SALT #3
Sure, if I were thinking straight, I’d have to admit it’s a pretty weird coincidence.
Why the hell would I suddenly go into heat just a few days after meeting Eliano?
Any sensible person would probably take that as a sign that something seriously unusual is going on with my beta body, which has been perfectly normal for the past twenty-two years.
And if I were even more reasonable, I might actually dig into it and figure out that a miracle like that has only one explanation: powerful pheromonal stimulation from my True Mate.
But no!
Since I have zero interest in being reasonable, I shove those thoughts aside like a complete idiot and head into the photography session as if I don’t have a single problem in the world.
We are all given fairly high-quality digital cameras meant for professional photography.
Each group heads in a different direction, some toward the hills, others to the rocky points of the island, while our group is sent to the beach.
That’s where the shoot is supposed to take place, and of course, the whole thing has a strong erotic undertone.
We are encouraged to take photos in very minimal outfits.
Usually the alpha is the one behind the camera, though not always.
Sometimes they switch roles.
Eliano, though, flat-out refuses to be photographed, and that’s when it finally dawns on me that he’s actually insecure about his looks, which I didn’t exactly see coming.
When I push him a little, he admits, kinda awkwardly, that the scars on his back are the main reason he won’t do a nude shoot.
Or any shoot, really, because there’s also the whole ear situation.
He needs to explain it to me like I’m five, since I don’t see much wrong with them. Maybe a tiny unevenness, nothing crazy, but it clearly is a big deal for him.
He tells me the corrective surgery didn’t fully fix the problem.
Apparently, in grappling and wrestling, ears get wrecked all the time, cartilage smashed over and over until they just stay deformed.
Eliano hates that look.
To him, it’s like wearing his past on the outside, and he’d rather bury that for good.
Hugh comes over and suggests an arrangement where I lie on the blanket wearing nothing but speedos.
We are positioned at some distance from the others for privacy, with couples spread out evenly across a stretch of beach.
So we settle that Eliano will be in charge of the photo session.
He actually seems quite into it, because the moment I undress and lie down, this focused, almost serious look shows up on his face.
He drops to his knees in the sand, plays with the angles, then lies flat on the ground to shoot from below, going for that upward frame, and even coaxes me into a couple of cheekier, teasing poses.
"You’d look good lying casually on your stomach, feet in the air," he murmurs.
So I roll over onto my stomach.
Eliano notices a few grains of sand clinging to the skin of my ass and carefully brushes them away.
I watch him through half-lidded eyes, especially since he takes his time brushing sand off from the close proximity of my crack and my upper thighs.
Another few shots.
Then Eliano leans in slightly.
"Maybe a bit more asymmetry?"
"Hmmm. Why not?" I murmur, even though I am not entirely sure what he means.
He gently tugs the fabric on one side of my speedos upward, exposing more of the curve of my right ass cheek, now ready to be immortalized in the photograph.
Well, why not.
A moment later, Eliano cups some water in his hands and splashes it over my back and chest.
His eyes are slightly narrowed, and it is very obvious he is tenting his shorts.
This session seems to genuinely make him excited, almost happy, and I have to admit, it does the same for me.
Every so often, we take breaks and look through the shots together, our heads close as we lean over the screen.
From time to time, Eliano turns his face and places light, butterfly-soft kisses along my neck gland, which is nice, softly erotic, almost sweet.
Then we go back to reviewing the camera screen, and I realize that some of the poses he put me in look genuinely sexy.
I’d never taken half-naked photos of myself before.
That kind of lifestyle or activity wasn't really my world.
Still, I have to admit I had no idea I had such a decent ass.
My slight lordosis gives my butt some extra curve, and when I glance sideways, I can see Eliano zooming in on the shots that show it off, lingering on them a bit longer than you would expect from a casual scroll through photos.
Damn, why does it feel so good seeing him intently checking out my curves on the tiny camera screen, his eyes fixed on it, like he’s really enjoying the view?
I find myself grinning without even meaning to.
Then he suddenly looks up and blushes a little, like I just caught him red-handed.
Fuck.
I really like this small moment between us. I just wish it weren’t only a moment.
Dammit. I want more.
I want it to last.
At one point, Hugh comes over and says, "Before we finish, I would love to take a few photos of you together. You both look great!"
