Forget the Moon! - 7. Chapter 7

As the sun continued its steady path in the sky, Jedrek sat down on a chair backward as he glanced at the angelic form of his last bed partner. When the aftereffects of drinks, his bravado, and the intoxication of their multiple orgasms faded away, he had been left with quite the dilemma. His inner beast did not want to let the blond cherub go.

His very first struggle was in leaving the bed in the first place. The petite man kept snuggling up to his warmth, and the only thing that managed to appease him enough to back down was the scent of Jedrek's shirt. So, the larger man carefully and quickly dressed the blond in his shirt and a pair of clean boxers.

He then spent the entire night pacing as he fought his inner beast. Jed had a set of unspoken rules in regards to his nightly conquests. He couldn't bring anyone home if they weren't kin of his own status. But, that didn't mean that he couldn't slake his lust with like-minded individuals eager to explore other species under the covers.

So, why the hell was his inner beast so insistent on keeping the rounded cherub for their own as if he were the rarest of treasures? It made no sense. Jedrek hadn't even known what species the blue-eyed angel was!

All of it led him to where he was just then; seated on a chair backward and staring at the sleeping form of a cherub. Having made his final decision, the large man stood up and headed over the bed to lift the shorter man into his arms. His rules existed for a reason. As wonderful as the blond was in bed, and as much as his inner beast did not want to let him go, Jedrek couldn't possibly drag the innocent man into his chaotic life.

His face was stern and severe as he walked them to the door, and the expression barely wavered when he felt the younger man stir in his arms.

"Mmmmm." Honey nuzzled Jed's pec then blinked his tanzanite eyes sleepily at his mate. "Morning." He yawned and smiled a happy-drowsy smile. "You want me to make breakfast?" the Omega asked, rubbing his cheek against Jedrek's shoulder. "Breakfast is one of my specialties. I'll have to make you crepes sometime. There's never any left, and I swear my cousins lick the cream bowl…"

A deep frown formed on the violet-eyed man's face when they reached the door. "No," he responded gruffly. "Last night was a one-time thing." He added as he quickly opened the door and set the bare-footed blond onto his feet. "Go home, kid." He huffed as he slammed the door in Honey's face.

The Omega blinked at the closed door, stunned. He shivered, looking down at his bare, pale toes on the cold step then back at the door again. He had no idea what had happened. Honey knocked softly on the door, uncertain and confused as he tugged the huge shirt lower to keep the boxers covered and to block the breeze that seemed to be blowing straight up his spine.

"J-Jedrek?" Honey whispered, pressing his palm to the cool wood.

On the other side of the door, a part of Jedrek congratulated himself on sticking to his creed. However, a much larger part dominated by his inner beast lamented the loss of the precious petite. All was well up until Jed caught sight of something significant. The blond's cellphone. He immediately grabbed the device, opened the door, and handed it unceremoniously to Honey. "You forgot this." He then slammed the door closed once more.

Honey's heart leaped with hope and then plummeted with despair just as fast. It left him dizzy and stumbling back from the door on his bare feet. He tripped and ended up on his butt in the cold, dew-covered grass. The Omega sucked in a shuddering breath as he stood on shaking legs and stepped away from the house. Honey opened his phone with trembling fingers. The call he made was just about to go to voicemail when a familiar, sleepy voice answered, though Honey barely heard it.

"Rissa?" Honey said as tears finally escaped to streak down his face. "R-Rissa, he rejected me. He th-threw me out." The Omega hiccuped as he fought a sob. "Can you come pick me up? I don't want to walk… My clothes are inside, and I don't think he'll let me in to get them…"

"He WHAT?" Shrieked the voice on the other line. "He tossed you out without your clothes? I'm going right over to tear him a new one! What street are you on? I'm coming RIGHT now…"

"No, I just want to…I want to go home, Rissa. I don't want him to see me like this. I don't think I can take seeing him. I think I can actually feel my heart breaking. It hurts…like something is tearing inside my chest." Honey pressed his hand over his heart where the stabbing ache was the worst. He told his cousin the street name and house number. "And I have his shirt and boxers on. Just not anything else. It's okay."

The sound of screeching tires was heard as a ruby-red convertible spun into view around the corner of the street. Even though her hair was a mess, and she seemed to have bags under her eyes, Honey could recognize his cousin immediately. She parked the car a bit slanted on the lawn and hopped out, taking hold of Honey's wrist as she marched right back to the door of the house.

"I don't care what you said," Clarissa insisted as she pounded the door so hard that the neighbors on both sides and across the street probably heard. "This asshole's your mate. We all saw that gem of yours flash. He needs to get with the program and pronto."

Her hand was about to lift to pound on the door some more when it finally opened to reveal a disgruntled Jedrek.

"YOU...are going to let us inside right now," she announced as she shoved her way past the large man with Honey in tow. "Just what in the seven hells is wrong with you? How dare you treat your mate this way?"

"Mate?" Jedrek questioned with a frown. "I don't do mates."

Clarissa's eyes widened as she let go of Honey's wrist and tossed her hands up in the air. "Oh, you've done mates, sweetheart," she scoffed sarcastically. "Your OWN." she added as she motioned towards Honey with both her hands. "You've done him so hard he's wearing your clothes, and you still have the balls to toss him out barefooted?"

