STORY EXCERPT

“He still feels for you. He still senses the mating call,” Theo said quickly.

Larson didn’t know if he could believe that. “How do you know?” he asked, wiping his eyes, the thought of his mate not knowing who he was crushing him on every level.

“Because he’s not leaving this house,” Theo said. “I cleared him to go back to his cabin and get some rest, but he told me he’s not going to leave until he finds out you’re all right. He’s protective of you, and he’s waiting to see you again.”

“But how can I see him?” Larson asked, and Theo handed him a tissue, which couldn’t stop his tears quickly enough. “I can’t hug him or tell him I love him without his mind breaking down.”

All those months of being with Tamer and his alphas. The only reason why they hadn’t raped him, and Larson knew some of them wanted to, considering how the omegas were treated, was because he was pregnant.

Tamer had told Larson on more than one occasion that he wanted to make a mate out of him, but something inside of that bastard told him that it was not all right for him to do that until after the pup was born.

In that man’s head, it was perfectly all right to kill other alphas and kidnap their mates, but not waiting until after childbirth to rape them was unimaginable.

“You’re still his mate,” Theo said. “You can work with that, and I don’t think it will hurt him at all if you want to hug him, or stay close. You told me already that he was protecting you, letting you hold him for a while and that he was fine with that, right?”

Larson nodded.

Theo seemed to take that as a sign. “There you go. Be with him and let his mating and protective instincts take over. I was convinced that his memories would return in short order when he said his name, but maybe you’re the missing link he’s needed. Just spend time with him, be as you used to be, and I think his memories will return.”

“How is it he could remember his name and not me?” Larson asked. He didn’t mean for that to come out as whiny as it did, but in a weird way, he was still hurt over the fact that Adrian had forgotten him.

“To be honest, I had my doubts that it was his name. When he came to us, stumbling through the woods and bleeding everywhere, he was brought into my clinic. Onto the very examination table you’re sitting on now. I shined a light in his eyes and tried to get his attention. He was babbling a lot of things I couldn’t make out, but when I asked his name, it was the one thing I could understand totally and clearly. He didn’t remember it after waking up again a week later, and it took him some time to get walking again.”

Larson wasn’t sure how he felt about having all of this told to him. He didn’t like the image of Adrian, walking through the woods and bleeding heavily, fighting for his life and babbling nonsense.

Theo seemed to realize what he was doing, and he had the good grace to look a little embarrassed. “Sorry about that. I tend to babble a little bit myself when something excites me.”

“I guess that’s bound to happen. You’re a healer. You have a clinical mind.”

Theo cleared his throat at that. “Yes, well, will you take my suggestion into consideration?”

Of course he would. Larson didn’t want to be without his mate for another minute, but he was still worried about Adrian’s mental health. He didn’t want him to suffer a mental breakdown because his mind was trying to process something that it couldn’t.

“I can never tell him we’re mated? I mean, that we were before?”

“Oh, God no, sorry, that’s not what I meant. If you think you can, try and ease him into it. If you see an opening, feel your way around, find out if there’s something that his mind can take in. It could be like mental exercises. You can see how far you need to go before stopping. I think at this point he suspects something anyway, considering he found you out there.”

The smile on Theo’s face told Larson that that was a very good thing, and Larson smiled a little as well, feeling instantly better about the whole situation.

“All right, and thank you,” Larson said.

Theo shook his hand and helped him down. “You’re welcome, and feel free to drop in whenever you need to. Daily even, and I’ll check on your pup. I’ll even rent an ultrasound machine and we can take a look at what’s happening in there.”

“You can rent an ultrasound machine?” Larson asked. “I didn’t know you could do that.”

“I’m sure the local university would be willing to take my money so I can use their equipment. Now go on, Ty will bring you some fresh clothes, and he’ll bring you to an empty room where you can get dressed before you meet with Adrian.”

Larson had to admit that he was feeling better by the time he left the little room where Theo’s clinic was, and there was indeed another omega there waiting for him, who gave him clothes that would fit, and was very kind when he brought Larson to an empty room.

Ty certainly looked healthy enough, so these alphas had to be good to their omegas.

His only fear was how Adrian would receive him, and if he would ever remember Larson at all.

ADULT EXCERPT

“I’m so damned happy. You have no idea how long I’ve dreamed of this,” Larson said.

Adrian’s head was still swimming, but that had to be the lust. Either way, he wasn’t swaying on his feet or anything, and now the dizziness was getting to be a little easier to manage. “You only met me a couple of days ago.”

