6. Rex Makes His Claim

Rex lookedup when leaves crunched on the forest floor. A man stepped between the trees, a bulging bag slung across one shoulder.

A growl rose in his throat.

“Hey,” Jag said calmly. “Still sticking around? It’s been a few months.”

Unlike the terrible, sinister alphas back there, this alpha was... good. It had taken a long time for Rex to start trusting him.

They’d met when Rex had been rummaging in a trash can one evening, hungry with the smell of food wafting in the air. Jag had appeared with trash bags in hand; he’d been about to confront Rex. And Rex had attacked him.

Jag had knocked him off his feet too easily, for an older alpha just slightly smaller than Rex. But there had been no beatings. Instead, Jag had given him food that made his mouth water; he’d brought Rex into his house to wash the dirt off his body. He’d explained to Rex that he couldn’t just start fights with people, or he’d be locked up somewhere bad.

In the months since, Rex had shown Jag where he lived, and Jag visited occasionally with TP, clothes, and food.

Rex eyed him now, crouched at the mouth of his den.

Jag never tried to invade Rex’s space. He set his bag down a few paces away and opened it, laying out food on the forest floor. The packages were familiar—sweet, crunchy things inside. Some Rex liked more than the others.

“Been busy lately. Sorry I haven’t stopped by as much. Got a boy I’m watching over.” Jag’s mouth softened into a fond smile. “He’s a sweet one. Shy. Omega.”

“O—mega,” Rex said, rolling the word around in his mouth.

“Yeah.” Jag looked up and blinked, his nostrils flaring. He sniffed again. “Is that—You had an omega here?”

Rex thought about Olson, his body growing hot. “Mine. Olson.” He thought about Olson beneath him, squirming and panting, his hole so tight around Rex’s cock. He rubbed the growing ache between his legs. “Mine.”

“Huh,” Jag said quietly. “Is he coming back?”

Rex’s chest squeezed. He growled again, suddenly scared. Olson had been so furious because Rex had bitten him. He didn’t want Rex to be his alpha.

“Hey,” Jag said. He abandoned the food, coming closer to crouch in front of Rex. “It’s okay. Not every omega is the right one for you.”

Rex shook his head roughly. There was no explaining how right Olson felt. The gray of his eyes, the curve of his lips.

Every single night, Rex saw Olson in his dreams. Sometimes Olson was older, grey threaded through his hair, crow’s feet at his eyes. But frequently, he was much younger.

He dreamed of Olson holding an ice cream cone, leaning into Rex’s shoulder with a bright, carefree smile.

He dreamed of Olson tugging him along a sidewalk, hurrying to his parents’ house.

He dreamed of them sitting at small square tables with pencils in their hands, filling out something on paper.

He dreamed of Olson beneath him, his hands cradling Rex’s face, the full moon reflected in his eyes, the kisses they shared making his heart swell.

And he dreamed of agony, of Olson hovering over him, his face crumpling in devastation, his tears dripping onto Rex’s cheeks.

“Olson,” Rex growled, his chest hurting with emptiness. “Mine.”

Only Olson. No one else.

Jag looked at him for a long moment, and sighed. “Okay. The thing about omegas is that you have to respect them, all right? If they say no, it means no. You don’t do something they don’t want you to do, or you’ll end up hurting them.”

Rex dropped his gaze. He knew that now.

Jag winced. He reached out slowly, setting his hand on Rex’s shoulder. “Give him some time. Maybe he’ll change his mind.”

Rex shrugged.

Jag returned to his backpack. “I brought you some roast chicken, too. It’s still hot from the oven. Eat it before it gets cold.”

He handed a warm paper box to Rex, but even the aroma didn’t stir Rex’s appetite, not when he still remembered Olson stalking off, his cheeks flushed with anger.

Jag sighed. “Don’t leave it uneaten for too long. You don’t have a fridge, so it’ll spoil by the end of the day. Eat. I don’t have to remind you what happens when you eat bad food.”

Rex hunched his shoulders, picking at the closed box.

“I have to go. Take care of yourself, son. I don’t want to see you getting jailed or knocked down by a car, all right?”

