by Jenny May
Dark Days Ranch 4
Taking the Reins
Zara is the future alpha to Triple Z. When she discovers Rogue and Cooper hiding in her barn, she instantly knows they’re meant to be mated. But she’s gone down this road before and miraculously survived the loss. Can she risk her heart to mates, again? Especially one who wants her birthright? Or will Zara do what she does best and push them away?
Triple Z is in need of a new alpha, and Rogue is all too willing to step up and make things safer for Dark Days and the rest of their surrounding territories. But when he realizes one of his mates is the daughter to his enemy, things heat up, fast. Can he step up to the role as Triple Z’s leader, or will his duty to his mate overshadow his obligations to his pack?
Genre: BDSM, Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 52,803 words
TAKING THE REINS
Dark Days Ranch 4
Jenny May
MENAGE AMOUR
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Amour
TAKING THE REINS
Copyright © 2013 by Jenny May
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62740-935-3
First E-book Publication: December 2013
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
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Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
About the Author
TAKING THE REINS
Dark Days Ranch 4
JENNY MAY
Copyright © 2013
Chapter 1
No one crossed into enemy territory. It was a death sentence. Suicide. Yet, here Rogue was, a good mile into Triple Z. Hills shadowed the border behind him, marking the entrance of Dark Days Ranch, and he didn’t glance back once. The expanse of dirt and brush that lay before him was sparse. Only in a few places were there clusters of growth. The place was like a wasteland and went on for miles to the side of him, without a house in sight.
Aside from the occasional boulder, here and there, there was absolutely no place to hide. It was dangerous. But breaking in was mandatory. Dark Days may have been his home for the last few years, but it wouldn’t be for long. Being a wolf meant many things. Loyalty above all else. Logan, his alpha, needed him. If Rogue was able to take over their enemy pack it meant security for the place he’d called home for the last few years.
But it wasn’t just Logan he needed to protect. It was his future. The mate he’d come to discover.
It was time he followed in his older and younger brothers’ footsteps. Being a leader was in their blood. Knox had taken over Hidden Hills, and Damien, The Big C. With Jack, the alpha of Whiskey River Ranch, protecting the backside of Dark Days, they’d be set. All they needed was Rogue to do his job, and West Texas would pretty much belong to them. No one would try to take over any of their territories, knowing they’d have to face five alphas. It was perfect. But not fail proof. It all rested on Rogue. Did he have the power to take out Nikolas, one of the most feared alphas in the state? Time would tell, but he wasn’t so certain.
The Texas sun was just rising, and he knew if he was going to get in, now was the time. The spotters would have been up all night watching the borders. Then eating breakfast and changing shifts would keep the men occupied for at least a good hour or two. That gave him just enough time to reach a safe place to hide. Where that place was was beyond him. Although he’d been in Triple Z a number of times, he only knew of one location that seemed unoccupied enough for him to camp out there.
In the distance rested a small white ranch house. It had always pulled at him for some reason. There was nothing special about it. If anything it looked pretty run-down. Maybe it was the wooden swing that rested on the porch, or the fact that it had a huge tree in the front yard. That was pretty uncommon for the area. Either way, he’d always liked it. It reminded him of home, even though it didn’t look anything like the house he’d grown up in.
The small red barn sitting not far away grabbed his attention. The shelter would be the perfect place for him to camp out until he could plan his attack. Rogue adjusted the straps from the backpack on his shoulders. The damn thing weighed a good ninety pounds. Damn water weight. He sighed. With the heat, he was going to need to stay hydrated. Lord only knew how long he’d be here.
Prickling against the back of his neck had Rogue scanning the area. He’d been jogging the whole time, and hadn’t seen anyone. Long strands of his dark hair stuck to the side of his face and he wiped them away.
; Again, the feeling took over him. A large boulder sat ahead and he made his way to it and crouched behind, hiding from view. Slowly, Rogue rose and peered toward Dark Days. Movement had him cursing. The figure looked like it was running, low. The speed at which it rushed toward him was beyond impressive. Hell, it looked elite, like all of Dark Day’s intel crew.
