Work Text:
🌕
It was a dark and stormy night, Eddie wrote in frustration, scratching out the words in his notebook as soon as he wrote them. He'd never understood that cliché. Of fucking course it was dark – you've just established that it was night. A vivid flash of light lit the sky outside the floor to ceiling windows to either side of the fireplace, and he waited for the inevitable.
Crash. The thunder struck, rattling the glass in its frame. It was dark, and it was stormy, both in his writing and in reality, but that wasn't helping him get the scene right. It wasn't a fantasy novel this time, not like the ones that earned him his living. It was equal parts horror and monster romance, and the chill autumn evening should have been the perfect time to write.
Maybe if it was Halloween, Eddie thought, instead of still being nearly a month away. His house would be decorated inside and out for his favorite holiday, ready to wow the kids who showed up for his biweekly D&D game, along with any trick-or-treaters who showed up. Eddie loved it, the steady parade of kids in their costumes, both bright and spooky. Orange and purple witches, glittering fairies, superheroes and knights, all trooping to his door because he had the best candy in town. Everyone knew it; the somewhat reclusive guy in the big modern cabin just on the edge of town gave out full-sized candy bars, just because he could. Well, and because of the way the kids’ faces lit up when he dropped them in their plastic pumpkin buckets and pillow cases turned bags of holding for the night.
At 39, he was still unmated, though not for lack of trying. He just – never found anyone he really clicked with, not in that way. It hadn't been any easier even before he had money to complicate things. Eddie tried, sure, but nothing ever seemed to work out in the long run.
Back then, he hadn't been able to provide for an omega – hell, he could barely provide for himself, working two jobs and spending what little free time he had immersed in putting his fantasy world down on paper. Omegas weren't always hired for the same jobs as alphas and betas, termed too wild or too unreliable, which was of course ridiculous. The unequal treatment had always made Eddie furious, but it still necessitated having the means to support a partner in case they couldn't or simply didn't want to work. After all, they might want children, might want to stay home and care for them, which was more than okay. Eddie didn't mind being the provider, so long as he actually could.
If it ever happened for him, Eddie knew it would be an omega. It always had been, never betas or other alphas unless he was just looking for a quick fuck. No, it was omegas he fell in love with, every one of which over the years had broken his heart.
It was no wonder really that Eddie wrote about a group of misfits and outcasts, striking a chord with a good many fantasy readers. His main character for the original trilogy had come from nothing, helped along by his rare ability to speak with dragons. Eddie wished he had some special ability when he was growing up in the trailer with Wayne, anything to help them out, but all he had was a knack for keeping under the radar while supplying the teenaged population with weed and party favors.
Eddie frowned. It was no good thinking about his school days now. He had succeeded where so many of his bullies had failed, and that was enough. Of course, returning to Hawkins with hot contract money burning a hole in his pocket helped, as did building the biggest house in town overlooking. Well, he still wasn't sure if it was bigger than the old Creel place, but it was certainly nicer. The pack that made that shithole their den, including his own father, might as well have been living in squalor.
Lightning flashed again, but before the answering call of thunder could rumble in reply, Eddie heard it. Something at the front of the house, something shuffling and breathing hard. Eddie's senses had always been sharper than those of his friends, and his hearing was best of all. He knew it gave him an advantage as a musician, back when that had been the dream. They were all going to be rock stars, rich and famous, and stick it to their bullies by selling out arenas worldwide – except to those who were on the blacklist.
Then Gareth got pregnant at nineteen, and Jeff and his girlfriend were getting serious at twenty one, and soon it was just Eddie and Frankie, holding open auditions for the band where no one showed up. Things worked out for a while in Indy, but then Frankie found a career as a mechanic and a husband in the owner of the shop. Before long, Corroded Coffin was history.
Then Eddie got the chance of a lifetime when an editor at Tor actually read his unsolicited manuscript and soon life was a whirlwind. He had been too busy to look for a partner until he had time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labors, and by then all the people he met were only interested in his money – or his industry connections. That had been a painful discovery.
The noise came again. Probably just a possum or raccoon, but then – why was it at his front door instead of digging through the trash cans? Rising from the couch, Eddie grabbed a poker from near the hearth and slowly moved down the hallway toward the front door. He had nearly reached it when a loud pounding echoed through the space, assaulting his ears. The heavy wooden door set deep into a stone wall had a tendency to absorb sound, which bothered Eddie not in the slightest. He knew when someone was there, and chose to avoid them or not.
From this close, however, the banging against the hardwood slab was loud enough to give him a headache. If someone was at his door tonight, in this weather, they either needed help, or meant him harm, the latter option less likely due to the continued assault on the portal. Most burglars didn't announce their presence.
Eddie peered through the window, made from thick coke bottle glass. It had seemed like an excellent aesthetic choice at the time, but unfortunately limited his ability to see through it. Moving the tapestry curtain over the window to the side, Eddie peered through the wrought iron bars set in a diamond pattern. Decorative, but still sturdy where it counted.
Huh, Eddie thought. That was unexpected. A figure huddled on his porch, out of the rain but still hunched over, probably chilled to the bone. The lights affixed to the wall didn't illuminate the figure’s face, but Eddie could recognize fear, and it was written deep in the lines of their body. He could understand why; it was a full moon above the storm clouds, and a terrible night to be out alone.
Releasing the tension on all three locks and the steel swing bar at the top, the heavy metal clicked and thunked out of alignment. Security momentarily lowered, Eddie opened the panel just a crack. The figure looked up, a panicked but hopeful expression on their face.
Eddie blinked. His visitor was a kid, but not one of his dice-rolling regulars. No, this was one kid in particular that everyone in Hawkins, Indiana would know on sight. Eddie had watched as the interviews and news segments had eventually tapered off, the missing posters turning a faded gray as they weathered in the sun and rain, no longer faithfully replaced. On Eddie's porch cowered a boy no one was looking for anymore, the frantic mother having eventually assumed the worst after far too many dead end leads and disappointments.
The boy was Steve Harrington, and he had been missing for over a year.
Throwing open the door, Eddie glanced left and right before ushering him in. The boy took a cautious step over the threshold, then another, until he was dripping half a lake onto the tiles. He was thin, his clothes baggy, hair longer than it had been on the posters. He had almost no scent even without patches, and something in Eddie cleaved to him, suddenly compelled to help.
“I'm gonna get you a towel, and set you up with a nice hot shower or bath, your choice, and then you're gonna eat something for me, okay?” Eddie said, waiting for Steve to nod. “Then, maybe, we can talk about how you ended up at my door tonight. If you want to, that is. No pressure.”
“You need to know,” Steve said, teeth chattering so loudly as he shivered that Eddie could barely understand. “You need to, because they might come looking. They might – they –”
Steve’s eyes rolled up, knees giving out beneath him. Eddie caught him, jeans and sweater instantly soaked. Something about his shape wasn't quite right, and as Eddie hefted him in his arms, he thought he might know what it was. Steve was pregnant.
“Okay, nix the hot bath,” Eddie said. “Warm bath. Or a warm water bottle if I can find one. Blankets. Lots of blankets. Wait, towels first. Shit.”
Eddie's experience with pregnancy was limited to media, and a stray cat Wayne let live under the porch one spring and her four adorable offspring. Dealing with a pregnant human, especially one this young and ill-cared for, was an entirely different reality. Adjusting Steve's weight in his arms, Eddie flipped the locks back on the door one by one and headed for the stairs, managing to scale them to the second floor without issue. Given that he sometimes tripped up or down them when he was only responsible for his own weight, Eddie considered that quite a feat.
Eddie only realized he had nearly reached his own suite of rooms when he was a few steps away. Turning sharply, he backtracked to the hall bathroom, managing to open the linen closet and pull out two thick towels before settling Steve on the wide corner of the tub where the stone met the wall. Wrapping the soft material around him, Eddie began to dry the boy off as best he could. He didn't want to undress Steve without his permission, especially while he was out like a light, but Eddie was coming to the conclusion that he had little choice if he wanted to get the omega warm.
Then Steve surprised him, leaning forward to wrap his arms around Eddie's neck. Eddie cradled Steve to his chest without thinking, simply acting on instinct. He could feel the omega shivering, and gently stroked his back.
“Alpha,” Steve murmured, tucking his head against Eddie's shoulder. The word felt far nicer than it had any right to, coming from a vulnerable, half-frozen teenager.
“Steve?” he ventured after a moment if quiet comfort. “If you can hear me, I need you to answer, okay?”
“How d'you know my name?” Steve mumbled, head still buried in the crook of Eddie's neck.
“Sweetheart, everyone knows your name. You've been missing.”
“Was just surprised when anyone actually looked,” Steve said. “Didn't know they cared.” He didn’t even sound bitter, just exhausted.
“The town?” Eddie said, confused.
“My parents,” Steve said. “Surprised they reported me.”
Eddie sat with that information for a moment. “Your mother was frantic,” he said softly. “There was a reward for information and everything, a big one.”
Steve made a sound like a scoff, but not quite there. “Al should have turned me in for the money.”
Eddie's blood ran cold. There were plenty of men named Al, he told himself. It didn't mean Steve was talking about —
“Guess he knew Henry would have killed him.”
Eddie suppressed a shudder as the blood froze entirely in his veins. “Henry Creel?” he asked. “You've been with the Creel pack all this time?”
Steve drew back, eyes half-lidded but wary. “How do you – you don't smell like a wolf, you – you smell –” He trailed off, looking half-ready to flee, or try at least.
“I'm not a wolf,” Eddie reassured him. “But my father and my uncle are. My dad…well, it sounds like you've met him, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry. Al Munson is a piece of shit.”
Steve shuddered, pulling away as his hands moved to Eddie's chest. “Please tell me you won't send me back, please,” he said, eyes filling with tears. “I can't.”
“Oh, baby, no,” Eddie said, only realizing what he'd said once it was out of his mouth. Maybe Steve hadn't noticed. “I hate Henry Creel, and I haven't spoken to my father in probably ten years. I didn't even know he was back in town, much less running with his old pack. I swear to you, Steve, I will keep you safe from them. You, and…” He trailed off, looking down significantly at Steve's midsection.
If it was possible for Steve to curl further in on himself, he did. “You're not – mad?”
“About what?” Eddie said, mystified. “I mean, I'm angry at the way you've obviously been treated, especially in your situation. But why would I be mad at you?”
“Because,” Steve said miserably. “I've got another alpha's pup in me. I ran away from my mate. I shouldn't be asking for your help, but this was the first house I came to, and it looked safe.”
“it is safe, trust me. And just because I'm an alpha doesn't mean I'm an asshole. That's your bab – pup, okay?” Eddie corrected himself, figuring that Steve's language had come from the wolf pack. No one said pup anymore, at least not among humans. “The other parent doesn't matter, even if he’s your mate.”
Steve shuddered at the word, and something fell into place. “He bit you against your will, didn’t he?” Eddie couldn’t imagine, after all of what Steve had been through, that he would have willingly submitted to the alpha.
“Not that it matters,” Steve said, wiping an unshed tear from his eye before it could fall. “I never wanted it, not a single one, but he did it anyway. Over and over, so it would be strong.”
“What do you mean, over and over?” Eddie said. “A mating bite is just the once.”
It was Steve’s turn to look confused. “No, an alpha has to renew it,” he said. “Once every Moon.”
“Can I see?” Eddie asked, gently touching the neck of Steve’s hoodie. Steve nodded, so he slid the zipper down slowly, pulling the sweatshirt aside across his left shoulder. The skin was a wreckage of healed and half-healed punctures, some over his mating gland and some beside it, but the gland itself looked firm and intact. Steve turned his head away from Eddie’s scrutiny.
“I’m not sure how to tell you this,” Eddie said. “But he’s not your mate. The bite never took, not once.” No matter how many times he tried.
“It didn’t?” Steve said, still sounding confused but now with a note of hope in his voice.
“No,” Eddie said. “You’re free, Steve.”
Steve collapsed back against him, a sob wrenched free from his chest. “What if they come looking for me?” he managed after a moment, nearly choking on the words.
“This place is kind of a fortress,” Eddie said, stroking his hair. “And there's a panic room, just in case. My uncle also lives with me, and he's still pretty damn fierce even at sixty.”
“And he's a wolf?” Steve asked.
Eddie nodded. “Yep. I didn't get the gene, but I'm fine with it.” For the first time in his life, the assertion felt like a lie. If he was a wolf, he could better defend Steve, could even go after Creel and his pack —
Which he had no business doing. Even if Eddie had been a wolf, going after that pack was a suicide mission. They were all but feral, living in their leader's ramshackle estate with boarded up windows and probably no light or heat. No wonder Steve had picked now to escape.
“Were they all out for the Moon?” Eddie said. “Is that how you got away?”
“Mostly,” Steve said. “The other humans weren't paying attention, so I was finally able to sneak out.”
“I'm so glad you did,” Eddie said. Steve just nodded against him. “D'you think you could take a warm bath for me? I'll give you privacy,” he added hastily.
“You could stay,” Steve said, sounding confused, then – “Oh. I forget, how things are outside.”
“Outside?” Eddie asked, pretty sure he knew the answer.
“Outside the pack,” Steve clarified. “I never had any privacy there, not for anything.”
“Well, you do here,” Eddie said firmly. “This is your bathroom for tonight, and you can take the bedroom across the hall. Then in the morning, we can call your parents, and —”
“No!” Steve interrupted, abruptly pulling away. “They'll never take me back, not with —” He cradled his belly in one hand.
“I think you'd be surprised,” Eddie countered, but Steve Just shook his head.
“They'll just kick me back out,” he insisted. “They never wanted an omega, I was supposed to be an alpha like my father. My mother's a beta, I don’t know how I came out this way.”
“It's a recessive gene with that combination,” Eddie said. “But not impossible.” Go go high school biology. Eddie should remember it; after all, he attended it three times.