Jag patted him on the shoulder. Then he turned and left the way he’d come.

It wasn’t toolong after Jag left, that Rex heard a twig snap.

He lifted his head. The sound had been faint, almost like he’d imagined it, except he knew he hadn’t.

He set down the untouched box of chicken and prowled out of his den. This was his territory. He wasn’t about to let anyone attack him again.

Rex stalked through the trees with his ears pricked.

Another twig snapped.

He dropped to all fours and ran, covering ground more easily than if he’d been on two legs. Before long, a figure came into view.

His heart slipped.

He would’ve recognized that too-thin figure anywhere. That shock of blond hair, those gray eyes. Olson always looked so beautiful, kind of like a pixie, with large eyes and full lips, his jaw sharp. Rex especially loved his capable hands, his narrow chest, the way he moved with such grace.

“Rex?” Olson asked.

He was standing behind some trees, his arms wrapped around a bundle. But his face—he looked so uncertain.

It was Rex’s fault. He’d made Olson angry.

Rex slowed down some paces away, his heart pounding. He breathed in the faint traces of orchid in the air.

How did you make your omega want you again?

Slowly, he prowled closer.

Olson didn’t back away this time. He stared at Rex and moved his mouth, but no sound came out.

“Mine,” Rex blurted, his heart sore.

At that, something on Olson’s face changed. He sighed. “Look, why don’t you show me where your den is, and we’ll sit down and talk. Or try to.”

Olson wanted to visit his den.

Hope swelled through Rex’s chest; he straightened to his full height and bounded over, careful not to crash into his omega.

Olson didn’t flinch. He stood tall, unafraid, and Rex wanted him to know how happy this made him. But the words were slippery on his tongue; he couldn’t string them together.

He settled for what he could do: he swept Olson over his shoulder like he’d done a few days ago.

Olson yelped. “Wait! I almost dropped my things.”

Rex turned. Olson still had his bundle in his arms; nothing had fallen onto the ground. So Rex took his omega back to his den, bringing him inside and carefully setting him on his nest, making sure he was comfortable.

“Olsonnnn,” he rumbled, leaning in and burying his face in Olson’s neck. His instincts roared when he saw the scab of his bonding mark. “Mine.”

Olson stiffened. “Don’t bite me again.”

But he wasn’t pushing Rex away.

A happy sound rumbled through Rex. He nudged Olson backward, flat against the blankets, and nudged his bundle of things away. Then he covered Olson with his body.

This felt right.

“Mine,” he growled, rubbing his face harder against Olson’s neck so Olson’s orchid scent got all over him. “Mine, mine, mine.”

He buried his nose against that one spot and just breathed. Just held Olson in his arms.

It felt like he’d come home.

Olson sighed, the tension in his body melting away.

When Rex cracked his eyes open, he spotted the box of chicken forgotten on the ground. He scrambled up to grab it, carefully presenting it to his omega.

Olson sat up and blinked. “What’s this?”

He took the box and sniffed at it, before pulling open the paper flaps. His eyebrows darted up in surprise.

“Did you go into town? You didn’t steal this from anyone, did you?”

Rex growled. He tried to find the words to answer, but it was difficult.

“Jag,” he said finally.

Olson blinked again. He lifted his nose and sniffed at the air, and he seemed even more surprised. “Jag Gardner? He was here?”

Rex shrugged. He didn’t know Jag’s full name. “Jag.”

He nudged the food at Olson, crouching expectantly in front of him. Waiting for him to eat.

Olson studied him. “Have you eaten?”

Rex shook his head, nudging the box.

Olson’s gaze softened. He took a piece and bit into it, humming. “Not bad. Here. Eat the rest.”

He pushed the box back, and Rex suddenly realized how hungry he was. He crammed a piece of chicken into his mouth, then tried to hand the box to Olson.

Olson frowned. “You eat. You’re the one living out in the wilderness with no decent food.”

Rex scowled. “Food,” he said slowly. “Omega.”

Olson stared at him for a long while. “Why me? You’ve never met me aside from one time several years ago. And you didn’t even know me back then.”

