Chapter 10: Royce - Marked By Love

Well fuck.

When Doc laid it out like that, he had a point. The suppressors may have held off his mating frenzy, but that didn’t mean Royce was going about any of this properly. Someone seriously needed to teach a class on this shit.

The only things he’d ever been taught were survival and tactical skills. It was drilled into you day and night to be good, behave, protect your home, and cherish your omega. But no one had thought to give them any fucking specifics.

Well, maybe your parents were the ones who were supposed to do that when you started puberty, and Royce had missed out on those lessons growing up in the group homes.

Now he was crashing and burning. Meanwhile, the doctor was curled into a ball on his spare bed, looking both terrified and livid. Sitting in this proximity, Royce had the first chance to really look at him. He had pouting lips. His eyes were a warm and vivid brown with flecks of green. His skin was a cool olive; his thick black hair was impeccably combed and looked like it would be soft to the touch.

Royce wanted to know what the doctor would look like with mussed hair and flushed skin, his glasses askew, and those pouty lips kiss-swollen. He shook that image from his thoughts before he could get carried away.

It was obvious he’d fucked up—monumentally.

“My name is Royce Manchester. I’m thirty-six. Orphaned at twelve, I joined the North American Union Army soon as I was old enough. Then left the second the Union solidified, and I’d finished my contract. And I’m sorry. About the whole … kidnapping thing.”

The omega stared at him, his eyes cautious. “Does that mean I can leave?”

“No. I may not be going through a mating frenzy, but I’m not dumb enough to let my mate go to a cabin in the woods, at night, alone, when someone is hunting him. Listen, Doc. Maybe … maybe you can tell me who it is? I can do recon. I can search for them, put out the word to the other enforcers. We can set up a protection on the clinic so you and I can stay where you’re more comfortable.”

To Royce’s dismay, the omega shut down again and turned to glare at the wall.

“You don’t have to tell me the details, or what happened, but if I have a name, I can protect you better.”

No response.

His gaze fell back to the untouched plate of food. Was it not cooked to Doc’s liking? Perhaps he preferred his steak well-done? He shuddered at the thought of overcooking such a delectable piece of meat, but if that’s what his mate wanted, he’d put it back on the grill until it was the texture of shoe leather.

“Was there something wrong with the food?”

The omega glared at the plate and wrinkled his nose. Royce idly mused if Doc didn’t stop glaring at everything, he’d give himself a permanent headache.

“I didn’t put anything in it, if that’s what you’re worried about. How about this, you can come down to the kitchen with me and watch me while I cook. Then you’ll know I didn’t tamper with it. You can also tell me exactly how you like your food. Yeah?”

Royce was eager for the thought to take fruition. Having his mate with him in his kitchen while he cooked, the very notion of it made him giddy.

“I’m not hungry.”

“So, it’s a hunger strike?” He deflated.

“No!” the doctor snapped. “Not everything is about you, brute.”

“Did you eat at the clinic?”

“No. I don’t have an appetite, my stomach hurts. Even if it didn’t, I don’t eat meat.”

“You … what?”

“What? Never heard of a vegetarian before?”

“Seriously? You don’t eat meat?”

“I’m a vet. I refuse to eat my patients.”

“You get many pet cows?” Royce asked.

The doctor lifted his chin in a haughty angle. “Go find me a cow, I’ll give it an exam right now!”

Royce frowned. Right, they weren’t at the stage in the relationship for poking fun at each other.

“Okay, well, you can eat the potato?”

“It’s covered in butter.” Royce raised a brow in confusion. “I also don’t eat dairy … or eggs.”

More books to choose from.

Look up Lokepub on Google and find a novel you like.

“So, you’re vegan?” The fates had a sick sense of humor pairing a wolf shifter with a vegan.

“No,” Doc huffed. “I don’t eat meat, dairy, eggs. Vegans don’t eat honey and avoid several other items I don’t have issues with.”

“Your shoes?” Royce eyed the brown loafers on the omega’s feet.

“Are not real leather.”

“Okay … So, you’re a honey-eating vegan? Why?”

“Because the bees can leave,” Doc whispered, his eyes getting a far-off, wistful expression. Royce had the distinct impression he wasn’t just talking about bees. “When done properly or harvested wild, the bees have autonomy over whether they stay in the hives or not; they aren’t caged or beaten. Besides, agave over-farming is terrible for the bats and—why am I explaining this to you? You don’t care.”

“Is it something you care about?”

There was a long pause before Doc conceded, “Yes.”

“Alright then, that means I care too.”

“Stop that.”

“What?”

“Acting like you give a rat’s, like you know me. You know nothing about me.”

“Yet,” Royce corrected. “I know nothing about you yet, but I’d like to.”

Doc stared at him, his hands still firmly wrapped around his neck.

“Make him stop that,” his wolf whined. “I want to be able to scent his sweet omega perfume. I want it to fill me up while you stuff him full of our knot, and our juices are flowing out of that tight little hole.”

“You are not helping!” Royce shot back. “You do realize this is the exact behavior that’s terrifying him? He’s being overcautious because he doesn’t want an alpha mate who acts like that!”

“But he’s ours! If he’d just let me bite him and take care of all his omega needs, he’d see how perfect we are for him.”

“Would you shut up already? I’m trying to have a conversation over here.”

“A conversation that excludes me and my opinions, which is rude.”

“No, what’s rude is you trying to force a mate bond.”

Royce and his wolf had a rapid, heated conversation while the omega continued to watch him. Instead of glaring, the hard line between the Doc’s brows had relaxed, morphing into a curious skepticism.

“What?” Royce asked.

“I’m just … trying to figure you out.”

Royce smiled at that; he couldn’t help it. “I’d love to answer any questions you have, Doc.”

“Not that type of ‘figure out.’ I’m trying to decide if you’re going to lose it and attack me.”

The bottom fell out of Royce’s stomach, and the smile fell from his lips. What the hell had his omega been through to have such a jaded worldview?

Him? Well, he’d been tossed around the system as an orphan, then kicked into a war zone. It made sense for Royce to be crabby. But the omega? They should be cherished and protected. Logically, Royce knew that wasn’t always the case. But he couldn’t fathom his mouthy little omega being put in a situation like that.

He wanted to stay here all night. Talking to him, offering him sweet nothings and countless reassurances that Royce would protect him with his life. But that’s clearly not what Doc needed.

Words were worthless unless you had tangible proof to back them up. Right now, Royce’s actions mattered more than anything he could say to the omega. Going against his every instinct, Royce nodded, got up from the chair, and left the omega alone.