Vengeful Bonds S3 - Episode 9 - Saint (Patreon)

Unbeta'd/Unedited. You wanted the smut, but I bring you schmoop and smut so cheesy and heartfelt it borders on fanfiction. And it is loooooooooong. I swear whenever I write smut when I'm high, it always gets so over-the-top and soapy. If its cringe, please forgive me. Expect more Ranger chapters this week as well as a mini-fic of some sort. Probs from the spreadsheet. I'm also working on Halloween fics so busy busy. <3Saint froze when Seth’s fingers brushed the waistband of his sweats. The touch was light, hesitant, but it might as well have been a brand searing his skin. His chest clenched, his body pulled in two directions, every instinct screamed to give Seth what he wanted, while another voice hissed that he couldn’t, that he was still too unstable.He caught Seth’s wrist gently, thumb circling fragile skin and delicate bone. Seth’s breath hitched, tension humming between them. If he said no, Seth would hear rejection. He’d believe Saint didn’t want him. And Saint had sworn he would spend his life proving the opposite. But that voice in his head wouldn’t shut up.You don’t know what you’ll do to him if you snap again.But how could he refuse? Seth looked up at him, wide-eyed, lips parted, waiting on a knife’s edge. That vulnerability punched straight through Saint’s ribs.“Alpha…” Seth’s voice was thin, heavy with doubt. “Is it me?”The words hit harder than any fist.Saint’s throat worked, but nothing came out. Him? The boy carrying his child? The only person he’d ever trusted with more than his body? The thought was obscene, but Seth’s fear was real.Saint dragged in a breath, forcing his pulse to steady. “That’s not possible.” His voice came out harsher than intended, and Seth flinched. He softened instantly, cupping Seth’s cheek, thumb brushing a damp track of tears. “I told you, it’s not about you. It never was. I just don’t want to hurt you again. Especially now.”Seth gave a shaky laugh that cracked in the middle. “You won’t hurt me. You would never hurt me.” His hand pressed protectively to his belly. “Or us. Please don’t let what happened ruin this-”Saint cut him off, leaning in before he could finish, lips brushing the corner of Seth’s mouth. Not a kiss, not really. Just a stop-gap. A plea. Don’t say it again. Don’t remind me.“You’re beautiful,” Saint said, the words ground out like a confession dragged from his bones. His eyes dropped to where Seth’s shirt–Saint’s shirt–bunched under Saint’s hand, fabric stretched over Seth’s belly. He’d lost so much weight. Saint pictured how Seth would look four months from now, soft and swollen, and heat skidded through him. Seth might call himself a…water buffalo, but Saint would welcome every inch of it. It would mean Seth was safe, fed, happy. It would mean Saint and the pack were doing their job. “You always are. You always will be.”Seth’s eyes watered. “You don’t have to say that.”“I don’t lie to you.” Saint’s voice was flat. He might retreat. He might withhold, but lies, no.He settled his palm on Seth’s belly, pressing flat. The warmth under his hand grounded him. This was real. This was theirs.Seth shivered, caught between doubt and hope. “I just… I can feel it.”“Feel what?”A tear slid into his hairline. “This distance between us. I hate it. You’re right here, but part of you is still in that room down the hall.”“That’s not true. I’m right here,” Saint promised.“But you don’t want to touch me.”Saint closed his eyes, trying to hush the alpha pacing inside him. “Stop saying that. I want to touch you. I want everything with you. I just… I can’t risk hurting you. Not again.”When he opened his eyes, Seth looked stricken.“So what? You’re never gonna touch me again? Fuck me again? Will I have to rely on the others for that? I can’t handle that. I can do a lot but I can’t have you never touch me again,” Seth babbled, the panic rising in his voice.