Chapter 39 Stefan #2
Solana definitely wants this too, though she probably doesn't even understand what's happening yet.
By not throwing us out when we showed up bleeding and desperate, by caring about us during her heat when she should only care about her own Alphas, by asking Kade to check on us—some part of her has already accepted our presence.
Accepted us as pack, even if she can't articulate it yet.
I wish life wasn't so complicated, wish I could just enjoy this moment without all the implications weighing on me.
But my mind won't shut off, won't stop cataloging all the ways this could go wrong.
Charles is still out there, still a threat.
Harmony House wants Ashton for reasons I don't understand.
Morrison's shipment needs to go perfectly or we're all fucked.
Ashton rolls us over suddenly, taking charge despite his heat-addled state. He pushes me onto my back with surprising strength and straddles my hips, sinking back down on my cock with a groan that sounds like relief and pleasure mixed together.
Then he starts bouncing hard, taking what he needs without apology or hesitation. His thighs flex with each movement, muscles working as he lifts and drops with increasing speed. One hand braces on my chest for balance, his nails digging into my skin and probably leaving marks.
The sight of him like this is breathtaking. His pale skin flushed with arousal, his cock hard and leaking against his stomach, slick running down his thighs and coating my cock with each movement. His head tips back, exposing the long line of his throat as he rides me with complete abandon.
Sweat drips down his chest and stomach, his whole body glistening in the dim light. The stitches in his side pull with each movement but he doesn't seem to care, too focused on chasing his pleasure to worry about pain or injury.
Ashton takes one of my hands and pulls it up to his neck, placing it there deliberately. His eyes lock with mine, demanding me to obey. "Squeeze," he orders, his voice rough.
I do so, applying pressure carefully. Not enough to actually restrict his breathing but enough to give him that edge he's chasing, that hint of danger that makes everything sharper.
His pace picks up immediately, his movements becoming more frantic as he chases his orgasm with single-minded determination.
My other hand grips his waist, helping guide his movements and holding him steady. The position lets me thrust up into him, meeting each of his downward movements and going deeper than before. The angle is perfect, hitting something inside him that makes him gasp and shudder.
Ashton's rhythm becomes erratic, his thighs trembling with effort and exhaustion. His movements lose coordination as pleasure overwhelms everything else. Then he slams down one final time, taking my knot as it swells and locks us together with brutal finality.
A growl tears from my throat as I come, my release flooding through me with devastating intensity.
It's been a damn long time since I knotted anyone, years of maintaining professional distance meaning I never allowed myself this kind of connection.
The sensation is overwhelming, more intense than I remembered, pleasure bordering on pain as my knot expands fully.
Ashton sprays all over my chest, his cock pulsing as his orgasm hits.
The warm mess coats my skin, mixing with sweat and the musk of sex.
Then he collapses forward into his own mess, his whole body going boneless as satisfaction washes through him.
His full weight settles on top of me, his face buried in my neck as he gasps for breath.
"That was so much better than I was dreaming of," Ashton mumbles against my chest, his words slurred with exhaustion and pleasure. "Holy fuck that's good."
I'm still a little stunned, my brain struggling to process what just happened.
The implications of knotting him, of claiming him this way even without the bite, feel enormous.
This isn't just sex, isn't just relieving his pre-heat symptoms. This is a statement, a claim, something that changes everything between us.
"We're both a little fucked up, aren't we?" I manage to say, my voice rough.
Ashton nods against my chest, his breath warm against my skin. "Let's just hope your stepbrother and his Alpha aren't too pissed once Solana's heat ends."
The words carry worry underneath the satisfaction, fear that this moment of claiming will be the thing that gets us thrown out. That Kade and Dustin will decide we've overstepped, violated some unspoken boundary about their Omega and their space.
Ashton slowly falls asleep, his breathing evening out as exhaustion claims him. I hold him carefully, mindful of his injuries and my own. My knot keeps us locked together, ensuring he stays full while he rests.
I find myself thinking that maybe, just maybe, there's a better ending than the one I thought was coming for me. Just as soon as we get everything fucking figured out with Charles, Harmony House, and the horses. Because fuck if anyone is taking Ashton from me.