Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Billy looked up at his alpha through his lashes, lips pressed thin and anger rolling through him in waves.

He was on his knees with his arms hoisted up behind him and heavy weights attached to his nipples. Lifting his head or trying to relieve the pain in his arms hurt like hell, but so did leaning forward and resting his forehead on the floor.

“Say it,” Henry said, his voice deeper than normal whenever he made threats. He crouched so close next to Billy that his arousal was easy to smell. “All you have to do is say it and the pain will stop.”

He couldn’t make his mouth move. He wasn’t gagged, but it didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to give Henry the satisfaction.

He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the floor as the muscles and joints in his shoulders and arms ached and pulled, the pain radiating down his chest and back.

“If you need more time to think about it, then time you shall have,” Henry said, standing up. His shiny shoes were at odds with how dirty Billy felt in the basement.

Billy sucked in a breath, his stomach clenching and panic making him shiver. It was just a few words. That’s all Henry was asking for.

“Okay! Okay,” he said, lifting his torso up and relieving the ache in his shoulders a little, the clamps on his nipples pulling harder.

Henry didn’t even slow down as he made his way to the stairs, acting as if he never heard Billy. Thousand-dollar shoes with heels that clicked on the cement.

“Wait! I said okay! I’ll say it!” Billy cried out, but the sound of Henry’s shoes thumping on the wooden staircase gave him the answer he didn’t want. “Come back! I said I- Oh, fuck you! Fuck your fucking cunt face, you dickless motherfucker!”

Tears of frustration and pain dripped down onto the cement floor beneath him. He shifted his knees, too upset to be careful about how he moved, and fell forward to his right. The yelp he let out made his throat burn even more than before as his shoulders and arms twisted. He scraped the right side of his forehead on the cement before he regained his balance and got into position again, breathing heavily with the exertion.

He was so busy trying to control himself and enduring the pain that he didn’t realize Henry was in the basement again with him until it was too late.

The shock of the cattle prod was enough to take him down even when he was ready for it, but he wasn’t expecting it this time. The muscles in his right leg spasmed hard, and he let out a high-pitched scream, throwing himself away from the pain.

His left shoulder hit the cement, his skin burning as his shoulders were wrenched up and back, his right shoulder almost dislocating. He sobbed onto the floor, almost hysterical in a haze of panic and pain.

He was better than this. He could keep it together. He just wasn’t trying hard enough.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he cried out. “I’m sorry I called you- Fuck! Please! Please let me up! I can’t- Help me! Please! Henry, help me! Please!”

His arms were too weak from being locked in position for so long. He couldn’t pull himself back up. Arms at a ninety-degree angle to his body and legs wobbly. All he needed was a little help, and he could get into position again.

“What did you call me?” Henry asked. His voice was calm, but the threat was still there.

Billy whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut. The pain was so bad that he could barely even think. “I’m sorry. I was mad because you left when I was-”

“What did you call me?” Henry interrupted, reaching beneath Billy and dragging the clamp off his right nipple without unlocking it first.

“No!” Billy screeched, flailing desperately. He sobbed as Henry pinched and played with the abused nipple, electric-like shocks of pain shooting every which way throughout his chest.

“Say it.”

“Please help me!” Billy begged, his fingers going numb as his bladder let loose, wetting the basement floor between his legs.

“Say it.” The words were said just as calmly as every other time he demanded it of Billy.

His hands were tingling. If he didn’t give in, he risked damage. “I’m your whore,” he said through clenched teeth.

“And?”

Billy let out another sob, snot dripping down his lips and combining with his tears and spit, stringing down to the floor. “Please don’t make me,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “Please.”

“Sounds like you want to stay here all night,” Henry said. “Is that what you want?”

“No,” Billy said, more tears coming as he lost the will to fight. It wasn’t worth it when saying no meant living like this.

“Then say it.”

“I’ll be good,” Billy said, hating himself for giving in. “I won’t be- I’ll be good. I won’t bite. I won’t be an asshole or talk shit. I’ll be good for them. Good for you.”

Billy cried out in pain as Henry released the cuffs holding his arms up behind his back. He couldn’t even move his arms himself. He just let them fall, rolling onto his side before pushing himself onto his back and stretching his cramped legs out.

“Get yourself cleaned up,” Henry said, yanking the remaining clamp off Billy’s left nipple and dropping the chain on the floor. “Don’t make our guests wait.”

Billy stayed still until the basement door closed before letting himself cry again. He moved his fingers and hands, trying to get the feeling back again while hoping he didn’t drown in his own tears and snot.

The longer it took him to get upstairs, the more they would hurt him, but he couldn’t make his arms and legs work right. He finally got himself up and on his feet, swaying a little before leaning against the wall and pulling himself along until he found the shower knobs.

He turned the hot water on and stood under the spray, washing blood, snot, drool, tears, and urine off himself. He used the bar of plain soap, lathering himself before rinsing. Henry left a towel at the bottom of the stairs, and Billy whimpered as he dried his hair off, the smell of his alpha strong in his nose.

It shouldn’t have been a comfort to him, but it was. Knowing that Henry scented it for him almost made the tears start again.

As he toweled himself off, he couldn’t help but smile, his alpha’s scent transferring to his skin. Henry wanted his friends to know who Billy belonged to even if they were all having fun.

Billy made his way up the stairs, his legs and arms still shaky, but working better now that he was moving around. He walked through the open door and into the kitchen.

Dark wood floors and white cabinets with white countertops. White barstools at the white island. A white vase to the right of the sink with white roses. The stems and leaves were the only color in the kitchen other than the floors.

It was Henry’s kitchen. Billy wasn’t allowed in there. That was fine with him. He never learned how to cook or bake, and Henry made the most delicious meals and decadent desserts. When Billy was good, Henry would hand-feed him those desserts, and it was one of his favorite things to do with his alpha.

He walked through the archway and into the formal living room that they never used unless Henry was showing him off. It wasn’t much different than the kitchen with white furniture and very little color. Henry liked a clean house. A sterile house.

Billy heard laughter coming from the family room, and he stopped for a moment, his stomach clenching again.

He took a few breaths, telling himself he could do it. He could be a good boy for his alpha. That’s just how it was. Get the bad shit over with and afterward it would just be the two of them again. Henry would be happy with him again instead of angry.

It wasn’t the sex that bothered him anyway, but rather the way they looked at him. The things they said.

The family room was at the center of the big house. Two-story vaulted ceilings and an entire wall of windows with a view of the ocean.

Henry came from money and made even more of it running his own multi-billion-dollar empire. Billy adjusted years ago, but sometimes it hit him all over again that he wasn’t poor white trash anymore.

The fireplace was crackling, taking the chill out of the air even though the heat was on in the house. The rug that was big enough to almost touch the walls in the big room felt like it was larger than the whole house he grew up in. Two couches, two chairs, a coffee table, and two large ottomans sat on the rug with room to spare.

Billy went to his knees and crawled on the rug, settling himself on his knees between Henry’s feet, naked and clean. He kept his head down, his eyes on Henry’s now bare feet so he didn’t have to look at the men all around them.

He didn’t want to know who they were. Didn’t want to see their faces. He knew their mates. Their pups. Had been in their houses. Had sat across the table from them while they pretended to be the perfect alphas to their loving omegas.

“You’re bleeding, love,” Henry said, cupping Billy’s face and leaning forward, gently licking the blood from Billy’s forehead.

Billy winced, his alpha’s tongue a bit rough on the abraded skin. It still felt good because Henry was taking care of him. Showing his love and ownership. He gave him a kiss on the cheek before pointing at the man on his left.

“Martin wants to say hi to you, sweetheart,” Henry said.

Billy suppressed a groan. Martin was so fucking creepy. He even smelled weird. Like he ate too much fish or bathed in those stupid fish oil caplets that so many alphas thought made them more virile. They didn’t, but alphas were always ready to jump on a bandwagon that promised virility.

“Hey!” Henry barked, Billy freezing in place. “I said no recording. Put the cell away.”

Billy wasn’t sure who the idiot was, but who the fuck brought a cell phone to something like this and recorded what they did? Like they were begging their mates to find out?

Billy ignored the exchange since it wasn’t his job to police the idiots. He settled between Martin’s legs and reached up without looking to unbuckle the man’s belt.

Martin slapped his hands away and unbuckled his own belt, unzipping and pulling his thick, hard cock out. He grabbed Billy’s torso under his arms and lifted him up like he was nothing, settling him with his knees to either side of Martin’s thighs. Billy’s brow furrowed, but he said he wouldn’t mouth off at their guests, so he didn’t.

Billy still refused to make eye contact, reaching out to take hold of Martin’s cock because that’s what Henry wanted him to do.

Martin slapped his hands away again, so Billy sighed and just sat there. Martin probably liked to play with his toys first, so he waited.

Martin’s left hand slid over Billy’s right thigh, gripping too tightly as his right hand slipped between Billy’s legs, his fingers probing beneath Billy’s cock and pushing into his pussy.

Billy cried out, both in pain and surprise, grabbing Martin’s wrist and lifting his ass off Martin’s lap. He turned to Henry, because there was no way his alpha was okay with anyone touching him there.

“Let go,” Henry said, glaring at him.

Billy flinched, staring at his mate. “But that- It’s yours! They can’t.”

Martin chuckled condescendingly. “I’ve only inserted my fingers. You do know how pups are made, don’t you, boy?”

Billy squirmed as Martin’s fingers pushed even deeper. It hurt. He was too tight. Too nervous. If he was spread out on their bed, Henry kissing and prepping him the way Billy liked, it wouldn’t have hurt.

“Are you fighting him?” Henry asked, his left eyebrow arching upward. It was a clear threat.

He liked sex. He liked that their relationship was open. He loved when Henry watched him with other people, hungry eyes focused on him and everyone in the room wanting a piece of him. It was thrilling and fun.

What he didn’t like was alphas being fucking assholes.

“He’ll be a good boy,” Martin said, prying Billy’s fingers from his wrist and pushing Billy’s legs open. “C’mere, beautiful.”

Billy grunted as Martin pulled him forward, their bodies flush with one another and Martin thrusting, his cock sliding under Billy’s half-hard cock and over his pussy lips.

Martin reached around Billy and tucked his hands between Billy’s legs from behind, pressing his cock up against Billy, his length between Billy’s lips and the tip of his cock sliding over Billy’s asshole.

“Just like that, baby,” Martin said, groaning. “Keep going.”

Billy could definitely do that. He might even get off on it, especially if Henry was watching and touching himself.

Billy braced his hands on the back of the couch, and after one last look at Henry to make sure he wasn’t going to change his mind, he started rolling his hips back and forth.

Despite the situation, Martin’s fingers began to slide more easily inside him as Billy moved, turned on because he was performing for his mate and because Billy liked sex no matter who it was.

Martin nipped at Billy’s chest and bit a little too hard on his sore nipples. Billy gasped, losing his rhythm a few times before Martin dug the fingers of his left hand into Billy’s asscheeks, growling against Billy’s chest as he came.

Billy whimpered as Martin pulled at his asscheek and curled the fingers of his right hand inside him until he was done with his orgasm.

He grimaced, wondering how much it was going to cost to get the upholstery cleaned. They had enough money for it, but it still threw Billy every time he saw the bills come in on things that would’ve bankrupted him before. It was nothing to Henry. He never struggled.

Before he could make a comment about the cost of cleaning the furniture that would get him in a hell of a lot of trouble, the next man on the couch grabbed him by the hair and pulled him off Martin’s lap. Billy fell to the floor, grunting and wincing.

He didn’t mean to look up, but he met Roger’s eyes for a moment, shocked that the man did that to him. He babysat Roger’s pups a few weeks ago when Roger and his mate were on vacation. Three rugrats who were spoiled to death.

Roger didn’t bother giving Billy orders, and he wasn’t gentle. He shoved his cock into Billy’s mouth and held his head, facefucking him until Billy choked hard enough to throw up. That didn’t stop Phil, but it did earn Billy a smack across the face. The rough treatment went straight to Billy’s cock, precome drooling on the front of the couch.

Glenn fucked him over the back of the couch, using his asshole with such rough thrusts that Billy was panting with the effort of keeping himself in place. Calvin wanted his mouth. Ted couldn’t keep it up, and ended up just stroking their cocks for a while until Billy’s dick was chafed and his precome was drying on their skin.

He didn’t remember Mr. Carver’s first name, but he remembered going to school with his son, the little prick. Carver called him a slut. A whore. A useless cunt. A cumdump. And when Carver realized the names made Billy so hard he was dripping wet, Carver teased him about it, making it even worse. Or better.

By the time Carver finally came, Billy was so turned on that he was shaking. He crawled back to Henry, kissing the tip of his cock and climbing up, straddling him and slowly sinking down on his alpha’s cock, gasping as it filled his pussy just right. Like he was made for his alpha to fill him.

“Good boy,” Henry said, voice strained with arousal.

The praise and the desperate sound of his mate combined with the heavy scent of his alpha spurred Billy on, and he rode Henry hard, squeezing around him and begging for his load. Henry smiled at him after he came, pulling him down to gently kiss him.

Henry’s fingers found the brand on Billy’s right upper inner thigh, and he thumbed the rough edges, moaning into the kiss as Billy’s cock twitched between them. The signs of Henry’s ownership were burned and bitten permanently into Billy’s body, and Billy fucking loved it.

“Get the fuck out,” Henry said to the rest of the men in the house. “Now!” he yelled.

Billy didn’t listen to what the men said as they got up and left. He didn’t care. His alpha was still inside him, and he wanted more.

“Do you want my knot, my little whore?” Henry asked, his blond hair falling over his deep blue eyes like a curtain.

Billy nodded. “Yes, please!”

Henry tossed him off his lap and onto the couch beside him before climbing between his legs and bending Billy in half, shoving his hard, leaking cock into Billy’s hole. Billy cried out in pleasure, panting and grasping at his alpha’s shoulders.

It was rough and painful. He felt used in the best way. Every bite Henry left on him was a temporary mark from his alpha, telling him he was a good omega. That he did exactly what his alpha wanted. He was euphoric with it and started to float off in a contented haze as Henry shoved in deep and buried his knot in his hole.

Billy came without either of them touching his cock, his alpha’s teeth clamping down on his right shoulder possessively just a fraction of an inch below the claiming bite he gave Billy years ago.

Billy stared off at nothing, his body shivering with the aftershocks of being aroused for so long and finally coming.

Henry never stayed still when he had his knot in Billy, and Billy fucking loved it. Moving his hips this way and that. Shifting with small thrusts that pulled on him.

“Do you want Martin’s pups?” Henry asked.

Billy’s face screwed up in confusion as he blinked his way through the comfortable haze he was wallowing in. His alpha was staring down at him with an intensity that nearly took Billy’s breath away.

He didn’t know what the fuck those words meant. He was too fuzzy-headed. “Huh?”

“He would do it if I let him,” Henry said before running his tongue over his lips.

Billy shook his head. “Do what?”

“He would fill you with pups if you want them, love,” Henry said in that tone that always set Billy on edge. Deceptively sweet.

“No!” Billy said, scowling, hoping his mind was clearing up enough to give Henry the right answers. “I told you I don’t want pups.”

“I saw you with Roger’s pups,” Henry said, cupping Billy’s face and running the tip of his nose over Billy’s jawline, scenting him. “You were happy. You’re good with them.”

Billy snorted. “Just because I can take care of some pups for a weekend doesn’t mean I want them. I don’t care that you can’t give me pups, Henry. They’re a hell of a lot of work, and I can’t give them back when they’re being little shits.”

“Huh, well, what if I want them,” Henry said, his lips brushing against Billy’s neck. “Would you be a good boy and let Martin knot you while I watch?”

It stole Billy’s breath and made his stomach clench so hard he wondered if he was going to throw up. “Henry, please. I don’t want pups. I don’t want Martin. I want you!”

Henry lifted his head and smiled down at Billy with that look on his face that made Billy squirm. “I can’t have you resenting me when we’re old and gray, my love.”

Billy shook his head. “I won’t. I wouldn’t. I promise you I don’t want pups and never will. And even if I did, I’d want yours, not Martin’s,” he said, his upper lip curling with distaste.

Henry sighed as his knot finally slipped out of Billy’s pussy, come leaking out onto the couch. He sat up and pulled Billy’s feet up onto his lap, rubbing them. “I’ll call Martin tomorrow. We’ll discuss the terms.”

His throat felt tight. This was too much. He couldn’t even process the thoughts. “No! I don’t-”

“Have you forgotten what happens when you argue with me?” Henry snapped at him.

Billy shut his mouth, turning his head away and staring at the stupidly expensive statue in the foyer that cost more than the house Billy grew up in.

It was hideous, but some fancy sculptor with a stupid name made it, so it was a big deal. What was even worse was that anybody who came to the house oohed and ahed over it like it was something special.

Billy hadn’t been on birth control or heat suppressants in a long time. He never needed to with Henry. They fell in love when he was nineteen, and Billy was still living at home with his parents. Back when he wasn’t allowed to do much of anything and dad kept him on a tight leash.

The only time dad let Billy run wild was during heats. He didn’t want to deal with a horny teenager, and Billy scratched his itch as much as he wanted before limping back home to shower and change, a satisfied smile on his face.

Meeting Henry and stepping into his world was like sliding into another dimension. His old life seemed so far away now even though it had only been seven years since he walked out the door and never looked back.

Henry was his first for everything that mattered, and since Henry was infertile, they never needed birth control.

He should have stashed some away while he had the chance. Back when his doctor first offered it to him even though he knew his mate couldn’t get him pregnant. The doctor knew what kind of man Henry was even if Billy didn’t back then.

Now, if he didn’t do something quickly, he was going to be carrying another alpha’s pups. Raising them. Seeing Martin’s features in them instead of Henry’s.

He didn’t want it, but he learned years ago that, once Henry decided on something, it was going to happen whether Billy wanted it or not.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Henry said, those agile fingers threatening to make Billy relax through sheer pleasure even though he was freaking out.

He had to come up with something. Some reason he was quiet. Something he could say he was thinking of instead of ‘how the fuck do I get some birth control without you finding out about it?!’

“I was thinking,” Billy drawled, “that it’s been too long since I’ve had your stripes on my legs.”

Henry let out a throaty chuckle. “Has it? Well, I should get right on that. Go get my cane.”

Billy rolled off the couch, ignoring the aches and pains throughout his body. Wearing Henry’s marks, even for just a few hours while the welts lasted, was one of his favorite things. Henry was good with a cane and left the prettiest marks.

Chapter Text

Billy blinked at the guard standing in front of him, dazed and trying to catch up with whatever the guy just said to him. “Huh?”

The guard rolled his eyes and held up a set of keys that were attached to his belt by a retractable cord. “Want your handcuffs off? Then turn the fuck around,” he said, twirling his index finger to demonstrate.

The security door between the guard station and the hallway Billy was standing in with the guard slammed closed, and Billy flinched at the loud sound.

Everything happened too fast. It felt like from one minute to the next he was cuddling with Henry on their giant bed with million-thread-count sheets caressing his body and the next he was in scratchy, cheap scrubs and being shoved off the prison bus.

He turned around, forcing himself to stay still as the guard unlocked his cuffs and took them off his wrists. He faced the guard again, eyeing the embroidery on his button-down shirt that read Harrington.

The guy looked young. Too young to be a prison guard. He couldn’t have even been thirty yet. And were guards allowed to have fuckboy hair like that?

“Phones are over there if you wanna call your alpha,” Harrington said, flipping his hair out of his face with a shake of his head. He used the hand currently holding Billy’s cuffs to gesture to the phone on the wall to his left. “You’ve got sixty seconds, so make them count.”

Billy nodded before shuffling across the hallway in flip-flops that dug into the skin between his big toe and his second toe. He was already sore just going from the courthouse to the intake area of the prison. They made him change right in the back of the courthouse like some kind of hardened criminal.

Billy lifted the receiver and punched in the number he memorized after printing it on every form they threw at him over the last few hours. He never had to know it before because he always had his cell phone. Who memorized numbers anymore?

He held the receiver up to his ear, hunching his shoulders forward and leaning on the wall to the right side of the phone.

Four rings before it went to voicemail. That meant Henry wasn’t rejecting his calls, and his phone was on, but he was ignoring the calls.

“Hey, uhm, I’m here,” Billy said after the beep, keeping his voice low. “They said I could call you once a day, so answer your phone next time. They’re making me sign all these forms, and I don’t know what the fuck they mean. Your lawyer never showed up. And they said you need to talk to the warden here to get me out of the punishment program they’ve got set up, so call him before I fuck up, okay? Please? I don’t want some freak touching me.”

He sighed, running his free hand through his hair and glancing at the guard. The guy was going to tell him to get off the phone soon.

“Why didn’t you come to the sentencing?” Billy asked, his voice barely more than a whisper. “Did I do something wrong?”

He felt like a pathetic baby. Henry didn’t need to coddle him or hold his hand through it all. Billy was an adult. He could fucking act like it and wait for his mate to visit him.

“It’s Monday,” Billy said, nodding at Harrington when the man tapped his own wrist even though he wasn’t wearing a watch. “I can have visitors on Saturday. Please come. I want to see you. Please?”

“Okay, c’mon,” Harrington said, flapping his hand at the phone.

Billy replaced the receiver without saying goodbye because it was a voicemail inbox instead of his mate. Why bother with etiquette?

None of this was going how he thought it would.

Henry was supposed to be at the sentencing, and he told Billy he would be there to help him go over the legal forms too. Instead he hadn’t seen Henry since the police showed up at the mansion and took Billy away in handcuffs three days earlier.

Three days was the longest they ever been apart, and it felt like his insides were falling out of him. He was doing his best to look confident and unafraid, but it was hard because he was really fucking scared.

“Follow me.”

Billy’s eyebrows arched just a little, surprised that the guard turned his back on him. That wasn’t what they did in the movies. In fact, rule number one was to never leave yourself open to attack from an inmate, wasn’t it?

Billy scented the air, even more confused than before when all he caught was light body odor and the sensitive-skin aftershave he remembered smelling in the store years ago when he was trying to figure out which one he wanted. It was cheap, and it didn’t have a pleasant smell, so he opted for the nicer stuff. Henry could afford it.

The scent coming off Harrington told Billy he was a beta. The guy obviously didn’t fully understand the dynamics involved, and that usually meant a beta would be more careful around alphas and omegas, but Harrington wasn’t the least bit bothered.

He followed the guy down the painfully bland white linoleum hallway with white walls and white doors to another security door. The depressingly heavy door was made of steel with a small glass window, and the steel was the only thing in the hallway breaking up the overwhelming amount of white. Other than the too-bright light above the door.

The red light over the door turned green, followed by a loud thunk inside the door. Harrington pushed the door open, standing to the side and waving Billy in.

Billy stepped through the door into a large, open space with way too many people. His chest tightened with anxiety, and he spun around in time to see Harrington give him a little wave through the glass and leave.

He hadn’t even heard the door close, and Harrington didn’t warn him that this was it. That he was in prison for real. No going back. No changing his mind. No throwing himself down on the floor and crying his eyes out until everyone believed him that it was Henry who fucked up and not him.

I’m really here. I’m in prison.