“Enough.” Saint’s tone cut through the spiral–low, commanding–though his thumb stayed gentle on Seth’s skin. He leaned in, pressing his forehead to Seth’s. “Just… give me a minute. I want you. This–us–hasn’t changed. It won’t change. It’s me I can’t trust.”Seth blinked, lips trembling. Saint kissed him properly then, slow, deliberate, claiming. Seth whimpered into it, clutching fabric like an anchor.Saint pulled back just enough to murmur against his mouth. “Say it. Tell me you’re mine.”Seth’s breath hitched. His eyes flicked away, then back, cheeks flushed. “…yours.”The word scraped Saint raw. He kissed him again, deeper this time, until Seth sagged with a soft sigh. “Yours what?” “Yours, Alpha. Just yours.” Saint rumbled, pleasure and relief folding into the sound. “Good. So good. My good boy.”Saint traced his hands down Seth’s sides, over the curve of his hips, memorizing every line. He wanted to carve it into himself, proof that Seth was still here, still his. The fear prowled in his chest, whispering that he could break this boy so easily, but Seth pressed closer, silently daring him to trust himself. “You don’t need to prove anything,” Saint said softly, pulling back just enough to meet his eyes. “Not to me. How can you not be afraid after what I did to you?”Seth shook his head, stubborn and bright. “I need you. I need you to want me. Please. I know sex isn’t everything, but you’ve been gone so long. You haven’t touched me. I’d take you mauling me a thousand times over you never touching me again.”That was Seth, always leading with his heart, reckless and whole. Saint, with all his walls, couldn’t deny him for long.He brushed a kiss to Seth’s temple, followed the damp trail of tears, then lower to the corner of his jaw. Each press was deliberate, reverent. Seth trembled but didn’t pull away.“You think I don’t want you?” Saint murmured against his skin. “You think I could look at you and not want to be inside you?”Seth made a choked sound–half laugh, half sob–and buried his face against Saint’s neck.Saint held him there, one hand splayed over his belly, the other cradling the back of his head. The sharp edges inside him eased a fraction at the feel of Seth clinging like he was the only anchor left. Maybe he was. Maybe that was enough.Seth’s fingers bunched in the hem of Saint’s shirt, a nervous habit he’d outgrown and found again tonight. Saint caught one wrist, then the other, and guided them above Seth’s head, resting them against the pillow. He didn’t restrain him. He placed him, gentle, intentional.Seth’s throat worked; a pulse fluttered at the hollow of his neck. “I’m not gonna tie you up,” Saint murmured, reading the worry before Seth could voice it. “I just want you to hold still for me. If you want this, I need you to behave. I can’t risk triggering my alpha into doing something crazy…not again.”Seth swallowed. “Okay.” A beat, softer, “Does that mean you’ll never tie me up?”Saint’s mouth quirked, not quite a smile. Seth could be terrified in some places and fearless in others, he had too much faith in Saint’s restraint. “After what happened…” Saint couldn’t finish the sentence. “I’m not sure I’ll ever feel comfortable tying you up again.”“I hope that’s not true,” Seth whispered. “I–I like being helpless under you.” His honesty landed like an offering.Saint growled and moved up onto his knees between Seth’s legs. “You’re a menace.”He smoothed his hands up Seth’s thighs, thumbs tracing lazy circles through the damp cotton of his shorts; the crisp scent of apples made his mouth water. He was already so wet for him. He felt Seth tremble and softened, letting his palms speak where words failed.“Clothes off,” Seth breathed, trying for teasing but landing shaky. “Yours. Mine. Both.”“Mine later,” Saint said, voice low. “I’m starting with you.”He hooked fingers under the hem of Seth’s shirt and lifted, inch by inch. He didn’t rush. He kissed the skin he revealed, the soft spread over Seth’s ribs, faint teeth-scars, the silvery stretch marks ribboning outward like light. Seth tensed when Saint’s mouth found them; Saint lingered, letting his tongue trace one shimmering line with reverence, committing the map to memory. Leave it to Seth to worry more about stretch marks than the scars Saint had left behind.“Saint,” Seth whispered, on the verge of panic. “Don’t. They’re ugly.” He grimaced. “And they’ll only get worse.”Saint looked up, steady. “They’re you.” He pressed another kiss to the pale seam. “And you’re mine.”Seth’s shoulders loosened enough for Saint to pull the shirt over his head and toss it aside. Saint cupped his belly, the skin was warm. He swore he heard the faintest whoosh of life inside, or maybe he only imagined it because he needed to. Either way, something unclenched in him.He bent and pressed his ear to Seth’s belly, catching only the gurgle of an empty stomach. He laughed, then kissed the skin, feeling it dip beneath his mouth. “Hey in there. Tell your daddy to eat. He’s wasting away, nothing but skin and bones.”Seth made a sound that was half laugh, half sob. “You can’t talk to them like that.”“I can and I did.” Saint slid his cheek along the taut skin and kissed the warmed spot. “They’ll listen.”