CHAPTER ONE

KAY

The sound of a car parking in the driveway jolted me from my restless, shallow nap. My heart instantly sped up, pounding violently in my chest. I knew who had arrived and why he was here. I jumped to my feet, knocking over some of the pillows that made up my feeble attempt at a nest. With my throat dry and my breathing shallow, I stood by the window and pressed my forehead against it.

A black Ford parked slowly and very precisely, taking a spot along the flower beds filled with smoke bush seedlings. The low hum of the engine must have drawn my brothers, Marco and Adam, out of the house, as they soon appeared in my line of sight, quickly approaching the man getting out of the car.

My heart was racing, almost as if I had been sprinting, making me slightly dizzy. For a split second, I couldn't focus my eyesight—I thought it was Maurice! The visitor was tall, with dark hair, and something about his build and movements reminded me of my late husband. But of course, it wasn't my Maurice. His body now lay at the bottom of the sea.

This man was an intruder in my secluded world.

The window was closed, but thanks to the AOs' heightened hearing, I could catch snippets of their conversation. They tried to make it casual, as if his visit here wasn't strange or vaguely inappropriate.

They exchanged handshakes and some inane questions about traffic and the length of the drive. The man didn't say much; he seemed tense, evidenced by subtle signs like dropping his keys and bumping his elbow against the car mirror. Clearly, this situation weighed as heavily on him as it did on me. From what Marco and Adam had told me, he wasn't the player type, so this arrangement was probably neither easy nor stress-free for him.

A year ago, he divorced his husband and apparently took it hard. I listened to all this information my brothers had shared over the past few days, but I admit, it was without paying attention. I wasn't ready to let another man into my life anyway, barely two months after my husband's car plunged off a seaside cliff, taking him from me forever.

My miserable life, what has become of it? I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Remember, Kay, you agreed to all of this. That's right. I was the one responsible for him being here. I made this decision. Of course, I could always back out, but I knew I wouldn't because the alternative was simply too dangerous. I had reached my limits—my health was starting to falter.

Without too much engagement, I tried to listen to their conversation, but I couldn't focus, and the window muffled their quieter tones anyway. Instead, I focused on the visitor, who leaned against the car hood, but his posture still didn't look relaxed; the tension in his shoulders seemingly persistent. Then, finally, I heard Adam offer him a meal and a shower, and the three of them entered the house.

Everything fell silent. Tick-tock, tick-tock. My time was up. Forgive me, Maurice. I don't want to be a whore, but I have to. I have no other option. I knew I had about half an hour, maybe an hour, before they would come up here. That was our agreement: no chit-chat, no getting-to-know-you evening, no flirting. This was supposed to be as official and mechanical as possible, just therapy for me.

I knew the man worked remotely and could spend the next few months here, or even longer, if I wanted him to. A sudden wave of irritation swept over me. I was painfully aware it would be quite difficult to avoid integrating him into my life; deflecting conversations, sharing meals, and spending afternoons together over tea. That wasn't something I could handle now; everything in me resisted such imposed familiarity, such an intrusion into my safe space. But… was it still safe? Or was it falling apart day after day anyway, as I slowly tormented myself to my limits, curled up in my poor excuse for a nest?

The familiar nervous flutter of my heart was here again. But how could he understand what I felt without any conversation? Could my brothers explain it well enough to ensure he wouldn't run away? I didn't want to be rude, but I knew that ultimately, I would be. He just had to take it. The only question left was: what limits should I set? Could my misery make him hate me until he no longer wanted to continue this arrangement? At this moment, I simply wasn't able to offer him anything more—it was impossible.

Slowly, I walked to the nightstand and picked up a photograph of Maurice, lying there face down. It was one of the few that hadn't been stored by my brothers in the attic. I gazed at his handsome face; his gray eyes stared back at me, the preserved smile seeming too joyful, almost inappropriately carefree. Why were you so careless? I loved you above all else—you were my guardian angel, my rock, my world, my everything! I hate what I have to do now. I hate what Fate demands of me… to preserve the last piece that ties me to you.

I almost threw the photo—smiling at me so cruelly—against the wall, but I stopped myself at the last moment. Useless, stupid. Maurice didn't choose this fate—faulty brakes in the car decided how our marriage ended.

My hand drifted to my stomach, feeling a slight cramp in the lower abdomen, a reminder that my alpha was gone, that his energy and his seed no longer supported my pregnancy.

Now, there was only one thing left to do—and I had to endure it, I had to bear it. I hoped the man would be someone who could withstand me, understand my reasons, and respect my grief. Because I certainly didn't intend to show any respect or understanding toward him.

RAIN

We were standing right next to the stairs leading to the floor where Kay's room was located. Fresh out of the shower and after a quick meal, but I still didn't feel any more invigorated. Adam and Marco's faces were tense, their eyes fixed on me as if I embodied some strange promise of a better life for their brother. But that was complete nonsense; inside, everything felt stretched tight like an overstrung chord—a mix of panic and excitement, that weakening terror that only happens once in a lifetime, just before pivotal moments.

Marco patted me on the back, and Adam squeezed my hand.

"It's the right thing. You're doing something good, something helpful," he assured me, but it sounded almost fake, and the slight trembling at the corners of his lips betrayed him.

"It will be a violation for him," I muttered, tearing my gaze away from his disconcerted face. "There's no other way to see it."

"He agreed to it, Rain. He's suffering, and he needs it. You know that."

"Let's be honest. He suffers more because his husband died; the pregnancy cravings are just a nuisance."

Marco snorted impatiently, standing a bit further away, as if he wanted to avoid my proximity. I didn't know him as well as Adam, my former college roommate. Marco was two years ahead of us, but we hung out a bit back in the day. Despite his reservations about the situation, he had finally gotten on board, with Kay's health and well-being in mind. Now, his darkened eyes bored into my face.

"But they are very real and ever-present. We've been through this discussion already. Since we talked the first time, it's gotten even worse. This month has been excruciating. He barely sleeps. We were at a doctor's appointment with Kay yesterday because he had some residual bleeding. The baby is smaller than it should be. There are abnormalities with the placenta too. Kay could miscarry, and it would crush him… Nothing is more important than stopping this."

Stress. Responsibility. Or rather, fucking irresponsibility! That's one way to describe the hurried decision made four days ago when they called, begging for help. With both hands pressed to my temples, I probably looked like I was getting cold feet, but we were already too deep into this predicament. Now, standing here, staring at the stairs, it just felt disturbingly real. My cautious glance went toward the steps leading to the second floor, where I was supposed to meet Kay.

"I really wish he'd agree to let us get to know each other a little first. Not like this. Anonymous strangers."

Marco was absentmindedly staring at the results of my STD tests, which I'd handed over earlier, endlessly folding and unfolding one corner of the paper.

It was Adam who answered, "It's for the best. He's not ready for a new relationship. Besides, you're not a complete stranger, c'mon. We've been friends for years, and even though you two never met before, he's heard plenty about you. We talk, you know," he made a face, "…we even gossip sometimes."

No, his weak attempt at joking didn't work. Why did I agree to this in the first place? Yes, Adam was a good friend, and seeing how devastated he was by the death of his brother-in-law, I genuinely wanted to help. But being here now—it evoked a last-minute surge of doubts.

Beyond the health concerns, the most uncomfortable part was a well-known (though rarely discussed) fact: abandoned or widowed pregnant omegas experienced heightened sexual needs, in the form of waves of sharply increased arousal, usually three times a day. Their bodies were extremely sensitive, undergoing significant changes. Scientists theorized that this mechanism was meant to create a bond with a new alpha, who would ideally stay and care for the child. Some even refer to it as a "quasi-heat".

When Kay's husband tragically died in an accident two months ago, his beta brothers stepped up. They took him from his deceased husband's empty house, cared for him as best they could, and shielded him from overly emotional and heartbroken in-laws. They witnessed his suffering, not only from the loss of his husband but also from the challenges of his pregnancy. Kay experienced powerful sexual urges, almost as intense as during the heat, resulting in painful cramps.

Marco and Adam were helpless, seeing their omega brother writhing on the bed, crying in pain and cramping, using dildos most of the time (well, they didn't see that part!), but all their efforts couldn't fully solve the problem. The doctor grew increasingly concerned about Kay's health, knowing that omegas left alone during pregnancy often miscarry. On top of this, his in-laws were constantly calling, demanding daily updates.

The brothers didn't rush the decision. Kay sobbed alone in bed for weeks before a distraught Adam finally contacted me.

His call came as a surprise. After graduation, we had drifted apart because my husband, Brian, whom I married during my senior year of college, had a falling out with Adam and never wanted to reconcile. This left me in an uncomfortable position, forced to choose sides. After my divorce, we tried to rekindle our friendship, but I was struggling with depression and had closed myself off to the outside world, so it didn't really take off. Now, they'd reached out to me under these unpleasant circumstances. Adam was relieved to learn that after Brian left, I began taking a strong allure scent suppressant, which was exactly what Kay needed. The issue of mating compatibility wasn't something the widowed omega wanted to deal with. He simply wanted a real, corporeal alpha instead of rubber dildos. He craved the touch of skin, the embrace, the scent—the living presence of an alpha, whose life force was believed to support a healthy pregnancy.

During our time at college, I never had the chance to meet Adam's younger brother, who lived in another state. He was already in a relationship with Maurice at the time, and later attended a different college. This would be my first time meeting him in person, and now we were supposed to have sex… straight away.

Both brothers observed me for a moment, clearly noticing my pensive mood and troubled expression. They probably didn't want to put too much pressure on me, but after all, I gave them my word; to back out now would be unfair.

Finally, Adam inquired, "So, are you ready, Rain?"

I tilted my head to the side a few times, hearing a crack in my neck, then straightened up. I was here to help him, that was the original plan. And hopefully have some nice sex—which, by the way, I really needed—after almost a year since my divorce. I would be lying if I said it wasn't part of my decision-making process. Adam showed me Kay's pictures, and as a healthy alpha, I couldn't be impassive hearing about his cravings. Some primitive part of me was strong enough to finally overcome my discomfort and hesitancy.

"Yeah. Let's do it."

Marco led the way to the second floor, where he opened the door to Kay's room, and we all went inside.

Kay was lying on a large bed in the center of the room, surrounded by a disheveled, messy nest.

And… the magic started.

From the moment I entered, something shifted in me, as if I had suddenly been removed from my old universe and relocated to an alternative version of it, slightly unreal yet full of temptations. My eyes had only one target now.

The young omega was dressed in a pale gray button-up shirt made of soft cotton and white sweatpants. He wasn't covered, and his feet in white socks were propped up on the edge of the deformed nest. Lying flat on his back, he stared at the ceiling. However, upon hearing us enter, He slowly turned his head in our direction, his gaze bypassing Adam and Marco, fixing on me.

Our eyes met, and I swallowed hard. Wow.