“I don't know what that means,” Steve said, looking embarrassed.
“Just means there's less of a chance, that's all. But you were meant to be exactly who you are, okay?” Eddie lifted Steve's chin with one knuckle to look him in the eye.
Steve looked away. “If you say so.”
“I do,” Eddie said. “Now, let's draw you a bath.”
Steve tried again to Eddie to stay, and god help him, he almost did. He couldn't explain his sudden attachment to the omega, beyond his alpha brain choosing now of all times to get involved in his life choices. He supposed if anything would do it, it would be a cold, malnourished omega showing up on his doorstep, and roughly three months along by Steve's estimation. Apparently, Henry had been kind enough to wait until his eighteenth birthday to knock him up.
Eddie shook his head as he fumbled around in the kitchen, trying to make something acceptable for a late night breakfast. Steve's stomach had rumbled when Eddie mentioned eggs, and he had added some bacon to the equation. He thought he might throw some sausage in there as well. Eddie could only hope getting the boy well-fed now would make up for however long he had been so skinny.
When Steve came downstairs dressed in the plaid flannel pants and sweatshirt Eddie had loaned him, something in him only got more possessive. He had to get this turned around and fast. Not that he doubted his self-control around Steve, especially in his vulnerable state, but it just wasn't a good idea to start thinking of him as anything more than a wayward sheep Eddie would be guiding home.
“You're probably wondering why I didn't try to escape before now,” Steve said, and before Eddie could protest, he continued. “I tried, but each time the punishment was worse. This time, with the pup, I knew Henry wouldn't hurt me, even if I was caught. And I had to try.”
“I'm so glad you succeeded,” Eddie said, the sentiment heartfelt. “But no, I wasn't wondering that. You don't owe me any explanations, and you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, okay?”
“Okay,” Steve said with a wobbly smile, the first Eddie had seen. He was beautiful, and Eddie had to look away.
“All right, eggs are up, and I've got some bacon over here,” he said, lifting the paper towel over the plate.
Steve turned away, one hand on his stomach. “No meat, please,” he said, sounding queasy.
“Are you sure?” Eddie said. “It would be really good for you.”
“I can't,” Steve said. “I know it's cooked, but —”
Eddie knew the horror must have shown on his face, because Steve slumped against the counter after turning back around, looking miserable again. Eddie did his best to school his expression into something neutral.
“Okay,” he agreed. “No bacon.”
Steve struggled with the silverware at the table until Eddie told him he could eat with his hands if he needed to. He looked embarrassed, but was too hungry to do anything else. Eddie felt a sense of misplaced pride, watching the omega eat the food he had prepared, at his table, in his lair – er, home. Definitely his home.
After Steve's plate was clean, Eddie cleared the dishes away and pretended not to notice Steve scrubbing his hands fiercely at the sink. Ushering him back upstairs, Eddie once again had nearly reached his own room before stopping in front of the closest guest room. It was near the hall bath, if not the room directly across that he had promised earlier. This one was far enough away to offer Steve some privacy while mostly appeasing his alpha.
“Okay, um,” Eddie said. “Sleep as late as you like, all day even. I won’t call your parents until you're up and around and awake enough to talk to them, I promise.”
“I wish you wouldn't,” Steve said with a pleading expression.
“I know, but we have to let them know you're all right. The Police Chief will want to talk to you, too, I'm sure.”
“But I haven't done anything wrong!” Steve exclaimed.
“No, of course not,” Eddie soothed. “But Henry and his pack did.”
“Hopper can't fight them,” Steve argued.
“Not on his own,” Eddie said. “But he'll have help, I'm sure of it.”
Steve looked conflicted. “I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me.”
“Don't you worry about that,” Eddie said. “You just get a good night's sleep, all right?”
Steve nodded, and Eddie forced himself to leave the room. He knew he didn't need to sit on the floor in the hallway all night, playing guard; after all, the windows were bulletproof glass, most reinforced with silver-coated cold iron or steel. The cliff behind the house was sheer, and solid rock inset with silver-coated spikes. Those had been Wayne's idea. Nothing was getting inside without military grade weapons and gear, which Eddie was certain the ragtag Creel pack didn't possess.
He sank down to the floor, back against the wall, and waited, listening close for any sound. A dim light stayed on in Steve's room, and Eddie honestly couldn't blame him. After what he had been through, Eddie would sleep with the lamp on, too. Once Steve’s restless sounds quieted down a good few hours later, Eddie forced himself to get up and turn in for the night, in his own bed. He still tossed and turned for a good hour, worried about Steve and how he was sleeping, if he was sleeping, before the emotional toll of the evening dragged Eddie under, and he didn't wake until morning.
Drifting up slowly up from a dreamless sleep, a contented rumble rose from Eddie’s chest. His omega was here in his arms, head tucked beneath his chin. They cradled their pup safely between them, still growing in his omega's belly. He was warm, and content, and —
Cuddling Steve Harrington. Holding him close in his bed as though the boy belonged to Eddie, as though they were mates and the child Steve carried belonged to him as well. It was wrong on every level he could think of, sharing a bed with a traumatized boy twenty years his junior, a boy who would be leaving today anyway. Eddie let out a mournful sound without meaning to, attempting to separate himself from Steve without waking him.
It didn't work.
Steve grumbled as Eddie extricated himself from the omega's vice-like grip on the back of his tee shirt, attempting to pull Eddie back. Reaching awkwardly around, he gently peeled Steve's fingers away from the material and sat up, much to the omega's discontent. Steve's eyes fluttered open, and he stared blearily up at Eddie, making a noise of complaint.
“Alpha?” he managed, reaching out for Eddie.
Taking Steve's hand, Eddie gently lowered it to the bed. Chastising the omega for crawling into his bed would only make things worse, Eddie was sure of it, so he went with an excuse. “Wayne will be home now,” he said, seeing the sun barely beginning to peek in through the curtains. “I should let him know you're here. Then, if you feel like getting up, I could make us pancakes? No pressure though, it's early – sleep in as long as you want.”
Steve favored him with a drowsy smile, and Eddie's heart stuttered in his chest. Climbing reluctantly out of bed, Eddie couldn't resist tucking Steve back in before grabbing an elastic for his sleep-mussed hair and heading downstairs. It was early enough that Wayne had yet to go to bed, and Eddie found him in the great room by the hearth, reading a slightly soggy newspaper. The rain was still coming down in sheets, dousing the windows like a set of curtains in its own right.
“I imagine you don't want breakfast,” Wayne said. “Seeing as you made enough for at least two last night.”
Shit. Eddie had forgotten to clean up the kitchen, in favor of getting Steve to bed – in his own room, mind, and not Eddie's. For a moment Eddie felt like an ungrateful teenager again, lucky enough to be living under Wayne's roof. He had finally convinced Wayne to move in with him when a minor earthquake damaged the trailer, but he was still working on convincing him to quit his job. Eddie could more than provide for the both of them now.
“I'm sorry,” Eddie said, hand rubbing the back of his neck as he gingerly sat down on the edge of the sofa next to Wayne's recliner. “I need to talk to you about something."
“Related to the dishes still in the sink?” Wayne asked without looking up from the paper, but a smile was creeping up at the edges of his mouth.
“Yeah,” Eddie said. “So, you know how Steve Harrington's been missing for a year now?”
“I still don't get why the boy don't have no scent,” Wayne said, leaning against the counter while Eddie washed the dishes.
“He's traumatized, Wayne,” Eddie said. “Maybe it just got buried in all that.”
“Still, with a baby, he should at least —”
“Steve!” Eddie said brightly as the omega turned the corner, eager to end the discussion. “You want me to make you some breakfast? I was thinking pancakes.”
“Wolf,” Steve said, staring at Wayne as he sniffed the air. Eddie moved to stand beside him without even realizing it, one hand migrating to the small of Steve's back.
“This is my Uncle Wayne,” Eddie said. “We talked about him, remember?”
“Wolf,” Steve repeated, ducking his head in submission before curling into Eddie's side. He was shaking again, and Eddie wrapped him up in his arms before thinking better of it.
“Shh, sweetheart,” he said. “Wayne won't hurt you, okay? I told him about your situation, and he wants to help.”
“Promise?” Steve whispered against Eddie's neck.
“I promise,” Eddie said, lifting his wrist to scent the back of Steve's neck. Only realizing what he had done when Wayne gave a polite cough, Eddie released Steve and backed away. “I'm so sorry, I never should have done that,” he said a bit frantically.
“Why not,” Steve said flatly. “It's not like I have a scent of my own anymore.”
Eddie winced. “You heard that, huh?”
Steve ducked his head. “I wasn't trying to eavesdrop.”
“And we weren't trying to be hurtful,” Wayne spoke up. “You've been through way too much, son. We're going to help you in any way we can, all right?”
Steve nodded, sneaking a look up at Wayne.
“And I may be a wolf,” Wayne continued, “but as far as you're concerned, I'm as gentle as a lamb. My ire is reserved for Creel and his pack.”
Steve nodded again, taking a cautious step away from Eddie to show his trust. Good, Eddie thought. They were making progress. Attempting to distract Steve with pancakes while Wayne made some necessary phone calls in another room, Eddie thought he had succeeded for a little while at least before Steve proved him wrong.
“You're going to make me go back to them, aren't you?” he said, only halfway through a stack of pancakes covered in butter and syrup.
“The pack?” Eddie said, horrified. “No, of course not!”
“I meant my parents,” Steve said.
“I think you should be with your family right now,” Eddie said, unable to keep the regret from his tone.
“I don't,” Steve argued. “And neither will they, I guarantee it.”
“Friends?” Eddie said, searching for a compromise, but Steve shook his head.
“No luck reaching your parents,” Wayne said from the kitchen doorway. “I called the Chief, he thinks this is the best place for you right now, and I agree. You gonna be all right if he stops by, asks you a few questions?”
Steve had visibly relaxed at Wayne's words, until the question sparked his panic anew. “Do I have to?” he asked.
“You don't have to do anything, I suppose,” Wayne said. “But talking to Hop now about what happened will help your case in the long run.”
“My case?” Steve questioned, looking to Eddie in confusion.
“Against Henry,” Eddie said. “He belongs in jail for the rest of his sorry life.”
“Jail won’t hold him,” Steve said, an odd note in his voice. “Besides, it’s too good for Henry.”
“Nothing says he'll actually make it to jail, if they convict him.” Wayne's statement was casual, but the expression on his face told Eddie he didn't mean Creel would walk. “Things have a way of working themselves out.”
Steve's interview with the Chief was a special sort of hell for all of them. Eddie waited in the kitchen with Wayne, pacing anxiously, while Hop spoke with Steve in the living room behind closed doors. Something in Eddie's chest was restless, gnawing at his ribs, and he felt like he could claw his way out of his own skin.
“Gonna wear out the tile, you keep that up,” Wayne advised.
“I need a cigarette,” Eddie said without stopping, tugging on his hair.
“You told me you quit,” Wayne said, eyes narrowing.
“I did,” Eddie said. “Doesn't mean I don't need one right now.”
Wayne had just opened his mouth to reply when the sound of Hop's heavy tread on the hardwood flooring announced his presence. Leaning heavily on the door frame once he rounded the corner, he shook his head, staring down at his feet.
“No one should ever have to go through what that kid’s been through in the last year. ‘Cept maybe Henry Creel, if I could work that one out.”
“Shame the moon's down,” Wayne said, drumming his fingers on the table.
Eddie caught his meaning; while the nights before and after a full moon still enabled easier transformations, the law was clear. Any crimes committed by a wolf not under the influence of the full moon were punishable like anything else. While Eddie doubted anyone would try to bring charges against someone who took out a wolf like Henry Creel, he would prefer that his uncle avoid jail time.
“Damn shame,” Hop said, his jaw set. “Kid's asking for ya,” he directed toward Eddie, and he didn't hesitate.
“What d'you make of that?” he heard Hop ask Wayne as he moved down the hallway.
“Hell if I know,” Wayne answered, and Eddie winced.
He knew it wasn't right, the immediate attachment he'd developed to Steve and Steve to him; the omega was eighteen, for christsakes. Eddie also knew it was there, no matter what anyone else thought about it, and not likely to wear off while Steve was under his roof. Peering through the half-closed door into the living room, Eddie saw Steve huddled up at one end of the couch, his face pressed into the cushions. Grabbing several blankets from the hallway closet, Eddie knocked on the door.
“Just me,” he called out as softly as he could manage and still have his voice carry. “Can I come in?”
Steve looked up, blinking in surprise. “Please,” he said with a small nod, the word coming out as a croak.
Eddie made his way to the couch and deposited the blankets, opening up the hidden storage compartment under the chaise at the end of the sectional. Pulling out a quilt and several throw blankets, Eddie lowered the cushion and patted the corner it created.
“C'mere,” he said. “Gonna make you a little nest. I'm sorry I didn't think about it last night, it probably would have really helped.”
Spreading the quilt down, Eddie began to arrange the blankets as Steve looked at them warily. Eddie stopped, tilting his head. “Is this not okay?” he asked.
“I never had a nest until the pack,” Steve said. “It helped, when it was cold, but – the towels were scratchy and full of holes and there were bugs —” He left off with a shudder.
Eddie was beside him without stopping to think, pulling Steve into an embrace. “You're not there anymore,” he said. “I know it's hard to believe, I do, but you're never going back. These blankets are soft and clean, I promise, and yeah we get the occasional bug in the house but I've got a pretty big swatter.”
Steve nodded, his head resting on Eddie's shoulder. “Okay,” he said.
“It's not going to be the best, but it's not permanent or anything,” Eddie said, only to have Steve stiffen in his arms.
“Right,” he said. “Because I'm going back to my parents, who won't let me have one.”
Eddie's chest ached for him. “Not yet,” he said. “Hopper still hasn't been able to get in touch with them.”
