Chapter 8: Thunderstruck

"So we're supposed to casually stroll into the pizza place your people have chosen for lunch and attempt to make as little contact as possible?"

Benny shrugged casually, not sure how he had let Ephraim talk him into taking over his liaison responsibilities with the Demon Hunters, but he had agreed. Gadreel, standing calmly with his cousin, nudged the young alpha. "It's a good idea. It will let Dean get used to your face and maybe your scent before he is introduced to you for real."

Sam sighed and ran his hand through his hair in his most common nervous gesture. "I guess, if you think it's best. I just . . . after seeing his reaction to us, to me, yesterday . . . isn't it too soon? I don't mind waiting, if it's healthier for Dean."

"Cas wouldn't recommend this if he thought it would hurt the boy," Benny assured the younger biker. "It's just lunch, and I'm sure your boys will be hungry in a couple of hours. If I might, cher, I would recommend a nice pizza place not far from the hotel. The price there is good when you're feeding a hungry gang, and I know that you haven't been in town long enough to find the best lunch spots."

Gadreel smiled at Benny's offer, holding out his arm to the Cajun. "He'll think it over, my friend. Come, I will show you out."

Benny tipped his hat to Sam, who wandered back to sit with Adam on the couch and discuss the offer, following Gadreel to the door and smiling at the tall omega. They had opted to meet in the suite Kevin and Garth shared, hoping that it would prevent any of Sam's scent from sticking to Benny's clothes and warning Gabe that the object of his affection was close by. "Ephraim and Hannah think that I should take over communications with your clan, if that's agreeable to you. I know that you speak with Rachel, as well, and she will assist me."

"In keeping track of us?"

Benny chuckled as they moved into the hallway of the hotel. "Something like that. I don't mind telling you that Cas is somewhat terrified of what will happen when Gabe realizes that you are all staying here, within scent distance of him."

Gadreel smiled. "You're three floors and a wing away from having to worry about that."

"Yeah, I know. Thank you for your help, Gadreel."

"Of course. I am looking forward to working more closely with you." He let his hand, which had been resting quietly on the alpha's arm, squeeze gently before slowly sliding off, possibly the subtlest invitation Benny had ever received. "It might be easier if you came to see me first next time, and I can explain the situation to my young cousins. I'm in room 109."

Benny's blue eyes darkened slightly as he grinned. "I'm in 111. How did you manage to get the room next to mine?"

"It was coincidence, of course. That happened to be one of the available rooms and the smallest, so I offered to take it and give the alphas the bigger ones. Just knock on the wall if you ever have any . . . other information to share."

"Of course. I hope to see you at lunch, Gadreel." The Cajun was fast beginning to see the benefits in an alliance with the Demon Hunters.

Balthazar howled as Crowley slammed into his prostate mercilessly, the alpha's overworked cock having managed a new erection after his fourth orgasm, the knot slowly swelling as his omega's hips started to stutter. "Crowley, I can't take much more," he whined, hands clenched white on the headboard as his thighs trembled with the strain of holding himself up.

Crowley chuckled and leaned down, resting his sweat-slick chest on Balthazar's back, kissing the edge of his right wing. "Almost there, love. You want to come one more time first?"

"That's about . . . all . . . I can manage," Balthazar huffed between thrusts, feeling that familiar heat curling in his belly again as precome dripped onto the sheets between his knees.

"Hold on then, sweetheart," Crowley whispered against his skin, sharp canines leaving welts in their wake. Balthazar's alpha took the gentle prick as an attempt at a mating bite, and he came with a howl, spurting what was left of his seed over the bed as Crowley's hands wrapped around his knot and expertly milked just a little more out. Crowley finally climaxed a moment later, filling Balthazar's ass and collapsing, dragging the alpha down with him in a tangle of limbs.

Balthazar didn't move for a long time, his ass clenching spasmodically as Crowley's softening dick slowly pulled free. "Wow," he finally managed, linking his fingers with the omega's. "I didn't know an alpha could come multiple times in a row, or without a full erection."

"Hmm, you learn something new every day," Crowley chuckled. "Now that I have thoroughly abused your ass, it's nearly time for you to go."

"Yeah, unfortunately. I would love nothing more than to stay with you and test the limits of our athleticism, but I have a duty to my family."

