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tropes-and-tales · 5 months

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Mending Fences

Day 15: Virginity (Rhett Abbott x F!Reader)

(For the 2023 Kinktober event that I created on my own because I am boring and basic and am trying to keep it simple this year...found here!)

CW: Childhood friends; yee-haw angst; idiots in love; pining; smut (PiV, protected and unprotected); 18+ only.

Word Count: 6954

AN: This is a sequel to this, and it was requested for Kinktober by an anonymous type!

AN2: Believe me when I say this is not beta read and has not been edited at all. Shitty first drafts, all. Shitty first drafts foisted into publication.

Rhett doesn’t see you again for three years.

Wabang remains largely the same. Maria leaves town and Rhett despairs to have missed his chance. He throws himself into the ranch, into rodeo. He drinks. He scraps with the Tillersons.

Perry and Rebecca make him an uncle, which delights him. Royal makes his disappointment in his younger son no secret, which hurts Rhett deeper than he’ll admit to anyone.

Three years. Cecilia mentions you from time to time. When she runs into your uncle in town, she gets the news, which she conveys over the dinner table to the rest of the Abbotts. By the time it trickles down to Rhett, it’s just facts: how you like college, how you’re getting good grades.

Rhett doesn’t think his mother knows about your falling out. He thinks your uncle can guess at it: when Rhett sees the man in town, he’s met with a stony stare, curt words.

He hates the way he left it with you. Every time he thinks about it, his stomach twists and cramps at the wash of shame that courses through him. There are many times during those three years apart that he thinks of you, that he has the idle thought to reach out. He has your number, your email. He could reach out. He could apologize.

He always thinks of you when he’s working on the lower field of the Abbott Ranch. It butts against your family’s ranch, a quarter mile of shared fencing, and part of the reason why his mother and yours had been such good friends—and why you and Rhett had been childhood friends too. There’s a section of fencing with a gap perfectly sized for a child’s body, and both you and Rhett had squeezed through it plenty of times as you went to each other’s houses.

He doesn’t know why your friendship faded. You used to be inseparable as children, the best of friends. You used to play in the Abbott barn with Rhett until Royal shooed you both away. Rhett used to sleep beside you in a tent in your backyard, your mother within earshot and ready to usher you inside if either of you lost your nerve after a night of telling each other ghost stories.

And when your parents died, Rhett did everything he could to help, in his own childish way: he clowned around to try and coax a smile from you, he offered awkward hugs when you cried. Once, he even baked you cookies (with Cecilia’s help).

The drifting apart came in middle school, he guesses. That’s when the boys and girls started to separate. That’s when Perry made sly jokes about you, called you Rhett’s little girlfriend, and Rhett bristled at the taunt while you looked hurt at Rhett’s bristling. You spent less time together: Rhett fell in with the other boys who drove their trucks outside of town for bonfire parties on the range and dreamed of rodeo and buckle bunnies while you turned inward, studied harder, started dreaming of life outside of Wabang.

When he works on the Abbott ranch’s lower field, he sees the gap in the fencing and marvels that he was ever small enough to squeeze through it…and yet it gives him a pang to see it, to remember those golden years of his childhood he spent with you.

He could reach out. He could apologize. He could, after an opening salvo, express his own confusion and frustration about why you had asked him to take your virginity in the first place. He guesses that you trust him—or trusted him—but he can’t pretend it didn’t unnerve him all the same.

He could reach out, but he doesn’t.

Rhett doesn’t see you again for three years.

-----

It comes with no warning, the next time he sees you. There’s been no chatter about you returning to Wabang for the summer. You’ve spent other summers at college, working internships and taking classes, so Rhett didn’t expect to see you this summer.

Rhett sees you in the town proper, just like that, like it’s just another day. Which it is, except there you are: standing outside of a restaurant, balancing a flat box of pizza in one hand while a six-pack of beer dangles from the other hand. You’ve been cornered by one of the older Wabang residents, the mother of one of your high school classmates, and judging by the expression on your face, Rhett guesses you’re calculating how to extricate yourself from the situation.

He's idling in his truck and only has a moment to study you. You look exactly the same—same face, same hair—yet you seem completely different. It takes Rhett a long moment to realize why; he doesn’t piece it together until he’s pulled away and is driving towards the ranch.

You seem different because you seem taller—because you’re standing straight. Perfect posture, shoulders back. Rhett’s never seen you stand like that before: as a teenager, you had a way of walking bent over a little, your shoulders rounded over and in like you were trying to pull in on yourself.

-----

He catches glimpses of you here and there. He hears people mention you—college girl back from the great wider world—and Rhett can’t quite account for the feelings your name or face stir up in him. Sometimes it makes him duck his head, slink around guilty, like others could read those terrible words his said to you the last time he saw you.

Pity-fucking the town orphan, he had said. The words are seared into his memory, as permanent as any tattoo.

Other times, though, the mention of your name or a glimpse of you fills him with a lightness, an airy feeling he remembers from your childhood together. Like all he has to do is slip through that gap in the fencing to go find you, to take your hand in his for some adventure.

-----

It’s funny how some of the stringent cliques of high school soften once everyone graduates. Rhett still hangs out with his friends from then, since none of them have left Wabang, but interlopers come and go and are no worse for wear for it.

The bonfires still occur out on the range but there’s less stridency about who does and doesn’t belong, who was and wasn’t invited.

You never went to a bonfire in high school. You weren’t exactly friendless back then, but you hung with similarly quiet and studious girls. Girls who spent their Friday nights sleeping over at each other’s houses, watching movies and dreaming about lives far from Wabang. But one early summer night, you turn up at the bonfire, in tow with Billy Tillerson and his girlfriend and a handful of other friends.

That riot of feelings. Guilt and hope in equal measure. The beer Rhett has already drank doesn’t help. He’s just tipsy enough, his thoughts just fuzzy and sluggish enough that when you turn up in the circle of firelight, he openly gapes at you, and it draws your attention.

Three years after that terrible fucking night at the hotel, Rhett Abbott is finally looking you square in the eye.

Pity-fucking the town orphan, his memory hisses at him, and a sick wave of shame washes through him.

But if you’re remembering the terrible thing he said, Rhett can’t tell. You stare at him in the flickering firelight, but then you tip your head at him, a scant nod, and the corners of your lips curve into a semblance of a smile.

It’s been three years, so it’s better than nothing.

-----

He sees you again in the next few weeks, here and there. At the bar, around town. Each time, you exchange nods of recognition but little else.

Cecilia gets wind of you being back for the summer, and she spends a Saturday morning baking up a double batch of your favorite cookies—pumpkin chocolate chip. She underbakes them a shade so they stay soft in the middle, just as you and Rhett always liked them best when you were kids, and then she thrusts the foil-covered platter into her younger son’s hands with the directive to deliver them to you.

Maybe Rhett never gave his mother enough credit. Cecilia seems to know about the rift between you after all.

“Life’s too short to stay mad,” she tells him before she sends him on his way.

“Who says anyone’s mad?”

She rolls her eyes, a universal expression that all mothers seem to have that says I’m your mother, you’re not pulling a fast one on me.

“Her mom and I were best friends, but we had our spats. We never let it turn into a cold war, though. Talk it out, yell if you have to, but work through it.” She pats his shoulder, and her eyes have a film of tears as she remembers her best friend, your mother, dead now for these long years. “Life’s too short.”

-----

Something about his mother’s words make Rhett take the old path to your house—through the lower field, to the gap in the shared fencing, though he has to climb over the fence now that he’s too big to squeeze through the narrow space between the posts.

Each step towards your farmhouse brings back a million memories. There’s the overgrown bank of Rocky Mountain iris. Rhett remembers how you cut a bouquet of them (uneven, stems weeping sap) for when his childhood dog died and was buried behind the Abbott barn. There’s a wide fire pit where your father used to patiently supervise as the two of you caught marshmallows on fire for s'mores. There’s the flat patch of prairie where your parents pitched a small pup-tent that you and Rhett used to sleep in during warm summer nights.

It baffles him that he used to sleep right beside you, tucked in his Power Rangers sleeping bag while you slept in your Sailor Moon one beside him. It baffles him how childhood can be so completely innocent, and how it can slip away in an instant.

The house looks the same from the outside, and when Rhett knocks at the back door, he finds that he’s…not excited, exactly. But not dreading it. You were his best friend, and his mother is right. Life is too short.

Your uncle is the one who answers the door, and the cool expression on his face pulls Rhett up short. But he says nothing other than “c’mon in, then,” and once Rhett steps into the house, your uncle hollers for you somewhere deeper in the home. Tells you that you have a visitor and that he’s heading into town for supplies.

Then Rhett hears the familiar cadence of you running down the stairs, and it tugs at something in his chest—you ran down those stairs the same way as a child, hitting the top three carefully, then rushing down the rest. You must meet your uncle near the front door because he hears the two of you murmuring, but he can’t make out the words. Then the door slamming, the roar of your uncle’s truck’s engine, and then you’re standing in front of him, the same semblance of a smile from the bonfire.

*****

The two of you sit outside near the fire pit, the platter of cookies between you. You have no idea what bit Rhett’s ass, but after the barest bit of small talk (“How’s it going?” and “How’s college?”), he immediately launches into the big shit.

“I hate how we left it,” he starts. “That night. You know.”

You bite back a snort, and you pluck another cookie from the platter, break it in half, pop it in your mouth. You chew slowly, give yourself time for that old wash of shame to course through you, then ebb away. It still makes your face burn hot, three years later. Every time the memory surfaces, you shove it down, but not before you remember the mortification of getting cold feet, of standing in front of him half naked while he called you the town orphan.

“Yeah,” you reply.

“I should have never said it.”

You shrug. “S’fine.”

“It’s not.” He sighs, takes his ball cap off and swipes his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. I shoulda said it sooner. Should have apologized that same night.”

You glance over at him. You take in his profile: his jaw twitches at how tight he must be clenching it, and his blue eyes are fixed out in the field, the stretch of land between your ranch and his. He’s so damned handsome, but you often forget the fact because you still think of him as just the boy next door, your childhood best friend, and you didn’t think of him in terms of “handsome” or not back then.

You shift your gaze back to your shoes. “I should have apologized too. I should have never put you in that position in the first place.” A beat, and you add, softer, “I’m sorry, Rhett.”

You hear movement beside you and feel his eyes on you. “You don’t have to apologize for that.” He sounds surprised, and it makes you turn and look him in the eyes for the first time since you sat down.

“I do. It was awkward, and I made it more awkward, and it was stupid.” You shake your head, huff in frustration to remember the girl you’d been three years ago. Not that long, really, but you’ve grown up a lot since then. “I was an idiot.”

Rhett chances a smile. “You’re a lot of things, but idiot isn’t one of them.”

“Yeah, but it was stupid to ask you.”

His smile slips a bit; he leans back a shade. “It wasn’t stupid—”

“I mean, I put you in a weird position. That’s all I mean. And it was stupid for me to be so worried about it. It’ll happen how it happens. We aren’t…I mean, we weren’t…” You trail off, huff in frustration again. “We used to be best friends.”

He sighs too. “Yeah, I know.”

“And then we weren’t.”

“I know.”

“And I guess I was getting nervous about leaving Wabang, and nervous about going away to college, and I missed my friend and had this…this problem, I guess, so…” You hold up your hands, helpless, and it makes Rhett smile again.

“Not everything is a problem that you need to solve,” he says, and he sways towards you, elbows you in the side just like he used to do.

You laugh a little. “That was, though.”

“It really wasn’t.”

“Says the guy who never had that problem.”

He laughs, elbows you lightly again. “You give me too much credit.”

That makes you remember the tenor of the situation three years ago. High school. Rhett pining over Maria. She left Wabang, you heard.

“I’m sorry,” you tell him now. “I heard Maria left town.”

He shrugs but doesn’t say anything about it. He reaches out for another cookie and eats it, licks a crumb off his thumb.

“Anyway, I accept your apology, and I’m sorry I made things so weird,” you add.

He chuckles, elbows you a third time. “I accept your apology, and I’m sorry I made things fucking awful.”

You elbow him back finally, the answer to his outreach, the old call and response from your childhood. “I missed you, you know. In high school and in college both.”

“I missed you too,” he replies, and it feels good, like you’ve excised some old wound together, and now you can perhaps be friends again.

*****

The two of you don’t go all the way back to childhood, but you build something else. Tentative at first, stilted moments of conversation when you see each other in the wild, but each time feels a little easier.

You’re interning with the town veterinary clinic, and you join the old doctor as he makes house calls from ranch to ranch. You help steady horses while he vaccinates them. You smear on paste for ringworm, hold his instruments when he cleans a hoof abscess. You help him birth breech cattle; you stroke the muzzle of an old dog when it’s put to sleep.

Rhett sees you when you join the vet at the Abbott ranch one day. Royal’s favorite mare has a bad back hoof, and it makes Rhett smile to see you so professional. You question Royal about the horse’s diet; you question the vet about what he thinks. The vet asks you for your opinion, and you pause before you answer, look off into the distance thoughtfully before you tell him that a supplement of copper and zinc will help.

Cecilia invites you in afterwards for lemonade, and you accept gratefully. The two of you chat, and Rhett is left as a third wheel so he gets to look his fill of you. You seem more…comfortable with yourself. He noticed it that first day when he saw you again in Wabang. You sit up straight; you don’t curl in on yourself like you want to be invisible. He remembers you from high school, how you always seemed to be mid-cringe…and it reminds him of that night in the hotel, how you had cringed away from him, shirtless as he got frustrated because you had been nervous.

He knows he apologized and you apologized and it should all be behind you, but it still makes him feel queasy with shame. Pity-fucking the town orphan.

“Your mom would be proud,” Cecilia tells you, and you duck your head, mumble something, and just like that, you’re that high school girl again. It makes the queasy wash of shame cede to a wave of protectiveness in Rhett.

Then you stand up and thank her for the lemonade, and she makes you promise to join them for dinner soon. When you nod at Rhett, you try to step past him but he blocks your path.

“Hug tax,” he says, but it makes you burst into laughter. Your mom used to do that: block yours (and his, when he visited) path, demanded hugs as payment for passage.

“I smell like horse manure and sweat, Rhett Abbott.”

“I guarantee you I smell worse, but rules are rules.” He holds his arms open, and you laugh again, step into them for a moment. When he whispers “you stink” into your ear, it earns him a squawk of outrage and a pinch to his side, but you laugh the whole way back to your truck.

-----

You join them for dinner a few nights later. You get to meet the newest Abbotts, Rebecca and Amy, and you break up the general tension that radiates off of the dour Royal like a miasma.

The dinner is largely uneventful. Rhett catches you matching faces across the table at Amy, which makes the little girl laugh. Cecilia asks about your years at college so far, and Perry jokingly asks if you’ve had any boyfriends since Rhett.

“No, none,” you reply simply, but it makes Rhett think. It makes the gears start to turn. He always assumed your so-called problem was solved while you were away, your virginity shed in some dorm room or apartment or at a party. But he searches back to that conversation you had when he brought you the peace-offering cookies. What did you say as you stammered out your own apology?

It’ll happen how it happens.

Present tense, not past.

-----

He verifies it over that same weekend. There’s another bonfire. You turn up with the same crew as before—apparently you’re friendly with Billy Tillerson’s girlfriend. Now that you and Rhett are back on good terms, he approaches you halfway through the night, and the two of you peel off a little separate from the rest.

“Big fan of the Tillersons then?” he asks, his tone mock-disgusted. You hear the underlying playfulness and laugh.

“There’s a certain brand loyalty there, yeah.”

Rhett pulls a face, which makes you elbow him. “Why?”

“Well, their cousin Drew took me to the winter formal sophomore year.”

“So?”

Another elbow to his side. “He was my first kiss.”

“Gross.”

You laugh again. “It could have been worse. He popped a mint beforehand, at least.”

Rhett grunts at that, but he lets the moment lie for a beat before he asks, in a tone he hopes is casual, “did Drew Tillerson help you with your other problem too?”

You laugh again, but there’s less merriment in it. “Negative, Ghost Rider.”

Maybe he shouldn’t push it, but he’s had a few shots of Fireball chased by plenty of beer, so he plunges head-first. “Someone at college, then?”

That doesn’t elicit a laugh. “No,” you reply, and now there’s an edge of tension in your voice. A tread lightly edge. Which…Rhett Abbott rarely treads lightly—he more often charges headfirst like a bull, and that’s exactly what he does now.

“Someone I know?”

“No.” He glances at you, catches your narrowed eyes fixed on the fire. “Leave it, Rhett.”

He doesn’t leave it. He plunges head first. “So it’s still a problem?”

It must be. You must still be a virgin because you’re so discomfited. You obviously hear judgement in his voice—judgement that doesn’t exist, of course—because you hike your shoulders up around your ears and hunch away from him. You look so much like your high school self, suddenly insecure and cringing, and you mumble something about it not being a problem for you, so it shouldn’t be a problem for anyone else, and then you duck away to go find someone else to talk to.

-----

The two of you hang out through the summer. He works at the ranch and you have your internship, but you fall into the habit of spending the evenings together. The weekends. You go to the rodeo with him, watch from the stands. Sometimes you sit with Perry and Rebecca when they come, and Perry makes sly comments to Rhett afterwards. He calls you his girlfriend, just as he had teased when you were kids, but it hits Rhett different now.

Things with you feel easy. Low stakes. You’re friends again, and you slowly open up to each other. Rhett tells you a little about Royal, their difficult relationship that has only grown more strained the older Rhett has gotten. You talk about college, how lonely it can be since you are so focused on your studies. Veterinary school is more competitive than med school, you tell him, so how can you make time for friends?

The corollary is how can you make time for love? How can you make time to lose your virginity?

When you asked him to take your virginity three years ago, he had been confused and a little uncomfortable about he. He couldn’t understand why you’d ask him, but with three years’ worth of added life experience, Rhett guesses that you asked because you trust him. Wabang isn’t that big of a town. There’s a dearth of available men you could have asked, especially back in high school.

Three years later, the memory makes a million emotions flit through Rhett. A nostalgia for when life was slightly easier back then. Shame that he had said what he did, sadness that he didn’t reach out sooner, that he let the bad feelings lie for three years.

But you had trusted him, even back then, so he wonders if you trust him now. Would you ask him again, if you weren’t so embarrassed? What if that evening in the hotel room had gone differently? What if, instead of getting frustrated with how nervous you were, he had been a gentler man—what if he had handed you your shirt, pulled you into a hug, laid down on the bed with you and watched a movie instead? What if you had fallen asleep together instead, just like when you were kids?

He has to wonder if that disastrous evening has made your virginity an even bigger deal. That you had a plan to lose it, and that plan had gone horribly, so now it’s more of an issue.

Pity-fucking the town orphan. The memory stings. There were so many kinder things he could have said.

Well, he has a semblance of a second chance now. He sees you nearly every day. You laugh with him again, have long chats. Maybe he can do it over again, better the second time around.

-----

He’s the one who asks, the second time around.

The two of you are in his truck, driving back from Wabang. Your truck is in the shop, so Rhett picked you up from work, but he takes the long way home. You fiddle with the radio, scan through the static until you find the old country station out of Jackson. There’s an old Loretta Lynn song playing that you hum along to, and you seem to be in a good mood, so Rhett plunges headfirst into it.

“If you wanted to try again,” he says, and his voice is rough at the edges. “I was gonna offer…”

He trails off, and you stop humming along, and Loretta finishes her song, gives way to Merle Haggard singing about how his mama tried.

“Rhett,” is all you say, but his name is both a sigh and a warning.

“I’m just saying.” He swallows, tightens his grip on the steering wheel. “I messed up before. Ruined it.” He glances over at you, but your face is turned away from him. You’re looking out the window at the Wyoming dusk as the sun sets.

“Rhett, c’mon.” Less a warning now, more a plea.

“I want to,” is all he says, and you don’t reply. You don’t say anything else other than to murmur your thanks for the ride when he drops you off, and he doesn’t talk to you again until you call him days later and say, “okay.”

-----

Three years later, he does so much better.

He keeps it simple this time. He remembers all those sleepovers in the pup tent, your parents within earshot of any nighttime terrors. He remembers sleeping beside you, waking up to dawn bleeding in through the nylon of the tent, dew coating everything when your mom would unzip the little door and tell you that there were chocolate chip pancakes ready for the two of you.

You’ve never been a high maintenance sort of girl. You’ve always loved the wilderness around Wabang, the endless sky and wild storms and purple mountain ranges in the distance. Where better than to do this than under the night sky, out on the range?

Rhett lays down a thick bedroll in the bed of his truck, then covers it with blankets. It’s a banner night in Wyoming: cool but not cold, the warmth of the summer day bleeding away to a comfortable coolness. The bugs are few. The sky is a velvety blue-black above you, the stars a scatter of diamonds tossed across it. The faintest band of orange glows in the west, the last bit of sunlight before it’s full dark.

You’re just as nervous as before, but Rhett keeps his head this time. He’s not a boy masquerading as a man this time; he’s older, smarter, has more experience. Three years ago, Rhett only had a handful of sexual encounters to his repertoire—a handful of disappointing moments, drunken rendezvous with girls from high school, a couple of flings. Nothing deep or meaningful.

He smooths his hands over your arms, then reaches up and cups your face. He studies you a moment, takes in the unsteady way you’re breathing. You’re his oldest and dearest friend, and he feels a weird twinge in his chest. He chalks it up to nervousness on his part, but he’ll wonder later if perhaps it is love.

“Okay?” he asks, and you nod.

He bends his head and kisses you, and it’s the same as before. You’re tentative with each other, but you warm up to him quickly: you kiss him back, tease at him with a shy little sweep of your tongue, and when he opens his mouth to deepen the kiss, you’re right there—sighing against him, sinking your teeth lightly into his lower lip before you suck against it.

You must have kissed, at least, in college. You’re better at it now. The thought should encourage him—he won’t be your only experience—but he feels an odd wash of jealousy. He pictures you making out with someone better than him, better looking and smarter and on track to being more successful.

He takes it as slow as you need. He lets you set the pace. He strips you out of your clothing, and he allows you to strip him out of his, and you don’t cringe from him this time. It’s likely because it’s dark outside; Rhett can’t see much, but you feel amazing under his searching hands, soft and warm. When he trails his fingertips over your bare skin, he feels how you break out in goosebumps, and he marvels at how sensitive you are.

Rhett’s learned a lot in the intervening years. He’s no longer an eighteen year-old fumbling through sexual interludes. He has a better understanding of women. He spends a long moment stretched out beside you in the bed of his truck, working his fingers into your tight heat, feeling how wet you get as he eases you into this. He pushes one finger, then a second. He scissors them inside you, feels the slick muscles of your core push back against him.

“Just relax,” he whispers against your neck, and he kisses you there. He feels your pulse under his lips, and he nuzzles against you, takes in the scent of your skin. A moment later, he feels you relax a fraction, the tight grip on his fingers released just a bit.

He can feel you relax more as he kisses you, as he fingers you. You’re warming up to the moment, pushing past whatever insecurities you have. The setting helps, he thinks. It’s not some anonymous hotel room with beige carpeting and the faint scent of old secondhand smoke. It’s outside, the open range of your home that you love so much. A waning moon and a million stars burn above you. It must be a million times more magical than a three-star hotel by the interstate exit.

It's certainly better for him. It takes him no time at all to get hard, even if he’s nervous. You’re his oldest, dearest friend, and he’s never thought of you as a woman, really. He’s never considered you as a sexual being, so it’s a revelation to see your naked body under the faint moonlight. It’s a revelation to touch you, to cup your breasts and to put his lips against your pebbled nipples, to grind his cock against your bare hip to relieve the tension that coils tight and hot in his belly.

Rhett stretches out on the bed roll. He fumbles for his discarded jeans, finds the foil packet. He scrambles to roll a condom onto himself, and then he encourages you to take charge, to take your first time into your own hands.

“You’re in charge,” he murmurs. He takes your hand, threads his fingers through yours. He tugs you towards him until your face is pressed near his, and he brushes his lips against yours. “Just like ridin’ a horse.”

You snort softly. “Am I gonna need a riding helmet for this?”

He grins up at you. “I won’t buck you off.”

He guides you as you straddle him, grasps the softness of your hips as you settle over him. He grips the base of his cock, gives himself a couple of strokes, then holds himself steady as you lower yourself, slide against his length, and even through the latex he can feel how warm you are.

Then you reach down and take him in hand, and it should feel weird, his best friend wrapping her fingers around his cock, but it doesn’t, and Rhett doesn’t question why because you may be a virgin but you understand the mechanics of this, and you notch the blunt head of his cock at your entrance. When you start to slowly lower yourself onto him, every blessed thought drains out of his head, and every bit of his attention focuses on where he’s entering you—the unbearably tight grip you have, the way your hands settle on his chest as you brace yourself. You take it slow—so goddamned slow—stilling, taking a breath, then pushing onwards.

When you’re settled onto him, when you’re sitting flush against him, Rhett breathes out a harsh, punched-out breath, and he asks if you’re okay. His voice is rough. His throat feels too dry. It feels unreal. His oldest, dearest friend, the girl he used make s’mores with and trade ghost stories with…you’re naked, you’re nodding at his question, you’re sitting on him, and his cock is buried in your depths. He’s just taken your virginity, and his throat feels too dry and too tight, and his brain struggles to think of the perfect thing to say to you, but your body starts to move above him and he never has a chance to say it.

Your rhythm is clumsy at first, too fast, too jerky. Rhett grasps your waist and guides you gently. He sets you in a slower, more even rhythm; you ride him steadily and you make the cutest little whimpers each time to settle back on him. Each time you do, the coil of tension in his lower belly tightens more, and Rhett breathes carefully to avoid coming too soon.

He slips one hand from your hip and reaches to where you’re joined to him. He finds your clit, slick and swollen, and he traces an infinity symbol there, around and ‘round with his thumb that makes those cute whimpers turn into outright moans. He senses that you’re holding back, but you’re in the middle of nowhere.

“No need to be quiet,” he tells you. “Lemme hear it, baby.”

You moan louder at that, the command or the sweet-talking nickname or both, and he notices that you start to pick up the pace, riding him faster, so he does the same—he rubs against your clit harder, faster, because he feels his own orgasm coming up fast at him. His balls feel heavy and taut, and he’s so damned close—

“C’mon, let go,” he growls, but his sedate passivity crumbles. He sits up underneath you, jerks a squeal from you as he sits up and wraps his arms around you. He pulls you closer to him, and the change in position grants him another quarter-inch into you, and it makes the base of his cock grind against your clit with each bounce in his lap.

“Let go,” he orders; he mumbles it against your lips. “I wanna feel you come, baby. Wanna feel you come for the first time,” he says, but when you open your mouth to respond, he kisses you, shoves his tongue into your panting mouth, licks against you as you whimper from deep in your throat.

Then he feels it. He feels it—the way your orgasm breaks through you, the hard snap of your hips as you arch against him, as your cunt grips him: your breasts pressed against his bare chest, your arms tight around his shoulders. You drop your head on his shoulder, and he feels your mouth there. You stifle the sounds of your pleasure against him, and he’d admonish you, but as your orgasm tears through you, he feels the sharp bite of your teeth into his skin, and it unlocks a kink Rhett never knew he had because the sting of pain is what makes the tension in him snap. He groans out your name, manages a shit—fuck—baby, then he comes too, ropes of his cum spilling in the condom as you tremble in his arms.

-----

In the end, Rhett Abbott claims your first time that night on the range, under the stars.

He gets your second time too, later that same night: him on top of you, you with your legs wrapped around him, making good use of the spare condom he brought along.

He gets your third time as well, the next day. It’s a quick moment, a bona fide quickie in the Abbott barn, the scent of clean hay and sweat as he bends you over the railing of an empty horse stall. He pulls out in plenty of time, pants as you turn around to grasp him and jerk him off the rest of the way, his cum spilling over your warm palm.

And your fourth time. He sneaks into your bedroom, and though your uncle is out of town for the night, Rhett still pretends you need to be quiet: he spoons you from behind, hikes your leg over his and slides into you. He breathes quietly as he fucks you gently, and he clasps a hand over your mouth as you come, and when your teeth nip into his calloused palm, he groans and comes too.

The next morning, your fifth time as you sit on the kitchen counter and wrap your legs around his ass as he drives into you.

Rhett never examines his feelings around it. When he’s alone—baling hay, fixing fences along the ranch parameter—he doesn’t let his thoughts ruminate over you too much. There’s a truth there, buried under all the sexual interludes and underneath all the shared history and hurt, but he doesn’t excavate it.

He only lets the facts stand. You’re his oldest, dearest friend. You are sexually compatible. End of story.

*****

You have plans to meet Rhett in town, at the bar. You’ve had a long day at your job, deworming a flock of sheep, and you smell terrible, so you stop home to shower and change your clothes. You stare at your closet critically; you’ve suffered for lack of a mother in your formative years. You don’t quite understand how to be a woman—you know there’s different lengths of skirts, for example, that work best depending on one’s height or shoes, but you’re damned if you know what those rules are.

Still, you want to look nice. You want to look nice for Rhett. Under torture, you’d probably admit it, but you can barely even admit it to yourself: you’re in love with him. You have been for a while. You loved him when you were children in that vague, puppyish way kids love each other. You loved him when you were in high school, pined from afar and moped over sad songs on the radio because he never looked your way.

And now here you are. Hope bubbles up in you from time to time, when you’re alone and considering what your future might hold. You always had a deep, bleak dread that you’d always be alone—sudden orphanhood can warp a psyche, you guess. But for the first time, you have tentative moments of hope.

You find a sundress, the cotton a little faded but in the low lights of the bar, no one should notice. You pull on a pair of strappy sandals. You dust your face and neck with some of your mother’s old luminating powder, and the scent of it makes a sharp blade of melancholy lance through you.

Then you drive into Wabang, and your stomach gets those fluttery butterflies as you park, slip your keys into your purse, and walk in.

It takes a moment to find him. He usually posts at the bar when he’s waiting for you, the door in his line of sight, but when you enter the din of the bar, he’s nowhere to be found. Maybe he found a buddy and is chatting with him. Maybe he’s in the bathroom.

If your hope bubbles up in you, effervescent, then your hope is easily popped when you find Rhett. He’s not in the bathroom and he hasn’t found a buddy, but he’s found Maria Olivares. The wayward dream girl has returned, and she’s as gorgeous as ever (she must understand skirt lengths, you guess), and her lovely face is tilted towards Rhett as she laughs at whatever he says. And worse, his handsome face is lit up like a damned Christmas tree, laughing too, and your hope is popped and burnt to the ground and the earth around it is salted because Rhett has never looked at you like that.

“It’s okay,” you whisper to yourself, and you turn on your heel and fast-walk out of the bar. The path back to your truck shimmers, wavers in front of you. You realize it’s because your eyes are full of tears, and when you realize it, they break free, start to course down your face.

“It’s okay,” you tell yourself, and you repeat it over and over: as you get into your truck, as you turn the ignition, as you peel out of the parking lot and as your tires throw up an arc of gravel. You repeat it like a mantra, and you fix your attention on the road. You drive home; you leave Rhett at the bar, and it’s a confirmation when he doesn’t text you until the next morning asking where you’ve been.

By then, though, you’re already halfway gone. It’s August, after all, and school is starting again soon, and leaving Wabang a few weeks early is easy enough.

#rhett abbott #rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbott imagine #outer range #tropes and tales #kinktober 2023

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lewmagoo · 6 months

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try a little tenderness | rhett abbott

description: in which you take care of each other in different ways

pairing: rhett abbott x f!reader

warnings: 18+ only, slight angst, very brief mention of religious trauma, rhett's childhood trauma, smut, dom/sub undertones, rhett is a switch, mention of kink play, oral (m receiving), deep throating, cum swallowing

notes: just a self-indulgent little somethin'-somethin' with some holiday vibes to go along with it. hope y'all enjoy

You were barely holding it together.

The rain that poured from the dreary sky seemed to encapsulate your mood as you made your way home from work that evening. It was mid-November, and the weather was just beginning to make its shift into winter.

On your little homestead, you and your husband had been battening down the hatches, preparing the house and the surrounding property for the onslaught of frigid temperatures and snow storms that were sure to blow in over the next few weeks.

Wyoming winters were long and hard. But somehow, you didn’t mind them that much. Not when you had your little farmhouse to snuggle into on days when the weather got bad. You’d moved into the house when you and Rhett had first gotten married. Although it was a house that had been in your family for years, it was a fixer-upper, and everyone had told you that you were wasting your money. But the two of you were determined to make a home out of it. And you had. It was a safe haven for both of you.

And now, you were running to it, seeking refuge in its warmth, and in the comfort of your husband’s arms, because he was what made it a home.

They say home is where the heart is. He was your heart.

He was so much steadier than you were. At the moment, you felt incredibly fragile. As if a gust of cold wind would shatter you into millions of tiny pieces and leave Rhett to have to pick up those pieces and painstakingly glue you back together.

You’d been trying, but failing, to hold in your tears the entire thirty-minute drive home. You couldn’t even bring yourself to turn on your driving playlist to occupy the silence, you were simply too overwhelmed and needed the peace and quiet.

All you could think about was how deeply you longed to be in Rhett’s comforting embrace. He was the only one who could console you when you were like this. And he loved being that for you. Knowing he was your source of comfort above all others made him feel special. It made him feel needed.

It was him you depended on. Him you allowed to see you at your most vulnerable. He cherished those moments. Even though it pained him to see you suffering, it brought him some semblance of peace to know that he was providing you comfort.

He knew that things had been difficult for you as of late. You were at a crossroads in your life, forced to make some hard decisions that had been weighing heavily on you. You’d spent countless hours agonizing over them.

Sometimes, it felt as if your only easy choice in life had been choosing to marry Rhett. You’d known beyond a shadow of a doubt that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with him. He was good. He was kind. And he loved you. Did he come with his fair share of struggles? Absolutely. But that was what made him human. All the things he had been through had shaped him into the perfect man for you.

You had both gone through hell to get to each other. Your souls were bonded together, forged in the fires of great tribulation. But you were stronger together because of it.

You had built a life together. One of peace and security, far away from those who had wronged you. Rhett had distanced himself from his family. He only kept in contact with his mother and his niece.

Gone were the days of walking on eggshells, trying to avoid knock-down drag-out arguments with his brother. He didn’t have to use that sort of caution with you, because you never treated him that way. He’d learned how to communicate his feelings, rather than fight about them. There were never screaming matches within the walls of your home. Never a raised voice. Never a harmful hand laid upon the other.

It was a place of solace. And that was why you were running to it.

As you pulled into the driveway, the rain gave way as the first flakes of November snow began to swirl from the sky. Normally, you would stop to admire them, but you hardly even noticed the white flurries as you pulled into the carport next to the house.

Your eyes were blurring with hot tears, and all you wanted was to get inside, to find Rhett and fall into his arms. But as you climbed out of the car, the strap of your bag got caught on the gearshift. You didn’t notice until it was too late, and in a very dramatic turn of events, the force of the catch was enough to send you stumbling. On the way down, your ribs clashed with the bottom edge of your car, sending sharp pain blossoming through your torso.

You yelped, squeezing your eyes shut as you breathed through the ache. Meanwhile, Rhett was inside the house, having just seen the flash of your headlights in the window, signaling that you’d arrived home. Eagerly, he headed to the kitchen, with the intent of making dinner, because it was his night to do so. He was making grilled cheese, the one thing he had finally mastered in the kitchen, and he wanted it to be nice and hot for you, so he’d waited until that moment to begin preparing dinner.

But as he set to work, he noticed that it was taking you a while to come inside. Curious, he glanced out the window that overlooked the carport, and to his surprise, he saw you on the ground next to your car.

His jovial mood dissipated, replaced with concern. Without hesitation, he hurried to the door, where he shoved his feet into his worn, old boots and then wrenched the door open.

“Darlin’?” He called out, as he stepped outside, boots crunching on gravel. Quickly, he rounded your car, which gave him a full view of you crumpled on the ground, crying. Immediately, he was rushing to your aid. “What happened?! Are y’alright?”

He knelt beside you, wide-eyed, searching your body for any signs of outward harm. His protective instincts had kicked in.

“I-I fell,” you managed to whimper out. Honestly, it wasn’t even the fact that you’d fallen that kept you on the ground. It was the fact that you were entirely depleted of physical and emotional strength, and once you’d hit the ground, you couldn’t bring yourself to stand back up.

“Are ya hurt?” That was his biggest concern. He’d drive you to the hospital if he had to.

Your bottom lip wobbled as a fresh wave of tears poured down your weather-cooled cheeks. “A-a little,” came your response. You knew that your ribs were going to bruise.

“Hospital hurt?”

“No.”

Rhett nodded, relaxing a little. “Alright. I’ll help ya up. Let’s get inside where it’s warm.”

Lovingly, he helped you to your feet, securing his arm around your waist, and grabbing your bag from the car before he led you into the house. The warmth washed over you immediately. You hadn’t realized how cold you were, but the slight tingle in your fingertips told you that you had certainly gotten a chill from outside.

Rhett closed the door behind you, effectively shutting out the cold. You stood there in the entryway, unmoving as you felt another wave of tears overcome you. Your husband hadn’t noticed yet, as he was taking off his boots, but when he stood up, he saw you frozen in place.

“What’s the matter, pun’kin?” He asked. His pronunciation of pumpkin, the sweet nickname he’d given you years ago when you were still dating.

His gentle concern was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Immediately, you turned, surging forward into his arms. It caught him by surprise, but he quickly recovered, wrapping you up in his embrace. You melted into a fit of sobs, burying your face against his broad chest.

“Hey now, I’ve got’ya. Ain’t never gonna let you go.”

His assurance only made you cry harder. You loved him so much. He was so good to you.

