Chapter Text
“Oh, what a shame
Your spirit never left
Possessed me like a demon
Made them worship at your bed.”
-Supernatural by Barns Courtney
Wylan was tied to his altar.
Jesper had thought about this moment a lot. Most of it had been idle fantasies born of his and Wylan’s conversation about the possibility. He couldn't deny that he had pictured the bright blue scarves he’d adorned Wylan's altar with wrapped around the omega’s pale wrists. But he knew that if Wylan wanted to try something, he would ask.
The more heats they spent together, the more Wylan opened up about what he did and did not like. And the things he was curious about. They had spent more than what was reasonable at the discrete toy shop Kaz had directed Jesper to.
It had taken time, but Wylan had asked for this, and Jesper was determined to do it right because he would very much like to do this again. Despite all the time Jesper had spent picturing this very thing, nothing compared to the beauty of reality. As he knew it would, the cornflower blue contrasted nicely with his boyfriend’s creamy skin. It made the dusting of freckles he was sprinkled with stand out more as well in Jesper's opinion.
On his altar, Wylan squirmed. His blush was getting darker by the minute, a thing he could see now that they had learned how to treat the fevers Wylan was prone to.
“Jes, c’mon,” Wylan urged.
“Mm, but babe, you look so pretty. Like art– I just wanna take it in for a sec.”
“Wanna take you in,” Wylan countered.
“You will, gorgeous. When I decide though.”
Wylan groaned and thrashed, testing his bindings. The knots didn’t budge. Jesper had been very thorough about that, testing each to make sure they were neither too tight nor too loose.
Wylan had chosen the position, and Jesper quite liked it. The altar had been arranged to resemble a chair, with the omega’s trap tied apart beginning at the ankle with more ties all the way up his thighs. There was only one knot at either of his wrists, holding to the highest knot on his thigh, but it had the desired effect. Wylan couldn’t close his legs, or touch himself or Jesper to any meaningful degree. At Jesper’s mercy, which he knew appealed to Wylan.
“Jesper, if you don’t–”
“If I don’t what, Wy? Not like you can really do anything about it.”
Jesper stepped close enough to feel the warmth of Wylan’s bare skin through his thin pants, barely brushing the other's inner thighs. He smoothed his palms up the outsides of his upper legs to settle chastely at his waist.
“Jesper–”
“If you can't be quiet, I’ll get the crop back out. I would love to see how red your pretty thighs can get.”
Wylan twitched. He really liked the riding crop; they had picked it up on a whim, which had surprised Jesper some. Not as much as the other liked butt plugs though– that had been a very fun discovery to make recently.
“And if you wanted me quiet so bad, you would have found a better use for my mouth already.”
Jesper took a half-step back. “So bratty today, soundin’ to me like someone doesn't want to get to come.”
“I’ll come when you fucking knot–”
Jesper stepped closer and covered Wylan's mouth with his hand, cutting him off. The way his pupils dilated, and his nostrils flared told Jesper everything he needed to know about how effective the move was.
“Oh, no, baby. You’re gonna come until you cry and then I’ll knot you.”
Jesper ground his hips against Wylan’s, knowing the reminder that the alpha was still clothed while Wylan was laid bare and helpless made the omega crazy with lust. Wylan moaned and rolled his hips against Jesper’s, straining against his bonds.
He retrieved the oral knotting toy Wylan liked and held it up. Wylan’s eyes focused on it immediately. His mouth dropped open and his pink tongue lolled out expectantly.
“This what you want, babe?”
Wylan nodded.
“Good boy. I'll let you have it after you answer a few questions for me.”
“I thought you wanted me to be quiet?” Wylan sniped.
“You know how to nod and shake your head, brat. First, yes or no to the blindfold?”
Wylan nodded, a slow mocking motion.
“Do you want to see the new things I picked up or would you rather be surprised? You can answer me out loud, I realize now that that’s not a yes or no question.”
“Surprise me.”
“Still okay with–”
“–Yes, yes. Jesper, would you–”
“Last question; do you remember how to tell me you want to stop?”
