5. Rickon
Chapter five
Rickon
I smother a yawn as I trudge up my outside stairs, mentally calculating the hours until my morning alarm goes off. Lyra’s dress needs to be picked up from alterations at the costume department on my way, in preparation for the final gala scene. That’s how it goes in the movies: the alphas find their omegas, overcome some challenges, declare undying love, and then sweep off into a life of glitter.
People like me wait in the shadows and sweep up the confetti after they move on.
The stairs to my second-floor apartment feel narrower than ever as I clump my way up, planning my schedule. My belly cramps, warning me of the price to pay for drinking beer.
A shadowy heap moves in front of my door. “Looks like someone’s had a good night out.”
“Fuck!” I press a hand against my beating chest and fall against the wall as adrenaline dumps into my bloodstream. “Hudson?’ I hiss. “What are you doing here?”
My kind-of boyfriend drags himself to his feet. “Well, you’d know if you checked your phone. Even better, if you hadn’t changed your fucking lock code, I’d be in on a comfy sofa instead of freezing my ass off on your doorstep.”
I swallow around a sharp lump in my throat. It’s late at night and I’ve had three beers; I really don’t want to do this now. “It’s not a good time, Hudson,” I murmur sluggishly, trying to fit into the tiny square landing without touching him.
He thrusts his arm against the wall beside me, trapping me there. “Not a good time to hang with your boyfriend? That’s just cruel, precious.” His cold finger stings against my flushed face as he traces the edge of my jaw. “I missed you. I want in.”
A glance at my phone reveals exactly what kind of in he’s looking for; his first text message contains nothing but a peach and eggplant emoji. It’s followed by a bunch more demanding to know where I am and what the lock code is.
“Sorry, Hudson, but you’ve wasted your time. I’ve got work in a few hours and I need to be able to walk.” Not to mention getting enough sleep to think straight.
His blue eyes narrow. “Oh, so you can have a good time with your friends, but not me? Is that really fair?”
I fling my palm up in frustration. “This just isn’t a good time.” Not with Callisto’s scent still lingering in my nose and my heart feeling bruised.
Hudson leans in, all six-foot-two of him dwarfing me. “Precious, a relationship has to have give and take. You’re happy to take my money and company, but when I have needs you’re not interested? I’m disappointed.”
It’s not so much his words, but the scent pouring off him that teases the faintest whimper from me. One corner of his mouth lifts in a smirk. “Let me check real quick.”
“Don’t—”
I’m too slow, because he clamps his hand around my crotch, catching my Callisto-inspired stiffy. Hudson scoffs. “Oh, so you want it, but you’re playing hard to get? I can work with that.” He drops his lips to my neck. “You want this man to beg you, precious? Hm? Let me in, alpha. I neeeeeeed you.”
That sweet scent sharpens, and my knees go weak. I’m pathetic. Callisto doesn’t even know I have a boyfriend, if that’s what you’d call this messy thing we have going on. Hudson’s one of those betas with an alpha complex. Reckons the world birthed him the wrong designation, and he’s got the size and aggression to back up his claim.
He peels my collar to the side and grazes his teeth against my bare shoulder. “What’s the new passcode, Rick?”
I grit my teeth. I changed it for exactly this reason, so I didn’t end up with more unexpected booty calls. In the past, he’s woken me in the middle of the night by climbing into bed and demanding sex.
“Just leave,” I mutter, glancing at the code pad within reach.
“I’ll leave.” He nibbles on my ear, smothering me in his scent. “Right after I’ve worked my aching cock through your ass as long as I want to and taken care of this minor problem.” He fists my cock through my pants and strokes.
Fuck it. I’m raw and needy with Callisto’s laughter still echoing in my ears. Plus, experience tells me Hudson won’t leave until he gets what he wants. “Nine-three-one-eight-three.”
He smirks in triumph and reaches over to tap it in one-handed, without letting go of me. “Was that so hard, precious?”
Yep. It cost me my pride, and probably most of my sleep—and tore another hole in that deep part of me that wonders if I’ll ever be truly loved.
