Epilogue (+18)

Six Months Later

Tay rolled his hips, enjoying Damian's little moans and gasps as he hit his prostate each time. Because he'd been so injured, Damian hadn't been able to have regular sex for the last several months. They'd settled for oral pleasure, but it hadn't been the same. He'd missed feeling the addictive insides of the Omega.

He had watched with pride as Damian had walked across the stage to accept his diploma last weekend. After four months of recovery and three to finish his degree requirements, he had finally graduated with honors.

Damian had had his hair cut to make sure the staples didn't get infected in both places he'd been stitched up. He'd rocked the buzz cut for several weeks until they'd come out. Now he had grown his hair out a little longer than it'd been before the incident.

Physical therapy hadn't been a breeze. Evers had fractured his tibia and destroyed his fibula. He'd had to have a metal rod inserted, and the therapy for it had been hard. Tay had been there to take him to almost every one of them. Unless he'd had a meeting or something, he'd always been there.

Conrad Evers had been indicted on fifteen counts of sexual assault, thirty counts of human trafficking, and one count of premeditated murder. He had rejected the plea deal after a week of having it on the table, pleading not guilty instead. Damian and the secretary had been the prime witnesses, and the recording had been admissible in court since Damian hadn't intended to get a confession. It had just happened.

Through the investigation, over half of those sold by Evers had been found. Several had been addicted to drugs, others had been starved to emaciation, and three were dead. The woman who had worked for David Marquette had been one of the latter. Those had put the final nail in Evers' coffin. One of his associates handed over his own ledger, and that had stacked more charges on the criminal mastermind.

He'd been sentenced to seventy-five years in prison on all counts, his conspirators sealing his fate by agreeing to plea deals. Damian had been at the sentencing. Tay had watched the look of relief wash over his face when it had come down. He'd looked at Tay with tears of happiness and relief. His nightmare was over.

They'd been able to move back into Tay's apartment. Tay had continued working on his book even though he had started a job at NASA with the developmental team for the newest craft slated for lauch in several years. He'd had a lot of work to do, and sometimes he'd had to break dates to finish up all his work.

Damian had understood, but they'd had a few fights over it. Tay had cancelled their plans for his twenty-third birthday party. He'd sat at home alone all night wondering what he'd done wrong. When Tay had come home, he hadn't even apologized. Damian hadn't spoken to him for three days, pretending to be busy. It had taken Jak to tell Tay what had happened.

On the other hand, Damian had missed a family dinner because he'd been studying for a test. Tyren had wanted to apologize, but because Damian hadn't come, he'd had to wait even longer.

Tyren had kept his distance from Damian because his guilt had eaten at him. He hadn't known how to apologize, but figuring it out had been worse. He hadn't been anywhere near them because Damian on crutches and with short hair had been hard on him.

He'd finally just come over one night and apologized. Damian had sat and listened to everything he'd said. Tyren had sat by himself on the other end of the couch, waiting for his brother's verdict.

Tay had sat at the counter watching Damian. This instance had been Damian's to deal with. Tay had known his brother hadn't meant any harm. He could be an idiot, but he'd never hurt his family.

True to Damian's personality, he'd forgiven Tyren. He'd known the man was a chatty Kathy when he was excited. It had been a complete accident that he'd told Evers about his family, especially Damian.

When Damian had finally graduated, their lives had changed. They were both working now. Damian had taken a position at his father's company in the legal department. With his foreign politics/diplomacy degree, he was highly qualified to help maintain the international side of the business. Several times he'd had to leave the country to handle some issues.

Each time he'd returned, Tay had taken off to spend some time with him. They'd always stayed in, enjoying each other.

Damian gripped the sheet in a white-knuckled fist as Tay slammed his hips into him. He'd gotten used to being taken from behind and on all fours. It didn't mean he allowed him every time, but Tay understood. Sometimes trauma dies hard.

"Tay," he ground out. He wasn't touching himself, but he felt the tingling burn in the pit of his stomach.

"I'm almost there, baby," Tay panted. He gripped his hips and surged forward. He snapped them hard, leaving marks on Damian's ass. "Dame…"

The Omega cried out as his orgasm rocked him. He shot all over the duvet as his muscles contracted. Tay coaxed him through it, cumming deep inside his partner within seconds.

Their legs gave out, and they collapsed in a heap. Tay rolled to his side so he didn't hurt Damian. Since his surgeries, he'd been very cautious with him.

Damian sucked in some air. "That was intense."

Tay trailed kisses along his shoulder and arm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He stretched and winced once. "I can tell we haven't done anything in a while. It stings a bit."

"I'll prepare you better next time." Tay rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. "I can't believe the life we've had."

Damian laughed and snuggled into his shoulder. He rested a hand low on his abdomen. "I never want to relive the majority of it."

"I understand. Your life has been a living hell."

"Not all of it." Tay raised an eyebrow then looked down. Damian stared up at him with big blue eyes. "I always thought being claimed or mated would be the end of my life, that I'd be a kept Omega. But then you claimed me, and you've given me a whole new life."

He lapped at Tay's nipple, sending a jolt through the man. "I wouldn't trade it for anything else. I'm glad it was you. I'm glad to be spending time with you. I couldn't do this," he motioned his hand up and down their naked frames tangled together, "with anyone else."

Tay drew him into a passionate kiss that pulled his body across him. He drank from his mouth as if it were the fountain of youth. This was his life. This Omega… No, this man was his life. He didn't want to do life without him either.

Damian rolled atop Tay, bracing himself up on his forearms as he kissed the man below him. This was what he wanted, who he wanted. He was glad Tay had claimed him.

He pulled away and looked down. Tay looked up, hand stroking up and down his sides slowly. He was completely open.

"Man, I love you," he muttered. Tay's eyes closed slightly as he smiled. "I don't know what life will throw at us, but please don't cast me aside."

Tay lifted his hands to Damian's face. He held it gently, thumbs stroking his cheeks. Watching his face, he knew everything he said was true.

"I have loved you for ten years. I want to love you for ten thousand more. No. I need to love you," he said.

Damian sealed their mouths together again, pressing his entire body flush against his. Tay rolled them, taking complete control. He would always do what it took to please the Omega under his hands because at the end of the day, this was a bond of their own. No one could tell them how to do it.

THE END