Kylie fiddled nervously with the leaflets, pens, and free merch on the table in front of her. This was her first convention, and the endless crowds of people made her more nervous than she'd expected. She could do this. She totally could. Barbara was counting on her.

“Hey, look at you, still alive after an hour up here alone?” Her co-worker and their development team leader, Andrew, gave her a soft punch in the arm.

Andrew was decidedly human and normal, and sometimes, she was incredibly jealous of how easily he charmed and flirted with everyone. Kylie was terrified of flirting, fearful of her own kind, though she tried desperately not to show it. As soon as her company benefits kicked in, she'd gotten herself birth control and suppressants and prayed to every god she knew that she was some genetic anomaly, that her heat would never kick in, and she'd just be… dormant for the rest of her life. Her first change had come so late; everyone had assumed, despite her blood tests confirming her heritage, that she didn't have enough blood after all, and it wouldn't happen.

And then she had, at seventeen, waking up with an itch under her skin and a desperate need to run… and she loved it. Her wolf form was sleek, mostly white, with tufts of gray at the ears and a stripe along her back spread out over her flanks, and she was fast. Marlon could yell all he wanted; the grubby old bear could never chase her down.

She had run away from that shithole and never looked back as soon as her secondary certificate was in her hand. She'd gotten odd jobs in tech, fixing private computers and setting up small business networks, until she randomly applied for a scholarship-to-work program offered by Myst Tech. Kylie remembered Barbara Myst from a TED Talk about women in tech, omegas especially, and she thought, why not? Her bloodwork showed it clearly, although she’d never gone through heat.

And before she knew it, she was sitting behind the table at a tech security convention, representing Myst’s newest Spacelock app. This mobile application stores and aggregates all your banking info, coordinating with Google and Apple Pay based on your preset preferences. She and Andrew had spent a year developing it; now, they had to sell it to an increasingly paranoid populace. He gave her an easy grin as a young man stepped up to try out the app on one of their testing tablets.

“Does this work on all Android devices? I only see Samsung tablets here.” He looked at her when he spoke, and Kylie felt giddy pride.

“Yes, everything is available in the EU and North American markets. It depends on your carrier elsewhere, but we're working with the Asian markets.”

“So this will work on my Sony Pryde?” He held up a larger smartphone, and Andrew leaned forward with interest.

“Oh, hey, is that a Pryde Z? I've never seen one,” he watched as the man went to the Play app and typed in Spacelock, a flicker of surprise in his eyes as he saw it was compatible.

“This is a nice interface,” the young man observed. Again, his eyes fell on Kylie. “You designed this?”

“Andrew and I did, yeah.”

“Huh. Nice.”

The visitor left, and Andrew gave her a mischievous wink. Kylie frowned at his teasing.

“What?”

“He was checking you out,” he grinned. Kylie shook her head, laughing. She'd been so nervous that she barely paid attention to his appearance.

“I think you were checking him out,” she teased, fluttering her eyelashes dramatically. “Oh, is that a Pryde? I've never seen one of those before. Please. We're in a technology and communication convention. He knows you're lying.”

“Yeah, and he left when you weren’t interested.” She rolled her eyes but had to admit it was a good thought. That a man had come to their booth to talk because he found her alluring was a completely new idea to her. “It's your turn to take a break if you want. The falafel place is good, and it's right next to the novelty frozen custard stand.”

“Ooh, I think I will take lunch then. Good luck on your own.” She gathered her wallet but left her jacket and purse over her chair. “Don't steal my stuff.”

“You took the good part anyway,” he laughed, gesturing to her wallet. “Bring me a coffee? Iced mocha, extra shot?”

“Ugh, okay, but only if the line at Starbucks isn't down the street.”

She was turning, a black currant-flavored custard in one hand and Andrew's coffee in the other, when he practically mowed her over. Immediately, they were both apologizing, but she took one look at him and realized he was the worse for the wear.

“I'm so sorry - they didn't get the lid on the right - I'll buy you a shirt-” her voice trailed off as his eyes, a piercing liquid brown, found hers, and the most wonderful scent of something woodsy and very masculine rolled over her. Kylie gulped when she realized she had almost closed her eyes in pleasure. What the hell was that about? Was he wearing some expensive cologne? His eyes bored into her as her speech stammered to a halt.