“They don’t even have ears yet,” Seth wet-hiccupped.Saint waved a hand, relief softening him. “They’ll get the message. I have faith in them.”Seth’s hands, which had hovered awkwardly near his head, came down to cradle Saint’s face. “I missed you so much,” he said, small and raw.“I’m sorry,” Saint whispered. “I really am. Ollie was right. I’m a coward.”He turned and pressed his mouth to Seth’s palm. He didn’t say aloud that he was afraid of himself; Seth’s look told him he’d understood anyway.Saint worked Seth’s wet shorts down, careful around knees and calves where the fabric snagged. He kissed each kneecap like it was a vow, then slid his hands back up, thumbs bracketing Seth’s damp inner thighs. He opened for him instinctively, then faltered.“Breathe,” Saint said, soft. “I’m the one who’s supposed to be nervous here.”“I am breathing,” Seth replied, tight.“Just take a deep breath for me.” He waited until Seth inhaled and loosened beneath his palms. “Good.”Saint placed a slow kiss where thigh met pelvis, then another, each one a question Seth answered with a shiver. He trailed his mouth along tendon and flesh, then finally gave in, dragging his tongue through the slick on Seth’s skin, groaning low at the taste.How had he stayed away for this long?When Seth’s hips jerked, Saint anchored him with a broad hand over the belly he’d spend the next nine months treating like a shrine. He didn’t restrain; he reassured.“I don’t know–” Seth began, then broke off, frustrated. “I don’t know why I’m suddenly so nervous.”Saint lifted his head. “We don’t have to do this.”Seth made another irritated sound. “I want to do this. I want you. I want to know you want me, that you can still want me after all this, that you’re not doing it out of obligation or because I’m forcing you–”“Baby, breathe,” Saint cut in.He hated that he’d made Seth feel this way. It had taken so long to coax him out of his shell, to earn his trust, and Saint had messed it up by leaving when Seth needed him most. He’d dragged them back to square one.Saint would do whatever it took to remind Seth how much he wanted him. He moved to hover over him. “You’re so deep in your head. That’s my fault. But you need to know this isn’t about not wanting you. I haven’t been able to keep my hands off you since that night on the sofa. Remember?”Seth flushed. “The night you told me you wanted me as your mate, then said you could hear me getting myself off at night?” he asked, sardonic. “Yeah. That memory is burned into my brain.”“It was so hot.” Saint dipped his head, circling one swollen nipple with his tongue. Seth whined, high and desperate. “You started getting off every night after that, panting my name, driving me insane. Such a little tease.”Seth’s breath hitched. He looked away a moment, then met Saint’s gaze. “I wasn’t teasing. I was inviting. I wanted you to come find me. To breed me.” “Fuck, baby,” Saint breathed, sucking on Seth’s nipple until he cried out, fingers tangling in Saint’s hair, uncertain whether to pull him closer or shove him away.“Feels so good,” Seth panted. “I used to get on my knees, pretend I was presenting for you, bury my face in your t-shirt, try to finger myself, wondering how it would feel to have you inside me. I used to come so hard just from your scent.”Saint groaned at the image and moved to the other nipple, taking the tender peak into his mouth and sucking until Seth gasped softly, then dipped lower to Seth’s leaking cock. He took the straining head into his mouth, just enough to taste. Seth’s back arched off the mattress; his hands flew to Saint’s hair, then faltered and landed on the sheets. There was a plea in the curl of his fingers–a restraint he didn’t need but chose anyway–and Saint loved him for that control in a way he had no words for.He licked a slow stripe, dragging the flat of his tongue from base to tip, relearning Seth’s cadences. How he keened when Saint took him deeper, how he trembled when Saint softened the pressure and toyed with the sensitive underside. Saint’s free hand skimmed upward–belly, the jut of hip–until it found Seth’s hand and threaded their fingers together. He kept sucking, breathing slow, squeezing Seth’s hand in time with his tongue to ground him with rhythm.“Saint–” Seth’s voice broke, high and wrecked. “God, I…”Saint hummed around him, a low approval that vibrated through both of them. He pulled off just long enough to murmur, “You sound so good. I’ve missed those noises,” then sank down again, deeper, taking more and accepting the tremor that rolled through Seth like a wave. He didn’t shove him over the edge, he coaxed, worshiped, and held the line until Seth stopped fighting himself.Seth’s thighs shook. “I–I won’t last.”