Wylan rolled his eyes and wrapped his hand around the excess length of rope hanging from his wrist, jiggling it to make the bell Jesper had fixed to its end jingle. Jesper leaned over to pull it up and press it into his boyfriend’s palm. If he dropped it, it bouncing would be a clear signal.
“Happy now?”
Jesper pressed the toy into his mouth in answer. Wylan hummed happily around it, only for his brows to furrow when Jesper released it without engaging its knotting function.
“You wanted it so bad, you better not drop it,” Jesper warned.
The Fabrikator retrieved the blindfold and fixed it over Wylan’s eyes before he used the toy to fuck his mouth slowly. His other hand toyed with the omega’s nipples, plucking at them before using the ball of his thumb to roll the peaks.
“Saints, look at you,” Jesper whispered.
Wylan whined and arched up into the touch. Jesper pressed the toy deeper before letting it go. With a last teasing pull, he left the omega’s sensitive chest alone too. He pulled the riding crop from where he had stored it, tucked under the raised part of the altar.
“No matter how pretty you are, and you are very pretty like this, baby,” Jesper began, sliding his index finger into the omega’s wet folds, “I still have to punish you for all that backtalk. Can’t go around rewarding bad behavior y’know.”
He trailed the flat of the crop along his thighs and up over his torso with just enough pressure that Wylan would recognize what it was. Wylan’s breath hitched, but Jesper did not pull it away to swing.
His hand not wielding the crop found the short knotted dildo that was meant for sleeping and other long term uses. It was inflated to the smallest option, the one Wylan preferred for overnight. The button to increase the size was easy to find. The noise Wylan made in response to the toy swelling inside him made Jesper’s cock ache.
“Keep quiet for five and I’ll knot your mouth as you so sweetly requested. Nod if that’s what you want.”
Wylan bobbed his head vigorously enough that the toy in his mouth slid free an inch or two. Jesper pressed it back with his palm on the base and held it there as he landed the first hit on one of Wylan’s immobilized thighs.
Wylan jerked, but remained quiet. He had the same reaction to the next hit on the opposite leg. The third hit was lighter, but its direct hit on a nipple elicited a gasp. The omega was prepared for the next swat to his other pebbled nipple and took it silently. Jesper paused then, brushing it over pale skin. The more time that passed without the final hit, the more Wylan trembled as he tried to brace for a blow without knowing where it would land.
“Doing so good, Wy, just one more.”
He let the anticipation build for a few moments longer before bringing the crop down, this time on the first thigh– the hardest hit. Wylan huffed around the toy but did not make more noise, so Jesper pressed the button to lock the toy's smallest knot behind Wylan’s teeth.
“Such a good boy,” Jesper praised. “You can make sound again. In fact, you better.”
Jesper discarded the crop. He grasped the base of the toy in Wylan’s cunt and pulled it out before driving it home again. Wylan moaned, and slick gushed out around Jesper's fingers.
He pulled the toy out entirely, pausing to appreciate the way Wylan clenched around nothing and whined at the loss. He dropped it into the open chest of toys nearby to be dealt with later, before retrieving the largest knotting dildo.
Wylan trembled when Jesper pushed it into him an inch at a time, and groaned in protest when he let it go without engaging the knot. Jesper patted his thigh consolingly with one hand, the other retrieving one of the new toys he had picked up.
“Hold that for me, won't you, gem?”
Wylan made a confused noise when Jesper threaded a leather belt beneath him, before wriggling impatiently. Jesper ignored him, fitting the flesh-colored cylinder carefully into the loop on the harness, and feeding the tail of the belt through the straps on it.
He stroked Wylan’s cock from root to tip a few times before sliding the toy onto it, and buckling the belt to hold it snugly in place. As the girl at the shop had promised it would, it made it so the toy did not move when Wylan's hips rolled, allowing the omega to fuck up into it.
Wylan did, rocking his hips as much as he could, tied down as he was. His cock slid in and out of the toy only a few inches, but the panting breaths Wylan sucked in around the gag said it was plenty.
“Mm, you're so hot. My pretty little Kerch doll.”
Jesper's palm caught the bottom of the dildo when all the shifting threatened to dislodge it. He merely held it there for a few passes, drinking in the way Wylan rocked down and then back up. He couldn't resist thrusting it into him a few times before pressing the button on the bottom. Wylan moaned as he pushed the knot into him.
