Winterstoke Wolves Collection : An MM Mpreg Shifter Romance Bundle

by Sasha Silsbury

  He needs to find Gregor. He needs some damned relief.

  He’s here.

  His body reacts before his brain does. Relief floods through his system as the scent of alpha drifts in on the breeze, even as it triggers another rush of slick against his thighs.

  Every muscle aches, drained of energy by the constant overwhelming need, but he finds the strength to shuffle to his knees.

  He puts his ass up in the air, tears flowing freely down his face as he waits.

  This is all going to be over soon.

  The scent grows stronger as the alpha comes closer, but there’s no scent of summer. It just reeks.

  That’s not Gregor.

  Aaron’s knees weaken and he falls flat on the sand. His traitor body gives another rush of slick at the scent, even as his brain is screaming at him to run.

  He compromises, scrabbling on all fours to the furthest reaches of the cave. Gregor’s scent is stronger here where the sand is disturbed and somewhere in the furthermost reaches of Aaron’s brain, he realizes that this is where the bottles must have been buried.

  The strange alpha scent grows stronger. Panic burrows into his brain, making his vision blur. He lets out another deep whine.

  His body doesn’t seem to get the message though. He finds himself involuntarily shoving his ass in the air before he can even tell himself to stop.

  It won’t be that bad, he tells himself. It’ll be fine. It’ll be over quickly.

  It’s a stranger. His heartbeat sounds in his ears, beating fast enough that he feels nauseous.

  A snarl rips through the air.

  Terror skates up Aaron’s spine, weakening his knees. It’s everything he can do not to burst into tears.

  The snarl sounds again, and is answered by a familiar one, longer and louder, followed by the snapping of teeth and then a growl that echoes off of the rocky walls of the small cave.

  Another alpha scent drives in on in the breeze: furious and determined and smelling of summer.

  Gregor.

  Aaron forces himself to crawl closer to the cave entrance. It’s too late for him to hide now, one way or another. He needs to see him. He needs to know that Gregor is going to win. The snarling grows louder.

  He creeps closer, crawling on red sand towards the opening of the cave. He lies flat on the sand, pushing his dick hard against the ground instinctively as he does so. It gives a little relief, but not enough. It’s not been enough for hours.

  Outside on the flat outcrop, Gregor is circling the biggest wolf that Aaron has ever seen with little space to maneuver in the tiny space outside the cave.

  Each wolf moves slowly, landing their paws with care as far as they can from the steep drops on either side of them.

  Gregor pants, his tongue lolling out. He looks as if he has just run a marathon. A stack of water-filled plastic bottles are collapsed on a heap behind him at the entrance to the narrow incline.

  Both wolves stop in their tracks at Aaron’s arrival. The big wolf sniffs the air. His eyes turn hungry, then he growls deep and low.

  The heat in Aaron answers. He lets out a high-pitched whine before he can stop himself.

  Gregor’s blue eyes widen at the sound.

  The giant wolf sees his chance and lunges, snapping sharp teeth at Gregor’s neck. The blond wolf ducks, almost losing his footing.

  A wet fleshy sound rends the air as the big wolf’s teeth tear into Gregor’s shoulder.

  Gregor yelps, but he holds his position even as the big wolf’s teeth dig in deeper, keeping his paws dug firmly into the red sand, even as the bigger wolf uses his body weight to try push him down.

  Gregor staggers, his paws starting to drag even as he fights it.

  An ice-cold shiver wracks Aaron’s body, dousing him in fear as he watches his protector slowly pushed closer and closer to the steep drop.

  The giant wolf reeks of sweat, dead rabbit and unbrushed teeth. The thought of him coming even an inch closer makes Aaron’s skin crawl even under the ever-consuming heat.

  This is what alphas do on a run. They fight for omegas and the omegas are grateful to be won by the strongest wolf.

  That’s what it’s been for millennia or however long these hellscapes have been running for.

  Aaron doesn’t want any of this.

  Gregor’s bright blue eyes meet his and Aaron can see the defeat in them, even as he still struggles. The giant wolf is too big for him. It’s not about intelligence, strength or anything other than whatever genetics conspired to create the monster currently weighing down the blond wolf.

