7. ZANA

Chapter seven

ZANA

My poor Omega is hurting and I can’t help him. This scent isn’t new and I’m not sure when he first found it, but it’s been messing with his mind ever since. I never thought I would have an Omega of my own. Most female Alphas end up bonding into an already established pack as a safety measure or for taxes. It had been years without my own pack, without my own Omega, and with an established career, I wasn’t hopeful.

Especially not with the way my parents raised me. They did as well as they could before they passed, telling me that female Alphas have to be strong on their own. It gave me a sense of purpose, a sense of determination but it also drove a wedge between what I wanted in a career and what I wanted in a pack—what I needed in a pack.

Ethan was a surprise.

A welcomed one.

One I can’t live without.

He’s staring up at me, his big brown eyes wide and glassy, dark lashes damp as though he’s been holding back tears. His curls are a mess, his cheeks still full despite how pale he’s been lately. The sight of him like this—so small, so vulnerable—makes my chest ache.

He’s paler than usual. That much is obvious. But it makes sense. After finding another mate, an Omega’s biology takes over, forcing them to search, to yearn. It’s cruel, a biological tether that won’t let go until it’s satisfied. And it’s breaking him, piece by piece.

His scent is faint tonight, but it’s there—soft and light, like the beginning of summer. Grass warmed by sunshine. The smell fills my nose, grounding me in ways I can’t explain, making me want him more than I already do. My Omega. My beautiful, broken boy.

He lets out a shaky breath, his fingers clutching the edge of the blanket, his body tense as if he’s bracing for something. “Baby,” I purr, sinking to my knees beside him. “You’re in your head again, aren’t you?”

He blinks, his lips parting slightly, a small gasp coming from him as I kiss his temple. He’s lost in that storm of his own thoughts and I know I need to pull him out. Gently. Carefully.

“You’re safe,” I whisper, reaching out to brush a curl from his forehead. My fingers linger, trailing down to his cheek. He leans into my touch, just a little, and my heart twists. I trail my hand lower, to the hem of his shirt, and tug gently. “Let me help you,” I murmur. “Let me take care of you, baby.”

He nods, his eyes fluttering shut, and I pull the shirt up slowly, baring the soft curve of his stomach. He shivers beneath my touch, his breath hitching, but he doesn’t stop me. I take my time, sliding the fabric over his chest, his shoulders, until it’s off completely. The sight of him—bare and vulnerable beneath me—steals my breath.

“You’re so perfect,” I whisper, leaning down to press a kiss to his collarbone. “My perfect Omega.”

His lips tremble, a soft whimper escaping as his hands move to cover his chest. I catch them gently, intertwining our fingers. “No hiding,” I muse. “You’re mine, baby. Every inch of you. Don’t forget that.”

Tears well in his eyes, but he nods, his hands relaxing in mine. I press his palms against my chest, letting him feel the steady thrum of my heartbeat. “You feel that?” I murmur. “That’s for you. Always for you.” The bond between us strengthens just the slightest bit, a twinge of happiness and desire pinging through the connection.

His breath hitches again and I release his hands, moving lower to slide his sweatpants down his legs. He’s left in just his boxers, his body trembling slightly, but I keep my movements slow, gentle, never pushing too far. He needs this. Needs to feel loved, cherished, wanted.

“You’re everything to me,” I tell him, my voice thick with emotion. “And nothing will ever change that. Not your father, not this bond we’re working through. Nothing .”

A choked sob escapes him and he presses his fists to his eyes, trying to hide the tears spilling over. I move back up his body, my hands framing his face as I kiss his cheeks, his forehead, the tip of his nose. Finally, I catch his lips and he melts into me, his fingers clutching at my shirt like a lifeline. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I’m being selfish and—”

“Baby, you are allowed to be selfish.” I kiss him again, waiting for him to relax before I go further. While he wants this, it may not be what he needs, despite the scent of his arousal slowly thickening in the air. Ethan calms the longer I hover over him, my presence canceling out the chaos in his head. “We don’t have to do anything tonight. You can ravage me tomorrow morning.”

“I don’t want to think, Alpha, please .”

A heavy sigh falls from me as I roll off of him and shed my suit, trying not to laugh as Ethan starts whining. “Be good and wait for me, baby. I can’t fuck you with my clothes on.” That doesn’t deter him as he starts pulling at my shirt, growling when he can’t undo the buttons. Then he rips it open and rolls on top of me before burying his face between my breasts.

His tongue follows, my back arching as I sift my fingers into his hair. His mouth moves to my left breast, sucking my tit between his lips through the fabric of my bra as he frantically works my pants down my legs. I lift my hips to make it easier, Ethan’s Omega taking over. I love when he gets all growly like this, when he takes what he wants without asking.

He sheds his boxers as well, his cock jutting out, already leaking. His face is twisted up with a mixture of need and desperation as he drops to his knees between my thighs and thrusts right in. My head falls back against the pillows as he fills me, Ethan pressing kisses against my collarbone now that he’s inside me.

“Goddess, baby, you’re perfect,” I purr, letting the rumble rattle through my chest as my Omega claims me. His kisses become more urgent until he’s nibbling near my scent gland, driving me mad. It’s taking all of my self-control not to flip him and ride him into oblivion. In Ethan’s current state, that would terrify him. His summery scent spikes and I sigh, realizing that the stress of finding another mate is pushing him toward another heat.

It shouldn’t be for a few more weeks but now that I think about it, Ethan’s need to be at my side, his constant searching for me, and spending more time in his nest are all tell-tale signs.

Ethan’s head snaps up, his eyes meeting mine. “I didn’t say it before. I love you too, Alpha. I love you so fucking much.” Then he kisses the edge of my jaw before burying his head in my neck and fucking me like his life depends on it. His hips snap against my thighs and I wrap one of my legs around his waist to direct the pace. He’s a mess of growls and whimpers, trying to find his release and please me all at once.

His scent thickens until it’s a thick syrupy sweet aroma, clogging my nose and heightening that familiar heat in the pit of my belly. I wrap my arms around him, Ethan shouting into my neck as he comes, my pussy strangling his cock of every last drop.

The gift of a female Alpha, I suppose, locking us together as he squirms against me.

I roll us onto our side, Ethan gasping as the lock sets, my pussy fitted around his cock like a vice-grip. “Better, baby?” I whisper against the top of his head. He doesn’t answer, little puffs of air hitting my neck. With how strung out he was earlier, I’m sure he’ll pass out in the next few minutes as my pheromones finally help put his body to rest.

He mumbles something incoherent and then tries to snuggle up closer despite still being inside of me. His scent softens and then the faint sound of his snores permeates the room. It’s not much, but I’ll take it.