The dark hair covering the man’s head was short. And from his build, he was pretty wide, and tall. Rogue searched his mind. He usually kept pretty low-key and avoided making friends, but from everyone he knew, this guy didn’t fit anyone’s description that he could remember. Was he Triple Z? With the way he was trying to stay low, Rogue didn’t think so.
The acceleration of his heart had his hand coming to his chest. Rogue looked down. The feeling wasn’t his own. Fear like he’d never felt before overtook him. “Cooper.” He stood and looked at the approaching person. “Fuck. What the hell…”
Bright blue eyes connected with Rogue’s bewildered stare and the cowboy slowed to a jog. It wasn’t the first time he’d ever seen his mate in person, but it was the definitely the closest they’d ever physically been. The effect it had on his body resembled nothing short of getting hit by a bus. A really, really big bus. The thudding shook his whole body. The aching to pull the man against him was almost crippling.
Cooper didn’t stop. His hard frame crashed into Rogue’s, and the cowboy’s arms wrapped around his neck. “I didn’t think I’d be able to catch you in time.” His head pulled back from Rogue’s neck, but he kept their connection. “I told you last night on the phone I wanted to see you before you left. You never texted me back.”
Swallowing was almost impossible. No, he hadn’t written back. Rogue had been trying to avoid this moment now since he’d found out his mate was searching him out, months ago. He scanned the area not seeing anyone. They were going to have to make this quick if they weren’t going to get caught.
“I’m pissed at you. You know that right?” Cooper’s expression was stern, yet his heavy breathing couldn’t mask his excitement. He might have been running for the last mile, but to a wolf, that wasn’t shit.
Rogue licked his lips, trying to fight the way his body was responding to his mate. The pulsing in his cock was enough to bring him to his knees. “Well, I’m pissed at you, too. What were you doing crossing enemy lines? You could have gotten yourself killed.”
“All I wanted was to see you before you left. You couldn’t even give me that. You’ve had me on the back burner long enough. I’ve given you time to adjust to this mating. Time’s up, Rogue. By dismissing me, you’ve forced me to take matters into my own hands. You’re stuck with me now. Permanently.”
“My ass, I am. You’re going back to Dark Days right now.”
Damien, his younger brother, had said Cooper had one of the most submissive energies of anyone he’d ever met. Sure didn’t feel that way to Rogue. The guy was downright dominating right now, and Rogue knew there was only room for one of those in this relationship. Him.
“I’m not going back.” Cooper’s arms tightened a small amount around his neck. “I’m staying with you. We’re going to take over Triple Z together. I’ll be by your side every second. Supporting you. Like a mate should.”
Rogue grabbed his forearms and pried them from his neck. Before he knew it, he felt his feet swept out from under him. The backpack pushed into his back as both he and Cooper connected with the ground. Rogue rolled over, pinning Cooper beneath him. “You’re stronger and faster than I gave you credit for. I’m surprised.”
“Keep me around and the surprises will continue to come.” The look on his face said it all. The words were sexual. And the fact that his mate was so willing to open up to him that fast wreaked havoc on his already traitorous body.
Rogue braced his palms on the warm dirt. “I’m not so sure you can handle it, Cooper. I say that in all seriousness.” He started to lift when his mate clutched the front of Rogue’s shirt in his fist.
“You’re never going to find out if you keep running. And truthfully, I’m not going to let you. I don’t care what you’re capable of. You will use me for your pleasure, and god dammit, you’re going to fucking love it.” He licked his lips. “But not more than me. I’ll probably like it more.” A smile came to his face, and Rogue couldn’t help but return it.
The man was nothing like what he’d expected. There was almost a shyness in his soft voice while they’d talked on the phone. The emotion sure as hell wasn’t making an appearance today. And there was nothing soft about the man whatsoever.
“If I let you stay, are you going to listen? Because if that’s not the case, we’ll head back to the border right now. Logan will come get you if I tell him to.”
Lips pressed against Rogue’s so expectantly that it caught him off guard. The soft feel of his mate’s mouth was heaven. Delicious sensations erupted deep into his core. Cooper traced his tongue over the length of Rogue’s lips, parting and sucking the lower part into his mouth.
“God, you taste so fucking good. I’ve dreamed about this. About you.”
A growl came from deep in Rogue’s throat. “You’re playing with fire, Cooper.”
