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ohtobeleah · 10 months

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Sticks & Stones // A ToE Blurb

Summary: The one where Rooster finds out about the time you absolutely let loose on your daughter during her teenage hellion years while he was on an eight week deployment. And the one you find out you weren’t the only one who kept parenting secrets.

Warnings: Angst. Teenage hellion Odette Bradshaw. Bradley Bradshaw x F!reader. Platonic Rhett Abbott x F!reader.

Word Count: 4k

-> Fade away from reality with the Terms of Endearment series here

I think throughout your parenting life together you and Rooster keep certain things from each other. Not out of spite or with malice intentions. It would be to simply keep the other from spiralling or needing to worry about a situation that had already been dealt with. That had already been handled appropriately and most likely to a parenting degree that would be deemed acceptable by the other party.

“I remember this one time mum tore shreds off me after I got an after school detention.” This one can be titled: “The one where Rooster finds out about the time you absolutely let loose on your daughter during her teenage hellion years while he was on an eight week deployment.”

Odette Fitch knew it wasn’t just because of the after school detention. She was big enough and grown enough to understand her wrongs as a teenager—but that didn’t make the pill any easier to swallow.

“I've never seen her like that before nor do I ever want to see her like that again.” Odette explained all the while she sat by the fire— burning bright orange and red embers in the fire pit Chase had built, explaining how Harrison, her threenager, got in trouble for kicking dirt in some poor kid’s eyes during free play at daycare. “I didnt understand why she was so mad, why she was so emotional but fuck dad–I get it now.”

“I don't think I know about this one?” Bradley shook his head softly as he took a sip from his beer bottle. “When did you get an after school detention?” Odette can't help but to chuckle, of course you hadn’t told him. You went off like no tomorrow which wasn't like you at all. Your tolerance for bullshit was usually pretty high–but that particular day Odette and her teenage antics had pushed you to a limit that even scared you. It was no wonder you never mentioned it to Bradley.

So, Dot spills the beans, she finishes her beer and settles a little further into the back of her camp chair and lulled her head to the side to tell her dear old dad about the time she saw you burn in.

Fourteen Years Earlier:

“When your father hears about this Odette you better count your lucky stars that he doesn't ship you out to Wabang or better yet, Australia!”

“It's not that big of a deal mum–” Dot trailed in behind you with her school bag slumped over her shoulder. She was too cool for school nowadays. “Everyone does it!” She’d been busted by a teacher, skipping P:E in favour of an excursion to the lake that bordered the school grounds. There was an old cabin out there one of the groundskeepers used to live in way back in the 70’s. Apparently it was haunted. Dot didn't think so. But she wanted to check it out nevertheless.

“You are not everyone, Odette, you are your own person with bodily autonomy and critical thinking skills and you should know better!” The consequences to Odette's actions had been a call from the principal's office in the middle of the day. You were beyond furious about being pulled away from work, work you were inundated with. What followed was a lengthy discussion with the schools guidance counsellor about your daughter's declining behaviour during class and her grade averages. Odette was smart; she just didn't apply herself–or just didn't see the point in doing so.

“Uncle Jake said you hated school! Said you hardly ever showed up and that when you did it was to work on stuff in the metal room.” Odette thought she had you backed into a corner as you stopped and turned on your heels. “Yeah, I know things.” It was then you pressed your lips together in a fine line and wished Jake was currently in the US to feel your wrath. But he wasn't. No, He was in Townsville Queensland. In fucking Australia. It said so on the google calendar that sat on your kitchen countertop. The one everyone used.

“Your uncle is a liar.” He wasn't. You hated school, it was hard being the smartest person in the room and feeling like you knew nothing all at the same time. You were a delinquent at best during your teenage years so the fact you had a teenage dirtbag yourself shouldn't have shocked you all that much. It didn't shock Jake that was for sure. The apple didn't fall too far from the tree he’d tell you when you'd call him just to rant about Odettes’ latest attempt at sending you to an early grave. “And we aren't talking about me, we’re talking about you and your grades and the fact you have an after school detention on Wednesday that I now have to leave work early to come and get your from when you know I work late Wednesdays!”

There was a small pause in the argument that had begun to bubble over and before you knew what was happening—Odette was challenging you without hesitation.

“Oh i’m so sorry you have to leave work, not like you spend enough time there anyway!” Dot hissed.

“Enough young lady, your father and I work hard to give you a good life.” That much was true—you never wanted your kids to grow up like you did. You’d do anything to keep a roof over their head and food in their mouths and keep clothes on their backs.

“Maybe if Mr Carson wasn't such a tight ass–” Dot mumbled under her breath as she sighed and rolled her eyes. This sucked. Everything sucked.

“Don't you blame anyone but yourself for this situation, Odette.” You pointed a stern finger at your daughter. “And be thankful it's me you're dealing with now and not your father, he’d be livid if he knew.” And then, Odette Bradshaw said it. For the first time ever she said something that tore your heart from your chest, rung it out like a wet sponge before discarding it in the trash.

“How can dad know about it!” She shouted. “He's in prison, remember?” Silence, Odette heard nothing but silence. No “Go to your room young lady.” or “You’re grounded.” Silence was all she heard as you stood there speechless trying to process what your daughter had just said to you. Odette took your silence as a leverage point, she thought she’d won the battle but decided to twist the knife a little deeper just to see how far she could push this new rhetoric. “Rooster isn't my real dad, so he doesn’t get to have a say in what I do and don't do.” Again you were speechless as you stood there with wide eyes trying to regulate the way your heart thumped against your chest. “And he's not even here mum! He's in the middle of the damn ocean somewhere so empty threats aside, I think I'll take my chances when he does come back.”

Odette really did think she had you beat when you didn't say a word. She smirked, reached for her school bag that she'd dumped by the leg of the table and slung it over her shoulder before turning on her heels. It was then through a haze of rage and repressed emotions that you let your daughter, your first born, the first love you had ever known, have it.

“Oh–fuck you kid!” You snapped through gritted teeth. Odette had never heard you swear before, let alone heard you swear at one of your three kids. “Fuck you!” When you said it again Odette just scoffed in shock. She was in utter disbelief.

“Did you really just say that?” She asked softly, confused.

“Yeah–yeah I really just said fuck you, and I mean how fucking dare you.” There was a rage behind your eyes Dot had never seen before. A sadness. “ After all I have done, after all that I have given to you, my life, my love, my body!” You paused as you stepped a little close to your daughter. “I broke my fucking vagina for that big fucking head of yours!” You spat, it was too much for Odette to compute as you spoke with venom lacing your tone. “And I had to be surgically sewn back together, I bet you didn't know that, did you? Well guess who does know? Your uncle because he was there! Not your fucking father!”

Odette didn't know that, She always just assumed that her dad had been there when you gave birth to her. Why wasn't he there she wondered? Why wasn’t he there to watch her be born?

“Oh and you calling him your dad, that's rich considering you have never known the man! So rich when the man who is your father, who is your dad in all the ways that matter most loves you so unconditionally that he adopted you as his own!” You were on a warpath and Odette was your target. “After all those years of your ‘father’ driving me insane with his abuse and his condescending ‘my loves’” You paused to hold back tears as flashes from your past played out like a rolodex behind your eyes. “He talked to me like I was worthless, treated me like trash until I got sick of it!”

“Mum?” Odette tried to interrupt as tears began to stream down your cheeks.

“I wanted happiness Odette–” Was all you sobbed. “I deserve happiness! I’m a fucking human being Dot!” You tried to pull yourself together because this wasn't about you or what you wanted. You were a selfless mother who gave everything you had to your children and this was the most vulnerable any of them had ever seen you.

“Don't you dare bitch to me about my career, little miss ‘I’m so progressive!’ Yes! I worked my ass off to get where I am and I wanted it.” Flashbacks from the time Jake and your own guidance counsellor helped you graduate flashed before your eyes. They believed in you when most people didn't. When you didn't even believe in yourself.

“I wanted to mean something in this world! I didn’t know that was a fucking crime!?”

“Mum–” Odette was at a loss for words but nevertheless she still tried. You didn't let her speak. You weren’t done yet.

“Life isn't perfect, oaky baby? We don't get everything we want. But you’re young, you know, so go on, go make the perfect little life that you want and you see how fucking easy it is and stop bitching and complaining and blaiming me! after all I have ever done and all I will ever do has been in your best goddamn interest.”

It was Odette's turn to stand in silence, unsure of what to say back to you after your rant. It was clear she broke your heart—that much was evident, but Odette was too hot headed and knew what she thought was everything she ever needed to know. After all, she was fifteen.

“I’m—“ As Dot when to speak, you held your hand up in order to silence your daughter. She hated the tears that streamed down your face as you refused to look at her. “Mum?”

“Go to your room, I’ve got to go get your brother and sister from school.” Without another world, it was just Odette left in the big house that usually houses five souls at any given time. She felt sick to her stomach for upsetting you so much.

But as she heard the car start in the driveway she knew she wouldn’t apologise for it. You’d be fine. You were her mother—you had no choice but to love her even when you wanted to kill her.

Present Day:

“Now before you whoop my twenty nine year old ass, I did end up apologising and I did go to that detention and I’ve since learnt my lesson.” Dot scrambled to get all that out before Rooster had a chance to lean over and wrap his hands around his daughter’s throat.

You’d never told him about that, Rooster never would have known if his daughter didn’t spill the test fourteen years later. And even if fourteen years had past Bradley knew that you probably thought about that fight a lot.

“Your mother was right kid, I would have throttled you.” Bradley shook his head in disbelief, it was fourteen years ago but he was only finding out about it now. He felt like he was the last to know. He should have known, right?

Later that same evening when Bradley made his way home, he opened the front door to the smell of something homely simmering away on the stovetop. Homemade chicken and feta pesto pasta. One of his favourites.

The portion size had dwindled from five to four to three to two back to three over the years, with kids grown and flying in and out of the house without a second's notice. But the one thing that always remained the same was the love cooked into the food you prepared for your family. No matter how little or how much.

“Hey Roo.” You beamed as you took a sip from the glass of wine in your hand. You’d just finished cleaning up the kitchen after having used every possible surface available. “How’s Dot doing?”

“She’s good, Harrison’s giving her a little trouble but she’s good.” Bradley explained as he made his way over to you. “But—she actually told me a little story about a fight the two of you had?” It was the taunting tone your husband used that made you immediately feeling hot in the cheeks. Bradley wasted no time in trapping you between the countertop and his torso, with strong arms encompassing you. “The one where you—“

“No she didn’t!” You cupped a single hand over your mouth with wide eyes when the realisation hit you like a ton of bricks. “That little shit head I swore her to secrecy!” Bradley reached for your glass of wine, he took a sip before he pressed his lips together and leaned in to kiss your cheek softly from behind.”

“You never told me—“

“I didn’t want you knowing I swore at her.” You admitted. “You were deployed and I didn’t want you worrying about us at home and—“ Before you could finish your sentence, Rooster spun you around in his hood and had his lips on yours as he pressed you up against the kitchen counter top. His hands were firmly on your hips, holding you close to him lovingly.

“Before anything, I am a husband and a father first baby.” He reminded you as he let his forehead rest against yours. “I know why you didn’t tell me, and I’m not mad you didn’t because you handled it better than I probably would have—“ Bradley explained as he pushed your hair behind your ear. “But I wish you didn’t have to deal with those very real and very valid emotions by yourself.”

You paused for a brief moment, smiling up at your loving husband and the aroma of his favourite meal consumed the two of you.

“Well if it makes you feel any better baby I wasn’t entirely alone.” You explained as you got to work plating up a bowl of pesto pasta for your husband.

Fourteen Years Earlier:

What Dot didn’t see was the panic attack that overcame you to the point you had to pull over on the side of the road to let it take its course. Memories of that fateful night and that bloodied devil-like smirk flashed before your eyes. Even after all these years the mere mention of your ex brought you to your damn knees in a crumpled heap. He was a monster.

With Bradley deployed and Jake overseas a world away in the land down under, you reached for your phone and called the only person you knew would answer your call the first time round.

“Boys!” Rhett’s loud and boisterous voice travelled down the hall. He was standing in the kitchen making his seven year old boys lunch. Turkey and cheese on wholemeal bread. “Quit fuck assing around, come get your lunch!” As Rhett flung the tea towel over his shoulder and started to pack up the mess he’d made making lunch for his boys—he felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket. A loud thud came from the living room just around the corner—then? Complete and utter silence. If Rhett knew anything about his kids it’s that when a thud is followed by silence it’s usually not a good thing. “BOYS! you better both be alive when I round that corner!”

Rhett threw the butter and the block of cheese he’d mangled with a less than sharp butter knife into the fridge haphazardly before he kicked the fridge door shut with his boot. He wasted not a second of time, he needed to investigate the silence now shrouding the farmhouse. As he walked he fished his phone from his back pocket to see your name lighting up his caller ID. ‘Ace.’

“Hol’ on—m’ parentin’.” Rhett mumbled as he swiped the pad of his thumb across his screen and held his phone to his ear. Keep it there with his shoulder as he rounded the corner to see one of his twins, Liam, laying on the ground with his eyes closed. “LUKE!” Rhett bellowed into the phone, for a second it made you laugh because Rhett and parenting in the same sentence still made you smile. “What did you do to your brother huh?”

“He fell!” Luke ran out from behind the lounge and down the hall. “I didn’t touch him!” Rhett groaned in defeat as he scooped his son off the ground to make sure he was still alive. Yep. There was a heartbeat and breathe inside his lungs.

“I’m fine, I just need a minute—“ Liam mumbled. “And to not fix fences this afternoon.”

“You ain’t dead, dying or debilitated.” Rhett chuckled as he watched Liam side on the couch with deflated shoulders. “Go eat your lunch and find your brother before I do.” How the fuck was Rhett Abbott a dad? “We’re heading out at two.”

Liam groaned as he flung himself off the lounge and headed on into the kitchen. It was then Rhett exhaled a sigh and turned all his attention back to you—still waiting patiently on the other end of the line. “How much do you think I could get for two feral seven year olds?”

“Probably a little more than a fifteen year old delinquent.” You replied softly as you sat pulled over on the side of the road with your hazards on and your forehead pressed against the steering wheel. “I’m sending her to live with you.” Rhett chuckled as he sat on the lounge and held his phone up to his ear.

“What she do this time?” It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for you and Rhett to call each other to discuss your children’s antics. Being separated and a co-parenting dad with two twin boys that hardly knew what he was doing, more often than not it was Rhett calling you. But on the odd occasion you called him? It made him feel validated in a sense that it was okay to not have everything under control all the time. “Y/n? What she do this time?”

“We were arguing about how she got an after school detention—“ You explained only a few details. “And then she hit me with the Bradley’s not her real dad argument when I said she was lucky he wasn’t here to reprimand her.” It knocked the wind right out of Rhett’s lungs. “She’s fifteen! I’m not ready to talk about this yet! She can’t know Rhett—she can’t—she—“ Rhett could tell by the rapid breathing and the panicked tone coming through the phone that you weren’t okay. He looked over to the little digital calendar in the corner of the living room that you all had and saw that Bradley was still on deployment for another two weeks.

“Ace, listen to me?” Rhett tried his best to console you as he rubbed a hand across his tired face. “You don’t have to tell her, no one will ever force you to tell her anything you don’t want her to know, but she’s a smart kid man—she’s gonna figure it out eventually.”

“Fuck you Rhett—“ That wasn’t the reaction Rhett was expecting but nevertheless it forced a chuckled from his chest. “You didn’t see the way she dug that knife in, she knew what she said and she meant it too.”

“Kids are brutal, teenagers are the worst.” Rhett replied. “It’s sticks and stones Ace, be the bigger person and just let her have this one.” You knew Rhett wasn’t invalidating your feelings, he was just giving you level headed advice.

“Are you kidding me?”

“Nah—“ Rhett smiled with half his mouth as he watched his boys come back into the living room with their sandwiches. Both sitting in front of the TV to watch something Rhett could only assume was mind numbing. He wasn’t allowed to watch TV as a kid, but he wasn’t about to be like his father. “I’m serious, I think she won this round, but just because she KO’d you doesn’t mean you won’t get back up.”

“I hate you, you know that right?” You groaned into the phone. “Jake would have told me to take the door handle off her door and leave her in there for a week.” You knew that Jake would have been serious too. “I should have called him for moral support, not you and your rational responses.”

You needed level headedness though, you needed someone to pull you back from the edge of a full blown parenting breakdown and of all people it was Rhett Abbott who did so. He smiled to himself because he knew you’d be okay, he knew the tears had slowly begun to fade and he knew that when you got home? You’d still love your shit head of a daughter.

“That’s exactly why Hangman doesn’t have kids.”

Present Day:

There’s a barely twenty one year old emerging from his room right about the time Bradley has you sitting on the countertop while he stands between your legs. If anything the Bradshaw kids were exposed to public displays of affection more often than most kids were but that was because they had parents who were oh so in love.

For Nicky Bradshaws who’s home on a rare visit between trips overseas and dedicating his entire life to the sport he loved so much, the fact he watched his parents suck faces often throughout his childhood never made the sight any less gross.

Nick stood dead in his tracks as he watched his father stand between his mothers legs with his tongue in her mouth like he was starved of oxygen. He let his presence be known by clearing his throat.

“I still technically live here, you know.” Nick side eyed the two of you as Rooster stepped away to let you down from where he had you perched. It wasn’t a kiss laced with lust—but it had been a kiss filled with love for the woman who had built her own version of a perfect life. “I think I deserve to be able to use the common areas of the house without needing lasik after losing my vision after having walked in on you two getting in on.” Your youngest pointed between you and Bradley. “Y’all have a bedroom—use it.”

“It wasn’t like that honey.” You tapped your son on the chest. “Here, have some dinner before your father eats it all.”

“I heard Harry kicked dirt in some poor kid's eyes today.” Nick chuckled at the way his oldest sister had rung him up in the car. “Can’t say he isn’t hers now—“ Bradley laughed along with his son as you deadpanned the both of them. The look you sent them shut their laughter up real quick. “Oh come on ma! Admit it, she was a handful teen and you know it.”

“You weren’t perfect either Bud.” Rooster had your back before you even needed to defend Odette. “I still remember the time I caught that girl sneaking out of your room when you were fifteen—“ Immediately, before the sentence was even finished, Bradley knew he’d fucked up.

“What girl?” Your eyes went wide. “Nick? When did you have a girl in your room when you were fifteen?” Throughout your parenting life together you and Rooster keep certain things from each other. Not out of spite or with malice intentions. It would be to simply keep the other from spiralling or needing to worry about a situation that had already been dealt with. “Bradley? What girl!?” You hissed as you crossed your arms over your chest.

“It’s a long story Ma.” Nick replied with a mouthful of pasta.

“Well it’s a good thing I’m not busy.” You turned to your husband who looked like a kicked puppy. He kept things from you too. And he kept this one from you for a good fucking reason—Nick had begged him to for his own safety.

Nick knew you’d throw sticks and stones at him if you found out he lost his virginity when he was just fifteen.

“Spill the beans boys.” You willed the pair of them to sit at the table. Nick shook his head in defiance with a mouthful of pasta.

“No thanks, I chose life.”

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~**

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#terms of endearment// bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw series #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #bradley bradshaw top gun #bradleybradshaw #rhett abbott x reader

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lewmagoo · 9 months

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i bleed like a wolf | rhett abbott

part two of a curse i cannot lift

description: in which he takes back what's rightfully his

warnings: 18+ only, werewolf au, smut, p in v sex, pregnancy, perry abbott, murder, violence, blood, kidnapping, angst, allusions to torture, character death, gun violence

pairing: werewolf!rhett abott x f!werewolf!reader

listen to the playlist here

notes: this is the third part of my 'the wolf' series! be sure to read the previous part here. access the series masterlist here

dedication: to @lovinglyeternal, without you this series wouldn't have been born. also to @bro-ooke; thanks for beta reading this for me!

Rhett had no recollection of being led into the kitchen, but he soon found himself seated at the old wooden table while his mother handed him a glass of water and told him to drink. He barely registered Perry and his father, trailing in after him.

The hand that held the glass shook. He felt like he was in the midst of an earthquake. Everything was spinning, spiraling, teetering out of control.

