“He can?” August asked.
“If he wants,” Ryker said, trying to communicate that August should go along with his idea.
“I mean, yeah, he can.”
Dylan grinned, looking like Christmas had come early. He scooted out of the booth, tripping with excitement as he waited for August to follow him.
“I won’t use any teeth, I promise!”
“I’m sure you won’t,” August said, more befuddled than turned on. He let Dylan lead him toward the bathroom, looking back at Ryker with a searching gaze.
“I’ll tell you later,” Ryker said, when Dylan was out of hearing. “Just go easy on him. Nothing rough.”
August nodded and then turned his attention fully on Dylan. They walked down the hallway toward the bathrooms, disappearing from view.
“Want to tell me what that was all about?” Steve asked, putting an elbow on the table and leaning his back against the wall.
Ryker blew out a long breath. “Not really.”
Steve studied him, gaze moving from his face to the other side of the diner where Dylan and August had disappeared into the bathroom. A look of understanding suddenly flashed across his face.
“Wait, is he turning omega?”
Ryker winced, the wordomegamaking a confused mess of feelings well up inside of him. Shame, that he’d missed the early warning signs, regret, at what this meant for Dylan, and most of all, a curling, wicked sort of satisfaction that made him feel like the worst sort of person.
“I’m really trying not to jump to that conclusion.” Ryker leaned forward on his elbows and buried his head in his hands. He glanced at Steve out of the corner of his eyes. “Maybe he was just horny?”
Steve sucked a breath in through his teeth. “Horny enough to drink piss when it’s not something he’s into?”
Ryker slumped down, furious with himself. Dylan smelling so good should have tipped him off that this could happen. It was rare for humans to turn omega – the odds right up there with winning the lottery or getting struck by lightning – but he should have considered the possibility.
Humans only turned omega when they were having sex with more than one alpha, and Ryker should have kept in mind the possibility when he and August started fucking him like rabbits.
“Do you think there’s still time to wean him off it?” he asked, lifting his head and looking to Steve for answers.
“I don’t know,” Steve said, turning in his seat. He mirrored Ryker’s pose, leaning forward on his elbows. “I mean… If he’s craving sex, the process must be pretty far along. I’ve never heard of anyone reversing it.”
Ryker resisted the urge to slam his fist down on the table.
“Are you going to tell him?” Steve asked, his voice careful.
Ryker barked out an angry laugh. “I think he’s going to notice the fact that he’s addicted to our come, so yeah, I’ll probably have to mention it.”
“Right.”
Steve nudged him with his shoulder. “It’s not like you did this on purpose, and you haven’t given him a claiming bite. All the stories I’ve heard about making omegas say that you have to bite the human you’re trying to turn for it to work.”
Ryker had forgotten that detail, but it didn’t make him feel better. It didn’t change anything about what was happening to Dylan.
“You think it might be something else?” He leaned back, keeping one hand on the table. He drummed his fingers against the side of his glass as he waited for Steve to answer.
“Maybe?” Steve leaned back as well, their shoulders touching. “I mean, could it be a bonding thing?”
“How do you mean?”
“Well, you’re well on your way to claiming him, right? Could this be happening because you haven’t finished the process and given him a claiming bite?”
Hope flared in Ryker’s chest. “Have you heard of that happening?”