"I know you do, and I would never dream of asking you to choose me over them. Besides, I need some time to recover and I do have a showing at three." Balthazar rolled over and rested an arm across Crowley's hip, a silent request for the omega to cuddle closer. The Brit smiled and let his lover pull him close, resting his head on a tattooed chest. "I think I could get used to this."

"Yeah?"

"I might be willing to let you try it again, the date thing, and the part that comes after. Would you be amenable to that?"

Balthazar smiled, pulling Crowley closer for a quick kiss. "I think I might be."

Half an hour later, showered and smelling quite a lot less like he had spent the night having more sex than his cousins would easily believe, Balthazar slipped into the driver seat of Cas's truck, which he had borrowed the night before for his date. He was suddenly very grateful for that choice of vehicle the day before, not sure if his sore ass could have managed a ride on his bike just then. Pulling away from Crowley's townhome, he headed for the pizza place Benny had messaged him about, smiling as a text from Crowley scrolled across his screen.

You have a gorgeous ass. Bring it back as soon as you can.

Cas led the small group into the pizza parlor, waiting for Dean and Gabe to settle in before sliding in next to his green-eyed charge while Alfie nudged Gabe over in the circular booth. They had taken a very small group today, only Benny with them as guard, as the rest of the gang were working on figuring out their criteria for homes in their new cities or shopping for furniture for Cas's new house. Anna had taken a particular delight in volunteering for that duty, dragging her reluctant mate along to offer "an alpha's perspective". Normally, Cas would have been happy to go with her, but he had a conference call with his east-coast brothers after lunch and had to bow out.

The waitress approached their table, smiling at the guests as she requested their drink orders. The table was large and round, the circular bench meant to seat up to eight, so they had a little room to spread out. When Balthazar arrived a few minutes later, he scooted into the empty area on Cas's other side, wincing as his ass hit the seat. Alfie, who truly did have an extraordinarily acute sense of smell, straightened as soon as Balthazar arrived, subtly sniffing the air in the alpha's direction. "So, your date went well?"

Balthazar cleared his throat to cover his blush, grabbing a menu and glaring at it. "It was good, yeah. Crowley has asked me if we could do it again, soon."

Cas grinned at his cousin and slapped him on the back. "Sounds like you found a good one. And from that wince, I'm guessing he was willing to buy into your little fantasy?"

Balthazar nodded, smiling gently to himself. "He, uh, was totally on top of that particular . . . request. I learned some things that I had never guessed before."

"Multiple alpha orgasms," Gabe and Alfie replied at the same time, both taking a quick sip of their drink as Dean's eyes widened. "It's a thing," Gabe continued, nodding toward his cousin. "I told Balth about it years ago, and he didn't believe me. I guess he needed a partner who could help him find out. Your ass must be so sore."

The alpha shifted uncomfortably and nodded. "Yeah, like you would not believe. I've never seen you like this after your heats."

"Omegas are meant to take that kind of punishment," Gabe replied sweetly. "You'll get better at it over time. I'm glad you found someone."

"Thanks, coz. He sorta already asked me to attend him during his next heat."

"Wow, really? That's great." Whatever else Gabe was going to say died in his throat as a group of men entered the back seating area, the waitress leading them to another large, circular table nearby. There were seven of them, all of whom he instantly recognized as the Demon Hunter bikers they had met with just the day before. Gabe felt a hand on his shoulder roughly push him back into his seat, and he tore his eyes away from Sam in an effort to calm his omega. "What are they doing here? I thought they found a hotel on the other side of town."

"Not many places to eat in town," Benny pointed out, "not for a big crew. Pizza is a pretty safe option no matter where you are. You've got it bad for that alpha, don't you, cher?"

Dean had spotted the tall alpha at the same time as Gabe, initially shrinking back behind Cas but slowly leaning forward as he convinced himself that there was no threat. "You like him?"

"Yeah, Dean-o, I'm pretty fond of the moose shaped one. My omega is, too. I've spent most of my life trying to push my instincts away, not let them rule me, but that alpha there brings them out in ways I didn't expect."

"He's eighteen, Gabe, and barely that. Surely you want someone older, more experienced?"

"Maybe he wants someone older, Cas," Gabe countered, not missing Sam's sharp glance at their group before he returned his attention to his menu. A chance meeting, apparently, but Gabe knew he could work this to his advantage.

"Whether he does or not is unimportant," his brother replied, smiling at the waitress as she returned to the table. "Let's go ahead and order and leave the Demon Hunters to their meal."

