He felt the ache in his teeth, venom spilling from his fangs. His face was hot. He saw her then, how she angled her neck, pulled at the leather. An offering. There was a small smile on her lips.
"Go ahead. It's the least I can do." Her voice was soft, softer as she gazed at him with something odd in her eyes. "You saved my life again, you took care of me through the night." She murmured and there was a rush through his veins, a bite of guilt when his eyes darted to her leg. Her eyes were bright when they locked with his own, honeyed in the light. "Thank you." Her fingers tugged at the collar of her shirt.
"Stop." His mouth watered tongue dry and begging for rich, rich velvet and fruit. His cock throbbed at the idea of it, running hot into his belly. "I don't want your blood."
He didn't want a woman's blood tainting his lips–But God it'd taste like heaven, like sin, like everything good–His stomach growled again, louder this time. He wouldn't be able to hold his Omega back if he had her in his arms, her blood in his mouth.
Quinn gestured and he dug his fingers into the flesh of his arm.
"I insist."
"I–" he turned pink. "But you're still weak."
"I'll be fine."
"I can't," he shook his head, cheeks pink. "I won't be able to hold back with your blood in my mouth." His voice pitched higher, his pants felt tighter.
"Hold back?" She regarded him and he believed that his face betrayed his truth, the redness of it stretching far to his shoulders. But she didn't seem to notice. "Don't worry," there was a kindness in her eyes. "I'll stop you."
"You don't understand," his voice was breathy. There was a sweetness in the air and it seemed to draw a haze over his eyes.
"Come here," she nodded to him. There was something in her voice that turned his head mushy. "I'll be okay."
"I-I…"
"You were gnawing on me, you must be starving–"
"Y-you don't understand," his mind was a mess as he blurted the words in a weak, whiny tone. He tried to remind himself that this was a woman that looked like Euodia. But he couldn't see her in Quinn's eyes, not when she looked at him like this. "Alpha, I'm not hungry that way."
"Z," she murmured, and Zen was suddenly yearning to tell her his name so that she could whisper it to him. Zen, Zen, Zen. "You won't drink me dry."
Her voice was a timbre that had his slick spilling from him creamy and sweet. It flowed, sticky and hot as it ran down his thighs.
This was nothing like Euodia, Euodia who'd send his heart racing in a beat so fast it was akin to fear. Euodia who'd make his guts churn and his heart sink. With Quinn he was flighty, he was soaring.
"Alpha," Zen moaned, eyes hazy, lost in the need of it all. His thighs squeezed together. "A-Alpha I'm hungry," he squeaked, the pant escaping his throat in a breathy whine. "I'm-I'm so hungry."
"Come here." And he was there, his arms around her holding on, eyes wide, a moan dripping from his tongue. His cheeks pressed to the column of her throat. He lifted himself, straddling her waist.
"I'm so, so hungry," he whispered, fingers laced around her neck, hair falling. "For you." His cheeks grew warmer, body heating up. His fey tasted her, sucking down emotions and feelings. "I w-want you so much it hurts. G-gods please touch me, touch–"
"What?"
His eyes widened, his fey tasting only the zesty tang of surprise, the sweet arousal gone. And her eyes moved down to the bulge in his pants. The shock was obvious and this had him growing horribly embarrassed. The alarm in her eyes was a slap to the cheek.
Rejection.
There was a flush on his face then as he moved back with a grunt. His horror echoing in the stumble of his feet. His fingers on the door pulling it. His eyes shifted to the floor, stopping as the snow drifted through.
"Stay," he hissed, " I'll get the doctor."
"Z–"
And then he left, feet darting across the snow. He slammed himself into the outhouse. The air was frosty as he panted, pants jerked down roughly. His cock sprung free weeping and ready, his ass spilling with slick that ran down his thighs.
He forced a finger deep pass his rim and another around the thick shaft of his heavy cock. God, he was ready so fucking ready to cum it hurt. He closed his eyes tasted the traces of her skin, the burn of her musky scent in the air.
"Fuck, I want it," he hissed, pre-cum dripping down his wrist. "I want my Alpha." His whimpers were breathy. "My beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Alpha."
In his head was the image of Quinn. Quinn naked and waiting, Quinn with her legs parted. The bristle of hair, the gradient of bubblegum pink to rose red, parted chubby folds to the swollen perk of a tiny bud-like clit.
But his mind was drawn to the forbidden hole between, the space that Alphas never allowed for an Omega for it was blasphemy. But for Quinn, his Omega wanted to sink into that slick pussy and fill it full with him.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!"
His cum was ropey as it spurted into the snow. Each spasm, each pulse had his knees shaking as his body squirting juices down his thighs and spurting out of swollen balls. His fingers digging hard against his prostate, milking his orgasm. It took a minute for him to calm down, his body shuddering against the walls, venom sweet in his mouth.
Later while the doctor saw to his Alpha, he stood outside with a bag of cold blood that tasted like ash. For deep down Z knew he'd rather die then allow that peach scent to soil and dip into fear.
