The next morning came to the newlywed couple in the form of a loud knocking on their door, and a palace maid informing them that their transport was here, and they were scheduled to leave for Haven in two hours.
As soon as Torn woke up, he was hyper aware of his surroundings...and the heavy weight on top of him.
"Motherfucker..." Torn growled at the sleeping Alpha laying on top of him.
The wall they built didn't have very good defenses apparently, as Jak seemed to have burst through it during the night in order to snuggle up to him. He was currently situated on his front between Torn's legs with his head resting right on Torn's chest.
Torn considered just kicking him off, but when he saw how peacefully Jak was sleeping, he decided against it.
...for about 10 seconds.
"Get the fuck off me, shit-stain!" Torn rolled Jak's body off of him, successfully waking him up as well.
"Th' fuck?!" Jak grumbled as rubbed the grogginess from his eyes, "'fucks wrong with you man?!"
"Quit whining, you're lucky I didn't kick you onto the damn floor." Torn rolled off the bed and moved to their shared closet, "In your desperation to steal my body heat and use me as a pillow, you managed to bulldoze through the wall. So, we either need heavier pillows or a new strategy."
Jak rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "How about manning up as a strategy?"
"What was that, brat?"
"I said we better get packed up so we can leave." Jak scurried off the bed quickly, praying Torn didn't actually hear him.
Torn didn't seem to, or he was just too groggy to care, and Jak watched as the older male staggered over to their shared drawer and rifled through his side, probably finding something to change into.
Jak idly scratched at his neck, his fingers met the gauze still taped over his gland. He wondered if the wound had scabbed over by now, or if it had at least stopped leaking the globby scent gland fluids that oozed out with the blood.
Torn didn't even bite as hard as he had, so he could only imagine how the Omega's wound was faring.
...which got him thinking.
He glanced at the other male just as he shucked off his sleep shirt. His neck was bandaged but the gauze was slightly yellowed from the mark oozing overnight.
Jak ran his tongue over his teeth as they started to ache again.
Before he realized he was moving, his feet had carried him over to Torn. He stood behind the other male, eyes fixed on the bruising just barely peeking out from under the bandage, "We should probably change this..." He reached out and gently rested his fingers on the skin just beneath the bandage.
Torn jolted away as soon as he made contact, his eyes alert for any threat for a moment before returning to their natural state of annoyance once he remembered Jak was far from a threat to him, "I can do it myself."
"You sure? I don't mind-"
Torn growled lowly, "Stop acting like I'm suddenly a helpless maiden just because you bit me!"
Jak held up his hands in a non-threatening manner as he argued, "You know I didn't mean it like that! Fuck, do you have to be this much of an ass so early?"
"I-" Torn stopped himself, letting out a frustrated sigh, "You're right...I'm...sorry, ok?"
Jak mockingly gasped, "Oh! An apology? Look at that! Being bitten by such a big scary Alpha must've made you nicer!"
Torn sneered, "I get it ok!?" He crossed his arms and looked away from Jak, "I know you didn't mean it the way I took it. I'm just..." The word wouldn't come to him...but thankfully Jak seemed to understand.
"I know...and I get it." Jak's face softened to one of empathy and understanding. After all, they were both in the same situation, "This is still weird and new for the both of us. But it's how life is going to be now, so we really should try not to piss each other off so much."
Torn simply nodded in agreement before moving to the bathroom to remove the bandage and clean his mark.
Jak decided to make himself useful and started packing his essentials for the week.
"HOLY SHIT!"
Jak whipped his head towards the bathroom, "What?! You ok?!"
Torn walked out without the gauze pad after cleaning the wound, and after one look Jak understood what brought on the exclamation.
"Holy shit..." he muttered as he got a good look at the damage.
"Right?!" Torn exclaimed as he lightly prodded his heavily bruised neck, "I look like I got beat with a bat, then bit by a dog!"
"Yeah..." Jak couldn't stop staring, "Did I really do that?! I know I bit deep and all, but there shouldn't be that much bruising."
"How does yours look?" Torn made a gesture to Jak's still covered neck.
