by Eden Cole
The pain in his head intensified. “Of course you are. Look, just like I told him—”
“He didn’t come home last night.”
Corey stopped talking, and a flash of the horrible dream went through his head. He was about to demand more of an explanation from her, when one of his men burst into the main hall, banging the door against the wall. All conversation stopped, and heads turned his way.
“Laramie’s dead!”
Exclamations erupted. Corey surged to his feet and abandoned his breakfast and Corrin. “Show me,” Corey demanded of his man. Several followed as they made their way out to the sight, a few hundred yards past their boundaries. The fact that there had been a fight was obvious. Blaine moved up beside him and stooped to brush away crushed leaves and broken branches. A paw print had been left in the dirt. “See that?” Blaine said unnecessarily. He took a deep breath, pulling in the scents around them, and Corey did the same.
He picked up a strong whiff of Devin. He could pick it out anywhere. Had Devin been involved in Laramie’s murder? Corey didn’t think he would betray them.
“The body’s back here,” his man called. They moved farther into the wooded area which was not policed by his people. On the other side of a narrow stream was Laramie—or what was left of him.
Corey swore. The dirt and greenery had been stained red, more than enough there to end even a shifter’s life. He traced the movements of the wolves that had done this by what they had left behind and found more blood. Blaine had stayed by his side the entire time, and it seemed they both identified a new problem at the same instance.
Devin’s scent again. Corey stooped and picked up a bit of stained branch. He smelled it, and his canines lengthened and grew longer and pointed in an instant. The dreams he’d had came into sharp focus. “This is Devin’s blood. They have him!”
Rage descended over Corey’s consciousness. He saw nothing but red, and felt desperation to get to Devin. While he lay sleeping, someone had been hurting him, beating him. Corey tossed the branch away and charged forward. Blaine stepped into his path and gripped his shoulders.
“Hold on. I know you’re upset,” Blaine said.
“Get the hell out of my way,” Corey yelled. “I’m more than upset. They have Devin. Don’t you understand?”
Blaine’s tone remained level. “Yes, I understand perfectly, and I promise you I’ll stay with you until we find him. We will find him, Corey,” Blaine insisted. “But you can’t go charging out there alone. They want that. We have to gather our men and do this right.”
Corey balled his hands into fists. He stared past Blaine, pushing against his hold. He wanted to shift and forget everything except getting to Devin. Anguish must be clear on his face, visible to the few men who had come out with him to this site, but he didn’t care. Devin was all that mattered.
He gave a small nod, and Blaine barked orders to the others nearby to gather more men. They would leave in five.
Five minutes was an eternity. “I had another dream,” Corey confessed. “Someone was hurting him.” His voice thickened as the change began. His emotions were out of control, and there was no pulling them back. “They bound him and whipped him. I will rip that person from limb to limb for laying one finger on Devin. He will die tonight.”
They all shifted and headed out to hunt the enemy. Corey stayed well ahead of his pack, running with everything he had. Blaine was close behind him, and by late into the night, they sniffed out Laramie’s attackers. Corey downed five of the other men before Blaine could stop him. “We need one of them to tell us where Devin is,” he explained at Corey’s outraged expression after they’d both shifted to human form.
Corey nodded and grabbed one of the enemies around the neck. He shook the wolf, making his body flop around. “Shift, damn you.”
The man did, gasping for air.
“Where is he?” he demanded. “Where’s the man you took? He belongs to us—to me?”
Fear etched the man’s eyes, and it should. Corey was prepared to rip him apart. The man held up shaking hands. “He’s at our camp, five miles from here.”
“Show us.”
He nodded.
They ran on. The moon had hidden behind clouds, but Corey and his men had no trouble picking their way over the mountainous terrain. When they came to an area known for its expanse of caves, the wolf stopped and shifted. “There,” he said. “My Alpha will kill me for this. I can’t go any farther.”
“You don’t have to worry about your Alpha,” Corey told him. He left the man crumpled on the ground.