Hudson sweeps me up over his shoulder, digging his teeth into my hip in warning as he carries me through the door. He kicks it shut with a loud thump which surely wakes my downstairs neighbor.
“Cute trick, changing the lock,” Hudson hisses, putting me down on my feet. “Think twice before you do it again.” He slams me against the wall, knocking the air from my lungs. “Do you think you’re too good for this beta, alpha?”
“No,” I gasp, pain flaring across my shoulder blades.
He drops my jeans before pinning me there with his bigger body while he fists his cock. “You’re lucky I find a bit of defiance a turn-on. And you’re lucky you’re as cute as an omega.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. That’s the last thing I want to hear. He spins me to face the wall, then presses the tip of his cock to my ass. I flinch. “I’m not warmed up. Let me wash at least!” And do a few rounds with a plug.
He ignores me and lifts my hands, slamming them painfully against the wall and forcing me onto my tiptoes. Hairline cracks appear in the dry walling. I cry out as he thrusts in hard, not even giving me time to relax into it.
Hudson’s hot breath crosses my ear. “Let me see your tears, precious. I love them. Go ahead and tell me I’m too much for you.”
Any cock’s too fucking much for a cold ass, and he knows it! I snarl, but it has the fierceness of a kitten.
He laughs and thrusts again, ripping through me without a care. “You feel even better when you’re mad. Al-mega .”
Nothing cuts as bad as that cliché playground insult for a weak alpha, and hated tears leak from my screwed-shut eyes. “Piss off, you bastard!”
He turns my head to the side and licks the tears right off my face, leaving me with a whiff of his saliva glued to my cheek. “So beautiful!”
I might have a new hole by the time he’s done, because he’s rough as guts, sating his needs in quick, loveless thrusts that have me crying out and trembling. And all the while his sawed wood scent floats around me, intoxicating with possibilities thanks to its similarity to Callisto’s.
But Hudson’s a fake. Sharp pain flares across my back as he bites down and comes, grunting and pounding me into the wall with his desperate finish.
My pet parrot shrieks and flaps inside his cage as I scream.
Hudson’s chest heaves with deep breaths as he pulls free. He’s big and strong, but not particularly fit. I sag, but he grabs my head, shoving my face against the wall. “Don’t try it again, cute stuff. You’re the best fuck I’ve had, so don’t spoil that, yeah?” He releases me and backs away, zipping up his trousers. “Want me to finish you?”
“No,” I whimper, hurting all over. I’ve got miles to walk tomorrow and I’m going to feel every single step like a fresh caning on my ass.
He kisses his fingers and pats them against my cheek, stickiness and all. “All right, then. Call me first next time, so I don’t get this worked up. I wouldn’t be so rough if you were just a little more responsive.”
Yeah. My fault for not being alpha enough. For not being able to say no and stick to it. For giving in to that beta-damned scent.
A shrill squawk sounds from inside the birdcage. “Hello? Fuck off.” My parrot flaps wildly again, panicked by all the noise and the house lights during his sleep time. Can’t blame him.
Hudson lets himself out and I slide down the wall. “It’s okay, Ozzie,” I mumble, trying to reassure myself as much as my parrot. Nothing a shower and some vitamin E cream can’t fix; I hope. But nothing can heal the shame which floods in.
I’m an embarrassment to alphas everywhere.
Even if I submitted my scent to the Center and an omega selected me from the thousands on file, what could I offer her? If she wanted to be a movie star I could be useful, but otherwise, I’ve nothing to my name besides some savings for a house deposit and a swearing parrot. Plus a boyish face that gets me in trouble everywhere I go.
Certainly none of the alpha features she’d crave during heats or aggression to keep her safe.
I lean my head back against the wall with a groan and slide a hand down to my flexing cock. A whiff of Callisto lingers on my shoulder where he touched me, and I turn my nose into it as I stroke myself. Faint purple bruising blushes my wrists and I make a mental note to wear leather bracelets tomorrow.
Then I submit to my desires and shove everything else away, tears and broken pants falling in equal measure.