“So I keep getting told. And also, not politically correct, and also, I’d be the biggest asshole in the world if I offed you three morons, and my pack would hate me, and Arin would disown me, and I’d be ruining True Love and interfering with Fate and Destiny and yada yada yada. I can’t even fuckin’ alpha my own pack!”
Dare couldn’t help it—he reached for his own neck. “Are y-you—d-do you w-want to k-kill us?”
Jonas shot out of his chair and flung his hands up. “Do I want to kill anyone?” He snorted. “Well, yeah, those coyotes needed to go.” Then he sat down again. “I’m the alpha. It’s my job to protect my pack. I don’t like killing, even the fucking coyotes. It’s worse to have to kill when someone is in human form. Harder, because I can’t—well, it’s just worse, but I do what I have to for my pack.”
While that sounded admirable, Dare didn’t want him or his guys to be killed. Before he could say as much, someone knocked on the door.
Jonas sniffed then bellowed, “What the fuck do you want, Bowen?”
“Bowen?” Dare smelled him then too, just as the door was flung open and Bowen stormed in.
“You aren’t to touch him or Chiz,” Bowen snarled. “Alpha or not. I’ll take them somewhere else if I have to, if you’re so insecure—”
“Shut up,” Jonas said quietly. “Now.”
Bowen stopped talking.
“Sit.” Jonas pointed to the floor. Dare was in the only other chair, and he started to get up so Bowen could have his seat. “No. Bowen can put his ass on the floor like a good little submissive wolf.”
Bowen sat. Dare reached over and held out his hand, then breathed easier when Bowen took hold of it.
Jonas rubbed at his temples. “Don’t come into my space and sling insults, Bowen. That’s a stupid thing to do around an alpha. It doesn’t endear you to me at all and makes my wolf want you dead.”
“Sorry,” Bowen said. “But I can’t, I won’t let you hurt them. This is all my fault.”
“Arin said it’s his fault.” Dare tipped his head toward Jonas, fearful that he’d provoke the alpha, but feeling quite brave at the same time. “I heard him talking to some other shifter.”
“God damn it,” Jonas grumbled. “I’m going to whip Arin’s ass.”
No one spoke for a moment, then there was a sound in the hallway.
“Your other mate, no doubt.” Jonas nodded at the door. “Aren’t y’all going to help him?
Dare and Bowen were up and at the door in seconds, with Dare opening it and Bowen racing out to reach for Chiz.
“What’re you doing up? You’ve got to rest,” Bowen scolded.
Chiz looked awful and adorable at the same time, weak, bandaged all over, but so fierce and sexy that Dare’s heart throbbed with love for him. It was the same way he felt when he looked at Bowen, so intense and standoffish, yet clearly—to Dare, at least—craving the love he could have, if he wanted it. And Dare believed he did.
“I couldn’t let you two face the big bad wolf alone,” Chiz replied, his breath shaky as Bowen, then Dare each took hold of one of his arms to help support him. They made their way into the room carefully. Dare insisted Bowen sit in the chair, then he helped Chiz settle on Bowen’s lap—or tried to, but Chiz wasn’t ready to sit. Instead, he leaned on Jonas’ desk and pointed at him.
“You’re the alpha, but this shit here—” Chiz pointed at himself then at Dare and Bowen, “This is none of your business. Killing us is beyond stupid. Who the hell do you think we’re going to narc about shifters to, and with what repercussions? We’re all shifters, too! You want to kill us? You’re going to die trying.”
“Don’t—” Jonas leaned close to Chiz, until they were almost nose to nose. “Threaten me, little wolf. I’ll have you and your mates made into rugs.”
“Diplomacy!” Dare shook his head even as he blurted the word out. “Chiz, we have to respect Jonas and his position and show some diplomacy, er, use some diplomacy?”
“Be diplomatic in our dealings with him,” Bowen supplied.
Chiz growled. “Yeah? Well, he’s threatening the men I love, and me, too. How am I supposed to be diplomatic about that?”
Jonas moved surprisingly fast, and thumped the tip of Chiz’s nose. Chiz yelped and stepped back. Bowen grabbed him and pulled him onto his lap.
“That hurt!” Chiz rubbed his nose. “You—”
“Enough,” Jonas said. “Just shut your mouth and let me think. Threatening me is never wise.”
