Chapter Twenty-Seven
Since they’d rescued Griffin from Nathan Beaumont’s party, Beau had been feeling extra protective of the omega. He assumed, now that Griffin was home and safe, that the feelings would return to normal. Only they didn’t. If anything, as the days passed, they ramped up. He didn’t want to leave Griffin’s side, even to go work with Mark on whatever new project the beta had started. At first, he managed to keep a lid on it, enough that Griffin didn’t notice. But, as it got worse and his need to be close to the omega intensified, it started to spiral.
It all came to a head in the kitchen of all places, when Griffin was leaning against the counter drinking a cup of coffee while Beau sat at the table eating a bowl of oatmeal. It was early, and they were alone but not for long. Quinn waltzed into the room, offered them a rushed good morning and started searching the cupboards and fridge. Beau didn’t know what he was looking for but that wasn’t the problem. The problem was how he kept brushing up against his omega. When it happened for a third time, he pushed to his feet with a low growl.
“Don’t you touch him.”
Quinn went still and turned to look his way, eyes wide. Next to him, Griffin froze, cup halfway to his mouth.
“Beau?” he questioned.
But Beau’s attention was all on the other alpha who was still too close. He stalked right up to him, growling again.
“What’s wrong?” Quinn asked, his eyes flicking to Griffin.
“Stay away,” Beau growled, crowding him. “He’s mine.”
“Beau.” Griffin’s voice was sharp enough to cut through the haze of anger enveloping him. “Let Quinn go.”
It was only then he realized his hands were fisted in Quinn’s T-shirt.
“Beau,” the omega said again. “Quinn is no threat. He and I aren’t compatible. Let him go.”
Griffin’s hand was on his shoulder, his scent surrounding him. Beau let go of Quinn and pushed Griffin behind him, backing the two of them across the kitchen until they were out of Quinn’s reach.
There were footsteps behind them, and he glanced around to see Mark in the doorway. He pushed Griffin against the wall, putting himself between the omega and the others.
“What’s up?” Mark asked.
“Beats me,” Quinn said, his arms folded.
“Quinn, go find somewhere else to be,” Griffin said, his voice still sharp.
“Aye-aye, Captain,” the alpha threw out, being careful to leave as much distance between them as possible as he left the room.
Mark watched him go, turning back to them.
“What was that all about?” he asked, taking a step into the room. Beau growled again and pushed Griffin closer to the wall. The omega’s hands pressed against his shoulders, their grip hard.
“Beau, stop this. Now.”
“No one touches you,” he told the omega.
Mark’s eyes went wide at that. “Griffin?”
“Let’s just… take this slowly,” the omega said. “Beau, why don’t we sit down at the table.”
“No.”
He had to protect his omega.
It wasn’t the sudden shift in behavior that it looked like. When Griffin thought about it, Beau had been stuck to him like glue since he’d been rescued. They’d barely been apart for more than a few minutes at a time. And now this. What had prompted this? Beau had been brought so close to the edge by what Nathan had done. Was he losing it, was he going feral again?
“Beau?”
If only he could get Beau to calm down, to sit down, to look at him.
“Beau, please.”
He softened his voice, entreating the alpha to look at him. It worked, Beau turning slowly to face him.
The look on Beau’s face was far from feral. Oh, this was something else entirely.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
The alpha reached for him. “You’re mine. I won’t let them touch you.”
“No one is touching me,” he soothed. “I’m your omega, you know that.”
Beau nodded, almost frantic, his hands reaching to hold him. Griffin let him, hoping it might ground and reassure him.
“Let’s go back to our rooms,” he said, turning toward the door. Mark moved out of their way, and they stepped out into the corridor. Ronan was there.
“Quinn sent me. What’s going on?”
The sight of Ronan didn’t seem to have the same effect as Quinn, probably because he was a bonded alpha. Still, Beau’s posture made it very clear Ronan wasn’t getting anywhere near them.
“I think,” Griffin said quietly, “something is going on with Beau. He doesn’t seem to want to leave my side or want anyone else touching me. And he seems to like touching me a lot right now.”
As he said it, Beau had an arm around his waist, his other hand holding the sleeve of Griffin’s sweater. Beau’s eyes were watching Ronan cautiously but at the same time, he was scenting Griffin.
Ronan seemed to contemplate his words while giving Beau a long, measured look.