“They're probably in Tuscany or Mykonos or something,” Steve said. “Mom hates the cold.”
Still, Eddie thought. If they traveled a lot, their phones would be set up to work anywhere. Maybe they don't care, Eddie thought traitorously. Maybe Steve could stay with him, after all. He would get Steve the best medical care, get his weight back up, make sure he was comfortable and had a permanent nest, and —
“You're staying here for now,” Eddie said firmly, stroking a hand down his back. “You can have a nest anywhere you want it, I just thought making it upstairs would give you more privacy. Wayne and I are in here all the time, and sometimes the kids end up in here if the basement is cold, and Wayne would never admit it to anyone else, but he loves Hallmark Christmas movies.”
“You have pups?” Steve asked, sounding confused and more than a little concerned. “In the basement?”
“Oh, they're not mine,” Eddie said hastily, carding a hand through Steve's hair. “I run a D&D club for some kids in town. Their school won't let them have one, because the principle is an idiot. Met them in a gaming store downtown that only stays open because they have a coffee shop and sell board games too.”
“Wait, the nerd game?” Steve asked in disbelief.
“Nerd game, listen to you,” Eddie said, ruffling his hair. “What do you know about it?”
“Not much, honestly,” Steve admitted, ducking his head. “I dated a girl whose brother was always going on about it.”
“It’s honestly really cool,” Eddie said with enthusiasm. “One person runs the game, me in this case, and creates a story for the players, who each have characters that they're acting as, and their decisions and actions shape the world and the story as we go. Sometimes I also make maps for them, with terrain or buildings, or —”
“Sounds complicated,” Steve said, wincing.
“It's not, once you get the hang of it. Definitely not like it was when I was in high school, y’know in the dark ages of the early 2000s.”
“Geez,” Steve said, his tone teasing. “How old are you?”
“Thirty-nine,” Eddie answered guiltily, but he didn't let Steve go. “That's why I shouldn't, um.” Shouldn't be holding you like this, shouldn't want to provide for you the way I do, shouldn't think that you're beautiful.
Steve's grip on his sweater tightened, and Eddie didn't protest, nuzzling the top of Steve's head.
“Never mind.”
Eddie awoke to a cry in the night and was on his feet immediately, heading toward the guest room. He could hear quiet whines in between heaving sobs, and knocked on the door.
“Steve?” he called out softly. “Are you all right?”
“Eddie,” Steve answered between choking sobs. “Please, I —”
He didn't stop to think, opening the door and stepping through. Steve was sitting up in bed surrounded by a makeshift nest of blankets and spare pillows, and as Eddie approached he reached out one hand. Eddie only hesitated a moment. It was incredibly rude to try to enter an omega's nest without permission, but Steve's outstretched hand seemed like a pretty clear request. Perching on the edge of the bed, just inside the blanket pile, he took Steve's hand.
“Nightmare?” he asked.
Steve nodded, a tear dripping down onto their joined hands. Eddie reached out to gently wipe the others away, and Steve leaned into his touch.
“I was back there,” he said. “Henry broke in and took me back and – Eddie, he hurt you and Wayne. I can't stand thinking about it.”
“Shh, sweetheart,” Eddie said, pulling Steve into his arms. “No one can break in here, I promise. Not even Henry. You're safe from him now.”
“He could,” Steve argued. “You don't know him, Eddie, he's so strong, and – he can do things that don't make sense.”
Figuring that Steve was still half in his dream, Eddie stroked his back, carding a hand through his hair. “Shh now, you're safe with me,” he whispered. “We're going to make sure he can't hurt you or anyone else ever again, all right?”
“Okay,” Steve said, burrowing against Eddie as though trying to get under his skin. He didn't sound convinced.
Focusing on strengthening his scent just a tiny bit, so as to help and not overwhelm, Eddie was gratified to slowly feel Steve's breathing evening out. Eddie just held him, rocking slowly back and forth as his heartbeat slowed, his muscles relaxing. He tried to ignore how right it felt, being the one to comfort Steve in the night, but his instincts were insistent that this was where he belonged.
After a while, Steve tugged at his shirt, letting out a tiny yawn. “Stay with me?” he begged. “At least for a little while?”
How could Eddie say no? He nodded, stretching out on the bed as much as he could and urging Steve to lie beside him. With Steve's back to his chest, Eddie wrapped one arm loosely about his waist. He realized after a while that he was slowly stroking Steve's belly, but the omega didn't seem to mind. A small, halting sound like a rusty motor rose from his throat, and Eddie realized he was trying to purr.
Nuzzling against his neck before thinking better of it, Eddie only pulled back to leave his scent there. Sleep was a long time coming for both of them, but Steve had stopped shaking, and Eddie would take the little victories where he could find them. When he did sleep, he dreamed only of holding Steve close as dawn broke over the horizon.
Hop continued to try to locate Steve’s parents, only to come up empty. He escorted Steve to doctors in secret, who gave them the good news – and some better bandages and medicine for his bites than the antiseptic Eddie had been treating them with.
It seemed that Steve’s body had been siphoning off any nutrients it received to feed the baby, leaving him underweight but the baby just fine. Steve was delighted with the news, enamored of his pup despite its father and the circumstances of its conception. Caring for Steve and the baby-to-be pleased something deep in Eddie’s alpha core, a settling of his restless years spent alone. He tried to remind himself that the baby wasn’t his, that he wouldn’t even be around for its birth, much less care for it the way Eddie finally had to admit he wanted, but it wasn’t working.
Over the next few weeks, they slowly they found an equilibrium, Steve agreeing to sleep in his own nest, but still sometimes cuddling with Eddie on the couch. Touch was too important for an omega’s health for Eddie not to, especially knowing his alpha scent would soothe some of Steve’s anxieties. Despite the doctors’ appointments, Steve still worried for his pup’s health as any parent-to-be would, but with what he had been through his worries were decidedly worse. Eddie couldn’t imagine what Steve would have gone through, trying to give birth in the Creel house, surrounded by fear and filth.
Those nights before the hearth were both the best and the worst, as holding Steve in his arms felt right on a level that nothing else in his life had even approached, but Eddie knew he couldn't keep him. It wouldn’t be right. Steve should be with his family now, and later find a partner more his age. He didn’t need some old man slowing him down. As always, Eddie laughed at himself for thinking he was old at thirty-nine, as though his life was over at forty, but he knew Steve probably thought so.
Snuggling together while watching TV, or just the crackling fire inevitably led to the both of them saying goodnight at Steve’s bedroom door. Steve always looked desperate to invite him in, and Eddie had to fight down the temptation to accept the silent offer. It grew more and more difficult with each passing night to walk the short distance to his own rooms and leave Steve looking so lonely in his doorway. Eddie took ages to get to sleep, thinking about the beautiful omega just one door down, looking at him with such sad eyes each night that he left.
Some nights he solved the problem with a drink from the mini bar in his small sitting room, though he tried not to get into the habit. Other nights, like tonight, his restless hands occupied themselves with his cock in the hopes of exhaustion. Parting from Steve had been more difficult that night than ever before, and Eddie could tell Steve had been mere moments from begging him to stay when he forced himself to say goodnight, his feet carrying him down the hall. Eddie had looked back, Orpheus-like, only to see Steve still standing there watching, eyes glowing like a cat’s in the dark.
Sometimes he envied omegas the odd traits that made them different from other designations, like their ability to see farther in dim light. Eddie knew it was a prey adaptation, as no omega would ever turn wolf, and in less civilized times they had found themselves hunted down and claimed. The bond between an alpha wolf and an omega was particularly intense, enough so that ancient cultures had believed it lent their warriors strength and victory in battle. All those eyes lent Eddie was a crisis of conscience and a yearning for something that fate seemed to have decided he would never have.
Dipping below the waistband of his sleep pants, Eddie’s fingers brushed along the shaft of his already half-hard cock. It didn’t take much to coax the erection along, thinking about Steve’s eyes, the softness of his skin, the way he could so easily draw out a blush. Thinking about running his hands down Steve’s chest, caressing his swollen belly and continuing down, down, to that holiest of holy places between his legs. Eddie wanted to touch, to taste, to immerse himself in it, to press inside with fingers and tongue, to know if there was a small cock hiding beneath the hair, just waiting to be stroked and sucked, or if he was small and round, if a beautiful pearl waited there for Eddie’s attentions.
Stroking his own cock, he thought about toying with Steve’s sensitive nipples until they stood firm and erect, thought about how his breasts would eventually swell with milk, petite but gorgeous, just like the rest of him. Gathering the precome leaking from the tip, Eddie spread it down his length, letting it ease the way as his hand traveled up and down, gaining in speed. He twisted his hand around the head as he thought about Steve’s mouth, the way his tongue might be slightly rough in the way of some omegas, the way it would feel on his skin, on his lips, on his cock as he licked and sucked. Thought about having Steve on all fours, his cock thrusting in and out as his hips rolled forward, again and again, though about the way Steve might squeeze down —
Eddie came in a rush, his back arching off the bed as his cock jerked, soaking his chest with his release. It was thick and fragrant, as though he hadn’t done the same in the shower that morning, hitting the tile so hard with his palm he thought for a moment he’d cracked it. Working himself through it, his shaft refusing to soften, Eddie felt a swelling at the base. Fuck.
He hadn’t knotted from jacking off since he was a teenager, freshly presented as an alpha and so hormonal it was a wonder he hadn’t humped every surface in the trailer. He spared a moment’s thought for the couch, and its many years of service before gripping the knot and trying to convince it to go down. His touch only encouraged it, and soon Eddie was stroking the bulge, twisting his hand around and thrusting up through his fists held as tightly as he could manage. Eddie could only imagine how sweet Steve’s pussy would be to slide against, how hot and wet his cunt would be, just waiting for Eddie to fill it. It didn’t take long, hips rabbiting up as the bed creaked and groaned beneath him, grunting like some wild thing until he came again with a shout. His cock kicked hard in his hands, enough so that Eddie thought some of his spend might spattered the ceiling.
He only just caught the shadow below his door as it moved, a faintly floral note drifting into the room in its wake. Steve, Eddie thought, trying to catch and hold the scent, to memorize it. Steve had been listening to him, and left a scent behind. His cock gave a valiant twitch at the thought, but Eddie had exhausted himself – and his wrists. He fell into a deep sleep, dreaming only of soft skin with a scattering of freckles and the barest hint of jasmine.
They worked out a routine as the days passed, and the house gradually began to feel as though it had been made for the three of them. Cooking meals together, they often sharing breakfast with Wayne as he came home from his overnight shifts. Steve delighted in experimenting and coming up with entirely new things Eddie never would have put together himself. Privately, he thought Steve would make an excellent chef with training, and Eddie wondered if he could send him to a culinary academy once the baby was old enough. Steve watched movies with Wayne, even started doing a little of the laundry to feel as though he was contributing, though Eddie drew the line at any other chore. He didn’t want Steve to think he had to earn his keep, and besides, Eddie had a cleaning service in every two weeks, just to keep things fresh and make up for his forgetfulness in dusting.
Eddie tweaked the security on the house to send silent proximity alarms to his and Wayne's phones, but the most vicious intruder so far had been a wayward doe. There were times when he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up straight, suddenly certain someone was watching, but nothing ever came of his paranoia. It reassured Eddie to know that Steve's presence in the home had remained a secret from Creel and his pack, otherwise he knew they would have been sniffing around the door, if not clawing at it. They had been careful, and Eddie worried about what would happen when Steve eventually had to leave.
Introducing him to the kids had gone well overall, once they got over their shock at “the missing boy” apparently living with Eddie. He had been planning on cancelling their game, so as not to overwhelm Steve, or have any further security risks, but Steve wouldn’t hear of it. If anything, it sounded as though he wanted to meet them, and see just what they got up to with the oddly-shaped dice Eddie had shown him.
“Have you been hiding him this entire time?” Dustin asked, mouth agape, when Eddie gathered them together in the living room to talk about it.
“No, Dustin,” Eddie said. “I have not been hiding him.”
“So where has he been, huh?”
“We're not going to talk about that, okay?” Eddie said firmly.
“Why not?” Mike asked. “Everyone knows he's been missing.”
“Because I don't want to talk about it, dipshit,” Steve said, appearing in the doorway.
“Oh,” Mike said, seemingly lost as to how to continue as he stared at Steve.
“Should have known you'd be here with the nerd brigade,” Steve continued, and Eddie glanced back and forth between them in concern, his alpha at war with itself. Steve crossed the room and Eddie had just moved to intercept when he pulled Mike in for a hug, giving him a fierce noogie.
“My sister was worried about you, you asshole,” Mike said, enduring the treatment as he lowered his voice. “So was I.”
“I'm okay now,” Steve said, stepping back. “Thanks to Eddie and Wayne. I just – I can't talk about it yet, okay?”
“You don't have to,” Jane said, moving closer for a hug. Steve squeezed her tight, lifting her off the ground before setting her back down.
“Yeah,” Mike echoed. “It's cool. Can I tell Nancy though? Because seriously dude —”
“Yeah,” Steve said. “Just make sure she keeps it a secret, okay? I'm – it's complicated, but there are people that can't know I'm here.”
“Okay, how do you three know each other?” Eddie asked as Mike nodded, agreeing to the secret.
“He dated my sister for like, a week,” Mike said.
Steve scoffed. “It was four months and five days, thanks,” he countered, hands on his hips.
“Whatever,” Mike said.
Dustin was squinting at Steve. “Your hair was better then.”
Steve brought his hand up to his hair self-consciously, toying with a particularly long strand. “Yeah?” he said, pulling a bitchy face. “So was yours.”
Eddie ducked his head to hide his smile. Seeing Steve hold his own with the Party was a welcome sign of recovery.
“You gonna play or what?” Max asked, a hint of a smile on her face.