His hand, large and warm, came up to cradle the back of your head, and he slowly rocked from side to side, soothing you with a quiet “shh” as he let you cry. He didn’t inundate you with questions, although he did want to know what had you weeping so brokenly in his arms. It made his heart ache.

You weren’t sure how long you stood there in the entryway. It could’ve been a few minutes. It could’ve been a whole hour. But the comfort his embrace brought you was welcome. It calmed you down considerably.

After a while, you finally pulled back, lifting your face from his now tear-soaked shirt. His expression was soft, his lashes fluttering as he lifted his hand to dry what was left of your tears.

“Somebody make you cry?” He asked. He’d give them what-for if they had.

“I-it’s just…oh, it’s everything,” you whimpered. “Work sucked today, I felt like I was in fuckin’ purgatory. I don’t…I don’t know how much longer I can take this.”

Rhett sighed softly. Seeing you in pain made him feel so powerless. While he knew that he was providing you comfort, he still wished he could take all the hurt away. You didn’t deserve any of it. “I’m sorry.” He leaned in to kiss your forehead.

And then, “Let me take care of ya. ‘ve already got dinner started. How does a bath sound? I’ll get ya set up and then finish dinner so you can eat.”

“Good,” you whispered, as if you couldn’t find the strength to speak louder.

With a nod, Rhett set to work. “C’mon, let’s get you out of all these layers.”

He began carefully undoing your coat, which he removed from your body and promptly hung on the little coat rack by the door. Then he pulled your hat off your head and placed it on the pegboard that also housed different sets of keys.

He guided you to sit down on the bench near the shoe organizer, and there, he knelt before you, unlacing your boots. You watched him so tenderly, so reverently, care for you, and again, you felt yourself welling up with tears.

You hadn’t retained much from the time you’d spent growing up in church, aside from some trauma and a distaste for religion. But one Bible verse in particular popped into your head as you watched your husband remove your shoes. Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: But a faithful man who can find?

Rhett never asked for anything. He never bragged about himself or his accomplishments. He was good and kind. A little rough around the edges, but he treated you like royalty, and respected you deeply. He was faithful to you, and to the homestead you had built together. He didn’t wander. He didn’t seek intimacy in the arms of another. He was anchored to you, for better or worse.

And now he was guiding you up the stairs and to the bedroom, his arm secure around your waist, part of him always touching you. Grounding you. He guided you to sit on the bed, leaving a kiss against the top of your head before he sauntered over to the dresser to choose some pajamas for you.

You were in a haze, brought on by the rush of emotions you had experienced. Sleepy from crying, frazzled from your stress. You were lucky that Rhett was there to help you, because you felt so pathetic and incapable of caring for yourself in this state. You could manage alone if you had to, but you didn’t have to. As long as your husband was around, you’d never have to worry about being alone.

“You want to wear these, or these?” He asked, holding up a set of Christmas pajamas that were your own, and a pair of sweatpants and one of his Henleys.

Of course, you chose the sweats and his shirt, because you wanted to be entirely surrounded by everything that was him.

With your pajamas picked out, he guided you to the bathroom, where he had you sit upon the closed toilet seat while he began filling the tub, making sure the water was the perfect temperature. In the process, he grabbed the little space heater you kept in the bedroom, and he set it up in the corner of the bathroom, to warm up the cold tiles so you wouldn’t catch a chill.

You smiled fondly at his attentiveness. “I love you,” you spoke.

He paused, his face softening, his eyes fluttering. “And I love you, pun’kin.” He kissed the top of your head before he motioned for you to stand. There, he began undressing you, and you allowed him to, because you didn’t have the energy to do it yourself.

After the bath was filled, and the bubbles were in, he guided you into the water. “I’m gonna’ go finish makin’ us dinner, alright?”

But you frowned at that. “No, wan’ you to get in with me.”

“And I’d love to get in with ya, but you haven’t eaten anything since your lunch break, right?”

Sheepishly, you nodded. “Since 11:30 actually.”

“Uh-huh, exactly. That’s why I’m feedin’ you dinner. Ain’t no way I’m lettin’ my baby starve.” Another kiss was left upon your head. “Just relax and enjoy your bath. I’ll be back in a few to help ya get dressed. Then we can eat.”

That piqued your interest. “Can we watch a holiday movie?” You asked.

He hummed, a twinkle in his eye. “‘course we can, sweet thing.”

As he turned to leave, you spoke up. “Hey, Rhett?”

In the doorway, he turned. “Hm?”

“Thank you for takin’ care of me.”

He shook his head. “That ain’t somethin’ you need to thank me for. Carin’ for you is my job, and I’m always gonna do it.”

What a man he was. Once he left the room, you found yourself reflecting upon how blessed you were to have him. When you’d first met him, he was a broken man with so much love to give, but no one to bestow it upon, except for his niece. But she wasn’t his child, so he found himself holding back, because even though he didn’t agree with the way his brother parented her, he didn’t want to overstep.

Of course, he would’ve made a better father to Amy than Perry ever could. But that was neither here nor there. Now, Rhett barely spoke to his brother. For his own well-being, he’d cut ties with Royal and Perry. It was one of the hardest things he’d ever done, but he was better now because of it.

There were behaviors he’d worked hard to unlearn after he entered into a relationship with you. Trouble communicating and processing his emotions was the most glaring issue. Those first few years together were no picnic. You had argued often. All you asked for was for him to be open and honest with you. He bucked against it like an untamed horse. The thought of being exposed and vulnerable in that way terrified him.

He didn’t want you to see the wounded, ugly parts of him. Didn’t want you to see him cry, because his father had drilled into his head that showing emotion was feminine. Men don’t cry, he’d tell his son. It was simply because he didn’t want to deal with Rhett’s emotional nature.

Rhett, who had always been a sensitive soul, learned to hide that sensitivity early on. Don’t cry, for fear of being told “I’ll give you somethin’ to cry about.”

In recent years, since Amy was born, Royal had softened a bit. But he was still just as hard on his youngest son. Rhett was the workhorse. The dependable one. The one who would grit his teeth and get the job done without complaining.

And God forbid if he tried to complain. Royal wasn’t one for physical violence, it just wasn’t in his nature. But when Rhett was seventeen years old, he’d gotten fed up with the verbal lashing from his father. It was the first time he’d really tried to stand up for himself and tell Royal to shove it, in not-so-delicate terms. But it hadn’t ended well. Royal had backhanded Rhett so hard he saw stars, and ended up with a bloody lip.

The man had felt bad about his reaction, but the thing about Royal Abbott was, he didn’t apologize. It wasn’t in his nature. Rhett couldn’t remember a time when he’d ever heard ‘I’m sorry’ come out of his father’s mouth.

That moment was what made Rhett realize he couldn’t stay in such a toxic environment. He longed to leave the confines of the Abbott Ranch behind and pave his own way. But that was easier said than done. A sense of responsibility to his family kept him chained down to Wabang. He seemed to be destined to spend the rest of his days as a bull rider, living in his father’s shadow, busting his ass and receiving nothing in return.

And then he met you.

You made him believe there was more to life. You made him believe he could chase his dreams and achieve them. You made him believe in himself.

He had learned so much from you. And through you, he had found freedom. You were the first person, aside from Amy, who’d ever truly believed in him. And here he’d spend the better part of ten years pining after a girl named Maria, who had never and would never return his affection

He remembered being so glad when she returned to town after being at college for the last few years. He thought maybe things would be different. Maybe she would see him for who he was and finally reciprocate his feelings.

But all she’d done was string him along and make him feel like shit for never leaving Wabang. In the end, she lost any interest she might’ve had in Rhett, leaving him dejected.

And then you showed up. You were new in town. Your grandparents had just bought a new house in Florida, but still had yet to successfully sell their ranch. While they transitioned to a new house in a new state, they asked you if you would be willing to stay at their place until it sold. Dissatisfied with your current job and living situation, you agreed.

Soon, you found yourself in an unfamiliar town in Wyoming, the last place you ever thought you’d be. You got a job through Amelia Elementary School, teaching piano. One of your students was Amy Abbott, and this was how you met her uncle, Rhett.

You should have known it from the second you saw him. He appeared rough and tumble, but when he introduced himself to you, his eyes, bright and blue, were soft, and you swore you saw the hint of a blush in the apples of his cheeks.

That was what did you in. There was a softness to him that tugged on your heartstrings. You had Amy twice a week for lessons. Rhett picked her up each time, and you found yourself looking forward to seeing him.

Over the course of the next few months, he swallowed his fear of rejection and worked up the courage to ask you to go for coffee. Rhett wasn’t a fan of the fancy lattes and whatnot that Two Horns Coffee sold in downtown Wabang, but he’d noticed you often had a coffee cup from the place in hand, and he wanted to take you somewhere you liked.

That was how he found himself seated in a quaint little cafe that totally wasn’t his style, in favor of getting to know you. That day, you talked for hours, until the coffee shop employees were shooing you out because it was closing time. And after that, you walked through the town and continued talking.

Rhett wasn’t loud or boisterous or pompous. He was quiet and gentle. He was shy, which surprised you. He seemed so confident, but really, it was all a front. Everyone perceived him a certain way. He was the promiscuous bull rider with a new buckle bunny in his bed every night.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth. He admitted to you that he hadn’t slept with anyone since Maria a few months ago, and before her, the last time anyone had been in his bed was the night of his 21st birthday. Some girl he barely knew.

His family’s perception of his promiscuity stemmed from that instance, where Royal had caught the girl sneaking off early in the morning. Since then, Rhett hadn’t been able to live it down. In the minds of his family, he was the man-whoring problem child.

Rhett never bothered to correct them, because what was the use?

But when you looked at him, you saw him. The real him. Shy and slightly awkward. Fidgety, unable to sit still. Kind and loving. Determined.

He liked that. He felt seen and heard with you. He never felt like a burden. And because of this, he found himself drawn to you more and more. Soon enough, a romance blossomed between you. While it had its ups and downs, there was no doubt in each other’s minds that this was it. You were bonded for the rest of your lives.

Your wedding came not long after. An intimate occasion with your closest friends and family. A beautiful ceremony in the mountains. After that, you moved into the home you’d been staying in since you moved to Wabang. As it turned out, your grandparents’ little ranch never sold, which left you and Rhett to move into it.

You offered to pay in full for it, but your grandparents wouldn’t hear of it, insisting it was your wedding gift. The house did, however, need a lot of renovations, and that was where a lot of your money went.

Since then, you had turned the house into everything you’d always dreamed of, and you’d started a wholesome life within its walls.

Here Rhett was, thinking he needed to leave Wabang. But in reality, it wasn’t his hometown that he needed to distance himself from. Miraculously, his mental well-being increased tenfold when he escaped from beneath Royal’s thumb and started living his own life.

And that was the thing of it, too. Rhett had a purpose here, on your little ranch. He could cultivate that intrinsic need to take care of things. He could take care of the land. He could take care of the animals. The only animals you had were your horse, Marabel, and Rhett’s horse, Esmeralda. But he had hopes of one day opening a horse sanctuary on your land.

That was his dream. Not professional bull riding, like he’d spent so long trying to convince himself of. He loved horses, and wanted to do everything he could to help the animals that had always meant so much to him.

He was working toward making that dream a reality. And someday soon, it would be.

It was amazing to see the difference in him, since he’d started chasing after what he loved. He was no longer a man chained down to a life he didn’t want. He’d found a sense of freedom, and now, he was happier than he’d ever been.

Yes, he had you to thank for it. But really, the determination to live a better life came from him. You were simply the one that lit the fire beneath him. Now he was a roaring flame, burning brighter than the sun.

You were so proud of how far he’d come. And he was proud of himself, too. He had every right to be.

He’d taken his ranch expertise and found a job at a horse ranch just outside of town. This allowed him to continuously be around the animals that he loved, while also making money. The owner was quite well off, and was paying Rhett handsomely.

For the first time in his life, he was making a steady income, and he could provide for not only himself, but for you as well. You had your own job, and could hold your own, of course. But Rhett liked knowing he could take care of you. And you appreciated it. Coming from a family who’d never uttered so much as a thank you for all he did, it was refreshing to have someone express their unending gratitude for his care.

Something as simple as making you grilled cheese for dinner made his heart soar, because after a difficult day, you were depending on him to care and provide for you. And he’d be damned if he was going to let you fend for yourself.

Watching you struggle had been hard for him. He hated seeing you in such a state of unrest. The changing of the seasons didn’t help, either. You were always hit with a bad wave of seasonal depression as soon as the clocks fell back. The early darkness made you sad.

So Rhett did all he could to help you bear that burden. And tonight, he was determined to help you feel better. While you enjoyed your bath, he set to work finishing up dinner preparations. A little while later, with sandwiches at the ready and the living room set up with blankets and pillows, he rejoined you in the bathroom.

“Hey, pun’kin. Y’ready?” He asked.

You smiled sleepily at him. “Mhm.”

So, he began the process of helping you out of the tub. He toweled you off, and then reverently smoothed your favorite lotion onto your skin. You were in a state of bliss as his large, but gentle, hands traveled over your body. He aided you in changing into your pajamas, and then he pulled a pair of cozy socks onto your feet.

“C’mon now, let’s go eat ‘fore it gets cold.”

With that, he bent to shut off the space heater before he guided you out of the bathroom and down the stairs. When you walked into the living room, you couldn’t help but smile. He’d spread multiple blankets and pillows across the couch, creating a soft, cozy resting place. The fireplace was roaring, the low lights were on, and when you glanced at the window, you saw the snow was now falling in white sheets, making you feel as if you were inside a snow globe.

“Oh, this is perfect,” you whispered.

Rhett beamed. “Go on, have a seat. I’ll get ya a drink. What do you want? Coke Zero? Some sweet tea?”

“Tea, please!” You quickly replied. One of the things Rhett could make besides grilled cheese was a mean sweet tea. Not too sweet, with just enough tea flavor that it wasn’t overpowering. It was your favorite.

“Comin’ right up, chickadee.”

As you settled into the soft blankets on the couch, Rhett hurried to grab drinks for both of you. Soon, he was rejoining you, presenting you with a glass of tea, complete with a straw. You thanked him, and he smiled before he set about selecting a holiday movie. The 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street was his choice, and soon, you were cuddled up together as the opening credits rolled, enjoying your dinner of grilled cheese.

And just for a little while, things didn’t seem so bad. The harsh reality of life was dulled if only for a time, softened by the sweet delicateness of this moment shared between you.

After you finished your food, you curled into Rhett’s side, your head on his shoulder. Content, he rested his cheek atop your head. You knew it was inevitable that he’d fall asleep. With a full tummy, and a cozy couch beneath him, he was sure to doze off. Rhett liked to stay busy, so during moments when he wasn’t, such as sitting down to watch a movie, he would almost always fall asleep. Years of being a workin’ man will do that to a body.

He expected you to fall asleep, too. You’d had such a difficult day, and he was fully prepared to spend the rest of the night asleep on the couch with you.

However, you were still wide awake as the movie neared the ending. Instead of drowsiness, you were filled with immense gratefulness. Rhett had come home from a long day of working in the cold, and had prepared you dinner and ran you a bath, simply because you’d had a bad day. He didn’t have to do such things, but he wanted to.

He didn’t expect you to turn cartwheels and thank him in some dramatic way, but as you lay curled against him, you were struck with an idea. Albeit a mischievous one.

You shifted, moving to glance at him. He was barely awake, his big, round eyes droopy. But then you began to nuzzle against him, kissing his jaw lightly. At first, he didn’t think anything of it. But then, one of your hands worked its way beneath the hem of his shirt, rubbing at the skin there.

“Your hands are wanderin’,” he murmured, eyes still closed.

“I know,” you replied with a smile.

“What’re you doin’, girl?” He continued as your hand went toward his chest.

“Can’t I touch my man?”

“Sure y’can. But with you there’s always some ulterior motive. Little tease.”

He let out the softest of surprised squeaks when you tweaked his nipples, feeling them harden beneath your touch. “Not teasing. Just exploring.” Your lips attached to his jaw again, where you kissed and nipped at the scruffy skin.

He began to melt beneath you, always a sucker for your loving touch. Your wandering hand trailed down his abdomen, and stopped just above the waistband of his plaid lounge pants.

“Darlin’…” he warned, as your fingers swirled through the light dusting of hair that led down into his pants.

“What?” Deft fingers traveled beneath the band of elastic. He wasn’t wearing anything underneath, which pleased you greatly, and gave you easy access. You brushed against the base of his cock, gripping onto it purposefully. He sucked in a breath, his hips jolting.

“Just wanted to thank you,” you hummed against his neck. “Always take such good care of me. Thought I’d take care of you.”

You stroked him once. Twice. Palm running over silky skin. You longed to feel him grow in your hand. It was so erotic to you. Holding that thick, beautiful cock of his while it swelled to full hardness.

“Wanna see it,” you spoke again.

Rhett lifted his hips off the couch and haphazardly pushed his pants down toward his thighs. That was all you needed. His lower half was exposed, just enough for you to free him from the confines. Your mouth watered at the sight, and you languidly ran your hand up and down, resting your head on his chest as you watched him harden.

God, you wanted to worship him. So that was what you did.

You turned, moving to trail kisses down his smooth chest, stopping to leave a kiss against the raised scar that sat upon his shoulder. An unfortunate accident with a bull some years back.

Then you went lower, lower, lower. Hands exploring, lips traveling. Soon, you were kneeling between his strong thighs, gazing up at him. You tugged his pants the rest of the way down, discarding them entirely so you could have uninhibited access.

“S’pretty,” you hummed, as you admired him. It took him a moment to realize you were talking about his cock. His cheeks turned a shade of pink. But his bashfulness was soon forgotten when you leaned forward and began kissing along the underside of his shaft, from base to tip, offering tentative kitten licks as you went.

He watched as you rubbed your cheek against him, nuzzling him as you kissed at his sensitive balls. You wanted to take a moment to truly appreciate what was before you. Standing tall and proud, something Rhett had every right to boast about if he wanted.

But he didn’t. And that was where you came in, talking him up because you loved the way it rendered him speechless and blushing.

“So big, I don’t know how it even fits inside me,” you mused. And it was the truth. But he was careful when he fucked you, never wanting to hurt you. Of course, that didn’t mean he was gentle. He had his gentle moments when you needed them, but he also had his moments where he fucked you within an inch of your life. You loved the balance. And you loved that he was mindful of what your body could handle. He’d never push you past your limits. Getting you to safeword was not the end goal. He wanted you to be able to enjoy intense scenes, without being pushed too far to the point where it took you out of the moment.

Together, you had built a steady trust in each other, with boundaries put in place. Even in the midst of those scenes, you felt safe with Rhett. Protected. Even in the throes of intense passion, he was still looking out for you.

But sometimes, something simple was all you needed. Like now, for instance. Lazily mouthing at his dick, relishing in the sharp saltiness on your tongue, and the deep muskiness that could only be described as Rhett. There was something so manly about it, and it sent a needy ache thrumming through your core.

Meanwhile, Rhett was blissed out above you, torn between admiring you between his legs, and letting his head fall back against the couch as he relished in the feeling of your warm, wet mouth. Sinful and heavenly all at once.

After spending time kissing and licking at him, you finally moved to focus on his tip, blushed and glimmering in the low light. Eyes flickering up to meet his hooded gaze, you parted your lips and very slowly began to swirl your tongue around him. Making a show of it, you focused your attention on the slit, tongue flicking back and forth until you were rewarded with a bead of precum, which you eagerly lapped up.

“Oh, oh darlin’,” he breathed, hands gripping at the blankets beneath him. “You an’ that mouth of yours.”

You hummed around him, closing your lips around the tip and suckling softly before you began inching your way down. Being able to deep-throat him had taken practice. You remembered the way he reacted when you first took all of him. Unbeknownst to him, you’d been using a toy that was roughly the same size as him, training your throat to be able to take him.

Now you could take him like a champ, and it drove him wild.

Slowly, slowly, you took more of him, relaxing your throat, until your nose was pressed against the gathering of dark hair around the base. He kept himself neatly groomed, but left just enough behind because he knew how much you loved it.

“‘at’s it, atta girl,” he graveled, fighting the urge to place his hand atop your head and hold you in place. But he would soon quickly lose that air of dominance to you.

You swallowed around him, which stole the air from his lungs, before you pulled back, kissing at the tip, wet with your spit. As you took a moment to catch your breath, you brought a hand up to toy with his heavy balls.

“Ha!” He gasped, and you couldn’t help but grin.

“Sensitive?” You asked.

“Uh-huh,” he answered. “Ain’t had ‘em played with in a while.”

“Oh, honey,” you cooed, mouth still against the soft skin of his cock. “I’ve been neglecting you, haven’t I? Haven’t played with these big sensitive balls. Haven’t milked the cum out of them in so long.”

“F-fuck!” You’d taken him all the way to the hilt again without warning.

It was true. It had been a while. It had been a crazy few weeks for both of you, and you hadn’t had time to really enjoy each other in the way that you wanted. A few quickies here and there hadn’t satisfied that burning desire you held for one another.

Rhett didn’t like getting off without you. Sometimes, he would, if he was ever out of town or vice versa. But he much preferred being with you. He craved you. Fantasized about you. Wanted only you. His hand didn’t cut it. Your mouth and pussy were what he wanted.

And oh, how good your mouth was. You knew exactly how to pleasure him. Knew he loved when you swirled your tongue against the underside of his tip, where he was most sensitive. Knew he couldn’t get enough of your hands on his balls while you took him down your throat. Knew he loved when you rubbed your face all over his dick.

When you pulled your mouth off of him again, you rubbed the tip all over your lips, kissing softly, humming against him. Then you went back to tonguing the underside, and he gasped sharply, hips jolting.

You took that opportunity to close your mouth around him and let him slide naturally to the back of your throat again. You used your other hand to massage down his shaft as you pulled back up, never leaving him without a moment of stimulation.

“Y’ keep doin’ that and I won’t last,” he warned.

“That’s the idea,” you replied with a smile.

He moaned softly, letting his head fall back as you swallowed around him. This time, you stayed down longer, gulping as you did, and the sound drove him wild. You were drooling all over him, pulling out all the stops to bring him to the edge.

And it was working. He was so pent up, and you both knew he wasn’t going to last. He’d begun to tremble, his thighs shaking at either side of your head. His hands clenched and unclenched around the blankets he held. His hips had begun to move of their own volition.

“You’re squirming,” you teased.

“Ca-can’t help it,” he stammered. “Your—fuck—your mouth is so g— ah!”

He couldn’t even get the words out. You kept pressing your tongue against that damn spot, knowing it would get him all worked up. He was losing his coherence the longer it went on. Mumbled half phrases, with gasps and whines mixed in. It was so easy to work him up like this. He was always so responsive.

Interestingly enough, he hadn’t always been like this. In the beginning, he’d been more reserved. He was shy about the sounds he made. Ashamed of his whines and whimpers. He was holding back, and you could tell. So, little by little, you encouraged him to be more vocal.

“Wanna hear you. Wanna know it feels good for you,” you’d told him, and he hadn’t really thought of it that way. As much as he loved hearing you and knowing he was making you feel good, he realized you also wanted the same thing from him.

It took him a little while to feel confident enough to freely make those sounds of pleasure, but once he finally got past that hurdle, you couldn’t shut him up if you tried. Not that you wanted to, either.

There was something about this man of few words being unable to remain silent that really got to you. You’d expected him to be all gravelly grunts and groans. And he was. But he whimpered, too. A lot. Especially when you got him feeling really good.

He was so easy to rile up. Whether he was assuming the dominant or submissive role, or just simply making love to you with no kinky games involved. Get him close to orgasm, and sounds would pour from his throat uncontrollably.

Like now, for instance. He was so beautiful this way. His whole body trembling, his eyes rolling back, his mouth open to let out unsteady gasps. You loved how you could reduce him to such a state. This strong, steady man, who’d just so tenderly taken care of you, was now trying to hold it together so he wouldn’t come too soon.

But you wanted it. “Nuh-uh, don’t you hold back,” you told him.

He took a shuddering breath. “Honey…”

“C’mon,” you coaxed, wrapping your fingers around him and stroking quickly. “Know you wanna come in my mouth, wanna watch me swallow all of it.”

And oh, he did. One thing about Rhett was that he loved watching you take his cum. Whether it be smeared across your pretty face, painted onto your chest, dripping out of your pussy, or in your mouth.

Right now, you wanted it in your mouth. And you were determined to get it. Keeping your tongue right against his tip, you tightened your grip on him only slightly, moving your hand with purpose. Your other hand was at his balls again, massaging in time with the hand on his shaft.

His eyes swam with unshed tears, and he gritted his teeth, breathing harshly through his nose. Warmth was beginning to crackle to life at the base of his spine, as if you’d just lit a fuse.

You pulled out all the stops, taking him to the hilt again before you resumed that pleasurable torture against his tip. Alternating back and forth, bringing him closer and closer and closer to the edge, watching through hooded eyes as he lost himself, chest heaving, body trembling.

“C-close,” he gasped.

“Come down my throat,” you urged, before you placed his cock against your tongue, stroking hard and fast as you brought him toward his end.

Rhett gazed down at you, and you caught his eye, your face pleading as you eagerly awaited his load. He could barely take the sight, and he threw his head back, groaning deeply. “F-fuck, darlin’, I’m—”

And then he whined. Keening high in his chest, his hips shunted forward. You could feel him pulse beneath your touch, and in an instant, you closed your mouth around him, creating a seal so that nothing would escape. You took all he had to give, swallowing every last drop of his seed like the good girl you were, all while he gasped and whined and softly sobbed above you.

As he came down, he twitched in your mouth, the sensitivity mounting. He hissed as you pulled off his cock, sucking any remnants of cum from his skin before you released the softening shaft. You pressed a gently kiss to the tip before you innocently looked up at him.

Breathlessly, he swore. “Get up here,” he murmured, and you smiled, climbing up into his lap. He searched for your lips, and you kissed him, letting him taste himself on your tongue. “Mm, nearly sucked m’ soul outta me,” he teased.

“That was the idea,” you said with a giggle.

He leaned in to kiss you again. His eyes were droopy, sleepiness evident in his features. “Should return the favor,” he continued when he broke the kiss, but you shook your head.

“Uh-uh, that was my way of thanking you for taking care of me. We’re even.”

“But I wan’...” he paused to yawn, “wan’ make you feel good, too.”

“Tomorrow,” you promised. “For now, let’s just rest.” Another kiss was pressed to his lips before you reluctantly slid off him to retrieve his pants from the floor. You had just enough time to pull them onto his body before he had fallen asleep.

Lovingly, you brushed a lock of hair away from his forehead before you settled down beside him, pulling the blanket over you both. “I love you, cowboy,” you whispered, as you nestled yourself against his side. How grateful you were for him. This good and kind man was all yours. You silently thanked the universe for giving him to you.

And sure enough, the next morning, you woke to his head between your thighs, sending you to a place of absolute, unadulterated bliss.

Yes, you were thankful for him indeed.

taglist:

@withahappyrefrain @rhettabbotts @ryebecca @up-thereinthesky @oldfangirl30 @peachystenbrough @attapullman @auroralightsthesky @sebsxphia @delopsia @damrlova @hangmanapologist @lovinglyeternal @laracrofted @callsign-magnolia @callsignspark @bobfloydsbabe @bobgasm @nobody7102 @milesmillergf @idontcare-11 @theliterarybeldam @yanna-banana @floydsglasses @whisperofsong @1-800-floyd @floydsmuse @cruel-winter-nights @goldenseresinretriever @keep-on-burnin @happyrebelruins @bamfkurt @swiftsgirlfriend @virgo-wonder @seitmai-too @bradshawsbaby @bradshawsbitch

#rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbott smut #rhett abbott fanfiction #rhett abbott imagine #rhett abbott fic

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petcr3 · 10 months

Text

dreams | rhett abbott x reader

summary: rhett asks if reader ever wants to move out of their apartment, and before either of them know it, they’re planning out a future together.

word count: ~1.4k

warnings: tooth-rotting fluff, my usual in depth cuddle descriptions because i am not normal, rhett getting to feel loved uwu, rhett being romantic because he IS i just know

a/n: this was completely unplanned, i was just yearning so hard an entire fic fell out

You’re curled up against Rhett’s chest, his cheek resting against the top of your head as he idly trails his fingers up and down the length of your spine.

“You ever think about leaving this place?” he asks.

“Wabang?”

“No.” A chuckle. “Well, yeah. But I just meant the apartment.” You hum in understanding, fingertips idly dancing along his side.

“Yeah. I wouldn’t mind living in a bigger place. Maybe a house someday.”

“Any chance I’m in that house with you?”

“Of course you are. There’s a little spot for you to curl up at the foot of my bed and everything.” Laughter rumbles in his chest and he leans down to nip harmlessly at the shell of your ear.

“Mean.”

You giggle and hide your face against his chest. He can feel you smiling against his skin. Despite your transgression, Rhett reaches up to play with your hair and you let out a contented sigh.

“There’s no house without you in it,” you say after a moment. It catches him a little off guard. Sure, he likes to think he plays a part in your fantasies about the future, but it’s something else to hear that he’s a fixture in them. Something clenches near his heart–– a beautiful ache that comes from a missing piece sliding home.

“Tell me more about it?” he asks, feeling suddenly a little vulnerable. You nose affectionately at his chest and pull him a little closer

“It’s got a lot of light. It’s big, but not too big, like, you can’t get lost in it. We wouldn’t need that kind of space. Mostly it just feels open and bright, you know? Lots of sun. Our bedroom has its own bathroom so I can listen to you sing to yourself in the shower.” Rhett lets out a quiet snort.

“Thought you did that anyway.”

“Yeah but now I can do it lying down. It’s a game changer.”

You’re funny, Rhett thinks. People don’t notice that enough. “Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…” Your head bobs a little with his gentle laughter.

“Go on.”

“We have a big ol’ bathtub–– one where we both fit.”

“Sexy.” He can’t help himself. You pinch his side, but he can still feel you smiling..

“We have a big yard. Maybe even big enough to keep horses, if you wanted.”

“What about a dog?”

“Well we’d have to get two, so they can have a friend.”

“Agreed.”

“What about you? What are you adding?” Rhett thinks for a moment.

“Nice deck. Rocking chairs or a porch swing so we can sit out and watch the stars at night.” You let out a happy little sound, and he can tell you’re picturing it. “Lots of blankets out there. You can get nice n’ cozy and I’ll bring us out hot toddies.” Rhett knows he’s not playing exactly by the rules of the game, but he’s starting to get lost in the idea of a future with you–– one that you seem to already be counting on. “The dogs like to sit by our feet. At least one of ‘em’s too big to sit in your lap, but you let ‘em anyway because you’re soft on ‘em.” He smiles. “Guess I probably am, too.”

You’ve always loved Rhett’s voice. It’s sexy as hell, sure, but it’s also unbelievably calming. Paired with his arms wrapped around you, it’s positively lethal. But he’s so wrapped up in the fantasy you two are creating, he doesn’t notice the way your breathing evens out or your grip on his waist starts to slacken.

“Once it gets too cold we head inside and you tell me just to leave the mugs in the sink because you don’t wanna go up to the bedroom by yourself even if it’s just for a few minutes. Our bedroom is big, but it’s cozy. You picked out most of the furniture but you always tell everyone I helped. I built our bed frame, though. You like to brag about that.” He knows he’s right because you still tell everyone you know about the end table he made for your living room last year. When he starts speaking again, he hardly realizes what he’s saying. It just starts to flow out of him.

“I ask you to marry me in that bed. I got a ring and a proposal all planned out but you have to go and look so beautiful one night that my plans go right out the window. I take you out for a walk like I was going to, though, and get down on one knee. You don’t even let me get up, you practically tackle me to the ground saying yes again. Maybe we get married out in the yard or we find some place pretty to go. But I think the ceremony happens outside; that feels right. We make Amy the flower girl even if she’s not a kid anymore. I’m crying the whole damn time and I don’t care who sees. You hold my hand even if we’re not supposed to.” He isn’t sure if that’s a rule–– he thinks maybe it isn’t–– but he knows you’d break it if there was one.

“I know we haven’t talked about kids, but…” Finally Rhett catches himself. “Well, I guess I’m getting a little carried away, there, huh?” For the first time in several minutes, he realizes you haven’t said a word. He nudges his nose against the crown of your head. “Sweetheart?” You shift a little bit, saying nothing. Rhett can’t help but laugh when he realizes you’ve fallen asleep. He leans back just enough to drag his thumb gently underneath your eye. “Sweetheart,” he tries again, a little louder.

“Mmm?” The sheets rustle as you start to wake, the sounds of a slow inhale as it fills your lungs. “Rhett?”

“Hey, sleepyhead,” and he thinks that maybe he’s never loved you so much as he does now. It’s not the first time he’s felt it–– he falls more in love with you every damn day. But his chest is full of something honey-thick, and warm. Your groggy expression is the sweetest thing he’s ever seen. “Think you fell asleep.” You blink some of the sleep from your eyes.

“Oh fuck!” you swear through a yawn. Your eyes seem bigger than ever when you peer up at him apologetically. “I’m sorry, baby. It’s just you were playing with my hair and your voice is so soothing and––”

“It’s okay,” he says softly, “it was kinda cute.”

“No, but I wanna hear what you were saying!”

“You’re tired, honey. Let’s go to sleep and I’ll tell you in the morning.”

“No,” you say, wiggling out of his embrace and sitting up. “I wanna hear everything. No details skipped.” Rhett only smiles up at you, expression growing mischievous, lips sealed tight.

“Here,” you say, oblivious to the fact that he’d do anything you asked. “You can put your head in my lap. I’ll play with your hair. But you have to tell me everything I missed.” He chuckles and tucks his head against your thigh. His eyes flutter shut and a happy sigh leaves him as you begin to card your fingers through his hair.

“Where’d I lose you?”

“I let the big dogs sit on my lap.” He grins up at you, eyes peeking open.

“Oh good, so you missed the proposal.” You freeze.

“The what?”

“You heard me.” And the smug bastard has the nerve to shut his eyes again, settling back into your lap.

“Rhett Abbott, you open your eyes right now.”

“Hmm… nope.” You tug at his hair but he just lets out a contented groan. He can’t see you glaring at him, and it’s hard to keep it up when your heart is threatening to melt down into nothing and kill you. You think that maybe you’ve never loved Rhett as much as you do in this very moment.

“Did you mean it?” you ask, voice suddenly small. Rhett opens his eyes, expression serious now.

“Yeah, I did.”

“And you’re not even gonna tell me?” you cry. He smiles and turns his head to press a kiss against your tummy.

“I’ll tell you everything else. I promise. But some things ought to be a surprise, don’t you think?” You let out a huff, but it’s all fondness.

“Okay, so I’m a pushover with the dogs, and?”

“You leave the mugs in the sink overnight because you can’t stand to be without me, even for a second.” You give him a look, but you know it’s true.

Luckily, if everything goes to plan, you won’t have to.

#rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbott imagine #rhett abbott #rhett abbott x you #outer range imagine #lewis pullman x reader #nobody perceive me #pls and thank you

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sebsxphia · 4 months

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Okay but like sitting on rhetts lap he's in nothing but his boxers and cowboy hat whispering sweet nothings into your ear.

yee haw cowboy! 🤠

he’s just had a very successful run at the rodeo and he’s finally got his winning prize right where he wants you. you laugh when he tells you this corny one liner, but you wouldn’t have your winning cowboy any other way. especially when he’s striped down to nothing but his boxers. after the evening, there were a couple of beers and shots of tequila at the bar, but nothing too heavy. it’s enough to make you both like giggly teenagers again and as you patch up any fresh grazes, and soothe any blooming bruises, rhett’s still wearing his cowboy hat on his head.

when you finish up tending to your rough and tough cowboy, he pulls you up to his lap with a needy, “c’ere, little darlin’.” he’s got you straddling his bare thighs and he’s kissing over your neck, with his teeth biting at your earlobe. “mm, baby. y’ looked s’ good tonight. y’ do that just for me, hm? dress up all pretty f’ daddy? you’re s’ sweet to me, you’re my diamond girl, my good luck charm. i love you, darlin’.”

sooner than you know it, his cowboy hat is placed on your head and he’s giving your thighs a squeeze. “c’mon, pretty girl. ride the winnin’ cowboy.”

hehe 🤭 i love this thot so much my dear anon! thank you so much for this! 💌

#💌you’ve got mail #rhett abbott #sebs masterlist #rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbott x you #rhett abbott x y/n #rhett abbott imagine #rhett abbott drabble #rhett abbott fluff #rhett abbott smut

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hederasgarden · 29 days

Text

Breathplay with Rhett

This photo has been on my mind and well...this happened. This hasn’t been beta’ed so please excuse any major grammas issues.

Pairing: Rhett Abbott x F!Reader Word Count: 250ish Warnings: Explicit, 18+ only. Breathplay, unprotected PIV, and dirty talk.

Masterlist ♡ Outer Range Masterlist

You reach down to caress Rhett's thick neck while riding him, thighs squeezing his slender waist, but you’re too focused on just how good he feels inside you to notice his reaction. The second time your hands fall to his throat you’re staring down at him and you catch his subtle response. His long lashes flutter and a breathy grunt passes his clenched lips. When you do it again, applying the tiniest bit of pressure, he bucks into you hard, fingers digging into your fleshy hips.

“Fuck, come on, girl,” Rhett growls, eyes burning into yours. “Do it.”

His pace slows, letting you get your bearings. Tentatively, you wrap your hands around his neck, feeling the way his Adam’s Apple bobs under your palm. You tighten your grip slowly, watching his face as you do. It’s harder than you expect to keep up the pressure, but once you’re squeezing him in earnest, he starts moving again until he’s rutting into you desperately, mouth parting soundlessly.

