The Alpha's Soul

12

Explicit ✨sexual✨ content for the next couple of chapters

Tan woke up early the next morning, so early that he could've considered it night, to growling from his mate. It was just past two in the morning and Luke was grabbing his gut, snarling and shaking violently.

"Luke?" Tan asked, sitting up and touching his mate's sweaty face. "What's wrong? Is it your pre-rut?"

That's when Tan caught a whiff of the scent and realized that Kai's estimate for two to four days before Luke's rut started had been wrong.

Luke was starting his rut right now.

Tan knew that he needed to run and get away from his mate, knowing that Luke would encourage that as well. However, he also knew that Luke would go insane searching for him and his pain would be unbearable. Even now, while he was asleep, Luke was in clear pain from the start of his rut and it wouldn't cease unless Tan helped him.

That convinced Tan, even though he was scared. He couldn't find it in him to leave his mate behind in pain, especially with how he was whimpering and growling, the sounds themselves sounding like a cry for help.

Tan cupped Luke's face in his hands and kissed him, hoping to show that he was there and that he'd be able to soothe the pain.

Luke's eyes flew open and he snarled, flipping Tan into his back and towering over him.

"It's me, Luke," Tan said, worried his mate was so deep into his own mind that he didn't recognize him. "You're hurting my wrists."

Luke didn't show in his face that he understood a word that Tan said, but his grip on Tan's wrists loosened.

"Mine," Luke said in a deep voice, breaking the silence that had been between them. "My mate."

Tan didn't respond, waiting and trying to figure out what Luke was going to do so he could act in the best possible way. He stayed still while Luke stared at him, his own rut-induced mind trying to figure out what to do.

"Take off your shirt," Luke ordered, his eyes partially golden with Tiberius' influence controlling his actions. "Want to see my mate."

"Okay," Tan agreed, but he was barely able to pull up his shirt, Luke grabbing it and tearing it off on his own. "You tore my shirt!"

Luke ignored him, staring at Tan's stomach and rubbing his hands all over his flesh. "Pretty little mate," he purred, lowering his face and kissing all over him. "My little Alpha."

"I'm like, two inches shorter than you," Tan mumbled, but he was once again ignored.

He knew that he wouldn't be able to get Luke to react to his jokes while he was rut, but it didn't mean Tan was going to stop dishing them. If anything, Luke's rut made it easier to come up with the jokes because he was in his archaic, Alpha mindset.

"Mine," Luke whispered again, latching his lips onto Tan's nipple, licking and sucking all over the hardened nub and making Tan gasp. "Goddess, you're so reactive."

"Luke, s-slow down," Tan whined, knowing that if he let Luke do as he pleased then he'd end up giving into the rut and he was terrified that Luke would blame himself if he hurt Tan. "We need to talk."

Luke growled. "No," he said, biting down hard on the soft skin of Tan's chest. "I'm gonna mark you up and make sure everyone knows who you belong to."

"I know, and you can, but you need to stop and listen," Tan said, but Luke ignored him. "You're the worst listener."

Chuckling, Luke looked up at him. "I'm hearing you, but I'm choosing to ignore you," he said, licking a stripe up Tan's neck. "I wanna fuck you. Now."

Tan bit his bottom lip because damn that sounded appealing, but he was also scared of Luke going too far, and he'd especially never taken a knot before. He knew that Alphas loved to knot their mates in general, and during a rut it wasn't an option not to, but Tan was terrified.