“Oh, um, I don't know how,” Steve said, uncertainty in his tone.
“You could watch,” Jane said diplomatically, as usual. She had initially only come to movie nights with Mike, then started hanging out to watch the games. Now she played a psionic monk with frankly impressive skill.
Steve glanced at Eddie, who nodded. “We'd love to have you,” he said, his smile wide, hands jammed in his pockets. I'd love to —
“Okay,” Steve said with a shrug.
“Sweet,” Eddie said. “Game room is in the basement.”
Steve looked at him with mild confusion. “The movie room is in the basement,” he said.
Eddie grinned. “You're gonna love this.”
Ushering Steve downstairs, the kids trooping after them, Eddie tilted a stray, misfiled copy of Fellowship of the Ring halfway out of its place on the DVD shelves. An entire section of the unit swung outward into the room to reveal the large finished space beyond. It held a long table, a couch, a few beanbag chairs and more tall shelves full of books. It was, without a doubt, Eddie’s favorite room in the house.
“Holy shit,” Steve said, sounding quietly impressed.
“Right?” Eddie said, bouncing a little on his toes. He couldn’t help it.
When he’d realized he could just build the gaming room of his dreams, he had gone all in. There was a stereo system with surround sound, programmable recessed lighting, and a walk-in closet stuffed full of plastic bins containing terrain and miniatures, all organized by type. The mini-bar in the movie room outside was kept fully stocked with sodas and snacks, along with coffee and espresso makers, for the little caffeine junkies currently filing past him.
Eddie welcomed Steve into the Inner Sanctum, as the Party jokingly called it, with a sweeping gesture. Steve laughed, favoring Eddie with the sort of bright smile he so loved to provoke. It made his heart stutter like he was one of the teenagers noisily unpacking their bags, the clatter of dice on the table oddly in rhythm with the thumping in his chest.
Steve’s expression shifted as he moved his hand to his midsection, the bump concealed beneath one of Eddie’s oversized black hoodies. A look of awe came over his face, eyes widening in surprise as he drew in a sharp breath. Reaching out, he grabbed Eddie’s hand and pulled it beneath the middle pocket, resting against his belly. Eddie felt a flutter beneath the skin, a featherlight movement so quick he almost missed it, until it came again.
“Was that the first time you’ve felt it?” Eddie said breathlessly. Steve nodded, covering Eddie’s hand with his own. Eddie’s heart relocated to his throat, and he swallowed hard, unable to find any words that seemed right.
“Holy shit, Ed,” Dustin exclaimed from the table. “Did you knock Steve up?”
Steve froze, a frightened animal caught in oncoming headlights. His face shut down, and he took a step back, Eddie’s hand falling away from his skin. Stumbling as his heels hit the bottom step, he turned around and quickly ascended them without a word.
“Way to go, numbnuts,” Eddie snapped. “Real respectful.”
Dustin shrugged. “Just asking.”
“Well it’s none of your goddamn business,” Eddie said, glancing up to where Steve had reached the first floor.
“Yeah, jackass,” he heard Lucas say, accompanied by Dustin’s “Ow!” in response.
“I’ll be back,” Eddie said, holding up one hand for patience. “Probably.” Climbing the stairs, he followed Steve into the living room where he sat by the hearth, soaking up its warmth. Sitting down beside him, Eddie reached out, taking his hand. “I’m so fucking sorry,” he said. “Kids are morons.”
“It’s okay,” Steve said, even though it clearly wasn’t.
“It’s not,” Eddie protested. “It was unacceptably rude, and he’s going to apologize to you, or I’m not running their game anymore.”
“Eddie, no,” Steve said. “Not over that. Besides, you love running it.” His smile as he spoke seemed forced.
“Yeah, but you’re more important,” Eddie said, realizing after the words were out that he probably shouldn’t have.
Steve scoffed. “I’m not important, Eddie.”
“The hell you’re not,” Eddie said, reaching out to cup Steve’s face in his hands. “You’re incredibly important.”
“Yeah?” Steve asked, almost angry in his disbelief. “To who?”
“To me!” Eddie said intently, his eyes roving Steve’s face as the anger melted into relief. His eyelids fluttered shut, and he relaxed against Eddie’s palm.
“You mean that?” Steve asked hopefully.
Eddie leaned in, resting against Steve’s brow. “So much,” he said softly, nuzzling at Steve’s cheek.
A creak from the direction of the stairs made Steve jump, and Eddie heard the sound of feet attempting (poorly) to sneak back down to the basement.
“I’m going to murder them,” Eddie said. “Every single one, and seal up the game room. No one will ever know.”
“It would smell,” Steve said, pulling back. “A lot.”
Eddie tried to wipe the look of surprise from his face, but wasn’t quick enough. “I was just kidding,” he said. “You know that, right?”
Steve nodded, his face turned away. “I know.”
“I’m gonna send them home, give them a bag of candy each or something to make up for it. Run an extra Halloween session, I don’t know.”
“No, Eddie —”
“You’re upset, and it’s my fault,” Eddie started, but Steve wouldn’t let him finish.
“It’s okay,” he said, taking Eddie’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “Really. I should have just told Dustin to fuck off, and let that be the end of it. Go run your game, I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?” Eddie asked.
“I’m sure,” Steve said, his smile genuine, if tired.
Eddie hesitated until Steve gave him a good natured shove, laughing when Eddie very gently nudged him back and shoved him again. They were both laughing by the time Eddie managed to rise to his feet, one knee popping as loudly as the logs crackling in the hearth. It made him feel much older than he was, especially in comparison to the omega beside him. Teenager, Eddie, he reminded himself. He’s still a teenager.
It didn’t seem to matter to his alpha brain, the seat of all instinct and desire that took one look at the smile on Steve’s face and wagged its fucking tail. He was glowing, and Eddie knew his eyes said too much as he ruffled Steve’s hair and headed back toward the stairs. If he kept his mouth from saying anything at all, it was only just.
The game ran long, and by the time Eddie had ushered the last of the little monsters out to their respective rides, Steve was nowhere to be found. Climbing the stairs, Eddie could see a glow from the bedside lamp filtering out around his door, and hear soft, even snoring from inside. He told himself it was for the best; things might look different in tomorrow’s light. When at last Eddie slept, conflicted thoughts keeping him awake, he dreamed only of Steve, of the omega cradling a baby in his arms, and still looking at Eddie as if he’d painted the stars in the sky.
Things did in fact look different in the light of day, courtesy of an early morning call from Hopper. He had just gotten word that Susan Harrington had finally received the many messages he’d left at the conclusion of her mindfulness retreat in Fiji, and after traveling for nearly twenty four hours was at last back in Hawkins. She was due at the station any minute, and he didn’t think he could stall her for very long before she showed up at Eddie’s door, one way or another.
Steve overheard the call, as Eddie’s phone had buzzed while he was making breakfast. His face reflected only fear when Eddie hung up, having gleaned the important bits from the conversation. Turning as though to head upstairs, Steve turned back and pressed his face to Eddie's neck, his hands gripping Eddie’s tee shirt. Eddie held him silently, arms wrapping around his back. He never wanted to let go.
“Don’t make me go,” Steve whispered against his skin.
Eddie could feel his heart beginning to crack. “I probably have to,” he said, miserable with it.
“I’m eighteen, I don’t have to stay with them,” Steve said. “I’m not their property anymore.”
Eddie winced. The laws that classified omegas as literally belonging to an alpha, be they parent or spouse, had been repealed over a century ago, but outdated ideas persisted in small towns like Hawkins. “You were never their property,” Eddie said. “But you are their son, and you’ve been missing for a year. Your mom went through hell, Steve. You should be with her right now.”
He wanted to say give it a little time, wanted to say you can always come back, but he couldn’t bear to give himself false hope. Feeling Steve’s tears on his skin broke his heart fully open, and suddenly it didn’t matter anymore; the pain was a flood, washing him away. Any hope was better than none.
“You’ll always have a home here, Stevie,” Eddie said. “If you need it. Okay?”
Steve nodded against his neck. “Okay,” he mumbled.
“Just – try for me, okay? Give them a chance.” Eddie hated every word that left his mouth.
“I can do that,” Steve said, but he was shaking, and Eddie’s hand slid up to card through his hair, the other stroking his back. “Will you – will you tell her what happened? I don’t think I can stand it.”
“If you want,” Eddie said, wondering how in the hell he was going to power through that conversation. Still, he knew he would do anything for Steve, anything he asked, anything at all, so he could manage that much at least.
It wasn’t long before Hopper’s truck pulled up in the drive, and Eddie opened the garage door to let him in. The system they had been using to keep Steve safe would be doubly important today – never letting him be seen entering or leaving the house, Hop pulling into the garage to pick him up and Steve lying down across the backseat. Sunglasses, ball caps, hoodies – all part of the charade, and all deeply necessary.
Of course, Steve couldn’t keep up the secrecy forever, but maybe he wouldn’t have to. Maybe someone, or multiple someones with fangs and claws at their disposal would take care of the problem at the source if the justice system failed. Eddie could only hope.
He almost couldn’t answer the knock at the inside door when it came, even with Wayne’s hand squeezing his shoulder. Eddie had hated to wake him up, but the noise in the house would have done it anyway, and he would have been furious if Eddie let him sleep. Forcing himself to open the door, Eddie took in Susan’s mussed hair and ruined makeup and instantly felt sympathy for the terrified beta. Letting them in, he took her hand and gave it a squeeze.
“Good to see you, Susie,” he said, even though it wasn’t, even though she had hated him in school. He’d had little sympathy upon hearing she’d fallen pregnant at twenty-one, the father her longtime boyfriend Richie Rich Harrington. There had been a hasty, if lavish wedding, and they had welcomed Steve seven months later, claiming it was a premature birth. No one in town was fooled, but only the upper echelons of Hawkins’ wealthy elite really cared.
“Edward,” she said, her voice choked with tears. “Where’s my baby?”
“He’s upstairs,” Eddie said, stopping her when she tried to run past him. “Wait,” he said. “We need to talk.”
The conversation was every bit as awful as Eddie had expected, Susan first shocked into silence, and then wailing out her pain and fury at Steve’s treatment while with the pack. The news of Steve’s pregnancy was met with silence, and Steve’s words from his first night with Eddie came back to him. Over time, he had confessed his worst fear: that they would make him get rid of it.
Eddie would be damned if he’d let that happen. He had seen firsthand just how much Steve wanted his pup, even after the hell of its conception, and he would do everything in his power to help him keep it. Unfortunately, Eddie knew, that might not be enough.
“Can I see my son now?” she asked in a surprisingly level tone, wiping at a tear with Wayne’s handkerchief. Wayne had offered it upon her first outbreak of waterworks, and she had taken it with a wobbly smile of genuine thanks.
“I’ll go get him,” Eddie said reluctantly, rising him his seat at the table. Susan nodded, hands wrapped around a mug of coffee that had probably gone cold without her drinking a sip.
Steve was sitting at the top of the stairs when Eddie started up from the bottom, his hair styled, wearing the nicest sweater Eddie had bought for him. Eddie had given him a bag to pack the rest, along with his toiletries as a year without use wouldn’t have been kind to his items at home, and it sat beside him. He looked for all the world as if he was off to his own execution.
“Your mom’s waiting,” he said, the words feeling like stones on his tongue. Steve nodded, and started down the stairs. “Wait,” Eddie said, his eyes burning with unshed tears. Taking Steve’s hand, he pressed a kiss to the back, at last giving in to the impulse living constantly beneath his skin since Steve’s first night in his home.
Steve wrapped his arms around Eddie in a fierce hug, nearly squeezing the life out of him. Eddie held himself back from pressing kisses to his cheek, but it was a near thing. Rubbing his wrist along Steve’s hair, the back of his neck, his sweater, everywhere he could reach, Eddie scented him thoroughly without even thinking. God, he didn’t want to let Steve go, not now, and not ever.
Aware that he couldn’t keep stalling, Eddie led him down the hall and into the kitchen, where his mother jumped up from the table to envelop him in an embrace just as fierce as his had been with Eddie. He had to look away, suddenly fascinated with the bird feeder outside the kitchen windows. She was sobbing as she held her son, and Eddie heard sniffles from Steve in answer.
“Why does he smell like you?” Susan demanded, drawing his attention back to the room.
“Because he’s been living in my house,” Eddie said, trying to keep his tone even.
Susan shook her head. “It’s more than that. What have you been doing with my son?” She demanded the answer from Eddie, fists clenched at her side after letting Steve go.
“Mom,” Steve said, having to repeat himself to draw her attention. “Mom. It’s nothing like you think. Eddie was kind enough to let me stay here, and you’re accusing him of – of —”
“It’s okay, Steve,” Eddie said, staring Susan down. “She has every right to worry about your welfare. I promise you,” he said, directing his words back to Susan. “It’s nothing like you think.”
She sniffed. “How do I know that baby inside him isn’t yours, hmm?”
Eddie’s eyes focused in on her face, every detail suddenly cast in sharp relief. Her scent strengthened until it nearly overwhelmed him, fear and anger rising from her skin like sour milk. She took a surprised step back, and it was all Eddie could do not to crack his knuckles and press the momentary advantage.
“Your son has been here for three weeks, Susie,” Eddie said, trying and failing to keep the growl from his tone. “I don’t think I could have managed to get him four months pregnant in that time.”
Steve was looking at him with an oddly hurt expression, and a whine nearly left Eddie’s throat. He wished – god, Eddie wished —
But it wasn’t.
“Maybe you’re lying about that, too,” Susan spat out. “How do I know any of what you’ve told me is the truth, hmm?”
“I didn’t kidnap your son, Susan,” Eddie said. “And the pup – the baby – isn’t mine.”
She huffed, grabbing Steve by the wrist and very obviously scenting him before pulling him along behind her. “Come on, Steven,” she said. “Time to get you home where you belong.”