The kitchen was a flurry of activity and voices. Perry wanted to head toward town to search for Amy. But Rhett was frozen, unable to move. How could he, when his entire world had just shattered to pieces around him? The thought of you being gone forever was more than he could bear.

But unbeknownst to him, there was still a glimmer of hope. A little black wolf pup was running as fast as her little legs would take her, following the road home by muscle memory. She had to get home, had to find her father, had to find Uncle Rhett and tell him what had happened.

However, as small as she was, It took her quite a while to get home, and by the time she crossed the entrance to the reservation, it was well past nightfall, and nearly sunrise the next day. She was panting heavily, exhausted and overheated. But she couldn’t let herself succumb to that exhaustion yet.

She could see her grandparents’ house just up ahead. If she could just run a little more, she would make it. She would be safe.

Back in the Abbott household, nothing had been resolved. Rhett was in some form of shock, it seemed. Cecilia had already snapped at Perry twice, telling him to get out of his brother’s face when he got antsy and demanding.

Rhett still held the truck keys tightly in his palm. He wouldn’t let go. Even after they’d begun to dig into his flesh. Perry had even tried to wrench them out of his grasp, but Rhett was strong, and in his state of shock there was no reasoning with him.

“Goddammit, we’ve gotta do something!” Perry exclaimed. “I can’t lose Amy too! Not after what happened to Rebecca. I can’t!”

That seemed to snap Rhett out of his limbo. His eyes narrowed, and he stared straight ahead as he broke the silence. “You can’t lose Amy too?” He spoke, his voice trembling. “You lost Rebecca because of your own fuckin’ stupidity. That was all you. And for all you know she’s probably out there still alive and well! But I just lost my…I lost…” He couldn’t get the words out. My wife and baby.

Perry stared at his brother. He opened his mouth to reply in anger, but he was interrupted by the sound of distressed yipping at the door, followed by loud scratching against the wood. Everyone shared confused looks before Cecilia rushed forward, pushing past her sons to open the back door.

The doorknob smacked against the wall as she let it go, and a choked gasp tore itself from her throat as she looked down, taking in the sight of a panicked little pup. She picked up on the little one’s scent, and she knew immediately that it was her granddaughter.

“Dear God in heaven!” She exclaimed, bending to take the exhausted wolf into her arms. She turned to face the three men, who all wore shocked expressions. Rhett shot out of his seat. He knew her by scent, too. So did Royal and Perry.

Everyone started talking at once, Perry demanding his daughter be handed to him, Rhett asking if he could talk to her, until finally, Cecilia held up a hand. “Enough! Can’t you see the poor baby is scared out of her mind?! Let me take care of her and then you can ask her questions!” She exclaimed.

“Ma…” Rhett breathed as she walked past him. He was trembling, his eyes alight with tears.

She paused, her face softening as she placed a gentle hand against his chest. “I know. Just let me get her settled and we’ll see if we can get ya some answers.”

He watched helplessly as his mother walked away with Amy in her arms. That little pup was the only one with answers on what had happened to you. Rhett’s only lifeline.

Slowly, he trailed after his mother, but did not follow her up the stairs. As desperate as he was to get answers, he didn’t want to put the child through any more stress. So he lowered himself down to sit on the bottom step, and he put his head in his shaking hands, allowing himself to weep openly into his palms.

Meanwhile, in a place not far from the wolf reservation, Luke and Billy Tillerson were just pulling into the driveway of the Tillerson Ranch. Patricia was eagerly waiting on the doorstep with a cigarette perched between her fingers.

“Did you put the collar on her?” She called out as the boys climbed out and rounded the truck to open the bed.

“Yeah! Hope it’s on right!” Luke called back.

Patricia watched as her sons lifted your unconscious body out of the truck bed, a thick, metal collar fastened around your neck. As they carried you to the doorstep, she stopped them, reaching out to tug on the collar. “It’s on right. The light is green.”

“You’re sure this will keep them from being able to track her?” Billy asked curiously.

“Your father really taught you nothing? Of course I’m sure. As soon as you put this on, he completely lost the ability to sense her. For all he knows, she’s dead. Now go ahead and get her down into the bunker. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

Luke bit back a reply at the jab at his father, and instead moved to take you down into the belly of the house. Hunting was not something he or Billy had practiced in a long time. Patricia had been the one who pushed it. After she left, Wayne didn’t continue to train them in any way. They didn’t hone their skills or learn any of the new technology being produced for hunting.

While yes, werewolf hunting was illegal, it didn’t stop groups of people from participating in it. They’d just learned to do it discreetly to avoid detection. It was an industry that generated millions of dollars.

Patricia was one of the best hunters in the world. She’d even had a hand in producing some of the most elite pieces of hunting equipment out there. Including the collar around your neck.

It acted as a sort of cloaking device, interfering with the ability mates had to sense each other. As long as you wore it, it would be impossible for Rhett to find you just by sense alone. It also had a few other neat little features. Such as inhibiting one’s ability to shift. With the collar around your neck, you would not be able to shift into wolf form, at least not without experiencing excruciating pain. If you tried too hard, it might even kill you.

But you were entirely unaware, still out cold as Luke and Billy took you beneath the house and into the old bunker that had once been used to keep hunting equipment, and, contain the occasional werewolf captive.

You were deposited into a cell, and a chain attached to the wall was then fastened to your collar, effectively anchoring you in place. You were now a prisoner, with no chance of escape.

—

Back at the Abbott place, the atmosphere was tense. Rhett wasn’t sure how much time had passed. He’d been crouched on those steps the entire time, raking his hands through his hair, his mind racing as he imagined all the scenarios. What had happened to you? How had Amy escaped? Was there still a chance that you were alive?

Rhett was no fool. He was smart, and part of him had a sinking feeling that this was no accident or freak occurrence. And if he had to guess, he would put the Tillersons behind this, because they were the ones with a personal vendetta.

But he didn’t know that for sure yet, so he remained there, crouched on the steps, agonizing over the thought of harm coming to you and his unborn child. The two greatest loves of his life.

He was nothing without you. A shell of himself. A half of a whole. Werewolves mated for life, and to lose that kind of bond? To be stripped of one’s other half? The pain was unbearable. Unfathomable.

“Rhett.”

The voice of his mother drew his attention to the top of the stairs. Cecilia was gazing down at him, a bleak expression on her face. His heart dropped, and he stood, his legs trembling.

“You need to come up here.”

So he did. Moving on autopilot, he took the steps two at a time. In the meantime, Perry had heard Cecilia’s voice, and he stepped out of the kitchen, eager to follow after Rhett.

“What’s going on?” He demanded. “Is Amy okay?”

“I just need Rhett right now,” she tried to reason.

He grabbed the railing, standing at the foot of the steps. “No! She’s my daughter, let me see her!”

“Perry, I am not asking you, I am telling you, stay down there!” She exclaimed. “You’ll see your daughter soon enough. I am not gonna stress her out more than she already is. You’ll see her one at a time, and that’s final!”

“Ma, get outta the way,” he threatened, already up the steps, facing her, standing a head taller. But Cecilia wasn’t backing down.

What mattered most was finding out what happened to you. She didn’t like keeping Perry from his child, but she knew he would only inflame the situation if he got involved, and Rhett was already on edge as it was. Not to mention how fragile Amy was after what she’d experienced. Cecilia didn’t want to add to her granddaughter’s stress.

Behind her, Rhett was easing open the door to Amy’s room, and his eyes flickered around the dimly lit space, soon falling upon his niece, who had returned to her human form. She was curled up in the bed, clutching her favorite plush animal to her chest.

When she heard him come in, she lifted her head, then moved to sit upright. “U-Uncle Rhett!” She cried. Immediately, her bright eyes filled with tears.

Rhett hurried to her bedside, kneeling alongside it. “I’m here,” he whispered, taking both of her little hands in his own much larger one. “I’m right here.”

“I’m sorry!” She pulled her hands away to throw her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry! I-I tried to stop them! I tried to get them to let go!” She wailed.

“Who, baby? Who?” He asked, leaning back to look into her tearful face. He lifted his hands to hold her damp cheeks.

“Luke and Billy! They fo-followed us and then they took her away!”

He stared at her. His own eyes welled with molten tears. “Did…did they…” he could hardly bring himself to say the words. He had to force them out, and they were bitter on his tongue. “Amy, is she dead?”

“I-I don’t know!” She whimpered. “I shifted and then I hid! But I…I heard them say something about how they got what they came for.”

It was the tremor he noticed first. Wracking through the very center of his being, branching out through his extremities. His hands twitched against her face, and he pulled them away. His chest constricted, tightening like someone had just wrapped a length of rope around him and pulled it taut.

This was what he’d suspected. But it still felt like an ice-cold dagger had been driven into his heart. It took his breath away, and he stumbled backward, away from his niece.

His legs were moving of their own accord as he turned, yanking the bedroom door open and ambling out into the hall. He was vibrating. Heat rushing through every inch of his being. He felt as if he was outside of himself. Not of his own body.

He found Perry still at the top of the steps, arguing with Cecilia. The eldest Abbott looked up to find his brother approaching. In the shadow of the hallway, he caught sight of the murderous glint in his eyes.

“What have you done?” The snarl that left Rhett’s throat was inhuman. His chest heaved. His hands shook. Cecilia turned around, and when she saw Rhett’s face, her heart dropped.

She had seen this look many times before on Perry. Raw, untamed, unchecked rage. But she had never seen it on Rhett. Not once. He was always the one who had perfect control over his wolf. Always the one that never shifted out of anger. Always the one who was very aware of his nature and kept it in check.

Now, here he stood, his eyes glowing yellow, and she knew that this was the very first moment Rhett was going to lose control entirely. And something in her also knew there was no talking him off the ledge. She stepped out from between her sons, knowing that what was about to happen was inevitable.

“This is all your fault,” Rhett growled low in his chest. He took one, two, three steps closer.

“What the fuck did I–”

“I told you to confess!” He roared. “But you didn’t! You’re a fuckin’ coward!”

“I couldn’t let them take me away from Amy!”

“Oh bull-fuckin’-shit! They stole everythin’ from me because they think that I…they think that…”

Rhett couldn’t get the words out. He was too overwhelmed. His body shook, and he knew he couldn’t control it. His fists were clenched at his sides, claws drawing blood as they dug into the skin of his palms. His mouth parted as his fangs grew. His breathing was labored and animalistic.

“He was trying to take the land from us! I did us all a favor!” Perry shot back.

Rhett’s eyes widened. “A favor?! A favor?! You murdered him in cold blood! All because he made a comment about your wife! Who, by the way, left you because she was fuckin’ terrified of you, you abusive piece of shit!”

That line was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Perry froze, his own eyes glowing like fiery embers. Then, within a split second, both brothers were lunging at each other, the two of them tumbling down the steps in a mess of claws and fangs, growling like wild beasts.

Cecilia was shouting. Yelling for Royal to do something, anything. Amy came running out of her room at the sound of the commotion, ignoring her grandmother’s pleas for her to go back inside, to get into bed and rest like she was supposed to.

“No!” The little girl cried out, ducking out of Cecilia’s reach as she scrambled down the steps. “Stop! Please, stop!” Suddenly, her father and uncle were no longer men. They had both transformed into wolves, snarling and snapping, clawing at the other.

“Please! No!” Amy was screaming, terrified that one would kill the other. Royal intervened, pulling the child away from the two animals.

“Get back upstairs!” He shouted, handing her off to Cecilia’s waiting arms.

“Royal! Get them apart! They’ll fuckin’ kill each other!” The woman yelled as she held a struggling Amy against her chest.

Royal turned, just as a blood-curdling yelp cut through the air as Perry’s wolf gained dominance over Rhett. Their father threw himself between the two wolves, shouting, desperately trying to keep them at bay. He knew that Perry would kill Rhett if he didn’t stop him. The wolf had already overpowered him as it was.

Finally, after much struggle, Royal managed to wrench Perry off of Rhett, dragging the wolf across the room to put space between the two.

“ENOUGH!” The Abbott patriarch bellowed, eyes flashing.

Both wolves heeled.

“I’m not gonna let you fuckin’ kill each other! Get back in your human form so we can talk about this like civil folk!”

It was Rhett who shifted back first. His human body was bloodied, crimson glistening along his neck and torso from the scrape of claws and teeth. But he would heal just fine.

Chest heaving, he stepped back toward the stairs, where he snatched his jeans, quick to tug them back on. His shirt was too far gone, it had been torn to shreds amid his transformation and lunging at Perry.

Rhett was still shaking, and he struggled to get his belt refastened as the tremors ran through his fingers. Across the room, Perry was still in wolf form, growling lowly at Rhett as Royal stepped in to hold the animal back.

Rhett locked eyes with the wolf. “Quit hidin’ behind your fuckin’ wolf and face me as a man!” He snapped, voice raw. “If you think you’re gon’ kill me, you got another thing comin’.”

Finally, Perry returned to human, though he was still vibrating with rage. “I should’ve killed you!” He snarled wildly at his younger brother.

“You’re fuckin’ insane, you know that?! We don’t kill pack members!” Rhett shouted back. Perry tried to yell something in response, but Rhett shook his head. “No, you shut your fuckin’ mouth. You’re gonna make this right, okay?! I’m takin’ you to the Tillersons right now and you’re gonna tell ‘em everything.”

Perry’s eyes widened, his face paling. “I’m not doing that! They’ll kill me!!”

Rhett laughed incredulously. “After what you did?! I’d say it’s fuckin’ deserved! An eye for an eye! You’re the reason my mate was taken from me! So you can pay for your crime! A fair price to pay after I lost everything!”

But Perry didn’t like that. He turned to his father. “You said you’d talk him off the ledge!” He exclaimed.

Rhett froze. His gaze flickered to Royal. “What the fuck does he mean by that?”

His father looked like a deer caught in the headlights. “I…” He started, unsure of what to say.

A sick feeling roiled in Rhett’s gut. “You knew?! This whole time you knew he killed Trevor and you kept it a secret?!”

“I was tryin’ to protect the pack!” Royal defended.

“Yeah?! Well you’ve done a real bang-up job, Dad! Fantastic, really!” Rhett bitterly replied, his chest heaving, his eyes alight with tears. “Both of you are to blame for this! You’re comin’ with me to the damn Tillerson Ranch, we’re settin’ this right!”

“Son, that’s a death sentence! They’ll shoot us on sight!”

Rhett stood there in the middle of the hallway, staring at his father. “You…you really don’t…” he couldn’t get the words out. He took a moment to breathe in deep, grounding himself so he didn’t shift again. “Th-they took my wife and baby from me. Does that mean nothing to you?!”

Both men remained dead silent, and Rhett scoffed, the sting of betrayal flashing through his chest. “I wouldn’t expect Perry to know what it’s like since Rebecca wasn’t his mate. But you should know, Dad. What if they took Ma from you?”

Royal hesitated, and then bowed his head. “I…I thought I was doin’ what was best for the pack. I was tryin’ to protect my son.”

“I’m your son too!” Rhett cried. If anything, this situation had shown him how broken his family truly was.

He took a deep breath, letting his eyes drift shut. He knew what had to be done, and he was tired of arguing. “The three of us are goin’ to the Tillersons to sort this mess out. But first, I’m callin’ the sheriff. She needs to be involved if we’re gonna do this right.”

He didn’t give a shit if Perry and Royal didn’t like it. He had to find you. Had to know what fate you’d met. And if he truly had lost you, he would take you and give you a proper ceremonial burial, as you deserved.

Little did he know that you were still very much alive.

—

In the depths of the bunker beneath the Tillerson house, you were just beginning to stir from unconsciousness. You were incredibly groggy, and your limbs felt like they were filled with lead.

The first thing you noticed was the hard concrete, cold beneath you. The second thing you noticed was the thick, restrictive collar around your neck.

And then, it all came rushing back. You gasped sharply, scrambling to your feet, suddenly alert as your panicked eyes took in your surroundings. Metal rattled against metal, and you looked down to find that you were chained to the wall.

“Don’t bother trying to escape,” a mellow female voice reached your ears. “That collar around your neck inhibits your abilities. You won’t be able to use your strength to get free.”

You growled, whirling around to face the woman who stood in the shadows just outside your cell.

“Where am I?!” You demanded.

“You’re somewhere hidden. Your husband won’t be able to sense you. He has no idea where you are.”

Your eyes flashed gleaming yellow. “What do you want with me?! And where’s Amy?!”

“I don’t know who Amy is. But I do know that you’re going to tell us everything we want to know.”

You snapped at her, and she laughed. “What, are you trying to scare me? Honey, you can’t hurt me as long as you’ve got that collar on. You try to transform, it’ll probably kill you.”

That got your attention, and you drew back. You then placed a hand against your abdomen, not willing to do anything that could potentially harm your baby.

“Luke!” The woman called out, and seconds later, he appeared in the corridor.

“Take the wolf out of its cage. It’s time we question it.”

She spoke of you as if you weren’t there, reducing you to an animal, rather than a person. “I have a name, you know,” you spat.

The woman scoffed. “And I don’t care to know it. You’re nothing more than a wolf to me. I’d have killed you and sold your pelt already, if I didn’t need you at the moment.”

With that, she walked away, leaving Luke to unlock your cell.

“Why are you doing this?” You asked him. But part of you knew why. Whatever issue the Tillersons had come to your doorstep with the other night was the reason for this.

Luke remained silent as he stepped toward you. Frightened, you backed into the corner. “What are you doing?!”

“Just gonna ask you a couple questions,” He simply said as he readied the key to unlock the chain holding you to the wall.

“Why can’t you ask them in here?”

He didn’t reply. You whimpered, making yourself as small as possible against the wall. Normally, you would fight tooth and nail and shift into your wolf, but you were terrified of what the collar might do to you if you tried.

“No!” You shrieked when he reached for you.

“Please don’t make this difficult. I don’t want to have to sedate you again.”

“No! No! No!” But he’d already grabbed you, and try as you might, you couldn’t break free from his grasp. Your normally heightened strength had been reduced to human weakness. Luke was now much stronger than you.

He dragged you out of the cell and down the corridor, where Patricia was waiting impatiently. There was a steel examination table in the middle of the room. An overhead light illuminated it.

Your heart began to pound in your chest. There were restraints on the table. You knew instantly that you were going to be tied down. To your right, you saw an array of tools and weapons. Things that made your stomach turn. You knew they were going to be used on you.

“Wait! Wait!” You cried. “Please! You can’t! I-I’m pregnant!” Ice-cold terror was rushing through your veins at the thought of harm coming to your baby through whatever inhumane means of questioning they used on you.

That gave Luke pause. He looked at his mother. “Mom, wha–”

“Don’t tell me you believe her?” Patricia cut him off. “She’s lying! Trying to get us to feel sorry for her! Now get her on the table!”

“No! I’m not lying, please!” You wept. “I’m just over thirteen weeks along!”

But it did nothing to stop the inevitable. Luke wrestled you into the table and fastened you down so you couldn’t escape. Then, Patricia was standing over you.

“If you tell us everything we need to know, then we won’t hurt you or your baby.”

“What do you want to know?!”

“What did your husband do to my son?”

You stared at her. “He didn’t do anything!” You replied.

Patricia laughed. “You expect me to believe that? Trevor went to talk to your husband the other day and then he disappeared. You don’t find that suspicious?”

You were beginning to piece it all together. The reason for Luke and Billy’s visit the other night. The reason Rhett had been so tense and unlike himself. You’d caught bits and pieces of the conversation he’d had with the brothers the night they showed up on your doorstep. Rhett had sounded surprised. You knew he hadn’t done anything to Trevor. He wasn’t like that.

“Wh-when did Trevor come to talk to him?” You asked.

Patricia stepped over to the table of items, seemingly deciding which one she wanted to use on you. “Sometime Monday morning. He never came home. So what happened? Did Rhett kill him?”

“Rhett was with me! We were at a checkup with my midwife!” You tried to reason.

“You wolves will say anything to avoid consequence.” She pulled out what looked to be a stun baton. She pressed the button and electricity crackled to life at the end of it. “I’ll ask you again. What. Happened. To. Trevor?”

“I don’t know! I swear I don’t!”

Your vision went white when the electricity came in contact with your body.

—

Meanwhile, back on the reservation, Rhett was racing against the clock. He’d called the sheriff, and she was already on her way. This was going to end with his brother going to jail, and Rhett couldn’t find it in his heart to feel sorry for him. Not after Perry’s actions had resulted in Rhett losing what was most precious to him.

