Chapter Text
Something was in the air. Julie couldn't tell what, but ever since Alex and Emmett had had what seemed to be a very important conversation a week ago, something was different. Emmett seemed to be waiting for something, but was clearly more relaxed than before, and Alex's tension had also been replaced in part by thoughtfulness. She herself still felt strangely empty and numb.
Emmett had said that, according to some old tradition, Barry's rooms would not be touched until the new year, and Julie, who had been watering the flowers in Barry's bedroom, shuddered as she closed the door behind her. It looked as if he would walk in at any moment and change for some occasion, but that would never happen again. The small watering can in her hand shook and briefly she wondered what would become of the rooms, because she couldn't imagine Alex claiming the master suite.
Slowly, she continued to water the plants in the house, and when she was finished with this chore, she stepped into the kitchen.
Emmett and Simon sat at the kitchen island eating a late dinner as they discussed.
"That can wait," Simon said firmly just then. "But Alex needs to take a stand on the Three Cities Alliance. And if he just breaks it up."
Julie grimaced in equal measure with Emmett. Lightfall would definitely suffer if that happened. However, a thought occurred to her. "Tell me, Ems, did Alex ever actually took a look at Steven's package?"
Emmett opened his mouth, then shrugged. "If he did, he didn't talk to me about it." And knowing him as they both did, he would definitely want to talk about it.
"What package?", Simon wanted to know curiously, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"Steven sent Alex a package. I don't know what's in it. Barry looked at it and said his old pack lied to Alex, but he wanted to leave it up to him. I'm honestly not even sure where it is now."
"In a corner of his never-used living room," Julie assisted, suppressing a sigh. Considering that Alex had been a wild wolf who had been given the wide open world, it was kind of strange that he preferred to stay in his bedroom or the kitchen here in the house.
There was silence for a moment, and then Julie turned toward the door. She could definitely sense Alex earlier than she heard, smelled, or saw him, and the part of her that still believed she was a werewolf in name only still found that disturbing.
Alex half leaned against the doorframe and nodded at them; he exuded a strange nervousness. "Julie... could you come with me, please?"
"Sure." She gave Emmett and Simon a smile, which she didn't feel. Alex's nervousness couldn't bode well, but Emmett nodded at her with a thin smile and so she followed Alex through the house to his bedroom, where he caught Victor's attention with a short whistle and then nodded his head toward the door. That didn't make it any better, because he rarely sent Victor away- especially since he kept complaining that they shouldn't treat him like a dog, even though he did it himself.
"What is it?" she wanted to know quietly as he closed the door behind Victor.
His nervousness changed and now took possession of her as well, but eased almost immediately when he gently took her in his arms. She snuggled up to him, enjoying his warmth and the delicate touches with which he stroked her back, and was pleased to find that he, too, was calming down. Her whole being rejoiced at this, as it was what she was there for - to give her Royal moments of peace, to care for him, to satisfy him.
She raised her head and met his faint smile. "Is everything all right?" she wanted to know, noticing that he hadn't answered her previous question either.
"Yes...", he said quietly, but it didn't sound convincing. Before she could respond verbally, though, he leaned down and kissed her. Gently and lovingly, and yet she could sense that he was holding back, that he was keeping his wild side in check for her. And besides the fact that his intention alone made her body respond, it was this considerate action that melted something inside her.
Alex's hands left small flaming traces on her skin as he slowly undressed her; her own fingers trembled as she helped him with his clothes. Her body wanted him, her head knew she was his either way, and her instincts were confused. He was a predator and yet her protector, he would possibly hurt her and yet give her something.
Involuntarily, her breathing quickened and shallowed as he pushed her onto the bed and under the covers with gentle insistence. She snuggled against him, returning his kisses with a hunger that was both foreign and embarrassing to her, even though everything inside her screamed for him.
She wanted to touch him- everywhere.
She wanted to kiss him- everywhere.
And yet she did none of it.
However, Alex kissed her only on the mouth and nowhere else either, and his hands had not slid lower than to her breasts. Suddenly, a whole new worry spread through her. What if he didn't want her at all? What if it was a duty for him to take care of his omega in this way, too?
"Julie..." he whispered, leaning back a bit.
"Yes?" Some of her swirling thoughts came to a halt.
"I'll be careful, I promise, but if I do hurt you, you have to tell me," he continued to whisper, gently running his hand through her hair.