You roll your hips and the muscles in his neck strain. A moment later Rhett comes hard, his whole body locking up. He gives a few lazy thrusts before stilling. When you let go of his neck he groans, low and hoarse, and his heart beats wildly under your hand.

“Well that was something,” you tell him with a smile.

Rhett’s only response is to draw a hand down his face and swallow heavily. “Just as soon as I recover, I’m going to fuck the breath out of you,” he warns.

"I'm counting on it," you reply, kissing him deeply.

♡

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#rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbott #rhett abbott x female reader #rhett abbott x you #rhett abbott imagine

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strawhbrrries · 1 year

Text

Hell on Heels.

pairing: rhett abbott x tillerson!afab!reader

summary: you made the devil a deal; he made you pretty, he made you smart and rhett abbott she’s coming after you.

warnings: everyone calls reader ‘honey’, sweet rhett, the tillersons (they need their own warning tbh but i love a good forbidden romance), mutual pining (sorta), unprotected p in v, car sex, a wee bit of fingering, creampie, let me know if i forgot anything, no use of y/n or description of reader, not proofread

word count: 4.4k words

author’s note: i love rhett abbott and i think this rivals the cowgirl series as one of the best things i’ve ever written. I’m just a sucker for a white man in a cowboy hat. honey is ENTIRELY inspired by the pistol annies so channel them when you read them. I’ve been hyping this up to @thesirenrealm all night so i’m saying my prayers that it lives up! as always, please enjoy!!! mwah!!!!

read the next part here!

“The rodeo ain’t ‘till later tonight.”

His voice was warm, wrapping you up in a thick blanket and protecting you from the world. A false sense of security, your brother’s had tried to scare you with some bullshit about not trusting the Abbott boys. As if your family was any better.

“Stalkin’ me, Abbott?” You turned around to face him, the railing of the arena leaving indents on the undersides of your arms, the corners of your lips turning into a smile.

“Luke know you’re out here?” He looked around, almost like he was expecting your brother to pop out of the shadows somewhere and give him shit for even speaking to you, avoiding your question.

“No, and I’m an adult. I can do what I want.” You huffed, annoyed everyone saw you as an extension of your older brother. Even more so that Rhett did, you’d tried so hard to stand out to him.

“He doesn’t see it that way. Why’re you out here?” He inquired, leaning against the railing next to you, squinting his eyes as the sun found its way under his hat

“Space,” you looked over at him, “ I assume that’s why you’re out here?”

“Bingo.” He looked over at you, holding eye contact until you broke it and looked back into the arena in front of you. “Why don’t you leave the ranch if you want space so much, Honey? You’re out here more days than you’re at your own home.”

His observation was a slight stab in the guts, only because he was right. You loved your family, truly, as best as you could while keeping yourself sane. Luke wanted to control everyone and everything, including you and what you did. You were half surprised he hadn’t implanted a tracker underneath your skin, in your car, or downloaded one on your phone. In some ways it could be written off as well meaning, he just wanted to make sure his people were okay. He was just crazy, you knew it. Billy, he was a sweet thing, just never knew when to shut the fuck up. Your dad had gone off his rocker long ago, probably forget he had a daughter due to your absence around the house.

“And where do you suggest I go, Abbott?” You scoffed at his suggestion, your family might’ve had some money but you’d never seen any of it. Buying a house or renting was out of the question.

“Quit callin’ me that.” He scoffed right back at you, his eyes never leaving you.

“Fine, Rhett. Answer the question.”

“I’ve offered multiple times, Honey. It still stands now.” His tone was softer now, more serious.

You’d ignored him, walked away and got into your car, drove all the way to your house. You wanted to contemplate his offer, wanted to take him up on it but you’d just be intruding on his family’s space. You’d rather act like you only slept at your house before you became a burden to another family. Your phone lit up three times with Rhett’s name on your drive home, probably telling you to think of the offer or maybe asking if you were gonna see him ride later.

He’d been shocked when you walked away, didn’t say a single thing or make any indication he’d done anything wrong. He was right, he’d offered you a place multiple times before, when he pointed it out he didn’t think he was going to upset you. He knew all about the loyalty you had for your family but he also knew the type of crazy Luke and Wayne were. Some days he wondered if you were ever truly related to them, sweet ol’ Honey. Your sweet demeanor earned you the nickname, you’d had it for years. It could be your real name and you’d know no different.

“Honey. Honey. Honey what the fuck.” Luke was yelling the second you walked in the door, it made you want to turn around. Pick up your phone. Tell Rhett you’d accepted his offer and was on your way.

“Luke, shut the fuck up.” Is all you had to say to him as you walked right past him and into your room, slamming the wooden doors as loud as you could.

Luke had yelled something in response, you couldn’t give a singular shit about whatever that man child wanted. You balled your fists, shaking them at your door quietly as he continued yelling. All you wanted was some peace and quiet. That’s why you spent so much time down at the showing arena during the day time, nobody else was there. It was deserted. Just you and your thoughts. Apparently also Rhett, not that you minded. You liked Rhett, a lot. He was just the right amount of rugged to contrast the delicate world built around you from being the only daughter. Just the right amount of mean to contrast your sweetness.

Your phone vibrated from its spot in your back pocket, you pulled it out and looked at the name at the top of your screen. Rhett Abbott.

“Honey.”

His voice was soft, just as soft as it had been at the arena, not a hint of annoyance with you. You appreciated that he wasn’t making you feel bad for leaving him hanging, appreciated that the guilt you were feeling wasn’t because of his words.

“Hey, Rhett. I'm sorry for leavin’ like that I-”

“It’s fine, I shouldn’t have overstepped like that. I just need to know if you’re comin’ to watch my ride.”

You should’ve given it to him for cutting you off like that, but your sweet heart had a Rhett Abbott shaped soft spot and always had. You listened to him talk like he was preaching the Sunday sermon, like whatever he was telling you would save your life.

“Yeah..yeah I’m comin’.” You flopped back on your bed, imagining where he was and what he was doing. Were his thoughts filled with you? Like yours were of him.

“Good.”

He hung up and filled you with disappointment, you knew he had to get ready to ride but it didn’t make you any less upset he didn’t have the courtesy to say bye.

“Bye, Rhett.” You whispered into the air, laying your phone down next to you, staring up at the angled ceiling as your thoughts became overrun with what you’d wear.

You loved being a girl; loved dressing up and looking pretty, loved the (wanted) attention you got from it, loved the solidarity you got from most other women. Tonight was no exception, the rodeo was your favorite excuse to wear the jeans that hugged your ass in all the right places and the bra that put the girls in the right place to get what you wanted when you wanted it. You didn’t need to dress up to impress anyone, you knew that but god if you didn’t love it. Touching up your hair and makeup was the last thing you did before shoving your phone in your back pocket, walking past whatever screaming fest your brother had found himself in now, and hauling ass to the rodeo. Sometimes, life wasn’t so bad.

“Honey! Over here!”

Your head snaps to the group of girls calling for your attention, a huge smile immediately lighting up your face as you walked over to join the group. You gave all the girls a hug and a kiss on the cheek before settling in a spot, you hoped Rhett could easily see you in. If it wasn’t your whooping and hollering that would get his attention, it was the cowboy hat he gifted you years ago matched with bright red lipstick. You were sex personified. Hell on Heels.

He’d spotted you the second you’d walked into the place, watched your hair bounce as you walked and watched the smile that stood proudly every time someone spoke to you. Watched your ass jiggle in the jeans you always wore when you dressed up, he hated them simply because he knew every man you encountered watched you saunter away the same way he did. The cat calling the kettle black. Rhett was many things but he was a dirty hungry man, hungry for all the things Honey Tillerson could offer. He watched you sit with a group of girls he didn’t know, nor did he give a single shit about, and try to get a glimpse of him. Unfortunately, he’d placed himself out of sight. He wanted to admire you from afar without being caught, boy was he glad he did when you started searching for him.

“Here for prince charming Abbott?” One of the girls teased, trying to get a rise out of you.

“Obviously, I don’t support anyone else as fiercely as I do for a man who isn’t mine.” You shot back, rolling your eyes playfully before breaking into giggles to let them know it wasn’t as serious as you’d pretended.

“All I’m sayin’ is, I’d never wait for a man who can’t commit.” You don’t know shit.

“Agreed, I mean I’m sure any Abbott boy is a catch but girl you’ve been pining after this man since grade school!”

You knew the girls were well meaning, just wanting you to go after a man who wanted you more than you wanted him. You’d die lonely before you settled for someone who wasn’t him, it didn’t matter if it took you a hundred years to get him to see you the way you saw him. He already did, you were just oblivious and put it off as some sort of kindness he gave to everyone. Rhett wasn’t the kind man to everyone like he was to you, he couldn’t give a shit if anyone had a place to stay trying to escape their crazy family, but he gave multiple for you.

“Ash you can’t even talk, your man can’t keep it in his pants. Leave mine alone.” You snapped, feigning niceness despite the venom of your words, tilting your head to the side daring any of the girls to try you one more time. Your sweetness only ran so far before it ran out, they were running it thin.

“God if I was a man, Honey, I’d be knocking down your dad’s door beggin’ him to let me marry you. Scratch that, I’d pay him to let me do it! If anyone supported me like you support Rhett, it’d be a miracle I wasn’t knee deep in kids.” The girl next to you spoke, laying her head on your shoulder as she did so. It felt nice for your support to be noticed by someone.

“I’ll be next in line in case he turns her down!”

The girls continued talking about how they’d love to marry you in another life up until the announcer came on to start up the rodeo. The rodeo on a summer night was your favorite place to be. Between the screams of everyone in town coming out to support someone they knew and the lights of the stadium, it filled you with warmth. You only half paid attention to all the bull riders before Rhett, wishing them good luck but not enough that they’d beat your man.

“Everyone stand and welcome our hometown hero! Rhett Abbott!”

You were the first to your feet, yelling louder than you were the last time, making sure he’d see you before his run. He’d whispered to you one night after a run, sneaked to your house to see you and thank you for coming to watch him, that you were his good luck charm. That he searched for you everytime he was getting ready to ride, it was a drunken confession but a true one nonetheless. Ever since that night you made sure he saw you, that he knew his good luck charm was there. Your voice rivaled his parent’s in loudness, depending on the night it was louder.

You held your breath through his entire ride, always scared to death he’d fall and get trampled by whatever bull he was riding that night. He never did. Always came out on top. He was the hometown hero, after all.

“Rhett!” You called after him, running up to him as he exited the ‘Rider’s Only’ area.

“Honey.” He smiled, scooping you up and twirling you around. It was the most affection he’d shown you, sober.

“Mr. Hometown Hero. Always winnin’, huh?” You teased, matching his smile as you looked down at him. Aware of the fact that he was almost entirely supporting you with one arm, your core just getting a tinge warm at the thought.

“Always, when I got my good luck charm here,” he nipped at your exposed collarbone, “God you are one gorgeous woman. Don’t know how the guys in the stand didn’t maul you before your pretty ass got here.”

“Oh hush, don’t care about ‘em anyway.” You placed a kiss on his cheek, waiting for him to cross the physical boundary of kissing.

He’d been close to it only twice before, once on your birthday and the other on the same night he’d first called you his good luck charm. Both times he’d been interrupted by a knock on a door and the holler of your name.

Your birthday is one you almost kiss you think back on frequently. You’d managed to ditch your family and friends for a few hours, sitting in the passenger seat of Rhett’s truck as he drove you back to your place. You invited him in, no one was home so there wasn’t anyone to tiptoe around. Showed him your room and locked the door. He laid down on your bed, moving onto his side so he could look at you as you laid down.

“Pretty lil thing.” He whispered, tracing a finger from the start of your forehead to the tip of your chin. He used that same finger to get you to look at him.

The two of you laid there, staring at each other, for a few moments. Admiring the other person. If the rest of your birthday had gone horribly wrong, laying here with him made it all better.

“Can I kiss you, Honey?” He asked, already running his thumb over your bottom lip.

“Please, Rhett.” You whined, it was airy and desperate.

He leaned in, keeping his finger on your chin and pointed towards him, his lips ghosting yours. There wasn’t a centimeter of space between the two of you,

“Honey? Are you in there? Rhett Abbott’s truck is in the driveway.” It was Billy, the better of your brothers to have been home first.

“Yeah I'm here! He brought me back and was making sure I was okay!” You scrunched your face in annoyance, pushing Rhett off of you and trying to hurry him out of your room before anyone else arrived home.

The night he called you his lucky charm was also the night you think you realized that you loved Rhett Abbott, like truly loved him. He’d had his best ride of all season, gotten dragged out to go drink with the other riders when he’d rather celebrate with you.

You’d gone home slightly disappointed, you understood the other guys wanting to celebrate with him but you also wanted to see him. You weren’t greeted when you got home, not that you cared, but it only added to your disappointment that the people who were supposed to care about you didn’t. Your phone had found its way in the middle of your bed, being left there while you took a shower in some attempt to scrub away the disappointment. When you got dressed and finally picked it back up it read,

3 missed calls from Rhett Abbott

Your face fell, how could you miss these? You clicked on the notification and waited anxiously as it rang, nervous he wouldn’t pick up.

“Hey, baby.” His voice was loud, he was yelling over whatever commotion was going on in the back. Baby was new.

“You called?” Your voice barely above a whisper, gnawing on the end of one of your acrylic nails as you awaited his answer.

“Wanna come see you, see my girl.” His girl.

“My family’s here, you can’t.” Despite the thick walls providing a lot of sound proofing, you couldn’t help but whisper in fear that one of them had a cup to the door listening to your every word.

“I’ll park at the end of the driveway, walk around to your window. Please?”

“Just…be careful, please.” You smiled softly at the reflection of yourself on the screen, excited you’d be able to see him tonight.

What felt like forever went by before you heard a soft knock on your window. You unlocked it and pushed them open, leaning over the sill to look at him.

“Rebellious rebellious Honey Tillerson, what ever will we do with you.” Rhett joked, putting his hands up on the window to hold yours.

“Congrats, Rhett. You did amazing tonight.” You took his hands in yours and smiled down at him, although you could barely see him in the dark.

“Cause I had you, had my lucky charm, my girl.” His girl.

Your smile at that moment could’ve lit up the whole sky, the brightest thing he’d ever seen. If he hadn’t forgotten his phone in his truck he would’ve snapped a picture of you, probably would’ve fucked his hand to it later.

“I’ll be there, every time.” You leaned down just as he leaned up, hopeful it’d finally be the moment you’d kiss. You’d be lying if it wasn’t something you dreamed about constantly since your birthday. Your lips were once again, centimeters from each other when a fucking knock on your door rang out.

“Honey. Do you know where any of dad’s meds are?” Luke’s voice instantly filling you with rage, didn’t anyone in this house have anything to do when Rhett was trying to kiss you.

“No, I’ll help you look.” You yelled back, giving Rhett an apologetic look before closing your window and walking away to go help your incompetent brother.

Now here you were, in Rhett’s arms, inches away from his face. You felt like your heart was beating out of your chest, that he was gonna feel the excitement and the nervousness spilling out of you. And yet, he didn’t kiss you. He didn’t lean in or pull your face to his. He set you down, he put your feet back onto the ground.

“C’mon, I’m not kissin’ you here.” He read the disappointment written all over your face, grabbed your hand and brought you to his truck. “Because the last thing I need is someone trying to get your attention when it should be on me.”

“And your truck is that much more private?”

“It drives and the doors lock, your family seems to always need you when I do, I’d say it’s a bit more private.” He responded, opening the passenger side door for you and closing it once you got inside.

He got in the drivers side and closed the door, locking the truck and taking a deep breath before he turned to you.

“Honey, I am going to kiss you. If anyone fuckin’ interrupts me I will become a murderer.” He placed his hand on your cheek, leaned in and placed his lips on yours.

You placed a hand on top of his, just reminding yourself that Rhett Abbott was actually kissing you. He leaned in further, deepening the kiss a bit to test the waters as this was the first kiss the two of you shared together. He swiped his tongue over your lower lip, a small whine escaping the back of your throat causing him to chuckle against your lips.

“C’mere, pretty girl.” He helped you over the console in the middle and into his lap, his hands caressing your sides before finding their way to your ass. Giving it a nice squeeze, he’d thought about this every damn time you wore these jeans.

“Rhett.” You whined, leaning into him for support. Not because you couldn’t hold yourself up, you simply wanted to feel his hands on you and the strength he displayed earlier when he picked you up.

“What, baby? What? You gotta use your words, you know that.” He whispered, placing open mouth kisses along your neck.

“Need you..”

“Need me to what? Words, Honey, words.” He sucked and nipped at one spot directly under your collarbone, he knew it’d start some shit in the future but at this current moment he had you all to himself. He’d rather be a dead man than not mark you as his, hell he’d fucking carve it into your skin if you’d let him. He’d ask you about it later.

“Need you to fuck me..” You whispered, your skin turning pink at the confession and the lewdness of it all. Rhett wouldn’t be your first, you’d drunkenly hooked up with men before but it was a different kind of need to finally have sex with someone you’d been pining after.

“Was that so hard? I can do that for you. Take real good care of ya. Fuck you six ways to Sunday.” His words turning you an even pinker shade, you didn’t know he could say such dirty things but god if it wasn’t the hottest thing anyone had ever said to you.

Both of your hats were thrown into the back seat as it became a race of who could get their jeans off the fastest, you’d win by a few seconds as your mobility wasn’t limited because of someone else sitting on top of you. Your jeans would soon join the hats in the back, tossed loosely back there to just get them out of the damn way. Sure it would’ve been easier to just fuck back there but the small cramped space of the drivers seat was spurring the both of you in a way you hadn’t before that it didn’t matter where you fucked. You just needed to fuck. Now.

“Been thinkin’ ‘bout this. ‘Bout you.” He confessed, combing his fingers through your hair before smashing your lips back together, giving you no time to think.

Kissing Rhett was nasty, messy, and you loved it. His mouth was on yours, making up for all the times he tried to but hadn’t been successful in kissing you. His hands were roaming your body, caressing the newly naked ass presented to him. He felt like he was fifteen years old ago, seeing a naked body and losing his mind. But he wasn’t fifteen and you weren’t naked, he was losing his mind at the thought of getting you naked. It’d have to wait because he’d become a murderer if anyone else saw you naked from this point on.

“Thought about you too. Your fingers and how they’d feel inside me, probably so much bigger than mine.” You confessed, taking breaths in between your words, staring at Rhett as he processed what you just told him.

“You are the hottest woman I have ever met, goddamnit Honey.” He groaned in response, sliding your panties to the slide and playing with your clit. “I’m gonna finger you for a second, just stretch you a bit and then I’m gonna fuck you. Okay?”

You shook your head yes and leaned your head against his shoulder as his middle finger slid inside of you. He twisted it occasionally, adding a bit of fun but never letting your orgasm build up. He wanted you to cum on his cock and not a moment before. He slowly added his ring finger to the mix, fucking into you slowly enough to stretch you and be not enough to get off. You wanted to cry when he removed his fingers, no longer feeling the fullness of his fingers, but it wasn’t long before it was replaced with the tip of his cock.

“How bad do you want it?” He teased, pushing just the head in and pulling it back out. Making sure to never let more than his head go inside of you.

“Rhett please, need it. Need your cock, need you to fuck me..” You cried out into his shoulder, gasping loudly when he pushed the whole thing inside of you. “Holy fuckin’ shit..”

He chuckled at your response and kissed the top of your head, waiting just a few moments before he pulled all the way out and pushed himself all the way back inside of you.

“This pussy was fuckin’ made for me.” He grunted into your ear, slowly starting to move just a little bit faster. “Whose pussy is this?”

“Yours Rhett, shit, yours..”

He seemed satisfy with your answer and braced himself with one hand on the console and the over wrapped around you, fucking up into you like he wasn’t gonna see you again and this was your last night together. His thrusts were hard and deep, you’d felt a fullness you didn’t even know was possible until now, fast and rough. His soft grunts and groans were like music to your ears, adding to the warmth that was slowly building in your belly. The knot was slowly coming together and it was all the doing of Rhett Abbott.

“Shoulda done this ages ago, made you mine, made sure no one else touched you.” He rambled, words spilling out of his mouth at a speed you’d never heard him speak at. “Fuck, gonna make you Mrs. Rhett Abbott, shit baby, this cunt is so fuckin’ warm.”

“Gonna cum, Rhett I’m gonna cum..fuck fuck fuck…”

“I’m right behind you, baby.”

He quickly brought his hand down to your clit and pushed you over the edge he had you teetering on. Your orgasm milked the orgasm out of him as he fucked you through it, making sure not to change his motions until you moved his hand away from overstimulation. The windows had long fogged up, only lines from your hair moving against them were left unfogged. He relaxed completely in the seat, breathing deeply in an attempt to catch his breath.

“Holy shit, Honey. Fuckin’ Hell on Heels.”

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withahappyrefrain · 11 months

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Summary: When your pastor wishes to practice fulfilling his God-given responsibilities, you're more than happy to oblige.

Warning: Strong breeding kink. Language, preacher!Rhett, female reader, p in v sex, oral (f receiving), creampies. I'd like to give my NSA agent a formal apology.

The praise got old after a while, the words all the same. He smiled and nodded as he made his way towards the back of the church, past the throngs of people. Their compliments washed over him. He had heard them all before.

Beautiful sermon. So lovely. What a fresh take. What a way to take it back to tradition.

He used to cling to every comment when he first began as the church's preacher. Hung to their every word.

But now he had something more important. Something better than the congregation's words. Something that he believed rivaled heaven.

You.

As he walked down the hallway of his church, the voices of adults faded away and were replaced with that of young children.

Some say it was a miracle how quickly you had been able to grow the children’s ministry. Rhett knew it was because once you set your mind to something, you were determined to get it done.

Like how you were determined to start a new life. Determined to put your past behind you. Determined to spend more time with him.

Not that Rhett minded. He had already been thinking of ways he could get you involved, get to know you better, get to spend more time with you. He saw your potential, ever since he first met you at that church picnic.

You were much like him. A good soul that had been led astray by wayward circumstances, desperately trying to get back to salvation.

Which was why Rhett did everything he could to make you feel welcomed, to find a place for you.

The clergy had been talking for years about expanding the Children's Ministry; expanding beyond a nursery, turning it into a place where all children could learn the valuable words of the Lord, where families could become a part of a welcoming community.

Then you came along. It didn't strike Rhett as odd that you were working at the local diner, despite having gone to school for teaching. It wasn't his place to judge, after all, everyone had their reasons.

Just like he had his for leaving Wabang.

Rhett was convinced. Convinced that you were the answers to his prayers. That God had led you to him.

You were much like him. You wanted to do good, to repent for your past sins.

When he offered his help, you accepted graciously. After all, the program had to be blessed by the lead pastor.

And soon, you were blessed by Rhett. In his office, bent over his desk. Over the front pew, right before his sermon. In his home, as he sat in his leather chair, while you were on your knees. In your home, your back against the bed while Rhett's mouth whispered words of praise against your cunt.

Reverend Abbott had many blessings to bestow onto you.

But the biggest blessing Rhett wanted to give you- his last name- had to wait. As a preacher, he could get married. However, that didn't stop him from having to navigate the bullshit of church politics. That people felt strongly over who should be the wife of their preacher; after all, she would become the face of the church.

You were willing to work your way up. Not that gaining the good graces of the congregation was hard. Everyone loved how you had dedicated yourself to creating the Sunday School program, how you took the time to get to know families, earning their trust when it came to looking after their children.

Normally you would be leading the Sunday school session for the early school age children. But today you were in the nursery. A new couple was hesitant about leaving their first child alone, so to soothe their nerves you promised to be in the room.

Rhett beamed with pride when he saw how relaxed the couple was after hearing you'd be there. Though his mood had dampened when he realized the only way he could show it in public was a simple squeeze of your shoulder.

He wouldn’t have to do that much longer. Rhett had started receiving knowing glances when you were mentioned. Folks had begun coming up to him, telling him how good you had been for the church.

The ball was rolling. Soon Rhett wouldn't have to sneak around and instead could kiss you whenever he wanted, instead of behind closed doors.

Rhett was incredibly thankful, as the sight in front of him nearly brought him to his knees.

Through the door window, he saw you in the nursery, wearing the same yellow gingham dress you wore to the church picnic where he first met you. In your arms was a baby you were rocking back and forth.

You looked like a natural, like it was what you were always meant to do. You confided in Rhett that you did enjoy the times you got to go to the nursery, to spend time with the youngest.

Rhett could see your mouth moving, a bright smile on your face as you spoke to the infant. You gently placed them in the nearby crib, rocking it to ensure the infant fell asleep.

He watched as a toddler waddled up to you, pulling on the long skirt of your dress. You didn't mind, picking up the little tyke and resting him on your hip.

Rhett gripped the door knob, trying to ground himself while all the blood in his body went straight to his cock. He tried to think of holy things, he really did.

But the thought of you surrounded by children-his children, with your stomach round and full with his baby, refused to leave his mind.

Perhaps it was a sign from God that he needed to explore.

First, he needed to get you out of here and into a room alone with him.

"Miss Fabre?" You had gotten better about responding to your 'name'. Soon you would have a new last name- Rhett's. One that was actually yours, one that would represent new beginnings.

It's what you deserved, after all your hardships. Rhett wasn't sure why someone like you had been given so many challenges. You didn't deserve to have to look over your shoulder, worried a remnant of the life you tried so hard to escape would show up. You still did, despite watching Rhett ensure your ghosts were laid to rest.

You looked up, a sweet smile overtaking your face at the sight of him.

He swore his knees nearly went weak.

"How's our newest member of the congregation?" Rhett motioned to the crib you were nearby.

"She's doing well!" You put the little toddler down, who was more than happy to scurry off and investigate the painting activity.

"She was a little fussy at first, but settled right in." Rhett joined you by the crib, admiring how you looked down at the little one with such bright eyes and a smile nothing short of radiant.

"That's because she had you," His voice was low in your ear. A shiver went down your spine when you felt his large hand squeeze your shoulder.

"You're a natural at this, y'know that?" You could only nod, too busy focusing on the butterflies in your stomach.

"Think one day you'll want your own?" Your head turned to find Rhett's blue eyes focused on the baby in the crib.

"I do," you paused, your hand moving closer to Rhett's, "with the right person."

Rhett's breath hitched upon feeling your pinky gently run along his hand. Your touch grounded him. To Rhett, it was his salvation.

And he wanted to show that to you.

"May I speak to you? Privately."

You would do anything the owner of that deep voice asked.

You nodded, following him out the door. As soon as you two were out of sight, his hand engulfed yours, leading you through the hallways of the church.

"You leading me through a maze?" You giggled. Normally your laugh was music to Rhett's ears, a sound better than the choir.

But there were more pressing matters at hand.

As soon as the door to his office opened, Rhett's lips capture yours in a bruising kiss, his hands now on your shoulders, walking you backwards.

The click of the door closing is now distant. Did he even close it all the way? Your head was clouded due to his addictive scent; rosemary that always lingered on him.

His stubble is now brushing against the soft skin of your neck as his teeth nip down to your collarbone. Rhett's hands felt heavenly, squeezing your breasts through the soft fabric of your dress.

"Need my angel," he muttered against your skin, teeth nipping at the soft flush.

You found yourself on his desk, legs spread wide enough for Rhett to get down on his knees, ready to worship at his favorite altar.

The soft fabric of your dress is pushed upwards to your hips, exposing your clothed cunt.

Rhett made quick work of removing the cotton fabric, stuffing it in his back pocket for later.

A gasp fell from your lips upon feeling his stubble against your thighs, his teeth sinking into your soft flesh.

"Rhett, some-fuck! Someone could walk i-in," you tried to get his attention by tugging on his dark blonde locks. The action only spurred him on, his tongue desperately lapping at your core.

"Good, let'em see who you belong to."

Everyday he was getting bolder. What had started out as small smiles and quick taps on the shoulder had turned into lingering touches and whispers in your ear, beyond what was appropriate for two colleagues, for two friends.

Your teeth sunk into your fist, trying to contain your whimpers. As much as you loathed having to sneak around, it was for a good reason; you two were so close to being in the clear, to finally reaching the path God had intended for you two all along, despite the numerous obstacles thrown your way.

And yet, you can't find it in yourself to push him away. Your body melts into him, relishing in his touch.

Rhett easily works two fingers inside of you, thankful that he had you earlier this morning, hours before his first sermon.

He knew greed was a sin. But was it greedy when he just wanted to fulfill his duty?

"Such a good girl, always ready f'me."

His words caused you to whimper, your hips bucking up towards his face. Rhett let out a chuckle, sending vibrations throughout your body as he looked up to see your withering form.

Rhett thought it was better than any other icon he had ever seen. Your parted lips, half closed eyes, the small gasps that fell from your mouth.

"You want it? Wanna be full of me?"

"Always wanna be full of you."

His cock twitched at your words, grunts falling from his lips as his hands fumbled to remove his belt. He pulled his pants and boxers down far enough to free his hard cock.

Your arms extend out, finding his hair as his lips devour yours, swallowing your moans as he eases into you.

Rhett can feel your hips squirm as you adjust to the sheer size of him. You bury your head into his neck, trying to muffle your gasps as he bottoms out.

"S'fucking tight."

For a man of God, his mouth was sinful.

He quickly set a fast pace, knowing how short he was on time. You buried your face into his neck, practically clinging onto him for dear life.

"Want me to fill ya up angel?" You could only whimper in response, causing him to chuckle, "Course ya do. S'good f'me. Gonna be the perfect lil' wife f'me."

Your walls clenched at his words. It wasn't the first time you two had spoken about this particular subject. But usually it was done with bashful smiles and Rhett's cheeks turning red as a tomato.

This? This was bold.

You’d be a liar if you said you didn’t like it. If you hadn’t thought about taking the next steps with him. Haven’t thought about moving in with him, living on his ranch with a little one running around.

"Ya like the sound of that? Gonna keep you full of me. Every day 'till it takes."

His cock began brushing against the spot that made you see stars. Your lips pressed against his forehead, his mouth moving down your collarbone to the tops of your breasts.

"Gonna look s'good, full of me," he pulled the fabric down before sinking his teeth into your skin. Rhett knew that you could easily cover the bite marks. In fact, he loved it. Loved knowing underneath that fabric were physical reminders of his devotion towards you. That you would be able to feel it, you would know it was there as folks tried to talk to you.

That you were his.

Those very thoughts sent your head reeling, pleasure surging throughout your body. Any concern about the door, someone walking by, the Millers' baby, were gone. All you could focus on was the way his cock made you feel so full.

“Fuck, can’t wait until these get full. Ya gonna look so pretty angel, carryin’ our baby.” His tongue lapped at the fresh bite mark on your breasts. The action did little to soothe you, adding to the ache between your legs.

Two fingers tapped at your bottom lip. You opened, moaning around his long digits. Soon, there would be a wedding band around one of them. Soon you two wouldn't have to go to restaurants in the next town over. Soon you would be able to hold his hand in public.

Soon you two would have the life you always deserved, the life you both made so many sacrifices for, committed sins for.

Rhett always said that sometimes God put good people in bad circumstances. And that in those cases, the Lord understood you had to do what was necessary to get out.

You still doubt whether you were good. But with Rhett, you knew you could be.

His fingers left your mouth, moving to just above where your bodies connected.

"Gonna have ya sit in the front row. So everyone can see who you belong to. See who fucked a baby into ya."

Your fingers dug into his broad shoulders. Even with his button up, you knew there would be faint crescent-shaped marks. Not that Rhett minded. He liked the physical reminders of your devotion just as much as you, if not more.

His hips rocked into yours. That, combined with the circles he was drawing on your clit, led to your undoing. His other hand clamped over your mouth, muffling your moans. You should at least try to be quiet, given the circumstances.

But that was near impossible with how his thick cock was dragging in and out of your wet cunt, prolonging your pleasure. He always made you feel so good, so full.

"Rhett," his name weakly fell from your lips, barely audible over the obscene sound of his cock fucking your wetness back into you.

"Whatcha need angel?" He grunted. Rhett liked to consider himself a good listener. Many had told him it was one of his strengths as a preacher. But it was so hard to focus on anything other than you.

"Need….need y'to fill me up," your words were slurred, as if you were drunk off his cock.

Wouldn't be the first time.

His hands gripped the back of your thighs, bringing your legs up to his hips. The new angle allowed him to fuck you even deeper.

"That's what ya want? Want me to fill ya up? Make ya mine?"

"W-want it s'bad Rhett." His words made your walls clench, head spinning in a sickly sweet pleasure, "Wanna have your baby."

None of the words that fell from his mouth could be found in the Bible.

The oversensitivity combined with how deep he was fucking you caused you to teether back and forth from pleasure to pain. A near animalistic need was overtaking your body, the only thing you could focus on was the sensation of him coming deep inside of you.

"Want me to keep going, don't ya? So deep inside ya, I bet ya want it to take." It made your head reel that this was the same man who an hour earlier, was speaking to a congregation about loving thy neighbor.

His different layers were what caused you to fall in love with Rhett. The same man who was grunting words of pure filth was the same man who planned to make you dinner. It was the same man who personally saw to it that your demons were laid to rest, unable to haunt you ever again.

The same man who was now pressing his lips gently to your forehead as he pulled out.

"I'll feel ya up real good tonight angel, promise. But folks are probably wondering where we are." You nodded, though your body remained wrapped up in his.

"You know, they're still gonna wonder where we are, even after they learn about us."

Rhett simply smiled as he stuffed your panties into his back pocket.

"Yeah, but they'll know better than to say anything about it."

One of your eyebrows quirked upwards, "Perks of being a man of God?"

His lips pressed against yours for a quick peck, "You'll get those perks too angel. Soon."

It couldn't come soon enough.

#my writing #rhett abbott imagine #rhett abbott x you #rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbot x reader #rhett abbot smut #preacher!rhett abbott #rhett abbot x y/n

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delopsia · 7 months

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Springsteen | Rhett Abbott x Reader

Word Count: 5,100 Cross Posted on AO3 Warnings & Notes: 18+, AFAB!Reader, (Note the Reader does wear a dress!) unprotected sex, dancing, sex against the hood of Rhett's truck, mentions of Rich!Reader, wearing Rhett's jacket <3. This is best enjoyed with a listen of Springsteen by Eric Church, but you're welcome to imagine any song you'd want. Brief Summary: Dancing to the radio with Rhett gets heated a little bit too easily.

"Go, go, go!"

"I'm going, I'm going!" You squeal, damn near jumping off that last stair. Water splattering beneath your feet as you tear through the gravel driveway. Led along by the hand that's caught your wrist in an iron grip.

Wind catches beneath the ends of your dress, blowing it up past your knees as you run. The kind of brazing breeze that sends you knocking into Rhett's much warmer side, clumsily clinging to his side. Limbs painfully knock together, shoulders and elbows not coordinated enough for such a thing, but he's getting his arm around you and cinching your body into his, and it's almost enough to ward off the bite of late autumn.

"Told ya t' get a jacket!" Rhett sputters, but he hasn't a problem with having you this close. Even if that does mean your ankles are hopelessly tangling. Can't slow down out of fear of that front door opening and the sound of your name serenading through the air as you're summoned back inside, but can't speed up because someone is bound to trip.

"You said the wind wasn't that bad!" Your retort is rewarded with a patch of loose gravel sliding out from beneath you, nearly sends you careening into the ground as you turn.

"Yeah, if you got somethin' more than a dress on!" It's the singular, distant barn light that lets you catch a glimpse of his grin, couples so wonderfully with his wild blue eyes, untamed and free, like that of the herd of mustangs who roam the outskirts of town.

For a moment, time stops.

It's just you and Rhett in this big, cold world. Seconds away from disappearing from the sights of anyone who may be peeking out the house windows. Hidden in a dimly lit room, just the two of you, for as long as you want.

Until his shoulder clips his truck mirror.

"Shit—!" He's already biting into the side of his meaty palm, gaze darting toward the house, where a hundred ears could have heard him.

But you doubt anyone would come out here, even if they did hear him.

Slipping out from his side is the worst thing you could ever do because the chilly air nips at your skin, even in the safety of the barn, but being cold will have to wait. Too busy looking over to see if he's broken his mirror or, worse, cut himself open.

"'m alright," somehow, you already knew he was going to say that.

And now here you are, shivering in front of his broad frame, struggling for words. Of course, he's alright; a man who works on a cattle ranch has worse injuries than a shoulder bumped into a truck mirror. Falling off his horse, cattle trying to run him over, bull horns getting jabbed into soft flesh.

His deep chuckle dances through the air. Effectively snatching and running away with every single one of your thoughts. "You're cute when you're worried 'bout me," his hand rises to push his hat further up on his head. Makes it a little easier for him to lean in, bumping your noses together, "Y' know that?"

It's a little bit too easy to reach up, smoothing your hand up his body, feeling the gentle swell of his broad chest and the solid ridges of his collarbones, all on your way to curl your fingers around the back of his neck. You hardly have to pull him in. The slightest pressure, and he's stepping forward to close the gap.

Rough stubble scratches your chin as his lips meet with yours. Chapped and bitten to the brink of bleeding, but just as familiar as three nights ago. Slower than the last time, no longer fueled by the crippling frenzy of desperation to feel each other and excitement over finding a stolen moment. No rush as Rhett's arms curl around your waist, drawing you in until your chests bump together.

"Y' weren't kiddin' 'bout bein' cold, were you," he observes aloud, voice rumbling against your lips. Big hands smooth up and down the back of your dress, like he's trying to create a semblance of heat there.

Delicate, he pulls you in. Closer this time. Where your arms can coil around his shoulders, and your frigid nose fits into the scruffy underside of his jaw. For a man who's always complaining about being cold, he sure is warm. The chest against yours feels warmer than the fireplace you were idling in front of earlier, entertaining small talk with some boy in a gaudy blazer that he spent far too much on.