“Don't worry about it. Are you alright?”

He was concerned for her, ready to care for her needs like an alpha should. Kylie felt a blossom of warmth in her belly and had to fight the urge to rub her face against his broad chest. She stopped herself when she realized they were in the middle of a crowded food court, and she was standing as if in a daze, staring at him while coffee and ice cream dripped down their clothes.

“Oh! I… I have a jacket at my booth; I think if I grab some napkins…” she flushed under that intense gaze.

“I’m Thane.”

“Kylie.”

“It's alright, Kylie. I was just about to leave anyway.” He paused, and she could see his nostrils flare. Of course. He was a wolf and definitely an alpha wolf. She idly found herself wondering what he'd look like…

“What the fuck?” She muttered under her breath. Thane tilted his head as he continued to dab napkins at her blouse. Thankfully it was a dark gray, though one of her favorites she hated to see ruined. “I'm sorry, I don't… I don't know a lot of shifters.”

Thane paused, then stood and tossed the soiled napkins in the trash, along with Andrew's destroyed coffee and the crushed ice cream container. He held his hand out to help her up.

“Come on. You’re almost in heat, and there are three alphas in here,” he said quickly.

Kylie felt a shudder flow through her whole body, not all unpleasant. But why did this have to happen here, now? He was right; she had to leave, but what would she tell Barbara? Her boss was a werewolf, too, so hopefully she'd understand, but she'd still be leaving poor Andrew by himself.

“Kylie,” Thane insisted, his hand still extended. “Come with me, just out of the building. I'll give you a ride anywhere, or if you don't trust me, I can call you an Uber. But I won't just leave you alone here.”

She nodded, taking his hand and climbing to her feet. As she stood, his scent washed over her again, and she felt something then, warmth and wetness between her legs.

“Oh, fuck. My stuff - I need my purse and - I have to tell Andrew.”

“Wait in my car. I'll get your things. Which booth is it?”

“Spacelock,” she managed to force out.

“Okay, come with me.”

She could only nod, letting him lead her into the parking lot, where she was instantly sweating even though it was early May with a high in the seventies. He opened the door to some stupidly expensive sports car, and she gingerly arranged herself inside. He leaned over her to put the key in the ignition and start the car so she'd have air conditioning, and her instincts ultimately betrayed her. She moaned at the pleasure of his scent and reached out to catch his wrist, rubbing her face against it like a cat.

“Holy shit. Okay. I'm going to take care of you, alright?” He looked down at her with pupils gone full dark. “Just wait here. I'll be back. Is your co-worker-”

“He's human, but he knows. Sort of.” He knew she was a werewolf. Kylie wasn’t sure what else he knew about shifters or had guessed about her.

“Okay, I'll be back, Kylie.”

“Hurry!”

That sad note couldn't be her voice, could it? She wanted to dig out her phone and start Googling all these feelings and reactions, but it was in her purse. Fuck. His scent was all over the car, surrounding her. Curiously, she glanced around, and her eyes fell on a leather jacket tossed in the back seat. She wasn't in the least bit cold, but that's not what Kylie was after. The coat smelled even more strongly, and she greedily pressed her face into it.

Before she realized it, she had slipped her hand down the waistband of her skirt and panties, fingers easing over the incredibly swollen, wet flesh at the top of her inner folds. She had only done this a few times, though she had a vibrator at home on her bedside table; she had purchased it only at her doctor’s advice when she went to get the suppressants, knowing she couldn't hold it off forever. God, she wished she were home now. She would try out every damn setting.

Where the fuck was Thane? Why was he taking so damn long? She thought of his broad hands and long fingers, how good they would feel on her demanding body. Maybe he would help her; perhaps he would stay? She knew that's how most shifters did it. Find a partner to ride out their heat or rut if they were an alpha. There hadn't been much information on omegas in her government health class, just that they were unusual, highly sought after, and had some weird power to soothe their alpha mates. If they mated, supposedly, they had a stronger sex drive and a more intense heat… honestly, the educator was an elderly woman with missing teeth, and Kylie had been too embarrassed to ask questions.

