Chapter Twenty-Four
Max couldn’t believe his luck. He’d thought, during all those years he’d spent in the forest, that he would always be alone. If someone had told him, had hinted, that there might be a future where he’d be sharing his bed with an omega, he’d never have believed them, and yet there Michael was.
The omega stretched out, his skin glistening, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. He was beautiful, indescribably so to Max’s eyes.
Michael reached for him like Max was the only thing he wanted.
He climbed onto the bed, straddling the omega, taking Michael’s hands in his.
“Do you need a break?” he teased.
“No,” Michael said hoarsely. “I need you.”
“Then you have me.”
He leaned over, bracing himself on his hands so they could kiss. Michael’s arms wrapped around his neck, keeping him close while the omega deepened the kiss.
“I love you,” Max murmured, unable to hide his feelings.
“I love you, too” the omega whispered. “I love everything about you. And I love you more for what you’ve just given me. I didn’t know it could be like that. I never imagined.”
Max chuckled. “That was just the foreplay. We haven’t even got to the main event.”
Michael’s arms released him, settling back on the bed. He stared into Max’s eyes as if trying to memorize them. Lifting his hand, he pressed it to the alpha’s cheek.
“Can I touch you?”
Max leaned in to kiss his wrist. “You are touching me. And yes. I’m yours just as much as you are mine.”
The omega smiled up at him, the pads of his fingers tracing Max’s collar bones before drifting lower, down along his chest, pressing against his abdomen, and circling his navel. Michael’s eyes followed his hand, going wide as he dipped lower, his fingers just brushing against Max’s hard shaft.
Max’s eyes closed as the omega’s touch returned, less tentative, more confident, fingers wrapping firmly around him.
“How does it feel?”
“Like heaven,” he murmured.
He was quickly succumbing to his rut, his desire nothing more than to press Michael against the mattress and leave the omega in no doubt of his feelings.
“Your scent, it’s… primal,” Michael whispered. “Not man, not animal. Something more.”
He sank back against the bed, letting his limbs sprawl across the mattress, hitching his legs a little wider: a clear invitation.
Max sat back on his haunches, running his hands down Michael’s thighs to his knees. He gently urged the omega’s legs further apart, bending his knees and pressing them toward his abdomen. Michael was pliable, shifting at the gentlest of touches, trusting of every move Max made.
“Like this?” the omega asked, looking down at their bodies.
“So I can see your eyes and you can see mine.”
“But the bite…” Michael started to straighten his legs, looking up at him beseechingly.
“Will happen, love. But it’s part of the mating, not the start.”
He gently pressed the omega’s knees back, leaning over to coax him into another kiss. And got thoroughly distracted by Michael’s mouth, teasing the omega’s tongue with his, stealing kiss after kiss until Michael was a panting, writhing mess of passion and need, moaning into his mouth.
They pulled apart like they’d been glued together, reluctance in every inch of space they put between their lips. His hands went to Michael’s thighs, urging them wider as he slipped a hand between their bodies. His fingers found the omega wet for him, and he felt a heady rush of gratification at the clear sign of their passion. He eased one finger inside, the omega’s body yielding for him, tight and hot. A second finger pressed alongside the first, and Michael shuddered beneath him.
“Okay?” he checked.
“Yeah,” Michael said breathlessly, his eyes on Max’s arm where it disappeared between them.
Gently, he pulled his fingers away, Michael whining at the emptiness left in their wake. But not for long.
Max wrapped a hand around his own cock, angled forward, and slowly pressed inside the omega.
Michael’s whine became a breathy moan.
“Oh. Ohh.” He went abruptly silent as Max bottomed out. The alpha stilled, watching the omega closely. Michael’s eyes were closed.
“Mike,” he questioned softly.
“Perfect,” the omega murmured, opening his eyes. “Every second, every inch.”
Max snorted, drawing out steadily, liking how the different sensations made the omega’s eyes go wide.
When he thrust back in, Michael called out wordlessly, his hands grabbing tight to the bedsheets. There was no mistaking his enjoyment.
“Harder,” the omega demanded. “Faster. I want to watch you lose control.”
Max almost refused, almost backed out, only for Michael to catch his hand, lacing their fingers together.
“I trust you,” the omega insisted. “I want to share this with you.”
Michael’s heat, his rut, coming together to form something sexy, beautiful, and full of passion.
Kissing the back of Michael’s hand, he gave in to his instincts, gave in to his rut. His thrusts became faster, firmer, and Michael loved it.
“Yes, Max. Harder. Like that. Yes.”
