I nosed the patch of hair above his cock, inhaling it. Len made an embarrassed little sound, which was adorable. I ran my hand over his thighs to calm him. I didn’t want him to be ashamed of his body in any way, shape or form.

  “Hugo,” he murmured.

  I grunted in reply. My face was busy nuzzling the lower half of his body.

  “You haven’t undressed yet,” Len commented.

  “It’s not about me right now,” I said. “Tonight I worship you.”

  He let out a small, very hare-like squeak. “Worship?”

  I raised my head to make eye contact with him. His eyes were shimmering and wide, glazed with the anticipation of pleasure.

  “When I found out you were pregnant, it was the happiest moment of my life, alongside when I found out you were my fated mate,” I told him. “Knowing you’re carrying my children also makes you ten times sexier.”

  Len slapped a hand over his mouth. His cheeks were redder than the layers of auburn soil in the canyon walls.

  “Relax,” I ordered in a gentle growl. “Let me pleasure you now.”

  His hand slipped away and he nodded slowly. I waited until the tension bled out of Len’s frame and he lay comfortably against the slab of smooth stone before beginning.

  I kneeled on the ground between Len’s legs so he was the only thing filling my vision. His cock twitched against his thigh, waiting for me. I took it gently and pumped it to full hardness, which didn’t take long. Len squirmed but didn’t tense. That was my cue to go on.

  I parted my lips to wrap them around Len’s firm shaft. The sensitive flesh twitched and Len gasped. He dug his nails into the stone.

  The heady, musky scent of his arousal went straight to my balls. I felt intoxicated, like I was drunk on it. I took his cock into my wet mouth. Strings of saliva dripped down the corners of my lips as I took him deeper.

  “Hugo!” Len called in a thin cry.

  I’d never had a strong gag reflex, which I was grateful for as I took my mate’s cock down to the base. Len’s mouth hung open in a silent gasp and his eyes rolled back in pleasure. The tight, hot feeling of Len’s dick filling my mouth and cutting off my air was intensely arousing. I pulled back to fill my lungs, then immediately returned. I couldn’t get enough of him. The sound and sight of Len writhing in pleasure was its own reward.

  My own cock strained in my pants, desperate for attention. Arousal filled my brain like fog. I awkwardly pushed down my pants enough to free my cock, then fisted it. My main priority wasn’t my own pleasure—it was taking care of my mate.

  I deepthroated Len, sucking him as far as he’d go then taking breaks for air. His cock twitched and glistened with pre-cum and my own saliva. His head was red and throbbing for release. I noticed his hole was dripping, too. Omega fluids trickled down his ass into a pool at the base of the rock he laid on.

  Len muttered something I couldn’t hear.

  “What’s that, my mate?” I asked.

  “Fuck me.”

  An electric shiver ran down my spine. I leapt up, straddling him. The arousal burning in the pit of my stomach flared like gas thrown on a fire. My cock lined up with his slick hole and I entered him easily. Len grit his teeth and clenched down on me, his muscles milking the pleasure out of my cock. I groaned.

  “Shit, that feels good,” I grunted.

  Len wrapped a leg around my back. He breathed heavily with lust clouding his eyes. “Fuck me. Please. Cum inside me again.”

  My head spun. The sight of him prone before me, his naked body for my eyes only, was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. The intense scent of omega musk flooded my senses.

  Passion took over. I thrust into Len’s ass back and forth, and he arched his back to meet me halfway.

  It wasn’t until I’d built a steady rhythm that I noticed that Len was banging out a rhythm, too.

  I paused my thrusts, but his leg kept going. I grinned.

  “Why’d you stop?” Len complained, opening his eyes to glare at me.

  “You were thumping your leg like a hare,” I told him.

  Len’s leg fell and he blushed. “W-why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  I chuckled and kissed his nose. “Because it was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  He wrinkled his nose, a gesture that looked a lot like something a hare would do. I could practically see his little whiskers twitching.

  “Shut up and keep fucking me, wolf,” Len grumbled.

