Iron: Blue Collar Wolves #1 (Mating Season Collection)

by Winters, Ronin

  Iron interrupted. “Don’t be an idiot, talking about making shit up. Take care of Danny, call as soon as you know what’s going on.”

  Mel proved once again her stubborn streak matched any wolf, because even as she was readying to leave to go to the hospital she shook her head, saying, “I will make it up. You’re already too good to me, letting me leave to take care of Mom and Danny so much, and don’t think I don’t notice my pay never seems to be docked the right amount of hours.”

  Yeah, like he’d ever let Mel go without. Even if Brick and House didn’t get their heads out of their asses and figure things out enough to mate the girl proper this mating season, she’d always be pack to him.

  Outside of the fact that Brick wouldn’t be such a grumpy asshole if he was getting laid regularly, the main reason they needed their mating situation figured out was because once Mel was pack, then Iron’d be able to take care of her openly, no more of this runaround bullshit where he had to try to be sneaky in getting her help and money. She wasn’t his mate, but she’d been in the same first-grade class as him, Bella, and Steel. Mel was the little sister of his heart, and had stuck with them for years. Like fuck he was going to let her go without.

  Iron stopped her with gentle hands on her arms, making her look at him. “And who took over this bar for over six weeks when my dad died? When I was laid up with appendicitis? Who did it while she was fucking seven months pregnant, but if she didn’t, I would have lost fuckin’ everything? You ain’t got a leg to stand on in complaining. Go and don’t even think of coming back to this bar for the next few days, and let us know when we can come visit and sign Danny’s cast.”

  Mel’s face was bright red, her mouth opening and closing like a fish, her face bashful and pleased and pissed, the mixture looking kinda cute on her face.

  After several moments, she deflated, backing down. “Fine. But I owe you, and don’t even think of saying I don’t,” she said, stabbing him with a pointy index finger, the only person in the world besides Bella who could get away with that particular action without getting their throat torn out. “Let me call Rick and see if he can come pick me up a little early.”

  House broke in. “Your car not working again? You should really let me and Brick fix you up-”

  “No,” Mel said, voice the level of firm that Iron knew meant that train of thought was stopped hard. “I will not.”

  “It won’t cost us anything, and you do our books. It’s the least we could do.” In yet another way fate was fucking with the two of them, Brick and House were gods when it came to cars. Fixing them, restoring them – there was none better, and if you gave them a junker they’d give it back to you cherry. Their mutual hatred didn’t stop them from realizing if they went into business together they’d be flush for life, so they had a mechanic shop with a side business of car restoration. Between the two of them, there wasn’t a car problem in existence that couldn’t be solved, and their frustration that their mate would drive around in an unsafe POS made them vibrate in helpless anger some nights.

  Of course, she didn’t know she was their mate, which was part of the problem. She saw them as friends of one of her oldest friends, who wanted to help for that reason. While her pride could bend around Iron, with Brick and House it was an unyielding wall.

  Mel rolled her eyes. “Which you let me do from home and pay me way too much for. You aren’t going to give me a car on top of that.”

  “It would be good advertising for the business.” House gave her his movie-star grin, but unlike most people who were exposed to it, it didn’t melt Mel. In fact, it was the opposite, putting her back up as few other things could do.

  Seeing her build-up a head of steam, Iron opened his mouth to defuse the situation, but Brick spoke before Iron could say anything, the second time the man had spoken tonight. “We’ll drive you. Don’t call Rick.”

  Brick’s voice was flat, resolute, but a small muscle ticked at the corner of his jaw, and the male projected a do not argue with me vibe even Iron would have been hard pressed to ignore.

  It stopped Mel cold, and after only a moment’s internal battle, she caved and nodded before slipping into the back room to get her jacket. April in Pennsylvania meant the days could be either too hot or a nice degree of mild, but almost always the nights would be too cold and people would need their coats.

  While she was gone, Iron looked at the two of them, looked hard, a direct stare that could start a dominance war. “Are you two going to mate her?”

