Chapter 14

Damian wasn't sure how many times they did it, but Tay was a ravenous beast. Or had that been him? Either way, they didn't sleep too much after the initial round in the bath.

Tay was gone when he woke up. He would have rather woken up to the other man beside him, but Tay was sometimes restless. If he had an idea on the brain, he would get up and take care of it.

Testing his limbs, Damian determined he was in one piece. Tay had been careful with him, but he stil had marks all over him. One was even in the shape of a T.

Tossing the covers off, he got up and went to the bathroom to clean up. He was sticky with sweat and god knows whatever else between his legs. Once he was clean, he'd find something to eat and maybe find Tay.

The water was lukewarm so he didn't irritate his skin more than it already was. It gave him time to think.

He'd been through a lot in the last several weeks. He'd been hurt, talked to the police, had several mental breakdowns, and so much more. He hadn't been sure how he'd survived. Through it all, Tay had been with him.

The water beat down on his head, and he thought of it washing so much shit down the drain. He wasn't sure how long this peace would last, but he'd enjoy it. And in any way he wanted.

Once he was clean, he stepped out and dried off. He dried the roots of his hair before walking to the closet to find some shorts. Tay was much taller than him by a good five inches, but Damian had the same waist size. Shorts were easier to share than pants.

He hung his towel up and left the room to find something to eat. The lights in the house were dimmed low. Tay's laptop screen brightened up the living room, illuminating the Alpha's face. Like Damian had thought, he had gotten up to work.

The coffee pot was warm so Damian rummaged around for something to whip up. Tay didn't move or look in his direction. He must have been editing one of his works. He was laser focused when he worked.

As Damian was frying sausage, Tay got up and came into the kitchen. He passed by the chef for the coffee pot. After refilling, he headed back to his desk. His hand wrapped around his waist as he pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

Goosebumps prickled wherever he touched, and his skin felt cold when he walked away. Was this part of being claimed during a heat? He'd always reacted to Tay in minute ways, but this was different. This was hypersensitivity.

"Damian, you're going to burn the pan," Tay warned.

Surprised, he pulled the pan off the burner and turned it off. He looked up, but Tay wasn't looking at him. He was focused on his computer screen and clicking his pen out of habit.

"Tay, come eat," he said.

He divided up the portions then took the plates to the table. Tay took a few extra minutes to finish what he was doing then he came over. His mouth all but watered at the breakfast in front of him.

Damian knew how Tay liked his breakfast. He liked sausage links, buttered grits, and eggs sunny side up. He used to eat scrambled eggs, but he said he liked them a little runny. Damian figured his mother got tired of listening to him bitch about how hard they were scrambled.

"Damian?" He looked up into the concerned gray eyes. They were roaming all over his face and down what he could see of his body. "Are you all right?"

He nodded. "As far as I know, yeah I'm okay." He shifted in his seat momentarily to see how much pain he was in. "Am I supposed to feel any different?"

"Other than 'that'," he put emphasis on the word that, "have you had sex with anyone before?"

Throat dry because he didn't want to think of it, he shook his head. "No, never. Why?"

"That's what I thought." His shoulders sagged in relief.

Damian shifted again, this time uncomfortably. "Why? Is that a bad thing?"

Tay sensed where this was going. He reached across the table and took his hand. "I'm not disappointed. Far from it. I'm actually relieved, but there are things you don't know. You can't possibly know them because David has kept you sheltered."

The other man frowned, his cheeks puffing out slightly as he pouted. "What do you mean?"

"Sex between Alpha and Omega is way different than between Alpha/Alpha and Alpha/Beta. Omegas are submissive, yes, but in the grand scheme of things they control a hell of a lot more than they realize."

Damian withdrew his hand and continued eating. He didn't really like where this went. "What do you mean? I always thought Omegas were the lowest class."

Tay barked out a laugh, nearly spewing grits all over the table. "God, no. If we're classifying anyone, Betas are the lowest. The only reason people say Omegas are is they don't want to claim exactly what they can do."

The Alpha sobered and continued. "Alphas can have children with anyone. But Omegas can only have children with Alphas, and they can only be claimed by them. No one is sure why Betas don't have the ability, and most I know don't really mind. That's why whenever there is an attack on an Omega it's usually an Alpha who does it."

