13. Charlie
The sharp bite of Tara’s teeth piercing my flesh made me jerk back with a heavy groan, my eyes finding her blood-tinged lips with something between relief and soul deep horror.
The difference was immediate, a tether between us forming slowly at first, thin strands feebly attempting to bind until the omega’s mouth pressed back into the crook of my neck, licking and sucking at the wound. What were once feeble threads bloomed into braided rope, the bond deepening with every soft brush of her lips.
It was incredible.
It was reckless .
It was an absolutely insane decision that would impact the three of us forever… and I didn’t care.
I wanted Tara. I’d spent the last year wishing and hoping for her.
And now, by her own actions, I was hers.
Jesse chased my lips with their own, eyes opening in confusion at my sudden withdrawal.
Without a bond of his own with the little omega, it wasn’t until his gaze landed on the bite that they realized what’d happened, their hazel eyes widening in shock.
“Tara…”
Tentatively, I reached for Tara in our newfound connection. We couldn’t communicate, not exactly, but I could feel her emotions enough to catch the whispers of her bitter, unripened jealousy dissipating, replaced with smug self-satisfaction.
Was she jealous I’d kissed Jesse? Had she meant to bite them, too long in the heat that she’d accidentally sunk her teeth into the wrong person?
I couldn’t be sure, but it’d make the most sense. They’d been dating for a while, and it seemed like things were going really well. Sure, we’d met before at the clinic, but it was only one heat.
Just because I thought it was life changing… I mean I wasn’t really the kind of guy who had an ego. Certainly not a big enough one to delude myself into thinking Tara had felt the same about me.
I froze, my eyes finding Jesse’s in a reflection of their own shock.
“Alpha,” she whined, pulling me towards her. “My alpha. I need you, please .”
Maybe… Maybe it was me.
Which honestly, might be worse.
Jesse recovered from the surprise faster than I did, their face going carefully blank. The beta had always been somebody whose face was even louder than their words. This new, flat version was decidedly a warning sign that things were not good.
I'd only ever seen this spooky expression once before, in a similarly serious situation where we’d bumped into his girlfriend—ex now—making out with some alpha in a club.
If he equated the two things I was well and truly fucked.
Stealing his girlfriend had to be friendship ending shit, right?
But then… there was that kiss .
Friends sharing a girl didn’t kiss like that, right? Didn’t have chemistry flow between them that easily?
Tara whined again and my instincts called to me, telling me I had to help my omega.
My omega.
Fuck, I couldn’t believe that was now true. Whether she came out of this heat and regretted it or not, we were bonded, and we would need to make it work.
For now I turned back to Tara, focusing on her needs. I rutted into her hard, unable to make myself go gentle. Mine, mine, mine , rang through me with every thrust. The need to bond, to be with her, that I denied a year ago rearing its head.
“Charlie, please,” she begged, her voice breathless.
“Give Jesse what they need and maybe I’ll let you come.”
I could see their eyes flick to me in my periphery, but I didn’t look up. I knew he’d see it as pity, and that’s just not what it was.
I pulled out of her for only a moment to readjust, letting her sit on her hands and knees before sinking right back in.
Her mouth opened to moan and it was quickly covered by Jesse’s cock. A rush of pleasure rolled through me, and I wasn’t sure if it was hers or mine… or both. It was almost impossible to tell, but it all led to ecstasy.
He fucked into her face, probably a bit hard, but she liked it. Liked being used hard—and watching them do it to her was almost too much to take.
“Do you want my knot babygirl?” I asked, pressing the swollen part of me against her hole. It squeezed me just a bit, and I was already close.
She moaned loudly, filling the room with the sound.
I smacked her ass hard, the loud slapping sound so satisfying. I could feel her pain quickly turn to pleasure, making me do it once more in the same spot. “I asked you a question, and I expect an answer, unless you don’t want it.”
She moaned again, obviously sounding more frustrated. I was asking the impossible at this point obviously, but I couldn’t help it, teasing her was so fun.
Jesse’s eyes trained on her, his hand tight around her silky brown hair. Even after fucking for what had to be hours, it was shiny and beautiful. “You better answer your alpha,” they said.
My hands clenched against her at the sound of them calling me her alpha. It made me believe if only for a fleeting moment it would all be okay.
She pulled from them and I watched the string of saliva keep them connected for a moment before falling.
