by Lisa Oliver
“Me and my big mouth.” Cass fell over Wes’s body, causing Wes to jolt as the length inside of him pushed in a bit more. “I’m going to adore you. I’m going to cherish you. I will see to it your every wish is forever granted. You, my mate, are everything I ever dreamed of.”
“More of the ritual?” Wes hazarded a guess, reaching up to stroke along the skin stretched tight along Cass’s collar bones.
“Just words from the heart,” Cass assured him. “Now please tell me I can move before my balls go blue and explode.”
“That wouldn’t be fun.” Wes arched his neck and pushed out his lips. “Kiss me and move. Show me what you’ve got.”
Damn. Wes learned in that moment, Cass could multi-task, kissing him as though he’d die if he couldn’t, while Wes’s ass was getting the pounding of its life. It didn’t seem possible, but Cass was holding his whole body down and there must have been plenty of lube, because Cass’s cock was dominating his ass in every way.
With the ‘barely there’ friction of Cass’s abs on Wes’s cock, it stirred to life. But Wes didn’t have time to stroke or play with it. He was too busy, his arms and legs tugging Cass closer, rubbing, writhing, and only occasionally breathing. He felt dizzy, his skin impossibly hot. The collar around his neck seemed to hum over the slapping of skin on skin. There were spots before his eyes and his wolf was hovering, so close to bursting through.
“Do it!” Cass yelled. “Bite me now.”
My teeth have changed. Wes ran his nose along Cass’s skin until he found the spot where the scent was the strongest. He bit down blindly, praying he’d done it right, all the while coping with his orgasm and the injection of what felt like lava in his ass. He saw, or rather his mind saw, his wolf spirit grow in front of his eyes, as he approached the spirit of the demon. The spirit who hugged him, praised him and looked so damn proud of him.
Oh, my gods. Oh, my fucking gods. Oh… Wes fell into the darkness and knew no more.
Chapter Twelve
Wes slept for thirteen hours. At first, when his mate went limp in his arms, Cass thought he’d committed some major fuck up, to the point of wondering if he should contact his mama. It had taken a bit of wiggling, dislodging Wes’s sharp teeth from the fleshy lump on the side of his neck, and even more time getting his cock, that didn’t go down, out of Wes’s limp body. It might have taken Cass an age to get in there, now Wes’s body didn’t seem to want to let him go.
But Cass had seen how their spirits greeted each other and knew he was as soul bonded as he could ever be. He’d have to call into Hades’ office to register the mating, and claim his pass to earth; Wes would need one for the Underworld too. But for now, Cass was content to clean his mate’s body, and then watch him sleep. It was a surprisingly peaceful thing to do, and for a demon peace was rare.
Until he heard an annoying ding he knew only too well. Myka. Cass threw the blanket over Wes’s body. “What are you doing in here?”
Myka ignored him, studying Wes’s face. “He’s got your collar. You did it then? Convinced some schmuck to grant you freedom from the Underworld?”
“We’re fated mates and Wes is not a schmuck,” Cass hissed.
“Ooh, aren’t you testy.” Myka chuckled. “Does this one know you only mated him so that you didn’t have to work for Hades anymore? Does he know about the pretty harem you left in your town house, or about your regular blow job competitions with the guards over at the pits? Did you give him the slightest hint, the only reason you claimed him was so that you could now spend as much time as you like wrecking your havoc topside?”
“Are you fucking insane? Don’t you know anything about fated matings?” Myka was pushing all his buttons, and usually Cass would let things go – being a nuisance was just Myka’s way – but he was mated now, and he would not let a slur against his Wes go unanswered. “Anything I did with others before I met Wes means nothing, and the same goes for anything Wes might have done. I’m bitten, I carry his mark and I’ll never get hard for another because of it.”
“Sucks to be you.” Myka studied his nails and flicked his hair back. Cass noticed he’d let it grow longer.