“Good,” Saint said simply, and went right back to work. “I don’t want you to.”It wasn’t about proving anything or reclaiming power. It was about showing Seth–by mouth, by hands, by the quiet, unhurried way he kept choosing softness–that desire wasn’t a debt or a performance. It was a language, and Saint was fluent, speaking Seth’s name with every drag of his tongue.Seth’s breath ragged and raw, snagged on fear and then slid free. “Saint, please–”“Come for me, little one,” Saint rasped, mouth wet and swollen from worship. “I’ve got you.” Seth came with a sob that sounded like relief, like a dam shattering, like he’d been holding himself together with string and Saint had finally taken the weight. He tried to curl inward, to hide, but Saint followed him, kissing him through the aftershocks and swallowing the embarrassed noises as if they were candy.When the tremors eased, Seth lay pliant and blinking, dazed, as if the world had shifted and made more sense. Saint wiped his mouth with the back of his wrist, then pressed that same wrist to Seth’s lips without thinking, offering the taste of himself like a promise. Seth kissed the inside of Saint’s wrist, soft and grateful, and something unclenched in Saint that he hadn’t known he’d been bracing.“Still want me?” Seth whispered after a beat, eyes glassy but steady.This time it wasn’t out of fear but because Saint was still rock hard against the jut of his hip. Saint exhaled, a rough laugh not mocking but tired of the question having any power. “I never stop wanting you. That’s the problem. I have no control around you. No matter how much of you I get, it’s never enough.”Seth flushed, pleased.Saint sat back on his knees, finally letting Seth see him undress–shirt first, then the rest–unhurried, as if the world had narrowed to this room and this bed and the man he loved lying open on it. Seth watched with that soft, wary hunger that always undid Saint, the look that begged please don’t say no.Saint braced on an elbow so he could hover without crushing him. He kissed Seth again, slow and sweet, almost chaste, until Seth made an impatient noise that tugged the corner of Saint’s mouth. He dipped lower, nuzzling along Seth’s jaw. “You’re so fucking wet for me. I can smell it. It makes me crazy.”“Then do something about it,” Seth begged. “I’ve been losing my mind without you.”“You’re sure it’s safe?” Saint asked.Seth’s jaw jutted; irritation flickered until he seemed to realize something. “Why wouldn’t it be?” Saint’s eyes slid to Seth’s belly and back. “You mean because I might be pregnant?” Seth asked, exasperated.Saint didn’t want to hurt him or their baby. “I’m just trying to be careful.”“Half the alphas in our pack have spit-roasted Ollie and he’s way further along than me,” Seth said, adorably put-out.Saint smiled. “I’ve missed this pout.” He kissed it, then laughed. “Did you just say spit-roasted?”Seth slapped his arm. “Stop teasing me.”“Never,” Saint murmured. He settled back on his haunches. “Open your legs, little one.”Seth flushed, planting his feet on the mattress, then letting his legs fall open, gaze skittering away. That shy act was always Saint’s undoing. He slid a hand between the globes of his ass, massaging over Seth’s drenched hole with two fingers. The high, keening sound it drew set his insides on fire.Saint cursed softly as he pressed in. Seth’s breath hitched, a cry escaping as his body resisted, then yielded. His walls clenched tight around Saint’s fingers, the sweet scent of apples mixing with Saint’s own rich, buttery scent. God, he’d missed this–missed him–so much. Now, with Seth spread beneath him and his fingers buried inside, he couldn’t believe he’d ever stayed away.“I’m fine,” Seth panted. “I’m good. Please, just… fuck me already. Please, alpha. Want your knot, wanna feel you breed me.”Saint tore his gaze from where his fingers disappeared inside Seth to growl, “I’ll decide when you’re ready. You just lie there and behave like you promised.”He settled carefully, half-draped over his omega, eyes never leaving Seth’s face as he fingered him slow, deliberate. “Feel good?”