His head tilts, nose bumping into your temple as he nuzzles into you, "'s this better?"

"I hope you plan on gluing yourself to me, cowboy," because you're not letting him go until spring comes back around.

Or at least, not until the frost melts from the joints of your fingers and the tip of your nose doesn't feel so numb.

"Wouldn't mind that," he's pausing to press a kiss to your forehead, then another, can never seem to get enough, "not sure if you'd like bein' out at dawn, chasin' cows through rain n' snow though."

"Who said I'd give you back to your folks?" You can't see it, but you can feel his eyes roll. Both of you know that Royal will come kicking the door in if his youngest isn't at work bright and early, busting his ass for a job that pays less than minimum wage because he's family, but it's fun to imagine.

Just one week alone, in a cozy home, cuddling through movies and bickering as you try to put a dinner together, uninterrupted by the responsibilities of life. It's all you ask for.

Rhett's shoulders shift as he shrugs out of his coat. Unveiling that slightly-too-tight flannel that shrunk in the washer a few Sundays ago, sleeves clinging to the curve of his biceps like they're being paid to do it. Such a fascinating sight that you hardly notice the sudden warmth wrapping around you.

"But now you're gonna be cold," your protest is weak, thwarted by the flutter of butterflies in your belly. His coat is so warm, fitting around your shoulders just right, and freshly scented with his favorite cologne—the woodsy one with the scent of autumn crammed into a bottle.

"'s alright," it may be dim in this barn, but it's so easy to catch the way his cheeks have flushed pink, a little too eager to see you in his jacket. "I got somethin' that'll warm us up."

Before you can even begin to ask what that could be, he's stepping off toward his truck. Hinges squeal as he opens the driver-side door, one of its many, many signs of age. It's a miracle the old thing even runs, considering its rough life as a ranch truck. Still clinging to its last bits of life, too stubborn to go just yet.

"I found this at a yard sale the other day," Rhett grunts, lifting something gray out of the passenger seat. Square, with a big antenna that reminds you of...

"How is a radio gonna keep us warm?" Your head tilts to the side, since when did he own a radio, anyway?

"You'll see." There's a long, dangling cord that Rhett's coiling in his free hand as he hauls it over to the outlet. The one on the workbench you've been using as home to your laptop as of late, where the Wi-Fi connection is the weakest. A small price to pay to watch movies together without needing to worry about sneaking into each other's homes.

"Only downside is, the damn thing ate my Eric Church CD," the end of his sentence disrupted by his own laughter, "'s what I get for buyin' yard sale radios."

As he says that, the radio flickers to life, the coarse sound of static rumbling through the air as he fumbles with the buttons. A little unfamiliar with the layout of this old machine, dented and splattered in hot pink paint.

Music erupts from the speakers. Looping through the same three seconds of a lyric that you can't quite hear. Then dies into silence just as quickly. A familiar song wavers through the air, growing louder as Rhett messes with the dial.

You still don't get what he's on about. "Springsteen?" How is an Eric Church song going to warm you two up? Catch fire?

The track loops, the intro catching on a new scratch in the CD. You've heard him play this CD enough times to know it's never skipped in this song until now.

But then Rhett's holding his hand out, grin so wide that his eyes curl with it, "c'mon," he breathes, his voice light as an autumn leaf, "dance with me."

You know better than anyone that Rhett Abbott cannot dance. Yet, you're slipping your palm into his, letting him sweep you into a lazy spin that flares out the ends of your dress. Your silhouette picture perfect on the barn floor as the song finally starts to play.

"This is your idea of warming up, huh?" You giggle, accidentally stepping nose to nose with each other, then stepping a bit too far apart. Eager to be close but afraid to step on each other's toes. Carefully turning and moving with no real rhythm, just doing whatever feels right in that given second.

"Remembered that video y' sent me, 'bout that couple dancin' n' all," funny, how he remembers that because you can hardly recall when you sent it to him. What other ideas has he been storing up in that pretty head of his? "Couldn't figure out how t' get a beach in a barn."

Now you're finding your pacing, something slow that lets him nudge your foreheads together. Your arms wrap around his broad shoulders like they belong there. The ruggedness of his jacket an uncanny contrast against the soft, delicate material of your dress. A mashing of two styles that would send many of your visitors into a tizzy. But God, it's so warm. Like a second Rhett, curled around your body to keep you safe from the nip of the wind.

It's no romantic sunset dance on a white sand beach, but it's better than it has any right to be. Because your bodies bump together with all the clumsiness of two people who don't know what they're doing, and you're starting to drift across the barn, but it's you, and it's him, and it's so...

Enchanting. Perfect. A daydream that has slipped from your head and into the thin blanket of reality. The kind of scene that can be shoved into a snow globe and sold to every tourist who wanders into Wabang.

"Thinkin 'bout somethin'?" He asks, but those eyes suggest he can hear the gears turning in your head, just might be able to read all the wandering thoughts floating past.

"Wondering what they'd say if someone walked in on us, right now," the wayward wondering slips right past your lips, unable to be held back.

Humming, Rhett's head tilts, "s'pose someone would faint," he says, with all the confidence of a man who has seen it happen before, "can't have the big, bad cowboy muddyin' up the prettiest thing in town, now can they?"

"Something tells me you'd enjoy that," you can already see it, the devilish grin as everyone at the party realizes that you're taken after all. Heart stolen by the bull rider they see every Sunday at the rodeo.

"If it means showin' everyone who ya belong to, then—" spurs clank together. One moment, he's there. The next he's gone. Hat bouncing off his head as his ass meets the concrete barn floor. Mere inches away from the start of the gravel driveway.

Big blue eyes blink up at you. Cheeks flushing with crimson as he braces his palms on the ground behind him, leaning back like he meant to do that all along.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Struggling to speak around your grin, you bend to pick up his hat by the crown.

Rhett's silent. Mouth agape as he continues to blink at you, gaze akin to that of a baby deer. And maybe he would be able to talk if you weren't setting his hat atop your head. Have to be careful, it's so big that it'll fall over your eyes if you move too quickly.

But it stays in place, even as you kneel, settling into his open lap. Knees straddling his hips, nose to nose once more. "Showing everyone who I belong to, hm?"

This. This is what you've been missing. The awkward wobble of Rhett's bottom lip as he struggles for words. Overtaken by the sight of you in his clothes, the soft fingers caressing his jaw, and the hand delving into his messy hair. So confident until he's not.

"Uhuh," he breathes, dumbly.

You don't know who moves first. If it's you who dives down or if it's him surging up, but your lips are meeting, and that stupid Eric Church CD is beginning to skip around again. The glitchy repetition of the song an illustration of the way your brain shorts out, set off by the arms circling around you.

Kissing him before was soft, delicate. This one...this kiss is something warmer. A lick of a flame that you recognize all too well, the kind that promises more to come. His hands roaming beneath his jacket and up your back, the scruff of his jaw tickling your chin. Maybe it's the cold that makes you cling to him, maybe it's the way your head is starting to spin, you cant say for sure, but you can't get close enough.

His soft mouth glides against your own, groans at the way you nip at his lower lip. He knows what you want. You know what you want. And yet, you're surprised by the way his tongue darts out to lap at yours, a bolt of electricity firing down your spine. Sloppily tangling, spit slicking your lips, parting just for the sake of meeting each other again.

Strong hips roll upward, growing bulge nudging between your legs. The rough material of his jeans a wicked sensation against your core.

Blindly, you reach for one of his hands, drawing it between your bodies. And for a moment, you part, panting for a breath you can't catch, eager to focus on his handsome face as you guide him beneath your dress.

His eyelashes flutter. Rough fingertips dip between your dripping folds. "How long you ain't had those on?"

"Since you texted and said you were coming to get me," and there's more to that statement of yours. Ramblings about how you'd intended to part your legs and give him a view when he was flagging you down through the window. But he's bringing his glistening fingers to his lips, and your brain has effectively gone silent.

All of a sudden, it's too hot in this jacket of his. The wind isn't chilly enough to bite back the wildfire blazing across your skin.

Everything moves so fast. One moment, you're in his lap, and the next, your chest is against the hood of his truck, knees knocking together as his calloused palms slide up your inner thighs. Feeling their way up to the curve of your ass, squeezing greedy handfuls.

"Fuckin look at you," he hisses under his breath, and you just know he's leaning back to capture the full picture.

Impatient, you wiggle back into him, whining, "hurry up."

Rhett doesn't need to be told twice. Gaudy, oversized belt buckle jingling as he pops it open and yanks down his zipper. Music to your ears, even with the jumpy radio still droning in the background. That poor CD is so close to reaching its final resting place, but it's not quite there yet.

A familiar hardness nudges between your thighs. So hot against your chilly thighs that it almost burns. His leaking tip slips through your folds, rubbing past your entrance in favor of grazing your clit. A perfect glide that has you biting into the side of your palm to keep quiet. Only sickened by the packet of lube he's pouring onto himself, using your cunt to spread it across himself. Lazily fucking himself against your sex without much effort.

"Can't believe you're out here lettin' me do this," he grunts, blunt head catching, beginning to nudge into you, "what're ya fixin' to do if one of them folks comes lookin' for ya, hm?"

Blunt nails trail up your exposed thighs, a light tickling that has you unintentionally jerking back against him, that thick tip slipping into you without warning. So suddenly full of him that you gasp, head dropping down to rest against your forearms.

Rhett's still talking, eating away the silence as he takes hold of your hips, holding you still while he pushes into you. "What're ya gonna do if you get caught with a ranch hand balls deep in your sweet lil pussy?"

"And how do you plan on dealing with the whole town knowing about your sex life?" Your voice strained, wound too tight by the thick length that's splitting you oh so wide. Don't think you'll ever grow used to how he drags against your walls, such a simple sensation that sends a tremor into your legs.

"Don't mind it," inhaling sharply through his nose, Rhett bends down, his warm chest pressing against your shoulders, "long as they know you're mine."

Kisses pepper against the side of your neck, where a thin sheen of sweat has already begun to collect. A vague distraction from the way his hips press against your ass, skin flush together. You've taken him to the hilt, can barely understand how you've done so, and yet he's still pushing impossibly deeper. Urging every last millimeter of his cock into you, just to hear you grunt, your hand pawing at the slick hood of his truck.

"Rhett..." you whisper, aren't quite sure if it's meant to be a warning or a whimper. Maybe both.

"Y' can take it," his breath tickles your skin as his nose bumps its way up your neck, not stopping until he can graze his teeth against the shell of your ear, "know ya can, sweetheart."

In the back of your head, you know he's right; you've done this more times than you can count, but every time, you can't help but wonder if it'll be your last. Split wide open on his cock, until you're aching from the stretch of him, so full that you can focus on nothing else.

You've never been so thankful to be pressed up against the hood of a GMC Sierra, the cool metal a welcome relief to your overheated cheek. Makes it a little easier to look over your shoulder to steal a glance at your cowboy with his half-unbuttoned shirt and half-lidded eyes.

With a deep breath, you open your mouth again, "move."

A breathy laugh fans out against your ear, so amused by your request and so eager to fulfill it. A gust of wind breezes past as he gingerly draws his hips away. Cock sliding out of you a little under halfway, only to ease back in with the same carefulness as the first time.

His balls bump against your clit on his next push inward. A soft tap of attention that has you squirming back into him, fluttering around his cock like a butterfly. And you know he can feel it because he sucks in an audible breath, the only thing he can do to keep himself from swearing out loud. Twitches into you a little too hard, rocking your body up against the truck, balls slapping against that throbbing little button again and—

A whimper tears its way out of your throat.

"Like that?" Rhett's leaning back, big hands settling on either side of your hips like a warning, "y' wantin' me to be rough with you, darlin'?"

You don't know what you want. So long as he keeps doing this. Working up a pace that rocks your bodies into the truck, the only noises in the air are the soft patter of skin on skin, the gravel shifting beneath your feet, and the soft grunts falling off Rhett's tongue. Barely there noises meant for your ears only.

"Wish you could see yourself," Rhett's muttering, his free hand smoothing across your exposed backside and beneath your dress, feeling its way up your spine, "pr'ty lil ass in the moonlight like this."

Those wicked hips slam into your ass, pushing you forward and up onto your tip-toes; metal squeals as your clammy palms scramble across the truck's hood, searching for purchase.

"Rhett!" You all but yelp. Can't do a goddamn thing but take every bit of him, spasming around him as he drives right into that little bundle of nerves, plush tip kissing it on every pass over.

There's no way someone won't hear you if they open the front door. Will recognize the rocking of the truck and know exactly what it is that you're up to. Bending over for your beloved ranch hand instead of getting close with one of the Tillersons or their equally well-off associates. Desperate for the devilish smack of Rhett's balls against your clit, can no longer think of the elusive opportunities that come with pretending to like someone with more money than the entirety of Wabang combined.

All you can think of is this. The sensation of Rhett's unshaven jaw grazing against your collar as he bends down to press warm kisses to the underside of your jaw. How your dripping sex squelches with his every thrust.

"Lookin' so innocent in your little party dress," Rhett's murmuring into your ear, him and his dizzyingly deep voice. So up close and all over that he floods your senses, mind cluttered with Rhett, Rhett, Rhett. "Gettin' roughed up by a cowboy while all them snobs in there wonder where you're at."

You fear you've forgotten how to speak because your lips are moving, but nothing is coming out. Mind growing foggier with every collision of his body up against yours, whimpering high in your throat. Oh, you've missed this.

"Ought to cum in this tiny lil pussy of yours," his voice vibrates down your spine, sends your skin prickling, "pump y' nice 'n full of me 'n make ya walk right back in that party with my cum runnin' down your thighs."

It wouldn't be the first time he's paraded you through a crowd; your thighs squeezed together as you try to keep yourself from falling apart at the seams. Forced to grin and pretend that you can't feel the way he's spilling out of you.

And you're already so full of him, a plume of heat just beginning to spark where his thick cock disappears inside you. Bodies tangled together so hopelessly that neither of you can figure out who starts and ends where. Only worsened by the hand that tilts your head to the side, your mouth weakly meeting his swollen lips. You can hardly hold the kiss for more than a second, broken apart by how he jerks into you.

"Do y' want that, hm?" He's still talking; fuck, fuck, fuck, why is he still talking? Cooing those sweet words into your ear, a spell that you have no hope of resisting. "Waddlin' 'round your own house, actin' like you didn't just get fucked nice 'n good."

You don't know where you're finding the strength to push back against him. Feet scrambling for purchase in the loose gravel, trying to meet the unrelenting slam of his hips. A futile attempt at getting more that gives him the space to reach down between your legs, coarse fingertips dancing around your swollen clit.

"Fuck, Rhett—!" Your choked cry is anything but quiet, echoing through the dark blanket of the night and carrying its way up to the stars. The same ones that twinkle behind your eyelids, growing brighter with every plunge of his cock, and the massage of his fingers against your clit. Working over and over and over.

Rhett's cheek bumps into your shoulder, his body curving to fit against yours until there's not an inch of space left between your bodies. "Or would y' rather me carry you in and let 'em all see who y' belong to?"

Oh, oh, oh. You can already hear the dramatic gasp of your visitors, the shattering of the steep expectations they've held for you.

But that's only if they don't catch you first, and the noises whittling out of your throat do nothing to help your case. Unable to shut your mouth, dissolving into a limp mess against Rhett's ranch truck. No better than a warm doll, clinging to the remnants of your control while he fucks you. Rhythm falling apart, chasing the same high that's making your head spin, heat washing across your body.

"C'mon, sweet thing," Rhett's voice wavers, sweat dripping from his trembling jaw and landing on your shoulder. "Where do y' want it?"

He'll pull out if you want him to, has so many times before, but you're already babbling, mouth struggling to wrap around the words, "inside, inside, Rhett—hah."

And he doesn't need to be told twice. The weight of his body growing heavier as he settles against you in earnest now, unafraid of not being able to pull himself away in time. Working into your spasming pussy like it's the only thing he's ever wanted to do. The underside of his cock rubbing into that sweet collection of nerves, never once losing contact.

There's a shake in his arms, and it's starting to match the trembling in your thighs, his breath quickening in tune with yours, those deep groans like music to your ears. No longer able to keep himself quiet, weak fingers still working your clit with what strength he's got left. You're right there, you're right there, you're right—

Rhett's forearm muffles the cry that leaves you.

For a moment, your mind is blank. Only dimly aware of the rhythmic spasm of your pussy as Rhett's hips stall, cock twitching as a familiar head spreads inside you. A whine tumbles off someone's lips, might be yours, might be his; you can't fucking tell anymore. Ears washed over with a dull ringing as that heat eats you up from the inside out.

What strength remains in your body begins to dissolve. Your head is still spinning up with the stars when your knees give out from beneath you. But your knees don't hit the ground, instead held up by a nondescript body—Rhett's, you think, pinning you to the truck.

It's the ache in your jaw that brings you back to the real world. Eyes fluttering open as you pull your mouth away from Rhett's forearm, an outline of teeth imprinted over the thick vein that runs through it.

"Y' bit me," he chuckles into your ear, "ain't never done that one before."

You don't know when your dominant arm got trapped between your stomach and the truck, but a portion of the GMC logo has been imprinted on your skin. A temporary brand, only takes one look for it to reveal your recent rendezvous, shows itself off as you paw at the metal hood, struggling to regain your bearings.

On its own, Rhett's spent cock slips out of you, and already you can feel the cum spilling down your thighs.

"I'm gonna be so sore in the morning," you'd sound more dramatic if you weren't caught in the midst of a yawn, "how am I supposed to get up to my room without anyone noticing me waddling like a damn penguin?"

Rhett's warm nose nuzzles against your cheek, and you can't see it, but you can feel his smile. "I'll kiss it better if that's what you're wantin'."

Certainly wasn't an idea that was on your list, but you don't mind the idea of that.

Your legs sway as you push yourself off the side of the truck, leaves you stumbling into Rhett's big, sweaty chest. And you're so, so fortunate that he's quick to react, big arms coiling around you and securing you to him because you know your ass would be hitting the gravel otherwise.

"At first, I was kiddin' 'bout carryin' you inside," he chuckles, nothing but smiles as he presses a kiss to your temple, "but now I think 'm gonna have to."

"Or," holding up your finger, "you could not take me inside."

He's leaning back, just enough to get a glimpse of your face, crushed up against his shoulder, "'n here I thought you wanted to go back in."

"I do," on their own accord, your arms rise to circle his waist, grabbing greedy handfuls of his flannel. "But I don't wanna leave you."

Because going inside means that you have to leave your boyfriend out in the cold, forced to remain out of sight and far away from the families who aren't so fond of the Abbotts. Old rivalries in a cattle industry that only Rhett's family remains in, forever unable to acquire the same wealth as the others did. As yours did.

But sleeping beneath the moonlight or in the barn isn't feasible. The temperature has only begun to plummet; body heat alone isn't enough to protect against autumn Wyoming nights.

If only the numbers in Rhett's bank account were big enough to buy the respect of the assholes spilling wine on the freshly cleaned carpet of your living room. Carelessly wasting a drink that costs more than this old GMC Sierra, modifications included.

"What if..." he's thinking aloud, gears visibly twisting and turning in his pretty head, "I take ya to that hotel outta town? The one with the theater next door."

"Well, if you let me get my wallet—"

"Naw," Rhett's cutting you off before your sentence can be finished, already knows where the conversation is headed, "you let me worry 'bout that."

All these people at your home, with their needlessly expensive items and mile-deep pockets, and yet it's your blue-collar, run-of-the-mill cowboy who is the least concerned about money. Even when he's got every reason in the book to worry about the numbers in his bank account and the unnecessary expense of a nice hotel.

"Sound alright?" His nose bumps against your cheek, tickling.

"That's more than alright," on their own, the corners of your lips rise into a smile. Your eyes dart toward the barn doors, can already hear that same Eric Church track starting up again. Funny how you now have a memory to go with a song about a memory. "But maybe you should shut off that radio first."

#rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbott #oneshot #rhett abbott smut #outer range #rhett abbott imagine #rhett abbott x you #x reader

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nurse-sainz · 15 days

Text

Not a People Doctor

Pairing: Rhett Abott x Vet!Reader

Fandom: Outer Range

After a bar fight, Rhett shows up at your doorstep.

For the amazing @vivwritesfics and the reason I am now Rhett/ Bob trash! Thank you for the title idea 💕💕

It's getting late as you settle down in your living room with a hot cup of tea and the latest book you're reading. Your peace is interrupted by a soft knocking at your door. You almost think you've imagined it when the knock comes again, a little louder this time. Grumbling slightly, you set your book aside, hoping it isn't another mare in labour or a horse with colic; you just want a quiet night.

Opening the door, you put on a smile for the paying customer you expect to find, but your smile falls as you see none other than Rhett Abbott, your childhood friend and a frequent customer. He looks dishevelled, blood staining his clothes, and you can already see the bruises and cuts on his face in the dim porch light.

"Jesus, Rhett, what the hell happened to you?" you exclaim, ushering him inside.

He winces as he moves, clearly in pain but not wanting to let on. "Got into a bit of a scuffle at the bar," he mutters, not quite meeting your gaze.

Leading him into your living room, you move the blanket you'd been cuddled under not long ago. "Sit down, let me take a look at you."

He lowers himself onto the sofa. You flip on the light switch to give you a better view of his injuries as you sit on the coffee table opposite him.

"You must've really pissed someone off," you tut as you gently turn his head with your fingers on his chin. You lift his shirt seeing the bruises over his ribs, shaking your head. "We need to get you to a hospital; some of these cuts need stitches. Probably got a broken rib or two as well."

Rhett gives you a shit-eating smile, a smile only he could pull off when his face looks half as bad as it does, and it still makes you weak at the knees. "That's why I came here, thought you were a doctor."

"I'm an animal doctor, not a people doctor," you shake your head in disbelief.

"I can try. I don't have any of the good pain meds, so it's going to hurt like a bitch, and it won't be the prettiest. Gonna have a few more scars to add to the list."

"Never had any complaints from you. You always liked my scars and tattoos."

You smack him lightly on the arm, causing a 'hey' from him in response. Ignoring him, you run to get the first aid kit you keep in your bathroom closet as well as your veterinary kit.

You start to clean his wounds, carefully stitching up the deep cut over his eyebrow. You can't help feeling a pang of concern. Rhett isn't a stranger to bar fights, but seeing him so vulnerable and injured stirs something within you.

"Are you going to tell me what that fight was about?" you ask gently, your voice laced with worry.

Rhett hesitates for a moment before he meets your gaze. "It was dumb. Just some guy mouthing off about things he shouldn't have," he admits, jaw clenching.

You sigh, finishing up and snipping the last of the stitches. "You need to be more careful, Rhett. You're going to get yourself seriously hurt one day."

He nods, his expression sheepish. "I know... I know. I just... I didn't want to go to the hospital."

You place a comforting hand on his cheek, your thumb gently smoothing over his cheekbone. "Well, you're just lucky you've got me, and I happen to know my way around stubborn bull riders, and I'm pretty good at suturing."

A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips. "You have no idea."

Once you've finished cleaning and bandaging the last of the wounds on his face, you sit back, admiring your handiwork. "There... all done," you lean in and place a gentle kiss on the side of his head, "good as new."

Rhett stands up slowly, getting a look in the mirror above your fireplace. "Thanks, sweetheart. I owe you one."

"Don't mention it, I'll just add it to the list. Just promise me you'll be more careful, Rhett. I'm pretty good, but some injuries I can't fix."

He nods, his gaze finally meeting yours. "I promise."

As he makes his way to the door, you can't help but shake the feeling of concern lingering. "Hey, Rhett? You need a place to stay tonight? Probably shouldn't be alone after something like this."

"I don't want to put you out..."

"You're not," you interrupt him.

Rhett's gaze softens, and you can see the gratitude in his eyes. "I... I'd appreciate that. Thank you."

You feel a wave of relief wash over you as you leave him on the couch, running to change your sheets, not wanting him to spend the night on the sofa with his injuries.

"Beds all changed; let's get you some rest. I've got some pain meds and a glass of water up there for you too."

He looks at you, confused as to why you haven’t brought down blankets and pillows, assuming he'd be sleeping on the couch.

You hold out your hand. "Come on, I don't mind. Besides, I'll feel a lot better knowing you're not sleeping on that uncomfortable sofa."

He blinks, confusion evident in his expression. "Are you sure, Y/N? I don't want to intrude."

You give him a look that leaves no room for arguments, and he knows he'd be fighting a losing battle to even try.

With a grateful nod, he takes your hand, helping pull himself to his feet before he follows you up the stairs. You pull back the covers, helping him slip under the blankets before joining him. As you both lie there, you couldn’t help but love the feeling of the warmth of his body beside you. You love it even more as he wraps an arm around your waist, whispering a thank you into the crook of your neck.

#rhett abbott #rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbott x you #outer range #my writing #rhett abbott imagine

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vivwritesfics · 3 days

Text

Wishing, Wanting, Yours For The Taking

Spoiler

Childhood sweethears, Rhett Abbott and Wayne Tillerson's daughter know they can't be together. After eight years of secretly making things work, Rhett knows he wanted to put a ring on her finger. But one night of drinking and Perry's temper has to ruin everything

Patricia Tillerson must have known she was going to leave her family. Why else would driving onto the Abbott ranch, climbing out of her car and marching towards their house?

The families didn't exactly see eye to eye. They may have been neighbours, but they heavily disliked each other. Patricia had no reason to be knocking on their door, especially not at this time of night.

When Cecilia pulled open the door and saw Patricia Tillerson standing there, she knew exactly what it was about. Patricia wore her tight lipped smile as she looked at Cecilia. She pulled her expensive furs tighter to her body.

"Cecilia," she said. Normally she'd have one of the boys with her, Trevor or Luke. But not this time. Not when she knew she was leaving. "Is she here?"

Cecilia stepped to the side, allowing Patricia into her home. She knew exactly what Patricia was talking about. Cecilia stopped herself from looking towards the stairs, to where she knew Rhett was in his bedroom.

"Come and have a drink," Cecilia offered.

As she and Patricia talked, seventeen-year-old Rhett Abbott was in his room, laying on his bed, holding her against his chest. Rhett's voice was soft as he told her his dreams of bull riding. Her fingers were against his chest, dancing over the spot where he wanted to get his tattoo.

She could feel her eyes drooping as she listened to his steadily beating heart. "Rhett," she said quietly, interrupting him. But Rhett didn't mind. He looked down at her as she went to pull away. "I need to go home."

"Five more minutes," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

But she shook her head, pulled away from him, and grabbed her clothes from the floor. She pulled on her shirt and jeans and climbed back onto the bed to kiss his soft lips. "I'll see you tomorrow, cowboy," she whispered and walked over to his window.

Downstairs, Patricia looked at the drink Cecilia had poured for her. Not that she'd drink something so cheap. "I don't want my daughter around your son," she said, legs crossed at the knee, sitting straight.

Cecilia let out a huff. "They're kids, Patricia. You try and force them apart, they're just going to find their way back to each other." She picked up her whiskey and downed it in one go.

"I don't care," Patricia said, frankly. "If I catch him near her again, my boys will have something to say about it."

#rhett abbott #rhett abbott imagine #rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbott fluff #rhett abbott x you #outer range #outer range imagine #outer range x reader #lewis pullman #lewis pullman imagine #lewis pullman x reader #rhett abbott smut #rhett abbott fanfiction #rhett abbott oneshot #outer range fanfiction

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a-reader-and-a-writer · 3 months

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You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This.... (Rhett Abbott x Reader)

Fandom: Outer Range, Rhett Abbott, f!reader Summary: You and Rhett have a unique friendship. Every time you go out with a group, you end up getting drunk, dancing, and making out with him only to then wind up going home with other people. But what happens when Rhett asks you to dance before either of you has had a drink.... Word Count: 3744 TW: Fluff, Kissing, Love Confession, Drinking, Mentions of drunk making out, Mentions of drunk dancing, Language Notes: For @ohtobeleah's Galentine's Day Special based on "You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This" by Toby Keith (RIP 😔💗)

Despite the relatively early hour, the bar was busier than usual even for a Saturday night. You had forgotten there was some big sports thing that weekend the next town over so the overabundance of unfamiliar faces blending into the sea of regulars was a bit of a shock when you first arrived with your friends but—miraculously—the six of you managed to stake your claim on a table not too far from where you usually sat.

However, you had struggled to squeeze through the crowd and since everyone else was already sitting when you finally caught up, it was unanimously decided you should fight your way back up to the bar to get the first round of drinks. You put up a brief mock protest before surrendering to the peer pressure, but secretly, you didn’t mind. It gave you a chance to scope out the space and see if any of the out-of-towners caught your eye. Your town wasn’t small per se, but even in a medium-sized pond, there were only so many fish. So when there was a chance at some fresh blood, why not take advantage?

What seemed like an eternity later, you pushed your way back to your friends and practically threw the beers onto the table before collapsing into the booth. While you had enjoyed watching all the new potential hookups around you, you had also been relentlessly jostled, had beer spilled on your boots, and had three separate guys grab your ass before claiming it was an “accident” due to the crowd. And all just to get a crappy $7 beer. Ridiculous.

As you took your first drink, you finally realized only five people were sitting around the table instead of six. Nudging Parker who was sitting next to you, you leaned over and shouted above the music, “Where’d Rhett go?”

She shrugged dismissively, her attention locked on some douchy-looking frat bro eye-fucking her from a few tables away. “I don’t know. He said something about going to help you with the drinks or something.”

“Well, I never saw him.”

“He’s a big boy. He’ll find his way back. Or not.” She pointed at the frat bro, signaling the end of her interest in your questions. “What do you think about him?”

Without glancing back over, you deadpanned, “I think if you let him even touch you, you should get tested in the morning.”

She rolled her eyes at you before sitting up straighter as she bit her lip and coyly waved at the frat bro, clearly dismissing you.

You caught Alec’s eye over the top of Parker’s head and you both tried to suppress a chuckle. Parker infamously made the worst choices when it came to men and she only dug her claws in deeper when any of you tried to talk her out of them, so it was better to just let her do whatever she was going to do and help her deal with the consequences afterward.

Relaxing back in your seat, you took another long drink from your beer. It was now almost half empty and just the thought of wading back through the crowd for another one made you internally groan. Though you could probably convince Alec to go since you got the first round but that would involv–

Your internal conversation was cut off as you spotted Rhett pushing his way through the crowd towards the table. Sitting up, you smiled at him. “Oh, there you are. I thought you might have gotten trampled by the mob of people or something. Your beer’s getting war–”

“Come dance with me.”

You were taken aback as he thrust out his hand to help you up from the table.

It was a given at this point that by the end of the night, you and Rhett would end up hammered, uninhibited, and viciously making out in the middle of the dance floor. It’s what happened every time you went to the bar: You’d both drink, you’d both dance together, you’d both get all hot and bothered, and you’d both find someone else to take you home for the night. It was a strange system but it worked. Parker once joked that you were each other’s fluffers, just getting things ready for your real targets for the night. And while you would prefer to phrase it somewhat more tastefully, she wasn’t exactly wrong. Plus, you had found that a lot of guys (and girls in Rhett’s case) loved watching you making out with someone else, rubbing your body all over theirs, just for you to go home with them instead. It seemed as if the two of you weren’t the only ones getting fluffed in this situation.

However, neither you nor Rhett ever stepped foot on the dance floor until you’d finished at least three or four beers. He was fairly shy and reserved when sober and you both were very self-conscious of your dancing before getting at least slightly buzzed. Yet you were currently only halfway through beer number one and his first beer still sat unopened on the table next to you. Rhett might have pre-gamed on his own before you, Tara, and Spencer picked him up, but he seemed completely sober so you couldn’t imagine what he was thinking.

“I–but we–I mean…”

Rhett smiled as he leaned in close to be heard over the music. “It’s just a dance, sweetheart. It ain’t anythin’ we don’t do every week.”

“Bu-but what about our drinks?”

“I’m sure Parker—” he took one glance at your friend sitting next to you still making “do-me” eyes at the frat boy and corrected his statement “—Tara wouldn’t mind keepin’ an eye on ‘em.”

“You two go,” Tara said, smiling from where she was sitting with Spencer’s arm draped across her shoulders. “Your drinks will still be here when you get back.”

“Well…maybe,” Spencer muttered just loud enough to be heard over the music as he eyed Rhett’s untouched beer.

Tara elbowed her boyfriend with a scowl before turning back to you and gesturing for you to go. Still confused about the change in your routine, you took Rhett’s hand and let him help you to your feet. As he led you towards the dance floor, you turned your head just in time to see Tara and Spencer laughing and shaking their heads as they watched the two of you leave. Then Spencer reached for Rhett’s beer but Tara slapped his hand away.

You knew your friends didn’t understand this weird arrangement you and Rhett had fallen into—hell, it barely made sense to you. They were all convinced as they watched you week after week that the two of you were falling in love. They never believed you’re just friends having a little drunken fun.

Not that you hadn’t ever considered Rhett as a potential love connection. The first night you met him, that was where you thought things were headed. He had finally had enough of his toxic home life back in Wyoming and was looking for a fresh start somewhere new. So when a contact from his time bull-riding who lived in town offered him a job, he jumped at the opportunity.

You met him a few days later in this very bar when you saw him sitting all alone in the back corner. Of course, you noticed his classic-cowboy good looks, but what really caught your eye was how nervous and shy he seemed, his eyes mostly trained on the beer in front of him except when they occasionally shifted around the bar uncertainly. It wasn’t as if he were scared of someone seeing him or that he was on the run from something. No. He looked like a kid on his first day of school who wasn’t sure of where to sit at lunch.

So, you had gone and sat down at his table with two beers and a friendly smile. It took quite a bit of patience and coaxing, but Rhett eventually began to open up to you. Then, just as you were going to make the move to his side of the booth, your friends found you and asked for an introduction. By the end of the night, Rhett had slipped naturally into the gang and it felt weird pursuing him in any romantic way after that. After all, you could see how much he needed a support system in this new town and you didn’t want to take that from him for a one-night fling.

Which was why when you found yourselves sloppily making out in the middle of the dance floor a few weeks later and he just brushed it off like it was nothing, you didn’t push it or question it. And when it happened again, and again, and again, it just felt like a routine or a tradition and you never looked deeper into it.

But now Rhett had suddenly changed things up and you still had no idea why.

Once you reached the dance floor, Rhett pulled you in close and the two of you began to dance. There were so many people around you that you couldn’t move more than a few inches in any direction, but since you usually just rubbed against each other while making out, it shouldn’t have been an issue. However, without the usual buzz from the drinks, you were way too in your head about every move you made. Your usual fluid, natural movements felt stiff and robotic, and all you could think about was where Rhett’s hands were or what part of him was pressed against you at any given time. It was a disaster.

The song ended and a soft, melodic tune began to play. Slow songs were pretty rare but they were always the perfect opportunity for another drink, and boy did you need one. You turned to brave the crowd around the bar once more, however, Rhett’s fingers slipped into yours and he spun you back into his arms.

A half grin pulled at the corner of his mouth as he saw your surprised face and he asked, “You rushin’ off already? We just got out here.”

“In case I’m the only one who has noticed, I’m not really feeling this right now. And besides, we don’t do slow dances.”

“Tonight we do.” He must have seen the hesitation still on your face because he squeezed your hand. “Come on. You can tough it out for one song, then they’ll play somethin’ fast we can move to and you’ll get into the flow of it. Otherwise, you’ll just be waitin’ in that line for the rest of the night.”

Even pressed against him and over the softer melody of the slow music, the deep timbre of his voice was still difficult to hear but you knew he was right. By the time you made it through the crowd of people to reach the bar for another drink, many upbeat songs would have passed and there was a good chance you’d be ticked off by your waiting experience just like the first time. Instead, you could just stick it out here with Rhett and you’d be back to your usual dancing in mere minutes. And he was probably right. Given a few more songs, you’d probably figure out this sober dancing thing and actually enjoy yourself. So, somewhat reluctantly, you nodded to signal you’d stay.

Apparently, many of the people around you had the same thought you originally did because the crowds around you began to thin out giving you and Rhett a little more room to maneuver. The two of you were swaying together slowly and you have to admit it’s a nice change from your usual high-energy grinding.

Then as the music began to swell, he surprised you by spinning you out and when you twirled back into him, Rhett placed his hand on the center of your back and pulled you tight until you were pressed firmly against his chest. You looked up–unsure of what he was doing–just as his other hand brushed across your cheek to settle on the nape of your neck. One of the colored lights flashed across his face, illuminating the intensity deep within his eyes as he stared at you, and you felt your heart skip a beat as time seemed to freeze around you.

But that was silly. This was Rhett. You shouldn’t feel this fluttering in your chest or tingling where his skin brushed yours. He was your good friend, someone you had made out with every week and barely gave it a second thought. So why was there this different feel about him tonight? Why couldn't you take your eyes off his lips, why was your head spinning, and why were your knees growing weak? And why didn’t you want it to stop?

Then, using the hand on the back of your neck to tilt your head, Rhett’s lips were suddenly on yours.

Electricity shot right through you as every nerve in your body seemed to light up at once. It felt like you had just jammed a fork into an electrical socket but in the best of ways. This was unlike any kiss you had ever shared with Rhett—with anyone—before. Usually, your kisses with Rhett were drunken, and sloppy, and uncoordinated. But this…Rhett was as sober as you ever see him, and every curl of his lips, every swipe of his tongue, it all felt so fluid, almost choreographed. As if he had planned for this moment for ages.

Your eyes drifted closed as you let yourself sink deeper into his embrace. You could no longer tell if you were standing still or spinning around and around and around as a dizzying fog enveloped your mind. For a few seconds, you didn’t even know where you were at. All that existed was you and Rhett and the kiss.

