by Lynn Hagen
Riley was relieved that Terrik had survived the hellhound bite, but it would be pretty fucked-up if he died from being drained by a vampire. Riley wasn’t sure how accurate Ross’s warning was, or even if they were being set up, but he couldn’t leave the wood elves to a slaughter.
As unreasonable, narrow-minded, and hate-filled as the wood elves were, Riley’s conscience wouldn’t let him sit idly by while the race of elves became extinct just because he didn’t like them.
Riley, along with Kenway and Olsen, cursed when they turned onto the long dirt path leading to the village, seeing the fighting had already started. Riley pressed the gas, getting them closer, and then jammed the gear into park.
The three shadow warriors were fighting expertly, but were terribly outnumbered. The men were tall, lean, finely muscled, and had a look on their faces that said they meant business. Riley shifted as soon as he cleared the truck, heading straight for Iam, who was losing the fight he was engaged in.
“About damn time!” Iam shouted as he blocked a hit with his arm. “There are too many to fight off.”
Riley spared a shadow of a second to be stunned as he watched Kenway shift. Never in his life had he seen a buffalo shifter, and he was amazed at the sheer size of the beast. The buffalo had to weigh at least fifteen hundred pounds and was about six foot long. His fur was black and his head was down, lethal-looking horns decorating his head.
Kenway lifted his head, scented the air, and then charged. If Riley didn’t need to help Iam, he would stand there in wonder and watch.
“Are you going to help or stare at that Bison all day?” Iam shouted as he stumbled backward, losing his footing and landing on his back.
Riley turned his attention back to Iam, charging in and leaping onto the vampire’s back. He took the rogue down in seconds, but another appeared. He felt like no matter how many he took down, more replaced the fallen.
He locked his jaw on the next vampire that appeared and stopped himself from gaping when one cheetah, and then another, took down two vampires trying to get at Riley. Maybe having the new shifters in town would benefit the community. It sure as shit benefited Riley’s ass at the moment.
Riley killed the vampire and then took off across the village when he saw Terrik running toward the woods from a vampire. Going into the woods was the worst thing that fey could do. It would cut Terrik off from the shifters, and made him easy prey.
Riley skidded to a stop when Christian and Maverick appeared right in from of him. Maverick grabbed Terrik around the waist and pulled him back as Christian wielded a sword and cut the vampire’s head clean from his shoulder.
Damn, that was gross.
“Watch him,” Maverick said as he placed Terrik on his feet in front of Riley.
What the hell?
He hadn’t come here to babysit. Riley had come here to fight. He shifted back to his human form, glancing all around him before his eyes settled on the young elven man.
“Do you know where the Lakeland ranch is?” he asked the terrified young man.
Terrik nodded his head rapidly.
“Shimmer there and you’ll find Ross. Tell my brothers Bryce and Roman that I sent you.”
Riley watched as Terrik shimmered out and then turned back to the fight. At least the young fey was safe. He just couldn’t understand why the rest of the fey weren’t shimmering out of there. They weren’t fighters. They were outnumbered. They didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning. Yet they fought.
The fight went on and on, seeming as though it was never ending in Riley’s mind. But eventually the rogues that had invaded the village were all dead. Riley stood there in his bear form, looking at the carnage around him, and then glanced over at the leaders. Zeus’s grey wolf was so large that he rivaled Riley’s bear size. Maverick had stayed in human form. He saw Ahm, Panahasi, Christian, and another vampire he didn’t recognize. He also saw a man who looked like he could kill with one intent gaze.
“You are looking at the Ultionem. We are now your governing council. Any who defy us, or the laws we have yet to set down, will pay the price,” Ahm said to the wood elves. “I will inform you of the new laws once they are decided. Iam, come here.”
The wood elf hurried forward, coming to a stop in front of the shadow elven. “This man is your new tribe leader. If anyone opposes, speak now,” Ahm called out to the crowd around him.
Riley glanced around, but no one said a word. A few didn’t look too happy, but they kept their opinions to themselves.
