Cravings (²⁄₂)
Rating: E
21K words
Omega Verse │Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics │Angst with a Happy Ending │Fluff │Scenting │Knotting │ Creampie │ Marathon Sex │ Dominant Shadow the Hedgehog │ Submissive Amy Rose │ I mean “dominant” and “submissive” strictly in terms of sex │ Shadow is a simp. We all know who holds the real power here │ Wingman Rouge the Bat │ Heats │ Hair-pulling │technically they have quills and not hair but it’s the same concept
Shadow doesn’t know what’s wrong with his body or why his senses are so heightened. On top of that, being around Amy Rose makes things…complicated.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Trigger warning: brief, non-violent sexual harassment.
—
Two days later, Shadow dragged himself out of the house. Until then, he’d only left his room to shower and eat, purposely avoiding Rouge. He didn’t relish the idea of explaining what happened, and he definitely didn’t want to snap at her again, which was a distinct possibility with the anger—both from his biology and his current self-loathing—still poisoning his mood. He tried running in the woods, but it didn’t help, so he was skating pointlessly around town now, his bitter scowl and excessive speed drawing stares from the humans around him.
He finally skidded to a stop outside the specialty store in town that sold baking supplies. He’d gotten gifts for Amy here before, the latest being a shovel-shaped utensil with a slider for neatly pushing cupcake batter into baking cups. She’d excitedly invited him over when she tried it for the first time. She tried to teach him how to make cupcakes in the process, but she was so cute and ecstatic over it that he forgot to pay attention. He remembered making some dumb baking joke about how she was sweeter than the cupcakes. She said it was cheesy, but it still earned him a kiss anyway. His smile at the memory faded when he remembered how badly he’d screwed up.
It’s bad enough that I was built wrong, but I’m a coward, too, and that’s even worse.
Shadow shook his head and entered the store, determined to find a gift to make it up to her, only to walk back out empty-handed when he remembered she wanted space. He was half-considering walking back in and getting one anyway for her next birthday, but it wasn’t for another seven months. He paced outside, restlessness and irritation setting in.
His frustrating thoughts stopped in their tracks when something horribly sour invaded Shadow’s nostrils, like expired milk. He reflexively whipped his hands up to cover his nose and mouth, and his face twisted in disgust. It smelled not just bad, but wrong. He looked around him, but no one else seemed to notice anything.
With a nose like his, Shadow did anything he could to avoid bad smells. He couldn’t even get too close to an old banana peel without getting a headache. This time, though, something in his gut demanded that he follow this one and fix it. His feet went on autopilot, propelling him toward the source faster than he’d ever pursued anything in his life. His heart pounded with adrenaline, and he tried not to retch.
The smell was worst around an alleyway between a building and a parking garage. Even before he got there, he heard a familiar voice.
“BACK OFF, CREEP! I SAID NO!” Amy’s strained, defiant tone met his ears, and his hackles rose.
Fear. That’s what this scent is.
Shadow heard a snide, unfamiliar voice. “Aww, that’s no fun. You won’t even give me a chance?” An obnoxious cackle rang out.
Shadow finally reached the mouth of the alleyway. What he saw left him disgusted and enraged.
An unusually large hyena was looming over Amy. His face bore an unsettling smile. Amy was glaring back, hammer in hand. She’d clearly tried to strike him, but he was holding onto the head of the hammer, apparently having blocked the attack. He yanked the weapon from her hands and tossed it aside with a clatter. Amy didn’t give up. She lashed out with a powerful punch, but the hyena was just too big. He caught her fist and held it there. Even with Amy’s considerable strength, he slowly pushed it back. Amy’s glare turned to a grimace, and she grunted with the effort.
With that, Shadow’s frustrations finally had a target. He dashed into the fray. The hyena noticed just in time to scramble backwards against the other wall of the alleyway, holding his hands up defensively. Shadow halted between the two of them. His spines stood on end, making him look considerably larger and more frightening than he typically did. His voice lowered by an octave and gained a gravelly, merciless tone. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t tear you to shreds.”
Upon seeing Shadow’s glowing red eyes and look of cold fury, the hyena wilted. His cackle was high-pitched and nervous. “Hey, I don’t want no trouble, guy! You can’t blame me, can you? I didn’t know she had a mate, and—”
“Wrong answer.”
The hyena barely had time to whine before Shadow leapt into the air and delivered a brutal, devastating kick to his face. He flew twenty feet away to smash against the back wall of the alley with a yelp of pain. He landed amongst a group of trash cans. He struggled to lift his upper body, groaning and holding his head in dizziness and agony.
“Stay. The fuck. Away from her.” At Shadow’s ruthless tone, the hyena cried out and scampered away behind the building, petrified.
Shadow watched him go for a moment. Once he was gone, the sour, alarming stench dissipated.
“Shadow?”
Amy’s soft, breathless voice calmed him immediately. He turned to see her, shaking and hunched against the wall, and his spines dropped instantly.
“Amy!” He rushed over to her and hurriedly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and gently squeezing her body protectively. She whined and grasped at his shoulders, then relaxed in his hold and rested her face against his shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I know you wanted space, but I just smel—I mean, I knew something was wrong, and I couldn’t just—”
“Shh, shhhh...it’s okay. It’s alright. I’m glad you’re here.”
The tension left Shadow’s muscles. He pulled his head away and reached up to carefully hold her face in his hands. “Are you alright? Are you hurt? He didn’t...lay a hand on you, did he?”
“No! I’m alright, really!” She smiled as best she could, and he sighed in relief. “He touched my shoulder. Once. Barely. That’s all.”
Shadow’s nose twitched, and he picked up an unpleasant odor on her right shoulder. A low growl rumbled in his throat. He instinctively leaned in to rub his face affectionately against her shoulder, then kept moving across her skin and nuzzled into the juncture between her neck and shoulder. The feeling made her whimper and fall limp in his arms. Shadow wasn’t sure what his instincts were up to or why she was submitting the way she was, but if it was relaxing for her and made her feel good, he was willing to do it. He pressed her back against the wall and moved to the other side.
Amy panted softly and grasped at the spines on his back. “Sh-shadow...if you keep doing that...”
Her shaky voice spurred him on. He rubbed his cheek against her, paying special attention to her neck. She started letting out quiet squeaks of enjoyment, and they became more high-pitched as he went. He could smell arousal on her, both his and hers. She shuddered in his arms. A tiny voice in his head suggested that maybe this was a strange thing to do in public, but his all-consuming instincts drowned it out easily, and he kept going. He moved higher to slowly rub against the side of her face, and his left hand moved up to cup her cheek and stroke it in comforting circles. “You don’t have to worry. Just let me take care of you.”
An extremely loud gasp echoed in his ears, and Amy’s fingers dug into his back. Her scent ramped up, becoming exponentially stronger and more appealing than it usually was. The strength of it nearly knocked him over, forcing him to backpedal a few steps and leaving him dizzy. His eyes shot wide open in bewilderment.
Amy stared back at him, eyes wild. Her pupils were dilated so wide that Shadow could barely make out her irises. She held a hand up to her forehead and tried to get her breathing under control.
“UH...UM—! I...I NEED...I NEED TO BE AT HOME!”
She sprinted out of the alleyway too fast for Shadow’s eyes to trace. The wind she whipped up swept him off of his feet, knocking him flat on his back. He groaned in pain.
Once more, he had no idea what was going on, but he couldn’t just let her go in such a panicked state without at least checking on her. He leapt back up and ran after her, concern and curiosity getting the best of him.
—
Shadow had been to Amy’s house a hundred times, but he stalled out on her doorstep. I hope this is what I should be doing. She was panicking, and she would have told me if she didn’t want me here, right? It’s obvious something’s wrong, and she was glad I showed up last time something was wrong, but...
