“Did you hear the two blacksmiths who went to my old compound are coming back?” Vincent asked.
Christopher looked at him. “Rick and Bruce?”
Vincent shrugged. “I don’t know their names, but Kale mentioned they were coming back because River Wolf Pack’s dissembling.”
“You’re kidding. I’ve always heard such good things about that pack.”
Vincent got a far-away look, like he was remembering something from long ago. “That was when River was pack alpha. Ever since he left, the pack’s been falling apart, but I heard his new pack in Cascade City is thriving.”
“Do you wish you were with them?” Christopher asked.
Vincent blinked. “What? No. I’m happy enough here.” He glanced up at the roof where Craig hammered tiles.
“You don’t seem happy.”
“I’m all right.”
Christopher had hoped the omega might open up to him, but Vincent seemed reticent to do so. After about fifteen minutes, the beta stood and gathered up Jed.
“I’d better get him to the nursery before nap time.” He waved goodbye and continued walking.
Since the rash of births on the compound, things at the nursery had picked up. All of Justin’s pups were there that day, and Jed was content to stay and play with them. Before leaving, Christopher told Barry London was in heat and Jed might have to stay a while.
As Christopher walked back to Tarz’s barn, he took a shortcut through the woods that brought him past X’s cottage. As Christopher rounded the corner, he caught sight of someone coming out the front door.
Canaan.
Evidently the man had spent the night and slept in. Christopher wondered why X had left the beta early to come to the barn. Pushing his jealousy aside, he continued walking. He needed to get Xavier out of his mind.
Chapter 6: Vincent
Vincent watched his twin, Vaughn, laugh and splash in the lake with James, Vaughn’s alpha mate. Although originally arranged by Grey, theirs had become a love mating, and Vincent was happy for his brother—he really was. But he hurt. He wanted the same kind of relationship with his mates, and he wanted to be close to his twin again.
From the day they were born, Vincent had been the one to lead. Vaughn had always looked up to him, and when they came to Angel Hills pack, Vaughn had practically clung to Vincent. That had changed now the two had been given to James and his brother, Kale, as mates. Vincent knew the pack alpha had done his best to keep the omega brothers as close in proximity to each other as possible, but the change was still a big adjustment. For Vincent, anyway. Vaughn’s new-found feelings for James undoubtedly helped the twin in separating from his brother.
Vincent wasn’t so lucky. Kale’s beta mate, Craig, refused to accept the omega, even though the beta had agreed to the mating.
Vincent could only guess the beta had wanted to please his alpha, but Vincent wished Craig had just been truthful and told Kale he didn’t want an omega in their relationship. Sure, it would have meant Vincent would have had to live farther away from his twin, but at this point he considered that preferable to the discomfort he felt in his own home and the awful feeling he got in the pit of his stomach every time he thought about the fact that Craig hadn’t bitten him.
The mood in the little house had improved a bit when Jasper was born, although that might have been due to the release of tension after months of Craig’s palpable resentment during the omega’s pregnancy. The beta never fucked Vincent, always sleeping on the other side of Kale in their big bed. Now, at least Vincent had the baby to love him and keep him busy, and he couldn’t help but adore Kale and Craig’s son, Ryan, who had eventually warmed up to the omega, despite Craig’s obvious scorn.
Vincent couldn’t even fully welcome Kale’s affection for him, as such demonstrations between the alpha and omega made things worse. As time went on, Vincent found himself withdrawing into himself more and more.
Living on the far side of the lake from everyone else didn’t help. Vincent felt cut off from his omega friends, and he found himself yearning for the omega den to be completed, so he could spend time with them.
He had to admit, though, as he took a sip of his tea and sat back in the folding chair near where Jasper played in the sand with a small bucket and shovel, the area was serene. That morning, Craig had gone somewhere with Ryan, not bothering to tell Vincent where, and Vincent couldn’t help but be happy to have a few hours without Craig’s disapproving looks. The omega had cleaned the house thoroughly while Jasper had napped, so he didn’t feel too badly about relaxing outside. He dug his toes into the warm sand and studied his son.