“So good,” Seth managed, rocking down onto Saint’s hand, relief in his voice like a prayer answered.Saint let him ride it out, lazy and unhurried. He didn’t need to chase anything. Not tonight. Tonight was about proving a smaller truth, that he could still be soft, that it could still be gentle between them, even after everything.He kissed Seth, swallowing every desperate cry. It took longer than Saint wanted–it always did–but the way Seth finally sighed into his mouth, shoulders unwinding, made patience worth it.“Touch me,” Saint murmured against his lips.Seth hesitated, as if permission might be a trap. But Saint kept his gaze steady until Seth lifted his hand, palm landing over Saint’s heart, sliding over muscle, up the strong line of his throat, lingering at his jaw like he was memorizing the shape of him.“You’re so warm,” Seth whispered, awe threaded through the words, hips still rolling, lips parted like breathing had become work. “You always run so hot.”“You make me that way,” Saint admitted. He caught Seth’s hand, kissing the inside of his wrist before guiding it lower, down the slope of his torso, over the faint ladder of his abs. Seth’s breath grew shallow as Saint moved him further until his fingers brushed the hard line of his cock.Seth froze. “What…”“Shh.” Saint covered Seth’s hand with his own, wrapping them both around his length. He groaned at the contact, not because it was new, but because it was Seth. Because the hand trembling beneath his was one he’d convinced himself he’d never feel again. “You won’t break me. Just touch me.”Seth’s lips parted, breath hot and shaky, but he obeyed, curling his fingers around him. Saint groaned low in his throat, thrusting minutely into the circle they made together.“That’s it,” Saint coaxed, rocking into the grip. “You’re perfect.”Seth blinked up at him, glassy-eyed, falling back into his role so easily. “Really?”“I don’t waste words,” Saint said, rough. He bent and kissed him hard, swallowing the gasp that tore from Seth when he rolled his hips deeper, letting friction steal both their breath.Seth caught on quickly, clumsy at first but gaining confidence as Saint moaned into his mouth. He squeezed tighter, thumb dragging along the slick head, and Saint’s control wavered. He loved when Seth played the nervous virgin almost as much as Seth loved playing it.“God, baby,” he rasped, pressing their foreheads together. “You feel–fuck–you feel so good.”Seth lit up like Saint had handed him something precious. He loved praise. Loved being good. Loved being Saint’s perfect omega. And he was. He really fucking was. He stroked faster, eager now, until Saint caught his wrist before he lost it too soon.“Slow,” Saint urged, pressing their joined hands still. He nosed along Seth’s jaw, voice softer. “We’re not rushing this.”Seth whimpered but stilled, chest heaving. “I just–I want you to feel good.”“I already do.” Saint kissed the corner of his mouth, then the other, lingering until Seth’s frantic edge dulled into something sweeter. “I feel good just being near you, baby. Just being with you.”Seth’s eyes shimmered. “You can’t say things like that. Not after leaving me for weeks.”“I’m sorry,” Saint said simply, kissing him again before rolling them so Seth straddled his waist.The shift startled Seth, but his thighs tightened instinctively around Saint, flush creeping down his chest. Saint’s palms explored, dragging up his back, then down to cup his ass. He squeezed gently, tilting Seth forward until their cocks slid together, trapped slick and hot between their stomachs.Seth gasped, bracing on Saint’s shoulders. “Oh–f-fuck.”Saint groaned, guttural. “Yeah. Just like that. Move with me.”It wasn’t the frantic rutting of the past, desperate to get off. This was slower, a rocking glide that made every nerve ending spark. Seth followed Saint’s lead, hips rolling, their lengths grinding wet and tight. The friction was maddening, the heat overwhelming, but Saint steadied him with hands guiding his hips.“You feel that?” Saint asked, voice ragged.Seth whimpered, burying his face in Saint’s throat. “I hated every second you were gone. I’m so sorry that I–”“Stop,” Saint growled, unyielding, but not unkind. He gripped the back of Seth’s neck and pulled him close until their eyes locked. “I don’t know how many times you need to hear this, but you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m the one who left. I’m the one who ran after I…”Guilt curled tight in his chest. Why was Seth apologizing when he was the one who had almost killed him? The restraints had left scars. The bites had healed, but the grooves remained, a constant reminder of his failure.He looked back just in time to see the fight drain from Seth’s gaze, leaving something rawer behind. “I’m okay. Please don’t shut down on me again.”