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There are places I'll remember
All my life though some have changed
The Texas packs meet every four years, on land owned by the packs collectively, located right outside of Brady.
It’s a chance for issues to be discussed and resolved, for new members of a pack to meet others of their kind, for romances to bloom, for old grievances to be settled.
Jensen attended his first pack meeting when he was still a cub, but he doesn’t remember that.
Jensen is five now. His father, Pack Alpha of the Dallas clan, is speaking to the Alpha of the San Antonio clan, when a cub walks right up to Jensen and nips his elbow.
“Jared!” the Pack Beta chides the cub. The cub yips and then licks the spot on Jensen it had just bit. It tickles, and Jensen squirms away from the rough little tongue.
“I’m so sorry,” Jared’s mom says, reaching down for the pup. But Jared whines and presses closer to Jensen.
“No, it’s fine. It doesn’t hurt at all,” Jensen says to her. For some reason, he doesn’t want the little pup to get in trouble. He is a cute little thing, with thick chestnut fur. Jensen can’t figure out what color the pup’s eyes are. They aren’t green like his, or blue like his mom’s, but some color kinda in between.
He sits down so he can better pet the pup, who comes up to him eagerly, sitting on Jensen’s lap and licking every part of Jensen that his little tongue can reach.
Jensen’s parents and the pup’s parents start saying their goodbyes, and Jared’s mother reaches for him again.
Jared squirms in Jensen’s lap and then he starts whimpering. Jensen’s afraid he’s hurt him somehow, but he can’t think of how, when Jared’s whole body starts to shake. Jared’s mom pulls on the Pack Alpha’s sleeve to get his attention. “Gerald, it’s happening.”
Now Jensen’s parents and Jared’s parents are all watching the squirming pup in Jensen’s lap. Jared’s whines get louder as his bones begin popping, rearranging, and Jensen realizes Jared’s shifting. He tries to pet Jared’s head, to offer him comfort as the pup transforms, and a few minutes later there is a naked one-year old in Jensen’s lap.
Jared looks as startled as Jensen thinks he must look, but the next thing he knows, the little boy’s arms are around Jensen’s neck and he’s holding on to Jensen tightly.
Jensen feels a surge of emotion he’s too young to name – something that feels bigger than he is.
“They are so cute together,” he hears his mom say.
He feels someone pulling Jared away, and for a moment he holds on tighter. He looks up to see Jared’s mom, smiling down at him. “I’ll take him off your hands,” she tells him. She pulls Jared off of Jensen and shows him to her mate. “Look at him, Gerald. He’s beautiful.” She holds him close, kisses Jared’s forehead, and Jared is giggling, wiggling. “My little boy, my precious one.”
Jensen stands, watching as the adults finish saying their goodbyes, as Jared and his parents walk toward the cabin they are staying in. As they walk, Jared’s head peeps over the beta’s shoulders, still looking at Jensen.
“Is something wrong?” his mom asks, running her hand over Jensen’s hair.
“I don’t think he’s hers,” Jensen says to her.
His mom looks at his father and then back down at him. “You mean Jared? Of course, he’s hers, just like you are ours.”
“No, I think he’s mine,” he replies. Jared is gone now, out of sight, and Jensen turns his attention back to his parents. “I think he’s supposed to be mine.”
“So, what did I tell you?” his dad asks his mate.
“You are right,” his mom takes Jensen’s hands, holds Dad’s hand with her other one. “Definitely going to be an alpha.”
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain
There’s a whole group of them, about the same age, running through the camp and creating as much noise and mischief as they think they can get away with. Jensen knows as the son of a Pack Alpha, that he should probably be saying words like ‘no’ and ‘don’t’, but Jeff is also the son of a Pack Alpha and he’s causing as much mayhem as anyone, so no way is Jensen going to be the wet blanket.
“You kids go on now, I have had enough of your nonsense,” Lyn tells them. She’s a beta from the Fort Worth pack, the oldest of their kind anyone has heard tell of. She sounds cranky, but her eyes are twinkling as she shoos them away from where she’s setting out the jams and jellies that she brings every year. “Now you heathens go pick me some apples, maybe a few berries. That should keep you out of trouble for a minute or two and I might bake you up some pies later on tonight.”
Jensen whoops just as loud as anyone, because nobody makes pies like Lyn does, and he’s already running for the orchard when he’s hit hard by something he never saw coming. He’s flat on the ground on his butt before he realizes the object he was hit by is a kid of about five, unruly brown hair and blue – no brown – no - and Jensen remembers him, remembers where he saw those eyes before.
“Jared, watch where you are going,” Jeff says, and pulls Jared up off the ground.
Jared’s knee is bleeding a little and Jared turns big tear-filled eyes up to his brother. “I need a bandaid.”
“No, uh-huh,” Jeff says. “I’m going with my friends. You can find your own way back to the cabin, Mom will fix you up.”
“I can take him,” Jensen hears himself offering. Which is weird, because he really wants to go pick apples and play with his friends. But Jared turns his pleading eyes toward him, and gives him a little smile, and yeah, no way is he not helping the kid out.
