Harley's Gamble

by Fel Fern

  Behind them, Harley’s ears picked up the voices of the hunters and the sound of their footsteps. When Harley heard the barks and yips, he hesitated. Anger welled up inside him. The bastards were using hunting hounds to track them down, like they were the damn prey.

  Harley couldn’t deny the reversal of roles. The hunters smelled of guns and violence, their excitement at the prospect for bloodshed palpable. Damn them for not taking half-measures. What was it about that chalice, that they wanted it so badly?

  The trees blurred on either side of Harley, all the same and seemingly never ending. Just how far did they go? Harley knew he didn’t lead them in circles. Impossible given he trusted his wolf to know the path leading home. Darkfall lay in front of them, a shining beacon of home. Christ, what Harley would give for a warm bath and then settled into his bed, tucking Silas to him. He didn’t know when he started placing Silas in his life, but he started he couldn’t stop.

  “Harley,” Silas rasped behind him. “Watch out.”

  Harley dodged in time as a bullet zipped past him, burying itself on the oak tree to his left. If Harley was human, he’d cursed. He’d been lucky in the barn. Here though, they couldn’t afford to pluck away silver bullets easily, when the hunters were dead set on wanting them dead, or had some other purpose in mind.

  More bullets thundered between them. With the help of their supernatural reflexes, they barely avoided most of them. Harley picked the harsher terrain, those riddled with uneven ground and untamed roots. Paths humans and their dogs would have trouble crossing to put some distance between them.

  Harley assumed right. The trees grew thinner here and they were running out of cover. The sound of water tickled in the distance. Trusting his instincts, Harley headed toward that direction. Insane not to know the lay of the land, but Harley had nothing else to depend on.

  Behind him, he heard Silas stumble. Without hesitation, Harley turned back. Silas was a new fledging, damn it. This shouldn’t be the way Silas was learning to make use of his senses. It would be in a control environment, with the steady guidance of his master. Silas scrambled to his feet. At Harley’s nudge, they kept at it.

  The sound of water all but drowned his eardrums now. They reached a clearing that led to a river. This river, Harley frantically had to assume, was what the locals called Little Northfield. If he remembered right, this could lead to one of the mountains bordering Darkfall.

  “Christ, Harley. I hope you’ve got a plan,” Silas whispered.

  They followed the river’s edge, picking up speed. Now on relatively flat ground, the hunters were closing on them. Harley skittered to a stop a distance later. He panted. Moonlight illuminated a bloody fucking drop.

  “Fuck,” Silas whispered. “It’s a dead end.”

  The vampire turned to Harley, and Harley didn’t like the look of resignation there.

  “Listen, Harley, they only want me. You don’t need to stay. If you run fast enough—”

  Harley nipped at Silas’s jeans in annoyance. The vampire yelped, then glowered.

  “Hey! These ratty jeans are the only things covering me. Stop it.”

  Footsteps and barks grew louder. How many minutes, hell, seconds did they have left? Silas made a valid point. The Order wanted Silas, not him, but they were in this together now. Besides, Harley suspected the Order wouldn’t just gun Silas down. They’d take him captive again. Torture him again for information he didn’t have, but this time they wouldn’t make a mistake.

  Seeing Silas gorgeous body covered in hurts again was fucking unacceptable. No lunatic would lay a finger on Silas again. Harley would make sure of that. He didn’t have time to explain his plan Harley gave Silas a look that hopefully translated to “follow me.”

  “Oh hell no. I don’t like that look in your eyes, big guy. Are you going to do something crazy, like taking on those hunters?” Silas demanded, even grabbed the scruff of Harley’s fur.

  Harley shook him off. He backtracked, not to attack the hunters like Silas thought, but to get a head start.

  “Harley!” Silas shouted, gleaning his plans.

  Harley broke into a fast run. His legs burned with the effort of running for so long, but he ran true, right over the drop. Behind him, Harley heard Silas’s creative curses, before the sound of the falls drowned him.

  He wasn’t worried. He knew Silas would follow after him. Satisfied he felt the vampire diving after him, Harley closed his eyes and tried to calm himself the fuck down. Fear thudded at his heart, and reduced him to a mess. Freefalling wasn’t what the media made it all out to be. Wasn’t exhilarating at all, not when he was genuinely shit scared.

