Page 10 of Saving His Omega
At the end of lunch, however, Tripp made a fatal mistake. He yawned. He tried to hide it, telling himself it didn’t signify anything. Being a bit tired had become the norm with his pregnancy advancing. It didn’t mean he couldn’t go back to his crocheting. Not to his mind, anyway. Too bad his judgment didn’t count. Only Graham’s did.
“You need a nap.” So saying, the beta scooped Tripp out of his chair and carried him out of the room.
Tripp didn’t even have time to say goodbye to Blake. Not that it mattered. He’d see him later at dinner. It was the lack of control over himself that caused his burgeoning happiness to deflate somewhat. The care his mate was showing in coddling him was appreciated. No one other than Blake had done so in the past. But it was also a different form of oppression. Like all dominants, Graham didn’t ask. He just did whatever he wanted. Right at that moment, he’d decided to bring Tripp to their makeshift den and lay him on top of the bed.
Graham leaned down to brush some loose strands of hair off Tripp’s face. “Get some sleep.” He straightened. “Last night was a…big one. You used up a lot of energy whether you realized it or not. That, plus the pregnancy is taxing your strength.”
All of what the beta said made sense, and yes, another yawn escaped him. Still… “What should I do when I wake up?” He dared to ask because this was all new to him and he had no idea what his mate’s expectations were.
Graham frowned, hands on his hips, clearly without a ready answer. Finally, “Stay here until I come fetch you for dinner. I’m new to this mating thing and especially new to the becoming-a-sire-really-soon situation. So, I’m going to err on the side of caution and have you rest the whole afternoon.”
Tripp considered his next words carefully. “You wanted us to see the healer after lunch.”
Graham snapped his fingers. “That’s true, but we’ll do it right before dinner. I’ll be back for you.” Leaning down once more, he kissed him lightly on the lips. “If you need something… Damn, I was going to say have your wolf call to mine. That’s the very problem we have to speak to Cora about.”
Tripp shrunk into the bedding as much as he could. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize, sweetheart. You’ve done nothing wrong. Neither has your wolf. This is a problem, that’s all. I’m a beta, so fixing problems is what I do. Don’t worry about it. Get some rest and I’ll see you soon.”
“Yes, Graham.” Tripp had a passing thought that taking a nap would be more fun if his mate joined him. That was enough to cause a flash of heat throughout his body and the slick he’d experienced the night before slid past his hole.
Graham stopped halfway back to the doorway and exhaled sharply—half gasp, half laugh. “Oh, don’t even dare to tempt me.” He grinned over his shoulder. “I have work to do, sweetheart.”
Tripp looked at him wide-eyed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
“I know. That’s what excites me the most. Later. Waiting makes it better. Sounds crazy, but you’ll have to trust me on that.”
“I trust you on everything, Graham.” He said the words without thought because they were expected. Yet, they were also surprisingly true.
“Good. You’re so sweet, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Get some rest,” he repeated and left.
Tripp got as comfortable as his large belly would allow, convinced it was going to be a long, boring afternoon. His eyes disagreed with him, becoming too heavy to stay open. He dropped into sleep almost before he realized it.
Chapter Five
Cora beamed at Graham and Tripp as she moved the scanner’s wand across the omega’s belly. “There she is. That’s a better picture than we got before.”
Graham released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding at the news. “So, it’s a girl?”
The healer nodded. “A sigma, I’d say. We’ll know better of course after she’s whelped.” She moved the wand away and wiped the jelly off Tripp’s skin. “You can sit up now, dear.”
Graham helped his mate do just that and stayed positioned behind him to give the boy something to lean against. “There’s nothing there to explain why Tripp’s wolf is so buried?”
“No. And I didn’t expect there to be. It’s just always good to check everything, anyway.” She turned her kindly expression toward Tripp. “Your wolf has gone through a lot of trauma, hasn’t he?”
Tripp nodded, misery etched on his face.
Graham’s fury over his mate’s past experiences threatened to erupt again. He clamped it down and reminded his wolf to keep happy thoughts going in Tripp’s direction. “Do you have any suggestions as to how we coax him to come out?” he asked the healer.
“I recommend pushing the issue simply by shifting. I’m sure Tripp didn’t have many occasions when you could do that, living among the humans.”
“No, ma’am. I mostly spent my days and nights in what they call motels while Blake worked. He didn’t dare let me out for the most part, especially as the pup grew.”
Cora nodded at Graham. “There now. Your mate’s wolf needs some exercise. And while he can hide within Tripp in human form, he won’t be able to resist your command to shift. Be as forceful as necessary. We can’t allow Tripp’s wolf to continue to think hiding from his mate is a viable option in life. It’s just not healthy for any of you.”
“I understand. Thank you.” He hated the idea of being overbearing with his mate, not after his previous experiences. But he also had a duty to care for him and Cora was making it clear that this behavior was harmful. “We have a little time before dinner. Come on.” He lifted the omega off the table and set him on his feet.
Taking the boy by the hand, he thanked the healer and made his way to the nearest door to the outside. Because the infirmary was at the back of the longhouse, it let out into a patch of ground next to the woods. He led Tripp over to a large rock and let him go so they could undress. The omega didn’t need to be told what to do. He always kept his attention on Graham. Soon, they were both naked, their clothing piled neatly on the rock. It was impossible not to be hard at the sight of his mate. Moreover, so was Tripp, and knowing that he brought out the omega’s passion did amazing things to his pride. He almost scooped Tripp up to take him back to bed, but part of his duty was to not be selfish. His mate’s needs came first.