“Maybe we can stop by the Johnsons, they make the best cookies. And maybe get some lemonade,” Jared chatters excitedly. “And I think it would make my knee all better if you took me fishing.”
“What does fishing have to do with a hurt knee?” Jensen asks.
“I know a creek that nobody goes to, Mama showed me but she’s all busy with big people stuff. I really like fishing.” Jared looks up at him with big hopeful eyes.
Jensen has plans for the day, friends waiting, a run scheduled for sunset that’s he’s just this year old enough to participate in. He’s going to get the kid his bandaid and send him on his way. He opens his mouth to tell him so, looks down into those expectant eyes, and sighs.
Jared grabs his hand, his tears drying up as if by magic. Jensen watches the other boys disappear into the grove of trees before looking down at Jared. “Okay, let’s go get you patched up, and then you can show me where this creek is.”
All these places have their moments
Jensen presented as an alpha two days before the pack meeting. It still feels new and weird, his scent has changed, he’s changed.
“Dude!” Jensen’s shoulder is hit hard. He turns around to come face to face with Stephen. The Amells are transplants from Canada. Stephen’s parents are rich, pushy, and determined that their son gets everything his heart desires. Stephen is a snob, and a suck-up, obviously thinking that getting in good with the Pack Alpha’s son will help his status rise in the pack.
What kind of twisted fifteen-year-old worries about their status in the pack?
Jensen avoids him like the plague, which is pretty easy to do in a city as big as Dallas. Here at the pack meet though, it’s much harder to avoid him.
“So, you presented as alpha too. I mean, obviously, you would,” Stephen says. “I was younger than you when I presented, of course, my parents knew from the day I was born I was destined to be an alpha. It’s good to be king, isn’t it?”
“What exactly are you king of? Your fat ego?” Jensen grumbles in reply.
“You don’t feel it?” Stephen continues, ignoring Jensen’s insult. “I mean you have to, the power, the feeling that you can do anything, be anything. I’m going to be alpha of my own pack someday.”
“Awesome,” Jensen replies. “Be sure to let me know which one, so I can never, ever visit that city.”
This time Stephen lets his façade drop, something cold and hungry flickering in his eyes. “I would be more careful with my words if I were you. I’m going to be alpha of a pack, sooner rather than later. Mark my words.”
“You mean your parents are going to buy you the position,” Jensen says.
“Too bad for you it’s not passed from father to son anymore, it would be a shame if the Dallas pack selected someone more worthy after your daddy retires.”
Murder is wrong, right? I mean he can’t just ‘accidentally’ bite off Stephen’s stupid little head or anything…
“So, I hear you are one of those smelly Alphas now.”
Jensen turns around to see Jared standing behind him. Jared’s taller now, must be about nine, still has the same unruly hair, the same eyes that never seem to settle on a color. Jensen’s very happy to see him, and not only just because he wants to get rid of Stephen.
“Hi, shrimp,” he says to Jared, turning his back on Stephen. He hears Stephen mumble something under his breath and walk away. Good riddance.
Jared walks up to him, makes a big deal of sniffing the air around Jensen. “Yup, definitely a stinky Alpha.”
“You are such a brat,” Jensen says.
Jared smiles and Jensen feels lighter than he has since he presented. “Want to go fishing?” he asks Jared.
Jared looks up at him, considering.
Jensen hears a bunch of kids Jared’s age being scolded by Lyn and realizes that Jared probably wants to go play with them. “Never mind, I have very important things to do anyway,” he says, letting Jared off the hook.
“Oh, please tell me that you don’t have the alpha sickness,” Jared says. He takes Jensen’s hand, just like he did four years ago, and it should feel weird now that they are both older, but somehow it doesn’t.
“I know I shouldn’t ask but what’s the alpha sickness?” Jensen asks. Jared is leading them to the creek where they fished four years ago, and Jensen follows, leaving the noise and all the other weres behind them as they walk toward the edge of the camp.
“My brother had it when he first presented,” Jared tells him. “Suddenly he thought he was all grown up because he had a stupid knot. Was trying to boss me around, so I dumped a bucket of ice water on his big head and told him I heard that it would reduce the swelling.”
Jensen laughs. “I don’t think my head is swollen, so please don’t dump ice over my head.”
Jared studies his head. “I guess it looks okay,” he allows. “Maybe just a little swollen.”
“So that’s what alpha sickness is, a swollen head?” Jensen asks him.
“That, and being bossy, and going on and on about knots like anybody cares,” Jared says. “Not sure there is a cure though, cause even after I doused Jeff with water, he’s still all kinds of bossy.”
They make it to the clearing where the creek is. Jensen spots two fishing poles lying on the ground, along with a hamper. He looks at Jared in surprise.
“You might have a swelled head, but you are still the best fisherman around here,” Jared says with a shrug. “I mean, second best, behind me obviously.”
“Obviously,” Jensen sits down by the edge of the creek. He’s barefoot, like Jared is. Most everyone here is either naked, or just partially clothed. Humans have a thing about nudity, but for weres, there is nothing indecent about the human body. Jared sits beside him, and they both dangle their feet in the water, not picking up the poles for right now.