  I laughed and kissed him again. We fell into a regular pace again, with me thrusting into Len and him rocking his body. Pleasure blossomed until it seeped into my every limb.

  My body was alive, each of my senses bursting with love. It was a high no drug could ever give. I captured Len’s mouth in a passionate kiss, which he returned with equal fervor. I knew at once he felt the same way I did, that the same emotions had enraptured him.

  His body arched into me. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him tight. With my cock buried deep inside him and our mouths locked in a kiss, we were as close as two people could physically be.

  My knot swelled, not slowly but at once, and stretched Len further. He writhed and groaned. I shifted my hips. My cock brushed against a spot inside Len that made him gasp sharply.

  “Hugo,” he whispered. The pleasure made him lose his voice.

  “I’ve got you,” I promised.

  I hit that spot again. Len’s head rolled back and he cried out in a strangled way. I fucked him until Len was begging and pleading for more. Neither of us could last much longer. I sank into him, my cock entirely disappearing inside him, and felt release rush over me. I roared as I filled Len with an endless stream of cum. Len clutched my arms, digging his nails in as his own orgasm hit him in an intense wave. Stripes of white splattered over his belly.

  A both we’d both been holding was released as the spike of pleasure rolled over and away from us. I collapsed on top of Len, careful not to crush him. Our breaths mingled as we struggled to fill our lungs.

  When the swelling had gone down, I popped my cock out. Len sighed at the empty feeling that followed. I watched smugly as a thick rivulet of cum trickled down his ass. It filled me with a stupid amount of glee knowing that it was my fault.

  “Do wolf shifters always cum this much?” Len asked with a playfully raised brow.

  A growl entered my voice. “If I say yes, are you gonna go run off to find another?”

  He laughed and gently flicked my forehead. “Idiot. Hell no. Besides, you already claimed me, remember?” He patted the skin near his shoulder where I’d left a mark. “We’re…”

  I waited for him to say it.

  “Fated,” Len finally finished.

  “We are.” I kissed him, cradling his cheek. “I love you, Len.”

  His face burned hot beneath my hand. “I love you, too, you dumb wolf. Now let’s get cleaned up and head back before the whole pack realizes we snuck out to fuck.”

  I chuckled. “Pretty sure it’s already too late for that, my little hare.”

  13

  Len

  With the new knowledge of my pregnancy, we set off the following morning to continue our journey across the canyon. I’d thought that the wolf pack was already nice towards me, but after learning that I carried children, everyone regarded me with a higher level of respect and reverence. Hell, I wasn’t gonna complain—after spending my whole life in a warren that used me as a scapegoat, it was nice to be respected for a change.

  We travelled in our shifted forms to make better time. The canyon wasn’t so much dangerous as it was boring. It was yellow-brown sandy earth wherever you looked, with a riveting stripe of red soil every now and then. If you were really lucky, you’d see a funny-shaped rock.

  “Hey!” Sage called from behind us, falling into the trap of one such rock. “This one’s shaped like a penis!”

  I laughed while Dax groaned.

  “Len, don’t encourage him,” Dax muttered.

  But it was too late. I’d veered off course to visit Sage and his dick-rock. Ever since breeding with Hugo for the first time, I felt almost paternal towards the two younger omegas in the pack. As the oldest omega and the only one to undergo pregnancy, it felt like it was my responsibility to teach them and care for them. I didn’t mind, of course, since I’d been watching youngsters all my life and enjoyed it.

  “Wow, that is a pretty phallic rock,” I said.

  “See?” Sage wagged his tail, glad to have someone agree with him.

  Remington brought up the rear, walking behind us as he always did. As he passed, he rolled his eyes. “You’re so immature, Sage.”

  “I’m plenty mature,” Sage argued. “I just think rocks shaped like dicks are funny. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “They are pretty funny,” I added.

