Chapter Six
“What do you think?”
Will looked around the room wide-eyed. It was twice the size of what he’d expected. “This whole thing is for me and Annie?” Surely there was a mistake. There had to be someone else sharing the space.
Finn shuffled his feet, far more subdued that Will had come to expect from him. “Well, I’ll be moving in once your heat hits.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll get started right away, though, on our own house. Like Craig and Mabel, who used to share this room, we’re going to have a growing family. We’ll need a place of our own. It won’t be anything fancy,” he added, his gaze fixed on the top of his scuffed boots.
“I don’t care,” Will blurted out because the knowledge that they’d actually have a separate house for themselves was even more unbelievable. “It’s all so wonderful. Thank you.”
Annie wiggled in his arms. She’d gotten over her mad about being woken up, and now clearly wanted to be put down to explore. The floor was bare, but polished smooth, so he put her on all fours and let her crawl around. She immediately headed for a row of cubbies in one corner. They contained the armful of clothing Finn had scrounged up from the communal stock of pup stuff. She wouldn’t be dependent on her father’s dubious sewing skills all the time. There were some things there, too, for him. The idea that the other pack members had donated items for him to wear both warmed his heart and embarrassed him. He didn’t like being a burden on anyone.
Speaking of which.
“You don’t have to mate me if you don’t want to.”
Finn looked up and frowned. “I know I don’t. I insisted.”
Curiosity made him bold. “Why? I mean, you’re a beta who could have anyone. I’m only a toss-away omega with an unclaimed pup.”
Finn’s frown increased. “Don’t say that about yourself. Magnus and your old pack may not have valued you the way they should have, but you’re a sweet boy, and Annie is a precious pup. You should have had a proper mating and she a proper sire.”
The beta paced away suddenly and the tension showed in the set of his wide shoulders. “I want you.” Turning, he added, “My wolf wants you.”
Hearing those words in particular gave him a funny feeling low in his belly. Only one other had ever stated a desire for him, and that declaration had made him sick and fearful. So much so that his poor wolf cowered deep inside him, afraid to come out, afraid to want anything or anyone.
“Will?” Finn had approached him silently and now stood only a foot away. The beta reached over and gently lay his hand on Will’s cheek. The large palm felt warm against his skin. “Are you okay with mating? I don’t want you to regret tying yourself to one guy, and someone you barely know at that.”
He knew what Magnus had told Finn, that Will had wanted the parade of males mounting him. Perhaps the beta believed those tales. He needed to dispel them. “I want to take a mate, and I know you well enough to believe you’ll be good to me. And, Annie.”
“You can count on that. On me. Always.” The fierceness of his tone and expression convinced Will of the beta’s sincerity.
He suddenly didn’t want to wait. Stepping into the touch, he said, “Please, can we do it now?” The idea of experiencing another heat was frightening enough. Add in being mated, and it made him queasy to think of it. “I don’t want to wait until I’m mindless.” He licked his lips and gazed up at Finn with a pleading expression.
Finn gazed into the omega’s moistening eyes, hating to see the fear there. And, it was fear, too, not some overwhelming desire making him anxious to mate with Finn. His protective instincts rose instantly. All he wanted to do was wipe that look off the boy’s face.
He smiled encouragingly. “It’s okay. Everything’s going to be fine. I promise.” He swallowed hard, quelling his own sudden disquiet.
It was imperative that he got this mating thing right—again. He’d done it once already and knew what to do. Even though Will had whelped Annie, for all intents and purposes, the omega was like a virgin. His first experience at being mounted sounded like a nightmare for a too-young shifter. If nothing else, Will deserved respect and patience.
“We won’t wait until your heat, if that’s what you want. But,” he added with a soft chuckle. “We’re not going to do it right now, right here. For one thing, Annie just buried herself in clothing.”
Will blinked. “What?” Looking over his shoulder, he sighed. “Annie!”
The pup had pulled everything down from the shelves and sat with the piles all around and on top of her. She raised a fistful of cloth. “Da!”
Will loped over to her. “Yes, yes. You are a very clever girl.” Kneeling down he plucked the item out of his daughter’s hand and held it up. “Oh, what a pretty dress.” It was some light green, ruffled affair.
Will uncovered Annie, scooped her up and nuzzled the side of her neck. She shrieked with laughter, making her father smile broadly. The omega looked impossibly and heartbreakingly young. His love for his pup was obvious, though. Seeing them together, their bond, made Finn want to give them both everything he could.
Starting with a safe and comfortable home where they didn’t have to worry about having enough to eat or wear. Finn would banish hunger and cold from their lives.
“Hey, how about you dress Annie in that pretty frock, and I’ll let everyone know that we want to add our mating to the things we’re celebrating tonight at dinner.”