“So, tell me, what’s going on in Jared-land?” Jensen asks him.
Jared doesn’t stop talking for three hours, four sandwiches, and the catching of two tiny fish that they throw back. It’s the best afternoon Jensen has spent in a long, long time.
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all
It’s easy to spot Jared this year. Not just because he’s taller, he’d be about thirteen now and he’ll get even taller because he’s a Padalecki and all Padaleckis are freaking giants, but because of the crowd gathered around him.
Jensen, curious about all things Jared, makes his way to the edge of the crowd, to see what the fuss is about. His best friend Chris, who had been trying to convince him to go swimming with two pretty betas, follows him.
“Hey, the girls are waiting,” Chris says to him.
He smells him before he even gets a good look at him. His heart stutters, and he feels warm all over. The scent is overwhelming, sweet like burnt sugar with a bit of a citrusy scent. It hits him, why the crowd, why Jared smells so tantalizing, like something that would be very good to eat. Jared is an omega. A very rare male omega.
“Earth to Jensen,” Chris says, snapping his fingers in front of Jensen’s eyes.
“Um, go ahead. I’ll catch up later.” Jensen doesn’t take his eyes off Jared but hears Chris grumble as he walks away.
Jensen pushes past the gawkers, ignoring their protests. Jared’s sweating in the heat, which explains why his scent is so strong. He also seems a bit annoyed about all the attention.
“Okay, if you scent me one more freaking time, I’m going to smash your nose in,” Jared snaps. Jensen tears his eyes off Jared to see Stephen standing behind Jared, his nose practically in Jared’s neck. Jensen doesn’t realize he's growling until he notices weres moving away from him, concerned looks on their faces.
Stephen laughs, like Jared has said the funniest thing ever. “You’re cute when you are angry.”
Jared spins around and punches Stephen, just like he said he would. From the sound of it, he hit him pretty hard too. Stephen gives a very un-alpha-like shriek and holds his hand to his nose. There is blood gushing everywhere. Jensen hoots his approval. The rest of the crowd takes several steps back, out of reach of Jared’s fists, because he still looks annoyed enough to hit someone else.
“You little – “ Stephen begins and hell no, nobody talks that way to Jared.
“Finish that sentence, I dare you,” Jensen declares, stepping closer to Jared. “Maybe you should run along home to Mama now before you get two shiny black eyes to match your broken nose.”
Stephen looks from Jared to Jensen, his hand still covering his nose, red now with blood. Whatever he was about to say, he clearly changes his mind, and stomps off, mumbling about unruly omegas.
Jensen turns to Jared, expecting to see gratitude for coming to Jared’s aid, but instead, Jared is glaring at him. “I’m not a damsel in distress in need of saving. Omega or not, I’m capable of taking care of myself.”
Jensen raises his hands in surrender. “I was just trying to help.”
“Well don’t,” Jared snaps, and then he looks around at the lingering crowd. “And the rest of you stay the fuck away from me.”
A few leave, but most of them hang around, still curious about the male omega. Jensen thinks the last male omega in Texas was a man named Charlie, who passed on maybe six or seven years back. He gets why they are curious, but he also doesn’t like seeing Jared upset.
“You heard him, get going,” he orders the crowd.
There are a few people who wonder aloud who the hell Jensen thinks he is, but the crowd breaks up. Jensen is not surprised to see Jared is still glaring at him when he turns around.
“I was handling this just fine on my own,” Jared grumbles. He’s got his arms folded over his chest and he looks so unhappy that Jensen just has to find a way to make it better. This time, a bandaid won’t do the trick.
“Yeah, you really were. Man, Stephen’s face when you hit him, wish cell phones were allowed during these meets cause I’d love to have taken a picture of that.”
Jared laugh-snorts in a totally adorable way. Jensen takes a moment to look him over. Jared may be taller, but his hair is still an unkempt mop, and he still has those enchanting eyes. Jensen is struck by the thought of how beautiful Jared is going to be when he becomes of age, he’s already well on his way to it now.
“Want to get away?” Jensen asks. “I know a place we can shift, run where no one will bother us.”
Jared looks at him, biting his lip. “They’ll find me, they always do. Ever since I presented, it’s been like this. People have actually been trying to arrange a mating with me with my folks, can you believe that? I wish I had presented as an alpha like you and Jeff. I really thought I was going to.”
“I think it’s kind of cool, I mean male omegas are so rare and special,” Jensen says.
“You be one then, I’d trade places with you in a heartbeat. It’s not only the attention by gross people so much older than me it’s also - heats are awful Jensen. I don’t know how I am going to make it through them twice a year for like, forever.”
Jensen knows what heats are, of course, he knows that they are rough, until the omega can be knotted properly, and Jared is years away from that. He doesn’t know what to say to make Jared feel better about this, about any of it. Jensen thinks fleetingly about Chris waiting at the lake for him. He will apologize to Chris later, Jared needs him now.
“It’s not like having a knot is always fun either,” Jensen says. “C’mon, we’ll go to our spot, and I’ll tell you a story, but you have to promise you won’t tell anyone else.”
Jared’s eyes light up. “You mean the creek? We have a spot now?”
