Marked

by Sean Michael

  On it.

  They moved closer, creeping toward the invaders.

  “Which way’s their base, William? This shit’s creepy.”

  Another nodded, spoke. “We’re not used to the woods.”

  Cody heard Mick and the others before William and his men did, before Mick made their presence known, so he was ready for the sound of the shotgun cocking, for it to come out of from the cover of the trees. “We are. And they’re our woods. You’re trespassing.”

  Cody and the others came forward, four fully grown wolves, teeth bared.

  William and his men all brought their own guns up, some of them aiming at him and the other wolves, William himself aiming at Mick’s head. “You might have the animals on your side, but they’re no match for guns, and you’re just one man.”

  Mick chuckled as Vinnie and the men from the Northern Packs who’d already arrived slid out from the forest. They were all armed as well.

  Cody snarled, teeth bared, drawing the man’s attention. Here. Right here. So his pack could attack.

  William’s gun shifted to him, the man sneering. “There’s the abomination.”

  “Back off and leave now and no one gets hurt.” Mick’s aim never wavered.

  The others slid around and he barked. Pay attention. Over here.

  “If you don’t kill him, I will. Before he sullies our bloodlines,” William insisted.

  Mick’s reply was simple, clear. “Fuck you.”

  The others were close, ready to attack, and Cody growled deep in his throat, giving them a chance, keeping the rifles trained on him.

  “I’ll kill him, don’t think I won’t.”

  “You can try,” Mick said softly, a dangerous note in his voice.

  William shouted, finger squeezing the trigger.

  Fire burned into Cody’s side and he cried out, legs collapsing underneath him. Oh.

  Mate! Barker’s worry filled his mind.

  More gunfire sounded, William going down.

  Mate. Are the babies safe? He could hear his heartbeat, so loud.

  There’s no one here. They’re fine. What happened?

  They have guns. Mick came.

  Are you safe?

  Mick and the men he was with swarmed around the remaining interlopers, pulling the wolves off them.

  Love you. He couldn’t lie.

  Mate. He could hear Barker growling as if his mate were right there. I’m coming to you.

  No. Your Pack. You protect the pups. They’ll bring me to you. He panted through a wave of pain that was followed by bitter cold. The winter was coming.

  Barker’s answer was simply a growl, low and worried, angry.

  Vinnie came over, hands gentle on him. “We’ve got them, Cody. You did good. Where does it hurt?”

  He cried out when Vinnie touched his side, his chest, and he heard the muffled curse.

  Mate!

  “Mick! We need to get Cody to Sally. Now.”

  Love you. Always. Cody needed Barker to know that.

  Hold on, I’m coming.

  You protect the pups.

  Somebody lifted him and he barked, whined.

  Mate! Mate! Barker felt frantic in his mind.

  Love. He hurt. He was placed in the truck and they took off, each bounce bringing with it a fresh pain.

  Mate. Mate. Mate.

  So tired.

  So cold.

  Mate. Love you. Don’t you leave me.

  Home. Finally came home. Cody sighed, muscles going lax.

  They went over another bump, and the last thing he heard as the pain disappeared into darkness was Barker yelling out his name.

  Chapter Twenty

  Barker was fucking beside himself. He felt Cody through the bond, knew his mate was hurt, and then nothing, absolutely nothing. He paced up and down on Riana’s porch, howling brokenly until the truck came bouncing into the clearing.

  He was off like a shot, making for the truck before it even pulled to a stop.

  “Sally! We need you!” Vinnie’s voice rang out. “Cody’s been shot!”

  “Fuck!” Barker climbed onto the truck bed and pushed Vinnie out of the way. “Cody!” Mate! He screamed through their bond.

  He felt something, a flutter, a whimper, a whisper.

  Yes. That’s it. Don’t you dare leave me.

  He barely noticed Sally joining him in the truck, all his focus and concentration on Cody, on connecting with his mate and lending his strength to Cody’s. His mate was breathing slowly, tongue out, blood pooling under him.

