by Alanea Alder
“Sure.”
“Rhys, you’re with us. We may need your vampiric speed to catch Rebecca and scrape her off the darn ceiling.” Ashby sounded exasperated.
Rhys turned to Moe.
“Have fun.”
“You too, don’t let Rebecca shoot you.” A smile twitched on Moe’s lips. Rhys leaned forward and kissed his mate, surprising him. Moe leaned down and whispered.
“Love you.”
“Love you too.” Rhys brought Moe’s hand up and kissed his knuckles before heading out with Ashby, Maddox and Aleks.
* * * *
“Dammit, Rebecca, I could be eating cheesecake right now!” Ashby said, sounding surly.
“I was winning, why did you take my coffee?” Rebecca demanded.
“Because you’re about to go into arrhythmia!” Maddox exclaimed.
“I didn’t want to have to do this.” Ashby turned to Maddox.
“Sedate her.”
Maddox looked over to Aleks who nodded.
“Maybe she can just sleep it off,” Aleks said. Rhys could see that the man was worried for his tiny mate.
“There’s nothing wrong with me,” Rebecca protested, struggling in Aleks’s arms.
“You were trying to shoot red dots when we got here!” Ashby yelled.
That was when Rhys began to get concerned. This was not how his sweet prince normally behaved.
“Maddox,” he said in an urgent whisper.
“I know, I’ve noticed too.” He put the syringe away.
“I have a better idea. Rebecca, Ashby, I think the two of you need to go visit Kate. She sounded really upset don’t you think? She could help you out with the colors, Rebecca,” Maddox said reasonably.
“I do want to make sure she’s okay,” Rebecca admitted.
They all piled into Aleks new Suburban and drove to the pack house.
“My breathing is funny,” Rebecca said from the passenger seat.
“That is because you drank enough caffeine to stun an army platoon. How you’re still standing and conscious is a medical mystery.” Maddox shook his head.
They got to the pack house and Aleks didn’t even bother with knocking. By this time Rebecca had turned morose and lethargic. Ashby was just weeping silently. Aleks kicked the door in and carried Rebecca inside. Rhys followed carrying his prince.
“Aleks, what in the hell is going on? Sebastian and Nic got here then all three of them started crying.” Bran’s hair was sticking out at every angle as if he had pulled on it and it had stayed that way. Caleb looked worried sick.
“I don’t know but these two started to get that way when we hit the bottom of your driveway. Where are they?” Aleks asked, shifting Rebecca in his arms.
“Family room. We pushed the sofas and ottomans together to create a huge bed,” Caleb said, leading the way down the hall. He opened a heavy wooden door and the sounds of sniffling and crying could be heard.
“Aleks, Rhys, just lay them down with the others,” Maddox advised. Aleks walked over and lay Rebecca next to Kate and Rhys put Ashby next to Rebecca. All five wept and sniffled for about thirty seconds before they all fell fast asleep curled around each other. Maddox motioned to Felix and Moe and the six men left the room closing the door behind them.
Just then one of the younger wolves came bounding down the hallway.
“Hey Alpha!” he called out, waving, oblivious to the day’s turmoil.
Maddox’s hand shot out and he grabbed the pup by the throat.
“Your Alpha, Alpha Mother and the Inner Court are in there asleep and exhausted. You wake them up and I will eviscerate you,” Maddox threatened.
“Oh fuck that got me hard,” Felix moaned. Maddox released the young man who took off in the opposite direction at a run, passing Riley and Logan as they walked up to them.
Riley Conrad glided toward them with the grace Rhys usually associated with one of the lions. Despite his lean build he was a beta to be reckoned with. His vicious fighting skills had kept more than one would-be troublemaker in line. As usual his brown hair was shaggy and cut at different lengths. Rhys could imagine the man simply taking a pair of scissors to his hair and cutting it whenever it got in his way. The beta’s hazel eyes that were normally more jovial looked worried.