Jesper leaned down to mouth at his chest, rolling his tongue around a nipple. He detached with a nip that made Wylan jolt. The nipple clamps he’d had in his pockets jingled as Jesper fixed them into place. Wylan shivered so hard that the blue crystals hanging from their ends swung and bounced off the metal arms.
He pressed his hips forward, and flicked one of the gems, making the entire clamp bounce. Whether the sob Wylan let out was from the rough material of his trousers scraping against his ass– which Jesper had spanked so hard earlier the skin was no doubt still tender– or the stimulation to his sensitive chest was unclear.
“I’ve got one last surprise for you treasure,” he informed him, fingers finding a fading hickey and pressing until Wylan squirmed.
He found the last toy he had purchased during his latest shopping trip. It had a rounded end, with a handle covered in the same material the sleeve clinging to the omega’s dick was composed of. Within it, Jesper could feel the tracks and the tiny metal ball-bearings set into them. It took a few tries to manipulate them into moving, causing it to vibrate in his hand.
He guided it down, nudged the omega’s clit with the rounded head, and then focused on making it go faster. The entire altar shook from how hard Wylan jolted, and the shout he emitted was so loud, it was like he wasn't gagged at all.
“Are you coming already, dearheart? I told you I wanna hear you, if so.”
Jesper dragged the toy down to rest against the base of the dildo then back up, slowing then hastening the speed of the vibration. Wylan quaked, slick oozing out around the toy. Jesper jabbed the button to make the knot swell a size larger, then switched the buzzing toy to his non-dominant hand. He pulled the toy out and shoved it home again, then again and again.
Wylan wailed, then convulsed as he came. Jesper pushed the dildo back in, and locked the largest knot in place. He stepped back and caught his own breath as he observed the way Wylan went boneless, his chest heaving. He tossed the handled toy in the direction of the space beneath the platform Wylan was seated on.
It didn't take long for the tension to creep back in, and soon Wylan's hips were rolling again with renewed urgency. Jesper’s dick ached, and the need to fuck, claim, mate was thrumming beneath his skin like an electric charge.
“Okay, sweet, I think you’ve earned my knot, now.”
Wylan moaned his approval, and Jesper’s tracked to his fist, still clutched around the bell. He pulled his belt free one loop at a time, eyes trained on Wylan. The omega seemed to be holding his breath either in anticipation or an attempt to hear better, Jesper couldn’t be sure.
He dropped his belt to the carpeted floor, where it landed with a dull thud. The buttons on his linen shirt slid free soundlessly. Wylan began to shift impatiently, tugging lightly at his bonds. The shirt fluttered to the ground with little fanfare, and Jesper paused. Once his pants came off, he knew it was game over.
Wylan groaned around his gag, before his head tipped back and his thighs fell apart. Jesper’s mouth went dry at the vision the omega made then; all his creamy pale skin on full display, gleaming with sweat, and squirming in his bindings.
“I can see how wet you are from all the way over here, pretty.”
Wylan whimpered, and the noise proved to be Jesper's breaking point. He was grateful for the blindfold, sparing his boyfriend the sight of him nearly tripping over his own pants in his haste to be free of them.
He approached the altar, and splayed his hands on the omega's thighs. He let them rest there as he drank in the enticing flush that had spread to the tops of his shoulders and down his chest, along with how positively debauched he looked.
Wylan whined, high and needy. Jesper's knot throbbed, and he hurriedly shuffled closer to guide the head of his length into Wylan’s blazing heat. He fumbled for the toy he had discarded and pressed it to Wylan’s clit before reaching out with his powers for the metal spheres housed within it. Wylan’s body became a vice around him, the omega's head thrashed from side to side as an absolutely obscene noise left him.
The effort of dividing his attention between keeping the toy going, and aiming his thrusts kept Jesper from embarrassing himself by knotting immediately. Even so, he only managed a handful of thrusts before the pressure building at the base of his spine burst. Pleasure swept him away, whiting out everything else except the clench of Wylan’s cunt around him, and the sweet sigh the omega breathed around the gag as he came as well.
