with him.” But he did like the man, didn’t he? Those turquoise eyes, his voice, his whispered words before he fell asleep again. “He’s beautiful. Gentle. His scent is incredible.”
“And if he needs you, do you want him to stay for the entire heat?”
Travis didn’t need to think about it. “Yes.”
“Then treat him right.”
“I will, Dad.”
“Good. He’s lucky it was you who found him, Travis.”
Travis couldn’t reply.
“I guess I’m going shopping,” his dad said cheerfully.
“You’re a star, Dad. I love you.”
“I know. I love you too, Travis. Message me how he’s doing, okay?”
Travis spent the morning hovering around in his bedroom. The hardwired predisposition of an alpha didn’t allow him to leave the young man in his bed for more than a few minutes. Travis got nervous and irritated every time he ventured out of the room. His pheromone-saturated body had decided that the man was his omega now, demanding he protect him at all times during the heat. Too tired to fight his nature, he’d brought his coffee upstairs and answered some work-related emails on his laptop, leaning against the headboard by the sleeping man’s side.
Around lunchtime, his guest woke up abruptly, disoriented. He sat up on Travis’s oversized bed, and when he noticed Travis sitting next to him, he scrambled away. Then he paused by the headboard, knees to his chest, staring at Travis anxiously.
Travis handed him the blanket, and the young man wrapped himself up quickly, hiding his naked body while Travis placed the laptop on the nightstand. The man observed him with wide, terrified eyes.
Heaven help me. He looks so young.
The omega’s unusual beauty physically hurt to see, and Travis felt like a criminal for having touched the perfect creature. They’d already fucked twice, his guest half-asleep for most of the second heat wave they went through together, and Travis still didn’t know anything about him.
“What’s your name?”
A few seconds of hesitation and then, “Micah.”
Micah. Travis had simply called him Beautiful in his mind when they lay together in the early morning hours, limbs intertwined, bodies joined.
“Hi, Micah. I’m—”
“Travis. I know. You told me.”
“You remember?”
“Yeah.”
“You could’ve died, Micah.”
“I get that now. I didn’t know it would be so bad.”
“It’s your first heat?”
“Yes.” Micah nodded and looked around nervously. Then his skittish gaze met Travis’s again. “Are you going to… Would you help me again?”
Well, shit. Straight to the point, then. And Travis wanted to. His body had already decided for him when he’d knotted Micah, but his conscience didn’t allow him to answer right away. Make sure he knows he has options.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty. I’ll be twenty-one next month.” Young to be in heat already, and he looked even younger.
“Do you have someone I can call? Someone who cares about you. You shouldn’t have to do this with a stranger.”
“No. Please don’t tell anyone I’m here.”
“Why?”
“They’re looking for me. I can’t tell you anything. They can’t find me. Not when I’m like this.”
While in heat, Micah was at his most vulnerable. For the next week, he’d be defenseless. If someone out there wanted to hurt him? Travis cringed. How horrible must his situation be that he’d rather share his first heat with a stranger?
While Travis thought of what to say next, Micah blinked, opening and closing his mouth. Then his enchanting features crumpled into a defeated grimace. “I’m disrupting your life. I didn’t even ask if you were with someone. Married. I…”
“I can help you, but I need to be sure that you fully understand what it means. For both of us.”
Micah lowered his eyes, then spoke quietly. “It means you’ll have to fuck me every time I get like that. I know you didn’t sign up for this. I’m so sorry. Maybe I could… Shit.” He hid his face in his hands and rubbed, the blanket sliding down one shoulder. Travis’s nature demanded, ordered him to touch Micah, wrap himself around his mate, and shield him from anyone and everyone who would dare to come close.
Pheromones, Travis. You’re so screwed. He fisted his hands and held still.
“Micah, I’ve already knotted you. Twice.”
Micah’s arms dropped to his sides, blanket pooling around his hips. His chin wobbled, and wetness glistened in his eyes. “I’m so fucking sorry.”
Travis barked out an exasperated laugh. “You have nothing to apologize for. It’s not like I suffered through fucking you, okay? You felt it, right? How I reacted to you?” He shook his head. “I don’t want to hurt you. Whatever happened to you, I don’t want to make it