Hugging Annie close, Will pressed his face for a moment against her head of wispy blond hair. “Thank you, but I don’t want anyone to go to trouble on our account.”
Finn made his feet move, made his hands come up to cup both Will and Annie by the back of their heads, and pressed his face in close. “It won’t be any extra trouble, and you deserve it regardless.” He placed a quick kiss on first Will’s temple, then Annie’s. “You both do.”
****
Dinner was a boisterous, noisy affair in which everyone stuffed themselves full with the various delicious offerings that Joey and the kitchen sigmas had toiled to produce. With Annie sitting on his lap, Will sampled everything that was put in front of him by Finn, although he mostly offered the food up to Annie. The adorable girl sat in her new dress and a wide bib that said “cutie” on it. She gobbled up anything her father put in her hand or in her mouth. Her appetite was a delight to see.
Not so much her father, who had to be prodded by Finn to eat. He made sure that the boy had a full plate at all times and urged him to put more in his mouth. He only let up when he sensed his soon-to-be mate demurred on the food out of nerves. Well, no surprise there. The poor kid wasn’t used to being the center of attention, and the upcoming mating probably had his stomach jittery. It certainly had that effect on Finn. Still, he insisted that the omega at least try each thing he put on his plate.
Homemade beer flowed around the table, as well, but although Finn downed a mugful to ease his own nerves, he didn’t let Will have any. The boy had said he didn’t want to mate while under the influence of his heat. He wanted a clear head, and beer would have the opposite effect. The omega would go through their mating uncompromised, and Finn was determined to give him an experience that he would remember with pleasure.
The surprise at the end of the sumptuous meal was carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. How a pregnant Joey had pulled that off in so little time, Finn couldn’t imagine. Then again, he knew virtually nothing about the workings of a kitchen. The two cakes that came out and were sliced up so that everyone got a piece looked like they’d taken a lot of effort.
Joey put a particularly big piece right in front of Will. “Here you go. Our guests of honor deserve an extra amount of cake. Welcome and congratulations.”
Will blushed prettily and ducked his head. “Thanks, but I can’t eat all of that. Maybe we should cut it in half so someone else can get more.” Before anyone could nix that idea, Annie squealed and stuck her hand right into the middle of the slice.
“Annie!” Will pulled her arm up and reached for his napkin.
Too late. The pup stuck her gooey fingers in her mouth, making everyone laugh. Will’s blush deepened, and he turned distraught eyes on Finn.
“It’s okay,” he reassured the omega. “I don’t think we want her eating too much, though. I think sugar keeps pups up.”
“You got that right,” Mabel chimed in from across the table. She and Craig held a pup each and were feeding them small pieces of the dessert.
Lifting Will’s plate, he moved it out of Annie’s range. Because he didn’t want Will to miss out on what was probably a rare treat for him, Finn carved out a forkful and held it up. “Here, have this.” He brought it closer to Will’s mouth, while making sure to keep it away from Annie’s lightning-fast grasp.
The omega hesitated before leaning over, wrapping his lips around the tines and pulling off the piece of cake. His eyelids descended a bit and he gave a little moan. That sound shot right down to Finn’s dick. Like a cattle prod had been pressed against his groin, giving him a shock, except in a good way. He hardened behind his fly, and his balls tingled. He suddenly couldn’t wait for dinner to be over.
Not wanting Will to miss out on the cake, though, he pushed his growing need down and fed the boy some more. Each time, Will gave that same porno look and made those sexy little sounds that caused Finn’s blood to heat. His wolf woke up and prowled around under his skin. It wanted some action, and it wasn’t the patient kind. Finn became mesmerized by the rhythm of the interaction. Everything and everyone else dimmed into the background, a buzzing in his ears and shadows in his periphery.
Eventually, he scraped the plate clean, and would have switched over to his own untouched piece. But Will pulled back, obviously full , and turned his attention to Annie. She’d sucked her fingers and hand pretty much clean and leaned against her father with sleepy eyes. Will used a napkin to finish up what she’d started and stood. Finn popped up immediately.
The omega’s blush was back, and he kept his eyes down. “I should put her to bed. Can I use the portable crib?”
“No. I mean, yes, she can sleep in the portable crib. Only not in our room.”
Will’s gaze shot up in wide-eyed alarm. “Why not?” He actually took a step back as if Finn had announced he was tossing the pup out with the trash.
“Easy,” he soothed. “We need privacy for tonight. Mabel and Craig have agreed to keep Annie with them.”
“It will be a little slumber party.” Mabel chimed in. Her arms were empty because Craig held both of their pups now. “That’s a thing I’ve seen humans do on T.V. It will be fun.” She beamed at Will and held out her hands.