They managed to do that for a while, each clan studiously ignoring the other, though the other patrons kept looking at the two large, leather-clad group of men and wondering what was going on in town to attract so many bikers. Sometime after Cas's group had finished eating, Sam stood up from his table and headed to the bathroom, one of his alphas on his heels. Kevin, unless Cas missed his guess. Gabe twitched in his seat, as if to follow, and his brother snorted something that was definitely a negative. "You are not going to the bathroom at the same time as your new crush, Gabriel Novak."

"We don't even use the same bathroom," Gabe pointed out, golden eyes almost glowing in the florescent lights of the pizza parlor.

"True, but I feel like you might corner him as he exits, and I don't think he can take the shock of you jumping him again. If you need to go, Benny will escort you once the Demon Hunters return." The burly alpha nodded as he finished his pizza.

Sam and Kevin returned to their seats a few minutes later, Gabe slipping out of the booth and heading toward the back corner with his bearded bodyguard. Cas watched as the only omega in the Demon Hunter group stood from the table and headed in the same direction, but it didn't seem like he was following the Hells Angels so he ignored it.

Gabe waited patiently beside the omega/female beta bathroom, arms crossed over his chest as Benny encouraged him to be silent. Gadreel, responding to Benny's quick text, met them there, all of them shadowed in the alcove between the two bathrooms. "Benny, so nice to see you here. The pizza is as good as you promised."

Benny grinned and nodded, one hand resting on Gabe's arm, half for protection, but half a warning to the omega not to bolt. "Dean is doing well with Sam in the room; he's not hiding behind Cas anymore and he isn't nearly as scared as he was at the park."

"Sam's pretty much the same," Gadreel reported. "He is trying his best not to stare at Dean, but it is his brother and he's finding it difficult."

"I know a way we can distract him," Gabe purred, eyes glowing bright omega gold in the dim light of the bathroom hallway. Two women emerged from the omega bathroom, chatting about some upcoming concert, and the three bikers waited for them to leave the small hallway before resuming their conversation.

"I'm not sure your type of distraction would help, brother. He was terrified when you jumped in his lap at the meeting."

Benny chuckled at Gadreel's observation. "Maybe he just needs time to warm up to this little terror of an omega. Can you arrange a meeting in a quiet or neutral place, like a coffee shop or a library or something? A place where Sam can be sure that Gabe will behave himself."

Gadreel nodded. "This can be done. My cousin enjoys reading, so getting him to a library or bookstore is not difficult at all. A bookstore would be better, as many of them tend to have small coffee shops inside and you don't have to resort to whispering. Would this plan be amenable to you, Gabriel?"

"I mean, yeah, it sounds great. Can you arrange this without my brother finding out?"

Gadreel chuckled. "Of course. Benny, do you know of a bookstore nearby?"

"I will find one, cher. Now, we should all return to our tables before my boss comes looking for his wayward brother."

Gabe fiddled with his coffee cup, nervousness turning his scent bitter. He sighed and added more sugar to his cup, hoping that it would help soothe him and clear his scent; the other patrons of the bookstore coffee shop were glancing at him and inching away. No one liked the scent of unhappy omega or anything near it.

"Did you think I wouldn't come?"

Gabe looked up as the moose of the Demon Hunters plopped into the seat opposite him, grinning over his own decorated paper cup. "I, uh, a little, yeah."

"Your chaperone ensured that I knew where to find you. I'm kinda glad you asked me to come; I wanted a chance to talk to you without your overbearing younger brother involved."

"He's working right now, actually; Mike and Luci are trying to set up a new satellite office in Chicago now that we're staying here permanently. Cas took Dean on a road trip to meet with the team staying behind, to help them expand the business up north. I begged off; I said someone needs to stay and watch Alfie. Cas bought it."

Sam snorted. "Yeah, sure. Well, you aren't jumping into my lap so I guess this was truly a good location to meet."

"I still find you irresistible, Moose, but I can control myself enough in public. I wanted to talk, get to know you, and not just follow my instincts."

"I actually wanted to talk to you about those instincts. You like my scent a lot, and I like yours, too. Do you think it's True Mates? My dad never believed in that, but he was drunk most of my life and he was an asshole who sold my brother to the highest bidder. Bobby, well, he said that it would be silly not to believe in it, considering how many people claimed to have scent-bonded at first meeting. I think we did that."