Joy Hawk had no idea what she was getting herself into when Rhett called her that evening as she was sitting down to dinner with her wife and daughter. The urgency in his voice told her that something was dead wrong. He wouldn’t say why he was calling, just that he needed her to come to the wolf reservation immediately.

She kissed her daughter on the head and reluctantly informed her wife that she had to miss dinner. She tried not to let her daughter’s sad expression affect her, but it made her chest ache as she walked out the front door and latched it behind her.

It took her twenty-five minutes to reach the Abbott property, and when she did, Rhett was scrambling outside to meet her. When she saw the desperation in his eyes, her brow furrowed in concern.

“What’s goin’ on?” She asked.

“My wife, she…she’s gone. The Tillersons took her.” His voice trembled. He took a shuddering breath that did little to calm him.

That sprung Joy into action, following him into the house as he led her. “How long?”

“Since this afternoon.”

“How do you know the Tillersons have her?”

At that, Rhett swept his arm out in front of him, motioning to his brother as he brought the sheriff into the kitchen. As she took in the sight of the family around the table, she was reminded of a scene she had walked into not so long ago, when Rebecca had disappeared. This all felt too familiar.

“Why don’t you go ‘head and tell her, Per?!”

Perry hesitated. When Joy’s gaze fell upon him, he looked like a deer caught in the headlights. “Tell me what?”

“I-I don’t–”

“Perry!” The gruff loudness of Rhett’s tone made everyone jump. He wasn’t about to let Perry lie right through his teeth.

“They took Rhett’s wife because of me. Because I killed Trevor Tillerson.”

At her son’s admission. Cecilia let her head fall into her hands. Royal closed his eyes. Even though they already knew it was coming, hearing it said out loud made it real.

“I…you’re serious? You’re tellin’ me the God’s honest truth right now?” Joy asked, staring straight at Perry.

“I am. I can take you to the body if you need. But it’s the truth. I killed him.”

She leaned back, entirely flabbergasted. “Okay. First of all, I’m gonna need to call this in.” Then she turned to look at Rhett. “Our highest priority right now is findin’ your wife, but first, I need to report this back to the station and I’ll be right back with a game plan.”

Rhett caught her arm, and she saw the raw fear in his eyes. “I think…I think she might be dead,” he croaked.

Joy lifted her hand and gently placed it over the one he had on her arm. “Let’s not go there yet, okay? Let me call the station. We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise.”

She stepped outside and sauntered to her cruiser, where she grabbed her radio and put in a request for backup and a forensics team. She had no idea how this was going to unfold, but she had a gut feeling that it wasn’t going to be pretty.

As soon as she radioed the station, she made her way back into the house. “Alright, I’ve got backup on the way. Let me just ask a few more questions to clarify what’s going on here.” She took a notepad out of her front pocket.

Rhett was growing restless. He was so desperate to find you. He wanted to march right up to the Tillerson house himself and demand they release you. But he couldn’t go in there alone. Not when they could shoot him on sight with a silver bullet, rendering him dead in minutes, if not instantly, if the bullet went to his heart.

He’d be no good to anyone if he was dead. But oh, how hard it was to sit around and wait, not knowing what had happened to you. He still could not feel your presence, but there was part of him that believed maybe there was still hope. But he knew that was simply wishful thinking.

As soon as the rest of the Wabang Sheriff’s Department and the coroner’s office showed up, things shifted into action. Joy organized a small group to go out and locate the body. Perry was instructed to lead them to it. After which, he would be placed under arrest and taken to the station.

In the meantime, Cecilia took it upon herself to inform the rest of your family as to what was happening. It was not right to keep them in the dark any longer. They needed to know.

While that was taking place, Joy grabbed her most trusted deputy, Raven Perez, and informed her of the situation with the Tillersons.

“I want you to come with me,” Joy told the woman, “I don’t know how they’ll react to police presence, I don’t want to risk going in there without someone to cover my six.”

Raven nodded, her dark eyes serious. “Okay. You think we need to call in the state police? I have a bad feeling that this is not going to end well.”

Joy considered her words. “No, but we might have to if things escalate. I have no idea what we’re walkin’ into here. I haven’t dealt with werewolf hunters head-on before.”

“Okay. I’ll keep them on standby just in case.”

The two women moved to head to the cruiser, but they were interrupted by a determined cowboy. “I’m comin’ with you,” Rhett’s voice suddenly cut through the air.

Joy stopped, staring at him as he stood there, a determined look on his face. She was already shaking her head. “Absolutely not. You need to let us handle this.”

His shoulders went tense. “Joy, they took my mate. There’s no way in hell I’m gonna stand back while someone else goes to find her. I need to go with you. And if…if she’s dead, I need to be there to bring her body home so we can give her the burial she deserves.”

The sheriff hesitated, eyeing the man before her. She’d never seen him so broken. In all her dealings with Rhett during the investigation into Rebecca’s disappearance, he had always been a steady, quiet force. But now, his shoulders had dropped low in defeat, and his eyes were haunted with shadows of grief.

She also knew how sacred burials were. Her own culture was very methodical and traditional when it came to the way they carried out such things. Wolf burials held that same sense of ceremony and honor.

But it was strictly against protocol to allow him to come. She was just asking to get in trouble by involving him. But as she gazed into his mournful blue eyes, she found herself nodding her head.

“Okay. But you stay behind me at all times. Do not try anything that’ll get you killed. Got it?”

“Got it,” Rhett echoed.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Raven spoke up, glancing between the werewolf and the sheriff.

“No. But we’re doin’ it anyway. Let’s go.”

The three of them climbed into Joy’s cruiser, and off they went, the bright morning sun lighting the way. In the backseat, Rhett was vibrating with nervous energy, his heart racing in his chest. His mind spun through different scenarios as to how this was going to go down. Would the Tillersons let you go once they got answers about Trevor? Would you be unharmed? Would you even be alive?

He closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths, filling his lungs with oxygen, trying to remain calm. He was partly afraid that he would lose control once he stood face-to-face with Luke and Billy. The prospect of losing you rendered him unable to keep his wolf at bay, and he briefly wondered what would happen if he ended up succumbing to that wild animal and lunging. Joy would have to intervene if it came to that. He just hoped it wouldn’t.

The drive up to the Tillerson property was brief, and as soon as Joy turned onto the long, gravel driveway, Rhett leaned forward in his seat, thrumming with uncertainty and fear and the overwhelming need to find his mate.

Once Joy threw the vehicle into park, the trio climbed out, and she led them up to the grand front porch. There, she stopped to knock on the door. Four precise knocks. Then she rang the doorbell, the sound of which could be heard from outside.

A few moments later, the door came open, and out stepped Luke. Rhett tensed, and when he breathed in, he could smell your scent on Luke.

Joy was saying something to him. But through the rush of blood in his ears, Rhett couldn’t hear her. His gaze was locked on the other man. A tremor ran down his spine, and a burning, churning desperation came to life in his belly.

“Where is she?” He heard himself growling, a sound entirely foreign even to his own ears. Low and wild. Terrifying.

Luke’s gaze shifted to Rhett’s. There was a flicker of fear in those stormy eyes. “Where’s Trevor?” He countered.

Rhett was fighting the urge to go for the man’s throat. Your scent was so strong it almost brought him to his knees. “I can smell her on you! What did you do to her?!” His throat was raw from the snarl.

Joy turned, holding her hand out to steady the wolf. “Rhett, if you can’t control yourself, I’ll have to remove you from the premises.” Her free hand was resting on her gun.

But it was as if he didn’t hear her. “Goddammit, Luke! Did you kill her?!”

“I’m not telling you shit until you tell me where my brother is!” Luke shouted back.

“ENOUGH!” Joy and Raven spoke at the same time.

“We’re in the middle of searching for your brother right now. But I need to know if you have Rhett’s wife. If you do, I will be forced to remove her from your possession by any means necessary,” Joy said.

Luke entirely ignored Joy. “You should’ve just brought us Trevor yourself, and we could’ve avoided this whole mess,” he spoke directly to Rhett.

“And what, let you kill me on sight as soon as I stepped foot on your property?”

“Oh, like you killed my brother?”

“I didn’t kill your brother!”

“Then where is he, huh?! Cause it sure as hell don’t look like he’s alive!”

“Will you two stop already?! Luke, do you have her, or not?!” Joy demanded.

In the meantime, Patricia Tillerson had it all planned out. Billy had just come down to inform her that Rhett Abbott had shown up with the cops, and no Trevor.

“Fine,” she hissed angrily. “We’ll do this another way.”

She marched right over to you, still bound to the metal examination table. She’d been questioning you for hours and had gotten nowhere. You were exhausted, shivering, and drenched with sweat.

“Wh-what are you doing?!” You fearfully asked, flinching away as she moved to abruptly unbuckle your restraints.

“Get up,” she simply said.

“No! What are you–”

“Get up!” A sharp slap to your cheek had you scrambling to slide off the table, but your legs nearly gave out as your feet hit the ground.

A fresh wave of terror sliced through you, heightened when you watched her grab a gun loaded with silver bullets. She clamped her hand around your upper arm, sure to leave a bruise, and dragged you along. You didn’t have the strength to fight her, and when you tried, she pulled you forward hard, so that you stumbled.

Your legs felt heavy, and your feet dragged like your shoes were made of iron. Tears ran down your cheeks, and your mind raced, trying to figure out what was happening, where she was taking you. Was she finally going to kill you?

And that’s when you heard it. The sound of raised voices echoing through the corridors of the house. But one stood out above all the rest. Rhett.

“Rhett?” You squeaked, and a sob tore from your throat.

“Shut your mouth, whore,” Patricia snapped. She yanked you forward, right into the main entry area of the house. You could see Luke at the door, and beyond him, Sheriff Hawk and Deputy Perez. But they didn’t matter. Not when your eyes fell upon your mate. The one who you were certain was here to rescue you.

“Rhett,” you tried to speak again, but you couldn’t make your voice any louder than a pathetic croak. Your throat was raw.

But he saw you. His eyes, the bluest eyes you’d ever seen, flickered to you, and his entire face changed. His mouth moved as he spoke your name, but it sounded like a faraway echo.

It seemed to all happen in slow motion.

Before Rhett could even think, he was rushing forward, pushing past Joy, past Luke, fighting his way into the house. Multiple voices were shouting all at once.

You should’ve seen the two officers unholstering their guns. Should’ve seen the way Luke ducked out of the way. Should’ve felt Patricia move beside you.

In seconds, she’d lifted her gun and pressed it to your temple. Time slowed. Rhett stumbled to a halt, his arms coming out in front of him, a look of sheer horror in his eyes as his mouth opened to form…

“NO!” His chest burned. His eyes glowed gold. “LET HER GO!”

“Why should I let her go, wolf? You took my son from me. I’ll take the mother of your child away from you.”

“Please!” Rhett sobbed. “What do you need me to do?! I’ll do it. Just, please! Don’t take my wife and baby from me!”

“Is my son dead?”

“Drop the gun!” Joy’s voice filled the room. Loud and booming. Her weapon was drawn. So was Raven’s. “Drop it or so help me God, I will shoot you!”

“You shoot me, I take her with me!” Patricia shouted, pressing the gun more firmly against your head. You whimpered, fighting the urge to close your eyes. Instead, you focused on Rhett. He looked wild. Trapped, like a caged animal.

“You don’t want to do this!” Raven exclaimed in the background, eyes trained on her target.

“Yes I do! These animals stole my son from me! Either they return him, or I put a bullet in her head!”

“Mom, just let her go!” Luke’s desperate voice tore through the commotion. “It’s not worth it!”

“No! Where is my son?! What did you do to him?!”

Joy wouldn’t say. She knew the moment she confirmed Trevor was dead, Patricia would pull the trigger. So she tried to diffuse the situation.

“We’re lookin’ for him right now, Patricia! Don’t kill this innocent girl because you think Rhett might’ve had something to do with it! If you kill her, we will take you down!” The sheriff cried.

There was no clean ending to this situation. Someone wasn’t going to make it out alive.

In the midst of it, the shouting and the chaos and the fear, all Rhett could see was you. His only love. His mate. The other half of his soul. He saw your future together. He saw himself holding your baby for the first time. He saw you building a life together. Growing your family. Doing all the things you’d always dreamed of doing together.

And he couldn’t let it be stolen from him. He couldn’t let you be stolen from him.

So he fell to his knees, and he looked up at the woman who held your life in her hands. “I beg of you,” he breathed “don’t take her from me.”

She shifted, pressing the barrel of the gun tighter against your temple, her finger on the trigger. You whimpered, squeezing your eyes shut. Any second, she would squeeze that trigger and it would all be over.

Rhett knew what he had to do. “You want the truth? Fine, I’ll tell you the truth.” His mouth parted as his fangs grew. His eyes glowed bright as embers. “Trevor’s dead.”

Then he lunged.

In a split second, the man was a wolf. An apex predator, all sleek black fur and tight muscle. You heard a gunshot ring out, and you expected your body to fall. But before it did, the animal was colliding with your chest, sending you plummeting toward the hard ground.

But you never came in contact with it. A hand was behind your head, cushioning your fall. A shadow remained above you, broad and familiar. When you opened your eyes, you found your husband staring down at you, his face human again.

“I’ve got you,” he soothed. He placed his body over top of your own, shielding you from what was happening around you. His hands were pressed over your ears, muffling the deafening sound of gunfire that would be murder on your sensitive hearing.

And then, all at once, it was silent.

Slowly, Rhett lifted his hands from your ears. “Are you okay?” He asked. His voice wavered. Frantic eyes searched your being for any signs of outward harm. He touched his fingers to the collar around your neck, and his chest flashed with anger. “What did they do to you?”

But you couldn’t speak. Tears rushed forth, blurring your vision, and immediately, you flung your arms around his bare shoulders. Deep, broken sobs wracked your body. Rhett held you tight, moving to sit upright as you clung to him, weeping into his neck, holding onto him as if you were afraid that if you let go, he’d disappear.

“Don’t let go!” You wailed.

He was overcome, and he closed his eyes, nuzzling into you, his own tears burning hot trails down his cheeks. “I’m here, little wolf. I’m here, I’m not gonna let you go.”

Slowly, you turned your head, allowing your eyes to flutter open. That’s when you saw it. Patricia Tillerson lay lifeless on the floor. Her cold, dead eyes remained open and fixed on you, a haunting visual that would never leave you as long as you lived.

“Rhett,” you whimpered, burying your face against his neck again.

“Shh. I got ya, baby. You’re safe.”

You didn’t know how long you knelt there on that floor, clinging to one another, lamenting all that had befallen you. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered but this. Your arms around each other. Your chests pressed together. Your heartbeats intertwined.

All too soon, a gentle hand was placed upon Rhett’s shoulder, and Joy’s voice could be heard. “Rhett, we need to get you both out of here and rope off the crime scene. Is she okay to be moved?”

Rhett leaned back to fully look into your face. “Can you walk?” He asked you.

Your strength was so depleted that you weren’t sure if you could. “I-I don’t know,” you whimpered.

“Okay. Hold on a minute, let me get my clothes.” He gently set you on the floor before he quickly gathered the clothes he’d shed during his shift. Once he was clothed, he bent to help you to your feet, wrapping a secure arm around you as he carefully guided you out of the house and into the night.

Deputy Perez, who was waiting for you outside the house, noticed the collar around your neck. “I’ll see about getting this off you,” she assured you, inspecting it more closely. “Is it a shock collar?”

“N-no,” you answered. “It’s meant to…to keep me from using my abilities. If I try, it’ll kill me.”

Raven nodded, her gaze intense. “I’ll see if Luke or Billy has the key for it.” She stepped away, leaving you and Rhett alone for just a moment.

Rhett lifted his hand, gingerly touching the collar again. His eyes filled with tears, and he shook his head. “I-I’m so sorry,” he croaked. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you sooner.”

You placed your hand over his own, intertwining your fingers. “It’s okay. I still knew you’d come.”

Moments later, Raven returned with the key in her hand. Your chance to finally have complete freedom, all held in a tiny piece of metal. You were so eager to be rid of the constrictive device, but when Raven reached out to unlock it, you instinctually flinched away, pressing yourself against your mate’s side. You knew Raven meant you no harm, but you were so fearful of any touch that was not Rhett’s.

He held his hand out. “Let me do it. I don’t think she can stand anyone else touchin’ her but me.”

The woman nodded, gladly handing the key over. At that, Rhett turned to you, effectively shielding you with his body. “I’m gon’ get this off you, okay darlin’? You’re safe, it’s just me an’ you.”

You let your eyes fall shut as your husband carefully located the lock and inserted the key. He soothed you as he turned the lock, and then, all at once, the collar was gone from your neck.

You let out a relieved sob. Before you, Rhett gasped, because all at once, he was hit with an overwhelming sensation. As if the missing half of his soul had just returned to its rightful place. He realized then that the collar had been inhibiting him from sensing your presence all along. At the realization, he pressed his forehead against yours, and both of you succumbed to silent tears.

But all too soon, your moment was interrupted as Raven spoke up.

“We’ve got an ambulance on the way for you,” she assured you, her deep brown eyes filled with compassion.

But you began to shake your head, retreating further into Rhett, tucking yourself back into his side, in need of the safety he provided. “N-no. No, I don’t want to go to the hospital,” you protested. “I want to see my pack doctor instead.” You trusted Doctor Tenpenny above all others. You had only ever gone to her your entire life. The thought of going to the hospital made anxiety roil in your belly.

“Honey, you’ve been through a lot. It’s probably better that you go to a real hospital,” she tried to reason.

“I said no. I’m going to my doctor. She’s the only one I trust.” After the traumatic series of events you had just endured, you didn’t want to experience any more discomfort. You didn’t want to sit in a sterile white room with a doctor you didn’t know examining you. You wanted your doctor. The one who understood wolf medicine, and knew exactly how to take care of you and your baby.

Raven looked at Rhett, as if trying to get him to convince you to change your mind. But he was inclined to let you choose for yourself. You knew your body best, and if you felt that Doctor Tenpenny was the safest option after what you had gone through, he wasn’t going to make you change your mind.

“We’ll go to our pack doctor. Thank you, Deputy Perez.”

Raven nodded, though she looked unsure. However, she didn’t want to push you any further. “Okay. You’ll need to sign a waiver stating that you refused treatment. You’ll also need to provide a statement as to what happened. I can take the statement whenever you’re ready.”

You looked at Rhett, and he saw the weariness on your face. You were depleted of any and all energy, and you desperately wanted to go home.

His warm hand came up to rest upon your cheek, his touch loving. “You can do it, little wolf. I’ll be with you the whole time.”

And he was. He held your hand as you recounted each and every detail to Raven, and as he listened to your tearful words, and watched as you fought hard not to break down, he felt nauseated. He squeezed his eyes shut, trembling as he envisioned what you had been subjected to at the cruel hands of Patricia Tillerson.

He hated that he couldn’t get to you sooner. He hated that you had suffered all of this, simply because of his brother’s heinous action. And he hated that he’d known about it, and had not gone to the police himself in the first place. If he had, instead of trusting Perry to do the right thing, then none of this would have happened. Rhett realized that in some ways, he was just as much to blame for what had happened to you as Perry was.

He wanted to fall to his knees and tell you how sorry he was. But as Raven finished up her questioning, he could see how drained you were. Your tears had long since stopped, and the numbness had begun to set in. The time for emotional confessions and petitions for forgiveness would come later. For now, you just needed to go home.

“Alright. That about does it. Thank you for being so patient, I know this is difficult,” Raven assured you. “Would you like me to escort you home in the cruiser?”

You nodded, though even that took more energy than you had. “Please.”

So, the two of you climbed into the back of the car, and you let yourself rest in Rhett’s warm embrace, your eyes growing heavy with exhaustion. He held you tightly and relished in your closeness. Your aliveness.

He kept a protective hand against your belly the whole ride home. He could still sense your little one, which was a good sign. But there was still a fear in both of your minds, wondering if what you had been put through might cause you to lose your daughter.

As a wolf, you had the ability to heal much faster than a human. Things didn’t affect you as badly because of your supernatural blood. But things like miscarriages were still possible. Especially if your body was put under intense amounts of stress.

