Page 15 of Untamed Omega

Right in front of me. Or lying next to me as the case was. After we’d made love, I brought him here, to my bed. Having him in the medical bed didn’t seem right anymore, not that it had felt right ever.

“Markus,” Sam whispered.

“Good morning,” I said, rolling over to face him. Somewhere in the night, I’d become the smaller spoon, but Sam hung onto me as though I were his tether to life. “Are you okay?”

He nodded, his face moving up and down against my back. “I am very well but I’m starving.”

My eyes flew open. My mate was hungry. He hadn’t eaten much the day before, and the last thing he needed was to miss a meal. “Need to feed you.”

“Okay, big bad bear. Yes, I need to eat. Can we shower first?”

“Showering together won’t get you to breakfast faster,” I said, cupping his face.

He looked down. Something was wrong. “I don’t think I can hold myself up. You’ll have to help me until I’m stronger.”

My mate knew how to speak directly to the alpha nature inside me. It was one of the things I most loved about him. He never minced words. He called me out on my bullshit. Told me when I was wrong and where I could improve.

We needed to get to know each other again, but I was happy that part hadn’t changed. The core of him was the same as always.

“I can do that. Let’s go.”

My shower was equipped with a built-in bench. Sam sat there while I washed him head to toe. Our eyes stayed locked through most of it.

“This might hurt a little,” I said as I swept the washcloth over his mark.

“I’ve been through worse.”

There was nothing funny about that, but he laughed anyway. “Time to rinse you off. I’m going to stand you up. Lean against me, love.”

He gasped. “It’s been so long since I heard that. Say it again.”

“Love?” I asked, starting to rinse him off. “You have always been my love. I never stopped loving you. Not for a second.”

“I never stopped loving you either, Markus. I dreamed of you. Sometimes, I would pretend you were next to me. Lying beside me.”

“I wish I had been. I wouldn’t have let them hurt you.” I finished rinsing him and then helped him out of the shower. I had some clothes for him from my stash. They would swallow him, but it was all I had now. We would have to go into town and get him some things.

Sam and I walked to the main house together, hand in hand. I knew there would be some explaining to do, and I was more than elated to tell my packmates that I’d found my mate again.

When we entered the house, every eye turned on us. “Everyone, you already know Sam. What I didn’t tell you is that he is the mate I lost so long ago. I didn’t know if he remembered or not, so I didn’t bring it up, but he recognized me yesterday and, well, here we are.”

“If Markus was my mate, I’d run for the hills too.” Rob broke the silence. He was such an ass, but at least he’d broken the ice.

Sam laughed. “I was running more from me.”

“Sit down, mate. I’ll get you a plate. I’m sure everyone wants to hear the gossip.”

While we ate, the others came over to talk to my mate. Rob, our resident grump and baker. Kellan, who he already knew, and Elise. Sam said he wanted to hold her, but he didn’t trust the strength of his arms yet. Zeph introduced himself, and so did the others.

That left Locke.

“And you are the alpha, right?” Sam asked. “I’m sorry. I’ve forgotten all the protocols for sleuth life.” The room exploded with laughter. All except Locke and Sam. He reached under the table and grabbed my hand. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Sam, you said absolutely the right thing,” Rob boasted. “Our alpha is not so comfortable with being called what he is.”

Sam’s brow furrowed. Cutest damned thing I’d ever seen. “I don’t understand.”

Locke sighed. “Sam, I’m not the alpha.” That only invited more laughter. “I’m not. I might take the leadership position in some matters, but we are all equal here.”

---