They had spent enough heats together that Jesper had a routine down. As it began winding down, Jesper coaxed Wylan first to his nest beneath the altar, and eventually to their shared bed. Once there, Jesper would keep his boyfriend awake long enough to drink the bitter contraceptive tea the alpha had waiting. It was usually a win if Jesper got him to eat before they both passed out.
Wylan's heat was still an unusual beast. They came more regularly, but how long or short they would be was anyone's guess. Thus far they had timed it well enough to have a day or two to themselves to recover before the lady of the house and the sparse staff returned. Wylan normally slept most of the day following his heat, his body recouping from the strain. Jesper had taken to cleaning up the altar room and doing laundry.
Since there were no windows in the altar room itself, Jesper left the door ajar and opened all the windows on the floor to disperse the smell somewhat. He had learned that having it closed up made the first while back in there a touch overwhelming.
It also calmed Jesper to have something to do. Wylan preferred mostly fresh sheets, only saving one from each heat– conservative of him from what Jesper knew of omegas. Not that it really mattered; he was amassing quite the collection already.
He had a routine that worked best for him; wipe down the altar, pull out the mountain of sheets, gather up any dishes, and then ferry everything downstairs. He would wash their sheets, do the dishes, and then check in on Wylan.
This heat had been different; there had been something of a false start, only really kicking off once Wylan asked to use the scarves. Jesper had lost count of days somewhere in there, and as a result he did not realize Marya was back until she peeked into the altar room.
“Would you mind company for a bit, dear?”
“I never mind your company, Miss Hendricks,” Jesper encouraged.
“If you won't call me Mom, at least call me Marya.”
“I’ll do my best,” Jesper promised, as he always did when it came up. “When did you get back?”
“Not long ago. There’s reports of a storm moving this way, so I left a bit early.”
“Have you eaten? I can go get Wy up, he probably needs to eat something anyway.”
“Let him sleep. I was actually wanting to talk to you about something.”
Her eyes drifted around the room and her lips pinched together in a small frown. Jesper hurriedly dropped the sheets he had been gathering back into Wylan’s nest and stood.
“We could go downstairs, I know– I can clean up in here later.”
“No, no, don’t let me stop you. I wanted to say thank you. For everything you do for Wylan, you two obviously love each other a lot, and I consider you my son.”
“We do love each other a lot. And I do everything I do because l want to.”
Marya smiled, but there was something still guarded about her expression. She was harder for Jesper to read than his boyfriend was, especially at times like this.
“I don't want to overstep, but how much do you actually know about altars?”
For a terrible moment, Jesper was sure he had messed something up– offended her Kerch sensibilities or made a mockery of their traditions. But there was no judgment in her tone, only curiosity.
“Not much, just the basics. I was hoping to learn more about marriage altars?”
Jesper had considered asking Marya, but he had not been sure how to bring it up. Plus, it was rare that Jesper and Marya were alone without Wylan somewhere nearby.
“I have a book I can give you. My mother gave it to me. It is geared more towards young Kerch omegas, but the information is good.”
“It would be very useful. Thank you, Mi– Marya.”
“Of course. Just– Jesper, I want you to know that this would be a large step. It isn't something to do lightly.”
“I know ma’am. Wy’s the love of my life, he's it for me. I just want to do this right when it's time to.”
“Thank you, that puts me at ease to hear.”
That settled, Jesper resumed cleaning. He assumed the conversation was over but Marya did not leave.
“Does he have problems with fever?” Marya’s voice was quiet, almost shy. Jesper straightened so fast that he felt a touch lightheaded.
“Yes, he kept complaining that he was hot, and he was burning up the entire time.”
Marya nodded, her lips pursed.
“It is rather common for some omegas. I had a similar issue. There's some in the book about it, but just keeping him cool is important.”
“I’ll look for it there. I found some cooling packs made for nests and I think we’ve managed it well enough up ‘til now.”
“I– I should have been the one to choose an altar for him, and gifts. It’s… what his father did…”
“I know,” Jesper assured, “I would kill him in a second if I could.”
“Oh, me too,” Marya whispered, tone soaked in dark promise. “But that wouldn't undo all the damage he caused. You– I remember how this room was, before. The way it it was clearly an unhappy place. But you changed that for him, and it… it means the world to me, Jesper. Thank you.”
