11. The Attack

Like Olson had suspected,Rex didn’t do well with the Wine Shack’s loud music.

Landon, a tall, thin omega, had come in to play some rock songs on the piano; the volume had been growing louder ever since the dinner crowd swelled.

Olson had gone out earlier to buy some earplugs, but Rex didn’t like those, either, fidgeting with the little foam things in his ear every so often.

When he managed to catch a break between mixing drinks, Olson pressed up close to Rex’s side, wrapping a comforting arm around his waist. He slowly eased out the earplug to speak into Rex’s ear. “Do you want to wait in my office instead? It’s quieter in there. Less people.”

Rex scowled. “No Olson.”

“I’m out here. You know where to find me.”

“Protect.”

“You’re uncomfortable, Rex. I don’t want you to put yourself through this.”

“Olson come.” Rex glanced in the direction of the office.

Olson sighed. “I can’t. This is my business and my job. I can’t just abandon it whenever I want.”

He wrapped his arms tight around Rex, rubbing his back. On impulse, Olson pulled out a notepad and a pen. “Here. Scribble whatever you like. But I’m going to show you how to write my name, and yours. See—”

He made sure Rex could see the way he moved the pen. “This is my name. O-L-S-O-N. And this is your name. R-E-X. Now, you try writing them, okay?”

Rex grudgingly nodded. Olson kissed his ear. Then he eased the earplug back in, patted Rex’s back, and slipped back behind the bar.

One of the bar regulars, Jerry, leered. He’d been watching Olson and Rex the whole time. “New fuck? Never seen you with an alpha before.”

Olson flashed a tight smile. Jerry had always been presumptuous. Arrogant, like he thought every omega would be fighting to get into his pants. “He’s my alpha,” Olson said, glancing at Rex and being quietly glad that he had his earplugs in.

He wasn’t ready to admit that to Rex yet.

“Bit young for you, don’t you think?” Jerry smirked. He flexed his muscles, but Olson just got a vague, oily sense of revulsion.

Jerry leaned over, looking at Rex’s notepad. “Is he... writing your name? Is he stupid or something?”

Anger bubbled hot through Olson’s chest. “Respect my customers, Jerry, or I’ll have Derek see you out.”

“He’s not even a customer. He’s just fucking his way through.”

Olson almost shattered a glass, he was gripping it so tight.

“He’s just like a child,” Jerry said, eyes glittering. “Do you have to dress him and put his shoes on, too?”

“Shut up. I’ve allowed you to be a customer for this long, but you’re trying my patience.”

“Maybe you should hire an alpha who can run the place better,” Jerry said. “Too many misfits around here.”

Olson growled.

He wasn’t sure when Rex had begun paying attention, but Rex was glowering now, staring at Jerry like he might rip open his throat. The pen snapped in his fist.

“Get out,” Olson said to Jerry, keeping his voice steady even though his heart felt like it’d beat out of his chest; he was so furious. “By staying, you consent to be forcibly removed from the bar. All injuries are your own responsibility.”

Jerry stood, leaning over the counter. “I bet you shut up when any alpha bends you over.”

Olson didn’t even see Rex move. One moment, he was in his corner. The next moment, Rex was crowding into Jerry’s space, his fist in Jerry’s shirt.

Rex punched Jerry so hard that he shattered Jerry’s nose, maybe even his cheekbone. Jerry’s eyes bulged from the sheer pressure inside his skull.

Then he dropped like a dead weight to the floor. Rex snarled, shifting as though he was going to stomp Jerry in the head or gut.

Olson snapped, “Rex!”

Rex paused, his teeth bared, his expression completely animalistic.

“That’s enough,” Olson said. “Don’t kill him.”

Rex growled, opening his mouth like he was about to say Kill, except there were too many witnesses in here.

“No.” Olson shook his head hard. He grabbed his walkie-talkie and called for Derek, who sealed off the entrance and came over.

Derek’s eyebrows went up.

“Get him out of here,” Olson said, jerking his chin at Jerry. “Dump him in an alley. I don’t ever want to see him again.”

“Got it, Boss.” Derek began hauling Jerry out; Olson grabbed his backup bartender to stand in for him.

Then he took Rex’s hand and dragged him to the office.

Olson shut the door, his hands trembling. “Fuck.”

“Mate?” Rex growled.

“No, I’m cursing. ‘Fuck’ is also a curse word.”

Large hands grasped him. Rex turned him around, pressing him up against the door, leaning in so close that his eyes blurred into a stormy green.

Rex didn’t ask. Just pushed his tongue into Olson’s mouth, and licked him in there. “Mine.”

Olson melted shakily into him. “Yeah. Yeah. But for the love of all things holy, please don’t kill anyone in my bar. Or kill anyone, period. Unless they’re physically hurting me, you’ll go to jail. Jail means you can’t protect me anymore.”

Rex narrowed his eyes, growling.