Shadow’s hands clenched and unclenched in agitation. He took a deep breath and stepped forward to knock on her door, only to flinch when he noticed it was open. It was only by an inch, but it was definitely open. He cursed and awkwardly knocked on the open door anyway. When he was met with silence, he knocked harder. Again, no one answered. He shifted restlessly from one foot to the other, hesitating, then cursed under his breath and called through the crack in the door. “Amy?” More silence. He groaned a little in impatience and worry. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, louder this time. “AMY, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”
This time, an answer came in the sound of a soft cry. It sounded...pained?
Shadow’s heart raced from anxiety. His hand shook, then came to rest on the doorknob. She doesn’t sound okay, and she’s so thrown off that she didn’t even fully close the door on the way in. What if she needs help? He stared down at his hand. It gripped the doorknob so tightly that it hurt.
He took a deep breath and opened the door. I can’t just not check on her. And if she doesn’t want me here, I’ll leave.
Shadow was immediately hit with her scent, stronger than ever, enticing and irresistible. His blood throbbed hot in his veins, and his fur stood on end. Locking the door behind him, he gritted his teeth and tried not to breathe through his nose.
Even from a distance, Shadow could hear her labored breathing. He took the stairs two at a time, muscles trembling as he followed the sound. “Amy! Amy, are you okay?”
He dashed around the corner into her bedroom, only for the overwhelming atmosphere to immediately stop him in his tracks, making him gasp. He panted, eyes wide and frenzied at the sight in front of him.
Amy was lying down on her side, shaking like a leaf. She’d torn off her shirt, but her bra was still hanging off one shoulder. She’d pulled down the shorts she was wearing just far enough to reach one hand inside of them. He could see the motions of her hand and just barely make out the quiet, slick sounds it made, barely audible under the desperate groans escaping her lips. Her brow was furrowed, and she sounded like she was caught between pleasure and frustration. A hot flush stained her cheeks. Her mouth hung open, but her eyes were shut in concentration. He heard her breath hitch and saw her nose twitch. Her eyes fluttered halfway open, then dragged their way up his body and settled on his face. She frowned in apparent confusion. “Shadow?”
Shadow bit his lip harshly and grasped at his chest, unable to look away. He panted and struggled to speak. “You ran...I...worried...I—!”
His voice cracked as she stood up, swiftly closed the distance between them, and latched her arms around his neck, eyes a mix of desire and misery. “Shadow, please! Why’d you follow me back if you won’t do anything with me?!”
He pressed his hands against the wall behind him and scrabbled at it uselessly, doing everything he could to avoid touching her, fearing he’d lose control if he did. He gasped harshly when she pressed her body up against his. “You sounded like you needed help, and I care about you—”
Her fingers tightened, and her face pinched. “Are you going to have sex with me or not?”
He swallowed with difficulty, and his fingers grasped at nothing. He opened his mouth, but he was paralyzed.
Her lip quivered. “Shadow...you’re driving me crazy. You act like you want to—you saved me, you set me off, you came here...and now...nothing?” Her glassy eyes watered at his extended silence. “Shadow, you can’t have it both ways! You can’t just hang around and watch while I go through this. I want you to stay, but if you won’t do it with me, then you have to leave. I can’t take it anymore!”
Shadow’s legs shook from the stress of resisting. His teeth were clenched, eyes strained with want and indecision, and his overwhelmed senses were going haywire. He kept a tight rein on his instincts, but his body didn’t stand a chance. It was only a few seconds before he felt himself stiffen and press up against her. His eyes widened in a maelstrom of fear and arousal. If she looks down even once, it’s all over...
Amy buried her face in the juncture of his neck and shoulder and inhaled sharply through her nose. She let out a desperate whine and dug her fingers harshly into his back.
Shadow was sure most people would find it odd to be blatantly sniffed like that, but he felt nothing but primal satisfaction. A low growl built up in the back of his throat. It took all that he had not to latch onto Amy and do the same to her.
Shadow’s heart pounded. Sweat beaded on his forehead when Amy pressed herself closer. He could feel his cock growing hard and thick between their bodies. He trembled, holding back the need to rut against her soft, hot body for even the slightest bit of relief. No matter how much he yearned for her, though, he just barely managed to resist. It only fell apart when her voice met his ears.
“Shadow...please.”
He’d never heard Amy sound so small and pained. The knowledge that it was his fault left a stabbing pain in his heart. He squeezed his eyes shut. Then, his control snapped, and he swiftly pulled her close in a tight embrace.
She deserves the truth.
“I need to tell you something.”
Amy looked up at him, hope and hurt warring in her watery eyes. Her smell was a maelstrom of conflicted feelings. “Shadow?”
He opened his mouth and fumbled for the words he needed.
I’m malformed.
Something’s horribly wrong with me.
I’m unnatural. A freak.
I can’t have sex without hurting you.
He choked on every word. He took in a harsh breath and spoke through his clenched teeth.
“Just...look.”
She frowned, concerned. “At what?”
“Down there. My...” He shut his eyes, then gently pressed down on her shoulder to guide her to her knees. He held his breath. Cold fear spread out from his heart, making his whole body tremble as he awaited her judgment.
“Wow.”
Shadow cringed. “I know, it’s...”
Amy let out a short laugh. “Well, it’s pretty big, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. Is this really all you were worried about?”
Shadow’s face twisted in confusion. He barely cracked his eyes open. “Well—yeah, but that’s not—that’s obviously not the problem! You don’t have to pretend not to see it. It’s obvious there’s something wrong with me!”
She looked just as confused as he did. She glanced down at his dick, then looked back up. “What are you talking about? The only problem with your dick is that it’s not inside of me yet!”
Shadow’s mouth dropped open in disbelief, and he growled again. “Amy! Look! Right there! How can you not—” When she just side-eyed him, he pointed insistently at the base of his cock. “This! The giant swelling at the base! I don’t even want to think about how badly this could hurt you.”
His eyes were wild, but her expression remained baffled. “You mean your knot...?”
Shadow paused, and his eyes narrowed. “I’m not what?”
She tilted her head. “No, I mean...this knot. Right here.” She gestured to it. “Shadow, omegas are built to take these.”
Shadow’s mouth opened and closed again in bewilderment and disgust. “Why the hell would I fuck Omega? I’m not into robots, Amy. I only want you!”
Irritation spread across her face, and her inviting fragrance turned hostile. “Shadow, I’m in heat. It’s really not the time for jokes. If you don’t want to have sex, just say so!”
“I’m not joking, Amy! Of course I want—”
Shadow froze.
“You’re in WHAT?!”
Amy opened her mouth, but then she stopped in her tracks. “Hold on...” Her eyes gradually widened in pained realization, and she covered her mouth and gasped in sympathy.
“Oh...oh no, you don’t know, do you?”
Her voice was shocked at first, but it turned quiet and strained toward the end. Her aroma lost its acerbic quality and turned soft and sweet again. Some of the tension left Shadow’s body in response, and his shoulders dropped. Hesitant curiosity crept in to replace his irritation.
“What don’t I know? What’s wrong with me, Amy?”
She peered up at him from her kneeling position on the floor, sorrow in her eyes. She stood up and stared at him for a moment from a few inches away...and then allowed her head to drop. She leaned her forehead against his chest and faced downward.
“Shadow.” Amy sighed. “Shadow, you’re supposed to look like this. There’s nothing wrong with you, you’re just an alpha. You’re built differently than other Mobians. We both are.”
Confusion and curiosity battled in his head. “What does that mean? What’s an ‘alpha?’ Do you just mean, like...an alpha male...?”
She groaned loudly against his chest. “God, why now, of all times?! Why couldn’t you have told me this a few days ago?”
His worry made way for indignation. “Hey, I don’t even understand what’s going on! I just think—thought—I was deformed! Don’t get mad at me!”
