Page 10 of The Night Movers: Season One

In the future, he’d go to his knees for all of them, sacrifice himself for all of them.

But not because they all wanted to tear him apart, but because they wanted to tear apart anyone who came for him.

They weren’t stray dogs fighting each other for dominance.

They were guard dogs—Ridley’s guard dogs. He just had to convince Titus of that.

“You’ll get used to sharing,” Ridley said, pulling himself together enough to soap up his hands, giving into his urges, letting them roam over the ink on Titus’s chest. It wasn’t several tattoos, like the ones on his arms and throat, but one large tattoo.

Intricate line work. Impeccable realism.

It had taken someone a long time to create that.

It looked like something from a Greek tragedy, with broken columns and a crumbling colosseum. There was a woman in a flowing dress, covering her eyes as flames devoured the city behind her. Was that Ridley? Pretending that he didn’t know he might be the fire that consumes this pack?

“You say that as if you know me,” Titus growled, catching Ridley’s chin between thumb and forefinger, pushing his head to the side to lick the water from his skin.

Ridley shivered, his knees suddenly jelly-like. So much power radiated from the alpha, but he touched him with exceptional gentleness, like he was worried he might break him.

“You’re the alpha,” Ridley gasped, tilting his head farther, submitting.

“I know you set the standard. Sharing me doesn’t have to end in you tearing each other apart.

I can be there for each of you, separately or together.

Packs are supposed to have omegas. It’s the natural order of things. I’m supposed to be yours.”

Titus’s hand slid down to grip Ridley’s ass cheek hard enough to bruise, all gentleness disappearing in an instant. “You’re saying all the right things, but I can hear your heartbeat stutter. I can smell your fear. You’re afraid of me.”

Ridley wouldn’t lie. He was afraid. Not because he didn’t want this but because he had no idea what he was doing. He pressed a small hand to Titus’s chest. “You were right…back before the van…when we met.”

“What does that mean?” Titus asked, hand snaking inward towards the crease of his ass, trailing through the sticky substance coating his skin. “Fuck, you’re so wet. Does fear turn you on?” he breathed against his ear.

“I’m…a virgin,” he blurted. “I’ve…I’ve never even been kissed. That’s why I’m scared. An alpha has me pressed against a wall. I’m scared because I don’t know what to do for you…how to make it good. I don’t want to disappoint you.”

“Christ, Strawberry,” Titus said, wrenching himself away to lean against the other side of the small shower. “I’m not gonna fuck you here for your first time.”

Ridley took Titus’s hand, noting the two fingers still covered in his slick. He took them both in his mouth, sucking the sweetness from his skin. “But you will fuck me, right? Eventually?”

Titus’s jaw muscle ticked as he stared him down with a look that was somewhere between lust and fury.

An irritated growl erupted from his chest, then he spun Ridley around by the shoulders to face the spray.

For a moment, Ridley thought he’d changed his mind.

Instead, he finished washing him with clinical efficiency, even scrubbing his hair.

Ridley bit his lip, biting back a moan as powerful fingers scrubbed over his scalp.

What would those fingers feel like inside him, working him open?

He throbbed at the thought of Titus on him, in him, using him.

He was stuck in a loop of desperation, every dirty thought feeding on the next only for him to push it back down again.

Titus snarled. “Knock it off. I’m barely hanging on as it is.”

“I can’t help it,” Ridley whined. “You smell good and you’re touching me.”

Titus shut off the water, leaving Ridley dripping in every sense of the word while he went to snag a towel from beneath the sink, wrapping it around him before guiding him into the adjacent bedroom.

The bed was big. It looked soft, the pillows squished and rumpled like Titus beat them into submission each night before resting his head there. It was definitely his room; his scent permeated the space. The room was surprisingly cozy, but he had the decorating skills of a teenager.

The sheets were mismatched. Yellow daisies on the mattress, an ugly blue plaid on the top sheet, and a fuzzy brown blanket that looked enticingly warm. Titus sat him on the edge of the bed, then walked to a stack of drawers.

He pulled a shirt free, unfolding it. It looked soft. It was faded black with a sports car and racing flags in white. He tugged it over Ridley’s head, waiting for him to shove his arms into the appropriate holes. When he did so, the tee fell to mid-thigh.

Titus took back the towel, then used it to dry Ridley’s hair, seemingly fine with being naked and hard right in front of him. How did a stranger feel so familiar while also stirring up this funny feeling inside? Ridley had never understood the term butterflies in his stomach until right then.

Thinking of those rough, calloused hands on his body or Titus’s knot splitting him open had bubbles erupting in his belly. Was it proximity? Fate? Biology? Ridley didn’t know, but the moment Titus had closed them in there together, he had lost all reason.

“We’ll have to find you clothes that fit tomorrow,” Titus said awkwardly. “I’d give you some of my underwear but I don’t think they’d stay on those tiny hips.”

“It’s okay,” Ridley said, pulling his legs to his chest, then tugging the t-shirt over himself so he was covered. “I can make due for the night.”

Titus stared at him, his expression inscrutable. Just when Ridley started to get worried about his silence, the alpha seemed to snap out of it. “I’m sure you’re hungry. I’m going to go see about finding you some food,”

“I’m fine,” Ridley said, yawning loud enough to make his jaw crack. “I just really want to sleep for a bit first. Is…is this where I’m sleeping? With you?”

Titus froze. He clearly hadn’t considered that. Weird since Ridley was quite literally on his bed .

Finally, Titus said, “I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

“Please, don’t,” Ridley heard himself say. “I-I don’t want to sleep in this place all alone.”

“I think that’s a bad idea, Strawberry,” Titus said, his apprehension obvious. “Like I said, I’m barely hanging on.”

“I didn’t ask you to hang on. I just want to get some sleep first. Then you can do what you want with me,” Ridley said.

Titus was on him in a second, his hand around his neck. “You offer yourself up far too casually,” he snarled.

Ridley set his jaw. “If you don’t want me, then let me go sleep with Diesel. I know he’ll cuddle me all night. And keep me warm.”

Titus’s hand closed around the sides of his neck, enough to make Ridley’s thoughts fuzzy. “Already pitting us against each other,” he murmured. His lips brushed Ridley’s temple. “Thanks for proving my point.”

Ridley’s stomach dropped. “I?—”

Titus loosened his grip, looking apologetic as he caressed the spot where his thumb had pressed down a little too hard. After a minute, he released him, turning back to the drawers, plucking out another black t-shirt and a pair of black sweatpants. Did he wear any other color?

He ignored Ridley as he got dressed, disappearing into the bathroom for a bit before moving around the room like he was tidying up the space.

“Alpha, I?—”

Titus didn’t look at him. “I’ll keep you warm, Omega. But first, I have some things I need to take care of. You’re perfectly safe as long as you’re within these walls.”

“I—”

“Get some sleep,” he said, cutting him off again.

He was gone before Ridley could think of something to say, some way to counteract the damage he’d just done. Why was this so hard? He crawled under the covers, burying his nose in Titus’s pillow, inhaling that intoxicating chocolate smell. It fit Titus perfectly. Dark and bitter.

Such a pessimist.

Maybe his vision was wrong. Or maybe his vision was right and Titus was right, too. That Ridley was the chaos that would tear apart their pack. He wanted to examine the possibilities further, but sleep was sucking him under. He fell asleep with two questions swirling around in his head.

How long before Titus came back, and what would happen when he did?