“Anything for Wy, he deserves it.”
Marya's smile was warm. “He does. I’m glad you see that too. I’ll go get that book for you.”
“Thank you, I really do appreciate it.”
She left, and Jesper finished his self-appointed task of tidying up. When she came back, she had the book, a plate of sandwiches, and sweet tea for him. She did not linger, leaving again with the promise to rouse Wylan, and get him to eat something.
Content that someone was forcing Wylan to eat, Jesper ate his sandwiches leisurely. He flipped through the book Marya had given, skipping past the things he already knew or that weren't pertinent.
“Marriage altars are purchased by an alpha for an omega they wish to become mates with. The acceptance of an altar will culminate in an exchange of mating bites and is followed by a wedding ceremony once heat has passed.
This is a general definition of the function of marriage altars, however there are many traditions tied into each step. Please note that some may vary by family. Purchasing of an altar falls to the alpha and his family, though it is not uncommon for the opinions of the omega’s family regarding the design and function of the altar to be asked after by the alpha. Along with the new altar, new aids should be provided. There is little expectation of the couple to have remained celibate, therefore the alpha should be able to purchase aids without assistance from family. This will show that the alpha has paid attention to their desired mate’s tastes.
Acceptance of the altar is often decided ahead of an upcoming heat. See previous section regarding training altars, per last-use traditions for more information. As with the training altar, there are traditions for its first use. Similar to the above mentioned final use of the training altar, the first use is often done utilizing the appropriate pieces of the altar to tie the omega on it. This is a symbol of trust from the omega partner and of dedication from the alpha partner. There is often special clothing worn which depends on tradition; often gold-threaded lingerie or the color of the alpha’s family crest.”
About a week later, Wylan also presented him with a book. This was not in itself unusual, as Wylan had an ever growing list of books he was interested in. Jesper never minded reading to him so it worked out.
What was unusual was the flush on his boyfriend’s fair face. Upon examining the book, it was easy to guess why; it was a romance book and a lewd one at that. Except the cover was nondescript; no raunchy artwork or anything to tell Wylan it was basically porn.
“Cecilie, Brouwer’s wife, gave it to me to read. She, uh, marked the best bits.”
Indeed she had. Little red flags– the kind merchers used to mark documents– stuck out from the pages of the book.
“She tell you what it’s about, merchling?”
Jesper knew she must have, but he really wanted to hear Wylan say it. Plus, the way his blush intensified was captivating. He flipped the book open to one of the marked pages, and knew he was smirking before he finished reading the first paragraph.
“Yes, Jesper, I know what it's about. I’m– curious. You don't have to–”
“–Wy, I would love to. C’mon, babe, let’s get changed for bed, and I’ll read it to you.”
Wylan smiled shyly and nodded.
Jesper was not assuming this would lead to them fooling around, although he– and his dick– certainly had hopes. He didn't want to get the wrong idea, and make his boyfriend uncomfortable either. He had just come to the internal decision to gauge the mood as they went when Wylan purposefully crossed the room and locked their door.
When the redhead crawled into bed, he was wearing just his underwear and one of Jesper's shirts. Wylan settled against his side in their preferred reading position. Jesper fumbled for the book and ignored Wylan's snicker when he nearly dropped it. He flicked past the title page and index, and made it through two sentences before Wylan made an impatient noise, interrupting him.
“Don't make us go through all the build-up, just get to the– to the–”
“The juicy bits? Sure you want to skip all this no doubt riveting exposition?”
“Yes, read me the sex scene already.”
Jesper chuckled and pressed a kiss to his boyfriend's curls. He knew this was hard for Wylan, both from embarrassment, and the shame his father had ingrained in him revolving anything to do with reading or sex.
“Okay, baby, let’s get to the action.”
He turned the page to the first of the markers and began to read. It was a lewder book than Jesper expected from a mercher’s wife. The scene they began with was not far into the book, and from what little context Jesper had, the omega was a merch’s daughter and the alpha was either a business partner or an employee of her father.
