Page 20 of Flight of the Omega

IX

Jack hadn’t expectedto be quite as into JP as he was. He knew he had an affinity for birds, which he’d always blamed on his part-avian nature. And he couldn’t deny that Cerulean was a pretty bird. A stubborn bird, for sure, but that had only made Jack more determined to befriend the omega.

At first, Jack hadn’t really thought it might be … attraction. Granted, he knew he’d had deep feelings for Rocket, his childhood friend, but he’d never thought of Rocket asprettyorattractiveor anything like that. He’d loved Rocket, no question. But it had never really been a romantic kind of love.

So he hadn’t thought anything about why he was so determined to befriend Cerulean, even though he could readily admit to himself that Cerulean was a pretty bird. He thought plenty of birds were pretty; it didn’t mean anything.

JP, though … JP was another story.

It wasn’t that the omega was conventionally attractive or anything; he was a bit hawkish—aquiline nose, sharp cheekbones, high forehead. He was thin, almost gangly, with limbs too long for the rest of his body. Looking at him now, Jack wondered how he hadn’t put two and two together; it was very obvious JP had some kind of avian bloodline.

Maybe it was the line of his nose or the cut of his cheeks, or maybe it was that golden stare. Jack didn’t know, but there was something pretty about JP, even in humanoid form.

Jack hated to say it, but he was more into JP after the omega let him have a good, long look between his legs, let Jack slip a finger inside him. Jack had been surprised by the thrill that went through him when JP had moaned the way he did; he wanted to do it again, make the omega whimper and sigh and moan with pleasure.

It was a strange thing, like nothing Jack had ever experienced before. He didn’t know; maybe it was because JP seemed like such a stranger to having a good time in the bedroom, like he’d never known the pleasure of a lover’s touch.

Or maybe that he’d known only pain. That dark thought soured Jack’s anticipation. JP hadn’t quite come out and said it, but Jack wasn’t a complete birdbrain. He knew what they did to omega birds on some of the ranches. He was glad a lot of farmers were moving to artificial insemination when they wanted to force a particular pairing, for whatever reason—genetics or something like that, he supposed, although he’d never paid much attention to the science. But it was hard on the brood omegas not to have mates; nesting and incubating eggs was supposed to be shared between the parents. If an omega bird was artificially inseminated, they had to do it all themselves. There was no pair bond to keep an alpha loyal to them and help them with the nesting duties.

That was rough too, Jack supposed, which was why some of the breeders stuck to older methods. Still, Jack hadn’t expected anyone to do that to a shifter like JP—and he sure didn’t expect Mr. Crane would do that to his own son.

Then again …

Jack wasn’t a stranger to the way some parents treated their kids either. Even the birds weren’t great with hatchlings sometimes. Nature could be cruel; parents, crueler.

The thought JP maybe hadn’t had much choice dimmed the excitement that thrummed through him. He didn’t want to rush the omega. Didn’t want to get too excited and maybe hurt him again the way others had hurt him.

JP was stubborn and suspicious, and that came from the hurt. Jack didn’t want him to hurt anymore. He wanted JP to understand there were people who were trustworthy. People who would look out for him. People who cared.

Thathecared.

He wasn’t quite sure why that was so important, but it was. So he waited. He waited when JP said no. He tried to pay attention to the signs JP was drifting off from this reality, slipping into some other timeline where Jack couldn’t follow him.

But, after almost two weeks of spending the night in the omega’s nest, it was difficult to be patient. Jack wasn’t sure how long angelics’ heats lasted; he had no idea about JP, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to ask. It felt invasive.

JP still woke up squirming beside him the next morning, so he supposed heat was still a thing for the omega. They’d been going a little further almost every day; Jack was still itching to get his cock in the omega, though he didn’t think he could be blamed. Even in humanoid form, instincts were powerful, almost impossible to ignore. He’d been so distracted during the day, hardly able to look after the girls. He was sure Burr had noticed. The girls certainly had; they’d been glowering at him, scratching in the sand. They didn’t like this development. Jack didn’t blame them; he’d been running off at the drop of a hat, just scooting upstairs to check on JP, make sure he was drinking water, maybe get a little action.

JP hadn’t shifted into his feathers once during this whole time, but he couldn’t shake his need. Jack didn’t think an alpha bird could be blamed for hoping to get some sugar, even if he was shapelocked in humanoid form.

He wished, briefly, that he could shift. He wondered if it would be easier for JP to accept an alpha in feathers. He didn’t know what had happened to JP; maybe it was an old flame or something like that, for all Jack knew. Didn’t really sound like it, but Jack didn’t think it was his place to pry.

No, JP would open up eventually, if he felt safe and they hung together long enough. Just like he was opening up around Jack’s fingers then and there, slowly relaxing into Jack’s touch as he explored more intimate places. Jack watched him carefully, and JP returned the favor, those golden eyes boring into him from underneath heavy lids, a thick curtain of dark lashes that didn’t match the rest of JP’s coloring at all.

“Pretty bird,” Jack whispered, watched JP blush all over. He liked being told he was pretty; he usually crooned a little in response, but this morning, he simply looked away. He panted a little, then tilted his head back, baring the long column of his throat to Jack.

Jack wished again he could turn into a bird like JP could; then they could wrap their necks together, rub their faces together, their beaks. He’d watched the birds do that in the stable. It was very intimate for them; some of the girls did it with each other, even, because they cared about each other so much. ( Jack fully suspected Blossom and Saffron would mind nest together, actually.)

Jack didn’t know when, but he’d started to care about JP. A lot. It was a little frightening.

“Jack.” His name tore out of JP’s throat, a ragged moan, harsh on the still morning air, and it pulled him back to reality. He wasn’t a bird. He couldn’t be a bird. But he could pay attention to JP.

He looked down into those golden eyes. JP looked back at him, a silent plea written there.

Jack hesitated. He didn’t want to make a mistake. He didn’t want to read JP wrong and hurt him. “Yeah?”

“I …” The omega’s voice faltered. He dropped his gaze. He let his knees flop open—an invitation, Jack was sure.

Jack waited. He needed JP to tell him that it was okay.