Gabe nodded. "Yeah, I believe in True Mates. I think that maybe some people don't recognize the bond at first, but I've been looking for a partner for a long, long time. Ever since . . . well, ever since I lost my pregnancy years ago."

Sam reached out and took Gabe's hand in his, sympathy in his hazel eyes. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. The sire, were you dating them? Gadreel said you've been single for some time or I wouldn't have agreed to this."

"I wasn't dating her, no. She was a hell of a good time, but she just helped me with my heat, nothing else. She never knew. After that . . . I haven't spent my heat with anyone since, and I want the next time to be with someone special. I want a mate and a family, despite my carousing when I was younger and my promiscuous nature. When I caught your scent, I knew that you were the alpha I've been waiting for."

"I've never really had time to date; I dedicated my life to finding Dean, so anything else went by the wayside. I've had . . . partners for my ruts, but as I've only had two since my presentation, I can't say I've had a lot of experience. Gabe, you're at least a decade older than me; I'm a pup in comparison to you. What kind of partner do you expect me to be?"

"I'm not even thirty yet, so let's not worry about the age difference too much," Gabe countered. "And I'm not looking for an experienced sexual partner; I'm looking for a mate. Our scents are compatible, as you've seen, you're incredibly gorgeous, and you have the gentlest soul of anyone I've ever met. You, as an eight-year-old boy, vowed to find your brother no matter the cost, and that's the kind of man I want to make a family with. I know you're young, and I don't want to push anything on you, but I think that we belong together."

Sam stared at the scruffy omega for a long, long moment before reaching out to run his fingers through Gabe's blond hair. "I can't even grow a beard yet."

It wasn't the traditional acceptance of a courtship request, but it was a start. Gabe smiled and reached up to grab Sam's hand. "You're going to look so sexy when it comes in."

"And you plan to be around to see it?"

"Yeah, I do. That alright with you, Samshine?"

The alpha chuckled at the impromptu nickname. "Yeah, I guess it is."

"How was your coffee date with the Winchester alpha?"

"His name is Sam," Gabe replied sweetly, knowing that Benny was teasing him on purpose. "It went well, I think. He's agreed to a courtship. I don't think we should tell Cassie, though."

"I have no intention of mentioning this to your brother, cher; I value my life."

"You could do me a favor, you know."

Benny stiffened at that sly voice, turning to glare at the blond omega. "What favor?"

"Don't be like that," Gabriel scolded, sipping at his coffee. "I just thought you, as an alpha without Cassie breathing down his neck, might be able to find out where Sam is staying."

"Gabe, that's not a good idea. Coffee dates are fine, but stalking him in his hotel is just gonna' scare him off. Don't take that kind of risk, cher. Everything in its own time."

Gabe sighed and nodded. He had been having heats for a long time, and he knew that he had one coming up, probably within the next few weeks, and he wanted to spend it with Sam. For that to happen, though, he needed to get to know the alpha better so that Sam might agree to help him when it was time. "I wouldn't mind if you arranged another date for me."

"Consider it done."

Dean watched Gabe enter the hotel room, the faintest hint of sandalwood on his clothes. His omega friend had been smelling like that a lot lately; maybe he had a new friend? He had caught that scent in the lobby of the hotel and in the hallways from time to time, but he had no idea what alpha it belonged to. None of Cas's clan had that scent.

"Dean, I spoke with Charlie today." The omega looked up as Cas sat beside him at the table, a sheaf of papers in the alpha's hands. "She said that your placement tests are very good and she thinks she can help you get your GED without issue. Do you want that?"

"Yes, I do," Dean replied, happy that his voice was steady and quite a bit stronger than it had been just a week earlier.

"Okay, good; she has a study plan prepared for you, and Gilda is fetching the books. I have to meet with Crowley about the inspection, so you can go with me or stay here and study." Cas had learned that giving Dean a choice in his daily activities kept him calm; Azazel had never given Dean a choice in anything, so the omega treated each one as precious.

"Study," Dean replied. He glanced at Gabe, who had taken a seat on the couch, and frowned at the faint scent he could still detect from the omega. He wanted to ask him, but it would be easier if Cas wasn't around. This could be his opportunity.