“Those are going to stay with you forever,” Saint rasped.“So what?” Seth’s hand drifted to his neck, tracing the bite marks. “These are permanent too. I don’t regret them.”“It’s not the same. They didn’t come from that week,” Saint said, voice tight. “They didn’t come from my loss of control.”Seth pressed his hand to his belly. “They did. The baby–babies–whoever’s in there came from that week too. Are you going to look at them the same way you look at those scars?”Saint’s breath punched out of him. “What? Of course not.”“Then can’t we focus on the good that came from it? Please? I don’t want you to look at me and hate what you see.”Saint’s lungs emptied like he’d been kicked. “Jesus, baby. You really know how to gut me. I could never hate looking at you.”Seth rolled his hips, dragging a startled groan from him. “Then stop thinking about that week. Just be here. With me.”When Saint met his gaze, Seth’s eyes were shining, full of something Saint almost couldn’t bear to name. Trust, maybe. Surrender. His hips stuttered, faltered, and Saint steadied him, thrusting up until Seth cried out again.“Saint,” he moaned, broken and reverent. “I–fuck–I love you.”The words hollowed out Saint’s chest, then filled it with something too big to contain. He dragged Seth down and kissed him, devouring the confession, giving his own back in the way his hands shook as they clutched him closer.Their movements turned messy, desperate, as if raw emotion itself drove them. The sound of slick, hot bodies filled the room. Seth rocked harder, throwing restraint away, and Saint let him–encouraged him–with every groan, every praise against his lips. “Good boy,” Saint purred when Seth gasped through another thrust. “So fucking good for me.”Seth shuddered violently, his cock dragging against Saint’s with every grind. His eyes fluttered, mouth falling open, and Saint knew he was close again. He slid a hand between them, wrapping around both their lengths, squeezing them together as he stroked. Seth nearly sobbed, clinging tighter, rutting into Saint’s fist with wild little thrusts.“Alpha–please–I can’t–”“Yes, you can.” Saint’s voice was low, commanding, but threaded with tenderness. “Give it to me. I want to feel you fall apart.”Two more thrusts and Seth cried out, spilling hot between them, body convulsing against Saint’s. The heat, the sound, the sheer beauty of him unraveling dragged Saint over the edge too, release spilling over Seth’s hand, their stomachs, everywhere between them.For a long moment they clung together, shaking and gasping, slick and messy but too sated to care. Saint cradled the back of Seth’s head, pressing his lips into damp curls, whispering against his scalp.“You’re mine. You’ve always been mine.”Seth exhaled, shaky but sure. “Yours. Always.”Saint rolled them onto their sides, still tangled, sheets sticking to their skin. He kissed Seth’s temple, his jaw, the corner of his mouth, small offerings of devotion that made Seth’s lashes flutter heavy with contentment.When Seth finally drifted, Saint stayed awake, stroking his back slowly, memorizing the weight of him. The fear hadn’t vanished–it never did–but for the first time, his need to love Seth was louder.It should have been enough. Seth was limp and warm against him, their cum cooling sticky between them. But when Seth shifted half-asleep, draping a leg over his hip and brushing slick against his thigh, the hunger roared back like it had only been waiting.Saint sucked in a breath. “Seth…”“Mmh?” Seth’s lashes fluttered open, glassy eyes and swollen lips leaving no mistaking the invitation in the tilt of his hips, the squeeze of his leg.“You don’t have to,” Saint said, voice raw. “Not after everything tonight.”“I want to.” Seth’s voice was wrecked but steady. His hand slid down, fumbling until his fingers wrapped around Saint’s cock, already half-hard again. “I want you inside me. I want your knot. Please.”The word cut through him. Please. Not desperate, not bargaining, just a request. Saint cupped his face, forcing his gaze up. “If I do this, it’s not rough. Not like before. Not this time. I need you to understand that.”Seth’s mouth curved soft, almost shy. “I don’t want rough. I just want you.”Saint’s chest clenched. He kissed him, slow and deep. When he pulled away, Seth bit his lip, nerves flickering across his face.Saint smoothed a hand down his side. “Eyes on me, baby. Stay with me. You trust me?”Seth nodded instantly, too fast. “Yes.”Saint’s lips brushed his temple. “Then let me take care of you.”He slid a hand between them, fingers circling Seth’s rim again. A low growl rumbled out when he felt just how wet he still was. “Fuck, baby. You’re drenched. I want to taste you.”Seth whined, pressing down on his fingers. “Later, I promise. Right now, I need you inside me. I need your knot. Please, alpha.” His eyes were wide, a little wild.