Corey gave the command. They must know that he and his men were coming, but it didn’t matter. Even if he was outnumbered, he didn’t care. He needed to get to Devin. The closer he’d come to this place, Corey had felt Devin’s emotions. He was in pain, but he was alive. Corey fought his way through until he came to a cave. He picked up Devin’s scent from beyond, so he knew he was there. The other pack’s Alpha stood in his way.
“So this guy I have,” he taunted, “he’s your mate, isn’t he?”
“That’s not your business,” Corey countered.
The man laughed. “I’d heard the Beta of your group was gay, but you? That’s a surprise.” A slow, evil grin spread over his face. “What if I told you I had him last night, that he enjoyed it, and since you rejected him, he came to me?”
To Corey’s surprise the other man’s cock stood out from his naked body, stiff and hard. His own words had turned him on. Was this lifestyle so common? How had he not noticed? Doubt assailed him. Had Devin left him willingly? His chest ached.
“He wouldn’t do that,” Blaine interjected. “Devin would not betray his people, and he definitely wouldn’t leave his Alpha.”
Corey was grateful Blaine hadn’t indicated Devin was his mate. He wasn’t ready to let everyone else know what he was beginning to accept himself. Devin and he belonged together.
“We only want what belongs to us,” the leader said. “The land.”
Corey ignored his statement. “Were you the one who hurt Devin?”
The man waved a hand. “You should be focusing on this conflict, and how to end it. I know I am.”
“Did you or did you not—hurt—Devin?” Corey repeated.
The man smirked. “He cried like a little girl.”
Corey growled. “No one interfere.” He shifted as he ran for the Alpha. They met in the air, each gnashing with his teeth, clawing, and trying to get the upper hand. Corey was in such a rage, he didn’t feel pain when the other wolf’s teeth came down on his shoulder. He shook him off, rolled with the other animal’s body, and pinned him beneath his paws. Corey went after his neck, but he missed. His opponent flipped him off and bit down on Corey again. This time he did feel the pain of teeth tearing at his muscle. He yelped. Just past the wolf’s shoulder, he saw Blaine ready to join the fray, but Corey growled at him. Blaine stayed where he was.
The thought of Devin cold and injured in that cave renewed Corey’s strength. He butted the other wolf into a nearby tree, making him dizzy. Corey took the advantage and jumped on his back. He forced the wolf down to the ground and this time got his teeth around his neck. Corey shook his head hard as he clenched. The wolf’s head flopped, and he went silent. When he stopped moving, Corey let go and backed up. Slowly, the other Alpha began to shift back to his human form. His head hung at an awkward angle. He was dead.
Corey wasted no time changing and running toward the cave. Any fights now would be few and halfhearted. The other pack’s leader was gone. The battle was done. He entered the dark cave and picked up on Devin’s scent immediately. Toward the back a pile of blankets lay, and at first Corey didn’t think Devin was among them, but then he moved. Corey hurried inside and fell to his knees. His big, stubborn mate lay with a hood over his head, secured by a rope around his neck. Corey unknotted the rope and yanked the hood off. Devin’s eyes were closed. His hair was tangled about his head, and arms bound. Dried blood stained his side and forehead. His wide, bare che
st rose and fell steadily.
When he couldn’t easily get the rope loose that bound Devin’s wrist, Corey called for a knife, and Blaine brought it. He cut through the bonds and lowered Devin’s arms before gathering him up to his chest.
“He okay?” Blaine asked.
“He will be,” Corey said, pushing the words out and just wanting to be left alone to care for his mate.
“I’ll call ahead for a vehicle,” Blaine offered. “You’ll have to carry him to the nearest road.”
“There’s nowhere I wouldn’t carry him if he needed me.” Embarrassed at his sappy words but knowing they were true, Corey turned from his best friend and stood up with Devin in his arms. He began the two mile walk to where someone would pick them up and take them home.
Chapter Six
Corey stood in the jamb at his bedroom and watched Devin sleeping. His wounds had all closed and healed, and there wasn’t much left as far as discoloration—the perks of being born a shifter. He’d watched over Devin for the last few days at his house. As far as he was concerned, Devin wasn’t living anywhere but here from now on.