The words cut far deeper than they should have. Eddie could have told Susan that she would have had him home much sooner if she had only been reachable, instead of eschewing the world for “meditation” on fruity drinks with little umbrellas in Fiji. Perversely, he was glad of it, having had that much longer to get to know Steve, if only for his heart to shatter at the garage door as he watched Steve get into Hopper’s truck. Steve hadn’t looked back even once.
The next several days were hell, Eddie barely getting out of bed for the first two, and stumbling around the house in a fog for the rest. Wayne all but tiptoed around him, giving him a wide berth. Eddie tried not to snap, not to whine, but it was difficult. He felt like a child, like a lovesick teenager with a broken heart. Wayne seemed to understand, despite them having never spoken about it. Wayne had known heartache too, in his time, though probably never over someone twenty years his junior. Eddie wrestled with it, with the core of his very self, telling him to get off his ass and go after Steve, tell the omega how he felt, show him how he felt.
When Eddie ventured to the Harrington home, it was under the cover of night. He parked a ways away and kept to the shadows at the treeline, telling himself he was simply scoping out their security to make sure Steve was safe. They had the requisite bars on the windows, but the metal honestly looked more decorative than practical, particularly on the upper story. The lights were on in two upstairs rooms, one brighter than the other, and Eddie’s eyes focused there. As if by some strange magic, the curtains pulled aside to reveal Steve’s face, staring out into the dark. Opening the window, he pulled aside the bars - they pulled aside – and he leaned out, scanning the woods beyond the yard.
He knew Eddie was here. The tug in Eddie’s chest became nearly unbearable, and it took every ounce of self-control he possessed not to attempt to scale the wall of the home. Not that he could have managed it anyway, Eddie thought, telling himself he was being ridiculous. Every day without Steve it had become harder to deny what had grown between them, and here it was, all but smacking him in the face.
Steve knew Eddie was here. He was looking for him. Eddie turned away, ignoring the pounding of his heart, and ducked behind a tree. Once he was sure that Steve was safe once again behind the iron latticework, he forced his feet to carry him back to his car. He didn't remember the drive home, ending up slumped over the steering wheel in the garage for god only knew how long before finally making the trek inside. Eddie made it as far as the couch before collapsing, where he eventually woke to morning light streaming in through the windows. Each ray sent needles into his brain, prickling and stabbing as they went. It felt like the worst of the flu and a hangover combined.
Still freezing no matter how many blankets he piled on, Eddie stumbled to the kitchen and put on some water to boil for tea. Thumbing through notifications on his phone, most of which he deleted, the date stood out to him. It was Halloween.
It was also a full moon, and Steve was a sitting duck for the Creel pack if they hit the Harrington house. Shit. Eddie thought he had more time. The days had all blurred together since Steve left. Nothing had mattered, without him there.
Forcing the gears in his mind to turn, Eddie considered his options. Taking a sip from the mug in his hand, he realized two things – it had both oversteeped, and gone cold in what felt like the span of a moment.
“Earth to Ed,” Wayne said from across the counter, as though he had been there and trying to get Eddie's attention for some time. Maybe he had.
Wayne didn't work on Moon nights; many wolves didn't. They were generally home protecting their territory from ferals like the Creel pack. Sure, some were lured out by a night with few consequences, mainly teenagers feeling the rush of their first few shifts, but for most in Hawkins it was a time to hunker down, safe behind thick walls and iron bars – steel if you could get it.
A good bit of the damage left to clean up came from wolf vs wolf confrontations, either from tempers out of control, a challenge of honor over some slight, or less common these days, a challenge over a potential mate. Sometimes it was a dare, as it had been when a small pack if teenaged wolves had attempted to break into the trailer to steal Eddie's stash. Without Wayne having been there, Eddie could have been killed. Murder without cause would be investigated and prosecuted, but the list of “good causes” during a full moon was pretty damn long.
Nights like that were a big part of the reason Eddie designed and built a fortress once he had the means. He never wanted to be afraid in his home ever again, and it killed him to think of Steve possibly cowering in his own tonight. He had been taken on a full moon last year, walking out to his car after basketball practice ran long with twilight descending on the city. While kidnappings were prosecuted, the pack was far faster and stronger than Steve with the moon already in the sky, and he couldn't outrun them. By the time anyone knew he was gone, his car had been left at the bus terminal and Steve was nowhere to be found.
They searched the Creel house, of course, but Steve was secreted away behind a wall in the attic with a rotting possum for company, to better cover his scent. Henry even welcomed the searchers back as time went on, hiding Steve under a loose board beneath the bed, the filthy linens piled on top blocking out any chance of light and most of his air. He'd been unconscious when they finally pulled him out, coming round to Al slapping his face.
“I got a bad feeling about tonight,” Wayne said. “First Moon since your boy escaped. They’ll be out for blood.”
“Creel won’t hurt him,” Eddie said, shaking his head. “I’m sure of it, not with the pup – the, the baby, I mean. Steve was sure of it. Said his pregnancy was no accident.”
“Doesn’t mean they won’t hurt Steve’s parents to get to him,” Wayne said, ever practical.
“True,” Eddie said. “No matter what I think about his mother, Steve doesn’t deserve to see that. You know Hop never even got in touch with his father? Susan said he was somewhere on business, whatever that meant. She didn’t even know.”
“So it’s just the two of them there,” Wayne said. Eddie knew what he meant. No alpha, and no wolves. “Soon as it gets dark, we should go get them both, bring them here. Susan will be less inclined to protest once that moon rises.”
“Do we have to get Susan?” Eddie said with a grimace.
“Look, I don’t like her any more than you do,” Wayne said. “But it’s the right thing to do.”
Eddie grumbled, but he knew Wayne was right. He was a better man than Eddie, that was for sure.
The wind howled about the eaves as the first hint of twilight began to creep across Hawkins, sending branches scraping against the stone and wood facade. One let out a particularly loud screech as it scuttled across, setting Eddie’s nerves on end. He still felt like shit, his legs wobbly even as he paced across the living room floor, his stomach tied in knots. The fog that had taken up residence in his brain had never cleared, and he’d had to leave most of the planning to Wayne.
Everything was ready in the special Moon-edition truck, armored against the dig and scrape of claws. Wayne had left him to his nervous pacing, immersing himself in one of his Louis L’amour novels until the time came to head out. Eddie wasn’t sure he could even help if they met resistance, but he’d be damned if he stayed behind and let Wayne go alone.
The sun was low in the sky, but not yet setting the clouds aflame. They had agreed to wait until then, hoping the lateness of the hour would have begun to work on Susan’s nerves by then. It wasn’t as though they could just kidnap her, and Wayne was set on not leaving her behind. Eddie supposed he agreed; Steve didn’t deserve to lose his mother, the only one of his parents who seemed to care.
Another screech, and Eddie paused in his path across the rug. Something sparked deep inside his chest, a match striking in the cold pit that once housed a crackling flame, and Eddie knew. That wasn't the wind.
Steve was close, he could feel it like a hum beneath his skin. He felt like a wobbly colt, stumbling about until he reached the doorframe that led into the hall, some of his dizziness beginning to clear. Wayne met him there, his favorite shotgun in hand, retrieved from its place by the hearth where it had lived since he first heard about Steve's plight.
“It's him,” Eddie said, or tried, a frog caught in his throat. “It's Steve, I know it.”
Wayne just nodded, his head cocked, listening. The sound of a car door slamming made them both jump, followed quickly by a loud, frantic pounding at the door. Moving ahead of Eddie, Wayne moved the curtain ever so slightly to the right, then hurriedly released all four locks on the door. Opening the door a crack, he spoke into the gathering dusk.
“You alone, boy?”
“Yes,” Eddie heard, Steve’s voice small and breathless through the small gap.
Eddie was instantly beside Wayne, trying to see around him. Wayne elbowed him gently as he opened the door wide enough to let Steve in, raising the shotgun to aim to his right. Steve froze, until Wayne nodded in Eddie’s direction and he scrambled into the house. Wayne took a step out onto the porch, his lupine eyes seeing far more than Eddie’s ever could as he turned slowly from side to side, making sure.
Eddie folded Steve into his arms the moment he was past the threshold, one hand across his back, the other in his hair. He was wearing a heavy sweater, but didn't have a coat. “You're freezing,” he said. “Does that car not have heat?”
“Hasn't been driven in too long,” Steve mumbled, pressing his nose to Eddie's neck before pulling back far enough to speak. “Never really heated up. Drove too fast anyway. There was – Eddie there was something chasing me. Wayne, be careful,” he called over his shoulder.
“Nothing here,” Wayne confirmed, closing the door as he came back in and locking it up tight.
“You just beat us to the punch,” Eddie said, smiling at Steve’s confused look. “We were coming to get you in maybe five minutes.”
“Richard never would have let me leave,” Steve said, shivering. Eddie’s eyes narrowed.
“I’ll make a fire,” Eddie said slowly. “Let’s get you warmed up, then you can tell me what you mean.”
Steve nodded, and Eddie took his hand, heading toward the living room. His feet were steady, his gait even as they went, and Eddie realized the ache was all but gone from his muscles. Grabbing a couple of blankets from the couch storage, Eddie plopped down on the rug before the hearth and guided Steve to sit beside him, wrapping him up. It didn’t take much fiddling to get a blaze going, the embers still warm from earlier. Eddie felt like he hadn’t been warm in days, even sitting directly in front of it – until now.
Steve still shivered, and Eddie tucked him against his side, stroking his hair when Steve rested his head against Eddie’s shoulder. It felt right in a way nothing had for days, having Steve beside him now, in his home and safe from harm.
“I'm glad you're here,” Eddie said, hearing his voice crack beneath the weight of the emotion in the simple sentence. “Wanted you here, since the moment you left, but especially tonight. You weren’t safe there.”
“No, I wasn’t,” Steve agreed. “Eddie, he – you don’t know what he did.”
“Creel?” Eddie said gently, afraid of what else Steve might reveal from his time with the pack.
“Richard,” Steve said, and Eddie’s blood ran cold.
“Why weren’t you safe from your father?” he asked slowly, an edge to his voice.
“Don’t call him that,” Steve spat out.
“Okay, okay,” Eddie said, feeling like he should have known better. “I didn’t know he was even home. Hop couldn’t reach him, and your mo – Susan didn’t even seem concerned that he was gone.”
“He came home when she called him,” Steve said, his tone oddly flat. “Took the first flight from London. Hopper was lying – he spoke with good old Dick, more than once. He just didn’t care enough to come back. Figured Mom could deal with the situation.”
“The situation,” Eddie echoed. He was going to kill Richie. Or at least beat him to a pulp and make him reconsider his abysmal life choices.
Steve had gone silent, watching the logs crackle and burn. “Dick sold me to him,” he said eventually. “To Henry."
Eddie heard the growl as it left him, startling Steve so badly he nearly fell over. “I'm sorry,” he said quickly, covering his throat with his hand. “I'm sorry, that hasn't happened in a really long time, I – I didn't mean to scare you.”
“S'okay,” Steve said, looking as though it really wasn't.
Fuck. Way to go.
“Richie actually – he paid – fuck, I went to school with that bully and I still can't believe he's that evil.” Eddie's hands wound up in his hair, tugging at the roots. “Jesus Christ. Did he say why?”
“Does it matter?” Steve said bitterly, turning back to the fire.
“Hopper will want to know,” Eddie said. “He'll probably rip him to shreds anyway, but —”
“Can I watch?” Steve asked in an eerily level tone.
“I don't think you'd actually want to —”
“Oh yes, I would.” Steve turned his head to look Eddie square in the face, his anger palpable in the air between them. “And then Henry, too.”
“That one I definitely understand,” Eddie said softly, toying with a loose thread on the blanket.
“Henry wanted a ‘purebred’ omega to carry on his line,” Steve said, looking as though he might be ill. Eddie certainly felt ill at the thought. “The Harrington name apparently fit the bill, and an omega couldn’t fight back against a pack of wolves. There was no chance I would turn, no matter what they did. It solved both of their problems with one payoff.”
“What the hell was Richie's problem in all this?” Eddie asked.
“Me,” Steve answered, his face crumpling. “Mom didn’t know, and he just let her think I’d run away, or been killed. She’s basically been drunk or sleeping since he told her.”
Eddie leaned in, unwrapping the blanket enough to pull Steve back in close against him. He was still alarmingly cold, and if sitting this close to a roaring fire wasn't doing the trick, Eddie was pretty sure it wasn't a natural chill. Wayne wasn't going to like it, but —
“Here, let me just,” Eddie said, squirming out of his henley. “And you can – yeah, let me help.” Tugging Steve's sweater and tee shirt off over his head, Eddie urged him to lie back against his chest. Steve went easy, and Eddie wrapped his arms tightly around the omega's shoulders.
Somewhere in the universe, it plucked a string, the note resonating in what little space remained between them. A sound reached Eddie’s ears, quiet and soft. Steve was purring.
“Safe now,” he murmured. A light scent began to drift up from his skin, fragrant like night-blooming jasmine. A light breath of sandalwood ghosted across the floral notes, and Eddie breathed it in, holding Steve closer. It was perfect.
“Safe,” Eddie agreed. “I won’t – we won’t let them hurt you. Henry has no claim to you, you don’t belong to anyone but yourself.”
“Not even you?” Steve said softly, turning his head far enough to look up at Eddie.
“Only if you want to,” Eddie said, a quiver in his voice as his heart pounded in his chest. He knew Steve could hear it, could maybe even feel it, fit to burst past his ribs any second.
“You know I do,” Steve said, the look in his eyes more than Eddie thought he would ever see directed at him in this life. Closing the small distance between them, Steve brushed his lips against Eddie’s, sending lightning racing through his veins. “Alpha, please,” he begged. “Say you’re mine.”
