Oliver leaned into him and sighed. “It’s stupid, really.”
“I promise you, nothing you ever say to me will be stupid,” Ro said as he bent his head forward to kiss the top of Ollie’s head.
“I was just trying to see if I could shift,” Ollie sighed, “but I don’t know how I did it the first time. I’m not sure how to do it again.” Ollie sighed more deeply, and his shoulders slumped.
“I think I may be able to help with that,” Ronin said, then stepped back from his mate. Ollie turned around and looked into his eyes with a hopeful expression.
“First things first. You need to feel him. When your wolf is close to the surface, you can literally feel him.” Ronin could already feel his wolf scratching at the surface, excited to meet his mate..
Ollie snickered. “That sounds like a lot of crazy nonsense.”
“Oh yeah?” Ronin raised a brow. “Justfeelit. You’re thinking way too hard. How about we both go on a run together, and I’ll show you.”
Ollie scrunched up his nose. “Fine. I’m telling you though, it won’t work.”
“Let me ask you this. The first time you shifted, what were you doing? Were you thinking about it?”
Ollie shook his head. “No, I wasn’t thinking about anything at all. I’ve only shifted once and didn’t even know I could.”
Ronin chuckled. “See... that’s what I mean. Don’t think about it. Just see it and let him out.”
Oliver nodded. “Okay, yeah, I think I can do that. Let’s go.” Ollie giggled and headed on two legs into the forest. “Catch me if you can.”
He took off running ahead of Ronin, who couldn’t help smiling and going after him, but Ro kept a short distance behind, waiting to get closer until he saw if his mate’s shift would come through. He didn’t have to wait long before the air around his omega began to shimmer, and then Oliver stopped running and just stood there.
He took in his mate’s smaller wolf, the sight of which brought out a fierce protective instinct, and Ro admired Ollie’s fur that had the same coloring as his hair—a gorgeous caramel brown.
When he saw that Ollie was going to be fine, he let his wolf out and slowly made his way over to him. The little wolf seemed to study Ronin for a moment, and he knew what his mate saw. Ro had darker cream-colored fur with streaks of light brown, and he was also almost three times the size of his mate, but this didn’t seem to daunt the omega since Ro smelled no fear coming from him. Instead, he came bounding over to rub under Roman’s neck and lick and nip at his muzzle before taking off with Ro right behind him.
They ran together for a while, and it was amazing, just romping through the woods and playing. When they came to a clearing, Ro slowed and walked across with Ollie close to his side. They found a small stream on the far edge of the space and drank deeply before lying down to rest in the soft grass. Although he let his little mate drift off, Ro stayed awake, lost in watching the wolf the goddess had blessed him with.
He was standing here in wolf form with his mate. He could never have imagined it, and even if he had, Ro knew he would never have done it justice. The next instant, when Ollie woke and looked over at Ronin, he couldn’t help laughing, even though it came out more like a huff. Fuck, he was happy. He laughed even harder when Oliver stood up and ran into him, knocking him down again.
Ronin huffed again and then flipped Oliver over so that he was on top of him. As their eyes locked, he couldn’t help it, he nuzzled his mate. That was when Ro decided it was time to shift back.
Ollie must have had the same thought because they both shifted almost at the same time. Then it was just the two of them, naked, with Ronin on top of his mate.
He held Ollie’s gaze and was about to ask if he was okay when his mate sealed their lips together in a kiss. Ronin rolled them over so he was beneath his mate, enjoying the feeling and warmth of Oliver’s body against his. Nothing had ever felt so good… so right.
Oliver got off him and stood there, and all he could do was look at his mate’s leaner body. Ro felt his mate’s eyes on him as he stood up, and watched as Oliver’s eyes widened when he took in his naked body.
“And that’s how you do it,” Ronin said, even though his eyes were fixed on his mate.
Oliver nodded, his eyes going between Ronin’s face and his hardening cock. His mate moved closer to him, and Ro made sure to stay still, letting Ollie make all the moves.
When their bodies pressed together, Ro put his arms around Ollie’s waist and lowered his head for another kiss. He sank into the kiss and slipped his fingers up the back of Ollie’s neck and into his hair. As he deepened the kiss further, he swept the inside of his mate’s mouth with his tongue, tasting him.
As they made out, standing between the trees in the woods, Ronin ran his hands down Ollie’s sides, kissing him like his life depended on it.
Oliver pulled back slightly, his heavy-lidded gaze on Ronin, and he watched his mate’s lips curve in a smile. Oliver shook his head and let out a sigh. “Wow, I’ve never felt like this before. It’s like I think of you constantly, even when I’m near you. It’s a craving. I feel like I’m on fire for you.” Oliver shook his head again. “I don’t want to give up this feeling. Not ever.”
Ronin frowned at his mate’s words, and then breathed in Oliver’s scent and paid attention to his mate’s temperature in his arms.
Ronin slipped his fingers around Oliver’s neck and massaged him slowly. “I think you’re going into heat, baby.”
Oliver had burrowed into his chest, but at Ronin’s words, he leaned back. “Heat? Like a dog kind of heat?” It was obvious Oliver had never experienced a heat before.
Ronin chuckled. “Not like a dog. Like a wolf... like an omega.” He frowned. “I guess being around me threw you into heat.”
