Alphas obedience, p.13
Alpha's Obedience, page 13
“I’d have to check with Palani, but I don’t think that should be a problem. But can I ask why?”
Sivney shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t like the idea of being on my own with the baby, since I’m still so exhausted and weak. If something happened, I’d need someone else to help me.”
Lev frowned. If something was wrong, there was no way Naran could help him. The man was barely able to move, so what kind of help would he be?
But Sivney wasn’t done, it seemed. “And Naran needs someone to stay with him as well, so I figured we could kill two birds with one stone and all three of us stay here for the next few days.”
“What?” Naran asked almost at the same time as Lev.
Sivney looked at Lev, his eyes all big. “You wouldn’t mind, would you? I’d feel so much better, knowing you were here to take care of us.”
And Lev, whose first reaction had been an adamant hell to the fucking no, found himself opening his mouth and saying, “Sure, no problem.”
Oh god, what the fuck had he just agreed to? Sharing a house with Sivney? Amazing on all accounts. Sharing one with Naran? That was the stuff of nightmares. The only positive he could think of was that at least Sivney wanted him near too and not just Naran. Or had he only asked him for practical reasons? That thought made his chest tighten even more.
Enar made a sound, then put his hand in front of his mouth and coughed. He and Sivney shared a look that Lev couldn’t interpret. Then Enar said, “Alright, then, that seems all settled. I’ll check with Palani, and I’ll ask someone to come over and clean up here, okay?”
“Perfect,” Sivney said. “I’m gonna go into the other room to nurse Abigail. Lev, Naran needs a shower because he has my mess all over him. Could you help him while I nurse in private? Enar, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind helping me to the other room, right?”
Enar made another coughing sound behind his hand, and Lev sensed there was something he wasn’t getting. One look at Naran’s narrowed eyes showed that he had picked up on it as well, but no one said anything, and so Lev found himself once again agreeing to something he really had wanted to say no to.
He watched as Enar carefully picked Sivney up and carried him into the room next door, then came back for Abigail. Lev handed her off with more reluctance than he had expected and immediately missed the warmth of that little body.
Enar called out a last greeting, and then he was gone, leaving Lev in the very last place he wanted to be: in Naran’s presence.
“I know you were cajoled into this, so—”
“I’ll do it,” Lev said, rising from his chair. “I’ll help you take the damn shower, okay?”
“Lev, I—”
“No,” he interrupted him again. “I’ll help you, but you don’t get to do that. You don’t get to use that tone and call me by my name and tell me I’m a good boy…”
God, that had hit him deep, that casual remark. It had been his favorite thing in the world to hear out of Naran’s mouth…until everything had come crashing down and that very sentence had symbolized the depth of the man’s betrayal.
“I didn’t mean to say that. It flew out of my mouth before I realized it,” Naran said softly.
“Whatever. Just…don’t. Don’t talk. Don’t Lev me. Don’t do anything.”
Something flashed in Naran’s eyes, but just as quickly, it was gone again. “As you wish.”
Okay, so now he had to help the man shower. And how the fuck did he do that? Could Naran even stand, or would he have to carry him? Showering also meant being naked. Shit, he’d totally forgotten about that little detail. How the hell was he supposed to act normal when Naran would be naked, right next to him?
There was no way he was taking off his own clothes. He didn’t care if they got sopping wet, he wasn’t undressing. No fucking way.
“Tell me what to do. It’s what you’re good at anyway,” he said, but it didn’t come out the way he had meant it. At all.
Naran’s face softened even further. “Can you help me undress first?”
Lev hadn’t counted on the empathy that held his heart in a firm grip as he watched Naran struggle to sit up straight and move his legs over the edge of the bed. He didn’t wait for Naran to say anything, but instead, gently took his legs and helped him turn. Their eyes met, and there was another emotion Lev hadn’t expected. Shame.
