the living room. He spun around and hurried to the boy’s side.
The coals in the fireplace still glowed, making the living room feel much warmer than the rest of the house. Travis immediately felt uncomfortably hot. He should open the window and…
The scent accosted him about ten feet away from the sofa. To his horror, Travis’s mouth watered, his muscles tensed, and his nostrils flared. His cock grew hard in an instant, the base tingling with a familiar pressure. The delicious, entrancing scent filled his underbelly with molten desire and muddled his brain.
How could he have been so stupid?
The stranger was in heat.
Shit.
But he looked so young. He must be older than he seemed. And how come Travis hadn’t smelled him before? There would have been dry slick on his skin. You found him in the fucking river, Travis. Of course, you couldn’t smell him.
“I’m sorry,” his guest rasped.
“It’s not your fault,” Travis gritted out, still frozen in the middle of the room, fighting his body’s primitive reaction to the potent scent. What was he supposed to do now? Go away? He couldn’t just leave the boy in agony for hours, alone. A man. Not a boy. A young omega in heat, here in his chalet. Well, this is a fucking disaster.
Another groan, another whimper. The slim, wiry body convulsed under the blankets.
His fists clenched, muscles vibrating, Travis frantically rummaged in his mind for something, anything. There were devices. Engineered sex toys for omegas so they could survive the ten days of torturous need without a partner. But Travis had nothing like that here. Birdsview was only a short ride away, but the store barely had toothpaste and shaving supplies, let alone advanced sex toys. Oh, and the road had been flooded. Fuck.
“Please!”
The young man’s body bowed, and the blanket slid off. Travis immediately squeezed his eyes shut. He planted his feet firmly on the floor so he wouldn’t go closer before he had a plan. He needed a plan.
“Help me!”
“I can’t. There’s nothing I can do. I have nothing.”
“Help! Please!”
The omega’s teeth chattered, nails scraped over the sofa cushions, but Travis refused to look up. His muscles were coiled to pounce. I can’t. I can’t do this to him.
“You don’t know me. I can’t take advantage of you.”
“Not…taking advantage. Just. No. Augh!”
Panting breaths, growls, pained whimpers.
Travis ground his teeth together. I can’t leave him here. I can’t go closer to him. I can’t do anything. Fucking shit! Think!
Another wail. Louder.
“Please! It hurts. Fuck, it hurts!”
A deep, guttural groan.
Damn, the scent! Don’t look. Don’t look at him.
He could turn around and leave. Lock the chalet and wait outside. Travis had heard about omegas seriously injuring themselves, though, even killing themselves. He could tie him up. Hold him down if necessary. And then what? Wait until the heat wave went away? He might as well torture him.
What the fuck was the man doing in the middle of the woods alone? During his first heat?
After a few seconds of quiet panting, the shaky voice rose again. No words this time, just a few whimpers, and then a long scream of anguish. Travis’s hands shook.
The scent grew stronger still. Then a thud sounded in the room.
Travis’s eyes flew open against his will. His cock wept inside his underwear, his balls tightened to his body, and he moaned at the sight in front of him.
The slender young body writhed on the floor, twisting in agony. The omega rose to his knees and reached out to Travis, only to crumple again. Both hands on his groin, he kneaded his hard dick and balls. Fingers scrabbled into his crease, trying to push inside himself. His wiry muscles bulged, and his skin glistened with a sheen of sweat. He was beautiful. And he was suffering. Every cell in Travis’s body gravitated toward the delightful scent, every instinct screaming at him to touch and soothe.
“Don’t leave me like this,” the man forced out.
“I can’t. I can’t use you.”
“Mercy…please…have mercy.”
He’s begging for mercy.
The word broke something inside Travis. Help him. Don’t think. Protect, soothe. Fuck him. It’s the only way you can help him. Fuck him. As Travis gave in to his instincts, the tidal wave of energy surprised him. For a split second, he could have crushed boulders with his bare hands as raw strength streamed through his limbs. In three strides, he was by the man’s side, throwing his shirt away, undoing buttons, and pushing his jeans down his legs. He needs skin on skin.
“Shh. I got