“Sure, it’s the double J spot, just for us,” Jensen says.
“Can we pick up some cookies on the way?” Jared asks. “I’m hungry.”
The one thing that hasn’t changed is the way that Jensen is defenseless against Jared’s pleading eyes. He thinks maybe that will never change, but he’s okay with that.
“Sure,” he says, though the large cabin that is used as the communal kitchen is nowhere near on the way to the creek.
“And maybe get some ice tea?” asks Jared.
“Anything you want,” Jensen replies.
Jared grins big. “Okay, well then, I would also like to stop by Lyn’s cause she’s making homemade ice cream.”
They may never get to the creek today, which means Jensen will never have to tell his embarrassing story that involves a beta, his knot, a zipper, and a lot of pain but that’s okay. Jared is beaming, he’s bouncing up and down on his heels, and his scent is intoxicating so Jensen just smiles at his young friend, takes his hand, and leads him toward Lyn’s cabin.
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Jensen had been right about Jared; he had grown into a stunning young man. A stunning young omega, who had learned to use what the goddess had given him.
They are seated outside at the welcoming feast, rows and rows of picnic tables, filled with weres reconnecting or meeting for the first time.
Jared is sitting at a picnic table surrounded by alphas and betas, all willing and eager to wait on him hand and foot. Jared’s being flirty, and touchy, and the whole scene just makes Jensen want to shift into his wolf self and tear something in two with his teeth.
Heather, his on and off girlfriend, currently kinda on, is sitting by his side. They are seated at a picnic table two rows behind the one where Jared is holding court. When the wind blows just right, Jensen can pick up Jared’s scent, even with all the other scents surrounding him. The fact that everyone else can pick up Jared’s scent too, has every nerve in Jensen’s body on edge
Heather picks up a plum, pops it into her mouth. “Not hungry?” she asks, indicating Jensen’s mostly untouched plate.
Jared’s laughing at something the were next to him is saying. Shit, is that Stephen? Is Jared actually flirting with Stephen?
“And then the biggest alien reached for my boobs,” Heather says.
Jensen forces his eyes off of Jared to look at the beta next to him. “What?”
Heather is new to the Texas packs, a transfer from California. This is her first meet. Jensen’s parents have already made it clear that they think Heather would make a terrific addition to the family. She is everything Jensen could want in a mate, she is stunning, smart, sexy, fun in and out of bed.
Jensen has no idea why he hasn’t proposed mateship yet. He tells himself it’s because they are still young, just twenty-one. They enjoy each other’s company, why ruin things by pushing for something they aren't ready for?
Jared laughs again. Jensen turns back toward the sound.
“Oh, it’s like that,” Heather says.
“Like what? Oh no, It really isn’t,” Jensen insists. “It’s just annoying that’s all, it’s like no one has ever seen a male omega before. They are practically slobbering all over him.”
“Hm, I imagine some of them haven’t seen a male omega before, they are pretty rare. He’s the first one I’ve seen,” Heather says. “And he doesn’t seem to mind the attention.”
The last time Jensen had seen Jared in a situation like this, Jared had been prickly and upset. This time, it is clear he is enjoying the attention as he accepts a plate filled with sweets from a dark-haired man easily twice his age.
Jensen stands up, and then just stands there, not sure what to do now that he is standing. Jared looks up, spots him, and grins. He gets up, practically knocking over the shifters surrounding him, and makes his way over to Jensen’s table.
“Jensen, hi, I was hoping to run into you,” Jared says.
He’s taller than Jensen now, by an inch or two, and he’s probably not stopped growing. It feels weird to look up into Jared’s kaleidoscope eyes.
“I see you’ve been enjoying yourself,” Jensen replies. Damn, that came out much snarkier than he intended.
Jared arches an eyebrow but doesn’t reply. Instead, he reaches his hand out, and for a second Jensen’s head swims with the thought that Jared is about to touch him, maybe grab him, and – Jared reaches beyond him, and Jensen realizes he is shaking hands with Heather.
“I’m Jared, pleasure to meet you,” Jared says to Heather.
“Pleasure is all mine I’m sure,” Heather practically purrs in response. Jensen rolls his eyes.
“Mind if I borrow Jensen for a moment? It’s been a while, I would love a chance to catch up with him,” Jared says to Heather.
“No, go ahead, he’s all yours,” Heather says, already turning her attention to Chris, who is sitting on the other side of her.
Jensen is going to complain about them deciding for him, like he doesn’t even have a say on what he’s doing with his time, but Jared really is touching him now and this close his scent is so strong, Jensen thinks he could drown in it. So, he lets Jared grab his arm, pull him away from the dinner. They walk several yards before Jensen realizes Jared is taking them in the direction of the creek. Their creek.
“She seems nice,” Jared says after a moment, dropping his hand from Jensen’s arm. “I mean, she could use a better colorist because that dye job…” Jared does a fake shudder.
“Someone is feeling catty,” Jensen notes with amusement.
Jared shrugs. “You gonna mate her? Your scent is all over her.”
“Just as I am sure your scent is over every single alpha here,” Jensen replies.
