Chapter 2

Samson

It probably said more about me than I wanted to admit to that I had my play space set up well before any part of my new house. I'd just moved across the country to Barrington, and the play space was the first settling-in I'd tackled. It wasn't that the modest home on the back side of Glass Top Mountain needed work. The house was on the side of the mountain that was too flat and rocky to be useful for skiing, like the other side of the mountain, where Kincade Slopes was located. I'd specifically bought the property because the house was move-in ready.

But it was the cabin that came with the property, The Retreat, as the enthusiastic beta real estate agent who had shown me the property called it, that had sold me on the place to begin with, so that's where I had put the lion's share of my early renovation efforts.

"It's looking nice," my buddy, Jay, said. "Well, from what I can see of it."

Jay was almost three thousand miles away, still on the West Coast, in Medford, where I'd lived my entire life until four months ago. I held up my laptop and turned a slow half-circle so he could see the work I'd done to turn The Retreat into a kinkster's paradise.

"It's the best I could do on short notice and with a limited budget," I said, surveying everything I'd put into place. "I want to do more, though."

Jay laughed. "This is short notice and low-budget?"

He had a point. The first thing I'd done after signing on the dotted line of the deed was to have someone come in to more or less gut The Retreat, throwing out all the old, shabby-yet-comfortable furniture. The previous owner had used the building for his therapy clients, though considering there was a bed in the cabin, I wondered what sort of therapy he'd engaged in.

Not my problem, and I didn't really want to know.

Once the whole place had been taken down to bare bones, I'd redone the floors, walls, and ceilings, installing some well-placed hooks and pulleys. I'd painted the walls a nice, clean white, then went to work installing the furniture.

It wasn't just your average BDSM furniture either. Most of it was specially designed for omegas, including a breeding chair with movable parts built into the wall and special rungs and restraints built into the other furniture that would keep an omega where I wanted him while I did the things that got us both off.

Both of us. That was key. The place definitely looked like some kind of omega nightmare sex dungeon, and for anyone who didn't know me, which was everyone in Barrington and the entire East Coast, since I was the new kid on the block, it would seem creepy. Any passing hiker who happened to peek in through the windows to see my little set-up would probably freak out and run screaming, thinking they were in the beginning of some kind of slasher porn.

"I need blackout curtains," I said, half to myself.

"You don't have curtains for this place yet?" Jay asked.

I set the laptop down on the solid, oak table, avoiding one of the many rings built into the tabletop, then shifted to sit in my favorite, curvy chair, one of the only pieces of furniture I'd saved from my sex shack in Medford when I'd moved, so I could converse with Jay directly.

"Give me a break, Jay," I said, smirking. "I've barely got the place set up."

"Yeah, but it's set up enough for you to agree to host some omega's dark fantasy through the app," Jay pointed out.

I winced slightly. "I hadn't planned to host any fantasies so soon," I admitted. "This omega really stuck out to me, though."

"He's that cute, eh?" Jay asked, grinning stupidly.

"No," I said with a frown. "Well, yeah," I admitted with a sheepish look a moment later. "He's just my type. Young, sweet-looking, obviously takes care of himself. Doesn't look dirty at all, though his request is filthy."

"Yeah, that's your type, alright," Jay laughed.

"It was his request that stuck out to me," I went on. "He joined the site and spelled out a fairly elaborate primal play fantasy right off the bat. He mentioned he only has a window of three weeks in which to do it, then he'd be deleting his account."

"Hmm. Sounds like an impulsive college kid who wants to punch his kink v-card before going home at the end of the school year and having a normal life."

"Exactly," I said. "And you know how vulnerable those kids are."

"More like you know how vulnerable they are," Jay said, not without sympathy.

He was right. I did know. I knew a little too well what kind of trouble impulsive young omegas could get into. I'd developed something of a reputation on the force back in Medford as the cop who always ended up with the missing persons cases that involved sex and trafficking, because I had a sixth sense for the kink world. A few other people in Missing Persons knew why, but only a few.