  “We need to move him, anesthetize him.” Sally’s dark eyes met his. “We have to stop the bleeding, see to his heart.”

  “I’ll do it.” He ground the words out; he wasn’t letting anyone else take his mate. I swear, Cody, you better stay here with me.

  Mate. The word was there when his slid his hands under the limp body.

  “Yes!” He gathered Cody’s body close, the fur matted with blood. Stay with me. Stay with me. He chanted the words over and over through their bond.

  “In here, Barker. Someone get me more light!” The makeshift clinic was a room in Sally’s house, with a set of cabinets and a covered table.

  Riana came up. “Oh, no. Brother!”

  “He’s going to be fine.” Barker snarled the words; there was no lamenting, no worrying. Cody was going to live.

  “Did they stop them?”

  They sure as shit better have; he was going to be even more pissed if Cody had been hurt in vain.

  “Yeah.” Vince nodded. “William is dead. Mick has the other three. Danny’s going back with rope and the truck.”

  Satisfaction went through Barker at Vince’s words. A small part of him would have liked to have dispatched William himself, but his Pack had done the job and that was good enough.

  “What can we do?” Riana asked, going with Vince.

  Barker looked at Sally. “What are you waiting for? Fix him!”

  “Get the hell out of the way. I’ll need someone to stay, hold him.”

  “That’ll be me.” He wasn’t leaving Cody’s side. The Pack would have to finish up whatever they needed to without him.

  “Are you sure, Barker?” Sally’s eyes met his. “It will be messy.”

  “I’m not leaving him, Sally. He’s my mate.” You hear that, Cody? I’m not leaving you, so you’re just going to have to get better.

  No response. None.

  “Okay, I’m giving him something to keep him out. The bullet’s in there, and we’ll have to dig it out.”

  Barker closed his eyes and nodded. “Just do it.”

  “Talk to him, huh? It helps.” She shaved Cody’s leg, started an IV, and then started working.

  His poor mate.

  “Sally’s going to make you better.” He babbled away, hardly paying any attention to his words. The whole time he kept murmuring, Mate. Love you. Love you, through their bond.

  “There. There it is. Jesus. Don’t let him move, Barker. Don’t let him fucking move. Pray.”

  He held his mate down, using both hands. “Stay still, Cody. Just lie there and let Sally fix you.” Don’t move. For me. Don’t move.

  Barker?

  Love! Oh, mate. Don’t move. Sally is helping, but it might hurt. Don’t move.

  Barker, it’s dark.

  He almost chuckled. Cody’s eyes were closed.

  It’s night. And your eyes are closed. Keep ‘em closed.

  “I’ve almost got it. Please, Mother Moon, don’t let him move. Please.”

  No moving, mate. You’ll piss Sally off if you do.

  Love. Cody whimpered.

  I know. I know. It’ll be over soon, I promise. And then you’ll heal and we’ll go romp in the woods.

  “There. Oh, fuck. There.” Sally held up a bullet, almost howling. “Here. Look.”

  He did, growling as he saw the metal that had injured his mate.

  “It’s out. I’ll pack the wound, bind it, but…it’s the best case scenario, Ba
rker.”

  “Good.” You’re going to be okay. He couldn’t keep the relief out of his thoughts.

  Hurt. Hurt.

  Sally was washing the wound, Cody whimpering.

  “Shh. Shh, I have you.” He pushed strength and love through the bond, trying to take the pain from his mate.

  “I’m going to put him deeper into sleep, now that I know the bullet’s out.”

  “Okay.”

  You’re going to sleep now. Sleep and heal. I’ll be here when you wake up. He might never let Cody out of his sight again.

  Sleep. The words were fuzzy, distant.

  Yes, mate. Sleep. Love. Heal.

  Mick’s head popped in. “Barker, we need you to identify these men with the other Alphas present. We need this over.”