“What do you care if it is?” Jared asks. They’ve arrived at the creek. They sit on the little hill beside it. Jensen stares into the still water of the creek, otherwise, he would be tempted to stare into Jared’s eyes and that was dangerous territory. “I’m young, single, I’m allowed to have fun.”
“Ditto,” Jensen replies.
Jared makes an unhappy noise beside him. Jensen makes the huge mistake of looking at him. In the moonlight, Jared is simply beautiful. His lips are shiny, like he just licked them, and he’s starting back at Jensen, his eyes blue in the light of the moon, and his eyelashes flutter just as Jensen leans over close.
A kid, he reminds himself. Jared is still a kid.
He sits back up, but Jared has other ideas. He grabs Jensen by the shoulders and the next moment his lips are pressed against Jensen’s, his tongue demanding entrance and Jensen opens his mouth, because he could never deny this kid anything and – fuck –
It’s the moonlight, or Jared’s scent, or maybe Jensen’s just gone mad, but Jared is the most delicious thing he’s ever tasted and just one kiss won’t do, won’t be near enough. He’s pulling Jared in closer, presses his hand against the back of Jared’s head. He can feel his cock getting hard, Jared’s scent is spiking and it’s all too much, and nowhere near enough.
Jared groans, and he sounds so young, and that’s what slams Jensen back into reality. He pulls away from Jared. Jared tries to follow him, his cheeks a pretty shade of pink, his lips wet and slightly swollen and it takes everything in Jensen to push him back.
“We can’t do this,” he says to Jared. “You are seventeen, still a kid.”
Jared’s eyes go from confused to stormy. “None of the other alphas here think I’m a kid. In fact, they have no problem kissing me.”
Jensen wants to yank the lips off any were that dared touch Jared’s.
“And I don’t want to be just another alpha in your stable of them,” Jensen snaps. He holds on to his anger because it stops him from grabbing on to Jared and never letting him go.
“So, now I’m no longer a kid, I’m a slut,” Jared stands up. He’s so angry, he’s vibrating with it and Jensen fights an urge to cover his nose with his hand.
“I didn’t say that,” Jensen says, standing up too.
“Whatever, I’m going back to people that care about me,” Jared replies.
“Weres that care about getting in your pants maybe,” Jensen snaps back.
“Yeah, and maybe I’ll let them,” Jared retorts, and no, no way.
Jensen grabs Jared’s arm and pulls him close. “None of them are going to touch you.”
“Says who?” Jared asks, but it comes out breathless and his eyes are on Jensen’s mouth.
The air is charged, and they are both breathing heavily. It would be so easy to lean in, to take what is being offered to him.
And it would also be wrong. Jared is too young to mate, and Jensen could never knot him and not make Jared his.
Jensen takes a few steps away from Jared. “I’m going for a run,” he says.
He pulls off his shirt, yanks the belt off his jeans. Jared watches him. Jensen is very aware of Jared’s stare as he pushes the button from his jeans, ready to unzip them.
“Careful, I’d hate for you to get your knot stuck. Again,” Jared says, and then turns around and walks away. He stops at the clearing, waiting to see if Jensen will call him back, and Jensen wants to, but instead, he pulls down his jeans, then his boxers after. He’s just about to shift into his wolf form when Jared turns back around. “I’m not going to wait for you forever,” he says – warns – and then he walks away.
Jensen runs the entire night. When he returns to his assigned cabin in the early hours of the morning, with his body streaked with dirt and his mind totally exhausted, Heather has moved to another cabin and he’s all alone.
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
It’s three nights into the meet before he first sets eyes on Jared.
It’s a full moon, late at night. There is music, dancing, drinking, couples making use of the shadows, sharing a different kind of dance.
The air is heavy with so many different scents, but there is one scent, burnt sugar and citrus, that calls out to Jensen.
There is a crowd by a campfire, gathered around a were whose mop of chestnut hair is clearly visible over all the other were’s heads.
Jared.
Sixty days after the last meet, when the yearning became too much for him, Jensen went to San Antonio to find Jared, apologize, and inform Jared that as soon as Jared reached the age of consent, he planned to fuck him, mate him, and spend the rest of his life loving and protecting him.
He missed Jared by three days. Jared had taken off on a European goodwill tour. As rare as male omegas are in the states, they are even rarer in Europe. Relationships between states shifters and European shifters had been tense of late, letting human problems become their problems. But Jared was like a blast of pure sunshine, melting cold hearts and charming every shifter he met.
Jensen knew there was no way Jared could ever be satisfied with a country hick werewolf after all the glamour and glitter he was being exposed to, so he went back home to lick his wounds and try to forget all about Jared, as Jared must have forgotten all about him.
Forgetting all about Jared had turned out to be impossible. Jared invaded his dreams, occupied his thoughts. As Jensen stumbled around, working odd jobs here and there, before joining his father’s council, he tried to ignore the huge gaping hole in his life.
And now Jared was here. Jensen half expected Jared to be mated by now to a duke or a member of some obscure royal family.
He moved in closer, like a moth drawn to a flame. He didn’t want to see, didn’t want to know, but if all hope was lost, it was better to rip the bandaid right off.