Jasper had hair the color of Kale’s, a dark brown with mahogany highlights that translated to gorgeous fur on his wolf, which he’d recently begun shifting into. The little boy was built sturdily like Kale, too. But the child’s eyes were blue like Vincent’s, and his nature mischievous. Jasper shifted before running into the water and barking excitedly for Vaughn’s son, James Jr., or “J.J.,” to join him. Farther out in the water where James and Vaughn stood, the alpha released his son from his hold, and the boy immediately shifted into wolf form and began swimming toward shore and his cousin, where the two began playfully nipping and growling at each other in the shallows.
Kale’s deep voice suddenly penetrated Vincent’s thoughts, and the omega looked up into his alpha mate’s deep brown eyes.
“What are you thinking about so hard?” The alpha grinned down at him, shadowing Vincent’s eyes from the bright sun. “I had to say your name three times before you heard me.”
Vincent stood, the top of his head coming to Kale’s chin, and Kale wrapped his arms around the omega. The warmth of the embrace seeped into the omega’s bones, giving him something he hadn’t realized he’d needed.
“Sorry, I was just watching the kids play. I didn’t expect you home so soon.”
“I decided to eat lunch here. Craig and Ry stopped by the building site on their way to the park, so I thought we could have some time alone.” Kale bent and took Vincent’s lips in a deep kiss that left the omega’s knees weak. “After all, your heat’s coming on, isn’t it?”
Was it? Vincent hadn’t even noticed. Perhaps that was why he felt the urge to melt into his alpha.
Kale kissed Vincent again before looking out to where Vaughn was wrapped around James in the water.
“Jay! Watch Jasper for me, will you, while Vinny and I take a break?”
James gave a thumbs up, and Kale took Vincent’s hand.
“Come on. Let’s see if we can work up an appetite.”
The words instantly made Vincent hard, and he felt omega slick ooze out between his ass cheeks. Kale evidently scented it, for he growled low in his throat and swung the omega into his arms, carrying Vincent toward their house.
“Have fun, Vince!” Vaughn called to his brother.
Vincent could see Jasper was content to play with his cousin, so he buried his face in Kale’s neck, kissing the skin and reveling in the alpha’s sweaty scent.
Inside, Kale wasted no time in flinging Vincent onto the couch and ridding the omega of his clothes. Vincent panted, so aroused his cock steadily dripped onto his stomach. His heat hadn’t begun yet, but he didn’t need it to want his virile alpha. Kale leaned in and licked at the pre-cum, and Vincent threw his head back and moaned.
“You want me, omega?” Kale asked gruffly.
Vincent shivered at the sound. He nodded his head jerkily, and Kale lapped and nibbled on Vincent’s navel for several long seconds before flipping the omega onto his stomach.
“I should make sure we eat before your heat hits, but I can’t wait that long.”
Vincent was okay with that. The omega spread his legs, tilting up his ass to take his alpha’s cock. The pain of the first jab brought a cry from the omega’s lips, but he eagerly pushed back onto Kale’s thickness, quickly adjusting to the girth.
“That’s it. Do all the work. Fuck yourself on me, omega. Take what you want.”
>
The words and the tone in which they were delivered made Vincent even harder. Kale was all alpha, bossy and demanding but also protective and supportive. If only it could be like this all the time, just the two of them, Vincent could be happy. The omega pushed himself back and forth on Kale’s hard cock while the alpha stood motionless at the edge of the couch, big chest heaving. The omega could hear the alpha’s ragged breathing and feel the knot beginning to bulge against his rim. He let out a series of garbled “Oh-oh” sounds, trying to cram the hard knot inside him with every thrust backward.
“You want my knot?” Kale growled, tone heavy with desire.
“Yesss…” Scarlet was beginning to crowd Vincent’s vision, and a buzz took up in his ears. He dug his fingers into the couch cushions, heat coming on from rutting with his alpha. “Please, alpha,” he begged, energy flagging and his movements becoming jerky.
“You’ll wait,” Kale said.
Vincent moaned. His dick was so hard, he longed to tug at it, but Kale didn’t like him to touch himself while they fucked. He knew his alpha would take care of him soon enough.