Billy turned around, running his hands over his sides in a futile attempt to wipe the sweat from his palms. He nearly fell over backwards when a really fucking hot chick bounced on the balls of her feet, waved, and said hi in the perkiest little voice he ever heard.

“Hi,” he said back, gaze traveling over the boring brown button down shirt and slacks that it seemed all the guards in the world wore. The yellow embroidery on her shirt read Cunningham.

“My name is Chrissy,” she said with a toothy smile that made the skin at the corners of her eyes crinkle. “My shift is almost over, but I’ll show you around before I go.” She reached a hand out to him.

Billy hesitated to take her hand, but with that gentle confidence Billy learned some alphas have, she patiently waited for him, and he slipped his left hand into her right. It was oddly comforting.

She chattered away as she led him around the spaces that were going to be his home for the next few years. The sweet voice contrasted heavily with the depressingly gray walls, gray floor, gray bars, and small cells that held omegas who didn’t look happy to be there.

Not every inmate stunk of despair, but enough of them did that it was thick in the air. Billy wondered how many of them were alone when they were sentenced and didn’t have anyone to visit them or talk on the phone.

He knew there were services available in the prison for omegas without mates -- the brochure the guard handed him on the bus was very informative -- but it wasn’t the same. Billy was well aware of that, having gone so long without a mate of his own.

“Hey, cutiepie.”

Billy blinked at Chrissy. “Huh?”

“Did you get all that?” she asked, reaching up with both hands and cupping his face. “I think you zoned out a little there.”

“Uhm, yeah, but I got the basics,” he said with a nod. It was a lie, but he really didn’t feel like getting the tour a second time.

She ran her hands down over his neck and rested them on his shoulders. It wasn’t a possessive touch. Meant to be comforting, and it was. “Do you remember where your cell is, babe?”

He felt his cheeks flush, and he ducked his head. It didn’t do much to hide the blush from her because she was not only shorter than him, but all her attention was focused on him, so he couldn’t get away with it.

“Walk with me,” she said, letting go of his shoulders and instead wrapping her left arm around his middle as though they were the best of friends who were taking a walk through the park instead of a prison guard taking him to his cell.

“Your bunkmate is at her therapy appointment right now,” she said as though he would be worried about the bunkmate. “She should be back soon, and the two of you can get to know one another.”

Billy stared at the bunks in the cell. The bottom bunk was stripped of sheets, and at the end of the bed was a neatly folded pile of what were probably his new sheets, pillowcase, thin blanket, and a change of clothes.

His gaze drifted up to the top bunk, and the soft, thick blanket he found there made his stomach clench with envy. Henry probably wouldn’t give him a special blanket to use while in prison even if he asked him.

His roommate’s alpha had not only given her a custom orange and cream patchwork blanket, but the pillowcase matched it, and she had a stuffed teddy bear holding a heart nestled against her pillow.

Chrissy didn’t say his bunkmate had an alpha, but he knew anyway. Even from the doorway he could smell the pheromones on the blanket. His bunkmate’s alpha cared enough about her to mark the blanket before he gave it to her. A heavy musk with hints of cinnamon and other scents that felt like the warm home everybody talked about in Christmas movies.

He rolled his eyes. Her alpha’s a baker? Or maybe he’s a stay-at-home dad to pups and loves to bake. I bet he brings cookies every time he visits her.

That thought shouldn’t have made his throat burn and his eyes sting with unshed tears, but it did. His alpha wouldn’t even answer the phone, so treats weren’t even a consideration yet.

“I’ve got another half hour on my shift,” Chrissy said, giving him a gentle pat on the butt, propelling him into the cell. “Get your bunk made and settle in. If you need anything, I’ll be right at the end of the hall,” she said, jerking her thumb toward her right.

He watched her walk away, and though the cell door was open, he felt trapped. He could walk out of the cell, and there were plenty of areas he could go to, but he couldn’t leave the building. He wouldn’t be leaving it anytime soon either.

Billy turned, the bright orange of his bunkmate’s blanket catching his eye. He leaned in, scenting the blanket and closing his eyes. He couldn’t pretend that Henry was the one who sent the blanket for him, but the borrowed hit of dopamine it gave him would have to be enough.

He frowned, something familiar catching his attention. It was hidden and commingled in the pheromones, but he couldn’t place it. Something that felt good, but wrong at the same time.

“Touch it and you die, dickhead.”

Billy turned toward the doorway, eyes wide and ready to apologize, already backing away from the blanket, but he froze. His bunkmate looked more surprised than him, if that was possible.

“Billy?” she breathed, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

She was older. Taller than he thought she would end up being. Red hair in a long braid down her back. Blue eyes that were just as pretty as the day he met her years ago, both of them so young and small. Before things got fucked up.

“Max,” he said, recovering quickly and smirking at her. “Did you find out I was coming here and request me as a bunkmate?”

Instead of the scrubs he had on, she was wearing a white tank top and a pair of grayish green scrub pants. They looked better than his. He wasn’t sure if it was the color that made the difference, but they looked thicker and softer.

She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him so tightly that he could barely breathe. She sniffled, her hands a little shaky as she pulled back and rested her palms on his chest. Her face fell, and she scowled at him, suddenly shoving him back.

“What the fuck did you do, asshole?” she yelled at him.

Billy held his hands out at his sides. “Is this a prison thing?” he asked, keeping his voice low. “Are you the scary inmate everybody has to fight, so you gotta keep up appearances by being mean to me?”

She took one step forward and shoved him again. “No! I mean yeah, but no. I’m mad at you! But even if I was nice to you, nobody here would give me a hard time or question my place in the- William Hargrove!” she growled, putting her hands on her hips. “You just left. You didn’t say anything. You were just gone. And you never called or wrote or stopped by to say you were okay. And next time I see you, you’re in prison? What the fuck did you do? Why did you leave like that? What did-”

“Okay, okay. Hang on,” he interrupted, holding his hands up in a calming gesture between them. He tilted his head a bit and gave her a toothy grin. “Did you forget that you’re in prison too?”

“Billy!”

He knew he was being an ass about it, but it had been so long since he’d seen her, and the fact that she was as feisty as ever warmed his heart.

Life hadn’t beaten her down, and she hadn’t given in to the rhetoric about omegas being submissive and staying in their place. Whoever her mate was, they hadn’t done to her what Henry was doing to Billy.

“Look,” she said, jabbing a finger at him, “I don’t give a fuck if you’re my brother. All I wanna know is why the fuck-”

“You’re related?”

Billy leaned to the right enough to see around Max and peered at Chrissy as Max turned to face their guard. Chrissy’s brows were furrowed with concern.

“We can’t bunk you together if you’re related,” she said, waving a hand between the two of them. “Nothing came up in the system about there being a link to the two of you.”

Billy sighed. “She’s my step-sister. No blood relation.”

Max crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hip. “His deadbeat sorry excuse for a father left my mom a few months after Billy left home, and he found a way to get their mating annulled, so on paper there’s no link between us, but-”

“Is she okay?” Billy asked, his chest aching with sympathy for the woman who was never able to keep Neil from doing anything to him. She wasn’t strong enough to help him, but he could tell she wanted to.

Max leaned against the bunk beds and shrugged. “She had to go inpatient for a while to get through the worst of the withdrawals, but she found a really great woman who claimed her, and they’re very happy together. They just celebrated their third anniversary.”

Billy let out the breath he was holding. “Good,” he said with a nod.

“Okay, grab your stuff, Hargrove,” Chrissy said, gesturing to the small stack of things the prison provided him. He didn’t even consider them his. “I gotta move you.”

“But we’re not blood related,” Billy said again, not really sure why he was arguing. Max was doing fine on her own before he got there. She didn’t need him to watch over her.

“Doesn’t matter,” Chrissy said, voice firm as she crooked a finger and beckoned him. “C’mon.”

“Chrissy,” Max said, an odd tone to her voice.

Billy ignored the uneasy feeling in his gut and the urge to stand his ground, insisting that he get to stay. He bit his lip, hugging the change of clothes to his chest and stepping around Max.

“If anybody messes with you,” Max said, her voice low as she grabbed the back of his shirt, “tell them you’re my brother. I don’t give a fuck if it makes you feel like a little squealing piglet. Tell them or I’ll kick your ass harder than they ever dreamed of.”

Billy nodded, eyes on Chrissy. “Got it.” He didn’t know why her threat made him feel better, but it did.

Max let go of his shirt, and he followed Chrissy out of the cell, the awful feeling in his stomach crawling its way up to his throat. He swallowed hard, willing his stomach to behave.

Quit it. She’ll be fine. You will be too.

He knew he wasn’t worried about her, but he didn’t want to admit it even to himself. If she felt the need to let others know he was under her protection, omega prisons were already a hell of a lot different than the movies.

Of course he already knew that too. Resort-like prisons in the movies were a far cry from the concrete walls, cement floors, and metal bars everywhere.

He didn’t see a TV in every cell. None of the prisoners were gathered on luxury couches tittering about all the latest gossip. There wasn’t a snack station in the main activity area either.

He followed Chrissy, telling himself that, just because the movies fucking lied about it, that didn’t ment he made a bad choice. Alpha prisons were death traps. Whatever he experienced would be nothing compared to what Henry would’ve gone through had he been sentenced to years behind bars.

“You’ll be stuck here for now,” Chrissy said, her hand gentle at the small of his back as she led him into a large open area with concrete cubicles and bunks. There were no bars or separate cells in the area. “But as soon as we have another compatible roommate and cell open up, we’ll put you there.”

He wasn’t paying attention to what she was saying because panic was taking over. Everything was out in the open. Any of the inmates could leave their cubicle whenever they wanted and mess with him.

There were probably guards on duty at night, but guards didn’t see everything. He managed to convince himself it would be okay if all he had to deal with was a roommate in a cell, but there was no fucking way he was ready for several dozen prisoners in an open space all night every night.

“Hey, cutie,” Chrissy said, pulling him into a cubicle and pressing him against the six-foot-tall wall. “Breathe.”

The cool concrete felt good on his overheated skin, as did the pressure from Chrissy leaning against him. “I am,” he said with a nod, barely able to hear her over the rushing sound in his ears.

“Look at me.”

He blinked, his head feeling detached from his neck and his fingers so numb he wasn’t sure if he was holding his stuff anymore. Chrissy smiled up at him, her hands on his shoulders, thumbs digging into his skin.

“Breathe with me,” she said as she shoved her thigh between his legs and leaned against him even more. “In through the nose, out through the mouth. Look at me. Keep those pretty blues on me.”

The painful pressure against his crotch helped, and he nodded with jerky movements, following her instructions. “Yeah. I got it.” He winced at the discomfort, but he didn’t push her away. Not when it felt like it was the only thing keeping his feet on the ground.

“Good. Keep doing it,” she said as her calming pheromones hit his nostrils.

“Shit,” he hissed as his body responded to her commands. It had been so long since an alpha did that for him, and he bit his tongue as tears threatened to spill down his cheeks.

“There you go, cutiepie,” she said, her hands moving over his chest and down his sides. “You’re going to be fine. There’s plenty of guards looking out for you, and this isn’t the maximum security wing, so you’re in here with a bunch of other little brats just like you.”

It was said with affection, but it still irritated him. “I’m not a brat,” he growled, pouting at her and completely ruining the sentiment.

“No? Oh, my mistake,” she said, easing the pressure on his body. “Are you a good boy?”

His cheeks flushed, and he closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the wall. She wasn’t touching him with any sexual intent, and the pheromones she was releasing were only meant to calm, not arouse. He appreciated it more than he could say. “Not a boy either.”

She patted his chest. “Okay, well, when you figure out what you are, let me know, because I want to make sure you know you’re very good, cutie.”

The pressure was gone, and he grunted with the effort of staying where he was instead of following her to get more contact. He looked down at her and licked his lips. He wasn’t holding his change of clothes, pillow, and sheets anymore. Chrissy set them on the bottom bunk in the cubicle they were standing in.

“Let’s go meet the guards,” she chirped, grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the cubicle. “I can already tell you’re gonna charm the socks off of them the whole time you’re here.”

Chapter Text

Billy was exhausted. Being locked in predicament bondage for way too long and servicing a whole party of Henry’s friends was hard, but meeting a dozen guards along with a whole cell block of inmates and learning how to do everything from helping out in laundry to putting his lunch and dinner trays in the right spot was tiring in a whole different way.

His cubicle-mate was snoring softly above him, the lights were dimmed, and it was much quieter in the block than during the day when everybody was awake.

Calahan was a weird little guy, but he seemed harmless enough. He didn’t threaten Billy over the space they shared, and he made it clear that Billy could put his stuff anywhere he wanted. They even ate dinner together in the mess hall.

Billy turned onto his back and stared at the underside of the bunk above him. He supposed it wasn’t that bad. Yet.

Listening to some of the omegas masturbating in the dim lights before they fell asleep wasn’t all that arousing for him, and he didn’t bother jerking off.

As tired as he was, he was still restless. Jerking off would probably help, but instead he got out of bed and walked into his slides, the thong immediately irritating the skin between his toes.

The guards on duty glanced at him as he walked to the bathroom, but they didn’t stop him. He sat on the toilet for a few minutes just because he could.

He didn’t need to take a shit. Didn’t even need to piss. Closing the door to his little stall felt like a privacy of sorts, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair and leaning back, spreading his legs.

Another inmate was taking a shit, and Billy waited as he finished up and left without washing his hands. He stayed still, listening for any hint of another person in the bathroom, and when he didn’t even hear soft breathing, he relaxed all the more.

He was alone for the first time in what was probably months. Even when Henry punished him by leaving him in a room all by himself, he wasn’t really gone, and Billy could feel that presence all the time.

He wasn’t sure if it felt all that good to be alone, but it was better than being out in the main block with everybody else.

He rolled his eyes when he heard the heavier sound boots heading toward him. There was a muffled clinking with each step that intrigued Billy, and he wondered if the buckles were on the boots or the belt. He watched the space between the bottom of the stall door and the floor, smirking when combat boots came into view. The guard knocked on the stall.

“You almost done?” It was a gruff voice, but Billy didn’t know the guards well enough yet to figure out who it was.

“Yeah,” he said, flushing the toilet and standing up. He wasn’t fooling either of them. The alpha had to know Billy was just hiding away alone and not actually taking a shit.

Billy opened the door and looked up at the scruffy guy Chrissy introduced him to as her shift ended. Something Hopper. He couldn’t remember the first name, and it didn’t matter. Everybody called him Hopper.

He wasn’t wearing the hat he had on earlier, and his button-down shirt was open, revealing a white undershirt that sported a pink-ish stain. Billy would guess the stain was from some kind of pastry.

A soft ticking came from his pocket that Billy remembered hearing earlier, having been surprised that a guard would bring a pocket watch into the prison. If it had sentimental value, he didn’t think the guy would want to take it somewhere it might get broken.

“Back to bed,” Hopper said, stepping out of the way and gesturing to the archway leading to the main room.

“Gotta wash my hands,” Billy said, brushing by him and walking up to the sink. He looked in the mirror, biting his lip to suppress a smirk as Hopper glared at him.

Irritating a guard probably wasn’t a good idea, but he did it anyway. He watched the man’s face in the mirror as he took his time lathering his hands, shifting his hips just to see if the guy checked out his ass.

He didn’t, which was disappointing, but Billy could still work with it.

“That’s enough,” Hopper said, walking up behind Billy shutting the water off, that soft ticking from his pocket almost soothing.

“I was going to wash my face,” Billy said, turning around and leaning against the sink.

He watched the guard carefully. Growing up with Neil and living with Henry taught him a lot, but one of the biggest lessons was that testing alphas out over the small stuff meant saving himself a lot of really bad shit down the line.

“Go,” Hopper said, pointing at the doorway.

The guard’s breathing was even, his nostrils weren’t flaring, and he wasn’t crowding Billy up against the sink. All good signs.

Billy stuck out his bottom lip and tilted his head, baring his neck. He didn’t really want the guy to put him down, but watching an alpha’s reaction to that move told Billy a little more about what needed to survive.

In Billy’s experience, there were two kinds of alphas. The first one would take it as a challenge from an insolent little omega and throw him down, hurt him, and make sure Billy knew exactly who was in charge.

The other kind would be charmed by it even if they didn’t say so out loud, and they didn’t stand a chance with him. Billy could wrap both of them around his little finger, but the technique was vastly different.

Hopper gave Billy a tight smile before grabbing his right elbow, pulling him forward, away from the sink. He turned Billy and landed a heavy smack on his ass. “Bed. Now.”

Billy yelped and scowled at the guard, but he did as he was told, trudging back out of the restrooms and climbing into bed. Hopper stayed close by the whole time to make sure he did it.

“There’s a third kind,” Billy mumbled into his pillow, not all that sure how he felt about it. He didn’t know how to manipulate the guard yet, but he would work it out.

He caught himself reaching out for his woobie twice in the few minutes he was awake. The soft blue fabric that smelled so fucking good he wanted it near him at all times. It was stuck in a storage box somewhere, and he knew he wouldn’t see it for years, but it was hard to remember that when he was half asleep.

He fell into an exhausted sleep with a frown on his face and the phantom handprint on his ass poking at something deep inside him he chose to ignore.

The next morning he awakened early. He was always a light sleeper. Had to be in case Neil was in a bad mood.

Henry thought he was cute when he was sleeping, so it wasn’t necessary to be vigilant, but old habits die hard, and Billy was always awake the moment Henry’s breathing changed from sleep to wake.

Calahan was in a good mood, and he said the best time to shower was in the morning while the grumpier omegas were still sleeping, so they grabbed their stuff and headed for the showers.

“You’ve seen too many prison movies, man,” Calahan teased.

Billy glanced at him while soaping himself up. “What do you mean?”

Calahan smacked his right arm playfully. “Showering with your back to the wall doesn’t do shit. If they’re gonna get you, they’re gonna get you no matter how you’re standing.”

Billy shrugged him off, rolling his eyes. “I’ve always showered like this.”

It was a lie, and Calahan probably knew it. Billy had a bigger physique than Calahan, and though he might ultimately lose if several people came at him all at once, he was going to put up a good fight.

“Omega prison rape is just a myth. Something perpetuated because of pornography catered to sick alphas.”

Henry told him that the last night they were together, and he hated himself for believing it. HIs mate told him so many thing that just weren’t true.

Cushy prisons for soft, helpless omegas. Private cells. Bathtubs for the occasional soak. Special meals that alphas never got. TVs in every cell. Lots of personal things on the walls of the cell to remind them of home.

He got none of that so far, and if Calahan’s warning held any weight, Henry was wrong about omega prison rape too. He tried not to think about it. He rinsed himself off, toweled dry, and put on his change of clothing.

“Fuck yeah,” he moaned and he pulled the soft cotton pants up his legs. He was a little jealous of Max the day before with her soft clothes, but now he had them too. Maybe there were other perks coming his way.

He walked to the mess hall with Calahan, getting a tray of food that definitely wasn’t anything special like he saw in the movies, but at least it didn’t smell like shit.

“Over here!”

Billy smiled, recognizing that voice. He and Max didn’t get along all that well as pups, but Neil was a big part of that, and he wasn’t around anymore.

“You know her?” Calahan asked under his breath, following Billy with his tray.

“She’s my step-sister,” Billy said, his chest swelling with pride when he saw she had a whole table full of people around her.

“Make room,” she said, gesturing to the seven other people at the table. Without hesitation, the group moved until Billy and Calahan had seats. “They didn’t give you the cinnamon rolls?”

Billy leaned forward, peering at the tray in front of Max. His mouth watered when he saw the glazed cinnamon roll. It smelled amazing. “Uh, no.”

Max didn’t even ask. She just stormed off to the serving area, snapped at a guy behind the counter who looked scared of her, and came back to the table with two big cinnamon rolls on a plate.

“Thanks,” Billy said, setting one of the rolls onto Calahan’s tray and taking the other for himself.

“If they fuck with your food, let me know,” Max said before taking a bite of her roll.

He was more open when he was a kid, putting up wall after wall each time he was hurt by the people around him. Protecting more of himself from the world because letting others see it was a vulnerability.

Max was there before the worst of it started, and she knew he had a sweet tooth. She saw it before he shut that part of himself off.

She remembered, if the soft smile on her face was anything to go by, watching him eat his cinnamon roll. He didn’t moan, but it was hard not to. The roll was the best thing he put in his mouth in a long time.

The tension at the table bled away as they all got to know one another. Billy retained all the info he could, but when it came to one inmate in particular, Billy paid more attention. She was a little taller than max with long dark brown hair and glasses.

She was the type of girl who probably had a lot of trouble with bullies in school, but when Max introduced her as Suzie, she had affection in her eyes and a soft tone to her voice. There was something between them.

Billy wondered if Max’s mate viewed Suzie as her prison wife, if that was even a thing, or if there was something between them on the outside before they found themselves locked away together.

In either case, why hadn’t Max bunked with Suzie?

“Hey, cutie.”

Billy looked up from his nearly empty tray, giving Chrissy a smile. “Hey.”

“Sorry to interrupt your brunch, guys,” Chrissy said to everyone at the table, “but the schedules got mixed up, and Billy’s first session with Doc Bauman is in a few minutes, so I gotta steal him away.”

Max sat back in her chair. “Why’s he gotta see Murray?” she asked, and by the tone of her voice, she did not like the man. “Is Doc Owens too busy?”

“That’s just how it worked out,” Chrissy said with a shrug.

Billy stood up, giving Calahan a small smile of thanks when he took both their trays. When he met Max’s glare, he gave her a nod. He understood that Bauman wasn’t someone Max thought highly of, and he was going to be careful. She nodded back, her shoulders dropping a little, though the worry was still in her eyes.

Great. That’s just what he needed was somebody poking around in his head that Max didn’t like. She was always better at reading people than he was, and if she didn’t like Bauman, it was with good reason.

Forty-five minutes later, Billy was in a really bad fucking mood. Yeah, there was a good reason Max didn’t like “call me Murray because we’ll be seeing a lot of each other” Bauman.

He was a smug know-it-all bastard who decided Billy wasn’t ready for being discharged from therapy sessions even though Billy didn’t want them.

That, and he tried to dissect his relationship with Henry. Billy didn’t ask him to do it, but Bauman thought it was a good idea, especially when he let Billy use the office phone to call Henry and Henry didn’t pick up.

Billy’s mood only got worse when he stomped by the guard station and Tommy stepped out of the booth, standing in his way. The guard was a little shit with freckles and a smile that was too sweet for the heavy alpha scent wafting from him.

“Slow down and check the attitude,” Tommy said, keeping his voice low.

Billy was too pissed to appreciate the fact that Tommy hadn’t said it loud enough for everyone else to hear. “Fuck off,” he growled, glaring at the man.

Tommy held his hand up inches from Billy’s chest without actually touching him. “If you go back into the block now, you’ll get in a fight for no reason.”

Billy let out a humorless chuckle. “Maybe I don’t need to get inside the block to start a fight,” he said, voice low and threatening.

Tommy didn’t move. Didn’t say a damn thing. He just waited Billy out while Billy’s stomach twisted, his throat and chest feeling too tight, making it hard to breathe. He couldn’t stop himself. Not now that he was so worked up.