When the enormous man didn't seem to get it, the Beta huffed and turned towards her cousin. "Honey, be a sweetie and go find us your Khonsu stone, would you?" Clarissa urged. "I think your hulk of a mate needs a little educatin'."

Even after Honey rummaged around for his necklace (bending down enticingly enough for his inner beast to purr) and brought the shimmering thing over, Jedrek was still confused as to what the big deal was. Clarrisa wasted no time in clarifying.

"This, our enormous friend, is a Khonsu stone. It's a gift from the god of the werewolves himself to our Omegas. The drop of blood inside these stones leads them to their mates...as in, soulmates," Clarissa explained. "Ya with me so far?"

The violet-eyed man did not like where the explanation was going one bit. His inner beast, however, seemed to be hanging on every word that came out of the female werewolf's mouth. Jedrek tried to ignore him.

"When the stone is glimmering this hard," she continued as she shoved the sparkling violet and tanzanite gem in Jed's face. "That means that the bond was consummated. That means signed, sealed, delivered, he's yours and you're his."

"Absolutely not," Jedrek responded in immediate denial. "No...no, I'm not even a wolf; there must be some mistake here."

"If you want to go have them pull up the footage of Honey's Khonsu stone leading him to you last night at the Blood Orchid, go right ahead." Clarissa taunted. "There were plenty of jealous witnesses, too. Myself included."

Jedrek began to pace desperately. Meanwhile, his inner beast was downright panting with glee at the turn of events. The blasted creature couldn't be happier that we were apparently bonded to the blond cherub.

"But, I'm not a wolf!" Jed repeated.

"Take it up with the gods," Clarissa huffed. "If you've got the balls to try and tell them they're wrong, that is."

Jedrek's gaze fell on the blond. "You can't want someone like me as a mate, let alone a soulmate...I mean, I kicked you out barefooted…"

"You could…" Honey shifted uncomfortably on those bare feet and pulled his gaze from the floor. His rare blue eyes were made brighter by the tears in them. "You could say you're sorry," Honey finally said, a single tear spilling out to shine like a diamond as it swept down his rounded cheek.

Clarissa folded her arms across her chest and glared at the massive man, daring him not to.

Jedrek didn't even need his inner beast to growl at him in a disapproving manner. That one tear rolling down that angelic face was already tearing at his very soul. Before he even realized it, his body moved on its own. He reached down to wipe the tear from Honey's cheek gently.

"I..apologize," Jed found himself saying. "Let's go find your shoes. Here, I'll help you with them." Jedrek lifted Honey into his arms and sat him down on the counter as he carefully dressed the Omega's feet. Though he had found the socks quickly enough, finding both shoes in the pair was a struggle.

When all of that was done, Jed looked Honey in the eye and frowned. "There has clearly been a mistake. I am not one of your people. For now, I figure we could talk to a friend of mine so that all of this can be sorted out."

"You don't want me," Honey said, eyes down again. "I understand. You're not one of Khonsu's children?" The Omega said, changing the subject to something that didn't make it feel like a blade was twisting in his chest.

Jedrek's inner beast was all but clawing at him from the inside at the very thought of Honey feeling unwanted. But, the violet-eyed man stubbornly ignored him. He couldn't afford to give the blond cherub any false hopes by correcting him. They needed to be rid of him! They couldn't coddle him and cuddle him despite how badly they really wanted to. The cub needed to be safe, and the safest place was not with him.

"I'm not one of Khonsu's children," Jedrek responded. "But I can't tell you what I am. My kind are chaotic, unruly, and violent. No one can know I'm here."

Clarissa rolled her eyes. "Honey, both you and I know that Khonsu stones have never been tampered with and will never lie. Don't you let him try to kick you out again and call me if you need me to give him a beat down." She insisted as she handed Honey his phone again. "Stick to his dumb behind like glue. He'll eventually get it." Clarissa then kissed the Omega on the cheek and let herself out.

Jedrek took a deep breath. "Would you mind, then? If I asked my friend for help with this? If I drove us both to his place?"

Honey nodded solemnly. "I should shower…is that alright?" he asked without looking up. The Omega could still feel what Jedrek had left behind inside him. At first, when the bigger man had carried him, Honey had delighted in the feeling. Though it was kind of…squishy. But it had been a sign of the consummation of their bond. Now it was just a reminder of the bond his mate wished didn't exist.

The larger man nodded and carried the cherub over to the bathroom. In hindsight, he should have just set him down onto his feet for him to walk over to the bathroom himself. Somehow, his inner beast had won that battle. "You can use any towels you wish," Jedrek offered as he continually struggled with the clenching of his heart. It seemed that it wasn't just his inner beast that was against him, but also his body.