“Yes, knot me daddy please.”
My entire body reacted to her calling me that. I felt like when an anime character is in love and the blast off in a mess of hearts and nose bleeds. It always seemed dramatic when I saw it, but it was the only visual representation I had for how I felt.
“Good fucking girl,” I alpha-barked before thrusting into her so hard she fell back on Jesse’s waiting cock.
I started working my knot into her, pushing it slowly around her tight hole. Her slick helped a lot, but there was no ignoring it was work to get it in there. It didn’t help that she was so fucking tight. Or maybe this was normal for omegas. I’d never knotted anyone that wasn’t Tara.
Never wanted to.
It didn’t take long though before she was fully wrapped around me, and I was in heaven. Knotting my omega for the first time was nothing short of paradise, and I was sure I was going to use the rest of my life to prove to her she made the right choice.
And that meant living up to being the alpha she needed.
Though I’d seen another side of her with Jesse, and even briefly with me, that didn’t mean that’s what she wanted from her bonded alpha. And I knew I still wasn’t there yet, wasn’t exactly what she needed, but I could be. Had to be now.
“Fuck I’m going to breed you so good babygirl. There’s no way you’re not pregnant after this.”
The sound she made was so lewd and I could tell it vibrated Jesse’s cock in a way that made him crazy. Their eyes rolled to the back of their head, their grip tightening on her as they thrust forward.
“Gonna keep you knotted all night to make sure it sticks, you’ll smell like us and no shower will rid you of it. They’ll be able to smell it through your stream.”
“I’m coming,” she mumbled around the cock in her mouth before I felt her squeeze down on me.
“Fuck!” I barked, coming deep in her cunt.
Jesse pulled out and took himself in his hand, holding her up by her hair and coming all over her face. I was surprised after all of that earlier he was able to come that much, but it coated her in the hottest way. Dripping down her chin and over her cheeks.
She fell into his lap afterwards and I tucked myself into her side, so she spooned me. My face was so close to Jesse’s thigh I could smell their faint lemon scent. The one that sent me into my rut the first time.
Tara’s contentment made its way down the bond, telling me the heat was at least subsiding for now. It was odd, I’d heard people explain bonds to me, but I don’t think it truly sank in until now. Before people would talk about it like it was a new appendage, but it didn’t feel that way to me at all. It felt like there was a corner of my brain that had just always been switched off. One that was newly illuminated, a Tara-shaped puzzle piece that was just placed, making me feel more whole than I ever had been.
It wasn’t long before Jesse wiggled out and away from us. I was worried for a moment he was upset—and I couldn’t go after him in my current predicament. Before I could worry for too long, he came back with a washcloth and wiped Tara’s face clean.
“Thank you,” I said low, not wanting to wake her.
He only nodded, his face still devoid of any real emotion. “I’m going to grab water.”
They were gone before I could say anything, deciding to just settle down against Tara. I couldn’t believe this was my life right now. Not only did I sleep with my best friend I’ve been pining after my entire life, but also the omega from the heat clinic that had me wrapped around her finger after a single heat.
And now we were pack.
But this wasn’t the way I’d wanted it to happen. When Jesse showed me Tara, I thought this would be a good jumping off point. A good start to getting to know them both and then slowly… well I guess I didn’t have a solid plan, but it seemed like a good place to start. That was until Tara went into heat and changed everything. I couldn’t say I was disappointed with the way everything had gone, but it wasn’t what I had initially thought.
Jesse came back not long after with a large water bottle and what looked like protein bars.
He handed me the bottle and I opened the straw, taking a long pull from it. After a few sips I shook Tara. She barely opened her eyes, looking very annoyed I disturbed her sleep.
“Drink babygirl,” I said, holding the straw towards her. She tried to turn away, having no interest in taking a drink.
“She needs water,” Jesse said.
“I know.” My tone was harder than I’d meant, but I didn’t need someone telling me how to take care of my omega.
I turned her to face me, her thick lashes still resting against her round, flushed cheeks. How did I get so lucky?
Lifting her slightly, I kissed her until she opened her mouth, where I gave her the water slowly. The feel of her tongue had me hardening once more, despite everything.
She moaned a bit as my knot bulged a bit.
When she was done she pulled away and laid back down, out instantly. “We can get her to eat when she gets up,” I told Jesse as I handed him back the bottle.
