10. Loch
“You’re sending me…grocery shopping?”
Loch stared at the chore board, hands on his hips, feeling like he was once again back in the barracks. It wasn’t the chore itself that had him flummoxed but his partner in said task. He was starting to smell some kind of conspiracy, but he wasn’t exactly sure what the endgame might be.
When Ollie had called him into the kitchen, he hadn’t anticipated finding not only the beta, but Saint and Deke all waiting for him. Ollie had schooled his expression into something that appeared, on the surface, to be all work. But Loch could practically smell his friends’ amusement. Unlike Ollie, Deke wasn’t even attempting to hide his glee. He sat perched on the countertop right next to where Ollie stood, eyes glinting with an almost predatory delight.
Saint, for his part, appeared to simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time. When Loch had arrived five minutes ago, Saint was staring into the fridge, half-awake, disappointment evident as he stared at the bleak contents of the fridge. But now that he was overhearing the conversation and witnessing Loch’s wariness over such a seemingly mundane task, he seemed much perkier, fridge forgotten in lieu of watching Loch attempt to process the situation.
“What’s the problem? Alphas too good for grocery shopping?” Deke taunted.
Ollie’s lips twitched in amusement as he said, “You do remember how to use currency, right? That is how they exchange goods and services even up there in the mountains, no?”
Loch’s mouth formed a flat line and he glowered at the two of them. “I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer.”
“I don’t get it,” Saint said casually, his smug expression telling Loch he one hundred percent got it. “What’s the issue? It’s just a supply run.”
Loch looked back at the chore chart with a sigh. “If it’s no big deal, then why can’t Saint and I just go do it?”
Before Ollie could even think to interject, Saint frowned, shaking his head. “Oh, no. Sorry. Can’t. Very busy here. I’m—” He wandered over to the chart in question. “I’m…on laundry detail. Damn.”
“Do you even know how to do laundry?” Loch asked, genuinely curious.
Loch had known Saint for years now, had seen him scrub toilets, mop floors, peel potatoes, and disarm dirty bombs, but he couldn’t remember ever seeing him complete anything as domestic as laundry.
Saint frowned at him, his offended look almost comical. “Why wouldn’t I know how to do laundry?”
“If I had to guess, it’s ‘cause you live in the desert like one of those conspiracy nuts who believes in, like, aliens and our government being lizard people and the Earth being flat. Oh, and your closest friend is a three-legged wolf, who sometimes looks like he’s being held hostage,” Deke said. When Saint gave him a pissy look, Deke beamed at him. “Just spit-balling here.”
“I don’t believe any of that stuff,” Saint snapped. “Well, aliens are real but even the government has confirmed that so…” Just when they thought he was done, he added, “And Wolf came to me, okay? I didn’t, like, kidnap him. Some asshole blew his leg off. I rescued him.”
Deke snickered but quickly schooled his features into understanding, nodding. “Noted.”
Loch didn’t miss the way Ollie looked at the younger boy, with this goofy sort of fondness Loch didn’t even know Ollie was capable of. That was an interesting development, as was the other piece of paper on the cork board beside the chore chart.
Loch cleared his throat. “What’s this for… exactly?”
Ollie brightened, letting Loch know it was something the beta was proud to have thought of. “That is the contingency plan. I know everyone but Seth is on suppressants but?—”
“Seth’s not on suppressants?” Saint interjected, a near feral snarl to his voice. “Why?”
Deke covered his mouth with his hand but there was no hiding his gleeful giggle.
Ollie gave Saint a scolding look. “That’s really none of your business. If you want to know so badly, why don’t you go ask him.”
“Okay,” Saint said, almost like he was about to stalk off and do just that.
“But maybe not until you look like you’re not going to try to mount him on the nearest available surface afterwards,” Deke supplied. When Saint turned hostile eyes on him, it was completely lost on the boy. “Or, you know, do, I guess. Whatever turns you on. Seth probably won’t mind.”
Saint looked very much like he was contemplating swallowing his tongue over that information.
“You were saying?” Loch asked Ollie, attempting to drag him back to the task at hand.
“Yes, as I was saying, everyone but Seth is on suppressants, so theoretically, we don’t need to worry about heats or ruts, but with four alphas in the house with two unmated omegas, the suppressants might not be enough to overpower biology. We have to anticipate breakthroughs. Plus, with Deke here being unpresented, we have to factor in that he could go into rut or heat any day now. We need to…all think carefully about what that means.”