“Then burn me. What are you waiting for? I’m yours.”
Could he be serious? Of course he was. That was a stupid question. The guy was throwing himself at him. “Now’s not the time. We have to get to safety. If they find us, we’re dead. You understand that, don’t you?”
“I’ll die with you. And that’s all that matters.”
Rogue lifted and crouched, pulling Cooper to a sitting position. “Well, if it’s all right with you, I’d like to live a little bit longer. But you.” He narrowed his eyes at his mate. “You’re going to get it the moment the time is right. Somewhere in that beautiful head of yours, you think you’re ready for what I have planned for you, Cooper. But I don’t think you are. My thoughts concerning you are dark and filled with pleasure and pain. Pain. Let that sink in.”
The expressions on his face didn’t change. “I’ve had all the time I need to imagine everything possible. I’m ready for you, Rogue. I still want you. No matter what it brings.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “I guess we’ll see soon enough.” He glanced in the direction of the house in the distance. “You see that place over there? We’re staying in that red barn. Whatever you do,” Rogue’s eyes pierced his, trying to stress his point, “you follow everything I do. Someone lives there, but I never see them. You are to be quiet until I tell you other words. Tell me you understand, right now. Or I take you back to the border.”
Cooper winked. “I gotcha. I’m not going to botch our cover.”
“Better not. Now let’s go. The faster we get there, the less chance someone will find us. The spotters will be coming back through this way soon. We need to hurry.”
The cowboy rose, but kept close to the ground, and nodded. Rogue adjusted the backpack on his back and took off at a good pace. Cooper had no problem keeping up, which was good. The last thing he needed to worry about was fighting to get there in time.
As they neared the small ranch, Rogue lowered even more, and noticed his mate mirrored the actions without having to be told. Good! Cooper was a fast learner. A wicked smile came to Rogue’s mouth. Hopefully he’d be just as fast in submitting to him. It would be nice to have a submissive. The only problem was Cooper’s energy didn’t really give off that vibe. That could, of course, cause a few problems. There was no way the alpha in Rogue would be anything but the one in control. And from his experience, two dominant males close together didn’t work. Hell, he couldn’t even be around his brothers too long without them all arguing. Well, now was as good a time as any to find out.
The red barn was only a hundred yards away. Rogue kept down as much as he could and eased up to the far side of the old building. Paint was chipping away, and he pressed his palm into the wood, surveying the energy inside. Not much rested within the closed space but maybe a horse or two. That was it.
Slowly, he rounded the front. It was risky. The opening was in view of the small house. If someone happened to look out they’d see him. And there was definitely someone there. He could feel them all the way from where he was. The prickling went beyond what he was used to. They were either really powerful, or else, very open within their mind. It was something that made him uncomfortable, but Rogue didn’t have a choice. They had to stay here. And the good thing was he’d feel the person coming from a mile away.
The door to the barn slid open a little at Rogue’s push. It was a bit stiff, but not too much. He dipped inside and the moment Cooper stepped through, he pulled him in the rest of the way and slid the door shut.
Four stalls aligned the wall, but only one horse rested inside. The smell was musky. Rogue tried to slow his breathing to get over the stale air.
Tools hung along the walls and he took them in. Good. Weapons in case he needed something quick. Directly above rested a loft. It was perfect. “We’ll stay up there.” He led the way, letting Cooper follow up the narrow ladder. The moment his head rose above the floor, he couldn’t keep from grinning. Hay already rested on the floor. It couldn’t have been any more convenient.
Rogue dropped the backpack to the ground and rotated his shoulders. The missing weight made him feel light. He was glad to get rid of it. A window caught his attention and he walked over and peered out. It gave a perfect view of the front door. He unhooked the latch and slid it open a little to circulate the air as best as he could.
“So what’s the plan now?” Cooper untucked his shirt and went to pull it over his head. The muscles flexed in his stomach as the skin was revealed. All Rogue wanted to do was bite his teeth down those washboard abs. Yes. Definitely bite. It was his thing, amongst others. He wasn’t sure why, but feeling, tasting the skin as it settled between his teeth set him over the edge. And he wasn’t talking about barely applying pressure. He wanted bruising. To see the imprint of him marked on what belonged to him. What he owned.