Chapter 12: Elliott - Wrong Date, Right Mates

The spa theme continues in the bathroom with dim lighting, serene colors, and natural accents. Alden lowers me onto a plush rug beside a walk-in shower. I shiver without his contact.

“Warm shower or cool?”

“Warm.” A cold shower reminds me of my plunge in the ocean, when the contrasting temperature stabbed my feverish skin with painful pins and needles.

“You got it.” He pushes up his sleeve and reaches around the glass panel to turn on the shower. Water rains from overhead like he’s turned on a downpour instead. Droplets glitter on his forearm as he turns to me and asks, “Do you want privacy?”

I shake my head sharply. “I don’t want to be alone.” What’s wrong with me? First Tyler, and now Alden?

“I don’t want to leave you.” He smiles, a little sad around his eyes. “In fact, I think it would physically hurt if I had to.” He cups my cheek, stroking his thumb beside my mouth. I fight the reflexive urge to suck it. He kisses my forehead, then pulls back and takes off his shirt.

“Um, oh my god. You’re so hot.”

He laughs, hands pausing on the top button of his pants. “That’s exactly what you said when I sent you a shirtless photo.”

“Yeah, but it could have been a photo from ten years ago.”

“I’d never misrepresent my abs.” He smiles fondly, then sobers, watching my face as he unbuttons his pants and tugs the zipper down. He doesn’t waste time, doesn’t tease, and slides his pants and his boxers down. His cock springs free, long and thick, though not as intimidating as Tyler’s.

Good. I don’t really want to be torn open by a massive knot, thank you very much.

“You’re staring,” he teases.

“So are you.”

He takes my hand and leads me into the shower, then hugs me from behind.

Every hair on my body lifts. I push back against his cock. “Please.”

He clicks his tongue. “Soon.”

I huff a whine.

“I know, sweetheart. Trust me, I’ll make it fast.” He presses me against the tile, long arm reaching to grab the shampoo. “Close your eyes.”

Listening is easy when I’m in heat, so I do as he says. A cap opens, then his fingertips massage my scalp. “Your hair is beautiful.”

I hum my gratitude, eyes still closed, giving myself over to my other senses. I tilt my head back, resting it against his chest, and my muscles start to relax. His hands leave me, and I open my eyes to find a detachable shower head in his hand. I close my eyes again and let him rinse me, then exactly as promised, he doesn’t linger, doesn’t tease me. He claims and cleanses every inch of my skin in less than a minute, everywhere except my hole and aching dick.

“You’re mean.”

“Me? Never.” He spins me to face him, then holds my gaze as he lowers to his knees.

My cock bobs with each beat of my pulse, and I’m about to complain that he’s definitely very mean when his hand wraps around my length, stroking me gently as he nuzzles his face up the center of my thigh, and brushes his lips against my cock.

“Mm. I smell him here.” He inhales and moans. “You two smell so damn good together. Did my best friend get to taste your pretty cock?”

I tense, then nod.

Instead of anger, he practically purrs a low, grizzled moan, and rubs the head of my cock over his lips. He pulls back. “I want to taste you here too.”

I rest my head back against the tile. “Where have alphas like you been all my life?”

“Waiting for you. Those alphas didn’t deserve you.”

It might sound like a pick-up line, but my alpha has no game.

He roams soapy hands over my ass and kneads my glutes, fingernails trailing toward my crack. Then he nuzzles his lips against my cock and sucks me into his mouth, surrounding me in ecstasy.

I don’t even recognize the sound I make. If he weren’t holding me, I would melt to the floor. His eyes never stray from mine as he flutters his tongue against the underside of my cock, holding me in his throat. He washes the back of my thighs and between my cheeks, looking up at me like I’m a god or something.

His fingertips trail down my crack, soft and gentle, a cursory check to make sure there’s no sand left. He lightly taps my hole with the pad of his finger. I gasp and clench around nothing, feeling agonizingly empty. He hums lowly and pops off my cock.

“Did my best friend touch you here?”

I nod slowly. “Are you mad?”

His eyes flare. “I’m jealous. Very, very jealous. But no, I’m not mad.”

He rises to his feet and shuts off the shower. “Come on.” He opens a towel for me to step into and dries me quickly while water drips down his naked body. Then he dries off with the same towel.

