Ice Melts, When It's Hot Ch. 06

Suddenly I felt the breeze of something passing me before hearing the loud crash of breaking glass. Kevin quickly let me go, looking scared and I turned to see my mate shaking aggressively. He had assumed a fighting stance and his gaze was locked on Kevin.

"Get your fucking hands off my mate," Willow seethed at the startled omega.

"Willow!" I scolded, feeling like the omega was being unreasonable, given the circumstances. "What the hell are you doing? You could have hurt Kevin!" As I spoke I pushed out my scent, trying to take control of the situation before anything regretful happened. I took a step towards Willow, unsure of what I should do.

"You are nothing but a cheat and a liar and I always knew you would be!" Willow screamed, stopping me in my tracks. "You never cared about having a mate! I remember everything you've ever said about it and I'll never be your cock warmer!"

"Go to your room, now," I ordered, feeling very shaken. I could have never predicted the words my mate would say or how badly they would cut into me. I quickly realized that I couldn't deal with Willow and Kevin at the same time. It was all too much and I knew Willow would need my full attention but I what didn't understand was the level of animosity Willow was feeling. However, his words had triggered a memory in my brain that I didn't have the time to dwell on, for the moment.

"No!" Willow growled and I was momentarily impressed by how strong he was. Even Kevin was baring his neck in response to my scent but Willow barely looked affected. It was an incredible sight to behold but it also crushed me to know how little I could affect my mate. I thought he liked my scent?

"Omega," I began, as I took another step forward. "Do you need to be punished?" I didn't exactly want to punish him. I wanted answers but to get them I knew Willow would have to calm down and I remembered how his last punishment had soothed him. I really didn't like seeing him so upset.

"I don't need anything from you!" He spat, causing me to freeze again from the verbal punch to the gut. "You think I'll beg for you during my heat, well I won't! Here is your answer! You will never touch me again! You were right before! I.. I hate you and I'll always hate you!" He screamed, before running away.

I heard the front door shut in the distance but I couldn't make myself move. My mates words hurt me so deeply and I was in shock from finding out just what he thought of me.

I thought he liked me.

I blinked rapidly, doing everything in my power to keep myself from crying. There was no way I was going to fall apart in front of an omega, unless that omega was my mate.

"Oh dear... I think... is he in heat?" Kevin asked softly, his neck still barred.

"Soon," I answered, still feeling lost and injured from my mates words.

"I would have waited to come if I had known! I'm so sorry Max. I was being selfish! I-"

"No, it's alright Kevin. We were already having problems before this," I muttered, feeling sort of sorry for myself.

"Regardless, I'd still loose my shit if an omega came onto my territory when I was in heat, even with my mate being sick and violent. Please tell your omega how sorry I am. I would do it myself but I don't think he would listen to me.. I mean, I wouldn't listen to me," Kevin said as he cautiously lifted his head. "You should go after him. Just knowing that you're in on my situation is enough help for now. Go get your omega and tell him your sorry Maxwell."

When I tried to protest, he stopped me, "Max listen to me, you were a good Dom but even I wouldn't have wanted you during my heat. You weren't interested in being attentive enough and it was gossip amongst those of us that use to sub for you. The second a preheat would start you'd get all distant and flustered. Maybe you're different now or maybe not but regardless, my being here threatened your mate because he's close to his heat. Trust me, I would know. This is serious and you need to fix it and apologize. Tell him it will never happen again and don't yell at him for his outburst again. He didn't do anything but act instinctively. Please do what I say or he may not trust you enough to help him through his heat. You heard what he said, didn't you? He was practically begging you for attention."

I nodded at the omega's words, my wolf already urging me to find where my mate had gone off too, wanting to keep the boy safe. I felt ashamed that I was so terribly unprepared for an omega mate and realized just how much work I'd have to do for Willow to feel like he could fully bond with me.

I pulled out my phone, sending a group message to every single guard I had, informing them to look for my omega and if someone found him, they were to report to me immediately. Then I quickly ushered Kevin out, undressed and shifted, wanting to sniff out my mate. I followed his scent out of the house and down a rocky trail for several miles, stopping right outside the edge of Darkwood Forest and I whimpered in anguish when his scent disappeared. Maybe he hadn't wanted me to follow, maybe he was running away from me for good!

I sniffed all along the edge of the forest, trying to find the faintest trace of my omega but I couldn't find anything. I was growing more agitated by the moment and my ears laid flat to my skull, instinct telling me that something was very wrong. Why was the forest so quiet? My head whipped the the right and I took off, somehow feeling that it was the way to go, despite not smelling my mate. As I ran I began to pick up a scent, a familiar one but not the one I was looking for. Then my phone rang. I quickly dropped my little bundle of clothes and shifted back, scrambling to answer.

"Frank?" I asked when I answered the phone, "Do you see him? Is he with you?" I knew my words came out rushed and anxious, which was not a good look for a powerful alpha, but I couldn't help it. Things still didn't feel right.

