3. Totally Not A Seduction #2
“Why do you ask?” Emre blurted. Because his mouth could not be kept shut.
Zenith swallowed audibly. “I... You should know that this building has been fireproofed. You won’t have to worry about that here.”
Emre blinked, sitting up to look Zenith in the eye. “The entire building?”
“Yeah. The exterior walls, and as much of each apartment as I could get from the common hallways.”
“Are you afraid of fire too?” Emre’s eyes grew round.
“No. But fire incidents happen more around me; this is me taking precautions.”
Zenith seemed uneasy, and it made Emre curious. What kind of fire incidents?
Before he could ask, Abbie leaped at Emre’s plate and tried to eat his steak. Emre snatched the plate away before she could tumble into it and make a mess. Abbie whined.
“She’s so damn adorable,” Zenith whispered, his eyes wide.
“Wait ‘til she begs for your food,” Emre said.
“I would give it all to her,” Zenith admitted.
Emre squinted at him. “You would totally spoil your children, wouldn’t you?”
Zenith looked slightly ashamed.
“Spoiled children is how people become assholes like Ronald,” Emre muttered. “Alphas who think everyone is beneath them and they can hurt whoever they want.”
At that, Zenith narrowed his eyes. “Who’s Ronald?”
But his gaze drifted to Emre’s arms, where pale scars littered his skin.
“My ex.”
Zenith growled. “Where is he now?”
“Not here, I hope.”
“Fuck.” Zenith glanced around the apartment; Emre knew he saw the flimsy doors and lack of hiding places. “If you ever feel unsafe, you know you can come to me, right? Or even just yell.”
Warmth blossomed in Emre’s chest. “I know. Thank you.”
Zenith grinned, but his eyes were shadowed again.
Abbie whined and pawed at Emre, her nose still pointed at Emre’s plate. So Emre tore off a tiny piece of meat, small enough that she wouldn’t have any trouble swallowing it.
She eagerly gulped down the morsel, wagging her tail so hard that her entire body shook with it.
Zenith broke into a smile. “She’s so lovely.”
“Wait ‘til you hear her howl,” Emre said, giving Abbie another sliver of meat. “It’s enough to melt the ice off anyone.”
“No ice on me.” Zenith reached over and paused, his hand mere inches from Abbie. “Okay if I pet her again?”
“Sure.”
Maybe this was going a little fast, but... Zenith was nice. He had provided Emre with multiple meals, and he had even hugged Emre and offered him safety.
Zenith held out his fingers so Abbie could sniff him. She closed her little teeth around them and gnawed, then sat back on her haunches and batted his hands with her tiny paws. Zenith’s expression melted into open adoration, more so when he scritched behind her ears and she leaned into his touch.
If Emre weren’t already pregnant, he would’ve begged to have Zenith’s pups.
He ran his hand over his swollen belly, pausing when he caught Zenith’s attention.
“When are you due?” Zenith murmured.
“Soon,” Emre sighed. “I’m ready for it to be over, but also not really. Two pups is a lot for one person to deal with.”
“How soon is soon?”
“In a week or two?” Emre winced.
Zenith froze. Then he glanced around the sparse apartment, and looked horrified. “Do you need... things? Baby things?”
“Oh.” Emre hadn’t even thought that far; he’d been so focused on looking for food. “I’ll need diapers. And food. Everything else is optional. The pup will shift between human and wolf, so clothes aren’t the most important. Maybe...”
“What is it?”
Emre rubbed his chest. “When Abbie was born, I had a hard time producing enough milk for her. It took my body a while to catch up; formula is expensive. With this next pup... I don’t know if my milk production will be enough for two pups.
Abbie’s still nursing from me right now, in her human shape. ”
Zenith gave Emre’s chest an appreciative look. “I’ll make sure you have formula on hand. Bottles too.”
Emre’s jaw dropped. “Those are expensive. I can’t pay you back immediately.”
But the alpha only shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. Just focus on keeping yourself and Abbie fed.”
Emre nodded slowly, wondering if Zenith planned on feeding him up until the birth. What if Zenith lost interest when he found another omega?
Then again, Emre had no claim on Zenith; he would deal with his food problem when it came up.
“Is there anything else I can help with?” Zenith asked. He glanced at Emre’s hands and feet—they were swollen all the time now, and Emre had gotten used to that constant discomfort.
“Rubs would be nice,” Emre admitted. “And... lotion for my belly. But you don’t have to.”
Zenith wiped his fingers on a paper napkin. Then he took Emre’s hand, patiently kneading every finger, before working over his palm and down the back of his hand, along each fine bone.
“That feels so good,” Emre moaned.
“Yeah?” Zenith rumbled low in his chest, his smile pleased. When he was done with Emre’s hand, he moved on to Emre’s other hand, then his feet.