  The muscle in Brick’s jaw jumped faster, his breathing sped up, and this was in danger of becoming a fight. From the corner of his eye, Iron saw Steel readjust, his posture going from easy-going to fight-ready.

  House spoke for the two, as he usually did. Funny how at odds the two of them were, but somehow they’d gotten into a rhythm that spoke of how entwined their lives were. “You have no right to be talking about mating, do you?”

  “My situation doesn’t come into this. She’s been my sister for over twenty years. I can’t do what I want for her on the outside, but here, I will protect her. You need to make your decision this mating season.”

  More would have been said, except Mel stepped out, jacket on and purse over her arm. “Ready. Thanks for the ride.”

  House slipped back into his easy grin. “Let’s roll, then.”

  Both Iron and Steel watched as the three made quick work of exiting the building. After they disappeared, Steel spoke first. “Glad I didn’t have a blood bath to deal with tonight.”

  “Kind of wish you did.” Iron didn’t, not really, but frustration was riding him hard, and instead of being able to leave here to spend the weekend shifted, running the woods and letting the wolf out, he instead was here for the next several hours, exposed to Bella and fighting every fucking minute the need to get close.

  Steel shrugged. “Enough shit goes on during a mating season. No need to add more to it.”

  “What do you think is going to happen with Mel?” And now all Iron needed was a fucking sewing circle to go with all this goddamn feelings talk.

  But he was worried. The situation with Brick and House and Mel wasn’t only shitty, it was unusual. And if anyone cared about the outcome as much as Iron did, it was Steel.

  “Hard to say. All possibilities have shitty parts to them. Mel comes first though. Whatever else, she’s protected.”

  “Are you going to say anything to Brick and House?”

  Steel shook his head. “Nothing I can say they don’t know. Besides, I don’t say anything and get involved with that shit.”

  “You say plenty to me.”

  “I say shit to rile you as a friend,” Steel countered. “I don’t say dick as your alpha. The serious stuff, that’s for you to decide, and I’m not going to dictate your life.”

  “Yeah.” It was the old way, the old laws, and some packs still ran that way – alphas in charge of every decision including pack matches and allowing runs. Not their pack, though, not since Steel’s father challenged his way to alpha and changed everything. That man had been a great alpha, and Steel was following in his steps, an alpha he was proud to be beta for.

  The pride Iron had in his alpha made this next part difficult. Steel wouldn’t be happy over this next bit of news, and though Iron had every right to his decision, the wolf didn’t like upsetting its alpha. Iron respected Steel, and total fucking honesty, he feared the alpha, just a little. All the assurance that he was within his rights didn’t quite cover his apprehension about doing something he knew would be against Steel’s wishes. “Besides, it’s not necessary. I made a decision.”

  Steel’s head popped towards Iron, surprise and curiosity playing over his features. “What do you mean?”

  “Laura. I’m taking her as a mate.”

  “The fuck you talking about?” Steel half threw himself from the barstool in shock, his head whipping around to look at the bar. If he was looking for Laura it was pointless. Laura was visiting family this week, some big reunio
n, planned for months, and that was the only reason Iron had put off mating her. Fuck any little voice in his head that said otherwise. “Are you shitting me?”

  Pissed was good. Pissed was better than scared or disappointed. “You said you don’t get involved.”

  “You’re passing up your true mate, who you’ve known and loved since first grade, to take some…”

  “Don’t finish that sentence,” Iron warned before Steel could say anything further. Steel never liked Laura and Iron half expected this reaction, but he wasn’t going to hear anyone – even his alpha – talk shit about the woman he just confessed he was going to mate.

  “Why? Out of everyone in this forsaken city, why her? It makes no sense.”

  “She knows who and what we are. She knows our world. She wants lots of kids and has no problem that this is going to be our life. And I know you don’t like her, but I do, enough that I know we’ll make good parents and have a good life together.”

  “You’re an idiot.”