“I don’t want you to go to jail, either. And that means no killing anyone unless they hurt me first.”

Rex snarled; Olson almost expected fur to sprout all over him. “No hurt Olson.”

“You’re not the bad guy if you kill them while you’re trying to protect me. But the police will say you’re wrong if the bad guys don’t hurt me, and you hurt them. You understand that, right? I don’t want you killing someone just because you’re mad at them, or just because they’re saying stupid things to me. Staying out of jail is more important than getting revenge.”

Rex growled. After a while, his breathing slowed. “No kill.”

“Thank you.”

Rex nuzzled Olson. Olson sucked in a slow breath. And he cupped Rex’s face, rubbing his thumbs through Rex’s beard. How was it that this beast of a man could be so strong and ruthless, and yet want to cuddle and touch Olson all the time?

“I appreciate what you did for me,” Olson whispered. “Thank you for coming to my defense. But don’t do it again, or I’m going to lose my customers.”

Rex narrowed his eyes. “Want kill.”

“No kill. He’s not worth going to jail for. But maybe we can get you a punching bag, and you can pretend you’re killing him.”

Rex grinned, all sharp teeth. Somehow, that made Olson’s instincts quiver under his skin, needing to be closer to his alpha.

He pressed the gentlest kiss to Rex’s mouth, his skin tingling from the friction of Rex’s soft, soft lips.

Rex rumbled and leaned in; Olson sealed their mouths together, slipping his tongue along the seam of Rex’s lips. “This is a kiss,” he whispered. He pulled Rex closer, showing him how to move his lips, how to slide them and part them and tease them with his teeth.

Rex growled, his eyes growing hooded, his pupils dilating.

“Mine,” Rex whispered into Olson’s mouth.

Olson’s body grew warm. The more they kissed, the deeper Rex pushed his tongue into him, the harder his pulse fluttered, his insides aching for his alpha. It was almost overwhelming, how good Rex smelled. Olson wanted to cover himself in Rex’s scent, he wanted them pressed skin to skin.

He wanted Rex holding him down, spreading him open, thrusting deep into him.

“Okay. That’s enough for now,” Olson gasped, pushing Rex off. “I need to get back to work. But you can claim me when we get home.”

Rex rumbled, reaching between them to rub Olson’s bulge. Gods, he was shameless.

“You can either wait in here until I close shop, or you can wait with me at the bar, but you can’t hit anyone else.”

Rex grunted, following him out of the office.

Olson only realized that Rex had lost one of his earplugs when they got back; he had to look for the box of earplugs he’d bought and put a new one in Rex’s ear, before returning behind the bar.

The patrons watched them warily; some gave Rex approving nods.

“Kid’s got your back,” one of his other regulars said with a toothy grin.

“I’m thinking about claiming him as my alpha,” he admitted.

“Don’t think. Do it.”

Olson laughed.

He felt Rex’s gaze on him all night. Hot, heavy, patient. It sent a shiver down his spine; it made his body thrum with awareness. It made him want to mix his drinks better, it made him want to interact more with his customers, to prove that he was good at what he did.

And every so often, Olson glanced back at Rex, giving him a smile so he’d know he hadn’t been forgotten.

“Here,” Olson said, sliding a plate of wings toward him. “In case you’re hungry.”

Rex had pulled out one of his earplugs; he licked his lips and stared at Olson. “Hungry.”

Not for wings. Olson blushed.

Somehow, his body felt a little heavier. A little hotter. As the night drew on, Olson’s bones began to ache. Every time he turned to peek at Rex, a hot little jolt shot through his insides, going straight between his legs.

It was starting to get distracting. Olson squirmed, his mouth going dry when he glanced at Rex and found Rex’s gaze hooded, Rex’s tongue flicking over his lips.

Then Rex began reaching down, his arm jerking in a telltale rhythm that had Olson leaking slick.

Olson bolted out from behind the bar and slid himself between Rex and the next patron, plucking the earplug out of Rex’s ear. “No touching your cock in front of other people,” he said urgently.

“Olson touch?”

“No! Keep it in your pants. You can also go to jail if you touch your cock where other people don’t want to see it.”

Rex narrowed his eyes. “Olson touch.”

“Later. When we get home. I promise I’ll make it good.”

Rex rumbled and leaned in, pressing his face against Olson’s neck. Then he licked Olson’s scent gland, and Olson had to bite down his moan.

“Later,” Olson growled.

Rex grinned and watched as Olson retreated behind the bar.

They made it to closing somehow. Olson banged a ladle loudly against a large pot. “All right, you folks. Time to clear out. I’m ready to go home.”

“Got a hottie waiting?” One of the remaining patrons smirked.

“Yes. So go home.” If Olson had known he’d ache this much for Rex tonight, he would’ve done the staff roster differently. As it was, he did his cleanup duties distractedly, more so when the bar cleared and Rex came up behind him, sliding his hands around Olson’s waist.

Olson groaned. “Just a bit longer. Fuck.”