Later, when her bloodwork returned after she shifted, her caretaker, Mr. Marlon, had just laughed and told her to get used to being knocked up. She had gotten an implant the next day because the last thing she would do was prove Rex Marlon right and end up falling pregnant on accident.

Her hand worked faster, and she closed her eyes, inhaling the strong scent of Thane’s jacket, practically curled beneath it as she imagined it was his hands on her. Little, frantic whining sounds reached her ears; she knew it was her, and she couldn’t make herself care. She wanted Thane to come back and put his hands on her.

The door behind her opened, and his scent hit her, along with the sound of her phone ringing and the sharp lemon-tang of her cat, Bee, on her jacket. Then he got in beside her and cursed. She didn't even have the presence of mind to be ashamed.

“Fuck, Kylie, are you…?”

His hand lifted the jacket, and he groaned, and she whined sharply in response.

“Will you…” She swallowed. She'd never had any touch on her that wasn't wholly platonic, and she didn't know this man at all, but her instincts insisted he was trustworthy, and she was in pain, God damn it… “Will you touch me? Please? I'm sorry… I know it's wrong, but I…”

He grabbed the jacket and pulled it away, then dragged her hand off herself. Wordlessly, he licked her fingers with slow, purposeful movements of his lips and tongue, his eyes never leaving hers. She whined, her other hand grasping desperately at the car seat, and he growled low in his chest.

“Now I’m going to touch you. You can’t touch yourself unless I give you permission. Understood?”

She nodded, watching his eyes as his fingers slid over her in a rough, circular motion, pressing in and teasing out her sweet spot. When his finger brushed over it in just the right way, she convulsed, and it only took a few more strokes before she was crying out and clinging to his arm, trembling with the most wonderful, pure feeling of pleasure.

Slowly she relaxed and opened her eyes to find his beautiful gaze studying her carefully, his hand resting gently over her, cupping her mound firmly.

“Was that enough? Will it get you home?”

Even as she felt her breathing calm and her wits coming back to her, she shook her head. It was too expensive to live in the city proper; like most people, she rented a shared apartment in the suburbs, a good half-hour drive even without traffic. The warmth, the need was already building; she would never make it all the way home. Softly, she made a stifled noise of frustration.

“I don't know what to do, I can't afford a hotel, and I live all the way in Richmond.” Tears started to form in her eyes, and to her utter surprise, he leaned over swiftly and licked them away.

“Shhh… I'll take care of you, just like I promised.”

“But you don't even know me! How can I trust you?” She turned away to look out the window, searching for any woods or a park nearby. “What is it with you, Americans? Do you not believe in gardens? Or woodland countryside?”

He laughed. “Kylie. This is San Francisco. There are parks if you know where to look, but if you're thinking about changing and running away….” His expression darkened. “That's not a good idea. You're in heat, for one, and your wolf form will only strengthen the scent, and two… we’re on an island. How would you get across the bridges?”

She said nothing, just huddled under his jacket in despair. How had her day gone from happily teasing Andrew to this… If there was a worse timing for her first heat to hit finally, she couldn't possibly think of one.

“I won't hurt you, I swear it. Here,” he reached his long arms into the backseat and dug around to find her purse. “My name is Thane Argyle. I’m the head of OVPN. You can Google me while I drive.”

“To where?”

“Well. I can get a hotel room if you want. Or my apartment is not too far. But either way,” his tone turned serious, and he fixed his dark, worried gaze on her. “I assume you don’t have a boyfriend or a friend with benefits, or you'd call him. So I’m not leaving you alone to be shark bait. I'll guard the door if that's all you'll allow, but I will not leave you.”

After a minute of silent Googling, Kylie found several articles under his name, some of which he wrote himself. He was exactly who he said he was, and she had heard of the somewhat risky OVPN project, a resource that provided secured VPNs for free to charitable organizations, including political parties. She didn't particularly like what they were doing, it skirted the edges of what was legal and decent, but that was how American capitalism worked.