I found them because a huge number of college-aged omegas and betas who went missing in our neck of the woods around Medford did so because they were chasing some sort of youthful high. They either got lost while hiking or camping, or worse, they got mixed up with the wrong people on apps like the Dark Fantasies Club and got way more than they bargained for.

I'd joined the app several years ago as a resource to try to find these kids. I'd stayed on the app because I was a kinky-ass alpha dominant who got my jollies giving some of these young omegas the fantasy they were looking for. That was one reason, the shallow one. The other reason I'd stayed on the app was from a sense that if I could give these omegas what they were looking for in a safe and satisfying way, then the real criminals on the site wouldn't get to them first and cause lasting harm.

It had worked…until it hadn't. The thing was, Josiah hadn't even been on the app. He'd found another way to get himself kidnapped and trafficked by the wrong people, thinking it was some kind of sex game. I'd been called in to do a search and rescue, because that's what I did, I searched, then I rescued.

I'd been too late. The bastards that had lured Josiah into their sick games killed him. And the worst part was that I actually found and captured the sickos. I was responsible for bringing an entire teen kidnapping and porn ring to justice. It was big hero kind of stuff, complete with a write-up in the paper and a cash reward from the parents of one of the victims that was recovered.

I hadn't been able to get Josiah's face out of my head, though. I'd quit the force, sold everything I had in Medford, and moved clean over to the other side of the country, just to get away from all the congratulations and hero-worship that I definitely didn't deserve over there. I needed a new start in a new city.

But old, kinky habits died hard.

"You sure you're ready to pick up where you left off with the Dark Fantasies Club?" Jay asked, making me realize I'd been silent for too long, trapped in bad memories.

"Hey," I replied with a smirk, making light of something that was really dark. "An alpha's gotta get his jollies somehow."

Jay chuckled. "You won't get any argument from me. No kink-shaming either. I know how it is."

Jay definitely knew. The two of us had met through the Dark Fantasies Club, at a seminar for alphas about how to fulfill some of the darker fantasies omegas had without causing them any lasting damage. Seminars like that and knowing people like Jay were involved with the club was yet another reason I'd stuck with it. As kinky as a lot of the stuff that went on through the club was, the whole thing was run by some incredibly moral and ethical people.

The sound of tires on the gravel outside the cabin alerted me to the arrival of my omega…well, he wasn't exactly a client, but I was treating it like he was. I lifted my head and glanced to the door.

"They here?" Jay asked, glancing to the side, as if he could see anything on my end other than what was right in front of my laptop.

"Looks like it," I said, standing. "I gave them instructions to come around back to the cabin, but let me just help them find the place."

I left Jay on the table and headed for the door. I'd done work on the outside of The Retreat as well as the inside. I'd widened the path that led from the driveway, around the side of the main house, to the cabin, and I'd installed rows of solar-powered guide lights, in case I ever had anyone come over at night. I'd given it a fresh coat of weather-resistant paint and redone the flashing on the roof, too. To any outsider, The Retreat would look like a cozy getaway off the big house, or something that would make a great rental.

"Ari?" I asked the two omegas who were just getting out of the black SUV that had parked on the side of the driveway.

The omega who had driven glanced up as if I'd startled him, then called back to me, "Yeah, that's me."

It felt cliché to think it, but Ari was even cuter in person than in his pic. The pic he'd posted with his profile was a gorgeous, staged number in which he was wearing a light amount of make-up and a dazzling smile. In person, he was every bit as poised and pretty, complete with eyeliner, a dusting of powder, and lip tint. The pretend casual jeans and t-shirt he was wearing were designer, and the boots he wore with them were far too shiny to be actual utility boots. Clearly, Ari had money.

It was always the rich kids who jumped into these sort of fantasies with both feet. Then again, working-class young people were generally too busy trying to survive and make a living than to play kinky adult make-believe.

