Winterstoke Wolves Collection : An MM Mpreg Shifter Romance Bundle

by Sasha Silsbury

  His presence is a comfort to Thomas at least, if not to the other omegas who didn’t grow up with him.

  Thomas takes a seat beside Gregor on the soft ground and makes small talk while the big alpha eats.

  It turns out that Jax and Luke are both mated. Gregor isn’t.

  “Adam isn’t either,” Gregor mentions far too casually. “Hasn’t even has a boyfriend in ages. He doesn’t do a lot of dating.”

  Thomas doesn’t know how to answer that so instead he chats about the various Warwick cousins.

  “Where’ve you even been?” Gregor finally asks through a mouth full of chili. “Haven’t heard a peep out of you or half your clan for years.”

  “Fort Gosford, mostly. I’ve been meaning to get in touch, but you know how it goes.”

  “That I do,” Gregor says, scooping up chili with his spoon. “Hell, did this stuff really come out of a can? It’s good.”

  “I guess so,” Thomas says. Gregor hasn’t changed much. He always was a good eater, and not a particularly fussy one either.

  “A lot’s changed since you were last here,” Gregor says.

  “Oh yeah? Like what?”

  “Well, Dad died for one thing.”

  “I was sorry to hear about that. I know he wasn’t well.”

  Gregor shrugs. “It was a long time ago, and it’s not like we didn’t see it coming. Adam had to grow up a lot. I mean Dad put him in charge at eighteen, but it wasn’t the same thing. He just did what Dad told him. He hero-worshipped the man. You must remember that.”

  Oh yes. He wasn’t about to forget. Every second sentence Adam said back then started with “Dad says...”

  Thomas keeps diplomatically silent. Adam Winterstoke Senior had been an old-fashioned alpha through and through.

  Some of that was a good thing, but a lot of it wasn’t.

  “Adam did well though once the old man was gone,” Gregor continues. “He stopped drinking, started the bakery. Stopped being such a douche.” Gregor laughs out loud suddenly. “I mean, I know you and he had a thing back then, but he was a douche. You’ll have to admit that’s true.”

  “Yeah,” Thomas says. “I remember.”

  Gregor scrapes the last bit of chili off of the plate with a sigh, then stretches. “That’s good stuff. Thanks.”

  “No prob,” Thomas says, taking the plate and standing up. “I better get back in and make sure Ivan’s in bed. I feel a bit bad about leaving you outside tonight, but—”

  “Nah, don’t worry about it. I can scent how much they don’t want me in there. I’ll be fine out here. The wolf doesn’t mind the night air.”

  Thomas smiles. “I’ll bring you a blanket anyway in case you need it.”

  He turns to leave, but Gregor stops him with a “Thomas?”

  The tone is suddenly serious. Thomas doesn’t turn round. He shuts his eyes and says, “Mm?”

  “Is he Adam’s kid? Your Ivan.”

  There it is. This is one more point in time where the secret could just put on weight and get heavier and heavier until it crushes him completely.

  If he lets it.

  Shame floods through him. He’s had no excuse to keep this from Adam. None. Or at least no excuse that was anything but an excuse.

  “Yes, he’s Adam’s.”

  There’s silence. Gregor is either waiting for Thomas to turn around and say something, or maybe he just doesn’t know what to say himself.

  Thomas doesn’t turn around. He stands where he is, his whole body hot with tension. He can’t face looking Gregor in the eye.

  “Just let me tell him,” he says. “I should have done it long ago.”

  “Okay.”

  ADAM

  cousins and apple blossoms

  Barbara Warwick is bleeding from a cut above her left eye. The blood has trickled down the side of her face and spilled onto the collar of her pale blue shirt.

  There’s a young omega in his early twenties by her side. Adam doesn’t recognise him but he has the distinctive black hair and blue eye combination that marks him as a Warwick. He’s staring at the farmhouse with an intensity strong enough that Adam would only be half surprised if the whole place burst into flames.

  Barbara’s eyes are bright with restrained fury. The sounds of crashing emanate from the house behind her.

  Lex and other assorted Warwick alphas are crowded around them. Lex has his eyes shut tight and Adam can scent the rage rolling off of him.