“In what context?” Saint asked, now pacing the kitchen, smelling both horny and distracted, holding a full plastic water bottle in a death grip.
“He means we need to decide what to do if the inevitable happens,” Loch said, connecting the dots. “Are people going to want to isolate themselves during their heat or rut, or are they going to want…help.”
Saint’s nostrils flared at that, his chest heaving. Loch didn’t have to be a mind reader to know his friend was very much thinking of all the different ways he’d like to ‘help’ the dark-haired omega through his heat. Loch shook his head. He had never seen Saint so keyed up before. Maybe it was all that time in the desert. Surely, it had been a while since he’d fucked anyone.
“And if they want help, whose help in particular,” Ollie finished. “Or if they even have a preference. Which leads me to part two. If someone doesn’t want to be considered for…help…with someone’s heat or rut, we need to know that, too.”
“And you’re just going to ask them?” Deke asked. “Like out loud? With your mouth?”
Ollie nodded, expression deadly serious. “We’re all adults here. There shouldn’t be an issue working this out. I’ll meet with each person individually and they can tell me privately how they want to handle an emergency on their part and who they’ll allow to help them. I will then cross-reference the list and make up a…rotation with everyone’s preferences in mind.”
“A rotation of people who will fuck each other if someone goes into heat or rut?” Deke said, dumbfounded. “Like there will be an actual list of people willing to fuck me if I present while here?”
“Or who will let you fuck them,” Ollie countered. “But only if that’s what you want. You can isolate. God knows there’s plenty of room. Nobody is forcing anyone to do anything and nobody should be offended if someone isn’t interested in helping out.”
Ollie directed that comment at Saint but it was lost on the alpha. They’d lost him somewhere around him learning that Seth could potentially go into heat while they were all there and Saint might have the opportunity to help. The pheromones he was putting off were enough to make Ollie and Loch dizzy, but they ignored it.
“What if nobody wants to…you know, be with me?” Deke mumbled.
Loch’s gaze immediately slid to Ollie, who watched Deke, lips slightly parted, eyes gleaming. There was no doubt who would be first in line to bend over for Deke should he present as an alpha. Hell, topping wasn’t Ollie’s thing, really, but he wasn’t above it. He’d fucked Binnie more than once.
But Ollie was still telling himself and everyone else he was leaving. Though Loch was willing to bet money that Ollie wasn’t going anywhere with the idea of Deke presenting without him around to…help.
“Yeah, I promise you, that’s not going to be a problem,” Loch said gently. “If you present while you’re here, I’m positive there are plenty of people who will help you through it. If you want.”
“Even if I present as an alpha?” Deke countered, cheeks flaming.
Loch chuckled. “There are shockingly few people in this house who choose who they fuck based on secondary gender alone. I know for a fact, that several alphas under this roof are already intimately familiar with each other.”
Loch’s gaze swung between Saint and Ollie. Deke’s eyes went wide. Saint cracked open the water bottle he’d just been fisting until then, drinking it down in one go before shrugging. “Loch’s right. I’ve fucked Binnie. Ollie has, too. Hell, I think we fucked once, didn’t we?”
Saint was looking at Ollie, who seemed to have to think on it before nodding. “Yeah. Yeah, I think we did. Right after you joined Cerberus. We were wasted. I’m sure it was fine.”
Saint snorted. “I’m sure it was better than fine. I don’t do ‘fine.’”
Loch had to bite down on the inside of his cheek just watching Deke process this information.
The youngest looked at Ollie. He nodded. “It’s true. In a…group setting,” he said carefully, “secondary gender really doesn’t matter all that much. It’s more about basic preferences. If there’s no actual breeding involved, it’s all pretty much just what feels good.”
“Though Seth and Fen will have it much harder, thanks to biology,” Loch said, grimacing. “And you, too, if you present as an omega.”
“The whole knotting thing?” Deke asked, then grimaced.
Loch was certain nature had its reasons for making omegas insatiable until knotted during a heat, but it hardly seemed fair. Alphas could knot anyone willing to tolerate the pain of not being biologically created to do so. But omegas had little option. They could only find relief with an alpha. No amount of orgasm would bring down their fever or pain until their bodies ensured they were mated and bred.