Amy’s hands shot up to latch onto his shoulders, gripping him tightly enough to make him wince. She looked up with blazing eyes and flushed skin that shone with sweat. Most people shied away when Shadow glared at them, but not Amy. She fearlessly matched his annoyed scowl with barely-contained rage.
“Oh, I’m so sorry if I’m a little testy right now!” she snapped. “The guy I’ve wanted for years rubbed up against me in public until I went into heat like a goddamn animal, then followed me home just to stand around smelling like the strongest aphrodisiac on Earth...and I didn’t figure out why until right now, when I’m in no state to deal with it properly!”
Amy held a hand to her forehead as if she had a headache, and he could see the anguish and frustration in her face. As much as he disliked being snapped at, her obvious pain took precedence.
He took charge and pulled her close, only pausing to lock eyes with her for a second before pressing a firm, lingering kiss to her lips. He’d only meant to kiss her for a moment, but he melted further into it when they both sighed in contentment at the feeling. It occurred to him that she’d probably been missing this just as much as he had. Through the haze of lust, that fact tugged at his heart. He felt her urgently cling to him.
Before he could get carried away, Shadow pulled their lips apart. He gazed into her hazy, lust-filled eyes and muttered, “I don’t know what’s going on, but I hate to see you so miserable. How can I fix this?”
His concern and affection calmed her down, just as he’d hoped it would. She paused for a moment to think, then took a deep breath. “How about this—I’ll give you a crash course while I walk you through sex, and then I’ll explain everything once we’ve calmed down afterward. Is that alright?”
Shadow gulped at her blunt offer, then nodded enthusiastically. “Yes.”
His tone sounded more eager than he would’ve liked, but the relieved, slightly mischievous smirk on Amy’s face made it worthwhile. His heart softened.
There’s my favorite smile.
Before Shadow could dwell on Amy’s expression, she grabbed his wrist and yanked him to her bed. She pulled him onto it, and he willingly let her push him down onto his back so she could lie on top of him. He welcomed the warm weight of her body and pulled her close into a desperate, passionate kiss. She helped him take off her bra and toss it aside. With it off, Shadow pressed her naked body to his. She gasped and arched her back into him, and he groaned quietly at the feeling of her smooth curves. She shuddered in response, and another wave of her delicious scent hit him.
Shadow panted and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep himself under control. “You smell so fucking good right now...not that you...I mean, you always—!” He snapped his mouth shut, and his eyes went wide as he pulled away and looked up at her in panic. “Shit, that’s a weird thing to say...sorry, I...”
She let out a breathless laugh. “That’s not weird. I love the way you smell, too. I always do.”
Shadow sighed in a combination of relief and pride at her words. “Why?” he panted. “Why do you smell so good to me?”
“Genetic holdovers,” Amy forced out in a rush. “We have animalistic traits.” She grasped his cheeks and connected their lips once more. She panted when he slipped his tongue into her mouth, and she allowed his hands to wander down her body. His hands slid down her back to grasp lower. While they frantically worked together to slide her shorts off of her hips, she stuttered out, “I-it’s a mating thing. Helps us find who’s compatible.” She kicked the shorts off and pressed a brief but passionate kiss to his lips. “If an omega smells good to you, you’re a good match for, um—!” Her hasty explanation was cut off when he reached his hands farther down to hungrily squeeze her rear. Her breath caught in her throat. He felt his heart pound in his chest when her body shuddered on top of him.
“S-so that means we’re...I mean...we’d make...”
She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded furiously. “Yeah.”
Shadow’s hands shook at the knowledge. Desperate to feel her fur directly under his fingertips, he yanked off his gloves. He brushed his fingers farther down between her soft thighs to lightly touch the outside of her underwear, and his eyes widened.
I know this is supposed to happen, but...this much...?
He brought his hand to the front of her underwear and slipped the tips of his fingers underneath the waistband, then pulled his head back to lock eyes with her, waiting for her permission to go farther. In response, she lifted her body just enough to take hold of his hand and slide it down lower until it rested where they both wanted it.
He almost didn’t hear her sharp intake of breath. He barely noticed the way her hips snapped up to meet his hand, as he was preoccupied with just how wet she was. He automatically thrust himself against her thigh in response, but concern still tugged at his mind. Shadow may have been a virgin, but he was pretty sure this much was abnormal. His voice cracked as he asked, “How are you this wet already?! Is this alright? Are you okay?”
His fingers were instantly covered in the slick fluid. They easily slipped inside of her. At the feeling and the wet sound, Amy let out a sharp, pleasured cry. “You’ve—!” She paused and panted. “It’s—how else do you think I’m supposed to fit a knot inside of me?!” Unperturbed by her demanding tone, Shadow curled his fingers inside her experimentally. His heart throbbed in satisfaction when she writhed and grasped at him. “FUCK...it’s your fault I’m like this right now anyway!”
Shadow glowed with pride. He pushed his fingers deeper, making her moan. “So why do I have a knot anyway? Isn’t that a dog thing?”
Amy shivered. She reached up and grasped his chest fur to ground herself while she answered. “U-used to be all animals. Filtered out of the gene pool for Mobians around the time we split off from wild animals, b-but a few wild canine species held onto it—and a few individual Mo—shit!”
Shadow winced as her grip on his fur tightened, but he smirked at the power he held. He rubbed his fingers over the same spot and enjoyed the view as she came undone, covered in sweat and leaking slick from his ministrations. Her quivering muscles and desperate cries of pleasure stopped her explanation in its tracks.
As much as Shadow loved watching her squirm and writhe at his touches, he soon grew impatient. Remembering what she’d enjoyed a few days ago, he tangled his fingers into her quills with his free hand and yanked her head to the side, making her cry out in surprise. He nuzzled into her neck the same way he had before and was rewarded with a breathy sigh. It was interrupted by a sharp cry of pleasure when he pressed his fingers a little more firmly inside of her.
Amy’s back arched. “Don’t stop! Keep doing that!”
Encouraged, Shadow sped up his movements, only for her to whip her head back and respond with a growl.
“Don’t go faster,” she snapped in desperation. “I said keep it the same!”
Shadow’s eyes widened. His cock twitched at her needy demand, and he complied. She reverted back to a whimpering, quivering mess immediately. Her head fell against his shoulder again, and he rubbed against her neck once more.
He smirked and leaned up to whisper in her ear. “You really like this, don’t you?”
“Sh-shut u—ah!”
Her denial was cut off by a breathy gasp. She thrust her hips against him and cried out hoarsely as his fingers sank deeper. Her hips rutted against him a few more times, then stilled, and he felt her walls pulse around his fingers. She cried out in pleasure, then fell limp on top of him, panting and shivering from overstimulation.
Shadow licked his lips. “That didn’t take long.” He tried to sound smug, but he was too aroused to manage it.
“Hmph.” Amy looked back up at him, eyes hazy. “I’m extra sensitive when I’m in heat. You’re on easy mode, mister,” she clarified, poking his nose.
Shadow pulled his fingers out, enjoying the way her eyes fluttered shut. He looked again at how wet they were, then shot her an arrogant look. “Yeah? You sure it’s not just me?”
She matched his look with a smirk of her own. “Just because I’m easy to get off doesn’t mean I’m easy to satisfy.”
Shadow growled. “I’ll take that as a challenge.”
Amy’s smirk gained an extra element of mischief that made his cock twitch. She wasted no time in shifting farther up his body to take his face in her hands, then connected their lips once more. He responded with such enthusiasm that she was hard-pressed to keep up. He felt more than heard her gasp against his lips, and her hips rolled forward against him. His hands gripped her hips tightly, holding onto her so he could thrust up against her. She let out a quiet moan against his lips, and he kept up his motions until she was shivering on top of him. Her back arched into him, and she threw her head back, allowing him access to her neck. He pressed heated, open-mouthed kisses to it, reveling in the way she shuddered and keened above him.
