Chapter Twenty-Four
Jethro
We were nearing the end of my eight weeks of leave. A noise woke me and I found Miles shifting restlessly next to me. Switching on the bedside lamp, I saw him shivering and whimpering. Another nightmare.
We were no strangers to them though they were sporadic. He never wanted to speak about them afterward. I guessed they were about what he’d been through at the Center.
“Miles,” I whispered. He continued to twist and turn, the noises he made getting more frantic.
“Miles.” I laid the palm of my hand on the side of his face. His eyes snapped open.
“Easy. That’s it. It’s Jethro. You’re safe, I promise.”
He whimpered again and rolled onto his side away from me. His shoulders shook with silent sobs.
“I wish you’d talk to me. It would help, I’m sure of it.”
He didn’t reply, but I wasn’t expecting an answer. Instead, I climbed out of bed to grab an extra blanket, covering him with it. He grabbed hold of it, pulling it tightly against him and shivering. I slipped under the blanket, pressing against his back. With another sob, he turned and burrowed his face into the curve of my neck.
“I don’t want to go back,” he whispered.
“Back?”
“If I don’t get pregnant by the deadline.”
“You’re never going back, I promise you that. I’m not letting you go. Even if I have to sneak us both out of the country.”
I’d been putting a lot of thought into it. I knew it was possible for us to get out and there were plenty of people who’d be willing to help us.
“You’d abandon the clan?”
“Without you, there is no clan.”
His face was still pressed to me.
“I’m yours and you’re mine, remember?”
He nodded against me, clutching tightly to my arms.
“I dream about being in the dark and hands touching me. And it’s cold, so cold.” He shivered again and I wrapped my arms more firmly around him.
“You’re not there,” I murmured. “You’ll never be back there again, I promise.”
“But what about the others?” he whispered.
“Others?”
“The ones who’ll come online in the South now that we’re bonded.”
I’d been thinking about that, too. We needed new approaches. What worked for me wasn’t going to work again, I was sure of that. But I was also determined to change things for the Alphas and Omegas who came after us.
“We’re going to work on that. Blaise is already making plans. He has connections to some of the groups that smuggle Omegas across the border.”
“How would we help?”
“Money, support, and a safe haven when they get here.”
Miles finally pulled away enough to meet my eyes.
“Do you think that will make a difference?”
I cupped his cheek, using my thumb to wipe the tears away.
“I think it will.”
He gave me a weak smile, leaning into my hand.
More than ever, I wished I wasn’t going to be gone overseas in a matter of weeks. I wasn’t leaving Miles alone exactly, not with the growing clan we lived with, but I still worried about him not having the support I could give him. Not to mention that the separation would further decrease our chances of conception. I forced those thoughts to the back of my mind. They were worries that would keep until tomorrow.
“Come on, there’s still hours until dawn. Let’s try to get some rest.”
Miles nodded, cuddled closer, and shut his eyes.
We had some surprise visitors the following day.
“Jonathan!” Miles rushed passed me and hugged him. Jonathan had called to visit a few times and he and Miles spoke on the phone every few days. He was fast becoming a close friend of Miles’ and I was glad of that. He’d need friends when I was gone.
I was surprised to see Grant, Jonathan’s Alpha, with him. He’d always visited us alone.
“Grant, it’s good to see you again.”
“Jethro, congratulations on your bond, and the clan. About time,” Grant said.
“Sorry to turn up without warning. We’d been planning to come up next week but Grant’s leave got shifted around,” Jonathan added.
I wracked my brain. Grant wasn’t in a peacekeeping unit, he was with the Foreign Affairs department, protecting our diplomats and ambassadors.
“Well, we’re happy to see you either way. Please, come on in.”
They joined us for coffee. I knew why they were here and felt no need to beat about the bush.
“So, when are you moving into the estate?”
Jonathan choked on a mouthful of coffee. Grant patted his back as he set down his cup.
“That obvious, is it?” Grant asked with a grin.
“You’d be more than welcome. We have plenty of room in the main house and there are houses and cottages available if you want your own space.”
“Just like that?” Grant asked.
“Exactly like that,” I said. Miles placed his hand over mine, nodding. “We can give you a tour if you like?”
Grant wrapped an arm around Jonathan. “I’d like that very much. We both would.”
Two days later, Miles and I took a walk around the grounds. There was a patch of woodland behind the main house, with a small stream running through it. It had shade, and there was a cool breeze blowing. Miles and I walked hand in hand along a very overgrown path through the trees.
“Let’s go sit on the rocks and get our feet wet,” I suggested. The day was fast growing hot and not even the breeze was enough to keep us comfortable.
The rock was warm, so we shed our shirts and stretched out on it. Miles lay on his stomach next to the stream, trailing his hand through the water.
“It’s so beautiful here. It reminds me of the mountain and our secret cave,” he said.
“Maybe we’ll go back there someday,” I suggested.
“I think I’d like that.”
I ran my hand down Miles’ back, along his spine. He arched into my touch then rolled onto his side to face me. I caught him around the waist, afraid he’d fall into the water, and urged him closer to me.
I kissed him and he sighed against me. “Could we…” he started to say, then stopped, blushing.
Listening, I searched for anyone wandering nearby who might come across us. The benefits of bonding meant my senses were growing steadily more acute, hearing being no exception. There was no one around, just us and the slow rolling of the water.
“We could,” I said with a grin. “We will.”
With gentle hands, I helped him strip off his pants and boxers, then kicked off my own. He straddled my waist eagerly.
“There’s no rush, no one’s around,” I assured him. My next words were lost in a long groan as he sank down onto me, his tight, wet heat surrounding me.
He closed his eyes, his face an expression of pure bliss. I rested my hands against him, feeling the press of his palms against my chest.
With a smile, Miles opened his eyes and began to move, my hands on his hips urging him on. His lips fell open and he moved faster, riding me to completion.
I came with a groan and Miles followed a moment later, throwing his head back in ecstasy. My hands ran up along his flank before urging him down to lie against me so we were chest to chest.
“I’ll never get tired of that,” he promised with a smile.
“Neither will I.”
I pressed a kiss to his cheek, nudging my nose against his hair. I loved the scent of him, I’d happily drink it in every day, sweet and… I took a deeper breath, noticing something different, an undertone that hadn’t been there before.
Smiling, I kissed him again, stroking a hand down his back. If I was right, I had a surprise for him.