It lessened his anger. No matter how pissed off he was at Naran, he understood how humiliating this had to be for the alpha. He was the oldest here, had been the strongest, and he’d always been the dominant one in their relationship—in more ways than one. For him to be so dependent on Lev, that couldn’t be easy.
So Lev didn’t say a word as Naran took his shirt off, then held his hands out to Lev. He pulled him up, wincing as Naran let out a grunt of pain and put a lot of his weight on Lev’s hands and arms. “Put your hands on my shoulders,” he said. “I’ll take your pants off.”
Luckily, Naran was wearing loose-fitting jogging pants that were easy to pull down, and surprisingly, he wore no underwear. That brought Lev’s face dangerously close to the man’s cock, which sprung free as soon as he dragged his pants down, almost slapping him in his face. He was hard. Very hard, in fact. That made it even harder—oh, look at him making puns—to ignore him, but Lev forced himself to look away.
Naran inhaled as if he wanted to say something, and Lev shot him a warning look. “We will not talk about this.”
Was that a smile on Naran’s lips? The corners pulled up ever so slightly, and Lev was almost certain he was amused with him. So be it. He wouldn’t let the man run roughshod over him again. Fool me once and all that BS.
“Can you walk?” he asked.
“Slowly and only if I can lean on you.”
“Okay.” Lev stepped in front of Naran. The man leaned heavily on Lev’s hands as he shuffled toward the bathroom, that massive cock slapping against his skin with every step. God, did it have to be so in his face? Lev’s cheeks heated at the memory of where that cock had been…and how much pleasure it had brought him. It hadn’t been easy the first few times, taking him in, but Naran had been patient and Lev had been oh-so willing, and they’d made it work.
Lev forced himself once again to look away and focus on something else. There was a plastic chair in the shower, which made sense because Naran couldn’t stand the whole time. So he led him there, then held his weight as he lowered himself.
“You’re gonna get wet if you keep your clothes on,” Naran said.
“I’m not undressing in front of you. And you can’t tell me Sivney was half-naked every time he helped you.”
Naran lifted his right eyebrow. “Actually, he was usually only wearing a T-shirt and underwear, but first of all, the guy was very pregnant until about an hour ago, and second, unlike what you seem to think, I am able to control myself.”
“Still not getting naked in front of you,” Lev said.
“Your choice. You’ll be sopping in those boots for days, just saying.”
Dammit, he had a point there. Lev grumbled as he turned the water on, knowing it would take a while to warm up, then stepped back into the room, where he took off his boots and socks, and after a short hesitation, his pants. What worked for Sivney would have to be good enough for him, though he didn’t like the idea of parading around in his underwear in front of Naran at all.
He didn’t meet Naran’s eyes as he stepped back into the shower, where he checked the water and concluded it was at the right temp. He redirected the shower head so the spray hit Naran full on, and the man sighed in pleasure, leaning backward to get his hair wet.
And Lev found himself transported to a few months earlier, when showering together had been normal. He’d often washed Naran’s hair, scrubbed his body clean with a loofah and his signature shower gel, which smelled of the ocean, and nine out of ten times, he’d ended up on his knees, sucking him off. It had been his greatest pleasure, serving Naran, and here they were again.
“Can you hand me the shampoo?” Naran asked, his voice husky, and Lev wondered if he’d been thinking about the same thing.
The urge was strong to offer to wash his hair, but Lev bit his tongue as he squeezed some shampoo onto Naran’s extended hand, then watched as he washed his hair and rinsed it out. He didn’t need Naran to tell him what came next, and before the man could even ask, he squeezed some shower gel onto a wash cloth and handed it to him.
God, he’d lost so much weight. With Naran focusing on washing himself, Lev took the opportunity to study him. His chest was sunken now, the ribs pronounced, and his arms were a shadow of their former strength. But his legs showed the decay most of all. The thighs that had once clamped around him like tree trunks had dwindled away, and it was a sight that made Lev realize the depths of what Naran had gone through. He’d known the man had suffered, and in his own darkest moments, he’d felt it had been justified, but seeing this made him realize how cruel that thought had been. No one deserved this.