  “Don’t,” Barbara snarls, putting her hand out against Lex’s chest, holding him back. “Let the little shits take it out on the furniture. Don’t give them the excuse. No challenges. As long as we don’t give them an excuse to fight us, we can still win this.”

  Lex doesn’t react. He looks as if he’s barely holding it together.

  Adam stands helplessly by his truck and grits his teeth. Barbara is right.

  Pack law is messy and complicated, but so far Ronmin doesn’t have the excuse yet to use his superior strength to just take what he wants. He’s trying to provoke an in.

  Adam knows she’s right. It doesn’t make it any easier.

  Eli Foster of the Foster pack throws Adam a frustrated look. Adam doesn’t know how Eli knew what was going down, but he’s grateful for his presence.

  Eli’s hands are clenched into fists. He’s struggling with this as much as Adam is.

  Adam arrived five minutes ago to this: his allies standing around while Aidan Ronmin makes a pointless display of force.

  Ronmin and his men are easily outnumbered. Barbara and her allies could take them down in, but Ronmin has a dozen packs at his back and only a handful of wolves from those packs are here.

  Fight them and the Aylewood allies might win the battle, but they’ll lose the war.

  This is what Ronmin wants, Adam tells himself. The air is flooded with furious, protective alpha pheromones.

  He got here too late to find out why Barbara is bleeding. He’ll get the full story later. For now, all he and his allies can do is stand by and watch while Ronmin’s men trash the Warwick farm. If they try to hurt anyone, they’ll be there to stop it, but Adam doesn’t think it’ll come to that.

  It feels strange, standing here on land that he hasn’t stepped on in a decade, feeling the rage of his allies around him and able to do nothing other than stand where he is and wait for it to be over.

  His leg is beginning to ache but he stands his ground. If he could just walk for a few minutes or sit down, it would help, but now is not the time to show weakness.

  Evidently, he’s showing something because Barbara speaks up suddenly. “Lex. Adam. Could you go check on the brewery? It’s one thing if they smash it up but if they piss in the barrels, we’ll need to know about it.”

  Lex nods, and they both move. The Warwick brewery is set a short distance from the farmhouse, beyond the orchards. Lex walks fast under blossom-bright branches, and Adam does his best to keep up. He’s left his cane in the truck and is feeling its loss.

  They move towards the combined scents of hops and fermenting apples. It pulls a flood of heat into his chest at the memory of the last times he was here.

  When they’re out of hearing range, Lex nods towards the leg and says, “So, how bad it is it?”

  Adam wants to lie and tell him it’s fine. He swallows his pride instead.

  “It’s bad and getting worse. I need surgery but it’s going to put me flat on my back for weeks. I just can’t take the time right now.”

  “I’m sorry,” Lex says.

  Adam shrugs. It is what it is.

  The brewery comes into view through the trees. Lex unlocks the gate and holds it open for Adam. It’s dead quiet. No sound of alphas, or the scent of them. There’s nothing but the quiet whirr of the air conditioner, and scent of apples.

  Adam sighs to himself and turns to Lex. “Was this an excuse to get me out of there?”

  “Maybe. You looked like you were beginning to struggle.”

  “I can handle myself.”
>
  A look of surprise crosses Lex’s face. “I know that. Look, I know Barbara has been hard on you because of everything that happened with Thomas, but we’re still allies. Still friends. We’re going to make your life easier if we can. Besides, we do actually need to check the brewery.” He laughs suddenly. “And if Barbara didn’t also want me out of there, I’ll eat my hat.”

  Adam stops. “Thanks man. I appreciate that.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  They walk in silence around the building, checking that everything is locked and secured.

  After a few minutes, Lex snorts. “Guess Ronmin’s saving his little tantrum for the farmhouse. You know, Thom and I have been living in Fort Gosford for years now, and Ronmin has been a complete jerk the whole time. Most guys take over a pack, throw their weight around a bit, then settle down. Not Ronmin. The more power he gets, the more he waves his dick about.”

