Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Not watching Oliver was…strange. Adar had become so used to doing little else but guarding his mate and the other dragon omegas that it felt off to wander into the woods with Delton. Maybe Oliver had been right that Adar needed to do something else every once in a while because he was almost experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Funny how he hadn’t realized that until now.

“Do you have a favorite trail?” he asked Delton.

Adar had suggested going for a hike, knowing Delton loved it. Adar had seen him going for walks with his patients. Clients? Whatever Delton called the people he helped by listening. Damn, the man was so good at his job. One session with him and look at what they had already unearthed.

“I only know the shorter trails because I usually go for an hour max, so if you know any longer ones you love, I’m good with that.”

“There’s one that follows the brook for a while, and you can often spot wildlife there.”

“Sounds perfect.”

Delton and he didn’t speak as they walked, following the narrow path between the tall trees. Adar loved that Delton didn’t feel the need to fill every silence with words like some people did. The silence felt comfortable, like they both knew they’d needed this moment of peace and quiet.

Fall was arriving, but the leaves wouldn’t turn here like they did in colder climates. It was more a case of fifty shades of brown, with colors ranging from cinnamon and peanut to caramel or coffee-with-creamer. Adar didn’t mind. He loved the outdoors in any season, though he wasn’t a huge fan of snow. Not because the cold bothered him but because he had to wear more layers of clothing, which felt restrictive.

On this sunny day, the sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating a dance of light and shadow. Squirrels scurried along branches and undergrowth, the rustling of leaves betraying the presence of more animals they couldn’t see. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the fragrance of pine and cedar, mingling with the subtle waft of wildflowers and honey on a passing breeze. The distant calls of birds mixed with the chirping of crickets to create a lovely harmony, and as always, something inside him stilled.

Adar’s backside still smarted from the paddling two days prior, but that only steadied him. He liked that residual pain because it reminded him of the peace he’d found during the session, which was fucked up, but whatever. He’d long since stopped trying to figure out why he needed it so much. He did, and now that he had Delton to help him and Oliver was okay with it, he wouldn’t have to hide it anymore. Not from them, at least, which felt good.

And Delton had done a great job his first time, far better than Adar had expected. Isam had texted him afterward to confirm that Delton seemed to be a natural. Surprising, considering he had no previous experience or even exposure, and Adar still hadn’t figured out why Delton had offered to help him, but he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

When the trail split, they followed the right fork, which led deeper into the woods. The closer they came to the brook, the louder the murmur of the water meandering between rocks and boulders became. In the height of summer, the brook was a trickle, crossable with one big step, but they’d had some rain the previous week, and now it was a little wider. Late fall, it would become more of a challenge to cross, though Adar always wore waterproof boots when he went for a walk, so he didn’t worry about it.

Rhythmic pecking on a tree above him made him look up. A woodpecker with a bright-red head was furiously tapping away at a tall pine tree, unbothered by the humans passing below him. Adar halted and pointed the busy bird out to Delton. They stood and listened for a while, then continued along the brook.

A few minutes later, a rustling of leaves came from their right. Adar stopped again and signaled for Delton to be quiet. After a little while, a young deer stepped up to the water, nervously looking around before bending to take a few sips.

Delton was watching it with a big smile, and for some reason, Adar was more fascinated by the beta than the deer. Delton was cute. For some reason, it hit Adar all over again that he was gorgeous with his messy dark-blond hair and pale-blue eyes that looked into the world with kindness and curiosity. His beard was more of a glorified stubble, but Adar liked it. It suited Delton.

But what Adar most liked about Delton was his vibe, strange as that might sound. He radiated this calmness, this quiet confidence. Like peace and chill personified. Adar never felt like he had to talk with him or was forced to keep up appearances or some kind of mask. He could be himself, and what a gift that was.

The deer darted away, and Delton turned to Adar, his face radiating joy. “That was beautiful. Do you see them often here?”

It took Adar a moment to collect his thoughts, too distracted by staring at Delton. “Erm, yeah. Though they’re quite skittish, probably because they sense we’re wolves. Technically, they’re prey.”

Delton chuckled. “Not technically. They are prey. We eat them.”