The waves of stress mixed with a shiver of delight reminded me of swimming in a stormy sea, gliding on the foamy surface. The thrill of danger; sweet and terrifying.

The pictures I saw before didn't do him justice. Kay was stunningly—strikingly beautiful. His long black braid lay on the pillow, his face was light and delicate, with full, soft lips the shade of ripe raspberries and a straight, elegant nose. He had big, navy-blue eyes that seemed almost black from a distance. I had rarely seen such long, natural eyelashes as the ones fanning his cheeks.

The widowed omega looked so angelic, so perfect, that I stared at him with a gaping mouth. His brothers were also handsome, but definitely not as gorgeous. That kind of beauty wasn't something you could come across every day, and it added to the strangeness of the situation—turning it into something out of a fairytale.

Kay seemed like a lonely prince to be rescued; unreal, taken straight from some fantasy romance book.

So, no doubt it wouldn't be a problem to have sex with such an attractive young man, even under these stressful circumstances. I could already feel the aroma of pregnant Omega in the air, tickling my nostrils. Thanks to the pheromone suppressants, I couldn't tell if we were high-mates, half-mates, low-mates, or totally incompatible, but it didn't matter. The suppressant still let me smell the pregnancy vanilla scent, and it fueled me enough that my dick started to swell in my pants.

"Kay, we brought Rain, as we agreed," Adam said, sitting next to Kay and taking his hand.

"I know, I have eyes," Kay's rude response resonated sharply in the silence of the room. His gaze fixed on the ceiling again, he immediately withdrew his hand from Adam's grasp.

His brother bit his lip, glancing nervously at me. "You can always change your mind if you want. But he agreed to your conditions. He is here for you."

Feeling pressured to react somehow, I pulled myself out of the strange trance and nodded to assure him that, of course, I was totally on board with the idea. To be honest, at this point, I really didn't want him to back out of this deal. My dick had become very interested in him. The scent was so sweet and intoxicating; his beta brothers were oblivious to it, but it filled the room, resembling vanilla with a hint of jasmine.

My eyes roamed over his body, and he noticed it—I wasn't exactly subtle, but not because I intended to behave lewdly. It was unconscious, like staring at a perfect orchid, too mesmerized to tear my gaze away.

And then the instinctual thing happened, I couldn't stop it—I made an AO-typical mating sound called 'Appreciation'. Realizing what I'd done, I immediately cleared my throat, blushing, but it was already too late; it filled the room.

Kay flinched a little, but didn't respond with an equivalent sound, obviously much more stressed or angry—emotions like these were a strong blocking force, limiting natural responses. Or maybe he just wasn't appreciative of my looks? Which, of course, was also a possibility.

"What was that?" Marco mumbled.

Kay shrugged—yes, he managed to do that lying on his back.

"Nothing to be bothered with, just some basic AO shit," he blurted out.

Adam coughed; both betas were unable to accurately detect AO mating sounds due to their subgender's typically weaker hearing. It was purely alpha-omega love-and-lust language.

"Alrighty… So. Rain is staying, am I understanding you correctly?"

"Yep. A deal is a deal. He can stay. However, you should be leaving. You won't be here to watch this circus, that's for sure," Kay said with such bitterness in his voice that it sounded almost painful, as if he were speaking through gritted teeth. I lowered my eyes to the floor, overwhelmed by the awkwardness of this arrangement.

Adam tried to squeeze his hand one more time. "We'll leave. But remember, you can back out anytime, okay?"

Kay rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure. Now get out. Let's have this done already."

Adam and Marco slowly left the room, glancing at me with doubtful grimaces, but I ignored them, already fully focused on the young omega.

During their conversation, I had been standing respectfully near the wall, but as soon as they left, something stirred inside me. Kay's aura had permanently changed me; previous doubts and hesitations suddenly felt insignificant. It was like somebody had pressed a button inside me, prompting my body into action, making me ignore my prior objections.

So I advanced forward like a hungry man reaching for a long-awaited meal. I approached the bed, my body uncharacteristically alert, my movements almost catlike.

"Hello, Kay. I hope it's not—" The words that came out of my mouth had a hoarse tone to them.

"Stop talking," he cut me off angrily. "Start doing your thing."

Adam and Marco had mentioned Kay's possible attitude, suggesting he would be impassive and closed off, but not a word about being rude or hostile. However, I did my best not to take it personally, trying to empathize with his feelings. Especially now, after the magic happened, and I saw him, nothing could discourage me from having sex with him, except for Kay saying, "Get out".

I already crafted a plan in a matter of one minute, but it seemed perfect anyway. I was going to make it as pleasant as possible for both of us, hopefully decreasing some of the negative emotions surrounding our agreement.

So I sat on the edge of the bed. His body swayed slightly as my weight pressed on the mattress.

Right at that moment, I could see his cheeks becoming more flushed, he likely realized what was about to happen: that I was very real, and very close now. The arrangement was set in motion.

My eyes roamed over his body, deciding on my first move. I chose not to say anything more, since he wasn't willing to talk.

With a languorous movement, I slowly stroked his forearm, right away feeling some pleasant tingling, resembling small electrical sparks. Immediately, I felt his muscles tense, and a tiny gasp escaped his lips. On some level, I knew what he felt—a physical shock, a stranger violating his space for the first time, like a knife cutting his life into two halves: one belonging to the past, dominated by Maurice, and the other, unknown and terrifying.

But instead of stopping me, Kay turned his head aside and closed his eyes, as if uninterested in my actions. That suited me, since we obviously weren't about to get acquainted anyway; our personalities, hobbies, and dreams were… yeah. Completely irrelevant. That was his wish.

Fighting the awkwardness wasn't so hard anymore, as I found myself in this very engaged mood. My hand traveled slowly over his forearm, his slender bicep, and his shoulder. Then I gently brushed his neck and ran my fingers over his chest. I noticed a slight change in Kay's breathing rate, his nipples hardened under the fabric. They were enlarged from the pregnancy and I just needed to see them. So I started unbuttoning his shirt.

It was hard to imagine what he was going through. His body probably wanted to fight it, after all, we were strangers and the last person he had been touched by was his late husband. But he remained silent, still lying in the same position, his head turned stubbornly toward the window, his eyelids tightly closed. His lips were also pursed, as if he was tempted to say something unpleasant, barely stopping himself.

Without rushing, I opened his shirt, and now I had a full view of his slender torso, his skin flawless and silky smooth, with pink nipples, swollen and erect.

My dick was pulsing more and more, hardening in my pants, but I had to be patient. So I lowered myself over his body and latched my mouth on his right nipple.

Kay tensed up, his spine almost straining as if he wanted to push me away, but he didn't. I obviously had to address this; the tension in him was a bit too much.

"You're uncomfortable. You can stop me anytime, Kay," I murmured, releasing his nipple from my mouth. I had to remind him that he was in control and that it was all up to him. I was here to serve him, not the other way around.

"I know," he almost growled, but… didn't stop me!

So I continued to suck on his nipple and at the same time began to roll and stretch the second one, which was now hard as a pebble. My nose was full of the jasmine-vanilla scent and I had the strange feeling that everything that was happening was hardly real, almost dreamlike. His loud, now accelerated heartbeat filled my ears as his breathing picked up. But the young omega made no other sound.

My own mind was in a perpetual fog. I had never been in a similar predicament—having sex with a complete stranger—since I preferred long-term relationships. Agreeing to this was very much out of my character, so the sheer intensity and novelty seemed almost dizzying. But ironically, it cut through my doubts and plunged me into this dreamy haze that felt like a sweet escape.

Drunk with Kay's scent, I continued the caresses, aware that pregnant omegas (and those in heat) could orgasm from nipple stimulation alone, but… after a while I decided to stop for a moment to see his reaction to this interruption, to test if he really liked it.

Sure enough, as I backed away, he immediately opened his eyes. Those navy-blue irises, eclipsed by gigantic pupils, looked at me, resembling a starry firmament. It might've been a somewhat romantic observation if not for how cold and vaguely hostile they seemed—more like a polar night than a swoon-worthy summer evening sky. Yet, Kay was breathing quickly, his plump, wet lips parted. He stayed silent, just watching me.

My eyes traveled down his body to discover something rather pleasant: Kay was fully hard, his pants tented, his dick clearly enjoying my attention. Not willing to wait any longer, I grabbed his waistband and pulled his sweats down, tossing them to the floor. He shivered and looked startled for a moment.

Our eyes met again. "Remember, you can always stop me, Kay. All I need is a 'no' from you."

Kay pursed his lips and threw his head back on the pillow, obviously desperate to go on. I could only imagine his inner struggle, his body craving all those lustful things, his mind fighting it with everything he had.

And here was a traitor to his will, his free dick proudly protruding from his smooth-shaven pubic area. Nearly 7 inches long, it was an impressive dick for an omega.

Smirking, I eyed the silky pink shaft, but didn't touch it. I moved a bit higher on the bed and went back to caressing his nipples, deliberately ignoring his erection.

Kay closed his eyes again and turned his head to the side as I sucked, rolled, nibbled, stretched and pinched his hypersensitive nipples. His panting became louder and deeper, raspier, but I wasn't in a hurry to stop…

The quasi-heat state ensured that it didn't last long, maybe two minutes, maybe four. But Kay's face grew increasingly pink, even reddish, his breathing labored, his body taut as a string, ready to snap, and… he snapped.

A warm spurt of cum went on my arm and the rest landed on his stomach. Kay came with his dick untouched! Perfect! I immediately propped myself over his body and began to lick his stomach, cleaning his skin of this surprisingly sweet jizz, and the omega watched me with a strange intensity.

Seeing me tasting him so eagerly, almost purring with pleasure, Kay took a deep breath but made no comment. However, his eyes were strangely glazed over—my first small victory was complete—I had brought him to orgasm. Number one and counting.

Now could be a good time to make him climax again, but… in a different way. Omegas in heat-like states could orgasm more often than alphas, with a very short rest period between peaks.

So I grabbed a small pillow from the side of the bed (making sure not to disturb the barely visible nest outline) and he, feeling my movements, tilted his head down, scrutinizing my actions. I could still feel his unease. He watched intently as I tucked the pillow under his buttocks.

Once I moved down the bed, he seemed to get more and more stressed, as if he was expecting me to penetrate him now, but… I didn't rush.

Wanting a more optimal position between his legs, I leaned down and gently kissed his belly, slowly lowering myself along his body, until I finally pushed his knees apart. Now I could see it; either because of his quasi-heat state or because of his previous orgasm, his pink entrance was slightly open, swollen and dripping wet. I stared at that spot for a moment and then raised my eyes to meet his.