“….and it fell right off,” Jared was saying. The crowd around him, apparently hanging on to his every word, burst into laughter.
“What a delightful story.” Jensen would recognize that weaselly voice anywhere.
Jensen pushes through the crowd, until he is almost close enough to Jared to touch. On Jared’s other side, with his arm wrapped around Jared’s waist, is Stephen.
Stephen had left Dallas a few years back, heading for Austin. The Austin Pack Alpha, Jeffrey Morgan, was thinking of retiring and as he and his mate had no alpha children, there was no obvious frontrunner for his successor.
In no time, Stephen was sitting on the Were Council in Austin, was working with Jeffrey on important projects, and was seen out and about with high profile betas and omegas.
And now, Stephen was here, with his slimy hands all over Jared.
“Jensen, hi, I’ve been wondering where you were,” Jared says to him, all bright smiles and dimples.
Stephen looks over, tightens his hold on Jared’s waist. “Oh, hi Jensen, didn’t see you there.”
Jensen ignores him. He takes a second to drink Jared in, and there’s a lot of Jared to drink it. Jared’s gotten taller, filled out some. His hair is slightly damp from being so close to the fire, and it’s curling at the ends in a totally adorable way. He’s matured a lot in the last four years, and he’s freaking gorgeous.
And he still smells like the sweetest thing in the universe.
“So,” Jared draws the word out. “Not going to say hi back to me?”
“Yeah, of course, hi,” Jensen responds, speaking so fast his tongue practically trips over his words.
“It’s good to see you,” Jared says, and he tries to take a few steps closer to Jensen but is stopped by Stephen’s hand on his waist.
Jensen growls, low and warning, because nobody stops Jared from doing what he wants to do, especially if what he wants to do is get closer to Jensen.
Jared starts to pry Stephen’s fingers off his waist, but Stephen just laughs, like this is some kind of comedy. “Wait a moment, babe.”
Babe? Babe? Jensen is aware that he’s not exactly being subtle about what he’s feeling and everyone around him is eyeing him warily, but he’s too busy focusing on the guy he should have torn to shreds years ago to care.
“I was going to announce this tomorrow,” Stephen says. “But you are all here now, so I might as well take this opportunity to share my good news. Jeffrey has let me know he plans to retire at the end of the year. I am officially announcing my intention to be the next Pack Alpha of the Austin Pack, and I am hoping that Jared will be right by my side during my campaign.”
There is a smattering of light applause, a lot of loud whispering. Jensen is watching Jared’s face, carefully, waiting for his reaction. If Jared wants this toad of an alpha, Jensen will walk away. But if he still has a chance, any chance –
“You probably should have talked to me about this first,” Jared says to Stephen.
Stephen smiles up at Jared, like Jared just said something cute. “Well, the proposal will be much more private. Just you, me, and my knot.”
“Yeah, not happening,” Jared replies.
Stephen’s eyes narrow. Jensen steps even closer, so now he’s brushing arms with Jared. Jared’s scent is intoxicating, and he’s even more stunning up close. Jensen also realizes that Jared isn’t really upset, he’s more like – amused. Jensen is probably upset enough for both of them.
Stephen is still smiling, though the smile reaches nowhere near his eyes. “Let’s not cause a scene, sweetie.”
Jared outright laughs, which is the only reason Jensen hasn’t knocked Stephen into next week. Jared pulls away from Stephen, finally, and looks toward the crowd. “Stephen thinks having a male omega by his side will help with his political ambitions, being I’m so rare and all. He also thinks omegas are good for one thing, and we all know what men like Stephen thinks that is. He told me omegas are like children in need of a firm hand, but hey Stephen which one of just got played?”
The crowd is laughing. Stephen is growling at Jared, and nobody growls at Jared. Jensen steps between them and pushes Stephen hard. Stephen stumbles, but sadly does not fall. “Stay away from my Jared,” he orders Stephen.
“Yours?” Stephen sputters. “He’s been hanging all over me since the meet began. Wiggling his ass, cozying up to me.”
“I got a shiny new watch out of it,” Jared says, showing the appreciative crowd his watch.
At this point, people are probably wishing they brought popcorn. Jensen doesn’t care though, Jared is his, and he pulls an unresisting Jared closer to him. It’s better that everyone realizes that now.
Jared leans into him, smiling down at him. “Your Jared huh?”
“You were mine since the first moment I saw you,” Jensen says.
“Okay,” Jared replies.
“Okay?” Stephen echoes. “You threw a hissy fit when I just mentioned the possibility of mating, but he’s all ‘you belong to me’ and that’s okay?”
“First of all,” Jared begins. “I am not the one throwing a hissy fit. Secondly, the only reason I let you anywhere near me is because I knew it would drive Jensen crazy, and after making me wait four years, he deserved to go a little crazy. And thirdly, Jensen’s really hyped up right now, so if I were you, I’d go be somewhere else right about now.”
“You let him touch you to drive me crazy?” Jensen asks.
“Not the point right now,” Jared replies.
“Not the point?” Jensen asks incredulously. “You have the stink of that lousy excuse of an alpha all over you and that’s not the point?”
