by Sean Michael
The strongest one of all was Cody.
Chapter Eleven
Barker lay on the grass in a clearing, the sunlight warm and good on his skin. He didn’t have a clue how far away from the cabin they were, but he didn’t much care either. He and Cody had run and hunted and played all night long, and now he was exhausted. The grass felt good under his back, though, and the sun was making him sleepy.
Just one thing was missing. Mate? He called out for his lover.
Cody loped over to him, plopped down beside him, still fuzzy. Mate.
Barker laughed. “You’re still wolfed out, babe.”
Oops. Cody stared at him, and Barker could see the man trying.
“You like the wolf better than the man.” He was teasing, but he also thought maybe it was true.
Of course, Cody had ten years’ worth of full moons to make up for.
The human slowly appeared, took form. “No. It’s easier, fuzzy.”
Barker nodded. It was. Everything got distilled down to base instincts. He slid his hand over Cody’s belly. “Some things are better like this, though.”
“Mmm.” Cody’s cock started hardening.
“Yes. That.” He laughed and rolled over onto his mate, finding Cody’s mouth for a lazy kiss.
“Your butt’s going to sunburn…”
“I’ll risk it.” Some things were more important.
He let himself look at Cody for a minute, to admire. His mate was filling out, becoming healthier, happier. There wasn’t even a scar from where that asshole had knifed his lover. The memory of that and how it had probably exposed Cody had him growling again, and he bent to take Cody’s mouth to keep from vocalizing it.
Easy. I’m right here. Yes. And Cody would stay that way.
Mate. Mine. Barker rubbed their bodies together, the need right there at the surface, just like always—moon or no moon.
Cody’s belly was warm, soft against his cock. He licked into Cody’s mouth, his mate tasting so good, so right.
“Horny bastard.” Cody muttered before his tongue slipped against Barker’s, caressing him lazily.
“And you’re not?” Don’t you want me?
With every inch of me.
“Well then. You’re a pot and I’m a kettle.”
Cody whistled and then cracked up, the laughter pushing between Barker’s lips. He sucked it in, along with Cody’s tongue, kissing his mate hard. The laughter died away, Cody diving into it, fingers tangling in his hair. He let Cody lead this time, opening his mouth to his mate.
“Stop wallowing in the dirt, you two. We’ve got business to discuss.” He stilled, shocked, body covering Cody’s as he looked up into shockingly familiar blue eyes. The female looked just like Cody. Just. Well, except for the breasts and the hugely pregnant belly.
He leaped up, growling, standing between the woman and his mate. “This is private land,” he snarled. What if the Elders had sent her? He dismissed the thought immediately. She was pregnant and he would have seen her before.
“You think?” Long blonde hair was twisted up into a casual bun. “Looking good, Cody. You grew up well.”
“I don’t think—I know this is private land. It belongs to me.” Who the hell was this woman?
She laughed, nodded, and there wasn’t a hint of fear on her. “I’m fully aware that this is John’s land.”
John? His grandfather? “Just who the hell are you?” He stayed between her and Cody, still on full alert, still protecting his mate.
Blue eyes rolled. “Don’t snarl at me. Cody, don’t you know me? Even a little bit?”
Cody shook his head, stepping to one side. “No. No, I don’t think so.”
“Don’t make me ask you again—who the fuck are you?” Barker might have been more polite to a woman, and a pregnant one at that, except he and Cody were naked as jaybirds and she was trespassing on his fucking land. There wasn’t supposed to be anyone else here.
“Cody.” Her eyes began to glow, her face changing.
“Riana.” Cody stumbled forward. “You’re dead!”
Riana? Cody’s oldest sister? No. No way. She’d died years ago. Not only that, this woman was changing. Just like Cody could, in full sunlight. Barker wrapped his arms around Cody, the instinct to protect his mate still strong.
Cody growled softly, and Riana stepped closer. “Brother.” The word was a deep growl.