You let your hand rest over his own, and you sat in silence the entire ride, until Raven pulled into the wolf reservation. When you lifted your head from Rhett’s shoulder, you caught sight of the bustling activity taking place outside the cruiser.

After Cecelia had informed the rest of your pack as to what was happening, they’d all gathered together to learn of your fate and wait for your return. Your heart ached, because you knew your mother would be beside herself.

But the thought of being swarmed by everyone made your chest tighten with anxiety. You didn’t want to endure any noise or fanfare. Your nerves were shot and you were afraid you would succumb to a breakdown if you had to endure any more upheaval.

“Rhett,” you whispered fearfully, grabbing his arm. “I can’t…I can’t handle all of them.”

“Shh,” he soothed. “‘s okay, we’ll just take ya to the house and have Doctor Tenpenny come see you there.”

Then he instructed Raven to drive over to the edge of the property, where your home was situated. She did so without complaint, and once she pulled the car to a stop, Rhett was quick to help guide you out onto solid ground, catching you when your knees almost buckled.

“I’ve got ya.” With a kiss pressed to your temple, he led you up to the door, where he took a moment to locate the hide-a-key and unlock it. He turned back to wave at Raven, and then he took you into the house.

“I’m gettin’ you up to bed,” he assured you, and you nodded, but the thought of climbing the stairs was too much for you. Rhett noticed your trepidation, and immediately, he was lifting you into his arms. He carried you up the steps and into your loft bedroom, where he stopped to carefully place you on the bed.

He stood before you, big gentle hand coming up to lovingly stroke your cheek. You looked up at him, and your eyes welled with tears.

“I thought I lost you,” he whispered.

You closed your watery eyes, nuzzling into his hand. You couldn’t speak, but you didn’t need to. Your mate wrapped you in his arms and held you to his chest, assuring you that he was here now, that you were safe. And you knew you were.

When he finally let you go, he knelt to reverently help you undress. He removed your shoes from your feet and got you out of your sweat-dampened clothing. You didn’t have the strength to get into the shower, so he took the packet of wipes you kept in your bedside table and lovingly wiped your body down before he put you into a clean pair of pajamas and got you into bed.

As you settled in, he left a kiss on your forehead, and then slipped away to give the doctor a quick call. You had a few moments of peaceful rest before your mother and Doctor Tenpenny arrived.

Rhett allowed you your emotional reunion with your mother, but once the doctor began her examination of you, he remained close by, perched on the edge of the bed, holding one of your hands in his own.

“From what I can tell, baby girl is just fine. Her heartbeat is strong and there are no signs of distress. But I want you to stop by my clinic tomorrow so I can give you a more thorough examination, alright? For now, the best thing I can prescribe is rest. Drink lots of fluids. Try to eat to get your strength back up. Your body has been through a significant amount of trauma, and it’s going to take you a bit longer to heal than it normally would.”

You breathed a sigh of relief, rejoicing over the health of your baby. Rhett squeezed your hand, and you met his tearful gaze. This was one positive after the heartache you’d endured.

The doctor left you with a few herbal remedies for any pain you might be experiencing, and finally, she bid you farewell. Your mother remained with you for a little while longer, unwilling to let you out of her sight just yet.

But she could see how exhausted you were, so, reluctantly, she kissed your forehead and slipped out of the room, allowing you the peace you so desperately needed. Rhett walked her out, and she turned to him on the doorstep, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. “Take care of my baby,” she told him.

He mustered a smile, placing his hand over her own and giving it a squeeze. “Always.”

Once she was gone, Rhett stepped back into the house, where he made his way up the stairs and to your room again. He found you huddled under the covers, not quite asleep yet. When you saw him, you lifted your arms, reaching for him, beckoning him to bed.

He took a moment to strip out of his shirt and jeans, leaving him in just his underwear. Then, he rounded the bed and climbed in next to you. Instantly, you turned your body, curling into him and burying your face against the slope of his neck.

“Don’t let go,” you whispered when you felt his arms slip securely around your body.

“I’m never lettin’ you go again, little wolf.”

And for the first time in forty-eight hours, you finally found rest.

You slept for hours after that. Your exhausted body succumbed to a state of much-needed rest. Rhett was exhausted, too. Emotionally and physically. The trauma of losing you had zapped what strength he had left. So you slept wrapped around each other, grateful that you had been returned safely home.

But your moment of rest could only last for so long. Soon, it was time to wake up and face the world again. Rhett kept you shielded from it for as long as he could, dismissing any visitors that wanted to see you, because he knew you could not handle it.

However, life had to go on. A few days later, the sheriff showed up again to tie up some loose ends, and it pained Rhett deeply to watch you be put through the wringer all over again as you had to recall more details about what had happened.

But Joy also had news to share. Some good, and some bad.

“I know this has been hell for you, and I won’t take up any more of your time than I have to. But, we located Trevor’s body just south of here. We also found his truck at the bottom of Lover’s Lake. Perry confessed to the murder.” She leaned forward in her seat at your kitchen table. “I don’t know how much you’ve been talkin’ to your family lately, but last night, your dad came forward and confessed that he was also involved in disposing of the body. Did you know about that, Rhett?”

Beside you, Rhett’s eyes widened, and he shook his head in disbelief. “When we got into it at the house the other night, I found out he knew about it. But I…I had no idea he helped him hide the fuckin’ body.” He scrubbed his hands over his face, trying to process what he’d just been told. Part of him wasn’t surprised. After all, Perry wasn’t smart enough to hide something like that on his own. He had to have had help.

“To be frank with ya, this is a big fuckin’ mess. Not only do I have a werewolf killing a human, but I have hunters abducting a werewolf on top of it. The National Werewolf League wants answers as to how I let hunters operate right under my nose. Truth is, I had no idea they were actively hunting you guys. You know I haven’t been in office very long. I’ve been purposely kept in the dark as far as your history goes.”

“They weren’t actively huntin’ us. My dad had that agreement with Wayne when it came to huntin’. And ever since then, they haven’t gone after us. Until Trevor went missin’, then Patricia lost her fuckin’ mind and decided to target us,” Rhett explained.

“I’m only sorry I didn’t know about it sooner. I really was naive enough to think that hunting was a thing of the past. But turns out, Patricia was actively hunting werewolves under the radar. Luke said he and his brothers haven’t done any hunting since their mother initially left years ago. But, that doesn’t change the fact that he and Billy were still involved in kidnapping your wife. So I want you to know that they will be punished to the full extent of the law. They won’t be able to hurt you ever again, and you have my word on that.”

Rhett reached over to grab your hand, squeezing it gently. “Thank y’, Joy.”

She nodded, smiling softly at him. “You should also know that Luke has agreed to entirely nullify the contract your dad signed years ago with Wayne. That means that this land will rightfully belong to your family, and you will be free to live anywhere else you choose without facing repercussions from the Tillersons or anyone else.”

Rhett let out a breath of disbelief, leaning back in his chair and running his free hand through his hair. “Never thought I’d see the day,” he marveled.

Joy held his gaze. “I’m truly sorry for the pain your people have had to endure. But I hope that this can be a step in the right direction to a better life for your pack, as well as packs all over the world.”

Finally, the sheriff stood from her chair, grabbing her hat from the table. “This is far from over. I just hope the two of you can find peace and healing in the midst of it.” Her gaze shifted to you. “Wishin’ you all the best with that little one you’re carrying. I hope she grows up in a world where she can feel safe and accepted.”

“So do I,” you firmly replied as you stood to shake her hand.

“I’ll see myself out. We’ll be in touch,” the woman finally said. Then, with a tip of her hat, she turned, and walked out of your home, leaving you and Rhett bathed in silence.

“Y’ alright, little wolf?” He asked you. He rounded the table, where he gently wrapped an arm around your waist.

You sighed deeply, leaning into him, letting your strength leave you as you let him support your weight. “I’m just…tired.” The last several days had been the most taxing period of time you had ever been through. Although your supernatural healing abilities had healed any injuries you had sustained, your spirit was still wounded from what you had endured. Your exhaustion was less physical and more mental and emotional now.

He nodded mournfully, lifting his hand to tilt your face toward him. “I know. So am I.” A tender kiss was pressed to your temple, lingering for a moment before he pulled back. The blue of his eyes was breathtaking, so brilliant and clear. “But we’re gonna be okay. We’ll get through this together. You, me, and this little pup. It’s us against the world.” His hand came to rest on your abdomen.

You mustered a soft smile, your eyes glimmering with tears. When you let your eyes flutter shut, those tears slid down your cheeks. Rhett’s fingers were there in an instant, wiping them away. Wordlessly, he let his forehead rest upon your own, and you could feel him trembling against you.

He grew serious, and soon was overcome with the guilt he had been carrying with him since you went missing “Darlin’,” he whispered, “I…I need to tell you somethin’.”

You looked at him expectantly, and he reached behind himself to pull one of the kitchen chairs out, which he sat upon. His large hands took hold of your own, and he looked up at you with an intensity in his gaze. It made your stomach drop.

“A few days before the Tillersons took you, I found out that Perry killed Trevor. I told him to go to the sheriff. I gave him two days, told him that if he didn’t come forward, then I would. But he never did. And then, they took you. And I…I just keep thinkin’, if I had just said somethin’ myself, then maybe you wouldn’t have been taken from me. Maybe you wouldn’t have suffered at the hands of that fuckin’ monster Patricia. Maybe you–”

“Rhett.”

He went quiet.

Your gentle hands came up to cup his cheeks. “Don’t you dare blame yourself for this. Perry is the one that committed the crime. He’s the one that tried to cover it up. He should have gone forward himself. It isn’t your responsibility to right his wrongs. This is solely his fault.”

“But I…I should’ve been lookin’ at the bigger picture. I should’ve anticipated them takin’ you. But I didn’t. I could have lost you forever. I could’ve lost my child forever. I failed as your protector. And for that, I’m beggin’ your forgiveness.”

More tears flooded your vision, and you shook your head, falling to your knees along with him, hands still framing his face. “Baby, you don’t need to beg for my forgiveness. You didn’t fail as my protector. You were there when I needed you most. If you hadn’t stepped in when you did, I wouldn’t be here with you right now. I’m alive because of you. So don’t you think for one second that you failed me, or our child. Because you didn’t. You saved us.”

A soft sob escaped his throat, and he lowered himself to the floor with you, wrapping his arms around your body, much like he had when he came to your rescue that fateful night. It was your turn to hold him. Cradling his head against your chest, letting him listen to yours and your baby’s heartbeat. Reminding him that you were alive, that you were safe, that you weren’t going anywhere.

Your journey was not over. In fact, it was just beginning. The nature of this situation would spark national coverage, especially since the League had gotten involved. There would be trials to attend, trauma to relive, and difficult decisions to make. But for now, if only for a brief moment in time, the two of you were safe in your little bubble, wrapped in each other’s arms.

And you longed for it to never end.

“Rhett?” You softly spoke, after your emotions had waned. You were still on the floor, but you had shifted so you were sitting cross-legged in front of each other.

His tired blue eyes flickered to yours.

“Can…can we pretend, just for tonight, that things are normal? These next few months are going to be rough on both of us. I just want to pretend we’re back to the way things were before all this. Even if it’s only for tonight.”

Your husband smiled softly. “I’d like that.”

So, together, you stood from the floor, and Rhett pulled you in to kiss the top of your head. One brawny arm slid around your torso, and he nuzzled his nose against yours. “Wan’ me to take ya into town for some pizza?”

You considered his offer, placing your hands against his chest. “How about we finish off some of the leftovers in the fridge? I’m afraid if we go into town people will bombard us with questions.” Dealing with people sounded like an overstimulation nightmare for you.

Rhett nodded. “You’re right. Don’t know what I was thinkin’.” He glanced over at the fridge. “Guess we do have plenty’a leftovers to get through. Your side of the pack really knows how to take care of people when they’re strugglin’.”

He was right, your pack members had been making meals for you and Rhett ever since you’d come home. The meals were deeply appreciated by you, because neither of you had the energy to cook.

“Go sit and rest, darlin’,” Rhett told you. “I’ll heat everythin’ up and we can just eat in the livin’ room.”

You smiled, leaning into him as he ducked down to kiss you tenderly. Then he ushered you off to the living room while he buried himself with heating up dinner.

In no time, you were cuddled up on the couch together, the television playing in the background as you ate, and it all felt so normal and mundane. Something you had been craving these last few days.

You sat with your legs across Rhett’s lap, and he kept a steady hand against your thigh, thumb rubbing circles on the skin. For the first time since you had come home, you felt yourself relaxing. The tension melted away from your muscles, and you allowed yourself to relish in the domesticity of it all.

You didn’t finish the movie playing on the screen. Neither of you were particularly interested in it. You were more interested in the closeness and the intimacy you shared. His gentleness was a soothing salve after you what you had experienced at the hands of Patricia Tillerson.

“Do you wan’ head up to bed?” He softly asked you, after your head had fallen to rest upon his shoulder.

Sliding into the comfort of your bed and then being wrapped securely in your mate’s arms sounded incredibly appealing. So you offered a sleepy smile and nodded your head.

Rhett sent you upstairs with a kiss, promising to join you momentarily, after he put the dishes in the sink and shut off all the lights for the evening. So you trudged up the steps into the loft and busied yourself with getting ready for bed.

Since you had come home, you hadn’t taken the time to go about your usual nighttime routine. The best you could do most evenings was brush your teeth and change into pajamas before collapsing into bed. It was all you had energy for.

But tonight, you decided it was time to carry out that routine, in the hopes that it might make you feel somewhat normal. After you changed into your pajamas, you took the time to cleanse your face before you took a seat at your vanity. The vanity Rhett had made for you when he was building your home. A warm-toned wooden dressing table, complete with carved details and a rounded mirror, giving it a vintage appearance. The mirror faced the bed, and the reason for that was because Rhett loved watching you put on your makeup and skincare products. He found you so effortlessly beautiful in those moments.

Moments when life had seemed so much simpler. Now, everything felt muddled and complicated. Eventually, that gloom would clear, but until then, you were stuck in the midst of it, waiting for the sun to shine.

But there were glimpses of that sunshine happening all around you. Such as the tiny heartbeat you could hear alongside your own. Or the smile on your husband’s face when he stepped into the room to find you at your dressing table.

You could see him in the mirror, and you smiled back, eyeing him as he approached you. There was a look of awe shimmering in his eyes. When he reached you, his large, warm hands came to rest on your shoulders.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured as he leaned down to kiss the top of your head.

You closed your eyes, melting beneath his touch. “I thought maybe doing my skincare might help me feel a little more normal, too.”

“You all finished?”

“Just have to put moisturizer on.”

“Hold on one sec.” He slipped away quickly, ducking into the adjacent bathroom to wash his hands. Moments later, he emerged. “Let me put your moisturizer on ya.”

You giggled at that. “Why?”

“Because I want to. C’mon, give it ‘ere.” He reached for the bottle, which you handed to him. Then, he knelt before you and turned you in your chair so you were facing him. Ever so carefully, he gathered the moisturizer on his fingers, smoothing it around for a moment before he began to delicately smooth the cream over your skin.

Your smile began to fade into an expression of bliss as he caressed your face, and your eyes soon drifted shut. His touch was so comforting, and he worked with careful precision, making sure he wasn’t too rough on your delicate skin.

You got lost in the feeling, and if only for a moment, your mind went blank. It was only you and Rhett. No troubles. No anxieties. Just peace.

And then he spoke, his voice gravelly, coming from deep within his chest. “All done.”

When you opened your eyes, his own were staring back at you. You were so close, your noses were almost brushing. You both could feel that magnetic pull, drawing you to each other. You didn’t know who moved first. But it didn’t matter. Seconds later, your lips were joined in a searing kiss.

You weren’t quite sure what came over you. All at once, the crushing weight of desire threatened to consume you whole. A fire ignited in your belly, and you surged forward, sliding off your chair and onto the floor. Funny, you seemed to find yourselves on the floor together a lot these days.

Rhett gasped against your mouth at your sudden movement, entirely caught off guard. He parted from you, searching your face. “Whoa there, darlin’,” he breathed.

“Rhett, I…” You began, but trailed off. An ache had begun to blossom through your chest. An intense need, unlike anything you’d ever felt before.

“What? Tell me what you need.”

“I need you.”

He hesitated. “Are you sure? I don’t wanna do anythin’ that you aren’t ready for.”

Your hands clutched at his collar, your body pressed against his own. “I’m sure. I need…I need to be close to you. Need your touch.”

You spoke with deep sincerity. This was not a moment of crazed lust. This was a moment in which you so deeply desired intimacy. You needed to be joined as one with your mate, needed the safety that came from being in his arms, wrapped around his body. You needed him.

He let his forehead rest against your own, his eyes drifting shut as he breathed in deep. He wanted you, too, just as badly as you wanted him. He had missed being close to you in this way.

“C’mon, little wolf. We’re not doin’ it on the floor. Want my girl to be comfortable on our bed.” He guided you to your feet, his hand against the small of your back as you were led to the bed.

After the cruelty you had suffered, Rhett wanted you to experience nothing but softness and gentleness. You would never suffer under a harsh, unforgiving hand ever again, he would make sure of it.

Reverently, he laid you upon the bed, his cerulean gaze fixed tenderly upon you. He held your stare as he climbed onto the mattress with you, his body covering your own as he hovered over you.

You lifted your hand, cupping his cheek. “You make me feel so safe,” you whispered. You knew it was what he needed to hear, after he felt like he’d failed you and your child. And you meant every word.

His mouth curled into a fond smile, and his eyes filled with tears, which dropped down onto your cheeks, pulling a soft giggle from you both.

“Sorry,” he murmured, “I just…I love you. More than anythin’ in the world.”

You kissed him. “I love you too. ‘Til the day I die.”

One more lingering kiss before he leaned back, sitting on his haunches. He helped ease you out of your shirt, and then your shorts, keeping his movements slow and predictable, soft and loving.

When your body was exposed to him, he sighed out desirously, as in love with you as he’d ever been. “So beautiful, all for me. My pretty little mate.”

You felt warm beneath his praise, and your eyes drifted shut as a lazy smile graced your features. When you heard the jangle of his belt buckle, your eyes came open again, and you watched as he undid the leather, his hands moving with ease.

He was quick to kick off his jeans and underwear, and you reached out to tug at his shirt, lifting it off his body to reveal his form underneath. Lithe muscle and golden skin from days of working outside without a shirt.

Your hands came up to touch him, smoothing over his shoulders, across his chest, down his abdomen. He felt so warm and familiar beneath your touch. You realized just how much you had missed touching him like this. All you had done the last few days was kiss and embrace. You had not bared yourselves to one another in that time, because it was the furthest thing from your minds.

But now, here you were, bodies exposed, skin to skin, and it felt right. His lips on yours felt right. His hands on you felt right. His chest against yours felt right. And when he lowered his body against your own, and you felt that heavy hardness nestled against your center, you sighed in contentment. This was good and natural and precious. It was just what you needed during a tumultuous moment in your lives. So you relished in it.

Nothing was rushed. You took it slow. It wasn’t about pleasure. It was about the closeness. And Rhett made sure to drive that point home. He began his descent of your body, kissing your skin as he went. He was worshipful, reverent, and adoring.

He breathed in your scent, closing his eyes and relishing in its sweetness. It was a reminder that you were here, alive and safe in his arms, right where you belonged.

He paused when he reached your abdomen, and he let his hand splay protectively over it. He could hear your tiny little pup’s heartbeat, and he let his head rest there for a moment before he left a series of kisses all along your belly.

You gazed down adoringly at him, reaching your hand out to brush his hair away from his face. He moved his head to kiss at your wandering fingers before he came back up to engulf you with his body.

With his forearms near either side of your head, you felt caged in, in the best way. He had overcome all of your senses, blotting out any lingering anxiety or unease you might have still felt.

His face was all you could see, the low bedroom light framing his head like a halo. He looked so beautiful like this, with love shining in his eyes. Love for you.

“Gon’ make love to you, baby,” he murmured, ducking forward to nip at your bottom lip.

“Go on then, cowboy,” you softly encouraged with a smile, tapping your heel against the back of his thigh.

Humming in amusement, he kissed you again before he snaked his arm between your bodies to stroke his fingers through your slick. Two fingers inched inside you, pulling a gasp from your throat before he added a third. It wasn’t like you needed help trying to take him. You were made to accommodate him. As mates, your anatomy was meant to fit together, like two pieces of a puzzle. But that didn’t stop Rhett from getting you ready for him, making sure you were soaking around his fingers before he even considered sliding his cock inside you.