  Thank God, the sound of Silas’s shrieking voice, still cursing him, reminded him they were still alive and would hopefully would survive this.

  Wind whipped at him. Harley scrambled, paws scratching at nothing. Then he plunged head first into black waters. Harley had never been a strong swimmer. He kicked his paws furiously, wanting to head up for air. His lungs burned. The indifferent current continued sweeping him forward.

  Then Harley began to sink. Fuck. He roared uselessly under the water, energy ebbing. Harley nearly thought he’d die drowning. Not his preferred way to go, but he felt strong hands grasping his fur a second later, dragging him up to the surface.

  Sweet night hair filled his lungs. The strong pale arms locked around him belonged to Silas.

  “You crazy bastard,” Silas sputtered, and then had the gall to smack him like an ill-behaved child. Harley snarled, began to drown again, but Silas hauled him right back up. “Aren’t dogs supposed to be good swimmers?”

  He blistered. How dare Silas compare him to a puny domestic animal? Plus, how could the vampire not be out of breath? Of course the undead didn’t breathe. Lucky sucker.

  Harley couldn’t argue much though, not when Silas fought to bring them both to safety. Once Silas dragged them to land, Harley could breathe easy. They lay on their backs, side-by-side, completely soaked and cold, not speaking for a couple of minutes. Eventually, Harley found enough strength to shift.

  “Thanks for saving me,” Harley said, making peace.

  Silas turned to him. The initial anger there dissipated. “I’m just returning the favor, besides, if you hadn’t jumped, those hunters would have gotten us by now.”

  “Didn’t think we’d survive though,” Harley admitted. “I mean even werewolves and vampires have limits.”

  To his surprise, Silas laced his hand with his.

  “We made it though. Live to see another day, right?” Silas joked.

  Harley placed a hand on his forehead. “Long night.”

  “Want me to make it all better, big guy?” Silas asked. Harley couldn’t tell he was teasing or not.

  “Baby, we just escaped death or torture. Don’t you think it’s inappropriate coming on to me?”

  Silas sniffed, and then punched his shoulder. “Don’t be an ass.”

  “I’m not.”

  Silas’s gaze slipped to Harley’s dick, standing at half-mast, then raised an eyebrow. “Look who’s the one being horny.”

  Harley growled. “Don’t tempt me. I can yank those tight jeans of yours down and see for myself.”

  Then Harley took the vampire by surprise. He rolled on top of Silas and pinned his arms above his head easily.

  “You—” Silas began.

  Harley claimed his lips, becoming aware of their slick skin kissing. Heat poured into Harley, making him forget the cold and damp. Illogical of them to be doing this here and now, but it had been one hell of night. Nothing made sense ever since he saved Silas. Besides, who knew how long they had to live?

  Harley grinded his body against Silas’s jeans, and let Silas feel his erection. When he released Silas, Silas’s expression softened, and turned vulnerable and needy. Hungry as Harley was for comfort, for reprieve from isolation and fear. Deep inside him, Harley’s wolf howled, wanting him to go further, to push until Silas and his body connected.

  “Please
,” Silas uttered. His pale skin and beauty stood out against rock and soil. Silas was sheer temptation and all his. Only his.

  “I fucking love that word on your lips,” Harley said. He loosened his grip a little, enough for Silas to free himself and lock his arms around Harley’s neck. Boldly, Silas stole another kiss that left Harley breathless.

  Harley kissed his way down Silas’s jaw, the side of his neck, and moved down. Taking in Silas’s left nipple, Harley sucked on the bud until it hardened, keeping his gaze trained on Silas’s flushed face. He bit down, leaving his mark, making Silas cry out. The sound was music to Harley’s lips. Silas began to reach for Harley’s shaft, but Harley growled and gripped them.

  “I call the shots, vampire,” Harley said.

  At Silas’s nod, Harley let him go. He went down on Silas, licking his lips at the sight of Silas’s thick cock. Harley lapped at the pre-cum on Silas’s tip, making the vampire shudder, and weave his fingers into Harley’s hair. Harley took Silas between his lips, gagging at first, before getting used to the vampire’s size. He applied suction with every inch of Silas’s dick he covered, liking the moans coming out of Silas’s mouth.