“You’re dead.” Barker repeated the words flatly. This wasn’t making any sense.
“Cast Out.”
“You’re too young to be her.”
Riana snorted, tossed her hair. “I’m almost forty. Too fucking old to be whelping again, that’s for sure.”
He felt Cody shiver, body trying to change behind him.
Don’t. Don’t let her know you can change during the day.
Is she real? Is it her? Barker could smell the panic on Cody.
She’s there, but I don’t know if she’s who she says she is. Stay calm.
Cody’s fingers clenched his.
“I’m not going away, boys. We have to talk. The Clan’s coming for you.”
“You going to let us put on some clothes first?” Barker asked. He didn’t trust her, not for a second.
“Sure.” Those glowing eyes met Cody’s. “Want to run with me?”
I don’t trust her, mate.
Cody frowned at her. “I don’t know you.”
“Liar.” She smiled, winked, and headed back toward the cabin, unafraid.
Barker growled. He didn’t like this. Not at all. This woman who looked so much like his Cody, acting like she owned his land. His land where Cody was supposed to be safe from the Elders, from the Clan.
He took Cody’s hand and slowly followed.
* * * * *
“I didn’t think you’d ever change, you know? I thought you’d have done it already if you were like us.”
Cody stared at the woman, trying to remember what he knew of his oldest sister. He’d been a child—five or six—when she died. Disappeared. Went away.
Barker growled and handed him his jeans, his mate already having pulled on a pair of his own. “Start talking. From the beginning.”
“Well, I was born. Grew up. Got boobs. Then Mom whelped this little shithead.” She was laughing at him, but the sound was oddly joyous. “You were so cute when you were born, so quick.”
“Stop it. My sister is dead.” Riana was dead.
Those blue eyes went hard as glass. “Should I remind you, Cody? How they come all in a group—how there are guns and knives and rocks? How they drive you to the end of the packlands? How they whip you until you bleed?”
Cody growled, teeth baring.
Barker puffed up, stepping half in front of him—protecting him. “You’re like Cody then. You couldn’t change and now you can?”
“Yes. I was mated, and the change didn’t come. They drove me out and my mate followed me. We’re up in the high mountains—about six of us from all over the continent. Well, four families and two Out Cast. Their mates didn’t come. I have babies. There are four; this is number five.”
Cody listened to her go on and on. No. No, there was no way. “Go away.”
Barker backed him up immediately. “You heard him. This is my land. Get off it.”
“They’re coming, boys. The Clan. They’ll say they’re sorry and then draw you in, and the first time you change in the light, outside the moon, they’ll make you pay.”
“I won’t deal with the Clan.” He hated them.
Barker growled. “The Clan has done enough because he couldn’t change; they’re not touching him again.”
“You don’t think the Elders want to know why?”
Barker sucked in a breath. “You mean they’d take him apart to figure it out, don’t you?” Mate, check the road, make sure no one’s coming. This is my land, you should be safe here.
I have to get out of here. He wasn’t going back. Ever.
Check the road then come back and we’ll fi
gure it out. Barker looked at him, met his eyes and held them. I’m not losing you.
Promise? He needed to know.
Mine, mate. For always. If they come for you, they have to go through me first.
Riana, if that was really her, growled at them. “Are you listening to me?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be leaving?”
“Yes, but you’re my baby brother and I’m risking my mate’s hissy fit by coming to help you. Asshole.”
“Where the hell were you when he didn’t change on his first full moon?” Barker demanded.
“Three hundred miles away with my family!” Her teeth flashed. “I got a call warning me that he couldn’t change, that he was in trouble.”
“And you didn’t come for him.” Barker snarled, and Cody thought he heard guilt in the words.
“No.” She met Cody’s eyes. “I changed when I got pregnant. I thought…I thought it would be worse, being with us, knowing you were screwed.”
Cody chuffed softly, shrugged. “I didn’t get pregnant.”
