The Duty of a Beta (16 page)

Talbot didn’t need to scrape up a single syllable that made the slightest bit of sense before the tip of the beta’s cock pressed against his hole and Gunnar pushed forward, sliding into him inch by inch. Talbot’s hands clenched and unclenched behind his back, searching for more contact with the other wolf, hoping he might be able to find him before he tumbled helplessly into his orgasm.

He was so on edge he knew it would only take him seconds. A few thrusts and it would all be over. But, without any warning, Gunnar’s hands moved to Talbot’s shoulders. The beta jerked him up, so he was kneeling on the bed, leaning back against the larger wolf’s chest.

Gunnar’s arms wrapped around him as his shaft settled even deeper inside Talbot’s arse. The larger wolf held him close and perfect. His whole body seemed to surround him, trapping Talbot’s hands between them once more.

Each time Gunnar moved, their bodies rubbed together and it was impossible for Talbot to control even the tiniest detail of anything, all he could do was enjoy every moment as it happened.

His mate had no interest in following him—every movement Gunnar made was all about leading. Talbot groaned his pleasure again and again as he leant into the stronger man’s hold and simply gloried in belonging to the beta in the most basic way a wolf could.

His orgasm thundered through him without any warning, and Talbot couldn’t do anything except throw back his head and howl his ecstasy at it all.

Still untouched by anything but the brief caress of the blankets, Talbot’s cock spilled across the bed in front of him. Gunnar’s howl filled the air just a moment later, far louder than Talbot’s, but still somehow blending perfectly with it.

And the beta’s howl was all the more perfect simply because Talbot suddenly realised that, for the first time, Gunnar finally seemed to feel free to let go of any attempt to control himself. His howl was feral and heartfelt in equal measure and it seemed to seep into Talbot’s very soul as it echoed through the room.

A moment later, they toppled forward onto the bed together, Talbot getting trapped snugly under his mate in the process. Every breath Gunnar took rubbed their skins together, sending just a little more pleasure vibrating through Talbot’s body.

It was easy to forget that a world existed outside that bed, until a knock sounded on the door.

Gunnar let out an irritable growl against Talbot’s shoulder before he lifted his head. “What?”

The wolf outside their door cleared his throat. “
Marsdon
says that it’s still early. You’re both to come downstairs and show your faces to the rest of the pack whether you want to or not. It’s about time you stopped hiding yourselves away, and it won’t kill you to get dressed for a few minutes.”

Gunnar didn’t seem impressed, but within a few seconds he’d pulled himself up from the bed and begun to follow his alphas’ dictates. While Talbot remained clumsy with afterglow and his actions remained slow and sleepy, the older man simply took control, not just of dressing himself, but of dressing Talbot too. Buttons that were beyond Talbot’s abilities right then were quickly fastened for him and, long before the omega was ready for it, Gunnar led him downstairs to face the pack.

As the beta made
himself
comfortable in the seat left unoccupied on the sofa, Talbot managed to pull a few brain cells together and realise that there wasn’t room for him to sit next to his lover. Still high on endorphins and pure happiness, he couldn’t bring himself to regret that for more than a moment. He’d be at Gunnar’s side when they went to bed—that was the important thing.

Stepping past the sofa, Talbot moved forward to settle himself into his usual spot by the fireside but Gunnar’s hand caught hold of his wrist.

A sharp tug had him stumbling back and toppling helplessly into Gunnar’s lap. The beta caught him safely in his arms as if there was nothing at all unusual about him dragging his lover around that way.

Within a few seconds Talbot had been rearranged so he was settled perfectly comfortably, curled into the larger man’s hold on him,
more warm
and snug than he’d ever have been sitting in front of the fire.

Through the whole process, Gunnar continued his conversation with
Marsdon
and Bennett as if it were all completely natural. When Talbot looked up,
Marsdon
and Bennett were smiling across at them, amusement dancing in both their expressions. They weren’t quite sitting in each other’s laps, but they were curled around each other as close as two wolves could get while they were still dressed.

Still not sure he should be squashing his
mate,
Talbot squirmed and tried to lift some of his weight off the beta.

Gunnar merely tightened his grip on him until Talbot realised that breathing and continuing to squirm weren’t compatible. It was one or the other. He chose breathing.

As soon as he fell still, Gunnar’s hands turned gentler. Once he stopped fighting and gave in to the other wolf’s will the way he’d wanted to from the beginning, the beta pressed a kiss onto the top of his head in silent praise.

Talbot closed his eyes and snuggled a little more comfortably into his mate’s body. That was what omegas were good at. They were good at being held. And betas were good at doing the holding.

It was the duty of the beta to look after him now. And, Talbot thought to himself, it was the duty of the omega to look after his beta in return.

Even if Gunnar probably didn’t see that, as they snuggled on the sofa with the rest of the pack close around them, Talbot knew it. It was his duty as a beta’s mate to make sure his lover knew there would always be someone he could smile at without worrying about anyone taking it as a sign of weakness, without inviting a challenge.

Talbot smiled against the other man’s shoulder. He could do that. He was pretty sure that was something else that omegas would turn out to be very good at indeed.