“Well, if it bothers you so much, do something about it,” Jared challenges.
“I’m not going to be made a fool of by some omega slut,” Stephen begins, and grabs Jared’s arm, yanking hard.
This time Jensen doesn’t bother with pushing, he punches Stephen in the face, knowing from the satisfying crunch that Stephen’s nose has been broken again. “If you even as much as speak to him again, I’ll tear you apart piece by piece.”
Stephen, holding his nose, slinks away, like the coward he is. Satisfied, Jensen turns his attention back to Jared.
“My hero,” Jared says, pretending to swoon.
“You could have done the same thing,” Jensen replies, adrenalin still skittering through his veins. He turns around to glare at the crowd who are still way too close to his omega.
“It was way more fun watching you do it,” Jared leans down and gives Jensen the barest of kisses. Still, it sends a wave of intense want and need in Jensen.
“The show is over, you can go away now,” Jensen tells the crowd.
“I think we should go away now,” Jared says. “Somewhere maybe a little more private. And if you turn me down again, I promise you there will be no other chances for you, no matter how pretty you are.”
“I’m an alpha, I’m not pretty,” Jensen huffs.
“Yeah, you are but –”
“You have two minutes to get to our special place, get your clothes off, and get ready for me, or I am going to mate you wherever I catch up with you,” Jensen says.
Jared is off and running so fast, that Jensen is left staring at the spot Jared was just standing in.
The crowd has regathered several yards away. They whistle and cheer as Jensen runs past them. Jensen ignores them, he has an omega to claim as his.
Jensen is a fast runner, in both human and wolf forms, and he knows where Jared is headed, even if the scent wasn’t leaving such a tantalizing trail, but when he arrives at the clearing the creek is nestled in, Jared is already naked, lying down, with his endless legs spread, an offering for Jensen to feast upon.
Jensen drops down onto his knees, holds Jared’s head in his hands, and kisses him, hard.
When he gets his tongue inside Jared’s mouth, it’s like nothing he has ever experienced before. It’s an instant addiction, kissing Jared is something Jensen is sure he will never get enough of.
When he breaks the kiss they are both breathless. Jensen’s cock is straining against his jeans. “I’m not going to be able to knot you without mating you, so if this is not what you want, you are going to have to tell me now.”
“It’s all I ever wanted,” Jared replies. “Knot me, Jensen. Make me yours. Leave your mark on me, so no other alpha will dare touch me again.”
Jensen growls, takes Jared’s mouth in a brutal kiss. “You are mine, always, mine.”
“Yes,” Jared agrees. “Yours.”
Jensen stands up long enough to strip out of his clothes, which thank the goddess was only a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, and kneels down between Jared’s spread legs. He lifts the legs up, and after Jared bends them, settles them on either side of his thighs. Jared props himself on his elbows to watch Jensen, as Jensen’s eyes finally land on what he has fantasized about for so long.
Jared’s hole is puckered and shiny with slick. There is slick on Jared’s thighs, dripping from his hole.
If Jensen’s knot wasn’t already trying to pop, he’d take time and eat Jared out good and proper, lick and tease until Jared was squirming and pleading, but that was for the next time, this time was going to be fast and hard, Jensen has waited too long. He needs to be inside Jared, needs to make him his.
Still, Jensen sticks a few fingers inside Jared’s hole to be sure Jared is ready and leans down to lick a stripe of slick off of Jared’s inner thighs.
“You taste so good,” Jensen praises his omega. “And the way your hole just swallows my fingers. Your hole is so wet Jay, just waiting for my cock to fill you up.”
“Fuck,” Jared lays his head back, and his back arches off the ground. “Just fuck me already, I’m ready. Please, Jensen, please, Alpha.”
It’s the Alpha that does it. Jensen’s wolf grows its approval, and Jensen takes his fingers out of Jared’s ass. He licks at them appreciatively, then sticks his fingers into Jared’s mouth. Jared’s pupils are blows with lust as he sucks the rest of the slick from Jensen’s fingers.
“Hottest damn thing ever, Jared,” Jensen whispers. “I’ve got to get inside of you. Come on darling, lay on your side.”
Jared does so immediately, and the alpha in Jensen is well-pleased as Jared rearranges his long body. Jensen lays down beside him. The ground is rough, rocks and dirt and grass, but Jensen and Jared are shifters, and such things barely register to them. Jensen is happy they are doing this here, at their creek, with the goddess moon blessing them from above.
Jared reaches behind him, grabbing for Jensen’s hand. Jensen grabs on to it, lets Jared pull both hands in front of him, holding them clutched together close to his heart.
“I’ve never,” Jared says. “I’ve done things, but I’ve never let anyone have me this way, knot me. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Fuck. His knot is going to pop before he can get inside of Jared. The thought of Jared waiting for him – the thought of being the first inside of him, the only one ever who will ever knot him –
“I love you,” he says to Jared, as his cock, swollen and heavy, nudges against Jared’s wet hole. “I love you so damn much, you have no idea.”
“Stop being mushy and fuck me already,” Jared grumbles, but he sounds well-pleased, and his scent blasts into this heady sweet fragrance that envelops both of them.
