Ever Series: My Forever Valentine

Tony rubbed his now-full stomach. He couldn’t help but glance longingly at the open bathroom door. He wanted a bath, wanted to be clean.

This was the closest he’d even been to a bathroom in…well, a long time. He wasn’t sure exactly how long it had been. Time meant nothing to him living in a cell.

He did know that the only time he even came close to being clean anymore was when the teenagers sprayed him down with a water hose.

That only happened every so often, though, when they decided he was stinking up the fresh air.

As if reading his mind, the she-wolf stood and stretched.

“You shower first. I found a couple of pairs of shorts and some sweats for you.”

He stood up, but stumbled as he headed for the bathroom door. All the walking he’d done that day had finally caught up with him. His legs shook like those of a newborn colt.

“Careful, baby!” the she-wolf exclaimed.

Moving quickly, she managed to catch him before he hit the floor. Her hands landed around his waist, and he drew in a sharp breath as electric sparks moved over his body.

He stared at her in shock as she smiled.

“I was almost positive you were my mate when I saw you. The Alpha in me called out to you, but with my wolf pretty much dormant…I honestly couldn’t be sure until we touched.

“I truth is, I would have come for you even if you weren’t my mate. Nobody deserves to live the way you were. I’m glad you’re my mate. Did…did you know?”

Tony shook his head as he struggled to form words. Finally, after swallowing many times and coughing, he asked, “Is that why you smell like coconut to me?”

“Yes, baby, it is,” she agreed, laughing softly. “You smell faintly of cloves. I think that scent will strengthen as your body heals.”

Turning him gently, she helped him walk the few short steps to the bathroom. Once inside, she stripped them both and started the shower.

Tony felt his face heat up when she turned around to face him. He knew his whole body was disgusting. He was black and blue from beatings and had many scars.

He was also nothing but skin stretched over bones.

“Don’t be embarrassed, Tony. It isn’t your fault you look the way you do. I promise I’ll feed you as much as you want.

“As for the scars, consider them badges of survival. You survived the beatings so fate could bring us together. There’s no shame in that.”

With a smile, she grasped his arm and helped him into the tub. When he was seated, she climbed in behind him and began to gently wash his hair.

It took a lot of washing and rinsing because it was long, hanging halfway down his back.

The Alpha had only allowed him to have it cut once a year. It had been that way since he was eighteen and he was now…twenty-one, maybe?

Tony frowned thoughtfully, thinking hard to remember his age. Yes, that’s right, I’m twenty-one.

As an omega, he’d always gotten the short end of the stick, but when his parents had no longer been around to protect him from the worst of it, it had gotten worse.

One day the Alpha had visited and told him that his house should be used for something besides housing a worthless omega.

That was when the Alpha had ended up throwing him in the cells. Tony had only been eighteen.

Tony closed his eyes, pushing those thoughts aside. Instead, he focused on the electric tingles of his mate’s touch and getting clean.

“I’m going to protect you and keep you safe, Tony,” she whispered close to his ear. “I’m going to love and adore you like a good mate should. I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again.”

Tony opened his eyes and turned his head to gaze into her blue eyes. “Why would you even want to do any of that? You’re an Alpha, I’m an omega. I’m worthless!”

“Maybe we are worthless apart. But together? Baby, together we can do anything.

“We just need time to grow strong and healthy, and we will as soon as we leave our horrible Alphas behind us,” she explained in a determined tone.

She helped him rinse off before washing herself off. Next, she helped him out and dried them both.

She sat him down and pulled out the motel’s hairdryer. Plugging it in, she began to dry his hair.

“As soon as we’re safe, we’ll get your hair cut.”

Tony nodded agreeably because the thought of having all the excess hair removed excited him.

He really didn’t care for waist-length hair. It was heavy and hot, and he had no strength to do anything with it.

“What’s your name?” he asked then, tired of calling her ‘she-wolf.’

Her hands stopped moving and she moved to stand in front of him. Staring down at him with her face pink, she questioned, “I didn’t tell you my name?”

“No.”

“Oh. Well, my name’s Minnie.”

“Like Minnie Mouse?”

She laughed and went back to drying his hair.

“Yes. My mom had a childhood love of, of all things, Mickey and Minnie. She told me one day I’d meet my very own Mickey, and all would be right in my world.”

She turned the dryer off, setting it down before pulling him up. Pushing his hair back from his face, she gazed into his eyes.

“Your name might not be Mickey, but she was still right. Everything in my world is falling into place now that I have you.”

She led him over to the bed and tucked him in. Softly she said, “Let me dry my hair, and I’ll be back.”

Tony nodded and yawned.

She walked back into the bathroom, and since he could see inside the room, he watched her. It didn’t take her long before she came back into the bedroom, turning off lights as she went.

Dropping her towel onto the back of a chair, she climbed into the bed next to him, snuggling close.

Tony shivered as their bare skin touched, more electric tingles moving all over his body. It felt so good and instantly warmed him, taking away the chill.

He felt her shifting behind him. She moved his hair and softly kissed his shoulder. “Tony, were you…did they…hurt you?”

Hurt me? She knows they did because she saw my scars.

“Mostly verbally. Only Alpha was allowed to beat me,” he managed to croak out.

“Alpha liked to tie me naked to the pole in the training yard. The pack would laugh and spit on me. Sometimes he’d leave me there all night.”

Minnie growled softly, moving a calloused hand along his chest gently and soothingly.

Another kiss was placed on his shoulder before she whispered, “I’m so sorry, baby. My dad stuck to mostly verbal abuse, though he did slap me a few times.

“He would withhold food if he was mad enough. And he’d command me to not shift.”

“Sometimes, they forgot to feed me for days,” Tony said. “And even then it was just scraps of food.

“They would give me water, but sometimes it was dirty before they remembered to give me any more. It was in a bucket. They said that an omega was worth less than a dog and dogs drink from buckets.”

Her hand moved further down his body, across his ribs. It slowed before moving over his stomach.

Tony tensed when he realized she planned to go even further down.

Her hand stopped, but she ran her fingers through his pubic hair. She then kissed him gently along his neck, her hand barely brushing over his manhood and moving away.

She whispered in his ear, “Did they…touch you?”

Tony shook his head.

Minnie gently moved him so that he was lying on his back. As soon as his back touched the bed, though, he hissed in pain.

She froze. “What’s wrong?”

“Back. Whipped. Silver,” Tony tried to explain through gritted teeth. Pain roared through his back and tears filled his eyes.

Minnie gently turned him to lie on his stomach. Reaching over him, she turned the bedside lamp on and pulled the cover completely off his back.

Hissing sympathetically, she growled, “I want to rip your Alpha apart for doing this to you!”

He moved his head slightly, needing to see her. What he saw was anger. It was anger at the pain he was in. It felt so good to know that someone finally cared about what happened to him.

“I’m going to lick your wounds to quicken the healing.”

“Silver!”

“After your shower, that should be gone,” she reassured him.

With a sigh, he gave in, and she gently began to lick his back.