Rex shrugged. He carefully balanced the box on his lap and took Olson’s wrist, rubbing his thumb over the bonding marks. One larger, one smaller.

It felt right.

“I don’t know if we should have sex again,” Olson said. “You’re... I think we should get you back to normal first. Somehow.”

Rex tilted his head, not understanding.

“No more fucking,” Olson said. “No more mating.”

“Mate.” Rex remembered the other day, with Olson beneath him. Olson moaning and writhing and begging for his cock. His body grew hot; his cock grew thick and pushed out of the tear in his pants, rising up hungrily. Rex parted his legs, showing it to Olson.

“Oh, gods,” Olson breathed, his cheeks turning pink. But he raked his gaze over that tingling length; he wet his lips.

Rex couldn’t help reaching down, squeezing himself. It felt good. And Olson didn’t look angry at all as his eyes followed Rex’s hand up and down. In fact, his pupils dilated, his breaths coming faster.

“Olson like,” Rex said. He opened his legs wider, rubbing himself proudly.

“I...” Olson swallowed, looking away. “No sex.”

Rex crammed the rest of the chicken into his mouth, gulping it down. He barely tasted it. He wanted to know why Olson had said no to mating, and yet he kept staring at Rex’s cock like he wanted it. He wanted to know why Olson was squirming, sneaking little glances back at Rex’s thickness, his blush going down his neck.

Rex closed the distance between them, watching as Olson turned toward him, his gaze dragging down Rex’s chest, back to his cock.

“Olllsonnnnn,” Rex growled. “Cock.”

Olson bit his lip and groaned. “Fuck.”

Rex sat back on his heels when he was pressed up against Olson, opening his legs wider, rubbing himself so he grew bigger. His cock needed to be inside Olson. It belonged inside him, all the time. “Need.”

Olson clutched his own thighs, his hands trembling. “I’m such a damn pervert.”

Rex took Olson’s hand. And he pushed it gently onto his bare cock, hissing at the pleasure.

Olson moaned, his hand closing around Rex, his chest heaving. “Gods, you’re so big.”

His touch alone was almost overwhelming. Rex thrust into Olson’s fist, throbbing. Olson whimpered. He didn’t yell at Rex; he didn’t snatch his hand away or try to push Rex off at all.

Slowly, Rex slid his cock in and out of Olson’s fist, growling at the way Olson trembled, musk rolling off him.

“Olson want,” Rex whispered, his precome dripping from his tip, landing on Olson’s leg. He carefully pushed Olson backward, into his nest, and covered Olson with his body, growling when Olson still hadn’t taken his hand off Rex’s cock.

Rex pressed his nose to Olson’s neck, inhaling the swell of musk blooming from his skin. Olson was ready to be filled.

So he reached down between them, palm flat on Olson’s chest, his belly, and further down, until he found that telling hardness. Olson’s eyes rolled back. “Fuck!” He writhed and panted under Rex, and his hand tightened around Rex’s cock. “We shouldn’t,” Olson mumbled.

He said that, but when Rex leaned in and closed his lips over Olson’s pulse point, sucking gently, Olson’s spine arched. A soft, needy whimper fell from his lips.

Rex grew so hard, he hurt.

“Why the hell do you smell so good?” Olson whined.

Rex pushed Olson’s pants down clumsily, growling when Olson’s bare cock jerked up between them, red and leaking. Rex stroked it with his fingertips. Olson made a choked-off sound. “Rex—”

His cock was so different from Rex’s. It was small, about half Rex’s size, but each time Rex touched it, Olson spasmed and gasped, more fluid leaking from his tip.

“Mine.” Rex leaned in to sniff at it. It smelled like Olson, all musk and orchid. Did it feel as good as when Olson touched Rex’s cock? It seemed to—when Rex closed his hand around it, Olson wheezed, his legs trembling.

So Rex squeezed him again. And again. Until Olson came with a shudder, milky fluid spilling all over Rex’s hand.

“Fuck.” Olson threw his arm over his eyes.