  It’s not fair.

  Rage engulfs him. Aaron has shifted and is racing out of the overhang before his brain even catches up with what he is doing.

  He skids as he slows, reaching up and underneath the giant wolf biting hard into the softest part of the wolf he can find.

  Fetid fur fills his mouth. Nausea rises, even as he bites harder, tasting copper-scented blood on his teeth.

  The big wolf screams: a high-pitched wail that reverberates throughout his body, shuddering into Aaron’s teeth.

  The huge wolf lets go of Gregor and teeters back, paws scrabbling for purchase on the sand.

  Gregor doesn’t hesitate. He leaps right over Aaron, headbutting the big wolf in the flank.

  One moment the giant wolf is there, and then he’s gone, tumbling over the precipice.

  GREGOR

  hazel flecks and a clean bite

  Hot blood streams from the puncture on his shoulder. Gregor blinks hard, trying to clear the adrenaline blur from his head.

  He turns to see Aaron staring at him with shock in his eyes, his muzzle streaked with blood.

  He gives out a low bark and Aaron gets the message immediately.

  Go inside.

  Gregor shakes his head, sniffing the air. It reeks of blood, alpha fury, the sweet pull of Aaron’s heat and the giant wolf’s fur, but there’s nothing else. No other alphas in sniffing distance.

  He shifts, biting back a curse as the wound on his shoulder shifts with it, then hobbles over to the end of the sand and peers over the edge.

  The initial drop is straight down: a good seventy feet, if that and below that the cliff face is filled with adderthorn trees, boulders and the ever present spikey-leaved bushes. The giant wolf is nowhere to be seen.

  He could come back. Gregor shakes his head. No, not after that. Not after that fall. Not after Aaron biting him like that. He’ll need at least a couple of hours to lick his wounds and make it back up here. If he even survives it.

  Gregor puts the giant wolf out of his mind for now, reaches over and grabs the knot of bottles with his uninjured arm.

  The coolness of the cave offers immediate respite from the blistering sun, even as the scent of Aaron’s heat slams into his nostrils.

  The omega himself is human-shaped again, sitting back on his heels and staring up at Gregor like he’s the last drink of water in this godforsaken desert.

  One of Aaron’s hands is gripping his dick, the other is reaching behind him, pumping into him.

  The scent of the cave has disappeared completely. There’s nothing to smell in here but the scent of an omega in heat trapped inside for hours. Gregor is rock hard in an instant, but even as all his blood rushes downwards, the only thought in his mind is: he stayed.

  In all honestly, Gregor hadn’t expected him to. He didn’t think anyone had that much willpower.

  Except Aaron it seems.

  He even found enough willpower to join in on the fight outside, even if Gregor’s not sure how he feels about being saved by an omega.

  Thankful, you jerk. That’s the only decent answer, his conscience reprimands.

  “Please,” Aaron blurts out. His lips are dry and cracked and dark circles ring his brown eyes. Under the red sand smearing his skin, he’s pink and flushed.

  He’s an utter mess and still the most gorgeous thing Gregor has ever seen.

  Gregor drops to his knees in front of him. “Hey, i
t’s okay. I got you.”

  Aaron’s eyes darken and he starts to twist his body, to present himself yet again, but Gregor catches his arms and holds him in place.

  “One thing first.”

  Aaron’s eyes widen and he lets out an intelligible pleading sound that goes straight to Gregor’s gut and makes him want to just turn the guy over and shove right into him.

  Gregor reaches to the side and unties one of the bottles from the plastic knotting.

  “Just a few sips of water first, then we can do whatever you want.”

  He holds the bottle up to Aaron’s lips. The omega obediently swallows, his eyes never leaving Gregor’s.

  Gregor takes a couple of swallows himself, then ties the cap back on tightly.

  “Lie down. Pull your knees up,” he orders. “Yes, like that.”

  Aaron is flat on his back on the sandy floor in an instant, his arms hooked under his knees as he holds his legs apart. He’s still staring at Gregor, dark pupils blown wide with need.

