Omega’s Gamble by Claire Cullen

Chapter Twenty

Raine glanceddown at his muddy outfit with a grimace. It might have been suitable for a walk in the royal gardens when he’d donned it that morning, but it certainly wasn’t now.

“I really should change.”

“Don’t on my account. You’ll be putting a cloak over it anyway—we’ll find you a dry one. I’ve never got the whole thing about omegas ‘looking perfect at every moment.’ You’re a person, not a doll. Besides, I think you look good smudged with a little mud.”

That brought Raine’s thoughts to a halt as he stared frankly at the alpha. Darien’s eyes were warm, his gaze intense. Raine knew what teasing looked like, and this wasn’t it. The alpha grinned, the corners of his eyes crinkling, and Raine felt his heart flutter.

“Welcome to the south wing,” Darien said with a flourish, leading him through a set of double doors.

Unlike the dusty, empty north wing, this one looked richly furnished and well-lived in.

“Who else lives here?”

“My brothers. We lived in my parents’ wing until we turned fourteen. Then we got a bit of independence.”

A hard thing to acquire when you were a member of a royal family, what with the constant expectations and responsibilities.

“Which rooms are yours?”

“This way.”

Raine wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it wasn’t what he found.

“This is your room?”

“Sure. Living room and study of sorts.”

There was an old map of the island etched on wood and painted in faded colors, and a huge globe of the world in pale marble, the countries outlined in gold.

“I don’t suppose you do a lot of traveling,” Raine said, shedding his cloak as he walked toward the globe.

“I’ve been to a few of the neighboring islands and kingdoms, but I’ve never seen the world, if that’s what you’re asking.” Darien took the cloak from his hands and set it aside.

“The world is overrated,” Raine told him. “Trust me.”

“I guess you’ve been to lots of places.”

“Sure. Cocooned in an airship with a lot of catty omegas, being shepherded from place to place.”

“Sounds less fun than I imagined,” Darien conceded. He crossed the room and opened another door, revealing a bedroom. “Bathroom is through here if you want to clean up. I’ll ring for our food.”

Raine felt like he was snooping as he stepped into Darien’s bedroom. It was furnished similarly to the living room and spoke of a room no one spent much time in. The bed was carelessly made, and there was a half-open dresser drawer and a sleeveless tunic thrown over a chair.

“Are you sure you don’t mind me—”

“I don’t mind,” Darien said from behind him. Raine turned to see him leaning in the doorway, watching him. “Towels are in the bathroom. You can borrow a shirt from the dresser if you want.”

“I don’t want to intrude.”

“You’re not intruding. How could you be? I’m inviting you. Here, come on.”

He went to the dresser and tugged open a drawer, waving Raine over. “I probably don’t have anything that’s quite your color. My wardrobe is more about being battle-ready than anything else.”

Raine moved to stand next to him, staring at the row of poorly folded shirts and sweaters in a variety of dark colors.

“I see that.”

A sweater caught his eye. It was lighter than the others, a mixture of white and gray threads. It looked soft and cozy. He’d seen Darien wear it once and remembered the almost overwhelming urge to stroke a hand across it or cuddle into the alpha, but he’d restrained himself for obvious reasons. Ferno would have had no such reservations, but what a cat could get away with, he couldn’t.

“How did this get here?” he asked. “It doesn’t seem your style.”

“Etta. She took up knitting one year. She was quite good, actually. Pretty much everyone got a knitted gift by the time the year was out. But her focus never stays on one thing for very long.”

“She has a lot of interests,” Raine agreed.

“She spoke to me about you,” Darien told him, lifting the sweater and placing it over Raine’s arm.

“What did she say?”

“That what you don’t say is far more interesting than what you do. I’m starting to understand what she means.”

Raine flushed. “Where I’m from, holding your tongue is a survival skill.”

“I understand. I’ll leave you to clean up.”

“You need to clean up too.”

“We’ll take turns.”

“We don’t have to. I mean, we are married, right? We’re not doing anything wrong.”

He wasn’t sure what drove him to say that, but if the way Darien’s eyes lit up was any indication, it was the right move.

“Only if you’re comfortable.”

Raine shrugged and ducked into the bathroom. He turned on a tap, shed his outer shirt, and reached for a towel. And then Darien was right there beside him in the mirror, shucking his tunic and grabbing his own towel. The alpha surveyed himself in the mirror with a snort. “I always come home looking like a mud wrestler.”

Raine had stolen a few glances at Darien now and then, but lately, he’d been so distracted with his alchemy and being furious with the alpha that he hadn’t been paying much attention. Now, for the first time, he felt like he could look his fill. More than that, he wondered what might be hidden beneath the alpha’s undershirt.

He let his eyes run over the alpha’s body, from his broad shoulders to his muscular legs. “It’s a good look on you.”

Darien laughed, running a damp towel across his face and down his neck.

“So Rex keeps telling me.”

Raine couldn’t help it, he giggled. The alpha shot him a look that morphed into a grin.