“But you were eating with your hands and you’re not done with dinner,” Emre protested. “Now you’re touching my feet.”
“I’ll use a fork for the rest.” Zenith worked Emre’s toes and the ball of his foot, sweeping his thumbs along the arch several times. He massaged Emre’s heel and ankle, then up his calf, kneading his tense muscles. Emre sank bonelessly into the mattress; Zenith moved on to his other leg.
“That feels amazing,” Emre whispered.
“Mmm.” Zenith licked his lips. “You moan so easily.”
“You fill me up with all the good things,” Emre blurted. He snapped his mouth shut, his cheeks growing hot.
“You’re welcome.” Zenith grinned. He worked magic into Emre’s legs, until Emre was a moaning puddle and Abbie clambered all over his shoulders.
When the massage was over, Zenith resumed eating his dinner. Emre dragged his plate closer and shoveled the now-cold potatoes into his mouth. It was still good though, better than most things he had eaten lately.
When Emre finally cleared his plate, Zenith took it away from him.
“More?” the alpha murmured.
Emre shivered. “I think I’ve had enough for now.”
“Okay. I’ll put away the leftovers.”
Emre flopped back against the mattress, feeling so full and content. Buttwheel crept out of the bedroom and sneaked over to the kitchen, where Zenith was frowning at the empty fridge.
“Don’t attack him, Buttwheel. That’s Zenith. He’s a great alpha.”
Buttwheel rolled up to Zenith, bumping him in the thigh.
Zenith looked over with a smile. “Hey.”
The shopping cart flipped its wheels. The crooked left wheel didn’t flip right, and Zenith frowned when he noticed.
“I’ll fix you up tomorrow,” he said to the cart, before glancing at Emre. “Is that okay?”
Emre’s heart lifted. “You don’t mind?”
“An injury is an injury.” Zenith patted the cart. “It’s no trouble.”
“That’s so nice of you.”
Zenith shrugged. “I just want to make the world a better place.”
He had been making Emre’s life better since yesterday, and he didn’t even know it.
“I should get going, though,” Zenith said regretfully. He shut the fridge and gathered up the dirty dishes. “If you need anything, just yell.”
“Okay.” Emre tried to get to his feet, but he was feeling so warm and boneless from the massage that he struggled.
“Hey, you don’t have to,” Zenith murmured. He came over and knelt in front of the mattress, taking Emre’s hand as though Emre was some kind of prince.
“I have to lock the door after you, anyway,” Emre said, his heart thumping.
“That’s true.”
Zenith scooped Emre off the mattress, his arms sliding around Emre all strong and firm. He carried Emre to the front door and set him gently on his feet.
Zenith didn’t release him immediately. Instead, he held Emre in his arms, his chest rising and falling as he breathed.
Emre wanted so badly to ask him to stay.
But Zenith had other, more important things to do. He was busy writing a book, and he had already made Emre dinner and comforted him tonight.
“I should go,” Zenith murmured, looking into his eyes.
Emre leaned forward, brushing his nose against Zenith’s warm chest. He tried not to notice the generous bulge pressed against his belly. Or Zenith’s hand cupping his ass.
Then Zenith squeezed Emre’s ass, slow and deliberate, and Emre grew wet so quickly, it was a good thing his belly hid the way his cock was suddenly hard.
“G-goodnight,” Emre croaked, his cheeks burning. “I hope you have a good night in bed.”
He clapped his hands over his mouth, rocking back in humiliation.
“I didn’t mean to say that! You have to believe me,” he begged.
Zenith ducked his head, his lips brushing Emre’s ear. “I’ll have a very good night in my bed,” he whispered, his breath hot.
He smoothed his hand down Emre’s back and patted his ass. When he stepped away, Emre realized that Zenith’s bulge was bigger.
Emre’s mouth fell open; he was tasting Zenith’s musky scent before he realized what he was doing. “Do you, um, want your shirt back?”
Zenith raked his gaze up and down Emre’s body, considering. As though he was trying to decide if he wanted Emre to strip in front of him.
“Keep my shirt,” Zenith purred. “I’d like it if it helps to keep you warm at night.”
It was too thin to be used for warmth. But Emre could wrap it around his cock and use it to mark himself with Zenith’s scent.
As though he could read Emre’s thoughts, Zenith grinned. He slid his arm around Emre in a quick hug, tugging his shirt more snugly over Emre’s ass.
Then he tipped an imaginary hat and smoothly left the apartment.
Later that night, Emre woke up wet and needy. He shuffled into the bedroom and pulled out the big silicone dildo he’d hidden there. It was heavy, smooth, and as he ran his fingertips over it, his hole fluttered.
The dildo wasn’t as big as Zenith’s cock. But it was full of promise, standing thick and tall when he attached its suction base to the floor and knelt over it.