Chapter Eight
Alrick
As long as Sebastian had lain unconscious, I'd been able to maintain perfect control over my body. My every touch had been designed to aid in his healing. Even when I'd held his naked body against me, I'd focused solely on providing the Alpha touch that would aid his healing, nothing else. Not that I'm bragging. What kind of sick fiend would I be if I had used those lonely hours to take advantage of an injured Omega? But now that he was back on his feet? His sweet little mouth back to sassing me? I was right back to fighting my body's nearly overwhelming need to claim him. And unlike our time in the dragon's castle, it was just the two of us. No one else to interact with. No other scents to drown Sebastian's out. Nothing to distract me from the incessant itch under my skin, the humming in my blood, the biological drive so strong that it had long since surpassed want and, skipping desire entirely, evolved directly into need.
As soon as I confirmed that Sebastian’s wound had closed, that our Omega was healthy enough for me to claim, my wolf had demanded to do so. Leaving Sebastian to his shower, I barely made it out of the small bathroom without shoving him up against the cold tile wall and giving in to my baser instincts. I pulled the door closed behind me as my control finally snapped. My blood rushed south, my cock rearing up as my inner beast fought for freedom, desperate to breed our chosen mate.
I was too far gone to stop my shift, so I used the last vestiges of my self-control to leave the building and tear into the woods as my howl roared all around me. I finally stopped, leaning against a smooth rock face to take myself in hand. My hand was swift and firm against my swollen flesh as I pictured Sebastian's perfect body spread open for me, panting, his face flushed pink as he waited to accept the gift of my seed. I roared, the sound bouncing off the mountain behind me as my release pulsed out onto the ground before me. Once I caught my breath, I kicked some loose dirt over the wet patch in front of me, my wolf instinctively hiding the evidence, and then I started back to the house.
Either my private time had taken longer than I'd thought or Sebastian took extremely short showers; either way, I'd barely stepped back inside when the sound of running water faded into silence. A brief moment later, a cloud of fragrant Sebastian-scented steam escaped as the bathroom door opened, threatening to get me hard again.
Sebastian stepped out and froze, his scent immediately souring with fear.
"Al..Alrick?" His usually melodious voice squeaked out. "Wh..what's..wr..wrong?"
Wrong? At his hesitant question, all of my senses alerted. The only smell was Sebastian's scent. Sebastian’s breathing was loud and ragged, but the only sound I heard was the faint songs of birds outside. I wasn't finding anything that would explain the sudden onset of fear in my Omega. I opened my mouth to ask what Sebastian had sensed when I realized his frightened gaze was trained on me. In my lust-driven haze, I'd forgotten that I shifted. My back was hunched, my hair a wild mane, fangs erupting from my elongated jaw - instead of standing before him as a wolf or a humanoid shifter, I was towering over him in full were shift. It was hardly surprising that Sebastian – a calm, quiet, ordinary wolf shifter – would be terrified of me.
"Sorry," I muttered, ashamed that I had, once again, scared him. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath, forcing my were back down and pulling my humanoid side forward. When I was fully human again, I opened my eyes. "Nothing's wrong. Everything's fine."
"Okaaaay," Sebastian drew out the word, his expression doubtful.
My wolf snarled at his obvious disbelief but I swallowed it down.
"Really," I tried to assure him. "Everything is fine. I just went for a run in the woods while you were showering and forgot to shift back." Instead of waiting for him to respond, I decided to change the subject. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"
Sebastian relaxed slightly, his scent softening. "N..not really. You j..just fed me." His smile was a charming cross between sheepish and charming. "As stupid as it s..sounds after how long I was out, I'm exhausted. I was th..thinking about a nap."
I nodded. The damage to his body had been serious. It was no surprise that he needed more rest.
"That's a good idea," I agreed. I looked him over carefully. His color was good, he was moving well. We would have to take it slow, but it was time for us to start working our way back to where we belonged before I did something stupid. "If you're up to it, I think we should leave before morning." Sebastian's eyes widened, but he didn't speak. "We don't have any way to contact the outside world here and eventually the buyer that paid those kidnappers is going to show up to claim their merchandise."
"Okay," Sebastian breathed out. "Wh..when?"
"Are you up to traveling?" I asked, watching him closely for his reaction. "We can go slow."
Sebastian swallowed but nodded bravely. "If..if that's what you think is best, Alrick."
Even though I knew he was responding to my position as his security guard and not to me as an Alpha, my blood thrummed in pleasure at his submission. I swallowed a groan. I really needed to get us back to civilization.
"I do," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "Why don't you get some rest and I'll scrounge up what I think we'll need to take with us?"
"Are..are you…" Sebastian stopped himself, a red flush creeping up his neck to color his face.
"Am I what?"
Sebastian shook his head.
"Sebastian, tell me." I didn't mean to, but I allowed a tiny tendril of my Alpha voice to slip out and wrap around him.
"Are you going to..sleep with me? In the bed, I mean?" Sebastian couldn't fight the draw of my voice but he could – and did – screw his eyes closed, embarrassed.
"Yes," I said, wondering at the sudden loss of his stammer. Thinking back, it had also been absent when we'd been cuddled together after he woke up. I filed that thought away to return to the situation at hand. "It's safer for us to be together if someone shows up while we're sleeping," I offered by way of explanation, gratified when he nodded his agreement. "But you also aren't fully healed yet, and the best way to accelerate your healing is direct contact with an Alpha."
Sebastian swallowed hard but nodded.
"Are you scared of me?" I asked, confident that I didn't really want the answer. "Would you rather that I sleep on the floor next to the bed?"
Sebastian shook his head slowly. "N..no, I ..I feel safer when you're close."
Huh. Maybe I did want the answer.
"Good," I said with a smile, feeling some of the tension drain out of my body. "Then why don't you go lie down and I'll be in soon."