  Gregor shuffles on his knees and slides in immediately. Wet heat engulfs him.

  The omega groans in satisfaction that goes straight to Gregor’s groin, sending a flush of pure pleasure rushing up his spine.

  He grits his teeth, trying not to come immediately. He forces himself to go slow so he can drag it out and let Aaron get this for as long as Gregor can hold out.

  But Aaron doesn’t hold out. He’s wound so tight that he comes almost immediately, his body clenching around Gregor’s dick in pulses that completely disintegrates all of his willpower.

  Gregor groans, veins on fire as he comes hard. He collapses onto Aaron, bare skin across bare skin, feeling Aaron’s chest rise as he pants.

  Gregor ducks his head and pushes his nose into the side of Aaron’s neck, breathing in hard.

  He pushes himself up on one elbow. His shoulder immediately shrieks in pain. He ignores it, instead he thumbs the line of Aaron’s jaw, seeking his eyes. “Are you okay?”

  Clear eyes look into his, then Aaron grins. “I am now. That feels soooo much better.”

  There are bright hazel flecks in the depths of his eyes. Gregor hadn’t noticed that before.

  He should get up, remove his softening dick from Aaron’s body but it’s nice. More than nice: the hard line of Aaron’s body underneath his own is deeply satisfying and he doesn’t want to move.

  Those hazel-flecked eyes keep staring into his own, some emotion with in them that Gregor doesn’t quite recognize, but it triggers a rush of protectiveness deep in his belly.

  His fingers are still cupping Aaron’s jaw, the skin soft under his fingertips. That softness doesn’t follow through to the omega’s lips. Gregor shifts his hands and brushes Aaron’s lips with his thumb, feeling the roughness graze his skin.

  “You need more water,” he murmurs.

  “I’m okay,” Aaron says softly.

  Rough lips or not, Gregor wants to brush his own lips against Aaron’s.

  With that thought, his dick finally slips out, landing on cool sand.

  It’s not the most romantic sensation. This isn’t meant to be romantic, dumbass. Don’t be a dick. Don’t take advantage of the guy.

  He gets to his feet reluctantly. “That big wolf’s not going to be the only alpha to find his way up here. We need to be prepared. And not just that. For food and water too.”

  “And I need to look at your shoulder,” Aaron says, pushing himself up onto his elbows. He looks as if someone has painted him red.

  Gregor twists his head, trying to get a better look. He shrugs experimentally. A streak of pain follows, but it’s manageable.

  “I don’t think he’s done permanent damage.”

  Aaron gets to his feet in one smooth movement.

  It’s an omega thing, Gregor thinks. Alphas never move that gracefully.

  Aaron reaches up, then stops his fingers an inch away from Gregor’s shoulder.

  “May I?” Aaron asks politely, as if Gregor wasn’t hilt-deep in him only seconds before. Gregor suppresses a sigh.

  Of course, he’s asking. They’re not lovers where touching each other is second nature. God only knows what they are but they’re not that. They’ve known each other less than twenty-four hours.

  “Sure,” Gregor says.

  Light fingertips prod his shoulder. He resists the urge to flinch because big strong alphas don’t do that. It hurts like hell though.

  Aaron’s expression is serious as he smoothes away the blood to better see the damage. “It’s a clean bite. Is it burning?”

  “No, just aches a bit.” A lot.

  “We should run some water over it.”

  “We don’t have enough for that,” Gregor says gently, touched at the omega’s concern. “We can’t waste a drop.”

  “It’s not wasting it,” Aaron says. “Some of the alphas poison their teeth for the Red Run. Did you know that? I don’t want you to be poisoned.”

  “I’m not poisoned,” Gregor says, stepping away. “I don’t think it would have even occurred to that guy to bother. He was a mountain.”

  Was a mountain or is a mountain? He has no idea how badly injured the big wolf is, or if he’s even still alive.

  “Do you think he’s...” Aaron asks, evidently thinking the same thing that he is.

  “I don’t know. I had a look over the side. I didn’t see him. Don’t feel sorry for the guy. He volunteered for this. You didn’t.”

