Page 9 of Taming The Omega

“You fished?” The moment the question came out of his mouth, he regretted the stupidity of it. Obviously that’s what the gamma had done, plus he knew better than to ask questions.

Rather than admonishing him with a cuff or a curse, Caleb merely smiled. The guy seemed to do a lot of that. It made for a nice change unless it hid something malevolent deeper down. Seth had experience with that kind of two-facedness. This shifter didn’t give off that kind of vibe, but Seth still knew better than to get his hopes up or let his guard down.

“I figured you’d get tired of the stuff I’d brought from the pack. You know, granola and peanut butter sandwiches aren’t that interesting.”

“They are to me.” Once again, he marveled at how his tongue was getting ahead of his brain. He ducked his head. “Sorry. It’s only that I’ve been eating mostly raw meat for a long time, so anything else is a treat.”

Caleb tsked and used his fingers to break up the fillet. “You do that a lot. Apologize,” he clarified, then licked his fingers.

Seth couldn’t help but track the movement, and the sight of the big guy sucking on the greasy pad of his thumb in particular gave Seth a funny feeling low in his belly.

“You don’t have to, you know,” the gamma continued. “I’m not much one for ceremony and even if I were, you haven’t done or said anything inappropriate.”

“I bit you!” He couldn’t help blurting that reminder out. He was still amazed the gamma hadn’t killed him for it.

Caleb chuckled, another thing he did a lot. “You were in pain. Everyone knows that wounded animals are particularly dangerous. Served me right for not being more careful. I don’t hold it against you.” He shrugged. “Besides, you’re an omega.”

Like so much of what the gamma said, that statement made no sense to Seth. “Which means I know better than to disrespect any other shifter no matter how I feel.”

Caleb shook his head. “I guess we disagree on that point.” Sliding the piece of bark closer to Seth, he added, “Here, eat your fill.”

The first tentative morsel was a minor wonder for him. Even cooked flesh was different enough from eating fresh kills that Seth’s human taste buds were overjoyed. He was careful, though, to take small bites and wash them down with the water Caleb handed to him so as not to tax his stomach. Months of near starvation had shrunk his always small frame into almost a shadow of a being. He knew that simply by looking down at his concave abdomen and skinny limbs. Maybe that’s why Caleb didn’t want him sucking him off—there was nothing appealing about the way he looked now.

“How long has it been since you ate anything other than what you killed?”

Seth swallowed his mouthful and flicked a piece of fish off his lip with his tongue. The gamma’s gaze slid from Seth’s eyes to his mouth for a second. And in that second, heat flared in those bright, blue eyes—Seth would swear to it—before it disappeared again.

Seth shrugged. “Sometimes I get close to a human dwelling and raid their garbage.”

Caleb wrinkled his nose. “That doesn’t sound very appetizing, but I guess what I’m really asking is how long have you been on your own?”

“Almost a year maybe. Since last fall.”

“That’s a long time for an omega to survive alone. Did you get kicked out of your pack or did you run away?” The gamma ducked his head. “Not that it’s any of my business.”

Seth drank some water to give himself time to figure out a reply. He was surprised by the question, assuming the gamma helped him only for his own immediate gratification. “I ran away.” What harm was there in telling the truth? It wasn’t like Caleb intended to drag him back to his old pack. Was it? He glanced up at him with sudden alarm.

“Relax, Seth. I don’t mean you any harm, remember? I’m only asking because, well…” The big guy huffed out a breath. “I’m worried about you. An omega shouldn’t be living alone.”

Seth lay down on his back, ignoring the twinge of pain it caused him. “Is it okay if we don’t talk about this?”

“Sure. I didn’t mean to pry, but I’m a pretty good listener if you want to talk.” Caleb let the topic drop even though he was more curious than ever about why Seth was living a solitary life.

None of your business. And, not your problem. Yeah, no, even he wasn’t buying those excuses. The better reason for letting go of the questions bubbling up on his tongue was that he didn’t want to stress Seth any more than he already was. Or give him a reason to try to flee before his wounds were fully healed. Shit, forget about the injuries, the omega was underfed and in desperate need of care in general.

“Hey, would you like me to comb your hair?” He asked the question before he could think better of it. “Except I don’t have anything to use other than my fingers, I’m afraid.”

Seth turned those big, brown eyes on him. “You don’t have to do that. It’s only tangled because it’s hair right now, and not fur.”

Caleb didn’t bother to point out how matted Seth’s coat had been. “I know, but a lot of my pack members have long hair, and they really seem to like it when someone brushes it out.” Of course, those “someones” were typically their mates. Not that he added that part.

Seth didn’t reply for long seconds. Then, he said, “Okay. If you don’t mind?”

Caleb couldn’t hold back the grin. “I’m happy to.”

The omega pushed himself upright, although he was clearly still very wobbly. Caleb rushed to close the gap between them before the kid tumbled over.

“There now, I’ve got you.” With his hands cupping the omega by his too-thin shoulders, a disturbing heat suffused his body.

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