You let your eyes drift shut, focusing on his thick fingers within you. But it wasn’t enough. They didn’t fill you like his cock did. They didn’t connect you in the way you so desperately needed. So you whined, leaning up to kiss him and beg into his mouth. “Pl-please.”

“I know, I got ya,” he hummed, before his tongue delved past your lips to taste you. Meanwhile, he reached down to align himself with you. You felt the plush head of his cock catch against your entrance as he dragged it through, gathering your slick as he went, and you gasped, your eyes widening at the feeling.

Oh so slowly, he began to inch into you, and you found yourself jolting against him, letting out the softest of whimpers, your mouth brushing against his.

He held your gaze, and the deep blue that reminded you of the depths of the ocean was almost too much to behold, but you found yourself unable to look away nonetheless. This felt natural. It felt right.

He kept going until he was fully nestled inside you, your anatomy stretching around him. Then he sighed out blissfully, his eyes fluttering shut as he reveled in the feeling of your wet warmth snug around him. “Feel so good, darlin’,” he hummed against your parted mouth.

You whimpered softly, wrapping your arms around those broad shoulders of his. You finally felt safe and protected. Like nothing could hurt you as long as you were wrapped around your mate. He was so warm and familiar, and he smelled so good. A deep, woodsy scent that was unique only to him, and smelled like home to you.

You remained like that for a few moments, just cherishing the closeness, the intimacy of being joined as one. But the feeling of him inside you soon had you aching for more.

With a soft sigh, you kissed at the corner of his mouth. “Move. Please,” you whined, nose bumping against his.

He obliged, swiveling his hips, pushing himself further into you, filling you in a way that only he could. That thick cock brushed against all the pleasurable spots inside you, and with each push and pull, it stole the breath from your lungs. He’d only just begun and he was already sending you into orbit.

His pace was slow. Careful, deliberate thrusts of his hips against yours, remaining as close as possible to your body. Chest to chest. Heart to heart. Tied together by a crimson string of fate. And then his mouth was on yours again, hot and open-mouthed, your breaths combined as one force.

“Oh, oh darlin’,” your husband sighed. “Missed bein’ close to you like this.”

“Missed it too,” you squeaked. The tears were already beginning to gather along your lash line. “I…I thought I’d never get to be with you like this again.”

His own eyes became glassy, and he shook his head. “Shh, don’t talk like that. I’m here now. I’ve got ya, you’re safe and sound, and I ain’t never gonna let anyone take you away from me again.”

You knew he meant every word. He would move mountains to ensure your safety. He would go to war for you and your child. The realization was overwhelming. You had never been loved in such a way before. He loved you with a ferocity, an unmatched intensity, and it took your very breath away.

“L-love you,” you whimpered.

“I love you too, little wolf. Always gonna love you.”

You slipped into a comfortable, sweet silence after that moment. No words were needed. Your soft sighs and hums were enough. Your bodies did all the talking instead. Moving together of one accord. Rhett built his own rhythm, a steady sway, relishing in the way you clenched around him each time he brushed past that sweet spot nestled deep within you.

You clung to him tightly, as if you were afraid he’d disappear into thin air. And maybe you had every right to entertain that fear. What if this was all a dream, and you’d wake up back in that dark, cold cell again, entirely helpless?

But Rhett seemed to sense your trepidation, and he soothed you. “You’re okay, honey. I’m right here. We’re safe, in our bed. Nobody’s gon’ hurt you.”

He was right, you knew he was. No harm would come to you. Not here, in the reverence of your bed. Not here, in the arms of your one true love. Not here, in your home. The realization sent those unshed tears spilling forth. Once the dam broke, there was no stopping it.

“Rhett,” you whispered, and then you buried your face against the side of his neck. In a moment of deep catharsis, you let go of your emotions, letting them bubble from you like a rushing stream of water.

“Shh,” he soothed, and in an instant, he changed positions, so that you were in his lap, held tightly in his arms. He didn’t stop, because you didn’t want him to. You needed this. You craved this. Even as you sobbed openly against his shoulder, hot tears dripping onto his skin.

One large hand settled on the back of your head, while the other came to wrap around your back. Every inch of your body was pressed against his, and you couldn’t tell where you ended and he began, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. As you cried, he whispered soothing words in your ear, and you held on to every last one of them.

I love you. You’re safe. I’m here.

It made you cry harder, tears of gratefulness and relief. Fate had smiled down upon you, and seen fit that you were reunited with your soulmate. The one that had been created just for you. The missing half to your whole.

The one who loved you then lifted his hand, and slipped his fingers into your mouth. It soothed your cries, and you blinked at him, eyes bleary. But even through the haze, you could see that he, too, was weeping.

His fingers on your tongue grounded you, and you were able to fully immerse yourself in the moment, closing your eyes as you focused on the feeling of him inside you, pelvis undulating against yours. You began to rock your hips in tune with his own, slow at first, but soon faster and faster.

That’s when the need took over your brain. An animalistic desire that drove you as you began to rut into him, holding on tightly, your nails digging crescents into his skin. A fire had been ignited in your belly, and you chased that warmth, growing bigger and bigger until it had nearly become a wildfire.

“R-Rhett,” you squeaked, lifting your head to meet his gaze again.

“I know,” he groaned. “Let go when you need to, little wolf. I’m right behind you.”

You pressed your forehead to his, whimpering as you chased your high. You moved fluidly together, with only one goal in mind. So close, so close, so close. And then, all at once, “oh!” and you were freefalling.

You threw your head back, mouth open as it overwhelmed you. An all-encompassing heat that tore through you, sending you convulsing in Rhett’s arms. He growled, his eyes flashing gold at the feeling of you clenching rhythmically around him. Moments later, he too was overcome, and as you drifted down from the precipice, you could feel the warmth of his seed flooding the very core of you, claiming you as his own.

It took several moments for either of you to come back to earth. You remained in each other’s arms, bodies still connected. His lips pressed at your feverish collarbone, kissing your skin, bringing you back to him.

When your vision finally cleared, you lifted his head so you could fully look into his face. Wordlessly, your mouth was against his again, kissing him lovingly. Hands came up to tangle in his hair, fingers scratching gently against his scalp.

You weren’t sure how long you stayed that way. It could have been five minutes, it could have been twenty-five. But soon enough, Rhett moved to ease his soft cock from you, and you whined at the emptiness. Fingers soothed into your mouth again, pacifying you as he let you rest against the mattress.

“You’re okay. Need t’ clean you up, darlin’.”

“Don’t let go.”

“I won’t. Just gonna carry you to the bathroom, alright? Give me girl a nice warm bath.”

You agreed, allowing him to move you into the bathroom, but not before he made sure you had a blanket wrapped around you so you wouldn’t catch a chill while he filled the bathtub. It was such a mundane moment, but you cherished it, because for just a little while, you could pretend everything was normal. Your husband was simply taking care of you after making love to you, just like he always did.

But as sure as the water began to cool down as you finished your bath, so the coldness of reality settled in. You could not pretend things were normal forever. Both of you knew that. And as you slipped into bed that night, you spoke of it.

“I…I’m scared,” you whispered. “Of what’s coming.”

With the League getting involved, and you being the victim of an egregious crime, your life was going to be in upheaval for the foreseeable future.

Rhett sighed softly, pressing his lips to your forehead. “I am too.” But then, a glimmer of hope. Gentle fingers tilted your chin up. “But think of it this way. We’re one step closer to makin’ the world a safer place for our little girl. I’m sure they’ll be passing stricter laws against wolf hunting. And with the Tillersons out of the picture, we’re already on the right track. We’ve got a fighting chance at seein’ hunting eradicated for good.”

“You really think our baby will be able to grow up in a world where hunting doesn’t exist?”

“I hope so. Nobody should have to live in fear of bein’ hunted for sport. Our kind have a right to protection, just like everyone else. If I have to go to fuckin’ war to make it happen, I will. There’s nothin’ more important to me than makin’ sure you and our babies are safe.”

Again, your eyes filled with tears, and you leaned in to kiss the man before you. “No matter what, we fight together,” you said. “Me and you.”

“Me and you,” he echoed, intertwining his hand with yours.

It would be no easy feat, but together, you would get through this. And in the end, you would give your daughter, and other werewolves alike, a chance at life in a better world, one without hunters, where they could live wherever and however they pleased.

No one would suffer beneath the point of a silver arrow ever again. All wolves would be free.

taglist:

@westpastor @happyrebelruins @bobfloydsbabe @myfandomchangesalot @mikpieboo @petersunderoos96 @eighthwvnder @yanna-banana @bradshawsbitch @sebsxphia @rhettabbotts @milesmillergf @briseisgone @up-thereinthesky @gohnspants @hangmanapologist @wkndwlff @damrlova @withahappyrefrain @michaego @whisperofsong @kmc1989 @peachystenbrough @callsign-magnolia

#rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbott smut #rhett abbott fanfiction #rhett abbott x you #rhett abbott imagine #the wolf series

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sebsxphia · 1 year

Text

ptolemaea. | the blood of christ.

preacher!rhett abbott x reader.

￫ description: rhett suggests a solution that could soothe your cramps from your period.

￫ word count: 2K.

￫ c/w: heavy and dark religious themes, p in v, sex, mentions of periods, reader is on their period, fingering, kissing, swearing, corruption and innocence kink and daddy kink.

￫ a/n: this part of ‘ptolemaea. | the verses.’ but it can be read alone! it came to light after i made this post here. my main masterlist can be read here! 💌

previous chapter | next chapter

Rhett opened the front door of your Motel room with a creak to see your frame curled up on the bed. Your arms were wrapped tightly around yourself and you let out a muffled groan into the duvet, your body withering.

“You okay, sweet lamb?” He came round the side of the bed and you felt the weight of the mattress dip as he sat beside you, feeling his hand running soothingly up and down your arm.

“M’ on my period. Came just as you left.” You mumbled in defeat into the duvet. Your body was too exhausted to even lift your neck to look at him. Rhett cooed softly as your body shuddered again. Another cramp hit you and an even louder, more frustrated groan, sunk deep into the mattress.

Rhett offered what he could to help, but the cruel reality was that you didn’t have anything with you right now expect pads and tampons. You were in the middle of no where and the local gas station was an hours drive away. He ran his hand over the swell of your ass in your curled position and rested it on your bare thigh. He dipped his fingers ever so slightly in between where they pressed together and he squeezed gently.

“Let your Preacher help you.” Rhett offered, and you finally brought your head up to look at him, with your eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Doubtless of your expression, he continued. “Sex can help the pain you’re sufferin’ from.”

You sat up against the headboard with your knees tucked tightly into your chest.

“B— but, Rhett, I’m on my period.” You blinked at him. You were wildly unsure as to what he could possibly be suggesting here that would make this work. “There’ll be blood ‘nd stuff. It’ll get messy.” Your fingers played with each other as they rested on your knees, with you awkwardly avoiding eye contact for such a lewd topic of conversation.

“And? Why do you think we drink wine each communion? To bathe in the blood of Christ.”

You hummed in response to Rhett’s profound words and cocked your head to the side. You would never question your Preacher’s words. He had the word of God and he was always, right.

Rhett slinked his hand down to cup your covered cunt. His gaze softened momentarily. “And, I wan’ help soothe your aching womb.” He applied a deep pressure to your clit with the heel of his palm and a soft, barely audible, moan escaped your lips, your eyes fluttering shut. There was no denying that the momentary pleasure jolted through you and calmed the torrent of pain residing in your lower stomach.

You weighed out your options. The only doubt in your mind being that you had never touched yourself on your period, let alone had sex. You were simply told by your Mother that you couldn’t.

Rhett noticed the doubt registering behind your eyes and he pushed down again, firmly to your clit, and another, now louder moan, slipped passed your lips.

“Feels s’ good, Rhett.”

“It would honour me and the Lord if I got to bathe in the blood of Christ, through my pretty little cunt.”

You wasted no time in pressing your lips to Rhett’s and let him keenly rub the heel of his palm against your now aching, clit. Through the thick pad and material of your underwear, it provided a pressure, yet none at all at the same time. It was painfully dizzying. Your clothes were both shed in a flurry, your lips barely pulling apart from each other, only to gulp down air. Rhett pinched lightly at your nipples, knowing how sensitive they would be. It only heightened your ever growing arousal and you let out a breathy moan.

“Need you, Rhett, please.”

His large and calloused hands skimmed down to the hem of your underwear and paused.

“Hold on,” He mutterd against your lip, lightly biting down on your bottom lip as he parted. You whined out at the loss of touch from your Preacher and he chuckled quietly. “Patience, sweet thing. Let me take care of you.” Rhett disappeared to the bathroom and came back with two towels in hand.

“They’ll stain, Rhett!”

Your protests fell on silent ears and Rhett could only respond with a small smirk, pinching at the corners of his mouth.

“I’ll cover it. Don’t worry.”

No doubt with the money he stole from the Church.

He laid them out and you shuffled on top of them. You let your head fall to the scratchy Motel pillow and Rhett covered your body with his, hovering above you. His hands resumed their previous ministrations of cup and tweaking at your breasts with his mouth attached back to yours. His tongue dipped inside to run along your bottom lip and taste you, letting a groan get caught between you both at how sweet you were for him. You felt his hand trail down the soft flesh over your stomach and pull around the hem of your underwear.

“Y’ sure you want to do this, my sweet lamb? We can stop now, or ‘nytime.”

“M’ sure, Rhett. Need you s’ bad.”

“Needy, sweet thing.” Rhett mused back at you with featherlight kisses trailed over your jawline.

He sat back on his haunches and you noticed the prominent outline of his cock straining against his black underwear. You whined again at the loss of Rhett, but he wanted to do this properly. He came to understand how vulnerable this had you feeling. You were his responsibility since he took you out West and he wanted to treat you with the love and care that you deserved. Why, Rhett believed that God took extra time when creating you, and he should treat you as such. As though you were made of precious porcelain.

He peeled back your underwear inch by inch. The flow of cool air from the rattling air conditioning unit hit your bare cunt and it clenched around nothing, shortly followed by heat rising in your cheeks at the sudden embarrassment of Rhett seeing your pad in this state. He continued to hook your underwear off your legs with not a flash of grimace across his face. He was completely neutral as he peeled off your pad and threw it in the bin. His heavy gaze came back to you and he let out a guttural groan.

“Oh, darlin’. Fuck—”

His index finger gently traced around your lips before pressing to your sensitive bundle of nerves. You cried out at his final touch, no longer obstructed and you bucked your hips to follow him.

“—you’ve never looked more beautiful for me, my sweet lamb.”

You didn’t think your cheeks could get a darker shade of red at this point.

“You have nothin’ to hide. It’s me ‘nd you here. The Lord isn’t privy to such a beautiful sight.”

You tugged down on Rhett’s shoulders to pull him into another heated kiss. His sweet praises, mixed with the driving force of hormones flowing through you, went straight to your head and you couldn’t hold on any longer. Rhett made quick work of removing his boxers and giving his cock a few fistfuls before you felt his tip catch against your clit, earning another needy moan from yourself.

“May I, angel?”

“Pleas’, Daddy.” You mewled out in desperation, shifting your hips to try and catch his tip on your aching bundle again.

At the call of that name in particular and how your voice strained with desperation, Rhett understood how much you craved this. It was a name only ushered by yourself in moments of intensity. When your body craved nothing but his pin point accurate touch. When nothing could soothe the gnawing aches and pains in your body but him. Rhett was the medicine for your ailment.

He held back for not a moment longer and sunk into you. Your lips parted and a cry tore from your throat at feeling the stretch of his cock fill you up in a way you could never adjust to. Your walls were warm around him, warmer than he’d felt before. They hugged and drew him in closer with the crook of your heel digging into his back.

“Baby, baby, baby…” Rhett groaned with his head falling into the crook of your neck and inhaling your familiar scent. The feeling was all encompassing and all knowing to you both. “S’ fuckin’ tight, little lamb.”

“Daddy!” You whined. “Pleas’, move.”

At your instruction, Rhett swiftly moved his hips to meet yours, before pulling nearly all the way out. There was no need for the usual ferocious pacing of his hips. With every drawn out thrust, you squeezed at him tight and he knew he wouldn’t hold on for much longer. His tip ran over the sweet spot buried deep inside of you and with each thrust, you felt your cramps simmer away to nearly nothing. Your clit was throbbing by this point. It was desperate to feel some sort of friction, and once Rhett had developed a steady pace, his thumb pressed down. A string of pleasurable groans left your lips and in unison, Rhett responded with a quiet whimper. He could feel with each swipe of his thumb how your body was reacting to him. The heels of your feet dug in deeper to his flesh, to lock his hips in place with every thrust. Your fingertips were making outlines of crescent shapes on his toned shoulders.

“Don’t stop, don’t stop, pleas’, Daddy. M’ so close.”

“Me too, sweet lamb— oh, fuck.” A drawn out moan was swallowed whole as Rhett pressed his lips to yours, heat radiating off you both and eliciting the first beads of sweat. With your cramps now almost fully dissolved, all you could feel growing was your ever impending orgasm. It was the precision work of Rhett’s thumb rubbing calculated circles over your clit and his cock hitting you so deep, that each time it jolted a spark alight in your lower stomach and you felt yourself crashing closer.

“Yesyesyes—” Your thighs squeezed around Rhett tightly and your back arched off the towels to push yourself impossibly closer to Rhett as he worked you through the wave of your orgasm that overtook your body whole. Your walls were squeezing him so tight and milking him dry for all that he had, that he wasn’t far behind. He came with a shudder of his body and an elongated groan into your shoulder, followed by your name.

“That’s it, good girl. Shit, you did ‘s good for me.”

Your foreheads were stuck together with the glistening slick of sweat. Rhett pressed flurries of kisses along your jaw and underneath your earlobe, gently encouraging you as you caught your breath back. You grimaced when he eventually pulled his softening cock out. You could feel the string of multiple bodily fluids fall from your cunt, but Rhett shushed you softly and told you to wait there. He came back with a damp washcloth, lukewarm in temperature as to not enrage your cunt any further. He cleaned you up gently, stuck a new pad on a clean pair of underwear and dressed you in his tattered religious Youth Camp t-shirt.

More of Rhett’s praiseful kisses were placed to your forehead as you rested in his arms before he spoke up. “Y’ want food? Shower? Watch somethin’?” The beat up television in the corner of the Motel room hadn’t looked appealing at first, but there was something about mindless television to match with the relief your body currently felt, that didn’t seem too bad.

Something was eventually playing on the television, but you couldn’t remember what. The quiet hum of the television static, Rhett’s rhythmic breathing under your ear and the gentle swipe of his fingertips over your arms was lulling you. The agitating throb of your cramps were gone and your body felt as though it was sinking deep into the mattress. Your eyes were falling shut, but quickly blinking back to life as to continue to fixate on the screen.

Rhett took a look down at you fighting to stay awake and he pressed a tender kiss to your forehead. He tucked a stray strand of your hair away from your face and behind your ear.

“Sleep, little lamb. I’ll be here when y’ wake up, we can shower then. Jus’, rest.” Rhett’s voice was low, with his Southern drawl making a heavier appearance. It was the final push you needed to be completely pulled under.

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tagging those who were interested: @lewmagoo @peachystenbrough @sugarcoated-lame @sylviebell @fridamoss @canarysposts @ouralcohol @hangmanapologist @withahappyrefrain @roostersrooster

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roosterbruiser · 1 year

Note

"go to sleep, you haven't gotten any rest in the past couple of days" with Step Dad Rhett wanting to take care of baby so Mama can rest??

Forrest hasn't been sleeping well at all.

not even just the usual wake-up-every-two-hours-wanting-the-boob kind of not sleeping. it's different than that; your bouncing baby boy has been screaming through the night. already you've taken him to the pediatrician (or two or three) and they've all told you the same thing: he's teething. it''ll pass.

you're certain that it's much easier for them to say that when they're not the ones rocking a baby at three in the morning after precisely thirty-three minutes of actual sleep. and even if you had more grit, more patience, more energy, you would still be entirely deflated just hearing those pitiful cries from your baby boy. they puncture the still and quiet air inside your house--so much so that it sometimes makes the neighbors dog's howl.

so, you're spread thin. so thin that you're pretty sure you're see-through.