“I’m glad about that. I’m fucking glad my mate will know no matter what shit comes out of your mouth, or from any of my other siblings, that I will be forever true to him. You’re just here to cause shit because you’re jealous. You can’t go to the human realm unless you’re summoned anymore thanks to the little ‘fun’ you wanted to have with the Cloverleah pack and no one knows your name, so you don’t get summoned either. I’m guessing it sucks to be you.”
“Whatever. Mama won’t stay mad forever, especially now she’s got your boy toy to fondle and play with.”
“Mama won’t touch my Wesley because mama knows how important this bonding is too. She was the one who taught me the ritual and explained how to woo my mate. She’s happy for me, glad at least one of her children had the foresight to grab what was dangled in front of them. She’s pleased one of her kids is finally going to make something of themselves, which is more than can be said for you.”
“What? You’re going to be a ‘good’ little demon now?” Only Myka could make a positive word sound so insulting. He even did the annoying air quotes actions.
“I’m going to stand by my mate, something you’ll never have because you keep getting yourself into shit and keep getting banned from going topside. My mate was abducted, held against his will, but he still had the fortitude and good spirit to care for kids he found abandoned here. That makes him a truly decent person.”
Cass noticed a flicker of discomfort cross Myka’s face. “Wait a goddammed minute,” Cass growled. “You knew these kids were here. You’ve been here before, otherwise you would have had to break through the wards like I did and knock on the door like a regular person.” Leaping out of bed, Cass grabbed his brother, holding him aloft by his throat. “Did you know Wesley was down here all this time too and you didn’t tell anyone? Did you?”
Myka dematerialized and appeared again just out of Cass’s reach. “So, what if I did? That stuck up pack you sent the kids to already know I’d met one of the dark ones; that’s how I ended up in that mangy wolf in the first place. And if the dark ones got chatty at the time, talking about their plans for world domination, well shit. So what? That’s nothing more than you’d hear any night of the week in one of our local bars. Why would I save a bunch of squalling kids, or your precious Wes for that matter? They can’t give me anything. They can’t do anything for me.”
“Fuck, Myka,” Cass rubbed the spot between his eyes where his headache was blooming. “It’s assholes like you who give demons a bad name. Am I right in assuming, when you sent me off on a supposed wild goose chase, you already knew where Wesley and the kids were?”
Myka shrugged.
“Then why didn’t you just tell V when he asked for a demon to search, and freaking claim the victory for finding them for yourself?”
“There was nothing in it for me.” Myka was looking at Cass as though the answer was obvious, but Cass was starting to wonder how many times Myka had been dropped on his head at birth. “Why would I do anything for the Cloverleah pack, aye? They’re stuck up elitists who think their shit don’t stink. You’d have thought when I possessed that fucking wolf, on a summons I might add, that I was doing something tantamount to killing the damn sod. He was already dying, but did anyone at Cloverleah care about that? No. Too busy getting on their high horses, freaking warding me with salt. The whole experience was insulting and demeaning.”
“You’re just pissed because V forced you out of that body, and then wouldn’t fuck you again – because he’s mated. But shit, Myka, come on. You could have told him about Wes when he asked you.”
“I didn’t see the point. V got mama to curse me to staying down here, simply because his wolves were upset. I’m bound by the curse not to go near the Cloverleah pack. Why the hell would I help them when they asked?”
“Well now you owe me,” C
ass warned. “You owe me big time. You sent me off looking for Wes, knowing where he was the whole fucking time. I spent a month trolling around this realm – a whole fucking month and in all that time, Wes and eleven little shifter children were suffering with no way home. They didn’t belong down here. You had no right to do that.”
“Ho-hum.” Myka yawned. “You’re so damn boring when you get on your high horse. So, I owe you a favor, big deal. You’re not going to ask anything from me because you’ll be too worried I’ll fill your mate’s head with all the devilishly sexy things you used to get up to. How long do you think it would take for me to sow doubt in his mind about his connection to you? The dark ones got to him, which means he’s vulnerable. How long…”
“It wouldn’t work.” A tired but firm voice sounded from the bed, and Cass whirled around to see Wes sitting up, his arms folded across his chest. “The dark ones caught me in a moment of weakness, fueled by my insecurities, yes. But Cass and I are claimed now. I’m not alone and if I ever doubt it, I just have to touch my collar, or look at the scar on my mate’s neck and know that there isn’t a force on any realm that can tear us apart.”