He holds the bundled towel against his face, and inhales. “You smell so fucking good, fuck.” He tosses the towel aside and looks at me with open hunger, then scoops me into his arms and kisses me as he carries me out of the bathroom.

Saliva fills my mouth. Flames engulf my body. I want his knot now. A cramp rumbles through me, sharp and unexpected. I flinch in his arms with a whimper.

“Poor little omega,” he says and lowers me onto the bed.

I assess the stack of linen on the end of the bed, trying to decide where to start, but it’s so overwhelming. I’m starting to feel hot and dizzy again. Another cramp begins to build. This is worse than on the beach. I can’t think. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Can I help?”

“No. I’m supposed to do it,” I snap.

Instead of yielding, he steps closer until his thighs touch the mattress. “The only thing an omega is supposed to do is what their alpha tells them to do.”

Some of my anxiety passes. “Sorry.”

He cups my chin. “Stop apologizing.”

I lean in, drawn to his lips, and he kisses me, short and sweet. He fluffs a pillow at the center of the headboard, then pats the bed. “Sit here.”

When I comply, he stuffs another pillow behind my head so everything is soft around me.

“Stay.”

Another cramp begins as he crosses to the small fridge and grabs a bag of frozen berries.

He takes a bowl from the neat stack of dishes on the side table, then pours the berries into it. “I don’t think we have time to make a smoothie, so you can snack on these while you tell me where you want things.” He plunks a spoon into the bowl and passes it to me.

“But the nest⁠—”

He steals a frozen raspberry from my bowl, sucks on it, then kisses me, sneaking it into my mouth, cold and refreshing, and tasting of him. “Eat.”

I do.

“Good omega.” He reaches past me and pulls open a drawer on my side of the bed.

“What’s that?”

“Blanket fort clips.” He opens the box and squeezes one between his fingers, so it chomps like an alligator.

“Was that on the heat plan?” I laugh, and pop a tiny pomegranate aril in my mouth.

“Yes, it was on the plan for just such a case.” He picks up the silky sheet. “Where do you want it?”

I coach him into draping it and another blanket over the top of the canopy to form the walls of our nest like a tent, passing him clips when he needs them.

“How do you usually build your nests?” he asks.

“I don’t.”

“You don’t?”

“I share my room with a friend.”

Alden arches a brow.

“An omega friend,” I clarify. “Noel.”

Seeing that flash of possessiveness lifts my mood. He and Tyler seem to share me insultingly easily. “I just make a little over-bed tent for privacy and ride it out in there. I don’t have anyone to share it with, and usually I don’t have time to make a nest since most of my heats happen this way. I have them so often it doesn’t have to be special.”

“Your body is not very nice to you.”

“No, it isn’t.”

My neck tenses. Is he going to press the issue or maybe judge me? But he just picks up a peach-colored top sheet and a white top sheet with peach emojis printed on it.

I narrow my eyes on him, but I can’t conceal my smile. “Did you seriously buy these ahead of time just so you could tease me?”

He grins slowly. “Not to tease. Just to make you smile.”

Warmth blooms inside my center, a sense of safety and rightness.

“Now where should I put them? Come on, use me.”

Over the next ten minutes, I direct Alden as he builds my dream nest with yards of luxurious cotton, silk, and fine-knit wool fabric. I get up, only once, so he can spread out a fluffy duvet. He did the rest. When he’s finished, I ask him to layer blankets over the canopy until it dampens the noise outside our nest.

But something is still missing, and I’m starting to panic. Alden valiantly rolls up plush blankets to create a border of softness around our bodies. He’s added and removed pillows and added them again. He’s suspended pinprick fairy lights like stars overhead.

“I’m sorry.” I wince through a sharp cramp, holding a pillow against my stomach. “This doesn’t feel right. Something’s still missing.”

Alden sits back on his heels. “Do you think what’s missing is Tyler?” His face is neutral, but I see the worry there.

“I don’t want Tyler. He’s not safe. You’re safe.”

“He is safe. I promise. I can try calling him?”

“No.” Another cramp barrels into me and I cry out. Sweat drips down my brow.

“Let me try something.” He climbs off the bed.

“No. Don’t leave.”

“Elliott.” He takes my hands, blue eyes sincere. “I’m going to get some of Ty’s laundry. I’ll be right back.” He cups my cheek. “Is that okay, or do you want to come with me?”