But then you shifted, the top of your head bumping into the brim of his hat almost knocking it off, and the spell was broken. Rhett pulled away, fixing his hat, and leaving you clinging to him for support as the world came rushing back to you. The slow song was still playing and crowds of people around you still occasionally bumped into you as they danced, And yet, from the moment Rhett’s lips touched yours, everything had changed.

But had he felt it too?

With your face still just a few inches away from his, you chuckled softly. “You know, you really shouldn’t kiss me like this.”

“An’ why’s that?”

“You might give a girl the wrong impression. Make her start thinking lots of crazy things.”

For a moment, he didn’t respond. He just gave you that same intense stare he had just before the kiss and you felt your heart begin to speed up once more. Then, in a voice you could only just make out over the music, he asked, “What if that’s the point? What if I’m tired of waitin’ for her to figure out how I feel?”

All the air was sucked out of your lungs as his revelation drove into your chest like a fist. “Rhett…”

“No…No…” Before you could process what he was saying, he shook his head and stepped back, letting his hands fall to his sides as he released his hold on you. “’m sorry. I shouldn’t—I’m doin’ this all wrong. But I couldn’t take another week of you wrapped in my arms, your lips on mine, just to then watch you go home with someone else. I just…I just wanted you to know. ‘m sorry.”

He started to hurry off the dance floor but this time it was your turn to grab his arm to stop him from leaving. His eyes flickered up to yours and you saw that all the confidence and certainty that had been there before had been extinguished, leaving only fear behind. You knew it was the same fear you were feeling right now: fear of this changing everything; fear of this ruining your friendship; fear of what came next.

Sliding your hand into his and linking your fingers, you muttered, “Come here” before leading him off the dance floor and back towards the rear of the building. There was a separate concert area back there that they only opened for shows so you knew it was one of the few places in the bar that would give you some semblance of privacy.

Once there, you ducked into the empty space and shut the door. You could still feel the vibrations from the music and hear the dull thumping, but it wasn’t as overwhelming as it had been before. In here, at least you and Rhett wouldn’t need to shout to be heard.

Now that you were alone, neither one of you seemed to know what to say or how to start. You both shifted slightly as you glanced at each other. Finally, Rhett rubbed the back of his neck and said, “Listen, can we just forget any of that happened? I don’t want things to be weird between us and ‘m sorry if—”

“No, I’m sorry,” you said, cutting him off. “I was just a little surprised by that kiss and what I said didn’t come out right. But what I should have said, what I meant to say—” you stepped forward until you were brushing up against him, placing your hands on his chest. “—was ‘you shouldn’t kiss me like this…unless you mean it like that’.”

Rhett’s long eyelashes fluttered several times in quick succession and you saw his Adam’s apple bob wildly out of the corner of your eye. Licking his lips, he hesitated for another moment then asked, “And if I do? If I–If I mean it like that?”

Leaning forward, you whispered, “If you do, then, baby, kiss me again.”

The moment that his lips touched yours, the world once again fell away. If anything, now that you were returning his kiss with the same tenderness and enthusiasm, it was even more intoxicating than the kiss on the dance floor and you never wanted it to end.

Both of Rhett’s large, calloused hands slid up to cup your face, his thumb softly rubbing back and forth across your cheekbone. He used this leverage to drive you back a few steps and you soon felt your back bump against the wall. He pressed closer, sandwiching you between the cold, rough concrete and his warm, firm body. Another spark of electricity shot through you and you wondered if he felt it too as you felt the growing bulge in his pants jerk against your hip.

Through the haze of the kiss, you briefly considered how far you should let this go. A small part of you wanted to undo his belt right this second and drop to your knees before him, or to slide down your jeans and let him pound into you against this wall. After all, the two of you were still alone and no one would see you. However, the bigger part of you knew no matter how amazing you felt at this moment, this was all very new and you shouldn’t rush things. You and Rhett still needed to figure out what this meant for the two of you moving forward, and adding sex right now would just make things even more complicated.

Rhett must have come to the same conclusion because he shifted his hips so they were no longer pressed against you. Then he reluctantly pulled his lips off of yours. His hands slid off your face onto the wall behind you, one braced on either side of your head as both of you stared at one another panting as you tried to catch your breath. All you could do was look at Rhett’s lips and imagine them pressed against yours once more. And from how he stared at you, a hunger pulsing in his blue eyes, you felt he was thinking the same thing.

“Why didn’t you do that sooner?” you whispered.

“I wanted to since that first night we met. When I saw how kind, and funny, and incredible you were, I was smitten. But then the rest of the gang showed up and for the first time in a long time, I felt accepted. I was afraid makin’ a move on you would ruin all a that and I figured havin’ you as a friend was better than not havin’ you in my life at all. For a while, I settled for our dances and kisses, but I finally realized I didn’t want to be just your friend anymore. So, I took a chance.”

“I’m glad you did because I felt the same way.”

Rhett grinned. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” You leaned forward and pressed a kiss into his cheek. “Thank you for being the brave one.”

Rhett’s cheeks grew red in the dim light but he nodded as he let his hands fall from the wall behind you. Standing up straight, he glanced over his shoulder. “Um, I guess we should probably get back before we get in trouble for bein’ back here.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Besides, I wouldn’t be surprised if Tara’s sent Spencer out to find us yet.” You pushed off the wall, but as Rhett started to open the door, you stopped him. “Rhett…what happens now? Where do we go from here?”

He thought for a moment before a sly grin spread across his face. Walking up to you, he plucked his cowboy hat off his head and placed it on top of yours, pulling the brim down low over your brow.

Since the night you met him, you had never seen Rhett let a single person wear his hat, let alone touch it. So for him to give it to you, even temporarily…

You squeezed his hand tightly as you gazed into his eyes, loving what you saw reflected there. “How do I look?”

“Damn, sweetheart, looks like it was made for you,” Rhett’s voice was thicker than normal as he stared at you. “I shouldda given it to you the night we met, as soon as you sat down at my table with that smile and a beer.”

Now it was your turn to feel the blood rushing to your cheeks. Glancing shyly at the floor, you asked, “I love it, but I’m not really sure how this answers my question about us?”

“What do you know about Cowboy Law?”

Thanks to @ohtobeleah for letting me include the honorary Dagger in her event 😂 I've wanted to write this for a while and it was the perfect motivation to do so

Tag list: @lorecraft, @heart-0n-fire, @nerdysuperchick, @green-socks, @mayhem24-7forever, @callsign-phoenix, @lt-natrace, @superskittles, @wkndwlff, @rhettabbotts, @ryebecca, @sio-ina-bottle, @lewmagoo, @basiccortez, @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy, @fantasticcopeaglepasta, @blue-aconite, @ohtobeleah

#fic #leahsgalentinesdayspecial #rhett abbott #rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbott x you #rhett abbott imagine #rhett abbott outer range #outer range #lewis pullman #fluff #love confessions #kissing #language tw #drinking tw #drunk behavior tw

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mothdruid · 2 years

Text

The Librarian

pairing: Rhett Abbott x Librarian fem!reader

summary: Rhett wasn't expecting to find you as the new librarian, let alone the one that was teaching Amy's summer reading program. Over the course of the summer program you two start casually dating, falling in love with one another.

wc: 10.3k

warnings: fluff, smut, 18+, mdni, pet names (mouse, darlin', sweetheart), oral sex, hand jobs, unprotected sex (p in v), alcohol use, swearing

a/n: finally! it's here! i hope you all enjoy it!

Rhett had been surprised when he heard that Cecilia signed Amy up for a summer reading program. Summer was meant for fun and helping out around the ranch, not having your nose stuffed in a book. Amy seemed happy about it though, so Rhett didn’t question it too much. What Rhett did question was why he had to go pick her up.

“It’s just for today, Rhett.” Rhett huffed and rolled his eyes for a moment. Rhett got to his feet, grabbing his ball cap and placing it on his head. Why couldn’t she just go pick her up? She was the one who enrolled Amy in the program anyways. Amy was a smart young girl, she made him proud to call her family. Sometimes he wondered how such a smart person had come out of their family. It wasn't that they weren't smart, just not necessarily book smart. Perry had been the only one who went to college, making Rhett hope Amy would eventually follow Perry's footsteps.

After Rhett muttered an agreement, he grabbed his keys and headed out to his truck. The ride into town wasn't too bad, hot like any other summer day. The heat like this reminded Rhett of his youth, days when he was much more concerned about looking cool than reading a book. A chuckle or two would come out when he thought about it by himself, remembering how much of a prick he used to be. He never spent much time in the library growing up, it was never something that interested him. It tended to just remind him of how much he had hated school.

Rhett pulled into the parking lot of the library, killing his engine with a twist of his keys. He waited for a moment before checking his phone.

pick up is inside the library - mom

Rhett rolled his eyes once more, exiting the vehicle and heading up to the doors. Sometimes he wondered how Wabang was able to have such a nice library. Afford one that wasn't falling apart. Rhett made his way in, finding his way up to the main desk. A middle aged woman greeted him, answering his question and pointing him in the right direction. Rhett walked past a few different areas before coming up on a slightly open space. Couches and tables with chairs littered the area with about fifteen kids sitting at them. Some kids were talking amongst themselves, while only a select few were actually reading.

"Can I help you?" A soft and oddly familiar voice interrupted his sight seeing. Rhett was surprised when he turned, seeing you looking at him. It had been years since he'd seen you, high school in all honesty. He hadn't even heard that you were back in town. He didn't remember you ever looking this cute.

"I.. I'm.." You smiled at him, watching as he tumbled over his words. He closed his mouth, jaw clenching as embarrassment plagued him.

"Well, hello to you too, Rhett. I'm assuming you're here for Amy?" Rhett nodded. Why couldn't he just fucking talk?

"When did you get here?" Rhett asked bluntly. One of your eyebrows raised, a little confused by the question.

"Do you mean when I showed up behind you? Or when did I come back to Wabang?"

"The second one." Finally, his words were working again. Rhett looked you up and down for a moment, taking in your brown overalls and white long sleeve shirt. You were holding onto a few children's books, a small silver necklace hanging around your neck.

"Earlier this year, got this job shortly after. I've been flying under the radar. Under your radar." It wasn't a secret that the two of you had a history. Throughout high school the two of you pined over one another, that was until Maria came along. It hurt a little at first, knowing that you weren't Rhett's first choice, but you also knew that his hormones were too high at the time. By junior year the two of you had moved on, only making small talk when needed during class or at school events.

Your family had always been singled out as the "weird" family in Wabang. It was mainly because your family didn't ranch. They didn't do anything relatively "normal" for the culture in Wabang, aside from taking you and your siblings to the rodeo every now and then. It had never bothered you, and sometimes Rhett wondered if that was why he had a crush. You were different, but not too far off. Always had your nose stuck in a book instead of trying to get fucked after the Friday night football game.

Rhett let out an amused noise at your confession.

"That so?" Rhett smiled at you, the curve gathering to one side of his mouth.

"No, it's not. Just pushing your buttons." There it was, that odd quirkiness that seemed to pull Rhett in so long ago. He watched you give him a wink before you walked over to Amy. She was sitting at a table alone, reading a book. His heart warmed as he watched you tap Amy's shoulder for her attention. You leaned over and whispered that Rhett was here to pick her up. Amy immediately lit up, excited that her uncle was the one retrieving her.

Amy quickly gathered up all of her things, shoving her book into her backpack before you walked her over to Rhett. "I didn't know you were getting me today." Amy said with a bit of excitement. Rhett smiled at her words.

"Neither did I." Amy giggled quietly as she started to head towards the front of the library. Rhett nodded his head at you, a soft smile still plastered on his lips.

"I'll see you around."

"Yeah, see you around cowboy."

Rhett couldn’t believe that he volunteered to pick Amy up. Again. Rhett was finding him picking her up from her reading program more often than he wanted to admit. It had been two full weeks into June, meaning the program was one third of the way done. Cecilia informed him after the first day that it was a six week program. Six lucky weeks that Amy got to spend with you.

Rhett didn’t want to admit that he was going to see you. But he knew deep down that was the main reason. Seeing you for not even a full five minutes was slowly becoming the highlight of his days. Amy and Cecilia also started to notice his happy demeanor after picking her up.

“What’s got you so uppity?” Cecilia asked when they walked through the door. A devilish smirk appeared on Amy’s face. She set her backpack down near the table. Rhett rolled his eyes at the both of them, setting his keys on the table.

“Uncle Rhett likes the librarian.” Rhett narrowed his eyes at her, a look of disbelief on his face. Amy giggled as she watched Rhett shake his head at her and held his finger up to his lips. It was supposed to be their secret, one they didn’t speak about. Cecilia turned around with a smirk on her face.

“It ain’t Mrs. Benson, is it?” Cecilia joked with Amy. Rhett gave her a simple ‘what the fuck’ face, listening to Amy giggle some more.

“No, Grandma! Mrs. Benson’s too old for Uncle Rhett. It’s Miss Y/LN.” Cecilia raised an eyebrow, acting surprised. It wasn’t like she had forgotten who you were, or who your family was. She remembered Rhett talking about you a little bit in high school, and how you would volunteer at the local old folks home. Cecilia had always known you were a kind soul, something she knew that might work out Rhett's rough edges. Amy trotted off to the stairs, running up the steps quickly to go search her room for something.

“Rhett..” He gave her a curious look, not exactly able to pinpoint the tone in her voice. Cecilia threw her dish towel up over her shoulder, leaning back against the kitchen counter.

“What ‘ma?” Rhett didn’t like her silence. He slowly started to recognize the situation more than the tone of her voice.

“That’s Amy’s teacher right now. You can’t be messing anyth-”

“I ain’t messing anything up, ‘ma. Besides.. She’d be too smart for me anyways.” Rhett smiled while he thought about you. It had been a long time since someone made him feel like this. Feel more than just the urge to fuck. It was an urge to meet you, learn everything about you, the ins and outs of your very essence.

“Well someone has to be smart enough to look out for you. Lord knows me and Perry can’t do it forever.” Rhett’s gaze flicked up at her from that table, a glint in his look. He hated to admit it was the truth. He wasn’t rushing to settle down anytime soon, but he sure did yearn for it from time to time. And one of those times happened to be now.

Which is what led him to now. Sitting in the parking lot of the library, twenty minutes before he was supposed to arrive. His foot was tapping on the floor near the gas pedal, his nerves finally starting to get to him. After the conversation with Cecilia, he planned to ask you out. But now it was one week later, three full weeks into the summer program. He looked up at the ceiling of his truck, pulling the brim of his hat down to cover his eyes. “Fuck.”

Rhett moved out of his truck, finally deciding that this was it. It was now or never. He tipped his hat to Mrs. Benson who gave him a small smile. “You’re early, Rhett.” He nodded his head to her, walking up to the front desk.

“I know Mrs. Benson, I was hoping to talk with Miss Y/LN. I don’t want to interrupt the kids though.” Rhett whispered to her with a smile. It was a partial truth, he didn’t want to interrupt them. He also didn’t want them to see him ask out their summer learning teacher. Mrs. Benson gave him a knowing look. Was it actually that obvious?

“She’s in the back room. There will be a door all the way down the third aisle of the non-fiction area. Just over there.” Mrs. Benson pointed in a direction near where the kids would be, but not that exact spot. Rhett tipped his hat and gave her a nod with a thank you. He headed off to find you, making sure he didn’t get lost somewhere in the library. Perry would never let him live that down.

Rhett peaked around the corner of what he thought was the third aisle. He was rewarded by seeing an open door at the end of it. He made his way down the aisle, knocking on the wooden door frame when he got to the doorway. He poked his head in, looking around in the old store room. It wasn’t very big, but sizable. There were three aisles within the room, made by many bookshelves that housed old, unused, and extra copies of books.

“Come in!” He recognized your voice immediately. There was a small rustling noise that came from the third aisle, letting him know where to find you. After a few steps into the room he peered around, finding you on your tip-toes trying to grab a book from above.

“Need any help?” Rhett asked, hoping you would entertain his offer. He took in your outfit, a knee length maroon skirt with a neatly tucked in beige button down. A pair of slip-on black Toms covered your feet, which you rolled back onto after not reaching the book. You looked down the aisle at him, surprised to see him, a small smile covered your lips.

“Some help would be much appreciated. Normally,” he made his way down the aisle, “there is a stool. But it is MIA today apparently.” Rhett nodded with a smile, reaching for the book you pointed at. You checked your watch, seeing there was another fifteen minutes before pick up. “Pretty early today, Rhett.”

“Yeah,” he handed the book to you and watched you flip the pages, “I wanted to talk to you.”

“Oh, that so?” You looked at him, his warm oases staring down to meet your own eyes.

“Yeah, it is.” You moved back, leaning against the wall behind you. Rhett moved to stand in front of you, your hands clutching the book to your chest. Your heart fluttered, this exact situation being something you had dreamed about since meeting him. You could tell something was different, he was a little different. It wasn’t just the awkward small talk the two of you had while he picked Amy up.

“Well, go on.” Rhett bit his bottom lip for a moment, thinking about the right way to ask you. He had been over it multiple times prior, but now his mind was failing him.

“Would you like to go out? Like to dinner or something.” Rhett ran his tongue over his bottom lip, pulling your gaze away from his. You watched as the slick muscle glided over the dry skin, wetting it thoroughly. Rhett took notice and moved a little bit closer to you. Your cheeks filled with a warmth when you noticed how close he was, only a few inches away.

“I-I would like that, Rhett.” He never thought he would be able to get someone as articulate as you, to stumble over her words. You looked away for a brief moment, turning your head to look down the hallway. Rhett brought a finger up to your cheek, gently pulling your face back to face him. A soft smile matched his soft gaze. He tipped his hat up, leaning closer to you.

When his lips pressed against your it was like fireworks went off. It was gentle, a gentleness you were surprised Rhett had inside of him. One of his hands moved to your waist, just resting, while the other cupped your jaw and cheek. Three weeks of small talk and ruminating on memories had finally come to a precipice. The kiss wasn’t anything crazy, maybe the beginnings of what could have been an intense makeout. Rhett pulled back, the hand on your waist moved to adjust his hat a little bit. His thumb was rubbing your cheek, making your heart flutter.

“When do you want me to pick you up?”

“There ain’t no way.”

“No, I’m being serious!” The two of you had moved to the Handsome Gambler after diner, deciding to get a few drinks.

“How am I supposed to believe that little ol’ you stole a traffic cone?” Rhett could barely picture it in his brain. University years you drunkenly toting home a traffic cone. Not to mention the fact you were apparently living in the dorms at the time.

“I was different then, more wild.” You sipped at your cider while watching him. That dopey smile appeared again, making your heart flutter. It was true that your years at university were a bit more wild. Experiencing everything that wasn’t little ol’ Wabang was exciting at the time. You tried to experience as much as you could while at university. Partying, drinking, smoking, fucking, etc. It was all new and something you needed to try, at least once.

“I just,” Rhett leaned across the table a little bit as his voice lowered, “can’t really picture it.” You cocked your head to the side, giving him a questioning look.

“Picture what, Mr. Abbott?” Rhett felt a heat rise to his cheeks at your words. Mr. Abbott had always been a title reserved for his father, but he couldn't ignore what it stirred up in him. He leaned back into the booth seat, his hand holding his beer firmly on the table.

"Picture you out partying and what not. I'm just used to you being a little bookmouse." Rhett was mentally kicking himself in the ass. Bookmouse? What the hell was that?

"A bookmouse?" Rhett flushed even more, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Yeah," Rhett thumbed the rim of his glass bottle, "cause you liked books and were quiet." Another flutter. You couldn't help but smile at Rhett's cuteness. The way he was talking, both awkwardly and confidently, made you giggle.

"Well, this bookmouse did a lot more than just read books at university." You winked at him. Rhett's mind swirled with possibilities of what you meant. He shifted in his seat, adjusting himself in his pants. "Maybe I'll show you some day."

Rhett raised an eyebrow at your proposition. Fuck, he liked the sound of that. He leaned over the table one more time, "How's about we get out of here?" Eyes flicking towards the door.

"I'd love to but," Rhett's eyebrows knitted together, "I gotta get stuff ready for the kids tomorrow." Rhett had almost forgotten that it was the middle of the week. He actually had forgotten until you grounded him. Rhett nodded, jaw clenching in a casual way. He wasn’t annoyed at you, more or less annoyed with the situation. Rhett loved that you enjoyed helping the kids with reading, making sure they grew up smart. Just like you.

“How’s about,” you mocked with a glint in your eye, “you take me home, cowboy?” Rhett smirked at your request, watching you finish off your bottle of cider. He nodded and finished off his own drink. He climbed out of the booth and offered his hand out to you. You gladly took it, lacing your arm around his.

The walk to his truck was full of giggles, your feet not wanting to keep you balanced. It had been awhile since you decided to drink, mainly leaving it back in your university days. Rhett was there for every stumble though, a smile plastered on his face while he caught you. When the two of you got to his truck you leaned near the rear fender, staring at him. A soft giggle came out of you, earning you a cute questioning face from Rhett.

“Hmm?” Rhett crept closer to you, his hands grabbing the top of the truck's bed. Rhett had effectively caged you between him and his truck. “What’s got you gigglin’ like that?” Rhett leaned towards you, bringing a hand up to tip up the brim of his hat. Rhett was only a few inches away from your face. Rhett couldn’t get enough of this, seeing you nearly pinned underneath him.

“You’re cute.” Rhett could smell a hint of cider on your breath, lacing your words while you talked. “I want you to come home with me.”

“You’re pretty cute yourself.” Rhett tilted his head so his lips were near your ear, “And that could be arranged.” Rhett’s hand traveled down to your waist. You squinted at him, remembering your words from earlier.

“We can’t do anything tho-” The hand that was on the truck came to your cheek as his lips covered yours. It was another gentle kiss, just like the one earlier in the back room. Your hands rested against his chest while his lips worked over yours.

“We don’t have to.” Rhett didn’t want to pressure you into anything. He wanted this to work out. He yearned for it to work out. “I’ll help you get stuff ready for the kids, promise.” Rhett pressed a small kiss to your cheek before removing himself from you. He stepped towards the passenger side door, opening it and gesturing for you to climb in. “Hop on in.”

The ride back to your little house was quick, not too far out of town. You always deemed yourself lucky by getting somewhere this close in town, not out in the middle of nowhere. Rhett’s hand sat planted on your thigh, thumb rubbing small circles during the ride. Rhett made sure to get the door for you, offering his hand to stabilize you when you stepped out of his truck. A smile spread across his face when he saw the inside of your place. Art adorned the walls while the shelves of your bookcases were packed full. It was messy but neat, something Rhett always found captivating about you.

“Whatcha think?” You toed your shoes off while you looked at him, balancing yourself against the wall. Rhett took off his own boots then followed you into the kitchen.

“It’s you.” Rhett couldn’t think of any other way your house would be. It felt homey. It felt like you. You grabbed out two glasses from the cabinet, filling them up with water from the sink. You offered him one, which he reluctantly accepted. Water wasn’t his favorite type of drink, but it would do for now. Rhett placed his hat on your kitchen table, sitting down while you sat across from him.

For the rest of the night the two of you joked while getting around your items for the program. Rhett questioned your choices of coloring pages, while you pressured him to drink more water to sober up. A warmth had spread all over him, knowing this is the spot he wanted to be. He wanted to be here helping you get wax paper ready for sun catchers, and laughing about the embarrassing old things the two of you had done.

“Sleep is finally catching up with me.” You checked your phone briefly, seeing how late it was. Rhett hadn’t realized how late it actually was. A part of him was surprised that you were even up this late. He thought you might be the type that went to bed at 10pm almost every night.

“It’s about time I left then.” Rhett didn’t want to leave, he wished he could stay forever. He reached for his hat, fingers barely touching it when he spoke up.

“Or you could stay.” Your eyes met his, watching as his tongue wetted his bottom lip. Rhett tugged his bottom lip between his teeth. The proposition was too tempting.

“Would that be okay?” His cerulean eyes never left yours. After a moment you averted your eyes and nodded. The two of you placed your cups in the sink before making your way back to your bedroom. A nervousness was settling inside of you, a part of you worried that things would get out of hand. Rhett noticed this and placed his hands on your shoulders, pulling you in so his chest was pressed against your back. “It’ll be okay, we won’t do anything you don’t want to.”

Rhett wouldn’t admit it, but he was also nervous. Nervous to finally have you in this manner, something so domestic. It was scary, opening himself up to someone. It was more terrifying than riding a thousand pound bull. The thrill was much different though. “I don’t have any pants for you to sleep in.” Rhett nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck.

“I’ll wear my underwear, if that’s fine.” You reassured him that that was okay before moving out of his grasp. You dug into your own dresser, finding your own sleep shorts and then an old t-shirt. You excused yourself to the bathroom, taking your clothes to change into. You hadn’t expected your nerves to ramp up.

After you brushed your teeth and changed you made your way back to your bedroom. Rhett sat on the edge of his bed, typing out something on his phone. He had shucked off his pants and flannel while you were gone, sitting in his grey boxer briefs and white t-shirt. A flutter stirred inside your chest, making your nerves jump up again. Rhett set his phone on the side table before noticing you were back.

“Oh, hey.” A small smile covered his lips when he saw you. God, you were so fucking beautiful. He took in your messy hair and old Wabang High t-shirt, one that he probably also had laying around somewhere.

“There is a spare toothbrush in the bathroom cabinet.” Rhett nodded before standing up. He stopped next to you, bringing a hand up to your cheek. A small kiss was placed on your forehead. Rhett’s thumb rubbed softly against your cheek until he left for the bathroom. You climbed into bed, a loving smile on your face.

Many thoughts swirled around in your head but one specifically stood out. He is the one you would want to do this with every night. He is the one you wanted to be domestic with. The one you didn’t want to screw up with. Rhett was the one.

The sound of your alarm woke you up first. You quickly turned it off, not wanting the blaring noise to continue any longer. When you laid back down a firm arm wrapped around your midsection. It reminded you that there was someone else inside of your bed. Rhett Abbott. He was pulling you back into his toned chest.

Heat radiated from his chest to your back, igniting a flame inside of you. This is everything you ever wanted. The man you had always wanted curled up behind you, keeping you close to him. If it wasn’t for having to work you would lay here all day with him. Rolling around in the sheets, the both of you treating each other to all the pleasures you had to offer. But alas, the library was calling. You went to sit up, the firm arm not releasing you.

“Don’t.” His voice was gruff, soaked in sleep still. When you looked at him he kept his face pressed into your shoulder blade, rutting his hips into your ass lightly. The heat in your chest moved up to your cheeks, his erect cock pressing into the flesh of your ass. A small part of you loved that he wasn’t even trying to hide it. Hide the effect you had on him, especially so early in the morning.

“Rhett, I have to.” Rhett nuzzled into you, pressing his hips harder into your ass. Rhett was really trying to get you to stay, tempting you with something you both wanted. You didn’t have intentions of giving in fully, but what would be the harm and giving him something to remember?

Rhett’s hand gripped on your hip, you rolling your ass back onto his cock. A groan emanated out of him. “Fuck.” You pulled back from him and rolled over to face him. Rhett moved onto his back as you shifted to hover over him slightly. Your hand snaked under the blanket, palming his dick under the covers. Rhett let out a few more groans and profanities, eventually pushing the blanket down to his mid thigh.

Rhett’s breath was a touch shaky as you dipped your hand below the elastic band. His hips bucked slightly when you fully grasped his cock. Rhett groaned at the contact of your soft hand on his cock. “Fuck, darlin’.” His head fell back into the pillows as you watched him, feeling his cock pulse under your touch. Rhett’s hands drifted to push his boxer briefs down, letting you get a full view of everything. Rhett looked back up at you, oases warm and inviting as ever.

You connected your lips with his, consuming his groans while you continued to stroke his cock. His hips bucked every now and then, trying to get more friction. When you pulled back from the kiss, you moved your mouth down over his cock in your hand. After stopping your strokes you locked eyes with Rhett, letting a large glob of spit fall off your tongue to his cock in your hand. Rhett groaned as you resumed your strokes, a new slick feeling to your hand. You ran your thumb over his head every now and then, collecting his precum to mix with your spit.

“So dirty.” It was all Rhett could say as his hand gripped the back of your neck, pulling you up to him. He smashed his lips into yours, tongue forcing its way into your mouth. You never thought Rhett could get this needy, but god did you love it. Rhett’s cock started to twitch more often in your hand, signaling his orgasm was approaching. You pressed your forehead to his when you pulled back from the kiss. Then as faint as a whisper you heard him speak. “Please.”

“Give it to me Rhett, let go.” Rhett’s free hand moved to push up his t-shirt, showing off his flexing abdomen. Without another second Rhett was spilling his cum on your hand and his stomach. A ragged ‘fuck’ fell from his lips, with whimpers mixed with groans following. You stroked him through his orgasm, his hips stuttering and bucking with every stroke. Rhett couldn’t remember the last time a hand job made him feel this good.

Rhett laid there, blissed out on the bed. Rhett could barely focus on the world around him, only focusing on the amazing hand job he just had. He was pulled back from his thoughts when he felt a warm wet washcloth drag over his stomach, He groaned softly when you wiped off his cock, cleaning off all potential left over cum.

Rhett smiled as he watched you toss the washcloth into the hamper, moving back over to him on the bed. “That enough to hold you over?” Rhett pulled his boxer briefs back up around his waist. He leaned up and kissed you, one of his hands cupping your cheek.

“More than enough.”

For the next three weeks Rhett made it a point to show up for pick up early. He would seek you down in the library, not caring if you were with the kids or not. If you were with the kids he would patiently wait, scanning whatever bookshelves were closest. That’s where you caught him today.

“Gonna start reading anytime soon?” Rhett looked up from the shelf to see you. You were wearing a pair of mom jeans today, something you corrected him on a few weeks ago. The baggy sweater you wore complimented them. Rhett put on a little bit of an embarrassed smile as you crept a bit closer. He took his cowboy hat, leaning in a bit closer to you. He was only a few inches away from you now.

He couldn’t help but stare at you. How did he manage to actually capture your attention? Someone this ethereal giving him the time of day seemed like a dream. Your eyes flicked from his cerulean eyes to his lips. Rhett brought his hat up to the side of your faces, shielding anyone from seeing the two of you. It felt like the heat of the library had been turned up a few degrees.

Just as he was about to kiss you, you put your hand up to his chest. Rhett stopped immediately, not wanting to push too far. It wasn’t that he was worried about you not wanting him. You definitely wanted him, or at least that’s what he picked up on from late night texts and pictures you had sent him. “Hmm?”

“I don’t want any of the kids to see.” Rhett smiled. That was one thing he had learned to love about you within the few weeks. Even though they tended to be too much sometimes, you always thought of your summer program kids first.

“You’re right,” Rhett took a step back from you, “wouldn’t want them to get any ideas.” He placed his hat back on his head.

The two of you slowly made your way over to the work area for the kids. They were reading, as usual. You had told Rhett that this was the best way to get the kids to calm down before handing them back to their parents. Amy had always been a relatively calm kid, so he couldn’t imagine what she’d be like riled up.

“End of the week?” Rhett was counting down the days. Waiting for the end of the program to finally show up. Waiting for the night he could take you out, show you how much he cared about you. Rhett ashamedly couldn’t wait to bed you either. His own hand was starting to get boring, the only thing spicing it up was the half naked photos you sent him accompanied by texts about what you’d like to do with him. His brain clung to the memory of you jerking him off, something he couldn’t let go of. Which made the next day extra special.

Rhett barely got a lick of sleep that night, fisting his dick harshly until he came to the picture you sent him. It was as if you knew the effect you were having on him. Sending a picture in this old cowboy hat you had found somewhere, black lace bra and panties on display. It was a good thing that Rhett wasn’t a religious man, because he would definitely be condemned to hell after this month.

So, Rhett made sure to show up to the library an hour early that day, not just fifteen or twenty minutes. Mrs. Benson politely told him that you were in the back room again, a bit of a confused look on her face. He bee-lined for the back room, silently walking in and closing the door behind him. He made sure to switch the lock on the back room door before looking up and down the aisles for you. He found you in the third aisle, in just the outfit he needed you to wear for his plan. He had double checked in the morning, asking for an outfit picture which earned a small winky face with a picture.

The plaid skirt flared out from your hips, stopping at a little bit before your knees. A baggy cardigan covered your top, making Rhett wonder if you had a tank top or anything underneath it. God, he wished he could have done this sooner.

“Hey.” Rhett watched you jump slightly, spooked by his presence.

“Oh my god, Rhett. You scared me.” You held your hand over your chest, Rhett’s eyes trailing to look at your fingertips touching the bare skin of your clavicle. Nope, no tank top. It was the skin he craved to mark up, leave little trails that you could remember him by daily.

“Wasn’t my intention.” He flashed a crooked smile as he took a few steps closer. You could tell there was something different about him today, almost as if he was stalking you. When he reached you he pecked your cheek, making your heart flutter. You loved that he still had this effect on you. You checked your wristwatch, realizing he was much earlier than normal.

“What’s got you coming in so early? There ain’t another hour, well, forty-five-ish minutes before you have to be here.” You went to turn back to face the shelf but Rhett grabbed your wrist.

“Wanted to give you a surprise.” Rhett walked around you, guiding you so your back was almost against the bookshelf.

“A surprise? I don’t recall you saying you had one for me.” Rhett chuckled at your words, leaning in and kissing your jawline.

“Wouldn’ be much of a surprise then, now would it?” Rhett’s lips trailed down your neck, nipping every now and then. Your hands instinctively moved to his chest and shoulders, the material of his flannel soft under your fingertips. One of his hands settled on your waist while the other cradled the other side of your jaw and neck. A soft noise escaped you, urging Rhett to continue with his plan.

“Been waiting weeks,” he lips were soft on your neck in between words, “waiting patiently.” The hand on your waist found the bottom of your baggy cardigan. It was thrilling when he pushed it up slightly, his calloused fingertips grazing over the newly exposed skin.

“Rhett, I-”

“I locked the door.” He pulled back, pupils blown wide with lust as he stared at you. “Wanna make you feel good, the same way you did to me.” You checked your wrist watch again, seeing there was still forty minutes before you had to get the kids ready to leave.

“You better make it quickly then, Mr. Abbott.” Rhett groaned at the title you called him. You had picked up on it throughout the weeks, noticing how his breath would hitch after hearing it. Rhett smashed his lips into yours, a messy kiss pursuing.

The hand grazing your skin under your cardigan moved to the front of your skirt. Fingers dipped between the apex of your thighs, pressing tightly on your pussy. A moan was torn out of you, not expecting Rhett to do this. Was this the surprise he was talking about? It had to be. The hand on your pussy left your body, Rhett pulling back for a moment.

“I wanna taste you.” It felt like the breath had been knocked out of you. You pulled your bottom lip between your teeth, slightly worried about the situation. What if someone were to walk in? Rhett did say he locked the door though. Finally you spoke.

“Depends on how quick you can be, Mr. Abbott.” A smirk tugged at his lips. Without warning, Rhett started to drop to his knees. His hands moved to the hem of your skirt, barely brushing the skin of your thighs.

“Don’t worry ma’am, I can be quick.” The heat in your cheeks boiled as you nodded your head. He pushed the plaid skirt up your thighs, kissing newly exposed skin. “Hold this.” Rhett said as he offered the edge of your skirt to you. You grabbed the material, holding it in your hands tightly. Rhett let out a groan when he saw your soft pink lace panties.

Without warning Rhett pressed his fingers against your panties, rubbing softly at first. Rhett could feel a wetness soaking through the front of your panties. He watched as your hands tightened on your skirt, faltering slightly. His hand touched yours, eyes flicking up to meet yours. “Keep your skirt up, sweetheart.” Your cheeks burned at the pet name he had started to call you through the weeks.

Rhett moved closer, fingers hooking into the waistband of your panties. He slowly guided them down your legs, taking them off and sneakily placing them in his back pocket. He pressed quick kisses to your thighs before reaching your bare cunt. Rhett pushed his tongue between your folds, licking at your clit. You used one hand to hold your skirt, stabilizing yourself with the bookshelf behind you.

Your mouth hung agape as Rhett flicked and licked at your pussy. One of his arms wrapped under your thigh, placing one of your legs over his shoulder. You gripped the shelf behind you tighter, pleasure mounting inside of you. Rhett brought a hand up, slipping a finger inside of your entrance. It was a stretch, but it wasn’t enough. The sensation made you yearn for more, yearn for more of Rhett to be inside of you.

“Rhett..” His name was barely a whisper on your lips, trying to stay quiet. You looked over at your wrist watch once more, noticing only ten minutes had passed. Rhett pushed another finger inside of you, earning a moan as your head lolled back. His two fingers thrusted into you as his mouth gave all its attention to your clit.

“You taste so good.” Rhett whispered just loud enough for you to hear. “Been thinking about this for weeks.” The hand on your skirt tightened a little bit more, your hips starting to cant forward. You started to roll your hips against Rhett’s mouth, the vibrations from one of his groans adding to your pleasure. Rhett’s fingers prodded at that sensitive spot inside of you, increasing the speed of his tongue flicking your clit.

With that combination you let go, coming all over Rhett's mouth. Rhett’s tongue switched from the quick flicks to slow languid strokes, helping not to overstimulate you too much. Soft moans poured out of you, riding out your climax on Rhett’s tongue. Rhett pulled away from you, his fingers leaving you empty inside. A strong desire within you wished he would fill you again, with his cock this time. But you knew that there wouldn’t be any time for that.

Rhett helped lower your leg down, standing up and making sure you were stable. You let your skirt fall, reaching out and grabbing his hand. You brought his hand up to his mouth, taking the two fingers covered in your cum into your mouth. Your tongue swirled around his digits, making him groan and adjust himself in his jeans.