Smart men.
All six leaders stood behind Ahm, as if backing up what he was announcing. Riley was pretty damn stunned at the news. They had a council now? How would that affect his world? Would it improve the way things were or make them worse? What were the new laws going to be?
He wasn’t sure of anything right now. Riley’s only concern was keeping his mate and family safe. His world was changing so much that Riley felt displaced. The events that had been taking place in the paranormal world were changing his world, and Riley began to mourn the loss of what was once a peaceful existence.
He began to miss the simpler times, and how rogues were far and few between. He missed the times when the only shifters he knew to exist were bears. But there was one change in Riley’s life that he was grateful for and wouldn’t change for all the world, and that was Sterling.
Even if his mate was a little strange.
“I’m ready,” Sterling announced as he walked into his and Riley’s bedroom. His mate was standing over by the dresser, looking through a drawer.
“Okay, hon. Just give me minute to find some socks.”
Sterling took a seat on the bed, folding his legs under him, and watched his mate put his socks and boots on. He still couldn’t believe that Riley Lakeland was his. It was like his dream had come true.
Although Riley hadn’t ridden in on his horse and swooped Sterling off of his feet, Sterling still felt like his dream had become reality. The man was strong, stunning, and starting to grow a sense of humor. His once-grumpy mate was starting to show his true personality and Sterling loved it.
“You’re going to ride Buster. He’s the gentlest horse we have,” Riley said and then tossed something on the bed.
Sterling kept the grin from his face because he knew Riley would have a coronary when he saw who Chauncey had helped Sterling saddle.
He just prayed Riley let him ride.
Sometimes Riley was a tad overprotective, and Sterling loved that fact, but he was damned and determined to show his mate that he could take care of himself. Maybe not during fights, Sterling was never a fighter, but he could get by in life without Riley trying to wrap him in cotton.
He glanced down at a shiny cell phone, but knew right away that it wasn’t Riley’s.
“Just in case you need to call anyone. I programmed everyone’s number into it.”
Sterling sat there stunned. Riley had tossed the phone on the bed like it was no big deal, but to Sterling, it meant everything.
It meant Riley cared about him.
“Let’s go start your lesson,” Riley said as he grabbed Sterling’s hand and pulled him from the bed.
Sterling felt like he was a thousand feet tall when it came to his mate loving him. Riley was the best thing to ever happen to Sterling, and Sterling was damn glad he and Darcy had come to this town.
“Going out for your lessons?” Pa asked as he wiped Cole’s face. The baby was in his highchair, making more of a mess than eating. Oscar was sitting next to the towering man, dunking cookies into a glass of milk.
“My very first,” Sterling boasted proudly.
Just then Bacon ran through the small doggy door the Lakelands had made for the pig. Sterling had been so shocked that the men had done something so nice for him that Sterling had embarrassed himself and cried like a damn baby. They said they did it because any pig that defended his owner, the way Bacon had defended Sterling when the pig ran for help, deserved to live in the house and be a p
ampered pet.
“Sorry, girl,” Sterling said as he picked Bacon up and ran a hand over her head. “Papa’s got to ride by himself.”
“Can I play with her?” Oscar asked as he wiggled out of his chair and hobbled over to Sterling.
“You sure can. But don’t give her too many snacks. She likes to make a pig of herself.” Sterling winked at Oscar, the little guy laughing at the pun.
Sterling handed his piglet over to Oscar and then walked outside to join Riley. It was a bright, sunny day, the clouds fat and fluffy as they walked side by side to the barn.
Bryce walked Warrior out, handing the reins to Riley.
“Where’s Buster?” Riley asked.
“I’ll go get him,” Sterling said quickly and then took off into the barn. Riley was going to shit his own little pen of piglets when he saw Sterling ride out on Hell Raiser. Sterling had been coming to the barn for weeks, talking to the black stallion, getting to know the guy, and bringing him treats like carrots, apples, and sugar cubes.
