“Mate. Joha …” Nathan’s mouth is open wide, tongue running restlessly over his teeth. He lurches upward toward her.
“Don’t bite Johanna!” I bark, even as Dan pushes past me.
“No bite Johanna.” Nathan’s voice is as husky as hers, but with a possessive note; as his gazes meets, his lips pull back in a snarl. “Mine.”
My alpha wants to growl the same right back at him.Mine first!I clench my hands, nails digging into my palms, as I resist. One alpha in rut is already too many. There’s not much need for ruts these days—except maybe for a packless alpha mated to an omega needing to keep up through a heat.
Dan sits on the edge of the bed, wrapping an arm around Nathan’s shoulders and holding him. Nathan doesn’t resist, though he doesn’t settle against Dan either, and his eyes remain fixed on me.
Again, I’m left to follow Dan’s lead, picking up pieces and figuring out what to do in support. Dan murmurs softly to Nathan, the rumble of his purr making his words harder to hear at a distance.His hands run over Nathan, gently checking his eyes, skin, muscle tone, or whatever else indicates how far along Nathan might be in rut.
Johanna takes advantage of Nathan’s focus on me to sit up. Her shoulder heave, though her hands still hold Nathan’s mostly erect cock. The head is a deep purple slowly lightening toward russet brown.
I head for the bathroom. When I return with a glass of water, the scene has only shifted slightly. Nathan has moved to the center of the bed, leaning against pillows. A damp outline on the counterpane beside him indicates his previous position. Dan sits next to him, still holding Nathan—restraining him, in fact, for Nathan’s gaze has shifted back to Johanna. He’s panting and licking his lips, and his cock has returned to full erection, with drops of pre-cum shining at the top.
Johanna’s standing at the foot of the bed. Hissing, she rubs the back of her calves and thighs. “I’m too old to present for verylong anymore—so don’t get any bright ideas about an orgy with me like that anytime soon.”
Her lips are dry, voice still husky. When she sees the glass in my hand, she brightens, then grabs and drains it in one go.
I keep them coming; three refills for her, followed by two for Nathan.
By this point, Dan has rolled up his sleeves, bracing Nathan’s shoulders with his forearms. Dan’s midnight-forest perfume strengthens, despite the heavy layer of Nathan’s snuffed candle. Dan’s knuckles turn white where he holds Nathan back. More cum glistens on the tip of Nathan’s cock, a thin strand dripping down the side, and he’s mumbling “mate” and “mine” over and over.
Johanna strokes Nathan’s leg, but that only makes him shiver all over, eyes gleaming, and tongue running over his teeth.
“We’ve got a couple of options.” Dan catches my eye, then turns very deliberately to Johanna. “We can tie him up and wait it out. Or keep him restrained and call the Alpha Center for help, though they may push the call over to the nearest hospital. Getting the Center or the hospital involved will put this on Nathan’s permanent medical record and likely trigger at least a cursory investigation, in addition to required medical clearances that could impact his legal standing.” The tight set to Dan’s jaw suggests he’s had to deal with bureaucracy and clearances too often.
“Got it.”
No reaction from Nathan to these possibilities. He continues staring at Johanna and licking his teeth.
“Alternatively, some doctors make private house calls in cases like this”—Dan grimaces—“but they’re not cheap and might be hard to get hold of on a Friday afternoon.”
“How long will it take to wear off?” Johanna asks.
“Any of those will take hours, unless we get lucky with the first doctor we try, and the doctor can prescribe something your local pharmacy has in stock.” Dan shrugs. “Most pharmacies carry some, other than the over-the-counter stuff, which is mostly junk. I keep supplemental pills with me at all times, but I’m not comfortable giving them to Nathan without knowing anything of his medical history.”
“What else?” I ask, staring at him and willing him to continue, because the way he’s framing this suggests he’s got something in mind.
“I think he’s still in a shallow enough rut that we might be able to break him out with the right stimulus.” Dan rubs Nathan’s shoulder, and the prone man shivers.
Or hisalphadoes. I need to remember Nathan’s not in control. He’s at the mercy of his instinctive self—who’s currently focused on confirming connection with his perceived mate and protecting her against any and all threats.
Just as well Nathan’s alpha seems to consider me a danger, but not Dan.
The scent of Nathan’s arousal increases. He shifts his hips restlessly, hands fisting and opening as Dan holds him back. Johanna, still at the foot of the bed and as fidgety as Nathan, is the focus of his stare.
“Who is she?” Dan whispers to Nathan, not a bark, but carrying an edge of command.
Nathan manages barely half of Johanna’s name in response.
“All right. I’ll bite.” My gaze flickers back and forth between the three. “What’s the stimulus needed?”
“The smell of Johanna coming.”
Johanna jerks, elbows pinning tight against her sides as her mouth forms a round O. She’s still shirtless, so it’s clearly visible when she pales, then flushes from cheeks to breasts.
I only nod; it makes a twisted—yet right—kind of sense.