“Mate,” Rex growled in his ear. “Cock.” He pressed his bulge against Olson’s back.

Olson’s body ached. His feet hurt from standing all day, but even that didn’t stave off his need.

He hurried his staff through their duties and locked up, sighing when he finally sank into the driver’s seat of his car. “Fuck. Now we can go home.”

“Mmmm. Ollsonnnn.” Rex leaned over the center console and snuffled at his neck, grazing it with his teeth. Then he closed his mouth over Olson’s scent gland and sucked, and Olson almost came right there.

“Rex,” he moaned, clutching his alpha. “Wait. Just. Let me get us home. Then we mate.”

Rex pulled away reluctantly, rubbing his own bulge, his gaze locked on Olson. He began pulling his cock out of his pants. And it jutted up, thick and hungry with a sheen of wetness at its tip. Olson bit down his whimper, his slick soaking through his pants.

It was so difficult to drive when he could smell Rex in the car, along with the scent of his cock. His musk.

At least Rex remembered that he wasn’t supposed to touch Olson while he drove.

The moment they stepped out of the car, Rex slung Olson over his shoulder, pushing his fingers between Olson’s thighs. “Mine.”

Olson panted. It felt so good when Rex touched him there. “Home. Get us home.”

He wasn’t even going to say anything about Rex’s cock jutting out of his clothes. There was no one around this late, anyway. No witnesses to see Rex dripping precome everywhere.

Rex cupped Olson’s bulge and squeezed. It made him writhe; he clutched at Rex, trying to grind himself into Rex’s touch. “I need us to get home,” Olson said raggedly. “Home to mate.”

Rex growled. He had to have touched Olson’s slick by now; it was still leaking out. Olson’s body grew hotter by the second.

Instead of bringing him home, Rex shoved his fingers between Olson’s cheeks, grinding the wet fabric of his briefs against his hole. Olson cried out. “Rex, please. Home now.”

Rex growled, finally heading for the apartment. Olson barely remembered to lock his car.

At the front door, Rex turned so Olson could fumble with his keys, perched on Rex’s shoulder like he was.

Except Rex got his fingers around Olson’s bulge and squeezed; Olson almost dropped his keys.

“F-fuck. J-just let me open the door,” Olson whined, throbbing in Rex’s hand.

“Olson cock,” Rex purred, rubbing his bulge over and over until Olson thrashed on his shoulder, panting and bucking.

“Fuck. Gods, Rex. I need you inside.” His voice broke.

“Mmm.” Rex grasped Olson’s thighs. With Olson still draped over his shoulder, he pulled open Olson’s legs and squeezed Olson’s cock, shoving his thumb against Olson’s covered hole.

Olson came hard, writhing, digging his fingers into Rex’s shirt. “Fuck. Fuck! Too many clothes. Get inside the apartment. I need you inside me.”

“Mmm. Yessss. Cock for Olllsonnnnn.”

They managed to get into the apartment somehow, locking the deadbolt.

Rex slid Olson off his shoulder and pressed him against the door. He cupped his hand over Olson’s bulge, grinding down with the heel of his palm so Olson’s come smeared all over inside. “Mine. Mate. Mine.”

“It’s such a mess inside,” Olson whimpered. “You want to see it?”

“Mmmm.” Rex began fumbling with Olson’s pants; Olson helped him unbutton it. The zipper rasped.

The moment Rex peeled down Olson’s underwear, exposing fresh come smeared everywhere, he groaned. Rex pushed his fingers through the thatch of hair, rubbing Olson’s come into his skin. He wiped it all over his own cock. Then he angled himself down and slid their lengths together, the friction almost buckling Olson’s legs.

“Rex,” he gasped, clutching at his alpha.

“Cock,” Rex whispered, grinding them together in an exquisite rush of bliss.

Olson could already imagine that thickness pressing against his hole, stretching him open as it sank in. “Now, now, now.”

Rex scooped him up, opening Olson’s thighs around him, fitting their cocks together. Olson bit down a needy whine. Rex carried him to his bedroom, setting him gently down on the bed. Olson began kicking off his shoes. Rex hooked his fingers into Olson’s pants, stripping them clean off his body. And now he was completely bare from the waist down, slick trickling between his cheeks.

It hurt not to have Rex inside him. Olson shoved at his shirt until it came off, then flipped over onto all fours and pried apart his cheeks, showing Rex his wet, empty hole.

Rex snarled so loud, the entire building probably heard. And Olson didn’t care.

“Inside. Now.”

Rex struggled with his clothes. Olson was about to help him when Rex ripped the shirt and pants off his body, his boxer briefs tearing apart.

And now Rex was completely naked, all gorgeous muscle and throbbing cock, and Olson’s veins burned.

“Oh gods, oh gods.” He raised his hips higher, his hole quivering.

It was only then, that Olson realized why he was hurting so much for his alpha.

He’d gone into heat.