Gilda arrived less than an hour later with Charlie, Arthur Ketch, and Mick Davies in tow. Cas greeted them before gathering his briefcase and grabbing his helmet. As soon as he was gone, Dean started watching Gabe closely, trying to decide when he could corner the other omega. If Alfie was around, he would have magically known what Dean was planning and helped, it seemed to be his gift, but he was at the local community college trying to see what his options might be to move the few credits he had from Illinois here to continue his education. He had already done some of his GRE classes and the basic ones that every degree in every college required, so he wanted to finish those up at the community college before applying to a local university for his Bachelor's.

Charlie sent Ketch and his mate out to Taco Bell to grab some lunch for everyone, only partially because Gilda was really in the mood for burritos. Gilda had confided to Dean the day before that Charlie was going to ask her mate for a pup the next time her heat hit, so she had started doing all of these "provide for the omega" things recently to prove that she would be a good sire. Gilda was inclined to say yes, and the laid-back, small-town feel of Lawrence certainly didn't hurt. She hadn't wanted to raise a child in Chicago.

Gabe finally excused himself from the group while they were waiting for lunch, heading to the balcony for some fresh air. Both bedrooms and the living room shared the same long balcony, one that looked out over downtown Lawrence. Four stories up, it wasn't that loud, though the hum of cars below did keep conversations from carrying to the nearby rooms. Dean followed his friend outside, leaning against the railing beside the wall that divided their balcony from the room on their left, green eyes watching as Gabe sunk into one of the small chairs.

"You've been watching me all morning."

"Your scent is changing. I smelled sandalwood."

Gabe nodded. "Yeah, I figured that's what it was. I've noticed it myself, actually. I've been seeing an alpha over the past few weeks, just coffee dates and sometimes lunch, but I think that we are scent-bonding."

"You like him?"

Gabe grinned, his scent swelling. "Yeah, I do. I'm not entirely sure that Cassie would approve, so I kinda meet him in secret."

Dean tilted his head, trying to parse Gabe's statement and extract the alpha's identity. "It's the leader of that other gang you met with, isn't it? Demon Hunters."

Gabe's shocked scent was enough of an answer. "Wow, you figured it out faster than I thought. Yeah, that's the guy. Cassie's sense of smell isn't as strong as an omega's, so he won't know unless we take it to the next step, and only you and Alfie are around me enough to detect this subtle of a change. I didn't want to tell you because of how you reacted the first time you saw him. I thought it might upset you." The two gangs had managed to see each other a few times over the past few weeks, mostly at meal times and once at Crowley's office when Gadreel and Garth showed up to ask the realtor about homes in the area for their clan. Dean hadn't reacted to the Head Alpha at all, and he hadn't had the nightmares again, so Gabe and Cas figured that it was working. Soon, hopefully very soon, they could introduce the boy to his brother.

"He doesn't scare me anymore," Dean replied, staring down at his hands. "I haven't had the dream about my dad again, either. I think . . . I think if you like him this much I want to try to meet him. I don't even think I know his name."

Gabe grinned, his scent sweetening happily. "I think I can arrange that, Dean-o. He wants to meet you, too; he's worried about how much he scared you that day in the park."

"It wasn't his fault that he reminded me of Dad. Can you arrange for us to meet? Cas rarely lets me out of his sight, but I think we could convince him that this would be good for me."

"Yeah," Gabe replied softly, "I think we can."

Samandriel was sound asleep by the time Gabe sauntered into their shared bedroom, freshly showered with hair that was very nearly dry. It was almost midnight, but he hadn't been able to sleep, not with that warm hum vibrating through his body. He knew what it was, of course; he had gone into heat dozens of times since his presentation at fourteen, but he really hadn't wanted it to happen in a hotel. He figured he would be alright tonight, but tomorrow he would have to kick his babiest brother out so he could deal with this on his own.

Hoping to calm himself enough to get some sleep, Gabe headed for the balcony doors and quietly slipped outside. Cas would lose his mind if he knew; Gabe's near-heat scent was certainly projecting for miles with this calm night, but the alphas set to guard them were in the hall, so no one was the wiser.