Eventually, she pulled away enough to shift farther up and whisper in his ear.
“Are you ready?”
An involuntary groan rumbled in the back of his throat. “God, yes.”
She giggled softly before sitting up to straddle his hips, and he bit his lip in arousal just from seeing her there. Her coy expression indicated she could tell exactly how much it affected him. She looked down at his dick. The hint of excitement and yearning in her eyes just from the sight of it—a far cry from the disgust he’d feared—warmed his heart.
He tried to stifle the small gasp that left his lips just from the image of her taking ahold of him and lifting herself into position. She shifted her hips to line herself up, and Shadow’s control nearly snapped when she slowly lowered herself, taking his cock inside of her. She tried—and failed—to stifle the choked cry that spilled from her lips at the sensation. The feeling of her hot, wet walls gripping him nearly pushed him over the edge, only amplified by the slick sound of their bodies uniting at last. Shadow bit his lip hard to try and distract himself from the pleasure. She lifted herself, then dropped back down again, taking him in deeper than before.
His breath caught in his throat. “Shit...I’m not going to last very long.”
He hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but she didn’t seem to mind. “I—don’t—care about stamina—as long as you fuck me. I can’t take it any longer!”
Shadow gulped audibly. He tried to focus on his breathing to keep himself in check. He gingerly rested his shaking hands on her hips and thrust upward, clumsily trying to match her rhythm. A gasp was ripped from her throat, ending in a shuddered exhale.
No amount of fantasizing about having sex with Amy could have prepared Shadow for the real thing. It wasn’t just about how it made him feel, it was about how much more he wanted from her. He loved feeling her shiver and shake on top of him, but he wanted to pin her down and feel her squirm in pleasure. He loved the soft whimpers that left her lips, but he wanted to be rough enough to make her scream at the feeling. The slick, intimate sensation of being inside her was overwhelming enough, but all he wanted was to go deeper, to penetrate her with every inch he had and feel the way she’d stretch to accommodate him and quiver in ecstasy.
He bit back a groan at his arousing thoughts. His hands dug into her hips, and he sped up the pace, catching her off guard. “I’m—shit, sorry, I can’t hold—!”
Amy’s half-lidded eyes shot open when she realized what he meant. “Oh! R-right, hah...something’s—! Something...weird happens next—ngh!” She panted, struggling to get the words out in her overwhelmed state. “I-if you come inside me, you’ll—you’ll swell up, and we’ll be stuck to—fuck!”
Her explanation was cut off by a pleasured shout when he thrust harder, feeling his cock throb inside her. Concern cut through the haze of lust in his head. “W-wait—won’t that hurt you?”
His breath caught in his throat when she started bouncing faster on top of his cock, squeezing her eyes shut as she shook her head furiously. “No. I’m built for that. It’ll feel...really good for both of us.” She whined, the sound barely audible past the slick sounds their bodies were creating. “Please!”
The very suggestion was enough to make Shadow’s cock throb. He hissed through his teeth as he pictured it, imagining how it would feel to push all the way in and release deep inside her, all the while holding her close as she writhed in pleasure from being filled. It was one of his biggest fetishes, and hearing her beg for it nearly sent him over the edge. Despite her reassurances, a shred of worry still hung on in the back of his mind. “A-are you sure?”
“Please, Shadow, don’t hold back,” she begged, her expression strained from desperation. “I know you’ve never done this before, but don’t be afraid, I promise I can handle it! Please, please come inside me!”
Amy pushed her hips down to meet his with more enthusiasm than before. Between her eager motions, the heat around him, the intoxicating aroma overloading his senses, and her urgent pleas, he didn’t stand a chance. He pistoned his hips faster and harder. The aggressive motions made his cock slip deeper inside her—all the way to the base. She writhed at the intense penetration and clenched around him in waves of heated pleasure, and the most arousing sound Shadow had ever heard met his ears as she came. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he would have been embarrassed at his loud moan if he’d had the presence of mind. He rolled his hips a few more times as he rode out his orgasm and pushed his dick as deep as he could, feeling a sensation of ecstasy emanate from their connection in waves as his dick swelled. It twitched and pulsed as his hot cum filled her, making her quiver and whimper on top of him from the feeling.
Shadow lied there for a moment, panting in blissful exhaustion. He kept his eyes shut as he came down from his high. His muscles shook as the last of his frenzied energy drained out of him, and he sighed in contentment. His ears perked up when a hoarse, tired giggle came from the hedgehog on top of him. He grunted and tried to sit up.
The giggle was interrupted by a pained yelp. Shadow’s eyes shot open, and he straightened up, drawing another pained noise from her. “Amy?! Amy, what’s—”
“STOP MOVING.”
Shadow froze and let out an involuntary whine. “What’s...I...”
She laughed tiredly again. “Just stay put, and it’ll be fine, I promise! We’re just knotted. This is supposed to happen.”
Shadow peeked underneath her, where he was still lodged deep inside her. He gulped and relaxed a little. “Right...so that’s what you meant by ‘stuck.’” He exhaled heavily. “Will this, uh...fix itself?”
Amy’s head dropped as she laughed again, and then she looked up, showing him an indulgent smile. “You’ll deflate after a couple minutes, and then we’ll be able to separate.” She ruffled the quills on top of his head affectionately.
Shadow leaned into the touch, and then his lips formed a thin line. After a moment, he spoke up. “This is...” Weird. Freaky. Unnatural. He didn’t want to say any of that, so he stayed quiet.
She smiled wryly. “It’s kind of a lot, I know.”
Shadow wanted to kiss her in apology, but he could tell even without trying that their current position made that impossible, so he settled for gently massaging her hips. “I was afraid to show you. I’ve never even heard of any of this.”
“Alphas and omegas used to be common!” Amy insisted. Her face fell a little. “That was a LONG time ago, though. Now we’re really rare. On top of that, there’s a lot of stigma.” She cringed. “It’s not the kind of thing you usually talk about, you know?”
Shadow let out a short, bitter laugh. “No kidding.” Her smile was sympathetic. “So how come you know about all this?”
Her arms started to shake from holding herself up, so she leaned back a little for balance. “The same way most omegas do. Heats are...kind of hard to ignore,” she admitted, smiling sheepishly.
“So...when you say ‘heats,’ you mean...”
He didn’t want to finish the sentence. She took pity on him and did so herself. “Yeah. Like mating season for animals.” She hid her face in her hands. “I got my first one when I was fifteen. I had to go through five different doctors before I found one who knew what I was talking about! Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to tell five strangers that you get all sweaty and horny and uncontrollable for a full week every month?!”
Shadow’s jaw dropped. “You go through this every month?! How the hell have I never noticed?”
“Pfft!” Amy let out a bark of laughter. “Oh, no. The doctor gives me birth control that limits it to once a year. I’d go nuts if this happened every month. It’s agonizing without a partner, and masturbation doesn’t help; it’s like trying to tickle yourself.”
Shadow cringed in empathy. “Something like that happens to me every November. I get really angry and aggressive, and nothing I do can fix it.”
“Alphas have ruts. It’s kind of similar.” Exasperation crossed her face. “And thanks to today, I guess my heats are gonna be in November now, too. They used to happen in December, but...”
An idea flashed in his mind, and he smirked teasingly. “Well, at least we match up now. If it’s really my fault, then I should take care of you, right? It’s the least I can—”
“AHHH! STOP SAYING THAT!” Amy covered her face again. “You’re so embarrassing!”
Shadow chuckled. “Why would I stop when it makes you act so cute? What’s the problem?”
Amy groaned and took away one of her hands. “Because alphas say that to omegas when they want to bond with them! It’s really serious!”