  “Steel-”

  “You’re a fucking idiot,” Steel ground on, the disgust on his face clear as a ringing bell. “You got the sexiest, smartest woman we’ve ever met as your mate, and you’re not even going to try?”

  “Made my decision.” Iron’s growl was audible, a rough scrape of vibration against eardrums. “Accept it or don’t, but I made my decision.”

  Steel rose, leaning into Iron’s space, about to say something else, when with a sudden jerk he drew back, his eyebrows crowding close together and wary surprise racing across his features.

  This was Steel’s alpha face. This was wolf business, somehow, but Iron didn’t feel a goddamn thing – not a wrong scent, not a wrong noise – and that had his hackles rising. Iron pulled back from their fight, every inch now pure beta of the pack. “Anything I need to do?”

  Steel’s face shifted by the second, concern going into confusion, wariness translating into…hope? Only the light in his eyes and the feel of alpha never left. “Don’t know. Stay here, and follow in ten if I don’t come back.” With that, Steel left the bar, the front door slamming behind him.

  “Fuck.” This night was putting Iron on edge. Hell, he’d been on for what seemed forever. Fucking Mating Season. Somehow this year its pull was harder than ever to ignore, and it seemed every unmated male in the pack was feeling the effects. Probably because the full moon was on Beltane this year. Bubby would probably know, but he wasn’t going to visit the old woman to ask. She’d smack him in the back of his head and ask him why he hadn’t mated Bella yet.

  Speak of the incredibly sexy little devil… Bella walked to the bar, sitting that plush ass firmly on the bar stool right in front of him. “What’s a girl got to do to get a drink around here?” she asked, and her tongue came out, touching the corner of her mouth with a light, sensuous stroke, designed to make a man’s dick immediately jump with the hope it could be included the next time that tongue made an appearance.

  Fuck.

  Chapter Two

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  If anyone else ordered a piña colada, he’d have kicked them out of the bar.

  Bella, though, drank only fruity drinks and the occasional margarita. Like hell he’d ever admit he’d memorized that entire section of a bartender’s bible, let alone that he bought it thinking of her.

  “Thought the hospital liked you too much to let you off on a Friday,” Iron said, setting the drink in front of her.

  Bella picked up the drink, her eyes on him over the rim of the cup. She took a long swallow, humming in pleasure, his sensitive ears picking up the sound over the general noise of the bar. After she put the drink back down, her tongue made another appearance, swiping away over her lips, picking up any lingering moisture.

  And all the while, her gaze was locked with his.

  He stared back, refusing to look anywhere else on that bountiful body, that beautiful face. He couldn’t crack, not now, not when he was finally closing the door that should have been slammed shut years ago.

  “It’s not me specifically the hospital likes. Any resident is fair game.”

  “They still work you too fucking hard.”

  She shrugged, her lips in a little half-smile. “I gotta pay my dues like anyone else. But…” She trailed off, bending forward a little to rest on the bar, hunching her shoulders to give a wider gap at the front of her shirt and with that, an amazing look down at the top of her breasts–“I do have tonight and tomorrow off. Plenty of time to…relax.”

  Desire pulsed low in his belly, a flame that started simmering the moment he saw her tonight rising and flaring to meet the heat in her gaze. Bella had always been flirty with him, but tonight she was on a mission, in his face with her desires. “Playing some pool to relax?”

  “To begin with.”

  The tension wasn’t broken, but put on hold when one of the girls Bella had come in with walked up to the bar and grabbed her arm. Iron bit the inside of his cheek to keep from baring his teeth at the girl. The girl, unaware of any vibes, pulled at Bella, saying, “We got the next game, and Sam is asking if you’ll partner with him.”

  The way she said the name told of a long-running story, a game plan in motion.

  Sam.

  So that was rich boy’s name. He had an open, eager face, decent enough looking, more intelligent than handsome, and his gaze was once again fixed on Bella in a way that had the glass in Iron’s hand in danger of cracking.