There was something more about Ari, though. I felt it immediately when he came close enough to shake my hand. He vibrated with pent-up energy and excitement. Sexual, yes, but something more than that. He smelled like a fruit basket, the kind my grandpapa used to keep out on the table all summer so that any of us grandkids could come along and grab a snack when we were done swimming in the lake. The scent was strong, and it was far more natural than I would have expected from someone whose t-shirt probably cost more than Grandpapa's car.

"You're Samson?" Ari asked, a slight tremor in his voice that went straight to my groin. Or maybe it was the way he sized me up with a quick glance that settled on my crotch for a bit too long to be polite.

"I am," I said with a nod.

"Okay. Hi," Ari said breathlessly.

Yeah. One of the reasons I'd been so successful at the Dark Fantasies Club was because physically, I fit the description of the hulking, intimidating, muscular alpha that a lot of these horny omegas were looking for. I was six-five, powerfully built, and yes, I had a larger than average cock that formed a massive knot when I was fucking an omega in heat. I could see the lust in Ari's eyes as he licked his lips and panted slightly.

"You must be Ari's second," I offered my hand to the other omega.

"Hayden," the omega said, rushing forward to shake my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you." His eyes dropped to my crotch, too, and he blushed.

"Likewise." I grinned. That one was a character, I could tell in an instant. "If you'll come this way, I'll show you The Retreat, you can meet my second, Jay, and we'll settle on the details of your fantasy."

Ari blinked. "What, just like that?"

I smiled. Definite newbie. He might even be a virgin, but maybe not? I should have had qualms about that, but I'd fulfilled a few first-time fantasies for omegas before, so I knew I didn't.

"This is how it's done," Hayden explained to his friend as the three of us walked down the path to the cabin. "You two iron out all the details now so that there aren't any surprises later and no one crosses any boundaries they shouldn't."

"Oh, right," Ari said, clearly anxious.

I was always on the fence about whether to put an omega at ease during this initial conversation or not. My personal instinct was to make an omega feel as comfortable and safe as I could, but I'd learned after my first few fantasies a couple years ago that if an omega had signed on for something dark, they didn't want to feel safe or comfortable. The fear was part of what got them off.

"This is my friend, Jay," I explained, gesturing to the laptop once we were all inside the cottage.

"Hello," Jay waved as the two omegas came to stand within his line of sight.

"As you can see, Jay isn't here. He lives in Medford," I said. "I've only just moved to Barrington recently, and I haven't made friends here yet." At least, none that I could trust with something like this.

"I'm available for anything you might need me for," Jay said. "Sam will give you my email address and phone number, and I'll be on call for the duration of the fantasy if anyone needs to contact me for any reason."

"Cool," Hayden said, like he knew the drill. "I'm Hayden, Ari's second. I'll give you my phone number and email, too."

"This is…where we'll do stuff?" Ari asked, looking around. He actually sounded a little disappointed.

"If there's anything you don't like or don't understand, feel free to ask me about it," I said, shifting to stand closer to him.

I was drawn to Ari more than usual. I don't know what it was, if he was really my type or if it had just been so long since I'd had sex, over six months, that I would have been over the top horny for any omega. Then again, I could have taken or left Hayden, despite his cheek.

Ari continued to glance around at my set-up, then turned to me. "No, it's all great," he said. "I'm familiar with a lot of the things in here, even if I've never used them."

That answered that question.

"I just thought this would be, you know, an outdoor experience," he finished.

I nodded slowly, grunting. "Gotcha. Well, I don't know what you had in mind," I said, already feeling my pulse kick up, "but when I've done this sort of fantasy before, after the initial chase and capture phase, I bring the omega back to my lair, so to speak, to be my captive."

"Oh. That makes sense." Ari nodded. When he moved to look at my equipment again, I was hit by a strong wave of his summer fruit scent. He was aroused. He could keep the expression he wore as bland and neutral as possible, which he was doing, but it was glaringly obvious to me that he was deeply aroused.

Which made me even hornier than I already was.

"So, you've done this before?" Ari asked, turning back to me.