“Exactly,” Cass said proudly, glancing over and noticing the shock on Myka’s face. “Although, you’re probably right about the favor aspect, brother dearest. I don’t need your brand of negativity around me or my mate.”
“Hold up. Not so fast.” Wes held up his hand. “If Myka owes you a favor, and I heard him agree that he did, then I know exactly how Myka can pay his debt to you.”
Oh, this is going to be a doozy, Cass thought with a malicious chuckle as he noted the resolve on Wes’s face.
Chapter Thirteen
The last coherent thing Wesley could remember was sinking his teeth into Cass’s shoulder and seeing their spirit halves go through a meet and greet. He did not expect to be woken up by two demons yelling at each other loud enough to wake the dead. And he rather wished he wasn’t naked while addressing one of Cass’s brothers. But something about Myka rubbed his fur up the wrong way, and he’d do anything he could to wipe that smug look off the tiny demon’s face.
“You knew about me and the kids being hidden down here, am I right?”
“We deal in favors down here, half-breed,” Myka sneered. “Information is the only currency worth anything. I was just waiting for someone to pay my price before sharing what I knew.”
“Well, your information asset got wiped out, didn’t it, and you didn’t make anything out of it at all. Cass found me and the kids without your help, so your knowledge about that is worthless. The kids are safe, and so am I. But we lost a month where we could have been together, and for that you owe Cass a favor. As I’m Cass’s mate and everything we ever own is now shared, that means I can call that favor in, right?”
“Semantics, but yes.” Myka let out his put-upon sigh. “What is it you want me to do? I’m not hopping into bed with you, no matter how much you beg. My tastes run to someone more powerful than you’ll ever be.”
Wes allowed Myka’s slur to run off his shoulders. “And I wouldn’t touch you with someone else’s dick, so we’re even. No, you spent time with the dark ones. Where’s Raff’s ex-home pack?”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” But from the way Myka stuck his nose in the air, and wouldn’t look at him, Wes knew he was onto something.
“Myka,” Cass growled.
“It’s okay,” Wes said, his heart warming at Cass’s reactions. “I should have known a little pipsqueak demon didn’t share the confidences of the dark ones anyway. He’s just talking up a big game and the dark ones aren’t around anymore so no one can say if he’s lying. And in fact, it works in our favor, if Myka doesn’t know where the red wolves are.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t know anything,” Myka said quickly, but Wes ignored him, and patted the space beside him on the bed.
“Come here, babe.”
“What’s all this about?” Cass asked, taking the seat. “I heard about Raff’s ex-pack of red wolves going missing, but I had other things on my mind at the time.”
Wes nodded. “They were Raff’s family and original home pack. He’s mated to Nereus and Teilo. Raff got kicked out of his family for being gay. Red wolves are on the verge of extinction as a species, and there are even fewer red wolf shifters. The fact that Raff couldn’t give them any pups meant he wasn’t welcome anymore. So, he left, and was in quite a bad way when he got found by Scott, who’s alpha mate of the San Antonio pack.
“Anyhow, long story short, Raff met Nereus in San Antonio, but there was some deranged serial killer or something after Raff, which is how they ended up in Cloverleah. There they met and mated with Teilo. But Raff always missed his parents and wanted to know how the pack was doing – they lived in some remote part of the country. Nereus took them there, but when they got there the whole pack had just disappeared and been gone for months by the looks of things. Just up and vanished, like some major mystery which no one could solve.”
“Kane seemed to think they were being held down here, the same as you and the littlies,” Cass nodded. “He offered to pay for me to look for them, but I was so pissed off at how they talked about you, I left in a huff and wouldn’t listen.”
“There’s money involved?” Myka chimed in quickly.