"Not as nasty as yours...I hope..." Jak shuffled to the bathroom to check the damage.
Torn walked in a bit later just in time to see the bandage come off and reveal something Torn wasn't sure if he should be proud of or ashamed of.
He caught Jak's face in the mirror reflection and he looked both horrified and awe-struck at the state of his neck.
"Wow..." Torn couldn't say much else.
"Fuck man!? Did we not clean them right or something?! Are they infected?!" Jak tenderly touched his equally bruised neck, wincing in pain when he touched the healing gashes from Torn's teeth. If he weren't so worried about the purple and green splotches covering his neck and part of his shoulder, Jak would've felt his Alpha hindbrain swelling with pride at having such a deep and prominent bite.
He turned to look at Torn's neck again, the bruising was a bit worse for him, but they looked pretty similar. This time, Jak did get a slight hint of his Alpha pride flaring up for marking his mate so deeply as well.
However, he wouldn't dare say anything about it right now.
"Keira was the one who treated them, and I'm positive she did it correctly. But, I should probably call her and check in." He turned and walked to the intercom, pressing the button, "Keira, you there?"
A voice answered a moment later, "Torn? Good morning! Are you guys all packed?"
"Not yet, we have a problem though," Torn glanced back over to Jak, focusing on his neck before continuing, "Jak and I both have nasty bruising around our marks. Do you think they could be infected?"
"Of course not! The bruising is normal!" Keira chimed over the intercom, "Don't worry, it'll go away in a few days, and you should have some nice, clean marks." She paused for a moment before continuing in a quieter voice, "Though, I hear that Alpha and Omega saliva has antibacterial properties that are good for speeding up the process...if you catch my meaning."
Torn didn't miss the mirth in her voice and growled, "Thanks, but I think we'll stick to peroxide." He hung up and turned to Jak, seeing the younger man's face turning slightly pink.
"Whatever you're thinking...stop it." Torn narrowed his eyes pointedly.
"I'm not thinking about anything..." Jak retorted, though even he couldn't hide the lie in his voice.
Torn rolled his eyes and sighed, "I'm not licking your damn bite, so get the idea out of your head right now before I beat it out."
Jak shifted slightly, unphased by the threat, "So...you wouldn't mind if I did yours then?"
Torn stared at him, trying to gauge if he was serious, "Why...the fuck...would you even want to do that?"
Jak shrugged, "I dunno...just seems like a good idea. Maybe it's an Alpha thing? I mean, my teeth are starting to ache again like it did when I needed to scent."
"Really?" Torn raised a brow, "We just bonded yesterday, you should be coasting that high for at least a couple days."
"Oh?" Jak picked at his mark, "Well, I'm starting to feel cagey like before, does that mean there's something wrong with me?" Jak started getting that anxious look on his face, the one he made when they first started doing the scenting therapy.
"It's probably because of how young you are." Torn deduced, crossing his arms and moving to their bed, "You bonded before experiencing your first rutt, so your hormones might be a bit confused. Perfect..." He sighed and sat down on the bed, "Might be smart to get a scenting session done before we leave. Get over here."
Jak tried to seem like he wasn't super eager to scent, but there was no fooling the older man. The young Alpha sat next to Torn, bringing up his legs so he could sit crisscrossed on the bed. He turned towards Torn and waited, seemingly wanting Torn to make the first move.
Torn raised a brow, "You want me to take the lead again?"
"Is that so bad?" Jak smirked back, "Maybe I want my pretty little Omega wife to polish my gland while I enjoy his scent."
That earned him a growl, but Jak just laughed it off and tilted his head submissively, exposing his freshly bit and bruise covered neck.
And Torn once more couldn't resist that invitation.
But this kid was cocky and Torn needed him to know who was really in charge around here.
He lunged at the younger Alpha and pinned him down against the bed.
Jak didn't even resist, the look of surprise on his face only lasted for a moment before it evolved into one of raw need.