“Okay,” she said hoarsely after a few minutes. “Wherever you want, as long as it’s close.”

He momentarily turned his stupid beautiful eyes on her like a hot knife struck her gut. She moaned unconsciously and could sense him tensing and shifting in his seat.

“I’m sorry. I know I’m making you uncomfortable too.” Why did she feel so desperate for him to forgive and reassure her? Why did she even care if he was uncomfortable? He was the one who had bumped into her with his hard fucking chest and broad shoulders and wavy dark hair that she wanted so desperately to touch…

“Don’t worry about me, Kylie.” His hand smoothing her hair over the back of her head was the most natural thing ever. She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes, and he absently caressed her ears, rubbing slowly at the base…

“Shit!” She sat up in embarrassment, willing herself to stop, to be human, to control the mindless beast that whined and begged for release. “I’m sorry, I… I’ve never done that before.”

Thane’s eyes were wide, but he had to focus on driving. He stroked and pet her gently, reassuring her that the primal part of her was safe and that he would take her soon; it would all be alright.

Wait… Take her…?

Suddenly, she felt ill, and thankfully he was turning into an underground, gated parking complex with one of those electronic buttons that he tapped hanging over the visor to let them in. She could hear him, feel him panting, and knew she was breathing heavily too. But for a moment, they sat in the car while he collected himself, turning again to regard her, his eyes catching on hers. Crap. When had her vision switched over?

“You’re an omega….” He reached out wonderingly to cup her face, and she leaned into his touch. “How… You’re too perfect not to have a mate. How old are you?”

“Nineteen. I didn’t have my first change until about two years ago… malnutrition when I was a kid, I guess. This is my first—”

“Your first heat.”

He stared at her blankly for a second, and then he was out of the car and opening her door so fast she barely saw him move. When she tried to stand up, she found her feet couldn’t quite decide how to hold her, her ankles kept twisting from one degree to another, and she whined helplessly.

“I’m going to carry you. Is that okay?”

She nodded, satisfied just to be close to him, and he gathered her in his arms after he collected both their jackets and her purse. Kylie nuzzled her face against his chest, her mouth half open to better taste his scent. The ride from the lobby was hazy, Kylie couldn’t keep her eyesight from switching back and forth, so she had this strange amalgamation of usual colors and furnishings and the same decor in washed-out yellows and blues.

When they reached his floor, she was swollen again, and he fumbled with the keys. It seemed there were only two suites on this floor; the one right across from his had a black doormat with white lettering that said Wipe Your Paws. Kylie giggled at it as he set her down and turned to close the door and apply two deadbolts and a maglock.

“Friends of yours? Across the hall?” She asked. He raised his eyebrows, and she was thrilled to see a smile on his face finally.

“Perry and Victoria - Most of this building is my pack.” He hesitated, watching as she pried off her heels, her toes shifting in and out on the plush carpeting. “Does that make you uncomfortable? They won’t bother you; they wouldn’t dare.”

“No. I mean, I would assume… if you have a pack, you’d want to be close together.” She looked around at the well-furnished apartment, the expensive leather couches and rugs, the wine rack, and the granite countertops in the kitchen. “It must be nice to have… a place to belong.”

“Kylie…”

“Oh, God,” she looked down at his patient, eager eyes. “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

“Consent is very important, especially during your first time. I don’t want you to wake up Monday feeling like you were coerced into anything.”

She let her head fall back, and her hands, fingernails having shifted unintentionally to claws, found his shoulders and hair and pulled him towards her.

“Touch me, like you did before. And use your tongue if that… If you want to, I think I would like that.”

Quickly, he slipped her skirt up to bunch at her waist, and her underwear disappeared at the jerk of his wrist. He ducked down, pulling her legs over his shoulders, and she yelped in surprise.

“Thane, wait-” she waited for his eyes to find hers, swallowing nervously. “I’ve never… I’m nineteen. I’ve never even kissed anyone. I have no idea, but… God, I want you. I want you so much. And I’m scared.”

The edge of hunger faded from his eyes, replaced by a rush of warm tenderness. He pushed himself up from between her legs and reached for her with one hand, and Kylie leaned forward so he could fold his soft, warm lips over her own.