Jensen pushes one of Jared’s legs so that it’s in front of him, Jared’s hand is gripping his tightly, the weight of this moment hangs over them, after this everything will change, they will change.
“Make me yours,” Jared whispers, and yeah, yes, oh goddess, and the tip of Jensen’s cock breaches Jared’s hole.
He pushes in steadily, slowly, sinking into the heat, feeling Jared’s walls grip his cock so tightly, perfectly. Jared’s breath is hitching, and Jensen kisses his neck, reassuring kisses as he pulls back out again, until only the tip is in and presses in slowly again, this time pushing in a little deeper.
“How does it feel?” Jensen asks.
Jared takes their hands, pushes them down to where his cock is hard. Jensen looks over his shoulder at Jared’s cock, so long, beautiful, slick with pre-come. “I feel like I’m going to explode if you don’t stop treating me like glass and fucking fuck me,” Jared says.
Jensen laughs, he can’t help it. He pulls back out again, ignoring Jared’s groan of protest, and then slams back in, all the way until only his half-formed knot is resting outside of Jared’s hole. Jared’s whole body jolts and he cries out as he comes, with their hands just barely touching his cock.
Jensen’s chest puffs up in pride, that he has such a beautiful and responsive omega, but it also spikes his need to take, possess, and he starts fucking Jared in earnest. Jared’s body rocks forward every time he thrusts in, Jensen moves his leg so that it is in front of Jared’s legs, to get the best leverage possible, as he keeps slamming his cock deep inside of Jared. Jared moans every time Jensen presses against his prostate and rocks his body back into Jensen’s thrusts. Nothing in the world exists but the exhilarating sensation of pushing his cock deeper and deeper into Jared’s wet heat, the way that Jared is gripping his hand, the moans his omega makes as he thrusts in again and again, the heat that keeps building and building, Jared’s scent, Jared’s slick, Jared.
He’s pushing his nearly fully formed knot inside of Jared now, looking down and watching the way that Jared’s hole resists, and then just gives in, lets him take what it is. The knot catches on Jared’s rim as he pulls back out.
“Please knot me,” Jared says. “Please, Jensen, I need it.”
Jensen will never be able to deny Jared anything. “You bit me, the first time we met,” he says to Jared as he pushes back in. His cock is heavy, his knot hard with come, he pulls back out and his knot is fully formed. “I think it's high time I return the favor.”
“I want you to,” Jared says, and Jensen slams his cock back in, the knot forces its way past any resistance Jared’s hole has left, and Jensen howls in triumph as he fully knots his mate. Jared tilts his neck, an offering, and Jensen sinks his teeth into the tender skin there, breaking the skin, savoring the sweet taste of Jared’s blood. Jared howls too, long and loud and triumphant, and Jensen is dimly aware that Jared is coming again, his body shaking with the force of his orgasm.
Jensen’s cock drops load after load of come into Jared’s hole, and he hums his appreciation against the mark he’s made on Jared’s neck. He’s not breeding Jared, Jared’s not in heat, but he’s filling him, with pulse after pulse of his come. Jared will smell like him forever now, carry his scent inside of him, and Jensen spurts more come just with the thought of that.
Jensen licks the mark he has made on Jared, tasting the sweetness of his blood as he cleans Jared up. “Mine,” he says. “My perfect omega.”
Jared snorts. He’s boneless in Jensen’s arms, and when Jensen lifts his head to look at his omega, Jared’s eyes are closed, but he’s smiling. “Not sure about perfect, but I am definitely yours.”
“Perfect,” Jensen insists. “Every inch of you, perfect.”
“So, what happens now?” Jared asks.
“Well, we wait until my knot goes down, and we do this again,” Jensen replies. His cock is still spurting come, it will be a while.
“Obviously,” Jared says. “Though eventually, I would like to try this in a bed. But after that. Do you move in with me, or do I move to Dallas or what?”
“I was thinking, maybe, of moving to Austin,” Jensen says.
Jared’s eyes open, and hazel eyes meet Jensen’s. “Austin? Where Stephen just happens to be, trying to line up the votes to be made Lead Alpha of the pack?”
“Is that where he is?” Jensen asks, all innocence.
Jared laughs. “You would make a great Pack Alpha. And I hear it helps if you have a male omega by your side with excellent diplomacy skills.”
“You forgot to add beautiful and smart.”
“I would have never picked him over you, you know. How about Dallas? Didn’t you want to take over the pack after your father retires?”
“My sister can have that honor. She’s better suited for Dallas anyway,” Jensen says.
“Hm, okay. Austin it is,” Jared says. He yawns big. Jensen’s come is slowing down to a trickle, but it will be a while before he can pull out. He rearranges their bodies, so that Jared is closer to him, his arm under Jared’s head.
“Sleep now,” Jensen tells him. “We can figure out the rest of our lives later.”
“Our lives,” Jared mumbles. “I like the sound of that.”
Jensen watches over Jared as he sleeps. He looks up at the moon, and thanks her for giving him this beautiful gift, and promises her he will cherish Jared all of his days.
In my life I love you more
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