He had even sat on Hell Raiser when no one was around to protest, trying his best to get the horse used to having Sterling’s weight on his back. Saddling him hadn’t been easy, and Chauncey kept telling Sterling he didn’t like Sterling’s plan, but he had convinced the bear that he was confident the stallion would allow Sterling to ride him.
He grabbed the reins, smiling up at the horse. “Are you ready to show these bears just how gorgeous you are and that you are a good boy?” Sterling asked as he opened the gate and led Hell Raiser from his stall.
“If Riley wants to skin anyone, leave my name out of it,” Chauncey said as Sterling walked the horse to the barn door. “I like my ass right where it is.”
Sterling was hoping it didn’t come to that. There was only one way Riley couldn’t stop Sterling. He mounted the horse, with Chauncey’s help, and then clicked his tongue, the way Chauncey had shown him.
Hell Raiser whinnied and then took off out of the barn. Sterling held on tight, his legs locked against the horse, praying he didn’t fall off as the horse cleared the barn and took off toward the fields.
“Sterling!” Riley shouted and began to chase him on Warrior. “I’m going to kick your ass when I get a hold of you!”
Sterling grinned and then laughed, feeling the freedom all around him as Hell Raiser slowed to a canter. He looked behind him to see how close Riley was when he saw the horse’s tail high in the air.
Hell Raiser was showing off!
Sterling beamed as his mate approached.
“You have five seconds to dismount and take that beast back to the barn.” Riley growled out his words.
“But why?” Sterling protested with a slight pout to his lower lip. “He’s letting me ride him.”
“He’s too ornery.”
“So were you.” Sterling winked at his mate. “But I managed to tame you, didn’t I?”
Riley opened his mouth to speak and then closed it, studying Sterling for a second. He grinned. “I guess you did at that.”
“So, give me a chance on Hell Raiser.” Gods, he prayed his argument worked. Sterling had invested every free moment he had had in coaxing the horse into letting Sterling ride him. It would all be a waste if Riley made him take the horse back.
Riley rubbed his hand over his head and studied Sterling for a moment. Sterling held his breath. Riley’s expression was contemplative, and it looked like he was about to order Sterling to take the horse back. “Fine, but the first sign the horse is becoming unstable, you are off of him. Are we clear?”
Woo-hoo!
“Okay. Hell Raiser just did most of the work, and I learned the basics already. So show me what I don’t know,” Sterling said with a feeling of triumphant glee coursing through him.
“Who showed you the basics?” Riley asked.
“Oh, no. I’m not saying a word.”
Riley harrumphed. “One of these days Chauncey is going to make me strangle him.”
Sterling snickered and then loosely held both reins in his hands. “I’m ready for my lessons, sir.”
Riley chuckled as he walked from the barn, their first lesson over. Sterling was standing by the corral, bending over the rungs as he petted a cow. Not only was Riley smiling more these days, but his heart felt lighter.
As Sterling would say, the stick was out of Riley’s ass.
“I have something you can pet,” Riley said as he wiggled his brows and palmed his cock through his pants.
Sterling glanced over his shoulder, his light-grey eyes filling with a smoldering heat that made Riley’s cock hard and heavy every damn time. He would never tire of his mate looking that way. It was a heated look that Riley prayed stayed on his mate’s face for the rest of their lives.
“Do you now, big boy?” Sterling asked seductively as he climbed down from the fence and started the sexy little saunter that Riley loved so much. He seriously doubted Sterling had a clue how sexy he was when he just walked across the yard. “Care to show me just what you had in mind?”
Fuck yeah!
“Come inside and I’ll do more than show you,” Riley teased as he began to walk backward, giving his mate a heated look that rivaled Sterling’s.
“And what do I get if I follow you inside?”
“A hard cock in your ass.”
“Mmm, I like the sound of that.”
“I left a blow job in our bedroom. Would you mind going to get it?”
Sterling stumbled for a second, righted himself, and then chuckled.
Not only had Riley grown, but so had Sterling. Riley had pulled his mate out of his shyness when it came to talking in bed and had no qualms about him chattering away. It was hot as hell, although half the time Sterling made absolutely no sense when in the throes of passion.