He was not clear about the alpha’s social status, but Jesper did know that only twenty pages in, he had the omega pinned against a wall in an upstairs hallway during a party. He was also aware of the way Wylan’s breath hitched when the alpha demanded to know the omega’s fantasies. He fingered her while she told him, and Wylan squirmed closer.
It was not the worst thing of this nature Jesper had read. Some of the phrasing made Wylan snort with laughter, occasionally the wording was awkward and made Jesper stumble, but it had an effect on Wylan– on both of them, if Jesper was being honest.
Jesper was surprised he made it as far as he did before Wylan batted the book out of his hand. Jesper let it go, and rolled to pin Wylan to the bed. When he fit his knee between the omega’s thighs, Wylan was hard and his underwear damp.
“Really, baby? You could have just told me.”
“Jes–”
“Mm, not yet, precious. Clearly you were into that, yes?”
Wylan nodded. His hips rolled up against Jesper’s leg, so he pressed down more. Jesper leaned down to kiss his forehead.
“Me too, angel. Wanna tell me a fantasy?”
Wylan swallowed. Jesper had a few ready to offer in case he didn't want to but after a moment Wylan nodded again. As reward, Jesper wrapped a hand around his cock. With his other hand, the Fabrikator pushed Wylan's shirt up so he could kiss the other's chest.
“I told you some before, how I wished–” Wylan gasped as Jesper lapped at his nipple and began to pump his hand faster. “Someone would find me while I was in heat, and– fuck me, knot me…”
Wylan trailed off, his head falling back as he fucked up into the alpha’s fist. In response, Jesper slowed and sat back.
“Tell me, treasure, what would you want this dashing rogue to do, if they found you? Specifically.”
Wylan whined and pawed at Jesper’s shoulders hard enough to leave lines of heat in their wake. Jesper caught his wrists and pressed them to the bed, adding a second pulse of pressure in a clear signal to leave them there. Wylan squirmed, but his hands did not move when Jesper released him.
“I think about– being blindfolded, and y– this rogue makes– makes me come until I cry, and uses all the toys my father taunted me with, and–”
Jesper adjusted his weight to kiss Wylan’s neck. He released the omega's dick and instead reached lower, rubbing his clit in slow circles.
“And?” Jesper encouraged.
“When I tell him no, he gags me, and tells me– tells me I’ll be begging for it before he’s done, and, uh, follows through.”
“Fuck, baby,” Jesper whispered. “That's so hot.”
He adjusted so that he could finger Wylan in earnest, amazed at how wet the redhead was. Wylan moaned and began to move back against Jesper's hand, fucking himself.
“Jes, fuck me, please,” Wylan begged.
“Okay, sweetheart, since you asked so nicely.”
Jesper sat back on his haunches and undid the drawstring on his sleep pants. Before he could shuck them off, Wylan pushed on his chest, knocking him off balance. He went over backwards and landed with a quiet grunt.
He had a lapful of redheaded omega before he could right himself. Wylan wasted no time, shoving Jesper's pants and underwear down just enough to free his erection. He sank down onto his cock in the next moment. Wylan took a moment to adjust, then began bouncing hard enough to make their headboard knock into the wall rhythmically. In the back of his mind, Jesper knew he should care about how loud they were being but couldn't bring himself to.
Jesper's hips snapped up to meet Wylan when he dropped, his hands fisted in the nightshirt his boyfriend was still wearing. They met in a clumsy kiss that quickly devolved into panting into one another's mouths. Wylan slid down one last time, taking him all the way to the base. Warm wetness spread as he came hard with a strangled shout, soaking Jesper’s pelvis and dragging him over the edge after him.
Jesper debated if he had time to arrange everything before Wylan‘s next heat, and in the end decided he did. The more important question was if it was too soon in their relationship.
There was a wide range of time periods as far as how long couples were together before they exchanged bites. Jesper’s parents had only been together six months; there were some couples who went years. The book Mayra had given him, titled “The Gentle Omegas Guide to Kerch Traditions,” which was quite the mouthful, did not offer a clear timeline either. It only really said a year minimum, with any additional time restraints stipulated in the courting contract.
In the end, the answer came from Wylan himself, though the omega was likely unaware of the internal debate he resolved. It was inspired by the mercher's borrowed bawdy book.
