Subordi-Mate

skip and his skin tingle, and most nights, Daniel curled up in his own bed, wondering what it would be like to give in, and go to Heath. He wondered what it would feel like, waking up next to Heath every day. Allowing himself to tangle with Heath, skin on bare skin.
His heart yearned for it.
“At some point, when you stop worrying, I want to make you come,” Heath murmured, stroking down Daniel’s side to his hip. “I want you to smell like me. I want you to scream my name.”
Daniel’s pulse throbbed between his legs. He glanced at the closed pantry door, half-expecting one of the staff to walk in on them.
Heath grinned. “I told them I was having a short meeting with you.”
Daniel’s face burned. “They’re going to wonder why you haven’t marked me yet.”
“You decided that part, so you tell them.” Heath smirked. “You know I’m always ready to mark you. Anywhere you want, however deep and hard you want.”
His hole squeezing, Daniel groaned, turning away. Musk coiled from his skin. Heath sniffed at it, enveloping Daniel in a warm hug.
“I’m so much older than you,” Daniel said.
“Do I look like I care?”
No, Heath didn’t. Heath tugged Daniel’s shirt out of his pants, then slipped his hand under it, pressing his palm against Daniel’s belly.
“You’re carrying my baby,” Heath murmured. “And you kick ass at presentations—did you know? You did one this morning, and I just about pinned you down against the conference table.”
Daniel’s face scorched. “There were people around!”
“And I’d have fucked you right on the spot,” Heath whispered. “So everyone will know you’re mine.”
That made Daniel’s heart stop. He wanted Heath, gods knew he did. And Heath knelt at Daniel’s feet, pressing his face to Daniel’s belly.
“Hi,” Heath said, his stubble scraping against Daniel’s skin. “I’m your other dad. Help me convince your dad that we’ll work out. But maybe don’t make him puke so much, or he’ll hate me forever.”
Then he pulled away from Daniel’s belly, frowning. “You aren’t going to hate me if I accidentally jinx you, right? About the puking.”
Daniel couldn’t fight down his smile. “I might. Who wants to puke nonstop?”
“Not me.” Heath grinned, nuzzling Daniel’s belly. “Mind if I sing the baby a song?”
Daniel hesitated. “I’m not sure any of your songs are innocent enough for a child.”
“I’ve been writing one in my head,” Heath said. “A new one.”
“You have?” Daniel stared.
The Phantom Growls’ songs were mostly about sex, sometimes love. Nothing that Daniel particularly wanted to share with a baby.
After months of pounding beats at the Wine Shack... It was difficult to even imagine something pure and innocent coming from Heath’s lips.
But Heath began to sing.
“Tiny cows and fluffy bears,
We’re building a nursery, it’s all there.
So come on, baby, daddy’s waiting.
We’ll sing you a lullaby, every morning.”
Daniel gaped. It sounded... weird. But good. “I can’t... believe you wrote a song. A fluffy one. For our baby.”
Heath beamed. “You like?”
“I’ll have to get used to it,” Daniel said, still trying to wrap his mind around Heath singing a children’s song. Heath looking forward to their baby, Heath thinking about their child so fondly.
It wasn’t anything Daniel had expected of him. When he’d first caught sight of Heath, Daniel had seen a leather-wearing alpha at a bar, thrusting his hips along to his music. That had been the alpha Daniel had wanted in his bed.
But over the last two months, Heath had been leaving little gifts on Daniel’s desk. He’d been bringing Daniel food, touching him, nuzzling him.
Heath hadn’t once minded that Daniel was older. He’d hugged Daniel in front of his staff, too.
Heath was... loving and generous and kind, and Daniel hadn’t realized how much he looked forward to seeing Heath every day.
And the idea of not having Heath in his life... That scared him.
I can’t be in love with him. What if he hurts me?
Heath looked up at him. “You want to hear the other verses?”
“Are you going to sing them with your band?” Daniel asked playfully.
Heath blushed. “I didn’t tell them I wrote this. You won’t tell, either, will you?”
“I guess not.” Daniel smiled, his heart thudding when Heath stood and leaned in close, his smile warm, his arms circling around Daniel’s body.
“I really like you,” Heath whispered, pressing their foreheads together. “Probably more than I should.”
Daniel swallowed hard. He wanted to say the same in return, but he was afraid to.
So he eased out of Heath’s embrace, feeling guilty. He should tell Heath what he really felt. It would make Heath smile.
Daniel inched toward the pantry door, his skin tingling when Heath’s gaze raked down his body. He wanted to step closer. He wanted to say, I love you.
But it was dangerous, so he didn’t.
“I’ll see you around,” Daniel said, wishing he were a braver person.
“See you,” Heath said, his gaze never once leaving Daniel.
Daniel gulped, hurrying away.

6
Daniel
“Are you not... bonding with Heath?” Tessa, one of the older omegas in the marketing department, asked. She looked at Daniel’s unmarked scent glands, and back at his eyes.
Daniel flushed. “I just... I feel that it should be an important occasion,” he said. “Bonding marks shouldn’t be taken lightly.”
And Tessa glanced at the bump of his belly.
At forty, Daniel was fully aware that the pregnancy carried risks for both him and the baby. Heath didn’t need to commit, not when Daniel didn’t even know how this pregnancy would turn out.
But to the rest of the staff... it probably seemed odd. Daniel squirmed.
Heath stepped up to them, touching Daniel’s waist. “Is something the matter?” Heath rumbled, pulling Daniel against himself.
Tessa clucked. “You should be marking him, boy,” she said, wagging her finger at Heath. “Don’t string him along.”
She returned to her desk, leaving Heath and Daniel staring after her.
Heath cleared his throat. Then he tugged Daniel to the elevator, hitting the button for the ground floor. It wasn’t until the doors shut and the elevator began to sweep them downward, that Heath spoke.
“Did that bother you?” he asked, frowning.
Daniel shrugged