Instead of passing Annie over, Will tightened his grip enough to make the pup squirm and fuss. The omega looked stricken, and Finn realized the boy had never been apart from his pup all night before. His fear was obvious and irrational, although hardly surprising. Finn needed to take charge or their mating was going to go south fast.
“Give Annie to Mabel.” Finn made it an order, putting some sternness into his tone. Omega’s instinctively did as told, and this omega in particular was going to have to get used to doing as Finn said.
Will hesitated only a few seconds more before obeying. Slowly he stretched his arms out and gave his pup to the sigma. Mabel gave him an encouraging smile and practically had to tug Annie from Will’s grasp. The pup started to fuss a bit, but the experienced mother simply started jiggling her.
“Now, none of that, missy,” she chided in a gentle voice. “We’re going to have fun, and you’ll see your dad in the morning.”
Will sniffed a bit. “She likes to sleep with a bottle of water.”
“No worries. I have one, plus jammies and diapers. We’re fully stocked at our place.” She tossed Will another reassuring smile. “We’ll be fine.”
“I’ll guard her well,” Craig added before the small family started out of the room.
Because Will looked like he might run after them, Finn put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Go get ready for bed. I’ll be there in a minute. Go on,” he repeated and gave the omega a little push.
With the same enthusiasm as the condemned, the omega shuffled on his way. Finn watched to make sure he kept going in the right direction before searching out Lorcan. He found the alpha poking at the fire in the great room, keeping tabs on the goings-on, yet not interfering.
Finn stepped up beside him and sticking his hands in his front pockets, let out a sigh. “I need a moment, if you don’t mind the company.”
“Not at all.” The alpha sent some sparks flying up from the big burning logs. A few minutes went by before the alpha spoke again. “Nervous?”
“Yeah. I want to get this right.”
“You will.”
Finn barked out a laugh. “You say that with such confidence.”
The alpha twisted his head and stared sharply at him. “I trust you implicitly, Finn. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t let you near that poor boy. It breaks my heart to see the obvious truth that something as simple as a piece of cake can be so wondrous to him.”
The reminder of the cake porn sent heat flaring through Finn. “Um, yeah,” he agreed through the growing thickness of his arousal. “I better not keep him waiting,” he added with a cough.
Lorcan grinned. “Have fun.”
Walking was kind of tough given the tightness of his jeans. The sigmas he encountered on the way to his new bedroom gave him knowing smiles, which didn’t help. Nor did the sight greeting him the moment he stepped into the room and shut the door. Will had stripped down and kneeled on the pallet both on his hands and knees—utterly naked. His small, tight ass was raised in the air. The omega looked over his shoulder at Finn.
“I’m ready for you.”
Finn nearly choked on his tongue, and his dick punched up against his fly so hard, it nearly burst through the zipper. He took one staggering step forward, his gaze fixed on the enticing sight of that perfectly small, tight ass. He wanted to tear his clothes off and bury his cock fast, hard and deep into the heat he could practically smell was waiting for him. His wolf rose up and howled. It had no filter and no patience.
He ruthlessly shoved down both his wolf and his human libido. Because there was still that fear in Will’s eyes. Experienced as he was, the boy deserved the care Finn had been planning on showing him all along. The artless allure of the omega would not distract Finn from his strategy. That didn’t mean he couldn’t rip his clothes from his body and get naked in short order. With his eyes fixed on Will, he did just that.
Soon he stood in only his skin, cock ragingly erect, and his lungs working overtime with every heavy breath. He prowled toward the pallet. Will’s eyes went wide before he turned his head and dropped it. Waiting to be mounted, obviously not expecting any kind of gentle treatment. Tremors ran through the slender body, and as he joined him on the pallet, Finn reached for the boy with less-than-steady hands himself. The moment he touched the hunched shoulders, the omega jerked and shied away. A low whine passed the boy’s lips.
Finn froze, uncertain how to proceed. He was used to dealing with the nerves of the inexperienced—his own, Ashley’s. Will’s fear was a whole other level, and Finn worried he wouldn’t handle it right. His stress level ratcheted up.
He took a deep breath to calm down. “Shh. No need to be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you.” He grasped the omega lightly with both hands to turn him first onto his side, then his back.
Although he didn’t fight the readjustment of his position, Will stared up at him confused. He was obviously used to simply being mounted from behind. And while they’d end up there eventually to make it possible for Finn to sink his teeth in the back of that delicate neck, no reason why they couldn’t start with something guaranteed to arouse the boy. Finn slid down beside the omega, propping himself on his side so that he could both look and touch.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured, ghosting his palm over the smooth, hairless chest before him.