Shadow tilted his head, still confused. “You mean ‘bond,’ like we are now? As in, ‘stuck?’”
Amy looked away with an uncomfortable smile. “No, like...alphas and omegas, uh...we kind of...mate for life. It’s basically like asking someone to marry you! God, this explains everything!” she exclaimed, shaking her head.
Shadow’s eyes bugged out. “That is NOT what I meant! I meant that I like looking after you, like it makes me happy to feed you the food you need and protect you and give you gifts you like. I don’t want to marry you—” He cringed. “I mean...not now. Someday, I—not that I’m already thinking of—!” He groaned and hid his face behind his hand.
He could hear her laughing at him. “God, you really don’t know anything about this, do you?! Now you know how I’ve been feeling!”
He paused, then looked back up at her and smirked. “But you obviously don’t mind, do you? You always blush when I say it....” She stopped laughing, and his expression lit up. “Wasn’t that what set off your heat? I said that, and then...”
Amy flicked him on the forehead. “That’s not it! You were just...just...” She trailed off and looked away. “I mean, you’d just rescued me, and you were openly scenting me like that...”
Shadow had a feeling she was avoiding the question, but he had bigger concerns. His eyes narrowed. “So, ‘scenting’...what does that mean?”
Amy regained her composure and half-smiled shyly. “You know that thing you do where you rub up against me to make me smell like you?”
Shadow froze. “Wait...you know when I do that?”
Amy tried—and failed—to hold in a laugh. “I just thought you were really bold, always doing it so openly in front of Rouge. You really thought I didn’t notice—!” Her laughter overtook her.
He pouted. “It’s not like that! I just—you didn’t seem to mind, so...I don’t know!” He let his head fall back and growled in embarrassment.
She restrained the last of her giggles. “Don’t worry, Shadow, that’s a normal part of courtship. It feels good to me, too.”
“So you don’t think it’s creepy...?”
She shook her head with a reassuring smile. “No, I like smelling like you! It feels relaxing. And...” She bit her lip, expression turning coy. “When you get possessive like that, it kind of turns me on.”
Shadow’s cock twitched inside her, letting out one last weak pulse at her blunt admission. She jumped a bit and looked down, then giggled at his body’s honest reaction.
He cringed. “You’ll have to excuse my...lack of control.”
Amy cupped his cheek and smiled warmly down at him. “Shadow, I don’t mind that you’re inexperienced. I kind of figured that was why you were hesitating so much. I thought you were just shy.”
“Me? Shy? Hmph.”
She snorted in amusement.
He sighed afterward, then looked away. “It’s not just that. I never really bothered trying to build up stamina because I didn’t think I’d ever need it. Plus I don’t really like looking at myself down there, so—”
He trailed off when he saw Amy’s face. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears of sympathy. “Shadow? Can you lift your knees?”
He did so carefully, unsure of what she was getting at until she braced her hands against his chest and slowly lowered herself to lie down on top of him. “Amy...?”
She just remained there for a moment, face-down in his chest fur. She squeezed his torso tightly and muttered, “I hate that you’ve been alone all this time.” She lifted her head and met his gaze with a pained look. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“I—ngh!” He was interrupted by the odd, slightly uncomfortable sensation of his dick softening and falling out of her with a soft, wet pop. She gasped quietly, and he shook himself off, trying to focus past the feeling of his release flowing out of her. “Y-you’re kidding, right? I thought I was a mutant! I didn’t want you to know there was something wrong with me.”
Amy sighed and shut her eyes. Shadow caught a whiff of tanginess emanating from her, signaling the exasperation she was trying to stifle for his sake. She shifted her body on top of his to get more comfortable, then took his face in her hands. “Do you really think I would have cared?”
“But...I thought we’d never get to have sex. I didn’t want to hurt you. I thought—”
Amy pressed a lingering kiss to his lips, silencing him. His heart leapt as he avidly returned it, only for her to pull away all too soon. “Shadow, that doesn’t matter to me,” she said, softer than before. “I wouldn’t have cared. Even if I couldn’t have sex with you, we would have found a way around it.”
He held eye contact, gently stroking her back. “Really?”
She nodded without hesitation. “I don’t like you because of your dick. I like you because you’re you. Even if there were no such thing as alphas and omegas, I would still want to be with you just as you are now. Understand?”
Shadow gazed at her for a while longer, seeing the truth in her eyes. Unable to wait any longer, he pulled her into a deep kiss. He held her cheeks tenderly as he kissed her, enjoying the way her scent turned sweet and enticing again. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, not breaking their contact.
“For what?” she muttered against his lips.
He broke the kiss and pressed their foreheads together. Her eyes fluttered open, looking hazier than before, and he sighed. “I think...I was so scared for so long...that I forgot who you are.” He pressed another kiss to her lips.
Amy could only manage a confused noise, so he pulled away again. “You are the kindest, most accepting person I know. You’ve shown me nothing but compassion since the moment we met, and I repaid that compassion by hiding a secret from you for no reason. As if you’d ever have judged me for it.” He pressed another kiss to her lips, finding it harder to pull away this time. She whined when he did. “I’ve been wasting our time and hiding from you when you deserved the truth. How can I make it up to you?”
Amy took his face in her hands and pulled him close to connect their lips once more. “There is one thing you could do,” she spoke against his lips.
“Hmm?”
She sucked on his lower lip, then smiled down at him, eyes half-lidded. “Take me out somewhere? On an actual date? I like spending time at your place and all, but...”
Shadow sighed and let his head flop back against Amy’s pillow. “I’ve wanted that for so long,” he admitted, admiring the excited smile that spread across her face.
“Oh, thank God! I’m really not into casual hookups.” She huffed, blowing a stray quill off her sweaty forehead. “Today doesn’t count.”
Shadow lifted his knee up between her thighs. He relished the way she gasped and gripped his chest fur. “I don’t want that, either. I don’t do anything halfway.”
Amy ground back against his leg. Her laugh was shaky. “So what do you want?”
He took hold of her hips and gazed up at her, not even trying to keep the intensity out of his eyes. “I want to take you out. Restaurants. Movies. Stores. Walks.” He buried his face in her neck and pressed butterfly kisses down it. “I want to see all our friends and hold you close the whole way, kiss you until everyone gets embarrassed, until everyone knows you’re mine.” A quiet cry escaped her lips, and he dug his fingers into her back. “And I want my scent all over you the whole way through.”
A fresh wave of her own smell, thick with sweetness and lust, overwhelmed him. He bit his lip and groaned, then laughed and pulled back. Her eyes were wild with desperation. He smirked. “So that’s not too much?”
Instead of answering, she pulled him back up for a kiss, rougher this time. He struggled to keep up with her desperate, heated motions for a few seconds, then cradled the back of her head and slipped his tongue into her mouth to take control. Even with his inexperience, she was whimpering before long. His free hand pulled her closer, and he tugged her head to the side to kiss up her cheek toward her ear.
“I want to have sex with you again,” he muttered. “Is that...normal...?”
She tried to nod. Finding it impossible in his tight grip, she unsteadily breathed out, “Yeah. That’s normal during heat. We’ll be at this for a week.”
Shadow’s eyes bugged out as he took that in. “That’s...” He shook his head, deciding he’d analyze that later. “Can I be more...in control this time?”
A quiet laugh, shaky but mischievous, was his answer. “You tell me.”
Then, with a sly smirk, she took ahold of his quills and yanked.
Shadow’s back arched, and a feral growl tore its way out of his throat. He grabbed her wrist and flipped her onto her back to pin her to the bed. “You asked for it.”
He kissed her once more, feeling more than hearing her mischievous giggle against his lips. When her free hand drifted up toward his head again, he latched onto it and pinned it down beside her head instead. She tried to move her hands, so he flexed his grip on her wrists.
A warning.