It was the sweetest, loveliest feeling she could ever remember, and suddenly she wanted more of it; she wanted his mouth all over her, and he diligently complied. His tongue swept into her mouth, teeth nibbling gently, then more firmly on her bottom lip, before he trailed kisses down her jaw, ghosting his lips over the nodes at the base of her jaw and ear. She gasped, practically howling at that gentle touch, and he went on down her body, nipping her neck and pulling open her blouse to drag his warm mouth over her shoulders, between her breasts, down to trace his tongue over her belly button and the edges of her hips.

He drew back to look at her, his eyes searching her face for any trace of hesitance or uncertainty or fear. But Kylie just whined and leaned forward, her hands tugging him back to her.

“Was that okay?”

Kylie nodded, wiggling her hips nearer to him, down to the edge of the couch. She was far more exhilarated than frightened, realizing this could have gone a lot worse. She remembered the alphas at school, all that prideful posturing and graceless demand to be waited upon. Thankfully, by the time her designation was out, she was done with secondary school and working up to her scholarship and fancy foreign tech job.

“Yes, oh, yes. I want more; I’m just… please be gentle, like you have been.”

He leaned down, and she could feel his warm breath on her, and then he was licking her, kissing her with his tongue down there, and her thighs squeezed against him, and she whined, high and loud, panting as each stroke of his tongue grew faster and harder. She had never imagined her body could produce so much fluid down there, and it felt embarrassing, but he just kept licking it up, making the most vulgar noises that were so fucking hot. He groaned against her, the sound vibrating through her body, and it was all she needed to lose herself again.

Before she realized what she was doing, she held him there while her hips moved, thrusts slowly winding down as his tongue dragged every last shiver from her. He lapped her up until she grew oversensitive and gently pushed him away, and he climbed onto the couch next to her and pulled her into his arms.

They lay there still until Kylie shifted, and Thane bit back a groan. Wide-eyed, she turned to face him, her legs falling over his waist, and slipped her hand down to trace the outline of the hardness in his pants. He caught her wrist with slightly more pressure than he had used on her thus far, and a low growl came from his chest.

“Kylie,” he warned. She looked up, her eyes open and concerned, but she let him pull her hand away reluctantly.

“Thane. You took care of me. I want to… Can I hold it? Or put my mouth on you?” He groaned, closing his eyes, and his whole body tensed. “I really… I don’t know what to do, but I want to.”

“Okay.” He opened his eyes, and a shudder of defeat ran through him. He stood up and took her hand. “Come in the bedroom; I have… things.”

She let him guide her, wondering if by things he meant toys, and utterly unsure if she wanted something he used with… with another woman (she felt a fierce growl fill her)... used on her. Of course, she needn’t have worried. He did have toys, it turned out, but they were all still in the packaging. Her eyes barely had a chance to skim the items before he withdrew a bottle of warming lubricant and laid it on the bed. Kylie cast the closing drawer a curious glance, and he caught her gaze and smiled.

“Later,” he promised, voice dark. She remembered his offer to lay in front of the door until her heat passed, and she wondered if this was what he’d had in mind. It was a kind thought, and Kylie appreciated it for what it was, but this was much better. Not that she had any comparisons to make.

Thane was undressing, which only seemed fair given she was standing by his bed in nothing but her lace bra and open blouse. Neither of those items appeared to have much point now, so she took them off while he removed everything but his boxers.

They remained where they were for a second, taking in the view, and then Kylie spied the bottle on his nightstand and grabbed it, climbing onto the bed beside him. This, she understood. She’d never done it with anyone, but she had caught enough banter between her roommates, Seth and Ax, and the intent was pretty obvious anyway.

“You don’t have to do this,” he reminded her.

She frowned at him, leaning down to place clumsy but fervent kisses on his neck, jaw, and shoulder, dragging herself down until she gently slipped her fingers inside the waistband of his underwear and slid them down.

“Jesus Christ.” She stared, wrapping it in her hand to see if it would fit. She could touch her middle finger to her thumb if she squeezed gently. “Okay, well…”

Her eyes finally moved back to him, catching a sort of lopsided smirk and a trace of smugness in his eyes. Kylie just poured some of the lubricant on her hand and wrapped it around him, starting with slow, soft strokes.