"I’d rather not," Eliano mutters, still a little awkward, but I grab his hand anyway.
It surprises me how much even that small move gives away, how much something in me has shifted, how much easier and closer everything between us feels now, and that thought leaves me oddly unsettled.
Also excited.
"Hey, you really do not want even one photo with me?"
His eyes drop, long lashes resting against his cheeks.
Then he looks up again, their bright gold nearly blinding me, almost trance-like.
I stare at him for a moment, a little dazed by how close we are, our faces nearly touching.
Eliano’s gaze drifts slowly, lazily, from my eyes down to my mouth, and I lick my lips without thinking.
Hugh waits patiently, but we ignore him completely.
Without really thinking, I tip my head forward just a bit, closing the distance, and Eliano’s eyes stay locked on my mouth.
Finally, he gives in and brushes his lips against mine, soft and light, and a pleasant shiver spreads through me.
My fingers find his forearm on their own, tracing the raised veins there, and my passage tightens instantly, like it’s been given an order, already slicking up, becoming ready, but then Eliano pulls back and says, "Okay."
I let out a breath.
Damn it.
I’m heating up like crazy, this ‘subtle’ heat really not so subtle.
Wait, did I start to accept that it’s the actual thing?
To distract myself, I turn toward Hugh, who’s been staring at us with open fascination, then quickly snaps out of it and says, "Great, then why don’t you stand over here."
"Alright," I mutter quietly.
Hugh positions us, and we take a few shots where we are mostly just sitting next to each other, but impatient Hugh encourages Eliano to drape an arm over my shoulders, which he does, his face staying neutral.
Hugh takes a few more photos and then urges us even closer.
"Maybe a kiss? You’re such a gorgeous couple, it would look great."
"I’m not sure about that," Eliano murmurs, looking away.
"Hey," I say, catching his chin and turning his face toward me. "Why not? It’s nothing. It’s just for fun, something for me to remember."
Even as I say it, I realize how it could sound. Like a keepsake you grab on your way out. But it’s already too late. There’s a flicker in Eliano’s eyes, something like sadness, maybe a touch of anger.
"Come on, give it a try," Hugh encourages, kneeling with the camera ready.
"Yeah, fine," Eliano suddenly mutters.
He turns toward me, a faint darkness lurking in his eyes, almost a provocation. Suddenly he grabs me around the waist and pulls me in, sealing his mouth over mine.
Wow. The kiss is intense enough to scramble my thoughts. Eliano tilts me back slightly, his hands sliding over my back and side.
"Wow, great shots, so natural… erotic," Hugh murmurs, clearly pleased. "Like a movie couple!"
After a moment Eliano pulls away, though that slightly clouded expression remains.
Hugh comes over and shows us the results. The photos are seriously hot, and I have to admit, without false modesty, we both look damn good. And the chemistry between us is screaming loud.
We stand there for a moment, scrolling through the photos in silence.
"I suggested to our management that we make beautiful albums for you, your first shared album. Nice idea, right?" Hugh asks, clearly fishing for a compliment, but neither of us responds.
The class soon is over, and we head back home.
There’s this strange atmosphere between us, things unsaid hanging in the air, but for me it’s overlaid with persistent arousal, sometimes low-key, sometimes more acute.
Later, back home, I take a shower, trying to cool my head a bit, but it simply won’t work.
My suspicion that I might actually be dealing with some freak beta heat seems more and more likely. Dammit.
My hand goes down on its own and grabs my dick.
I feel like I’m on the verge of orgasming all the time, but stroking doesn’t really cut it here.
I figure that out pretty fast after spurting all over the wall, panting and fighting the strong clenching in my ass.
It just doesn’t go away, and it’s frustrating.
Suddenly, I hear pretty loud knocking on the door. Yeah, I guess my gasps and moans weren’t exactly subtle, and the young alpha took the hint, duh.
I might as well let him in; I’m too far gone to care that he catches me gripping my own shaft like some desperate perv.
So I do.
Eliano is… naked. Oh, how convenient.
He fixes his eyes on me, and yeah.
I make another call!
Just can’t help it.
This time I even know what it is, some clumsy AO version of saying ‘hey, I need a fucking orgasm!’. Because apparently standing here with my reddened dick on full display isn’t clear enough, my body decides to throw in a few embarrassing sound effects too.
Eliano says nothing, just joins me.