They had gone back to the beginning for context on whether the alpha was a fellow mercher or an employee of one– clerk to the omega love interest’s father they discovered. It was a typical romance novel, but it had Wylan enraptured, and Jesper was happy to indulge him.
He had finished reading a conversation between the main couple, in which the omega worried about her father finding out, and the alpha suggesting he buy her presents and hinting about exchanging marks. The omega on page gushed, but the one lounging on his chest made a disbelieving noise.
“They've only been together, like, two weeks. They haven't even spent an actual heat together!”
“Yeah, that is moving a bit fast,” Jesper agreed, “I take it that's not very Kerch of them?”
Wylan shook his head. “Usually, I think it’s a year or two before– all of that.”
Jesper hummed, considering, before continuing to read. He and Wylan had been together for almost a year and a half– officially anyways. He wasn't worried about regretting it; he could not picture any plausible future where he was not absolutely smitten with the omega. They had known each other long enough and gone through enough together that they knew each other to their cores. And Jesper couldn't deny that he was excited to demonstrate just how well he knew Wylan in this sense too. He knew the things the omega liked and disliked, had studied his reactions in order to fine-tune and get the result he wanted– it fed his own instincts in a dizzying way, more intoxicating than any other omega, beta, or alpha had ever been with.
In the end, he got everything together just in time. Jesper finished assembling and decorating the new altar in the afternoon, and that evening Wylan went into pre-heat. The alpha noticed the first subtle shifts in Wylan's scent during dinner. When he first sat down, he was sure Ann had a cherry pie still baking for dessert until he saw the chocolate cakes Wylan preferred sat out instead.
He pushed as much dinner as he could on the omega, knowing they had a short window before food did not appeal to him at all. Wylan ate about half the food on his plate before he pushed away from the table and murmured something about going to lie down. Jesper promised to be up soon, though if the redhead heard him was unclear.
“Well, I suppose I should finish packing. It will be nice to see the baby.”
“And find out if Alys and Adem are sleeping together.”
“Oh, darling,” Marya laughed. “They are absolutely sleeping together. Now, it’s just getting them to admit it.”
Jesper chuckled and stood when she did.
“I'll take the dishes; I need to let Ana and the rest of the staff know they have a few days off.”
“Thank you, dear. Goodnight.”
“Night, sleep well ma– Marya.”
“Thank you, Jesper.”
Ann thanked him for the warning, assured him she would let the rest of the staff know and that she would set out Wylan’s tea for him. She kept rearranging the kitchen since Wylan had told her she could, and it had led to a small panic during the omega’s last heat. Jesper had found it but there had been some pretty frantic searching.
That handled, Jesper retrieved one of the cooling packs he had left in an ice bath earlier in the day and followed Wylan up to their room. When he opened the door, his boyfriend was already naked and burrowed in their sheets. He had kicked their heavier blanket to the floor at the foot of the bed.
“Hey, babe, you want this?”
Jesper held up the cooling pack when Wylan raised his head. The sharpshooter chuckled when the omega nodded, and made grabby hands at it. Jesper handed it off, heart swelling with affection as he watched his boyfriend curl around it with a happy sigh.
“I'm gonna go wash up, and then I’ll be back, Wy. You want anything else before I go?”
“Mm-mm, thank you, Jes.”
He half expected Wylan to be knocked out asleep when Jesper returned, but he wasn't. He watched Jesper close the heaviest of curtains, and turned out lights with fever-bright eyes.
“Can we read more of the book?” Wylan requested once Jesper joined him in bed.
The oil lamps on their nightstands were still burning bright, providing enough light to read by. It was still relatively early in the night, and Jesper himself was not ready to sleep. Reading sounded like a grand distraction.
“Sure, baby. You want to pick up where we are in the story or–”
“–Yes, please.”
Jesper smiled, and they settled down together. Jesper began to read about Tess and her paramour Bram continuing to hide their relationship from Tess’ father. There were a few close calls, and when Wylan failed to react to one, Jesper lifted the book to find Wylan asleep. His cheek pressed to the alpha’s shoulder, one hand curled into a fist in front of his mouth.
Jesper smiled, and marked their page before setting the book aside. It was not long before sleep pulled him under as well.