Page 37 of Taming The Omega

He used a cloth he’d grabbed from the kitchen to swipe at the cum drying on his mate’s stomach. No one ever talked about how damn messy heat-mounting was. “Sort of. I mean the scent of you is overpowering. It’s like all the blood in my body makes a beeline down to my dick the moment that smell hits my nostrils.”

Seth wiggled and winced. “I’m sore.”

“I’m sorry.” He kissed his head again. “I wish I could do something to help with that. Anything I get from Andrea will be a temporary reprieve at best. Do you want me to try anyway?”

The omega grabbed his arm with surprising strength. “No! Please just stay with me.”

“Okay, baby,” he soothed. “I’m not going anywhere. Try to get some rest.”

He sat quietly, holding his mate and eating what he could one-handed. The poor boy was out cold, but he knew that wasn’t going to last long. Soon the omega would be forced awake by a driving need to be mounted and bred. And Caleb would be right there ready to service him.

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Caleb woke with a sharp intake of breath and sat bolt upright on the pallet. It was morning again, although which morning, he couldn’t say. The days had blended into each other, so that he’d lost count of how many. He knew approximately what time it was because the door to the shed was ajar and low light streamed in.

His heartbeat kicked up to panic mode as the fog of sleep lifted and he realized he was alone. The shed was filled with dirty dishes from the night before, sweat and cum-soaked bedding. But no Seth. Caleb jumped to his feet and whirled around as if somehow his mate could be hiding in the tiny shed.

He flew to the door and shifted before his human feet touched the dirt. Instinct took over all possible rational thought as he scented for his mate and picking up the trail, raced into the woods. Tracking was easy, but he knew where to go even without his muzzle to the ground. There was only one place that Seth could have gone given this direction.

Fear made him swifter than usual, and he barely registered the journey before he ran up to the entrance to the cave. Slipping inside, he stopped and growled. The omega cowered in the dark corner, whining and exposing his neck at the approach of a much larger and truly pissed off gamma.

Seeing that his mate was safe allowed Caleb to dial back the aggression. He forced himself to shift, as well. Whatever was going on required human communication. Because Seth stayed where he was and as he was, Caleb was forced to take command.

“Shift.” He tried not to sound as angry as he was. It wasn’t really that he was mad anyway so much as frightened. What was his mate thinking running off like that?

Fur turned into skin, and Seth sat in the corner with his arms wrapped around his knees. A lock of black hair hung down across his face, concealing one eye. He looked adorable and vulnerable in equal measure. Whatever chastisement Caleb had been gearing up to deliver died on his lips.

He crouched down in order not to be looming over his mate and forced calm into his voice. “What are you doing out here?”

Seth’s lips trembled, and his one visible eye blinked furiously. “Can’t you tell? My heat is over.”

Oh? Caleb sniffed. He’d been too intent on finding the boy unharmed to have noticed the change in scent. He gave a tentative smile. “Yeah, it is. You’re breeding.” His gut clenched even as the words left his mouth, but he had no time for focusing on his own ambivalent feelings.

They stared silently at each other for a few more seconds before Caleb asked the one question on his mind. “Why did you run away?”

Seth broke eye contact and put his head on his knees. “I wasn’t running away. I was just running. When I woke up and realized what had happened, I got kind of spooked, I guess.”

“Sure, I get it. Breeding for the first time must be scary. But why are you here in particular?”

Seth squirmed before answering. “I felt safe here. Back when I was hurt and you found me. You took such good care of me, and I felt safe for the first time since I’d run away.” He shrugged. “I guess I needed to feel that again. Stupid, I know. You were already lying beside me in the shed.”

Caleb didn’t understand why his mate had fled to this dirty cave, but he knew the boy needed comfort. A breeding omega was a delicate thing. Or, so he’d always been told. “Sure, I get it. This was your place, and you’ve gone through a lot of changes in a short period of time.” He sat squarely on the floor. “We can stay here as long as you need to feel comfortable.”

His mate gave him a sweet smile. “Thanks.”

Okay crisis averted. Maybe he wouldn’t suck at being a mate and sire after all. “I’ll always take care of you, sweetheart.”

“I know.” The softly spoken answer still pleased Caleb. It made him feel powerful in a way his gamma strength never had.

It didn’t take long before Seth felt ready to go back. They shifted to make the journey easier on their bodies, and Caleb caught a chipmunk to give his mate a quick, high-protein breakfast. Then he set a slow pace. The sun was fully up by the time they returned to the shed. They found Kyle and a couple of sigmas there, pulling everything out for a good cleaning.

“Oh, hey,” the alpha mate greeted them. “We didn’t know when you’d be back, but figured you’d appreciate a clean room.”

Caleb shifted first and made sure Seth was standing by his side before answering. “Thanks, we do.”

Kyle smiled brightly. “I guess congratulations are in order.”

Blushing, Seth leaned against Caleb. “Yup.”

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