Gabe leaned against the balcony and took a deep breath, letting the cool night air fill his lungs and fight back against the warmth prickling under his skin. Who invented this heat nonsense, he wondered. It's bad enough that I'm fucking horny with no knot to ride; why do I have to be overheating, too? He took a second breath and froze, sandalwood burning in the back of his throat as his eyes turned bright omega gold. Sam. Sam was somewhere nearby, close enough that he could scent him. Gabe knew, in some logical part of his brain, that his sense of smell was stronger now than normal, but the alpha couldn't be far away. Certainly, he wouldn't be able to scent anyone on the street below unless they were in rut, and there was no heady rut musk to this aroma. No, it seemed like he was much closer than that.

Gabe leaned out over the balcony, holding on tightly as he peeked around the dividing wall onto the balcony of the next room. He could just barely see into the far bedroom, his angle letting him glimpse the huge form passed out on the queen-sized bed. The door of that room was just barely cracked, probably to let in the cool night air, and Gabe knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was his moose. "Sam," he whispered, his omega screaming frantically for him to get to that alpha. Gabe considered his options, but he knew that he really only had once choice. Benny had never told him where the Demon Hunters were staying, but it had to be because the alpha knew that they were here, in the same hotel. If Benny knew, then Cas knew, so the guards in the hallway would have explicit instructions to keep Gabe in his own room. The only option, then, was to climb around the dividing wall and enter Sam's room from the balcony.

If he wasn't diving headfirst into heat and losing his mind with need, Gabe would never have considered doing what he did next. With the grace of an expert mountain climber, Gabe used the rough wall to pull himself onto the balcony, balancing carefully on bare feet as he pivoted around and stepped onto the top of Sam's balcony railing. One arm on either side of the wall, Gabe shifted over and gasped as he fell, losing his grip on the wall as he collapsed in an undignified heap next to the two chairs on Sam's balcony. The sound woke the sleeping alpha, and he jerked out of bed, pushing the door open and rubbing blurry eyes.

They froze for a long moment, gold eyes meeting hazel ones that were slowly turning red. Gabe was barely dressed in a pair of loose boxer shorts, ones that did nothing to hide the scent of his slick or the insistent weight of his erection. Sam, apparently, slept in the nude, and his cock was already jutting out toward Gabe's face, knot swelling at the base. "You're in heat," he finally managed, swallowing a couple of times to gain control of his voice.

"And you're here, right next door. How did I not know?"

Sam stepped forward and helped the omega to his feet, his self-control remarkable in an alpha his age. "Cas asked us not to tell you. I didn't know you were this close, though. You shouldn't have climbed that wall; you could have fallen and gotten yourself killed."

"Sam, I need you," Gabe whispered. "They would never have let me come. Please."

Sam ran his fingers through Gabe's hair, leaning down and taking a deep sniff, his eyes turning completely red. "I'm not old enough to partner an omega in heat, Gabe. I've only had a couple ruts myself and I'm not so good with my alpha yet."

"But you want me," the omega purred, moving close enough that his chest was pressed against Sam's. "I know that alphas normally stay clear of omegas in heat until they're in their early twenties, but I trust you. I know you can control yourself."

"How can you know that?" Sam rested his forehead on Gabe's shoulder, the hint of a growl in his voice. He could feel his alpha taking over as Gabe's scent strengthened, but the omega wasn't in full heat yet and Sam knew he could control himself until then. "How can you . . . trust me? Other than a handful of meetings, we barely know each other."

"We're True Mates, Sam. We belong together. You could never hurt me." Gabe slowly inched forward, forcing Sam to take a couple of steps back toward his room. "I know you want me. I can feel your need poking me in the stomach."

Sam chuckled, already warming to Gabe's request. "You're, uh, on birth control? I don't have any condoms; I didn't plan on this."

"I am. You . . . you don't want pups?"

"Gabe, I'm eighteen, and I devoted the last decade of my life to finding my brother. I want pups, yes, but not yet. I need to figure out my life now that I have succeeded in my only goal, but then I do want to start a family." Sam kissed Gabe's forehead, taking the next step backwards toward his room. "Don't be upset, it sours your scent."

"Sorry, just after . . . after Kali I knew that I wanted pups, but not until I'd found my mate. My True Mate. You. So, I'm willing to wait, but I'm not getting any younger."

"I'll help you through this heat, then we can talk, really talk, about our future. Okay?"

"As long as this plan involves me riding your knot in the next five minutes, I'm all in," Gabe purred, rutting urgently against Sam's leg. Chuckling, Sam swept the omega into his arms and headed back to his room, closing the door behind them. The last thing he needed was for the rest of the town to smell what they were about to get up to.