  “I’ll be there in a minute.” He stroked Cody’s fur. Sleep. I love you.

  Cody’s thoughts were quiet buzzes.

  He kissed his mate’s muzzle. “Thank you, Sally.”

  “He’ll be fine, you’ll see. Go make sure they never come back and bother our Pack.”

  “Yeah.” He growled, the corner of his upper lip curling. “If they do, I’ll kill them myself.”

  With one last stroke to Cody’s flank, he headed out to identify the Clan members who’d come to try and take away his heart.

  There were four of them, three standing, one on the ground. The Alphas that had arrived today were snarling, pacing, and Mick was right in the middle of it.

  Barker pointed at the man on the ground, spitting. “That’s William, Clan Alpha.”

  “Was.” Mick’s lips twisted.

  Barker couldn’t contain his fierce grin. “That’s right. Was. That’s Harry O’Neal and Junior.” He pointed to each of the others in turn. These men used to be his Clan. Harry had been his friend.

  “Traitor.” That was Junior. “You let them kill our Alpha.”

  Dorian, from one of the northern packs, snorted. “Seems to me your Alpha waged war on another pack. They didn’t invade your lands.”

  Barker crossed his arms and held his ground. “You tried to kill my mate. You didn’t, though. He’s going to live.”

  “He’s an abomination, Barker. His whole family.”

  Mick snarled, the rifle butt popping out, taking Junior in the chin and felling the man.

  Yeah, that was definitely the wrong thing to say on the Packleader of a Pack built around “abominations” like Cody.

  “Maybe he’s the next evolutionary step, Harry. But that would never occur to a bunch of dinosaurs like you, would it?”

  “I don’t give a fuck what they think. I want them gone.” Mick growled deep.

  Barker wanted more than that. “I want them on trial for attempted murder.”

  “We could just kill them all,” Mick suggested, with a wicked grin.

  “Or we could move the seconds from our pack and the eastern pack in,” Harrison said. “They’re mated, they’re strong, and they both have sibs in this pack.”

  Harry started sputtering, and Barker snarled. “I want you on trial, Mick wants you dead. I think this is a compromise you should take and be fucking grateful.”

  “Jenna and Dean are strong, savvy, and both were educated in the city. They’re a good choice.” That was Rosa, Vinnie’s mate.

  It annoyed Barker that Harry and the others were going to get away with what they’d done, but if this meant the Clan would leave Cody and the Pack alone, he’d swallow his need for further vengeance. William was dead. It would have to do.

  Harry opened his mouth again and the rifle butt swung out again. Mick chuffed. “Oops. Slipped.”

  Rosa looked at Mick. “You’re not helping.”

  “No?” Mick growled. “They shot my packmate. They threatened my family, my pups. They invaded my home.”

  “And they aren’t even sorry,” added Barker. “They’ll do it again if they think they can get away with it.”

  “They won’t. They’ll have new Alphas.” Rose was one strong bitch.

  Harry looked like he was going to protest again, but Junior grabbed his arm and tugged him back. “William is dead. We need a new Alpha—you really want all the young bucks fighting each other for it? The city would be a mess.”

  “I just…”

  The men started talking hard, but Barker felt it in the air. They were going to break.

  Finally, Junior and O’Neil pushed Harry forward.

  “We’ll swear loyalty to the new Alphas.” The words were grudgingly spoken, but Barker knew, they all knew, that once loyalty had been sworn, a wolf wouldn’t go back on his word.

  “Barker?” Sally came over, touched his arm. “He won’t settle. Can you come?”

  He nodded and sent one parting shot in Harry’s direction. “If you come near my mate again, I will kill you.”

  Then he turned and headed for Sally’s house. I’m coming, mate.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Every time Cody tried to wake up, Barker was there, hushing him, holding him, petting him, and easing him down. The dreams were simple—running and hunting, the moon calling to him. Good dreams. Barker was in his dreams, too, running with him, chasing him over fields and through the forest, always whispering in his ear of love and home and their life together.

