Beta Bully (M/M) - Chapter 43 (Early Access) (Patreon)

Sweat & Steam

Stifling heat had sweat rolling down Darcy’s spine as he huffed cardboard boxes full of pack purchases into the main pack house. He hadn’t a clue what was inside any of them, and the weights and dimensions altered from box to box. Regardless, someone had been on a major online spending spree.

“Oh, you are working far too hard, little one.”

The voice almost caused him to stumble. Darcy turned on his back foot, cardboard clutched to his chest. A middle-aged woman with a bun of fly-away waves was approaching him up the drive.

“Let me help you, Omega,” she cooed, hoisting a box and bumping Darcy’s hip with her own.

“Oh, thank you,” Darcy said slowly. The heat had fried his brain to a level that he could barely register words anymore.

“Get out of the sun for a bit.” The woman shooed him through the back door of the kitchen to sit amongst the small fort of packages. Darcy sat on the cool tiles of the floor and sighed.

After a minute or two, he said, “Thank you, again.” He swiped a forearm over his sweaty forehead. “I don’t think I realised just how close I was getting to melting,” he joked wearily.

“You looked like a tiny zombie,” the woman said with a sad smile. “The alpha isn’t overworking you, is he?”

Wary of unwanted listeners, Darcy replied, “No, no, I just got carried away with the task.”

“Oh, good,” the woman said slowly. She had shifted four boxes already. “I do worry about our Alpha Nico, you know.”

Darcy didn’t have the energy to gather genuine interest in Alpha Nico’s problems. Instead, he grunted, “Oh?”

The woman shook her head hopelessly. “Actually both of them,” she said. “Getting on in their years to still be un-mated.”

“Both?”

“Alpha and beta.” She nodded upwards. The floor above them contained the alpha’s office and beta meeting room that was shared between Luca and Oli. “Finding your soul-mate- well,” she stopped herself with a sigh. “I suppose I don’t need to tell you, but it really completes you. It betters you.”

Darcy nodded and pulled himself up from the ground on wobbly legs. “Definitely.” Alpha Marshall hadn’t been the only one to congratulate Darcy on Luca’s new attitude since finding out he was his soul-mate. Post-birthday Luca had only matured even further. He was unspeakably proud of him.

“I Just think a little more effort on their parts wouldn’t hurt, you know?” the woman continued. It was clear she had been looking for someone to listen to her opinion on the matter for a while. “There are plenty of soul-mate search events in the area - I sent my son to one! After a few meetings his soul-mate turned up looking as well.”

“That sounds promising,” Darcy agreed as he filled a pair of cups with cold water. He offered one to the woman.

“You have to start making some kind of effort once you reach your twenties, no point wasting time when you know your soul-mate is out there.”

Darcy chugged his water and gave the woman a shrug. “They’re very busy,” he suggested. The excuse sounded flat even to his own ears.

“Mmm.”

Darcy dropped his cup in the sink and geared himself up to go back outside. “Thank you for your help, I can get the last couple of boxes.”

“If you’re sure,” the woman said uncertainly, although she was already walking away. Darcy nodded with his best exhausted smile. “Take care of yourself, little one.”

His own soul-mate rocked up right as Darcy was balancing the final package at the top of his tetris creation.

“Perfect timing,” Darcy said with an exaggerated eye roll. Trust Mr Muscles to arrive when the work was over.

Luca grinned. “You’ve been breaking a serious sweat!” He sounded far too proud.

“Yeah, stay back,” Darcy laughed with raised palms. “I need a shower.”

Luca stepped in close, hooking his body over him and breathing in deep through his nose. “Let’s go take one,” he said with a gravelly tone and a flash of canine.

Darcy stared up at him through his lashes, a new heat sweeping his skin. “It would need to be quick…” he mumbled.

“Has Alpha Nico given you something else to do?”

“No, but-”

“You’ve clearly worked hard already today, you can take a break for a bit.”

“But Alpha Nico-”

“And I’m Beta Luca.” The confidence in his voice sent a tiny shiver of arousal down Darcy’s spine. “I can authorise a break for a few hours. Come on, let’s go get soapy. Then I’ll take you into town for a coffee.”

“Can Melody and Reece come?”

“For the coffee, not the shower,” Luca said sternly.

Darcy laughed and followed him up the stairs, pulling out his phone to arrange the meet-up.

By the time he had confirmed the coffee date with his friends, Luca was running through the suite butt naked. Darcy gasped and slammed the front door shut behind him. A trail of clothes littered the floor of the living room and he kicked them aside, following him.

The sound of the shower spray had him hurrying out of his clothes faster. When he stepped through the doorway to the bathroom, the room had already filled with steam. With golden curls slicked down to his head, Luca was watching him from under the shower head. His eyes had switched again, into predator mode. Dark and hungry and following Darcy’s every move effortlessly.

