Chapter Thirteen
Rhys
A kaleidoscope of emotions rotated in my chest as my knot began to deflate inside Sol.
The guy stalking him had run the moment he regained consciousness, but the event kept replaying in my head.
Sol had been quiet for the half hour we were locked together, but he’d been holding my hand that rested on his abdomen.
“Are you okay?” I caressed Sol’s thigh, pulling out of him with a wet flop.
He grunted, his body going limp. “I guess so.” He shook his head. “I mean, my body feels better, but… How on earth did he find me? And now my parents will know where I am too.”
I cradled him in my arms and laid him on the couch, then kneeled on the floor by him. “We’ll deal with that when the time comes.”
He scanned my face and nodded. “Seeing Dryden get what he deserved for his behavior was satisfying.”
With his flushed cheeks and bouncy golden hair, he looked like an angel lounging on a cloud. I brushed a curl off his forehead.
Sol screwed his eyes shut. “Don’t look at me. I’m ugly.”
“I was about to say that you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. Like this—fucked out and full of my cum. Smelling of me.”
Sol swallowed and hid his face in the backrest of the couch. “Your Alpha instincts are taking over.”
“Maybe. But you’re the sun in my sky, and I still want you to hear it.” I traced a thumb over his cheek.
He turned to me, his bottom lip trembling. “My only redeeming qualities are my beauty and obedience. But with you, I was the one giving orders, and I’m far from pretty and graceful with slick clinging to my thighs, messy hair and a tired face.”
“That’s not true. You’re a beautiful person here too.” I placed a hand on his chest.
“You don’t know me.”
“No. But I spent an intense night with you, and I chose to believe your actions come from a good place.
“Don’t. Just stop.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry,” Sol said and turned away from me. He was retreating, and I smelled the fear mixed in his scent.
“For what? Are you okay? Talk to me, baby.” I caressed his inner knee with my thumb. Despite distancing himself mentally, he was still leaning into my touch.
“You’ll hate me.” Sol sniffled. “I tried to trick you. I planned to convince you to breed me and maybe even get me pregnant so Dryden wouldn’t want me. That was my plan all along. That’s why I agreed to your arrangement at the hotel in the first place.”
I looked behind me at my khakis discarded on the floor, at my dress uniform on a hanger, ready to be worn for me to be degraded in. Processing Sol’s words came with the faint knowledge of his circumstances and how I met him.
He’d lied to me.
But I dragged him from the woods and exploited his situation to convince him to dom me.
I glanced at his beautiful body. He shouldn’t have to trick anyone to live a safe life with whomever he chose.
“Do you want children?” I asked.
“What? That’s your question? No, I don’t, but being knocked up would be the ultimate way for Dryden to leave me alone.” He crossed his arms.
“A mating bite—a true bond, would be a stronger argument.” I uttered the words slowly and matter-of-factly, but my heart pounded like it wanted to escape the confines of my chest.
Sol snorted. “Yeah, it would but—” His face turned pale. “Wait, are you serious? You and me?”
“Yes. Would it be so bad? My bite during knotting would fade soon, but if you reciprocate, we’d be mated.” Hope sprang in me, and peaceful images filled my head of Sol walking around the house or sitting on a blanket outside, enjoying the sun.
“That’s insane. I tried to trick you.” Sol sat up, pulling his knees up.
“But you chose to tell me the truth instead.”
“Being ruined has repercussions only for me. A bond…” He looked to the ceiling and sighed. “No. You’re high on my pheromones, and both of us would regret it in a few days.”
Ouch. He was right. “That’s fair. So maybe I can offer your parents money. Would that help?” I had transferred a fair sum to Sol already, but I could sell some land if it got Sol his freedom.
“I don’t want them to get anything. They—” He clenched his jaw. “They earned enough on me over the years.”
“Fuck. I’m sorry.”
“I’ll be fine. You’re helping me through the heat, that’s a lot already.” Sol smoothed my short hair back. “Come sit on the couch. Keep touching me.”
I didn’t like the idea of him going somewhere without a plan, but I wouldn’t force him to stay either. I took a seat, put his legs over my lap, and rested my hands on his knees.