  “I don’t,” Aaron says. “I just don’t want him to come back.”

  He’s looking flushed again. The stress of everything must have taken it out of him, Gregor thinks, but then the scent of slick fills the air.

  “One minute,” Gregor puts a single finger up, then rushes outside to scent the air and take a look over the side of the precipice again.

  No sight of any alphas and no scent of them either.

  When he gets back inside, Aaron is waiting for him.

  This time, Gregor takes his time, makes sure he does it properly.

  AARON

  small rocks and pink clouds

  Pink-tinged clouds scud across the sky as the sun sets. Their little haven is protected from the wind, but it’s the clouds that catch Aaron’s eye.

  It’s only rained twice during the whole of Red Run history, but that doesn’t mean that there can’t be a third time.

  He wants the rain, of course. They’ve got just enough water to see them through to the end if they’re careful, but there are other omegas out there who don’t have Gregor to look after them.

  Aaron gives out a small prayer for them as he follows Gregor down the narrow incline down the mountain for the third time.

  The first time they gathered leaves, dried brush and more of the horrible tubers. The second time and this one, they’re more security focused.

  They’ve got maybe another hour before the next wave of heat grows unbearable, so they’re going to spend it doing something useful.

  The channel widens out into the brushy area by what Aaron is coming to think of as the rabbit rock.

  “Take as many as you can,” Gregor says. “Not the biggest ones. I’ll do those. The smaller ones do just as much damage from a height. And stay with me.”

  Aaron doesn’t need to hear that last bit. He’s sticking as close to Gregor’s side as he can without actually preventing the big man from walking.

  He scours the desert floor for the right sized rocks. It’s the second time they’ve been down here for neanderthalic missiles. And they’re going to keep going until Aaron’s heat makes it impossible to keep going.

  “And pick them up carefully,” Gregor says. “You don’t know what’s under there.”

  Bossy, Aaron thinks. You’ve already warned me about that twice. “Yes, sir.”

  Gregor’s eyes flash.

  Oh, it’s like that, Aaron thinks, feeling the corners of his mouth turn up in a smirk. That might be fun to play with. He might not have a lot of experience in this area but it sure as hell feels lik
e he’s catching up fast.

  “How’s the shoulder?” he asks casually.

  “Fine,” Gregor says as he bends. He’s definitely favoring it.

  Aaron watches him thoughtfully. Is he the type of man to pretend he’s fine when he’s not? Definitely.

  He can’t watch Gregor’s shoulders roil as they walk back up, because Gregor insists on Aaron going first so he can guard his back, even though there has been no sign nor scent of any alphas in hours.

  Gregor went out scouting earlier in the afternoon and had reported back that he found the place where the giant wolf fell, but he was no longer there.

  By the scent and tracks of it, he’d suffered at least a couple of injuries and limped off.

  It made Aaron remember the feeling of the wolf’s fur in his mouth, and the copper taste of blood in his mouth.

  He volunteered for this. You didn’t, Gregor had said.

  The knowledge doesn’t make the feeling any less strange. He’d never bitten anyone before. It’s been a day of firsts all round, he decides.

  By the time he reaches the entrance to the cave, he’s feeling deliciously warm again.

  He dumps the rocks in a pile by the precipice, ready to drop on any invaders or throw in the case of the smaller stones. The idea of it makes him feel a bit like a cave man or a mediaeval knight defending his castle.

  He’s not sure how well their little arsenal work against a really determined alpha, but he wouldn’t try running up the incline if someone was going to try drop rocks on his head so it’s better than nothing.

  He watches the muscles in Gregor’s back as the alpha drops his own bigger pile alongside it.

  “We’ll rig the condensation traps now,” Gregor says, putting his hands on his hips and staring up at the sky, as if working out how long they have until sundown. “Grab the plastic bags for me.”

  “Yes, sir,” Aaron says experimentally. The first time was just sarcastic, but this one...

  The alpha stops still, then turns. Blue eyes dark with hunger meet Aaron’s own.

  He does like it. Aaron feels a fission of excitement skim up his spine. He puts his brattiest smirk on his face.