“Then come get some of this fat cock.” Riley grabbed his crotch and hitched his hips, feeling the anticipation coursing through his body as he licked his bottom lip.
“Fat what?” Pa asked as he stepped out onto the back porch. Riley felt his face heat up to the point he thought his skin was going to burn off. He was a grown man with a mate, yet Riley felt like a cub that had gotten caught stealing sweets from the pantry.
Sterling held a hand over his mouth, snickering.
“Uh…fat…” Shit. Riley couldn’t think quickly enough as the knowing sparkle danced in his pa’s eyes.
“Have fun.” Pa chuckled as he walked over toward the corral.
“Busted,” Sterling whispered teasingly.
Gods, Riley wanted to crawl under a damn rock somewhere. That had been embarrassing as hell. He grabbed his mate’s hand and took off inside the house, racing upstairs before he ran into his pa again. He just couldn’t face the man right now.
Peals of laughter fell from Sterling’s lips as Riley slammed the bedroom door and then began to quickly strip off his clothes.
Sterling did the same and then stood in the middle of their bedroom gloriously naked. Riley growled, picking his mate up and slamming his back into the wall, placing Sterling’s legs over each arm.
Sterling grabbed Riley’s neck, seeming unaffected that he was nearly bent in half. “Now, what were you promising me downstairs?”
Riley smashed his mouth against Sterling’s, feeling the wildness of being so close to his mate begin to build inside of him. He would never get enough of this pretty man. He slid his fingers inside his mouth and then rimmed Sterling’s tight muscle, spearing two fingers inside his mate’s tight ass.
“I was promising to fuck you into this wall.”
“Oh yeah,” Sterling moaned as he stuck his ass out even further. “That was it.”
Riley removed his fingers, lining his cock up. “Fast and hard, baby.”
“Give me your worst,” Sterling said desperately as he raised his hips slightly higher, inviting Riley to plunge deep inside of him.
Riley wasn’t one to disappoint.
There was a raw desperation in Sterling’s voice that Riley always heard when they were
hot and heavy like this. Riley loved it. It only told him how much his mate wanted him.
Right away, Riley’s strokes became savage, Sterling sliding up and down the wall as Riley thrust his cock into his mate’s tight ass over and over again. He plunged his dick deeper still, wanting to feel every inch of his mate’s tight channel wrapped around his cock.
Sterling dug his nails into Riley’s neck, his breath harsh and ragged as he tried to meet Riley thrust for thrust.
Riley’s shaft throbbed as it glided in and out of Sterling’s body, feeling every inch of his mate’s silky channel.
“Whose ass is this?” Riley growled.
“Mine!” Sterling shouted as his head fell back, hitting the wall.
Riley burst out laughing, but never broke stride. “Whose?”
Sterling blushed. “I meant yours.”
Riley gave one hard thrust, watching Sterling’s eyelids close. His cries filled the room, growing stronger, and Riley knew his mate was close.
“Riley, I’m gonna come!”
“Do it, baby. Wet us both.”
Sterling’s grip tightened on Riley as he shuddered and jerked, his seed bursting from his cock to paint both of them. Riley bent Sterling further, biting into his mate’s neck and feeling his seed spilling into Sterling’s still-spasming channel.
He pulled his canines from Sterling’s shoulder, licking the wound closed as he lowered his mate’s legs and wrapped them around his waist. Riley cupped Sterling’s face, running his thumb over his mate’s sweat-slicked skin. “I love you, Sterling. You’ve brought me so much happiness that I don’t want to ever lose you. You drive me insane most days and I still haven’t figured you out, but I can’t see my life without you in it.”
Sterling opened his eyes, the light grey gleaming, the irises turning so light they looked like flawless diamonds. “I knew you had it in you.” He hugged Riley, laying his head on Riley’s shoulder. “I love you, too, big boy.”
Riley grinned as he walked them over to the bed and lay down, Sterling straddled over his waist, the swelling still in place.