Quinn
Her soulmate spent the better half of the morning with his face in her throat, and his teeth lightly nibbling at her skin. But he'd been bright red when he parted from her, just as horrified, just as disturbed. And when he'd whined later she'd been torn.
Z was beautiful despite the mask plastered tight to his face. Long stretched out legs, tapered waist, the mop of his bedhead haloed over the pillow, the pout of his lips.
Perhaps it was merely an act, but Quinn had been endeared. Her clit tingled from the imprint of his lips on her skin, and her body burned from his touch. The whine on his lips had been divine.
Z was her soulmate.
He was hers, and for the first time in her life she had a soulmate. God, Quinn didn't know if she believed Search, if its words could be trusted. And a part of her struggled to believe the system.
But there was a newfound reason to stay in Hemlock knowing that Z could be hers. Z who was hot and cold. But hidden under that snapping rudeness was a man that was kind, sweet and needy.
And for her soulmate, Quinn didn't mind allowing him to slip into her heart. It was, after all, so easy to like an Omega that seemed to care.
He brought her food, a plate of soup, meat and medicine. And then watched her eat, perched on the table, growling when she left a bite or two. Her hands were too shaky to finish it all, and then he was there with the spoon, feeding her with a gentle touch.
There was kindness in him, one that he seemed determined to snuff out and hide away. He purred when she licked her spoon clean, then stopped when she looked at him, cleared his throat.He scoffed as if the action meant nothing, cheeks a rosy pink. Cutlery clattered back in the bowl.
"I spent hours looking after you," he told her curtly.
Gone was the man that wailed for her touch, eyes glazed and body steaming with arousal. He'd been embarrassed then, horrified when she'd gaped at him in shock.
But his reaction soothed her, told her that he'd touch her only if she wanted it as much as he did. And Z tried so desperately to hide his want for her. It was almost hilarious, watching him attempt to be cold and distant.
" I will not allow you to fall ill. I've wasted plenty of precious resources." He snapped, brows furrowed.
"Of course," she nodded solemnly, folded her hands. "I would hate to be a burden to the house. I'm sorry."
And then there was that strange wide eyed blink from him, a glance at her as if he was confused by her response, as if he anticipated the same rudeness from her.
Reading Z was strangely easy with eyes so expressive they were perfect windows to his soul.
"You're no trouble," he stated softly, his fingers stretched lingering in the air around her. They closed, dropping back to his side. His eyes were ambers when they looked at her again, the sweetness in his voice peculiar. "But you should take care of yourself because we don't have medicine out here. If you were to fall ill, I'd have to get to the city and it's a long, annoying trip."
"I understand."
"Then be good," he murmured, gentler than before. "You will heal." There was a pause as he took the bowl from her, and then she began to speak. The question burning in her mind.
"Why," she asked, her words frail. "Why me?" That had a lump forming in her throat, wetness hot at the back of her eyes. "Of all the women in the world, why choose me?"
"I want you," he told her, shrugged as if it meant nothing, but his ears were red. And her heart pounded faster, a flush creeping up her cheek.
"Is that all?" Her eyes were on him, reading the stiffen in his limbs, the turn.
"I get what I want," he replied, voice stiff. "Omegas choose, Alphas don't. It's the law."
"Of course," she lowered her gaze.
He stopped then, a side glance at her and then a small exhale. He sniffed the air. "This isn't easy. It's not–" he sighed. "This isn't how I wanted things to be–"
He scratched his cheek, turned to her a hot flush on his cheeks, the colour was adorable. He ran fingers through his hair as if troubled.
"Look, my Omega likes you. If I could live without an Alpha, I would. The truth is none of us want this, but we need an Alpha, and you're good for me." Z folded his arms. "So I'll take care of you, protect you, things like that. It'll be mutually beneficial. Cooperate, listen to me and I'll care for you. But that doesn't mean I need you, understand?"
"Yes." The information was new. "You don't need me as a mate, as pack?"
"No," he shook his head vehemently. "I will not claim you. I will not love you." His eyes were hard. "It's the last thing I'll do."
She nodded, the words oddly cruel coming from her soulmate. A rejection so sharp that it had pain running through her chest. But she expected it, stilling herself and locking away her emotions.
How cruel.
"I promise I will do the same," she assured but inside dread filled her throat. "Our relationship will be merely transactional." He blinked almost startled by her acceptance, an odd green hue on his cheeks. But she ignored it, sure that she was only seeing things. "And your Heats?"
He faltered then. "Only if my Omega wants it." He was quick to continue, red dust on his cheeks. "I hate it, but my body enjoys your presence. It will help me."
She'd glanced down at her hands. This life was horrible, but perhaps it would be better with her soulmate. She closed her eyes, fingers clenched into fists. "Then, I will do my best as your Alpha."
Z stared at her then, brows furrowed, gaze meandering over her face as if struggling to read her. "You didn't want this before."
"I did not," she agreed. "I've always longed for a true mate."