Chapter 13
Josh
"I'm so sorry," Brighton said, arm wrapped around Josh's shoulder. They were sitting in the living room of a shifter who's name Josh couldn't remember at the moment.
Josh buried his face in his hands, trying to stop his shoulders from shaking. His house had been a source of pride for him for so long... it didn't seem real. It seemed like some sort of nightmare that he couldn't wake up from. All those years of work, reduced to ash in one night.
"It's fine," Josh rasped. "It's just stuff." He said it more for himself. He was safe. Jacob was safe. He tried to remind himself that that was all that mattered. But it was hard. It was very hard. He thought about Jacob's drawings decorating the wall. The notches in Jacob's bedroom that measured his height. That house was such a part of them and now it was just...gone.
Brighton didn't say anything, but he pulled Josh closer. "I know it won't be the same, but we'll rebuild. All of us. I've talked to the others and they'll stick around to help."
"You've all done so much for me already," Josh said. "I don't want to keeps you guys stuck here."
He didn't even know why Brighton was still here with him. He had groggy recollections of the alpha finding him in the forest. Looking after him after. Brighton had taken care of Jacob when he had been unable to, and for that he'd never be able to thank him enough.
Now Josh was awake and the alpha of the Foxhold pack had said that they were welcome to stay there. He just didn't know why Brighton had decided to stick around. After their last parting, after Josh's cruel words (he hadn't realized at the time just how cruel they were), he was sure that Brighton would want to get as far away from him as possible.
"You're not. We want to be here," Brighton said firmly.
Josh nodded, but he couldn't quite bring himself to believe it.
The sound of children's laughter could be heard from outside. Jacob had wasted no time making new friends. Though he never strayed far from Josh, he clearly loved having other children to play with. It made Josh's heart twist slightly as he thought of all the years he deprived his son of connections with other shifters.
He still hadn't told Brighton about what Slade said. He had considered it, but decided to wait. Until he was sure that he was indeed pregnant, he wasn't going to worry the alpha. His worst fear was Brighton would feel obligated to stay with him.
Brighton rested his head on top of Josh's. "You remember what I said, before?"
"You said a lot of things." Josh shrugged.
"That I wasn't planning on leaving. In fact, I'm still wondering why you wanted me to leave in the first place."
Josh wrapped his arms tightly around his stomach. "I thought..." He sighed and tried again. "I thought you'd be better off with an omega that wasn't..."
"Wasn't what?" Brighton asked softly.
"Used," Josh whispered. "You deserve to have your own children, with an omega that isn't washed up and bitter."
Brighton growled, arm tightening around him, and he couldn't hold back the flinch. "I'm sorry," he said.
For an eternity, the alpha didn't say anything. Then he leaned in. "That has got to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard," Brighton said. He grabbed Josh by the shoulders and turned him so they were facing each other.
"Now you listen to me," Brighton growled. "I'm here because I want to be here. That night in the forest was the best night of my life."
Josh started to say something, but Brighton's palm covered his mouth. "No, let me finish. You think I'm not used either? I've had my fun with other omegas before. But let me tell you, none of them have ever made me feel like you did.
"When I left, it killed me. And I know it killed you too. You were dealt a shitty hand, but none of that matters to me, alright? I love your son, and I'm in love with you. I want to take care of you both. Protect you both. And I know you want that too."
Twin tears dripped down Josh's face. Brighton's hand moved to cup the back of Josh's neck. He pulled him in so that their foreheads were touching.
"You love me?" Josh whispered. He was almost unwilling to let himself believe it.
"I do," Brighton said.
Josh swallowed. I love you back was on the tip of his tongue but his voice had disappeared on him. Instead, he tilted his head away and pulled the collar of his shirt away, exposing his bare shoulder.
Brighton's eyes lit up and he let out a low growl. Josh got a glance of sharp teeth before they were sinking into his skin. He shuddered, warmth shooting straight between his legs as Brighton claimed him. He wrapped his arms around Brighton's back, burying his face in the alpha's warm shoulder.