“That’s for damn sure.” Barker started pacing, a low growl in his chest. “We can get in the truck, go until the moon hits again.”
“Go where?” That exhaustion hit Cody again, deep and low. This was ridiculous. “I don’t have any connections with the Pack.”
“No, but I do, obviously,” Riana noted. “Your return had my phone ringing.”
“We’re safe here,” growled Barker. “And if you want to make a stand here, we will. This is my land. They can’t just come here and take you.” Barker growled at Riana as he said this last.
Riana growled back. “I’m not taking anyone. If you want to stay, stay. You’re an adult. You’re also my baby brother…my…”
“Prove it.” He’d had enough.
“What?”
“Prove you’re Riana.”
Her laughter surprised him. “That’s easy. It was storming when you were born, you’re allergic to strawberries, you have a weird birthmark on your inner thigh. You were scared of roosters when you were a little boy, and you had a stuffed cat named ‘Wicket’ that you slept with until the other boys found out and teased you.”
Does that make her legit? Would anyone else know that?
Cody shook his head. One or two of those, yes. All of it? No.
So she’s real. What do you want to do? If we make her go away, we can plan. Because she’s not explaining anything.
“Look, stay, go. Whatever. I wanted to warn you, offer you somewhere safe. I have a family to get back to, a home in the country.” Her eyes met his, chilly. “Whatever you want, kiddo.”
“You didn’t say anything when I was driven out.”
“No. Just think how much more fun it is for a girl who’s still reeling from losing her virginity.”
“Hey, lady, just stop with the one-upmanship. You obviously survived it. Think how much nicer it would have been if there was someone there for you who knew what the fuck was going on.” Barker bristled and growled, clearly still not happy about her presence.
“I did. So did you. If you need me, I’m there. Well, I’ll be fuzzy in about two weeks until the pups are old enough, but my mate knows how to use a phone…”
That made Cody blink, shake his head. “I can’t do this, not right now.”
Barker stepped forward again, making Riana take a step back. “You’ve been told to get out, now go.”
She flipped him off. Then she just turned and headed away, not saying another word.
“Fucking hell. Mate?” Barker turned to him, reached out for him.
“I should go.” This was all fucked up.
Barker shook his head. “You’re not running away from me. If you’re going somewhere, I’m coming with you.” Barker took his arm and drew him close. Are you okay?
No! No. I…The wolf was on him, so quickly he couldn’t stop it.
Mate. Mate. It’s going to be okay. You’re not alone. Barker dropped and held him, rubbed his fur.
He keened, angry and frightened, lost and a little ill. Was he so wrong, so ill-made that no one could welcome him? Barker just kept holding him, petting him, a human-sounding howl answering him. He let himself push closer, head butting into Barker.
“I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere. Whatever’s coming, we will face it together.”
He howled softly, head so heavy.
“Cody. I love you, mate. I have you.” Barker growled a little.
Love. That word rushed through him.
Yes, mate. Love you.
What were they going to do? Where would they go?
“Do you trust her?” Barker asked him, hands still petting him, stroking over his flanks.
Why are we like this? She could change.
Something in your family, I guess. I don’t know.
You should have killed me.
Barker snarled at him. “No! There’s nothing wrong with you. You are special.” Fingers digging into his fur, Barker shook him a little.
Broken.
“You are not! Look at you! You’re the wolf in the sunshine! You can speak to me in my head. You so aren’t broken.”
Cody pressed into Barker’s hands, vocalizing softly.
“Not broken. The rest of us are. We can’t do what you can do.”
He rested his muzzle on Barker’s thigh. He needed to think. To run. To do something.
I’d change if I could. Change back?
He wouldn’t, except for the need in Barker’s voice. The strong hands slid over him, rubbing against his fur, Barker’s need to touch him clear through their link. He focused on his skin, his body, his legs, long and lean.
“Cody.” Groaning, Barker pressed their lips together.