He found that sweet spot inside the omega, that shocked him silent when his cock bumped against it. Leaning forward, he changed the angle, deepening it and ensuring each thrust of his hips brushed that place inside Michael. The new position put them face to face, Michael leaning up to capture his mouth in a kiss. He missed his mark, lips just brushing the edge of Max’s mouth and his cheek, but neither of them minded.
Max could feel the orgasm building inside him, higher and higher as he pushed into Michael’s tight heat. Glancing down between their bodies, he marveled at how the omega’s body took in every inch of his length, yielding to his strength. And Michael had a strength all of his own, he could feel it in the way the omega tightened around him, heightening his pleasure and bringing his orgasm crashing down over him. After struggling with his rut, it was a heady sense of ecstasy, intensified by his days wrestling for control.
He bent his head, pressing his lips to Michael’s shoulder, tasting the sweet scent of the omega in heat. Beneath him, Michael stilled with a hoarse cry, coming hard against Max’s stomach, before flopping back against the bed with a deep sigh of contentment.
Max’s mind slowly cleared, and he lifted his head to peer down at the omega, taking in everything from the line of his body to the quirk of his lips. Every inch of Michael read contentment and satisfaction, mirroring his own feelings. Easing out, he reached down and rolled Michael onto his side, slipping behind him, pressing his chest to the omega’s back.
“You came alive in my arms,” he murmured, kissing the nape of Michael’s neck.
The omega shuddered and moaned, clasping tightly to Max’s arms as they slid around his waist.
“You woke me up,” the omega told him. “I was asleep, far away, cold and empty. And you woke me with a kiss.”
“Rest,” Max urged, “while you can. Round two won’t be far away.”
He pressed another kiss to Michael’s shoulder. “I love you.”
“You, too,” Michael mumbled, already mostly asleep.
It was only a few hours later when Max woke again. He was already hard, his erection pressing firmly against the omega’s hip. Michael was awake, glancing at him over his shoulder.
“Again?” he said, parting his legs as if in invitation.
“Are you sure?” Max asked. Just because he was ready to go didn’t mean the omega was.
Michael ground back against him, leaving him in no doubt of the omega’s readiness.
Slipping a hand behind Michael’s knee, he urged the omega to bend his leg up toward his chest.
“Nice and slow this time, hey? Vary the pace a little.”
They were both still sleepy, the sex an instinctual need overriding their urge to rest.
“Never had it slow. Or fast. Until you.”
Max didn’t read into that, but took an unhurried pace, pushing a finger inside the omega first, pleased when Michael pressed back against him with a contented hum, taking him deeper.
He rocked in with three slow thrusts, burying himself to the hilt within the omega’s welcoming heat. He couldn’t believe how tight he was after their first time. Wrapping one arm around the omega’s chest, he pulled Michael against him. The omega pushed his chin to his chest, stretching his neck invitingly. Max accompanied his slow, leisurely thrusts with long, drawn-out kisses over the nape of the omega’s neck. He didn’t rush it, bringing them to a slow crescendo. As they reached it, he let his hand drift downward, encircling Michael’s cock and stroking it in time with his thrusts. Timing was of the essence. He could feel his own release fast approaching but it was Michael’s that mattered.
Angling his hips, he surprised a cry from Michael’s throat.
“My omega,” he rumbled.
With one last stroke, Michael came, and Max bit down on his neck. The omega’s cry was all pleasure, loud and wanton. Max’s release took him by surprise, his arm tightening around Michael’s waist to hold close the omega he’d just claimed.
Michael twisted in his arms, desperation matched with eagerness. Their eyes met, Michael’s shining with shocked happiness.
“My alpha,” he purred, rubbing his cheek against Max’s. It was the first time the alpha had seen any outward sign of the cat hidden within.
They clung to each other, Michael settling against his chest with a joyful hum of contentment.
“Thank you.”
Michael lifted his head, surprised at Max’s words.
“Why?” the omega wanted to know.
“You weren’t the only one asleep. Something’s woken in both of us.”
He could feel it, he could see it. It was so tangible, he could almost stroke his hand across it. Was it love, that ethereal emotion that he’d known only at a distance or the mating bond now trilling through them both? Did it matter what it was so long as they had it?
“More sleep?” he asked.
“Food?” the omega countered but made no attempt to move.
“I guess, as alpha, that’s my job, huh?”
Michael made a noise of assent but clung tighter. Max chuckled.
“You know, if you want food, you have to let go.”
The omega just buried his face in the crook of Max’s neck. His chuckle became a quiet laugh as he wrapped his arms securely around the omega and lifted him into his arms.
Michael made a startled sound. “What are you—”
“If I can’t bring the food to you, I can bring you to it.”
He stood up, shifting Michael into a more secure grip. The omega relaxed in his embrace, his arms wrapping loosely around Max’s neck.
“I could get used to this.”
Max threw back his head and laughed.