He shivered, feeling something inside of him shift and change. Suddenly, like a fog had been lifted, he felt Brighton's strong presence differently; beyond his scent and the sound of his heartbeat. Josh suddenly knew without a doubt that if he went blind and deaf and lost all sense of smell, he'd still know when Brighton was near.
He'd been told before that when an alpha claims an omega, their souls become one. He'd just never believed it until now.
"I love you too."
Brighton licked the wound tenderly. His arms slid under his lower back and knees as he picked Josh up. "Come on. Let's go somewhere more private." His voice was low and husky. Josh shivered.
Next thing he knew, Brighton had carried him to a bedroom. "Yours?" he asked.
"Temporarily, of course," Brighton replied. That was all Josh needed to hear.
Brighton practically threw him down onto the bed. Before Josh could blink, the alpha was on top of him, tearing at his clothes. His pants were ripped off of him and tossed onto the floor. His shirt soon joined it.
Josh shivered, naked in the center of the bed. He barely had a moment to breathe before Brighton was crashing their lips together. A large hand tangled in his hair. The other hand cupped his ass. Brighton's thumb rubbed the puckered skin around his wet hole.
"Tell me who you belong to," Brighton growled.
"You," Josh said without hesitation. "Yours," he said again just because he liked the sound of it.
"Mine," Brighton agreed.
The alpha hovered over Josh, still fully clothed. It made Josh feel exposed, vulnerable. Brighton was going to have his way and there wasn't a thing that Josh could do to stop it. That thought alone sent jolts of heat straight to his own cock.
"Mine," Brighton said again. His eyes were dark, pupils blown with just a faint ring of gold around them. They looked like twin eclipses.
He raked two sharp nails over Josh's nipple, making the omega shudder, before slipping a finger into his waiting hole.
Josh jerked, a small whimper escaping him. He wrapped his hands around the alphas thick arm. He opened his mouth, ready to beg, but Brighton cut him off with a kiss.
"Just you wait," he whispered. "I've always wanted to try this."
Before Josh could ask what he meant, he let out a yelp as the alpha flipped him over onto his stomach. Brighton then grabbed the cheeks of his ass and pulled them apart, exposing his needy, leaking hole.
Josh buried his face in the pillow, bracing himself for the alpha's thick cock. Instead, something unbelievably hot and soft slid into his waiting hole. He let out a high pitched yelp.
"Bet you never had this done to you," Brighton said. "Just relax and enjoy it, baby."
He slid his tongue back into Josh's hole, tracing the tight rim of muscle before sliding inside. Josh couldn't have held back the moan if he tried. He quivered and writhed, trembling and shaking. He'd never, ever felt anything quite like it.
"Bry..." he whimpered.
Brighton just pushed his face in further, tongue pushing impossibly deep, lips mashing against the rim of his hole. Josh's cock was rock hard against his stomach and the soft bedsheets. He jerked and spasmed. The sensation was so overwhelming that tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes. Brighton was rocking forward now, deeper and deeper. His hand squeezed underneath Josh to wrap around his cock. The dual sensations causing fireworks to appear behind his eyes.
When Brighton's tongue hit that little sweet spot, Josh came undone. The omega howled and spasmed. Warm liquid coated against his belly.
Josh slumped down, boneless. Brighton didn't give him anytime to recover though. The alpha flipped him back around to lie on his back. He leaned over and licked and sucked at Josh's cum-coated belly until his skin was smooth and clean.
"Delicious, baby," Brighton said.
Josh shivered.
Slowly this time, Brighton slid two fingers into Josh's desperate hole and slowly started to work him again. Josh wiggled against them, cock twitching. It didn't take long before he was squirming, cock erect. "Bry, come on," he moaned.