"Are you justifying it?" There was a hard tone in Damian's voice.

Tay looked up into Damian's eyes and saw barely contained rage. If he wasn't careful, he'd drive a huge wedge between them after he spent so much time getting him to open up and start loving himself.

He gripped his chin in a gentle hand. He made him look him in the eyes, stormy blue ones focused on calm gray. "Nothing justifies abuse, Damian."

The Omega nodded and looked down at his plate. He hadn't meant to turn things sour. But he didn't want Tay to make what happened to him a small blip on a screen. It would be with him the rest of his life. Someone didn't just get over that. The body didn't get over that.

"Am I protected from other Alphas?" he asked. Tay looked up at him again, and he met his gaze. It was the most important thing he needed to know. "Am I? Do I have to worry about anyone else trying to claim me?"

Tay looked at his right shoulder where his Omega mark was. A gentle smile took over his face. Where the Omega letter had once been an outline, it was now filled in. He glanced at his own, noting the same effect on his Alpha mark.

"Look at your shoulder," he muttered.

Confused, Damian looked at his bare shoulder. It took him a minute to realize it was filled in. He looked at Tay to see the same was going on with his mark.

"Does it…" He looked up at Tay. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but his heart was starting to pound.

The other man reached across the table and ran his fingers along his face. His smile was soft and content. He looked over every plane of the other man across from him, memorizing them.

"Yes, Dame. That's what it means. I've claimed you," he acknowledged. "It's what happens when an Alpha ejaculates in an unclaimed Omega. It was why I wanted to pull out last night, but you asked me not to."

The Omega's throat was thick with emotion as he swallowed hard. "Do you regret it?"

Damian's eyes widened when the Alpha's hand cupped his chin and held on gently. Tay's eyes glinted dangerously as he stared into his eyes. The emotions there were potent, and Damian found himself falling deeper into their depths.

"I don't regret anything when it comes to you. I would always choose you over everyone. So don't you dare belittle yourself." He stroked his face from ear to chin with his fingertips. "You're so much better than you think."

Their moment was cut short when Tay's phone rang. The Alpha groaned then gave it an irritated look. He got up to get it from his desk. He looked at the screen then slid his finger across the screen.

"Hey, Mom," he said. "No, you're not interrupting anything."

Damian watched his face with amusement. Not many could make Tay exasperated as his mother could. Talya was a force to be reckoned with and she usually got what she wanted. Tay couldn't argue with her either.

"No, no. I don't have anything planned, and I'll have to ask him...yeah, I'll let you know. Well, I can ask him now… Mom!" Tay dropped the microphone from his mouth. "Mom wants to know if you're available for dinner Friday night."

The other man nodded after some thought. "Yeah, that's fine."

"Mom, we'll be there… No, you can't ask him that...Because it's none of your business." They continued to argue for several more minutes before they lovingly said goodbye. "That woman…"

Damian got up and collected their plates. "She loves you, Tay. That's all there is to it."

Tay followed him. Once the plates were in the sink, he turned Damian around and pushed him up against the counter. The other man gave a soft gasp before it was covered up with a soft, sweet kiss.

His hands traveled up Tay's back as he pulled him in closer. He could tell his heat had been satiated because he was pressed against Tay's bare chest, and the fire in his stomach wasn't as intense.

Tay pulled back and pressed a kiss to his forehead then to the mark on his shoulder. He ended by a kiss to the neck just under the ear, inhaling deeply. "Get some rest. It's Sunday and we don't have to be anywhere."

Damian watched him go back to his desk as he washed dishes. He felt different. He felt lighter than he had in a while. He felt like things would be better.

He felt loved. Tay's emotions were clear as day, and Damian wondered how he'd miss them for so long. But the man made him feel loved. That in turn helped him love himself a little more each day.

He finished the dishes and set some meat out for dinner. Then he went to the bedroom for his book. He settled on the couch with a blanket.

Tay rubbed his eyes and turned around. He couldn't help the smile that tilted his lips. Damian was napping contentedly, the blanket covering his chest only, his mark evident against his light skin. He was finally able to relax. Tay couldn't ask for too much more than that.