“You’re so dirty.” Rhett whispered against your cheek, his forehead resting against your temple. “Told you you tasted good, don’t ya?” You nodded. You popped off of his fingers, licking your lips afterwards.

“Can I get my underwear back?” You asked playfully. Rhett smirked again, giving you your answer. “Really?”

“It’s my prize, sweetheart.”

The two of you left the back room, earning a questioning look from Mrs. Benson. It was only ten minutes before the other children's parents would start showing up. Rhett hung around and chatted with you, letting Amy keep reading her book. Which ended up with her still reading after all of the other kids had left. Rhett said she could use the time, but you knew the real reason why he was hanging around.

It was a Friday night, which meant the summer program was over. It had ended that morning, Rhett showing up early to pick Amy up for the last time. He hadn’t mentioned this ride all week, probably not wanting to pressure you into coming. But you wouldn’t have considered it pressuring, you wanted to see him.

Rhett was beyond happy to see you out at his competition tonight. Even more happy when you gave him a small kiss, telling him to break a leg. It was something you had picked up in college, your theater friends explaining that it was bad luck to wish someone good luck before a show. Which you had explained to Rhett briefly one night while the two of you were cuddled up watching a movie. Rhett couldn’t help but think that was what saved him during his ride, when his hand felt like it was gonna slip from the rope. It didn’t though, finishing his ride without anything bad happening.

Tonight was the first time he was allowed to show any type of overly affectionate PDA. Finding you after his ride couldn’t come soon enough. You were hanging out near the rider area, patient as always. Rhett just needed you, needed to thank you for everything. You let out a squeal when his arms snaked around you, picking you up and spinning you around. You quickly grabbed for your glasses, making sure they wouldn’t fall off your face. Hoots and howls could be heard from the other riders. Rhett tipped his hat after he set you down, hand caressing your jawline. His lips connected with yours, butterflies fluttering in your stomach.

It was a gentle kiss, like a lot of the kisses you had shared so far. Kisses at the library, when he took you home after dinner, on the couch cuddled up. So many gentle kisses before, but this one was different. It was something unspoken in this one. An unspoken amount of love for one another.

“Let me take you home.” He whispered, adrenaline still pumping through his system. Rhett hunted down Perry, instructing him to drive his truck home. Perry gave him a knowing look before telling him he was proud of him.

Your heart raced as you sat in the passenger seat, Rhett driving the both of you back. His hand was glued to the inside of your thigh, thumb rubbing small circles. It wasn’t that you were nervous to be with Rhett, that was not it. It was the gravity of the day. The two of you had been keeping things as steady as possible, not wanting anything to get too convoluted while you were teaching Amy. But you weren’t teaching her anymore. The two of you were essentially free now, free to be together to the fullest extent.

“We don’t hav-”

“I want to.” You looked at Rhett, his eyes flicking over to you before focusing back on the road. You adjusted your glasses, “I’m not nervous about doing it or anything.”

“I mean you did promise to show me your wild side one day.” Rhett snickered, remembering the first night the two of you went out.

“I think your surprise at the library counted as that.” You shot him a playful glare as the two of you pulled into your driveway. “It’s just..” Your words trailed off, biting at your lower lip.

“Jus’ what?” There was a short silence. The look on your face was softer now, not as playful. But Rhett could tell you were struggling with something, there was clearly something on your mind. He reached out, rough fingertips gently guided your face to look at his. Rhett knew it had to be now that he told you the thing he had wanted to tell you for weeks.

“I love you.” The two of you said it at the same, confessing your love for one another. You let out a giggle as Rhett flashed you a big smile. He leaned in towards you, grabbing your chin between his thumb and forefinger. His lips moved heatedly on yours, consuming everything you had to offer. His hand shifted to the curve of your jaw, fingers splaying out near your ear. The kiss continued for a moment longer before you both pulled back for air.

“Inside, now.” You demanded.

Rhett killed the engine while you got out. His hand snaked around your waist when you got to the door. While you pulled your keys out, Rhett’s hand sneaked into the back pocket of your jeans. A brief squeeze on your ass had you shooting him a look. He smiled, leaning in to press a kiss onto your neck. “Who locks their door out here?”

“It’s an old habit from the big city.” You explained while you slid the key inside the lock. “Plus, I don’t want any unwanted critters inside.” The two of you stumbled in the doorway, Rhett still close by your side.

“Is that what I am? Unwanted critter?” Rhett joked, hands pulling you flush against him after closing the door. You giggled as he started nipping at your neck.

“Don’t think I’d tell an unwanted critter I love him.” Rhett chuckled at your response. The two of you headed through the hallway, hands and lips traveling all over each other. Rhett’s flannel and hat had been lost in the living room, yours in the hallway.

Once to your bedroom, Rhett started to take a bit more control. His hands gripped your hips and pulled them tight to his. You could feel his cock getting hard in his jeans, his belt buckle digging into your hip. One hand moved to your face, cupping your cheek while kissing you roughly. He kept walking you back until the bed hit the back of your knees. The kiss broke as you went to lay down on the bed, Rhett following you immediately.

"You look so beautiful." Rhett said as he admired your beauty. He finally had you laid out underneath him, a dream come true. His hands ghosted over your sides, grabbing at your hips and pulling them tightly to his. Your arms snaked around his shoulders, fingers combing up through the hairs on the nape of his neck. Rhett’s mouth worked on your neck, groaning as he left a wet trail along your skin.

A small giggle came out of you as he nosed along up your neck. He kissed up your jaw before pulling up to look at you, “What’s got you gigglin’”?

“Oh nothing, Mr. Abbott.” Rhett rutted his hips into you harshly at the name.

“You better watch yourself with saying that.”

“What? Don’t like it, Mr. Abbott.” You teased. Rhett groaned, fingers grabbing your chin tightly.

“You know what that does to me.” You pulled him down and connected your lips with his. The both of you smiled into the kiss as your hips rocked together. His hands moved to the hem of your t-shirt, pushing up the shirt to get access to your skin. Fingers ghosted and trailed up the skin of your midsection. He pushed the shirt up over your chest, exposing the light pink lace of your bralette. Your back arched when he grabbed your breasts, kneading over the lace.

“Like what you see?” You only half joked.

“You have no idea.” Rhett tugged at your shirt more, signaling it was time to remove the article. After your shirt was gone Rhett kissed the valley between your breasts. His hands kneading at your flesh while kissing your chest. His fingers slipped underneath the band of your bralette, guiding it up over your head.

It was the first time he had seen your bare breasts. Yeah, you had sent pics of you in lingerie to him, but never anything completely bare. He pressed a few more kisses all over your chest before taking a nipple into his mouth. Your back arched slightly, his mouth consuming more of your breast. His thumb and forefinger started pinching and rolling your other nipple. Your fingers threaded through his hair, tugging lightly.

“Rhett.” His name was barely a whisper on your lips. You could feel him groan around your nipple when your hand trailed down between the two of you. You palmed the front of his jeans, his cock pressing hard against your hand. Rhett sat up, pulling his own shirt off and undoing his belt buckle and jeans. After he shucked them off he moved to undo your jeans.

“A matching set?” Rhett questioned when he saw the light pink lace panties. You had planned it out all week, knowing that you would finally have a moment like this. A moment of being completely vulnerable to Rhett. His fingers ghosted up over your legs as he settled between your legs. You felt completely bare under his warm oasis of a gaze. A bit of nervousness flowed through you, nodding softly as a response to his question.

“Cat got your tongue, mouse?” You shot him a little look. The little name took you by surprise, a small call back to your first night at the bar. Fingertips trailed over the pink lace covering your core. Rhett started rubbing his fingers on your clothed cunt, feeling the small wet patch that had started to form. His gaze locked with yours as you let moans and gasps fall from your lips. His hands moved to the edges of the lace, pulling them down slowly over your legs.

After tossing the panties somewhere behind him, he grabbed one of your ankles and lifted it up to his lips. He pressed a soft kiss to the inside of your ankle. Soft lips continued down the inside of your leg, Rhett slowly settling against the bed. His hot breath fanned over your cunt, your insides clenching at the sensation. Rhett wrapped his arms around your thighs, keeping you locked in place before he even started.

Rhett’s tongue flattened on your clit, licking slowly. Both of your hands snaked down, one landing on the comforter while the other took its place in Rhett’s hair. Your back arched, pleasure flowing through you with each lick of his tongue. One of his arms left your thigh, reaching out to your hand on the comforter. He laced his fingers with yours as he continued his feast between your thighs.

Gasps and moans mixed in with calls of Rhett’s name, urging him to continue. Small vibrations could be felt from Rhett’s groans, pushing you closer to your climax. The tightening sensation in your abdomen was becoming more noticeable. Rhett flicked his tongue on your clit then dragged it slowly back and forth.

“Holy fuck…” You could almost feel the smirk on his lips. Rhett flicked his tongue more intensely on your clit, finally pushing you over the edge.

This was a similar sensation that Rhett got from riding bulls, pure ecstasy. All Rhett could think was how beautiful you looked, coming all over his mouth. The way your back arched off the bed, hand tightening against his own. Seeing you give yourself up to him, letting him push you over the edge in such an intimate way had him grinding against the bed. Rhett couldn’t help but think about how good you would feel wrapped around his cock. Being connected at your core.

When he pulled back you finally got a break, your chest falling heavily. A small trail of wet kisses was created as Rhett moved back up your body. He nuzzled your neck and jaw, pressing more kisses before capturing your lips with his. You could taste yourself on his tongue, moaning into his mouth.

“You taste so fucking good, mouse.” You rolled your eyes.

“My turn to taste you.” You pressed your hand on his chest, acting as if you were going to roll the two of you over.

“Nah,” Rhett grabbed your hand and laced his fingers between yours, “I can’t wait to be in you any longer. Been waitin' too many weeks for this.” You rolled your hips up, feeling Rhett’s clothed cock press against your cunt. A groan rumbled in Rhett's throat while he captured your lips with his. One of his hands snaked down between the two of you, pushing his boxers down.

A moan passed your lips when you felt his cock rest against your pussy. Rhett haphazardly pushed his boxers all the way off. You brought your hand down to wrap around his cock. He groaned at the few strokes you gave him before you guided the tip to your entrance. Rhett propped himself up, looking down at you as his hips pushed forward.

Rhett watched as your jaw went slack. The stretch of his cock was intoxicating, filling you up the more his hips pushed forward. Your eyes never left Rhett's, warm oases welcoming you. A small whimper left Rhett once he bottomed out. Your warmth encapsulated him, letting him know this was where he was meant to be. Rhett eventually broke the stare, nuzzling down into your clavicle. Small kisses were peppered all over your skin.

Rhett dragged his hips back a little, slowly pushing forward the small amount. The sensation already had your body shivering with pleasure. Rhett started slowly rolling his hips, wanting to savor the moment as much as possible. He knew that the chances of this activity happening again were high, but he just needed for this moment to last. You wrapped one arm around Rhett's left shoulder, threading your fingers into his hair once more. Your other hand rested on the front of his chest.

"God, you're perfect." Rhett groaned, placing kisses along your neck and jawline. He knew sex would be special with you, but life-changing wasn't what he was expecting. The way your body reacted to every small touch had Rhett teetering on the edge of climax already.

"Rhett, I-" You couldn't finish the sentence, to caught up in the waves of pleasure flowing through you.

"What do you need, sweetheart?" Rhett pulled back to look down at you, cupping the side of your face. "Tell me."

"Harder."

Rhett pulled back, leaving just the tip inside of you. He kept his eyes on your face as he slammed back in hard. Your whole body reacted, back arching while your hands scrambled for purchase. Your mouth was agape as sinful sounds poured from it. Rhett kept this steady pace of hard thrusts, giving you exactly what you wanted.

"Oh fuck, Rhett!" The head of his cock pounded into the sensitive spot inside of you. Every time he hit it, a new jolt of pleasure ran through you. The coil in your lower abdomen was tight, about ready to snap and send you over the edge. You could tell Rhett was getting close too, harder breaths coming from him. Rhett didn't say a word, his hand moving between the two of you to rub your clit. That's when it was game over.

The combination of his fingers on your clit and powerful thrusts sent you tumbling over the edge. Pleasure washed over your nerves, Rhett’s finger still working your clit. Rhett groaned at the feeling of you clenching around him. His thrusts started to stutter, focusing on the feeling of your walls working his cock. Crescent shapes formed in Rhett’s skin, your nails digging harshly as he kept your orgasm going.

“Fuck, sweetheart. The way you feel,” Rhett pressed his forehead to yours, “I ain’t gon’ last.” You nodded as you stared into his eyes. It was Rhett’s turn for his mouth to be agape, groans and heavy breaths coming from him. Your fingers threaded into Rhett’s hair once more, pulling him down to the nuzzle against your clavicle. Rhett felt safe with you, rutting into your warmth that he had craved for weeks. It was a sense of security, something he had never truly felt in his life.

“Fuck, I love you.” Rhett whispered against your skin.

“I love you too, Rhett.” With those four words and his name he was gone. His hips steadied as he thrusted into you one last time. Small kisses littered your collarbones as he kept his hips tight to yours, spilling his cum inside of you.

The two of you laid there for sometime, Rhett still slotted between your thighs as your fingers traced small circles on his shoulder blades. He traced a small pattern along your side, basking in the subsiding afterglow. That sense of security was blanketed over him. He never wanted it to end, wanting to feel this safe forever. A part of him wondered how he had never felt it before but he knew why. He hadn’t had you before. Not just in a sexual way, but he had never fully experienced this kind of love. The love that let him know he was always welcome. Always loved.

“Hmm?” You questioned, sensing a tiny shift in his demeanor. It wasn’t a bad shift, something much softer than what you thought Rhett might be capable of.

“Nothin’, I just..” Rhett propped himself up on his elbows, looking down at you. Your beauty was something Rhett could still marvel at. Like watching the early morning sun rise. “You make me feel something.” Small butterflies could be felt in your stomach.

“Feel what?” Rhett smiled, pushing some hair back from your face.

“Welcome.” A kiss. “Safe.” Another kiss. “Happy.” Another kiss. “Loved.” A final kiss. A warmth had raised into your cheeks. The smile on his face was one that was pure. The two of you stared at each other for a few more moments, just taking one another in. Rhett shifted, pulling himself out of you. Even though he was softened it still felt like you were losing something. Rhett moved to the spot on the bed next to you. You rolled on your side to look at him, letting out a soft noise as his cum started leaking out of you.

“We should clean up and talk.” The look he gave you was one full of sincerity.

“Talk about what?” You questioned. You used a playful tone to mask the tiny amount of anxiety you suddenly had. Rhett must have noticed because he cupped your cheek when he sat up.

“Don’t worry,” he pressed a kiss to your nose, “it’s nothin’ bad, mouse.”

The two of you made your way to the bathroom. Rhett used a warm washcloth to clean himself up, you sitting on the toilet watching him. It was domestic, something you could get used to. Might even let him clean you up the next time. Rhett kissed your forehead before heading back to the bedroom, letting you finish using the toilet and cleaning up.

Rhett had climbed under the comforter when you got back, his boxers being the only thing he wore. He was checking his phone briefly before looking at you, placing his phone on the side table. You moved to your dresser, grabbing a large t-shirt from the drawer. You didn’t bother with any underwear, climbing into bed and curling up next to Rhett. He wrapped his arm around your shoulders, keeping you close.

“So-”

“I th-” The both of you stopped and giggled. Rhett motioned for you to go first.

“I was just gonna ask what you wanted to talk about.” Rhett nodded, thumb rubbing softly on your skin.

“I want to talk about us.” Rhett was never great with conveying his emotions through words.

“What about us?” You teased. Rhett rolled his eyes.

“About how I want to,” Rhet paused for a moment, “want to be with you.”

“Rhett, you ju-”

“No,” Rhett bite his lower lip, “I want you more than physically. I want to be with you all the time.” You knew what he was asking of you. It was funny to watch him still beat around the bush after everything.

“Rhett, I’m not quite sure what you’re asking me.” You said with a smirk. He rolled his eyes once more, letting out a sigh.

“You really gon’ make m-” Rhett was cut off by you pressing a kiss to his lips.

“Rhett, I want to be with you too.” Rhett smiled as he kissed you again. His arms wrapped around you completely, rolling the two of you over. He peppered you with kisses, happiness spreading over the both of you. Rhett couldn’t be happier with you, happier with his little bookmouse.

#rhett abbott #rhett abbott smut #rhett abbott x you #rhett abbott x reader #rhett abbott imagine #rhett abbott fluff #outer range fic #outer range #lewis pullman #lewis pullman x reader #lewis pullman character

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lewmagoo · 7 months

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the killing moon | rhett abbott

part four of the wolf series ; must read previous parts before reading this one

listen to the playlist here

description: in which a wolf receives the greatest honor, but pays the ultimate price

characters: werewolf rhett abbott x werewolf f!reader, reader and rhett's children, my own ocs as members of the abbott pack

warnings: 18+ ONLY, smut, breeding kink, outdoor sex, mentions of pregnancy, mentions of death and murder, civil unrest, angst, violence, blood, bodily injury

It had been seven years.

Seven years since that fateful day when your very life was put in grave danger, all because of the actions of one man. Seven years since you were stolen from your mate and brought to harm at the hands of ruthless werewolf hunters.

It was all behind you now. The trauma still remained, but it had been soothed over the years, its pain lessening to a dull ache in your heart whenever you thought about it. Smoothed over by the loving hands of your husband. And by four tiny sets of hands that were a product of your love for each other.

Things had changed in those seven years. Since that incident, the Supreme Court had cracked down on werewolf protection laws, at the prompting of the National Werewolf League. The penalty for werewolf hunting grew heavier. Zero-tolerance policies for the ‘sport’ were passed in every state.

The Tillerson family was put entirely out of business. Following the death of Patricia during the harrowing moment of your rescue, Luke and Billy, the only remaining members of the family, were sentenced hefty to life in prison for their participation in your abduction.

The NWL made a public example of them, using it as a way to send a message that told the nation that hunting was punishable to the highest degree of the law. No exceptions

It started a revolution of sorts. Others came forward, with stories of how they had also been targeted by hunters. Gone were the days of being afraid to speak out. Wolves everywhere were empowered to stand up to those who’d inflicted harm upon them.

And slowly but surely, hunting was eradicated.

You and your pack never had to worry about hunters encroaching on your land again. The past agreement that Royal Abbott and Wayne Tillerson had come to over which plot of land wolves were allowed to live on was now null and void. You were free to take up residence wherever you pleased.

Your pack, a mix of your own family, and the remaining members of Rhett’s, had banded together on the day you and Rhett had gotten married. The joining of two mates during a sacred ceremony, where you became one blood and one soul.

Since then, you had lost a few members of the pack. Namely, you’d lost Rhett’s father, and his brother. Their involvement in the murder of Trevor Tillerson, with Perry committing the crime and Royal aiding him in covering it up, had brought the law down on them.

Perry was sentenced to life in prison. Royal received a lesser sentence, but still had several more years to fulfill before he was reintegrated into society again.

As for Perry’s daughter, Amy, she was already eighteen years old. After her father’s sentencing, you and Rhett had made the decision to take her in. His mother, Cecelia, took the aftermath hard. Losing her son and husband all at once was a lot for her. She fully admitted that she was not equipped to care for her granddaughter, so she turned her over to your and Rhett’s custody.

You welcomed that little girl into your life, treating her as if she were your own. The two of you were closely bonded, even more so after what you had been through. Amy was more than happy to come live in your and Rhett’s home. Especially because that meant she would be there when you welcomed your first little pup into the world.

A few months after your traumatic experience with the hunters, you gave birth to a healthy baby girl. She was the perfect mix of you and Rhett. She had his button nose. She had your eyes. She was beautiful. You named her Arya.

Amy was overjoyed to have a tiny cousin to look after. She would hold and entertain the little one while you were occupied with other things. She never wanted to be away from the baby. You tried to encourage her to play with other children in the pack that were her age, but she didn’t seem to want to. She hadn’t bonded with them in the way that she’d bonded with you and Rhett.

After spending a good portion of her young life with a physically absent mother and an emotionally absent father, she was holding on to the last two stable adult relationships she had left. The two of you gave her a sense of security that she’d never had before. She felt safe and cared for, for the first time in a long time. If she needed you to be surrogate parents to help her overcome the past trauma she had experienced, you were more than happy to be that for her.

Along with Amy and Arya, your family began to grow in the next few years. Soon, you had a son, who you named Maximillian. Max for short. Following her, you had another daughter named Leia. And finally, you had your youngest, Zoella. All good, strong names that had once belonged to ancestors of your pack.

There was something so special about raising your children in a pack. It wasn’t just family. You were all connected by blood and by spirit. A bond that withstood the test of time. You wanted your pups to grow up knowing their elders. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, those who had lived through times in history when wolves did not have the liberty to live freely within society. Times when they were mistreated and abused, simply for being who they were.

Things had changed since then. Your community now had freedoms and protections that it had once been deprived of. Your children were growing up in a world where they were free to live where they wanted, be who they wanted, without hiding their true selves.

But you never wanted them to forget all their ancestors and elders had endured to get to this point.

It was important to you and Rhett that you gave them a strong foundation. Growing up, he didn’t have the kind of pack that you did. His family was dysfunctional at best.

In the werewolf world, there was strength in numbers. His pack, if one could even call it that, had been small. Royal was the alpha. There was Cecilia, his mate. And Perry and Rhett, his boys. The only person to join the pack had been Rebecca, Perry’s wife. He had convinced himself and everyone around him that they were mates, when they were in fact, not.

Even so, the product of their marriage was Amy. These six members made up the Abbott pack. Their small size made them vulnerable. That was why, when your pack came passing through, looking for sanctuary, they allowed you to have it.

It was through that, that you met Rhett. From the very moment you came into one another’s presence, you knew you were mates. This led to your packs joining together as one. And Royal willingly surrendered his alpha status to Malakai, your uncle, and the alpha of your own pack.

And for the first time in his life, Rhett felt like he was part of something. There was so much love within your pack. Everyone respected each other. Wolf customs were observed and held especially sacred. He’d never had that with his own family. Yes, he knew of his heritage, and he knew that being a werewolf was special. But that was as far as it went.

He found a sense of belonging within your pack. And he knew in his heart that he never wanted his children to grow up the way he did, in a dysfunctional, broken pack. No, they would only ever know love, security, and safety. They would know where they came from and what their purpose was in the world.

He made good on those promises.

In your eyes, he was made to be a father. He embraced the role with ease, determined to do better than his own father had done with him. Where he had been told to “suck it up and be a man,” he told young Max, “it��s okay to cry. Sometimes ya just need to let it out.” Where he had been yelled at, he never raised his voice at his children. And if there were times when he lost his cool in front of them, he always made it a point to apologize in the end and make it right.

He wasn’t perfect, but he worked hard every day of his life to be the father his pups needed him to be. And for that, you admired and respected him.

Your love for him already burned like an unkempt flame, but seeing him raise your children? It grew tenfold. And as the years past, that love that you shared never wavered. It was undying. Eternal.

You had watched him flourish over the last seven years. Without his family to hold him back, he had come into his own. He was an integral part of your pack, and did all he could to protect its sanctity.

His deep loyalty had caught the attention of the pack elders. Especially your Uncle Malakai. He was getting up in years, and knew that he needed to hand off his responsibilities as alpha to someone who was younger and full of life. He had his sights set on Rhett, unbeknownst to you.

Malakai consulted the pack elders, presenting who he wanted to choose to replace him. They were all in agreement that Rhett was the best choice for the job.

And so, one evening in late October, you received a knock at your door. You had just finished dinner, and the kids were beginning their bedtime routine.

Their favorite part of the evening was getting to curl up on the couch in the living room while their daddy read them a story. That time together as a family was sacred to you and Rhett. To bond with your little ones, to have a moment of peace as he read to them from a book of their choosing. You cherished every moment.

But that night, that moment was interrupted by a guest.

“I’ll get it,” Amy announced, already heading for the door.

Rhett was just getting the kids settled on the couch, with you coming to join them all. You paused, however, when you heard your uncle’s voice.

“Uncle Malakai’s here,” Amy called over her shoulder, moving aside to let the man in.

“Evenin’, Abbotts,” he greeted you all, smiling warmly.

Your oldest three children jumped up in excitement, immediately rushing over to hug their uncle. You smiled at their enthusiasm. They loved him so much.

“Hey, we just finished dinner. Want a plate to take home with you?” You asked him.

He shook his head as he lifted your youngest, Zoella, onto his hip, cooing at her. “No thanks sweetheart. I actually came to speak with you and Rhett.”

Behind you, Rhett rose to his feet. “Everythin’ alright?” He asked.

Malakai held his gaze. “Yeah, everything’s fine. But it is important.”

“Okay, gimme one minute.” Rhett turned to address the kids. “Alright pups, Mama and Daddy have to go talk to Uncle Malakai for a few minutes. You be good for Amy, alright?”

“Okay Daddy!” They all echoed, and Amy took over tending to them, grabbing Zoella from Malakai to free his hands up before he turned to lead you both outside.

Once on the porch, blanketed by cool night air, shoes thudding against solid wood, Rhett pulled the door shut behind the three of you.

“What’s goin’ on?” Rhett questioned. You moved to stand beside him, your shoulder brushing against his.

“I’ve got news. Bittersweet news. But I wanted to personally deliver it to you myself.” Malakai leaned against the porch railing, folding his arms over his chest. “If ya couldn’t tell, I’m gettin’ old. I’m not the wolf I used to be. My senses are dull, and I don’t think I can lead this pack effectively anymore. So I’m lookin’ for someone to replace me.”

His eyes never left Rhett’s. There was an intensity behind them, a conviction. Beside your husband, your breath caught in your throat. You knew what was coming next. So did Rhett.

“Rhett, I’ve thought long and hard about it, and I want you to take my place.” He went quiet for a moment, allowing the news to sink in.

Rhett let out an incredulous breath, shaking his head as he brought his hand up to run his fingers absently over his jaw. He knew what an honor this was, and he was floored.

“Wh…why? There are plenty’a other pack members who are probably a lot more qualified than I am.” His disbelief was palpable.

Malakai shook his head. “I took it to the elders. We’re all in agreement. We firmly believe you are the best wolf to lead this pack. Will you accept this honor?”

How could he deny it? Rhett had great respect and admiration for Malakai. He felt that declining this offer would be a slap to the face. And even more so, he had a duty to fulfill. To his pack. To his mate. To his children.

“Yes. I’ll accept it,” Rhett finally replied.

Malakai’s face broke into a grin. He stepped forward, reaching out to shake Rhett’s hand. “My boy. I’m so glad you said that.”

Rhett smiled back, though there was trepidation in his eyes. “So what happens next? I’ve never been part of an alpha ceremony.”

Malakai nodded. “Don’t worry, you’ll meet with the elders soon and they’ll discuss everything. The ceremony will happen on the next full moon. Which, coincidentally, is next Friday.”

Rhett’s eyes widened. He only had a week to prepare for this? It seemed like it was happening so fast. His chest tightened with anxiety. Had he really just agreed to this? The highest, most sacred honor in the wolf community?

“A-alright,” was all he could say.

You could sense his uncertainty. You placed a steady hand between his shoulder blades, and he relaxed a little under your touch.

“I’ll get the elders together, and we’ll meet tomorrow morning at sun up, at my place. How does that sound?”

“Yeah…yeah, I’ll be there.”

Malakai bid you farewell before he walked off into the night, leaving you and Rhett alone on your porch. You stood there in silence for a beat, both of you processing what you had just been told.

Slowly, you turned toward your husband, and as realization set in, your eyes filled with tears. “Rhett…” you whispered, your voice breaking.

His eyes, blue and impossibly deep, met yours. “I know,” he whispered back.

Without warning, you lurched forward, throwing your arms around his neck. His own arms instinctively came up to wind around your waist. You held each other, standing on your porch in the cool night air.

“I can’t believe it,” he whispered when you parted, his voice thick with emotion.

You smiled, lifting your hand to brush a lock of hair away from his forehead. “I can. You deserve this, my love. I can’t think of a better man to take on this responsibility.”

He let out a breath, a plume of condensation puffing out into the air, his head shaking as he did so. “I don’t know about that.”

You touched his face, bringing his chin up so he’d look at you. “Don’t you dare sell yourself short, Rhett. You’ve earned this. And you’ll be the alpha this pack needs, I just know it.” You leaned in to tenderly kiss him, and he reciprocated, mouth moving against yours with ease, familiar and soft.

“I love you, little wolf,” he murmured against your mouth when you parted.

“I love you too. And I’m so proud of you.” You nuzzled your nose against his before you reluctantly pulled away. “Guess we should go back inside and wrangle the pups.”

“Guess we should.” He slipped his arm around you, and you sauntered back into the comforting warmth of your home.

That night, after the littles were all tucked in their beds, safe and warm, Rhett lay awake, staring at the ceiling, replaying the conversation with Malakai. This was a life-altering moment. Things would never be the same again after this. It was the most important role he would ever fulfill, aside from his role as your mate and as a father to his children.

Was he cut out for this? Could he lead an entire pack of werewolves? This was no longer limited to just his family depending on him. This was an entire community. He would be the figurehead of the Northeast Wyoming Pack, representing a growing population of wolves, the largest in the entire state, in fact. The thought of being their leader scared the hell out of him.

But he would be a fool to turn down an opportunity like this. Not to mention, it would be seen as disrespectful to Malakai to decline this honor. So, the very next morning, he rose before the sun, ready to face the elders and formally tell them that he accepted this position.

You stirred when you heard him moving about the room, and you turned onto your side, squinting in the light that streamed in from the bathroom. When he saw that you were awake, he stopped at your side of the bed, leaning down to kiss your forehead.

“Gonna go meet the elders now,” he whispered.

“Mm,” you hummed, reaching out to squeeze his hand. “Good luck.”

“Thank y’ darlin’,” came his reply. He returned your hand squeeze before he finally slipped away, pausing to shut off the bathroom light before he made his way down the steps. He was quiet on his feet so as not to wake the rest of the house, stopping at the door to grab his boots before he stepped out onto the porch, taking a seat on the bench near the door to put them on.

He let out a soft sigh, steeling himself before he stood and began the trek across the property toward Malakai’s place, where the elders regularly met. The entire walk, his mind was spinning, trying to process the fact that he was going to stand before these revered wolves and begin the journey of receiving alpha status. Never in a million years would he have dreamed this would be happening.

But it was, and soon, he was on Malakai’s doorstep, lifting a hand to knock on the door, and taking a deep breath to steady himself. Moments later, the door came open, and there was Malakai’s wife, Larissa, standing in the doorway.

She smiled warmly at Rhett. “Good mornin’, honey!” She greeted. “Come on in, I just put on a fresh pot of coffee. Everyone else is on the back deck.”

He thanked her, leaning in to give her a quick hug before he headed into the house, right to the sliding doors that led out onto the deck. There, the five pack elders awaited him, each of them seated at the large rectangle table in the middle of the deck.

When Malakai saw him, he stood. “There’s the man of the hour,” he said with a smile, as Rhett stepped outside to join the group.

“Mornin’,” Rhett replied, reaching out to shake Malakai’s hand. He looked around the table, bidding good morning to each elder.

Gwenevere, Leo, Nora, Matthias, and Sebastian. All the oldest members of the pack. The purpose of their counsel was to ensure everything was done decently and in order. They were advisors to the alpha.

“Have a seat,” Malakai urged Rhett, and he did so, thanking him for his graciousness. Rhett tried to hide his nerves, clearing his throat and squaring his shoulders as he took a seat across them at the table. His heart quickened in his chest. He knew that all of them could hear it. They could already sense his unease.

Gwenevere leaned forward, her hands folded on the tabletop. Her eyes, stormy gray, remained fixed on Rhett’s face, regarding him with an unreadable expression. “Malakai tells us you are willing to accept his position as alpha of this pack.”

“Yes ma’am,” came Rhett’s response.

“This is the highest honor you will ever be given. Are you prepared to put the needs of this pack for your own?” Sebastian spoke up.

“I am.”

“And are you willing to protect them, no matter the cost?”

Rhett looked directly into Sebastian’s eyes. “Yes. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect this family.”

“Young wolf,” Nora interjected, pointing her finger at him. “Do you understand how sacred this job is? Do you realize what is at stake here?”

He did not waver beneath her hard gaze. His mind went to you and his children. There was nothing he would not to do keep you safe. And he knew that he would be just as diligent in safeguarding all the other wolves that would soon be under his care.

“I do. And I have t’ say…before you all showed up here all those years ago, I never knew what it was like to be part of a pack. Not really. My family was all I had, and when my brother did what he did…after what happened to m’ wife…you didn’t turn your backs on me. You showed me what it means to be part of somethin’. And I’m honored that you’d let me take charge of this. I promise to do everythin’ I can to be the alpha these wolves need me to be.”

His words hung in the air, and he awaited a response with bated breath.

Matthias was the one who spoke next. “Rhett, when Malakai brought your name up as a potential candidate to replace him, all of us were in agreement that you were the best fit for the job. I know that you won’t disappoint us.”

Rhett shook his head. “I won’t let you down. I swear to you.”

The alpha and the five elders regarded him silently, before Gwenevere finally broke that quiet moment.

“Then it’s settled. By the light of the next full moon, you will be named alpha over this pack.”

And just like that, the meeting was adjourned.

Rhett went home that morning, his mind still spinning just as it had been when he woke up. Reality was beginning to set in. This wasn’t a fantasy, this wasn’t a dream. This was real, he was going to become an alpha in just a few short days.

He knew that there was someone who deserved to know the news. So, he detoured on his walk home, and instead headed for the house that he had grown up in.

His boots crunched against the gravel as he sauntered up the drive. He knew Cecilia would be awake. She’d always been an early riser. And sure enough, when he made it up to the porch, he could hear her singing softly to herself as she worked in the kitchen, making breakfast.

Rhett knocked on the door before he called out, “It’s Rhett, Ma!”

Moments later, she was at the door, pleasantly surprised to see him. “What a nice surprise!” She exclaimed as she reached out to hug him. He reciprocated, hugging her extra tight.

“Just thought I’d stop by for a few minutes. Been a while since we talked,” he mused.

Cece smiled warmly. “Well come on in!” She motioned for him to step inside, and he did so, following her as she strolled back into the kitchen. “I was just startin’ on breakfast. I can fix ya somethin’, if you want. Could pan scramble you an egg, just like you used to eat.”

Rhett gently declined. “No, I better not. Gonna head back and eat breakfast with the babies in a few,” he explained.

Cece’s face fell slightly. “Oh, yes. I guess you wouldn’t want to miss breakfast with them. Lord knows your father regretted not spending more time with you and your brother.”

Rhett didn’t acknowledge the comment. He didn’t want to get into a discussion about Royal and Perry. Instead, he kept the mood lighthearted. “I came because I have somethin’ to tell ya’, Ma.”

Her curiosity was piqued. “What is it?” And then, “it’s not a new pup, is it?! That would be wonderful!”

But he shook his head. “No, it’s not a pup. But…well, I’ve been asked to be the alpha of our pack.”

A beat passed. Then another. Her eyes filled with tears. “Rhett, that’s…that’s wonderful,” she whispered in disbelief. She pulled him in for another hug. “Oh, my boy, my boy. I’m so proud of you!”

When they parted, they were both smiling from ear to ear. “I wanted you to know before they announced it to everyone.”

She lovingly touched his cheek. “Thank you. I really appreciate you tellin’ me.” Her eyes still glimmered with unshed tears. “I really am so proud. Your daddy is going to be too. I’ll have to call him up and let him know. Unless…you want to do it?” She looked up at him hopefully.

Rhett hesitated. His relationship with Royal was complicated. He had not spoken to him in a long time. Although seven years had passed since your abduction, and finding out that Royal had been involved in covering up Perry’s crime, it had still left a mark.

Rhett had been able to move on for the most part, but there was still a disconnect there between him and his father. It was the fact that he had chosen to protect his oldest son, over his youngest. He had betrayed the trust Rhett had in him, and it severed any bond they might have had.

“You can just let ‘im know,” Rhett answered his mother.

She tried to hide her disappointment. “Alright, I will.”

He sighed softly before he finally decided to bid her goodbye. “Well, that’s all I wanted to tell ya. Ceremony will be on the full moon.”

“I’ll be there,” she assured him. Then she hugged him again. “Look at you. One of my sons, an alpha.”

He mustered a smile. “Who woulda thought, huh?”

She patted his cheek. “I would have. You’re a good man, Rhett. And it ain’t because of anythin’ me or your father did. You chose to do the right thing because that’s just who you are. And because of that, I know you’ll be the best alpha this pack ever had.”

He felt tears well in his eyes. Praise was hard to come by from his parents. Royal especially. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d heard his father tell him he was proud of him. And even now, he doubted the man would say those words, despite the high honor that had just been bestowed upon him.

“Thanks, Ma,” he whispered.

“I meant every word.” She parted from him, stepping back and motioning to the door. “Now go on, get. Enjoy your breakfast with your family.”

After sparing her a final glance, he stepped back outside into the brisk October air, pausing to take a deep breath. He hadn’t expected speaking to his mother to bring up so many memories and emotions. He tried to keep in touch with her regularly, especially because she lived right down the way from him, and he had no excuse not to speak to her.

But sometimes, it was hard. Going back to that house was a reminder of a childhood filled with unrest. Back then, he hadn’t noticed how unhealthy it was. It wasn’t until after you walked into his life, and you started a family of your own, that he realized what a stable, wholesome family unit was like.

He mourned for that little boy who had not experienced gentleness from his father. The way Rhett was with his own children was not the way Royal had been with him. His father had been dismissive of his emotions. Men don’t cry. And certainly not men who are part wolf.