“Fine,” Saint muttered, heat curling in his gut. “But you’re riding my tongue later. I want to drown in your slick.”Before Seth could protest, Saint gave him what he wanted. The omega gasped, thighs twitching, but didn’t flinch away. Saint pushed slow, deliberate, easing past the tight ring of muscle until he was buried to the knuckles. Seth’s nails dug crescents into his bicep, but his voice was breathless with wonder.“Feels…so good.”Saint worked him open with care, whispering praise at every stretch. By the time he slid in a fourth finger, Seth was panting, forehead pressed to Saint’s collarbone.“Relax,” Saint soothed, stroking his back with his free hand. “Breathe with me.”Seth matched him, chest rising and falling in sync. The tension melted, letting Saint press deeper.“Perfect,” Saint whispered, his own voice trembling now. “So perfect for me.”When Seth finally whimpered, “I’m ready,” Saint didn’t argue. “Roll over, baby.” Seth did as he asked, lying on his belly. Saint hiked his hips up, murmuring, “Already forgotten how to present for your alpha?” Seth moaned, hips rocking back. Saint slicked himself thoroughly, lined up, and paused. One hand steadied at Seth’s hip. “Last chance to tell me no.”Seth craned his head back to look at him, pupils blown, his answer a whisper, “I’ll never tell you no.”Saint groaned at the weight of it and pressed forward, slow, inch by inch. Seth’s mouth fell open, eyes squeezing shut, a broken moan spilling out.“Oh, holy fuck,” he gasped. “More. Please, more. Please…”Saint obeyed, pushing until he was seated fully, balls flush to Seth’s ass. The heat and tightness nearly undid him. He dropped his forehead to Seth’s shoulder, panting.“Fuck, you feel–” He broke off with a guttural sound. “You feel like home. Like heaven.”Seth trembled beneath him, fingers clenched in the pillow beneath him. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”Saint began to move, shallow at first, listening for any noise of discomfort. But Seth only keened, rocking back into every thrust.Saint draped over him, mouth moving over his neck, his shoulder, tasting whatever skin he came in contact with. It was nothing like before. Not frantic. Not punishing. Just deep, steady slides that kept them pressed close enough for Seth to turn and kiss him between moans. Saint kissed him back every time, dizzy from the intimacy as much as the pleasure.“You’re doing so good,” Saint rasped, pace quickening when Seth canted his hips. “So good for me. You always take me like you were made for me.”“Yes,” Seth gasped, voice breaking. “Made for you. Only you.”Saint’s control shredded. He thrust harder, deeper, hips snapping with need, but he never pulled out far enough to let Seth feel empty. His knot swelled with each pass, pressing past Seth’s entrance and dragging wanton cries from him.Seth’s cries turned desperate, head tipped, throat bared in surrender. Saint latched onto the hollow of his throat, sucking until Seth shook and sobbed. “Bite me,” he begged, incoherent with need. “Please, alpha, claim me again–”“Mine,” Saint growled. “You’re mine. You’ll always be mine. You and our pups.”“Yours,” Seth choked, shuddering as Saint found that spot inside him again and again. “God, I’m so close. Please, bite me. Please…”Saint took Seth in hand, stroking hard; his rhythm turned brutal, every thrust driving them higher. Seth’s whole body bowed, caught between pleasure and panic, his voice breaking on Saint’s name.That did it. Saint’s knot swelled thick and locked them together as he sank his teeth into his mating mark, breaking the scar, blood flooding his mouth. Seth wailed as he came, spilling hot over Saint’s hand. The clench around him dragged Saint under, a roar tearing from his chest as he emptied himself, grinding to the hilt.For a long, wild moment there was nothing but panting breath and the thrum of two hearts in sync.Saint eased them onto their sides, still joined, still trembling. He brushed sweat-soaked hair from Seth’s forehead, kissed him tenderly, then licked at the wound until the bleeding slowed.