His lover shifted in the bed and threw off the comforter coving his head. “Hot,” he said. “How long do you plan to watch me sleep?”
Corey shrugged. “Until you stop faking and tell me what the hell you thought you were doing leaving my protection.”
Devin’s face colored for the first time that Corey could see. He sat up and threw his feet over the side of the bed. His cock rested against his belly, tempting Corey. He made no move to cover it again, and Corey didn’t pretend he didn’t like looking.
“I thought I was proving to you that I can be of use to you,” Devin admitted. “Granted, I went about it all wrong, but I did get results. You have to admit.”
Corey sneered and walked into the room. He didn’t move closer to Devin though, because if he did, he’d put the man back to bed and join him. First, they needed to talk. He strolled to the window and looked out, keeping his back to Devin. For the time being, it seemed the best way to keep his hands to himself.
“I am your Alpha, Devin. You do not disobey me. I told you I would handle things.”
“And you did.”
Corey jerked in surprise when Devin’s hands came around his waist. He fiddled with a button on Corey’s shirt and slid his hand past the barrier. The outside world no longer had interest for him when his mate ran his palm over Corey’s abs. Devin kissed his neck and breathed deep.
“You’re their Alpha,” Devin told him, dropping heavy hands on Corey’s shoulders and turning him around to face him. He reached up to pull Corey’s new Stetson off his head and tossed it across the room to land on a chair. “But we both know who’s the lead in this relationship.”
Corey raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re going to disrespect me again?”
“Never.”
Devin kissed his lips, and Corey strained to get closer. They embraced, each trying to prove they were the stronger man, the lead. Corey admitted that Devin was powerful, even qualified to govern the pack at his side. But right now they were just two men, desperately desiring one another. Corey pushed his tongue between Devin’s lips and tasted how good his mouth was. Devin ran his hands all over Corey’s body, ending at his ass. He squeezed and yanked Corey closer. Their cocks rubbed, driving Corey crazy. He needed to get out of his jeans and fast, but he pushed Devin back. His lover didn’t fight him. They both stood catching their breath.
“You’re not denying me, are you?” Devin asked.
Corey picked up on his doubt. He was almost floored by the devastation Devin felt at the prospect of Corey refusing him. “No, I’m not. I know we’re connected. I’m not saying I like it or that I’m comfortable because I’m not.” He moved around Devin and walked to the door. “Get cleaned up. We can talk more over breakfast. I had it delivered so you don’t have to go to the hall until you’re ready.”
He didn’t wait for Devin to answer but headed out to the kitchen and then brought the food to the living room. Devin would be more comfortable on the chairs here rather than the stiff, upright ones in the kitchen. He arranged a few pillows in preparation for him and opened the containers to fix Devin’s plate.
“Will this be a habit?” Devin asked when he came in. Corey frowned that the man had showered but hadn’t bothered to put on clothes. How the hell could he think if Devin was naked? Devin grinned as if he guessed what Corey was thinking.
“Will what become a habit?” he asked.
Devin waved his hand at the setup and sat on the opposite side of the couch from the place where Corey had made up for him. “This babying me. Not letting me go to the hall when I’m in perfect health, insisting that I spend more time than necessary in bed, and this serving me. Well, I don’t mind the serving so long as you’re less covered than you are now,” he drawled.
Corey swore. “We still can’t have a simple conversation without arguing. Have you forgotten that you were beaten to within an inch of your life?”
“I was in no danger of dying. I’m tougher than that,” Devin quipped. He put his feet up on the coffee table and tucked into his food.
“I felt your pain, you dumbass,” Corey growled.
Devin put his fork down and crooked a finger at him. “Come here, darlin’.”
Corey frowned.
“Come here, Corey,” Devin repeated.
Corey joined him on the couch, and Devin pulled him close. They tongue-kissed for a few minutes, Devin tasting like maple syrup. “I love you. No, don’t pull away. I love you so much, Corey. I did the first time I saw you, and I want to be with you every minute, day and night. But not because I’m scared someone will get me or that I might get hurt. That’s not the kind of man I am, and it’s not the kind of man I’m going to allow you to treat me as.”