“It stirs up his wolf,” Dare whispered. “Makes him less human and more beast.”
Jonas nodded curtly.
“Well, I’m new to this crap,” Chiz complained. “And he’s threatening the men I love.”
Bowen and Dare exchanged glances. Dare nodded.
“And we love you too,” Bowen replied. “But we have to learn about this new part of ourselves. Pack, I mean, and for you and Dare, yeah, being shifters. Seems like I didn’t know everything I should, either.”
Jonas clapped his hands once. “And there you go. I failed you, Bowen. I admit it, and because of that, I will not take your life, or your mates’ lives.”
“But?” Dare prodded, because he knew there was going to be a ‘but’.
“You have to become pack, and that means respecting my authority,” Jonas informed them.
“Been watching South Park?” Chiz asked.
Jonas scowled. “Call me Cartman and I’ll rescind my offer. What you three must understand is, if other shifters see this and think y’all got away with turning humans without repercussions, they will think they can do the same. They’ll think I’m weak and that I can’t lead this pack. There will be challenges, and eventually, someone will kill me, because any challengers must be fought immediately. I’ll tire out, and be easy prey. That’s the problem I’ll have to face if I let y’all live.”
“Jesus.” Dare hadn’t known that, and judging by the looks on Bowen’s and Chiz’s faces, neither had they. It hadn’t occurred to any of them that, by allowing them to live, Jonas would most likely die.
Epilogue
Home. Bowen got out and helped Chiz ease out of the truck while Dare hovered beside him.
“Thanks for the ride,” Chiz said to Arin. “Try to keep Jonas from being killed.”
“Maybe I will. Or not.” Arin was joking, Bowen was relatively certain, but the strain was obvious in the tight smile Arin gave them. “I’ll be around to check on you in a few days.”
Chiz groaned. “Just leave me alone. I’ve got these two hovering already.”
Arin’s smile looked a little more genuine. “Yeah, but they love you. I don’t.”
“Thank God,” Chiz retorted before shutting the door.
Arin gunned the truck and it fishtailed, spitting pebbles and dust from the back tires.
“Asshole,” Bowen groused as he tried to protect Chiz from the debris.
“That’s an understatement.” Dare pressed up against Bowen’s back.
The action startled Bowen. He hadn’t expected Dare to try and keep him from getting dirty or smacked with pebbles. And damn, Dare felt good pressed all along Bowen’s back and thighs. Thought Dare didn’t have an erection, Bowen enjoyed the feel of his groin against Bowen’s ass. Maybe he enjoyed it because Dare wasn’t hard.
Chiz took a step, and Bowen regretted the loss of Dare’s body behind his. Dare moved to Chiz’s side, and Bowen took his place on the other side. Together, they walked with Chiz up toward the house.
“Do you think he’s going to be killed?” Chiz asked.
“Claiming my ranch as his own might make some shifters think twice about fucking with him, but—” Bowen sighed.
“But that doesn’t seem like much punishment considering death is usually the result of what we’ve done,” Dare finished. “Don’t get me wrong. Losing your ranch is bullshit. I’m sorry about that.”
It did hurt, but Bowen shrugged. “Well, he didn’t take it away. We get to live here and work it, earn from it, until we die. I mean
, y’all don’t have to—”
“I’m in,” Dare rushed out. “I don’t want to be around my family. They’re gonna find me, though, and they’ll cause trouble.”
“Undoubtedly,” Chiz muttered. “Your family sucks balls.”
Dare nodded.
Bowen looked around at the property as they walked. He’d spent his entire life there, playing in the dirt, watching the leaf cutter ants scurry about, learning how to be the man he was today. So many memories. Did it matter if the title to the property was no longer in his name? It shouldn’t, but it did. Even so, he’d have given the ranch away to keep Dare and Chiz safe.
“A lot of the other shifters probably don’t have a family homestead to give away,” Dare was saying. “So I don’t think this is going to be a deterrent.”
“Ugh,” Chiz huffed. “That pompous jerk did something selfless for us? I can’t process that.”
“Seems like he did, though.” Bowen stepped aside as Dare led Chiz up the three steps to the porch. “I told Jonas he ought to make challengers fight his betas first, or something. Just ’cause there’s always been these stupid-ass laws doesn’t mean his pack still has to live by them.”