“That’s what it was supposed to be,” Saint whispered.Seth glanced back at him, his eyes shining, tears and sweat blurring together. “That’s what it was. It’s what it always is with us, no matter how rough you get.”Saint swallowed. The words burrowed under every scar he’d ever carried. He kissed Seth’s temple, his plush cheek, his damp hair, voice breaking. “You let me take too much from you. I don’t deserve you.”Seth sighed, exhausted and glowing, still bound by the knot, still safe.Saint held him long into the quiet, his hand stroking his hip, his other arm trapped beneath his head. For the first time in a long time the silence felt like peace. He watched the slow rise and fall of Seth’s chest; lashes fluttered against flushed cheeks, lips parted in soft, uneven breaths. He looked wrecked. Beautiful. Untouchable in a way that hollowed Saint out.Seth shifted, groaning as the knot tugged, eyes blinking open, hazy and soft. “You’re here.”Saint frowned. “Where else would I be?”Seth’s mouth twitched, almost a smile, but his eyes still held that bruise of doubt. “I thought I dreamed this. I thought you were still–”The words cut like a blade. Saint kissed his temple, desperate to soothe the sting. “I told you. I’ll never leave you like that again.”“You promise?” Seth’s voice was so small it gutted him.Saint forced him to look up, fingers curling under his chin. “Listen to me. I know I was an ass. I know running away was stupid. Even now my alpha is taunting me, but I’ll ignore him. I’ll keep ignoring him until he shuts the fuck up. I’ll never run away again. Ever. If I do, you can send the others to kick my ass. Except maybe Ollie. Fuck, he’s scary now with a baby in there.”Seth’s lashes clumped with fresh tears, but he laughed. “He really is.”The knot finally eased enough for Saint to slide free, slick warmth seeping between them. He grabbed the edge of the sheet and wiped them down gently. Seth watched him the whole time, wide-eyed, like he was afraid if he closed his eyes it really would turn out to be just a dream.Saint caught the look and kissed him softly. Seth whimpered, clutching him, kissing back with a desperation that set Saint’s chest on fire.The kiss turned sloppy and lingering; Seth’s hands roamed like he needed proof Saint was real. When he finally broke away, he whispered, “I’m so glad you’re back. But don’t think the pack won’t drag us into the nest tomorrow night. Be prepared to grovel.”Saint cupped his face, pressing their foreheads together with a low laugh. “I’ll bring my knee-pads.”They lay tangled for a long time after, sweat cooling, sheets twisted. Saint stroked lazy patterns over Seth’s back, letting him drift, keeping him grounded with every touch.Eventually Seth whispered again, eyes half-closed. “Do you really think our baby is in there?”“Yes, no doubt,” Saint said. “But if I’m wrong, we’ll keep trying until it takes.”“What if there’s two? Or three?” Seth mumbled sleepily. “What if I suck as a dad? What if I do something crazy while I’m off my meds?”“Even if there’s a dozen, you’ll be amazing. We have a whole village to raise this baby. I promise it will be okay.”“Even if I get fat and ugly and my stretch marks get worse and–”Saint cut him off with a kiss, laughing, incredulous. “Baby, do you think the only reason I’m here is your looks? You undo me by breathing. Even if I couldn’t see, I’d still be obsessed. I like how soft you are. I like your stretch marks. I like everything about you.” “People say that…” Seth trailed.“You’ve seen how we all dote on Ollie. His body is changing every day and we can’t get enough of him. It’ll be no different with you. Hell, it’ll be a thousand times worse. You’ve got five alphas obsessed with coddling you and two omegas who spend half their lives with their heads between your legs. There isn’t a thing about you that could change how people feel about you.” He smiled. “You’re stuck with us.”Seth smiled then, shy and radiant, before hiding his face again. “You are so good at making me feel better.”Saint huffed a soft laugh, kissing the back of his head. “Good. Let's get some sleep. You need your rest. Tomorrow you’re calling Win and then we’re gonna find you a doctor.”“I think-I think I might just stick with Win. I don’t trust Evil, Inc but I trust her. I don’t think she has bad intentions.”“Whatever you want, baby. Whatever you want.” He curled around Seth, holding him tight, hand on his belly. Letting him fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat. Making sure Seth knew he was right there. That he wasn’t going anywhere.