It was the first time I saw a trace of embarrassment, perhaps even a hint of natural shyness, showing as a result of my close inspection. Not wanting to break eye contact, I bent down and closed my mouth over his rosy ring. Well, his body certainly showed interest, even if his mind wasn't open to the idea of sex with me. I licked gently over the pink, folded tissue while being watched by him the whole time. The taste was… divine! Sweet and aromatic. I couldn't stop myself from murmuring with pleasure, and even decided to express my admiration out loud.

"God, you taste like heaven…"

Kay made no comment, of course, but he blushed a bit.

So I started caressing him there with my tongue, licking, swirling, kissing, poking at his opening. My patience paid off and after a while I could feel a subtle relaxation in his muscles. His thighs were no longer so tense, he laid his head back on the pillow, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. Had he only now given himself completely to me (physically) and accepted what was happening? My unhurried approach seemed to be working, his pucker was open, soft, his breathing deeper, slower. I continued to caress his delicate ring of muscles, knowing that this was also another way omegas could orgasm. Especially during pregnancy, the tissue around the entrance could be hypersensitive.

My own style of sex was usually far from this kind of methodical approach, but I had never been in such a predicament before. My typical intercourse was very vanilla 'lovemaking' type of sex, but now… I had to improvise and raise my level of creativity.

It was a slow and long process and I just had to go through it because I started to consider it a test for me. I didn't know where this idea came from, but it just appeared in my mind, almost like a strange subliminal message. Was I patient enough to deserve him? Could I fight my own desire to just plunge my dick into his soft, velvety tunnel and find my own release? But curiously, my need to make him feel good became greater than my own need to feel good.

He needs to be pampered and put first, he needs to know that I'm here for him and not the other way around.

So, for a bit longer, my poor dick suffered, neglected under me, leaking pre-cum over the edge of his nest.

Kay gradually began to respond to my touch, his body slowly preparing for another climax, I could see the subtle changes in him. His dick got harder, his balls tightened. His pucker pulsing slowly under my tongue, clenching a little—the omega's breathing shallower now. Feeling how close he was, I decided to make my move. I covered his protruding entrance with my mouth and latched onto it, sucking his folds as hard as I could, somehow knowing that he needed it as a final step to flail him over the edge.

And yes… he came again! Apparently unable to completely control himself, he let out a very soft, but long moan as his dick erupted with thick ropes of pearly cum, splattering his belly and chest, his hips arching high, pushing my head up.

The sight of his glistening sperm was too tempting, so I bent over his abdomen and licked it off again—very enthusiastically—enjoying the surprisingly delicious taste.

Kay was shaking slightly; this time it took a little longer. I just felt that this orgasm was more intense than the first, there was a longer build-up leading up to it. I was counting on his third to be stronger, as he would hopefully allow himself to be even more relaxed since he knew my priorities. It might seem strange, but I still felt the need to prove myself to him.

But maybe this time I would be able to jump on the pleasure bandwagon myself?

Taking advantage of the moment, I climbed on top of him and licked over his erect nipples, unzipping my pants at the same time. For a while, I leisurely caressed his chest and collarbones, leaving small kisses there as well, while he was in a post-orgasmic glow. Kay had closed his eyes and seemed to be resting. Only after he had calmed down a bit, my hand slowly wrapped around his cock, just an exploratory move, not intended to jerk him off. My fingers roamed over his long shaft, tracing the veins, skimming the small slit and smearing his seminal fluids over the head of his dick. Kay seemed to enjoy it in a relaxed manner, deepening his breathing and showing no signs of hypersensitivity. After what I thought were a few minutes of gentle play and light teasing, it was time for my next move.

So, I lowered my hand, aligned my cock with his entrance, and… my cockhead prodded at his now open, loose passage, applying only a light pressure.

Kay made a surprised sound, tensed up a bit again, but not as much as before, his hole clenched slightly, although he was obviously more relaxed, two orgasms had had the desired effect. Still, he didn't turn his head toward me, his eyes remained closed, as if he didn't want to acknowledge what was happening.

Somehow, it didn't upset me,as I could use it to my unexpected advantage. I was now hovering over him and because of his tilted head I was able to move closer to his exposed neck, where I wanted to be from the beginning.

Once there, I began to plant slow, wet kisses along his tendons, licking around his pink glands. Kay shivered when I lapped over them for the first time. It was a very intimate place for AOs, who could mark each other's neck glands with mating fangs. Outside of heat, however, biting glands couldn't form a stable mating bond. Only just before the heat would the omega excrete the remaining pheromonal trace of his previous partner, making a new marking possible during the fertile period. I knew that the scent of another alpha was imprinted on Kay's glands, but my suppressant prevented me from smelling it. The marking scar itself was a pale, small bow made by his husband's fangs. It was still fairly fresh, as Kay had been in heat two and a half months ago when he became pregnant.

However, I had a strange urge to… lick it vigorously and, even stranger, to suck on it. To some omegas, sucking on glands could be an almost orgasmic experience in itself, and Kay was apparently one of them, for he rasped softly as I latched onto his gland with even greater intensity. I had the funny feeling that I had to suck out the remaining pheromones of Kay's late husband. Odd, stupid, illogical (also vaguely disrespectful) but I had this urge, as I didn't care about a dead man's pheromones. The unexpected response from the omega was a slow, barely noticeable spreading of his thighs, and even more curiously, the raising of his bent knees toward his chest. Did it make him more submissive, did his body offer itself in this way?

And soon something even stranger happened.

Deciding to take advantage of the moment, I began to press more on his wet passage, mouthing in his ear, "Do you consent?" and after receiving a brief nod, I started my slow descent into his tightness. But the moment my dick breached the small muscle ring… I had this crazy urge to push deeper into this hot channel—as if I were being pulled in with a strong force!

Under normal circumstances I would never rush it, as along with my 6'8'' tall body I was generously endowed by nature, and it couldn't possibly be comfortable or safe for the omega, but a strange force affected me.

Groaning, struggling, resisting—I tried to fight it, squeezing my eyelids together, all in vain! My body surged forward, driving into Kay.

As my dick went all the way into his passage, bottoming out—I… orgasmed, shuddering as if electrocuted, to the point where I almost saw white! Kay screamed—but… shockingly, orgasmed too! His warm cum sprayed all over my stomach, his body arched so much that my entire weight went up on his hips and spine!

What the fuck just happened?

It was something incredibly strange and powerful. I had never experienced anything like it before. I had heard that these "instant orgasms" could happen during intense heat waves and in much rarer and more… miraculous circumstances, but I was too preoccupied to form any coherent thoughts or even half-consciously analyze it. Dizzy with pleasure and confusion, I moaned, feeling the hot, numerous waves of my jizz pouring out of my dick and filling him up.

"Fuck! I'm sorry, so sorry…" I mumbled in consternation, looking down at my t-shirt, which was now covered in his cum. It was hard to believe he climaxed too. Even though his balls were probably almost empty, having ejaculated just a few minutes before. I could feel his shaft still throbbing slightly, shooting droplets of cum and rubbing against my stomach in spasms. His hole clenched around my dick with such force that I couldn't move…

But I only had one word of comment, "Weird…" My voice was barely a whisper, but since he didn't answer, I didn't pursue the subject, feeling way too woozy and detached from reality. Has it really happened? Or did I dream it?

Most likely!

Another strange thing was that I didn't lose my erection. My dick was still rock hard, which had never happened to me before, I was usually hypersensitive for at least a few minutes after, even when I was in a rut with my ex at the time of his heat.

But oh well, not wanting to waste this unexpected opportunity, I began to move slowly inside Kay, amazed at how good my dick felt, no sign of any unwanted sensation. Since I had no idea if he hadn't experienced some kind of soreness in his passage, I moved cautiously, wanting to give him time to push through it. But after maybe a minute of very gentle sliding in and out of his body, I somehow sensed that he wasn't in any discomfort—don't ask me why—and I could take on a more intense pace.

Craving some vigorous activity, I straightened up, pushed my pants further down my thighs and grabbed his hips. Kay lay still with his head turned to the side, his right gland now red and swollen from my lips. His nipples were dark pink, his body slightly wet with sweat. Having a better grip, I was able to angle my dick upward to rub over his enlarged prostate. Omegas had a prostate twice the size of those of other subgenders, and the head of my dick grazed it. The top of his passage was more spongy and soft, and I began to rub it fervently, determined to give him another orgasm. It was like being on a strange mission. But it didn't take that much effort. As soon as I made the first firm stroke over his prostate, he responded with a soft sound, like a whimper or a mewl of deep pleasure, and… arched his neck. His hands were now clenched into fists, gripping the sheets with great force. I could see the veins in his neck bulging. I realized what it was; he was fighting with all his strength not to make too much noise!

"Let it go, Kay, moan as much as you want!" I finally murmured, seeing his struggle, and… he miraculously made a loud exhalation, as if really letting go of the resistance, raised his hands, clasping a pillow behind his head, and went with the flow.

Encouraged by his surrender, I began to fuck him relentlessly, rubbing right over his prostate, and this time he moaned and gasped without restraint. And the magic began, he started to come.

The first time, after maybe three minutes of intense rocking in his ass; his poor balls hadn't much left in them, but still a few drops flew in the air. The second time, after the next four minutes of intense pounding. He serenaded the room with his grunts, moans, whimpers and squeals.

I resisted my own orgasm—having had one before, I retained some staying power, so I decided to focus on giving him another climax as my priority. But after probably another few minutes I couldn't hold out any longer, I was dripping with sweat and I just wanted to erupt inside him with the power of a volcano.

My movements became even faster, my throat emitting animalistic grunts. Finally, the climax hit me hard as I spurted inside him, making a dozen powerful thrusts with my hips, feeling to my delight that he was also orgasming—with slightly less intensity, but quite prolonged, as his hole clenched around me in slow, powerful spasms.

Feeling completely boneless, I fell onto his body and laid my head on his neck, panting and gasping for air. I was literally overwhelmed with exhaustion—not having had sex in a long time was quite an undertaking for me, though perhaps more emotionally than physically. As Adam explained, I was expected to do it at least three times a day, and also to sleep with Kay at night because he had unpleasant cramps during the late hours and sex gave him relief. So I had to prepare myself for a fairly intense period of physical exertion.

And yet, I was in for a surprise if I thought I could rest at all…

KAY

The state of mind I was in was hard to describe—a mix of shock and bliss, feeling internally torn, betrayed by my own body, yet strangely wonderful at the same time. The man—I still didn't feel like using his name—did everything he could, everything I needed, to bring that much-desired relief. Just perfect, too perfect.

And for that very reason, I hated him so much. There were moments when I wanted to hit him, kick him, spit in his face. How could he, how dare he, make this experience so pleasurable? So delightful?

How dare he trample over my memories of Maurice? The audacity! From the first encounter, he tried to overshadow him, tried to be even better… Rage built up inside me with every movement of his hands over my body, every breath leaving my chest, every wave of pleasure cutting through me—the lewd body I now hated almost as much as I hated him.