“Yours,” Eddie murmured, unable to resist flicking his tongue across Steve’s lips. “All yours.”
Steve’s scent bloomed, rising up like smoke from incense resin. Then Steve was kissing him for all he was worth, cupping Eddie’s cheeks in his hands and tilting his head for the best angle. Steve was far better at it than an eighteen year old had any right to be, and Eddie felt the spark in his chest catch, becoming a blaze. Pulling back to nibble at Steve’s lips, Eddie pressed back in, eager to deepen the kiss. Their mouths seemed made to fit one another’s, sliding together and drifting apart, over and over. Eddie was dizzy with it, one hand wrapping around the back of Steve’s neck, the other sliding down to rest above his waist as he held him close, so close.
Three slow, loud knocks echoed down the front hallway, seeming to come from every surface in the house all at once.
“What the hell?” Wayne said from the direction of the kitchen, having apparently (and thankfully) decided to give them privacy.
“It’s him,” Steve said, freezing at the sound and pulling away. “I know it is.”
“I’d ask how you know, but I’m pretty sure —”
“There’s something I didn’t tell you,” Steve said, looking equal parts guilty and afraid.
“What?” Eddie asked, cupping Steve’s cheek in his palm.
“He’s not right. Henry isn’t.” Steve had begun to shake, and Eddie tried to pull him close but Steve pushed back.
“We knew that,” Eddie said, feeling a chill creep down his spine. “No one right in the head would do the things he’s done.”
“It’s worse than that,” Steve said.
The knocking echoed again, reverberating through the stone of the foundation itself.
“His family didn’t have the gene,” Steve continued. “But he wanted it, more than anything, so he made a deal —”
“What kind of deal,” Eddie said, his stomach gone sour. Steve couldn’t mean what it sounded like – deals with the devil were the stuff of fantasy and horror, not real life.
“With something old,” Steve said, teeth chattering. Eddie pulled him in close, and this time Steve allowed it. “Something in the ground beneath the house. I know it sounds crazy, but his eyes, Eddie, they’re wrong. And the things he could do —”
“Like what?” Eddie asked, almost afraid to pose the question.
A metallic thunk sounded from the front of the house, followed by a loud clatter. “Oh for fuck's sake —” Eddie heard Wayne say, his voice already heading that direction.
“No,” Steve said, clutching at Eddie’s shirt. “No, no, no, he’s going to find me.”
“He can’t get you in here,” Eddie said, less certain of it than he’d been before.
“He can,” Steve said, his voice a sob. “I’m so sorry, Eddie, I never should have come here.”
“You belong here,” Eddie said. “With us, not with him.”
A shunk, followed by a click, and then another. Eddie realized with slowly dawning horror that the sounds were the locks on the door being wrenched open one by one. No. Not here, not his house. His home was safe, goddammit. Hearing the slow, terrible creak of the front door opening, Eddie knew that was no longer true.
Grabbing the poker from its stand, Eddie thrust it in the flames and left it there to heat. The next sound he heard was of a shotgun being primed, followed by a cold, echoing voice.
“Now, now, Wayne,” it said, the inflection soft and smooth as it floated down the hallway on a sudden gust of wind. “Is that any way to treat a guest?”
“You’re no guest o’ mine,” Wayne countered. “What do you want?”
“You know what I want, old man,” Creel said. “You have something that belongs to me.”
“The hell I do,” Wayne snapped. “I don’t have one goddamn thing that you got any claim to.”
“You have my omega,” Creel said, a possessive anger underlining the words. “And with him, my unborn pup.”
“What would I do with an omega,” Wayne said. “Old wolf like me?” He scoffed.
“Stop fucking around,” Henry growled.
“Sure thing,” Wayne said agreeably. “You have five seconds to get off my property or I shoot, and I’m packing silver. Five. Four —”
A sickening crunch echoed down the hall, followed by heavy footsteps and the scuttle of leaves blown in on a chill wind. Wayne’s countdown did not resume.
“Panic room, now,” Eddie said to Steve quietly, trying to keep the tremor from his voice.
“Alpha no, I’m not —”
“Yes, you are,” Eddie argued. “I need you safe.”
“What about you?” Steve argued. “I can’t leave you up here with him, what if he hurts you?”
Eddie took Steve’s face in his hands. “If you love me, you’ll do it. And even if you don’t, then do it for your pup. I can’t bear to lose either of you.”
Steve whined; there was no other word for the regretful sound that left his throat. “Because I love you,” he said, pressing a quick kiss to Eddie’s lips. “And for our pup.”
“I love you,” Eddie whispered, wiping the tear from Steve’s cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”
Steve bolted for the door that led downstairs, flinging it open wide only to have it slam shut in his face. Eddie turned to see Henry Creel framed in the archway from the front hall, greying blond hair windblown and mussed.
“Bad little omega,” he said calmly, wagging his finger. “Running away from me, trying to hide!”
Steve curled in on himself, backing away. Grabbing the poker he’d jammed in the fire, Eddie moved between them, blocking Henry’s line of sight. He knew he didn’t stand a chance. He also knew it didn’t matter, if it gave Steve time to get away.
“Foolish decision, boy,” Creel said, slipping out of his long dark coat and folding it neatly before draping it over a chair.
C’mon Wayne, Eddie thought. Get up, get up, get up. Any minute now. Brandishing the glowing red poker before him, Eddie took a step forward.
“I’m not playing games with you,” Creel said, eyes narrowing.
“No games,” Eddie agreed, gritting his teeth. This…this was going to hurt. Eddie held the poker out like a sword, taking another step, and then another. Creel laughed, showing teeth yellowed and rotten as Eddie braced to take his shot. It would probably be the only one he would get. Planting his feet he waited as Creel walked calmly forward to meet him. Waited…and waited…and gave one mighty thrust, sinking the poker straight through Henry’s chest with a sizzle of burned flesh. It smelled wrong somehow, like meat that had gone off still tossed in the skillet. Creel stopped his forward progress, but his face didn’t change at all.
“Oh, that was very very foolish of you,” he said softly, reaching out his hand to tilt Eddie’s head up by his chin.
“Was it?” Eddie asked, trying his best not to quake with fear. “Because my goal was to kill you, you sick son of a bitch.”
“Which you’re not going to accomplish that way,” Creel said, shaking his head. “All you’re going to do is make your inevitable death that much more painful.” Grabbing the poker, he slowly wrenched it free from his chest with a horrible sucking sound, twisting Eddie’s wrist around until he had to drop it from sheer pain.
Grinning, Creel shoved Eddie back hard, laughing as he stumbled. Sinking into a crouch, Creel held up his hands and spread his fingers, making sure Eddie could see the claws that sprouted from the ends as his fingertips split open. Pale patches of fur began to emerge at his wrists as he tilted his head sharply to the side, cracking his neck. Creel’s face began to change shape as cartiledge and bone shifted, rearranging themselves beneath the skin. Then it too was splitting, peeling away to allow a long, gnarled snout to emerge, scored over with scarring and a chunk missing from the nose.
Tearing at his clothes, Creel dispensed with his shirt, tossing the rag to the side. His chest had expanded beneath, large patches of fur yellowed or missing altogether. His flesh wasn’t quite the right color, greying and thin where it stretched across his ribcage. Eddie could see his heart beating slowly beneath, the blood sluggish and black. If he hadn’t known it before, Eddie would surely know it now – something was very, very wrong with Henry Creel.
Taking advantage of Eddie’s momentary fear-induced paralysis, Creel struck out with a sharp backhand, knocking him back a step. His cheek smarted, and Eddie felt a trickle of blood drip down to his chin. Ducking quickly to the side, Eddie reached for the poker, proving to be a misstep. Creel’s legs had shifted, knees bending back as the shins lengthened, clawed feet ripping straight through his boots as they grew. He kicked out, catching Eddie in the chest. Pinning him to the ground, Creel dragged his foot lazily down Eddie’s ribs, tearing the skin as it went.
“Run,” he gasped out for Steve, or tried, his voice not much more than a gurgle in his throat.
“Don't bother,” Creel said, his voice having dropped a full octave with his transformation. Something moved beneath the skin of his face, a large worm or worse burrowing its way around and Eddie shuddered at the sight.
The pain was unbearable, rips like four fiery pokers in their own right as Creel dug in and twisted. Eddie coughed, tasting blood in his mouth as his ribs crunched beneath the slow assault. Dimly he heard Steve cry out, hating that his pain was causing Steve distress, that this was how it was going to end for them. They should have had more time; they deserved more time. Most of all, Eddie hated that it all had been for naught, that all his efforts at keeping Steve safe had in the end delivered him right back into the claws of his abuser. Now he would be forced to return to that nightmare of a house, filthy and cold, as the winter dragged on. Even if Steve survived it, his pup might not, and he would lose any protection he had against Henry’s abject cruelties.
No. No.
Eddie wasn’t going to let that happen, he couldn’t. Not to Steve, not to the man he loved heart and soul. Something rose up within him, the flame in his chest refusing to go out even as Creel dug into it, grinding him into the floor. His vision sharpened, senses extending out beyond their normal limit. He could hear Creel’s rotten heart slowly thumping in his chest, hear the blood rushing through his own veins, and dimly, from the front hall, he could hear a wheezing cough and the sound of something sliding along the wall. Wayne.
Reaching up, Eddie grabbed Creel’s ankle and squeezed hard, feeling bone bend and snap beneath his grip. Creel yelped, staggering back as he struggled to put weight on his foot. Pushing himself up off the floor, Eddie felt his chest beginning to knit back together as the flame caught and spread out into his limbs. His fingernails lengthened into shiny, black claws as his spine stretched and bent, arching his back into the pain. His knees were the worst, snapping back as his thighs shortened, the muscles bunching up for a powerful spring forward.
Remade, Eddie leapt at Creel as the snout burst free from his face, his skull reshaping itself to fit his new form. His claws tore a chunk from his target’s chest, spraying the wall with black blood and gore as stringy lumps of flesh fell to stain the wooden planks. Eddie didn’t stop, pressing the advantage as he aimed a kick at Creel’s knee, the wolf going down hard. He snapped and bit at Eddie as he fell, closing his jaws around Eddie’s calf to leave a gaping wound. He ignored it, the pain easy to reroute as his body shifted to repair the damage.
He wasn’t quite fast enough, and Creel’s foot shot out to kick the injured leg out from under him. Dropping to one knee, Eddie fell on his quarry, pinning one wrist to the floor and twisting until the bones spinteredf and cracked. Creel howled at the pain, and Eddie lunged for his throat. His jaws clenched down around Creel’s neck, something vile and viscous spurting into his mouth and dripping down from his jaws as he hung on, the wolf thrashing below him. Too focused on locking his jaws, refusing to give Henry a chance to heal, Eddie missed the way Creel planted his feet to rise up and flip their positions.
Landing hard on his back, Eddie’s feet scrabbled at the floor, claws finding purchase in the hardwood. Creel’s face was a picture of rage, his lips curled up in a snarl. Pushing his head back, Eddie kept the wolf from his throat as long as his strength lasted. It left Creel’s hands free to wrap around his neck, claws digging into the thick coat of dark fur as he squeezed. Eddie choked, spots dancing in his vision as he struggled to take a breath and failed. Returning the favor, Eddie dragged his claws down Henry’s face, releasing a mass of squirming, grey tendrils that writhed around his head like faceless snakes.
Reaching his neck, Eddie tried to put on pressure, tried to squeeze down for all he was worth, but the world had begun to go dim at the edges. His lungs burned, a band of steel locked around his chest, and just before his vision faded completely to black Eddie heard a sickening crunch. Black blood oozed out from Creel’s eyes as he froze, his head yanked viciously back only to fall forward, a cold iron point sticking straight out through his open mouth. His grip on Eddie’s throat released as he fell to the side in a heap.
Steve pulled the poker free from Creel’s skull with a wet squelch, clotted grey ooze pooling on the floor. Eddie had never seen an expression of such pure hatred cross another man’s face, only to watch it melt away as Steve fell to his knees beside him. Hot tears fell onto Eddie’s skin as Steve pressed his hands to either side of his snout, cupping Eddie’s jowls in his palms.
“Please be okay, Eddie, please – I can’t do this without you, I need you —”
“Shh, love,” Eddie rumbled out, hearing his wolf’s voice for the first time. It was darker and low, but nothing like Creel’s sadistic tone. It struck him then, lying on the floor of his home, bones knitting themselves back together, that he had taken out one predator only to become the monster himself, embodying all that Steve feared in this world. “I’m sorry,” he said, hating himself, hating that he had saved the person he loved most only to inevitably lose him for the truth hiding beneath his own skin.
“Sorry?” Steve questioned, his face reflecting only confusion.
“I didn’t know, I swear. Don’t be afraid of me, Stevie,” Eddie begged. “Please, I can’t stand it if you are.”
Steve took one of Eddie’s massive paws in his own and held it to his cheek, nuzzling against the pads of his fingers. Eddie focused and felt his claws retract, inwardly cheering the small victory.
“I could never be afraid of you, Eddie,” Steve assured him. “You’ve saved me over and over again, saved our pup. This was inside you all along; it’s part of who you are. How could I fear that?”
Eddie felt his body beginning to rearrange itself as emotions overwhelmed him, tears streaming down his cheeks that slowly began to feel more and more human. The events of the night were too many and too much for his mind to fathom, and a laugh started up deep in his chest. Struggling to sit up, he reached out for Steve, pulling him close. Rocking them back and forth, Eddie knew that he held all that he wanted, all he needed in this world.
“I’d kiss you, but —” Steve said, rubbing his fingers along Eddie’s lips to show him the black blood.
Eddie grimaced. “Sorry about that,” he said, his voice once again tuned to its usual tenor. “It tastes as foul as it looks.”
“You sure that thing’s dead?” Wayne said from the doorway, shotgun raised.
