Chapter Eleven
Felix
By the time we were done helping to birth the calf, who was named Elsie, appropriately, my omega was dead on his feet. At three in the morning, Clive was still talking about the dairy industry and milk prices over his second piece of chocolate cake while Locus swayed next to me.
“Clive, I’d better be going. My mate is not going to last much longer.”
Clive chuckled and shook my hands, well washed after birthing a calf, and handed me a to-go plate with almost half a cake.
“I’m fine,” Locus protested with his hand on my arm. He’d touched me several times during the night and when I looked up at him, he smiled at me like I’d just handpicked a star and given it to him for Christmas.
As we drove home, I held his hand. He was losing steam as we rode. He’d had a big day. Maybe I should’ve let him stay home and rest, but it was too new. My fox needed him near—always near me.
“Come over here, love. Fall asleep on me. You’re too far away.”
Locus rubbed his eyes and nodded, unbuckled his seat belt and scooted over then buckled the middle seat belt. Trucks with bench seats for the win. “You still have business to attend to,” he joked, lying on my shoulder and putting one of his hands on my thigh.
I laughed, intending to answer him. He was tired. I was exhausted. And the night’s events weren’t exactly foreplay. He deserved a romantic night and a long, slow dessert, and I intended to give him just that.
But I heard a soft snore and knew my words would be lost.
As he sat next to me, I allowed myself to delve into his mind while he dreamed. I expected visions of him running, or us, together, not running. I got the best gift when none of those were true.
His dream was filled with us together, but only blips of time, not a continuous moment like I dreamed. One moment was us together sitting on a porch swing, wrapped in each other’s arms, a heavy blanket keeping us insulated from the cold—snow surrounded the ground around my home. In seconds, the scene had changed and I gasped. My omega’s belly was swollen with a babe, our babe, and he stood in a sunlit nursery, folding those little baby outfits.
There were more, but I pulled myself from his thoughts. I wanted some surprises, not that his dreams were necessarily our future, but if I was to know his fantasies, I wanted to hear them of his own volition, from his sweet, full mouth.
I finally arrived back at my home and even with cutting the engine to the truck and opening the door, my omega didn’t stir. I got out and pulled him from the cab, picking him up in much the same way I had earlier intended to get him to the bedroom and maneuvered us both inside. I barely made it up the stairs. I was as drained as he was.
He called out my name, as I laid him in bed, and opened his eyes just a little. “Don’t leave me.”
My chest constricted with the pain and desperation I heard in his tone. I’d do anything never to hear that again.
“I’m going to shower. Right there.” I pointed to the bathroom. “Then I’m in this bed with you. I promise, my love.”
He held onto my hand for a few more seconds before nodding and let me go. I made my shower quick but thorough. There was nothing in the world I wanted more than to be wrapped around my new mate’s body in the shelter of our bedroom.
For once, I didn’t have to sleep alone.
I wouldn’t ever be alone again.
With a towel wrapped around my waist, I walked back into the bedroom to see Locus sitting up in the bed, reading one of my vet magazines. “I thought you were asleep.”
He shrugged. “Turns out this omega can’t sleep anymore without you near. I hope that’s not a problem.”
A smile tugged at one corner of his face. He was teasing me.
“It’s not a problem at all. Your alpha needs you just as much. Know that, Locus. As much as you needed me, I need you.”
“Mate me,” he whispered and though I wanted to, I could also feel the pull of his exhaustion.
“Not tonight. But soon, I promise. We’ve had a long night and we both need rest. I want you awake when I take you.”
He nodded with a pout on his face.
No, not the pout.
I got into the bed next to him and he didn’t move. Even without reaching into his mind, I knew his self-doubt was creeping in.
“Take off all those clothes and get over here.”
He stood and slowly, with his eyes on mine, took off his baggy clothes and then got under the covers.
“I said over here. I want you in my arms all night.”
He smiled and scooted over, putting his back against my chest, but not close enough. I wrapped my arm around his waist and pulled him closer so that his ass was flush against my groin and our legs were tangled together.
I took the moment to kiss his neck and along his shoulder while my omega breathed in a constant pace, putting me to sleep.
“Felix,” he murmured. “Am I yours?”
I pulled him even closer and wrapped my leg around his hips. “You are mine forever. I’m going to take care of you and protect you and keep you safe for the rest of my life. And if you want, I’m going to put plenty of babies inside you.”
He turned abruptly and looked me dead in the eye. “You want babies with me?”
In the dark, with the fainted amount of moonlight peeking through the curtains, I took his face in my hands while he moved in closer so we were chest to chest. “Locus, I love you already. And I want everything with you—mating, babies, family, grandchildren—all of it. If that’s okay with you.”
With my thumb, I swiped a tear from his eye. “You don’t want to carry my babies? It doesn’t have to happen soon. You can work or go to school or just stay home or come work with me. But one day I hope to have a baby in here—or three—or seven. Whatever.”
We both chuckled, but I waited for his answer. Whatever my omega would say next would make me or break me.
“I want your babies. I’ve wasted enough of my life. And now that I’ve found you—or you found me, I’m not throwing away another second. Sleep, my alpha, then we’re gonna work on all that babymaking.”
I nodded and with my omega’s face laying against my chest, I fell into a deep sleep.