Torn smirked down at him and let out a possessive growl, "You want my scent? Fine, but I'm the one who decides how this'll go down...pup." That only seemed to encourage Jak farther as the younger Alpha squirmed slightly and smiled up at him cheekily, "You gonna put your money where your mouth is? Or do I have to put you in your place...Omega."
The growl that ripped its way out of Torn was angry and feral, and his response came not in words, but action. He leaned down and bit Jak right on his shoulder, far from his mark, but not away from the bruising. It was hard enough to leave a mark, but not break the skin...the intention being a warning.
Jak hissed as he felt the teeth connect and irritate his bruising, but even this felt amazing to him. He wanted more of it, but Torn wasn't here to fool around. That statement was accentuated when Torn began rubbing his scent over Jak's neck and shoulder, marking him so their scents intermingled.
Torn didn't linger on the more sensitive or intimate spots, just quickly slid their marked necks against each other before running his neck over Jak's bare arms and the top of his chest, covering him in his sweet, strong scent.
Practical and efficient as always...
When Torn was satisfied with how Jak smelled now...smelling pretty strongly like Omega... he sat up and moved off of him.
Jak sat up slowly, eyeing Torn's mating mark.
His mouth began to water, "Can I...um...can I groom you?"
Torn once again gave him an incredulous look, "Seriously? Why the fuck do you even want to do any of that shit? You do realize grooming is an Omega thing, right?"
Jak frowned, "Who the fuck cares?! I like doing it, and I knowyou like it too. I don't give a fuck if it's not something an 'Alpha' should do...it's something I want to do."
Torn blinked at him, still looking very confused, but eventually he conceded with a sigh, "I don't get you sometimes...but whatever, just do what you want."
With permission now granted, Jak crawled over to Torn and sat behind him on his knees. His heart beat a bit faster as he reached out and gently moved one of Torn's dreadlocks away from his shoulder. He couldn't get over how soft he felt.
For someone with a hard muscled figure, and an even harder face, Torn's skin and hair were soft to the touch...velvety almost. And he was so...warm. All the time. His eyes looked like a glacier, and yet his skin was always searing.
He didn't miss the fact that Torn still tensed under his touch, but the man wasn't moving away from him, so Jak took that as a sign to continue.
He started by pressing a gentle kiss to the back of Torn's neck, his lips slid against the soft, warm, wonderful smelling skin as he dragged them down and across to Torn's neck. He paused right at the healing bite wound, letting his lips graze across the deep indents before sweeping his tongue slowly across it, feeling each small indent as the taste of Torn's skin mixed with the palatable scent emitting from the irritated scent gland.
Torn's scent lingered on his tongue, and it was just as delicious and intoxicating as always. His inner Alpha, however, didn't want to let him enjoy it. He had a job to do here, and he was wasting his time indulging in his mate's scent.
Quickly, Jak got to work, lapping hard swipes across the mark, tasting the iron of dried blood and oily secretions from the scent gland that had absolutely gotten pierced by yesterday's bite. Something in his primal brain was being sated through this, and Jak no longer felt the aching in his teeth as he continued his gentle and purposeful grooming.
His effort was rewarded quickly in the form of a gentle, rumbling purr coursing through Torn. Jak smiled as he pressed his open mouth against the mark and sucked firmly, pressing his tongue flat against the gland to coax out more of the rich Omega scent.
It pleased him greatly to hear Torn's purr as he did this. He assumed that it must be something within his Alpha nature to please his mate. He felt his inner Alpha swelling with pride as the purr hitched up an octave when he grazed his teeth teasingly up Torn's neck.
Torn was wrong...
A good Alpha must need to groom his mate.
Why else would this feel so right?
"Oh that's enough!" Torn wrenched away from him, moving off the bed and quickly darting to their dresser.
Jak pouted in Torn's direction.
Of course, just as he was getting into it...
"You had your fun. Stop acting like a child and pack up." Torn didn't even need to look at Jak to know what his expression was.
But he had to end that shit right there...
...he was already feeling uncomfortably wet...
By the time the newlyweds had finally packed their bags and exited the palace, there was already a mob of reporters waiting for them outside. Torn noted a few that were from Haven, but it looked like there were some from Kras as well.