“Pretty sure, Wayne,” Eddie said. “Steve jammed an iron poker through his skull.”
“I’d still get away from it, if I were you,” Wayne advised.
Steve helped Eddie to his feet, deep gouges from claws and teeth already fading to purple shadows across his skin. “So much for my clothes,” he said, his eyes finding the shredded pile of tatters across the floor.
“It’s just us, boy,” Wayne said. “Just your family,” he said, giving Steve a significant nod.
Steve’s eyes watered, and Eddie wiped at a stray tear that fell. “Thank you,” he whispered.
Over Steve’s head, Eddie caught the slightest movement out of the corner of his eye. The pile of fur and limbs on the floor that had once been Henry Creel had begun to shiver and twitch, and Eddie took several steps back, tugging Steve with him. Wayne moved forward, aiming the shotgun as the wolf rose to its knees like a puppet, something else holding the strings. Its eyes were rolled back, only the whites visible as long, bulging tendrils shuddered and writhed beneath its skin. It let out a hollow, broken howl, head tilted back to show the gaping wound left by Eddie’s teeth.
Eddie covered Steve’s ears as Wayne’s finger found the trigger, the spray of molten silver ripping through the wolf-thing’s skin to send chunks flying across the room. It’s head was left half-missing, the skull gaping open as it fell to the ground with a hideous thunk. Congealed black blood slowly flowed its way out from around what was left of its gray matter, and Eddie had to look away.
Cleaning service, he thought to himself. The after-Moon kind. Or…during.
“Wayne?” The deep, rumbling voice called from the direction of the front door. “Eddie? You good?”
“Hey Hop,” Eddie called out, glancing down the hall to see the Chief’s mottled brown pelt. “We’re good.”
“Now we are,” Wayne said wryly.
“We took out two in the yard,” another wolf said, tan fur slowly beginning to recede as his snout shortened, fangs sliding back into his gums.
Benny Hammond. Of course he had come if Hopper called; the whole damn town knew the torch he carried for Wayne. Eddie had often thought they should just get together already and be happy, no matter what anyone thought about their ages. He supposed he and Steve were going to get a lot of the same, but he didn’t care. He simply didn’t care. He was Steve’s, and Steve was his, and that was the end of it. The rest of the town could fuck right off with their opinions.
Hopper was looking at the corpse of the wolf-thing in disgust. “The fuck is that?” he questioned, tilting his head.
“That was Henry Creel,” Wayne supplied.
“The hell?” Benny said, moving to stand beside the others. He wrinkled his nose, waving his hand in front of his face. “That is some powerful stench.”
“Like spoiled meat,” Hopper said, his more lupine traits beginning to soften back into human features. His eyes remained, a ring of yellow around the irises that flashed in the firelight.
“Pretty sure he was rotten from the inside out,” Eddie spoke up, wrapping his arms around Steve when he shivered.
Hop turned, regarding Eddie for a moment, hands on his hips. “Mind telling me why you’re naked?”
“Everyone’s naked,” Steve murmured with a somewhat hysterical laugh.
“Turns out I got the wolf gene after all,” Eddie said with a shrug.
“Just like that,” Hopper said. “You’re a wolf now?”
“Apparently so,” Wayne said, turning proud eyes on his nephew. “Just needed a big enough push.”
“I’d say the Moon helped,” Eddie said, feeling suddenly self-conscious.
“So did your boy, there,” Hopper said, nodding toward Steve.
Eddie knew what he meant; the presence of a wolf’s mate, especially in times of danger, helped to fuel a wolf’s transformation, the bond adding to their strength. It was doubly true for an alpha and omega pair. Mate. Were they – could they be —
“I hope I did,” Steve said, looking at Eddie in that way of his, the one that made Eddie feel like he was the only one in the room, maybe even the world, worth looking at.
“You did,” Eddie confirmed, somewhat shyly. “I - I could feel it.”
“Good,” Steve said, throwing his arms around Eddie’s neck and pressing in close. Eddie wrapped him up, hands splayed out across his back as he nuzzled at Steve’s cheek.
Wayne gave a pointed cough. “Why don’t you go get some clothes on, Ed,” he suggested. “And maybe get Steve some that aren’t covered in goop.”
“Oh,” Eddie said, suddenly embarrassed. He still felt half-shifted, at least in his mind, instinct overriding all human conventions. “Right, that would be – right.”
Taking Steve by the hand, he led him upstairs past Hopper and Benny, who gave him a bright smile, clasping him on the shoulder. His first stop wasn’t his closet, but his bathroom, brushing his teeth at least three times with gargles of mouthwash in between. Steve wrapped his arms around him from behind, hooking his chin over Eddie’s shoulder. Turning around, his hands found Steve’s waist, toying with the belt loops on his jeans.
“Do I get that kiss now?” Eddie said hopefully, and Steve smiled.
“Absolutely,” he said, leaning in close to press his lips to Eddie’s.
It was lightning and fireworks shooting off inside his brain; it was a blaze burning in his chest. It was everything, and Eddie tilted his head just so, getting the angle perfect. Their mouths fit together as though they were made for it, and perhaps they were, perhaps they were, Eddie thought as it went on and on. His hands slid up Steve’s back, dipping beneath his sweatshirt and the tee beneath it to brush across his skin. Steve arched into it, his belly pressing against Eddie’s middle.
Before he even realized he had done it, Eddie was on his knees, lifting Steve’s shirt to press kisses to the skin there. It was warm and round and perfect, his belly button just beginning to poke out. Eddie kissed that too, prompting a giggle from Steve. One hand carded through Eddie’s hair, until snagging on a knot and having to be untangled.
“Maybe a shower?” he suggested, stroking Eddie’s cheek. “Then you can kiss any part of me you want.” He gave Eddie a sly smile, and Eddie was on his feet in a flash.
“Your wish is my command,” he said, deliberately overdramatic as he slid back the shower door and turned on the spray. He could hear Steve undressing behind him, and the quiet thump of clothing falling to the floor was music to his ears. He wasn’t going to push Steve to shower with him, but if the omega wanted to, he was more than welcome.
Stepping into the large stall, Eddie modulated the temperature until it was nice and warm without being hot. Steve moved in behind him, pushing his hair to the side and kissing the back of his neck. Eddie hummed, the soft brush of lips sending a shiver down his spine. Turning around, he tilted his head back to thoroughly soak his hair, feeling chunks of goop and god only knew what else sliding out of it to hit the tiles with a wet smack. Gross.
Noticing the bandage was gone, Eddie ran his hand along the smooth skin of Steve’s neck and shoulder. “It’s healed,” he said softly, wonderingly.
“It wasn’t this morning,” Steve said, covering Eddie’s hand with his own. “It had been getting better, scarring over, but now – all of that’s gone.”
Eddie had the wild thought that perhaps some of his lupine healing ability had transferred to Steve when he shifted, but that was impossible – wasn’t it? Steve didn’t seem concerned, moving on to grab a scrubby puff from a hanger on the wall. He poured Eddie’s shower gel onto it, a light driftwood scent that wouldn’t disguise his own when it counted. Sure, he wore patches in public like anyone else, medical grade in fact, but he liked his home to carry his deep forest aura. Everyone said it was soothing, matching up nicely with Wayne’s spice-like notes.
Steve washed his shoulders and chest, moving down his abdomen to scrub at his hips. Then it was his legs, and finally his feet, gently urging Eddie to turn beneath the spray. Working his way back up, Steve pressed a kiss right against his ass before soaping that up as well. Eddie had to laugh, a pleased chuff sounding below it.
Steve kissed the small of his back and all the way up his spine as he went, washing every part of Eddie thoroughly except one. Turning him around once again, Steve kissed him softly beneath the spray, reaching down with one soap-slick hand to stroke his cock. Eddie groaned into it, having already chubbed up from the attention elsewhere on his skin. Scrubbing below it with the puff, Steve massaged his sack, pressing two fingers gently up and behind.
Eddie hoped the sound he made wasn’t loud enough to be heard over the water. Then Steve’s hand was cruelly gone, reaching for the shower head to pull it down. Washing the soap thoroughly from Eddie’s skin, Steve replaced it and sank to his knees.
“Baby, the tile —” Eddie started, but Steve shook his head, leaning in to lick the tip of Eddie’s cock.
After that it was a blur, sweet pleasure washing over Eddie in waves as Steve worked him over. He licked and sucked at Eddie’s cock, standing firm and erect from Steve’s efforts, giving his balls the same treatment. He kept two fingers on that sweet spot behind, massaging in slow circles as he bobbed his head, taking Eddie’s length deeper each time. He laved his tongue below, sucking gently and then hard as he moved along, up and down, and Eddie’s cock jerked in his mouth. He was close before he know it, Steve’s tongue swirling around the head and pressing beneath it, sliding along his frenulum as if playing an instrument.
Tugging on Steve’s hair, he tried to warm him, but Steve remained stubbornly in place, letting Eddie’s cock hit the back of his throat and swallowing around it. That was all it took, Eddie’s cock kicking hard as it pulsed, shooting his spend down Steve’s throat. He pulled back slowly, stroking Eddie through the aftershocks as he licked his lips.
“You taste delicious,” he said, or tried to, his voice hoarse.
Eddie reached for him, pulling Steve to his feet in one fluid motion. Pressing his mouth firmly against Steve’s, Eddie put all he had into the kiss, every bit of pleasure the orgasm had brought, tasting himself on Steve’s tongue. Steve moaned softly against him as Eddie’s hands slid along his sides, moving down to squeeze his ass.
“That was amazing,” Eddie said once words returned. “Beyond amazing. You’re amazing.” All right, so maybe words hadn’t entirely returned to him, but Eddie was trying.
“Not me,” Steve said, ducking his head.
“Yes you,” Eddie countered, tilting his head back up with two fingers beneath his chin. “You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met. You have a beautiful heart, a beautiful everything, and I love every part of you. Including this one,” Eddie said, resting his hand over Steve’s belly. “When you called them our pup something in me woke up, something I haven’t felt in years. I - I want them to be ours, if you do too.”
“I do, Eddie,” Steve said. “So much.”
“Then it’s settled,” Eddie said firmly.
If his name was on the birth certificate, no one could ever legally question it. Not that Creel was around anymore to do it, but Eddie believed in being thorough. As to whether or not the pup would carry any of Creel’s oddities, well…they could cross that bridge when they came to it.
Steve leaned in for another kiss and Eddie returned it, licking and nipping at Steve’s lips as their mouths met in a hot, wet slide beneath the spray. Slowly, Eddie pressed forward until Steve’s back hit the wall and slid down to the floor. His knees were going to kill him later, and Eddie didn’t care in the slightest. Looking up for permission, he saw Steve’s lips parted, eyes wide. He nodded quickly, and Eddie went to work.
Steve’s pussy was a thing of beauty, the hair thick and curly, even moreso from the water. Sliding his fingers up along the slit, bottom to the top, Eddie felt the slick that had begun to gather there already leaking through. He nosed at the line, tongue flicking out to taste. It was delicious, like honeysuckle and cream, if such a thing existed. Parting the lips with his thumbs at the top, Eddie found Steve’s cock, small but quickly swelling beneath his touch as Eddie stroked along it with his thumb and forefinger.
“God, you’re gorgeous,” Eddie said, leaning in to gently blow a stream of air across the tip.
It was a perfect size for Eddie to lick and suck, coaxing delightful sounds from Steve’s mouth. His hips canted forward and Eddie rubbed his face against Steve’s lips, parting them with his tongue. He licked a path up and back down the perfect pink waves, velvety soft, while stroking the outer folds as they swelled, reading Steve’s body to let it guide his touch.
Pressing two fingers lightly against his entrance, Eddie traced a slow circle, pleased to feel the muscles contract just from the tease. Mumbled words fell from Steve’s lips, more, and please, and yes, right there. Slowly moving up, Eddie penetrated Steve’s sweet little hole up to the first knuckle, only to have him push back against his hand to slide it nearly all the way in. He let out a groan to feel it, rocking his hips back and forth as slick dripped down to Eddie’s wrist. He worked in a second finger, crooking them toward him to find the perfect spot, knowing when he found it by Steve’s surprised cry.
“Do that again,” he begged, and Eddie complied, stroking over it, then around it, then over it again, all while sucking gently on his cock. Swirling his tongue around it, he toyed with the thick hood at the base, then stroked beneath it, a counterpoint to his thrusts. Steve’s words turned to moans turned to gasps as Eddie found just the right rhythm and stuck to it. His hips jerked forward, thighs quivering as his walls squeezed down hard around Eddie’s fingers and he came with a shout. Eddie kept it up, working Steve to the point of pushing him away with a laugh.
“That…that was…holy shit,” Steve said, stumbling over the words. His voice sounded raw, and Eddie was proud that he could bring his omega pleasure.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Eddie said, unable to resist leaning in to plant one last kiss against the throbbing tip of Steve’s cock. “Now it’s time to get you all cleaned up.”
Eddie rose to his feet, and reached for the puff, rinsing it out beneath the spray and squeezing out more gel before worshiping Steve’s body, top to bottom. His hair was next, Eddie working up a lather with his shampoo, glad that the mild palo santo scent wouldn’t cover up Steve’s own. It was as beautiful as the rest of him, and a perfect fit. Steve leaned into his touch like a cat as Eddie massaged his scalp, a purr starting up as Eddie gently directed the spray just right. He rumbled in return, holding Steve close for a moment before quickly washing any remaining mess from his own hair, watching as the darkness washed clean and disappeared with a swirl down the drain.
“I think we’ve probably exhausted the hot water,” Eddie said with a soft laugh, swaying back and forth with Steve in his arms.
“Mm,” Steve said. “Then take me to bed. I’m exhausted.”
“After the day you’ve had, I can’t imagine.”