“Yeah.” He set the stuff on the edge of her desk and sort of stood there, as if not knowing what he should do.
I pulled Tara a bit so there was more room on her side. “Do you want to lay down?”
Their eyes flicked from the spot I’d created and me. I hated that blank expression he wore. Jesse had just always been so… themselves. It was almost impossible to imagine them as anything else, so this blank slate I was looking at felt… numbing.
But they still paced over to the bed and pulled one of the blankets up, tucking themselves under and pressing into Tara. They faced away from us, spooning against her. She threw her arm over him, needing him close even in her sleep, and my heart pinched watching the two of them. Even in her sleep the loving pull I would assume she always felt for them was there. It was obvious they had a good, loving relationship. I hoped in the morning we could talk everything out. The last thing I wanted to be was “Charlie the Homewrecker.”
My eyes tracked over his shoulder, gazing at the constellation of freckles that lay across his skin. At this point it felt like the ones he had in more exposed areas—his face, his arms—I could map out with my eyes closed. I'd been studying them for so long.
I traced around them with my eyes as I always did until sleep found me once more.
Tara’s scent swirled around me as light filtered through the window, shining in my eyes. I rolled to my side, thinking I would roll into said scent carrier only to find I was alone.
I blinked, taking in the space in the day time. It was still very purple but she had lifted the blackout shades, leaving thin curtains that were obviously meant to let the sun in. Where we were and everywhere behind her desk—in view of her webcam—was spotless. Her shelves were lined with figurines from OVWatch and different stuffed animals I’m sure had other meanings. Even her bed looked like it was normally made if it wasn’t for us taking a tumble in it.
But to the other side of the room it looked like a tornado had swept through. There was a mess of equipment from cameras, to ring lights, and what looked to be an old monitor. There was also an overflowing basket of laundry in the corner, looking like it was about to tip. I considered doing her laundry later, or hiring someone to come and help her out on occasion.
What was the point of being filthy rich if you didn’t use it all to care for your pack?
I rolled out of bed and took a swig of the bottle that was still there. It warmed me when I realized it was full and cold, like it’d been freshly filled.
I threw on my pants and left the room, following the faint chatter I heard. Jesse’s melodic laugh filtered down the hall towards me, a sound I’d always loved. Jesse had one of those distinct, unmistakable laughs. It was slightly high pitched, and when they really got going, sometimes they snorted on accident. It felt like winning a prize every time I managed to pull one of those from him.
I came around the corner to the picture of domesticity. Tara was sitting at the kitchen island, her feet dangling between the bars of the stool. Her hair was back in a bun it looked like she just threw up, with pieces of it falling around her face. She held a mug between her hands, the steam wafting up to her face. Her smile towards Jesse was vibrant. That earlier light pull of love I felt from her now a full on symphony. Being able to actually feel how much she cared for Jesse made me warm inside.
Jesse was currently pushing eggs around a pan, whatever they were discussing, it was still amicable between them. He was back to all smiles and joy… until he noticed me standing there.
His laughter didn’t end abruptly, but it did die quickly, which made my heart pinch.
Tara noticed the shift and followed their gaze to me. Her expression didn’t change, that same smile on her lips. “Come sit,” she said, gesturing to the stool next to her. “Jesse is making breakfast. Just don’t break my stool with your huge alpha body.”
There was no shift in her mood I could sense, so at least there was that.
I huffed a laugh before sitting next to her. They were very fluffy purple stools, with short half backs that did not look like they were made for an alpha. It creaked more than I would have liked, but didn’t give as I put my weight on it. My feet could sit flat to the ground easily, so I planted them and leaned on the counter. As I did, Tara put her hand down on my thigh. When I glanced at her, she offered me a warm smile.
Though I’d known a bit what it felt like to be under her warmth, that hit me like the sun in my face at the beach. A pleasant ray I wished to bask in for hours.
Her continuous contentment made me hopeful that maybe she didn’t hate what had happened between us. I had always heard mate bonds took a bit of time to settle, but it felt like ours was already there. The clawing need to be near her, to never leave her side, was intense. But the connection felt instantly strong, at least stronger than I expected.
Jesse plonked a plate down in front of each of us before taking his own to his chair on the other side of Tara.
“Thank you for breakfast lemon drop,” she said, leaning in to kiss them.