“Mm,” Loch said. “But that will only be an issue during heats and the only person whose heat we need to worry about for sure is Seth’s.”
Saint gave off another heavy whiff of pheromones, these ones both possessive and horny. This conversation might send his friend over the edge before it was over.
“He just had his heat,” Deke supplied. “Like a week ago, so he should be good for a while, right?”
A low rumble came from Saint. “He-He had his heat last week?” he rasped, like he couldn’t believe he’d somehow missed it.
Should they be discussing such personal details without the others? In a pack like this—no, not a pack, but a group—in a group like this, these sorts of details were far more about practicality than they were about gossip. These were considerations they needed to factor in.
They couldn’t forget why they were there. This was about Josh. Avenging Josh. Helping Fen avenge Josh. And if that meant putting everyone’s personal lives on blast, Loch was certain everyone would agree. They were all there for a larger purpose.
Deke nodded, on the surface all wide-eyed innocence, but there was an underlying thread of mayhem when he said, “Yeah, he was miserable. He hadn’t had a heat since his presentation. He was so bad off. Crying and begging for an alpha knot all alone in his nest.”
They all startled at the sound of crushed plastic, even Saint, who looked down at the mangled water bottle in his hand, then turned and left without another word.
When the three of them were alone in the kitchen once more, Ollie turned and pinched Deke’s side. “That was mean.”
Deke grinned. “What? It’s for his own good.”
Loch arched a brow. “What are you two up to? You only met yesterday—how are you already plotting against the others?”
Deke’s hand slid around Ollie’s neck, fingers carding through the hair at his nape, scratching at the beta’s scalp like he was an emotional support animal. “Ollie doesn’t want to stay and play with me,” he said woefully. “So that means I’m stuck having to get the idiots in this house to see the truth. And unfortunately—for you guys, anyway—that means me manipulating you all like my own personal pawns until you pull your heads out of your collective asses.”
Ollie snickered. “You didn’t have to be quite so…honest,” he admonished.
Loch arched a brow at the two. “Are you telling me that you forcing me to go grocery shopping with Fenny is you helping me pull my head out of my ass?”
“Oh, no. Not at all,” Deke said with mock seriousness. “That is just pure coincidence.” When Loch shot him another flat stare, Deke giggled again. “But you should probably go find your shopping buddy. It’s getting late and he can be a little high maintenance about getting ready.”
Loch sighed, turning on his heel. “Fine.”
“I think he’s in his bedroom,” Deke called behind him, tone overly cheery.
Deke suddenly shrieked with laughter, squealing, “No, don’t tickle me. I’m injured, remember? You’re going to give me brain damage.”
“You’re a terrorist,” Loch heard Ollie counter faintly before he hit the stairs.
Loch shook his head, amused. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Ollie play with someone like that. He was one of the most serious people Loch had ever met. He was all logic and reason. He only had two types of humor: dark and dry. The only other language he spoke was sarcasm. Ollie was the antithesis of Deke in every way. The gorgeous boy seemed determined to enjoy every minute of his life, even if he had to act as the pack’s chess master, manipulating them all to his liking.
The pack.The pack. The pack.
Loch frowned. They weren’t a pack. They were strangers. Well, not really strangers, but not a pack. So, why did they all feel like they belonged there? Why did Loch feel so settled amongst them? He shook the thoughts away, determined to focus on the task at hand: surviving a trip alone with Fenny.
He knocked on the omega’s closed door.
Fen answered immediately with an almost imperceptible, “Come in.”
When Loch did as asked, he stopped short. Fen was on his bed, head on the pillow, Seth sprawled on top of him, face buried in the little blond’s throat. They were both dressed casually. Fen in black joggers and a pink sweatshirt of some kind and Seth in basketball shorts and a gray hoodie so big it almost hid the fact that he was straddling one of Fen’s thighs.
While there was nothing overtly sexual going on—given the other omega’s steady breaths, he was clearly sleeping—given their position and the way he had his face buried right up against Fenny’s scent glands, it wasn’t hard to imagine Seth grinding down on Fenny’s thigh, rutting against him to get off.
Fen locked eyes with Loch, one delicate hand sliding up under Seth’s shirt to let his fingers dance over the other omega’s smooth tan skin, earning a happy sigh from the dark-haired boy. Loch’s cock twitched, thickening behind his zipper at the thought. He swallowed hard. Fen gave him a knowing look. Could he smell how bad he wanted him?