  “I’ll be over in a moment. Let me finish my drink and grab another.” Bella looked to Iron, and taking the hint, he began mixing the next one. After a couple more words, Bella pushed the other girl away and once again turned her full attention on him. “Sam’s a doctor – pediatrics. Nice guy, too. Been flirting with me for a while, but it hasn’t turned into anything yet.”

  “I didn’t ask.”

  “No, you only looked ready to murder. Why is that, I wonder? Think he’s too good for me?”

  His voice was rough in anger. “Where do you get this shit? When the fuck have I ever thought that about you? If anything, pencil dick isn’t good enough for you. I could go over there and break him, and there’d be nothing he could do to protect you from me.”

  Bella’s eyes lit up, and his wolf went to ground, positive he’d somehow walked into a trap. She wrapped a strand of rich brown hair around her finger, pulling it across her mouth, bringing his attention to the star of many of his favorite fantasies. “Oh? Does that mean you think you’re better for me? Because you can protect me? Place me behind you while you take on the world for me?”

  Her words became visual for him, and the phantom feeling of her body pressed against his back had him almost panting with adrenaline and desire.

  “How should I thank my protector?” Bella continued, and she leaned closer, dropping her voice to the low tones that seemed designed to make his dick go from zero to coming in about ten seconds. “On my knees? With my mouth open and my tongue out, waiting for my man to take his reward?”

  If his knees hadn’t locked he’d be on the ground, the image in his mind destroying every bit of strength in his body. Fuck yes, he wanted to come all over that beautiful face, thick white strands visible against the rich tan of her skin, and then he’d push every bit into her mouth, watch her swallow his come down, and by the time it was done he’d be so fucking turned on he’d do it all over again.

  “Is that what you want to see? Me marked by you, so much that no one will ever doubt you own me?”

  She was sin and temptation and every fantasy of his life, and the thread of his control was fraying with every word she spoke, unraveling no matter how he tried to pull it together.

  “Bella,” came a voice from the tables behind them, but other than a lift of her hand to acknowledge she heard the words, Bella otherwise didn’t give them any attention.

  Instead her attention was focused on him, those gorgeous brown eyes shining with want and lust and determination. “Let me tell you a secret, Iron. I decided I’m spending the next twen
ty-four hours getting fucked. I want a dick deep inside me, so hard and so full and so deep I won’t walk right for three days. I want a man’s tongue running over every inch of my body, like he’s starving and the only thing that sates the hunger is the taste of my skin. I want a voice in my ear describing every filthy, debauched sexual act he’s going to do to me or make me do to him, and I want him to wreck me, and then I’m going to turn around and do the same thing to him. And finally, I want a good dozen orgasms before I go back to the hospital Sunday afternoon.”

  Iron was frozen, his brain not working and his dick in danger of exploding from all the blood settled there.

  Bella leaned back, still sexy, but no longer carnal, no longer primal. Now she was talking as two long-time friends did. “Here’s the deal. I want that man to be you. I’m tired of our little thing, whatever the fuck it is. So this is your choice. At the end of the night, I’m going home with a man, either you or Sam. If it’s Sam, it might be the beginning of a relationship, or it might be a one-time thing between colleagues. I don’t know, but I’m not going to worry about that now. If it’s you…” and here she stood and leaned forward, grabbing the drink from his hand, her face too close for anyone to mistake what she was saying as casual. “If it’s you, we can enact every fantasy the two of us have had, and I don’t know everything that will happen after, but Iron? One thing I know? I know it will be good.”

  She placed a twenty on the bar. “Keep the change,” she said, and walked to her friends.

  Fuck.

  Chapter Three

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  Stupid, sexy, stubborn bastard.

  Why? What had she done to deserve to fall in love with the most idiotic, blind asshole to ever walk the earth? Bella swallowed the water in three gulps. She couldn’t handle any more liquor on her stomach, not the way it roiled in time with her nerves.

  None of her friends noticed, though. They laughed, smiled as they continued to play pool. Only Mel had been able to tell when they talked earlier. Of course, only Mel knew her history with Iron and what the plan was for tonight.