Guards moved in a perimeter around them as the exited the gate and made their way towards an armored vehicle, positioned just beyond the mob.
It seems they felt transportation to the city gate would be necessary, and looking at how many reporters there were flocking around them, Torn would have to agree.
Torn was used to being swarmed by reporters, being an important figure back in Haven, and he assumed Jak was used to the cameras as well...being a prince.
When he turned to check on him, he saw the young Alpha looking petrified like a kangarat in headlights.
Jak was clinging close to his side and looking anywhere but at the flashing lights and microphones being shoved in his direction as reporters screamed out their questions over each other.
He felt suddenly very protective of the younger man.
Torn may be an ass most of the time, but he wasn't cruel.
He wrapped an arm around Jak and pulled him against his side as he effortlessly lead him to the vehicle, relieved when the reporters were stopped from coming near them anymore than they already have,
Torn let Jak crawl into the car first and swiftly slide in beside him, the door shutting the in quickly.
As they started driving slowly towards the city gate, Jak let out a shaky break, "Thanks...that was...a lot."
"Don't mention it." Torn crossed his arms and kept his gaze trained out the tinted window, "May wanna get used to that though. It'll get worse when we get to Haven."
Jinx was already waiting for them at the transport by the time their escort came to a stop outside the gate. It seems Ashelin and Tess had already gotten on the transport.
As Torn had predicted, Jinx immediately started shit as he walked up to Torn and flashed him his biggest shit-eating grin, "Yer late dipshit! Ash and Tess already boarded."
Torn rolled his eyes and huffed, "We didn't get much sleep last night."
He instantly regretted saying anything as Jinx's grin grew wider, "Oh? Must've been one hell of a wedding night." He looked over the both of them before purring, "Tell me...did 'Ya finally bone?"
Torn resisted the urge to punch that fucking grin off the annoying Alpha's face and instead growled, "Jinx, it's a long ride to Haven...and if you say another word you may not last long enough to see it again."
Jinx acted as if Torn was speaking a different language as he leaned to the side, peering mischievously at Torn's backside, "Guess not since you're walkin' pretty normal." He turned his attention to Jak, "Or maybe I got the roles reversed?"
"I'm going to actually kill you Jinx." Torn growled as he rapidly started losing his patience. Jak was slowly turning several different shades of red as he avoided eye contact with the overly pushy Haven Alpha.
"Hey, aint no shame in taking some prime Omega dick! You like what you like after all, and Torn's a fuckin stud!" Jinx moved closer to Jak, nudging his shoulder with an elbow, "C'mon Blondie, spill! Did he pop yer front cherry or yer back one?"
Jak coughed in embarrassment, uncomfortably shifting. He turned away from Jinx and mumbled, "We...um...really didn't do anything..."
Jinx raised a brow, "Oh, but I bet you wanted to, right? Stuck in a room with that hottie had to 've gotten your engine revved! All that angry, brooding sexiness...just inches away from you at all times!"
Torn's growling got louder as the tips of his ears turned red, "I swear to fucking Precursors, Jinx. They'll never find your body."
Jinx leaned closer to Jak, voice lowering a single octave as he teased in what he must've thought was a whisper, "I bet ya wanna get a taste of that hot soldier bussy real soon-"
"FUCKING HELL JINX!" Torn grabbed the irritating Alpha as he cackled and shoved him harshly away from Jak, "Will you knock it the FUCK off?! Nothing fucking happened!"
Jinx chuckled as he held up his hands in surrender, "Alright, alright! I'll leave you alone now that your boy is sufficiently mortified." He winked at Jak, "We'll talk more on the flight anyways."
"The hell you will!" Torn growled, "I'm not letting you within three feet of him. Precursors know what garbage you'll be filling his head with."
"Sorry Stripes, Governess's orders!" He jerked a thumb in the direction of the transport, "Red wants a word with you. So I'll be keepin' your boy company."
Torn opened his mouth to object, but Jak answered, "Sure! I kinda wanted to ask you some stuff anyway." Torn grabbed his shoulder and gave him an odd look, "What stuff?"