He beckoned him in with a crooked finger.

Darcy tiptoed around the glass and Luca’s arms snatched him against him the moment his toes touched water. He giggled against Luca’s chest and was squashed between his body and the tiled wall. Cold at his back and hot against his nipples.

The water trickled over him, dampening all the places that weren’t already wet purely from the sight of his soul-mate. Luca’s face covered his, protecting his eyes from the spray and creating an umbrella effect with his perfect golden head. His curls became a halo. But his expression was devious.

He only needed one hand to keep Darcy pressed to the wall, the other sunk down, grazing the wet skin of his stomach to settle between his legs. He stroked at him, never breaking eye-contact. Black and gold locked in a staring match that Darcy would undoubtedly lose. With every brush of his fingers over his slit he was fighting to keep his pupils from crossing. The room was too hot, the steam was bringing on a light-headedness, and all he could do was dangle in his embrace as Luca coaxed him to the edge.

When he came, he pinched Luca’s forearm between his knees and sobbed with his head slumped back against wet tile. Luca sucked on his throat as though his sweat were a delicacy, awaiting his afterglow.

Kneeling on the wet tiles, Darcy took him into his mouth and showed his affection in the only way his hazy mind could comprehend in that moment.

There was still a tremble in Darcy’s thighs when Luca pulled out of the pack drive. If he was in any way affected by what they had just done, it wasn’t noticeable in his driving.

He got them into town and parked up near his favourite coffee shop. Luca helped Darcy out of the passenger side and kept hold of his shaking hand until they had ordered their drinks. Melody and Reece were waiting inside for them.

After a swiftly sipped espresso, Luca conveniently ducked out to run some errands. Which Darcy was pretty sure was code for sitting in his car for a bit, giving the submissive trio time to talk alone.

Darcy didn’t waste any time jumping into the most important topic at the table. “How are things going with Alpha Marshall?”

Reece shrugged.

Melody sighed dreamily. “He’s just the sweetest piece of pie, Darcy. You never told us what an angel he is!”

“Oh, I knew him more by reputation than personally,” Darcy admitted. “Everyone talks about how nice he is.”

“He’s so nice to everyone, Darce.”

“He’s been visiting your pack a lot, then?” Darcy asked.

“Yep.” Melody nodded with her gossip grin firmly in place. “I think he’s good friends with our alpha because no one else gets granted access to the lands this many times.” She added consiprationally, “He turns up just about every two days.”

Darcy turned to Reece. “And are you okay with that?” he asked gently.

Reece was as stony-faced as ever. “It’s fine, I guess,” he grunted.

Melody shook her head. “I don’t know how you can find anything wrong with a fine man, an alpha no less, bringing you flowers and sweets every couple of days. And all for the pleasure of a few minutes in your company.”

“Yeah,” Darcy tacked on. “And we hang out with you all the time, so we know your company sucks ass.”

Reece finally cracked a smile.

“Thanks, Darce,” he said. “I guess I should be more grateful that my soul-mate is such a stalker.”

“You really struggled to find anything to complain about, didn’t you?” Melody teased. “How long did it take you to pluck the word ‘stalker’ out?”

“I get that you guys think he’s nice-”

“Is he not nice?” Darcy interrupted. If Alpha Marshall was secretly a fraud, he wouldn’t be able to sleep from the guilt of putting Reece in his path.

“He is,” Reece reassured him. Then his tone turned bitter again. “It’s so annoying. He’s such a fucking gentleman. You can tell he was raised specifically to be a good alpha and nothing else, he grew perfectly into the mould that was placed around him at birth.”

“Once again,” Melody drawled. “I’m not seeing an issue.”

“I don’t want to be a perfect alpha mate. I don’t want to have to act like he does for the rest of my life just to keep up appearances. I want…”

He flushed and scrunched his mouth. They leant in closer, Melody wiggling her brows excitedly.

“I just want to be soul-mates first,” Reece said quietly. “Do the young-and-dumb-in-love thing before all the responsibilities kick in.”

“I think the best thing you can do is let it happen naturally and enjoy the moment,” said Darcy. “You don’t know what he will be like once you’re together as mates.” He thought back to the woman who had helped him with the packages, about soul-mates once they were ‘complete’. “If you look at Luca as an example of the before and after of mate maturity, I think you’ll agree that Alpha Marshall might still surprise you. Maybe he’s better at separating work life from personal life than you think.”

“Titled wolves don’t get to separate themselves from their title,” said Reece.

“Don’t remind me,” Darcy joked wearily. He had no idea what he would be returning to after their coffee date. He attempted to take his own advice and enjoy the moment, sipping on his iced coffee.