over the fact that he had shifted. And god, seeing his mates in wolf form, connecting with them on the level that they had, it had been magical despite everything. His heart had almost exploded with joy at seeing Enar’s beta wolf. How amazing was that? But still, Jawon’s loss lay heavy on them all, and it would take time to recover.
"Good morning, baby," Palani said, giving Vieno a soft kiss. The omega was busy preparing breakfast, keeping an eye on four pans at the same time, cooking bacon, pancakes, and eggs. "Do you need any help?"
"I think we've got most of it, except for the warm food here, but can you put some juice out?" Vieno asked.
"Sure."
Palani grabbed the orange juice from the fridge, then remembered to bring the apple juice as well. Sven didn't tolerate orange juice anymore with his pregnancy, since it gave him bad heartburn. He was putting it on the table when the others walked in. Lidon was still damp from his shower, smelling fresh, and Palani breathed him in as the alpha leaned in for a kiss. No matter that they had kissed already this morning, Lidon never forgot to properly greet any of them when he walked into a room. It was completely ingrained, as much a sign of respect for his mates as a signal they were his, Palani often felt.
Not that he was complaining. He loved it when Lidon got territorial about them. As much as he loved his position as a beta and his independence, there was something to be said for alpha dominance every now and then. Enar must've felt the same yesterday, because he had gladly volunteered to allow Lidon to get rid of his sexual energy and take it out on his ass.
Palani had held Vieno, who had fallen asleep before the other two had even finished, and had been deeply content to hold one man he loved while watching his other two mates create magic together. After the horrible events of days past, it had been good to reconnect and share their love for each other.
Vieno put out the last of the food, helped by Sven, and then sat down as well. Palani looked around the table as they all dug in, happy to see everyone together again. Even Maz and Rhene had joined them, as well as Lucan and Sando. Isam was walking patrol outside. Other than Ori and Servas, Adar was missing, as he was still recovering from his wounds and subsequent surgery. He hadn’t shifted, so his healing hadn’t been instant like with Kean, Lars, and Grayson, who all looked like nothing had ever happened to them.
"You look a lot better," he said to Lars, who moved with ease, his face devoid of the flashes of pain that had been so visible the day before.
Lars nodded, then shared a look with Grayson. "I could feel myself heal while in wolf shape. It was the most amazing thing ever."
"It's a well-known effect of shifting," Grayson said. "The old books are full of this. It's what warriors would do when they got wounded, shift to wolf form. It's one of the reasons why the average life expectancy for shifters was so much longer than it has been the last few decades."
"I second that," Kean said. He lifted his shirt, and Palani gasped when he saw nothing but the faintest of traces of what had been gruesome bruises the day before.
"That's unbelievable," Palani said. "I'm looking at the evidence, and still I have a hard time believing it."
It was hard to deny the healing power of shifting, though. He’d seen it himself in Vieno, who had changed almost overnight after shifting twice. His depression seemed to be gone, and he was interested in sex again, to say the least. It was nothing short of a miracle.
Kean dropped his shirt. "I'm right there with you, bro. The difference before and after the shift is hard to put into words. It almost feels like my injuries were a dream all along…except they weren't."
Silence descended on the table. "No," Palani said softly. "They weren't."
"I can't help but think that if Jawon had been able to shift…" Kean didn't say anything more, but the implication was clear.
Palani's heart filled with warmth as he saw both Ruari and Bray reach out for Kean. Ruari, he had expected, but Bray was still a wildcard in many aspects. He had Palani's respect for certain for his role in the pack, but the jury was still out on his role in their relationship. Palani knew it wasn't his business, but he was still keeping an eye on the alpha to make sure his brother didn’t get hurt in the process.
"We'll never know what could've happened," Lidon said. "All we can do is be worthy of the sacrifice he made for us and honor him by never forgetting what he did for us."
He was right, as usual. Going over what if scenarios served no purpose, except to add to the many layers of guilt they were feeling already, Kean maybe most of all. They had to move forward, harsh as that might sound, while at the same time making sure they would never forget him.
It made him think of something he'd once learned in school about the ancient Greeks, how they believed someone wasn't truly dead until people stopped mentioning their name. As long as people were talking about someone, that person was still alive and with them in their memories. That was what they had to do with Jawon, making sure to mention his name and not allowing anyone to forget him.
"I think we should name the main house after him," he said, the idea so bright in his mind that he knew it was the right thing to do. "I know the ranch is called the PTP Ranch, but we always refer to this as the main house. What if we renamed it Jawon's House?"
His voice broke as a fresh wave of grief barreled through him, making it hard to swallow. Vieno reached for his hand and squeezed it, and one look sideways confirmed that his eyes were moist as well. Palani looked around the table and saw most of the men fighting against their emotions.
"Yes," Lidon said, even his voice wavering a little. "That's a wonderful tribute to him, considering he sacrificed himself defending this very house."
Everyone hummed in agreement, and quite a few hands wiped off eyes. They were quiet for a while, the only sounds the clinking of utensils on plates.
"How are you guys feeling?" Grayson changed the topic with a question aimed at the only four at the table who hadn't shifted, Lucan, Sando, Rhene, and Ma
z. "I can imagine yesterday evening must've left you with some mixed feelings."
Sando looked at Lucan, who in turn looked at Maz, and Palani's eyes narrowed. Did he need to have a talk with the three of them? Because that silent look for permission didn't sit well with him at all, not unless they were in an official relationship, which they couldn’t be, because Palani hadn’t given permission on behalf of the pack alpha. Maybe something had happened yesterday evening, which wasn't a stretch, considering how strong the sexual frenzy had been. Still, Maz had better come to him soon if he knew what was good for him, because Palani wouldn't tolerate anyone breaking the rule of not approaching omegas without permission.
It was Lucan who responded first, despite that look. "I think mixed feelings are a pretty accurate description, Dad. It was amazing to watch you all shift, but I can't deny I was deeply disappointed when I realized it wasn't happening for me."
"It was the proof that the alpha-beta-omega dynamics are the key," Sando said, sounding a whole lot more enthusiastic than Lucan. "Because the only difference between who shifted and who didn't was who was claimed."
Bray cleared his throat. "I haven't alpha-claimed Kean and Ruari," he said. "Yet," he added, and Palani's faith in their relationship just quadrupled.
Sando nodded quickly. "You're right, I misspoke. I meant mated, as in either officially together or being fated mates. That last part I'm not certain about."
"That makes sense," Bray said, and then he looked at his mates with a look of pride that made Palani's heart warm up to him even more. "Because these two are definitely with me."
It was such an awkward yet adorable claim that Palani smiled. Ruari giggled before leaning in for a quick kiss with Bray, while Kean merely rolled his eyes at Palani in a look of understanding between the two of them. But the alpha was trying, and that was all anyone could ask of him.
