O0o

"I didn"t think so. Just be careful not to casually do it to somebody. Most omegas will immediately get down on all fours and put their heads to the floor if they feel that from an alpha."

Halian sucked in a breath. "Have I been doing this to you often?"

"Two or three times," Jules confessed. "The first time you did it I nearly collapsed."

"Jules, I"m so sorry," he said.

"It"s okay, really," Jules stressed again. "I know it probably just feels like a natural place to put your hand. And, honestly, it feels pretty good once I get over the automatic reaction."

Halian cautiously threaded his fingers upward into Jules"s lower hairline. "I think it"s more that you have a beautiful neck," he said. "Strong and elegant."

"Well, I had to get one good omega trait," Jules said, chuckling. "Did you even know that"s a "thing" when looking for an omega? Yeah, the neck and throat. Like swinging big b.o.o.bs at a randy sailor."

Halian gave a helpless little laugh. "No, I didn"t know," he said.

"St. Veras bought me for that," Jules confessed. "I think he wanted a big omega just to destroy. Thanks for taking him down."

"If I could have gotten away with it, I"d have killed him," Halian said.

"It was enough to ruin him, to make sure he couldn"t hurt someone else," Jules said.

-o-o-o-

Jules was no expert, but while watching Halian get dressed the next morning, he thought there should still be scratches on the alpha"s body. No, they hadn"t been deep, but they shouldn"t have vanished over the course of a day and a night. "You heal fast," he pointed out. "You were covered in scratches the night I bathed you. I used Felix"s ointment on you, but still..."

"I am a very quick healer, yes," Halian said, putting on a crisp white shirt. "I wish you were as well."

"If you"re talking about my brand, it"s okay now," Jules reported. "Want to see?"

Halian"s jaw jerked as he ground his teeth together. "Must I?"

"No."

"Jules, I understand why you did that, but it sickens me," Halian said. He tied his cravat, not looking at Jules. "I would never brand a human being. I hate that you suffered through it."

Jules rolled onto his stomach and stared at the pretty, cherry wood flooring. "Just turn around and look," he said. "It"ll make you feel better to know it"s not hurting me."

Halian paced over to him, and looked down. "Oh," he said, his voice somewhat diminished. "It"s only red."

"It"ll eventually turn pink, then white," Jules told him. "And, when you see it, it won"t make you think about how much it hurt. It"ll be a reminder that you have someone that"s never going to leave you voluntarily. It will make you feel good instead of regretful."

"I hope that I would never forget what you suffered in order to placate my family, and to secure your protection under my name," Halian said. He lightly traced the brand. "You"re sure it doesn"t hurt anymore?"

"Yeah, it"s fine," Jules a.s.sured. "Well, actually, no. Why don"t you kiss it and make it better?" The bold tease slid out of his mouth before he could think about it or even stop it.

Halian had gone very still behind him.

Jules waited. He"d either get what he wanted, or not. No sense in panicking now, not when he"d jumped into the hot water on his own. He felt Halian"s hands spread out on his waist and back, and the bed dipping down as Halian rested a knee between Jules"s. Heat flooded his back, shed by Halian, and the scent of burgeoning alpha interest.

Jules"s heart slowed down, but beat heavily in his chest.

The feel of Halian"s soft, parted lips pressing down in the center of Jules"s brand caused a riot of tremors. Jules gasped. He aborted an instinctual backward thrust of his hips and instead ground down against the mattress. "Oh, s.h.i.t, Hal," he whispered. Then, with a whine he absolutely couldn"t help, "Oh, s.h.i.t...!"

"Mmm," Halian murmured against Jules"s skin.

Jules"s breathing hitched and faltered. His fingers dug into the sheets. Having Halian back there, over top of him, was ???????. It satisfied him on a bone-deep level, powerful enough to be frightening.

"You"re so lovely, Jules," Halian said, still touching Jules"s skin with his soft lips, his deep voice reverberating inside Jules"s ribcage. "A work of art. There"s no one like you."

Pretty words rarely moved Jules, but how could he help being affected when they were delivered by touch?

"You"re powerful in your powerlessness, n.o.ble in your deeds, kind and caring," Halian said, his lips moving up to Jules"s nape. "You make me glad to come home. I miss you whenever we"re parted."

Jules thought his heart would stop at the feeling of Halian"s hot breath, at the sensation of teeth nipping him lightly on the nape. He gave a spasm, and choked out a groan.

"I"d better stop now," Halian whispered. "These feelings of want are new to me, and I can"t risk hurting you. But, thank you for the invitation to your body. You don"t know what it means to me."

Jules panted in stunned silence as Halian drew away his hands and mouth. His eyes fixed on Halian walking past him for his morning coat, and he watched him don it, feeling dazed. The large outline of Halian"s rigid c.o.c.k made him feel weak. "I don"t think you can hide that," he said stupidly.

"I could hang my hat on it," Halian said, surprising Jules into laughter. "At the risk of vulgarity, it"s time for me to visit the woodland and energetically mark territory. I doubt I take very long."
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"I"m sorry," Jules said, but he didn"t mean it.

"You aren"t," Halian said, smiling at him. "I"ll see you at lunch, Jules. Enjoy your morning, all right?"

"I will," Jules promised. "Are you really going out like that?"

"I don"t give one burning ember in h.e.l.l if people see what you do to me," Halian said, opening the door. "Polite human beings avert their eyes, and rude ones need the occasional thrill." With that, Halian left.

Jules didn"t feel a need to beat off, but his omega gland ached to be allowed to work. He clenched up to stave off the slick, and had to lay there nearly thirty minutes before confident he wouldn"t embarra.s.s himself. Then, he got up and put some clothes on. He locked the bedroom, and went to see Ellaine.