As Kale bent over the omega, pushing deep inside, he grunted and nipped at Vincent’s shoulders. With great difficulty and long practice, Vincent held back the powerful orgasm that wanted to break through. His alpha was with-holding his knot, something that made Vincent crazy. Sweating, he silently counted backward from one hundred while Kale continued to pump in and out of him.
Finally, Kale took Vincent’s cock in his hand, softly stroking the rigid organ until the omega came with a burst of white.
The front door opened and closed, and through the buzz in his ears, Vincent heard Craig tell the boy to go wash up.
“I’m glad you’re home,” Kale said. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Doesn’t look like it,” Craig mumbled.
Kale’s voice brooked no argument. “Put Ryan down for a nap and join us in the bedroom.”
When Kale scooped Vincent into his arms, the omega’s breathing had picked up as his heat hit in full force. In the back of his mind, the omega wondered what his alpha was up to.
“We’re taking this to the bedroom,” Kale said. “You’re in full heat now and need hours of fucking.”
Vincent bit back a moan.
Once on the bed, Kale licked the omega clean before flipping him over. Face pressed into the mattress, Vince was vaguely aware of Craig entering the room and undressing. Although the omega was quickly succumbing to the demands of his body, panic rose in his chest. Craig had never wanted him, and now Kale was pushing the issue, forcing the beta to take part in satisfying Vincent’s heat.
“Alpha…” Vincent whispered, looking over his shoulder.
“Craig,” Kale barked, and stepped back, hand gripping his enormous cock, the big knot purple and bulging above his swinging balls.
Craig stood to the side of the bed, naked, his large, muscled body tight with tension. Vincent had always thought the beta hot, especially with the intricate tattoo on his left forearm. Kale had several tattoos, and Vincent loved to trace them with his tongue when they lay in bed together.
“Fuck him,” Kale growled.
Craig climbed onto the bed. Vincent could see the beta was hard and relief flooded him. He would be humiliated if Kale had to intervene to get Craig hard.
Knees on the mattress, Craig hovered over Vincent for several seconds until the omega couldn’t take it any longer—was Craig doing this on purpose? Punishing the omega by making him wait? His heat surged, a wave of relentless need, and Vincent’s pride broke.
“Please, please fuck me!”
Vincent saw something flicker behind Craig’s light eyes before the omega turned his face back to the mattress. Seconds later, he let out a yell when the beta thrust inside. Kale walked around the bed, watching and stroking himself as Craig fucked Vincent hard and fast, pressing the omega’s body into the mattress.
That’s it, get all your anger out, you bastard, Vincent thought and then whined as the beta hit the omega’s prostate.
Glorious sensation built, and Vincent knew he was going to come. The heat encompassed him, filling him with unbearable need. Realizing he didn’t have to hold back as he did with Kale, Vincent let go, yelling, back arching, cum shooting onto the bed beneath him.
“That’s it,” Kale whispered, barely heard above the moans and slapping of flesh. “Breed him, Craig.”
Craig glanced at Kale in surprise.
“I haven’t knotted him. Do it.”
When Vincent peered over his shoulder, Craig’s face was a portrait of uncertainty, but arousal and obedience won out, and he increased the tempo of his thrusts, stabbing Vincent with his cock like someone trying to spear a rodent with a stick until he’d scooted the omega halfway across the bed with the force of his attack. Vincent shouted when Craig forced his knot past the omega’s rim. Although betas had smaller knots than alphas, the intrusion still stung and the press of it against the omega’s prostate sent Vincent spiraling into his third orgasm of the afternoon. Nothing mattered but being filled and that gorgeous feeling of eruption. Vincent writhed on the bed, clenching around Craig’s cock, putting a fast end to the beta’s knot. Fingers digging into Vincent’s hips, Craig howled his pleasure before collapsing onto Vincent’s back, heart hammering against the omega’s skin.
When Vincent came back to himself, Kale had disappeared, leaving Craig alone to deal with the omega’s heat. Vincent squeezed his eyes shut and prayed for a short one, as this was certain to be awkward.