Wes continued to ignore Myka, focusing on his mate. “With what happened with my doppelganger, I’m not surprised the pack are struggling with how to cope with the knowledge I’m alive.” He inhaled sharply, letting the breath out slowly. It was going to take a long while before the hurt completely eased. “The thing is though, when Raff realized his family were gone, everyone, and I mean everyone, tried to locate them. Thanatos couldn’t pick up their energy signatures anywhere and could only say they weren’t dead. The Fates weren’t talking. Gods looked, every realm was searched except this one and no one knew how to approach Hades about it.”
“Hades has been a lot more approachable since he found his mate, but prior to that, it probably wouldn’t have been worth asking him either,” Cass said. “I can see the similarities. The pack got the same results when they tried to find you which was why my annoying brother was asked to help and passed on the job to me.”
“I’m so glad he did.” Wes grinned. “Can you imagine me being rescued by a mini-demon and his motor mouth? The cheetahs would have probably slammed the door in his face or run rings around him trying to piss him off.”
“The wolf pups would have pooped in his shoes and he’d have fainted dead away if he got a load of baby Em’s diapers. Gods, that would’ve been so funny,” Cass chuckled playing along.
“I’m standing right here,” Myka protested.
“So, you see, my lovely demon,” Wes continued, still ignoring Myka, “I’m extremely glad it was you who strode into this house that day, creating the play yard for the children, and taking care of baby Em without fuss.” Wes leaned forward, making sure the blanket was still covering his bottom half, and kissed Cass softly. “I’m soooo glad it was you.”
Cass’s eyes heated and while Wes would be more than happy to pull his mate back into bed with him, he hadn’t forgotten Myka was still in the room.
And apparently pissed off at being ignored. “Excuse me. I’m not going to sit here watching you two play lovey-dovey all day. You said you had a job for me and there was money involved.”
“You already said you knew nothing,” Wes said casually, not even bothering to look in Myka’s direction. “I can believe that. I can’t see the dark ones taking a low-level demon like yourself into their confidence. I don’t even know why you’re still here. It’s not like you or any other demon can access Cloverleah and pass on any shred of information you thought you could barter with, except for my wonderful Cass, of course. So, meh; you’ll still owe Cass a favor. I’m sure between the two of us we’ll come up with something delightfully awful for you. Now, fuck off little demon and leave us grownups to have some adult time.”
Myka exploded.
Not in the literal sense like poor Pelham’s body did when Vassago drove Myka out of it, but his mouth could pour scorn like molten lava and his face twisted in anger. “Who the fuck are you to tell me to get out? This is the Underworld. You shouldn’t even be here unless my brother is fucking a corpse. And I’m not a low-level demon, you ass-wipe. I’m level five, almost six and those dark ones trusted me plenty. I know all about the plot to steal the red wolves and turn their kiddies into paranormal soldiers and it was me who suggested the dark ones steal those other kids from their parents, and see if other shifter types could be trained as well. I’m the one…”
“You got those kids captured and their parents killed?” Cass moved off the bed so fast Wes’s head spun. Cass had Myka pinned on the ground, and he was in his full demon form; his muscles bulging and smoke pouring out of his nose. “You’re the one responsible for making those sweet kiddies orphans?”
“Not me. No.” Myka kicked out, but it was clear he couldn’t shift, or move Cass in his current form. “You misunderstood me. I mean, the dark ones were already talking about it, but it was the scientists experimenting on the fur balls that killed those kids’ parents. I had nothing to do with that side of things. I didn’t do it. Cass no. I’ll tell mama on you!”
Wrapping the blanket more securely around his middle, Wes slid off the bed. It did look like Cass was choking Myka, whose face was now almost as red as Cass’s shifted skin color. “Cass. Cass, babe. Your brother’s going a funny color.” He reached out, touching Cass’s shoulder, unsurprised to find it hot under his fingertips.
“That little Carrie is a sweet fawn,” Cass growled between dropped fangs. “She’s no threat to anyone, and I’ll bet her parents weren’t either. And baby Em? She’ll never know what it would be like to be held by her mama. And what about Frankie, having to grow up before his years? He doesn’t know what it’s like to play like a regular boy. He’ll be scarred by this for years and this little shit knew about it the whole time.”