Honey nodded silently, bending over to remove the single shoe and two socks. He flinched slightly when he straightened. As a wolf, he healed fast, but there was still a touch of soreness from the night before. It would likely be better within an hour or two. The twinge brought another wave of tears to his eyes that Honey tried to will away as it reminded him again of how wonderful it had been the night before, how cherished and safe he'd felt, how that was all gone now. The Omega turned and quickly shed Jedrek's shirt that had hung to his knees, hoping the other man hadn't noticed his ridiculous, overly-emotional tears. He was used to a busy wolf pack, where privacy was limited to nonexistent. He didn't think about being bare in front of the mate who didn't want him. He just wanted to be sequestered behind the frosted glass of the shower door, hidden. When Honey stripped out of the boxers, he moved more carefully, not wanting that ache to flare up again and remind him of what he couldn't have.

From the very first twinge of pain, Jedrek's inner beast stood on all fours and focused his attention on Honey's every movement. Once the tears started falling, Jed found himself kneeling in front of the wolf and gently wiping the tears away. "Where does it hurt?" He asked softly. His concern over the cherub's well-being seemed to eclipse his logical thoughts for the moment. "Would a bath be better? Let me fill the tub for you." The violet-eyed man busied about filling the tub with warm water and tossing some bubbles in before he scooped Honey right back into his arms and set him down carefully in the water. "Is that better?"

Honey's tears dried up with the surprise of the muscular man bustling around him. He stole a peek up. Khonsu's heart, he was handsome. It was almost painful to look at him and not touch him. All those muscles; they curved into other muscles like a winding path. Honey wanted to follow it with his fingers and maybe his tongue. The Omega blushed hotly, dropping his eyes and plunging his hands under the water to keep from reaching out.

"It was my…ummm…my bottom." Honey sunk low into the water until the bubbles hid him up to his chin. He wondered if he could heap them over his head and hide. Maybe try to slip down the drain when he pulled the plug. "It's fine. It will be better soon. Wolves heal fast. I'm not as quick at healing as a lot of them. It was my first time…Clarissa said it usually hurts the first time. I thought she meant when it was happening, but she must have meant later. And it's not bad." He tried to slide in further, but the bubbles got in his mouth. Yuck. "I'm sorry I'm such a crybaby. I'll do better."

"The warm water should help soothe the ache," Jedrek replied as he subconsciously began to gently wash the Omega's back. "Let me help you with your hair," he rumbled in a low, soothing tone of voice as he carefully washed and rinsed the golden locks. When the large man deemed Honey clean enough, he pulled the drain and stood up holding a fluffy towel open to wrap the petite man up. Once again he lifted the cherub into his arms and then set him down on the soft bath rug so that he could be dried off some more. When he caught sight of the large tanzanite blue eyes, he felt a touch of violet flame escape the corner of his mouth.

"Oh, I thought I had imagined it." Honey's bright tanzanite eyes were wide with wonder as he reached up slowly as though he could pet the flame. "The fire was real when you kissed me." He touched his lips with the fingers that weren't reaching for Jedrek. Damp locks resembling molten gold tumbled around skin like a blushing pearl. "But it didn't hurt…it felt so good."

For a moment, Jedrek was all beast as he gazed at the beautiful features that Honey possessed. He was precious, as precious as the rarest of treasures. When he finally grasped what the Omega said, his eyes widened. "Fire...wait, my fire?" He had been buzzing from the liquor he had consumed, so a part of him thought that he had dreamed the part when he shared his fire with the wolf. He could have seriously injured the little thing! An expression of pure shame came across Jedrek's face. He was a monster.

"That shouldn't have happened," Jed stated. "Our fire is dangerous. Are you sure you're alright?"

Honey nodded, still reaching for where that curl of flame had been. He licked his lips, leaving them glistening like a pink diamond. "It didn't hurt." The Omega's cheeks darkened. "It felt good when it went into me."

Once again, Jedrek's inner beast took over. In response to the cherub's words, he let out two plumes of fire on each corner of his mouth. The flame was violet on the outer edges, lilac in the middle, and pale blue at the core.

The wolf seemed mesmerized by the display. Before Jed realized it, Honey reached a hand over to one of the flames. The larger man's protective instincts kicked in and he took hold of the blond's wrist. He lifted the hand to his face to inspect it for any burns. But, he let out a sigh of relief when there weren't any. Jedrek draped the palm of the cherub's hand over his nose and mouth and nuzzled against the soft, supple skin with a rumbling purr.

Honey drew in a hitching breath. His eyes went heavy-lidded as every muscle in his body went loose and languid. His body leaned toward Jedrek's as though pulled.

Then, Jed realized what he was doing and snapped out of the hold his beast had on him. Fuck! He quickly finished drying Honey off and then rushed back into his room to gather a set of clean clothes for him. He found a plain white shirt that had shrunk a bit in the wash, but would surely fit the small thing. He then set out a pair of new boxers and a pair of drawstring shorts.

Honey blinked, startled, as his mate quickly left the room, leaving the bewildered Omega with an armful of clothes.

"You can wear these for now. In the meantime, I'm going to make a very important phone call," Jedrek instructed as he rushed through the doorway and put some distance between himself and the enticing cherub. Jed pulled out his phone and pressed the button of his most dialed contact. "Gid, this is an emergency!" He hissed into the receiver. "I seem to have disrupted an Omega's mating stone ritual...thing!"