Page 23 of Omega's Breed

His mate’s hot breath wafted past his hair. The massive wall of muscle against which Will was propped rose and fell with increasing speed. Finn slid his arm around Will’s chest. Claws had come out, and he flicked Will’s nipple with one, drawing a hiss past his lips from the bite of pain. It only served to make Will harder. The fingers that still gripped his cock, jerked him with fast, sure strokes.

This time, when he came, so did his mate. The undulating waves Will’s channel made from his orgasm, milked the hard shaft within him. When Finn sank his canines into the taut skin where Will’s neck met his shoulders, Will cried out and came again. He pounded his fist against his thighs and thrashed against the hold. With a growl, Finn tightened the grip of his jaw and fingers, plastering their bodies together. A flood of semen pulsed up all the way to his belly. Or, so it seemed.

He had the fleeting thought that this time, Finn’s seed would hit its mark.

Later, how much so, he didn’t know. He lay boneless on the pallet. Finn loomed over him, a wet cloth in his hand.

“Let me clean you up a little.”

Before Will could even think to mount a protest, Finn started rubbing Will’s stomach with lazy circles. The cloth was warm and sudsy, and his mate used it to wash away the worst of the grime coating Will’s body. He was so wiped out from the intense breeding, his cock lay limp and uninterested when Finn cradled it for a gentle cleaning.

Will sighed. “I was going to ask if I could go shower.” The idea of getting up seemed impossible at the moment. His eyes fluttered closed.

The sound of water sloshing and being wrung out barely registered, as did more soothing ministrations from his mate as he rinsed the soap away. Then Finn dried him with a fluffy towel, rolled him onto one side, lifted the soiled sheet off the pallet and replaced it, all without Will having to get up. A little water was forced down Will’s parched throat, and a blanket was tucked around him.

Finn laid a palm across Will’s forehead. “Sleep now.”

“Okay,” he agreed in a voice slurred with fatigue.

As he sunk down into oblivion, a thought flashed across his mind—his heat was over.

Chapter Nine

“Hi, sweetheart.” Finn bent over the playpen and gave Annie what he hoped was the kind of smile a little girl pup wanted to see.

Chewing on the ear of a raggedy stuffed wolf, she eyed him suspiciously for a few seconds. Then she raised her arms.

With a relieved chuckle, Finn obeyed the silent, universal command of a toddler to be picked up. He swung Annie into his arms and sat her on his hip. “I’m going to take you to your daddy.”

“Oh, Will’s heat is over?” Mabel asked the question from across the room where she let the shuttle fly through the threads of her loom.

The wool they’d traded for a month earlier was being put to good use. The sigma’s weaving skills were amazing. Although Finn’s talent ran more to woodworking, he admired the more domestic crafts of the female sigmas. Soon the longhouse would be filled with colorful throw rugs, and the blankets would come in handy the next winter.

When Will would be heavy with their pup.

The reality of having impregnated another mate weighed heavily on him this morning. The previous night, after realizing that Will’s scent had changed, his mind had been focused on caring for the boy. Washing him, making him comfortable, had been easy priorities. Now, in the clear morning light, holding Annie and knowing that soon his other arm would hold a second offspring, kind of freaked him out.

Thoughts of Ashley and their pup threatened to overwhelm him. He couldn’t help but worry about losing his new family, too. It took effort to beat back those fears. He was a beta, damn it, born to reason his way through any situation. He couldn’t let raw feelings take control.

“It’s going to be fine,” Mabel observed. Startled, he gazed over at her. She’d halted her weaving and stared back at him with an astoundingly astute gaze. “I have a good feeling about you two. You are going to make an awesome family.” With a shrug, she sent her shuttle flying again.

Unsure of how to respond, he fell back on the mundane. “Thanks for watching Annie.”

“Any time.” She waved good-bye.

Finn carried Annie out into the warm sunshine of the morning and hustled back to the longhouse. He entered through the kitchen because Joey had already promised to fix a plate of breakfast for Will. Finn wanted his mate to sleep in as long as he needed, but also knew he’d require food first thing.

Joey beamed at him. “Here you go.” He handed Finn a pretty basket filled with all kinds of delicious smelling food wrapped in napkins, along with a refill on the water bottle.

Grabbing it on the fly, Finn strode down to his family’s room and entered quietly. If Will still slept, he didn’t want to wake him. The sight of the slender body, lying on its side and wrapped up tight with the blanket, made his heart do a slow roll. He stumbled from the feeling, confused and somewhat alarmed at the unexpected reaction.

And, of course, Annie wasn’t with the program about giving her father a break. The minute she saw Will’s back, she tried to fling herself out of Finn’s arms. Which in turn, forced him to focus on her and not himself.

“Da!”

Will rolled over and sat up, adorably rumpled, yet instantly awake. His face lit up. “Annie!” He held up his arms, so between his mate and their pup, Finn was a slave to their intent to reunite. He barely managed to get Annie into Will’s embrace before she tumbled to the floor.

The omega buried his face in his daughter’s neck. “Oh, sweetie, daddy missed you so much.” Annie kicked and bounced within the hold, giggling the way only a small child could.

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