“Take a breath,” Tommy said, his voice barely above a whisper. The expression on his face told Billy he really didn’t want to have to put Billy down, but he would if he had to.

“Fucking alphas,” Billy snarled in his face, slapping Tommy’s hand away, “with your fucking knothead attitudes,” he said as he moved closer, nearly chest-to-chest with the man, “and thinking with your dick instead of your brain. If you wanna fuck me just do it.”

Tommy stumbled back as Billy shoved him, but instead of coming back at him with rage, punching or biting, he turned and tapped on the bulletproof glass of the booth. Billy frowned, looking up at the scowling face of Hopper, who must have already been watching.

Why was he still around? Wasn’t he on the night shift?

Hopper opened the door to the booth and stepped out, grabbing Billy by the scruff of the neck and walking briskly into the block.

Billy’s body responded even though he wanted to fight it, biology kicking in and making him compliant. He hated it with a passion, and by the time Hopper walked him into his cubicle, Billy managed to get his bearings, so he pushed Hopper away with a growl.

“The fuck you doing?!” Billy yelled, backing away a few steps because Hopper was standing in the opening to the cubicle, and Billy felt trapped. He did not like it. “You’re not my mate! You can’t just scruff me!”

He was shaking, and he could hear the wavering of his voice. His throat burned, his eyes stinging with tears that he refused to let fall. He bit his tongue, using the pain as a focal point to push the emotions back.

He did it all the time with dad and Henry. He could do it in prison too. He just had to stop being a big baby about it.

“There’s no rules against scruffing,” Hopper said firmly. “There are rules about shoving guards and getting into screaming matches with them.”

“Then he should leave me the fuck alone!” Billy hissed, his hands balled into fists at his sides, trying to ignore the soothing ticking of the pocket watch coming from the guard. Why did it threaten to settle him? He was mad, damn it.

“Are you willing to talk to me about this or do we skip that and get right to the spanking?” Hopper asked.

Billy’s eyes widened, and he took a step back, his stomach doing a strange flippy thing that made his head spin. “What? No. You’re not authorized to do that. My alpha opted out.”

It wasn’t really a lie. Henry said he would sign the papers to get him out of corporal punishment, and he might have already done it after the voicemail Billy left the day before. He had to have done it.

Hopper shook his head. “You’re not on our list of opt-outs, so your alpha must want us to use that as punishment.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Billy insisted, standing up taller and squaring his shoulders. “He said he didn’t want it. Check again.”

“I checked before I left the booth,” Hopper said, taking two steps toward Billy and taking hold of his left wrist.

Billy yanked, but he couldn’t break Hopper’s hold. “Then let me call him. He probably just didn’t get around to it yet. He’s a very busy man! You have to let me call. If you do this and he doesn’t want you to, he’s going to sue the shit out of you.”

That definitely was a lie. Henry was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a litigious sort of guy. He wouldn’t even be upset if he found out Billy got spanked for being a little dick on his second day in prison. In fact, he might even insist on coming in to give him another spanking once Hopper was done.

But Hopper didn’t know that.

“I demand a call to my alpha,” Billy said, raising his voice so anybody else in earshot would know he requested access to his mate. Why not use the law to his advantage?

“Okay, let’s go,” Hopper said, turning around and hauling Billy out of the cubicle by the wrist.

Billy stumbled along, hurrying to catch up with Hopper’s longer stride. The guy was taller than him, and it seemed like it was all in his legs. Hopper took him down a long hallway, through the common area he was in the day before when he thought he was getting a cell with Maxt, and up to the door he came through with Harrington what felt like an eternity ago.

Hopper gestured to the guard behind the glass, and after a loud thunk inside the door, Hopper opened it and pulled Billy through.

“I can walk on my own,” Billy snipped, trying to wrench his wrist free, but it didn’t work.

Billy’s head was swimming, and he lost track of how many times they turned down different hallways. If Hopper let go of him now and told him to get back to the cell block without him, he wouldn’t be able to do it.

Hopper pulled him into a room that was roughly fifteen feet squared with a comfy-looking couch across from the door, a coffee table, and a barstool next to a landline attached to the wall at his left.

“Make your call,” Hopper said, gesturing to the push-button phone on the wall.

Billy rubbed his sore wrist before picking up the receiver and holding it to his ear. He punched Henry’s number in and listened to it ring once. Twice. Three times. Fuck. A fourth time, and it went to voicemail.

Billy pressed his index finger down on the button to end the call and dialed over again. He didn’t know if Hopper would try to stop him, so he hurried through the number as quickly as he could.

It went to voicemail again, and Billy slapped the button with his index and middle fingers, letting out a growl of frustration. Before Hopper could stop him, he dialed again. It went to voicemail.

“Fuck,” Billy yelled, dialing over again.

“That’s enough, kid,” Hopper said.

“He’s a busy guy,” Billy said, hunching his shoulders and leaning against the wall. It wouldn’t stop Hopper, but at least Billy could put up a fight. Maybe he could grab onto the phone.

On the third ring, Henry answered. “What?”

“Alpha!” Billy blurted, his bottom lip quivering at the sound of Henry’s voice.

“Billy? What’s wrong?”

“Shit, I miss you,” Billy said, squeezing his eyes shut and leaning his forehead on the wall. “You weren’t there.”

“I couldn’t make it,” Henry said, his voice cold. “Is something wrong?”

Billy let out a nervous chuckle, relief washing through him. “Sorry. No. Not really. Kind of. I’m in trouble.”

He could hear the smirk in Henry’s voice. “Already?”

Billy’s lips curved into a smile. “Yeah.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“You forgot to sign the forms to get me out of corporal punishment,” Billy said, his voice barely more than a whisper because he didn’t want Hopper to hear.

“I didn’t forget,” Henry said. Billy could hear the TV going in the background. Henry liked to keep the business feed going all the time when he was in his office.

He let out a huff. “Well, you must have because they said the signature isn’t in the system.”

“I said I didn’t forget,” Henry said with an edge to his tone of voice that had Billy standing up straighter out of habit. “I don’t want them putting you in solitary or heavy work programs for punishment, so I didn’t sign the forms.”

Billy’s jaw dropped. “But- No! You said you would get me out of it! The night before my sentencing, you said you’d sign so I wouldn’t get spanked.”

“William,” Henry snapped, “are you really going to argue with me right now? At my say-so, I could have you on punishment every night for the next month.”

Billy flinched, tucking himself against the wall even more. “I’m sorry. Sorry, Henry, I just- I don’t want anybody but you touching me like that. I’m yours, and-”

“Then don’t fuck up, little boy,” Henry said.

“I already did,” Billy said with a heavy sigh.

Henry was quiet for a moment. “You’re going to be fine. Take your licks, and don’t fuck up again. You’ve always caught on quick. Do what you’re told, and don’t make waves. That’s what we talked about.”

Billy ran a hand through his hair. “Henry, please,” he said through clenched teeth. “Please sign the paper. I’ll be good. I swear.”

“What did I say?” The words were harsh, and Billy felt them in his chest. They were crushing and final. Once Henry made up his mind, he never changed it.

“You said no,” Billy mumbled.

“Then why are you arguing with me?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You will be if you keep it up.”

“I know,” Billy said with a nod. “Are you coming to see me on Saturday?”

“I’ll be in Paris on Saturday.”

Billy bit the inside of his cheek in an attempt to hold back everything he wanted to say. The begging. The tears. “What about next week? I miss you.”

“I’ll see what I can do, but I’m very busy,” Henry said.

Billy always hated that line. It meant less time with his mate and feeling lonely even when he was in the same room with him. “Okay.”

“I have to get going now, Billy,” Henry said, his assistant Diana whispering to him. “I’ll see you soon.”

Before Billy could respond, the line went dead. He replaced the receiver and ran his hands over his face, telling himself not to cry.

He hated crying. It made him feel weak. Made him feel like a pathetic omega.

Yes, he was an omega, but he wasn't like those other omegas. He didn't fit the mold most alphas thought omegas should fit into. He wasn’t a simpering little thing. He and Max weren’t blood related, but they shared that trait.

Billy took a cleansing breath and turned, squaring his shoulders and putting on his most cocky smirk. He wouldn’t let the guards see him cry. He wasn’t a pushover. He was a fucking badass.

He could do this. He would be fine. Prison wasn’t permanent. It was a long time, but it wasn’t life. He would get out one day, sooner with good behavior.

Billy walked out of the room with his head held high and Hopper’s hand at his lower back to guide him. He missed the softness of the room he was in as soon as he was in the white-on-white hallway again, and even Hopper’s gentle treatment of him compared to dragging him by his wrist on the way there didn’t make him feel any better.

He didn’t want it to feel good. He didn’t want to lean into it and wish for more.

He was in prison because of Henry, and Henry wouldn’t even sign the fucking form to get him out of being spanked by the guards. Worst of all, it was his fault he was in trouble.

He wanted to blame Murry Fucking Bauman, but Murray didn’t make him mouth off at Tommy and push him. Tommy wasn’t trying to rile him either.

All of it was Billy’s fault. His fault for believing Henry would do something for him and that he would be grateful Billy took the fall for him. His fault for not playing the therapy game right and giving the guy non-answers. His fault for letting it get to him and taking that out on Tommy.

What wasn’t his fault was Hopper smelling so god-damned good while he was walking Billy back to the block. The pocket watch kept time with Hopper’s steps, and Billy wondered if Hopper’s heart did the same.

Max was just outside her cell as they passed by her. She was always too observant, and she could tell something was wrong. She gave him a small smile as they walked by. Her way of giving him support even though she knew he got himself in trouble.

Hopper’s hand slid up his back to his neck as they got to the cubicle, and with a practiced move, he turned them both, sat on the bottom bunk, and had Billy sprawled over his lap so quickly that Billy gasped with surprise.

Billy tensed as Hopper brought his hand down on Billy’s upturned backside. Even through the layer of soft cotton pants it hurt, but it wasn’t the worst thing he ever experienced. He grit his teeth and stayed still, letting Hopper dole out the punishment and refusing to make a noise.

Henry would have made him scream.

Billy forgot to count, but it didn’t really matter. The spanking was over by the time it began to hurt enough that he felt the need to squirm. Hopper stood the both of them up and cupped Billy’s chin, forcing him to make eye contact.

“I went easy on you because it was your first time,” Hopper said, “but next time it’ll be a hell of a lot worse. Don’t fuck with the guards. And don’t fuck with the other inmates unless you have to. Got it?”

“Yes, sir,” Billy said through clenched teeth.

Hopper nodded like everything was fine and left him alone in the cubicle. He didn’t know what to do with himself. Anyone close by heard what was happening, and he didn’t want to leave the cubicle, but if he stayed in there like a big baby, that would probably be a bad thing.

After pacing the cubicle a few times, he made his decision and walked to the library, finding some stupid book about an adventuresome omega who was so bold as to go on an adventure alone. Like they normally needed their alphas to help them be exciting, but this one brave soul went for an adventure all by himself. Big deal.

The book only annoyed him, but it was something to do, so he read most of it before heading to the mess hall for dinner.

Nobody mentioned the fact that he was punished, but Max pushed her pudding over to him. He appreciated not only the gesture, but it was also nice that nobody seemed to notice or care about the whole thing.

Chapter Text

“So, how long are you in for?”

Billy shifted on his bunk, glaring up at Calahan, who was sitting on the floor across from him. “I thought you weren’t supposed to ask that in prison.”

Calahan grinned at him. “Since when do I do what I’m supposed to?”

“Less time than an alpha would be in for,” Billy said, a twinge of anger in his chest over it. It was less time, but it was still living in a fucking prison. “Soft omegas can’t handle hard time, you know.”

Calahan was quiet for so long that Billy assumed he moved on, and Billy’s book was sort of interesting, so he was surprised by Calahan’s grunt.

“You took the fall for somebody,” Calahan said, his voice louder than Billy would have appreciated.

“No, I didn’t,” Billy said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but most likely failing.

“About a third of the omegas are in here because they took the fall for an alpha they care about, so if you did that, you’d be in good company.”

Billy turned a glare on him. “Only an idiot would do something like that. Who the fuck goes to prison for a knothead?”

Calahan shrugged. “Omegas who think it’ll be easy. They’ve heard alpha prisons are-”

“Who’d you take the fall for?” Billy asked, trying to get Calahan to quit poking.
It backfired.

“I fucked up,” Calahan said with a nod. “Don’t tell the judge, but I went over to my neighbor’s house with intent to do harm, and when he confronted me and called me a simpering little omega, I lost it and did more damage than I meant to. But I still meant to do some, so yeah, I belong in here.”

“The guy okay?”

“No,” Calahan said, looking down at the floor. He rested his hands on his knees. “I meant to give him a beating, but I didn’t mean to kill him.”

“So how long are you in for?” Billy asked, hoping to relieve the tension.

Calahan looked up at him with a sad smile. “Longer than an alpha would be for doing the same fucking thing.”

Billy set his book down on the bed. “Why did you do it?”

“That’s another thing you don’t ask in here,” he said, but when Billy shrugged, he answered anyway. “I was a douchebag in high school. Thought I was hot shit because I was in with the cool pups. Letter jacket. Pick of any alpha I wanted. Grades never below a B plus. Scholarships to any college I wanted.”

Billy smiled. “I used to kick the shit outta your type.”

Calahan let out a chuckle. “Yeah, well, you couldn’t have gotten to me. And if you did, I would’ve fought dirty. I pushed it too much and lost my scholarships. Alienated half the available alphas. Disappointed mom and dad when their golden boy didn’t want to settle down with an alpha who was on track to being a surgeon. I got bitter over it, and I got into alcohol.”

Billy remembered the smell of alcohol on hot breath. The fear of what was going to happen because of it. He didn’t miss it.

“Richard had everything I didn’t,” Calahan said, his brow furrowing, “but he didn’t appreciate it. He fucked around on his wife. Ignored his pups. And all he could do was bitch and moan about how hard his life was. He was constantly calling the city on me because of stupid violations, and I got sick of it. So did my roommates, but I was the only one who decided to do something about it.”

“Killed him over jealousy,” Billy said softly.

“Yeah, that’s what Doc Owens said when I got here,” Calahan said with a heavy sigh. “I wasn’t ready to hear it then, but I’ve accepted it since. I’ll be here a while, and that’s okay with me. I’ve come to terms with it.”

“Is early parole available?”

“Not for a while,” Calahan said, picking at a thread on his pants. “But you dodged my question before. What did you take the fall for?”

“I embezzled a fuck-ton of money,” he said, but figured he should add a little something to make sure nobody fucked with him. “And when my boss found out, I made sure he and his secretary couldn’t squeal on me. Ever.”

Billy said it menacingly, but the smirk on Calahan’s face said he didn’t believe him at all. Calahan stood up and held out his hand. “Okay, murder-boy, let’s go get something to eat. I’m hungry.”

Only eating twice a day wasn’t that much of a change for Billy. Henry was too busy to stop for regular meals, and half the time they weren’t home anyway. Brunch in the prison wasn’t as fun as it looked on TV when omegas would scream and squeal and behave like complete idiots, but Billy had never been to a cute little omega brunch before.

Compared to business brunches, he had to admit that prison brunch was nicer. No boring business shit, nobody panting over him or trying to touch him, and no under-the-table blowjobs while everyone ignored him.

Max split her roll with him so he got one and a half rolls. Calahan flicked a carrot at Barb. Kali couldn’t seem to keep her hands off Jonathan. The conversation was easy, and he felt the ball of tension in his stomach and chest letting loose.

Which meant that, when Keith tripped him as he carried his tray to the cart, Billy was caught off guard. Falling chest first onto his tray, smearing leftover food onto his shirt, both scared and enraged him.

He didn’t remember getting up, and it wasn’t until Keith was flailing backward into the wall that Billy felt the tray in his hands and the ache in his arms from the impact. Keith was dazed, but only for a moment, and he scrambled up and grabbed Billy’s legs, yanking them out from under him.

He landed on his side, but was already kicking at the man. It seemed like no time passed at all, and he hadn’t even gotten any good hits in yet, but he was being pulled off Keith by someone very strong.

Billy yelled and fought against the arms wrapped around his middle, a familiar scent telling him everything was okay even though his brain hadn’t caught up to it yet. He let out a howl of frustration even as his body relaxed against Hopper’s.

Tommy had a hold of Keith and was dragging him out of the mess hall, all the prisoners quiet and watching with wide eyes. Billy twisted, trying to get out of Hopper’s arms even though everything inside him was screaming at him to curl up in his arms and forget the rest of the world existed.

It had to be that Hopper was just a good alpha. He knew how to treat omegas without pissing Billy off. That was the only reason Billy’s body was responding to him. The only reason why he didn’t fight Hopper as the man marched him down the hallway, his cadence in time with the watch in his pocket and soothing Billy all too soon.

“He tripped me on purpose,” Billy said as Hopper’s hand clamped over the back of his neck.

“Yeah, that happens,” Hopper said flippantly.

Billy pulled away from him, but didn’t get very far with Hopper’s hand on his neck. “I defended myself!”

“You did a little more than defend yourself. You broke his nose.”

Billy huffed as Hopper marched him into a room very similar to the one he called Henry in, only it was still inside the area where the inmates had access. There was a couch on the wall opposite from the door, another couch to his right, a big area rug with a coffee table on it, and a bookcase filled with books to his left.

Chrissy hadn’t shown him this area of the prison. Hopper hadn’t swiped his card to get into the room, so it must have been open to him, but why wouldn’t Chrissy show it to him? Maybe she had, and Billy was too dazed and freaked out over being in prison to remember it. The last few weeks were a blur.

Hopper sat down on the couch to their right and took Billy down with him, Billy grunting as he sprawled over Hopper’s thighs, his slides falling off his feet and his hands scrabbling for something to hold onto, finding nothing other than the floor.

“I didn’t start it!” Billy argued. “Why am I the one being punished?”

Hopper yanked Billy’s soft scrub pants down to his knees, baring his ass. “I saw the whole thing. Keith tripped you, you hit first, and you did a lot of damage. Both of you kept going beyond what anyone could call self-defense.”

“He fucking tripped me!”

“Remember I said the last spanking was easy because it was your first time?”

Billy froze, his stomach churning.

“This time it’s going to be harder, and I’m going to use this on you,” Hopper said, dangling something in Billy’s face.

The loop wasn’t very long, and it was made of leather. It reminded Billy of the strap Susan had on her camera years ago. Just enough to keep a good grip on an expensive camera. She loved using it. Billy wondered if she still had that camera.

“Chrissy made it clear to you on your first day here that fights between prisoners are not tolerated,” Hopper said with a firm tone. “Don’t let it happen again. If you have a problem with somebody, you come talk to a guard.”

Billy wanted to tell Hopper to fuck off. He couldn’t just run to a guard every time there was a problem. He wasn’t a fucking baby. He knew how to take care of himself. And besides, that’s how prisons were, right? You let everybody else know they can’t mess with you.

Or maybe that was just in the movies.

Hopper didn’t bother with any droning lectures. Didn’t make him answer questions. He didn’t even make Billy call him sir or boss or anything demeaning like some Henry’s friends made him do.

The strap hurt more than when Hopper used his hand, but Billy had worse. How many times had Henry given him stripes on his ass and legs just for fun because Billy asked for them? Billy could take it. No problem.

So why the fuck was he tearing up? And why the fuck was his bottom lip trembling? Why was he shaking and grabbing onto Hopper’s ankle? Why wasn’t he mouthing off at the man?

All too soon he was sobbing, and he couldn’t remember the last time he crashed that hard just from a punishment. All the things Henry did to him, and a hard strapping on his ass by some grumpy alpha guard was taking him out?

He wiped his eyes and hung over Hopper’s lap, crying his eyes out as the spanking stopped and Hopper gently rubbed his hand over his back.

“Keep breathin’, kid,” Hopper said, the ticking of the pocket watch closer given Billy’s position.

Billy didn’t want to enjoy the comfort. He didn’t want to lean into it and let the reassuring words and tone settle him. He wanted to go home and punch Henry in the fucking face. And then sit on his lap while Henry played with his hair. And maybe punch him again.

Hopper pulled his pants back up and helped Billy stand, the two of them inches apart, but it felt like miles. Billy needed more, and before he could think twice about it, he collapsed against Hopper and sobbed into his shirt, the alpha’s scent washing over him and soothing something deep inside him.

He luxuriated in the arms that wrapped around him and held him tight, tucking his head under Hopper’s chin and sniffling as Hopper scented his hair. They stood like that for an eternity, but it still felt like it was over too quickly when Hopper carefully pushed him back a little and met his gaze.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, and then you can go back to the block.”

Billy nodded even though he wanted to ask for more hugs. The phantom touch of those arms around him left him longing for more.

His own mate wouldn’t even come see him or talk to him on the phone without sounding like he wanted to hang up on him. He wouldn’t sign the release forms that would let the guards use another form of punishment besides spanking even though he told Billy he would.

Henry was his everything. Had been for years. It felt like that was ripped away without any warning whatsoever. Wasn’t Henry grateful? Did he forget about Billy already?

Hopper led him to a restroom Chrissy showed him when he first got there, and he stood by him as Billy blew his nose, washed his face, and took a few cleansing breaths. When he was done, Billy turned and grabbed onto Hopper again. He probably should have asked, but he didn’t because he needed it, and fuck anybody who said he shouldn’t be a needy little bitch.

“You’re okay,” Hopper said with a chuckle as those warm hands ran over Billy’s back. “You’re a good kid. A good boy.”

Billy shivered, the words all too close and yet so far away from what he wanted to hear from Hopper. Something he never shared with Henry, but he didn’t know why.

Okay, so yes, he did know. Henry would’ve gotten him a collar. Would’ve played the games and made it fun, but he would’ve let his friends do it too. Billy didn’t want to hear that shit out of Henry’s friends. Didn’t want to be their good puppy.

He needed to hide it from Hopper too. He didn’t think Hopper would demean him with it, but he was in prison. He couldn’t let anybody see that side of him.

“C’mon, kid,” Hopper said, giving him a quick hug before escorting him back to the block.

Later that night, lying on his back on the bunk and feeling the residual ache of having been spanked earlier, Billy settled. Really settled.

It was easier to fall asleep feeling so content. The sound of Hopper’s watch ticking away as he made the rounds that night, checking on all the inmates, filled his dreams with a warm fuzziness that kept nightmares away.

Billy didn’t feel like shit when he woke up the next morning, but he did have a craving for something sweet. It was stupid because he never ate that much sugar when he was with Henry, and Max was making sure he got something sweet at almost every meal. His mouth was watering already.

After finishing brunch with the group and heading back to his block, he slowed by the guard station and let out a heavy sigh. Tommy was finishing up a rotation to check everybody’s bunks for things they shouldn’t have in prison. They did it randomly, but way too frequently for Billy to hide things.

“Hey, Tommy,” Billy said, his voice low.

Tommy stopped in front of him, the look on his face telling Billy he expected more of what got Billy in trouble the first time Billy got spanked. “What?”

Billy smirked at him, getting close enough that he could feel the warmth of the alpha on his chest and belly. “Who do I have to blow to get one of those pudding pies I saw on Murray’s desk?”