Rex licked up his come. It was bitter, and good, because it had come from his omega. But now he ached even more; he knew he’d given Olson pleasure. His own cock needed to be buried so deep that Olson thrashed and screamed around him.

He pawed at Olson’s legs, trying to make them spread, but the pants around his thighs made it impossible. “Mine.”

“We...” Olson bit his lip, his gaze dropping to where he was still holding Rex, Rex’s precome dripping all over him.

Olson drew a shuddering breath. And he squirmed over onto his front, lifting his hips, pushing his pants down to expose his smooth ass.

Rex’s mouth filled with saliva. He leaned in and squeezed Olson’s cheeks; he almost bit them, except he remembered Olson didn’t want to be bitten. “Mate?”

“Fuck.” Olson whined, pushing his hips higher. “Just—Just one more time.”

He reached back, spreading his cheeks to show Rex his wet, pink hole.

Rex throbbed. He snarled and mounted Olson, pushing between Olson’s velvety cheeks, thrusting to get his cock inside. But his tip skimmed over Olson’s hole heavily, without going in. He growled.

“Like this,” Olson said breathlessly. “You have to hold it.” Olson reached back, grasping Rex’s cock. And he guided its tip to his hole, sinking himself onto it so he stretched, his hot tightness opening around Rex.

Rex groaned and thrust in hard, sounds falling out of his mouth at the sheer pleasure.

It always felt so right with Olson, even in his dreams.

He held Olson down and pushed all the way inside. Olson shuddered and tensed, wheezing as he clutched at the blanket.

“Fuck, fuck—” Olson panted, his musk heady and rich. “Harder.”

Rex began slamming inside, his eyes rolling back as pleasure rippled through his body. Beneath him, Olson thrashed, his body clenching, his sounds going high and ragged.

Olson loved this. He wanted Rex buried deep inside him; maybe he wanted it all the time, too.

Then Olson’s voice broke, and he clenched hard around Rex, the bitter scent of his come filling the air.

Rex pulsed, covering Olson with his body. He’d made Olson come. He’d made Olson feel so good. His balls pulled tight; he needed to give Olson his marking. Needed to knot him, keep his come inside. So Olson knew who he belonged to.

Rex fucked in hungrily, desperate now to claim his omega. He kept pounding every inch inside, as deep as he could, their bodies slapping together.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” Olson moaned. “Fuck. I love your cock.”

Rex absolutely wanted to give Olson all of his cock. He leaned in, seeking out Olson’s scent gland, his teeth aching to bite.

He barely held himself back. No more biting.

Instead, he held on tight to Olson because he couldn’t lose his omega again.

He thrust in, desperate to claim his omega, to show Olson who he belonged to, his balls growing so heavy with so much come. “Mine, mine, mine.”

“Y-yours,” Olson panted, his knuckles going white as he howled, his body clamping down hard around Rex.

Rex came with a roar, his balls writhing as his come shot out, pulses and pulses of it. It didn’t seem to end even as his knot grew; he wrapped his arms around Olson and buried his face in his neck, groaning as his knot locked them together, yet more come filling his omega inside.

Then, he began to push his knot deeper. Olson swore and wheezed, his body growing tight. He loved Rex’s knot. Rex could tell, from the way he began to whimper, sweat beading on his neck as Rex rolled his hips again and again, gently pushing his knot deeper until Olson screamed, his entire body shuddering, more bitter-come scent filling the air.

So Rex pushed in again. And again. Olson trembled harder, almost shaking apart as his spine arched and his ass clenched, and more come squirted out of him.

He went limp beneath Rex, suddenly.

Rex peeked over Olson’s shoulder, suddenly afraid that he’d done something wrong.

Olson’s eyes were closed. Was he... sleeping?

Rex shook him lightly. “Olson? Olson?”

He shook Olson harder, but Olson didn’t open his eyes. How could Olson fall asleep in the middle of all that pleasure? Or... had he fainted? In Rex’s experience, fainting was never a good thing.

“Olson.” He shook his omega harder, worried now. Unsure what to do.

He began to pull out, except Olson’s body tugged on him. Rex looked at the stretched, delicate skin of Olson’s hole and knew things would get very bad if he pulled.