“Yeah, but we only kill what we can eat. We don’t hunt for sport.”

“It wasn’t a criticism. I love Lev’s deer stew.”

So did Adar. Word on the street was that Lev used dark Irish stout for his recipe. Adar wasn’t sure if that was true, but whatever it was, it made the meat super flavorful.

They continued their hike until they reached Adar’s favorite spot: a meadow on a hilly clearing, where the grass was soft like a pillow. They both sat and sipped from the water they’d brought. Adar had also grabbed some cookies, which he offered Delton.

“Chocolate chip?” Delton asked with a grin.

“Of course. Only the best for you.”

Delton froze for a moment, then blinked and looked away. Had Adar said something wrong? Nah, had to be his imagination. “Thank you for everything you’re doing for me and Oliver. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”

“You’re very welcome. I’m happy to see you two grow closer.”

“I learned quite a bit about you as well.”

Delton shifted, still not meeting Adar’s eyes. “Yeah, I got a little carried away, I think, when you and Oliver were asking those get-to-know-you questions. I should’ve kept quiet since it wasn’t about me.”

“No, I liked it. Made it feel more like a conversation than some forced talk.”

“Oh, okay.”

Adar played with a long grass stalk, rubbing it between his fingers. Close to him, a fat bee buzzed as it clumsily moved from flower to flower, heavy from the pollen on his body. “Do you think Oliver needs therapy to talk about what happened to him? Or can he get past it by himself?”

Delton finally looked at him, his expression changing and becoming livelier. “I can’t answer that so easily, but I will say it’s a common misconception that talking is required to move past a traumatic experience. For some people, it’s necessary, but others are able to process it in a different way. It’s certainly not necessary to recount the trauma in detail, as many people seem to believe. In fact, that’s often way too triggering.”

Delton clearly loved his job. Whenever he talked about it or something related to what he did, he became so animated and passionate. It was beautiful to see. “And you don’t know which way would be the best for Oliver?”

“No, but I haven’t spent that much time with him yet, and we haven’t talked about his past at all.”

“It’s bad.” Adar’s face tightened. “Really, really bad. If I ever get my hands on that Dempsey… Rhene promised me that asshole is mine. I’m not a violent man by nature, despite my job, but I won’t hold back with him. He is the vilest, lowest scum there is.”

Delton held up his hands. “You won’t hear objections from me.”

“No? That surprises me somewhat.”

“Did you think I was some kind of pacifistic softie?”

“No, but I wouldn’t have thought you embraced violence.”

“I don’t. Not in general. But I will gladly make an exception in this case because I happen to agree with you. Men like Dempsey don’t learn any other way. Besides, he’s been taking all his aggression out on a defenseless omega. I’d like to see him try on a man your size. You’d crush him.”

Warmth filled Adar’s chest. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. He’s powerful, from what I’ve heard.”

Delton waved his words away. “He won’t stand a chance against you.”

“Why not? I mean, he has magic.”

“Yeah, but…” Delton looked away again, uncrossing his feet and crossing them again in the other direction. “You’ll be fighting for Oliver, for your mate. That’s different. You have this possessiveness when it comes to him, and Dempsey’s magic could never be a match for that.”

Hmm, maybe he had a point. “Again, thank you for your faith in me.”

“Would you fight him, even if you knew you’d lose?”

Adar didn’t have to think about it. “Absolutely. I’d do it to show him what a fair fight looks like.”

“You’d do it for Oliver.”

“Yeah, but not only for him. If it had been you, I would’ve felt the same way. I can’t stand bullies and guys who abuse their power or position. Makes me furious.”

“You’d do the same for me?” Delton’s voice was almost a squeal. Why was he so surprised about that?

“Wouldn’t hesitate a moment. You may not be an omega, but you’re still no match for an alpha, and if Dempsey had done that to you, I’d want to beat the shit out of him just as much.”

“I’m… Thank you?”

“For what? For knowing the difference between right and wrong? Or for having a sense of justice?”

“Both? It just means a lot to me to hear you say that. I thought… It seemed as if you only felt so strongly because it was Oliver.”