He sighed and wiggled his toes, then frowned. “Why is your plug across the room?”
Heat spread to my cheeks. “I came so hard when I knotted you, I pushed it out projectile style.”
The smile on Sol’s face grew slowly before he burst into giggles. “I wish I saw that.”
“No you don’t.” I chuckled. “But if you mean it, I can demonstrate it later.”
Sol’s eyes softened, and he put his hand on top of mine. “That and so many other things.” He looked toward the wall of windows.
“How did your love for horses start?” I asked.
“When I was six, my parents announced that we would attend a horse racing event. I was so excited, I picked out my clothes days in advance. We arrived early, so I begged to see the stables, but that wouldn’t be appropriate for me.
I loved watching them run. It was my dream to visit them often, or learn to ride and take care of them.
” His forlorn expression hurt my heart. “But my parents raised me to be pretty, not touch manual labor so my hands would be gentle and smooth, not risk breaking, scratching, and heaven forbid scarring on any part of my body. So that was a no to riding lessons and a hell no to buying a horse. I could only see them during a race. Sometimes a horse would get hurt, and no one would tell me what happened to it. That part was always hard to watch.”
“We probably attended a few events at the same time then.”
“Really?”
“I would help my uncle bring and prepare the animals before a race. I loved it.”
“Is that how you ended up with so many horses? Being a military Alpha and all makes it a bit unusual.”
“I spent my summers at my uncle’s ranch. He took care of racehorses. Many rich families want a horse for show, but don’t actually keep it. So I got to help around during summer, then whenever I could once I joined the ranks.”
“Why army?” Sol grimaced. “The military is owned by the government. The same one who allows omegas to be auctioned, hunted, and treated like property without giving us any sensible protection. You’re an Alpha, you can do whatever you want, but you choose to follow orders.”
“I see why you’d think that. And I’m well aware of the horrors of our society and government.”
“Maybe I’m just bitter.” He sighed. “I risk so much to have freedom of choice, and you’re the opposite.”
“Not everything is black and white, not even an Alpha’s life.”
“It’s pathetic that I actually want to hear your excuse. I believe you’re different, despite my better judgement. Go on then.” Sol’s tone wasn’t malicious, but his words hurt nonetheless.
“All Alphas from my family serve the country. It was expected of me to do the same. Not become the black sheep like my uncle. Everyone ridiculed him for being weak and a coward.” I stroked his calf, dancing my fingers over his skin.
“I come from privilege too. But unlike you, as you said, I had more choices, even if my parents had their own ideas for my future. As long as I joined the military and followed in their footsteps, I could have a career but also have money and freedom to pursue other things.”
“Took you long enough to find someone to fuck you, though.” He smirked.
He’d been hurt by Alphas all his life and yet had an open mind to what I had to say. He truly listened.
“Yes, well, I’d be shunned by my family and my superiors if anyone found out. I had to be careful. But I finally took a risk last night.”
“Well, I’m glad you did.” He squeezed my hand. “How did you end up with horses then?”
“My uncle died in an accident on his ranch a few years ago. That was how I learned that he left everything to me, including this house and the stables.”
“How do you have the time to take care of them?”
“I don’t. I hired good, trusted people…omegas actually, who do. My horses don’t take part in racing anymore.”
“Why?”
“The one thing I hated about races was them getting hurt and what happened to them after. So since I don’t need the income from racing, I buy the injured animals and have them brought here so they can run on my land.
Military rules for horses are just as strict, so when any get hurt, I bring them here if I can do it in time before…
” He shook his head. We both knew what he meant.
“I lend my fields to local farmers, but they mostly pay me in food. The time I spend with horses calms me down after I come home from work.”
“Oh. Your pay covers all that?”
“Yes. Privilege and connections bought me a quick climb and an easy position, I’m not gonna lie. ”
“What do you actually do then?”
“As you probably know, since the government defunded Police, the military has expanded its divisions. I signed up for the drugs unit. So I was sent with my team to bust basement factories and dens. I’ve seen a fair share of horrors, but I wasn’t in active combat.”