“Pretty sad sight, no?” Naran said softly, and Lev looked up to find Naran’s eyes on him. He’d caught him staring, and Lev’s cheeks warmed.
“Why are you not working out?” It was the first thought that popped into his head.
Naran let out a huff. “Hello, useless legs, remember?”
Lev bit his lip, then decided to speak his mind. “But you could still work your upper body. If that was stronger, it would improve your mobility.”
Another huff from Naran. “Between you and Sivney, you two should come up with a plan to save the world. You guys are good at solving everyone’s problems.”
“I was trying to help,” Lev said, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice.
Naran merely let out a sigh and kept washing himself. Lev watched as Naran bent over to wash his legs, a move that clearly bothered him as he kept wincing. Lev held out his hand in a wordless gesture, and Naran gave him the wash cloth. He washed his legs carefully, watching for signs Naran was in pain. The man’s cock, which had gone to half mast before, was back to a full erection. That was normal, Lev told himself. He would react too if a man touched him.
In fact, and he could barely hold back a gasp as he realized it, he was reacting, his cock filling rapidly at the all too familiar position of being on his knees in front of Naran. Embarrassment burned on his cheeks, but he pushed it down. If Naran reacted to him, it was okay for him to react as well. His body recognized him, and it fell back into old patterns. That was all.
From close up, he could see the changes in Naran’s body even better. His legs were so skinny compared to before. Why was Naran so hostile? Didn’t he want to get better? Lev had heard that his legs were useless, and that they couldn’t do anything about it until he’d gotten X-rays and a consultation with an orthopedic surgeon. He understood that part. But his upper body still worked, so why didn’t he want to train that and keep as fit as possible? He was missing something here, something Naran wasn’t telling him.
He rinsed out the wash cloth, then shut off the shower and took the towel he’d laid out. “Here,” he said, handing it to Naran. “I’m gonna towel off myself and get dressed so I can help them clean the room. Holler when you’re ready.”
He was already halfway out the door when Naran called his name. “I didn’t mean to snap at you,” he said.
Lev stared at him for a second or two. “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “I was only trying to help you, just like everyone else, but you’ve made it crystal clear that you don’t want help, so whatever. Go be grumpy and stubborn, Naran. See if I care.”
But as he walked away, his heart hurt, and dammit all to hell, he’d started calling him Naran again. He was such an idiot.
19
When Enar told Palani about Sivney's level A scheming, his mate looked at him with a frown. "What the hell is he up to?"
Enar grinned. "He's forcing those two to work out their problems."
"And you think that's smart? You heard what Lev said in the car on the way back after they'd freed Melloni, right? That whole angry tirade? The dude is pissed as fuck, and I can't blame him."
Enar let out a deep breath. It had been a long day, and his body hurt. He was beyond relieved to be able to kick off his shoes and snuggle up in bed with Palani, who had been ordered by Lidon to take another nap. The alpha had said something about him still looking tired, and Enar had to admit Palani was a bit paler than usual and had dark circles under his eyes. No wonder, he was working his ass off.
"You should see how those two react to each other when they're in the same room. There’s enough electricity flying between them to power the entire ranch, not joking."
"Huh," Palani said. "Interesting. I'm good at predicting romantic entanglements, but I never saw this one coming."
Enar turned onto his side to look at Palani. "Maybe because they’re two alphas?"
His mate turned onto his side as well, and as always, Enar's stomach did a happy little dance. Some days, it still amazed him that he could be this happy. He'd all but given up hope to ever encounter someone who would accept him as he was, and then he'd found his mates. Or rather, they had found him. And all three of them not only accepted him fully but also supported him and encouraged him. Hell, they'd go to war for him, and that was a feeling he'd never get used to.
"You're saying I didn't consider it because of that?" Palani asked.