Did he? He hadn’t thought about it. When Delton had asked him, Adar had responded instinctively, and now that he thought back on it, his answer still felt right. All he had to do was picture Dempsey hitting Delton, and his blood boiled. “I swear I’d beat him up for you as well. Which, I now realize, is a weird flex, but it’s the truth.”

Delton blinked and let out a cute giggle. “I’ll take it. Thank you.”

Adar closed his eyes, lifting his face to soak up the sun rays beaming down on him. He should do this more often with Delton. The beta was great companionship.

“Can I ask you something?” Delton asked.

Adar opened his eyes. “Of course.”

“Even if it’s personal and maybe none of my business?”

“Now you’re making me curious.”

Delton took a deep breath. “When you told me about what you and Isam did in the past, you mentioned more than the impact play. He fucked you as well. Rough was the term you used.”

“Yeah, he did.” Where was Delton going with this?

“You won’t get that out of our arrangement. Won’t that be a problem for you?”

Ah, okay. Adar sighed. “I don’t know.”

“But you considered it?”

“I realized it could be an issue, yes. But what can I do? Oliver could never give me that, and I wouldn’t even ask him to. Hell, I’m already counting my blessings that he’s okay with me engaging in impact play with you. And no way would I ever cheat on him, so I guess it’s something I have to learn to live with.” He rubbed his beard. “It’s not easy to find someone anyway. I got lucky with Isam that he was into it too, though from the other side. He loved fucking me, but he’s always been an exclusive, aggressive top. Easier for him than me.”

“There’s still a stigma on alphas who like to bottom.”

Adar raised his chin. “Yeah. I shouldn’t let it get to me, but it does on occasion. No matter how much I try to tell myself it’s okay and it’s just a sexual preference, it’s hard not to feel that shame.”

“I don’t like to bottom.”

Delton said it quietly, but Adar jerked his head up. “No?”

Delton shook his head. “I’ve done it, of course, as betas are expected to bottom for alphas and top with omegas. Only with other betas are we more often allowed to have a preference. But I don’t like it.”

“Is it because it’s painful?”

“No, not really. It’s… I don’t like the sensation. I don’t like being held down and feeling somewhat helpless, even though I know I’m not. And before you ask, it’s not the result of any trauma. I’ve always felt that way, from the first time I had sex.”

Interesting. So, sexual preferences didn’t have to be connected to some negative experience. Adar had never had one. He just liked to bottom as well, and he preferred rough sex. “Thank you for telling me. That makes it a little easier for me to talk about my…my preferences without feeling like I’m the only one.”

“You’re welcome.”

“And thank you for asking. It makes me feel seen.”

“Again, you’re welcome. All part of my job.”

His job? Was that what this was, Delton’s job? That thought didn’t sit well with Adar at all. “Is this work for you? Us hanging out?”

Delton winced, and his cheeks turned bright red. Adar had never seen him blush, but he sure was now. “No, and I’m sorry for saying that. I was… I guess I was trying to create some mental distance.”

“Why? If you don’t want to be here…”

“No, that’s not it. I do. But it’s not always easy for me to switch from being a psychologist to being a friend. Most of the conversations I have with others here are part of what I consider my job. Duer’s the only one I would consider a friend, and even with him, it started as a professional relationship.”

Damn. That couldn’t be easy. Adar had never considered Delton’s perspective, but now that he had, he felt for the man. “I guess we didn’t make it easy for you either, what with us mixing so many roles. Therapist, Dom, friend…”

Delton nodded. “I don’t always have the right hat on, and I apologize for that. It wasn’t my intention to be rude.”

Rude? That wasn’t the word Adar would’ve used. He hadn’t been offended. He’d been hurt. The implication that he was nothing more than a job to Delton had stung. More than he’d expected, though he wasn’t sure why. Maybe because he’d already started thinking of Delton like a friend rather than a therapist. “It’s okay. I understand. Guess I’ll have to work harder at making you feel like a friend.”

Delton’s blush returned in full force. “I’d like that. I mean, I’d appreciate that. Would make things easier for me.”

He was truly sweet. “I got you, my friend,” Adar said and meant it. “I got you.”