He slipped his tongue into her mouth and took his time kissing her, eagerly swallowing the aroused gasp that got stuck in her throat. Her arms went limp.
Satisfied that he had her where he wanted her, he shifted up to whisper in her ear, voice raspy with desire.
“You’ve had your turn. Now, you’re mine.”
A quiet whine escaped her, and she shuddered underneath him. Shadow chuckled darkly. He carefully slid his body farther down, brushing his lips over her collarbone and chest.
As he drifted lower toward her breasts, she arched her back. Shadow instantly propped himself up on his elbows, lifting his body away from her to deny her the contact she clearly desired. She squirmed in his hold, still chasing his touch, so he shifted his forearms to pin hers down more firmly on the bed. A breathy gasp escaped her.
Shadow remained steadfast, hovering barely out of her reach, dropping his head just far enough to swirl his tongue over one of her nipples. A quiet, desperate keen left Amy’s lips, melting into a guttural groan.
Before long, she fell limp underneath him once more, legs spread wide. Shadow lied back down, kissing and sucking at her breasts and stomach to reward her for the submissive behavior, lingering in spots that made her moan.
Soon, he couldn’t take his time anymore. The way she smelled drew him in, and he reluctantly let go of her wrists and dragged his tongue lower until his head was between her legs. His own release was still leaking out of her, mingling with her sweetness on his tongue and making his eyes roll back in his head. She took in a ragged breath, back arching at the feeling. Clumsiness and inexperience aside, he took cues from her reactions to find what worked. Her thighs tensed and quivered when he spread them wider, and a full-body shiver wracked her frame when his tongue circled her clit. Before long, she was a writhing mess from the careful strokes of his tongue. It sounded like she was trying to say something, but when he spread her apart with his fingers and licked slowly over her clit, she went limp and fell back onto the bed. He could see the way her hands shook and tightened in the sheets, while her neck pitched back and a pleasured cry escaped her lips.
“Sh-Shadow!”
Shadow’s chest swelled with pride when she just barely managed to moan his name. He kept up his ministrations and breathed deeply, taking in the strengthening scent as her body reacted to him further.
Blunt nails latched onto his head, tearing him out of his reverie. “Shadow! Just fuck me already!”
Shadow’s gaze flicked up, only to be met with flushed cheeks, glassy eyes, and a mess of quills. An involuntary growl escaped his lips. “I’ll fuck you when I want to fuck you.” He slid his tongue over the sensitive nub once more, making her head pitch back.
A wheeze tore its way out of Amy’s throat, then petered out into a desperate whine. “Shadow, you can go down on me all you want when I’m not in heat...but right now, I need you inside of me!”
Shadow’s dick twitched at the demand, and he couldn’t help but grunt and lift himself back onto his hands and knees.
Even now, I can’t say no to her.
Shadow dove forward to lie on top of her, not even trying to hide his urgency as he devoured her once more. Shaking arms pulled him closer, and a needy whimper met his ears. Unwilling to wait any longer, Shadow shuffled his hips forward to meet hers. Amy gasped, and desperate fingers dug into his back. Shadow took ahold of his dick and fumbled as he tried to guide it inside of her. Finding it impossible without a visual, he straightened back up onto his knees, lined himself up properly, and finally pushed inside her slick walls. A breathy moan escaped his lips, growing in volume until he stopped deep inside of her, and he could hear her let out an unsteady cry of her own. Shadow paused there for a moment, propping himself up with his hands on either side of Amy’s head so he could take in the sight of her, red-faced and shivering underneath him, legs spread to show where he was buried balls-deep inside of her.
That’s never going to get old.
After taking a few moments to gather himself, he lied back down and reached his arms around her to hold her close, loving the feeling of her soft body underneath him. They both panted, and he nuzzled against her cheek. “Is this okay?”
A calm, breathless smile graced Amy’s face. “Yeah.” Shadow’s lips quirked into a small smile to match hers.
Shadow swallowed heavily and slid his hands back down to her hips. His breath stuttered when he pulled out most of the way, and a soft, involuntary cry left his lips as he pushed back in. Her wet walls hugged him, as if trying to pull him deeper. He dropped his head to rest against her shoulder and tried to control his labored breathing. If I can’t get ahold of myself, this’ll be over before it can even start...
He almost lost it when Amy whined and pushed her hips up to meet his, trying to prompt him to keep moving. One of his hands grasped her hip harshly to halt her movements. “Don’t do that. I need a second,” he snapped in her ear. She whimpered and shivered at his dominant behavior. Horrified, he immediately loosened his grip to rub his thumb over her hip in soft, soothing circles. “Sorry, sorry—that was way too harsh, I just—”
She gasped, and he could feel her insides throb in arousal. He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth, and a breathless laugh escaped her. “No, I liked that. I really liked that.”
Shadow relaxed and let out a few more ragged exhales before moving again. He sat up and pulled her hips onto his lap to get more comfortable, then thrust in at a different angle. She arched her back and inhaled sharply in response, and he was worried until a desperate cry of pleasure passed her lips. Her soft walls momentarily clenched around him at the feeling, making him bite his lip to hold back a growl, and Amy whined at the sound. Her smell permeated his every thought, urging him on, drawing him in, and arousing him with a magnitude it never had before, far more than it had even a few days ago when they were in bed together.
Wanting to be closer to her, Shadow gingerly lied back down, finding he had to awkwardly pause to do so. Amy let out a disgruntled groan at the interruption.
Shadow laughed darkly, charmed. “Need something?”
As he propped himself up on his elbows, he felt eager claws dig into his back. “More!”
Shadow resumed his steady rhythm. “I’ll give you more...but only on my terms.”
Amy whimpered and met him halfway, trying to pick up the pace herself, but he remained steadfast. He coordinated his actions as well as he could, preening when her fingers scrambled for purchase and grasped at the sheets underneath her.
After a particularly hard thrust, she cried out, and her head fell to the side. Shadow instantly took the submissive invitation and buried his nose in her neck, moaning blissfully. Her smell was strongest there, just as it had been earlier in the alleyway. He rubbed his cheek against her soft skin and licked up the column of her throat, feeling the vibrations against his tongue when a strained cry escaped her lips. Her limbs went limp, and he could feel her body open up to him, letting him pound even deeper inside her. His cock stiffened even more as he kept kissing and licking her neck, feeling her thighs tremble, and he started sucking at her sensitive skin. The soft pleas in his ear and the shivers that wracked her frame prompted him to take his time leaving his mark on her. At last, he pulled away just far enough to admire his handiwork, still staying close enough to drown in her scent. It was strengthening by the second, practically begging him for more. His gums ached as he stared at her neck. “Mmm...why do I want to bite you so badly?”
A harsh gasp startled him, and all of Amy’s muscles locked up. “DON’T BITE ME!”
Shadow choked and stopped, feeling like his dick was caught in a vice. “O-OKAY, OKAY! I WON’T!” He pushed himself back up onto his hands and looked down at Amy, who’d whipped one hand up to cover her neck, eyes wide as dinner plates. He panted and stared, unsure of what to do, then hesitantly stroked the hand on her neck with one of his own. “I won’t. What’s wrong?”
At the gentle touch, Amy relaxed again, and Shadow was able to pull out of her. They sighed, grateful for the reprieve. Her head fell back against the sheets, and her eyes slid shut. “It’s fine, just not right now.” After a few seconds, though, she hid her face and started to laugh. “Wow, you must like me a lot, huh?”
Shadow stared blankly, unamused. “What gave it away?”
Amy peeked up at him through her fingers, and a shy smile showed itself. “Biting during heat is how bonding happens. You wouldn’t have wanted to do that if you didn’t reeeaaallly like me.”
