STORY EXCERPT

“Oh? And what does a normal gay couple do?”

Eddie shrugged, thinking of all the stuff some of his friends might’ve said. “I don’t know. Have three-ways and go out getting drunk on the weekends.”

Brian laughed. “God, whoever you’ve been hanging out with, stay away from them. They’re a bad influence.”

Eddie thought Brian might say that. He was definitely the monogamous sort, which worked out well enough for Eddie because he was, too.

“I just feel cooped up and angry, like all the time. I can’t stand that.”

Brian sucked back a deep breath and sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want that for you. I didn’t want you to feel like a prisoner.”

“Not a prisoner,” Eddie said, blushing at the word choice. “Just…it’s weird that I can’t come and go whenever I want. I’m not used to this, to being in a pack and having to listen to what some leader tells us to do. Feels kind of…”

He stopped himself before he could say it. He didn’t need to. Brian finished for him.

“Feels like a cult?”

The heat in Eddie’s neck and face came raging back. “Yeah, something like that. But I know it’s not one!” he added quickly. “I mean I’ve seen you shift like a dozen times already and Dakota and your brother and everyone else. I know it’s all real. I just…I hate the rules.”

Brian was quiet for a long moment. Eddie worried he might have offended the man. Just because they were mated and supposed to be in love forever and ever didn’t mean Eddie didn’t still have some of the normal worries that came with being in a relationship.

It was one of the few normal things Eddie actually had to worry about.

When Eddie had brought this up to the pack alpha, Dakota, the taller man had patiently explained how everything was being done for his safety, how it wasn’t to hurt him or lock him up, and while Eddie understood that, none of it had helped.

He expected to hear the same thing from Brian, that Eddie was here because he and the other omegas and humans were in danger, that they were still trying to figure out the housing situation without so many people sharing a roof, anything.

He didn’t expect to feel Brian’s lips at his temple or the love and adoration that came through that kiss.

Eddie was kind of stunned when Brian pulled back. He touched the spot where his mate had just kissed him.

“Uh, was that just me, or did you…?”

“I pushed that through to you, yeah. Trust me, that’s how I feel about you.”

Eddie felt that same heat rising up, but this time it was pleasant, making him feel kind of giddy. “Th-thank you.”

Brian laughed. “I basically tell you how much I love you and all you say is thank you?”

“I love you, too. I can’t help it!”

“I know, you’re shy, but I want to do something for you.”

That got Eddie’s interest. “You do?”

Brian nodded, getting to his feet. He took Eddie by the hand and pulled him up. “Yeah, this is going to be great. Get up. Come with me.”

Eddie got up, and he didn’t even wobble this time. The swelling in his ankles was going down a little, which was good because his excitement was definitely building. “Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you out to lunch, and we’re going to go outside and have a picnic or something.”

“We are?” Eddie was too stupidly pleased at the thought of having a picnic. A couple of months ago he might’ve thought that was a boring way to spend an afternoon, but this was Brian, and not only was Eddie itching to get out of the house but he was also aching to spend more time with his mate.

Brian nodded. “Just you and me. No one else around us. We can have some private time, and it’ll be just a normal date.”

Eddie was drooling at the thought of getting Brian alone.

It had been hard to get him alone ever since he’d taken on an active role in the pack. He was no longer an outsider, someone this pack feared. He was one of the group, which meant he had his own chores to do, which apparently involved working at the diner and bringing money into the pack whenever Eddie couldn’t because of his condition. It also involved changing into his wolf form and going out into the bushes, to sniff around the territory and make sure there were no hunters lurking around.

More than once Brian had come back with a couple of traps, the kind meant to catch wolves and foxes, so it was clear his services there were needed as well.

That didn’t leave too much time for Eddie to be alone with his lover. Whenever they were alone, it seemed to be only at night when Brian climbed into bed next to Eddie. Usually, one or both of them were too exhausted from the day’s events to do more than snuggle and sleep.

“How alone is alone?” Eddie asked, already making plans. “Like, will anyone else in the pack hear us?”

It was so sexy when Eddie watched Brian’s eyes change to red. They only ever turned that particular shade when Brian was excited about something, angry, or aroused.

Eddie had quickly learned how to tell the difference between the three emotions.

“We’ll be alone enough.”

“Give me a distance.”

Brian was grinning now. “Why do you need one?”

He knew exactly why Eddie would need one, and Eddie struggled to keep himself from smacking Brian on the shoulder. “You know why! Just tell me!”