I shake my head. “It feels safer in our nest.”

He smiles, only just. “Good. Then we’re on the right track.”

Two minutes feels like two hours, but when his footsteps return, and he parts the blankets and appears, the relief of his scent mixed with Tyler’s makes it all worth it. Alden widens the gap in the blanket and sets a pillow on the bed. It smells just like the ocean. I grab it and hold it against my face.

When I lower it, Alden is watching me with an impassive expression. Yearning, maybe? Hope? I’m not sure. But things finally feel right again. I rearrange the pillows we already rearranged five times, and finally it feels right to rest back against them, not directly on his pillow, but just so he’s here with us.

“I brought some laundry too. A hoodie.” He swallows. “Some boxer briefs and tees.” He picks up a basket and shows it to me.

“Dump them here,” I say with renewed confidence and energy.

I wedge his clothing in between the pillows and hide them inside the layered blankets. I don’t know how I’m ever going to go back to fighting my heats alone.

Alden’s watching me when I turn back, a pleased smile on his face like he’s proud of me. Right now, I’m bossy.

“Get me your laundry too.” I shove the basket toward him. “Thank you.”

A silent laugh snuffles. “You’re adorable when you’re nesting.”

A few minutes, and one pile of dirty laundry later, I’m finally ready. “Done.”

Alden drops the linen, and lowers his voice into a sultry purr. “Can I come into your nest, omega?”

My belly swoops. He didn’t need to ask. The invitation was implied when he started making it. But there’s something about this dominant alpha politely asking to enter before he fucks me that fills my body with heat.

“Yes, alpha.” I curl my finger toward my chest.

He sucks in a soft inhale. “Fuck. I love when you call me that.”

I’m struck by the difference between Alden and Tyler’s responses.

All thoughts of Tyler disappear as he climbs onto the bed and crawls toward me with a hungry look that makes me feel like prey. A strong cramp gathers like a rising wave. My omega instincts take over. I scoot down in bed and shift onto my hands and knees, then present with my ass in the air.

A foil packet rips.

Alden curls over me, warm chest against my back, kissing my neck, murmuring, “Such a good omega, making this beautiful nest, presenting for his alpha.”

All my worries and insecurities are gone as he grinds against me, sliding his cock up and down my crack, gathering slick. His cock nudges at my hole, and I push backward, inviting him in.

“I can’t wait to make you mine,” he says, then pushes into me without stopping, filling me deeply.

Finally, the pain inside me subsides. It feels so good, so intense, that I can do nothing more than collapse against the mattress and let him take me.

“Oh my god,” he moans against my neck, then changes the angle so he penetrates me even deeper. “You feel like you were made for me.” He slides back in, pegging me at just the right angle, shooting sparks of bliss across my body.

He doesn’t fuck me the way he takes care of me. He’s not gentle. He’s feral. There’s no hesitation, no fretting about my welfare. Not because he doesn’t care, but because he believes in me and knows I can take it, and because he knows the quickest way to erase my pain is to fuck me until he knots me.

“You feel so good wrapped around my cock, so warm and wet.” He inhales deeply, and moans on another thrust. “Mm. And you smell like heaven, so ready for me to breed you.”

“Oh, fuck.” I told him breeding was a kink of mine.

“Mm. You’re close already, aren’t you? I feel your sweet hole contracting, drawing me in. Such a perfect omega.”

He hooks his arm in front of my chest, and rears back, pulling me up against him, impaling me on his cock. “Go ahead, omega, come on my cock and I’ll give you my knot.”

I erupt, spilling cum against the sheets, shuddering through wave after wave of pleasure that somehow rivals all the pain I suffered today combined, body clenching and releasing around his cock as he continues fucking his way inside. My eyes roll back. Sunspots glitter in the darkness. His scent strengthens until it feels like he’s my air.

And just when I think the orgasm will end, his knot swells wider still, each thrust of his cock catching his knot on my rim on the way out and in until he can’t pull back again, until he’s locked inside me.

He kisses my neck and whispers praise into my ear as he rolls us carefully onto our sides. Reality starts to fade away. I should stay up and tell him thank you or something because that was the best sex of my life, but I’m so tired, and I’m finally full.

Alden kisses the back of my neck. “Sleep, little gosling. I’ve got you.”

Gosling?