“I—” Loch started.
Fen scowled, bringing a finger to his lips, then beckoned him closer. Loch was moving before it was even a conscious decision, idly making peace with the realization that if Fen asked him to walk right off a ledge, he would do it without a moment’s hesitation.
Was this what people meant when they talked about the concept of fated mates? That there was just some perfect person out there for everyone? That when they met, they’d just somehow know? It had always seemed absurd to him, but there was no denying that Loch felt a pull to this virtual stranger and it wasn’t just their mutual love of Josh.
Fen belonged to him. He knew it in the same way his lungs knew how to breathe air and his heart knew how to keep beating. It just was. The sky was blue, the grass was green, and Fen belonged to Loch just like Loch belonged to him, too. And the moment their eyes met, it was like Fen knew what Loch was thinking, feeling. If they felt this in sync before a mating bite, how connected would they be after?
A mating bite? Already? Loch had never in his life contemplated tying himself to another human being for life, but the thought settled in his chest and buried itself deep, taking root in a way that provided a pleasant warmth.
Fen watched him with keen blue eyes, then patted the bed beside him. He was inviting Loch into his bed. An omega would never invite an alpha into their bed, even with another omega present, unless they were insinuating something more, be it sex, love, comfort, or family. By accepting the invitation, Loch was acknowledging that he understood what Fen offered.
When he sat, Fen reached up with his free hand, fisting Loch’s flannel and dragging him down to his level, leaving him no choice but to lie down or contort himself into an awkward position.
So, he did. He slipped his shoes off, then laid down, rolling to his side and scooting close enough for them to speak without disturbing Seth, close enough to the two omegas to smell their combined scent. Wild flowers and apples. Together, they smelled like summer. Loch made a contented sound low in his throat, earning a slightly surprised but pleased look from Fen.
He arched a brow at Loch, locked in as he extended his wrist, placing it right in front of Loch’s nose. He fought the urge to growl, pressing his nose to the delicate skin, inhaling deeply, feeling the warmth of the sun and the grass at his feet. He dragged his lips across the smaller scent gland, jeans growing uncomfortably tight at the way Fen’s breath hitched, his scent heavy with desire, full lips parting, pink tongue barely visible.
Fuck. Loch wanted to taste those lips. He wanted to suck the taste from Fen’s tongue, lick every part of him, bite every part of him, bury his face in the heart of him, drink his slick, knot him until he cried, until he begged for Loch to breed him, to fill him with pups. Would he beg? Fuck, he wanted to hear him beg.
Seth whined, burrowing deeper into Fen’s neck, rocking against his raised thigh just as Loch had pictured.
“Shh, baby,” Fen crooned, caressing the other omega’s back as he continued to pin Loch in place with his gaze.
The two omegas looked good together. Both so soft and pretty. Both hard, both leaking slick just from Loch’s presence. They both smelled delicious separately, but their scents combined so beautifully that they almost seemed like a matching set.
Loch thought of the contingency chart as he contemplated Fenny working Seth up until he cried. There was no doubt in his mind that Fen—his Fen—was the dominant in that pairing, and the thought of the blond omega bullying the little one until he begged had Loch almost as feral as Saint.
It was clear by Deke’s earlier statement that San wasn’t knotting Seth. Why else would the omega have chosen to suffer alone with an alpha under the same roof? Was it a line they’d never crossed? How would Loch feel at the thought of San breeding the two omegas? There was a slightly selfish part of him who wanted to be Fen’s first choice. But not his only choice.
Packs shared. Packs grew stronger through scent, through touch, through intimacy. Fen was his. He’d already decided. Fen had already decided as well, Loch knew it. But the thought of watching the others take Fen apart at his command was heady. Fen would look so beautiful when he came. And a good alpha knew how to keep his omega happy, knew how to keep his pack happy.
And healthy packs knew how to care for their omegas.
Maybe Loch was too traditional. Maybe the idea of a polyamorous pack was too old school. But the idea of the others using Fen, using Seth, watching them use each other…it felt so right it stole his breath. Omegas were the heart of the pack. They deserved to be loved, cared for, catered to, worshiped.
Fen hissed, then moaned softly. That was when Loch realized he had his teeth sunk into his scent gland.
Loch jerked back, shaking his head to clear it, licking over the indentations. “I—” he started, perhaps a little too loudly.