Traitor. Slut. No, not the empowered version. The worst kind. The treacherous kind.

When the final orgasm ripped through my body, filled so tightly, so divinely by his impressive dick, the man collapsed onto me, his head landing in the crook of my neck and shoulder.

Rage… immense rage pierced through me, mixed with a desperate need to sob. I felt his lips move slowly, tenderly over my neck, my jaw and cheek. I didn't know if he was doing it fully consciously, and honestly, I didn't care. He trailed his lips over my skin in a gentle, unhurried gesture, like lovers do in a post-coital embrace—the kind I used to share with Maurice. So, he even tried to take that away from me? That intimacy I loved so much.

Too tender, too sweet—just too much!

Before I fully realized it, my body acted faster, and I shoved him with all my strength, knocking him off the bed, my legs kicking his chest. For a split second, his stupidly handsome face was full of confusion, lost in disbelief, still fresh from that haze of pleasure, that rosy aura of intimacy.

He should be glad I didn't punch that blissful puss of his!

"Get out." My voice was cold, but it betrayed hints of my anger. The man froze, surely he didn't expect that.

"I don't want to have anything more with you than just sex."

His face went red, then pale. He swallowed and looked to the side, as if gathering his thoughts. "I understand. But don't treat me like a whore, Kay, to be kicked and disrespected."

The heavy words resonated in the room. I could feel an intense blush on my cheeks; my face had to be fiery red now. The man sat up, avoiding my gaze. Then he pulled up his pants and walked out of the room in silence, leaving the door open. A wave of unpleasant feelings washed over me. Was I too much?

But the man didn't go too far. My brothers had to be lurking behind the door, as I heard their voices loud and clear. Were they eavesdropping? Gross. I quickly started to dress, pulling my pants up.

"Sorry, I can't do this, Adam," the man said in a bitter tone.

"What? Why?! We could hear that it… went pretty well."

"The sex part? Yeah. But I couldn't even rest for two minutes before he wanted to kick me out of bed like a cheap hooker. I'm sorry, but I have my dignity. I understand his situation, but it was just plain rude. I agreed to all his conditions, but mine is that I do not want to be treated like disposable trash that he can kick out of bed seconds after I climax."

Finally dressed, I went out of the room and stood in the doorway. A mix of anxiety, fear, and anger buzzed inside me. Part of me wanted to say, "So get the fuck out of here!" but my lips didn't listen.

"It won't happen again," I said in a clipped tone. "You accepted my conditions, I'll accept yours." I made sure my voice was calm, almost impassive. But he didn't turn to look at me, didn't acknowledge I was there.

A moment of uncomfortable silence fell. Then… the man walked around Adam and Marco and ran downstairs!

My brothers sent me panicked gazes.

"Fuck, what happened?!" Marco asked, sounding frustrated.

I cursed under my breath. "I kicked him, and he fell off the bed."

"Gosh, Kay, if you didn't want him, you should've told him before you had sex with him! Now it's just a mess…" Adam muttered, spreading his arms in a clear 'WTF' gesture.

"I didn't think, okay?!"

My brother rolled his eyes. "Do you want him to detest you or what? Is it some hate-sex kink?"

"Fuck off, I was angry!"

"I get that, but…"

"No, you don't!" I squeezed my eyes shut. "You didn't have to sleep with a total stranger and pretend it was okay! Maurice died just two months ago! So give me a break!"

Marco also closed his eyes for a second, and Adam looked like he wanted to be anywhere except here, guilt written all over his face.

"Kay, I know, I'm sorry. I'm just at a loss here. And I repeat, if you don't want him here, just say the word."

Taking a deep breath was kinda painful now, so I just rasped and coughed.

"I can't. I need him here, and you know it. The child… I can't lose—" I interrupted and cursed loudly and rather unnecessarily.

My brothers stood in an almost funny way. Marco stared at one wall, Adam stared at the opposite wall, both looking unhappy and confused. Gosh, I hated my life.

After maybe a minute of silent pondering, I decided to cut the impasse short. "You need to make it right for me, Adam. He's your friend. I can't… talk with him right now. So… explain things to him. Make him stay. Somehow!"

My older brother shook his head disapprovingly. "It was crazy from the beginning. I don't know Rain as well as Adam does, but I was pretty sure he wouldn't let you treat him like an escort. He's way too much the 'relationship type,' not the 'emotionless hook-up' type. I warned Adam about it, but he insisted Rain was the perfect match for this situation. Now my doubts are even bigger."

Adam growled. "For fuck's sake, Marco, don't make it all about you. You both just fail to see the bigger picture…"

Raising my eyebrows, I gaped. "The fuck? What are you mumbling about? What's the bigger picture here?"

The silence was heavy. Adam looked me straight in the eyes, very meaningfully.

Under the weight of his stare, I had to close my eyes again. Finally, I made an effort to calm myself down just a notch. "For fuck's sake, Adam. Can you respect that I'm not ready to start a new chapter in my life? Sorry, but he is not a love prospect for me. No matter what romantic delusions you have in your head, I just want him to do his fucking job. That's all."

"It's not his job, Kay. He did us a favor," Adam snapped.

Bursting into bitter laughter would probably be too much, so I stopped myself in time. "He gets free fucks! I'm not exactly ugly," I growled and turned around, going back to my room.

Unhappy, angry, bitter, frustrated.

What more could my body host?

The horrible thought crossed my mind like a flash of red light: I brought this man here to help save my pregnancy, but was I even capable of being a good parent with all this chaos in my head and rage outbursts? My poor child would have a mentally unstable, self-hating dad—just a pure mess.

How long was I going to be in this miserable state? Partly by my own design, and partly because Fate… sucked. You took Maurice from me, motherfucker. Are you going to give me something in return?

RAIN

Storming out of the building seemed like the best option; I had no need to speak with them at that moment. I found myself on a large terrace overlooking a beautifully cultivated garden. Below, a forest lake peeked through the birch trees. The brothers lived in a calm country town, called White Cliffs, a popular tourist destination renowned for its picturesque seashore views, idyllic forests, and hills stretching all around.

Unsure where to go at first, I eventually made my way toward the beach, drawn by the sight of a secluded, sandy patch. I sat on a fallen tree, its trunk partially immersed in the water, hoping to isolate myself for a few minutes. My head felt like a beehive; I couldn't think clearly.

I had been sitting there for about ten minutes, taking deep breaths and grappling with my inner turmoil, when I noticed Adam approaching me with a frazzled expression. After some hesitation, he joined me on the trunk, and for a while, we both just stared at the lake's silvery surface.

"Rain, I hope you didn't change your mind. Kay needs you. I know he's sorry for what happened. He just didn't want to let himself feel too good. Do you understand? He was scared of his own body betraying him."

I eyed him but didn't respond. It was too early for me to form any coherent thoughts after what I experienced in Kay's room, for more than one reason.

Adam turned his head toward me, scanning my face. "Kay fell for Maurice like crazy, it was love at first sight. Two lovebirds, almost annoyingly infatuated. They were high-mates, you know—it even made their feelings stronger. Kay is still in shock because of the accident. Please put up with him. I know he really needs an alpha close to him, his body craves you, and it definitely went well, from what we heard…" Adam chuckled stupidly.

"And I heard 'get out' from him." I shrugged.

"Please don't take it personally, Rain, although I know it's not easy."

"Adam, I got it. I'm not in a position to make demands or pressure him to change his ways; that would be insolent of me. He lost his husband, that's understandable. I was just blindsided by this whole experience, it was more intense than I had ever expected."

Silence fell. My gaze remained fixed on the other shore of the lake.

Adam rubbed his chin. "The sex part? Was it too… overwhelming?"

Not knowing how to express what I felt, I frowned a bit. After a while, I decided to admit something to him, "It's not only that. I never had a one-night stand, I was exclusively in long-term relationships. I cuddled after sex; I loved intimacy, it's important to me. Having to just perform this act and get out—turned out to be a little beyond me."

Adam sighed and muttered, "That's exactly what Marco warned me about when I had the idea to call you."

"Did he? I guess his intuition was right, and I take my share of the blame here. I was kind of caught up in the whole idea, and I really wanted to help. Plus, it seemed tempting, as you can imagine—Kay is attractive. So I didn't make my decision with a clear head. I simply misjudged the situation."

"That sounded… serious. What does it mean, exactly?"

"That coming here, I really just expected him to be sad or dejected, but not… hostile."

For a while, he watched the shallow water where a school of small brown fish swam.

"So he's not what you anticipated. Does that mean you don't want to help us?"

My face gave me away, my cheeks reddening. "No, Adam. I'm not leaving you guys alone in this stressful situation. I'm a man of my word. And I don't expect him to be friendly. I just don't want to be treated like a whore, being told to 'get out' and literally kicked."

"I totally get it, Rain. He asked me to warn you about his attitude over the phone, but I'm not sure I did a good job with it. I was afraid you wouldn't accept it. I'm here to blame."

Feeling uneasy, I shrugged. "Don't sweat it, Adam. I'll come around. His attitude just caught me off guard."

Adam nodded, his face serious. "I'm sorry I didn't warn you. The truth is, I wasn't sure exactly how he'd behave. I'm a bit surprised myself. Kicking? Pushing? Uh. But okay, I'll do what I can to clear this up. Could you stay here for a while? I'll be right back."

He sprung to his feet and almost rushed toward the house. I was glad to have this additional time to calm myself down even more and start considering what I should do next. Was I overreacting? But to be perfectly honest, Adam didn't even hint about Kay's possible hostile approach to me.

Was the fucker just… trying to lure me here?

Yes, he emphasized his brother didn't want to befriend me, didn't want closeness, tenderness, or chitchatting, but nothing more. So, I anticipated that he would be silent, closed off. But angry?

Kay expected from me a few sexual boundaries; no kissing on the lips, refraining from using endearments. And he would not do blowjobs to me. And he would not ride me; things like that. I could understand these rules, no problem. But what happened today—just shook me.

And to be perfectly honest, Kay's attitude wasn't the only reason for my shock. There was something more, I just didn't dare to even think about. The strange simultaneous orgasm we shared and all those magical things I heard about such occurrences.

Not willing to dwell on that now, I let my eyes wander over the shoreline and the shining lake's surface, enjoying the serene view and clearing my head in the process.

After about twenty minutes, Adam returned, his face a bit flushed.

"I talked with him again," he announced.

"And?"

"I wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page. I repeated to him what you just told me—that you've only been in serious relationships and can't just… stand up and get out like an escort. That it's not what you imagined."

"What did he say?"

Adam let out a breath. "He said you can stay with him for up to half an hour after sex if you need to, and hold him in your arms. But he still doesn't want to talk; that and other conditions haven't changed."

I sighed. "Well, okay. What about… dinners? Breakfast? The time in between. Will there still be… silence? No contact?"