They cleaned up side by side, sharing lots of appreciative glances despite staying mostly clothed.

He caught sight of a dark patch on the back of Darien’s undershirt that wasn’t mud. “You’re hurt.”

“What?”

Darien twisted around, trying to see what Raine was looking at.

“It’s just under your shoulder blade,” Raine explained. “Should I… take a look?”

The alpha didn’t seem bothered by the injury. “Yeah, thanks. It’s probably just a cut that opened back up. Here, I’ll take this off.”

Before Raine could say another word, the alpha had tugged off his undershirt and bared his upper body. Raine had to take a steadying breath as the heady scent of alpha hit him, his eyes trailing across the alpha’s broad shoulders and smooth skin.

“How’s it look?” Darien prompted. There was a hint of amusement in his tone, and Raine glanced up, meeting the alpha’s eyes in the mirror. His own flushed skin was all too apparent.

“Um…” He glanced back down again, seeking the source of the blood—a small cut over the alpha’s scapula. “It doesn’t look like it’s still bleeding. But I should probably clean it just to be safe.”

“Thanks,” Darien offered. “I’d do it myself but…” He couldn’t even see the injury, let alone reach it.

“It’s no trouble,” Raine promised. “I’m used to patching myself up.”

That was clearly the wrong thing to say. Through the mirror, Darien’s eyes turned instantly concerned.

“Who hurt you?”

“It’s not like that,” he rushed to explain.

“Then what is it like?” Darien asked. He gentled his tone, leaning against the bathroom counter and watching Raine’s reflection.

“No one… no one’s ever… not like you’re thinking.” He was trying to assure the alpha but he wasn’t doing a good job. Sure, his father had rarely laid a hand on him. But there were other ways to hurt a person, wounds that weren’t so easily healed.

“Then what…”

“I have some hobbies that can be risky. Making jewelry, perfumes. I’ve cut and burned myself plenty of times.” There, that sounded believable. And it fit with the story he’d told Etta so if Darien asked around, it wouldn’t raise any suspicions.

“Oh. Those aren’t the usual omega pursuits.”

“I was never very good at the usual pursuits. My needlepoint is woeful.”

Darien laughed and handed him a damp washcloth. Raine carefully cleaned the blood away.

“It’s not too bad. The bleeding has already stopped, and the wound looks clean. I can put a bandage on, but I think you’ll be okay without one.”

Darien straightened and turned, taking the washcloth from Raine’s hands and setting it aside. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Raine felt hot all over and very aware of how close the alpha was standing. Darien took Raine’s hand in his, his thumb trailing back and forth across Raine’s knuckles.

“You hesitated,” he said softly. “When you were telling me…” He sighed, staring into Raine’s eyes. “Your father?”

Raine shrugged, struggling to remain impassive under the alpha’s intense gaze. “His most hated son, remember?”

Darien lifted Raine’s hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “He can’t hurt you now. You’re here, and you’re safe.”

His sure hands drew Raine closer, and Raine found his own palms pressed to the alpha’s chest. A sudden pang of longing surged through him, taking him by surprise. He wanted, in that moment, to feel Darien’s hands on him. Somewhere no one else could touch him. He wanted it, but he didn’t know how to ask for it. He let his hands slide up Darien’s chest to his shoulders.

“Is this okay?”

“Yeah,” Darien said hoarsely. “Can I?”

His hands settled low on Raine’s waist, fingers teasing at the hem of Raine’s undershirt.

“Yes,” Raine whispered. He wanted nothing more than to feel the alpha’s hands on him.

Darien’s fingers eased under his shirt, cool against Raine’s hot skin. He leaned forward and hid his face against the alpha’s neck, reveling in the touch of skin against skin. No one had ever touched him like this. Like he was wanted. Desired.

The alpha’s touch trailed along his lower back from his spine to his hips. Raine leaned away from Darien just far enough that he could lift his head. He wanted to know what he’d see in Darien’s eyes.

The look of need on the alpha’s face made his breath catch.

One of Darien’s hands left his back and cupped his cheek, a thumb brushing across his lips and making them tingle. When he leaned closer, Raine mirrored him, drawn toward the alpha. Their lips touched, their first kiss soft but sure. Darien’s hand was still pressed to the small of his back, holding him in place, anchoring him as he was kissed breathless. Raine didn’t want the moment to end.

* * *

By the timethey stepped back out into the living room, their food had arrived. Darien held Raine’s chair out for him, his hand brushing against Raine’s back as he went to take his own seat.

The table had two plates of food, a selection of side dishes, and a covered dish that Raine hoped was dessert. They also had wine, fruits, and a selection of cheese.

“Someone went all out,” he commented, wondering who’d gone to all the trouble.

Darien tried to hide his smile, but Raine caught it anyway.

“This was you?”

“I wanted to do something special for us. Is this… okay?”

Raine knew his smile stretched from ear to ear. “It’s perfect.”