Rhett knows this as soon as you answer the door. he's smiling softly just in anticipation of seeing you--but when you swing the door open, Forrest tucked against your chest and wailing, that soft smile dissipates immediately.

"hey," you say, voice stained with tears. "c'mon in."

and then you're walking away from the door, wiping tired tears off your cheeks, sniffling hard. Forrest's little voice is ragged by now, but it hasn't stopped his upset.

"s'goin' on, darlin'?" Rhett asks, quickly stepping into the house and shutting the front door behind him.

he takes in the state of the house: the bottles on the table, the oragel infant on the couch, the unfolded blankets strewn over the chairs, the spinning record in the corner. his heart squeezes; you usually keep such a tidy house, it's important to you.

and if your house wasn't a dead giveaway, than the mere sight of you definitely is. hair thrown up lazily, shoulders practically sitting under your ears, tear-stained face, dry lips, unwashed body.

"teethin'. apparently."

you're still bouncing Forrest, pressing salty kisses against his tufts of brown hair, trying to soothe him.

Rhett feels a little bit out of his depth. he knew what it meant getting involved with you--it meant you and Forrest, always. he can't have one without the other and at this point, a few months in, he doesn't want one without the other.

he watches, wordlessly, from his spot on the entryway rug and racks his brain. how can he help you? tidy up the living room? let you shower? offer to take Forrest on a ride while you rest? he's chewing the inside of his cheek, his thumbs tucked into the pockets of his Levi's when you suddenly turn and meet his gaze.

oh. you're exhausted. like the kind of exhausted that can fall asleep standing up like a horse. the kind of exhausted that makes his heart squeeze in his chest.

"darlin'," Rhett starts softly, crossing the living room to stand before you.

if you were any less tired, you'd be embarrassed about your tears. but you just sniffle and look up at him, entire body pulsing and aching.

"I'm so tired," you say quietly, still bouncing. "I'm so tired that it's scarin' me, Rhett."

Rhett, with his breath held in his throat, gently swipes the tears from your face. you relish in the warmth of his rough palm, inhaling all that leather on his skin, and almost let your eyes flutter shut.

but then Rhett is taking Forrest from you, his eyes pouring into yours, reading every crease between your brows and pull of your lips. he doesn't wanna overstep.

you let him take Forrest--your arms falling limp at your sides, vibrating with tired.

and in Rhett's arms, Forrest looks tinier than ever. how could something that small make you feel this fucking tired? and all that tired, all that sadness, washes away entirely when Rhett presses a kiss to the top of Forrest's fuzzy head. he hasn't stopped wailing, not, not yet. but Rhett's got this. his arms are secured, his hands are in the right place, his nose is pressing against his head.

"we'll be alright, huh?" Rhett whispers to Forrest, pressing a few more kisses to the top of his head, inhaling all that milk and talcum powder on his skin. "'ve got this, huh, bubba?"

you're fairly certain that your heart is about to pump out of your chest and fall right onto the floor, staining the wood.

Rhett looks away from Forrest's ruddy cheeks up to your face, which is wet with tears all over again.

"s'wrong?" he asks you, securing Forrest against him before he reaches out to stroke your cheek. you fall into his touch and his throat aches with affection. "this okay?"

you nod profusely. you've just never seen a man love Forrest the way Rhett does. in fact, you've never seen any man love Forrest at all.

"m'so happy," you whimper.

a smile tugs at Rhett's lips.

"thought you were so tired it scared ya?" he says.

you shake your head, sniffling.

"not anymore," you tell him.

he nods. and when he leans forward to press a kiss to your forehead, his scruff delicately scratching your skin, Forrest finally starts to quiet. he's still crying, sure, but Rhett reckons he would be, too, if he was cutting three teeth at once.

"get some rest, mama," Rhett insists, muffled from your own skin. "we've got this, alright? me and Forrest're gonna be just fine."

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rhettabbotts · 1 year

Text

call it what you want - a rhett abbott series || chapter two

series masterlist | previous part | next part

warnings: none. reader and rhett are oblivious about their feelings towards each other. nosey parents.

a/n: i apologize for the long wait. life has been hectic and i haven’t been in the mood to write but i hope you all still enjoy and still want to follow along with rhett and angel’s story <3

You paced around your room in a panic. You must be mental, that could be the only thing that would explain why you agreed to go through this plan with Rhett. Of course, you couldn’t fake a relationship with your best friend that you’ve been in love with since middle school.

You scrubbed your face with your hands as you tried to devise an excuse to flake out. Rhett could tell his mom that you and he broke up, but that would honestly make matters worse instead of better. Your thoughts ran a thousand miles a minute and you couldn’t figure out one good reason to not do this. You knew Rhett better than anyone. His family loved you, they knew what kind of person you were. It didn’t seem like much of a surprise when he told his mom it was you he was seeing. It was only for a month, thirty days, four weeks - you could handle it.

You wouldn’t even have to see each other every day, make a few appearances at the Abbott’s dining table, maybe go out to the bar once or twice. Easy peasy. You wouldn’t have to kiss, wouldn’t have to be all affectionate with each other. Rhett wasn’t like that. This could work, you just have to stay calm and not let your emotions cloud your judgment.

Flopping down on the edge of your bed, you sighed out loud into the empty room.

“This is gonna be fine. It has to be fine,” you said aloud, earning a curious look from your golden retriever Daisy as she trotted into your bedroom. Her floppy ears perked up as you sighed again and she made her way over to you and rested her head on your knees. “I know, girl. I am crazy for saying yes, aren’t I?”

You busied yourself cleaning your apartment, trying to silence your brain by vigorously scrubbing the stainless steel kitchen sink. Your phone pinged with an incoming text message and your heart dropped when your mother’s name came across your screen along with the attached words “Call me.”

She knew. You were sure she knew by now. And you knew you were going to get an earful because she didn’t hear it from you first. You don’t think she would be necessarily upset that you’re “dating” Rhett, but she would be upset that you didn’t mention anything to her. How could you? You didn’t know yourself until this morning.

The phone rang once before your mom was on the other end of the line.

“You wanna tell me why I find out from Ruth down at Albert’s drug store that my daughter is dating Rhett Abbott?” She questioned, voice tinged with aggravation, but not anger.

“He wasn’t kidding,” you muttered to yourself. No matter how much he pleaded with Cecilia, the word was going to get out fast.

“Mama,” you started but couldn’t find the right words. “Mama, we just - it just sort of happened?” You had not discussed your story with Rhett yet, you didn’t know what you were going to tell people when they asked how this came to fruition.

“How long?”

“What?”

“How long have you been keeping this from me? You know I wouldn’t be upset about it. I’m happy for you, honey. But… have I done something to-”

“I’m gonna stop you right there, mama. It has nothing to do with you. It’s just all so new and we wanted to figure things out before we told anyone. I hope you can understand that. I wasn’t hiding it from you, I was seeing where it went before I got your hopes up.” You explained, hoping it was convincing enough for her.

“I understand, Angel. You know your daddy and I dated two months before we told anyone. I’m glad you and Rhett finally came to your senses, sweet pea. Lord knows that boy’s been pining after you since grade school.”

“Mom!” You exclaimed as you felt your face warm.

“It’s true! Listen, why don’t you have him over for dinner tomorrow night? We wanna hear all about you two!”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to check with Rhett and-“

“Perfect! We’ll see you at 6! We love you, Angel!”

The line went dead and you slumped against the counter. You groaned into your hands as you covered your face. This was going to be delightful. You knew your mother would ask a million questions and your father would berate Rhett about treating you right. The potent smell of the lemon cleaner burned your nostrils and you needed to take a walk to clear your head before calling Rhett.

Daisy’s tail wagged excitedly as you grabbed her leash and your jacket. It was early fall, the leaves had just started changing colors; beautiful shades of golden yellow and burgundy, and vibrant orange. The wind was brisk and the sun was bright. It made for perfect walking weather. You took Daisy down to the park that was close to your apartment and your hands trembled as your thumb hovered over Rhett’s contact. You hated that you were so nervous all of a sudden. He was still your best friend, that hadn’t changed.

As if he had read your mind, his picture and name appeared on your screen signaling an incoming call from him. You sucked in a deep, shuddering breath before answering.

“I need you to get out of my head,” you laughed, earning a chuckle in return.

“Why, were you thinking about me?” Rhett teased. He sounded winded like he had just finished working.

“Actually, I was. I have to ask you something.” You picked at a loose string on your jacket, nerves bubbling in your stomach.

“Anything for you, Angel. You know that.”

“Well… mama found out. Said something about hearing it from Ruth Everett and she was a little upset that I didn’t say anything to her. So… she’s invited us to dinner at the house tomorrow night so we can tell her and my dad everything. You don’t have to say yes. I know you have a lot going on and I don’t want you to feel pressured into coming and-”

“Angel,” Rhett cut off your rambling, “what kind of boyfriend would I be if I said no?”

You could hear the smirk in his voice and you couldn’t stop the hammering of your heart at the word “boyfriend” even if it was a lie. You told him the time and he promised to be there early. You talked for a few more minutes about random things before you heard Royal yelling in the background and he had to go. You didn’t sleep much that night, too restless with your thoughts flooding your brain.

Sitting at your desk the next day was pure torture. You were in a haze, running over every possible scenario that could occur at dinner with Rhett and your parents. Rhett texted you around lunchtime to inform you that he would be picking you up no later than 5:30. The rest of the day passed by in a blur and your stomach was in knots the entire time you searched your closet for something to wear.

By the time you finally decided on something, your room looked like a mess. You feared the dress would be too much for your weekly dinner with your parents but you wanted to put in the effort because it wasn’t just a normal dinner. Rhett was going to be there. As your boyfriend. Well, fake boyfriend, that was.

You smoothed your hands down the front of the dress, pulling out any wrinkles that appeared. You heard the roar of the truck engine before Rhett pulled in front of your door. Daisy perked up from her spot on the couch and she waited patiently by the door for her favorite person to come in.

“Traitor,” you mumbled as you opened the door to see Rhett walking up the front steps. He had forgone his cowboy hat, but his hair was styled nicely. He wore a blue button-down shirt, similar to the blue that was in your dress, and a pair of slacks. He looked good. Gone was the dirty cowboy you were used to seeing. It took your breath away. Your ears rang as he greeted you, pulling you into a hug. His cologne flooded your senses, a pleasant woody smell that was so Rhett it made you dizzy. He patted Daisy on the head before leading you out the door.

“You ready for this?” He questioned. You could tell he was nervous by the way his voice wavered slightly.

“We have to come up with a story. It has to be convincing. You know my dad can detect a lie from a mile away.”

“We can’t just say you kissed me and I knew that was it?” He said jokingly, smiling that crooked grin that always got him what he wanted with you.

“No, we cannot! How about we say that you finally got the guts to ask me out?” Your mind ran back to what your mother said about Rhett pining over you. Maybe that would convince them this was real.

“That sounds like a good start. We were drinking. Drunk confessions are my specialty.”

“And you couldn’t stop staring at me and I asked if I had something on my face.”

“And I said that you were beautiful.”

“And you leaned in and asked to kiss me.”

“And the rest is history. Damn, we’re good at this.”

You smiled brightly at him as you perfected the story, but you were still afraid that your father would see right through the two of you. You pulled into your parents' driveway and you couldn’t help but take a few deep breaths.

“Angel- hey, look at me. If this is going to be too much, tell me and I’ll fix this.”

Rhett had turned to you at this point, grabbing your hand from across the bench seat. It calmed you tremendously.

“No, I can handle them. It’s you I’m worried about,” you said, deflecting.

He just rolled his eyes as he stepped out of the truck, rounding the front to open the door for you - something he typically didn’t do. Your mother was already out the door before you could even make it up the porch steps, pulling you in for a hug before giving Rhett a hug as well. Your dad stood against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest, an unreadable expression on his face. What an interesting dinner this was going to be.

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callsign-joyride · 1 year

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John Wayne | Chapter 1 | Rhett Abbott

Despite the mood board suggesting otherwise, my fics are size and POC inclusive.

Series masterlist | Next part

Summary: Rhett ends up in the city for a friend's wedding. You're going through a rough breakup. A meet-cute in a cafe changes both of your lives.

Every John is just the same I'm sick of their city games I crave a real wild man I'm strung out on John Wayne

Pairing: Rhett Abbott x f!reader

Content warnings: None yet

Being a journalist was fun. Tiring, but fun. Admittedly, it wasn't the best paying job. Especially for someone two years out of college, living in New York. But it was your dream job, and you ranked up fairly quickly. The summer internships and part-time jobs definitely helped you get there, but you weren't complaining. Even in the questionable apartment that you shared with someone, you were happy.

Of course, not all good things last forever. You knew that something was off when Tyler, your boyfriend of two years, had texted you to buzz him in.

“Hey, I'm almost done with editing. Give me a few minutes and I'm all yours,” you said as he walked in the door. The thing that was different about this situation was that he hadn't taken his shoes off by the door. It wasn't something that you or your roommate had ever stressed about, but he always took his shoes off when he came in.

You submitted your article before closing your laptop and turning your attention toward him. The only background noise was that of the city below you. It was a particularly nice day out so you decided to work with the window slightly open.

“I think we need to break up,” he said. It felt like time stopped.

“Okay. Why?” You sniffled and reached for the box of tissues that were on the coffee table. There was a lump in your throat and you knew that this wasn't going to end well.

“You’ve been so busy lately and I feel like you're kind of blowing me off. My birthday was two weeks ago and all I got from you was a text and a card.”

“With a gift card to that place in SoHo that you like so much. Two weeks ago, I had to be in D.C. for an interview. I think you might be forgetting that I have a job that, God forbid, doesn't require me to sit behind a desk for eight hours straight. I planned on taking you to that restaurant, by the way. Since I got this job, you have known that it occasionally requires travel. So you don't get to act like I'm ‘blowing you off’ when you know exactly what I do for a living. I also told you that I was going to D.C., and I know I told you because I copy and pasted that text and sent it to Rebecca-,”

“Rebecca who's in Iceland right now.”

“I don't think it matters where she is. If you're breaking up with me because I have a great job, then you can leave. I'm not going to be in a relationship with someone who isn't supportive of me and then tries to act like I'm the problem. I’ll let you know when you can pick up your stuff.”

All Tyler did in response was nod his head and leave silently. Once the door to the apartment shut, you locked it before pouring yourself a glass of wine and going to your room with your laptop. You didn't really start to cry until you called Danielle and told her about it.

“Tomorrow is one of your work-from-home days, right?” She asked.

“Yeah,” you managed to say through the sobs.

“Consider going to that little cafe and doing your work there. The change of scenery might help you feel better.”

“Okay. Well now that I feel like I’ve cried what is essentially my body weight in tears, I think I'm gonna go to bed. Or at least try to.”

Danielle let out a quiet chuckle before you exchanged goodbyes and hung up the phone. You ended up taking her advice, and it helped get your mind off of things.

It became your new “thing”, actually. It wasn't like being at the apartment on your work-from-home days was boring, but you enjoyed the environment at the cafe. Rebecca came back from Iceland about a week and a half after the breakup, and you waited a day or two before actually telling her what happened.

“That’s so ridiculous. His place isn’t even that far away! I’m so sorry. If he wanted to make it work, he would. He’s probably just jealous that you’re writing for The Times and not living in your parent’s basement.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at the statement. She was right. Finding affordable housing in the city was difficult, but Tyler had a well-paying job. Maybe not well enough to live completely on his own, but well enough to move out. You had once thought about asking if he wanted to move in with you and Rebecca, but that was clearly not an option anymore.

“You don’t happen to have to work on Saturday, do you?” You asked.

“No, why?”

“I need him to come and get his stuff but I either can’t be here or I can’t be here alone when he comes by. I haven’t talked to him, but it’s not like I really want to, either.”

“I’d be happy to give him his stuff. That and then some. I kinda want to slash his tires if I’m honest.”

“That’s… Completely fair. A little irrational, but fair,” you said.

The following day was particularly gloomy. The rain had been on and off all night, with a few particularly loud rumbles of thunder waking you up. You walked into the cafe and ordered your usual before sitting down and getting to work. There were a few articles to edit and a bunch of emails to respond to. Emails that, had your boss been any different, would’ve been pointless meetings with a bunch of interns around the coffee machines. Even though you always sat facing the door, it was hard to make you lose focus. Until two guys in flannels and cowboy hats walked in. At first, you thought that you had somehow managed to drink way too much caffeine. The texts that you sent to Danielle and Rebecca didn’t help, either. Neither of them believed you until you snuck a picture of them waiting in line to order.

“Excuse me, miss? Uh, can I ask you a quick question?” One of them asked. You nodded your head and put your phone face down on the table.

“Yeah, sure,” you said.

“I’m here with my brother and we uh, we’ve never been here before. Can I ask what you’re drinking? I’m Rhett, by the way.”

You could tell that he was from out of state. None of the New York guys that you had met were ever this nice, even if it was to ask what your drink was.

“Well, Rhett, it’s a chai latte with a shot of raspberry. I gotta warn you, though. If you don’t like sweet things, you won’t like this. It’s also not as caffeinated as coffee. Where are you from if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Oh, I’m from a small town in Wyoming. You’ve probably never heard of it, and please don’t laugh, but it’s called Wabang. I know.”

“That’s really funny. What brings you to New York?”

“One of my friends is getting married at the end of the week.”

“Oh, nice! Hey, I would love to sit and chat but it looks like your brother is getting antsy over there. Um, I can give you my number if you want?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Rhett handed you his phone and you quickly typed in your name and number. Your phone chimed while you got back to work. It was a text from Rhett to make sure that you had his number. You were surprised when he and his brother started walking over to your table with their drinks in hand.

“This seat taken?” He asked.

“No,” you said with a chuckle. Both of them sat in front of you and Rhett introduced you to his brother, Perry.

“So, what did you get to drink?” You asked Rhett.

“Uh, the chai with the raspberry. You have great taste, this is really good.”

“I’m glad that you like it. When’s the wedding?”

“Friday. We leave on Sunday, though.”

You smiled and nodded your head. This might be a bad idea. Actually, probably one of the worst ideas. His brother is right there! You’ve known him for twenty minutes! This could be an episode of Criminal Minds just waiting to happen.

“Would you maybe want to hang out on Saturday?” You asked. Rhett’s eyes widened and he quickly exchanged glances with Perry.

“Uh, yeah, sure. We’re gonna have to go in a few minutes but I’ll text you.”

You tried to suppress a giggle as you continued to talk to Rhett and Perry, and you couldn’t stop smiling. Once they left, you ordered a few pastries before getting your stuff and going back to your apartment. The day instantly felt brighter, and you were able to get the rest of your work done on the couch. Rebecca came home while you were watching an early season of Grey’s Anatomy, and you paused it before getting up and squealing.

“I’m guessing you talked to at least one of the cafe cowboys,” she said.

“Yes! His name is Rhett and he’s really cute. His brother was the other cowboy and he seemed nice, but I might’ve done something stupid.”

“Oh God, what did you do?”

“I kind of asked him out. We’re gonna get something figured out for Saturday, but I’m not even sure if it’s really a date. His brother was right there and it wouldn’t surprise me if he had a girlfriend in Wyoming.”

“Oh, so he’s a cowboy cowboy. Danielle and I thought that he was just some random guy in a costume.”

You laughed before heading to your room to plug in your phone and laptop. When you weren’t doing something important, you were texting Rhett. It was kind of surprising to you, considering that you had just met and you hadn’t really texted anyone for this long. You probably would’ve stayed up all night texting him if it wasn’t for the fact that you had to be in the office early the next morning.

It was one of the rare nights since the breakup that you were actually able to get to sleep peacefully.

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#rhett abbott #rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbott series #outer range #rhett abbott x you #outer range fanfic #rhett abbott fanfiction

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laracrofted · 2 months

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❝ like runaway horses, it's a long way back home again when every step is a silver prayer in the face of a hard wind // upcoming rhett abbott x oc fic

across the montana state line; past the cattle ranches and the fenced-in pastures filled with horses; down a rough dirt road that becomes damn near untenable in a good rain storm, winding through fields of wildflowers and sun-bleached brush until the land drops away into wide open skies; is a little house. a half-wild thing.

or a broken-hearted rhett abbott helps luke tillerson's fiancée skip town and over the course of a year, begins again.

