When the omega stood up and I saw his legs shaking, I felt like an asshole for frightening him, but my wolf was getting very impatient to find our omega and was out of patience for anyone getting in the way of that.
“The bedrooms are down here,” murmured the omega in a soft wobbly voice, leading me towards the hallway, and gesturing towards the end where the light didn’t quite penetrate.
I nodded and walked past him. I heard his soft footsteps disappearing behind me. It was still very silent back in the living room. I guessed they were waiting to see which unfortunate omega would be required to accompany me for the night and uncertain if they were off the hook yet or not.
Ignoring the uncomfortable silence behind me, I prowled forward, the scent of butterscotch teasing me, growing stronger with every step. There were three doors to choose from, all closed. I sniffed the first door, but it gave me nothing, so I kept walking. The unmistakable smell of orange became more noticeable drifting though the butterscotch, so I knew I was on the right track, and by the time I reached the end of the corridor, the scent was so strong outside the door on my right, that there was no question of where he was.
Inside, my wolf was restless. A deep primal part of me wanted to grab the handle and throw the door open, but a couple of deep breaths later, I had myself sufficiently under control to slowly turn the knob and ease the door open, in a manner I hoped was unthreatening.
He wasn’t alone.
Two omegas were in the room. They were huddled together looking at something on the far side of the room, and when the door had creaked open, two pairs of brown eyes had startled towards me.
My whole body become alert, reacting to the heavy scent in the room. My pants tightened.
“There you are!” It sounded more like a growl than I’d intended.
The larger of omega – it was the one who’d brought me dinner the first night - had moved slightly, so that I could no longer seethe other. But he was hiding the one I was hunting… My black curls bounced around my face as I tried to clear my thoughts. I wassearchingfor him,nothunting him. Somewhere in the room a wolf growled and the tall omega jumped, and I realized the sound had come from me. I was not doing a great job of staying in control.
“Out of my way,” I snarled, every bit the controlling alpha, and moved to go around the omega. He trembled but shifted to again block his friend from view. I growled a warning.
“It’s alright, Owen,” a soft melodic voice wafted up from behind the large omega. “It’s him.” And the smaller omega stepped around his companion and into view. He was as beautiful as I remembered: soulful brown eyes, lickable pink lips, delicate narrow face, short dirty blond hair, thick dark eyebrows, worried frown. Totally delicious! My wolf hummed in pleasure.Mate!
Resisting the urge to lick my lips, I held out my hand and, eyes fixed on mine, he stepped forward and placed his slim, soft hand in my larger one. I felt a tingle run up my arm when we touched. I saw the flush of red rush up his neck.
As I pulled him towards the door, he came willingly, pausing briefly at the door to press a finger to his lips and say, “Ssh, Owen. Not a word.”
He followed me out, silently trotting at my side as we walked past the silent omegas, his sweet omega scent accompanying me and nearly driving me wild as we left the house hand in hand.
I strode quickly to my cabin, not saying a word. He had to hurry to keep up, but I didn’t slow down. I was afraid I would ravage him on the spot if I stopped still for an instant, and I didn’t trust anything I could say out here.
I flung open the cabin door and ushered him in. He looked around as if he’d never seen the inside of one of these cabins before. I hoped for his sake that he hadn’t, but I doubted that could be true. He was too beautiful - he would have been anyone’s first choice… unless, of course, he’d been hiding. I hoped he had been.
I closed the door and locked it.
He looked at me uncertainly.
Suddenly I realized the situation I’d put myself in. Fuck! What had I done? He looked so unsure. I wasn’t going to force him to sleep with me but I couldn’t let him go either. Zarbius had to think I really was here for the reasons I’d said I was, and that meant I had to be seen to be treating the omegas as callously as he expected. More importantly from my own point of view, I had to protect my omega, and keeping him close to me was the only way I could do that. But it was going to be agony sleeping in a room with him and to not be touching him!
“You can sleep over there,” I said motioning to the second bed. “I won’t expect anything from you.”
His head dropped and my eyes fixed on his lip where his teeth bit into it. I wanted to lick the abused skin and soothe it. I shook my head and turned away. Stupid Alpha! For a few moments all was deathly still. Then I heard the creak of the bed, and when I looked, I saw he’d curled himself up under the blanket, facing away from me, as though he was scared of me. I wanted to tell him I wouldn’t hurt him, that he was safe with me, but I didn’t dare say anything.
My wolf wanted him, wanted to pounce on him, but I held myself in check. I didn’t want to be like the other alphas and betas he’d known. With a sigh, I got myself ready for bed and turned offthe light, grumpily getting on my bed and pulling the covers up. Lying on my back, I stared at the ceiling, wondering if I would sleep at all tonight. My cock was hard and heavy, my balls full and aching. The proximity to my omega was both heaven and hell, since I couldn’t touch him.
I lay on my bed and willed myself to go to sleep. My wolf whined softly. He wanted to bed our omega. He wanted to mate him and lick every inch of that sweet, delicious body. I wanted that too, but I didn’t know if he felt the same things I did. I couldn’t force him. I had to earn his trust and if that meant suffering a night with a painfully hard cock that wasn’t going to get satisfied, then that was what I’d do.
Mine,whimpered my wolf.
I know. Soon.I told him.
I lay in the dark for what seemed a long time. The moon traveled across the sky and moonlight strayed into the room through the window above my mate’s bed, highlighting the bumps and curves beneath the covers, casting restless shadows. I was on edge, nerves prickling underneath my skin. I was too unsettled, too aware of my mate lying in the other bed, unclaimed, when I should be claiming him, should be rocking into him with my hard cock, knotting him and placing my mark on that slender pale neck.
Fuck!
I wanted him so badly. All the blood had raced into my cock and was pooling there, a pleasant alluring sensation urging me to give in and take my mate.
I rolled away, staring at the far wall, trying to ignore him, pretend he wasn’t there. I pinched my nose, trying to block outthat alluring scent, but I still had to breathe, and each breath dragged it into me. Goddess, maybe it was even seeping in through my pores.