“Horrors like what?”
“What happens to omegas who are addicted and can’t afford drugs,” I said, keeping my voice steady.
Sol pulled his lips into a flat line and nodded. “I’ve heard stories. And Dryden showed me pictures of what would happen to me if I wouldn’t listen to him. That’s why it took me so long to try to escape.”
“So horses are your therapy? Is that how you cope?”
“Yes. I think my fascination with being dominated started as a form of punishment for how I saw omegas treated. At my parent’s lush parties, and at the dens.
They were someone’s, but the moments when they were dominated by Alphas, I was jealous.
I wanted someone to want me so much to fuck me, to dominate me, humiliate me but also…
love me.” I groaned and wiped my face with my hand.
What the hell was I saying? “I know it’s fucked up. ”
“Nah. Not in the world we live in.” He pulled his legs up and rested his feet on my lap. “I’d be happy to degrade you some more soon.”
Can I keep you?
“I thought I’d never have that. But you gave me so much already, Sol.” My Sun.
“You’re so high on my pheromones.” He laughed softly.
It was more than that. It was Sol. Had to be. But I had no way of being certain until his heat finished. “I’ll get you something to drink and a snack pouch before your next wave.”
“How are the cramps?” I asked Sol as he returned from the bathroom. His hair was damp and his body still glistening with droplets of water. He’d wanted to refresh alone, and I was glad he’d felt well enough to do so.
I used the time to change the sheets in my bedroom and waited for him there.
“They’re returning slowly. When I yelled for you to breed me, I was hoping my body was ready, but it wasn’t. At least it pissed Dryden off more.” Sol offered me a sassy wink.
Cheeky brat. “During the previous wave, I felt the opening to your womb. You’ll be ready this time.”
“Everyone is different, and it’s my first heat, remember?
It’s possible. I need to stretch more and—” His smile grew positively wicked.
“Lie back and let me position you the way I want to. Follow my lead.” He maneuvered my arm to be bent at the elbow with my hand up.
“Stay still.” He reached behind himself and gathered his slick, then slathered it all over my hand and arm.
“What are you—” Blood rushed to my face and my dick at the same time. It was a miracle I wasn’t dizzy all the time with Sol.
“You’re my servant, so you can double as my dildo.” Sol positioned himself on his knees and guided my fingers into him.
“Yes, Master.” The degradation washed over me and my cock twitched.
“Stay still, ah!” He rocked back and forth each time swallowing more of me with his ass.
“Are you sure you can take it?”
“Let me try. I’ll tell you if it’s too much.”
When all my fingers were past his ring of muscle, Sol bore down and took my hand to the wrist.
He let out a wail of pleasure so loud it rang in my ears. “Deeper, oh Rhys, the stretch feels so good.”
He was so fucking wet inside, welcoming me to mid-forearm. An omegas’s body during heat was incredibly open and pliant, and Sol was making use of it to the fullest. I loved that he chased his pleasure and followed his need.
Sol leaned back on his knees and ran a hand down his chest until he stopped at his abdomen where my hand was pressing on it from the inside. He caressed it, moaning.
“That’s so hot, Sol. I can feel the opening to your womb.”
“Make it wider.”
I wiggled my fingers into an open membrane.
“Yes, like this. Oh Rhys, I’m gonna come. The wave is not here yet but—” Sol’s eyes rolled back and he impaled himself an inch more, letting me in deeper. He yelled my name and his cock shot warm cum into the air. He collapsed to the side with my hand still in him but pushing me out.
I retracted it slowly, and a full-body shudder took over Sol.
“Are you okay?”
“That was so good. But I’m dead tired. I need sleep. When I whimper, just fill me with your cock, but don’t wake me up.” He curled into me and used my clean arm as a pillow.
“What? While you’re asleep?”
“Just slide into my ass, fuck me, and knot me.” Sol sounded annoyed and sleepy at once.
“I’d have to stay inside you for at least half an hour until the knot goes down.”
“Good, I’ll wake up to my ass stretched on your cock and my belly full of your cum. Now let me sleep.”
And just like that, he drifted off.