"I'm saying that it wouldn't have been your first thought. That's not criticism, but it's just the way we think. When we see two alphas, we don't think of a romantic relationship initially. That's how Lidon and I got away with it for so long because no one considered we might be more than really good friends."
Palani frowned. "I hate it when I'm confronted with this stereotype thinking."
Enar reached out and caressed his cheek. "I know. As I said, it's not criticism."
"But how does Sivney fit into all this?"
"Honestly, I haven't figured that part out. He's definitely managed to get through to Naran more than anyone else, and from what I've heard, those two have something very close to friendship. But I have no idea if it's more than that, and the relationship between Sivney and Lev is a mystery."
Palani rolled onto his back again, then held out his arm, and Enar found his favorite spot in the entire world with his head on Palani's shoulder and the beta’s arms around him. "It's interesting," Palani said. "So far, we've recognized fated mates through the Melloni gene. If they were able to control themselves around an omega in heat, we knew they were destined to be together. That was true for all of us with Vieno, for Grayson and Lars with Sven, for Kean and Bray with Ruari, and for Sean and Felix with Gia. But these three are different. Not only because there's two alphas and one omega but also because the gene was not in play with Sivney being pregnant."
"Yeah, I realized that too when I saw the three of them together. So how could they possibly know if they belong together?"
They were quiet for a while, and then Palani chuckled. "I guess they'll have to figure it out the old-fashioned way. By stumbling, making mistakes, getting hurt a few times, and then concluding it was love all along."
"Or not. As much as I would love to see them in a relationship, it may not work out. They have a lot going against them."
"You've got to admire Sivney, though, being willing to be the buffer between those two."
"You know how we said we owed Lev an apology? I think we screwed up with Naran as well."
Palani let out a deep sigh. "I deduced that when I heard what state he was in and how dirty his room was. We should've looked in on him more, should've not let ourselves be deterred by his stubbornness and refusal to be helped. He didn’t make it easy on us by being such an ass, but we should’ve pushed through that."
It was one of the things Enar admired in Palani: he was always willing to admit he'd made a mistake. Whereas Lidon could have trouble swallowing his pride, Palani didn't have that issue. If you showed him proof he'd been wrong, he took full responsibility and did whatever he could to make things right.
"I love you," Enar said, and then he yawned so hard and long tears sprung in his eyes.
"Long day?"
"I didn't think it would ever end, but you look like you've run yourself ragged as well."
"Yeah, we've been busy with the refugees, trying to find out what we could about their backgrounds. And of course, Lidon and I spent time talking to Taban, York's assistant."
"How did that go? Did he have anything useful to say?"
Palani hummed in agreement. "It was interesting. Turns out, he was the one who led the group here. He knew about us from York, and he figured they'd be safe here and that the omegas could get the medical attention they needed."
"Did he say anything about his relationship with York, or didn't you guys ask about that?"
"Oh, we sure as hell asked, and he admitted they'd been sexually involved for some time. I got the impression he had conflicted feelings about that, like he'd wanted it at first but hadn't been happy with it later on. But that's my gut; I haven't actually asked him about the details yet. He did tell us he escaped the attack on York's compound because he happened to be visiting his ailing mother rather than spending the night at York's as he usually did. His mother passed away two days later, but she saved her son's life without knowing."
"Did you get any more useful information from him?" Enar asked right before he yawned again. Damn, he was so tired.
"No, but we’re not done talking to him. We were a little busy with everything else going on to spend more than an hour with him, but we’ll get back to him. But I heard you've been busy too. How are the other omegas doing?"
Enar's heart filled with sadness all over again. "We lost one of the babies during delivery. He had the cord wrapped around his neck, and by the time we realized it, there was nothing we could do. The omega is taking it hard, as expected, and we're keeping a close eye on him."
Palani kissed the top of his head. "I know how tough this is on you, Doc. And I also know that I could quote all the statistics, and it wouldn't help. You take things like this hard, and I love you for it."