Tommy’s eyes cut this way and that. He didn’t seem panicked so much as he wanted to make sure nobody would hear them. He leaned closer. “Go to Chrissy, tell her you’re worried you might be going into heat, but you don’t think it’s here yet. Just a little hot and uncomfortable.”

Billy wanted to ask what that would get him, but he wasn’t really in a place to bargain, so he nodded. “Okay.”

Forty-five minutes later, Billy was in a cell in a quiet hallway with only one other prisoner two cells down from him. The other prisoner was very quiet.

Billy was getting bored and antsy, and no one had walked by or checked on him since they locked him in the cell. Was Tommy fucking with him?

He leaned back against the wall, knees spread as he sat on the cot. It was a shitty place to put someone if they were going into heat.

No soft blankets. No pillows. No TV or books. There wasn’t even any toilet paper or soap in the commode-sink combo unit across from the cot.

Billy was very much regretting his choices when he heard someone walking down the hallway, licking his lips as he heard the very recognizable sound of a Hostess package crinkling. He was up and gripping the bars before Tommy got to his cell.

“This is your choice,” Tommy said, holding up the packaged treat. “I’m not gonna force you.”

Billy rolled his eyes and dropped to his knees without hesitation. He reached through the bars and hastily unbuckled Tommy’s belt. “You treat all omegas like they’re scared little virgins?”

Tommy gasped as Billy pulled his cock out of his tighty whities and swallowed him down, the bars less of an obstacle than he thought they would be. Billy slid his hands over Tommy’s hips, smiling around the hardening cock as Tommy whimpered and bucked into his mouth. He grabbed Tommy’s ass with both hands and yanked him against the bars.

The old cliche about alphas getting mad when omegas were aggressive was a load of bullshit. At least in Billy’s experience.

Sometimes alphas were touchy about it, but most of the time they melted for him. He could get them making soft breathy noises and little high-pitched sounds at the back of their throat in under a minute. The kinds of noises reserved for omegas in porn.

Tommy leaned against the bars, letting Billy control the blowjob. His panting breaths and the tension in his body were plenty of warning that Tommy was close. Instead of letting Tommy come on his face, he sucked hard and swallowed, only backing away when Tommy hissed, his cock sensitive after his orgasm.

Tommy’s eyes were half-lidded and unfocused. His dick was hanging out of his tighty whities while he just stood there holding onto the bars.

The carpet matched the drapes, which Billy found very amusing. He tucked him away and fixed his clothing before standing up and smirking at the man.

“Gimme,” he said, snapping his fingers in Tommy’s face.

Tommy flinched, but his eyes focused on Billy, and he shook his head. “Oh, yeah. Sorry. Here.”

Billy took the packaged treat from him and blew a kiss at Tommy. “Thanks, sweet stuff.”

Tommy ran a hand through his hair and let out an odd little chuckle. “Any time.”

Billy eased himself back onto the cot and leaned against the wall, slowly opening the package. He sniffed the contents and moaned, licking his lips. He turned, looking up at Tommy and snorting when he saw the man staring at him with interest.

“Is this part of the payment?” Billy asked, delicately plucking the chocolate-covered cake treat from the package and holding it up.

Tommy nodded. “Yeah.”

Billy shrugged. “Okay.”

He took his time with the treat. First he licked the tip, running his tongue over the chocolate. Back and forth until the chocolate was gone from the end. He bit the tip of the cake open and shivered as the vanilla pudding oozed out just a little.

Tommy was so enthralled, Billy swore he wasn’t even breathing.

Billy dipped his tongue into the opening and scooped out some of the pudding, letting Tommy see the mess on his tongue as he pulled back and slowly closed his lips, rolling the taste around in his mouth and letting it wash away Tommy’s spunk.

It was even better than he remembered it. The pudding was sugary and creamy and had just the right amount of vanilla flavoring. The cake was soft with enough of a crust that the chocolate stayed in place and the first bite didn’t squish the pudding out the other end of the treat.

The second bite, however, busted a hole in the other end of the treat, and Billy cupped it, catching the pudding and holding both hands up to lick at the mess on his skin.

He looked up at Tommy while putting his lips to the hole and sucking out the rest of the pudding, making it noisy and obnoxious. The tent in the front of the man’s slacks said he was already hard again. Or maybe he never lost his erection after the blowjob. Either way, he was mesmerized, and Billy loved being the center of attention.

By the time he was done with his treat, licking his fingers clean and moaning with contentment, Tommy was grinding against the bars.

“Was it as good for you as it was for me?” Billy asked, feeling a high he hadn’t felt in a while.

It pushed Tommy out of his stupor, and the man stumbled away, mumbling something about doing rounds again and how Billy would be let out later that day.

He didn’t mind the wait. The pudding pie was worth it. As was the attention he got and the thrill of breaking the rules and making Tommy lose his shit. Henry wasn’t the only one who could play games.

He was let out before dinner by Chrissy, who asked him way too many questions, but didn’t give him a hard time about it. He wasn’t sure if Chrissy could smell Tommy on him, but he didn’t give a shit. He had his treat and a source for future treats.

After dinner, Hopper came into the block and announced that it was movie night. The rest of the prisoners appeared excited, so it must have been a rare occurrence.

Billy followed the group even though he wasn’t all that interested in whatever stupid movie they were going to play.

He already saw Edward Scissorhands. It was okay, but nothing special. What mattered was that he was able to get out of the cell block and do something different than read or talk with Calahan.

“Knock it off,” Hopper yelled ahead.

Billy couldn’t help but smile. Two omegas were play fighting, shoving each other and giggling, but Hopper didn’t put up with that shit.

The omegas settled, and they continued single-file down the hall and into a room with a huge projection screen at one end and plenty of chairs for all of them spaced far enough apart they wouldn’t be able to get into mischief while watching the movie.

Hopper walked up to Billy and took his arm, pulling him out of line and across the hallway while the rest of the prisoners entered the theater room.

Keeping his voice low, he leaned in and whispered in Billy’s ear. “If you want special treats, just ask. You don’t have to let Tommy use you like that.”

Billy pulled back, scowling at the man. He didn’t bother keeping his voice low. “You jealous? I can suck your cock too if you’ve got-”

Hopper clamped a big paw over Billy’s mouth. “I don’t want you on your knees for me because it’s the only way to indulge in that sweet tooth of yours. And I don’t wanna smell him on you again, is that clear?”

Billy’s jaw dropped, and he stood there gawing at him as Hopper stomped into the theater room, leaving him in the hallway.

“What the fuck was that?” he whispered, his cock responding even though his brain hadn’t caught up yet.

Billy didn’t really pay attention to the movie. With a hand between his legs and moving as little as he could, he teased himself for the whole hour and forty-five minutes the movie played.

Fingers trailing over his length. Legs squeezing together for some pressure. Grinding down on the chair just a little and hoping no one caught him.

He was first out of the room as the credits were rolling. He barely made it to the bathroom stall, pulling his cock out of his prison-issued pants and stroking only a few times before he came into the toilet bowl, legs shaking and threatening to collapse under him.

His asshole spasmed, and a contented warmth spread through his body as he leaned against the stall wall and caught his breath. His body wanted nothing more than to sink into a giant, fluffy bed and sleep for days, but he didn’t have that luxury anymore.

It was lights out in five minutes, so he flushed, cleaned himself up, and headed to his bunk, where a smirking Phil Calahan was waiting for him.

“You trying to send all the alphas into rut?” he asked, kicking his slides off and hip-checking Billy on the way to his bunk.

Billy chuckled and shook his head. “I’m just really horny, and I saw that movie when it came out. What else was I supposed to do?”

“I’m not complaining,” Calahan said, hopping up onto his bunk. “I didn’t make it until the end of the movie like you did, and when I was in the bathroom jerking it, there were half a dozen other omegas and a guard in there doing the same thing.”

Billy’s chest puffed up with pride. “You’re welcome.”

Chapter Text

The next afternoon, Billy was beginning to wonder if the guards were a little pissed with him over his stunt the night before. Chrissy was her usual perky self, but Tommy was grouchy, Murray shoved a pamphlet at him about omega rights, and Alexei glared at him all through brunch.

In fact, if it wasn’t for Hopper catching his attention and covertly drawing him out into the hallway, he could’ve sworn they were all ready to put him into a cell and leave him there alone for the rest of his sentence.

“What’s up?” Billy asked, wishing he had pockets to shove his hands into. Hopper stared at him, and for a moment Billy wondered if Hopper decided to punish him for his stunt the night before.

“I shouldn’t have said what I did last night,” Hopper said with a sigh. “What I should’ve said was that Tommy had no right to ask for sexual favors in exchange for food. In prison, there’s too much of a power imbalance, and whether you consented or not-”

“I did,” Billy said, nodding. “Enthusiastically.”

“Whether you consented or not,” Hopper drawled, “it’s not tolerated here. So if you want treats, just ask for them. This isn’t a maximum security wing, and all of you are allowed to have things you like as long as it’s in moderation.”

Billy’s right eyebrow arched upward. “Is Tommy in trouble?” The soft ticking of the watch in Hopper’s pocket drew him closer, and he resisted the urge to rub himself against the man.

“He’s suspended for a week without pay since it’s his first offense and there was no indication that he forced himself on you,” Hopper said before holding up a small packet of Gushers candy. “This is for you.”

Billy’s mouth watered and his hands came up without conscious thought. He took the bag from Hopper, doing his best to bite back the moan that wanted to spill out of him. “Is this some sort of compensation for a guard abusing me? Because he didn’t.”

“No,” Hopper said, shaking his head. “That’s a treat I got my hands on after asking Max what your favorite was.”

It really was his favorite. The tropical fruit-flavored kind in the bright yellow bag with lots of pretty candies that looked like gems. He could almost feel them on his tongue already.

“You asked my sister for treat recommendations?” he asked, smirking as the logical part of his brain kicked in after the candy-loving part finally started behaving.

Hopper shifted his weight from his left to his right foot, the look on his face adorably uncomfortable. “Well, you didn’t tell me what you liked, and the market by me doesn’t have those pudding things you asked Tommy for.”

Billy tilted his head a bit and smiled. “Thank you, sir.”

He walked away to hide his self-satisfied smirk, leaving Hopper with the arousal that was threatening to take over the poor guy.

Billy wondered how long it had been since Hopper got laid. He was either really horny or his body was just desperate for something. The scent followed Billy, and it only made him more cocky.

Billy briefly considered doling out the candies to himself to make them last, and ultimately decided against it. He separated the candies by flavor, saving the blueberry grape pieces for last so he could savor every one of them.

He felt a little bad about Tommy, but all things considered, the next week of Billy’s life in prison went by surprisingly fast. He was getting along with almost everyone, figuring out the schedules of the guards and everything else in the prison, and Calahan managed to talk Chrissy into getting them the Clue board game for the rec room.

The rec room time was limited, and only several prisoners were allowed in at any given time. They were watched by a guard at the door as well. Billy wondered if it was so they didn’t try to steal the game pieces from any of the board games available.

Max, Suzie, Holly, Calahan, and Billy played a full game every time they were given permission to use the rec room. Sometimes Chrissy would play too, but even though Billy tried his best tactics, he couldn’t get Hopper to join in.

Hopper ushered them into the room on a Friday afternoon, telling them they only had fifteen minutes, but none of them believed him because he always let them play until the game was over.

Billy stayed behind to flirt with the guy while Suzie busied herself with setting up the board game and Calahan straightened all the chairs.

“You didn’t get me any treats yesterday,” Billy said, staying just far enough away from Hopper that he wasn’t actually touching him, but close enough to wallow in Hopper’s personal space. “Did you forget about me?”

It wasn’t really a daily occurrence, but the highlight of those special days was Hopper pulling a treat from his pocket and presenting them like they were a hard-won prize.

“Do I have to beg?” Billy asked, holding his hands up, limp at the wrist like a puppy, and panted at the man, letting out a little whimper.

That delicious scent from Hopper made his mouth water even more than the promise of treats, and he dared to lean just a little closer and brush his hip against Hopper’s. The games they were playing expanded exponentially, and Billy’s original pledge to keep private things away from the prison melted away in the face of the guard who smelled way too good.

“You don’t look much like a puppy standing on two legs, Hargrove,” Hopper said, his pupils dilated and his breathing uneven.

“If you want me to do a trick for you, you’ll have to give me a command,” Billy said with a shrug. “I’m well trained, but I’m not a mind reader.”

Hopper stared at him for the longest moment. Billy didn’t dare take back the offer even though it looked as though Hopper genuinely couldn’t decide whether he should or shouldn’t.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out another bag of tropical fruit Gushers, but instead of handing it to Billy, he opened the bag, hesitating briefly before reaching in and pulling out a green candy.

“Sit up,” Hopper said, holding the piece of candy out near Billy’s nose.

Billy went to his knees and wiggled his butt, holding his tongue out and looking up at Hopper with a hopeful expression on his face. The whole thing would have worked better if he had a puppy tail plug and mitts, but he was working with what he had, and Hopper didn’t seem to mind.

“Good boy,” Hopper said, placing the candy on Billy’s tongue.

Billy took advantage and closed his lips around Hopper’s fingers, moaning as Hopper pulled his fingers out of Billy’s mouth. Billy chewed on his treat, wiggling his butt happily.

“Roll over,” Hopper said, holding up a red candy, his voice softer than usual and a little gravely.

Billy did as he was told, easily rolling over and springing back up to a kneeling position. He let out a happy yip as Hopper gave him his treat.

Someone in the room cleared their throat, and Billy turned, having forgotten anybody else was there. Max was glaring at him while Suzie had a hand over her mouth, Calahan was grinning, and Holly was politely ignoring them.

“Board’s set up, puppyboy,” Calahan said, gesturing to the Clue board game on the table.

Billy stood up and plucked the Gushers bag out of Hopper’s hand, smiling sweetly at him. “I can do a hell of a lot more tricks.”

He left Hopper standing there, smelling way too good yet again, and sat down at the table. Other than a playful elbow to Billy’s ribs from Calahan, nobody mentioned it, and they played their game.

Those were Billy’s favorite times of the day; playing with friends and seeing how good he could make Hopper smell. The rest of it was easy enough to put up with, but his least favorite was definitely his visits with Murray.

Doc Bauman was overly critical, didn’t really seem to have many good suggestions, and tried too hard to poke around in Billy’s head. Billy didn’t even let Henry poke around too deeply, so he didn’t know what the fuck Murray thought he was going to have access to.

He sighed as he trudged down the hallway, his three o’clock appointment with the doc something he wished he could trade for a chore or a blowjob or whatever somebody wanted in exchange for putting up with the guy.

“Have a seat,” Murray said over his shoulder.

He was standing at the back of the room next to his filing cabinet. The three-drawer monstrosity looked older than Murray, and it squeaked and clunked and rattled loudly.

Murray’s desk was too big for the office. The side of it was up against the wall to Billy’s left, and on the right there was a small space that allowed Murray to get by.

The single chair in front of the desk was a wood straight-backed kitchen chair that looked like something Murray brought from his own house after a divorce and getting stuck with the ugliest and most uncomfortable kitchen set his wife couldn’t seem to get rid of other than to leave him with it when she got out of there.

Of course, Billy didn’t know if the guy was divorced. He didn’t know if he had ever been married or had a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend. Didn’t know if he had pups or siblings. He didn’t keep pictures in his office, and he never spoke about anything personal.

He expected Billy to spill every little detail of his life, but any time Billy asked about Murray’s life, the response was something about him being the doctor and Billy being the patient and that things needed to stay separate.

It felt like a power play. At the very least, Murray could make shit up, but he wouldn’t even do that.

“Let’s pick up where we left off,” Murray said, slamming the drawer closed and flopping down in the creaky office chair behind the desk.

Billy did not want to pick up where they left off last time. Murray was getting too poke-y about Neil, and Billy wanted to leave that shit in the past where it belonged.

He zoned out while Murray talked about how much childhood impacted adulthood. How parents were imperfect and did stupid shit to their pups. How he was an adult, but he still needed to deal with things that might have happened to him as a kid, and that coming to terms with those things would likely reflect well on him and reduce his sentence.

Billy didn’t like the implication that his shitty childhood had anything to do with the crime he didn’t even commit.

Henry fucking did it, not him. Henry had the awesome childhood with parents who supported him, loved him, and were there for him. Never raised a hand to him. Never yelled at him.

So no, Billy wasn’t on board with the whole “childhood trauma equals a life of crime” bullshit Murray seemed so stuck on. If anything the spoiled little rich boys should be examined a lot more closely, in Billy’s opinion.

But that was digging too deep into Billy’s head, and he didn’t want Murray to touch any of it.

The only problem with that was Murray got more obnoxious the longer Billy held out. Jokes and teasing. A stupid smirk on his face. Literal poking when the guy produced a yardstick from seemingly out of nowhere and thought it would be funny to gently poke Billy’s stomach from across the desk.

Billy jumped up, slapping the yardstick away from him. That sent Murray’s pencil cup flying across the room and all his pens and pencils went everywhere.

“Sit down!” Murray bellowed, standing up and pointing at the chair Billy knocked over. “I’ve had enough of your fucking attitude. Sit your ass down, and answer the fucking question.”

Billy’s chest burned with anger, but he sat down, a nervous energy zinging through his body.

“We’re not just sitting around chatting about fuck-all,” Murray said, his face flushed and his brow furrowed. “Your therapy sessions with me have great bearing on how long you’re in here for. If you want me to submit reports to the warden about what a little prick you are and how you’re uncooperative and haven’t learned a damn thing while here, then I’ll do that. It won’t matter what your lawyer says. You’ll be stuck in here for the rest of your life! Fucking spoiled little children. All of you!”

Billy stood up again, his heart pounding in his chest and his hands balled into fists. He slammed his fists down on the desk and leaned forward, spurred on by the hint of fear in the man’s eyes. “If anybody here is a fucking spoiled child, it’s you! Do your job like a fucking professional, and maybe prisoners would ask to be on your schedule instead of begging to be transferred over to Doc Owens!”

He should have stopped there. He made his point. He scared Murray a little and tongue-tied the man. But Billy had never been good at gauging when he should stop.

The rest of the items on the desk were swept off onto the floor in one easy motion, and Billy kicked back, sending his chair tumbling into the wall.

Murray stood up, anger taking over where the fear previously was, and he stalked around the desk, grabbing Billy’s arm and yanking him along as he stormed out of the office and down the hall.

“You’re way outta line, you little shit,” Murray yelled, his grip on Billy’s arm so tight it hurt.

Billy was too dazed by what was happening to struggle until Murray pulled him into a room down the hall from the office. On the left side of the room was a TV on a stand, a coffee table, and a two-seater couch, all on a large rug. There was art on the walls and a queen-sized bed to his right with lush blankets and pillows.

He remembered Chrissy showing him the room a few weeks ago. She told him it was a place they reserved for inmates who had very good behavior and were allowed to have visits from their mates.

Given the fact that Henry still hadn’t answered the phone again, Billy assumed he wouldn’t see the inside of the room ever again, but there he was, being pushed in. He stumbled a few steps and turned around, holding his hands up.

“What’s going on?” he asked, eyes wide.

“After the shit you just pulled, you’re being punished,” Murray said, closing the door and turning to face Billy. He pointed at him. “I’m going to spank you.”

Billy shook his head. “No, you can’t. I have the right to ask for Hopper when it comes to punishment, and I’m asking.”

Murray stalked up to him and grabbed hold again, dragging him across the carpet and unceremoniously throwing Billy over his lap as Murray sat on the edge of the bed.

“I want Hopper!” Billy insisted, reaching back and getting a good hold of his pants as Murray tried to pull them down.

"You have the right to ask for him," Murray said as he pried Billy’s fingers off the waistline of the pants, "but as a facilitator here, I need to do what's best for the inmates. Hopper has already spanked you several times, so obviously he's not getting through to you."

“Hopper's doing a great job, and I want him to handle me. You have to-"

"I don’t have to do a damn thing," Murray bellowed. “Maybe after this, you’ll behave yourself in my office."

"No, you can’t do this!" Billy yelled, flailing on Murray’s lap. "I want to talk to Hopper! You have to let me talk to him!"

"No, I don’t, kid," Murray said, finally prying Billy’s fingers from the material and yanking his pants down to his knees.

“Okay, wait! I want to talk to Henry!" Billy yelled, hoping his voice carried down the hall. An omega demanding that he be able to talk to his mate couldn’t be ignored. “He’s my alpha! You have to let me talk to him!”

“Your alpha didn’t sign the punishment waiver,” Murray said, bringing his hand down on Billy’s ass. “He’s fine with you getting your bratty little behind spanked.”

Billy tried to pull away, but Murray had the strength of an alphas in those muscles, and Billy wasn’t in a position to gain any leverage. With his slides having fallen off and the carpet too soft, he couldn’t get any traction.

"No! You can’t do this! You have to contact my alpha! Or you have to get Hopper!” Billy yelled as he kicked and twisted.

Murray locked his legs around Billy’s and pushed down on the back of his neck, bending him in half and trapping him in a vulnerable position. The panic didn’t build slowly. It took over without warning.

"No!" Billy screamed, the sound coming from deep inside him and tearing through his throat.

Yeah, that was a distress call. He didn't mean to use it, and as soon as he realized that’s what he was doing, he closed his mouth, eyes widening with horror as he pulled his pants back up.

Murray let go of him immediately, and Billy scrambled across the floor until his back was against the wall and he was facing the door to the room. He probably should have gone for the door, but he wasn’t thinking straight.

He put his hands up in defense even though Murray wasn’t making any moves toward him. If anything, the guy was curling in on himself in an attempt to look less threatening, backing up against the end of the bed.

A horrendously loud crunching sound caught his attention as the door smashed in, opening so hard it swung around and slammed into the wall. The top hinge broke with the force, and the door hung lopsided with an obvious dent in the middle.

Billy gazed up at a red-faced, nostril-flaring, panting Hopper who looked as though nothing could stop him.

Billy winced as he felt his holes start to leak. He soaked through the pants quickly, and even though he was still upset over his interaction with Murray, he reached between his legs and pressed on his painfully hard cock, trying to get some relief from the ache.

None of that really mattered, though, because his alpha was there to make the other alpha leave him alone. He was there to save him and hold him and beat the shit out of anybody who tried to hurt him. He whimpered, barely resisting the urge to crawl across the room and climb Hopper like a fucking tree.

Murray held his hands up in a gesture of surrender and bent at the waist in a sort of bow to make his intentions crystal clear. He wasn’t going to fight Hopper.

“I won’t touch him," he said, inching his way toward the door even though Hopper was standing in the doorway. “He’s all yours. Just let me leave. Please.”

Hopper growled, but he stepped out of the way, that low growl continuing as Murray bowed his head and practically sprinted out the door, leaving the both of them alone as promised.

“I wasn't trying to get out of a punishment,” Billy said, the words tumbling from his mouth. “I just didn't want him to do it, and I didn’t mean to call out.”

Hopper huffed out a laugh. “I should've known what was goin’ on when I kept payin’ more attention to you than the other omegas on my watch.”

The lazy drawl was music to Billy’s ears, and he wanted nothing more than to listen to Hopper’s voice for the rest of time. Well, okay, he wanted other things too, but the drawl was like honey, and Billy definitely had a sweet tooth.

