by L. C. Davis
"My wolf and I are one and the same, so it's hard for me to imagine life without it," Duke admitted, shaking the pills out into his hand before he offered Connor a glass of water and sat next to him on the bed. "Actually, that's not true."
Connor tilted his head curiously, so Duke continued. "My wolf wanted me to claim you from the first time we met and it never let up. It's been a point of contention between us," he said with a half-grin.
Connor smiled. "Well, maybe I could make an exception and you could let it out from time to time. Although Hassan tells me it's something of an anomaly itself."
"So I've heard. I know the shift I went into that night was different, but I'm not sure how," he admitted. "Hassan said it didn't look like a normal wolf. It was bigger, more teeth."
"More? Are we talking wolf or shark here?"
Duke laughed. "Hopefully the former. No oceans around here and I don't wanna end up beached."
"Maybe it's the mate bond," Connor mused, slipping off his glasses. Duke could sense the shift in his mood, from casual curiosity to scientific inquiry. "I've changed since you came around, maybe you're changing, too."
"Maybe. Or maybe I just needed to be something else that night, to get to you." He shrugged. If he was being honest, he didn't care what was or wasn't different with him. There would come a time when he went back out onto the field and joined Toval's team in the hunt for the other pests who had crawled out of the woodwork in Cutter's absence, but Everett was in custody and set to go before the Tribunal, and Connor was safe.
The omega still wore a collar around his neck, but the neurotoxin had been replaced with a mild sedative, just enough to render him unconscious if he crossed the territory line again. Duke had bristled at the security measure, but Mitchell assured him it was only to pacify the Tribunal until Connor's name could be cleared officially. There was already talk of at least dropping the charges that prevented Connor from leaving Mountain Ridge. Word of the omega's relative innocence had spread faster than the tales of his treachery ever had, but his father and Benjamin were both working on the Council. To them, it didn't matter who Connor had been in the past. It only mattered that he was part of their family now, even though they had yet to meet him.
If he did mark Connor, that would change soon. He had already discussed the prospect with Mitchell. Even though Connor had a mate, the Tribunal would still see him as Mountain Ridge property until he was marked. Then he would be Duke's property in their archaic way of seeing things. The law books that had once seemed liberal and forward thinking had ceased to keep up with Mountain Ridge's rapidly changing culture. At least if Duke marked Connor, he could insist that he be collared instead of his mate.
Connor took the pills and swallowed with a faint grimace. Duke had taken one of the supplements himself to make sure it really was safe. He knew Doc wouldn't do anything to hurt Connor by that point, but his protective instincts had been in overdrive lately and they showed no signs of slowing down as his mate's pregnancy progressed.
"I've been thinking," Connor said with the air of an announcement that had been long planned. "I think it's time you marked me."
Duke blinked. "You do?" Leave it to Connor to approach something like that with a clinical air.
"Well, I'm probably going to shift anyway and I heard you talking to Doc," he admitted. "That was always the plan, wasn't it? To be marked by an alpha?"
"Yeah, but you don't have to do anything you're not ready for. And I'm not just another alpha. I love you, and I'm willing to wait as long as you need me to."
"I know," Connor said, his gaze softening to something that stirred a fire deep within Duke's core. Did the omega have any idea what a single look could do to him? "And I appreciate that, but I am as ready as I'll ever be. If you still want to..."
There was hesitation in his voice for the first time, proving to Duke that the surprises had no end. He moved forward, taking Connor's face in his hands and kissing him softly, a master of restraint by that point. "Of course I want to. I've wanted to since the moment we met, but that doesn't mean it's good for you."
"I want it," Connor said quietly, running his hand down Duke's chest. "I want... Well, I want a lot of things I never thought I would when I'm with you."
"You took the words out of my mouth," Duke said, smiling against his lips. He looked Connor over, searching for any sign of hesitation. He could feel the omega's fear, and wondered if it had always been there beneath the mask of calm collection that might have fooled anyone else. How it had ever fooled him was a mystery now that he had gotten to know Connor so well. "But you don't have to pretend you're not afraid."