"Yeah, got him right here. Max, you better hurry, the little guy is in a full blown heat. I'm in Darkwood Forest, about 3 miles south of the river. The poor guy was burning up so much he jumped into the river but I guess he can't swim. I took him out of the water-"

"Frank I really don't care about all the details right now. I'm not that far from you, I can probably run to you in five minutes." I hung up and shifted back into my wolf, sprinting as hard as I possibly could towards the river.

When I was about a half mile from Frank's reported location, a speeding solid mass hit me right in my side, knocking the wind out of me and causing me to fall out of my run as I dropped my bundle of clothes.

"A-alpha," it was Willow and he was crying and clinging to my fur so hard it actually hurt. "Alpha, I- please, I need-"

He was soaking wet, looking like a drowned cat and he was shivering despite his fevered skin. I shifted to human so that I could talk to him and was surprised when he wouldn't let me pull him close. "I- I know you need me right now," I started, feeling a little shaken that my mate had searched me out but didn't want my touch.

"No! I need a shower. I need to be clean! Please, help me please Alpha! I can't do it myself! I tried! I promise I tried! The water... just... I.. Please, I... I trust you. Just... fix it, fix me. I'm so dirty!" He begged, dropping to his knees before me.

I noticed then that he hadn't once looked me in the eyes, for he had been baring his neck the entire time, trying to look as submissive as possible while he pleaded with me. I didn't like seeing my mate in distress while on his knees. It wasn't right. I pulled him up to his feet and took my shirt out of my pile of clothes. I carefully pulled it over his head and pulled his arms through the sleeves while he struggled against my doing so, shaking while sweat dripped from his pores.

"I don't deserve your scent," he whimpered but once the garment was on, he made no move to remove it but instead, he hurriedly buried his nose in the collar.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

I looked up and sensed Frank's presence, as did my omega, and felt the wolf within me grow irate. Yes, maybe Frank had found him but I didn't want him here right now! He should have left the moment he saw me with Willow!

"A-alpha, shower! I need to be clean. Please, I'm so dirty please Alpha!" Willow began to beg in earnest, crying horribly the closer Frank got as he attempted to hide his naked pelvis with my shirt and his tiny hands.

"He's been like this ever since I found him," Frank offered as he cautiously walked closer to us.

"Get the fuck out of here!" I growled, unable to have anyone near right now when Willow was so upset, not to mention nearly undressed. I felt primed to attack and I had to make a conscious effort to tell my wolf that Frank was a friend, he was safe, however, he should have never gotten to see my omega like this. It didn't matter that he had helped me, I almost hated him for looking. "Don't you dare speak about this. To anyone." I ordered. "If you do, I swear I'll kill you where you stand! You should know how lucky you are that I've known you my whole life! I don't care that your Pack! Close your fucking eyes!"

"Max I-" he tried but my head whipped around to Willow as the sweet scent of his slick filled the air.

Then I noticed Frank was looking too. Not only that, he was smelling him. I snapped and punched Frank in the jaw. "Get your fucking eyes off of him right now and hold your fucking breath!" I growled at him. "And if you ever so much as think, or fantasize about him like this," I threatened as he hurriedly backed away. "You will be punished!"

At my promise of punishment, Willow laid his small body, belly first, across my feet. Then he pushed his little ass up, as if he were waiting for me to spank him, his head hung submissively the entire time.

"No, not you honey. You're not being punished," I told Willow, kneeling to help him back up.

"But I'm dirty," he whimpered, looking at me as if hoping I would understand.

"Why do you think that baby? Because of the slick? I told you there's nothing wrong with that. It's normal."

"I... I don't know why. I can't... I can't think.. I don't know. Please help me."

He shook his head quickly as he spoke and began to cry, frantically rubbing his arms with his hands. I pulled the smaller man close and let my hand travel down his partially naked torso. When I got to his ass the omega stilled, not moving a muscle while my fingers traveled closer to his crack. I just wanted to show him he wasn't gross. I wanted him to know it was okay, I would touch him if he wanted me to. I'd do anything he needed. However, the moment my finger got close to his hole, he panicked and began begging for showers and to be clean once more. I didn't try to touch him in a sexual way again.

I pulled on the rest of my clothes, leaving Willow in my shirt and quickly scooped him up in my arms. I ignored his feeble protest over being held, noting how he was nuzzling against my bare chest. The choice was simple. If Willow was going to panic every two seconds, then I needed to carry him home and soon. I didn't want anyone else to lay their eyes on my helpless mate. I also didn't think I should be getting in fights that would cause me to leave his side. I hated the idea of anyone else looking at him or even smelling him. So yes, the sooner we could get home the better. Of course, had I known that my best friend, Frank, was currently hurrying to his own home with my mate's slick soaked clothes in his possession, I probably would have went completely feral.