Billy smiled up at him. “Does this mean I get to request you from now on?”

Hopper scowled, bearing his teeth. “Nobody else gets to discipline you. No one!”

It was aggressive and hot. It was possessive and demanding. It was everything that Billy wanted and never fully got. Not really.

Hopper sat down on the bed and patted his lap. “C'mon. Get over my lap.”

Billy blinked at him for a moment. “Huh?”

“You didn't get your spankin' yet,” Hopper said.

Billy let out a huff. “But you just threw me into heat, and I’m fucking leaking all over the floor! You can’t just…,” he said, trailing off and shrugging because he didn’t know how else to say that all he wanted was Hopper.

“Oh,” Hopper cooed, "did you think that just because you smell really fuckin' good and we're compatible that I wouldn't be able to think about anything other than throwin' you down on the bed and fuckin' you senseless?"

“Well, kinda, yeah,” Billy said with a nod. “Not that alphas are mindless assholes, but once you guys smell an omega in heat and they’re compatible, you guys have a one-track mind.”

"That's not how this works," Hopper said. "You already have an alpha, and because you’re a prisoner and I’m a guard, there’s a power imbalance.”

Seriously? Still stuck on the power imbalance shit? “A fucking power imbalance doesn’t mean shit when your biology fucked with my biology and you answered my fucking distress call!” Billy said through clenched teeth. Why the fuck was Hopper fighting him on this?

“I don’t give a shit how compatible we are,” Hopper said, shaking his head. “I’m not claiming you in a prison. Now get your ass over here before I decide you need a reminder before bed tonight."

Billy frowned, squirming a little bit and letting out a moan when his ass cheeks slid against one another, the lube his body was creating more than enough to let Hopper do whatever he wanted without the use of artificial lubricant.

"I'm, ah," Billy said, gesturing toward his lower body, "kinda messy."

Hopper nodded. “I know, but right now we've gotta deal with the fact that you trashed Murray’s office and threatened physical violence.”

Billy whimpered. “Can't we just move on to the next part? The one where you're all sweet to me and kiss me and fuck me long and slow and deep until I beg you to claim me?”

It was manipulative. He fucking knew it was underhanded, but Billy wanted to see where they stood. He didn't want a spanking, but if Hopper was the type of alpha he said he was, then Billy would get a spanking anyway. If not, Billy would let it set the tone for anything they planned on doing in the future.

"One," Hopper said, holding up his right index finger.

Henry had counted a few times over the years, and it always freaked Billy out. Not because Henry was violent or destructive when he said it, but because Billy knew he was disobeying his alpha and forcing him to resort to counting. Like he was the spoiled little brat Murray said he was.

"Two," Hopper said. He was calm and collected, very much in control, and was looking at Billy with those eyes that melted Billy's heart.

“Wait! I'm not fighting,” Billy said, knee walking to Hopper and getting between his legs. “I'm not refusing, I'm just...," he said, looking down at Hopper's shirt and unable to keep eye contact.

"You’re just pushing?" Hopper asked.

Billy looked up at him, expecting a frown, but was met by a smile instead. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"There's a reason we're compatible," Hopper said. "You think I don't get you? I had you pegged after the first time I threw you over my lap. You wanna know where you stand with me, and you wanna know that I'm gonna keep a steady hand when you try to rile me."

Billy winced. It sounded awful when Hopper said it out loud, but Billy didn't feel guilty about it. He didn't want a pushover, and he also didn't want an alpha who was demanding or overly so full of himself that his ego replaced any decent dominance.

“I'm not gonna decide you're more trouble than you're worth,” Hopper said softly. “And I'm not gonna force you to be someone you're not.”

Billy's eyes burned with tears, and his throat felt tight. He never said it out loud. Barely even thought about it because he didn’t want to admit it even to himself.

Always hanging on tightly because at any moment an alpha would reject him was tiring.

Hopper ran a finger under Billy's chin. "But I'm sure as hell gonna put you over my knee whenever you break the rules."

"Hey!" Billy yelped as Hopper pulled him over his lap and lowered his pants again. "No! Ow! Wait!"

Hopper gave him ten good smacks on the ass with his hand, Billy kicking hard enough that his pants fell off his feet. After those ten hard smacks, he lifted Billy up, setting him on his lap so that Billy's legs were straddling his. He reached up and wiped Billy's tears with his thumbs, holding Billy's face in his hands.

Billy couldn't stop his bottom lip from wobbling. It hadn't even hurt that much, but he knew he was getting punished for breaking rules that Hopper said he should follow.

"I'm sorry," Billy said, his breath catching in his chest.

Hopper wiped more tears away and smiled at him. "I know, and you’re still a good boy even if you fuck up."

Billy leaned forward and rested his forehead on Hopper's shoulder, his body relaxing when Hopper wrapped his arms around Billy. "I'm still leaking," he said, voice a little more petulant than he meant it to sound.

Hopper chuckled. “We’ve got suites set up for omegas in heat. There’s plenty of toys in there for you to play with, and you’re allowed to stay in there until you’re feeling better.”

“I want you,” Billy whispered, fingers digging into Hopper’s sides. He didn’t want to let go.

“You have a mate, and you can’t blindside him with this, kid,” Hopper said gently.

Anger and hurt flared in Billy’s chest, squashing down the hormones from his heat that threatened to pull him under. He looked up at Hopper, grabbing two handfuls of the man’s shirt and shaking him, baring his teeth and putting everything he had left into what he wanted to say.

“My pathetic excuse for a mate abandoned me,” he hissed, tears running down his cheeks. “He wasn’t there for me at the sentencing. Wasn’t here when I was processed. I’ve only talked to him once on the phone, and the rest of the times I’ve called him, I had to leave a message. He wouldn’t sign for me to get out of punishment spankings even though he promised me he would before the sentencing. He moved on like I’m nothing even though I gave up everything for him!”

He could barely see Hopper’s face through the tears, but he felt those arms wrap around him, holding him tightly. He heard the comforting nothings Hopper whispered in his ear. Felt the whiskers from his beard on his cheek.

He scented Hopper deeply, his head spinning with the euphoria of being so very close to someone compatible. He never felt it before no matter how close he and Henry got.

As the anger subsided thanks to the pheromones and the warm embrace, Billy’s cheeks flushed, and he tucked his face into Hopper’s shirt.

Billy never asked for things. Never demanded. He had a mouth on him, but that was for sass and fun, not revealing what was deep inside and hidden away.

But he almost told Hopper everything. Almost admitted that he took the fall for Henry.

“Sorry,” Billy said, pulling away from Hopper and taking a few steps back.

The warmth disappeared and left behind a cold ache that gnawed at him. Without Hopper’s arms around him, the slick soaking the back of his pants felt disgusting instead of something exciting for his potential mate. He wiped the tears from his face and turned so he didn’t have to see Hopper for a moment. He had to get himself under control.

“I’m sorry you and your mate are going through a hard time right now,” Hopper said gently. It was painfully diplomatic and so fucking wrong. “I’ll see what I can do to get him in here. Now that you’re going into heat, the warden shouldn’t have a problem with Henry coming in to stay with you. I’ll contact Henry and work it out while you settle in.”

Billy rolled his eyes. Hopper wasn’t fucking listening, but it didn’t matter. At least if Hopper tried to get Henry to come and stay with him he would see that Henry wasn’t going to do that shit.

Billy bit his lip, the thought of Henry saying no or ignoring him while in heat hurt even more than refusing to sign the punishment papers.

Hopper said something about following him and that he would get him all set up and comfortable. Billy didn’t listen all that carefully. If Hopper wasn’t going to listen, then Billy didn’t feel like he had any obligation to listen to Hopper.

The more he moved, the more the slick annoyed him. His pants were cold and wet, sticking to his legs. The friction of the clothing on his cock hurt. He was half hard, but didn’t really feel like doing anything about it.

As Hopper led him through a double-locked-door area, guards peering at him through the glass of the station, Billy’s asshole started clenching. It was uncomfortable, but what was so much worse was that he leaked even more, and he knew every single person he walked by could smell him.

The alphas had to want him. They were probably panting after him. He didn’t feel safe. Anyone could hurt him, and being in heat he felt weaker than normal. The way his stupid libido was when he was in heat meant that he didn’t think he would say no if anybody wanted to mount him.

Henry used to love knotting him and staying until he was ready to fuck again when Billy was in heat. Loved biting him and marking up his body. Covering Billy in his scent so it was clear to anyone else that Billy was his.

Hopper didn’t touch him. He stood aside and gestured to the room Billy was going to stay in until he was done taking care of his own biology for as long as it took.

If he wasn’t so fucking devastated, he would have been impressed by the room. Neutral, soft colors on the walls, floor, and in the bedding. The bed itself was king-sized and had at least three blankets and five pillows on it. He could make a nest for himself if he wanted.

The bed was against the wall across from the door, to his right was a wooden cabinet that probably had a bunch of toys or more blankets in it. There was a TV mounted to the wall across from the bed, underneath that a dresser with six big drawers in it. The bed sat on a fluffy brown rug that was deep and soft under his feet.

“There’s toys in the dresser,” Hopper said, gesturing to the low dresser on the left side of the door. “The cabinet has snacks, drinks, a couple sets of sheets, a few more pillows and blankets, and a heating blanket too.”

Billy turned around and sat on the bed, wincing when a squelching sound came from between his legs. “What if I gotta take a shit?”

Hopper pointed to the left side of the room. In the middle of the wall was a door that Billy hadn’t noticed before. If he was paying attention, he would have seen it, but the despair roiling through him was sapping his energy to do much of anything beyond crawling into bed with a plug in his ass and falling asleep for a week.

“There’s a shower, toilet, sink, and bathtub with jets in there,” Hopper said. “If you want toiletries that aren’t already in there, let us know, and we’ll get them for you.”

“How thoughtful,” Billy snarled halfheartedly. He didn’t even have the energy to snark at the man.

“See this button here?” Hopper asked, pointing at the only bright red thing in the room. It was a round button about the size of his palm between the dresser and the door on the wall. “If you’re in distress or need medical attention, press this button, and we’ll get here quickly to help you.”

Billy’s upper lip twitched in disgust. “Is that the booty call button?”

“Professionals trained to help you will come,” Hopper said, the scent of his arousal only making the ache in Billy worse. “You don’t have to be scared of them.”

“I’m not scared,” Billy said, but there was no venom behind his words, so it sounded pathetic instead of confident. He sounded small. Lonely.

“Get some toys out of the cabinet,” Hopper said, pushing some authority into his voice. “It’ll make you feel better.”

Billy looked up at him, his vision blurry and his head swimming. The command didn’t sit well with him, and it pierced the haze settling over him. He stood up, his wobbly legs carrying him across the room as he jabbed a finger in Hopper’s direction. “Don’t tell me what to do when you’re not even- Hey!” he yelled as Hopper closed and locked the door, leaving him alone to pound on a surprisingly solid door.

He let out a guttural noise that faded to a whimper as he slumped against the door. He was fucking miserable and alone. How did that happen?

Just a few weeks ago he was the kept mate of a guy with more money than he knew what to do with, living in a mansion and spoiled with pretty much everything he wanted. He had a mate who took things too far sometimes, but at least he paid attention to him. Fucked him. Left his marks on him. Held him. Pretended to love him.

Hopper was meant to be his. Their biology said so. Hopper was ignoring that because of a stupid fucking sense of duty. It was ridiculous. It wasn’t fucking fair.

Billy threw open the cabinet doors, his nose scrunching up at the selection. “I’ve got better toys at home. These are shit.”

There was nothing wrong with the toys, but he wanted something to complain about as he snatched a vibrating toy with a medium-sized knot. He didn’t bother grabbing lube out of the cabinet. He had way too much of that coming out of his hole.

He stripped off his clothes, leaving them on the floor because he could, and crawled into bed, shoving the toy into his ass without ceremony. The stretch wasn’t enough, and the toy was still cold, but it caught on his rim and stayed in place without holding it himself, and that was all he cared about.

Billy curled up on the bed, punching and pushing and pulling at the blankets and pillows until he exhausted himself and fell asleep with the scent of Hopper still filling his nostrils.

Chapter Text

He wasn’t going to hit the button. He couldn’t. Only a weak, pathetic omega would do that.

And besides, what the fuck were they going to do? They wouldn’t fuck him. Or hold him. Or kiss him. They wouldn’t nibble on him and tell him how beautiful he was or snuggle in a nest he made. So what the fuck good were they?

The TV was on. Some kind of stupid comedy with a terrible laugh track that was making him angrier by the minute. He wanted the background noise to distract him from his misery, but he started to wonder if it was worth it.

The bed was too cold, the blankets were too hot, and the toy wasn’t fucking good enough. Tears trailed down his cheeks despite telling himself he should knock it off.

The foot tasted like shit. The bottled water smelled like plastic. The gorgeous set of ropes in the cabinet weren’t caressing his body because nobody fucking put them on him. No cuffs or collar. No one had even paddled his perfect fucking ass or striped his legs with a cane.

He pulled the toy out and threw it at the wall, his slick running down the wall and the toy thunking down on the carpeted floor.

Billy stumbled to the door with his heart pounding and something inside him clawing to get out. He slammed his hand on the red button, screaming incoherently when the door didn’t immediately open.

“Fuck you all! Fuck Henry!” Billy yelled, falling back onto the too soft rug and leaning against the end of the bed. “Fuck you too, Hopper! You’re a fucking idiot!”

He closed his eyes, covering his face and curling in on himself. His body was on fire. The slick had to have created a river that was running under the door by now. He couldn’t remember ever leaking this much before.

He violently flinched when hands touched his overheated skin and lifted him onto the bed. “Don’t fucking touch me!” he yelled.

The burn in his throat told him he used his distress call, but fuck it. He was dying, and if ever there was a time for an omega to call out in distress, it was when they were fucking dying.

The hands let go of him, and Billy flailed on the bed, cursing out anybody who ever lived and the fucking waste of good alpha genes that was his stupid mate who fucking abandoned him and should be thrown in prison just for that alone.

He wanted Hopper. That alpha smelled better than anybody he ever met. Henry only wished he smelled that good.

And Hopper had big hands, strong arms, and Billy wanted to feel that beard between his thighs. That was all he needed, and he wouldn’t ever ask for anything else ever again.

He needed Hopper, but the fucking idiot wanted him to suffer alone and wait for his fucking cunt of a mate to come in, and he never fucking would.

“Tell me what you want, sweetheart.”

Billy froze, his body shivering despite the fire consuming him alive. “Wha’the fuck is it?”

“I’m here, Billy,” Hopper’s gruff voice reassured him, his scent like the sweetest candy he ever tasted. “Tell me what you want me to do. I’ll help you. It’s okay.”

Billy blinked up at the alpha, trying to clear his vision enough to see him. “Are you really here?” he asked, the last word turning into a moan as Hopper’s hands trailed over his chest.

“I’m here,” Hopper said, nodding. He thumbed a nipple and smiled down at Billy. “Do you want my fingers? My mouth? Do you want me to knot you? I’ll do anything you want. Whatever you need. I’m here.”

Billy grimaced as his body cramped with want, the empty feeling inside him so painful he could barely breathe. "I just want something in me. Something big and- Want you. Need you. Want you inside me. Your knot. I need your knot," he said, grabbing Hopper's right hand with his left and pushing Hopper's fingers up against his soaked asshole. "Just want you inside. Please."

Hopper pulled him closer with his left arm, holding him tight and making him feel the security he was missing like a phantom limb. Fingers pushed inside him, and Billy cried out, his body arching and his cock jabbing into Hopper’s belly.

“This what you want, baby?" Hopper asked, affection in his voice that had Billy keening with pleasure.

“Inside! Need you inside. Please! Please, please, please,” he begged, squirming and clenching around Hopper’s fingers.

Hopper’s fingers moved inside him, soft and slow. "Like this, sweetheart?"

Billy whined, mouthing at Hopper’s naked chest. "Yeah, but more. Need more."

Hopper pushed a third finger in, but it still wasn’t enough. He needed to be filled. Consumed. Eaten alive by something other than the fire.

“I’m not supposed to be here,” Billy said through clenched teeth, fingernails scratching over Hopper’s shoulders.

"I know," Hopper said, adding a fourth finger inside Billy.

"No, I mean I'm really not supposed to be here," Billy gasped, closing his eyes.

He wanted Hopper to bite him. To claim him as his. To keep everything and everyone else away. He was twenty steps ahead of Hopper, having decided that was all he needed. But his alpha needed to know more about him. It was only fair.

"I didn’t do it," Billy said, his chest about to explode because his alpha would know what to do with those words. Hopper needed to know that Billy was good. He was a good omega, and he was perfect for Hopper because they were made for each other.

"Didn’t do what?" Hopper asked, keeping his voice low as that big hand fucked in and out of his hole.

"The money," Billy gasped, thrusting back against the hand filling him. It wasn’t Hopper’s knot, but it was soothing the fire inside him. “I didn’t do what I said I did. I’m not supposed to be here. Henry did it, but I said I did it so he wouldn’t have to go to alpha prison.”

"Okay. It’s okay," Hopper said, agreeing too easily. Like he didn’t believe Billy and was just patronizing him. “We’ll figure everything out once you’re feeling better.”

“No! You need to know," Billy said, hissing when Hopper pushed impossibly deeper inside him. “I’m yours now, and you need to know this about me because you wouldn’t want a criminal as a mate.”

“We’ll talk about it when you’re feeling better,” Hopper said firmly. “Right now I’m going to take care of you.”

Billy couldn’t figure out which way was up and which way was down. Hopper rolled him over and spread his legs, something big and warm and fucking perfect sinking into him and filling him in all the right ways.

“Please! Please, I need it!”

Billy grabbed onto the blankets, his body shaking and thrusting back as Hopper fucked him, panting and begging as Hopper’s knot bumped against his stretched hole. Billy needed it inside him, and with every long pull back out of him, he wanted it even more.

In a frenzied and desperate last-ditch effort, he threw himself back, crying out as that big knot stretched him impossibly wide and filled him so full he lost his breath for a moment.

Hopper settled down on top of him, the weight exactly what Billy wanted. He closed his eyes and hummed happily, feeling as though he was settling down for the first time since he got to prison.

"Billy," Hopper said, letting out a sigh that sounded satisfied and it made Billy shiver with pride. "You should've told me. I could’ve helped you."

"I couldn't," Billy said as he squirmed, his toes curling in pleasure. “I thought I was saving my mate from a place that would get him killed. If I told anybody the truth, it would’ve gotten him thrown in prison anyway, and I’d be stuck here for a while until the lawyers worked things out.”

"Don't do that again," Hopper growled. "You tell me what’s going on, and I'll help you. I’m going to get you out of here."

Billy smiled. “Breakin’ me out?”

The weight on his back lifted, and he frowned, letting out a whine of protest. He rolled over, blinking around the empty room as his stomach clenched. Tears blurred his vision again, and he choked on a sob, sitting up and pushing himself against the headboard.

The sheets were disgusting. Drenched in sweat, slick, and the spend of countless times he came while lost in a hallucination.

It never happened to him before, but he heard about it happening to omegas who went through their heat alone. Billy was just lucky enough to never have gone through one without an alpha.

“Fuck you, you fucking cocksucker!” Billy yelled so hard his throat hurt, slamming his fists against the headboard and kicking his feet with rage. “This isn’t fucking fair! I said I wanted you! I have fucking rights, you fucking knothead! It doesn’t fucking matter that I have a mate! I’m an omega demanding help, and you just fucking left me here!”

Billy fell to his left side, his body shaking with the force of his sobs as he grabbed the pillow and shoved his face against it.

“Everybody fucking left me,” he yelled into the pillow.

He cried himself out, falling asleep because he was too exhausted to keep his eyes open.

He awoke some time later, but without a clock in the room, he had no idea how long he was asleep. He crawled out of the bed and carefully made his way to the bathroom, every joint and muscle in his body screaming at him in pain.

“This isn’t right,” he mumbled, wincing as he gripped the faucet in the shower and turned it on. The pain in his hand brought tears to his eyes with its intensity. “This can’t be what single omegas go through.”

It was so much worse than anything he experienced before, and the thought of lonely omegas going through it by themselves was heartbreaking. Why would anyone do this? Alpha sex workers were available any time they were needed, and even though it wouldn’t feel as fulfilling because they weren’t a mate, it had to be better than this.

Billy used the shower attachment to flush himself out, his ass feeling clean for at least a few minutes while he stood in the shower and rinsed off the soap. It felt like days since he wasn’t covered in sweat with slick running down his legs.

His stomach growled, and he rolled his eyes. Food was the last thing he wanted, but if he didn’t eat, he would feel worse. He reluctantly got out of the shower and dried himself off without bothering to put anything on.

He opened the cabinet and frowned at all the options. Everything from crunchy to soft, salty to sweet to savory, and everything he needed to make it through a heat. He looked down at the bottom row of bags, and his breath caught in his chest.

Gushers. Tropical flavor. Five whole bags.

Maybe they were in all the omegas suites, but Billy didn’t think so. They were from Hopper for him. Something to make him feel loved and cared for even though Hopper wouldn’t cross the line of actually being in there with him because Billy had a stupid fucking mate and Hopper had fucking morals.

He took all five bags to the bed, wincing and hissing as his body protested even that small movement. It hurt to open the bag. It hurt to lift the candy to his mouth. Even his tongue and teeth hurt, but he moaned as the blueberry grape flavor filled his mouth.

He had to eat more than candy, but he decided to think about that later and finished off the first bag. That tired him out, so he spread out on the bed and hugged the pillow, his face turned to the remaining four bags of Gushers.

They weren’t Hopper, but it still made him feel better having them because Hopper left them for him. He had to have left them for Billy. Gushers couldn’t be a staple in every suite.

He drifted off into a fitful sleep and woke with such a strong hunger pang in his stomach that he almost threw up. He stumbled to the cabinet and grabbed a bag of beef jerky. It wasn’t one of his favorite snacks, but it would give him some protein on top of the full bag of sugar he consumed earlier.

It tasted horrible. Too spicy, and it had a gamey taste to it that made his lips curl in disgust, and he scrunched his nose, chewing and getting down a few strips as fast as he could.

He pulled out a loaf of white bread and a jar of crunchy peanut butter. There were no knives in the cabinet, so he used his fingers to scoop the peanut butter onto the bread and sucked his fingers clean before eating his peanut butter sandwich with sips of soda to get it down.

Once the food hit his poor stomach, he felt better, and the threat of throwing up was gone.

His head felt a little clearer. With that clarity came anger, because he remembered reading one of the documents the lawyer slid in front of him. One that Henry had to sign, and it upset Billy at the time, but it meant he had options now.

Billy stormed over to the door and pounded on it. “Hey! Hey, get in here! I wanna talk to somebody! Hey! Guard! Anybody! I wanna talk to Owens!”

He listened for footsteps outside the door, but didn’t hear anything, so he hit the red button beside the door, flinching when the dim lights in the room brightened and the red button lit up.

Seconds later the door was opening, and a wide-eyed Chrissy along with someone in white scrubs walked in, the man in white scrubs immediately checking him over.