Shadow sighed and let his head drop, making her giggle. He looked back up to stare heatedly at the mark he’d left behind, then leered at her and teasingly ran his tongue over his fangs. “Well, I didn’t exactly feel your body complaining about it, either,” he pointed out, taking her hips in his hands and groaning as he pushed back in. Her face flushed. She opened her mouth as if to deny it, but when he started up a demanding pace, any protests she had melted into moans of pure pleasure once more.
Every shiver and cry that escaped her made Shadow’s cock twitch, ensuring he wasn’t going to last much longer. He increased the pace and force of his thrusts, then twisted his fingers into her quills and leaned up to whisper in her ear.
“I want to make you come. What else can I do to get you off?”
Amy panted and groaned. “I want you to dominate me...and fuck me harder...”
Shadow turned beet red at the blunt language, but he shook it off and growled under his breath. “You asked for it.” He lifted her hips higher and took her thighs in his hands, pushing her legs up over her head. He took her hands off his shoulders to pin them down onto the bed, interlocking their fingers and practically folding her body in half. Amy yelped, the sound petering out into a shaky moan. Shadow bit his lip and felt the way her body grew wetter around him, allowing him to ream into her even faster.
The wet sounds of their bodies joining and the slap of his balls against her ass were only drowned out by Amy’s loud gasp. “Don’t stop!” she cried, body rocking every time his dick slid in and out. She wrapped her legs around him and dug her heels into his back to pull him deeper.
He panted and squeezed his eyes shut. “Amy...I’m almost...”
Her breath hitched in anticipation. “Shadow, please—!” She paused to let out a moan when he fucked her a little harder. “Please, come inside me!”
Her body heated up around him and shivered at his ministrations, and her fingers tightened in his. He pressed her body more harshly into the bed, gritting his teeth against his impending orgasm.
Soon, his rhythm grew unsteady, and his knot began to swell, offering resistance. He pushed himself as deep as he could. Amy threw her head back and cried out at the stretch, and she pulsed and throbbed around him, her orgasm pulling him in. After a few more thrusts, he collapsed on top of her, groaning as he released inside her. She squirmed a little underneath him at the feeling, and he panted into her neck, nuzzling her until she calmed down.
In time, her legs fell open, and he let go of her hands. Even then, he didn’t move, content to bask in her warmth, the musk he’d left on her skin, and their connection. Absently, he could feel himself purring, but the gentle fingers stroking through his spines held his attention more. His ear twitched when he heard a deep sigh underneath him, and his eyes fluttered open.
Amy blinked heavily up at him, her languid smile just an inch away from his face. Shadow resisted the compulsion to kiss her so he could enjoy the sight for a few seconds, then gave in. Her lips were warm and sluggish just as his were, and Shadow found himself thinking how nice it would be to wake up to this.
Shadow eventually lifted his head and glanced down at their tangled mess of limbs. “Are you comfortable like this?”
“Mhm. I’m flexible.” Amy rested one of her hands behind her head and kept lightly scratching his scalp, a vignette of blissful relaxation. Her dazed smile held what Shadow could only have described as love, something he hadn’t always felt he deserved.
His heart softened. “You look really beautiful.”
Amy snickered and pointed to her hopelessly disheveled hairdo. “Even like this?”
“Especially like this.” She snorted, and he smiled wryly and leaned into her touch. “Sorry I tried to bite you. I won’t do it again.”
Amy’s smile turned crooked. “You can bite me when I’m not in heat. I’m into that.” She winked. When his dick twitched in response, she giggled and scratched behind his ear.
“R-right...” Shadow averted his gaze, hoping she couldn’t see his tail wagging. “It seems I have a lot to learn.”
Amy’s brow creased a little. “It’s not easy for any of us, but you’re not alone. I’ve been part of an omega support group in the city for years. There’s one for alphas, too. I’ll get you the information for it.” She kissed Shadow’s forehead. “And I’ll always be here for you, but I hope you know that by now.”
Shadow locked eyes with her again and grinned. “Yeah. I know.” Her smile widened. “So I get the whole omega heat thing, but how do most alphas find out what’s going on with them?”
The smile dropped off of Amy’s face, making way for a dumbfounded stare. “How did you not know? Didn’t you ever wonder why you have a knot?”
“I just thought it was a ‘me’ thing. I’m not exactly a normal person.”
Amy choked and straightened up. “Yeah, but most alphas get worried that there’s something wrong with them, like they have a tumor on their dicks or something! It never occurred to you to go see a doctor?!”
Shadow propped himself up on his elbow. “Hmph. I don’t need a doctor. I’m the Ultimate Lifeform.” Amy just stared at him. He cringed. “That sounded less stupid in my head.”
She groaned and shook her head. “Well, why didn’t anyone ever tell you that you were an alpha?! That seems like it should have been basic information!”
“Gerald didn’t even tell me I was half alien.”
Amy stopped, then sighed. “Right.”
Shadow’s face fell. “I always thought it was just some kind of alien thing, or maybe a bizarre genetic mutation. He must’ve made some kind of mistake.”
Amy gazed at him, visibly confused. “I don’t think it was a mistake.”
He side-eyed her. “You’re kidding, right? Why the hell would he have done this to me on purpose?”
“He wanted you to be Earth’s guardian, right?”
Shadow nodded.
“Alphas are perfectly suited for that. They have great protective instincts.” She smiled and cupped his cheek. “If I had to make the ultimate protector, I’d make him just like you.”
Shadow held her gaze, frozen by the powerful sentiment. A tear threatened to fall from his face, only interrupted by the odd sensation of their bodies separating once more, making them both shiver. Shadow took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly, feeling her body curl into his. “Thank you,” he muttered against her lips. Amy hummed in reply, and she pulled him close to press her curves against him once more. His hands slid down to grope at her breasts, and his blood instantly started pumping southward again.
He could hear Amy sniff deeply at his neck, and a full-body shiver wracked her frame, culminating in an eager, frustrated groan. Her nails dug into his shoulders, and she spoke up, making his eyes flutter open. “Shadow? Can you promise me something?”
His hands migrated down to rest more chastely at her waist. “Anything.”
Her flushed cheeks and glassy eyes didn’t dampen her serious tone. “I hate that you felt like you had to go through all of this by yourself. You have to promise me you’ll never hide anything like this from me again, okay?”
Shadow paused, staring into her hopeful eyes, then pressed his forehead to hers. He held her gaze for several seconds, sharing breath with her and waiting to stress just how serious he was. He inhaled deeply, then let it out. “Amy Rose, I promise I will never run from you again. Not now. Not ever.”
The shred of worry in Amy’s eyes gradually faded, making way for trust and fondness on a level no one else quite reached with him. “And I know you always keep your promises.”
Shadow’s heart swelled, and he couldn’t help but dive back in to kiss her once more. When Amy sighed against his lips, he took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside her mouth, tangling it with hers and taking control of the kiss. She eagerly arched her back when he pushed his leg between hers, and she bucked her hips, desperate for more friction. He could feel wetness against his thigh, making a growl build up from his chest. She whined and gripped his shoulders even harder. He pulled away from the kiss with a quiet sound and spoke into her ear, his voice raspy and dripping with lust.
“Good. Because I’m not done with you.”
Amy’s head tipped back sharply, and a gasp passed her lips, building into a soft cry.
Letting his instincts drag him under, he took hold of her shoulder to turn her over onto her stomach. His gaze ran down her toned back until it rested between her legs. He bit his lip and moaned at the sight of their cum leaking out of her onto the sheets, then properly mounted her and squeezed her ass cheeks to rub his dick between them. He thrust his hips a few times, enjoying the friction and the sight of her gasping and gripping the sheets beneath her, letting out soft sounds of anticipation. Soon enough, the temptation proved to be too much. He lied down on top of her, pressing their sweat-soaked bodies together and interlocking his fingers with hers to hold her hands down on the mattress.