#my goal is to write this in mid-march/april #but i'm not writing it until i finish biho because i'm not capable of working on more than one series #fic: runaway horses #rhett abbott x mae brooks #oc: mae brooks #outer range fic #rhett abbott fic #rhett abbott x oc #ames makes things #laracrofted writes

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basiccortez · 2 years

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Chapter 2 pairing: eventually, Rhett Abbott x female!reader. Female!Reader x Luke Tillerson. Reader's last name is Lawton word count: 4.9k warnings: pregnancy, vomiting, mentions of cheating, mentions of dementia, slight spoilers to outer range. eventual: death, murder, fighting, excessive drinking, cheating, birth. masterlist

Chad Lawton was one the big three in the small town of Wabang. He owned a ranch on the opposite side of town, far away from the Tillersons and Abbotts. His old man once said that it was the smartest thing his great-great grandfather could’ve done to purchase land as far away from the Tillerson/Abbott mess. It gave them peace and comfort, and it kept the “noise” that the Tillerson and Abbott boys liked to cause. But that of course didn’t seem to stop as the kids grew up. Wabang was a small town full of people who never escaped. The Tillersons, Lawtons, and Abbotts had been somewhat friendly since the day they all moved there.

So when one day Chad Lawton found himself in the middle of town in just his pajamas and bathrobe, Cecilia knew there was something very wrong. She had called Brooks immediately and told him what was going on. The Lawton boy came into town very quickly seeing his father all worked up and yelling at Deputy Joy to get the fuck away from him. It took nearly ten minutes for Chad to calm down enough for Brooks to even approach and another ten for him to get into Brooks’ truck. That night the town gossip was hot as they talked about what had happened.

Brooks tried to ignore it the best he could, but it was everywhere he went. Even weeks after the incident, the town heifers were still talking about it. He heard the whispers at the grocery store, at the barber shop, at the trading mill, at the rodeo. He was thankful to have a good relationship with the Abbotts, and for Cecilia putting a squash to it.

“I wouldn’t be talking about other folks’ business, when your husband was running around chasing an under aged tail at the rodeo last weekend.” Cecilia had whispered to one of the church ladies in the middle of a service. Brooks couldn’t help but laugh and felt like he could go to Cecilia for help. It was actually her advice in calling Y/N back to Wabang.

Which is how she found herself now, sitting at her kitchen table with her brother and fiance, looking like they were ready to murder each other. Y/N had come back about five months ago, a couple weeks after the pajama incident and found the house in disarray. Brooks had told her that their dad had started to lose his mind, she just never really knew what he meant until she saw it for herself. Her heart shattered in her chest when Chad Lawton didn’t even recognize his own daughter. She had cried in Luke’s arms for hours that night about her dad’s condition. And with his help they drove up to Cheyenne to get Chad seen by a specialist.

“I am not hiring some stranger to take care of him! We can do it!”

“No we can’t, B!” Y/N sighed, running her hands through her hair, “You and I both have day long jobs, you have rides on the-”

“I’ll give it up!”

“Are you hearing yourself? You’re going to give up your dream-”

“If that means staying with dad then yes I will,” Brooks said, stomping his foot.

“Do you not hear how you sound right now! Like a child, Brooks!” Y/N yelled. Luke stood up from his spot and stood behind her, rubbing her shoulders, “You can’t take care of him on your own. What’s to stop him from wandering into town again? Or worse, driving off somewhere on the ranch. We have hundreds of acres he can get lost on.”

“It’s the best for him, Brooks-”

“Hey, you shut the fuck up,” Brooks said clenching his jaw and pointing a finger at Luke, “You have no right to talk about our family business, you damn vulture. Why don’t you go sleep with some-”

“Fucking christ!” Y/N cursed and pushed herself up from the table, and stormed down to the bathroom, slamming the door shut. Luke looked down at his boots as Brooks walked out the front door, slamming it shut as well. Luke sighed and walked down the hallway, knocking on the locked door.

“Babe?”

“Go away,” She mumbled, leaning her head against the cool porcelain of the bathtub. Between fighting with Brooks and the headache from the morning sickness, the last thing she wanted to do was deal with Luke.

“Listen, he’ll come around. It’s a hard thing to deal with, having to make a hard decision about your parent’s health.”

Y/N pushed herself up from the ground and opened the door, “He’s always cared more about this land, and the old man than I ever had. But I’ve seen this one too many times. He can’t take care of him on his own.” She sighed and ran a hand over her forehead, “You love me right?”

“Of course baby,” Luke said, grabbing her hand.

“I’m going to need to stay here, for a little longer,” Y/N said, “I need to be here with Brooks in case something happens. Between Brooks and I, I think we can make it work, taking shifts.”

“You got me too, babe. I’ll be here to help too.”

Y/N nodded as Luke kissed her forehead, and then turned to go out towards the barn. She dropped a hand to her stomach, rubbing absent minded circles on the barely there bump. She knew her time was ticking before she popped, and it was harder to hide the pregnancy from him. She swallowed thickly and walked out to join the boys.

— — —

It took less than a day for Luke to help Y/N move her stuff back into her childhood bedroom. She had been staying with Luke since coming back to Wabang a couple weeks ago. Brooks had put it out at the church that they were looking for people to help keep an eye on Chad during the day. Y/N hated it, it felt like asking for babysitters, but it was the only thing Brooks would agree too. The list was mostly made up of church ladies, who promised to drop off casseroles and roasts, and some of the local farmers, who would stop by and check the cattle.

Rhett had been one of those farmers who decided to sign up, which surprised pretty much everyone. Y/N didn’t even know he was there as she was counting the cattle, moving them from the barn to the pasture. Rhett had drove up in his truck, and Y/N tipped her hat up seeing his familiar body walk over.

“You supposed to be riding, with your uh. . . condition?” Rhett asked, scratching the back of his neck.

“Condition? Is that what we call it now? I’m guessing Brooks told you about it,” Y/N laughed, and Rhett nodded sheepishly, “And I already got the all clear. Just no riding bulls.”

Rhett smirked and walked over to the fence, “Brooks said he’s got a list. Where’s pops?”

“Dad’s in the house with your mom eating lunch. Brooks ran into town to get some more feed.”

“So they left you to do all the hard work.”

Y/N just shrugged and moved her horse back into the stable. Rhett followed her in, as she dismounted from the steed.

“Here let me,” Rhett said, moving to help her take the saddle off of the horse.

“I’m pregnant, not handicap,” Y/N said, and grabbed the saddle off with a grunt and walked it over to the hooks.

“How long? Nah, that ain’t-”

“How far along?” Y/N smiled, “Fourteen weeks today. Little buddy is giving me a run for my money, I'll tell you that. Never been so tired and so sick in my life.”

“Tillerson ain’t caught on?” Y/N sucked in a harsh breath and looked down at her boots, “Sorry I didn’t mean-”

“I was waiting to see if this was a viable thing, ya know. I didn’t want to get him excited and have it taken away. Luke has always talked about being a dad,” Y/N knew she was lying, but it was something that she told herself night after night as she lay awake. It wasn’t that Luke didn’t want to be a father, she could see it in his eyes as they spent time with the little ones at church outings, and they had only talked about it a handful of times. Everytime, Luke said he wanted to wait just a little longer, until they were married and hand their own house on the Tillerson Land.

“I can see,” Rhett said, leaning against a post, “I reckon he oughta know soon.”

“He will,” Y/N said, crossing her arms over her chest, “I should go inside and see what our parents are up to.”

Rhett nodded and followed behind her. They were welcomed with laughter as they walked into the house, something Y/N hadn’t heard in the house in years. The sound of her dad’s hearty laugh was like music to her ears as she walked into the kitchen and saw Cecilia Abbott near tears as her father was holding his stomach in laughter.

“What’s going on here?” Y/N asked, smiling.

“Your dad was just telling me this old story about Royal and him during the rodeo days,” Cecilia said, wiping under her eyes, “Oh boy, you two really got up to some antics back then.”

“Oh heavens yes,” Chad laughed, “Then the kiddos were born and it seemed to multiply. Heather was always gettin on Y/N about hanging around the boys. If she could see her now, running around with them Tillerson boys.”

“Dad,” Y/N warned with a smile, “Let’s not talk about all that-”

“Can you believe Cece, that damn blonde one got her pregnant.”

Y/N closed her eyes and sucked in a breath as her father revealed her secret to none other than one of the biggest gossip in town. Y/N loved Cecelia Abbott, she really did, but sometimes she put her foot in her mouth. Cece loved a good gossip story as much as the next cowboy hat wearing farm-wife did.

“Oh wow, congrats,” Cecelia smiled at her, her blue eyes darting over to Rhett, who placed his hands in his back pockets, “How far along?”

“Fourteen weeks,” Y/N smiled shyly, “You can head out now, I think I got it handled from here.”

Cecelia nodded, knowing that her presence probably wasn’t welcomed anymore. She stood up from the kitchen table and walked over to hug Chad, before grabbing her hat off the counter. She smiled at Y/N and then gave Rhett another pointed glance, before slipping her hat on her head and walking out the front door.

“I’ll walk her out,” Rhett said, and Y/N nodded, as the boy followed his mother out to her truck. Rhett waited until he was at his mom’s truck before opening his mouth, “Tillerson don’t know. . .about the baby.”

“Is it even his?” Cecelia asked, looking back towards the farm house.

“She’s not like him or any of the other buckle bunnies,” Rhett said, “She wouldn’t just say it's his without it being true.”

Cecelia chuckled and shook her head, opening the door to her truck, “A mess she’s gotten herself into. She had such a bright future.” Cece sat in the driver's seat and smiled at her son, “I know you, Rhett, I can see it in your eye. . . but you can’t get mixed up in her shit. It’ll only end bad for you and for her and for that baby.”

“I know,” Rhett said barely above a whisper. Cece placed a hand on her son’s cheek and rubbed his cheek bone softly with her thumb.

“You ride at eight?” She asked him and he nodded, “Good. Gives me time to go home and bake a pie. I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah,” Rhett said, closing the truck door. Cece rolled down the window and started the old Ford up, “Don’t. . . Don’t go around sayin’ stuff about it. She’s probably giving Chad an ear full right now. Bad enough Brooks was runnin his trap the other night to me and Perry.”

“Secrets safe with me. Bye, Rhett.”

Rhett waved to his mother, and watched her pull out of the Lawton driveway. He watched the truck turn off the gravel and then walked back into the house. He was surprised when he heard crying and walked into the kitchen, seeing Chad crying in his daughter’s arms. Y/N looked up at Rhett, her own eyes red with tears as she tried to comfort her dad. Rhett waited outside on the porch as Y/N calmed her dad down enough that she could get him up from his chair and to his room to rest.

She sighed as she walked out the front door and sat down next to Rhett on the slider. She ran her hands through her hair and let out a soft groan.

“I wish I could fucking drink,” Y/N laughed to herself, and sniffled, “He could tell I was upset about what he said, and it was just. . . his emotion center is all-”

“You don’t have to doctor ‘splain anything to me,” Rhett said, and put a hand on her back, “He okay now?”

“Yeah,” Y/N bit at her thumb nail, “Mrs. Johnson was supposed to come tonight and watch him while I go watch Brooks and Luke but I don’t think-”

“You need the break,” Rhett spoke and Y/N looked up at him, “I know he’s all you got, but you also can’t stress yourself out too much, for the baby.”

Y/N bit her lip before standing up, “Wanna see something?”

Rhett nodded and Y/N stood up. She untucked her blue flannel from her jeans, and lifted it up enough to show the black tank top underneath. Rhett’s eyes widened as he looked at her stomach, seeing the small swollen spot. She put her hand on the tiny, tiny bump, accentuating it even more. Rhett could remember how touchy Perry was when Rebecca was pregnant, and he got that same sudden rush.

“Noticed it the other morning, even though Brooks says I’m just seein things.” She smiled down at the small belly, “It’s only up from here.” Rhett looked up at her with bright blue eyes, and Y/N could read his mind, “Not much too feel quite yet.” She picked up his hand and placed it on her skin. His eyes widened and he let out a small chuckle, “My mom said in her diary that she could feel me starting to move around fifteen weeks. Any day now.”

“That’s uh. . . that’s cool,” Rhett retracted his hand and Y/N put her shirt down.

“Yeah. . . I’m gonna tell Luke tonight,” It felt like a stab to Rhett’s heart when those words escaped her mouth, “I’m only gonna get bigger and there’s milestones he’ll miss if I wait any longer.”

All Rhett could do was nod.

— — —

The smell of livestock had never bothered her before, but something about being pregnant and waiting behind the arena with Brooks had her wanting to turn and vomit. Perry was helping tape Brooks’ wrist as Royal was tapping Rhett’s. Luke never liked to be distracted and had told Y/N that she was a distraction, so she waited until after his first ride to go see him.

“You okay there?” Perry asked Y/N and she looked up at him, her fist still covering her mouth and gave him a thumbs up. Perry chuckled and shook his head, “Rebecca couldn’t stand the smell either when she was pregnant.”

“Jesus Christ Brooks, who haven’t you fucking told!” Y/N yelled at her brother.

“The pastor,” Brooks shot back, and Y/N stared at him with wide eyes, “I’m kidding, just these two. And well, Perry technically told Royal.”

“Cece told me this afternoon,” Royal answered and finished taping Rhett, “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. Cowboy’s promise.”

“Well I thought this,” Y/N said, delivering a slap to her brother’s chest, “Cowboy could promise.”

“Hey!” Brooks laughed, right as the announcer called Luke’s name, “Better go see the baby daddy.”

Y/N flipped her brother off, before walking over to near the shoot where Billy and Trevor were waiting. Trevor smiled down at his soon to be sister-in-law and put his arm around her shoulders. Out of all of them, Trevor seemed to like Y/N the most. She thought she was good for Luke, and it helped that she was Chad Lawton’s daughter and would be set to own one of the three big Wabang ranches.

Luke’s ride was going to be easy, he had drawn an easy one, but it still got the boys excited as they stood next to her and cheered on Luke. Watching Luke and Brooks ride always brought a type of excitement in her body, but right now she was feeling dread as Luke got bucked off in five seconds. She could see the look in his eye as he watched his name drop under Rhett’s on the scoreboard. Trever and Y/N shared a look as they walked over to where Luke was coming out of the arena.

“I should’ve gotten fucking eight. It was an easy fucking ride,” Luke cursed as he threw his gloves down.

“You still did good,” Y/N said.

“I’m gonna lose to that stupid fucking Abbott,” Luke seethed and she knew better than to talk. Luke looked up and could see the way her body language shifted and he sighed, walking over to her, “Hey,” He grabbed her face with his hands, “Let’s go watch Brooks. He needs to see us there.”

Y/N nodded and took Luke’s hand, walking back to the side by Trevor. Brooks’ ride was going to be a little bit harder than Luke’s and Rhett’s, but it wasn’t the worst bull in the circuit. Y/N climbed up on the fence, watching as Brooks dropped into the chute, and the bull already started bucking.

“Hey,” Y/N said, and placed a hand on Brooks’ shoulder, “You good?”

“Always,” Brooks smiled at his sister, “Don’t get too close, don’t want ya hurtin the kid.”

“If this kid is like us, it’ll take a lot more to knock it down,” Y/N smiled and patted his shoulder, “Get ‘em cowboy.” She hopped back down and landed next to Luke, whose face was unreadable. He placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close.

Y/N waited with baited breath as the gun went off and the chute opened. The second the bull was free, the animal bucked hard to try and get Brooks off. Brooks’ black cowboy hat was knocked off as the eldest Lawton held on with one hand and the other in the air. It seemed like time ticked on forever, Y/N’s eyes trained on the clock as it ticked down until the buzzer sounded. Brooks let go of the rope and let himself be bucked off the animal. He picked up his hat and looked at the scoreboard, seeing himself slide into first.

“Brooks!” Y/N cheered and the Lawton boy looked at his little sister, pointing at her with a big smile. He ran over quickly, climbing the metal fence and dropping down next to her, hugging her tightly, “Dad would be proud.”

“Did it for him,” Brooks said into her hair.

— — —

Y/N didn’t stick around long after Brooks' ride, mainly because of Luke and the Tillerson boys pulling her away after Rhett’s ride. Rhett didn’t ride nearly as well as Brooks, and was just shy of beating Luke. Brooks had won the circuit, securing his position in the semi-finals. Rhett and Luke would have to ride again next weekend if they wanted to secure a place in the semis. Y/N wanted to congratulate Rhett, but Luke was not about to let her leave his side. His sudden possessiveness was giving her whiplash, as she sat next to him at the Pit Bar.

She was hardly paying attention to what the boys were saying, knowing it had something to do with the conversation they had with Royal Abbott about the deed to the land. Y/N could never figure out why Wayne Tillerson was so obsessed with Abbott's west pasture. He had been that way since she had met the man when she was young. It seemed to have gotten worse after he had his heart attack a year ago.

“Did he say anything to you when he was helping out at the ranch?” Luke asked, Y/N.

“No,” Y/N shook her head and sipped her water, “My old man said there was a reason why my grandaddy settled on the opposite side of town. To stay away from this shit.”

“Smart old man,” Luke smiled and kissed her cheek, “Trev, Maria just walked in.”

Y/N looked over where Luke pointed his head towards. Maria smiled at her and Y/N gave her one back and a small wave. Maria was one of the girls that Y/N used to be jealous of in high school. She was naturally beautiful with her shiny brown hair and big brown eyes. Y/N swore that girl never had a zit in her life or had a bad hair day. They were friends, both being on the dance team together in high school, and had plans on studying pre-medicine at the same college. The boys seemed to notice Maria first, and then Y/N. Even Rhett noticed Maria over Y/N, the two of them dating briefly in high school. Y/N seemed to be the shoulder to cry on for both of them when they would argue.

“Go get it, Trev,” Y/N smiled, and nudged the Tillerson boy with her foot, “She’d be good for you. Keep you a bit. . . tame.”

“Tame? Huh? And that’s what you did with lil Luke here?” Trevor laughed.

“Of course she did,” Luke smiled, putting his arm around her, “Calmed me down into a perfect family man, I mean. . . I’m going to be a father soon.”

Y/N tried not to let her jaw drop at Luke’s revelation. She knew he probably overheard what Brooks had said, but didn’t think he’d spill it out on the table now. She gave him a tight lipped smile and looked over at the other two Tillerson boys who weren’t hiding their shocked looks.

“Surprise?” She said, softly.

“Wow,” Billy said, “And I thought maybe you had some breast implant surgery done.”

Y/N scoffed as Trevor hit his younger brother upside the head, “Ignore him, he was choked by his cord when he was born. But congrats, you two. Excited to have a little one running around. Better start looking for an ATV for the rugrat.”

Y/N smiled and nodded as Trevor stood up from his seat and walked over to the bar where Maria was. She didn’t dare to look up at Luke, scared to find the expression on his face. But the wave of nervousness washed over her as he put his hand on her thigh, and rubbed it gently. He placed a kiss on her temple and fell back into conversation with Billy.

The Garth Brooks song playing through the speakers was one of Y/N’s favorites as Luke spun her around the floor. Billy had disappeared going to find a girl for himself, and Y/N wanted to dance. She giggled as Luke dipped her, and stood her up, placing a kiss on her lips. When the music changed from the up-beat country song to a slower one, she sighed as Luke brought her in close. They swayed to the familiar voice of George Strait, Y/N leaning her head on Luke’s shoulder.

“When were you going to tell me?” He asked, softly.

“Tonight, after the rodeo. I was judging the ride to see how your mood was going to be,” Y/N said, honestly, “I didn’t want to tell you too soon and then something happened.”

“Well,” Luke took her hand, and spun her around so her back was against his chest, “I would’ve liked to know sooner, either way. If something did happen, I wouldn’t want you to go through it alone. Besides all the extra shit with your brother and dad couldn’t have been good on you or the baby.” His hand traveled down to her bump, and for some reason, it felt odd having his hand against her skin. Unlike when Rhett touched her belly earlier that day.

“I know it’s just. . .Oh shit,” Y/N pushed away from Luke as she saw Brooks and Rhett head outside. She could see in the way Brooks was walking, this wasn’t going to end well, “I’ll be right- Brooks!”