It was something that Rhett still struggled with to this day. You had helped him considerably in learning to express his emotions, but he supposed he would always have that small voice within him, telling him he was weak for allowing emotion to bubble to the surface.

But he tried his best to put those days of his childhood behind him. He had four little ones that he had the opportunity to show love and patience to. He could give them things he hadn’t had when he was a child. He could be a good father.

Just like he would be a good alpha.

Your words from the night before rang in his head as he walked back to your house. Don’t you dare sell yourself short, Rhett. You’ve earned this.

It was time he trusted in his own abilities.

In the following days leading up to the ceremony, Rhett was thrumming with nerves. The children noticed something was off.

You had explained to them that their father was going to be taking leadership of the pack, but you weren’t sure how well their little minds could fully process the magnitude of the situation.

But they would soon witness it for themselves. As small as they were, with your oldest being seven, and your youngest being only one, you still wanted them to witness this monumental moment in their father’s life.

Your heart was warmed when, the night before the ceremony, you heard your son Max talking to Rhett as he got the boy ready for bed.

“I want to be an alpha just like you when I grow up, Daddy,” he said.

Rhett hummed, ruffling his son’s hair. “And I bet you will, buddy. Couldn’t think of a better wolf to take my place.”

The five-year-old looked up at his dad. “Are you scared to be an alpha?” He could not enunciate his L’s yet, so the word came out as “owpha.”

You watched from the doorway, eyeing Rhett as he knelt down so that he was eye level with Max. He hesitated for only a moment. His instinct was to deny fear, but what good would that do to his son? He needed to own up to his feelings. He needed to be transparent, because he owed that much to his children. “Yeah, I am. And y’know what? It’s okay to be scared.”

Max nodded, his little face serious. “Mama says that all the time.”

“And she’s right. Sometimes we gotta do things that scare us, because in the end, somethin’ good will happen.”

You could see Max’s mind working behind his eyes. “Daddy?”

“Yeah?”

“I think you’re really brave.”

Rhett didn’t bother to hide his tears. He hugged his boy to his chest, his large hand coming up to rest at the back of his head, cradling him there. “Thank you, bud.”

You were touched, and tears reached your own eyes. Max had such a tender heart. Even at such a young age, he was sensitive to the feelings of those around him. You hoped he would never lose that sweet spirit.

After their conversation, Rhett gently coaxed him into bed, making sure the blankets were tucked in around him, before you finally made your presence known. You reached out, placing a steady hand against Rhett’s back as you leaned down to kiss your son on the forehead.

“Goodnight, sweet boy,” you whispered.

“‘Night, Mama.”

After he was settled, the two of you quietly left the room, and Rhett shut the door behind him. And just like that, all four of your children were tucked safely in their beds, leaving you with a moment of peace.

“He loves you so much, Rhett,” you whispered to your husband as you walked toward the steps that led up to your bedroom.

He nodded, slipping his arm around your waist. “He’s a good boy. Reminds me a lot of me when I was a kid…just, different.”

You paused, turning to cup his cheek. “Different because he has a daddy who’s patient and loving.”

Rhett let out an unsteady breath. “I really try, y’know?”

“I know you do, and it shows. There’s no doubt in that boy’s mind that you love him. There’s no doubt in any of our pups’ minds about that.” You leaned in to kiss him tenderly, and he hummed against your mouth, his large hands coming up to rest at your hips.

“I love you,” he confessed.

“I love you too,” came your reply as your fingers stroked at the scruffy edge of his jaw. Another kiss, and you spoke again, “Now c’mon, let’s get to bed. Got a big day ahead of you tomorrow. Need all the rest you can get.”

You kissed him again, your body lingering against his for a moment, relishing in the closeness. These past few days had been all out of sorts for you both. Rhett was so wrapped up in preparing for the alpha ceremony that he hadn’t taken a moment to just be with you. To hold you in his arms, to sit in the stillness.

He realized that this was what he needed. You were what he needed, you were the healing balm. So, that night, he let you be that for him. Let you snuggle against his chest, and whisper reassuring words as you rested your head on his chest. And for the first night that entire week, he found rest.

The next morning, he woke to the first rays of morning sun peeking in through the window. He was safe and warm in his bed, with his mate in his arms, and for those first few moments of consciousness, nothing else mattered.

When you stirred, you found him gazing down at you. You smiled sleepily, cuddling up against him. “Mornin’, my love.” And then, your eyes met his. “It’s ceremony day.”

He let out a hum. “Mm. I’m so fuckin’ nervous.”

“I’ll be right there with you, baby. I promise.”

And he knew you would be.

When you finally forced yourselves out of bed, you took the time to prepare him his favorite breakfast. You wanted to make him feel special, and you succeeded. He sat at the table with his two littles, Leia and Zoella, in his lap, while Arya and Max had pulled their chairs on either side of him to huddle in close. It was as if they could sense his trepidation and wanted to comfort him. Surrounded by his wife and babies, Rhett felt all the love and support in the world. He had everything he could ever ask for.

In fact, throughout that entire day, all four children stayed glued to their father, and he let them. Their presence brought him comfort. In anticipation of this very day, you had kept Arya and Max home from school, because you knew they would be out of sorts with the upcoming ceremony. They needed to be here, with their pack.

Not to mention, Rhett needed them.

As each hour passed, bringing sunset closer and closer, Rhett grew more restless. The anticipation of the full moon always made wolves antsy, but that, paired with the knowledge that in a few short hours, he would become an alpha, increased that restlessness tenfold.

While the children were occupied with an art project at the kitchen table, thanks to Amy, who had offered to set it up for them, Rhett kissed you and informed you that he was going on a run to clear his head.

“Want me to come with you?” You offered, snuggling into his side. The two of you loved going on runs together. It was where you’d slip into wolf form and dash through the woods, running just to run. It was such a freeing sensation.

Rhett smiled softly, shaking his head. “Nah, I think…I think I need to do this alone. Gotta get out of my head go back to my roots.” Roots, meaning his wolf nature.

You nodded in understanding. “Okay.” You stole another kiss before you stepped back. “I love you. Go.”

He stepped outside, and you watched through the window as he quickly rid himself of his clothing, sprinting right off the porch and shifting midair, landing on four paws before he took off toward the tree line. You couldn’t help but smile fondly. Oh, how you loved him.

He was so anxious about what was to come, but you weren’t, because had no doubt that he was made for this.

While Rhett was on his run, and Amy had the kids occupied, you set to work preparing for that night. You set out an outfit for your husband. A royal blue shirt that brought out his eyes, and a pair of his nicest jeans. You would be given special ceremonial robes to wear during the event itself, so you weren’t too concerned with what would be worn beneath them, but you still wanted the both of you to look your best.

As the sun began to sink lower in the sky, you could feel an electricity in the air. Of course, this was brought on by the approaching full moon, but it was something more than that. Rhett felt it too, and when he returned from his run, he was wired and filled with new energy.

By that time, you and Amy had set about getting the kids ready for that night. Arya had gotten ready all by herself, which she proudly announced to Rhett when he walked in the door.

“You look beautiful, little gal,” he said with a smile, lovingly running his knuckle against her soft cheek.

“I wanted to dress up like Mama,” she told him, smoothing her hands over her dress, one that closely matched the one you were wearing.

“You look just like her, too,” he mused. His sweet, beautiful little girl. The girl who made him a father.

“She does, doesn’t she? Resemblance is uncanny,” Amy spoke up.

She, too, had dressed up for the occasion, and had threaded her long blonde waves into a thick plait that ran down her back. She was teeming with excitement for the opportunity her uncle had been given. He had been with her through her most transformative years of life, stepping in when her father couldn’t, and she’d developed a deep bond with him. Now that she was grown, she still appreciated all that you and Rhett had done to give her a good life. She believed he deserved this honor and then some.

And she told him as such. As Arya ran to see if her three younger siblings were ready, Amy caught Rhett at the foot of the steps leading up to your bedroom.

“I’m proud of you, Uncle Rhett.”

Rhett smiled softly. “Thanks, Amygirl. Means a lot to me.”

She returned his smile and gave him a hug, which he gratefully received. When they parted, she said, “Thanks for everything you’ve done for me.”

“And I’d do it all over again if I had to.”

She nodded, her gaze soft. “I know you would.”

They shared a silent understand before Rhett finally headed upstairs, his heart warm from the interaction. He found you on the bed, getting your youngest into her little outfit.

“Hey, ZoZo,” he greeted the tiny one, and she giggled in delight at the sight of her father, immediately reaching her little arms up.

“Dada!” She exclaimed. Her vocabulary had just started to broaden, but she hadn’t yet graduated from calling him dada. And Rhett loved it. When his children called for him, whether it was ‘daddy’ or ‘dada’, it invoked deep emotion within him. Becoming a father was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

“Mama’s got you lookin’ so pretty!” He hummed as he leaned down to take her into his arms.

“Pretty!” She echoed in delight, clapping her chubby hands.

As he snuggled his youngest against his chest, his gaze shifted to you. His mouth curled into a reverent smile, his deep blue eyes taking in your form. “Y’ look beautiful, Mama.”

Even after all these years, you still grew bashful when he complimented you. You rode from the bed, offering a loving peck to his lips. “Thank you, m’love.” And then, “I set out your clothes for you. Thought you’d look handsome in blue.”

He caught you, deepening what had been a light kiss. “Thank you.”

“Mhm,” you articulated. Then, you eased Zoella from his arms. “Better take this little one down to give her a little snack and let you get ready.”

“Okay. Be ready in a few,” he echoed as he handed off your daughter to you. He left a kiss on her head before he let you head back downstairs.

It was time to finally ready himself for the ceremony.

He hopped in the shower and scrubbed his skin clean, making sure to wash behind his ears like his mother had drilled into his head when he was a young boy.

After a quick scrub down, he was hasty to dry off, and throw on his clothes. After his hair was combed down, cologne spritzed on his skin, and socks on his feet, he finally made his way back downstairs, where you and Amy were rounding the littles up to head out the door.

“Okay! I need a picture of Daddy and the babies!” You exclaimed. “C’mon, gather round!”

As Amy herded the children around him, you ran to grab your camera, and moments later, you’d snapped several pictures of this monumental moment, with intentions of placing it in a frame and displaying it in your home for years to come.

“Can we go now?!” Arya asked impatiently.

“We’re goin’!” Rhett replied. “C’mon tiny wolves, let’s get a move on.” He gathered Zoella in his arms, and then led all of you outside.

Max and Leia held your hands, while Arya walked up ahead alongside Amy and her father. The place where the ceremony would be held was not a far walk. It was at a clearing in the woods, where the moonlight shined just so.

Everything had been set up, and as you neared the clearing, you could see how whimsical it looked, and yet, it had an almost pagan feel to it. Fairy lights had been strung from the trees. Deer antlers, masks, and various items that had been passed down from ancestors.

There was a bonfire going in the middle of the clearing. Adjacent, beneath an ancient weeping willow tree, was a pedestal with a pair of velvet robes placed upon it, and a wooden bowl filled with something you could not see, but would later find out was red paint, made from crushed rose petals and beetroot.

Members of your pack had already begun to gather. The elders, along with Malakai were taking their places beneath the willow tree.

As you neared the site, you shared a look with Rhett.

“You ready?” You asked.

He let out an unsteady sigh. “As I’ll ever be,” he murmured.

You squeezed his hand. It was time.

Amy retrieved Zoella from Rhett’s arms, and she guided the rest of your children over to a little area where other pups were already congregating. Knowing they were in good hands, you were able to move your focus to your husband, who was trying to steady his breathing. He looked like he was seconds away from spiraling.

“Hey,” you said. You reached up, cupping his cheek, turning his face to you. Your fingers stroked his jaw. You placed your other hand on his chest, over his heart. “Breathe.”

He breathed in deep, his chest rising beneath your touch. Then he exhaled. Upon his second inhale, he focused in on the one and only scent that could ground him - you. That sweet, intoxicating scent that he loved. So familiar and comforting.

The world seemed to fade out around him. It was just the two of you, sharing an intimate moment.

“You’re okay.”

He was, wasn’t he? He’d be just fine.

“I’m okay,” he repeated.

You kissed him tenderly. It gave him clarity, and he parted from you feeling considerably calmer. He felt ready to take on the responsibility that lay ahead of him.

He squared his shoulders and glanced around, taking in the sight of his pack members gathering ‘round in support of him. He saw his mother, standing proud, and he nodded at her, silently thanking her for being there for him. She placed her hand over her heart and mouthed I love you.

And then, it was time.

Malakai raised his hand. “Gather round, wolves!” He called out.

Immediately, the group went silent, and everyone began to move toward the tree, but they left a center walkway clear for you and Rhett to walk down.

A hush fell over the crowd. You grasped Rhett’s hand.

“Tonight is a very special night. As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, I am surrendering my alpha status. This hasn’t been a decision I’ve taken lightly. I especially wanted to choose someone who was worthy of this position. Someone who will lead you valiantly. Someone who will love you. For me, it simply made sense to choose Rhett Abbott.”

A round of applause rippled through the group. Rhett felt his throat tighten as emotion washed over him. This amount of support was overwhelming for him.

Malakai met his gaze. “Come forward.”

Hand in hand, the two of you walked toward the weeping willow, your heads held high. When you reached Malakai, he leaned in to kiss your cheeks, and then Rhett’s.

Of the elders, Gwenevere and Matthias stepped forward, holding the ruby-red robes in their hands. Gwenevere placed yours upon your shoulders, while Matthias placed Rhett’s on his. That was the moment that it really began to set in for you. This was real. This was happening.

Rhett couldn’t suppress the shiver that trailed down his spine as the velvet robe cascaded down his body. His heart quickened in his chest. His skin felt like it was alive with electricity, crackling and sparkling in a brilliant display.

The feeling was akin to the way he’d felt when he met you for the first time and realized you were his mate. Overwhelming, all-consuming, intense enough to drive him to his knees. But he remained standing tall, despite himself.

“Rhett Abbott,” Malakai addressed him.

“Yes sir?”

“Do you pledge your undying loyalty to The Northeastern Wyoming Wolf Pack?”

Without hesitation, he answered. “I do.”

“Do you pledge to lead them benevolently?”

“I do.”

“And do you pledge to honor, protect, and defend them?”

“I do.”

Malakai nodded, satisfied with the answers he’d been given. He stepped toward the pedestal that stood nearby, his boots crunching against earth and dry leaves as he moved. Reaching out, he took the wooden bowl that had been placed there before the ceremony.

“Kneel,” he commanded.

Rhett sank to his knees, humble before his pack.

Malakai dipped his fingers into the bowl, gathering the homemade paint before he lifted his hand. With his pointer and middle fingers, he left deliberate trails of paint down Rhett’s cheeks. The red pigment symbolized the color of an alpha’s eyes.

After the paint applied to Rhett’s ruddy cheeks, Malakai handed the bowl off to Nora, another elder. Then, he gazed upon Rhett, moving to lift his chin so he was looking up at him.

“You are the only wolf I trust to lead this pack in my stead. I am confident that you won’t let me down.”

“I won’t, sir,” Rhett assured him, his voice hoarse, emotion evident within its octaves.

Malakai then glanced at each elder. Gwenevere, Matthias, Leo, Nora, Sebastian. “It’s time,” he spoke to them.

They all gave him a nod of approval.

Above the pack, the sun had finally sunk beneath the horizon, and the full moon was rising in the sky, its silvery light seeming to surround Rhett on purpose. You stared at him in awe, your eyes widening as you saw its pale beams glimmer against his hair, acting as a sort of halo.

It was breathtaking.

But the time to marvel was done, because Malakai stepped into the light, his shadow cast over Rhett’s kneeling form. The older wolf’s hands twitched at his sides, and his claws elongated from his fingertips.

Slowly, he raised his right hand. You watched as he placed that same hand against Rhett’s neck. He aligned his claws at the base, pressing them only slightly against his skin, preparing the younger wolf for what was about to happen.

Rhett locked eyes with Malakai. “I’m ready.”

All at once, the alpha sank his claws into the nape of Rhett’s neck. You flinched as he let out an agonized growl, his body going as tense as a taut rope while the pain blossomed within.

“Don’t fight it, young wolf,” Malakai commanded.

Rhett resisted the urge to pull away, but the pain was great and all-consuming, a burn that radiated throughout his neck and upper back. He groaned, huffing in labored breaths, as he realized his body was trying to shift. His jaw twitched as he tried to keep his fangs from lengthening from his gums. But it was no use.

And then, seconds later, the pain he felt began to melt away. He never tore his gaze from Malakai’s. He watched as the alpha’s eyes glowed red as fiery embers, but then, he realized that red was fading away, slowly draining from his irises, replaced by a brilliant yellow.

You watched in amazement as the same ruby-red began to come to life in your mate’s eyes, dull at first, but growing ever brighter by the second. Your heart pounded in your chest, because you could feel it. That was the thing with mates, they could feel the other’s pain or distress. And you could feel it, but this was different.

This was…thrilling. It felt like you had just been struck by a bolt of lightning and splashed with a shock of cold water all at the same time. You gasped sharply, as did Rhett, and suddenly you felt more alive than you ever had in your life. So did he.

“It is done!” Gwenevere called out.

Seconds later, Malakai released Rhett, withdrawing his claws from the base of his neck. Rhett suddenly fell forward, catching himself as he put his hands out in front of him. The entire pack waited in dead silence, anticipation thrumming in the air like a magic spell.

And then, the alpha rose.

Slowly, Rhett moved, pushing himself up from the earth, and standing to his full height. Then he turned to face his pack, his eyes still gleaming red. A soft gasp went through the small crowd, followed by hushed murmurs.

And then, “Rhett Thomas Abbott, you are now the alpha of the Northeastern Wyoming Wolf Pack.”

Rhett let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, and all at once, everything felt right. He felt whole, as if he had just fulfilled his very purpose in life. This was it. This was what he was meant for.

And then, a display of reverence followed.

Starting with Malakai, each and every member of the pack lowered themselves to their knees. Overwhelmed, you moved closer to Rhett, reaching for his hand, interlacing your fingers. The two of you stood there as your wolves knelt out of respect for their new alpha. The sight brought tears to your eyes.

Your gaze shifted to Rhett, and you realized his eyes were glimmering with emotion, too.

But the time for tears was over. So he threw his head back and let out a clear howl into the air. Everyone else followed, a chorus of wolf howls filling the woods, reverberating around you. It was an indescribable moment that you knew you would not soon forget.

After that very special moment, a time of music and dancing followed. Old mountain melodies were sung, and you were inundated with pack members coming up to congratulate Rhett on his status, and pledge their loyalty to him as their alpha.

And most important of all, your children came bounding up to their father, with little Leia launching herself into his arms, and Arya and Max laughing in delight as they secured themselves at his waist.

Amy held a bouncing Zoella on her hip, who Rhett promptly reached for. Even as the littlest of the family, she seemed to know this was a time of celebration and joy, and she squealed when her daddy took her into his arms.

And there he stood, an alpha, his wife and children surrounding him, and he felt as if he was on top of the world. He’d never dreamed that this would be his life, yet here he was, and he could hardly contain his wonder.

“I did it,” he whispered to you, as you nuzzled close to him, joining him and the huddle of babies surrounding him.

“You did it,” you echoed, unable to hide the joyous smile spread across your face.

You were so proud, you could hardly contain yourself.

That night, the celebration went on. You feasted and you danced and you sang and you laughed. You watched Rhett throughout the evening, and the only way you could describe him was radiant. He appeared to be glowing, just as he had when the moon touched its silvery fingers to his head when he stood beneath the weeping willow. Alpha status looked good on him.

And then, came the best part of the night. For you and Rhett, at least.

As the hours grew later, the pups needed to be rounded up and put to bed. Graciously, Amy assured you she would take care of them.

“Keep on havin’ a good time,” she said. “I’ll get these kids settled at the house.”

“You sure?” You asked, fully prepared to do it yourself.

“Course I’m sure! It’s nothing I can’t handle. Besides, you and Uncle Rhett deserve to celebrate some more. Wouldn’t want to take that away from you.”

“Alrighty then. Let me just kiss them all goodnight.”

Together, you and Rhett bid each of your children goodnight and sent them off with Amy. Other pups were being taken home as well, leaving just the adults left over. It was time for a full moon run, and because pups under ten years of age did not yet possess the ability to turn, they did not participate.

As for the rest of you, you would shift into your wolves and run beneath the light of the moon, the night air rippling through your fur, free as a bird. It was exhilarating.

And so, when the moon rose to its highest peak, another set of howls rippled through the group, and one by one, the transformation from human to wolf began.

Rhett turned to you, his eyes bright with anticipation. “Ready?” He asked.

You nodded. “Let’s go.”

You rid yourselves of your robes, followed by your clothing, and moments later, you were shifting. You into your wolf with its snow-white pelt, and Rhett into his wolf with its midnight black one.

A rush of pure excitement rippled through you as you nuzzled your face against your mate’s fur. At Rhett’s signal, you took off into the woods, side by side.

You ran like the wind, following your lover. You had mastered the art of communicating silently and through your senses. Every whine, every yip, every shift of the ears. You knew what the other was saying in an instant.

And now, you knew that Rhett was leading you far away from the pack. In your heart, you knew why. You could feel it. It buzzed through your bloodstream like a crackling, surging current. A deep desire, an animalistic need. Your alpha was the only one that could fulfill it.

And then, he stopped. And you did too.

He turned to you, staring into your face for a moment before his eyes flashed red again. It struck you into a moment of submission, and you whined, lowering yourself to the ground and bowing your head.

Then, Rhett shifted back into human, and you watched, still bowing at his feet, as he stood tall above you, naked as the day he was born.

“Shift,” he simply said.

Seconds later, you had returned to your human form, remaining on your knees as he looked down at you. Your breathing was labored from your run, and it swirled in puffs of condensation around your head. Your heart was pounding in your chest.

Rhett stepped forward, bare feet against cold earth. His expression was unreadable, yet he exuded power. Then, he reached his hand out, lovingly stroking your cold cheek before he brought his thumb up to trace the outline of your lips. You parted them and allowed the digit to press against your tongue.

Something primal was ignited between you both that night. You could see it in Rhett’s eyes and feel it deep within your core.

“What an obedient little wolf,” he murmured as you suckled on his thumb, moaning softly around it. “Been thinkin’ about you ever since the ceremony. Wonderin’ what it’d be like to fuck you as your alpha.”

Your moan turned into a whimper, and you pulled away from his finger to speak. “Want it,” you sighed. “Want you to fuck me.”

“Yeah?” His large hand closed around your jaw, holding your face in place. “I ain’t gon’ be gentle. Wanna mount you and take you hard.”

His words sent a thrum of arousal through you, to the point where it was almost painful. “Please.”

Your eyes flickered down. God, his cock was already growing hard. It elicited a needy sound from you, a cross between a growl and a whine, wolfish and unbridled.

Then he knelt in front of you, both hands holding your face. His eyes searched your own, just before he leaned in, lips crashing against yours. The kiss was deep, as if you were trying to commit the other to memory. Your hands came up to grasp at his shoulders, fingers digging into the skin.

When you parted, you were breathless. Against your parted lips, Rhett’s tongue laved, delving into your mouth, letting you taste him. He was intoxicating. Not only did his scent overwhelm you, it consumed the air around you. During a rutting session, the scent of each mate would grow that much stronger to the other, creating a dizzying concoction that would send their hormones into overdrive.

And that was what was happening at that very moment. You were growing high off of each other, as if you were one another’s own personal drug.

Rhett moved to trail his nose down your jaw, nuzzling against your pulse point before he breathed in deep, inhaling your scent. Then, you felt his fangs, sharp against your soft skin. He growled low in his chest, and when he lifted his head, his eyes were glowing red again.

“I’m goin’ to devour you, little wolf.”

You pressed your bare chest against his. “Do it.”

With a snarl, he threw his weight against yours, sending you tumbling to the forest floor as he pounced on top of you. However, his hand reflexively came up to the back of your head, so you wouldn’t hit it when you went down.

You had squeezed your eyes shut in anticipation of the impact, and when you opened them, you found him hovering over you, gaze intense. He was looking at you like you were a little rabbit that he’d just caught in his greedy paws.

He grabbed your wrists and pinned your hands above your head. “Stay,” he said. Obediently, you kept your arms where they were when he moved his hand. Then he leaned back to rest on his haunches, and you watched him, taking in the sight.

He bit his lip, his eyes narrowing as he drank in your gorgeous form, spread out just for him. “S’pretty,” he hummed. “All for me.”

His hand flattened against your sternum before traveling downward. Down, down, down, until his palm was pressed over your mound, just above your cunt. But he didn’t dip his fingers inside. No, he instead shoved your legs apart and got down between them. You lifted your head to gaze down at him, only to find him nuzzling his face against your wetness, inhaling you.

He nipped at your inner thigh, soothing the welt that was sure to follow with his tongue. “Smell good enough to eat.” His nose nudged at your clit, and you whimpered as he left a kiss there. “So good. So sweet.”

He trailed his tongue through your folds to tease you, but he found that you were already soaking wet. You had been from the moment you saw him assume alpha status in front of the pack.

You didn’t want him to tease you. You wanted him to breed you.

“Rhett,” you sighed.

“I know,” he murmured. He left one more kiss to your needy pussy before he finally moved so that his face was hovering over yours again. He kissed you languidly, allowing you to taste yourself.

When you parted, you reached down, with intentions of wrapping your hand around his cock, which was now fully hard and heavy with arousal. But he caught you.

“Uh-uh, what’d I say?”

“To stay,” you whispered.

“Be patient, I’ll give it all to ya,” he assured you, lifting your hand to place it back over your head. He kept his own hand enclosed around your wrists as he brought his left hand down to align himself with you.

He slid his cock through your slick, pulling a breathless moan. You could feel your cunt pulse with need, so desperate to have him inside you. Your hips lifted of their own volition, trying to get him to slip past your entrance.

Without warning, he gave a light cautionary slap to your pussy, and you yelped, jolting beneath him. “Fuckin’ impatient, girl,” he snapped. “I have half a mind to turn you over and fuck your ass instead, since your cunt’s so fuckin’ greedy.”

At that, you let out a frustrated mewl. “No! Stop teasin’ me.” Then, you gave him your best doe eyes. “I just want my alpha to fuck me.”

You saw it then. The shift in his eyes. There was a feral rumble that came from deep within his chest, and all at once, he let out a cross between a bark and a howl, his grip releasing from your wrists as he placed his hands at either side of your head.

Without warning, and in one fluid motion, he thrust his hips forward, and all at once, your body was stretching to accommodate him, and you were crying out into the night air.

He grabbed your face. “That what you wanted?”

“Mhm!”

“What was that?” He punctuated his words with a sharp snap of his hips into yours.

“YES!” You wailed.

Again, he grabbed your face, mouth against yours, and he snarled. There was no warmup. He started off rough, and continued as such, driving into you with such force your body began to move away from his.

“Fuckin’ stay.” Large hands grasped your hips, holding you in place.

The pleasure was blinding, as if you’d been struck by a white-hot bolt of lightning. His command to keep your hands where they were be damned, you couldn’t help but let your arms come down to your sides, where you clawed at the earth, back arching off the ground.

He didn’t chastise you. He was far too occupied with the feeling of your cunt tightening around him like a vice, inviting him deeper inside, where he was meant to be.

He was quick to remove his hands from your hips, moving only to rest his forearms against the earth at either side of your head, bracing himself above you. You were surrounded by him. His warmth, his scent. It was all-encompassing.

You wrapped your legs around his waist to pull him even closer, needing more. He kissed you, open-mouthed and breathless, swallowing your moans and sighs as he began rutting into you.

He was so deep inside you already. You could feel every inch of him, thick and pulsing, balls heavy and aching and full against you. You couldn’t wait for him to fill you to the brim with his seed.

He quickened his pace. Hard, heavy, deep thrusts that punched the very breath from your lungs. At some point your hands flew up to grasp at his shoulders, trailing down his back. As your body began to tremble with pleasure, you found it harder to control the animal within you, and your claws lengthened from your fingers, scratching at his flesh.

His body jerked, and he grunted, snapping his fangs at you. But it wasn’t out of anger. The sharp sting of pain sent a delicious shiver down his spine.

“Gon’ be the death of me, little wolf,” he groaned.

But you couldn’t reply. You were already practically nonverbal, save for the uncontrolled squeaks and whimpers leaving your mouth. How was it possible to feel this good? There were tears welling in your eyes, sliding down the sides of your face as he repeatedly drove that thick cock into you.

But Rhett wanted more. He wanted a position that fulfilled his primal needs. So he pulled out of you for a moment, shushing your cry of protest.

“I’m givin’ it to ya’, puppy. Hold on.” He shoved your knees toward your chest, arranging you as if you were merely a doll he was posing.

Then he straddled you, and you realized what he was doing. He’d put you into a mating press position, keen on finding a different angle to make both of you feel the most pleasure possible.

You yelped as he slipped inside you again, bottoming out. At this angle he filled you all the more, if that was possible. It rendered you breathless as the tip of his cock kissed at the deepest part of you.

“Rhett!”

He didn’t waste time with the buildup. No, you were already drenched, so much so that there was an audible wet sound when he entered you. With your legs pressed up high, all you could do was lay there and take it.

“So good f’me. Made to take my cock,” he grunted, bringing his hips down hard. He built a steady rhythm, faster and faster until he was all but pounding into you and you were nearly sobbing against the forest floor, consumed by him.

It was rough and venereal and intense. You swore you were outside of your own body, experiencing this moment through your every sense. He was all you knew. Nothing else mattered. Not the cool earth beneath you. Not the full moon above you. No, he was the only thing that existed. Your mate. The keeper of your heart and soul.

You didn’t bother to hide your ecstasy as he rutted into you. How could you? The sounds were escaping your throat involuntarily, pulled from its depths with each calculated movement.

“S-so f—ah!—full!” You wailed. You swore you could feel him deeper than before, and that’s when you realized what was happening.

Your eyes went wide as you felt the stretch. The expansion of his cock inside your walls. He was growing even bigger, and your body was taking it with ease, because that was what it was made to do.

As mates, your anatomy was naturally created to fit together. It was never a struggle to take every last inch of him, even when his cock grew within you. But oh, how overwhelming it was.

You threw your head back, crying out, grasping for purchase at anything you could, which ended up being his strong forearms. Above you, his face was set in determination. Brow furrowed, jaw tense, brunette locks falling against his forehead.

He was so big and strong and virile above you. With each growl and snarl he let out, the more your body trembled. The effect he had on you was unmatched. Dizzying, electrifying.

The heat of molten desire began to crackle to life at the base of your spine. When he pressed his hips against you and nestled them deep, his pubic bone left just the right amount of pressure against your swollen button of thrumming nerves.

And with each push and pull, your body became more responsive. Your cunt grew more slick around him, and you could feel the way your desire quite literally spurted around his cock.

“Makin’ such a mess,” he breathlessly spoke. “Sweet lil pussy’s just squirtin’ all over me, honey, and I ain’t even made you come yet.”

“C-can’t help it!” You cried out.

He leaned in closer, hot and open mouth resting against yours, tongue smoothing against your kiss-swollen lower lip. “No, you can’t, can ya? The thought of your alpha fuckin’ you gets you so drippy, don’t it?”

Something white-hot flashed within you. An explosion of pleasure that turned you speechless. Your eyes filled with tears and your mouth fell open as you nodded dumbly up at him.

He grinned, wolffish and wicked. “S’what I thought. Can’t even speak, it feels too good.” Another rough thrust of his hips sent you sobbing into the night air.

He didn’t stop. He kept a hard, fast, steady rhythm, grunting and growling and snarling as he did. He mouthed at your throat, his fangs sharp, but never sinking into the skin, because even in moments like this, he still had incredible restraint with you. He’d be damned if he ever let himself lose control and hurt you.

Just as he was going into a partial shift, with his eyes glowing and his fangs and claws elongated, so were you. You couldn’t contain it if you tried. You were wolves, mating in the most primal way, just as nature intended.

Then he wrapped his hand around your throat. Squeezing just enough to make you lightheaded as he repeatedly drove his cock inside you.

That’s when it hit you.

You didn’t even realize how close you were. You were so preoccupied with the intensity of it all that it sneaked up on you. But when it did, it swallowed you whole.

It felt as if you were free falling, suspended in air made of raw energy. Or maybe magic was the best word to describe it. It sparkled and crackled and washed over you from head to toe.

You didn’t realize you were sobbing. You couldn’t hear yourself over the rush of blood in your ears. But hot tears had begun to flow down your face again, all while your body trembled fiercely beneath him.

He hissed in surprise as your cunt began to clench around him, pulsing wildly as your orgasm tore through you. His forearms shook as he fought to hold himself upright, his breath growing labored.

The sensation was so strong that you blacked out for a moment, and when you came to, you were staring into a hungry, ruby-red gaze.

He’d stopped moving at some point, hips flush against yours, cock still nestled deep inside. He was exercising great restraint, allowing you a moment to come back to yourself. But you were still fluttering around him and he was moments away from losing his sanity, it felt like.

In your hazy state, he suddenly seemed so much bigger above you. Imposing, in a way. But you weren’t frightened. Far from it. You’d never felt more protected.

“I-I—” you tried to speak, but the words died in your throat, replaced by an involuntary sob.

He softened. That furrowed brow relaxed. His eyes shifted back to a very human blue. “Shh,” he soothed. “I’ve got ya, little wolf.”

“N-no, I…” Why couldn’t you form sentences? Your brain felt like it had gone blank, filled with television static.

His face contorted in concern. “Are y’ alright?” He nuzzled his nose against yours.

“Yes,” you managed to say.

“Then what, hm?” He was patient. He wouldn’t rush you into speaking if you weren’t ready.

But you only had three words to say. “I lo…love you.”

“Oh, baby.” He kissed you again, so tender in contrast to how he’d been fucking you moments before. “I love you too. So much.”

Something shifted then. What had once been carnal and hedonic now melted into a moment of tenderness. Ever so carefully, he leaned back, and when you realized he was switching positions, you whimpered in pitiful protest.

He soothed you by slipping his pointer and middle finger into your mouth, providing something to occupy your mouth so you wouldn’t spiral. “Hey, I’ve got’ya.”

Gently, he parted your thighs again, slotting himself between them. His arms encircled your upper body, and in one fluid movement, he lifted you, pressing you to his chest as he moved to rest on his haunches. You were straddling his lap then, chest pressed flush against his. His mouth hovering over your own, swallowing the yip you let out as he eased himself back inside you.

“R-Rhett…”

“I’m here.” One steady thrust upward. Then another. And another.

A dreamy haze settled over you as your bodies began to move of one accord. You keened high in your throat, your arms coming up to wrap around Rhett’s broad shoulders, clutching him tightly, needing him close, needing every inch of his body against yours.

He held you lovingly as he eased in and out of your dripping core, bringing you quickly toward yet another release. All you could do was let him take you, his strong arms moving you up and down to meet each push of his hips.

Your head lolled back, your body undulating against his. You were floating, drifting through time and space, on an entirely different plane of existence. There it was again, building, building, building. It wasn’t fiery or explosive. No, it felt like bubbles. Like your bloodstream had suddenly turned to fizzy champagne.

It surged through you, flowing like the building tide, and this time, you knew it was coming. “I-I’m…!” You gasped into his open mouth, but you couldn’t speak.

“I know,” his voice was strained. “Me too. Let go.”

With a soft cry, you came apart again, head thrown back as your body was overcome. You didn’t remember crying out his name, but it echoed through the trees nonetheless. He kept moving even as you fell to pieces in his arms. He would put you back together again soon enough.

You went boneless in his grasp. With your face buried against his neck, you whimpered and sobbed quietly as he quickened his pace, chasing his own end. He murmured words of reassurance to you, but you couldn’t hear them over the white noise in your ears.

His grip tightened on you, and his cock swelled within you again, all while he growled, squeezing his eyes shut as he neared that peak.

“Gonna—ah!—gonna breed you again. Fill you up with another one of m’ pups.”

Please, you tried to utter, but you couldn’t form the word. You wanted it. Oh, how badly you wanted it. But he already knew.

And then, it finally began to wash over him. Divine ecstasy that sizzled at the base of his spine. You felt it. The heat. The pulsing, the thrumming, filling you with spurt after spurt of his seed. And you took it all like his good little wolf.

As he came down, you remained still in his arms, your chest heaving against his, your body exhausted but oh so satiated. You felt his hand at the back of your head, lovingly cradling you against his chest. The sound of his heart beginning to slow back down to its normal best calmed you.

“Y’ still with me?” Came his gravelly question.

“Mhm,” you sighed.

He tipped your face up so you were looking at him, and he kissed you tenderly. “Did so good for me. Always take me so well.” Another kiss.

“Love you,” you murmured.

He nuzzled his nose against yours. “Love you too, little wolf.”

“C’n we stay here for a few more minutes?”

He smiled. “Yes we can.”

And you did. He remained there on the forest floor with you cuddled in his arms, just enjoying the closeness and the quiet intimacy. The afterglow was a time of bonding for the two of you, and you didn’t sacrifice one minute of that time.

He lovingly caressed your skin, soothing you, anchoring you. It brought you back to yourself and replenished the energy you had expended during your tryst.

Eventually, the spell was broken. “Think we should head back?” He asked.

You sighed. “I suppose so.”

He kissed you again. “C’mon, I’ll carry ya.” The perks of having supernatural strength.

You let him lift you into his arms, with your head tucked into the side of his neck. He carried you all the way home, and you felt so safe and at ease that you fell asleep in his arms along the way.

When you woke, you were safe and warm in your bed, with your mate curled protectively around you, and you smiled to yourself. The events of the night before felt like a dream, but they were very much real. Your husband was an alpha now. And you had spent the night mating with him beneath the light of the full moon. How was your life even real?