  Adam nods. He reaches over and pushes the handle down on one of the doors, checking that it’s still locked. “That’s my impression. I don’t know what to do about him. I don’t even know why he’s bothering with us. We’re a bunch of small packs and not even that close to his territory. Surely, he’s got better pickings closer to home?”

  Lex gives him a long look. “You really have been keeping away from the Warwicks, haven’t you?”

  Adam shakes his head. “And now? You’ve got something other than omega-running going on?”

  “Just the farms and the brewery and the Taprooms, but they’re raking in money, man,” Lex says. “You wouldn’t know it to look at her, but Barbara’s worth a fortune. Then you can add in the fact that we’ve now got Taprooms in almost every major city. This building—” Lex slaps the brick, “—is only one of the places we brew these days, and even then the cider is only a small part of it. Ronmin gets into our Taprooms and he can use us to gain influence everywhere.”

  Lex pulls on the last door. Still locked.

  Adam runs his fingers through his hair. “I knew you were doing well. Not that well, but that’s great. Not the Ronmin bit, but the rest.” He sniffs the air. There’s nothing but the scent of the brewery and apples, and much further away, the rage and fury of too many angry alphas in close proximity. “They’re not coming here. They won’t. Not if they’re seeing it as a potential asset. We’d better get back.”

  He turns to go, but Lex grabs his arm. “Before we go. About Thom.”

  Adam shuts his eyes. Lex never confronted him about the bite, and he would have had every right to. Adam would have lost it if anyone did that to Jax or any other omega he cared about.

  “I am so sorry about that,” Adam says. “I really am, but you can trust him with me. I’m not eighteen and stupid anymore.”

  He opens his eyes to see Lex giving him a sad look. “I know. Me either. I was also a dumbass. Maybe more than you.” He sighs and rubs his face with his hands. “Hell, Thom was an idiot too. You take a bunch of teenagers with all those hormones, add in a bunch of booze and that shit happens. It shouldn’t, but it does. I don’t blame you. Thom doesn’t either, you know.”

  A shiver of hot shame runs through Adam’s muscles. “He should. He’s got that bite for life. That’s my fault.”

  “Do me a favor? Just talk to him. Me and him, we’ve been sharing a place in Fort Gosford since Ivan was born. I’ve been acting as his cover so alphas don’t hassle him, but you know, he’s never complained. Not once. He’s not looked for anyone in all that time.”

  Adam feels a sliver of hope. “No one?”

  “No one,” Lex confirms. “Just talk to him. He’s my baby cousin and I want him to be happy. He’s just too stubborn for his own good. Actually, that describes you too.”

  Adam is barely listening. No one since Ivan was born.

  Despite the scents of fury in the air, he’s feeling oddly pleased. “Okay, I will.”

  “But if you hurt him...”

  “I know. And I’d let you.”

  They exchange a grin. “Ready to go back?”

  “Yeah,” Adam says. “Give me a minute.” He stretches his leg out and squats, letting his spine stretch along with it, then gets back to his feet. It feels better almost immediately. “Right, let’s go.”

  “You look weird when you do that,” Lex says.

  “That’s why I only do it in front of people whose opinions I don’t care for.”

  Lex bursts out laughing. “I did miss our squabbles.”

  “Me too.”

  It only takes a few minutes to get back to the farmhouse. Nothing has changed, except that Barbara is starting to look bored on top of being annoyed.

  “All good,” Lex says to her, and she nods.

  Lex walks over to him and puts a hand on the omega’s shoulder, bending to say something in his year. The omega smiles, and nods.

  Adam leans back against his truck, letting it take the weight of his leg.

  The sounds of crashing from within the farmhouse suddenly stop. Every alpha out in the yard stiffens.

  Adam hasn’t seen Ronmin since Gray sent him off with his tail between his legs four months ago, although he’s had plenty of messages. The man just can’t resist mocking him. Adam has ignored every one.

  The man himself gives Adam a friendly wave as he appears in the farmhouse door, then blows a kiss to the omega at Barbara’s side.

  He is utterly deranged, Adam thinks. Or just knows he can get away with it because no one dares challenge him.

  Ronmin’s face is flushed and his pale hair is damp against his head. He looks like he just had a good workout.