"He eats in his room. We bring food for him there. It's been like that since Maurice died. He stays there, only going for a walk and to swim in the lake to keep his body fit. You won't have contact with him beyond the moments when you have sex. So. Is that okay?"

Taking a deep breath, that sealed my fate, I said, "Yeah."

Adam sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Rain. It's really important. He's already calmer, reading a book now instead of just curling up in bed like usual. We want him to have some peace of mind for a change…" His voice trembled, and I glanced at him attentively.

They were really deeply invested in this. As betas, Adam and Marco couldn't have children. The child of their only omega brother would be their sole heir, and they wanted to protect the unborn at all costs. They came from a wealthy family, old money. Marco, two years older than Adam and five years older than Kay, was already a CEO of their company. The brothers probably wanted to ensure that their family wealth didn't end up in the hands of their unpleasant alpha cousins.

Stretching my back, I slowly stood up.

"This is all super intense and overwhelming. I am kinda all over the place right now, so I'd be grateful if you could show me to my room, so I can unpack and take another shower. My head is spinning, but I need to make some corrections to the app I'm working on."

"Full-time now in Nathaniel's company?"

"Yes, almost ten months already."

I was employed at my cousin's small software start-up, and I needed to finish what he asked me to do today.

Adam eyed me and nodded. When we returned to the house, we passed Marco, who was standing in the kitchen area, staring at us with intensity. We didn't exchange any words, and soon I was finally in my new room, enjoying a semblance of peace. The room had a window with a beautiful view of the tranquil lake, and for a few minutes, I absentmindedly stared at the water. The conversation with Adam helped me a bit, but I was far from at ease. What happened today was a lot… A major change in my life.

My phone beeped. I checked the messages, and the last one was from my dad.

"Hey, sweetie. How're you doing? Everything okay?"

My omega father was the only person to whom I revealed that I was about to enter into this strange arrangement; he understood me best and had always been my confidant. I knew that I could trust his judgment.

"It's difficult. I'll call you later and explain. But for now, we've reached some compromise…"

He responded almost immediately. "I felt you were upset. I'll wait for your call. Love U!"

***

Around 2 PM, Adam knocked on my door while I was still in my new room, tweaking the code Nathaniel had given me. He seemed a bit sheepish, like he was about to suggest something outrageous.

My ex-husband couldn't stand Adam and often called him an 'annoying beta' and even a 'fake-ass leech'. He thought Adam was a bit manipulative and whiny. But I kinda liked the bastard and didn't mind his insecurities. He was funny in his own way and very attached to me. Throughout college, we shared rooms, and I got used to his shenanigans with boyfriends and his overindulgence in smoking weed.

"Hey, so I was thinking… you could take this tray to Kay, if you want," he hesitated. "It might give you a chance to spend a bit of time in his presence."

Adam looked like a lost puppy when his eyes peered at me—his typical face.

Raising an eyebrow, I set my laptop aside. "I thought the whole point was no contact with him beyond sex."

The beta hesitated, placing the tray on my nightstand. He walked over to the window and stared out, seemingly lost in thought. Since he was obviously struggling with something, I kept my mouth shut and waited for his answer.

"Look, call me crazy, maybe even pushy, but I have hopes that differ from Kay's."

"What do you mean?"

Adam turned back to me, his expression strangely serious.

"I know you're a good guy, Rain. Kay could use some kind of connection with you, beyond just physical. I know he needs it, even if he's not thinking about it right now. But I'm trying to anticipate his needs, you know? The truth is brutal: Maurice isn't coming back, ever. Kay's going to be a dad; he needs to get past the anger and hurt. He could use your help with that. And he is very much like you, the 'relationship type'. He only had Maurice."

"Wait… What are you really saying, Adam?"

He chewed on his lower lip, looking down. "I hope he warms up to you. That's why I think you should try to interact with him beyond sex. Do little things for him here and there, let him feel your presence, gradually. Be someone he could rely on."

There was a pause. I still struggled to understand what he ultimately wanted from me. "Adam… are you asking me to court him? To try to… start an actual relationship with your brother?"

My friend met my eyes directly, and I already knew. He was serious.

A wave of frustration surged in me, and I exclaimed, "Come on, Adam! What the fuck? Just four days ago, you were desperate for my help with this… emergency. You said it would be temporary until his cravings settled, and his pregnancy wasn't at risk. Now… you're telling me your plan is way more complicated?"

Adam's lips trembled a bit. He looked even more timid, almost scared. "Kay is not like you see him now, Rain! Broken, hostile, bitter. He was sweet and kind, although always a bit cautious, because of his… you know. He always says his beauty is his curse. That made him guarded and reluctant over the years, unable to easily bond or befriend people. He always suspects an underlying agenda or something," Adam trailed off. "Well, but he surely wasn't like this. Full of anger and hostility. I believe you could get to like him, see him behind this wall he built around himself, and maybe even… more…"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You've got to be kidding me. Now you're telling me this? Kay just lost his husband two months ago and you suddenly became his matchmaker? Some fucking Cupid-wanna-be? Why weren't you honest from the start? It looks like, in your head, I am going to be your next brother-in-law?"

Adam closed his eyes and cursed quietly. "No, I was honest. I didn't plan this. It's kind of a new development on my part, I had this thought when I saw you two together, looking like a dream couple. Some intuition, it just hit me."

"Okay, stop. Please. This is just embarrassing, this plotting behind our backs. Fucking cringe."

Another moment of heavy silence followed. For some reason, I was avoiding his gaze, staring at the wall and twitching my fingers. Why was I so uncomfortable, and… hot? I could feel sweat on my back, like I was being interviewed for the role of my life. What a silly idea.

Finally, Adam shrugged. "Okay, I'm sorry, Rain. I won't mention it again. But you should take the tray anyway. He'll need sex again soon. He usually has three waves: around 9-10 AM, 2-3 PM, and 8-9 PM. So… it's close. You'll be with him in the room as it begins. It could be good for both of you since you are… you know. Relationship-type kinda guys."

Still feeling uneasy, I pondered his proposal, without ever coming to any conclusion, my mind in perpetual disarray. I should be way more annoyed at his scheming behind my back, but I really wasn't. And suddenly decided to go for it. "Okay, I'll try," I responded dryly.

We stared at each other for a while. Finally, Adam lowered his head. "I'm really sorry for what I said before. I was out of line. I imagined too much. I guess we'll see how it all organically evolves."

Tilting my head, I muttered, "Yeah. Probably not the best idea to discuss something that serious, especially after he kicked me out like a rentboy. But hey, who am I to judge? I also imagined too much, or rather… not enough! So we're both kind of out of our element."

Adam smiled ruefully and nodded. "Good luck then."

"Gonna need it…"

As he walked out of my room, I stared at the door that he closed behind him. Un-fucking-believable. This strange predicament was getting even stranger.

Four days ago, I was just a semi-depressed divorcee with nothing more on my mind than some work-related problems and a slowly rising need to get laid. Maybe I jumped on this bandwagon too quickly, letting my dick take charge. Now suddenly my college friend had this web of plans and hopes for me and his widowed brother I had never even met before!

How could this get even weirder?

My gaze wandered toward the tray.

Ah, fuck.

One thing he said was right. It would all evolve on its own anyway. I was about to find out why Adam's suggestions didn't anger me that much, not really. Maybe on a surface level. But they did make me feel strangely giddy and confused inside.

Despite all my words of protest and scolding him, why was there a strange glimmer of hope… that somehow, while helping Kay, I would also find myself on a new path in life?

Premature? One step at a time, Rain. One step at a fucking time!

***

Ten minutes later, after a quick shower, I found myself walking toward Kay's room, feeling a bit jittery. Would he be angry to see me intruding with such an obvious pretext of a tray? I doubted he'd appreciate Adam's hopeful slash romantic plans for us, and my following through with it might only cause more trouble. Oh well, it wasn't my idea in the first place, and hey, my conscience was spotless.

Not dwelling on it too much, I knocked on his door.

"Come in," Kay's voice was calm, so I figured the wave hadn't started yet. I nudged the door open with my elbow and entered, greeted by a pair of disapproving navy-blue eyes.

Kay sat on the bed with a drawing tablet in hand. I knew he worked as an architectural illustrator, having studied architecture and art in college. During those years, he also earned money through modeling, but that ended after his wedding. Being married to the only child of hotel owners who ran several hotels on the shoreline meant Kay never had to worry about money again. Adam mentioned his brother was back to work now, for the sake of his mental health.

Spotting me, he straightened up, his face tense and pale.

"Adam asked me to bring you food," I said casually, keeping my tone light. I carried the bed tray over, setting it on Kay's knees without another word. His frustration was palpable, eyes narrowed, making me seriously reconsider staying in the same room. Adam needed to witness Kay's glare before suggesting anything between us! It seemed like a possibility from a distant galaxy at the moment.

Recalling the small Juliet balcony, I acted on impulse and stepped out to lean against the balustrade. The balcony was petite; it only extended about two feet. Still, it allowed me to be outside, take deeper breaths while Kay ate—he could observe me as I enjoyed my new favorite stress-free view of the lake.

With my thoughts floating freely, I patiently waited until he finished eating and set the tray aside. Then, I watched as he headed to the bathroom, where he stayed for about ten minutes before returning to the bed. Observing his actions from the balcony felt odd, like watching a goldfish in a glass aquarium, so I went back inside and leaned against the wall. He didn't acknowledge my presence, settling into his messy nest and focusing on his tablet.

Honestly, I wasn't sure if I should leave or stay, letting him ignore me while I hovered. The fact he didn't order me out suggested he was aware of the approaching wave and didn't want to be bothered with sending me away.

Kay's impassive face drew my attention, my gaze wandering over his flawless features, and that's when I noticed a subtle change. Was that a delicate pink blush on his cheeks, or was I mistaken? I stood perfectly still, our breathing the only sound in the room. Was it beginning?

Minute after minute passed in silence. He continued to gaze at the screen, his dark eyebrows slightly furrowed. As time went on, I noticed the scent of his pregnancy allure in the air growing more intense.

Suddenly, he set aside the tablet and slid down from the pillow, lying flat on the bed with his eyes fixed on the ceiling. Was this a sign for me or not? I remained motionless, waiting.

After another two minutes, I noticed a slight shiver ripple through his body. He squeezed his eyes shut and threw the blanket aside; it seemed like a pretty clear invitation.

"Do you want me to be close to you now?" I asked quietly.

"And what do you think? Do I really have to be more obvious?" he snarled.

Okay, we were back to the rude mode again.