Chapter 7: Gabriel
As Gabriel got further along in his pregnancy, he began to realize it was going to be tougher than his first had been. Gabriel’s first pregnancy had ended with a dangerous spike in blood pressure and Shane, the pack’s equivalent of a physician, taking Finn surgically from Gabriel’s body. This pregnancy, Gabriel was twice as tired and the nausea was growing worse, sometimes lasting all day and into the night, forcing him to spend half of it in the living room holding the trash can. He threw up everything he put in his mouth that was even vaguely rich, until all he was consuming were the bland crackers Grey had Keith pick up in Angel City.
“I worry about him not getting enough protein,” Gabriel overheard Ian telling Grey on one occasion after Gabriel had run from the dinner table and emptied his stomach.
“I do, too. Shane says he doesn’t know what to do about it. There’s no one else to ask.” Gabriel didn’t like how worried his mates sounded. He hated to be the cause of any trouble. He stumbled into the bedroom and collapsed on the bed.
“Gabe? You okay?” Grey’s voice sounded behind the omega.
Gabriel managed a nod.
“Has he been drinking your blood?” Ian asked Grey.
“Yeah, at least once a day. It seems to help with his energy levels.”
Grey sat on the edge of the bed and ran a soothing hand down the omega’s back where Gabriel lay curled around his swollen belly.
Gabriel summoned his strength and sat up. “I know you guys are worried, and I’m tired of throwing up.” Ian and Grey looked sympathetic, and Gabriel continued. “At my old compound, I remember an omega who was really sick when he was pregnant. There was this old healer woman who lived on the edge of the pack’s property. She brewed something that helped the omega keep his food down.”
Grey glanced at Ian. “Can we get in touch with this healer woman?”
“She didn’t want to live there anymore after River left. I think I heard she went to live with her sister in Cascade City.”
“What was her name?” Ian asked.
“Farrah. I don’t know her last name.”
“I could see if River knows where to find her,” Grey said. “I’ll write a letter and get someone to take it to Cascade City. I need to ask him about those rogue omegas who wanted to come here anyway.”
Ian nodded. “I’d forgotten about that. Maybe they’ve changed their minds. Are you sending someone by themselves to deliver the letter?”
Grey sighed. “It is a long way to go. Maybe I can get the address and mail the letter in Angel City.” He left the room, and Ian turned to Gabriel.
“Think you can keep down some venison broth?”
Gabriel wrinkled his nose, but Ian looked so hopeful, he nodded his head. “I’ll try.”
Ian smiled. “Okay. Rest, and I’ll get it.”
Gabriel wanted to say all he did was rest but refrained. He was going to the barn that afternoon no matter what. He refused to be cooped up in the house while he could still see his feet, and there were things he could be helping with in the barn that wouldn’t put too much strain on him at this stage of his pregnancy.
Gabriel managed to keep the broth down until he got out of sight of the house, and then threw up most of it in the bushes. Why did this have to be so difficult? Weren’t omegas built to birth baby after baby like it was nothing? Figured he’d be the weirdo nobody could figure out. Story of his life.
He spent the next three hours cleaning tack, as it seemed Christopher had saved that duty for him, probably at Grey’s request. Gabriel felt he was strong enough to wash and brush the horses and to sweep out the stalls, but so long as there was tack to clean, he did that first and found himself too tired to do much else afterward. Stubbornly, though, he remained in the barn for the remainder of the afternoon rather than going home and admitting to his mates he was worn out.
Gabriel noticed Xavier watching Christopher when the young beta was busy and wondered what that was about. Gabriel hadn’t said anything else to the alpha about Canaan, and he hoped X was at least considering his words. Gabriel had spoken to Canaan a few more times when at the park with Justin, where the beta had taken to stopping by on his way home for lunch. Gabriel had to admit Canaan was growing on him. Sure, the beta was kind of aloof and sometimes said things that were just this side of bitchy, but underneath that, Canaan had a wicked sense of humor, and the fact he genuinely liked kids went a long way with Gabriel. Gabriel was certain Canaan was a good teacher.