“Days,” Steve said. “Every day without you was worse. It made me sick, Eddie, I couldn’t think, could barely breathe.”
“I thought I was doing the right thing,” Eddie said. “But I never should have let you leave. I felt the same way while you were gone.”
“I know you did,” Steve said, pressing a gentle kiss to Eddie’s lips. “I could feel that, too. But we’re together now; that’s what matters.”
Eddie nosed at his cheek. “Let’s get you to bed,” he suggested.
“You have to come, too,” Steve said.
“Oh, just try to kick me out,” Eddie said. “Sleeping next to you is going to be heaven.”
It was, too. After drying each other off with the biggest, fluffiest towels Eddie could find, he ushered Steve back out into the bedroom, only to realize that his sheets were probably gross from days and nights of the sickness that had descended without Steve by his side. Steve didn’t seem to mind, flopping down in the middle of them and rolling his face in Eddie’s pillow to draw in the scent.
“You smell so good, alpha,” he said. “Want to be covered in you.”
“That can be arranged,” Eddie said, scenting his neck, then taking a risk to scent his belly. Steve giggled, then let out a short gasp, and Eddie felt it too – the butterfly motion from before, grown stronger.
“She’s really going to start kicking now,” Steve said with a wide smile, then continued at Eddie’s questioning glance. “I don’t know that the pup is actually a girl, I just – have a feeling.”
Eddie nuzzled at his nose, then his cheek. “I want to be covered in you, too,” he said, lifting Steve’s wrist to rub it against his neck, all over the sides and back. Sliding it down, he pressed Steve’s wrist to his own, feeling the pulse point flutter. Pulling Steve against him, Eddie let him get comfortable, arranging himself as he needed to. It was a king-sized bed, but the two of them clung to one another in the middle, safe and sound in a sea of blankets as the moon rose high overhead.
Eddie woke with the first rays of dawn, the night before coming back to him in a rush of color and sound. Steve slept peacefully beside him, quieting the panic that rose immediately in his mind. Eddie didn’t want to wake him, but couldn’t bear to not be touching at least some part of him. Sliding his hand lightly across his hip to rest over Steve’s swollen belly, his restless alpha calmed. His omega was here. His omega was safe.
Steve stirred despite Eddie’s best efforts at remaining still after that, wiggling back against him. “Alpha,” he murmured drowsily.
Eddie nuzzled at his cheek. “Just me,” he said. “Sorry to wake you.”
Steve rolled over in his arms, burying his face in Eddie’s neck. Eddie held him close, remembering their first morning together, the morning he hadn’t intended to wake up with Steve in his bed at all. Eddie hummed. “You’re always going to get your way, aren’t you?” he asked, a hint of humor in his tone.
Steve pulled back, a look of drowsy confusion on his face. “What?”
“Just thinking,” Eddie said. “About the first night you were here. You were supposed to stay in your own bed, but…”
“I couldn’t sleep,” Steve said defensively. “And besides. I – even then, I knew this was where I was supposed to be.”
“And you were so right,” Eddie said, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “I loved waking up with you that morning. It felt perfect. But I knew it would have been taking advantage of you to let you stay.”
Steve scoffed. “Really not.”
“Really yes,” Eddie argued. “You were traumatized, honestly still are, I’m sure. But this time I’m keeping you here.”
“Good,” Steve said fiercely. “Because I’m not leaving.”
He pressed a kiss to Eddie’s lips that turned hungry, nipping at the skin as he pulled back and pushed back in, his tongue working its way into Eddie’s mouth. Eddie didn’t protest; far from it as he returned the kiss with interest. Letting Steve taste and explore, he loved the feeling of being plundered as their mouths locked together, their shapes absolutely made for one another. It was perfect. It was heaven, descended just for Eddie to live on earth.
Steve hooked a leg over Eddie's hip, rubbing his already wet cunt against Eddie's thigh. Lighting a fire in Eddie's gut, he slid his hand down to cup Steve's ass.
“Take what you need, baby,” he said, his cock already stiffening from the way Steve was rubbing against it, and honestly just from Steve being himself and in Eddie's bed and touching him.
“Need you,” Steve said.
“You've got me,” Eddie said.
“Need you inside me,” Steve clarified, and oh.
Yeah. Yeah, Eddie could do that. He could definitely do that. Rolling onto his back, he pulled Steve on top of him, reveling in the extra strength he seemed to possess. He wondered if it was just the moon, or if it would stick around, and hoped it was the latter.
Steve seemed delighted, rolling his hips against Eddie's as he settled in, pushing up against Eddie's chest so Steve could straddle him. Eddie let out a pleased hum as Steve rocked slowly forward and back, letting the pleasure build. It felt amazing, his cock swelling at the slick, wet strokes. Reaching out, he circled his thumb around Steve's cock, beginning to poke out from his thick, curly hair, damp with slick.
Steve's back arched at the feeling, his head falling back, and Eddie gave it several short strokes for good measure. Steve's thighs were already shaking, and Eddie knew he was close. Steve's hips thrust harder against him, grinding down, as beautiful sounds fell from his lips.
“That's right, baby,” Eddie urged, rubbing his thumb beneath Steve's cock and up over the head. “Come for me.”
Steve did, his hips thrusting over and over against Eddie’s cock as he cried out, warm slick dripping down to run across Eddie's skin. Steve's scent was a garden blooming around them, honeysuckle and jasmine coloring the room. Eddie never wanted to smell anything else.
Then Steve reached down, stroking Eddie’s almost painfully hard cock that twitched in his hand. Pulling it back, Steve let it go to smack against Eddie's abdomen once, drawing out a grunt from the alpha before lifting up and arranging himself just right. Holding it in place, Steve slid down, taking it little by little as he rose up and dropped back down. Eddie didn't think he had ever felt anything quite so divine in all his life as being inside Steve, the way his muscles fluttered and contracted around him once he was fully seated and riding Eddie for all he was worth.
Eddie's fingers dug into Steve's hips hard enough to bruise, to tell a story of Eddie’s passion, his mark, his claim. He thrust up against Steve, unable to stay still, hoping to hit that sweet spot inside of him. Steve circled his hips, moaning as he took that pleasure for himself. God, he was gorgeous in every way. Every part of Steve was just a marvel.
Eddie began to lose the rhythm as his own pleasure built, lifting Steve up to pull him back down as he pistoned his hips. It was overwhelming, a spreading fire, a wave cresting as it hit, and his cock kicked hard, pulsing deep inside Steve. It went on and on, Steve riding him through it and squeezing down in a perfect rhythm. Eddie couldn't remember another time that he'd come quite that hard, quite so desperate for it and for the one he was buried inside. He didn't realize his knot was swelling until it was too late to pull out, so caught up in the sweet wash of pleasure that seemed to flood every part of him.
Steve groaned, pushing down against it, and for a moment Eddie thought he was about to come. Again.
“I'm sorry,” Eddie said, or tried to say, lost to the feeling as the knot reached a perfect fullness.
“Sorry?” Steve questioned, looking uncertain from his position above Eddie. “You didn't – don't want me?”
“Oh, sweetheart, no,” Eddie said, struggling to understand how Steve had gotten that idea. “Didn't want to hurt you, my knot’s kind of, um, big.”
“Want your knot, alpha. Need it. Feels so good.” Leaning down in a way that couldn't possibly be comfortable as deeply as Eddie was buried inside him, Steve nuzzled at his cheek. Eddie felt a rumble stirring in his chest, and Steve let out a soft trill, then clapped one hand over his mouth.
“I'm sorry,” he said. “I-I don't know what that was.”
“It was a chirp,” Eddie said, grinning, then furrowed his brow. “Wait, you've never made that sound before?” He must have misunderstood, had to have. Every omega chirped.
Steve shook his head. “So, it's okay?”
“Of course it's okay, it just means you're happy,” Eddie said, reaching up to stroke Steve's cheek. “It makes me happy to hear it.”
“If you say so,” Steve said with a smile, resting his head against Eddie's shoulder.
“Hmm,” Eddie murmured. “Wanna try something.” Steve lifted his head with a drowsy, questioning look. “Here, sit up a bit – there – now just —” Eddie manuevered Steve around to face away from him, aided by the copious amount of slick that spilled down around his knot. Turning them onto their sides, Eddie wrapped one arm loosely around Steve, stroking his belly. “There we go,” he said. “That’s gotta be more comfortable.”
Steve squirmed a bit, making Eddie's knot throb. A quiet groan left his mouth, and Steve did it agsin in response.
“Mm,” Eddie hummed. “That's how you want to play, is it? Because I can keep going, if you didn't get enough…”
“Please, alpha,” Steve breathed out, pushing back against him. “Need it, need you —”
“Insatiable,” Eddie whispered, nibbling at Steve's neck. “I love it. Love you.”
Steve made an amazing sound, thrusting back against him, matching Eddie’s rhythm as he slid their joined hands down to cup the front of Steve’s pussy. Thumbing at Steve’s cock with his thumb, Eddie moved slowly forward and back, as much as he could. His knot was too large to pull all the way out and push back in without hurting Steve, so Eddie settled for dragging it against what he knew had to be Steve’s g-spot from the sounds it drew out of him. The moans went straight to Eddie’s gut, to his iron-hard cock and sensitive knot, pleasure building low between his hips. Steve’s cock filled out between his fingers as Eddie stroked, caressing along the hood and sliding down to rub across the tip.
Steve rocked back against him, neck arched against his shoulder, and Eddie licked and sucked at the skin heedless of any marks he was leaving. It felt like his entire body was on fire in the best way, nerve endings alight and sparking beneath his skin. Eddie’s tongue found Steve’s bonding gland, hot and swollen beneath his lips as he kissed and licked and sucked at the skin there. Steve made a mewling sound that shouldn’t have been hot but was, incredibly so in the moment. Feeling his fangs descend, Eddie dragged them lightly across Steve’s shoulder. It didn’t even occur to him that this was strange, that he had another set of teeth now that could overwrite his own at any time. It felt right, his alpha growing more and more insistent as Eddie’s knot throbbed deep inside with the need to bite, to mark, to claim.
“Alpha,” Steve begged. “Make me yours, please.”
“You are mine,” Eddie said, a rumble in the words.
“Mark me, alpha, so everyone can see, just want you, only you —”
Some part of Eddie knew that he shouldn’t, that Steve was too young to be making any sort of life-long decisions, especially while he was still recovering from everything he had been through. “Omega,” he murmured. “Want you, want you always, but you have to be sure.”
“I’ve been sure since I met you,” Steve said, and oh, if that didn’t do something to Eddie’s insides, already electric and aflame.
“You mean that?” he asked, voice breathless as he rolled his hips, thrusting again and again deep inside his omega, his home.
“Please, Eddie,” Steve begged. “Alpha, please, need to be part of you.”
Eddie whined, still trying to hold himself back but losing the battle. He knew he would never want anyone but Steve, not for the rest of his life, but Steve was so young, still so impressionable. What if Eddie had somehow convinced him that this was what he wanted, what he needed, what if he still thought he owed Eddie something, what if —
“Bite me!” Steve demanded, untangling his hand from Eddie’s to reach back and hold his head down against the skin.
God help him, Eddie did. His fangs easily pierced the skin, then sank into the soft gland below. He wasn’t sure if he heard or felt the pop as it happened, a rush of blood and oily fluid coating his lips. He lapped it up, loving the strange taste, the thickness of it on his tongue. A strange feeling began to spread through him, a tingle in his mind that drifted slowly out along his limbs, a second heartbeat joining Eddie’s in his chest. Something beautiful and clear sang along the threads connecting them, a new song to greet the dawn as they were joined, renewed in one another.
Steve cried out, his walls contracting hard around Eddie’s knot in an arrythmic pattern as a fierce orgasm overtook him, one Eddie could feel. It fed into his own pleasure, the need and desire rising in him as he thrust harder and harder, pushing in deep. When his own hit, his knot swelling and pulsing, it sent him somewhere into the stratesphere, whiting out the world in a prismatic haze. Eddie could feel his body still moving, feel his cock kicking as Steve wrung him dry, and he pressed delirious kisses to the broken skin as he eventually fell back to earth.
“All mine,” he managed in a soft growl. “My omega. My Stevie.”
“All yours,” Steve said, sounding as utterly wrecked as Eddie felt. “And you’re mine.”
“Yours,” Eddie confirmed, feeling himself slowly beginning to soften. He kissed the skin from Steve’s broken gland all the way up to his neck, mouthing at his jaw, content to linger inside Steve for now. After a time, reality at last began to intrude, and Eddie cursed it for disturbing his peace. “I should clean your neck,” he said. “Bandage it up.”
“Mph,” Steve said, somehow sounding like disagreement. “Don’t wanna move.”
“Neither do I, love,” Eddie said. “Believe me. But you’ll thank me for it later.” Steve groaned, rolling over as Eddie reluctantly slid out, a rush of spend and slick following with him. “And we should change the sheets,” Eddie said with a small laugh.
Unable to resist the brightness in Steve’s half-lidded eyes, Eddie cupped his cheek and leaned in for a soft kiss. Steve deepened it, licking and nibbling at Eddie’s lips. His small fangs were still out, drawing blood and eagerly lapping it up. Eddie couldn’t even bring himself to mind the sting, opening to let Steve’s tongue press inside. It was like he couldn’t get enough, tasting, devouring, and Eddie knew they could spend the rest of their lives mapping each other out like unknown territory, as familiar as a dream.
Steve let out a soft keening sound when Eddie finally pulled back, pressing in close. “Stay with me,” Steve begged. “Never let me go.”
“I promise,” Eddie whispered, kissing Steve’s forehead, his eyelids, the tip of his nose. He was so in love it hurt deep in the bones of his chest, with every beat of his heart that shouted Steve’s name. Eddie knew he would hang the moon for him every night if he asked, and every star in the sky alongside.
“Love you, for always.”