They leaned towards her easily, giving her a loving kiss. “Of course.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
They gave me a terse nod, and I turned back to my food.
Breakfast was… tense. At least for us. Tara was sat there, kicking her feet and chattering away about the newest OVWatch update and a giant plush she wanted that I made note of. It seemed to me this was a one bedroom apartment without a nest, and a bed as a makeshift one, which wasn’t acceptable. As much as I wanted to, I knew suggesting buying her a whole new place right now could jeopardize our already precarious peace.
I might have been a bit different from other alphas, but I wasn’t obtuse.
When I finished, Tara was just about done as well so I grabbed her plate. I stepped behind Jesse to grab his, my feet padding on the cool linoleum floor.
“Thanks,” he barely mumbled.
I nodded and brought it over to the kitchen. Gathering all the breakfast dishes, I rinsed them and got them into the dishwasher. She had one of those half ones that were in a lot of apartments so the small amount of dishes we had were enough for a whole load. The front of the metal washer had a few magnets on it, one or two OVWatch ones and a few anime girls I didn’t recognize.
I was searching for the dishwasher pods under the sink when Tara said, “to the left.”
I rotated, and sure enough they were there, before popping one in and starting it. As I stood and turned Tara threw herself at me, her hands wrapping around my neck. I caught her easily, bending at the waist so she could reach.
“So…” she trailed off.
“So?” I asked.
“I guess we’re… I mean…” she gestured to my neck where I was sure her teeth marks were red.
“Mated?”
She bit her lip and nodded.
“We are,” I confirmed with a nod.
“We should… probably talk about that. All of us.”
This was the first time I’d felt anything from her other than contentment. Her stirring emotions were understandable, but didn’t help my own nerves.
I nodded. “Is your heat over?” Normally they lasted at least a few days, but she seemed mellowed out. Had I been asleep that long?
“I think so?” she said. “I heard sometimes mating your… I mean getting mated can shorten them a bit, at least at first. When we sync up it will probably be… less short.”
From her flush I could tell she didn’t hate that idea. And neither did I.
“But we should talk,” she continued, getting back to the topic at hand. “With Jesse especially.”
I nodded, dropping a chaste, casual kiss to her lips. She returned it, easy as breathing. So this is what being mated was like?
We moved to the living room where Jesse was looking at something on their phone. Tara dropped beside them on the smallish gray sofa. I opted for the fuzzy round chair across from them. A slight shock of disappointment hit me through the bond, but she didn’t say anything as she leaned into Jesse.
I cleared my throat. “So yesterday… didn’t go as planned.”
Jesse scoffed. “Yeah.”
“But, it is what happened,” Tara said. “And now we need to… move forward.”
I nodded, but Jesse looked out the window. “So you guys are pack now, and I’m just… what?”
“My partner,” Tara said quickly, squeezing his arm. “You know I love you Jesse, and this doesn’t change that.”
They shared a moment that I almost felt like I was intruding on. Jesse’s face was still fairly neutral, but there was an intensity in his eyes, one that told me they believed her.
He sighed. “Okay. So then, what about… you guys?”
Tara looked at me then. “Well, Charlie and I are… mated. We’re… also together.”
Her words made my heart pound. Together. The word stuck to me.
Jesse, however, did not seem so easily swayed. “I get that you’re bonded, but he hasn’t even taken you out on a date. You met him yesterday. He can’t just waltz in here and claim you like some heathen.”
Each word stung as it hit its mark, but they were only partially true. Did Tara want to tell them that we’d known each other before? I was leaving her the lead for now. She chewed in her lip, her indecision obvious.
It was when I decided to step in, at least for now. “Technically, I didn’t mark anyone,” I said, with a smirk that didn’t quite reach my eyes.
Jesse didn’t find it quite amusing. “Either way, you guys know nothing about each other. You can’t just say you’re together.”
“Jess,” Tara started. “I know it’s not conventional, but we are… mated. And…”
“I have no plans on just… being together,” I supplemented. “I will obviously take her on dates and do all the normal things. I’m not a dickhead.”
He softened at that just a bit. “I didn’t say you were.”
The silence was tense around us. “So Tara and I will go on a date.”
“Fine,” Jesse said, seeming far from satisfied.
“Great,” Tara said, trying to feign some enthusiasm. “Can’t wait.”