Fen gave him another admonishing look, jerking his head to Seth once more. Loch ducked his head in apology. Fen took Loch’s arm in his dainty hand, holding his gaze once again as he brought it to his lips, gently kissing the spot he’d bitten, then bit down. Hard. Loch bit back a moan, itching to pin Fen to the bed and remind him who was in control.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Fen was perfect. The perfect omega. Smart. Strong. Sensitive. Clearly not afraid to make his intentions known. He would be the perfect mate. Loch had never wanted to claim somebody so badly in his life. Had never even contemplated a claiming bite before this moment.
Fen dipped his head until his lips were right up against Loch’s ear. “I can’t even begin to tell you what I’d sacrifice to know exactly what it is you’re thinking about doing to me that has you smelling like this,” he whispered, breath deliciously hot against Loch’s skin. “But your scent is making me so fucking hard—poor Seth, too—and, call me old-fashioned, but I’d prefer we were alone the first time you fuck me.”
Loch exhaled, breath ragged, mimicking Fen by pressing his lips to his ear to respond, rasping, “Just the first time?”
“Mm,” Fen said, reversing their positions once again, voice still barely a whisper. “Seth and I are a package deal sexually. We need each other.” Before Loch could reassure him, he felt him smile against his ear. “And while I can smell how okay you are with that, I’m not sure your feral alpha friend will feel the same.”
Loch frowned. Who? His eyes widened as realization dawned. “Saint?”
Fen nodded.
Loch huffed out a soft laugh. “Saint is borderline feral for sure. But I give it a week before Seth is leading him around by the dick. He’s imprinted on your friend like a baby duck. And while Saint is…obsessive, he will be just as excited as I am at the prospect of getting to see how pretty the two of you look together.”
Fen’s hand slid from beneath Seth’s shirt to card through the omega’s hair. “Seth needs someone who’s obsessed with him. He deserves it.”
“Then there’s nothing to worry about,” Loch said, then nipped at the cartilage at the top of Fen’s ear, earning another sexy little moan.
For a few minutes, they just laid there, drinking in each other’s company, Loch’s nose pressed to Fen’s cheek and his hand gently scratching Seth’s back.
“Did you need something?” Fen asked, words almost slurred, seemingly high off the pheromones.
Did he? Oh, right. “We’ve been tasked to go on a supply run.”
“A supply run?” Fen said, cute little wrinkles forming between his eyes, freckles bright on his cheeks.
“They’re making us go to Costco.”
Fen’s eyes went wide. “Oh.”
Loch gave a humorless laugh. “Yeah.”
“Oh. Wow. Who did you piss off?” Fen teased. “Wait, who did I piss off? I wasn’t even supposed to be here today. Seth and I called out.”
Loch gave him a lopsided smile. “Ollie and Deke are playing matchmaker.”
Fen blushed, making his freckles stand out even more, his smile rueful as he forced himself into a joint popping stretch beneath the other omega, making him whine prettily. “Oh, well then, we can’t let their efforts go to waste, can we?”
Fuck. This was really happening. “No, I guess not.”
Fen reached out and stroked Loch’s cheek. “Okay, well, I need to get ready. Can you send Deke in here to take care of Seth?”
Loch frowned, leaning closer to sniff the boy, picking up a hint of sadness and unease. “Is he okay?”
Fen nodded. “He’s got anxiety and ADHD. They don’t go well together.And he’s never really been away from our apartment. He’s been clingy since his last heat. Didn’t even disassemble his cute little nest. It was really hard on him.”
Loch’s heart twisted. He didn’t really know Seth, not yet, but he came across as sweet and outgoing, funny, and a little high-strung. They could take care of him, all of them. The seven of them could ensure that Seth never had to feel alone during a heat again.
Loch dropped a kiss on Fen’s forehead, then impulsively dropped one on the back of Seth’s head, too. “Meet me downstairs in an hour?”
Fen’s smile was all teeth, face shining with happiness. “Only if you promise to buy me one of those hot dogs at the cafe inside before we start shopping.”
Loch couldn’t help but grin back. “For you? I’ll even throw in a drink. Maybe fries, too.”
Fen draped the back of his hand across his forehead dramatically. “Swoon.”
Loch’s heart threatened to float out of his chest. “See you downstairs, Fenny.”
“See you soon…alpha.”