The obvious masculinity of his new mate made things easier on Finn. Memories of taking Ashley for the first time weren’t evoked as strongly as he feared they might be. Being with another male would be different enough that he could start a new chapter in his life without too much angst or guilt. He could tell that Will was skeptical of the observation, however, so he decide to stop talking and simply show him he meant what he said.
He explored all the way down from collarbone to a point just above where a thin trickle of hair led to a curly, light brown bush. The flaccid cock lying between legs that were too thin told a story. His little omega wasn’t aroused at the prospect of being mounted and mated. That alone confirmed Will had never experienced true pleasure. Magnus had lied when he’d said the boy was eager for sex. Although he was tempted to reach down and shower that shaft with the attention it deserved, he restrained himself. Better to create a slow boil. So, he returned to Will’s chest, palming the pecs before tweaking the nipples with thumb and forefinger.
Will gasped and made an aborted attempt to stop him. “Wh-what are you doing? That’s for pups.”
Pleased that the omega had felt secure enough to even question what was being done, Finn grinned down. “Yeah, it’s for pups. It’s also for you. And me,” he added, rubbing the pad of his thumb back and forth across the hardening nub.
Will squirmed. “You?” His voice had turned breathless.
“Sure. I like seeing what my touch does to you.”
Having weaned Annie, Will’s breasts were no longer swollen with milk. Finn had always loved to suck on nipples and saw no reason not to indulge himself. Leaning over, he moved his hand to brace himself on the pallet and replaced his fingers with his tongue. He swirled around the puckered flesh before covering it with his lips and tugging.
“Ah!” The omega’s chest heaved up, and his fingers scratched at the pallet.
The reaction was so rewarding that Finn shifted to the other pec and repeated his efforts to coax the boy into arousal. Popping his left eye open, he stared down the flat plane of Will’s torso. The cock lying below wasn’t so slender anymore. The flesh had started to thicken. Not quite hard and erect, but getting there. He amped his efforts by first letting go of the nipple in his mouth with an audible pop. Then he licked his way up the side of Will’s neck, along his jaw, and over to his mouth. At the same time, Finn slid his hand down to stroke the boy’s dick.
Will flinched when Finn swooped in for a kiss. Shit, had no one ever shown even this much affection for the poor kid? Angry, yet determined, Finn slowed his motions and gently pressed his lips against Will’s. He didn’t go in full throttle, no tongue, no teeth, just a slow slipping and sliding of moist flesh. At first, the omega lay stiff beneath him. As the seconds ticked by and Finn made no move to push Will into anything more intimate, the boy relaxed enough that his lips parted a fraction. Finn took a little bit of advantage, running his tongue along the open seam.
With his fingers, he coaxed Will’s dick to rise, again keeping his touch light and unhurried. The flesh rose within his loose grasp until it stood hard and pulsing. Will moaned prettily, making Finn smile. He dared to push, pressing with his tongue until the omega’s mouth opened enough to give entrance. Finn licked inside the warm, wet space, and he arranged himself to cover Will and allow easier access to all the places he wanted.
As he increased his gentle assault, his own body responded. His erection grew more painful, his balls tightening up against his body. His heartbeat thrummed along his cock, and his breath quickened. Needing more, he deepened the kiss, sending his tongue down Will’s throat. A whimper penetrated the fog inside his head, but when he started to pull back, Will surprised him by grabbing his shoulder and holding him in place.
Shit, the boy liked it. He’d never been made love to properly, but he hadn’t been so brutalized that he couldn’t appreciate the pleasure. Emboldened, Finn gripped the cock in his hand tightly and stroked it with powerful flicks of his wrist. More moans and groans and whimpers echoed into his mouth as Will’s arousal built. By the time Finn let them both up for air, the omega writhed within his embrace.
Finn swallowed hard. “I need you now.” The intensity of it surprised him. He had always known he could perform as required. He hadn’t expected to want this boy so badly.
His eyes closed and his swollen lips parted, Will nodded in understanding. He didn’t resist when Finn turned him and positioned him back on his hands and knees. This time, though, the omega’s arms gave out, so he ended up with his head and shoulders pressed against the pallet. Finn hastened to kneel between the spread legs. He drew a shaky finger down the cleft of the small, tight ass. He circled the puckered hole with his forefinger before testing the omega’s readiness. A sigh of relief passed his lips when he found that the boy’s channel was slick. An omega in heat would always be ready for mounting, but this was true arousal brought on by Finn’s efforts and his success made his wolf sit up and howl.
And, it wouldn’t be denied any longer. His cock practically pulled the rest of his body forward. He lined it up with Will’s hole and pushed. The tight ring gave only a slight resistance before it blossomed, allowing his cockhead to slip inside. The gripping heat made him lightheaded for a second. With a brief pause and a huge breath, Finn slid his rod in as far as it could go.
All the way home.