“Yeah.” Chiz brightened visibly. “Jonas is the ruler, alpha, whatever. He can make rules if he wants to. Personally, I’d just go with, anyone challenging my authority gets a nice, shiny bullet for their time.”
“You’d have them shot?” Dare sounded shocked.
Chiz nodded. “Uh, yeah. I think one or two instances of that sort of retaliation would put an end to assholes trying to off me.”
“You bloodthirsty thing,” Bowen teased.
Chiz grinned crookedly at him. “Yup. Good thing I’m not an alpha or king or whatever.”
“Er, yeah. Sometimes you scare me,” Dare admitted.
Bowen chuckled. “Chiz wouldn’t hurt you.”
“I don’t like violence, period,” Chiz confirmed. “But. I do think there’d be less violence if a challenger was shot, oh, I don’t know. In the balls, maybe? I never said I’d have them killed.”
“Jesus,” Dare whimpered while Bowen instinctively reached down to cup his own sac.
“Oh, don’t worry. You two are safe.” Chiz gave them a wicked glance. “As long as y’all do my bidding.”
Bowen recovered first. “We’ll take care of you even without the threats. You need rest, and—”
“Ah ah ah.” Chiz wagged a finger at him as Dare opened the door. “Who said anything about rest?”
“You’re hurt all over,” Bowen snapped, not willing to let Chiz do anything that would make him hurt worse.
Chiz just rolled his eyes. “So? I can still watch you fuck Dare into the mattress. Ohhh! Or bend him over it! I can see his face and your face and—”
That groan wasn’t from the door opening, Bowen realized. It was Dare, who’d clamped his mouth shut but who also now had a thickening bulge pressing against the seam down the leg of his sweats.
Bowen flushed hot with an unexpected wave of lust. “Yeah? You want to watch me fuck him?”
“You don’t have to worry now,” Chiz pointed out. “And he liked being bitten, just as much as I did. Imagine fucking him, plowing his ass and biting him, making him scream and arch and come—”
Dare swooped Chiz up into his arms and all but ran to the bedroom. Bowen was right on his heels.
He’d never felt need, lust, affection—love—like he felt with these two men. Never had expected it with anyone, much less two incredible, sexy guys who held his heart in their hands.
“I wanna be naked too,” Chiz said as Dare bent to lay him on the bed.
“You want naked, you got it,” Bowen promised. He crawled up on the bed and bent to kiss Chiz, gently at first, then rougher as Dare began pulling off Chiz’s shoes, socks and sweats. The thin tank top Chiz wore was no hindrance—Dare ripped it down the middle and Bowen nipped Chiz’s tongue while Dare bent to tease Chiz’s tits.
Chiz shivered then pushed at Bowen, and, apparently, Dare. “Guys, each other. I want to see you touching and fuck and kiss. I need to see you both make that connection, and this”—he tapped his soft dick—“isn’t up to playing. I hurt all over. Make me forget I hurt.”
“I’m so—”
“Don’t either of you apologize,” Chiz snapped when Bowen and Dare both started to speak. “I will duct tape your calves while you sleep if you do.”
“Jesus, you’re dangerous today,” Bowen observed.
“Every day,” Chiz corrected. “Make me happy.”
Bowen didn’t hesitate. Chiz was only ordering him to do what he’d been wanting to ever since he’d seen Dare, really. Bowen grabbed Dare by the nape, not gentle but not hurting him. He tugged, and Dare met him over Chiz’s chest.
Bowen started out as he meant to go on—he kissed hard, taking charge, thrusting his tongue in and using his grip on Dare’s nape to keep him where he wanted him.
Dare whimpered into the kiss, opening eagerly, and damn it, he tasted amazing. Bowen slipped his hand up into Dare’s hair and pressed harder, taking more, laying claim to what Dare gave him.
Then Chiz shoved at Bowen’s side. “Move down so and get naked!”
Bowen bit Dare’s bottom lip then eased back and gave Chiz an arch look. “Who’s the top here?”
Chiz waved him off. “I’m the one who’s gonna get squashed if either of you slip.”
That made sense.
Bowen let go of Dare. “Strip.”
Dare slid off the bed just as Bowen did the same. Bowen watched as Dare took his shirt off. Dare was panting, lips swollen and wet, dark from kisses. His chest was broad, broader than Bowen’s, and he had a decent pelt going on. His large nipples were a dark orange-brown and the tips were erect. Dare had a nice belly, abs slightly detailed, belly button a deep divot, waist narrow. The front of his sweats was tented, and a wet spot was growing as pre-cum leaked from his dick.