  Harley reached for Silas’s balls, squeezing gently, judging his reaction. Silas groaned, thrusting his hips at Harley. Harley bobbed his head up and down Silas’s cock, taking his time, reducing the vampire to pleas.

  “Please, Harley,” Silas begged.

  Harley took his prick deep in his mouth again, and Silas cried out above him, presumably reaching his tipping voice. Screaming out his name, Silas tugged at his hair as he unloaded his cum. Harley swallowed Silas’s load, not spilling. He licked his lips, liking the taste of the vampire. It was a bonus seeing Silas’s blush. Then a slow smile appeared on Silas’s lips.

  “Why don’t I return the favor? Then you can fuck me senseless.”

  Then Harley heard the gunshot.

  Chapter Six

  The moment Silas heard a gun cocking, he and Harley parted. Silas rose to his feet, eyes narrowed. He made out two figures cloaked in shadows by the trees. Metal glinted from the barrel of a shotgun. Beside him, Harley snarled, beginning to shift. Would he make it? Silas had to distract these two so Harley could finish and dive into the fight.

  The two intruders stepped forward. The hunters couldn’t have gone after them this soon. Were these two watching the rear while their buddies started the main chase? Why hadn’t they shot again? Even if they wanted Silas dead, they would want to immobilize them first.

  “Easy,” said a gruff voice. “Harley, that you?”

  Harley stopped shifting and remained in human form. Silas grabbed his arm when he took a step forward.

  “He’s pack,” Harley said.

  The two men came into their line of sight. The speaker was tall, muscled and dark-haired man in his early thirties, while the second was a slender-built man clutching at a hunting rifle. The first one, Silas identified as a werewolf, the second a human. He relaxed a little.

  “Harley, what are you doing this side of the Darkfall woods? And is that a vampire I smell with you?”

  Harley pulled Silas to him close, a possessive gesture. Silas blistered. He didn’t need protecting, but a part of him was pleased. The other werewolf raised an eyebrow.

  “I don’t have time to explain, Garret.” Harley glanced over his shoulder, back at the river. “Silas and I are in some deep shit. Hunters are after us and I need the pack’s help.”

  “Silas?” Garrett asked.

  Silas raised his hand. “That would be me, the vampire.”

  Garret snorted. “Mouthy.”

  “Mine. My mate,” Harley simply said. The natural way Harley said those words sent a shiver down Silas’s spine.

  Garret didn’t need further explanations. He nodded curtly. “Come on, then. I was teaching Bo to hunt when we heard sounds. My truck is nearby.”

  They headed for Garret’s pick-up. The other werewolf seemed to know his way around the woods, because they were by the side of the road in minutes.

  “Thank God, civilization,” Silas muttered.

  Bo chuckled. The human introduced himself as Garret’s mate and although they’d only known each other awhile, Silas decided he liked him immensely. “I know what you mean. That’s what you get, hanging with werewolves.”

  They trooped into Garret’s pick-up and headed for the town of Darkfall. In the backseat, Silas leaned against Harley, feeling downright exhausted.

  “It’s alright now, right? We reached your pack,” Silas whispered.

  Up front, Garret and Bo spoke in quiet voices. Harley assured him he trusted Garret, so he relaxed for the first time in what felt like days.

  “We’re good. For now,” Harley assured. “Close your eyes and rest. We’ll talk once you wake up.”

  * * * *

  Silas woke to the sound of several arguing voices. He opened his eyes, and rubbed at them. The blinds of the room were down, but he didn’t need to pull them up to know sunset was hours ago. He’d slept the entire time. Silas decided to stay quiet and eavesdrop, at least for the moment. Harley’s voice was easy to pick out, riled up and full of anger.

  “I won’t fucking stand here and take your insults, Beta. I have better things to do,” Harley was saying.

  “What did you expect, Harley? That we’ll stand by you after you invited hunters, fucking killers to our doorstep?” a second heated voice said.

  “Listen, fighting won’t achieve anything,” Garret said.