  “Well, nothing in there,” he complains, “and we had a very good look.”

  “If you’re quite done, I imagine we have some cleaning up to do,” Barbara says, hands on her hips.

  “Almost. Almost.” Ronmin puts his hands up. “I just need to know where you’re hiding my omegas and we can be on our way. No harm. No foul.”

  Barbara grits her teeth. “We have no one who belongs to you.”

  “Oh? That’s a shame. Because I’ve got a few friends who are missing an omega or two. They get misplaced so easily, don’t they?” Ronmin says. He’s standing in the middle of the farmyard now, his alphas leaving the farmhouse behind him. “Hey, I have an idea. Since I’ve lost mine, and you’re not giving them back, how about I just take one of yours? How about him? He’s pretty.”

  He waves at the omega standing beside Barbara, winking ostentatiously. Barbara growls at him.

  “Oh, come now. I can’t go back empty-handed.” Ronmin says with a grin.

  Adam wants to wipe that smirk right off of his face. By the expressions of every other Warwick alpha there, he’ll have to stand in line.

  “Nobody knows what you’re talking about,” Adam says.

  Ronmin gives him a wide toothy smile, then turns to Eli. “And what about you, Foster? Do you even have permission to speak? Or are you completely omega-whipped?”

  Eli looks as if he wants to punch the man in the face. “You’re taking this too far,” he says through gritted teeth.

  “Says who?” Ronmin says. “Your sweet little omega leader? He’s not even here. The boy has to have you fight his battles for him.” He shakes his head.

  Eli’s lip curls up and he just about spits out his response. “He doesn’t need to be here. I’m here on his behalf. And you need to leave. You’ll not find what you’re looking for here or anywhere in Aylewood.”

  Ronmin grins widely again and shrugs his shoulders. “Well, if we have your word for it, we better be on our way then.”

  And that’s when Adam sees the trap that they’ve all fallen into. Ronmin has had the leader of every Aylewood pack, except the wild wolves, vow that they aren’t hiding omegas.

  Barbara’s eyes are wide with dawning horror. She’s seen it too.

  Ronmin whistles high and loud, bringing his alphas sauntering out of the farmhouse and the orchards and back to their cars.

  Adam’s stomach twists. Pack law is complicated a
nd complex at times, but this part is clear.

  All Ronmin has to do now is find a single omega ‘owned’ by him who is being hidden by any of the Aylewood packs and he’ll have the legal excuse to take all of them down.

  THOMAS

  not a date and nose bumps

  “Somebody’s coming,” Ivan shouts from his position by the window. The boy has been bored stiff since the battery on his tablet died half an hour ago.

  Making him act as look out was Shannon’s idea and it’s been working a charm. He still thinks it’s a game and has been taking it very seriously.

  Shannon and Cam look up from the floor where they’re sitting cross-legged and playing cards. The scent of fear fills the room.

  Thomas moves over to the window and pushes the curtain aside.

  It’s the same truck as earlier.

  Gregor’s beside him a split second later, his entire body alert, but then he visibly relaxes. “That’s Adam’s truck. Wait here.”

  Thomas watches him step out onto the porch and go to meet the truck which pulls to a stop behind the car.

  It’s normal for him to watch them, Thomas tells himself, as the two alphas stand by the car talking. He needs to keep an eye on what’s going on out there. He needs to know what’s going on.

  He also needs to get his fill of looking at Adam without feeling self-conscious.

  Hell, he’s so tall. He’d noticed it back at the inn – who could miss it – but it strikes him all over again. He also likes the way Adam’s face has filled out. He looks older, more mature. He looks protective.

  Thomas remembers what it felt like to put his face up against Adam’s chest and breathe in his scent while Adam stroked his hair. It’s a good memory.

  Nuh huh. Thomas pulls himself up. Adam is not the reason that Thomas is here, and he can’t afford to get distracted.

  Especially now that there is something interesting going on outside. Gregor has an exasperated expression on his face as he listens to something Adam is saying. He folds his arms, then says something which Adam shakes his head at.

  Gregor points towards the cabin, and Adam shakes his head again.