Beside him one of the pack’s enforcers moved silently next to his beta. Rhys had to admit he was impressed. He had never seen a man his size move that silently unless he was a vampire. Logan Tiernan stood shoulder to shoulder with Caleb, putting him well over Bran’s six foot four inches. He reminded Rhys more of a bear than a wolf. Logan’s shoulders seemed to fill the hallway. Despite his size there wasn’t an ounce of fat on him. Like Moe, the man seemed to be made of pure muscle. His brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and his brown eyes seemed to look past the group as if constantly evaluating the threat level.
Bran’s raised voice brought Rhys back to the discussion at hand.
“Doc, what’s wrong with them?” Bran demanded.
“It’s the Inner Court. Medical science goes out the window with them. But if I had to hazard a guess, it would be postpartum depression, times five. It threw Rebecca into a manic state and Kate into a depressed one. Rebecca’s case was exacerbated by the caffeine.” The men just stared at the doctor in a confused, dejected horror.
“Look at it this way, gentlemen. It will never be boring.” He turned to Bran and Caleb.
“I’d make up guest rooms for Gabriel, his guard, Liam and Kent plus a few lions. Looks like everyone is crashing here tonight.”
“We’ll take care of that Alpha,” Riley said, motioning between himself and Logan. Bran nodded his thanks.
Maddox turned to Aleks. “You might want to let your Ma know she’ll have the boys overnight.” Aleks rubbed his hand over his face and grabbed his cell phone.
Rhys almost flinched with the doctor turned to him.
“Can you call Gabriel? He’ll be worried about Ashby.” Rhys winced. He was hoping he wouldn’t be the one to call his prince. He nodded.
“Sure.” He reached for his cell phone and dialed Gabriel’s direct number.
“Rhys? Is everything okay?” Gabriel’s concerned tone for him was warming.
“I’m fine, but Prince Ashby…” That was as far as he got.
“Where is Ashby?” The melodic voice turned dark.
“He’s at the pack house with the Inner Court, looks like they all got whammied by postpartum depression and espressos. He’s sleeping it off with Rebecca and the others in the pack’s family room,” Rhys explained, and even though he witnessed the morning first hand it still sounded impossible to him.
“He’s sleeping?” Gabriel sounded relieved.
“Yes, out like a light.”
“I’ll be there soon. Where is Arthur?”
“Ma is watching him, Aidhan and Lucian for the night.”
“Gods bless that woman. Rhys, stay with Ashby until I get there.”
“Of course my prince.”
The line disconnected.
When he turned to face his mate he saw that Moe was leaning against the wall next to the family room door acting as a guard.
“Crazy day huh?” Moe asked.
“You know, last night I felt like you deserved so much more. That I was destined to be a burden on you for all eternity.”
“Sounds like you changed your mind.”
“You have it better than Aleks. Even with my addiction.” Rhys smirked.
“Hey!” Aleks whispered harshly.
Moe simply covered his mouth and walked away. In the distance Rhys heard the faint sounds of booming laughter. Felix simply cackled lowly, leaning against Maddox whose mouth was twitching.
Best. Morning. Ever.
Chapter 4
In the end they caught a ride back to town with Felix and Maddox since Felix had driven his group to the pack house in the brand new car that Maddox had gotten him for Christmas. Rhys looked down at his fingers intertwined with Moe’s. He had been able to
joke about his addiction at the pack house, but he hadn’t really meant it. The memories of the other night still haunted him.
“What the hell!” Felix’s startled voice had him looking out the window. They had parked alongside the clinic facing the bar. Even from this distance he could see a crowd of people standing around the bar entrance. They didn’t open for hours, so this couldn’t be good.
“Peyton,” Moe whispered, frowning. Rhys felt nothing but dread. They both opened their doors and took off down the street toward the bar. Rhys could hear Maddox behind him, yelling for Felix to bring his bag.
Pushing people aside, both he and Moe stepped into the small semicircle created by the crowd of onlookers. In the center of that crowd were none other than David and Daniel, looking more pissed off than Rhys had ever seen them in the hundred plus years he had known them.
At their feet lay a broken and bloody man. It took a second to realize due to the facial swelling, that the man was Alpha Devon’s beta, Glenn. The only way Rhys knew he was still alive was the rapid rise and fall of the man’s chest as he glared up at the twins. Behind them Finn Arkadion had a brotherly arm wrapped around Peyton who looked like he was in shock.