“What’s wrong?” Chrissy asked, cupping his face and scenting him as she pushed his mouth open and looked at his gums and tongue.

Billy pushed her hands away and slapped at the guy in scrubs until he backed off. “My mate signed a waiver that said, in the event that I went into heat, I could request an alpha to help me through it even if Henry’s unavailable. I want Hopper. You have to give him to me!”

Chrissy cooed at him. “Oh, honey, Hopper isn’t here. He’s on leave.”

Billy frowned, his world shifting in the wrong direction. “Leave for what?”

“He didn’t say,” she said, shaking her head. “He didn’t put in a formal request. Just said it was a family emergency, but he doesn’t have any family, so I’m not sure exactly what’s going on.”

“Well then call him!” Billy demanded, his voice rising in volume. “That legal document said I could request anybody I wanted. You have to contact him.”

Chrissy stared at him for a moment before turning to the medic. “Give us a minute, okay?”

The medic nodded and left the room, closing the door to give them privacy.

“I don’t know the details, but something big is happening,” Chrissy said, keeping her voice low.

“What do you mean?” he asked, glancing at the door.

“It has to do with your case,” she whispered. “Someone came forward. A business partner of Henry’s. Once they came forward, others joined in, and it’s becoming a hell of a shitstorm.”

Billy’s stomach clenched. “Came forward with what?”

She gave him a sad smile. “They turned on Henry, and it’s getting bigger by the minute.”

“What are they- Why is- How are they turning on him?” he asked, reaching up and running his hand through his hair. His recently-cleared head was spinning, and he could feel his body reacting to an alpha being so close to him even if it wasn’t the alpha he wanted.

“Embezzling was only a small part of what was going on,” Chrissy said, the empathy in her tone of voice and the look of concern on her face soothing his nerves. “They’ve got him on everything from murder for hire to money laundering through several cartels to human trafficking and more.”

Billy stumbled back and sat down on the bed, his chest feeling tight, making it hard to breathe. He looked up at Chrissy. “How long have I been in here? What happened?”

“Three days,” she said, sitting down next to him and leaning close so he could hear her as she whispered. “The first to come forward was a man who showed up at the police station with a black eye, a broken wrist, and a sprained ankle. He said he wanted to confess and turn himself in. That it was weighing heavily on his conscience.”

“Oh, fuck,” Billy said, wondering what it all meant for him.

The wheels of justice moved slowly. The lawyers would have to work with all the agencies involved, and they would need to reinterview Billy and get new statements.

If he were in the movies, later that afternoon he would be released and Hopper would take him home, and they would live happily ever after. But this was real life, and release could be weeks or months away.

“Henry’s partner turning himself in happened only a few hours after Hopper took off saying he had a family emergency,” Chrissy said so softly that Billy barely heard her.

Billy turned, looking at her with wide eyes. “You think he-”

“No, definitely not,” she drawled, shaking her head. “Hopper would never break the law. Especially not for someone he accidentally bonded with who made him pop a knot for the first time in almost ten years.”

Billy’s jaw dropped, his holes clenching and leaking. Even though he wasn’t in a fairytale movie, he swore butterflies filled his stomach, his nerves singing with excitement, and his heart pounding.

“But you didn’t hear that from me,” Chrissy said, one eyebrow arching upward.

He shrugged. “Didn’t hear what?”

Chrissy smiled. “Good boy.”

Billy looked down at his lap, trying desperately to clear the rest of the haze in his head from his heat. It wasn’t working, but it wasn’t as bad as it had been most of the time he was stuck in the omega suite.

“I’m going to call him and see if he’s ready to come stay with you,” she said as she stood up and ran her hand over his shoulder. “Now that so many are coming forward, he probably has some free time on his hands, and he’s probably worried about you.”

Billy nodded, giving her a smile as she left the suite and closed the door after herself. He pushed himself back on the bed until he was resting against the headboard and grabbed the remote control for the TV, turning it on and hoping the suite had a news station.

“...prominent businessman and head of the conglomerate known as Vecna Industries was arrested Sunday afternoon amid a flurry of both anonymous accusations and formal statements by former business associates, friends, and competitors.

According to sources within the department, Mr. Creel hasn’t spoken to anyone and refuses to give a statement since his arrest, and his team of lawyers are working ‘round the clock to fend off lawsuits including a class-action lawsuit that was submitted early this morning from a large corporation in Japan.

The FBI announced their own investigation, and within hours the Federal Trade Commission announced they’ve launched an investigation as well.

Heather Hollloway, famed starlet and recently-announced claimed mate of Henry Creel, was unavailable for comments as she was escorted from the prison by her bodyguards.

We’ll have more on this developing story at the end of the hour.

Billy watched with wide eyes as footage of Henry in cuffs played on the screen. He looked tired and angry. His suit was rumpled, and his hair was a mess. There was an officer on each side of him holding one of his arms, leading him into the police station.

He was already mated to another omega. How long had he waited before getting together with her? Was he fucking her before Billy even made it to prison? No wonder he wouldn’t take Billy’s calls. He had another omega to show off at parties and to be his fucktoy.

It shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did, seeing her with a collar around her neck when Henry never gave Billy one. It was one more nail in the coffin of their relationship.

He turned the TV off and ran a hand through his hair. His body felt tingly and kind of numb. All the aches and pains were a little better, but that was probably due to shock.

He knew about some of the shady things Henry did with money, screwing over investors and moving it around in ways that had to mean he was covering things up, but he had no idea Henry was into anything like human trafficking. He would never have stayed with Henry had he known.

He didn’t like some of the people Henry dealt with in business, but he didn’t know there were possibly cartel members in the house making deals with him.

What else was Henry into? How close was Billy to some of the most dangerous people in the world without even knowing it?

His mind raced with possibilities and scenarios. The faces of those business people who talked with Henry for hours in his office. The ones who looked at him with naked lust in their eyes. The man visiting from France who made an offer to buy Billy from Henry.

The door opened, and Billy’s body moved before his brain caught up to the fact that Hopper was standing in the doorway. He scrambled off the bed and slammed into Hopper, grunting with the impact, and wrapped his arms around the man, sucking in a deep breath of that familiar scent that he wanted surrounding him for the rest of time.

Sweet like candy, spicy cinnamon, and the slightly off, acrid musk of an alpha who was struggling through rut without taking care of his own needs.

“You left me,” Billy said through clenched teeth, trying to sound accusatory, but instead he just sounded like he was moaning with pleasure and about to start humping Hopper before the door was even closed.

“I know,” Hopper said, moving them into the room and kicking the door shut.

“I said I wanted you,” Billy whimpered as he wrapped his legs around Hopper’s waist. He bit Hopper’s neck hard enough to break the skin a little. “You fucking ignored me!”

“I didn’t ignore you,” Hopper said gently. “I didn’t want to take advantage of you. You were going into heat.”

Billy bit down on another spot until he tasted blood and growled before tucking his face against Hopper’s neck. “I know what I want. I fucking demanded you be here. You violated my rights, you asshole.”

“The power imbalance isn’t-”

“Shut your fucking mouth,” Billy yelled as he grabbed Hopper’s face and glared at him, his legs still wrapped around Hopper’s middle. “You knew Henry signed the waiver, and even if he didn’t, I have the right to ask for who I want.”

Hopper nodded. Was that begrudging amusement on his face? The little shit.

“Then say you’re sorry, that you’ll never fucking do it again, and- Ouch!” Billy yelped, fingernails digging into the sensitive skin of Hopper’s face as he registered what Hopper just did to him. “Did you just smack my ass?”

“I did,” Hopper said, nodding again. “And I’ll put you over my knee if you don’t start behaving.”

Billy let out an indignant huff.

“Whether you agree with me or not,” Hopper said calmly, “I did what I thought was right for you and me.”

Billy’s face flushed all the way to the tips of his ears, and he ducked his head, wrapping his arms around Hopper more gently.

“The last few days were very hard on you,” Hopper said, running his hands over Billy’s back in soothing circles, “but I’m here now.”

“I didn’t do it,” Billy said, because the last time he said it, Hopper was a heat-induced hallucination, so it didn’t count. Hopper still needed to hear the words.

“I know.”

“He wasn’t who I thought he was,” he whispered.

“I know.”

“I thought-”

“Shush,” Hopper said, turning them around and pressing Billy up against the door. “Tell me what would make you feel better right now.”

Billy scowled, pressing his forehead against Hopper’s. “You.” Didn’t Hopper know that already?

“Billy,” Hopper said, his breath ghosting over Billy’s lips, “we’ve never even fucked, and you’re still in heat. Tell me what you want so I can take care of you.”

He pulled back, his scowl deepening and frustration making his eyes burn with unshed tears. “You’re an alpha. Do whatever your instinct is telling you to do to an omega in heat before they spontaneously combust.”

Hopper’s eyes narrowed, and he stared at Billy for too long. “Do you think all omegas are the same?”

The words were said gently, but they still felt like a smack across the face. Billy dropped his feet to the floor and let go of Hopper, taking a few steps back. “Don’t you fucking look at me like I’m one of those ferals that’s been caged for years and the only thing to do with them is send them off to a rehab home in the country,” he yelled, jabbing a finger in Hopper’s direction.

“I’m sorry,” Hopper said, and it sounded genuine.

“I took care of our home,” Billy said through clenched teeth, his pride wounded. He didn’t want his alpha thinking of him as a charity case. “I paid the bills. I did the bookwork for the parts of the business that were above board. I arranged all his business meetings, and that wasn’t easy. I had to rent venues, set up catering and decor companies that knew what the fuck they were doing so Henry looked like the rich fuck he was. And I-”

“Why do you think I’m here?” Hopper asked.

Billy swore his mouth made a noise when it shut. It felt like a record scratched inside his head, and with the heat raging through his body, it made him queasy. “Huh?”

“Spending time with you,” Hopper said, shrugging. He had a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, but it didn’t feel as though he was mocking Billy. “Playing the little courtship games we’ve been playing even though I knew you were mated. Sneaking your favorite snacks not only into the prison, but into your suite. And why did I come here when Chrissy said you were asking for me?”

“Because I’m a persistent asshole,” Billy said, holding his hands out at his sides.

Hopper chuckled and shook his head.

Billy scowled. “I wasn’t trying to be funny.”

“I know, and I wasn’t laughing at you,” Hopper said, taking a step closer.

Billy ducked his head. “Yeah, you better not,” he grumbled.

“I did all that because I like you, and I want you to be mine,” Hopper said gently, but before Billy could respond, he reached out and cupped Billy’s face with both hands. “But I’m not going to just take you like you’re the latest fancy car on the lot that I can show off to my friends.”

Damn it, he was going to fucking pass out if his head kept getting smacked around like that. It was a good thing -- the things Hopper was saying were touching things deep inside him that he tried to ignore his whole life, but it fucking hurt because he never had it before, and he didn’t want to let himself think that he could have it even though Hopper was there.

“I want you to give yourself to me because you want to.”

Billy turned around, running his hands over his face so Hopper wouldn’t see the tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. “Okay, so I’m willingly giving myself to you. Now fuck me. Knot me and help me with the heat from hell,” he said, his voice shaky and not nearly as confident as he wanted to sound.

“Tell me what you want,” Hopper said. “The first thing I do with you is going to be something you want, not what I’m making you do.”

The urge to turn around and yell at the alpha was nearly overwhelming. He didn’t want to have to decide. Didn’t want to have to ask.

He sighed, his shoulders dropping. This wasn’t a movie. His alpha wasn’t riding in on a cool horse or speeding up in a car that cost more than most people’s homes. Hopper wasn’t going to sweep him off his feet and fix everything that happened in Billy’s life over the last few years.

What Hopper was offering was real. A partner. Support while he was stuck in prison until the lawyers got their shit together and got him out. Hopefully a partner after that too. Someone who wanted him because they were ready for the good and the bad things about him.

It was happening fast, but so had everything else in Billy’s life. One minute he was stuck in the house he grew up in with a father who treated him like shit, and the next he was in a multi-million-dollar mansion and sleeping on bed sheets that cost more than his entire wardrobe. At least until Henry got him new clothes.

Billy never had a chance to breathe, and looking back, he didn’t know if he wanted one. The waiting and wondering was always the hard part, and it meant bad things would happen.

He didn’t want that life anymore, and he already knew it, so why was he trying to push Hopper into that same mold?

Billy turned around, his chest feeling too small for the giant intake of breath he wanted to take. It was so much all at once, but it didn’t feel like a trap.

He smirked up at Hopper. “I look amazing in ropes,” he said, his cock twitching with excitement when Hopper’s eyes widened and his breath caught in his chest. “I want you to tie me up with them,” he said as he moved closer, tilting his head a bit so accentuated his long, biteable neck, “tease and fuck the heat away,” he said has he leaned in and slid his hands over Hopper’s sides, “and plug me up with that big,” he said as he slid his hands down to cup Hopper’s crotch, “hard, thick knot.”

Hopper licked his lips, his breathing a little uneven as he leaned into the touch. “Get on the bed,” he said, a sexy growl in his voice that had Billy climbing onto the bed without a second thought.

He watched, his mouth watering and his body craving every inch of Hopper as he watched his alpha kick his shoes off almost violently, hard soles thunking against the wall. He dropped his slacks to the floor in hurried but coordinated movements, leaving his socks, white boxers, and his button-down shirt on.

Hopper turned, the vibrant red coiled rope in his left hand and the rich purple coiled rope in his right hand. His gaze traveled over Billy’s body as though he was working out something very serious before he nodded and tossed both sets of ropes onto the bed.

Instead of telling him to get on his stomach, Hopper grabbed him, pushing him down and spreading him out with rough movements that had Billy’s cock leaking on the sheets and his hole aching to be filled.

Billy didn’t say a damn word as Hopper took his time wrapping Billy up like a gift. Ankles. Thighs. Wrists. Tight but not too tight.

The rope felt perfect on his skin, and he smiled into the sheets as he pictured all the lines embedded into his body that would reveal themselves once Hopper took the ropes off.

“Shit,” Billy hissed as Hopper wrapped the rope around his upper arms and cinched it up, his knees bending, and his ankles hovering over his ass.

“Too tight?” Hopper asked, fingers sliding under pressure points to check even though he asked.

“No. Feels good,” Billy said, resisting the urge to grind his cock into the bed.

He was hogtied. Wrists, ankles, and shoulders wrapped and tied snugly to keep him helpless on his belly. His knees weren’t tied, and Billy spread them, tilting his ass up in invitation.

It felt like Hopper’s hands were everywhere. Caressing, pinching, touching, massaging, and just holding. Billy fucking loved it, basking in the attention and the connection.

Billy lifted his head and looked at the door, his feet toward the head of the bed. The red alarm button was still there, but there was no way Billy would be able to get to it. He was at Hopper’s mercy.

It should have scared him, but it didn’t.

“You just going to stare at it or are you going to fuck it?” Billy asked, wiggling his hips.

He waited for a response, but got nothing. Hopper’s heavy breathing, the soft ticking of the pocket watch on the floor in his slacks the only sounds in the room. The feeling of lush sheets under him and ropes biting into his skin just right along with the caress of Hopper’s hands lulled him into a place he rarely went unless he was exhausted.

The bed dipped, and Billy let out a happy sigh. He couldn’t wait to be filled. Knotted. Satisfied and relaxing into the bed as the frenzy of the heat subsided.

“Hey!” Billy squawked as Hopper wrapped something around his face, covering his mouth, and tied it behind his head, gagging him. “What the fuck?” He wasn’t really upset about it, but he had to make a show of it all the same.

Hopper tapped the tip of Billy’s nose. “If you need help, shake your head back and forth and grunt. Got it?”

Billy nodded. “Was that last comment too much?” he asked, not all that sure if Hopper could understand him with the gag in his mouth.

“Nope,” Hopper said, climbing back onto the bed. “I like your mouth, but listening to you struggling and mumbling under that gag is something I’ve thought about for weeks now.”

Billy smiled, wondering how many times Hopper had stroked himself to thoughts of Billy gagged and tied up for him.

Hopper got between Billy’s legs and spread Bill’s legs wider with his hands, the strain a pleasant ache. His big hands on Billy’s asscheeks spreading him had Billy practically mewling in anticipation.

“Oh my god!” Billy cried out, his whole body shuddering with pleasure as Hopper licked all the way from his vaginal opening and over his asshole up to his lower back.

“Your holes are so pretty,” Hopper said, the praise giving Billy goosebumps. “Which one should I fill? They both taste like heaven.”

Was he asking? Was Billy supposed to make his brain and mouth work?

“Hold yourself open for me, sweetheart,” Hopper said, directing Billy’s hands to his own asscheeks.

Billy pressed his forehead against the bed, grunting with the effort even though it wasn’t that hard to do. He spread himself wide, tilting his hips even more. “Please,” he begged, but he didn’t know exactly what he wanted other than everything, and he wasn’t sure how clearly Hopper could hear him through the gag.

“Such a polite request,” Hopper said, his honeyed voice oozing with pride, and Billy felt the goosebumps coming back.

Billy whined, almost losing his grip on his asscheeks as Hopper pushed his tongue into the opening between Billy’s dick and asshole. The sensitive folds were a place that used to be reserved only for Henry, but Henry fucked that up when he started talking bullshit about letting Martin fill him with pups.

His thoughts swirled, threatening to pull him under, but he didn’t want to get stuck there. That was a bad place. Henry wasn’t in bed with him. He wasn’t there for him when Billy needed him like Hopper was.

It was Hopper’s tongue flicking back and forth. Hopper’s lips closing over his delicate skin and that talented mouth sucking until Billy’s body began shaking, his orgasm almost overtaking him.

“No!” Billy whimpered as Hopper pulled away, leaving his holes aching and spasming, his orgasm just out of reach.

“Patience,” Hopper said with a soft chuckle.

Billy lifted his head, ready to gripe at Hopper about how his patience ran out days ago, but before he could get himself in trouble with his mouth, something started pressing into his asshole, and Billy let out a long moan instead.

His hole ached with the stretch even though he was playing with toys earlier in the day and his hole had been leaking for days. It felt amazing, and Billy squirmed, holding himself open and closing his eyes as Hopper sank deeper and deeper into him.

His lips were moving, and distantly he knew he was begging, but it was as if his brain wasn’t connected to his mouth anymore. Hopper started fucking in and out of him, the knot stopping him from going all the way, and Billy begged louder, his throat aching worse than the rest of his body now that Hopper was sating that hunger inside him.

Billy cried out, his body jostling on the bed as Hopper fucked him harder and harder, the wet sound of Hopper’s cock fucking a wet and leaking hole making Billy’s head swim with pleasure.

“C’mon! Please! Fill me! Please, I need it! Please!”

Hopper’s hands covered Billy’s, both of them holding him open as Hopper fucked him harder, Billy’s barely able to breathe because he knew that any moment he was finally going to get what he wanted. What he needed.

His mouth opened on a silent scream as Hopper grunted, his knot stretching Billy’s hole wide, eyes watering with the burn. Billy sucked in lungfuls of air, those breaths punched out every time Hopper ground down deep inside him, that big knot stuck on his rim and holding Hopper’s cock right where Billy wanted it.

Billy drifted on the endorphins, luxuriating in the boneless lethargy overtaking his body while Hopper untied the ropes and positioned them on their sides, curling up around him and spooning him on the bed. Hopper untied the material around Billy’s face and dropped it onto the floor.

“You need’a bite me,” Billy mumbled, his eyelids so heavy he couldn’t force them open. “Need’a make sure ’m yours.”

Hopper kissed the back of his neck, fingers carding through Billy’s sweaty hair. “How about we start with something I’ve wanted to see on you since the first time you talked back at me in the bathroom here.”

Billy’s lips tugged into a smile. “You liked it. I knew y’did.”

Hopper’s chuckle was languid and slow. “Fuckin’ adorable.”

“You wanted a gag on me since then?” he asked, pleased with himself for getting to Hopper back before Hopper even knew him.

Hopper’s fingers grazed over Billy’s neck. “A collar.”

Billy’s asshole clenched around Hopper’s knot, and he clumsily grabbed Hopper’s hand, holding it against his chest. “You got one for me?” he asked, those butterflies fluttering around in his stomach again.

“Yup,” Hopper said, popping the P. “It’s yours if you want-”

“I want!” Billy blurted. “Where is it?”

“Matching cuffs.” The words were whispered against his skin. “Some pretty little panties you would look amazing in.”

Billy whined and kicked his feet a little just because he didn’t have the energy to stop himself, being exhausted and so more sated than he remembered feeling in a long time.

“They’re in my locker, and I’ll get them for you later.”

Billy’s hole clenched around Hopper. “You can’t leave.” He wanted the things Hopper got for him, but he didn’t want Hopper to leave.

More kisses brushed against his neck just below his left ear. “Not going anywhere while we’re knotted.”

“No, I mean you can’t leave,” Billy said, his fingernails digging into Hopper’s hand. “Not until I’m okay again. Okay?”

He sounded pathetically vulnerable and small to his own ears, and he closed his eyes, turning his head and pushing his face against the pillow he hadn’t realized Hopper placed under his head.

He was opening himself up for pain and heartache. Hopper could reject him. He could say no. He could tell him he wasn’t interested in a needy little boy. It wouldn’t have been the first time he heard it.

“I’m not leaving, Billy,” Hopper said, his voice firm.

“I’m sorry,” Billy said, curling in on himself, feeling awful for demanding something of his alpha, but Hopper was his. He was sure of it.

All those fairytales he watched as a kid, rolling his eyes when Max would tell him that’s what it was going to be like. They were right, and as much as he hated that, he really fucking loved it too because it meant what they were doing was right. Even if Hopper got annoyed with him, he couldn’t deny that Billy was meant to be his.

“Nothin’ t’be sorry for.”

Hopper sounded tired instead of angry or frustrated. Billy hated to compare them, and he didn’t want to think about Henry, but it was hard not to.

“You can’t get rid’a me ‘til I’m sure your heat’s done and you’re feelin’ better,” Hopper said, his left leg sliding up over Billy’s and holding Billy even tighter than he was before, his knot still stuck inside Billy.

Billy fell asleep faster than he meant to, but he was exhausted. He drifted off surrounded by the scent of his mate, the sound of his breathing and the gentle ticking of the pocket watch. The fullness inside him that said Hopper wasn’t going anywhere. At least not yet.

Chapter Text

It felt too good to be true. Sure, he was in prison, and nobody seemed to be letting him out yet, but all that seemed far away because he was warm and safe, tucked in bed with Hopper in a suite that felt like their entire world.

Billy was sprawled out in the middle of the bed, limbs spread wide. Hopper in between his legs and lazily licking his cock. It was perfect and like a fucking fairytale. Hopper was his.

Billy lifted his head squinting at Hopper. “Why’d you stop?”

Hopper was staring at the brand on Billy’s right inner thigh. “Did Henry do that to you?”

“I wanted it,” Billy said, shoving another pillow under his head so he could look at Hopper without straining his neck. “It’s supposed to be his initials in a nice script, but the brand didn’t strike right or something. That’s what the doctor said.”

Hopper ran his finger over the raised edges, one side more raised than the other. “It wasn’t done properly. That’s why it’s uneven and the letters aren’t clear.”