"Patience," Brighton teased. His eyes raked over Josh's body admiringly. He pulled his fingers free, ignoring Josh's frustrated moan. "You ready?"
"I was ready yesterday," Josh groaned.
Brighton chuckled at Josh's desperation. Josh bucked his hips again, demanding attention. Brighton leaned down and pecked him on the lips. He held Josh's quivering thighs apart and lined himself up. His cock was thick, red, and dripping. The tip nudged against the omega's entrance and he stilled in anticipation.
Hole still wet and slippery, the massive member slid inside of him. His lips formed an 'O' and his back arched on the bed as he adjusted to the much larger intrusion. Brighton's hand brushed his hair out of his face and he leaned into the touch. Brighton rocked back and forth, the smooth friction heavenly. Josh wrapped his legs around Brighton's waist and grabbed at his arms. He rolled his hips, pushing against the alpha.
The mark on Josh's neck burned and it hit him suddenly that Brighton meant what he said. He wasn't leaving again. Josh was finally getting the ideal family he'd dreamed of when he was younger, just not quite in the way he'd expected.
"I-" he gasped. "I-"He could barely get the words out. He opened his eyes and moaned at the sight.
Brighton towered over him, thick muscles tense. Sweat glistened from his rock hard chest, stomach flexing as he rocked against him. Josh felt something shift as the alpha's thick cock began to knot, stretching him out and filling him up.
Josh trembled and stilled. Any movement he made sent lightning through his body. Slowly, Brighton started to rock again and Josh cried out at the unbearable sensation. His balls tightened and his cock gave a very specific twitch. Brighton's hand reached out and wrapped around Josh's cock, giving it a firm stroke.
Josh came undone, vision whiting out as he was rocked by waves of pleasure. His come streaked Brighton's chest. Brighton groaned as he pumped Josh pull of his seed.
They collapsed on the bed, legs and arms tangled together. He gasped for breath as his vision began to clear. Brighton's face was so close to his that their noses were almost touching. With a soft smile, Brighton pressed his lips to Josh's.
"You know, if you weren't pregnant before..."
They sat side by side on the porch, looking up at the stars. Everyone else had long gone to bed. Brighton had his arm wrapped tightly around Josh's shoulders. Josh rested his head on the alpha's neck.
He didn't want to tell Brighton about what Slade said, but he also hadn't expected the alpha's declaration. He brushed his fingers over the crescent bite, smiling to himself. He certainly hadn't expected that.
"Hey, Bry?" he said quietly.
"Yeah?"
"I gotta tell you something." As the words left his lips, he realized he really didn't want to tell Brighton. At all. But he owed the alpha the truth.
Brighton pulled away slightly to look at him. "What's up?"
Josh ran his hand through his hair. "You know how I told you that Slade wanted either..." He choked a bit. "...Jacob, or for me to give him a new heir?"
"Yep," Brighton said tightly. The look on his face made Josh want to sink into the ground.
"He said something else," Josh continued. "That night...when we were in the forest, he..." He buried his face in his hands. "God, he was there. He saw us."
When he looked up again, Brighton's face was stark white. The alpha swallowed. "What?" he rasped.
Josh swallowed. "I don't know how he kept himself hidden like that, and I knew I should have said something earlier..."
"Uh, yeah!" Brighton said. "Why didn't you?"
Josh winced. "Because, he said something else. He said that because you knotted inside me, I-I might be-"
"Pregnant?" Brighton finished, eyes widening.
"I don't know for sure!" Josh said quickly. "I might not be, but-"
He was silenced as Brighton's arms were suddenly wrapped around him. The alpha lifted him off the ground and spun him around. Josh could feel Brighton shaking and sighed in relief. This was good. Definitely good. He wrapped his arms around Brighton's neck and clung on.
"We won't know for sure for a little while," Brighton murmured into his hair, "but if you're not, well, we can fix that, right?"
Josh shivered. "I think that's a possibility."