Hastily she nodded, expecting him to continue, but instead he straightened up. It took her a moment to realize that he was taking a condom, and while her human side was relieved because the current overall situation didn't need a pregnancy as well, her omega side was deeply disappointed.
Well, he was gentle and careful and except for a little uncomfortable at first, there was nothing bad about it. However, nothing nice either. She kind of felt nothing at all. She ran her hands through his hair and down his back and could feel him holding back for her sake, almost wishing he wouldn't. Not that she wanted him to hurt her, but shouldn't at least he be enjoying the sex?
A barely suppressed animalistic sound made her shudder, and then he shuddered as he climaxed. Again relief and disappointment collided, but disappointment won out as he kissed her cheek, breathing heavily, and then dropped onto his back beside her. The fact that he covered his face with his hands probably testified to the fact that this had been a really bad act.
Why am I actually disappointed? she then asked herself. I am the disappointment, I am a failure as an absolute omega.
Disappointment turned to horror and with difficulty she held back a sob as she slid out of bed.
~
Julie's disappointment prickled bitterly in Alex's nose and definitely didn't help him feel any better. Everything inside him was tense to the breaking point as he held back all his instincts. He wanted to kiss her and touch her- everywhere- and just the thought was enough to make his fangs resist his will. If he really did it, all his self-control wouldn't be enough, he would bite her and that would lead to things they were both not ready for. Just as much, he kept his purely physical pleasure in check instead of chasing orgasm as his body demanded louder and louder of him. He didn't want to hurt her, didn't want to scare her off, but he obviously couldn't satisfy her either, which put quite a damper on his orgasm when it finally crashed over him.
The pleasure rolled over him in lazy stale waves as he rolled onto his back and pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. This had been the worst sex of his life, and with Julie of all people. Breathing heavily and incredibly frustrated, he wondered how to explain the problem to her without blurting out that she was his mate- because she wouldn't believe him anyway- because no explanation wasn't really an option in his eyes.
Her scent shifted, snapping him out of his thoughts, and then he braced himself on his elbows as she slid out of bed.
"Where are you going?" he wanted to know as he tried to match a feeling to her scent.
Shakily, she took a breath. "To my bed." she answered quietly. "You're done, aren't you?"
Confused, he watched her bend down for her clothes before he realized. "Come back to bed."
"Why?" She straightened up but didn't turn around, so he slid out of bed too, cursing the condom that caught on the bedspread and nearly made a mess. Everything in him had resisted the thing anyway, but now was not the time for pups.
"Julie." He reached for her arm and she tensed while he used his other hand, with which he had hastily grabbed a tissue, to keep the wretched condom from falling off. "Julie, please."
"What do you want?" Her words were almost a sob and he pulled her to him.
"You, in my arms." he whispered back, a little startled at how rough his voice was. "I know that was far from great just now, but do you have any idea how hard it is for me to hold back? I want to bite you, I want to taste and smell and hear and feel your pleasure..."
Her skin was getting hot and he smelled shame and lust; considering that, as an absolute omega, she was actually meant precisely for sex, her great sense of shame was kind of weird.
"Julie, let me show you..." He had no idea how to finish the sentence, so he pushed her to the bed and under the covers again. She curled up, trembling, away from him, but he snuggled against her, deliberately taking the risk as he kissed her softly behind the ear, along her shoulder as he slid his hand over her breasts, down her stomach, and on. His own lust returned, but he pushed it back, just as he pushed his fingers between her legs. She made a soft sound of protest, which he answered with a soothing sound of his own, and then he had to smile involuntarily as her body suddenly relaxed.
While he had cursed himself for spending so many nights with the human women, he still had to admit that he had learned a few things from them. Things that now elicited soft delightful sounds from Julie, that made her turn back to him and wrap her arms around his neck, burying her face against his chest and finally breathing his name as she came.
"Are you staying now?" he wanted to know quietly, wiping his fingers on the bed sheet instead of licking them off like a big part of him wanted to.
"M-hm..." she made quietly, snuggling against him. "Sorry."
He merely hummed and rubbed his nose in her hair. Her scent of honey and strawberries surrounded him and he would have loved to drown in it, but he was no longer a wild wolf who could simply give in to his feelings and instincts. He was a Royal, a leader, and his pack and his humans needed him.
And maybe together they all needed Chris, the battle alpha who needed the weakest omega in the pack- who in turn was just falling asleep nestled in Alex's arms.