Page 10 of The Brooding Alpha’s Mate (Omegas of the Shifter Mafia #9)

Alex

I was helpless to help my mate. Healing took its own course no matter how fast I wanted him to. He winced and grunted in pain more than a few times in his sleep and then more after breakfast.

His nap lasted more than two hours. By the time he woke up, it was after noon. He needed all the rest he could get, but our mating was so new.

Damn those fucking lions. They’d abused him. I didn’t know all the ways they’d tortured him, but Colson was jumpy. He flinched when I touched him, involuntarily, but still.

There were scars on his body. I’d tried to keep his modesty as much as possible, but I’d seen his skin.

Those lions were on the top of my list. I almost hoped they did come after me. That way, when I ripped their throats open, it would be justified. It was justified in any case, but at least I could say it was in defense of myself and my mate.

He got up and went to the restroom and came back looking a bit better.

“Are you hungry again?” I asked. Colson walked over to the window. “No. Thank you.”

I was well aware of what was bothering my mate. Alphas and omegas who found each other, often had the honeymoon period in normal circumstances.

But these were far from normal circumstances.

My omega was hurt. Short-term, he had injuries to his shoulder that needed to heal up. The extra food, protein, and rest should help, but it would take time as everything did.

Long-term, my sweet wolf had experienced some deep trauma. I had no idea how long he was with the lions or how he came to be in their pride in the first place, but they’d abused him. His body would heal easily, but his mind; that would take a lot longer.

I had to be gentle with him.

“The healer said shifting might help me heal faster.” Colson stared out the open window. His arms were wrapped around himself. A sadness hung in the air between us.

Our lack of intimacy was making him sad. Frustrated. Worried, even.

“We can shift whenever you like.”

He nodded. “Would you like to now? This shoulder is achy and I’m kind of tired of it.”

“Of course. Let’s go.”

We walked outside and my chest whirred with anxiety. I was a confident bear. Always had been. But undressing in front of my omega gave me a bit of nervousness. Him seeing me naked for the first time.

He was a wolf. What if he didn’t like my bear.

A thousand thoughts plagued me.

That’s when the faith in Fate kicked in. We were made for each other.

I had to believe in that.

We walked outside and into the woods a bit, giving us some camouflage. My bear sniffed the air, using my human nose to make sure there was no danger. We were clear.

“I can turn around if you like,” I said. Shifters didn’t mind nakedness but this was different.

“You don’t have to. I’m fine. It’s just a body.”

“Okay.”

I intended not to make a big deal of stripping down and immediately failed. Colson removed his shirt and the rage shot through me. Not at him. Never at him.

At the damage those lions had done to him.

He brought his shirt up and covered himself. “I’m sorry.”

“Sweetheart,” I said and walked over to him. I tried to give him some space but no more. “The anger is not at you. You are perfect just the way you are. I’m so angry at those assholes for doing this to you—to my mate.”

“I know you’re not…it’s okay.”

“What?” I hooked my finger under his chin to make Colson look at me. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re not attracted to me. I get it.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, omega.”

He shrugged. “You haven’t kissed me.”

Clearly, I’d been too careful with him physically and in the process had hurt him. “Omega mine, you are the most beautiful male I’ve ever laid eyes on. I am more than attracted to you. You are like a magnet and I’ve been at war with myself. Giving you time and space to heal before we mated.”

He shook his head.

“Colson, you would know if I was lying. What does your wolf say?”

“You’re not lying.”

“Want more proof?” I took his hand in mind and guided it over my straining cock. “Don’t ever think that I don’t want you. I’m trying to care for you and love you the best I know how, omega.”

He gasped. “You take great care of me, Alex.”

“Let’s shift. I want to see how lovely my wolf mate is.”

We shifted at the same time and I was right. His wolf was dark gray with piercing green eyes. He was thin, probably because Colson was, but we would work on that little by little.

My wolf took off in a sprint. I gave chase, but my bear was much bigger and slower. Colson turned around, realizing I wasn’t keeping up and slowed to accommodate me.

I was glad for it. I wouldn’t be able to protect him if he ran ahead. We should’ve discussed it before we shifted, but I had other things on my mind.

We ran and ran until I felt Colson’s tiredness seep through our new-but-already-thick bond.

I nudged his flank with my nose, hoping he would take the hint. It was time to return to the cabin.

Time for him to eat.

We slowed, trotting more than running back to our safe haven.

I shifted first and gathered our clothes, ready to hand him his.

But when Colson shifted back to two legs, I fell to my knees.

His back was to me and I saw the total picture of what the lions had done to him.

Silvery flesh ran down his back in rivers of pain.

Even his buttocks were covered in the scars.

“What?” he asked me, coming over to kneel in front of me.

“Baby, what did they do to you?” I couldn’t contain my emotions any longer. Rage and sadness flowed through me effortlessly. Seeing my sweet mate treated like that. The degree of his abuse. The torture.

“You’ve seen it, right? When you rescued me.”

“Not your back. Not all of it.”

My omega wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “Don’t cry, Alex. I’m okay. I’m fine. Please don’t cry. You’re breaking my heart.”

“You’re breaking mine. How could they do that to you? How could anyone do this to another person? Does it hurt? What can I do?”

He shook his head and turned to bury his face in my neck. “Not anymore. Not anymore, alpha. I swear.”

He lied. I wouldn’t call him on it. Not yet. My breaths became ragged. The raw, baser desire to shift back into my bear and hunt those lions down was right under the surface.

But he was here with me, and my first priority was his care—his safety.

No one would take him from me or abuse him ever again.

“Did they?” I asked, choking over the last part of the question. “I’ll kill them.”

“No. The healer asked me that too. There was no abuse of the sexual kind. Just the verbal and physical.”

“What can I do?” I asked, sobbing even harder. My hands splayed against his back and even with the rough surface of my skin, I could feel the dips and valleys of his scars. I would’ve done anything to make them go away. Take them from him. Inflict them on myself to free him of the anguish.

“Make me forget, Alex. Make the world go away.”

I turned at the same time Colson did. Our mouths crashed together as I grabbed for his legs and sat back, making him sit on my lap. He bucked his hips and I knew we couldn’t wait any longer.

My mate needed me. Needed our bond.

“If we do this, I might not be able to stop myself from marking you, Colson. Are you sure? About me?”

He giggled, tugging at the hair on the back of my head. “I’m so sure, I’ll probably mark you first. Are you okay with that? With having me for the rest of your life?”

“I can’t think of anything better in the world, omega.”

“Good. Take me inside, alpha. I’m ready. I’m beyond ready to be yours.”