"I have some questions about being an Alpha."
Torn's face took on a look that Jak thought looked more like a pout than a scowl as he argued, "Just ask me then."
Jak gave Torn a doubtful gaze, "So far, most of what you've told me about how I should be feeling and acting has been wrong. If you don't mind, I'd rather ask someone who actually knows."
The stunned silence from Torn was enough of a cue for Jinx to hightail it to the transport, "Welp, guess I better go save you a seat Blondie! Later Stripes!" And just like that, he retreated...vanishing into the safety of the transport.
Jak kept his gaze with Torn, even though he felt like he should be tilting his head to him. But he had to be firm on this.
When the shock wore off, Torn growled, "That fucks that supposed to mean?!"
Jak answered very practically, "You're not an Alpha. You may know a lot about them, but there are things you can't answer for me. Just like there are things about Omegas I would never be able to understand. Would you come to me for answers on Omega issues?"
…
Shit, that was a good argument.
Torn tsked, "No..."
"Exactly." Jak gently pulled his shoulder out of Torn's slackened grip and paused before saying, "Look, it's not that I don't appreciate your help or value your opinion...I do...it's just..." He looked away, his cheeks going slightly pink in embarrassment, "There's things I don't feel...comfortable talking to you about. Jinx is an Alpha, and I don't care what he knows about me...so I feel better asking him."
Torn sighed and crossed his arms, "Fine, I get it. Just don't get any weird ideas from him. If you try some shit he tells you about, I will kick your ass and then kill his."
"You're not gonna kill me?" Jak grinned teasingly, "Aww, you must really love me!"
Torn responded with a swift kick to Jak's ass, forcing a yelp of surprise out of the younger Alpha before he quickly rushed to the transport, cackling with glee the whole way.
Once Jak boarded the transport, he locked eyes with Jinx, and the other blonde was quick to usher him over. He walked over, and just before he sat down next to the other Alpha, Jak watched Torn board. The other man spared him a single warning glance, possibly reminding him to not get any weird ideas, before he moved to the front of the transport and sat next to Ashelin.
As much as Jak wanted to sit next to Torn, he was on a mission; so he slid in next to the older Alpha.
Jinx wasted no time, as he leaned in and whispered to Jak, "That was the first time I've seen anyone do that! Nice work kid!"
"What do you mean?" Jak narrowed his eyes in confusion.
"You stood your ground to him and got him to actually listen to you...without even using your voice! That's a first, even for me!" Jinx laughed softly as he leaned back in his seat, "You really are a perfect match for him, kid."
Jak looked down sheepishly, "You think so?"
"Trust me Jakkie-boy. You're good for him. He needed an Alpha like you."
"Thanks..." Jak glanced towards the front of the transport where he saw Torn engaged in a conversation with Governor Praxis. He watched as Torn's brow furrowed slightly in a scowl. He must not like whatever she was telling him.
"So, "Jinx interrupted his train of thought, "What did ya wanna ask me?"
Jak mulled over his many questions, unsure of what to ask first. Eventually, he settled on, "Is it weird for Alphas to groom Omegas?"
Jinx raised a curious brow, "I guess that depends on who you ask. If you ask any bird-brained fuckboi in Haven, they'd say you're not a real man if you groom your partner. If you ask me...I'd say it's a gentlemanly thing to do for the person you love."
"Does that mean you've done it?"
Jinx chuckled, "Occasionally. Usually, Tear prefers to do it, Omega instinct and all, but during his heats when he gets really clingy, sometimes it calms him down if I groom him." He shifted in his seat as he mused, "But I've never really felt the urge to do it to anyone but him. Maybe it's because we're so deeply connected, but either way, if you enjoy doing that to Ole' Hardass over there, then go for it and fuck anyone who tells you otherwise!"
Jak laughed softly as a genuine smile crossed his face, "Good to know..." He paused before asking his next question, "Then, what about scenting? Lately, I've been wanting Torn to scent me, but he keeps saying that 'Alphas scent first'," He did his best impression of Torn to get the point across which got Jinx to chortle loudly.