Unfazed, I undressed with slow, calm movements. He didn't look at me, staring stubbornly at the ceiling. I lay down next to him and watched his pink face for a moment. His tantalizing scent affected me more than I was willing to admit, so I slowly leaned forward and kissed him softly along his jawline, then under it, on his neck, searching for that magical spot. Finally, I reached it and took a long lick over his gland, making him shiver slightly. Kay definitely liked to be nibbled there. A powerful wave of excitement swept through me, but I knew that relief was still a long way off. So I sucked on the gland for a while, finding a strange pleasure in it, hazily fantasizing about scenarios where I'd remove the lingering scent of his late husband, freeing Kay in a way.

Wow, I was definitely getting ahead of myself. Adam would love this direction of my thoughts, I was sure of it.

Impatiently, I grabbed the edge of Kay's t-shirt, rolled it up, and pulled it over his head. He let me do it without protest. I also took off his pants and discovered… that he was already fully hard. But it wasn't that surprising, his alone-in-pregnancy state increased his libido.

Now we were both completely naked. I felt the need to lie on top of him, and I did. Since his pregnancy was so early, he didn't have a baby bump yet, so I hoped it was safe. Feeling my weight, he groaned as I leaned down.

I was now lying on him, my head on his neck. He was tall for an omega, maybe more than six feet, with a lithe and slender physique reminiscent of a ballet dancer. His chest was subtly sculpted, his abs still visible despite the pregnancy, and his ripped biceps resembled those of a tennis player. Kay's long, shapely legs were perfect for a runway model—he had worked in that profession until a year ago. His feet appeared small but elegantly shaped.

On a strange impulse, I straightened up and knelt at his feet, taking one in my hands. He seemed somewhat startled and looked down, probably suspecting that I was some kind of foot fetishist. But that wasn't the case; I was just admiring its elegant shape. Kay said nothing, of course.

There was just no way I could ignore any part of his body. So I planted a few kisses on his pale pink toes and midfoot, which elicited some strange sounds from him, bordering on giggles. Was he ticklish? Deciding not to torture him with that, I licked over his ankles and began trailing my pecks up his legs toward his groin. Once there, I kissed his shaved balls and even sucked one into my mouth. His dick was on full mast, the tip reddened, obviously very interested in what I was doing. Shortly after, I took pity on him and swallowed his impatient shaft into my mouth, wanting to start differently this time. Kay made a surprised sound and a long exhalation, but didn't protest (and why should he?). I began to work on him, feeling a tad out of my element. I pushed a little too deep, gagged, and coughed lightly. My ex's 5-inch dick presented far less of a challenge than Kay's 7-inch, but I gave it my best shot and was soon surprised that it didn't take much effort after all. A minute later he let out a short grunt, probably to warn me, but I continued—and he exploded in my mouth with his surprisingly sweet load, which I eagerly swallowed.

When I finished, I lifted my head, and for a brief second, my eyes met his. I smiled softly, but he didn't react, instead he turned his face away. Well, that was to be expected. But I was patient.

Not wanting to disturb his nest any further, I leaned to the side and found a spare pillow that wasn't part of the structure, and tucked it under his hips again. This time I noticed a lot less tension in his body. I guess he knew what to expect. But I decided to be a bit more acrobatic. I began to lick his hole and at the same time I put my arms under his thighs, twisted my hands up to his chest and took his nipples between my forefingers and thumbs to start rolling, squeezing and pulling. He moaned loudly as soon as I started.

This double stimulation proved very effective. Not more than three minutes into this action, I felt his hips arch up a bit and his dick jerk, spurting a thin rope of white cum. Kay groaned deeply and threw his head back in orgasmic bliss.

Satisfied with the result, I got up on my knees and focused on his face. After a while, he opened his eyes and our gazes met. He was panting, his cheeks flaming red.

"Please roll over onto your stomach, Kay," I asked calmly.

He listened without a word of protest. For the first time, I could see his beautiful, lithe body from behind. A slender back with some long muscles, a slim waist, and a nice round white ass with springy buttocks. His bum was really sexy, and my already painfully hard dick throbbed with impatience.

"Wow, nice ass," I said, figuring he wouldn't mind if I complimented him. Kay, as I expected, didn't respond, but with some surprise, I noticed small movements from him, he spread his legs a little wider, as if in a subtle invitation? Duh, I wasn't going to deny him!

Leaning down, I kissed his buttocks first and massaged them a bit, just enjoying the beautiful shape. As I did so, I could see his opening clenching slightly, which fascinated me. I couldn't resist slowly circling my finger around his pink muscle ring, enjoying staring at his warm and wet entrance a little longer. He made a soft sound, similar to a squeal, but I didn't stop. My finger slipped inside and brushed his prostate, making him shiver. It was a bit too tempting. My dick was unbearably hard and needed some attention too, so I got back on top of him, pressed him into the mattress, and whispered in his ear, "You're so tight and hot there…"

He seemed to shiver a little more when he heard that, so I decided to replace my fingers with my dick. And I thrust deep into him—he screamed, yet I heard no pain in his voice—rather surprise at this sudden invasion. I laid my head on the side of his head, but moved my hand up, still wet from his cum… and placed it on his lips.

"Taste yourself, you're so sweet," I murmured. Surprised, I felt his lips parting a little and I slid my finger into Kay's hot mouth. I touched his wet, warm tongue and couldn't stop exploring the inside of his mouth a bit, while at the same time penetrating him in slow, long motions. The wonderful sensation washed over me, the feeling of dominating his body, of possessing him, of making him mine.

Wait, what? Was I really making him mine?

Did Adam infect me with that thought? Or was I just in a sex frenzy? That remained to be seen.

Now it was time to renew my interest in Kay's alluring neck, a perfect opportunity to suck on his other gland. The second one was also marked, his husband must have been very eager, which wasn't surprising, having such a gorgeous omega as his mate. So I started sucking hard on it too, still fucking him from behind.

Then, unexpectedly, I noticed that the silly thought from earlier had come back to me again. I had this disconcerting need to do this—in my mind, I imagined sucking Maurice's scent out of Kay. Yep. It was so strange—I wanted to take it from his glands, cleanse them, make him free…. What for? To mark him myself?

Wow, I was really losing it. Sex-hazed, for sure.

In my thoughts, I cursed Adam for planting that preposterous idea in my head—of Kay and me being… more someday.

Feeling like a complete lunatic, I kept pounding into his ass, and soon I could feel him tense under me, his hole trembling and clenching. Kay moaned and came, spasming around my dick. Since I hadn't had my orgasm yet, I knew I wouldn't last long. But I wanted to give him at least one more, so I grabbed his hips and lifted him into the doggie position.

Only then did I start pounding into him hard—I also decided to wrap my hand around his dick to add a second stimulus to increase his chances of coming again. And I was successful. When I felt I couldn't take it anymore, he finally shot off again, his passage trembling and squeezing my dick, my fingers wet with his cum… I exploded inside him too, flooding his hole with my jizz.

Now was the moment I feared the most.

What would he do? Would he keep his promise, or would he kick me out again?

I pulled my dick out and sat on my knees, watching him tentatively. Kay was on all fours but looking over his shoulder at me. Sensing my uncertainty, he bit his lip and sat on his knees in a position similar to mine. Then he also hesitated, slowly rolled onto his side, and made a small gesture. He put his hand behind his ass and patted the sheet, as if he wanted to show me how to hold him.

Well, I accepted the invitation. I lay down behind his back, spooned him up and wrapped my right arm around his body. As I pulled him closer, my semi-hard dick pressed against his ass cheek. My face landed just… sort of in the back of his head.

So we lay like that for about fifteen minutes, and I decided that was enough for the first day, not wanting to irritate him any more. I straightened up and started to get out of bed, but before I did—I noticed that he kind of quickly covered himself with his hand, but why? Then I saw it, he was… hard! Yep. Fully hard again.

Something hit me. Were four orgasms enough for him? For one wave? I vaguely remembered reading somewhere that each person has unique needs in this regard.

"Kay, I know you don't want to talk to me. But I have to ask. How many orgasms do you need before the wave goes away?"

He pressed his lips together and looked at the ceiling—as usual. After a short pause, he said, "Usually six. Sometimes five, sometimes seven."

I gasped. "Damn. You should tell me," I murmured, and oddly enough, I felt a strange rush of excitement. So it wasn't over? Good.

Without thinking, I grabbed his hips and rolled him onto his back. I sat between his legs and… slid my three fingers into his hot inside; he let out a loud gasp. With an ambitious plan, I leaned over his shaft and began to deepthroat him, rubbing the fingers of my other hand over his swollen nipples. I wasn't very good at this, slobbering and drooling around his dick, gagging, making little pools of my saliva on his belly. Kay stared at me all the time, and at one point, when I managed to press my nose against his pubic bone, our eyes met. He had a strange intensity in his gaze, his lips parted as he saw me with his shaft deep in my throat. Still not losing the eye connection, he made a strange strangled sound and… a warm spurt exploded in my esophagus. I managed to swallow it all as it went straight down to my stomach. The problem was that I got hard too! The whole intensity with which he stared at me while I blew him did it for me.

Why was he having all the fun? I looked at him, he was in disarray, hands spread wide, skin sweaty, lips wet, parted and red like fresh roses… yes, he looked so fuckable… I had to have him again.

So I pulled his legs over my thighs and pushed my dick back into his hot, dripping passage. It was like the sweetest reward. Somehow, I felt in sync with him, my excitement was rising much faster now, quickly tuning into his, which was a bit puzzling—after all, he wasn't in a real heat, and I wasn't in a rut.

Kay opened his eyes and looked at me with dilated pupils.

"Sorry, I kind of need that now…"

Of course, he didn't protest. So I lay on top of him and moved slowly inside him. It was so damn pleasant, I just let myself get lost in the feeling of being deep in his body. I closed my eyes and put my cheek against his.

"You feel so good, so warm, so wet," I whispered in his ear.

And then, I noticed something. He raised his hand and put it on his neck, like… stroking his own gland? Was he silently signaling me to suck it? I lifted my head and looked into his eyes.

From such a short distance, Kay looked even more seductive, his complexion pearly pink, smooth, unblemished, his lips intensely red, his pupils eclipsing his irises. I needed no more, I knew why he touched his neck. So I started sucking there and… he started moaning.

Loud… so loud! I realized how much he had to love it, enough to communicate with me and get what he needed.

So for the next fifteen minutes, I thrust into him and sucked on both of his glands, moving from left to right… and he kept coming! Before I emptied my load, he orgasmed about three more times. Wow. Really insatiable.

Kay's pregnancy truly sent his libido into overdrive.

When I was done, I collapsed on top of him, nestled my head in the crook of his neck and shoulder, and just relaxed. This time I knew he wouldn't push me off, but I didn't expect to fall asleep!

I woke up about an hour later, according to the clock on the wall. Kay was still asleep! So we had both fallen asleep, with me on top of him? I got up very carefully and slowly so as not to wake him, then covered him with a blanket.

As I left the room on tiptoe, the whole house seemed strangely silent. After taking a shower and realizing how hungry I was, I went downstairs and found Adam and Marco sitting in the living room, seemingly waiting for me. Their faces showed a hint of uncertainty and confusion.