“Tell me what to do, Thane,” she whispered, watching the expression of pleasure play over his face while his eyes were closed. “And look at me. I want to see your eyes, please, please? ”

His eyes opened with a smile playing at the corners of his lips. He raised his hand to cover hers, showing her the speed and pressure. She used her other hand to cup his balls, her hands warmed by the lubricant, and he groaned in a way that sent pleasurable tingles down her back, but then his eyes started to close again. She kissed him until he remembered, smiling sweetly as his intense, dark orbs found hers.

“Faster,” he groaned, still looking only at her. His hips raised, thrusting into her hand, and Kylie leaned forward on her knees, watching the pleasure build until his eyes went all glassy and unfocused. “Oh, Fuck, Kylie, Kylie!”

“Yes, say my name,” she encouraged. “Let me please you; let me make you come. Please, Thane, I need to make you happy.”

Her soft begging seemed to light some fire in him; he groaned louder, bucking wildly into her grip, her name rising to a feral howl on his lips. Somehow, she instinctively felt what was coming and wanted to taste it. She ducked her head at the last minute, mouth covering and holding the head while his seed spilled over her tongue, and she swallowed it, sucking up every drop because it belonged to her.

He was panting, stroking her hair and face with both hands, pulling her up to lie beside him. He kissed her forehead, eyes, neck, and then her mouth thoroughly, although she hadn’t expected him to want to taste himself.

“Kylie… Oh, God, Kylie.” He buried his face in her shoulder.

She realized his scent filled the room now, and with his taste on her tongue, she was growing warm again. Sighing, Kylie flopped onto her back and whined impatiently.

“Again?” He murmured, pressing kisses into her neck.

She nodded, sighing in pleasure at his touch. He sat up, and she heard the sound of that drawer opening, packaging crackling, and splintering. He crawled back up with a device resembling a softball on a stick, and Kylie looked at it curiously.

“What’s that do?”

“Hold out your hand, and I’ll show you,” he promised with a knowing smile.

She did, and he switched it on, the ball attachment spinning slowly. He pressed a button low on the stick, alternating through different speeds and pressure, until she hummed and wriggled closer. He brought it down over her wet center, and she yelped, followed by a low, filthy-sounding moan, drawing a laugh from him.

“Oh, you like this, do you?”

“Yes,” she panted. “Can you make it go faster?”

“Hmmm…. I could.” But instead, he gave her a genuinely evil grin and turned it off, laying it aside.

Before she could fully argue, he replaced it with his mouth and tongue, teasing her hard nub free of the surrounding flesh and sucking it into his mouth while he lapped over her lazily. Kylie let her head fall back again, whining and moaning, begging him for something she couldn't quite describe.

All this teasing and stimulating the apex of her sex was lovely, but her body longed for something else; although she’d never felt the need for it before, now she squirmed with unbridled want.

“Thane, put something inside of me. Please, anything… I need… I feel empty.” She looked up into his soft, thoughtful eyes.

“Have you ever - “

“No,” she flushed. “No, I don’t think you understand. Until today, I’ve never even had an orgasm.”

“God, Kylie,” he breathed out against her sensitive flesh, causing her to shudder. “I feel like I’m corrupting you inch by inch.”

“Is that bad?”

He crawled up the bed until he was beside her, then gently rolled until he was on top, and she could feel his girth pressed against her again. He leaned down, kissing, nipping, and tracing the gland behind her jaw with his tongue before biting into her earlobe with enough force to make her gasp. When he whispered in her ear, his voice was different, darker, the careful, gentle man finally giving way to the alpha beneath.

She trembled beneath him, frightened but so unbelievably, undeniably aroused. Her brain was working overtime for some middle ground. For whatever it was, she wanted out of this in the end and found no answers. There was only one need, and it wasn’t just purely physical. Deep down, something inside of her liked this kind, but powerful man, who would protect her and still choke back on his own needs for fear of hurting her. When it came down to it, that was a lot of fucking willpower.