"That's some impression you got there! Pretty spot on." When Jinx regained his calm, he answered, "Well, again that may be true if you asked the fuckboi. And in my experience, every Omega I've ever been with has wanted me to scent them. Most of them wouldn't even scent me back even if I asked. Tear even hesitates doing it unless I've done it first. But here's one thing I've learned..."
He motioned for Jak to come closer as he whispered, "There's nothing better for showing off your Alpha prowess than walking in the midst of them smelling like a satisfied Omega."
Jak raised his eyebrows, "Seriously?"
"Oh yeah!" Jinx smirked deviously, "And lemme tell ya...nothing tastes better than the slick of an Omega who's happy and content."
That brought a heavy blush out of Jak, and he tried to will away the filthy thoughts about a certain someone that made his mouth water, "Th-that's ridiculous! How would you even be able to compare that?!"
"Oh there's a difference! Trust me." Jinx got oddly serious for a moment, "Slick from an Omega who doesn't care about you is bland like sugar water. You spend a good while workin' their pussies with your tongue and they can't hurry you along fast enough. But...an Omega who you love...who you know loves you back...fuck..." Jinx grinned as he continued, "It's like honey from heaven."
"So..." Jak started, "Your boyfriend lets you do...that...to him?"
Jinx raised a brow, "Tear?" He shrugged, "Sometimes. Depends on if he's in a giving mood. Usually eating someone out is more fun for the person receiving, but I just like doin' in. So he lets me get between his legs once in a while. Mostly if he's in heat or if I'm rutting."
Jak suddenly remembered something, "Tear is...Torn's brother right?"
"Yeah. Twin brother, actually."
"Torn said he doesn't like sex, so...do you guys not have sex? How do you get through your rutt?!" Jak honestly wondered if it was even possible. If he could get through his first rutt without having sex with Torn, maybe that would prove to the older man how serious he was about him.
"Oh no, we have sex...just not like everyone else." Jinx stated, "Tear doesn't like it, so we don't do it a lot. He'll often offer to help me out with his mouth or hands, but he'd much rather kiss me or snuggle up on the couch."
Jak frowned, "But...what about during your rutt? Or his heat? Doesn't he want sex during them?"
"Not really." Jinx shrugged. "He'll get hot and wet like every other Omega, but he would much rather have me scent him during his heat. And, you know, occasionally sit on my face. He'll let me fuck him during my rutt though, sweet thing..."
"But he doesn't like it, right?" Jak asked in confusion, "Has he been to a doctor? Do you think there's something wrong with him?"
At the insinuation, Jinx frowned...the second time Jak ever saw him do it, "There's absolutely nothing wrong with him. His parts work, he just doesn't want to use them. He gives me the privilege of using his body if my Rutt becomes too much for me to handle. I've learned not to feel bad about the fact that he won't always reach an orgasm when we get intimate, and that's only because I communicate with him...and we respect each other just as much as we love each other."
Jinx's face softened a bit as he finished, "There's your key word by the way...Communicate. All good couples do it. Torn isn't like Tear, so your bedroom antics won't be so much of a hurdle...but you need to worry less about what you should be...and more about what you want to be. If you wanna get scented, get scented. If you wanna groom Torn, groom him. If you wanna pin Torn down and plow that wet cunt until he goes numb, fucking do it! And if you want him to push you down and fuck you senseless with that huge dick of his, go right ahead! Because as long as you're both safe and happy, that's all that should matter to you."
With that, Jinx stopped, taking out a cigar and lighting it, taking a pudd from it before asking, "So, we're halfway to the city...anything else you wanna go over?"
Jak was silent. Jinx's advice stuck deep in his thoughts as he felt more and more emboldened by them. He was right...it shouldn't matter what others think. As long as he and Torn were happy, they shouldn't feel guilty about how they treat each other.
So long as they both wanted it, and no one was being hurt...they should strive for that mutual happiness no matter what others would say.
"Nah..." Jak glanced once again to the front of the transport, locking eyes with Torn, seeing him raise a questioning brow, "I think I'm good."