Beside you, he stirred, a low, sleepy hum sounding from his chest. A faint smile tugged at his mouth as he pulled you to him. “G’mornin’.”

You hummed, snuggling in close. “Morning.”

He buried his face against your neck, inhaling your sweet scent. But he noticed something as he breathed in.

A large hand came down to rest over your belly.

“It took,” he whispered.

Your eyes widened. “What?”

His gaze locked with yours. “I told you I’d give you another pup, didn’t I? I can tell it took. Smell the same way you did after I put each of our babies inside ya.”

Your face broke into a grin, and you couldn’t help but laugh, placing your own hand over his. “Guess you really were serious about breeding me.”

His eyes narrowed. “Serious as a heart attack, honey. It’s my job to keep you full of pups, after all.”

“And you’ve done your job exceptionally well,” you teased as you kissed him.

“Don’t I know it,” he replied goodnaturedly, bumping his nose against yours.

You cherished that fleeting moment of bliss, basking in the joy that came from learning you would soon be inviting a new addition to your family.

This same blissful, dreamlike feeling carried on into the days following Rhett’s achievement of alpha status. They were wonderful days. They were happy days. He assumed his role dutifully and made sure that his pack members knew that he was going to take care of them.

They had no doubt he would, because Rhett Abbott always made good on his word.

Four Months Later

Life had been good for you. Rhett was beginning to really settle into his position as leader of the Northeast Wyoming Pack, establishing his authority and benevolence. The wolves revered him.

Your family was thriving. You had been slightly worried that Rhett taking on this responsibility would send things into upheaval for your children and their routine, but they had adapted beautifully.

You had no doubt in your mind that this was always what Rhett had been meant to do. It was rooted in who he was as a wolf, an intrinsic ability to lead.

And for those first four months, everything progressed as it should.

But it wasn’t long before the sanctity of your pack, and everything Rhett had worked so hard for, was threatened.

A story that had made national news. A group of rogue wolves had targeted The Montana Wolf Pack, killing several innocent members. According to local authorities, this group of wolves had tried to take control of the pack, and when their target had put up a fight, they killed several of its members in cold blood.

The news of these killings hit close to home. This wasn’t an attack staged by hunters. This atrocity had been committed by wolves, members of your own kind. The ultimate betrayal. The National Werewolf League called for a day of mourning out of respect for the families affected by the unspeakable tragedy.

Many wondered if this incident was an isolated one, or if other wolves would soon be targeted. Were more lives in danger? Would there be other uprisings across the states? Rogue groups bent on killing their own kind?

That remained to be seen. But it certainly put fear into the hearts of wolfpacks across the US. Yours especially, because Montana was just north of you. However, in the weeks following the attack on the Montana Pack, things remained quiet and uneventful. Life went on as normal.

Until one day, a visitor showed up on your property.

It was a cold February day, and it had just snowed considerably the night before. School was canceled, so your children were outside playing in the snow with their cousins, having the time of their lives. Inside your cozy home, you were baking cookies while Amy had busied herself with making hot chocolate for the children to drink when they came inside.

Zoella and Leia, who were still too little to play outside with their older siblings and cousins, were playing contentedly on the floor with little cloth dolls that Cecilia had made for them. The scent of baked goods, the crackling of the fire in the fireplace, and the sound of your little ones giggling on the floor, sent a comforting warmth through your chest.

Rhett was upstairs, showering after he had spent the better half of the morning shoveling snow. It all felt so domestic. So human. Your happy, growing family, enjoying a snow day. But that joyous warmth would soon give way to sickly cold dread.

As you were lifting a tray of cookies out of the oven to cool, Amy noticed something. Her attention shifted to the window that overlooked your property, where the children were playing. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of a man approaching the children.

“Hey, come here,” she spoke up, waving you over.

You left the tray of cookies on the counter and quickly stepped over toward where she was pointing. Sure enough, a tall man dressed in tattered clothes, had halted the children’s play to speak with them. Alarm bells went off in your head, and you immediately rushed to the door, prepared to run outside.

At that very moment, Rhett was coming down the stairs, and the first thing he picked up on was your scent. Not the sweet, nutty scent of cookies in the air. Not even your naturally occurring scent. He smelled the sharp sting of anxiety.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, already making his way toward you.

“There’s a man talking to the kids,” you explained.

His eyes widened, and in seconds, he was stooping to grab his boots and shove his feet into them before he threw open the front door. He jumped off the front porch, his gaze zeroed in on this stranger as Rhett quickly approached the children.

“Hey!” He called out, and the other man’s head snapped up. He was a wolf too, Rhett could tell by his scent. “Can I help you?” His tone wasn’t friendly. There was a warning edge to it.

“Daddy, he was asking if we had any food to eat!” Arya informed him, her innocence palpable. She still had that childish gullibility.

But Rhett wasn’t gullible. His hackles were immediately raised because he could tell that something just wasn’t quite right. “Young’ns, go play,” he commanded in a tone that left no room for arguing. The children scattered, and then he turned to the man. “Any particular reason you’re botherin’ my kids?”

The stranger’s hands lifted in surrender. “Hey now, I wasn’t trying to cause any trouble. My name’s Kane Masters I’m just passin’ through. My truck broke down out on the main road. I can’t get it started, and I’ve got a mate and a baby to take care of. Could you help us, please?”

Rhett stared at him, his eyes narrowed. There was an unsettled feeling in his gut. This fucker was lying. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.”

“What?”

“You heard me. I don’t know what you’re tryin’ to pull, but it ain’t gonna work with me.”

Kane’s jaw tensed, and his eyes darkened. “Did you not hear what I said? I have a wife and baby! You can’t at least offer them shelter while I figure out how to get the truck fixed? They’re gonna freeze!”

Rhett’s eyes flashed red, asserting his dominance. “And I have a pack to protect. I ain’t lettin’ perfect strangers into my home. You’ll have to find someone else to help you.”

Kane growled, low in his throat. “You’ll regret this, wolf,” he snarled.

Rhett stepped forward, standing eye level with Kane. His sudden outburst of hostility raised a warning flag for Rhett. “Are you threatenin’ me?”

“Maybe I am. Are you condemning my wife and child to freeze to death?”

The alpha rolled his eyes at the dramatics. “Get the fuck off my property before I drag you off it.”

Kane stared Rhett down, his chest heaving. But Rhett didn’t budge. He had a gut feeling that something was amiss, and he felt that he was putting his pack at risk if he allowed this wolf refuge in his home.

After one last threatening gnarl, Kane finally turned and stalked off, snow crunching beneath his feet. Rhett stood there and watched him go, remaining there until he was out of sight.

Once he was sure that the other wolf had gone, he finally turned back toward the house, where he found you standing in the doorway, looking on in concern.

“What did he want?” You asked as Rhett climbed the porch steps.

“He said his truck stalled on the main road, and he was lookin’ for a place his mate and baby could stay while he got it fixed.” There was a hard look in his eyes. One you couldn’t read.

“What is it, Rhett? Why did you turn him away?” You questioned.

His gaze shifted to yours. “Somethin’ just wasn’t right. Can’t put my finger on it. But if you see him comin’ around here again, you come get me. Okay?”

You nodded, not keen to argue with him. If he sensed danger, then you would trust his instinct. “Okay.”

He leaned in then, large hand resting over your belly, where your unborn pup rested safe and warm, protected from the dangers of the outside world.

Rhett’s lips lingered against your temple before he pulled back. “I’m gon’ round the pups up and bring ‘em inside. Guy kinda gave me the spooks.” It wasn’t that Rhett was scared of him. He was simply wary.

He brought the kids inside, where they all gathered in the kitchen for hot chocolate and cookies, completely oblivious.

Rhett kept an eye out the rest of the day, and warned a few pack members to be on the lookout for Kane, should he return. He knew better than to ignore his gut feeling.

But after that specific incident, things were quiet. For the next week, at least. In that time, the weather had improved, and the roads were clear, which gave you the opportunity to take your family into town. The kids were excited to stop by Ruby’s Diner, a favorite local spot in Wabang.

All was well. You enjoyed a wholesome day with your mate and your children, seemingly without a care in the world. Until, suddenly, a dark cloud began to loom over you.

No, it wasn’t a cloud. It was a shadow. A wolf.

Rhett had slipped away for a few minutes, with intentions of taking Arya, Max, and Leia into the local toy shop to get them a little something.

Zoella had fallen asleep in her stroller, and after Rhett assured you he would choose a little trinket for her, too, while he was with the older children in the shop, you had opted to walk to the truck and get her situated for the ride home.

Just as you’d gotten her buckled in, you felt a presence behind you. “Excuse me, miss?” A voice filled the air.

You tensed, slowly turning around to face the stranger. Sandy blonde hair and unsettling, stormy eyes. They appeared to be both blue and gray at the same time. Something about his stare made you shiver. “Yes?” You cautiously answered, making sure that Zoella was hidden safely behind you as you squared your shoulders.

“I’m looking for a place to stay. I couldn’t help but pick up on the fact that you’re a werewolf like I am. I’ve been a lone wolf for some time now and I need to find a pack. Would you be willing to welcome me into yours?”

You stared at him in confusion. Demanding to join an established pack was simply not done. The only way another wolf would join a pack that was not his own was if the alpha invited him into the fold.

Something wasn’t right.

“I-I’m sorry, we aren’t looking to bring in any new pack members,” you told the stranger.

His gaze darkened, and anxiety crept into your bones.

Rhett sensed it, too. You were his mate, after all. Mates had the unique ability to sense when the other was in danger, with an intense emotional connection that ran deeper than any human connection ever could.

In the middle of that toy store, he froze. A nauseating shock of dread washed over him. Something was dead wrong. Without hesitation, he swooped in and grabbed Max and Leia, lifting them into his arms. They giggled, because they thought it was a game. But it was not.

Then, “Arya, we need to go.”

The seven-year-old turned, her brow furrowed in confusion. “But Daddy—”

“Now, baby.” His tone left no room for argument, and she closed her mouth, a sad look washing over her face. But she followed her father nonetheless, because she could sense his urgency, and thought it best to obey him in that moment.

Quickly, he made a beeline out of that store, into the balmy February afternoon. Just ahead, he could see you standing beside the truck, nervously speaking to someone. Alarm bells went off in his head as he moved quickly, still holding his children, with Arya clutching at the fabric of his shirt to keep up with him.

“Excuse me!” Rhett called out, trying to keep his tone steady, so as not to frighten his little ones. The stranger’s head snapped up, and his eyes narrowed at Rhett’s presence.

At your husband’s arrival, you began to visibly relax, though you still remained on edge. When Rhett got to you, he was quick to hand Leia to your waiting arms, while he set Max down at your side.

“Do you need somethin’?” He asked as he stepped in front of you, effectively shielding you and his children from the other wolf.

“It’s all the same with you wolfpacks, isn’t it? Selfish fuckin’ pricks, turning away people in need.”

Rhett spoke over his shoulder at you. “Get in the truck,” came his command, and you immediately moved to coax the kids into the vehicle, soothing Arya when she expressed concern over what was about to happen. She was very observant, and she could sense that her father was preparing for a potential altercation.

As he turned back toward the stranger, Rhett’s eyes narrowed. “You’re with Kane, aren’t you?”

“And what if I am?”

That’s when Rhett growled low in his throat, eyes flashing crimson. “I don’t know what you’re tryin’ to pull, but you need to stay the fuck away from my family, and from my pack. I catch you botherin’ my wife and pups again? I’ll fuckin’ kill you.”

Rhett Abbott did not make empty threats. And he did not resort to killing without cause. But if someone threatened the sanctity of his family, he would not hesitate to put them down. It was his duty to protect you and his pack. He did not take that duty lightly.

His threat seemed to be enough to scare this stranger off, and he stalked away. Rhett stood there, watching until he disappeared. He was on edge. An odd feeling in his gut told him that this wouldn’t be the last time he saw Kane, and those associated with him.

The ambush against The Montana Pack had happened only a few short weeks prior. Authorities still hadn’t caught those responsible for it. Rhett had a sinking feeling that his own pack was going to be the target of the next attack.

As soon as he was sure the danger had passed for the time being, he spun around on his heel and rushed to climb into the diver’s side, where he promptly turned the ignition over. You eyed him, reading his features. His jaw was hard-set, and his eyes had narrowed in that cat-like way they always did.

“Rhett?” You spoke his name cautiously.

“Daddy, who was that man?” Max asked from the backseat.

Rhett caught your eye for a moment before he focused on the road before him again. He was quiet for a moment, considering his response. “He’s someone who wants to hurt our pack,” he replied. “But I’m not gonna let him. Daddy’ll keep you safe, I promise.”

At his words, your heart sank. Rhett reached over the center console and placed his hand over your belly. You shook your head, because you knew what he was insinuating. “It’s them, isn’t it?” You whispered.

“We’ll talk about it at home,” he simply said. He didn’t want to upset the children.

The ride home was quiet. Rhett’s mind was going a mile a minute, the cogs turning as he came up with a plan of action. If an attack was going to be staged, the pack needed to be prepared. He would call a meeting to warn everyone.

And that was just what he did.

As soon as your children were deposited safely at home, with Amy keeping a watchful eye on them, Rhett arranged the meeting in the small conference building that had been built on the property a few months prior. It was nothing special, but it served its purpose as a designated meeting spot.

One member representing each family showed up for the meeting, all curious as to what their alpha had summoned them there for. The elders were also present, as they were required to be for such meetings.

You stood by Rhett’s side, your hand intertwined with his, trying to mask the fear you felt. But it was written all over your face.

“I brought all of you here because there’s somethin’ you need to know. ‘Course, we all remember the massacre that happened to The Montana Pack last month.”

A few murmurs passed through the crowd. Hums of sadness in remembrance of what had happened.

“They still haven’t found the wolves responsible for it, which means they’re still out there. I wish I could tell you that we’re all safe, but the truth is, we aren’t. I believe they’re gonna target us next.”

“How do you know this, Rhett?” Gwenevere spoke up.

He took a breath. You squeezed his hand. “Because I met them.”

This time, the murmur that went through the group was one of confusion and fear. The next to speak up was Malakai. “You spoke to them? And they told you they were coming after us?”

Rhett shook his head. “Last week, one of ‘em showed up in my yard, botherin’ my kids. Said his name was Kane. Some of you already know because I warned you that he was around your young’ns, too, because they were at my house that day. As soon as I talked to him I knew somethin’ was off. He gave me some bullshit story about his truck breakin’ down, and he wanted me to let his wife and pup stay at our house while he fixed it. I got the sense that he was lyin’ right through his teeth. I told him no. That pissed him off.”

He paused for a moment before he continued.

“Then, today, we were in town, and a different guy showed up, claimin’ he was a lone wolf, lookin’ for a pack to be part of. And we all know no self-respectin’ wolf is just gonna come in demanding to be accepted into a pack. That ain’t how it works. Come to find out, he’s with Kane. I believe that they’ve been staking us out and they’re planning to come after us. I don’t know how many of them there are, but we need to be ready.”

“If they attack…this could mean war,” Matthias remarked.

“I know,” Rhett grimly replied. “I don’t want to call it that, but for them to attack two packs in just a few short weeks…it means they won’t stop there. They’re just gon’ keep killing.”

“Alright, what’s the strategy we’re going to follow if they do attack us?” Malakai inquired.

Rhett’s face was serious, his mouth etched into a frown. “First, we get all the pups to safety. If you can get ‘em here to this building without putting them at risk, do that. If you can’t, hide them in your basements, or whatever spot in your house is safest. Those of us strong enough to fight will be ready to intercept these wolves. I want a handful of you stationed in the woods, keeping an eye out. I’m not lettin’ them destroy our way of life. We won’t go down without a fight.”

Everyone was in agreement that they were not going to let these wolves take what was rightfully theirs. They would band together and defend their home and their loved ones.

After that meeting was adjourned, everyone was on high alert, prepared for the worst. Ready to fight for their lives if need be.

You were frightened. Not for yourself, but for your children. This was a real threat, and the mama wolf in you was prepared to do anything to protect your pups. But the thing was, Rhett didn’t want you involved in the battle.

“If they come, I want you to stay with the pups,” he said, as you walked home that afternoon after the meeting. “Don’t want you out there fightin’.”

“But I have just as much a right to be out there defending our pack as anyone else,” you replied. “I don’t want to stand on the sidelines.”

Rhett stopped, turning to face you. “Listen to me. I know you’re capable of holdin’ your own in a fight. I don’t doubt it. But I can’t lose you.” His hand came to rest protectively over your abdomen. “I can’t lose either of you. I almost lost you and Arya seven years ago. I’m not goin’ through again, you hear me?”

You went quiet, nodding at his words. Those memories were vivid. The day the Tillersons had abducted you. You’d pleaded with them to let you go. You’d tried to reason with them by informing them you were pregnant, hoping Patricia would ease up on her cruelty. But she’d accused you of lying, claiming you were just trying to make her feel sorry for you.

Reminders of that moment in time we’re difficult to process. But now, it helped you better understand why Rhett didn’t want you involved in the conflict.

“Okay,” you whispered. “I’ll stay with the pups. But Rhett…you watch yourself out there, alright? As much as you can’t lose me, I can’t lose you, either.”

He reached a big gentle hand up to cup your cheek. “You won’t lose me.”

Don’t make promises you can’t keep.

His lips found yours in a gentle but impassioned kiss, and then he led you back to the house, where Amy was occupied with entertaining the children. You were so thankful for her and her willingness to help with the littles. She was your saving grace in time of crisis.

You were much too exhausted to prepare a balanced dinner that night, and you didn’t want to put any more responsibility on Amy, so chicken nuggets and stovetop mac and cheese were the meal.

Wanting to keep some semblance of normal, so as not to alarm the children, you ate together as a family. Rhett held your hand beneath the table, his thumb rubbing comforting circles on your wrist. It did little to quell the anxiety bubbling within you.

That night, you put the kids to bed early. Rhett kissed them all goodnight, and once they were tucked in, he left you with a lingering kiss and informed you he was going out to check on the wolves stationed on watch that night.

You curled up on the couch beneath a blanket because you didn’t want to sleep in your big, empty bed without your mate, and because you wanted to be ready if things should go haywire.

But that night was quiet. Nothing out of the ordinary took place, and early in the morning, just before sunrise, Rhett returned home.

His presence jolted you awake, and as you sat up, you noticed that there was snow in his hair, and on his coat. When you sleepily glanced out the window, you realized it was snowing heavily again. It looked like another storm was rolling in.

“What happened?” You quietly asked as he shrugged out of his coat.

He shook his head. “Nothin’. It was quiet out there all night. No sign of anyone.”

“Do you think maybe they’ll just leave us alone?” You continued, as you sauntered toward him, where he was unlacing his boots.

He sighed, and when he looked at you, his brow was furrowed in a frown. “I don’t think so. I just have a gut feelin’ that they’re gonna come for us.”

It was your turn to sigh, and you stepped forward, reaching up to wrap your arms around his neck. “Well, let’s get you warmed up in the meantime. And put some food in ya. You aren’t going to be any good in a fight if you’re starving and half-frozen.”

You then took his hand and led him to the kitchen, where you had him sit at the table while you set about preparing a pot of coffee, and making him some oatmeal, something that would stick to his ribs and warm him up.

Ten minutes later he was tucking into his breakfast and sipping on a cup of black coffee, while you sat beside him at the table. You moved so that your legs were resting in his lap. He placed his free hand lovingly over your knee.

“Want you to know I’ll do everythin’ I can to protect you and the pups. I pledged myself to this pack, but you come first. Always.”

“I know,” you whispered as you leaned in to kiss his cheek, which was flushed from the cold. He turned his head to catch your lips with his own.

“I love you, little wolf.”

“I love you too.”

Little did either of you know that that morning would be your last morning of peace for a long time.

As your children woke up one by one, they happily clambered into the kitchen to greet the two of you. Leia climbed into Rhett’s lap, her favorite blanket clutched in her little hand as she snuggled into his chest. Arya took her opportunity to occupy his knee, crowding his lap and giggling as he teased her that she was going to squish her little sister.

You went to wake little Zoella from her slumber, and soon, the kitchen was filled with the chatters of children and the smell of breakfast cooking and extra coffee brewing. And for a short time, everything felt normal.

Until a frantic knocking on the front door sucked the joyful spirit out of the air. Immediately, Rhett’s eyes locked with yours, and you were struck with fear. Quickly, he stood from his seat, carefully depositing Leia into the chair before he made his way to the door.

He hurriedly shoved his feet into his boots before he wrenched the door open, revealing a frantic Gideon standing on the doorstep. He was another member of your pack, one of the younger ones.

“They caught someone trespassing in the woods!”

Rhett tensed, and glanced over Gideon’s shoulder, where he could see Malakai, and a few others, dragging none other than Kane Masters through the snow. In an instant, Rhett turned to you. “Take the pups up to our room and hide them in the bathroom,” he simply said. Then he kissed you, and left you standing there in the entryway as he dashed outside to meet the group.

You stood there, frozen, watching him go. And then, as if something had struck you into action, you whirled around to hurry back to the kitchen. “What’s going on?” Amy asked, where she stood in the middle of the kitchen, a stack of breakfast plates in hand, ready to be washed.

“We need to get the kids upstairs. Now. We’re in danger.”

Her large blue eyes widened all the more, and she set the plates down on the counter without a moment of hesitation, already moving to grab Zoella from her highchair. “Come on, we’re going up to Mama and Daddy’s room!” You announced, trying your best to keep your voice calm.

“What’s wrong, Mama?” Arya asked.

“We just need to get upstairs, I’ll explain up there.” You guided her, Max, and Leia toward the steps, urging them to go quickie. Leia began to cry. So did Zoella. They knew something was wrong. Especially when you herded them into the bathroom.

“Mama! Mama! Why are we hiding?!” Max cried, his little face full of fear.

“Listen to me, babies,” you spoke in your best calm voice. “Daddy wants us to stay in here for a little bit, alright? We can pretend it’s a game of hide and seek. But this time, we’re hiding from some other wolves who want to hurt us. But I won’t let that happen, alright? You’re safe in here, with me and Amy.”

As you got the children settled, you finally looked at your aforementioned niece. “Stay in here with them, and lock the door. I’m going to go get some blankets and things to keep them occupied.”

“Okay,” she replied, her face etched with fright. She was nearly nineteen years old, but in that moment, she looked as if she was nine again, nothing more than a scared little girl.

You reached out, wrapping her up in a hug. “We’re gonna be okay, Ames.”

Then, you slipped out of the room to gather the supplies you would need. Blankets, coloring books, snacks, your laptop so that you could put on a movie for them to act as a distraction.

But out of the corner of your eye, you could see movement out the front window of the house. Your attention shifted to what was taking place outside, as the snow drifted about and the wind began to howl.

You could see Rhett standing not far from the front of the house, speaking to the same man who’d shown up on your property days before. It gave you pause, and you inched closer to the window, tuning in to your supernatural hearing abilities to figure out what they were saying.

Out in the cold, Rhett was unwavering. He’d instructed the wolves holding Kane to release him, so that they could talk face to face. Everyone around them remained on edge. But Rhett didn’t not go on the defensive quite yet.

“What are you tryin’ to do here, Kane? Tryin’ to take my pack from me? Because that ain’t gonna happen.”

Kane scoffed. “You really think you’re so untouchable? Alphas are always so fuckin’ sure of themselves. We’re here to prove that they’re no better than the rest of us. That they’re not as indestructible as they think they are.”

“Who’s ‘we’?” Rhett asked, his glance shifting to the tree line. He could sense something in the air, even as snow and wind swirled around him.

“You know that pack in Montana?”

He knew where this was going. “I do. That was you, wasn’t it?”

Kane had the audacity to smile. “I wish I could take all the credit. I had help. Lots of help. And they’re gonna help me take down your pack one by one.”

“Like hell y’ are!” Rhett snarled, eyes flashing red.

“You don’t scare me, alpha!” Kane’s own eyes flashed, but in a surprising revelation, they were not yellow, or even red. They were ice blue.

Blue eyes in a wolf meant they had taken an innocent life.

At the sight of them, the group surrounding Kane was immediately on high alert. “You think you’re starting a fuckin’ revolution? You’re dead wrong. You can’t build it on the innocent lives you took!” Rhett exclaimed, his chest heaving.

“Oh yeah? Watch me. My revolution’s already started. So what if there are a few casualties along the way? As long as we eradicate the alpha order, that’s all that matters.”

“How the fuck do you plan to do that?”

“Like this.”

Kane lifted his head and howled. Seconds later, a line of wolves appeared along the tree line. This diversion distracted the pack members surrounding Rhett and Kane.

“Go,” Rhett commanded his wolves, and they took off toward the tree line. But the second they ran toward the danger, Kane was lunging.

It happened so fast. Quick as lightning. A dagger was unsheathed from its hiding place beneath his coat. Rhett saw it, enhanced reflexes kicking in as he dodged the blade. But it sliced into his flannel and grazed his ribs. Nothing serious. It would heal within a moment.

Meanwhile, as you stood watching from the window, you gasped, and out of instinct you lurched forward, yanking open the door and launching yourself down the porch steps. As soon as your slippered feet hit the snowy ground, you broke into a run, legs moving of their own volition. Somehow, you knew what was coming. It was a gut feeling, so strong it nearly brought you to your knees.

Time slowed. You couldn’t reach him fast enough.

Rhett was fine. Until, suddenly, an odd feeling began to wash over him. A sensation that sent a wave of sizzling warmth through his body. He tried to sidestep Kane’s next swing, but he grew unsteady on his feet, his senses suddenly dulled.

lt was too late. Kane drove that dagger forward and plunged it straight into Rhett’s abdomen.

Werewolves had the ability to heal from wounds. Depending on the severity of the injury, healing time could range from five minutes, to a few hours. It was common for werewolves to bounce back quickly from knife or even bullet wounds.

By all accounts, Rhett should have been fine. The dagger plunged into him should have had little effect on him.

But something was wrong.

In the diversion caused by Kane’s wolves surrounding the compound, he had been able to move swiftly. No one expected him to brandish a dagger, because wolves didn’t fight with weapons. Combat was fought in wolf form. Using weapons was simply playing dirty.

Malakai was the only one who remained close enough to hear Rhett’s pained growl. Immediately, he turned, acting on instinct as he broke into a run toward his alpha, ready to fulfill his duty to protect him, but it was too late.

In the split second that Kane was close to him, Rhett locked eyes with him, gasping sharply as his assailant drove the dagger even further into his body. “Let this be known as the fall of The Pack of Abbott.”

Rhett weakly reached up, trying to wrench Kane’s hand off of the dagger so that he could remove the weapon from his body, but he was shocked to find that his physical strength was beginning to fade. He looked down at his hand and saw that it was trembling. He couldn’t grasp anything.

As Rhett came to this terrible realization, Malakai snarled, and within seconds, he was lunging. Shifting into his wolf form, he leapt into the air, one-hundred-forty-five pounds of muscle and sinew and fur, and tackled Kane to the ground. It was as if Kane had been expecting this. He made no move to shift into his own wolf. No move to defend himself. It was like he wanted Malakai to kill him. Like he wanted to die for his cause, as his wolves wreaked havoc around him.

And then, a scream sliced through the air.

It came from you. Guttural and raw. A cry of your mate’s name. “Rhett!”

Something is wrong. Something is wrong. Something is wrong.

Gasping sharply, Rhett managed to wrap his weakened fingers around the handle of the dagger and ease the blade out of his abdomen, dropping the weapon to the frozen earth. It left a crimson stain in the pure white snow. Slowly, he turned to you. He was already beginning to sink to the ground.

“I-I told you to st-stay with the pups,” he gritted out, but you couldn’t hear him over the howl of the wind and the snarling of wolves all around you.

You reached him, holding your arms out to catch him before he fell. His hand was placed over his abdomen, where blood was beginning to seep through his fingers.

“Rhett! Hey, we need to get you inside!”

“I can’t…I can’t.”

“What are you talking about?! Yes you can, come on!”

But he was dead weight, and his knees hit the ground. “No!” You cried. Struggling, you managed to pull him upright. Your strength was enhanced because of your wolf abilities, but even so, he was heavy, and dragging him up to the house proved difficult.

And then, Malakai was by your side, back in his human form. He was drenched in blood. You were too preoccupied to glance just beyond him, where Kane lay dead in a pool of blood. In fact, you barely noticed the wolves fighting around you, barking and snarling, clawing and tearing.

All that mattered was Rhett.

“I’ve got him, let’s get him the house.” Malakai carried Rhett up to the house, with you trailing after him, hot on his heels. As soon as you were enclosed in the safety of your home, you pushed the door shut, locking it behind you.

“Where do you want me to take him?!” Malakai called over his shoulder.

“Up to our bedroom!” You replied.

You raced up the steps after him, and watched as he carefully laid Rhett on the bed. In just those few minutes it took to get him inside, he had gone white as a ghost. Your heart sank in your chest.

Something is wrong. Something is wrong. Something is wrong.

“I’m going to get Doctor Tenpenny,” Malakai spoke. “That blade must’ve been laced with something.”

“Be careful!” You called after him. You knew that a battle had begun.

Then, you rushed to Rhett’s side. “I’m here,” you assured him, lovingly squeezing his shoulder. “I’m right here, baby.”

His teeth were chattering, and his eyes were squeezed shut, a reaction from the pain he was in.

Your shaking hands moved to unbutton his torn flannel, carefully pulling the fabric aside so you could take a look at the damage. You gasped softly at the sight of the wound. It bled crimson, but there was a discoloration around it. That blade had definitely been laced.

His skin was cool to the touch, and it sent a pang of terror through you. Tuning your ears in to his heartbeat, you could hear that it had begun to slow.

“Oh, God,” you whimpered. “Don’t you dare die on me, Rhett! Hold on a little longer for the doctor to get here!”

At that moment, the bathroom door came open. Amy had heard the commotion, and she made sure the kids were settled before she moved to see what was happening.

“What’s going on?” She asked, as she closed the door behind her. She saw Rhett on the bed, and she gasped softly as she rushed to you. “What did they do to him?”

“Oh, Ames,” you cried, turning and immediately wrapping your arms around her as tears began to stream down your cheeks. “He stabbed him with a poisoned blade!”

Amy’s face paled. “Did you call for the doctor?”

“Malakai is getting her. But I…I don’t know if he can hold on that long.” You released her, moving to Rhett’s beside again. You reached for his hand, squeezing it tight.

He was so cold.

With your free hand, you reached up to brush his hair away from his forehead. His eyes fluttered open, only to fall shut again as he moaned softly in pain.

“Hurts,” he whispered, as if speaking any louder would cause him more physical pain.

“I know. I’m so sorry. Just hold on for me, okay?”

“What should I do with the kids?” Amy asked, uncertain.

“I don’t…I don’t know,” you replied. You didn’t want them to see him like this. But there was an ache in your chest, and an intense feeling of dread. He was slipping away, you could tell. Whatever poison had been on that dagger was going to kill him.

What if he was gone before the pack doctor arrived? What if the children didn’t get a chance to say goodbye? Your hand came up to cover your mouth as you muffled a broken sob. How quickly things had changed. One moment, your family was talking and laughing around the breakfast table, and the next, the love of your life was fighting to stay alive, as your children watched a movie in the bathroom, unaware that their father was in such dire straits.

“Just tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it,” Amy continued, reaching out to place her hand on your shoulder.

But you couldn’t. You bent forward, your face buried in your hands as you let out a wail of agony, fingers tugging at the roots of your hair. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be. Yet here you stood, in the middle of a cold, hard reality.

So you took a deep breath and squared your shoulders, hastily wiping your tears away. Your brief moment of emotional turmoil had passed, because you had no choice but to let it. You had little ones to be strong for. They needed you.

It was almost as if you shut off that scared, stricken part of yourself for that moment. Moving without hesitation, you grabbed the blaket that you kept at the end of the bed, pulling it over him, up to his shoulders, so that his wound wasn’t visible. Then, you turned on your heel, making a beeline for the bathroom, where you quietly opened the door and stepped inside.

There, you found your children huddled beneath a blanket, engrossed in the movie that was playing on your laptop. “Pups, I need you to listen to Mama for a minute,” you quietly spoke, reaching out to pause the movie.

Zoella, who’d been snuggled in Arya’s lap, immediately reached for you, whining softly. You soothed her, lifting the one-year-old into your arms before you knelt down in front of the remaining three, trying to choose your next words carefully. “Your daddy got hurt just now, and it’s made him very sick. I want all of you to see him, but you have to be very gentle, alright? We can’t jump on top of him on the bed, we can’t even climb into his lap. But I want you to come and see him for a minute.”

“Is it a big boo-boo or a little one?” Young Leia asked, her eyes wide with concern.

“It’s a big boo-boo,” you softly replied.

“Is the doctor gonna come and feel him better?” She continued to question.

Despite yourself, you managed to smile softly at her mixup of words, though your heart was breaking in two. “She’s going to try, baby,” you whispered. Then you rose to stand. “Now come on, I want you to follow me.”

You took a deep breath to steady yourself before you cautiously led your children out into the bedroom, where Amy had taken a seat on the edge of the bed. She was clutching Rhett’s hand.

You had the littles gather beside him. It was Arya who spoke first. “Daddy?” She whispered, her voice shaking.

Rhett’s head moved slightly toward her, and he managed to open his eyes. He tried to plaster a weak smile across his face, but he couldn’t. “Hey, little pup,” he murmured, though it took great labor to do so.

Arya began to cry, and she turned, burying her face against your belly. “Shh,” you soothed her.

Your eyes drifted to Rhett’s face, and you saw an anguish you’d never seen before. Seeing his family in pain, and inadvertently being the cause of that pain, was more than he could bear.

“Hey, let’s give Daddy a hug, alright?” You suggested, gently guiding Arya away from you and toward the bed.

She wrapped her arms around her father’s neck, resting her forehead against his. Her tears dripped down onto his face, but you could see that they weren’t all hers. They were mingling with his own tears.

“Are you going to be okay, Daddy?” Arya asked.

“I…I don’t know,” he honestly replied.

Immediately, she turned back to you, weeping all over again. Rhett squeezed his eyes shut, his bottom lip quivering. You noticed sweat on his brow. His skin had somehow grown paler.

But you wanted each child to get a chance to hug him, so you pushed your fear aside and encouraged Max to give him a hug, and then little Leia. Finally, you leaned down with Zoella in your arms and said “give Daddy a kiss, Zozo,” and she happily kissed him on the cheek, because she’d always loved giving kisses, even when she was a small baby.

There, in those fleeting moments, Rhett was surrounded by those he cherished most. And he knew, that if he was going to succumb to his injury, he would go peacefully, knowing that he was loved.

But that peace was soon interrupted by the sound of Malakai returning with Doctor Tenpenny. The tender moment was forgotten as the pair came rushing up the stairs in a hurry. The abruptness of it all sent the children into a bit of a frenzy. Zoella and Leia began to cry. Max and Arya huddled close to you, frightened.

In a split second, you had to decide what to do. Their panic was only going to worsen the situation, and possibly put Rhett into distress. Thinking fast, you quickly guided them to the stairs, waving Amy over as you did.

“Look at me,” you spoke to the young woman, and she lifted her fearful blue eyes to yours.

“Let’s get them downstairs, it’s better if they’re safely out of the way. Are you okay to stay with them in Arya’s room? Or do you think you want me to stay with you?” You could see how upset she was. You didn’t want to overwhelm her.

“No, I-I can handle it. I’ll keep them safe inside and I’ll put the dresser in front of the door, just in case anyone tries to come in.”

You reached out to squeeze her hand. “Okay. Let’s go.”

Together, you guided the children downstairs, where you led them safely to Arya’s room. As soon as you had them all settled on the bed, you knelt to speak to them. “I need you to be brave for me, okay? I know you’re scared. It’s okay to be scared. But right now, I need to go upstairs and be with Daddy. Stay with Amy, she’ll keep you safe. Alright?”

“Mama, don’t leave,” Arya whimpered.

You took her sweet face in your hands. “I’m not leaving. I’ll just be right upstairs. Be my brave girl, okay?”

“O-okay,” she whispered in reply.

You kissed the top of each of their heads before you finally slipped away, rushing to pull the door shut behind you before you dashed back upstairs.

There, you found Rose Tenpenny hovering over Rhett, carefully examining his wound. Malakai had left as quickly as he’d come, because he had to get back outside to defend the pack. That left just you and the doctor in the room.

Quietly, you moved to stand at Rose’s side, and she paused to glance up at you. Her expression was grim, and it made your heart sink like a stone in your chest. “He’s in a bad way,” she told you. “Just from the way the wound looks, I can tell that dagger was laced with wolfsbane.”

A gasp tore from your throat, and your hand came up to cover your mouth in shock. “Oh my god,” you whispered.

Wolfsbane was poison to wolves. Poison of the deadliest kind. Surviving its effects was unheard of.

“It’s already in his bloodstream. It doesn’t take long for it to set in,” she explained.

You held back a sob, the hand over your mouth lowering to rest against your belly, where your unborn pup lay. You had only one thought. “He’s going to die, isn’t he?”

The doctor’s mouth pressed into a thin line. Her eyes, deep brown and ever sympathetic, filled with tears. She could not sugarcoat her diagnosis.

“I can give him some ancient herbal medicines that will help slow its effects, and ease his pain. But I’m afraid that all I can do right now is make him comfortable. I’m sorry.”

Your tearful eyes flickered to Rhett’s sickly form. His eyes were closed. His breathing was shallow. He was getting worse by the minute, and your world was falling apart. Your shoulders shook as another set of sobs wracked your body, painful and deep.

You were losing him. And there was nothing you could do to stop it.

To be continued…

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