Larson’s mouth opened and closed like a fish before he finally sputtered out a reply. “That’s how much I’ve wanted you. It’s already felt like a lifetime since we met.”

Adrian smiled at that, and now he was pretty sure the light-headedness he was feeling was just the high of being wanted so much by a worthy omega.

Adrian leaned in to kiss the man again. He lowered his hand beneath the rim of Larson’s jeans. They were a little loose, and he wasn’t wearing a belt, likely because of the baby, so it was easy for Adrian to get into that warm space and squeeze one of Larson’s ass cheeks.

When Larson opened his mouth wide in a gasp, Adrian took advantage and slid his tongue to lick deep within Larson’s mouth.

Maybe Adrian really had been feeling the mating call all of this time and not just plain old lust. Maybe his instincts did pull him to this man because the first thing that went through his brain as he held Larson tight and tasted him was how right this was. It was like he’d kissed this man a thousand times before already.

There was no way he would be sensing that if they weren’t mated. It made Adrian’s heart leap, and he lifted Larson up into his arms, keeping his hand and wrist beneath the man’s ass before gently setting him down on the bed.

Impatience was starting to take over. Adrian now knew what Larson was talking about when he’d complained of feeling like they’d known each other for a lifetime already because now Adrian was starting to feel like it had been a thousand years since he’d had sex.

And Larson was shimmying out of his pants easily. He didn’t even have to undo the button or zipper to get them down his legs.

And what amazing legs they were. Firm muscle with only a light dusting of hair over his thighs, but there was nothing on his testicles.

It took Adrian a second to realize what the cause of that could be, and he grinned. “Were you getting ready for this?”

“Maybe,” Larson replied, an impish grin of his own on his face before his eyes lit up. “Which reminds me. The stuff I wanted to show you—”

“Can wait until later,” Adrian said.

“No, it can’t,” Larson said, and he rolled over and reached for some items on his nightstand that Adrian hadn’t noticed were even there before, lube and what looked like a black strip of cloth. He had to have gotten those from somewhere, and because of how Larson and Ty had become fast friends, Adrian was willing to bet that the items had come from him.

“We’re definitely going to need this,” Larson said, wiggling the bottle of lube in his fingers.

Adrian smiled, letting his hand slide up and down his lover’s naked thigh. “Of course, how could I forget?”

He took the lube from his lover’s hand, and he popped the cap with his thumb, only to realize the damn thing was still sealed.

There was no way he was getting that plastic seal off with one hand without maneuvering a lot, and Adrian’s shoulders sagged. “Uh, do you think you could…?”

“Of course,” Larson said, taking the bottle and twisting the cap off so he could peel away the seal. He handed it back to Larson, and the eager smile was still in place. His cock also remained hard, curving slightly as it pointed back up at him.

Adrian had to find something else to look at. He was going to make one last attempt here, and it was pushing his luck, but he couldn’t help it. “Are you sure you want to do this with me?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” Larson replied, and Adrian believed him.

No way could a guy lie with that sort of look on his face, and what reason would Larson have to lie to him anyway?

“All right,” Adrian said, relieved by Larson’s answer, and from the fact that he himself was also going to stop being an idiot here and just give in like he wanted to. “And, I’ll be gentle and everything, but you’re sure this won’t hurt your pup?”

“I already got cleared by Theo. He said so long as I’m feeling good, then there’s no reason to not have sex.”

He really had thought of everything.

That gave such a jolt of pride and self-worth to Adrian that he immediately started getting out of his clothes. He’d thought he’d mastered doing it well enough with only one hand, but now because he was in such a hurry, he found himself stumbling a little on the way.

That was fine because Larson’s hands were there as well, pulling his T-shirt above his head and working his belt and the button of his jeans.

Adrian decided to let Larson take care of the rest, and it was incredibly hot as he watched the gorgeous man pull down the metal zipper of his jeans and reach his hand inside, finding Adrian’s cock.

Adrian moaned, and his balls tightened almost all the way into his body as his orgasm was suddenly right there.

He had to be quick about reaching his hand down and grabbing on to the thick root of his dick, squeezing tightly before he could come.

He still moaned, and Larson wasn’t making it easy for him to hold back as he stroked his hand up and down the remaining shaft.

“About to come, baby? Your cock is so dark, I can feel your heartbeat pulsing inside of it.”

“Holy God,” Adrian said. Larson knew just the way to talk to him, apparently. “Where the hell have you been all my life?”

Larson’s face twisted a little at those words, but he was quick to lean in and kiss Adrian on the mouth before Adrian could figure out exactly what was wrong.