“Oh,” Billy said softly. It made sense. Henry always wanted things just so until those things took too long and Henry became impatient.

“He held it on too long,” Hopper said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “A lot of people get that wrong. They think it’s one long burn, but it should be done in two or three separate strikes. Burning too long distorts the brand and the burn goes too deep.”

Billy wasn’t really sure what to say to that, but Hopper didn’t seem happy about it, so Billy did his best to soothe his alpha. “You can have it removed if you want. I don’t want it now anyway. I’m with you.”

Hopper nodded. “If you want another one, we’ll do it right.”

“Okay.”

Hopper leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on the brand. Billy watched him with wide eyes, unable to breathe or a moment for fear he would break the spell between them. Hopper placed another kiss on his thigh, and another, and another until he reached Billy’s cock.

“I want to give you the gifts I got for you. Want to see you in them,” Hopper said, looking up at him with affection in his eyes. “They’re in my locker, so you’d have to let me leave for a few minutes, but I’ll come right back. Are you all right with that?”

Billy winced, glancing at the door. He didn’t want to say yes, but he really wanted the collar, cuffs, and panties Hop said were in his locker. Hopper got them for him.

“Fuck yeah!” Billy said, nodding enthusiastically in the hopes he could convince himself it wouldn’t be a bad thing.

The fear that Hopper would leave and never come back would have to fuck off because Billy wanted his presents. He wanted Hopper’s collar.

Hopper climbed off the bed, naked and half hard, and started pulling his uniform back on. Billy watched him from the bed, smiling and excited about it all.

Henry didn’t like to present things or make a big deal out of anything. If he bought something for Billy, he would just start using them. Hopper seemed excited to give what he had to Billy, and those butterflies were in Billy’s stomach again.

Hopper gave him a smile before leaving the room. Billy scooted back, leaning against the head of the bed. The silence in the room was hard after hours spent with Hopper. Even the watch was gone, and Billy missed it terribly.

“Shit,” Billy breathed, running his hands over his face as the weight of the situation hit him. “A collar.”

He wanted it, but it was happening so fast. He only knew Hopper for a short time. He was in prison, for fuck’s sake. His ties to Henry weren’t even completely severed since lawyers would be sifting through that for weeks.

Billy smiled, shaking his head. It wasn’t like his previous romance was slow either. Billy met Henry, fell hard for him, and moved in with him so fast it made his head spin. When he wanted something, he didn’t overthink it. He jumped in.

It didn’t work out so well for him with Henry, but Hopper felt so different than anything Billy experienced before. Besides that, his biology said Hopper was his. One soulmate out there for every person might not be true, but he couldn’t deny that their compatibility spoke to the deepest, darkest parts of his being.

He never felt that with Henry. There was lust and love and possession. There was passion and intensity. But Henry never triggered a heat, and Billy’s heat never triggered a rut in Henry.

Billy had to believe that meant something.

The door opened, and Hopper came in with a big grin on his face, one hand behind his back and the other closing the door. He didn’t say a word. Just walked up to the bed and laid out the pieces that he brought for Billy.

Billy scrambled up, getting to his knees and kneeling in the middle of the bed, eyes wide. He reached out and traced the baby blue cuffs and matching collar. They were lined with soft material, and the stitching looked like it was done by hand. The leather was soft but strong.

The light caught on the metal at the front of the collar, and Billy leaned down, looking closely, his stomach clenching when he saw that the little bone-shaped tag was engraved.

“If you don’t like it, I’ll have it changed,” Hopper said.

Billy stared at the letters, biting his lip and wondering why the fuck he felt like crying. He looked up at Hopper and shook his head. “Why would you change it?”

Hopper frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You said that if I didn’t like it, you’d have it changed,” Billy said, confused and apprehensive because of his confusion.

Hopper tilted his head, brow furrowing. “Why would I give you something you didn’t like? I chose the word because it seemed right, but I’m not going to make you keep it if you don’t like it.”

Billy picked up the collar and stared at the word Owned engraved into his tag. “You want everybody to know I’m owned,” he said, not even sure of his own feelings on it.

“I want you to know you’re mine, and that I don’t want anyone or anything else,” Hopper said gently, resting his knee on the end of the bed and leaning closer. “I don’t need to convince anyone else. But I do need to convince the man who was treated like a temporary fixture that I won’t ever take you for granted like that.”

Billy’s vision blurred with tears, and he bit his lip again to keep his emotions in check. The hormones in his system didn’t help, and tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Is that okay?” Hopper whispered.

Billy nodded, looking up at Hopper and smiling through his tears. “Yeah. Yes,” he said, nodding. He held the collar out to Hopper. “I was about to tell you to fuck off with that shit, but now I fucking love it. I never want to take it off again.”

Hopper’s smile warmed Billy to the core, and he leaned forward, buckling the collar on Billy’s neck with sure fingers.

Billy let out a sigh. “It doesn’t dig into the skin or itch,” he said, reaching up to touch his new collar. “Perfect size too.”

Hopper rolled his eyes. “It better be the right size and be high quality, otherwise I’m a shit alpha,” he said as he picked up the cuffs and began attaching them to Billy’s wrists.

More tears ran down Billy’s cheeks, but they were tears of happiness. The words Hopper said stung, but only because Henry didn’t think enough of Billy to get him good quality things or to ask if he liked any of it, and Hopper did.

“You look beautiful,” Hopper said, cupping his face and kissing the tip of his nose. “I have a couple more gifts to make a full set,” he said as he wiped the tears from Billy’s cheeks.

“Gimme,” Billy said with a smirk. “I want to look amazing for you.”

Hopper kissed his cheek. “You already do.”

Billy felt his cheeks flush with the compliment, but as soon as Hopper reached into his pocket and pulled out the other two gifts, Billy forgot all about anything other than how fucking hot he would look in them.

Crotchless, lacy, dark blue panties and a baby blue blindfold. Billy let out a whimper and nodded, unable to speak because he was so overwhelmed.

“You like them?”

Billy let out a huff of laughter and climbed off the bed awkwardly. “I love them,” he said. He stood on one leg, then the other, letting Hopper slide the panties up his legs.

A dark blue hem around his waist and one around each thigh with dark blue lace that went from the waistband to the leg bands both in front and in back plus a dark blue bow that rested at the top of his ass crack.

The panties left his genitals out in the open as well as the sides of his hips. He hoped Hopper liked it because Billy fucking loved it.

“Gorgeous,” Hopper breathed, running his hands over the delicate material. He slipped the blindfold over Billy’s eyes and helped him over to the bed. “On your stomach. I want you to present to your alpha.”

Billy almost fell off the bed, his arousal making him clumsy as he got into position, spreading his legs and reaching back so Hopper could attach the chain between his cuffs. Once that was secure, Billy grabbed his asscheeks and spread himself, exposing his asshole, pussy, and cock to Hopper as he tilted his hips in invitation.

The long groan he heard made him shiver. He couldn’t see Hopper, but the ragged breathing and appreciative hums and grunts were more than enough.

“Perfect,” Hopper said as he ran his hands over Billy’s skin, pinching and touching everywhere like he was mapping his omega.

Billy’s head got fuzzier with arousal and the hormones his heat was dumping into his system, and he relaxed, letting Hopper take over and just enjoying whatever his alpha wanted to do to him.

Hopper knotted him again and again, the two of them fucking more often than they did anything else, including sleeping. The days were lost in a haze of hormones and getting to know one another.

It was as if the outside world didn’t exist, and it was only the two of them.

As his heat subsided, they showered and changed, neither one ready to leave, but they had no choice now that Billy was no longer in heat.

“Can I keep it on?” Billy asked, touching his collar.

Hopper nodded. “Yes, the rules are firm on that one. If your alpha wants you to wear one, no one can make you remove it. If anyone touches it, tell one of the guards, because we don’t take that lightly.”

Billy smiled and nodded. “Okay.”

The first person to hug him and congratulate him was Chrissy. She held him so tightly that he couldn’t breathe, and when she saw the fresh bite just above his collarbone on the left side of his neck, she teared up, hugging him all over again.

Max scowled. “I’m going to have a shovel talk with your new alpha,” she said, pointing at Hopper.

“Understood,” Hopper said with a nod.

“And congrats, big bro,” she said, hugging him just as tightly as Chrissy had.

“Hey, Hargrove!”

Billy turned away from Max to find Suzie coming from the hallway with wide eyes and a big grin on her face. “Get in here! You’re going to love this shit!”

Billy followed her down the hallway to the big rec room where most of the prisoners gathered during the day. The TV was going, and everyone in the area was staring at it. He wasn’t sure why the news was so exciting, but he got close enough to hear what was being reported on.

In a surprising twist to the downfall of Vecna Industries, socialite Heather Holloway filed for an annulment this morning. The omega starlet who made a name for herself with blockbuster hit after hit and swept the Oscars two years in a row said she’s cutting all ties with Henry Creel after Mr. Creel’s arrest just days ago.

Heather Holloway initially stated she would stand by him no matter what, but tensions flared when the Hollywood sweetheart discovered the treasure trove of evidence Mr. Creel hid in his mansion, revealing that not only did Mr. Creel blackmail dozens of Hollywood elite, but that one of the victims was Heather’s mother, EGOT winner Janet Holloway.

As you may recall, Janet Holloway faded from the spotlight nearly a decade ago for unknown reasons after a stunning career. The powerhouse actor, musician, producer, and composer is reportedly working closely with her daughter to clear the names of many disgraced associates of Mr. Creel, including herself.

In related news, Henry Creel has recently been transferred to the maximum security prison where he awaits trial and is under twenty-four hour observation. We’ll have more on this story later tonight.

Suzie smacked Billy’s arm. “Did you see that?!”

Billy smiled and ducked his head. “Yeah.”

“Isn’t it fucking awesome?!”

His smile grew, and he turned to find everyone he met since being in prison staring at him and waiting for his response. He let out another chuckle. “Yeah, it’s fucking awesome!” he yelled.

His reaction broke the ice, and once again the room was full of noisy chatter and activity. Hopper hugged him, rubbing his back and whispering in his ear, asking if he really was okay.

Billy pushed him back and nodded. “Yeah, I really am. He’s where he belongs, and I hope he stays there a long time.”

Hopper’s smile was beautiful and bright, the skin at the corners of his eyes crinkling. “This calls for a celebration. You need treats!”

“No, I don’t need-”

“Fuck yeah, you do!” Phil said, clapping Billy on the back. “Hopefully it’s a goodbye celebration too, but man, take the win! Have a fucking party!”

Billy couldn’t say no, and he didn’t really want to. The prison was a flurry of activity and excitement that wasn’t limited to the prisoners. Even the guards and staff were happy for him, and Billy wasn’t sure why they all cared so much, he went along with it, because why not.

That night, when he stretched out on the bed in his cell for the first time since he went into heat, he felt a sense of calm and stability. It was probably sad that he never felt it before being in prison, but he couldn’t deny it felt amazing.

He wondered how long he would have to be in prison now that everything was coming out about Henry. The lawyers would have to work their magic, but he hoped it didn’t mean more than another few days in prison before he was released.

When he woke the next morning, it was to a mandatory cell search. He wasn’t targeted. The search was for everyone and fairly routine, but it was a harsh way to wake up. He ate brunch with the regular crew, wondering when he would be able to see Hopper, but happy that things seemed to be settling nonetheless.

Later that afternoon, Hopper found him in the library reading a book. Billy smiled and let Hopper pull him off the seat, leaving the book behind for someone else to put away.

“C’mon,” Hopper said with a smile. “There’s something in the rec room for you, but you’ll need to get dressed up first.”

Billy laughed as Hopper hurried him along to the bathroom, the excitement palpable. Hopper put the blindfold on first, and Billy stood in the middle of the bathroom while Hopper did all the rest.

“Bend over.”

Billy was naked and a little cold, but he did as he was told, knowing Hopper was doing it all for him. He squirmed as Hopper pushed lubed fingers into his ass, getting him wet before he pushed something larger into him.

“Couldn’t wait to fuck me again?” Billy said before he realized that it wasn’t Hopper’s dick. It was firmer and definitely not organic.

“Just wait.”

Billy did, and when Hopper finally removed the blindfold and stood him in front of the mirror, Billy gasped, eyes wide and his cock jerking with arousal even as his pussy clenched. He was fucking hot!

On his head was a headband with fluffy blue ears that matched the collar around his neck. He turned to the side, the corners of his mouth twitching a bit before he smiled. The plug in his ass wasn’t just a plug. It was a fluffy blue dog tail that swished back and forth as he moved.

Hopper wrapped his arms around him from behind, resting his chin on Billy’s left shoulder close to where his claiming bite was. “Are you going to be my good puppy?”

Billy grinned. “It depends. Do I get treats for being a good puppy?”

Billy laughed as Hopper grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but his new gifts and the collar that would never leave his neck.

Everybody’s eyes were on him as he walked down the hallway and into the rec room. Hopper’s arousal filled his nostrils, and Billy’s cock twitched as it filled.

Just inside the door was a table full of sweet treats that Billy wanted to dive into. His mouth watered at the selection. Eclairs, chocolate topped profiteroles, tartlets that looked like they might be blueberry, strawberry, and either peach or apricot flavors as well as brownies. Were those bone-shaped speculoos on the plate too?

He didn’t know where to look first. Everyone was watching him, and he was eating up the attention, but there were treats on the table that he wanted to eat, and Hopper was standing next to him looking like the hottest alpha he ever saw in his terrible brown and yellow guard uniform and combat boots.

Instead of fretting over any of it, he turned to Hopper and whimpered, wagging his tail and going to his knees. The gasps and whistles from a few of the inmates made his pussy and asshole clench, and he felt his slick start to slide down his inner thighs.

“Sit pretty,” Hopper said, reaching out and grabbing one of the bone-shaped speculoos off the plate.

Billy held his paws up and sat straight on his haunches, lifting his nose a bit and panting. Hopper’s pupils were already dilated, and his cock was tenting his slacks. Billy held still as Hopper set the treat on his nose and held his hand up in a ‘stay’ gesture.

Billy froze, holding perfectly still so the treat didn’t fall.

“Good boy,” Hopper said, his voice gravely and impossibly hot. He waited a moment before nodding. “Okay, eat your treat.”

Billy tilted his head back a bit and opened his mouth, expertly catching the treat before it fell to the floor. The sweet cinnamon taste filled his mouth, and he wagged his tail without even thinking about it, happy to get his treat for being such a good puppy.

“Roll over,” Hopper said, picking up a strawberry tartlet and holding it up as a promise of what he could get if he obeyed.

Billy went down to the floor smoothly and rolled, springing back up onto his knees and sitting pretty for his treat. Hopper placed the treat on his tongue, and Billy wagged his tail as he chewed on the gooey goodness, the taste of fresh strawberries and sugar exactly what he hoped it would be.

“Play dead.”

Billy smirked, forgetting for a moment about being a good puppy because the command was so silly. He caught himself when Hopper glared, and instead of laughing, he flopped over and stuck his tongue out, feet in the air like a very dead pupper.

“Good puppy,” Hopper said, holding out another treat.

Billy sprang back up and opened his mouth, this time for a profiterole. The pastry was flakey and sweet, the cream inside light and perfect, and the chocolate was the best he had in years. He bit down, some of the fluff inside running down his chin and hitting the floor.

Billy moaned around the treat, chewing and wagging his tail. Hopper crouched in front of him and tilted his chin up, leaning down and licking the fluff from Billy’s chin and sucking kisses over his jawline.

Billy whimpered, eyelids fluttering closed as he enjoyed the attention of that tongue and lips. All too soon Hopper stood up again, and Billy remembered he was performing, not just getting off to some tasty treats and his alpha paying attention to him.

Hopper held up one of the blueberry tartlets and looked him in the eye as he reached down and dragged the tartlet over the slick dribbling down Billy’s left inner thigh. Billy opened his mouth, ready to eat the slick-enhanced treat, but instead Hopper popped it into his own mouth.

“Shit,” Billy hissed, his slick dripping to the floor between his legs as he watched his alpha eat the treat covered in his own slick.

Hopper scowled at him. “Puppies don’t talk. Are you being a naughty puppy?”

Billy’s cheeks flushed and he whimpered, shaking his head.

Hopper let out a heavy sigh and shrugged. “You’ll have to be punished then.”

Billy whined, squirming on his knees and begging Hopper with his eyes. He didn’t want a spanking when he was getting treats and having such a good time.

Hopper slid his right combat boot forward a little and pointed at it. “Naughty puppies hump their owner’s boots.”

Billy’s cock twitched so hard he grunted, shuffling forward until he was straddling Hopper’s foot. He lowered himself, his pussy wet and sliding over the boot, his cock up against the laced front of the boot.

“Dirty little puppy,” Hopper said with a mean chuckle.

Billy’s cheeks flushed, and he ducked his head, pressing his forehead against Hopper’s leg even as his cock twitched and his asshole clenched, his body shivering with arousal. Not only was everyone watching, but they would see him humping Hopper’s boot like an animal.

Billy started moving his hips, sliding back and forth over Hopper’s boot. The curve at the tip of the boot kept catching on the lips of his pussy, and he gasped, shivering with pleasure as he moved faster.

He was painting Hopper’s pant leg with precome while his pussy dripped slick down over his boot and onto the floor. He was making a mess of everything, and everyone could see him and smell him doing it.

Billy panted, grabbing onto Hopper’s leg with both hands as he humped the boot harder, grinding down and bucking wildly as he chased his orgasm. It came all too fast, and with a cry of both surprise and pleasure, he came, grinding down on the boot and squirting on Hopper with both slick and come.

Nobody had ever made his pussy squirt before, and if Billy hadn't felt it himself, he would have still believed it was a myth.

Hopper patted his head. “Good puppy. Now clean up your mess with that pretty tongue.”

Billy’s spent cock tried to twitch again, and his pussy clenched on nothing but more slick while his asshole clenched on the plug inside him.

He did as he was told. He moved back a little and spread his knees, lowering his torso until he could swipe his tongue over the combat boot, cleaning up the mess he made while coming so hard he saw stars.

Swipe after swipe of thick slick that was quickly cooling as he did his job. He was well aware that his pussy was exposed to the prisoners behind him and that they could see the plug in his ass that gave him his pretty tail.

He was showing off for his alpha, and he fucking loved it.

“Sit pretty again,” Hopper said.

Billy did, and he waited patiently with his body buzzing with contentment. Hopper lowered his zipper, pulled his cock out, and quickly stroked himself. Billy watched with wide eyes as it only took a few pulls before he was coming onto the long eclair Hopper was holding in his left hand.

Hopper shivered and shuddered with the last spurts of come that he painted the eclair with, and once he was done, he tucked his cock away like it was never out and held the eclair to Billy’s lips.

“A special treat for a very good puppy,” Hopper said, crouching in front of Billy and feeding him the come-covered treat.

Billy moaned happily, the heavy musk of his alpha familiar on his tongue now that they spent so much time with one another in the suite. There would be no doubt in anyone’s minds about who Billy was with, and Billy loved that Hopper wanted everyone to see that.

He finished his treat, his stomach feeling full and almost a little queasy because of all the sugar. Hopper led him to the folding chairs and sat down, settling Billy between his legs and petting his head, whispering to him about what a good boy he was and how proud he was of him while the other prisoners ate treats, watched the movie Billy paid no attention to, and had fun at his party.

He didn’t think he could be happier than he was then. He supposed that was silly, seeing as how he was in prison and didn’t know when he would be getting out, but if being in prison with Hopper was this good, he could wait to see what it was like making a home with him.

Chapter Text

Billy slumped in the chair, glaring at the man across the table. The chairs were hard angles, all metal, and the cuffs attached to his wrists weren’t his beautiful blue, velvet-lined cuffs. At least they let him keep his collar on.

“What the fuck do you mean?” Billy asked through clenched teeth.

Hopper was sitting at his right side, and he slid his hand over onto Billy’s right thigh to calm him, but it didn’t do a damn bit of good.

The FBI agent pushed the stack of papers toward Billy. “This is a signed confession. A false statement given to the police and under that is the one you gave to the FBI.”

Billy sat up straighter and pushed Hopper’s hand off his thigh, too irritated to accept comfort. “I didn’t do it! Any of it! You’ve got statements from pretty much every person who ever met Henry, and they’re all saying I had absolutely nothing to do with all the illegal shit he was involved in.”

Agent Ricks nodded, his shaggy hair unlike anything Billy ever saw in the movies when the FBI was on screen. “That’s true, but in giving a false confession to the police and the FBI, you committed a felony. A federal crime. That carries a sentence of at least five years. Possibly more if you add the assault on an inmate here just a few weeks ago.”

Billy’s jaw dropped. “He came after me first! And I was forced to make that statement!” he said, jabbing his finger at the stack of papers, the cuffs rattling on the top of the metal table. “Henry controlled everything I did!”

“That’s not what the witnesses are saying,” Agent Ricks said with a shrug. He leaned back in the chair. “According to associates of Mr. Creel, you had quite a long leash, and Mr. Creel himself said that you decided to take the fall for him because you didn’t want him to go to prison.”

He felt himself moving, and he saw the look of surprise on the agent’s face. He heard Ricks’ partner Agent Levine giving him commands to sit back down. Felt Hopper’s grip on the back of his prison scrubs. He could even feel the terror as he threw himself onto the table, snarling and biting, legs kicking.

The logical part of his brain was gone in a haze of despair and anger. Henry was such a fucking bastard. Even after everything, he couldn’t let Billy walk free. He had to get one last hit in.

“Leave the room now!” Hopper yelled.

Billy’s body tried to respond to the alpha’s growl, asserting dominance and scaring off the men upsetting him, but he was too distressed.

He screamed out his rage as the agents left the room and Hopper pressed him down over the table, yanking his scrub pants down and peppering his ass with heavy smacks. He kicked at Hopper, twisting and flailing, cursing up a storm at the last person he should have been taking it out on.

He didn’t even register the pain from the spanking at first. He was too angry. Too scared and hurt and fucking devastated.

His body responded before his head did, however, and he bared his neck, draping himself willingly over the table and taking his punishment.

Hopper made sure the lesson stuck, not stopping until Billy was sobbing with tears pooling on the table beneath him. Billy coughed and curled in on himself as Hopper pulled the scrubs back into place and sat Billy down on the chair, cupping his face and scowling down at him.

“If you think five years is a long time,” Hopper growled, “then whatever they tack on for assaulting two FBI agents is going to feel like a lifetime.”

Billy’s bottom lip quivered, and he tried to turn his head away so Hopper wouldn’t see it, but his head barely moved due to the strong hold Hopper had on his chin.

“Are you listening to me?”

“Yes, sir,” Billy snarled.

Hopper sat down, scooting his chair until they were so close Billy’s right leg was between Hopper’s legs. “I know you’re scared, but you can’t behave like that. Not if you want to get out of here.”

Billy sniffled. “I’m not getting out of here anyway. Five years. At least.”

Hopper glanced at the door before leaning in close and whispering. “Billy, c’mon. You survived your dad, and you survived Henry. I know you can handle a couple knothead feebs. You could do it with one hand tied behind your back even on your worst hair day.”

Billy dropped his gaze to Hopper’s chest and scowled. “You heard them. I gave a false statement. They’re not just going to write it off because I’m hot.”