"Yes," I answered honestly. "I've been part of the Dark Fantasies Club for three years now. I've attended several of their workshops and seminars as well. And if it makes you feel more secure, I'm also a former cop."

"I see." Ari sucked in a breath, face flushed.

I couldn't tell if he thought me being a former cop was a good thing or a bad thing. In the past, I'd included that basic bit of information in my initial meetings with omegas, but let them draw their own conclusions about whether I was a good cop or a bad cop. For some of them, me being a bad cop just added to their fantasy.

"Why don't you tell me a bit about what you'd like included in the fantasy, and then we'll agree to the details and sign the contract," I said, hoping that openness and keeping things moving forward would help Ari decide what he wanted. A good half of the omegas who thought they wanted a dark fantasy changed their mind in this phase of the game.

"I know exactly what I want," Ari said with surprising certainty, turning back to me.

I gestured toward the chairs that sat around the table. "Have a seat and tell me about it."

We all sat, and with Jay on the table via my laptop, it almost felt like a normal hang-out.

"I've dabbled in kink before," Ari said. "But I've only had one heat so far. I've had sex outside of a heat, though."

I nodded, trying not to smile at his need to tell me that. "Okay."

"I've always been fascinated by all the old stories of ancient times, before civilization, when alphas would scent an omega in heat and chase them through the forest to catch them and breed them."

"Got it," I said. I wouldn't bother mentioning that archeologists and anthropologists now disputed the theory that primitive alphas and omegas mated that way.

"I might need to take a Heat Lightning pill," Ari went on, "but once I go into heat, I want you to do that. I want you to chase me through the forest while I try to get away, and I want you to catch me and breed me."

I could tell Ari thought he was being shocking, but I'd seen it all before.

"How do you want to start the fantasy?" I asked. "Why are you in the woods going into heat?"

Ari blinked, like he hadn't thought that bit through. He seemed to be struck with inspiration, though.

"How about I'm on a last camping trip before?—"

He stopped, and I could see the guilt of whatever it was he was avoiding by playing into his fantasy flash through his eyes.

"Okay," I said. "You'll be out here camping, you go into heat, and I scent you through the forest. I surprise you in your camp, and then you run. I give chase, and eventually I catch you. When I do, I'll bring you back here and take your heat."

"Yes!" Ari's eyes went bright with expectation. "But you don't have to wait to bring me back here to fuck me. And I enjoy being tied up."

My brow went up slightly. That was different. A lot of the young guys who signed up for a fantasy didn't know that much about themselves.

"So I'll capture you and bring you back here for your heat," I said, shifting forward in my chair slightly. "What kinds of things do you want to do during your heat?"

Ari shook his head. "I don't want to know in advance," he said. "I want to be completely surprised. And I don't want you to go easy on me at all. I want to be fucked mercilessly. I'm okay with humiliation and pain. I don't want to have any control at all. And—" He swallowed like his throat had gone dry. "And if you actually breed me and get me pregnant, that's okay."

Interesting. I wondered if Ari realized he had a breeding fantasy on top of his captivity and rape fantasy. I could see that need in his eyes. It sort of emanated from him.

And again, it wasn't the first time an omega had asked me to do that. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if there was a baby or two out there with my DNA. It was part of the risk of the Dark Fantasies Club, but every contract I'd signed with an omega so far stipulated that they didn't have to inform me if the encounter resulted in a pregnancy.

It occurred to me for half a second that I wasn't sure I'd be okay with that secrecy stipulation if my fantasy with Ari resulted in a baby.

I immediately put that out of my mind.

"Do you have a timeframe of when you're looking to play?" I asked.

Ari nodded. "Would next week work for you?"

I smiled to reassure him. "That works just fine."

"Good," Ari said, then swallowed hard. "Next week it is."

"If you're ready, we can sign the contract now, and our seconds can exchange information," I said.

And that was that. With that short visit, I was contracted to fulfill Ari's darkest fantasy in just a few days.