"It doesn't change anything. I don't think I'll ever stop being afraid," Connor admitted. "Not of you, but of this. The idea of being owned, controlled by an alpha. I'm glad it's you, I just..."
"I understand," Duke said, pressing a hand to his cheek. Connor leaned into it, his skin flushed like it had been the night he went into heat. Since he was two months pregnant, Duke knew it had to be something else. His wolf was at the door. The alpha could feel it. He could sense the subtle change in his mate's energy, the notes of something wild in his scent. "I've been thinking about this for a while, and I have an idea."
"What is it?"
"Bite me first."
Connor frowned in confusion. "What? Why?"
"To show you there's nothing to be afraid of. I know you trust me," he said before the omega could argue, "but I still haven't earned it. Let me start tonight."
"But I've been off my medication for a month, Duke. My venom --"
"I know. That's the point," Duke smiled, tracing the gentle slope of Connor's jaw. "I trust you."
Over the weeks they had spent together, Duke never venturing further away from his omega than the next room, and only then to give him privacy with his visitors, he had taken pride in being able to tell what Connor was feeling. It wasn't something that came naturally to an alpha, especially one who was used to suppressing his own emotions on the battlefield, but he found himself at a loss for the cause behind the moisture in Connor's eyes. "What's wrong?"
"You would do that for me?" Connor's voice cracked.
"Of course, baby," Duke murmured, kissing him gently. "After everything you've given me, how could I not?"
"It'll hurt," he warned.
Duke grinned. "I think I can handle it."
"You don't have to do this."
"I want to."
Connor heaved a deep sigh. "I guess..."
Duke seized on his agreement, before hesitation could take over again. He peeled off his shirt so Connor wouldn't worry about staining it. Being anal retentive was just another one of the omega's quirks he had discovered, and it was strangely humanizing to see someone so untouchable obsessing over the slightest details. When he looked back at Connor, the omega's eyes were wide and staring, only it wasn't fear in his gaze this time. It was admiration.
Duke's grin widened. "Enjoying the show?"
"Mhm," Connor murmured, wetting his lips. The little gesture was enough to send a surge of hunger through the alpha's body, but he reminded himself that he had to let things move slowly. At Connor's pace.
"Whenever you're ready," he said, baring his neck to the omega. It wasn't customary. Hell, it chaffed at his instincts, but there was something about the feeling of his omega's breath dancing over his neck, Connor's tongue sweeping along his jugular that sent a shiver of pleasure down his spine. Connor's fangs pierced his skin, but the pain was negligible. What he wasn't prepared for was the rush of sheer, orgasmic bliss that racked his body and made him shudder.
Connor pulled away, his eyes full of worry. "Are you okay? I thought I was gentle..."
"You were, I --" Duke trailed off when he realized he didn't recognize the animalistic snarl in his voice. He was worried he would scare Connor if he kept talking, but the omega's pheromones shifted, dissipating his fears. Whatever that bite had done to him, Connor's lust was mingling with his own with equal fervor.
"God, I want you," he growled, taking the omega into his arms, pushing him against the mattress as easily as he could.
Connor gazed up at him in wonder. "I don't understand... The first bite is always painful."
"This ain't pain," he said with a husky laugh, allowing his hands to rove over the omega's body, appreciating the contrast between the lean, toned muscle and the softness of his once-chiseled abdomen. "It's just not right for something as perfect as you are to exist."
"Are you...?" Connor hesitated, looking at him like something in a petri dish. "Are you yourself?"
"Mhm," Duke said distractedly, sucking gently on the pale flesh at the omega's neck. Connor shivered beneath him. The omega planted his hands on Duke's chest and gave a gentle push. "Stop."
"Okay," Duke said immediately, looking him over. "Why, are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"No," Connor murmured, eyeing him warily. "Bite me."
Talk about hot then cold. "Uh, I thought we'd ease into that a little... give you some time to adjust."
Connor's eyes widened. "You still have free will."