“Why don’t you go back inside and find Luke,” She heard Perry slur, as she pushed the door open as Brooks and Rhett walked in on the fight waiting to happen between Perry and Trevor.

“Brooks,” Y/N called out to her brother.

“Go back inside,” Brooks said to his little sister as he pushed Perry back from Trevor.

“Don’t tell her what to fucking do!” Trevor yelled, grabbing Brooks’ arm.

Rhett grew angry, as he put his hands on Trevor pushing him back from the two men and Y/N. Y/N could hear him muttering under his breath as Brooks came and stood in front of her, almost as if he was both protecting her and blocking her from watching Rhett lay a punch on Trevor’s face. The single punch sent Trevor flying towards the ground and Y/N gasped, taking a step closer, only to be stopped by Brooks.

“Can’t get in the middle of that,” Brooks muttered, “Too dangerous to stop an angry drunk man.”

Trevor got up quickly, and grabbed Rhett’s legs trying to tackle him to the ground. But Rhett had some height and strength on Trevor, and could keep himself on his two feet. Trevor broke free from Rhett’s grasp and landed a punch to Rhett’s jaw.

“If you won’t I will,” Y/N said, and took a step forward as the door to the bar opened again and Maria walked out. Rhett’s name fell silent on Y/N’s lips as Rhett delivered one last punch to Trevor, knocking him back down on the ground. Rhett’s blue eyes looked at Y/N, and then over to Maria. Y/N went to reach out for Rhett as he walked past her, going straight to Maria. Brooks watched as his little sister’s confidence diminished a bit as once again, Maria was chosen over her.

“Come on,” Brooks said, and guided his sister inside, “Let’s go find Luke.”

Y/N nodded, and didn’t bother looking over at Rhett again as she walked back into the bar. Rhett looked up briefly from Maria, seeing the two walk back inside. Rhett felt a pang in his chest as he watched her go sit back down by Luke, who put his arm around her and his hand on her belly. She must’ve told him, and by the look on Luke’s face, he must’ve taken it well. Which made Rhett feel even worse for how he felt early at the Lawton Ranch.

“Can I tell you the truth real quick? I know I don’t bring much to the table,” Rhett said and looked back down at Maria, “But that guy’s the biggest asshole you’re ever gonna meet.”

Maria didn’t say anything as Rhett walked back inside, just looking over at Perry, and Trevor, who was still groaning on the ground. Y/N’s eyes looked from her glass of water in front of her, to Rhett, who had a certain swagger in his step as he walked into the bar. She shifted in her seat slightly as he walked by their table, and knocked on it, giving them a slight greeting. Luke watched him walk on by, grabbing his stetson from his table and then walking out the front door.

“I wanna go home,” Y/N said, grabbing Luke’s attention, “I’m getting a headache.”

“Yeah, of course, baby,” Luke said and kissed her temple, before getting up, “I’ll go close the tab.”

“I’ll go wait outside,” Y/N said and Luke nodded. He grabbed her hand and helped her stand up, but not before he placed his hat on her head. She smiled and kissed his cheek, before heading out the door and waiting by Luke’s truck.

“You told him?” Rhett’s voice startled her as she jumped and looked over at him. He took his hat off his head and held it on his chest, “He looked like he took it well.”

“He overheard Brooks saying something to me about standing on the fence next to the chute. Said it was dangerous.”

“Well he’s right,” Rhett said and walked closer to her, “I read that at fourteen weeks, the baby is the size of an orange.”

“You googled that?”

“Read a book that Perry had,” Rhett smiled, sheepishly, “I hope he treats you alright.”

Y/N nodded and Rhett leaned forward, to place a kiss on her cheek. His lips lingered for a second, then he placed his hat back on his head and walked away.

“Hey, baby,” Luke said, walking out the door, “Have you seen Trevor?”

--- --- --- ---

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delopsia · 1 year

Text

Something Unholy | Rhett Abbot x Reader

Word Count: 3,600 Cross Posted on AO3 Warnings & Notes: 18+, Fem!Reader, unprotected sex in a church, mild size-kink, and a dash of Rhett having a corruption kink and getting off on the idea of cumming inside you.

"I sure hope you ain't tellin' me what to do, dollface."

Oh, the things you would give to wrap both your hands around this motherfuckers thick neck and—

"—Can you please, just put the paper towels on the shelf?" Speaking in the firmest tone you can muster, cheeks flaming so hot you fear they may turn cherry red.

"And why does this have to involve me?" God, Rhett just keeps going; the choir girls are starting to notice, casting wayward glances from under false lashes as they whisper amongst each other behind open palms.

"Because you're tall enough to reach the shelf, and I'm not," pushing the paper towels toward him once more, forcing him to take them, "and if God wanted me to put them up there, he would have made me taller, or he would have given me a stepping stool."

For the first time all morning, Rhett's quiet, and for as much as he's fussed about this, you'd think this momentous task would take him longer than three seconds to complete. You're starting to see why Cece doesn't drag him along to Sunday services more often.

He continues to loom in the corner, leaning up against the wall like some sort of hot shot whilst he just watches. Wild blue eyes follow your every movement as you finish setting up the coffee booth like he's getting some sort of enjoyment out of watching you mull about. Doesn't offer help, just watches.

Asshole.

As soon as you start to walk away, ready to settle into the corner of an old, stained church pew, he pushes off the wall and starts to walk too. Like a shadow, following each and every step until all of a sudden, you're sitting between the end of the bench and Rhett Abbott.

"Do you have to sit so close to me?" Grumbling, you try to scoot further off, but there's not enough space for you to do so.

Rhett's jeaned thigh presses harder against your own, "yes, I do, actually."

"You're an ass," it comes out louder than you intend to, but if anyone overhears, they don't mention it. Not yet, at least.

"Wow, swearing in church now, are we?" Smug.

You're still contemplating strangling him right here and now; an attempted murder charge sounds a lot better than sitting in this hell for an hour and a half. The bastard is probably into it, knowing his reputation. The only thing that actually stops you from finding out is the sudden booming voice from the podium, commanding all eyes and ears on him, silence falling upon the room.

Usually, the preacher's go-to is to have everyone shake hands and welcome one another, but you're thankful that he skips right over the tradition in favor of jumping straight into his speech. A direct continuation of last week's sermon, according to the woman whispering behind you. You're not quite sure how, but you know Rhett would have given you more trouble if you got up to greet people.

As if on cue, a calloused hand settles on your exposed knee, just below the hem of your Sunday dress. Maybe it's because the air conditioner is running in the middle of December, but his hand feels so hot you fear it may melt right through your skin.

"Rhett," whispering as quietly as you can, "get your hands off me."

It only serves to make your situation worse because he leans over to whisper directly into your ear, "seems to me you're in need of someone to keep you warm."

Teeth nip at the lobe of your ear, tugging on it for a fleeting second. His hand slides off your knee, if only for a muscular arm to drape over your shoulders instead. Great, absolutely wonderful.

But God, he's warm, and he's changed his started wearing that seasonal cologne he wears every December. Something bordering hot chocolate and vanilla, not overly sweet but so, so warm. It matches him in the strangest of ways, you conclude, as you reluctantly melt into his side.

Okay, this is...alright. There are several couples doing this very thing in front of you, nothing weird about this at all. It's not like you can argue when Rhett is practically a blazing furnace right next to you; this dress is cute, but it definitely was not made for the colder months.

For a long minute, all you find yourself doing is curling into Rhett Abbott's side and listening to the preacher's voice as it grows louder and louder. A relaxed conversation about coming clean to those around you devolves into a rant about sinners and sex before marriage. The longer it goes, the stiffer Rhett becomes next to you, until all of a sudden, he's drawing away from you.

Without a word, he gets up and walks out.

Strangely, you don't hear the front doors squeak open, nor do you feel the icy draft that always sneaks inside. For a minute, you reckon he's just gone to the men's room. The more time passes, the more you don't think that's so true.

Fifteen minutes after Rhett vanished, you excuse yourself and quietly venture out into the hallway.

"Rhett?" You try, but your voice vanishes under the preacher's louder one.

Even so, the felt brim of a cowboy hat pokes out from behind a door, dark brown in color and a little ripped in the front. You only know one man with a hat like that. It seems he didn't hear you because he's eyes brighten at the sight of you like he's been waiting on you to come looking for him this whole time.

"There you are," he breathes, struggling to fight off the shit-eating grin that's working its way across his face as he reaches for you. "Did I even manage to get under your skin?"

"I thought you were kidding when you suggested this shit," you hiss, but you don't stop him from guiding you into this tiny little office space with its large mahogany desk and beat-up loveseat. "Of course, you got under my skin, you ass!"

Rhett shoves you down onto the couch with a soft thump and drops to his knees so swiftly that you hear them hit the floor. The force of it jostles his hat, but he's not concerned in the slightest with readjusting it, "good."

There's no teasing or beating around the bush in the way he pulls your hips toward the edge of the couch, rucking the skirt of your dress up in the process, "then I suppose you won't mind me making it up to you?"

Hot breath ghosts up your cold thighs, sparks a newfound heat directly between your legs. Okay, that, that...

"Was this your plan all along?" Leaning into the cushions of the couch, this is all so sudden, but you're not one to complain when his nose is brushing against the only fabric he hasn't pushed to the side yet.

"Do you expect anything less from me, darlin'?" Long lashes bat themselves up at you as he speaks, bordering devilish in tone and something soft in gaze.

A hot tongue drags up the front of your panties, forces eye contact as he does so. So much all at once, but not enough. The vague pressure of his tongue isn't enough when there's such a thin layer of cotton separating him from where you want him. Only when you're about to pull them off yourself does he reach up and hook his fingers under the thin elastic waistband.

"Bring your hips up, doll," murmuring into your thigh, and you're just barely able to muster the strength to do so.

Finally, finally, he pulls your panties off, neatly folding and tucking them into his back pocket like a trophy. Sure hope you get those back; those are one of your current favorites.

Your thoughts are cut short by the sudden sensation of a dripping tongue swirling at your clit, sloppy and oh-so-wet. It's so abrupt that you find yourself jolting away, only to be drawn back in by steady hands on your hips, holding you in place as he licks you up and down in fat stripes.

"Rhett," gasping for a breath you can't seem to catch, "fuck, did you forget we're in church?"

He hums into you, sends a shock wave up your spine with it. His wandering tongue finds your entrance, lapping at it incessantly but not quite pushing inside at first. The tip of his nose bumps against your clit, "been thinkin' of havin' you on my tongue since that alarm went off this mornin'."

"So that's why you volunteered to come along?" Whining as he nods his head, "bastard—ah!"

Just like that, Rhett's tongue slips inside of you, working in and out in languid thrusts as his nose presses harder into you. This little room is so quiet that you can hear the slick sound of his tongue working itself into your quivering cunt, his mouth so wet that it feels like he's drooling.

Reaching down, he gets ahold of your thigh and guides your leg up over his shoulder, gives him better access to your writhing body. Practically fucks you open with his tongue, the soft tip of his nose bumping into your clit over and over. Enough to make you squirm, not enough to get you off.

"Rhett, if you don't," the beginning of your threat is shaky, not intimidating even in the slightest, "get off that floor and fuck me right now."

His eyebrows raise, and his tongue slips out of you with the wettest noise you've ever heard. Fuck, he really must have been drooling, swollen, spit-slicked lips and wet chin glistening in the light, "yes, ma'am." The bastard just has to say it with a smile, too.

He makes no move to come up, though, and as his dominant hand lowers between your legs, you realize he's planning to lick you as he works you open. But you really, really want to kiss him right now.

Lowering your leg from his shoulder, you seize him by the collar and pull. It takes him a moment to comply, and for a brief second, you think he's glued himself to that thinly-carpeted floor. With the softest whine, he rises, settling into the empty space next to you like a big ol' puppy. His eyes wide and confused, and it's not until you curl your fingers into his hair and drag him in that he realizes what you're doing.

"Kisses?" Whispering directly against your lips, surprised, but oh, does he just melt right into it.

Soft, at first, just the simple mesh of lips that haven't touched each other since you first woke up, but then Rhett's finding his footing. Kisses you with a dizzying intensity, one hand cradling your cheek, the other slipping between your legs to tease the pad of his finger against your dripping entrance.

You can taste yourself on his tongue. Your fingers grip his hair, pulling him closer, impossibly so, and it's so sloppy that you can't tell who's in control or who's calling the shots here. His thick finger presses into you, working in and out until he's knuckle deep, but he kisses you so softly, following your motions like a shadow.

"Is that you clenchin' on my finger, or have I really not fucked you in a while?" His finger works in and out of you so slowly, a soft, simple motion that drags his knuckles against a gooey spot inside of you. Shit, when was—when was the last time you actually...?

"Both," you blurt, breathless, "I think this is the longest we've gone." Coincidentally, you think the last time you had sex was also on a couch. Given it was your couch and not some dingy thing in the back office of a church.

It's only been a few weeks, three at the most, but it's been long enough for there to be a little bit of an ache as a second finger works into you. There's no way you're going to be walking out of here without a slight waddle in your step.

In and out, over and over, until he can work in a third. A thumb on your clit distracts you from the stretch, rubbing soft circles for every centimeter he eases into you. You're squirming, not sure if you're running away from the stimulation on your clit or chasing the feeling of those thick fingers delving in and out of you in short little thrusts.

"Why are your fingers so fucking big?" Gasping as he kisses down your neck, those fingers curling against that little spot again.

"Are they big?" And he's nibbling at the meet of your jaw, almost speaking directly into your ear, "or are you just small?"

He's just big.

Shaky, you fumble with his belt, absolutely relieved when you find that he isn't wearing one of those oversized rodeo buckles that are so hard to get open in times like these. Rhett chuckles against your skin, makes no effort to help or stop you as you pop the button to his jeans open. His fingers only quicken, properly fucking you with them now, and it makes it that much harder to reach past his waistband.

"Shit," he hisses, jolting as your hand wraps around him and draws him out. Only letting him go to spit into your palm, wetting it just enough to stroke him smoothly. He's hard as a rock in your hand, heavy like one, too. Slow, he eases out of you, and with how empty you're feeling now, you hate to imagine how it's going to feel in a little bit.

Your back hits the couch with a soft noise, the furniture creaking under the sudden placement of your weight. Then, Rhett's between your legs, the tip of his cock teasing against your freshly stretched rim but not pushing inside yet.

"Didn't bring a condom," he breathes, "sure hope that ain't a problem, sweetheart."

He sure doesn't sound apologetic.

"Has it ever been a problem?" And there's more you want to say, but it's hard to speak when he presses into you, makes your back arch as he splits you wide open.

Your legs clamp down around his lithe waist, lungs burning as you try and fail to regain your long-gone composure. Don't quite realize you had made a noise until he's shushing you, easing deeper inside until you feel his head fully enter you. Moves so, so slow that it's agonizing.

Rhett pauses for just a second, chest heaving, "so tight, baby."

"Can you move any faster?" You're intentionally leaving out the part that the longer he takes, the harder it is for you to keep your thighs from shaking around him.

"Hold on, darlin'," seizing your hips in his hands as he speaks, holding you still as he just about fucking stops, "I'm a little big for you, ain't I?"

Big is a fucking understatement. Rhett's only about halfway in you, and you already can't fucking breathe. Never can. No matter how many times he's fucked you, slow, hard, it doesn't matter; you can never seem to get used to how big he is.

His hands aren't big just for show; they're a fucking warning.

Finally, finally, finally, his hips come flush to yours, and you don't think there's any room for your lungs even to function anymore. Panting so hard that you don't realize Rhett's dropping to his forearms, kissing sweetly at your cheek. Such a stark contrast to the devilish roll of his hips between your legs.

"Such a good girl for me," he soothes, "takin' every single inch just like that."

His hips roll in tight little circles, getting you used to his size until you can catch your breath, long enough for your head to stop spinning, at least. All you have to do is nod your head once, and he's drawing back out of you, so familiar with your cues that he knows exactly what you're asking for.

Then he's pushing back into you, and it's not even a long stroke, but it's enough to have you whimpering anyway. So thick that the head of his cock effortlessly massages the gooey spot inside your stretched pussy; you think you could cum just from this alone.

"That preacher don't know what the hell he's talkin' about," and it's only now that you realize the sermon is still going, muffled but very audible through these old walls, "every little lady deserves a man that can fuck her right."

Rhett punctuates his sentence with a harder thrust, sending stars sparkling behind your eyelids like a light show. Well, you can't argue with that statement. Not when he's doubling down and drilling into you in sharp, deep strokes that bullies his fat cockhead right into your sweet spot, kissing it with each and every stroke inward.

"Rhett!" Fingernails dig into his shoulder blades, threatening to tear right into the thin material of his dress shirt. It's a kiss that smothers the whimper that boils out of your throat, dizzying but so, so tame compared to how his hips are working between your legs.

"Look at you," leaning back until he's on his haunches, "innocent little thing gettin' fucked good by the big, bad cowboy."

With that, he draws his hips back, snapping them back into you with a force that has you yelping. Hope nobody could hear that. Rhett's pace is changing, unrelenting, as he punches each and every breath out of your burning lungs. Feels so, so good that you can barely keep your eyes from fluttering shut, and it's all you can do to keep quiet when he licks his thumb and presses it into your swollen clit.

"Oh, your hips are buckin' like mad now," and he has the absolute audacity to chuckle as he says it like he isn't in the middle of ruining you, "damn, girl."

"Hard to keep still when—" you can't finish your sentence, cut off by a wickedly sharp thrust, and he just holds it there. Grinding into you and eliciting this wet squelch that sounds absolutely sinful.

It feels so good that the edges of your vision is starting to go white, and you don't know when you've started shaking, but you can't stop. Pussy throbbing as he settles down atop you again, legs just barely able to stay hooked over his hips. Rhett's moaning into your ear, deep and breathy, and you're not doing all that much, but it sounds like you're making him feel just as good as he's doing to you.

"Do you wanna feel me cum inside you?" He whispers, biting at the shell of your ear, "do you wanna feel that?"

All you can do is hum, barely able even to nod your head. The simple notion of Rhett cumming inside you is enough to have a coil tightening between your legs, clamping down impossibly tight around his thick cock.

"Oh god," he's just barely able to keep talking, and the longer he goes on, the closer you can feel yourself getting, "so bad," punctuating it with another heavy thrust, "so bad."

You want to reach down between your legs and urge his thumb to rub you a little bit faster, but you're not even sure you can take any more than what he's giving you. Not when he keeps whispering dirty things in your ear, with these breathy little grunts that keep adding to the fire burning up in your lower belly.

"So bad, but you make it so good," no, no, now you're batting his hand away from your clit, because if he keeps rubbing it while he's talking like this, your orgasm is going to his you right this very second. With another little grunt, Rhett starts talking again, "oh, baby, I'm gonna fill you up."

His thrusts are quickening, hips getting twitchy and messing up his rhythm in the most delicious of ways, "'m gonna fill you up with my cum."

All of a sudden, you can't breathe anymore, your body going taut as you cum around his twitching cock. Eyes rolling into the back of your head, heart pounding so heavily it just might break its way out your ribs. Everything's spinning; you can't fucking think; all you know is Rhett's grunting quietly into your ear, and his hips are stalling. Filling you with hot spurts of his cum, until there's not a single millimeter of empty space left inside you.

"That's right," you can just barely hear him, but he's there, "that's fuckin' right, takin' every last drop of me."

You're not sure how long it takes you to come back, to get your head out from the clouds and back down to earth, but when you do, Rhett's already eased himself out of you. Tucked away inside his jeans again, hair stuck to his sweaty forehead as his thumb pushes his cum back inside your swollen cunt.

"You alright?" He asks sweetly, kissing the inside of your knee.

It takes every fiber in your being to bring yourself to nod your head. Yeah, yeah, more than alright.

"How 'bout I carry you outta here before they start lettin' folks out," he's so soft compared to just a few moments ago when he was drilling into you and whispering such filthy things, "get all settled up in a bath and have a nice, lazy day."

All you have to do is hum your consent, and he's gathering you up into his chest, lifting you like it's the easiest thing he's ever done. It's hard to be cold when he picks his coat up off the rack on the way out, draping it over you like a big blanket. Yeah, a nice, lazy day sounds better than whatever the hell you had planned.

And if anybody notices your sudden disappearances or the unmistakable sounds that came from the preacher's old office, they don't say a damn thing.

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