Brian shrugged, as if it was no big thing. “We won’t be within sight of the house.” He leaned in close, his lips almost touching Eddie’s ear, close enough so Eddie could feel the heat of Brian’s breath. “Close enough you’ll have to keep the noises to a minimum.”

That did it. That was exactly what Eddie wanted to hear.

“Give me a second to get my shoes, a blanket, and some, ah, stuff.”

They were going to need lube. No condoms. Not yet since, well, Eddie was already pregnant.

Despite how awkward Eddie could be, he was still pleased with Brian’s laughter following him all the way up the stairs. He just didn’t expect to get there and see a perfect stranger standing at the top of the stairs, waiting for him, holding a knife.

ADULT EXCERPT

He loved this man so much, and he felt the protection and affection from the alpha side of Brian’s mind when the larger man put their chests together.

Well, as much as he could put their chests together with Eddie’s stomach getting bigger.

“Soon we won’t be able to do it in this position.”

Eddie blinked. “Face to face?”

Brian nodded. “We should get as much in as we possibly can, right?”

Eddie couldn’t have agreed more. He nodded eagerly. He didn’t say anything else, however. He couldn’t. He was too hot, too breathless, too eager.

That was the problem. The best kind of problem a guy could have, that was for damned sure, especially when Brian kissed his way down Eddie’s chest to his swelling belly.

Eddie felt a different kind of heat when Brian kissed him there. He wasn’t used to this part, to having Brian kiss the spot that was right above where their baby was growing.

Eddie was still used to thinking of himself in normal human terms because he was, supposedly, a normal human male.

And yet he was pregnant. It still freaked him out to think about it sometimes. Guys weren’t supposed to get pregnant, but here he was, clearly pregnant, and Brian was kissing his pregnant belly like it was no big thing, like this was the best way he could possibly make love to Eddie.

It took Eddie a minute to relax. To get used to feeling Brian’s mouth over his belly button, which was slowly transforming from an innie to an outie. When he did get used to it, Eddie sighed. He ran his fingers through Brian’s dark hair. He loved the feel of Brian’s hair between his fingers, especially when Brian got all growly, the wolf inside him coming out to play just enough for this to be even more exciting.

“Brian?”

Brian didn’t stop moving lower. “Mmm?”

He was so close, his lips so close to where Eddie needed them to be. In fact, Eddie was pretty sure Brian was just purposely being a tease at this point. His mouth kept skirting around the area where Eddie needed it the most.

“Brian, you think you could…you know?”

He couldn’t say it. He was such a wuss, but he couldn’t get it out that he wanted his lover to go down on him. It was too embarrassing to say out loud. He couldn’t say it out loud.

Brian knew it, too, the bastard. It was clear from the way his red eyes flashed up at Eddie, the way the corner of his mouth pulled up in a wolfish smile.

For real, Eddie could see some of the alpha in Brian’s eyes. It was loving this.

God. He was so fucked.

“You didn’t say the magic word,” Brian said, and like the teasing jerk he was, he let his tongue slide up from the length of Eddie’s shaft all the way to the crown of his prick.

Eddie bit down on his lips, a soft moan escaping him anyway as his mate licked away the drop of precum that formed at the slit.

“Uh, now?”

Brian snorted, turning away from Eddie.

Eddie grinned as he felt the way his mate’s entire body seemed to vibrate as he chuckled.

“Are you serious? Real romantic.”

Eddie shrugged. “I thought alphas didn’t care that much about being romantic.”

“Well, this alpha doesn’t exactly mind it from time to time. You could say please. It would go a long way.”

The way Brian’s hand leisurely stroked up and down the length of Eddie’s cock when he said that was the thing that was really going a long way.

“P-please.”

“And say you love me.”

“I’m going to hit you.”

“So romantic. I love you, too, sweetheart.”

Eddie’s mouth dropped open when Brian put his mouth around the head of Eddie’s cock. He dropped his head back on the sheets behind him, gasping and panting for breath as that warm, wet mouth sank lower and lower around the length of his prick.

That was when Eddie got chatty, giving his mate everything Brian had wanted to hear before.

He gripped Brian’s hair, telling him again and again how much he loved him. He practically sang the words. He would say them again and again if it meant the man wouldn’t stop doing what he was doing.

“God!” Eddie moaned, jumping a little when Brian gently fondled his testicles. So good. It was so good.