  It was hunger that drove him up out of the dreams finally. Hunger and the scent of steak.

  Barker chuckled as he blinked his eyes open. “I thought some raw meat might tempt you back to life.”

  He panted, grinned, and tried to move. There was an ache, a pull in his side, but the burn was gone. Mate. They shot me.

  “I know. They’ve paid for it, though.” Barker’s grin was positively evil. “William is dead and a Northern Pack member is now Alpha.”

  They’re gone? A fierce relief swept him. Good. I’m hungry. Barker laughed and set a bowl with two—two!—raw steaks on it down on the ground. “All yours.”

  Cody got up and padded over to the bowl, snapping the first steak up before starting on the second. Good. Good. Meat.

  Barker’s hand slid over his head and down along his body, rubbing his fur. He vocalized softly, so happy he couldn’t bear it.

  “You feel well enough to change?” Barker said it casually, but he felt his mate’s need through the bond. Barker needed to know that he could.

  Cody licked the bowl clean then crawled close to Barker. Talk to me. He concentrated on his human form, his breath, his mate.

  “I’ve been talking to you for days. While you healed. Now I want to see my human mate. I want to kiss you and touch your skin and see the scar.”

  I dreamed about you. Cody felt the change coming, and he reached for his human self, for the pleasure and the sensations that form gave him.

  “Good. You’re almost there. I want to see your face with those beautiful blue eyes, and feel your hands on my body. I want arms and legs and your lovely, ripped belly.”

  Barker. He wanted that, too.

  “I want to kiss you. I want to lick you all over and fuck you and make you come.”

  Cody moaned, landing in Barker’s arms, naked and bare and shuddering. “Mate.”

  “Cody!” Barker beamed at him, relief in his lover’s eyes as the strong arms wrapped around him and tugged him close.

  “Barker.” His mouth found Barker’s jaw, sliding along the skin, tasting salt.

  Barker growled softly, head tilting so their mouths pressed together. Barker’s hair tangled in his fingers, and he moved closer so that their bellies rubbed.

  Mate. Mate. Mate. Barker’s joy and happiness surrounded him.

  He held on, breathing as Barker began to tremble. He was safe. Whole. Home. And so was Barker.

  “Mine,” growled Barker before taking his mouth again, hard this time, harder than ever, their teeth clacking, mashing against their lips.

  He agreed wholeheartedly, and he relaxed and let Barker in, let Barker taste. Barker was clearly starving for this, for him. For them. One kiss followed the next, the need buil
ding sharply. Barker’s hands on him were gentle, though, careful on his chest, on the mostly-healed wound.

  Mate. Safe. Home. Whole. Mine. More thoughts than words, they filled his mind with Barker.

  Cody nodded, melting into each thought, soaring with them.

  Barker rolled onto his back, pulling Cody up to straddle the strong body. Ride me.

  He licked at Barker’s lips, nibbling, pulling at the bottom lip with his teeth. Teasing. Barker humped up beneath him, hips moving, sliding. That wet-tipped cock bumped his hole, demanding entrance, Barker’s need a tangible thing.

  Mate. Let me in. Need you.

  I’m right here. Whole and healthy and home. Cody eased himself down, panting as Barker stretched him.

  Here. My mate. Barker’s hands wrapped around his hips.

  “Yes.” He met Barker’s eyes. “Home with our Pack.”

  “Yes!” Barker’s hips snapped, driving his mate’s cock deep.

  “Home to run. The moon’s coming soon.” For the first time, they’d run together with a pack.

  Barker put his head back, a decent howl coming from his human throat. Cody threw his own head back, his call joining his mate’s. From outside their cabin, many other voices—wolf and human—joined in.

  Their Pack.

  Home.

  They were home.

  They were home and safe.

  About the Author

  Often referred to as “Space Cowboy” and “Gangsta of Love” while still striving for the moniker of “Maurice,” Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and pursuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to “Chicago.”

  A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.