Rohan
Curse the moon! Why did his omega have to be so brave?
Edrik clung to the broken half of the board as three omegas worked to heave it out of the water. But Briar? Where was he?
Rohan’s heart pounded in his chest as he felt everything he loved slipping away from him. Then, just down the river, Briar’s head bobbed up to the surface. He’d grabbed on to the other half of the broken plank which was being carried downstream quickly.
Rohan plunged into the water, too driven by adrenaline to think of what he was doing. He had to get to his omega. He had to save him.
The roar of the river overwhelmed his hearing, and he could barely see as he swam toward the helpless little dot clinging to the floating wood for dear life. Weeds and debris tangled around Rohan’s arms and legs, but he pulled free. He was close enough now to see the terrified look on Briar’s face as the water pummeled him. Then their eyes met and relief spread across Briar’s features. Rohan’s heart leapt in his chest. Despite everything, his omega still trusted him. If he could show Briar that he was worthy of his love, they could have a future again.
He grabbed hold of Briar’s waist with one arm and began fighting his way to the shallows. His strength felt magnified by the hope he’d been given. Briar wrapped his trembling arms around Rohan, sending a surge of protectiveness through the alpha as he battled the choppy water.
Finally his feet sank into slick mud and he stumbled forward, collapsing onto the bank, clutching his mate to his chest. Briar took deep breaths, his entire body shaking. Rohan wanted to be angry at him for risking both his life and their child’s, but he could only hug Briar tight, kissing every inch of wet skin he could find.
Omegas gathered around them, helping them to rise out of the mud. Peregwin’s cheeks were streaked with tears as he embraced them both. Rohan couldn’t bring himself to let go of Briar, even as concerned faces pressed in on them. He held on tight to Briar’s hand, and Briar held his right back. The bond he felt with Briar was overwhelming in that moment, taking over all his senses. But they didn’t have time to sit and gaze into one another’s eyes all day.
“Are you okay?” Rohan asked, nuzzling Briar’s neck.
Briar nodded. “Just winded.”
He put his hands to Briar’s growing belly, and felt their pup kick against his touch. Relief washed over him. Their child was a fighter, just like Briar.
“Let’s keep moving,” Briar said with determination.
An old omega wrinkled his brow as he looked up and down Briar’s soaked frame. “Are you su—”
“I’m fine.” He cut off the omega mid-sentence, wiping his face. “Let’s shift and get moving.”
Rohan stayed by Briar’s side as they ran through the wild woods, surrounded by other wolves. There was a change in his mate’s attitude toward him. Every now and then, Briar would glance at Rohan, and the love in his eyes couldn’t be more clear.
Rohan caught one of these glances as they crossed a grassland dotted with pink and yellow flowers, and Briar looked away quickly. An amused happiness spread through Rohan. His omega was a terrible flirt.
There was a connection between them again. Rohan wasn’t sure what had happened in that frozen river that had changed his omega’s feelings, but he could feel the glow radiating off his mate.
When they finally stopped to rest and eat in the evening, Rohan’s heart was lighter than it had been in over a week. Omegas were setting up makeshift beds and feeding their pups in the dying sunlight, and Briar came up to Rohan, still naked from shifting, with a shy look on his face.
“You’re going to have to stop looking at me like that,” Rohan said with an affectionate growl. “You look way too sexy when you play coy.”
Briar’s bashfulness turned into a grin. “I thought I looked sexy all the time.”
Rohan grabbed him by the waist and pulled him into his body.”
Good moon that felt right, having his lover’s bare skin pressed up against him. Briar buried his face in the crook of Rohan’s neck and exhaled a soft sigh. Rohan didn’t dare ask Briar if he’d forgiven him. He would just take this moment for what it was.
He ran his hands over Briar’s belly, feeling large his slim frame had grown. He was only a third of the way to delivery, and already he had a sweet bump swelling from his abdomen. He got that shy look again as Rohan caressed him lovingly.
“It feels so strange,” Briar said. “To have a little life moving inside of me.”
“You look so gorgeous.” Rohan gazed into Briar’s crystal blue eyes. “I couldn’t be more in love with you.”
Briar bit his lip, looked down, then pressed his hands over Rohan’s on his belly. “I love what we created.”
Rohan pulled Briar into his body and buried the omega’s face in his chest, his growing belly pressed against Rohan’s abdomen so that they could both feel the playful movements of their pup. As they drifted off to sleep, Rohan felt the slow rise and fall of Briar’s breathing, and the gentle kicks of their child.
***
Rohan woke to the moonlight. His cock was stiff, pressing against Briar’s thighs. He let out a quiet groan as he rutted against his mate’s soft skin. He didn’t want to wake Briar, but the pressure of his arousal was torture.
To his relief, Briar’s eyes slowly fluttered open and a smile spread across his face.
“Is sex the only thing you think about?” he murmured, pressing against Rohan’s hard cock.
“When you’re around? Yes.”
Briar laughed softly and kissed Rohan tenderly on the lips. The whole world disappeared as he tasted his mates sweet mouth, listened to his gentle moans, and ran his hands over his soft skin. Just as things were about to go further, Briar pulled away.
“There’s something I want to give to you.”
Rohan held in his groan of disappointment as Briar moved to root through his running bag, pulling out something that glistened in the moonlight. Rohan immediately recognized the necklace, and his heart did a small leap as Briar pressed it into his hand.
Rohan shook his head. “I still don’t deserve this.”
“You know, when I was in the river, I was so terrified,” Briar said, putting his hand in Rohan’s. “But I knew, without a doubt, that you were going to save me.”
Rohan’s chest thudded against his chest.
“You’re my mate—and nothing will ever change that.”
When Briar fastened the crystal around Rohan’s neck, happiness overflowed in him until it was almost painful how much love he felt. They came together again, their breaths synchronizing as they lost themselves in pure emotion. Briar’s moans filled the moonlit night as Rohan expressed with touch everything that he’d held back. All the need, all the love, every possessive feeling came out as he teased Briar to climax over and over. When he finally slid inside his mate’s tight heat, Briar was whimpering for him. Rohan held him tight to his chest as he thrust into him, slowly at first, but as he lost himself in pleasure, his rhythm became faster, harder.
Briar moaned out each time Rohan slammed into his tight little ass. Each shudder of his mate’s body drove Rohan out of his mind with arousal. He loved how responsive Briar was to his touch, how he always seemed to crave more. Rohan hoped he would always be there to give it to him.
Briar let out a choked moan, clearly trying to say something between Rohan’s hard thrusts, but his words came out choppy. The only thing Rohan caught was, “... love you.”
He gripped Briar’s chest, feeling his necklace there as he lost himself, releasing wave after wave into his omega’s body. They just stayed like that, the sweat cooling on their skin. Neither wanted to move and break that feeling of connection.
Rohan was still achingly hard, feeling like he could never get enough of his mate. He began sliding in and out again, loving how his release made Briar’s entrance so slick. He wrapped his arms around Briar and groaned into his ear, “I hope you like being pregnant—because I don’t know how I’ll ever get enough of this.”