  “You shut it, Garret. You and your mate already caused us trouble the last time.”

  A bone-chilling howl sounded, raising all the hairs on Silas’s arms. He’d never heard anything like it before, but whoever made it commanded the silence of everyone there. Silas had to assume that was the pack alpha.

  “Looks like your vampire mate is awake, Harley. Let him speak,” said the voice.

  Swallowing, Silas chucked the covers aside. He straightened his back as he rose. A fresh set of clothes awaited him on the dresser. He put those on, and decided he wouldn’t let anyone, even a damn werewolf Alpha, push him and Harley around. Who did these wolves think they were anyway?

  They had no right judging Harley or him. Silas strode up, head held high. Two huge dark-haired men took up Garret and Bo’s living space. That was saying much, given Harley and Garret weren’t exactly small. It wasn’t just their sizes that intimated Silas. The Alpha and Beta of the Darkfall Mountain Pack emanated dominating presences, which made it hard to look away. They had similar features, brothers maybe. One practically snarled at him, while the other looked at him calmly, quietly taking stock of him—the Alpha probably.

  Never look away from other predators. Silas stalked and took position beside his mate. Harley made a rumbling sound in his throat. Not an angry sound, but a pleased one. He banded one possessive arm around Silas’s waist and brought Silas close. Silas’s back hit Harley’s hard chest. Harley grinded against Silas, letting Silas know what kind of reaction Silas’s presence elicited from him. If this was a show for Harley’s pack leaders to show them their bonds were genuine, Silas was eager to play. Except the moan that slipped out of Silas’s throat wasn’t fake or manufactured.

  Harley nipped at Silas’s ear. “Awake now, baby?”

  “Dreamt of you, of us,” Silas admitted, as if they weren’t in the midst of angry wolves.

  “Fucking?” Harley asked, interested.

  “You wish.”

  Garret cleared his throat.

  “So this is the vampire you deem needs your rescue, Harley,” the taller and scarred dark-haired man said.

  “This is Silas,” Harley agreed, not letting Silas go. “Silas, this is Sergio, my pack alpha. The blockhead next to him is Alessio, our beta.”

  Silas nudged at Harley gently. Harley let him go with reluctance. Silas was pleased his mate trusted him enough to stand his ground. He walked up to Sergio and Alessio, aware they were practically twice his bulk, extended a hand and coolly gave them a look.


  “Pleased to meet you both. Alpha, my Master Lucius spoke well of you.”

  Sergio gave him a contemplative look, and then gave Silas a firm handshake.

  “Lucius?” Alessio muttered, then turned to Harley. “Fuck, Harley you failed to mention that little detail.”

  “That’s what I’ve been saying all this time. It’s a misunderstanding,” Harley gritted out.

  After tempers were smoothed over, they all settled down. Bo came around, handed them beers, and shot Silas an apologetic look.

  “Do you still drink beer? We don’t exactly have blood packets around,” Bo said.

  “We can still consume human food and drink, but we don’t need to,” Silas admitted, accepting the beer.

  Bo gave him a grin. “Don’t let these werewolves intimidate you. They all love acting hard and tough, but they’re nice guys deep down.”

  Sergio gave the human a look, then burst out laughing. Alessio growled. “Garret, you need to leash up your mouthy human.”

  Bo tossed him a glare, before taking a seat on Garret’s lap.

  “I want to hear the story from your own lips, Silas. That way, I can tell if you’re lying,” Sergio said. The intense look Sergio gave Silas made Silas recall the tidbit his Master told him once about Alpha werewolves, that they could smell lies.

  It didn’t matter though, because Silas had nothing to hide. Beside him, Harley squeezed his hand in encouragement. Silas told his tale again, leaving no detail behind. He did his best answering Sergio’s questions about the hunters and Lucius.

  After a long silence, Sergio nodded. “I believe you. Harley and you were caught in unfortunate circumstances neither of you can control.”

  Sergio exchanged a long look with his brother, before returning his attention to them. “The next details we discuss are never to leave this room, understand?”

  More nods. Silas could sense the tension in the room, and soon understood why.

  “Lucius intended to bring you here not just to teach you how to hunt and get used to your vampire body. He wanted to impart you with his secret.”