Page 35 of Real

I was made for someone else.

He moves within me, and I squeeze my eyes shut. The pleasure and the connection between us drives me higher to a realm that leaves me breathless and still wanting more.

“Don’t stop,” I say.

He slams into me this time, and I let out a strangled noise. I don’t have control over myself any longer. I buck my hips against him, and he pushes in faster and deeper. I dig my fingertips into his back.

“That’s right, baby. Scratch my back. C’mon. I’m yours,” he rasps.

I drag my fingernails down his back as he continues to thrust. Our hips are snapping together harder and faster. He’s not trying to be gentle anymore, and I don’t want him to. I need him to fuck me. When he grabs my dick, I sink my nails into his shoulder blades and my ass clamps down on him. I shoot ropes of cum onto my stomach, and my vision goes white.

“Timothy!” I scream.

In that moment, I forget I’m not real.

In that moment, it doesn’t matter.

In that moment, I’m nothing but his.

15

H

We lie tangled in each other’s arms. I couldn’t knot Buddy, so I slipped out of him far too easily. But he just snuggled into my chest after it was over and placed a gentle kiss over my heart. It was impossible to feel inadequate in that moment.

“If I were real… would you… could we…” Buddy trails off.

“Let’s not worry about it yet, okay?” I don’t want him to make promises to me now, only to regret them later. He doesn’t understand how differently alphas will react to him once he’s made of flesh and blood. He’s a beautiful man. I certainly won’t be the only one vying for his attention.

“Okay,” Buddy says. His voice is small and sad. What I said wasn’t reassuring enough.

I take his face into my hands. “I want you. Don’t you worry about that. If you’re still interested in me after everything is said and done, there’s nothing that would make me happier than to be with you. But I won’t take advantage of your inexperience. You deserve time to figure out what kind of alpha will make you happy.”

He kisses me. The kiss is achingly gentle, and we spend a long time exploring each other’s mouths. I stroke his back and arms, savoring every moment I get to have with him. Until I hear a voice call out “Hello! H?”

Manny is already here.

I rush to collect my clothing from the bed and the ground. Buddy does the same. I catch glimpses of his naked body as I button up my shirt and yank on my pants. Perhaps I shouldn’t think he’s the most beautiful omega in the world because he’s made of plastic and silicone, but I could stare at him all day.

“Coming!” I yell back. Buddy doesn’t have all day. If I want to keep him safe during his trip to the Den of Dreams, we need to figure out a plan.

I take Buddy’s hand in mine before I head for the door. There’s no use in pretending something isn’t going on between us when Manny will be able to see the love bites on both of our necks. I’ve never been able to hide much from Manny anyway.

Buddy’s eyes are fixed on our hands as we walk down the hall. He smiles shyly. That smile makes my heart melt. He doesn’t mind that I’m claiming him with my hand just as surely as I claimed his skin with my teeth. It feels good to know he doesn’t want to hide what we shared together.

Manny is standing in the kitchen wearing the loose cotton shirt and hand-sewn denim pants worn in red wolf shifter compounds.

After we were rescued from the pits, the rest of us stopped wearing traditional red wolf shifter clothing. Manny was different. He clung to our old religion while Timber started doing porn to pay the bills. The red wolf shifter scriptures are clear about what happens to alphas like us who have “lain with an omega outside the sacred mating rituals of the pack.” There’s a layer of hell just for us. It makes me wonder if Manny believes the red wolf god will make an exception for him, or if he believes he’s going to hell and lives by the doctrine anyway.

I’m too scared of what his answer will be to ask.

Manny glances at where my hand is interlocked with Buddy’s. He notices the love bites too. I lift my chin higher, daring him to say something. I’m not sure why. He never questioned Timber’s profession or bond with Andrew.

“Hello. I’m Manny,” he says, extending his hand to Buddy. Buddy checks in with me nervously before holding his hand out and shaking Manny’s. “I’m Buddy. It’s nice to meet you.”

Manny grabs a duffel bag off the floor and hauls it to the table. “I hear you’re making a trip to the Den of Dreams.”

“We need to get him to the puppet show. Someone there might have the power to help Buddy turn into flesh and blood.” I didn’t spend much time explaining our situation to Manny. I simply told him that a friend of mine needed to visit the illusion den in New York City, and that friend happened to be made of plastic. Manny’s been all over the world rescuing displaced red wolf shifters, so I knew he could help me.

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