"Huh." Duke laughed, realizing the omega had been testing his ability to resist a command. "Guess I do."
"That's never happened before," Connor said, frowning. "I've never met an unmated alpha I couldn't control with a bite. You must be immune somehow..."
"Immune to your bite, maybe," Duke agreed, carefully peeling Connor's shirt over his head before starting on his pants. "But definitely not to the rest of you."
Connor gave him the most enticing little smile before their lips met again. The omega's hands roved his hair and traveled down to explore his back, then around to his chest like he was committing every detail, every plane to memory. "That makes two of us," he purred, shifting gently to allow Duke to tug his pants all the way off. He reached between them, unbuckling the alpha's belt and slipped his hand inside Duke's boxers, groping his hardening length. "You feel fucking amazing."
"So do you," Duke said in a gravelly voice, adjusting to part the omega's legs, moving down between them. "There's something I've wanted to do ever since that night."
Connor bit his lip, nodding in approval as he relaxed against the pillows. Connor was already hard when Duke took him in hand and he took his time circling his tongue around the head of his shaft, savoring the precum leaking from the slit. The omega tasted as sweet as he remembered, only this time, Duke intended to have his fill. The sight of Connor arching beneath his touch was enough to take his breath away. He slipped a finger into the omega's cleft, stroking his tight entrance gently, careful to read his response the entire time. Connor's pleasured moans gave him the cue to slip a finger into his ass, and soon the omega was slick with need, bucking his hips for more. Duke slipped another finger inside, taking more time preparing him than usual.
He wanted this to be a purely pleasurable experience for Connor, wanted him relaxed fully before he gave in to the ever-growing need to bury himself, knot and all, inside of him. If Connor wasn't up for that, he'd find a way to give him exactly what he needed and nothing more, but a cold shower would be in order.
"Duke," Connor gasped in a paper-thin voice as he hovered on the brink of orgasm. The sound was intoxicating, not only because he knew he was giving his omega pleasure but because he was the only one who would ever see Connor like this, vulnerable and weak with need, weak by choice. Because he trusted his alpha to give him what he needed, to protect him. Connor's seed tasted even sweeter than his precum and Duke took his time licking the shaft clean, savoring every last drop.
Connor was still panting by the time Duke settled beside him in bed, running a hand along his thigh as he pulled the other man close, his erection pressed between their stomachs. "I love you," he murmured, content to just gaze at the omega's post-orgasmic bliss. Connor's face was flushed in the most appealing way, and the sound of his heart racing was the most erotic thing Duke had ever heard. He wanted to claim him, to show him that intimacy and vulnerability were safe as long as he was in his alpha's arms, but if Connor wasn't ready for that, it was enough for Duke just to see him like this, basking in the pleasure his lover had given him.
"I need..." Connor broke off, gasping for breath as he sidled closer, pressing himself even harder against Duke's erection, his hips grinding into him. "I need you in me, your teeth, your knot, please..."
Duke had never heard such desperation in Connor's voice, not even when he was in heat. Their union then had been about giving Connor what he needed to get through it, to return home without embarrassing himself, but this was something different. There was no practicality in what they were doing, there was only love and mutual need, Connor's surrender and Duke's careful dominance.
This was what Connor needed, and God, did Duke want to give it to him. He swept a veil of dark hair away from Connor's neck and gently cradled him, pressing a kiss to his neck. Connor shivered, but there was more desire than fear in the gesture as the omega's hands groped his flesh, urging him on. Duke gave into an instinct as old as his kind and sank his fangs into the omega's neck. Blood surged into his mouth, hot and sweet as Connor moaned. The sound was a small amount of pain mingled with delight. Connor wrapped his arms around Duke, squeezing him even closer, his shaft hard again as he ground into the alpha's body.
Biting Connor sated a hunger Duke had never even known existed within him. The omega's thigh was hitched over his hip, giving him the access he craved for total union. Since Connor didn't seem remotely distressed by the bite, he kept his fangs in as he shifted their position slightly so Connor was on his back. He eased his shaft into the omega's entrance, and Connor was so highly aroused that he didn't resist nearly as much as he had the first time. Before long, Duke was buried in him to the hilt, claiming his omega in every possible way.