“Slowly,” Bowen ordered when Dare reached for the waistband.
“Ohhh, yeah,” Chiz agreed. “God, look how turned on he is, Bowen.”
Bowen was pretty goddamned turned on himself. His dick ached so much that his gut was close to cramping. He wanted to fuck Dare something fierce.
And he wanted to bite him, to claim him in that way, too.
Dare’s panted breaths grew louder as he eased the sweats down a millimeter at a time.
“Mmm, I love that you don’t manscape,” Chiz said.
Dare winced. “I’m too chicken.”
“You’re perfect just like you are,” Bowen told him.
Dare blushed all the way down to the top of his stomach. He eased the elastic over his cock, and Bowen’s mouth watered as he eyed the thick shaft and broad head. Before he’d even thought it out, Bowen strode around the bed and Dare turned halfway to meet him. Bowen grabbed him for a fierce kiss, then slid a hand down to Dare’s hip, put the other between his shoulder blades and pushed.
Dare bent, forearms pillowing his head on the bed.
“Nice,” Chiz murmured as he began stroking Dare’s hair.
Bowen stripped quickly, trying to touch Dare as much as he could while divesting himself of his clothing. Once he finally got that done, Bowen knelt.
“What—” Dare gasped as Bowen spread his cheeks. Then he squeaked when Bowen licked down his fuzzy crack, to the tight little whirled pucker he planned to fuck soon. Bowen used one hand to reach around and fondle Dare’s balls while he lapped away, up, down, up, down, down a little more, then past Dare’s hole to the soft skin behind his balls.
“Bowen, please,” Dare begged. “Please!”
Bowen would get there when he was good and ready. He wanted to savor every moment, every taste, sound, texture—Dare. He wanted to savor him and love him, and when Chiz was able to, he wanted to worship both of his men, together.
Dare’s legs quivered and Bowen nibbled on one butt cheek, then sucked up a mark on the other. He loved the way Dare cried out, not trying to hide his nee
d in the least.
And when Bowen finally licked over his hole, when he teased and tongued that tight little spot, Dare’s cries grew louder, his pleas more fervent.
Bowen used both hands to spread Dare’s ass open, to show off his clenching pucker. Someday, Bowen would fuck him with just spit and need, but today, he’d lube Dare up good.
Because once Bowen started to fuck him, there wouldn’t be anything gentle or slow about it. Lube was gonna be necessary.
Bowen pushed his tongue against Dare’s asshole until it gave, and he could lick into the clenching ring.
Dare was gibbering, consonants spilling out with the occasional, “Ah!” in there. Bowen grinned as he began tongue-fucking Dare, thrusting, twirling, popping the rim.
When he had Dare’s hole dripping wet, Bowen shoved two fingers around to Dare’s mouth.
Dare didn’t have to be told what to do, not out loud. He slurped on Bowen’s fingers until they were as wet as his hole, then Bowen withdrew them and used them to stretch Dare’s ass.
Chiz was cooing and cursing, telling them to fuck and Bowen to ‘eat that ass’, and when Bowen moved his head back so he could watch his fingers pumping in and out—which was a fucking glorious sight to see—he also took a moment to look at Chiz as best he could. What he saw made his gut burn hot with lust. Chiz’s cock was hard and he was stroking it slowly, the skin glistening with lube.
“Gorgeous,” Bowen rasped.
“Lube,” Chiz replied. “I wanna see you pound his ass.”
“Ungh!”
Bowen rubbed Dare’s gland again while Chiz stopped jacking off long enough to toss the lube toward Bowen.
The lid was off the stuff and they were making a mess, but Bowen was fond of sexual messes like this. He picked up the tube and squeezed it, dumping lube right at the top of Dare’s ass crack.
Dare mewled and arched, his head going down and his ass up. Bowen slicked Dare’s crease then lubed his hole, adding more of the viscous stuff into that tight opening because Dare was in for that rough ride.
Bowen withdrew his fingers. “Gonna fuck you so hard you’ll feel me for days.”
Dare nodded rapidly, eyes closed, mouth open, cheeks and neck flushed pink with desire.
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