  Remington let out a scoff and walked on. I had a feeling that, despite being included in the group hug, he still didn’t feel like a fully-fledged pack member. I could understand why—he was the only wolf who wasn’t related to the others, and he wasn’t bonded to anyone the way I was bonded to Hugo. There was nothing keeping him here except a loose sense of attachment.

  “Why do you have to be so mean?” Sage asked, bumping Remington’s shoulder with his own. I frowned sympathetically. When they stood next to each other like that, Remington’s thin frame was quite noticeable.

  “I’m not mean. I just live in the real world, where survival is more important than crude jokes,” Remington grumbled.

  I hopped ahead to flank Remington’s other side. “Survival is important,” I added, wanting Remington to feel supported. “But it’s also good to find joy in little things.”

  Remington flicked his tail irritably. “Guess I don’t find as much joy in shit that you two do.”

  “What’s your problem, man?” Sage asked.

  The thin black wolf whirled on Sage with teeth bared. “What’s your problem?”

  “Hey, back off!” Sage’s hackles rose. He was fit and healthy, and with his golden fur risen he looked almost twice Remington’s size. “I’m not trying to start a fight with you.”

  Wanting to cut the tension, I thrust myself in between the two young wolves. “Hey, cool it, guys,” I said loudly. “We’re hot and tired, and it’s making us cranky. Let’s just keep moving, okay?”

  From the corner of my eye I noticed Hugo and Dax had paused and were watching the scene as if judging whether they should interfere or not. There was a trusting look in Hugo’s eyes, like he knew I’d handle it. That little expression filled me with pride. Even though I was a hare, he had faith in me to deal with a conflict between two wolves.

  I guess I am the highest-ranked omega in our pack, since I’m mated to an alpha and carrying his children, I thought.

  But my words didn’t calm the tension at all. Remington bared his teeth and a growl built loudly in his throat. He looked more pissed off than ever.

  I turned to him. “Rem, what’s wrong?”

  “Don’t call me that!” he snapped.

  At his outburst, I heard Hugo snarl and snap his teeth. “Watch it, punk. That’s my mate you’re talking to.”

  “Hugo, it’s okay,” I said. I didn’t want him to push Remington over the edge. “Remington, if there’s something bothering you, you can tell me.”

  Bitterness flashed in Remington’s eyes. “Who are you, the omega who birthed me?”

  My jaw dropped. Before I could respond, he turned and fled into a side-gulley, disappearing behind a wall of rock.

  Sage sat down with a thump. “What the hell was that about?”

  Hugo quickly hurried to my side and nuzzled me. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

  “No, don’t worry,” I said, giving his snout a calming pat with my paw. “I don’t know what happened. He was fine one second, then angry the next…”

  We stared in the direction he’d run off in, but he didn’t return.

  “Just leave him,” Dax ordered. “He’ll come slinking back with his tail between his legs when he gets hungry.”

  “We can’t abandon him, he’s part of the pack!” I argued.

  “We didn’t abandon him. He’s the one who ran off,” Dax said calmly. “And like I said, I doubt he’ll be gone long. Don’t stress yourself out about it, Len.”

  “Dax is right,” Hugo said. “It’s not good for the babies.”

  I sat with a frown. Anxiety wasn’t healthy for developing babies, they were right, but that didn’t mean I could drop all my concerns like a bucket of water. I felt responsible for Remington, even if the rest of them didn’t.

  “Come on.” Hugo nuzzled me gently. “Look, the weather’s turning overcast. We’ll make better time travelling without the sun beating down on us.”

  I raised my head to see the sun slowly being overtaken by a herd of clouds. They were dark, promising rain. At least it was a nice reprieve from the heat, but I couldn’t help but feeling the foul weather matched the atmosphere of the pack.

  With another glance at where Remington had gone, but with no sign of him, I sighed and continued walking.

  “You’ve been quiet,” Hugo remarked when we found a place to rest that evening. It was our second night in the canyon, and if the information Remington told us was correct, then we’d be out by tomorrow.

  But Remington was the problem. He hadn’t returned like Dax said he would and I was getting concerned he’d never come back.