It took him a moment to realize that the sensation not unlike a rush of adrenaline that pulsed through him was as much Connor's as his own. The bond weaving between them was granting him access to everything Connor was feeling, and it seemed to go in both directions. To test it, Duke shifted his angle just slightly, hitting what he knew from experience was a spot that drove Connor wild. As Connor cried out in bliss, Duke felt another surge of pleasure on top of his own. The newly opened link turned it all into the most intriguing game of strategy he had ever played. Finding exactly the right angle, the right amount of pressure to make Connor cry out in a way he never had before. Extra points when the omega's nails dug into his back and he writhed in desperation.
At first, when Duke caught scent of the salty tears in the air, he froze, looking down to make sure Connor was okay. Tears were streaming down Connor's face, alright, but when he took Duke's face in his hands and kissed him ravenously, wrapping his legs around the alpha's waist to pull him in even deeper on his next thrust, he knew it was only Connor's response to being overwhelmed in the best possible way.
Duke could feel his knot swelling, filling Connor and creating the sweetest pressure as the omega's tight hole stretched to take him. Connor's heart beat deep inside, fast with desire. Duke moaned, filling him at the same time as Connor came over the crest of his second orgasm. The way the omega trembled with release made him clench tighter, wringing every last bit of gratification from Duke's cock.
"Fuck," Connor gasped, his hands still grasping Duke's hair, his body wrapped completely around the alpha's, as if to keep him in place as securely as Duke's knot was holding him.
"Now there's a compliment," Duke teased, his voice rough with ecstasy. "I've reduced the elegant and poised Connor to profanity."
Connor smiled, still breathless even though he had gone mostly still, save for an arch of his back here or there as the aftershocks of orgasm racked his body. "You're rubbing off on me."
"Not unless you've got it in you to go another round," Duke said with a cheesy grin.
"Mh. We are stuck together for a while, aren't we?" Connor's voice was husky as well as he trailed his fingers down the alpha's chest. "Might as well make the most
of it."
Chapter Twenty-Six
CONNOR
As Connor sat at the kitchen counter, peeling vegetables with Mel while Toval cooked dinner for everyone as they waited for Duke to return from his meeting with Mitchell and Hassan to return from picking the kids up from school, he felt completely relaxed. Which was more than he could say for Mel, who had gone from wanting him to give an alpha a chance to being a complete prude, in his estimation.
"I'm just saying, I get it now. I get the appeal of sleeping with an alpha," he said with a shrug, taking a sip of his herbal tea.
"I'm glad you and Duke are getting along, but I really don't need to know you're getting along that well. And I know we don't really do mating ceremonies, but he didn't have to mark you that soon."
Toval's shoulders heaved with laughter he tried to pass off as a cough, his back turned away from them while he cooked over the stove.
"It was my idea," Connor admitted. "Anyway, he wore me out a I fell asleep before he had the chance to finish the mark, so we're trying again tonight."
Mel stuck his fingers in his ears and sang, "I can't hear you!"
Toval laughed. "It happens. Took three consecutive nights for me to have the energy to shift afterwards so Hassan could complete the mark."
"That's interesting," Connor mused, eyeing the mark on the beta's neck. "I wonder if it hurts betas more than omegas, since you're not technically meant for it."
Toval's tanned skin flushed. "Probably, but uh, I never really minded the pain," he admitted, taking a sudden interest in his seasonings.
"Can we please change the subject?" Mel groaned, burying his head in his hands.
"When did you become so buttoned up?"
"He spent too long in Silver Lake," Toval teased, leaning in to kiss Mel's cheek. The omega shot him a halfhearted glare. "They're all like that."
"Speaking of other packs," said Mel. "I hear you're going to meet Duke's family soon?"
"As soon as we can get this off," Connor said, brushing his hand over the silver collar. "Duke is trying to get them to do it before Everett's Tribunal."