“Olson.” Rex pawed at his omega, suddenly wishing he had Jag here to help Olson in case something had gone wrong. “Olsonnn.”

He hugged Olson, nuzzling him, lifting him off the blanket in case he had to carry Olson out of the forest to get him some help.

Olson stirred then. He made a low noise, turning his head, and the ball of anxiety in Rex’s chest eased.

“Olson?” He shook his omega lightly.

“Mm?” Olson looked over his shoulder, bleary-eyed.

“Olson hurt?” Rex asked, ashamed to admit the possibility, “Rex hurt... hurt Olson?”

“No, you didn’t hurt me.” Olson caught Rex’s hand, squeezing. “I just fainted because it was too much pleasure. It’s fine. It’s good. More than good.”

Rex frowned, touching Olson’s cheekbone, his lips, just to convince himself that Olson wouldn’t faint again.

Olson cracked a soft smile, cupping the side of Rex’s head. “Hey,” he said softly. “It’s really okay.”

“No hurt,” Rex said brokenly, running his hands over Olson’s body, checking that he wasn’t injured. The thought of Olson hurt scared him to pieces. “Mine.”

Olson blew out a breath. Then he turned even more, nuzzling Rex. Rex’s heart skipped a beat. “I haven’t had sex this good since—since my alpha,” Olson said quietly. “I don’t know why it’s like this with you. But it’s so fucking good.”

“Alpha?” Rex rubbed the bonding marks on Olson’s wrist.

Olson nodded.

That made Rex feel good, too, for reasons he couldn’t explain.

He dragged the scent glands on his wrists all over Olson, leaving maplewood wherever he touched. It made Olson smell like his. All his instincts shivered with delight.

“Mine,” Rex said.

Olson sighed, leaning into him. “I brought you some things, you know.” He waved at the bundle that had rolled off to the side. “But... I was also thinking of offering you somewhere to live. They’ve told your dad that you’re still alive. I’m sure he wants to see you. He’ll probably want to bring you home with him.”

“Dad...?” Rex tried to dig through his fuzzy memories, but... he couldn’t remember what his dad looked like. Or anyone from before there. Just Olson.

“He lives across the country,” Olson said. “Over in Rhode Island.”

Rex frowned. “Olson... Olson come?”

Olson shook his head. “My life is here. In Meadowfall.”

A terrible sound fell out of Rex’s throat. He shook his head and wrapped his arms tightly around Olson. “Stay... Stay Olson.”

It was Olson’s turn to frown. “Your dad misses you. He’s been looking for you. I don’t know if they’ll let you stay with me. Or if you’d be comfortable living with me.”

But Rex didn’t know his dad anymore. All he knew was Olson.

He buried his face against Olson’s neck, wrapping his arms and legs around his omega. “Olson. No go.”

Olson sighed. “I think he might be here next week to see you, at least. We’ll decide then.”

“No go,” Rex said again, worried now. He’d been imprisoned for so long without his omega. He’d fight anyone who tried to separate them. He growled, holding on tighter.

“Hey. It’s okay.” Olson rubbed his thigh.

Rex didn’t know if it’d all turn out fine. But he knew there was something he had to do. He breathed in lungfuls of Olson’s scent. “Safe,” he managed to say. “Keep safe.”

“Keep you safe?” Olson’s mouth quirked into a beautiful smile.

Rex shook his head. “Keep... Keep Olson safe.”

Olson huffed. “I’m around a lot of people every day, you know. I think it might be too much for you to deal with. You’ve been living alone in the forest for so long.”

Rex growled. He knew where Olson worked. It was loud. There were many people. But if Olson wanted to be there, then Rex would learn to tolerate it. “Keep safe.”

Olson’s smile softened. “I don’t know where you came from, or why you’re so obsessed with me. I don’t want to hurt you, Rex.”

“No hurt.” Nothing Olson did would hurt as much as losing him. He rubbed his face against Olson’s nape. “Mine.”

Olson sighed and brushed his fingers through Rex’s hair. “All right. As soon as we’re not knotted anymore, I’ll take you home.”

Rex’s heart swelled.