“Who is the big man now?” Daniel pulled his foot back and kicked the beta in the face sending blood splatter flying. Both of the twin’s eyes were burning scarlet as they circled the wolf menacingly. Their eyes coupled with their red hair had the twins looking downright demonic. Holy shit! What had this guy done to truly piss them off?
“Thought you could take us since we were smaller, didn’t you? You weren’t counting on vampiric speed. You came after Peyton knowing the leaders were preoccupied with the Inner Court.” David kicked the beta in the stomach sending the man rolling in the dust.
“Our leaders aren’t the only ones who defend this town. Maybe next time you’ll remember that before you try to rape someone in Arkadia!” Daniel kicked again, this time aiming between the larger man’s legs. As his foot connected every man in the semicircle grimaced, especially since the kick was so powerful it shoved the beta backward five feet. David was about to take his turn and kick again when Maddox stepped forward.
“I completely empathize and wholeheartedly agree with what you’re doing, but much more and it will cease to be self-defense.” He spoke in low tones, even with his vampiric hearing Rhys nearly missed what the doctor had said.
David growled and spit on the beta. Daniel did the same and they both went to Peyton. Finn relinquished his place at Peyton’s side and walked over to Maddox.
“I got a panicked phone call from Peyton, Glenn was breaking into the bar. Since Moe and I are close friends he gave Peyton my number as an emergency contact in case something happened. By the time I got here David and Daniel had just thrown him through the window and were following him out onto the sidewalk.” Finn jerked his head, indicating the large gaping hole in what was once one of the bar’s large front windows.
“Sorry about that Moe. Gabriel will pay for the window and the door,” David offered.
Door? Rhys and Moe looked at the door. At first glance neither one of them could see anything wrong, but upon closer inspection they could see large protruding dents in the door’s metal. Moe and Rhys turned to look at David at the same time. He shrugged.
“We couldn’t throw him through the door, we did try though.”
“Yeah we did try the door a couple times,” Daniel confirmed.
“It’s a steel door. I thought I’d be safe with a steel door since I just had to replace the glass ones Duncan and Emmett broke.” Moe sighed. Rhys was impressed that the doorjamb hadn’t given way first.
David and Daniel shrugged.
“Hey, people,” Duncan said, stepping into the circle.
“Duncan, we need to ban this piece of shit.” Finn growled low. At the sound of his brother’s anger Duncan’s eyes shifted. They changed from green to the emotionless, glass-like black of his bear.
“What did he do?”
“He tried to rape Peyton,” Finn explained.
“That is pure hearsay! I demand you let him go.” Salsiby’s whiny voice rose above the crowd seconds before he popped through the bodies to go to the wolf beta.
“Those monsters attacked him in an unprovoked sign of aggression!”
“How many eyewitnesses?” Duncan asked.
“David and I saw the attack, thank god we were on our way here to visit Rhys. Finn wouldn’t have been in time.” Daniel’s eyes still blazed red.
“Monster!” Salsiby screeched at Daniel.
“Those boys aren’t monsters! Any man who would rape is the true monster!” Miranda shouted. The clothing store owner wasn’t the only townsperson to have a change of heart where the twins were concerned. They were the town’s darlings, having wormed their way into the shifter’s hearts with their crazy antics. Miranda had come a long way from the time she had refused to be served by them at Sweet Nothings.
“Get rid of him!”
“We don’t need his kind around here!” The voices of the other townspeople shouted out their condemnation.
“Two witnesses are enough to be banned. Finn, can you help me drag his ass to the perimeter? I have some rope in my truck.” Duncan grinned at his younger brother.
“You can’t mean to drag him with your truck, it’s not humane!” Salsiby protested. Finn’s head swung around and the look he gave him had the man stepping back. Rhys had to avert his eyes, he had never seen a more murderous expression.
“Neither is he.” Finn growled low.
“Damn, you learned ‘The Look’ from Pa. I’m jealous.” Duncan bent over and grabbed Glenn by the ankle.