"How did it go? You were both very quiet for the last hour," Adam inquired.

I chuckled. "We dozed off. I didn't want to wake him, so I kinda snuck out of his room."

"He let you stay long enough to sleep? That's big progress," Marco remarked, raising his eyebrows.

"He did," I muttered, pointing toward the kitchen that adjoined the living room. "Can I go there and eat something? I'm starving!"

Adam leaped to his feet and rushed toward the kitchen. "I'll fix you something."

"No, I love to cook. I always prepare my own food. Just show me where everything is."

Adam giggled. "Ah, yeah, I remember you even took some extra cooking classes during our college time. So, it stuck with you all these years?"

"Sure did. I was the one cooking for Brian…" I paused, feeling the bitterness of my ex-husband's name on my tongue. Adam must have noticed, as he tactfully started to show me around the kitchen, leaving the topic behind.

After finding a few interesting ingredients, I started preparing a mushroom and spinach frittata with cheese, a quick dish to make.

I saw their worried faces reflected in the window glass. Marco was staring at me, and Adam glanced in his direction with a troubled expression. What was their problem? But I wasn't in the mood to discuss anything; I already had too much on my mind to add anything to my inner buzz. So, after making the frittata, I put a portion on my plate and left the rest for them, muttering, "Feel free to dig in."

"Could we perhaps take some for Kay?" Adam finally croaked out, looking timid.

"Sure, you can."

With my plate in hand, I left the building and headed toward a pleasant spot in the garden I had noticed earlier, hoping to find a silent and dilemma-free zone.

***

After finishing my meal, I decided to take a short walk to help with digestion. Adam's garden wasn't fenced, but it had thick bushes along the boundary, almost like a hedge.

In one spot where the bushes were less dense, I managed to squeeze through to the other side. It seemed like there was a faint, narrow path leading into the woods. I started down the path, taking deep breaths and trying to relax without really thinking about anything.

Maybe thirty feet in, I saw a moss-covered rock that looked almost like a bench. I sat on it, facing Adam's house, which was barely visible through the treetops from that spot. Between the branches swaying in the wind, I could just make out the outline of Kay's window.

A strange feeling took hold of me. Had someone been coming here, sitting on this rock, observing Adam's house? Maybe even watching the window to the young omega's room?

Perhaps it was just a coincidence, the rock being here in such a convenient spot. But when I looked down, I saw a small, trampled area, as if someone had been standing there quite often.

I pondered for a moment but decided not to blow it out of proportion. I knew that Adam smoked a lot of pot, which his family disapproved of. His addiction had intensified after his heartbreak with Dominic during their sophomore year of college and often led to relapses. Or possibly, he had just snuck out here for a quick cigarette? The explanation was probably very simple.

After a moment, I lost interest in the mysterious rock and walked along the hedge toward the lake. It ended just before the beach, allowing me to circle back onto Adam's property.

***

I was still chilling in the garden gazebo with my laptop and a coffee around 6:30 PM when I suddenly noticed Kay walking down the path leading to the shore. He didn't see me, but for some reason, I decided to follow him—discreetly, of course.

The wind gently rustled the leaves and cast flickering shadows over the paths as Kay walked down toward the shore.

After stopping to gaze at the lake for a minute, he sat on the same fallen tree where I had been earlier. I crept into the shadows and leaned against a maple trunk, just watching him. He wore a white long-sleeve shirt with gray sweatpants. Kay's long braid cascaded down his back, loose strands of hair escaped his hairband, swaying in the wind and occasionally brushing over his face.

I stood about 100 feet away, unnoticed by him, for the first twenty minutes of his quiet rest. He continued staring at the lake, and I continued staring at him. My mind was still in a weird haze, uncertain about our situation. But for now, I resisted drawing any conclusions and allowed my emotions to hang around in a state of indecision, just floating aimlessly.

At one moment, Kay lowered his head and put his hands on his face as if he were crying, although he stayed completely still. Suddenly, I felt much less comfortable observing him so blatantly. Was this some kind of meditation or prayer? Only now did he seem dejected and vulnerable—just as I had imagined he would be, when Adam told me about his tragedy.

Was this Kay's way of mourning? Of expressing grief? Only while he was alone were his walls down, and his aura changed to reveal depression and fragility.

As I moved slightly, the gravel crunched under my feet, and suddenly, he turned his head back and noticed me standing there. I pretended to nonchalantly lean on the tree and just randomly stare at the lake. From this distance, he couldn't see my face clearly, and I was unable to make out his expression either.

But something less comfortable also happened. As I felt him looking at me, I almost automatically sensed a stirring in my pants. My dick just couldn't behave tactfully and respect Kay's vulnerable moment. It had never happened to me before—to stare at someone from such a distance and become aroused.

Embarrassed by my strange excitement, I realized I was acting like a horny alpha caveman. What was happening to me? This wasn't my style. Where did the intensity of my desire come from—primitive and hungry—demanding to claim Kay? Why, instead of being a respectful and compassionate friend, sympathizing with him in his life-altering tragedy, did I want to pin him to the sheets and fuck him until we were out of breath?

Changing my current, annoyingly obsessive state of mind was a challenge, despite taking many deep breaths. Kay soon turned his head back toward the lake and remained like that for another twenty minutes. I stayed in my place, not moving an inch, using this time to compose myself. It worked, but only for a few minutes. Fixing my eyes on his slender, elegant posture was rewarding in a way; simply sensing him, his presence, his reality, evoked another wave of longing in me, of a sweet and long-forgotten nature.

Something was definitely waking up inside me, but for the second time, I managed to stop myself from spiraling into this alluring trap. Forcing myself to focus on irrelevant details, I started to wonder how he would look with his hair loose—black strands blowing in the wind, starry eyes, soft, sweet lips. Lips he forbade me to taste.

Yeah, don't go there again, Rain. He's not yours! I sighed.

Then a fleeting thought arose: But could I actually change that? Well, that was absurd! Maybe he was just an annoying jerk, and the only thing he had going for him was his physical attractiveness. Just a typical infatuation that comes from admiring someone's looks. Nothing more. High school stuff.

I shouldn't even want to change anything in our arrangement without knowing him better. This sudden burst of odd longings was so uncharacteristic of me, and I needed to clear my head. But standing here, it was too damn hard to concentrate on anything but Kay.

Just a few hours ago, I was in his body… And I already wanted to go back there, to hear his breath close to my ear, to smell him, to feel him.

Suddenly, he stood up and returned to the path leading toward the shore, which passed only twenty feet from where I stood. He would have to come close to me, possibly noticing my rather impressive tent. Well, what could I do? Run away? That would be silly. So I stayed put as he walked by. He lifted his eyes, our gazes met briefly, then he looked down and spotted my raging erection. I noticed a sudden blush on his cheeks as he passed me, but then he seemed to slow down, strolling another twenty feet before coming to a complete stop in the middle of the path.

What was the meaning of this? Why was he standing there?

Just to try to do something, anything, I walked out onto the path and followed him. I stopped right behind him, maybe two feet away. From such a short distance, I could see the pulse in his neck and hear his breathing quicken. But what I could also sense was a subtle sweet scent of his slick. He was getting wet—he was aroused. Emboldened by this discovery, I moved even closer. My chest was now inches from his back, my breath audible in his ear. And it was quite ragged.

And then he said it… or rather whispered it,

"Fuck me."

That was all I needed to hear, the alpha caveman in me got what he craved! I grabbed his waist and lifted him into the air, carrying him toward the slightly crooked tree I had spotted thirty feet away from us. Kay's head landed on my shoulder, his jasmine and vanilla scent enveloping me completely. I pushed him up against the tree and pulled down his waistband, exposing his perfect white ass. Two sweet succulent globes… I lowered myself to dive between his buttocks, to lick him there with my flattened tongue. Kay moaned loudly as I twisted my tongue deep inside his hole like a little drill.

For some reason, I longed for his sweet taste and the way he behaved when I tonguefucked him before, making those little involuntary whimpers and rasping huffs.

"Perfect little hole," I murmured, my lips sliding over his entrance. " Only mine now, yeah?"

He didn't answer. Feeling the need to push the matter further, I straightened up and ran my lips over his neck. "Tell me it's mine, Kay," I mumbled, my lips nibbling at his skin, my fingers stroking his hard cock.

Kay huffed and replied dryly, "Sure, whatever, yours now."

I bit him lightly on the junction of his neck and shoulder, right next to his gland, making him gasp sharply.

"Not good enough, Kay."

The omega growled angrily, "Just get to work!"

"You want my dick? Give me more. Is it mine, Kay? The tight pink beauty? Only for me?"

His angry snort was oddly rough, though, and his dick throbbed in my grasp. Liking a bit of dirty talk, perhaps?

"Fine, it's yours, as long as you're here, it's only yours to use."

"Perfect."

And then I couldn't wait any longer, I straightened up, unzipped my pants, and two seconds later I plunged into his open, wet passage, bottoming out in one motion.

We both orgasmed—again! How odd.

As we moaned in unison, our voices joined in a prolonged, intense crescendo. I have rarely orgasmed so powerfully. My balls were squeezed so hard that I shot into him with the force of the jet stream. He was shaking with his whole body, his ass almost gripped me like a real vice, squeezing me with immense force.

And like the first time—I didn't go limp. I pressed my lips to his neck, licked it, kissed it with open-mouthed kisses, embraced his slender body and began to thrust inside, almost drunk in him, plunging into his sweet, hot tunnel.

Fuck, it was crazy! I had never wanted anyone so much, so overwhelmingly!

"God, Kay, I want you so fucking much, it's insane," I moaned into his ear, not stopping for a second. I put my hand around him and started jerking him off, and two minutes later he orgasmed again—but I didn't stop. His dick stayed hard! For the next ten minutes, before I came too, he had another orgasm, and he didn't hold back from moaning loudly and shamelessly. Did our little dirty exchange heat him up that much?

Since we were both intense, I was pretty sure that Adam and Marco could hear us if they went to the terrace. But did I care?

When we were done, I stayed with my forehead on his shoulder for a minute or two, then finally pulled his pants up and stepped back.

He stood there, not facing me, for another two minutes, then suddenly turned aside and marched away! No words, no acknowledgement, not even a glance.

Well, that wasn't ideal, for sure. Three orgasms in ten minutes, and he just walked away? The boundaries he had seemed hard set. No fraternizing beyond the 'work'.

I could have been disappointed, but I realized it was only the first day. Just the first day! And already, I knew that Adam had, in a way, won.

The decision-making process happened in the background of my foggy, sex-frenzied mind, without me even fully participating. Maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't hurt to consider the possibility Adam mentioned?

Only one day had passed, and the widowed omega was still a stranger to me. But despite that, I decided to set my eyes on Kay.