Amy turned her head to shoot a coy smile at him over her shoulder, and he could feel her spread her legs invitingly for him. He paused to press a kiss to her temple, then pushed himself up on his hands just enough to guide himself inside of her with a grunt, finding it easier than before. He lied back down and slid inside to the hilt, then stopped to catch his breath.
While he appreciated the brief respite, though, Amy grew impatient. She pressed her hips back against his, repeating the motion to entice him. His breath caught in his throat, and he choked out, “W-wait! I need—!”
A giggle bubbled up from underneath him, the giggle he’d always loved, and she purposely clenched around him, almost pushing him over the edge. He roared in frustrated pleasure, then took her quills in a vice grip, making her squeal. He pinned her head down against the bed and snarled, “Don’t do that again.”
When Amy gasped and whined underneath him, he snapped out of his trance. He immediately let go and stroked her scalp soothingly. “Shit...shit, I’m so sorry—I—”
Amy squirmed and cried out, her voice needy and frantic. “Fuck, do that again, please!”
Her scent hit him, more powerful than ever, leaving him reeling. He gasped, eyelids falling shut. Unable to resist any longer, he fisted her quills once more and hissed in her ear. “You want me to be rough with you?” She nodded, squeezing her eyes shut. “You want to be dominated that badly?”
“Only when I’m in heat!” she choked out, shivering in his grasp.
“You’ve known me for years. You know how ruthless I can be.”
She laughed just once, tired and breathless. “I’m counting on it.”
Shadow growled and buried his face in her neck, ignoring the primal urge to bite her where she was most vulnerable. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
He yanked her spines in his tight grip, making her squeal and tighten around his dick. His body gave in, and he immediately started pounding her hard into the mattress, his pace frenzied and erratic. Amy’s willing body squirmed in his rough hold. He tangled his fingers farther down to the roots of her quills and twisted, making her scream. Her muscles tensed and quivered at the rough treatment, voice growing sore from crying out. He could distantly feel his balls tightening already, but any potential embarrassment he might harbor for coming too soon was buried deep under his pleasure. Their pleasure. His world narrowed to them—the sight of her spine curving in helpless pleasure, the thrill of holding her down exactly where he wanted her, the insistent aroma and moans of torturous ecstasy that proved she was loving it just as much as he was, the warm, wet, welcoming sensation of her walls hugging him, drawing his long, thick cock deeper inside her, exactly where he knew she wanted him...
Shadow threw his head back, oblivious to all else as his cock thickened and stretched her deep inside. Semen erupted from his dick and filled her up for the third time that day. He barely registered the shout of satisfaction that was torn from his throat.
Several seconds passed before his consciousness returned. She lied underneath him, calm and panting lightly, but panic made his blood turn cold. He choked. Shit, shit, shit...that was way too fast...and she didn’t even get off! What do I do?!
By then, Amy was peeking over her shoulder, amusement on her face. She snorted. “Shadow, are you alright?”
Shadow clenched his teeth and looked around. He thrust his hips forward in the hopes that he could still stimulate her that way, but his cock was locked in place by then. Amy yelped. “Ow! Shadow, what are you—”
Shadow immediately paused to think, then perked up. “Right.”
“Huh? What—”
Shadow snaked his hand underneath Amy’s body and pressed his fingers between her legs, and a soft gasp interrupted her question. He tried switching the placement and direction of his fingers, settling on running gentle circles that made her keen quietly. When she shifted a hand down to her breast and started rubbing one of her nipples in a similar way, he clumsily reached underneath her body and did the same on her other side. It was an awkward angle and initially made it difficult to keep up the motions of his other hand, but soon enough, he could feel her nipple perk up under his touch. He panted. “Does this feel good?”
“Mhm!” she squeaked.
It didn’t take long for her breathing to pick up. She came soon after with a quiet whimper, briefly stiffening, and then her muscles relaxed. Her orgasm was weaker than before, but her walls still throbbed and squeezed wonderfully around the swelled base of his cock, hot and wet and soft, practically milking him dry. Then, she went limp, ears twitching in the afterglow.
Sated, Shadow allowed himself to bask in their connection. He pressed butterfly kisses to her neck and shoulders. She hummed at his gentle affection, and her eyes fluttered open to make way for a genuine, relaxed smile, far calmer than the mischievous smirks she’d been shooting his way for the past few minutes. Shadow drifted closer, kissing down her cheek until she giggled from the ticklish treatment and tilted her head to meet his lips directly. The kiss was sloppy, but Amy didn’t seem to mind. He could feel her absentminded chuckles against his lips.
Shadow pulled away after a moment, finding it difficult to catch his breath in the aftermath of their passionate activities. He nuzzled against her cheek, then let out a disgruntled huff. “Sorry I came so soon.”
Amy snorted and turned her torso awkwardly to tilt his chin toward her. “You say that as if I didn’t love it. Surely you could tell.” A tired smile spread over his face, and she rubbed her nose against his. “I think you like this position as much as I do,” she added, tone airy and casual.
He shrugged one shoulder, and his lips quirked into a crooked grin. “I’m still looking forward to having better stamina.”
“Yeah?”
He peppered kisses from her temple down the side of her face, then nudged under her jaw to ravish the sensitive spot where her neck met her collarbone.
“I want to see how many times I can make you cum before I knot you.”
He was rewarded with a shudder of anticipation from the woman he loved.
—
A shuffling sound met Rouge’s ears as she opened the door to Team Dark’s apartment. She hung her coat on the rack and followed the sound to the kitchen. “Shadow? Is that y—” She recoiled. Even before she got to the kitchen, a distinctive smell met her nose. “What is...”
She rounded the corner to find Shadow rooting through their cabinets and shoving various foods into a brown paper bag. He wasn’t wearing gloves, socks, or shoes, which would have been unusual enough...but not as unusual as the dazed smile on his face.
“Oh, hey, Rouge!” He went back to his foraging, muttering to himself as he dropped a box of pasta into the bag. The normally pristine spines on his head were a disaster, sticking out in every direction.
Rouge shook her head, baffled. “Shadow, I haven’t seen you in days. I’ve been worried sick! What’s going on with you?”
“Amy needs carbs,” he replied simply, still smiling, as if no further explanation were needed.
Rouge paused with her mouth open, but then she took another look at his oddly naked state, the veritable bird’s nest on his head...and she remembered the telltale stench she was trying to ignore. Her eyes lit up. “Did you and Amy finally...”
Shadow nodded dreamily as he added a loaf of bread and some rice to his stash.
Rouge leaned against the counter and smirked conspiratorially. “Alright, spill. I want all the filthy details.”
Unfortunately, Shadow shook his head curtly. “Nope. No time.”
He swiped a box of Rouge’s favorite cereal, making her tap her foot, but she decided to let it go. This is a special occasion. He can replace it later.
He stopped rooting around in the cabinet for a moment and turned to her, ears perking up. “Oh, right! Amy says sorry for snapping at you over the dog comment the other day. There are things you don’t know yet.” He snickered under his breath.
Rouge raised a brow. “And I suppose you can’t just tell me now?”
Shadow sighed, still smiling. “No. She needs me.”
Rouge’s eyes widened as he stuffed a pair of potatoes, a stack of bagels, and some canned beans into the bag before eyeing a canister of oatmeal on the shelf in front of him. She choked. “I love getting laid as much as the next gal, but even I wouldn’t go this far! Just how long are you planning on staying with her?”
Shadow threw a smirk her way before taking out a Chaos Emerald. “A week.”
Rouge’s jaw dropped. “A week?! What are you two, animals?!”
Shadow just stared for a few seconds. Then, a sudden laugh burst out of him, light and joyous and content. “You have no idea. Chaos Control!”
Rouge shook her head, squinting against the green flash, but she couldn’t stop a wry smile from crossing her face. I swear those two are ready to tie the knot already.