“Devin.”
He kissed him. “Trust me, Corey. I know how you feel. Just like you can feel my emotions, I sense yours. It hurt seeing me like that, and I promise I won’t pull anymore foolhardy stunts without you by my side. But I will be the same man I came here as.”
Corey leaned forward, resting his arms on his thigh. “There are consequences to disobeying your Alpha, you know.”
Devin chuckled. “Are there? You putting me in solitary confinement?”
Corey shook his head. “No, you’re not living anywhere else but here.”
“Is that another command?”
“Yes.”
Devin tapped his fork on his plate. “You haven’t claimed me.”
“What?”
Devin stretched his arms over his head and leaned back in the chair. Corey glanced over to him, watching as his cock bobbed. He could almost taste the leathery skin on his tongue, feel its stiffness in his hand. Devin ran a hand over his abs and spread his legs a little more. Temptation was getting the better of Corey.
“We’re connected,” Devin explained. “But it’s not complete. Unless the rules are different in this pack, if you’re insistent on being my Alpha, then taking me as your mate requires claiming. That claiming must be done in the presence of a witness.”
Corey groaned. He rubbed a hand over his eyes. Of course Devin was right. The Alpha of a pack had to claim his “bride” in front of a witness, usually his Beta if he had one. The change had come after centuries of the Alpha claiming his mate in front of the entire pack. Even if he gave in and allowed Devin to call himself the Alpha of their relationship, he’d still have to have sex with him in front of someone else to solidify the claiming. Blaine was the best choice given he was gay. Corey groaned again. He was new to this and didn’t like the thought of having someone watch while he enjoyed touching and being touched by Devin.
“Surely, we can forget about that,” he suggested. “I mean it’s the twenty-first century, for cripes sake.”
Devin shrugged. “If you want our connection to fade. You know the complications of not making the claim.”
Corey jumped to his feet and paced the room. “Fuck!�
��
“Yes,” Devin commented amused. “I’d love to.”
“This isn’t funny.”
Devin kept chuckling. Corey considered flooring the cocky bastard until he remembered how Devin had been treated. His lover smiled and joked, but there was still residual pain, if not in his body, in his mind. Inner healing would take time, especially with Corey there with him. Devin was a strong man, more solid than any he’d met, but he was also vulnerable in ways. He’d needed somewhere to belong. Where Corey was, was that place, and if he denied Devin, he’d only add to his hurt. Besides that, he wasn’t willing to let this man go. He needed to know how he felt, especially if he was in trouble. The completeness of that was in the full claiming.
“Fine, we’ll get this over with now,” Corey announced.
“So romantic,” Devin quipped.
Corey glared at him. He tugged his cell phone from his pocket and called Blaine. When his second picked up, he barked, “Get the hell over to my place, now!” A second after, someone knocked on the door, and he sighed. Something told him Blaine knew what was required and knew he’d be chosen. The bastard was probably looking forward to watching him make a fool of himself.
Since Corey didn’t move from the spot where he stood, Devin stood up to answer the door. He stepped back to let Blaine pass by. Corey clenched his jaw at the look of interest Blaine tossed Devin seeing him naked.
“I figured you’d be calling soon,” Blaine said.
“Just sit there,” Corey told him. He glanced around the room and spotted the bear carpet in front of his fireplace. There was as good as any place. He’d make use of it and get this thing done, so he and Devin could have some privacy. He walked over to the carpet and began undoing his belt buckle while toeing out of his boots. “Come here, Devin.”
“Bossy, isn’t he?” Devin tossed to Blaine in passing. “I’ll show him who is in charge after while.”
“I bet you will.” Blaine laughed and flopped on the couch.
Corey didn’t like how his second’s cock was already hard, tenting his jeans. When he was naked, he jerked Devin close to him and kissed his lips hungrily. Devin was just as determined to show he wouldn’t be tamed. Their biceps flexed as they rubbed together, tongues mating. Corey had grown rock hard from the second Devin’s shaft brushed his. Pushing and pulling, they sank to their knees on the carpet.