Who knows? Maybe something positive could come out of it?

***

After taking a shower, I returned to the spacious terrace that wrapped around Adam's house from the side and back.

There was a nice set of rattan furniture there, where I sat down to finish the task Nathaniel had assigned me, also exchanging a few words with him in chat as he fretted about deadlines. I solemnly promised to hand over the completed code to him today.

My cousin tried to subtly ask me what I was up to and where I was, since he knew from my brother, Skye, who also worked for him, that I'd been away from home for a while. But I gave him a vague and dismissive answer.

An hour later, as I was analyzing the final lines of code, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen—it was my omega dad. It surprised me a bit that he was calling now, considering I had promised to call him later in the evening.

Sighing, I answered the call. "Hey Dad."

"Hey son, not interrupting anything?"

"Nah, not really. Just finishing up a few tweaks, and then I'll be able to send the code to Nate."

Dad let out a reassuring hum. "How's it working with Nathaniel?"

"Now that I'm doing it full-time, it's much easier. I can simply focus on the tasks he assigns me. Finally, I don't have to fix Skye's code anymore; I got tired of constantly correcting his poor coding."

Dad remained silent at that remark.

Skye, my younger brother, was still in college studying programming, the same major I did. It was nice of Nathaniel to take him on for internships, but it often left me frustrated with all the corrections I had to make. Now that the new semester had started, Skye was only doing smaller tasks for Nate, so I didn't have to spend as much time fixing things.

Before deciding to work for my cousin full-time, I was a freelance programmer. However, now I enjoyed not having to worry about finding new gigs and commissions. Nathaniel provided the work and I just did my job without worrying about anything else. After my divorce, I appreciated this situation even more because I really wasn't in the mood to actively seek out clients.

"Yeah, speaking of Skye, I have two pieces of bad news, one of which concerns him." My dad's voice seemed a bit grim.

I blinked in surprise. "Wait. Two pieces of bad news? What happened?"

Dad took a deep breath. "Starting with the lighter one. Skye broke up with Martin—or rather, Martin left him because he found his high mate."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. I felt foolish and uneasy because my ex-husband also left me for his high mate. What an unpleasant coincidence, threatening to trigger my memories. I bet my father wanted to give me a heads-up before the info somehow emerged during family meetings and hit me in the head.

"Uh, damn. I know what he's going through." That's all I managed to mutter.

A bitter lump formed in my throat, and Brian's face surfaced in my memories, causing a sudden headache. I didn't want to think about it. It took me a year to get him out of my system. Enough!

"Yeah, that's how it goes until you find your True Mate—every other relationship is, let's say, temporary," I added with a somber tone.

It was one of my most hated topics out of all possible ones. The threat was ever-present, looming over every member of ABO society until they secured a True Mate relationship. This meant that 95% of people had to live on the proverbial edge, not knowing if the next day their entire life would crumble into pieces as their loved one found a more perfect match.

Dad was silent for a moment before speaking softly, "I always quietly hope for what the statistics say—that children of TMs have a much higher chance of finding their own Trues, nearly four times as often."

"Dad, that's only a 20% chance. I know it's more than 5%, but it's just still not so great," I muttered somewhat bitterly.

None of my brothers—and I had seven of them—had found their True Mate yet, and six of them weren't even in serious relationships. I joined the group the moment I divorced Brian, and now Skye was single too. It didn't look good.

Our parents' relationship, perfect and harmonious, was ingrained in our minds as an example, setting a very high expectation. They were True Mates, and we could feel it, sense it; we breathed it throughout our childhood. Except for Storm and my estranged brother River, who wasn't in contact with the rest of the family, the other six of us weren't married or even had serious prospects—for most of my brothers, all potential partners seemed strangely inadequate.

"Maybe Fate has a surprise in store for us? Maybe something will change, but for now, it doesn't seem likely because the second news is even worse," Dad whispered.

"Yeah, maybe. What else happened?"

Dad was silent for a moment before answering in a hushed voice, and I knew immediately that it cost him a lot to say it.

"Storm got arrested. Tom accused him of violence, abuse, and even rape. It looks bad; apparently, there are witnesses, and he underwent a medical examination that showed some bruises or something."

I froze. Storm was a year and a half younger than me and was the only one among my siblings who was a purple alpha. Of all our eight, he was always the one I got along with the least, and the rest of my brothers shared my reservations.

Storm was always somewhat of an outcast. I didn't know if it was because of his intense and arrogant nature that predisposed him to it, or because we all secretly envied his purple status, and on some level, he felt it, which in consequence distanced him.

I suspected Storm married Tom because of his (seemingly?) light and sunny personality that my brother was fond of, being kinda boorish himself—he just went for the classic grumpy-sunshine opposites-attract shtick.

A shiver of unease washed over me as I realized that part of me believed Storm was guilty. He was more aggressive than the rest of my brothers, and his alien inheritance was much higher than ours. Sometimes it seemed like he was wild, and the beast lurked in him just a few inches below the surface.

"Do you think he's guilty of some of these charges?" I was almost afraid to ask Dad this question; I always felt that Storm was the apple of his eye in some ways, although our dad never gave us any obvious indication that he favored him. And yet, at a deeper level, I sensed that he treated Storm in a special way. I suspected my other brothers were also conscious of it, and that's where our jealousy stemmed from.

"I don't believe that, Rain. I'll never believe it. I know how I raised him. Storm knows my past, what I went through; he'd never treat any omega that way." His voice was full of certainty—such certainty that only a parent can have about a son he loves with all his heart.

But I was more cautious. I remembered my fights with Storm very well, and despite being a year and a half older than him, since adolescence, I often ended up with bruises after our skirmishes, feeling ashamed that my younger brother could defeat me so easily.

Maybe he really did it? Maybe there was some truth to it? His aggression was much easier to trigger. If Tom did something like… cheating, for example, who knows how Storm would react.

For my dad's sake, though, I decided to side with Storm.

"Tom was always kind of shady. I never liked him. Plus, I had the feeling he was trying to flirt with me during the last holiday meeting."

"Well, Tom was never the best match for Storm, even though they were half mates."

"Yeah, the guy was completely self-absorbed, and very fake."

Dad didn't respond to that; he only sighed. "Call Storm when you get a chance."

My body reacted with instinctive tension. "Uhh, but you said he's been arrested."

"He's coming out on bail tomorrow. He'll surely be happy if he gets some family support."

There was no way around it. I sighed, saying, "You know that among all of us, he and I probably got along the least. I doubt he holds his breath waiting for my phone call."

My dad snorted with a little impatience. "Skye said the same thing. And Sun. And Bay, and Snow, and Winter."

"Why am I not surprised? Especially Skye! He got his share of beatings from Storm, just as I did!"

He was silent for a moment. I could feel how it hurt him, as a parent, knowing one of his sons was so alienated. "Storm is your younger brother. He has no one else."

"He has you. And Father." As soon as I said it, I realized how horrible it sounded. Storm wasn't an only child; he had siblings. My words must have hit Dad hard; he probably thought he had done something very wrong with raising us if one child was hated by the others. I already knew Dad tortured himself about River's situation, my only omega brother who severed contact with the family years ago, and now this? Another person being cut off from the family?

"I'll think about it," I finally mumbled, gritting my teeth.

Silence again.

"Thank you, Rain. I won't push, but I believe Storm would appreciate it. He lost his job, you know how much he liked it. His boss said he couldn't afford to keep him on as a customer assistant because hiring a criminal would affect the company's reputation."

I cursed softly under my breath—it was worse than I thought. "Damn. Storm loved that job. And he's not a criminal. What happened to innocent until proven guilty?" I muttered, wanting to console Dad a bit.

Storm worked at a matchmaking agency that also ran a marital contracts auction house. He considered himself a pretty effective matchmaker and often bragged about his success in pairing people up. He enjoyed his job so much. But now, it seemed like his world had truly collapsed.

"Even accusations are enough. He was arrested on their company's property. It's so easy to destroy somebody's reputation."

There was silence for a moment.

"Changing the subject. How's things with Kay?"

Right, I couldn't say I was relieved by the change of subject. It was like going from the frying pan into the fire.

"It didn't go as well as I thought, but it's still too early for me to try to summarize it. Let's just say Kay is not exactly sunshine and rainbows."

Short pause. Dad said cautiously, sympathetically, "He lost his husband so recently, Rain. What did you expect?"

"I know! But Kay is just… different than I thought he would be. It's probably my fault for envisioning something else."

"Are you angry? Disappointed?"

"I'm not sure yet. I have terrible confusion in my head; I'll call you, and we'll talk about it once I sort it all out. For now, the whole situation is still too fresh. I need things to settle down a bit."

I heard his supportive hum. "Try to keep an open mind with him. Flexibility is the key. Give him space."

"I'll try, of course." I rubbed my forehead. I didn't want to delve into it right now. "Say hi to Father for me. I have to finish up; just a few more lines of code to review. Nate's already rushing me."

"I will. Nathaniel really expanded his company in the last year. I hope he—" Dad hesitated, "finds a nice omega for himself. He's so lonely. It shouldn't be like this; he's a good guy."

I didn't comment on it. Nathaniel had been part of our family since he was fifteen, after his own family died in a fire. He survived but with severe burns, and since my alpha father was Nathaniel's uncle, he decided to adopt him. Nate had an older brother who was on a military mission overseas at the time of the accident and was unable to care for him. Because of the extensive scars on his face, my cousin led a very lonely life, despite the love and support of my parents.

"Well, I won't bother you, son." Dad sighed. "Call when you figure out how you feel about the Kay situation. And remember Storm."

"Okay. Thanks for the call and the update."

"I wish it were better news, but right now, it feels like some dark cloud is hanging over our family."

"Maybe it's just a temporary run of bad luck?"

"Maybe. Take care, son. I love you."

"And I love you, Dad."

When I hung up, a strange feeling emerged, a sense of someone else's presence. I snapped my head up to the Juliet balcony extending from Kay's room directly above me.

And there he was, standing nonchalantly—Kay himself, staring out at the lake with an air of indifference. A bit like me on the shore, watching him before, I guess karma was a bitch.

Damn! Was he here all the time? Way too close! For alpha and omega hearing, it was even possible to pick up a voice from a headset, and he was just eight feet away from me. His face remained impassive, maybe contemplative, but I knew… he had heard everything. The awareness of it hung in the air, but he didn't seem the least bit sorry for eavesdropping.

I wondered what was going through his mind now. That he had welcomed into his bed a guy whose brother was a criminal, raping and beating omegas? With a conflicted family, and on top of it all—complaining about the current situation with Kay himself? Well, I certainly made a great impression—a grumbler, a grouch. I cleared my throat and settled back at my laptop to work, and after a while, Kay returned home, seemingly unfazed.

Oh well, that's how it played out… and there wasn't much I could do about it.