Page 52 of Abel's Omega
Abel got himself settled, ready for the first notes to play. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bram, of all people, getting into position with the young shifter from Utah, who’d come for six months to get experience working with the brewers before going home to try to start his own business. Where the hell were his parents?
Then the music started, and everything else was dismissed in favor of the man in his arms.
The dance was a spinning, gliding series of circles, together, around each other, dipping and turning and always at least one point of contact between their bodies. Bax danced like a wood spirit, exquisite grace with a hint of ancient wildness. His hands where they touched Abel’s skin left points of heat, like sparks drifting from a bonfire. His eyes never strayed from Abel’s, except where the movement of the dance turned them away from each other. Their bodies twined and parted, brushing past each other in subtle invitation, closer and closer until the song ended with Bax wrapped up once more in Abel’s arms, though this time they faced each other. Abel gazed down at Bax, unwilling to let go even though the rest of the dancers were slowly moving out of the ring or taking their places for the next dance.
With great deliberation, Bax lifted his mouth to Abel’s and kissed him, in full view of the entire pack.
Staking your claim for sure.Abel tightened his arms, enveloping Bax in his grasp, then pulled him even closer when Bax didn’t seem to protest. He was staking his claim as well. Bax was his, if Bax was willing. And he was Bax’s, if Bax would have him.
A wave of applause rippled out from the crowd. Bax jumped back and even in the cool silver of the moon’s light, Abel could see the flush on his cheeks.
He grinned and pulled Bax back up against him. “They’re all jealous. I think you’ve just made my reputation.”
“Like you didn’t have one anyway.” But Bax seemed pleased. He cuddled in under Abel’s arm and let Abel lead him away from the dancing, toward the tables and the remnants of the feast from earlier.
They met Mac and Jason and Duke over by the cider. Jason handed Bax a mug and leaned in to whisper in his ear. Whatever it was, it made Bax smile, but when Abel raised his eyebrows in inquiry, he shook his head and looked like a wolf with a fresh rabbit between his paws.
Mac threw his arm around Abel’s neck and dragged him away. “So, I take it he’s going to put you out of your misery.”
“He’s giving me a chance to prove I’m not an asshole, anyway.” They stopped under a tree, not so far away that Abel couldn’t watch Bax in the center of his own little court.
Mac snorted. “Then no problem. When’s the ceremony?”
“There’s no ceremony yet.” Abel downed half his cider. “He’s agreed to stay until spring and we’ll…I don’t know. Date? I can’t blame him. He’s been treated like a chattel, and all he has is his pups.”
“You like the pups, though, don’t you?”
“I do. I think Fan needs someone other than Bax—Bax says Fan misses his father badly. The others have more of Bax in them, or maybe… I don’t know. I want to help.”
“Louise will be happy to hear you plan to keep him.”
Abel snorted. “Louise was my spy on the ground in the office.” He swirled the cider in his mug and scanned the crowd. “I think he could be good for the pack, and I think the pack could be good for him.”
“Do you ever think of just yourself?”
Abel smiled wryly and downed the rest of his cider. “No since about ten minutes after I became Alpha.”
Mac put a hand on his shoulder and steered him back toward the cider. And Bax. “Well, it’s never too late to start.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Bax was in the center of a group when Abel got back to him. Mostly mates of local alphas, but Bram was there and, of course, Jason. He seemed to be making the introductions and, Abel was glad to see, keeping all the new faces from overwhelming Bax.
Abel wiggled his way through the crowd, waving off the startled, “Oh, sorry, Abel!”s, until he could ensconce himself at Bax’s side. The fear smell was mostly gone now.
“I feel like I should be staying right here, growling at everyone. Except they’re all mated, so I’d just be making an idiot of myself, wouldn’t I?” He desperately wanted to kiss him. Not a huge passionate kiss, but a peck on the cheek in greeting, simply because he could.
Bax took the decision right out of his hand by going up on his tiptoes and pressing his lips lightly to Abel’s cheek. “I like the idea of it, but don’t really do it, okay?”
“I won’t.” Abel put his arm around Bax’s shoulders, delighted by the way Bax’s body just relaxed into his, and made small talk with the people around until Bram said, “Oh, it’s time to go. Mac’s going with the blood ball.” His face lit up and he skipped off, meeting up with one of the other teenagers in a festival of giggling and pseudo-covert planning.
Bax turned his face up to Abel’s. “Blood ball?”
“Just for the teenagers. Someone takes a roast of meat in a bag and runs around in the woods west of town, creating scent trails. The teenagers are divided into teams and have to find the roast before the other team. They mostly spend the night jumping on each other and getting up to mischief. Usually Duke does it, but he’s still in kind of rough shape.”
Bax craned his neck to look around Abel’s shoulder. “I’ve met him. He seems nice enough.”
“Yeah, he is.” Abel checked on Duke as well, but Duke was chatting with Garrick over by the chili pot, having what looked like an animated discussion.