“Hey, Salsiby, I heard you were impressed with my shifting abilities,” Felix said, stepping forward. He removed his coat and pulled his sweater sleeve up to reveal his forearm. Slowly the pale skin turned to dark green scales.
“I’m going to the council!” Salsiby threatened before he turned and fled, stumbling away from Finn’s dark gaze and Felix’s demonstration.
“Man, I love you like a brother, but damn. I hope you never look at the kids like that.” Moe shook his head. Instantly Finn’s expression cleared. His eyes danced with humor.
“Only the teenagers, and only when they are doing something where they would get hurt.” Rhys shuddered.
“Come on, Finn, we have to take the trash out.” Duncan began walking, dragging the slightly struggling form of the wolf behind him.
“Try to avoid pavement if you can. We don’t want him looking too bloody when he goes before council,” Maddox suggested. Duncan stopped and turned to Maddox pouting.
“Aww, Doc, you’re taking all the fun out of it.”
Maddox sighed and looked heavenward as if asking for help.
“I don’t know how his mother did it.”
“Can we please fuck now?” Felix demanded, his hands on his hips.
“Come on, Trouble, I seem to recall that you owe me.” Maddox’s grin turned feral. Felix shivered.
“Hell yeah! Later, peeps, I have a cock calling my name.”
“Felix!” Maddox exclaimed, embarrassed. He followed the redhead down the street back to the clinic clearly admiring the view of his mate’s ass swinging back and forth.
Laughing, Finn turned to where Peyton stood with the twins.
“Peyton, I’m honored that you called. I wish I could have gotten here quicker.” Finn ruffled Peyton’s hair and followed his older brother toward the truck to help him with the struggling wolf.
“Now Peyton, honey, you don’t have to be afraid. You are family. If anyone tries to hurt you again, you just coming running to my store. I may be smaller and weaker than most shifters, but I have a double-barrel shotgun behind the counter.” Miranda gave the startled man a hug before patting both David and Daniel on the head. She turned and shooed the onlookers away.
“You can also come to me. I’m right across the street. I would have loved to lay into that guy.” Brice Marshall stepped forward
cracking his knuckles. The large man always managed to look comfortable in his three-piece suit, despite having the build of a linebacker. Rhys had met the accountant on one of his trips to Moe’s in the month leading up to his moving in. He was the only rhinoceros shifter he had ever met in his centuries as a vampire. Even though Brice was in his prime, the man had a headful of silver, not gray, hair. It gave him a sophisticated look without making him look old. His gray eyes were gentle when speaking to Peyton, but Rhys would bet that even though he had a sedate accounting job, this man knew how to fight.
“I don’t, I mean I couldn’t,” Peyton stammered, hiding his face in Daniel’s back.
“I know we haven’t said much to each other, only wave from across the street. But you can come to me if you need anything.” Brice’s voice was soft and non-threatening.
Peyton nodded and peeked out shyly from behind Daniel.
“Good work on that asshole.” Brice nodded to the twins and he too walked back to his office.
“Come on squirt, we brought our Xbox from home. We’re going to beg Rhys to play, you can join us,” David offered.
“I’ve never played before,” Peyton whispered.
Daniel grabbed his chest as if faking a heart attack.
“Say it ain’t so!”
Peyton giggled.
“David, get the Xbox, stat!” David ran to where their car was parked outside the bar. He reached into the back seat and pulled out a box holding the gaming console, controllers and wires and returned to where Daniel stood.
“Peyton, this is an Xbox. It was created by god to ensure that men would not lose their minds from boredom,” Daniel began. Peyton’s eyes widened.
“Like soap operas?”
Daniel looked startled but rolled with it.
“Sure, like soap operas. Let’s hook this baby up and we will indoctrinate you in the bloody warfare of Call of Duty.” Daniel grinned and all three turned to head into the bar.
Rhys cleared his throat. His mate was kind enough to let the broken window slide, but he wasn’t about to let the twins play games while his mate cleaned up the mess.
“David, Daniel, I know that you weren’t going to start playing games before you cleaned up the glass and helped Moe set the bar to rights.” Rhys crossed his arms and thumped his fingers across the muscles of his forearm.