Hopper chuckled, and it pulled Billy out of his anger for a moment, breaking the ice and somehow making the situation not quite as overwhelming as it was just a moment earlier. Billy smiled and shook his head despite the shitstorm that was headed his way.

“Sucking their dicks isn’t going to be enough,” Billy said, the smile fading away.

Hopper rolled his eyes so hard Billy wondered if it made the man dizzy. “What did Chrissy tell you when Murray wanted to put you in the psych unit?”

Billy cringed. That was only a few days ago, but he got way too close to getting hauled off to the far side of the prison just because he was a little sad.

Okay, he was more than a little sad. He was fucking devastated when he found out that Chrissy had been reassigned to another prison. He couldn’t have Hopper and couldn’t have Chrissy anymore either.

He heaved a heavy sigh. “She said to play the game.”

“Those two assholes,” Hopper said, pointing at the door, “are even easier to manipulate than Murray, and you wrapped him around your little finger last week. You even managed to get him to sign off on once-a-week suite time for the both of us. I couldn’t even do that after almost making him piss himself.”

He thought about it for a moment before nodding. “Okay, so,” Billy drawled, “once they come back in, you should probably leave in a huff like you’re sick of my shit. With you gone, I play the game, convincing them I’m a dumb little omega who got in over his head because of my scary, abusive, criminal mastermind alpha.”

Hopper flashed him a smile before getting up and giving Billy an affectionate forehead bump that left Billy smiling. He forced the smile away as Hopper opened the door and made a show of loudly complaining about the little omega brat he never should’ve fallen for.

Billy worked up more tears, which wasn’t hard after having his butt spanked by that big paw Hopper called a hand. He turned on the charm. He flirted, whined, played dumb, and used every trick that ever worked on dad, Henry, and all Henry’s obnoxious friends. He kept it up until his throat was sore from overuse and his slick was leaking onto the chair.

Thinking about Hopper fucking him over the desk definitely helped get his slick going, and the FBI agents figuratively ate it all up with a spoon.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work out as well as he hoped it would.

The agents left with their signed amendment to his earlier confession and the new deal they worked out. Chrissy escorted the agents down the hallway and out of the prison while Billy sat staring at the empty table. He didn’t look up at Hopper when the man came back into the room.

“I couldn’t get them to release me,” Billy said, wishing he wasn’t cuffed to the table. He wanted to be in Hopper’s arms.

Hopper uncuffed him and sat down next to him, resting a hand on his thigh. Billy needed more, but if he let Hopper hold him now, he would lose the little bit of composure he had.

“Four months minus time served. So two months to go,” Billy mumbled, rubbing his sore wrists. “It could be worse, but I just-mmph!”

Strong arms wrapped around him and held him tight, the scent of his alpha calming him even as he lost the battle against his own emotions and started to cry. Hopper pulled him onto his lap, kissing the side of his head and telling him everything was going to be okay.

It sounded too good to be true, but with Hopper’s arms around him, he felt safe enough to let go when he never did before Hopper.

The promise of being released in months instead of years or decades was something he had to remember. He had to be grateful for that. It wasn’t forever, and in the meantime, he would be able to spend time with his new mate.

Hopper’s fingers found the scar on Billy’s neck. Two puncture wounds that healed within just a few days, but left behind a mark that clearly told anyone who even glanced at his neck that Billy was taken. The scars sat just below his collar and above his collarbone so he could see it in the mirror any time he wanted.

The in-house doctor wouldn’t do anything about removing Henry’s mark on Billy’s shoulder or the fucked up brand on his leg, but once he was out of prison, Hopper said finding a doctor to take care of it for them would be at the top of the list.

Billy reached up and ran his finger over the steel bone-shaped tag hanging from his collar, tracing the word Owned engraved into the steel. Even if someone missed the claiming scar, they couldn’t miss the polished tag declaring that Billy was Hopper’s. He was so fucking proud of it and the promise that came along with it.

“Don’t leave me,” Billy said for the millionth time since his heat subsided.

It was no longer a request, and Hopper damn well knew it. Billy was sure of what he wanted, and with Hopper he was taking more and more of what he was never able to demand before.

It was hard at times, but then there were moments like this, where Hopper was holding him, and it was them against all the bad shit. Hopper was quickly becoming the only sure thing he ever had in his life.

“I won’t,” Hopper said. “Can’t get rid of me that easily.”

Walking back to his cell was harder, knowing he wouldn’t be leaving for another two months. His slides dragged on the floor as he walked. He hoped no one would try to talk to him, because Hopper was taking his shift in the newbie block, and Billy had to be without him until Hopper’s break.

Max was waiting for him in his cell, and she hugged him tightly. Prison gossip worked fast, and she already knew what happened. It was annoying sometimes, but at least he didn’t have to tell her the news himself.

“I’ll make sure you don’t get into trouble between now and then,” she said, and she meant it.

He sat down on the lower bunk, and the two of them slid back until they were leaning against the wall. It was nice. Even when they were pups, they didn’t get time like that to just be quiet together. Too much tension in the house. Too many differences between them.

“When you get out,” she said, resting her hand on his thigh and leaning against him, “I want you and Hopper to meet Lucas and our pups. Get to know them, because when I get out, we’re going to be a family. Holidays. Birthdays. All the good shit.”

Billy smiled. In the weeks since coming to the prison, he learned a lot about his little sister. He definitely wanted to meet her mate and pups, and the hope of having a family sounded really good.

He wanted all the stupid holidays and to celebrate them with Hopper. He could taste the spinach casserole Max told him Lucas loved to make. He could hear the pups laughing at every silly joke he taught Max when they were little.

He wanted to be there for them until Max got out, and once they were able to all walk away from the prison for good, he wanted to do everything they missed out on over the years.

Of course, that was after he made sure Lucas was as great a guy as Max claimed he was. Billy would be seriously vetting him as soon as he got out.

Billy heard the soft ticking of Hopper’s pocket watch and smiled, his mate standing in the doorway to the cell. He had a sappy look on his face. The same goofy smile he always got when Billy and Max were spending time together.

He didn’t think they were sitting there for very long, but if Hopper was on his break, that meant they were cuddling with each other for almost two hours.

“I’ve got first watch on the mess hall tonight,” Hopper said, “but Tommy offered to take watch while the movie’s going. Which means we can sit together if you want.”

Billy pretended to think about it. “I suppose we could do that.”

Hopper’s happy wiggle dance made Max laugh, and Billy couldn’t help but smile. He was learning that his mate was a bit of a dork, and he loved it.

“C’mon,” Max said, waving a hand at the far end of the bunk. “Family snuggle time.”

Billy chuckled as Hopper moved without hesitation, happy to climb into the small space and sandwich Billy between them. He threaded his fingers between Billy’s and lifted Billy’s hand, kissing the back of it and resting their hands on his thigh.

“I’m sorry, Max,” Hopper said after a long moment of silence. “I tried again, but they won’t budge.”

Max shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t think they would, but it was worth a try. Thank you.”

Hopper sighed. “Don’t thank me for that. You’ve got another eighteen months.”

“And they’re knocking off six months,” Max said, her attitude a little too positive and covering for the fact that being away from her mate and pups for nearly three years was slowly destroying her. “Good behavior gets me points, and I’m enrolled in the vocational release program, so they might knock another three months off because of that.”

They wouldn’t. Hopper pushed for the six months early release, and he told Billy that was all she was getting. Defending her pups came with a price when things went too far and involuntary manslaughter carried a minimum sentence. She said it was worth it, and she would do it all over again if it meant keeping them safe.

Hopper leaned his head back against the wall. “There’s another program. A new one that-”

“Let’s just sit here, okay?” Max said, reaching across Billy and slipping her much smaller hand over Hopper’s, her fingers brushing over Billy’s. “Everything’s going to be fine because you and Billy are going to be the best uncles my pups could ever ask for.”

Hopper tensed, like he wanted to say more, but Billy’s death glare shut him up, and the three of them just sat there in relative silence. The sounds of prison inmates moving around them, bars clanging, and guards barking orders faded into the background while the ticking of Hopper’s pocket watch comforted him.

Max snorted, leaning forward and meeting Hopper’s gaze. “I don’t even know your first name. Are my pups supposed to call you Uncle Hopper or-”

“Jim,” Hopper said.

Billy felt his cheeks flush, and he tucked his face against Hopper’s shoulder, trying to hide. If Max saw the reaction, she wouldn’t let it go. He closed his eyes, holding his breath, but a moment later he was grunting from a mild blow to his stomach.

“You idiot!” Max said, scooting forward to properly glare at him even though she was laughing. “You didn’t know his first name! You let him claim you, and you- You’re such an idiot!”

Her laughter was infectious, and he couldn’t help but smile. “It wasn’t important.”

She rolled her eyes before looking up at Hopper. “Is it short for something, or were your parents incredibly unimaginative?”

“James Junior,” Hopper said, and Billy could hear the smile.

Max nodded. “So what would you prefer? Uncle Jim or Uncle Hopper? Or maybe Uncle Hop?”

Billy smirked. “Uncle Hoppy.”

Hopper’s snort of laughter was fucking adorable. “Uncle Jim is fine.”

Billy turned to him and leaned closer, their faces so close he could feel Hopper’s breath on his chin. “Does that mean you want me to scream Jim when I come instead of Hopper?”

Max scrambled off the bed, waving her hands frantically. “Uh-uh. I’m outta here. Have fun.”

Hopper cupped Billy’s face and kissed him. It was unhurried and without any intent behind it. Just a gentle but firm meeting of their lips and tongues as Billy closed his eyes and let Hopper pull him onto his lap.

He lost himself in that talented tongue doing things to his lips and tongue that had Billy wishing Hopper’s face was between his legs.

“Hey! No fuckin’ in the cells!” Tommy barked from the doorway.

Billy and Hopper broke apart reluctantly, Hopper scowling at Tommy. “Yes, sir,” he said with so much attitude that Tommy practically scurried away, the threat in his voice clear.

“Maybe I should blow him again,” Billy said flippantly. “He might let us fuck in here or maybe he’ll give me treats.”

Hopper chuckled. "I'm gonna have my hands full with you, aren't I?"

Billy grinned. “Yup."

A big paw grabbed his neck and pulled him closer, Hopper burying his nose in Billy’s hair and scenting him deeply. Billy leaned into the touch and relaxed. “My break is almost over,” Hopper said, rubbing his chin and cheeks over Billy’s scalp.

“Everybody already knows I’m yours,” Billy said with a smile, although he really didn’t mind that his mate wanted to smell like him.

"You gonna be a good boy while I’m gone?" Hopper asked, fingers tracing the soft skin just below Billy’s collar.

“Yes, sir,” Billy said. "Am I going to get any treats for being an extra good boy?"

“The local stores are going to run out of Gushers if you keep this up,” Hopper groaned, not so much complaining as he was rubbing himself over Billy. “Fuck. I gotta stop.”

“No, you don’t,” Billy said, trying to climb onto Hopper and whining when he was pushed back onto the bed. “Mean alpha,” he grumbled.

“Behave,” Hopper said as he struggled to get up, an obvious tent in his slacks.

Billy cupped himself through his scrubs and smirked up at his frustrated alpha. “You’re going to leave me like this?”

Hopper grunted, standing up straight and turning around. He took a couple cleansing breaths before hurrying out of the cell with Billy laughing his ass off and not at all sorry for it.

Billy reached into his scrubs and stroked himself a few times, his fingers slipping under his dick and brushing over the lips of his vaginal opening. He shivered, spreading his legs and tilting his hips for better access.

Just being around Hopper was enough to get him ready, but being so close and with his mate scenting him, it was damn near impossible to keep himself in check.

Billy heard heavy footfalls coming his way, and the soft ticking of that pocket watch made him smile as his wide-eyed mate came charging into the cell and grabbed him by the left wrist, pulling him off the bed. Billy’s right hand was still down his pants, and he hurried to keep up with Hopper as he was pulled into the bathroom and shoved into a stall.

Hopper threw the lock and leaned up against him, pushing him into the cold steel wall. Billy groaned as Hopper bit and licked at his neck, Hopper’s hands shoving his scrub pants down. One hand slid around to his back and fingers pushed dry into his asshole while another hand slid down his front, bypassing his straining dick and cupping the hole in between his dick and asshole.

Billy bit down on Hopper’s shoulder as the alpha pushed two fingers into each hole and pulled in opposite directions, punching a cry of pleasure from him and nearly taking his legs out from under him in the process.

Billy reached between them, his movements sure but hurried as he tugged open Hopper’s belt and nearly ruined the zipper as he pulled the slacks open. Hopper was hard and leaking, his knot a little swollen, but not to full size yet.

Hopper didn’t turn him around. Didn’t lift him up or even grab a leg and spread him. He left his fingers in Billy’s asshole and guided his cock under him until that hard cock was sliding over Billy’s folds, Hopper fucking back and forth and driving Billy wild with want and need.

“You- Shit, Hopper, c’mon!” Billy whined, fingers digging into Hopper’s sides as the alpha slammed him against the wall over and over again, his dick dragging over Billy’s folds and the tip of his cock catching on the hole over and over again.

“Be a good boy, and you’ll get treats,” Hopper panted, his face tucked against Billy’s neck and the fingers in Billy’s ass pulling and twisting and doing things that had Billy squirming against him.

“Please, I need you inside me,” Billy begged through clenched teeth, his body tensing and his holes aching with emptiness even though Hopper was playing with both. “Knot me, please!”

Hopper grunted, grinding against him and shoving Billy’s ass back against the hand pinned between Billy’s ass and the wall, his cock pulsing between Billy’s legs and pushing Billy over the edge.

Billy cried out, letting Hopper’s shoulder muffle the sound as he writhed against the alpha, his body jerking and bucking with his orgasm as Hopper’s cock painted the wall behind him and Billy’s holes leaked onto Hopper’s cock and dripped onto the floor.

They panted against each other’s necks, the thrill of being so close, but not getting exactly what either one wanted while in the prison bathroom making it all seem sordid and more exciting than if they had rushed off to a suite.

“Go clean yourself up,” Hopper said, his voice honeyed and lazy post orgasm. He stepped back and leaned against the far wall of the stall, gaze locked on Billy’s and with a smirk as he lifted his hand and sucked Billy's slick from his fingers.

Billy let out a long groan, cupping his spent cock and shaking his head. “Murray was totally wrong about you.”

Hopper tilted his head a bit as Billy walked out of the stall and headed for the sinks to clean himself up. “What’s he sayin’ ‘bout me?”

Billy snatched a few paper towels from the dispenser and held them under the faucet, wetting them. “He doesn't think you can keep up with a young omega.”

“Fuck him,” Hopper snarled, but he was too sated to put much heat behind it. “Next time you see him, tell him I'm the one wearin’ you out.”

Billy paused in his attempts to wipe up the mess between his legs and looked up at Hopper. “I'm not the one who needed a nap before round three in the suite,” he said, eyebrows arching upward in a blatant challenge.

Hopper glared at him. “Did Murray really say that or are you lookin’ for somethin’ to plug that mouth? Maybe my knot’ll shut you up.”

“Shit,” Billy hissed, leaning forward and cupping his cock as it twitched, his holes leaking even more. “I was almost done cleaning up,” he said, tossing the wet paper towels in the direction of the trash bin and grabbing a few fresh ones with one hand still cupping his cock.

“Better not be lying to me. Lying puppies don’t get treats,” Hopper said as he walked out of the bathroom.

Billy winced, crouching down and shaking his head as he chuckled. “Fuckin’ asshole,” he grumbled.

Even though he wasn’t in heat anymore, their relationship was new, and his body thought that was very exciting. Hopper didn’t have to do much to get Billy leaking, shivering, and begging for more.

He jerked off over the toilet to take the edge off and cleaned up again. As he was washing his hands at the sink, he caught sight of himself in the mirror and stopped, staring at himself.

He shut the faucet off and stood up straight, really looking at himself for the first time since he was in heat and looked like death warmed over in the harsh light of the suite’s bathroom.

He didn’t have dark circles under his eyes anymore. His hair had bounce to it. His skin had a healthy color and didn’t look dehydrated.

Billy smiled at his reflection and posed, admiring himself. He really did look good. Better than he had in a long time. Ironic, given that he was in prison, but all legal ties with Henry had been cut, the worse was over, and he had a mate that made him feel as good as he looked.

“Damn, I look good,” he said, giving himself a wink before turning and finding Tommy leaning in the doorway, smirking at him.

Instead of shying away or getting embarrassed, he strutted out of the bathroom, giving Tommy an air kiss on the way by. He could smell Tommy’s arousal, and it only made Billy’s head bigger.

Chapter Text

Hopper leaned the recliner back and pulled the lever, the footrest coming up and tilting the chair back even more. Billy sighed happily and settled in, sitting on Hopper’s lap with his right arm behind Hopper’s neck, his body draped across the man, and Billy’s legs dangling over the right side of the chair.

The soft blue flannel pajama bottoms were better than anything he had on in months, and not just because they weren’t provided by the prison. They were a gift from Hopper. The first of many things Hopper bought him as they moved Billy into Hopper’s cabin.

Henry’s lawyer dropped off a pathetically small box of Billy’s things, and other than a few keepsakes, photos, and a small collection of records leftover from when Billy was a teenager, he didn’t have much. His soft blue woobie was in the box, and Billy was grateful that Henry didn’t do anything to it.

Billy ran his left hand over Hopper’s work slacks, which were the only thing he was wearing. Shirtless without anything on his feet, but still in those awful brown slacks with the yellow stripes up the sides. Billy hated them as much as he loved them.

The TV was on across from them, giving the room a soft glow and some background noise as the news droned on.

Hopper grunted, moving a little as he reached down into his pocket and pulled out his gold pocket watch. Before he could set it on the sofa table next to him, Billy snatched it out of his hand.

The watch looked old. Well worn with time. He pressed the button and the lid popped up. It wasn’t engraved or all that fancy. The soft ticking was a welcome and familiar sound. He ran his finger over the domed glass inside.

“Where did you get it?” Billy asked.

“It was my grandfather’s,” Hopper said, completely relaxed under Billy and looking very sexy, if Billy had anything to say about it. “He gave it to me when I was a teenager. My dad and I didn’t really have anything in common, but grandpa and I were close.”

“The sound is so soft,” Billy whispered almost reverently.

“It always reminds me of him,” Hopper said, his voice not much louder than Billy’s. “It meant good times and not being alone.”

Billy smiled and looked up at Hopper. “Yeah. I listened for it every night while I was on the inside. It meant you were watching over me, and I slept better when I could hear it.”

Hopper’s smile grew bigger, and he wiggled a little in the chair, settling them in even more. Billy scooted down a bit until he could rest his head on Hopper’s left shoulder, holding the watch up.

He didn’t say it out loud, but the watch was probably the most expensive thing Hopper had. He lived in a small cabin on the edge of town, his work outfits were the newest and nicest things he had to wear, and Billy wasn’t even sure if the refrigerator could keep things all that cold, but it didn’t matter.

He had almost everything he could’ve ever asked for when he lived with Henry. Clothes, cars, the fanciest foods, and a mansion that was big and cold but immaculately decorated.

“Is that Chrissy?” Billy asked, lifting his head and pointing at the TV.

... prison guard Chrissy Cunningham and Heather Holloway made their mating official this weekend with a small ceremony at the courthouse. Miles away from the glamor and exclusive media coverage during her ceremony with ex Henry Creel, the couple wanted to scale things down and make it as private as possible.

They were tight-lipped about most of their plans, but our correspondent did get the scoop on how the two met, saying it was a surprise romance thanks to forces beyond their control.

“She was so kind to me when I visited Henry to finalize the annulment,” the starlet said. “We met for drinks later that day, and we haven’t spent much time apart since. I can’t say I’m happy about what I went through with Henry, but it brought me to Chrissy, and I can’t complain about that.”

Sources say the couple are planning on spending their honeymoon in an undisclosed location, far away from prying eyes and the multitude of lawyers that have swarmed Heather Holloway the moment she and Henry Creel were first seen together months ago.

Stay tuned for our weather report next.

“I guess I should get them a courting gift,” Billy said with a smile, his chest swelling with happiness for Chrissy and a woman he never even met. “And a housewarming gift too,” he said as he settled back down on Hopper, comfortable and warm.

“I’ll get them a card, and we’ll find you some wrapping paper,” Hopper said. “Chrissy loves big ribbons and anything pink.”

Billy would never say it out loud, but he thought it was adorable that Hopper knew that about her. He was learning that Hopper really paid attention to the people around him, and he knew a lot about everybody. It was a huge contrast to what Billy knew before Hopper, and he loved it.

“Why haven’t you asked me what I’m going to do with the money when it’s released to me?” Billy asked, holding the watch against his chest and closing his eyes so he didn’t have to see the look on Hopper’s face.

Hopper shrugged. “Because it’s yours. You’ll figure out what you wanna do with it when you’re ready.”

Billy’s brow furrowed. “But you’re my mate. It’s not my money, it’s ours.” The silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t awkward. Billy waited him out, figuring Hopper was trying to put his thoughts together.

“You’ve never really had anything that’s your own,” Hopper said gently, his left hand trailing over Billy’s back in a soothing way. “It was wrong to treat you like that, and I’m not gonna do it.”

“Yeah, but Hop,” Billy said, rolling his eyes, “that’s a shitload of money. You can’t just-”

“I can, and I will,” Hopper said, his voice firm. “That tag on your collar doesn’t mean you’re my property, and you know that. Besides, I have everything I need, so I don’t give a shit what you do with it.”

Billy smirked. “You don’t want a nicer house? You don’t want to replace that old junker out front? You don’t want some jeans without holes in them or a refrigerator that works?”

Hopper lifted his head and peered down at Billy. “I’m not sure about this, but I think I should be insulted by that,” he said with a scowl.

Billy winced. “I didn’t mean to-”

“I’m so insulted that only a brand new TV would suffice as an apology.”

Billy stared at the man, eyes wide and his jaw dropping. Hopper held it together for a few moments before a smile took over, and he chuckled, his belly jiggling under Billy.

“Are you going to stop worrying about it now?” Hopper asked pointedly.

Billy hummed and pretended to think about it. “Probably not. You should distract me.”

Hopper carefully plucked the watch from Billy’s hands and set it on the sofa table. He resettled himself and let out a heavy sigh. “We just finished dinner, and I want to digest my food while holding you, if that’s all right.”

“I thought you said you could keep up with me,” Billy said, poking Hopper’s belly.

“I can, and I have. You’re just being a little shit for the fun of it, but I know you’re just as comfortable as I am right now.”

Billy smiled, relaxing on Hopper and running his fingers through the dark hair on Hopper’s chest. “Maybe.” He tugged on a few strands, biting his lip when he got a warning pat on his butt from Hopper.

“Nap first. Then more fucking,” Hopper mumbled, finishing on a huge yawn that was so contagious that Billy yawned too.

“Fine,” Billy said as he snuggled in and closed his eyes, enjoying the warm, big pillow his mate was.

“There’s my good boy,” Hopper said, turning his head and brushing his lips over Billy’s forehead in a soft kiss.

Billy fell asleep with a smile on his face and a contentment he never thought he would have in his heart.