  “I’m worried about Rem,” I admitted quietly.

  We rested in our human forms in a shallow depression beneath the rock face. There was enough of an overhang to protect us from the rain if the storm decided to break. Hugo took my hand and rubbed his thumb over the back of it in calming circles.

  “I think Dax is right. He won’t be gone long,” Hugo said.

  “But he has been gone long,” I argued. “He’s been gone all day and there’s still no sign of him!”

  Hugo frowned. There was sympathy in his gaze, but I knew it was for me and my concern, not Remington.

  “Len, remember that he was alone for a long time before he joined the pack,” Hugo pointed out. “He’s obviously capable of taking care of himself.”

  “Yeah, and look how well he did it,” I said, annoyed. “He’s thin and frail.”

  Hugo didn’t argue. He glanced out into the descending darkness. Even as a man, I knew the smell of impending rain was thick in the air. Thunder rumbled. Any moment now the storm would break. The idea of Remington out there soaking wet and alone in the night made my heart clench.

  I made my decision. I stood suddenly and announced, “I’m going after him.”

  “Len—”

  “Don’t argue with me, Hugo, please.”

  Hugo got up and faced me patiently. “I know you feel responsible for taking care of him because you did the same in your old warren, but right now your biggest priority should be our babies.”

  “I’m not that fragile. A little rain won’t hurt them.”

  “I know.” Hugo frowned and ran his hand softly over my belly. “But if you get sick…”

  I paused. The idea of inadvertently hurting my babies was awful, but the rain hadn’t broken yet. There was still time to find Remington and return before the storm.

  “He deserves our help, Hugo,” I murmured.

  Hugo sighed deeply. I puffed up my chest.

  “If you’re gonna tell me not to go, then don’t bother,” I said. “I’ve already made up my mind.”

  A smirk toyed at the edge of Hugo’s lips. “That’s not what I was going to say.”

  “What, then?”

  He took my hand and smiled. “I’m going with you.”

  “Oh.” I blushed, feeling silly for jumping to conclusions. “Okay. Thank you.”

  He nodded, kissed my lips and then we set off without another word. With Dax and Sage already asleep, I wanted to return before they woke. But with a cloudy night obscuring the light and our charge being a small black wolf, it was going to be a race against time.

  Hugo shifted and scented the air before loping off. I followed along as a man, too nervous in the night to become my hare. It felt safer to be larger.

  “The source of his scent is back there,” Hugo told me.

  We backtracked to where the fork in the canyon merged into one again. If Remington had taken the opposite path, there still should have been a trace of him when the path unified. There was no where else for him to go.

  “He should be here,” Hugo mumbled. “But the scent is faint.”

  “Why?” I cried. I scanned the canyon walls but it was dark and the lack of light from even the stars or moon made everything more difficult.

  As if matching my foul mood, thunder rumbled above us. A second later I felt the first drop of rain on my face.

  I groaned. “Shit. Where is he?”

  The rain quickly turned from a droplet here and there to a full-out downpour. Hugo pressed against my leg.

  “Len, we have to take cover,” he growled. “There’s no use searching for him like this. He’s probably hiding as well.”

  I sighed, knowing he was right. “Okay.”

  Hugo scented out an old animal den that we huddled in together. Rain splashed the ground near the entrance, but Hugo put his body in between me and the rain so I wouldn’t get wet. He remained in wolf form so I could huddle against his warm fur. I laced my fingers through it with a sigh. He was gorgeous in either form and I’d never get tired of touching him.

  “Are you cold?” he asked.

  “No.” I smiled slightly. “Thanks to you. But you’re getting wet for my sake.”

  “All I care about is your comfort and safety. I can take a little rain.”

  I snorted. “Funny. I said the same thing earlier and you acted like it was a big deal.”

  “It is a big deal when it happens to my mate,” he said haughtily.

  I chuckled and gave up. There was no use arguing when Hugo got into one of his big protective alpha moods. But I loved when he acted that way. It made me feel secure and cared for in a way I’d never been before.