“Beau, how are you feeling right now?” His voice was calm, measured, and… understanding.
“I need him,” Beau said simply, leaning in to inhale Griffin’s scent.
“I know what that feels like,” Ronan said. “Have you ever been in rut before?”
Beau’s grip on Griffin’s sleeve loosened. “Fighters don’t go into rut. The scars stop that happening.”
“That’s what I thought too, but I’ve got to say, this looks and sounds like you’re on the verge of an alpha rut. It can be a lot to handle if you’ve never gone through one before.”
Griffin twisted to look at Beau again. Could that be it? The alpha was thrumming with energy, with tension, and his hand was still wrapped around Griffin’s waist, fingers gripping tightly.
Ronan was speaking again, his tone level, voice even.
“Beau, I need to talk to Griffin alone for a moment. We can stay in the kitchen, and you can step outside into the hallway. I won’t touch Finn, I give you my word.”
Beau looked to him, desperation in his face.
“It’ll be fine, Beau, I promise,” he soothed. “I’m not going anywhere, I’ll stay right where you leave me, and you can be just outside the door.”
The alpha swallowed hard and, with effort, removed his arm from around Griffin’s waist. His hands found Griffin’s shoulders, moving him back through the door. Mark was hovering nearby but, as soon as the door was clear, he hurried out. Beau guided Griffin toward the table, urging him into a seat. Then he crouched, his hands on Griffin’s knees. Griffin rested his hands on Beau’s, smiling down at the alpha as he waited for Beau to speak.
“I’ll be right outside,” Beau promised, before getting to his feet. He gave Ronan a long, searching look, a hint of a growl under his breath.
Ronan held both his hands up, palms out.
“I’m no threat to you or Finn, you know that. Noah and Kieran are upstairs waiting for me.”
Beau nodded once and stalked to the door, stepping outside. Ronan followed him as far as the threshold, pushing the door over but not closing it. Then he moved to lean against the counter, sharing a look with Griffin.
“Do you really think he’s in rut?” he wondered.
“Yeah,” Ronan said quietly. “I do. I’ve seen that look in the mirror before. Quinn clocked the same thing. We’ve had our spats when one of us has gone into rut unexpectedly. So, I guess, the question is… what do we do about it?”
Griffin paused, feeling his eyes growing wide. “We?”
“Yeah. Do you want to move him to the cottage or keep him in the house? We’ll have to keep a guard on him until he’s over it-”
He held up a hand. “Ro, Beau’s my alpha. I plan on him getting through this with me, in my bed.”
Ronan looked down. “I was afraid you were going to say that. Finn, I don’t think it’s safe. He’s never been through a rut before. At his age, were he a normal alpha, he’d have gone through half a dozen. We don’t know what going through something like that after so long without will do. We have no idea how he’ll react. What if he loses control? What if it’s too much for him and he turns feral? What if he hurts you, snaps your neck in a fit of emotion?”
There was a howl from outside, and the door was flung open, Beau standing on the threshold.
“No!” He fell to his knees, his eyes finding Griffin’s. They were haunted. “Never.”
Griffin went to him, going to his knees in front of the alpha.
“I know that,” he soothed. “Ro is just worried, that’s all. He’s our friend, and he worries. I know you wouldn’t hurt me.”
“Not ever,” Beau insisted, tears in his eyes. The haunted look hadn’t dimmed, and there was something under it, something deeper, there and gone in a flash. Beau was very afraid of hurting him. If they were to do this his way, Griffin would have to make sure that didn’t happen.
Taking a breath, he turned back to Ronan, knowing all too well the concern he’d see in his friend’s face.
“I’m taking Beau to my rooms. No one in or out until this is over.”
“We put a guard on the doors. And you keep a phone by your bedside.”
“Agreed.” Small concessions to make if they made Ronan feel better about the whole thing.
Looking back to Beau, he placed a hand on the alpha’s shoulder.
“Ready to go upstairs?”
“Is Ronan right? Is it not safe?”
“We can make it safe,” Griffin promised. “You and me. Trust me.”
That got him a soft smile. “I trust you, always.”
Griffin got to his feet and held out a hand. Beau’s hand clasped his firmly as he stood, tugging Griffin to him and wrapping an arm around him. His nose pressed into Griffin’s neck, scenting hard.
“You smell like mine,” the alpha rumbled.
“I’m yours,” Griffin promised. “I’m yours.”