He nodded, staring into those worried eyes.
“Together,” murmured Barker. “We’ll face it together. I won’t abandon you, I swear.”
“You have a life here, in the city, with the Clan.”
“I had a half-life in the city until I got you back. And do you think I want to stay with people who would take you apart?”
Cody hoped not. “I won’t leave you again,” he promised. “And I won’t leave you. And I won’t let them have you. You’re amazing and you’re mine. We’ll run or fight or hide, but we’ll do it together.” Barker was all growl.
“You swear it?”
“I swear it.” The words echoed through their link as well. Swear it.
Swear. This was his mate. They belonged together.
Barker sealed it with a kiss. They needed to stop running in circles, now. Needed to stop chasing their tails. Barker didn’t stop kissing him until they were both breathless and panting.
“What do you want to do?” Barker asked.
“We need to figure this out. We haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Riana seemed to think they were coming for you anyway. She’s right, and I won’t let them have you.”
“Is my father still alive?” His mother had died when Riana did. No, when Riana left.
Barker he shook his head. “He died around when…well. I don’t know. Maybe he is. I don’t know.”
“He wasn’t there. Your family was, my uncles, but Da wasn’t. I thought he was there with my brothers, but now…” He shook his head. “I just assumed he was. Now I can’t remember him being there at all.”
“None of this makes sense.” Barker growled. “And I think we need to assume we’re on our own.”
“So what do we do? Do we go to the Clan, tell them to leave us alone? They haven’t done anything yet.”
“Yet.” Barker shook his head. “I remember what they did to you when you didn’t change. Riana was right, they’re not going to let you just be.”
He thought so, too. Cody shivered, pulled into himself a bit.
Barker held him close. “I don’t trust them.” There was something hard and sad in Barker’s voice.
“I don’t, either. They hate me.”
“Then we don’t go to them. Maybe we d
on’t go back at all.”
“Where would we go? You have a job, a place, a life…” He had…Barker.
“I don’t know. But if we go back, they’ll try to do something to you.” Barker shook his head. “I don’t know. We can’t risk it.”
“You could go back; I could stay here.” He could stay fuzzy, hunt.
“Did we or did we not already talk about how we weren’t leaving each other this time?”
“We did. I was offering.” Butthead.
“Well, stop offering. It makes me think you don’t believe me when I tell you I’m not letting you go.”
“You don’t have to let me go. I’ll stay here, wait for you.” He’d waited on Barker for ten years, hurting. This would be easy.
“Too risky.”
Cody lifted his head. “Am I risking you? Now?”
“I didn’t mean for me.
“But…” He sighed, leaned in. “Why did you have to mate with a freak?”
“Stop that.” Barker growled and wrapped both arms around him.
He almost grinned. “It’s true, though.”
“You’re special. There’s a difference.”
“I’m a circus freak.” Oh, maybe he could get a job doing that.
“Stop it!” Barker growled and pushed him down. “You’re not. You’re my mate.”
“Your freaky mate.” He was—almost—tickled.
“Stop it,” Barker demanded again, mouth covering his, shutting him up.
He pushed into the kiss, trying to out-alpha his Alpha. Barker had the advantage of position, though, leaning over him and pressing him into the ground as his mouth was invaded. He bit Barker’s bottom lip, tugging. Barker growled and bit back and Cody’s eyes went wide, body arching with the zing of the sensation. Barker chuckled and deepened the kiss, one hand roaming over his skin.
“Don’t laugh at me,” he grumbled low, pushing the words between Barker’s lips.
“Touchy,” muttered Barker, grabbing his tongue and pulling on it.
He grinned, groaned, nodded. Barker’s kisses grew toothy, sharp. They should be planning. Or something. Barker dove into loving on him, making him feel so good. His back slid along the smooth, old floor, and their legs twined together, denim rasping.
“Fuck. Mate.” Jerking against him, Barker wasn’t smooth in the least, but it felt so right.