by Jo Penn
He’d learnt that over the years with Deakin, who never took shit from anyone, in his manic, OCD way, usually with a squeal and outraged ranting. It worked real well, and had people rushing away. Ran always admired that. Deak never picked on anyone, always treated everyone the same, and he was the best thing to ever happen to Ran. So now Ran was going to stand up and meet this head on. And for Vicus. He and his family were all different and a bit zany, hell, fun, and Vicus didn’t try to stifle or change any of them, just protect and let them be happy doing what they wanted. And watching him the last few days, Ran saw that Vicus loved Deakin—deeply, irreversibly. He would do whatever Deakin wanted, and was learning to open himself wide.
So here Ran was. Honestly, he didn’t remember much. It was a big blank in his head, sometimes an image, a feeling flashing through and it left him shaken and in pain, and Sebastian said that would happen from time to time, but also that Ran was fine. It was normal. He felt good about that.
“Yeah, you are, kid,” Mikkos snapped. “Don’t disobey me again, Azrael—”
“He is part of my pack, and under my care,” Drax interrupted firmly. There was a lethalness about him that had Mikkos tensing, his hackles rising, and he looked a little scared. “Ran is valued. Mikkos Milton, you are nothing, a weak, guilty mongrel who is about to feel the hard end of justice. If you’re fortunate, you may just lose your ill-gotten Alpha title, but I suspect you won’t make it another day. But if you do, and if you even think of Ran again, know this. He has an entire Valley full of pack, pride, witches and wizards, dozens of sprites, and an assortment of other creatures all willing to protect and take on anyone who even looks at him. And he’s my brother now. Family is everything to me.”
Ran knew his smile was big and he couldn’t help leaning his forehead against Drax’s trunk-like arm.
“Me too.” Ran breathed in Drax’s scent, sighed happily, then straightened and looked Mikkos in the eye. “You are not my brother. I do not acknowledge you. And Momma would have cuffed your ear and kicked you out of the pack.”
“You’ve been told, Mikkos. Oh, and did you hear?” Urian opened the door to the conference room and waved the lesser wolf through.
“What?” Mikkos snarled, only to pull up short, eyes wide and the stench of fear permeating the air.
“Meet the Avenger who is mated to my little brother Ran.” Drax smirked, hand on Ran’s shoulder.
Uri grinned and ruffled Ran’s hair. “Hells, I don’t have a brother but I’ve pretty much adopted an assortment of creatures. You, too, now, Ran, and Deakin. But keep the squealing to a minimum, sprite.”
Ran smiled shyly and sniffed the big Alpha. “Glad Milson Valley’s a caring type of haven.”
Mikkos was shaking in his ugly snakeskin boots. “A-Avenger?”
“This is him?!” Deakin, whose hair was doing something really bizarre, let out a sprite war cry and with hands extended, went to fling himself at Mikkos and scratch his eyes out. “You stay away from my mate! You…you big idiot!”
Vicus held Deakin by the back of his coat. “I’ll catch up to you real soon, Mikkos Milton.”
They all wrinkled their noses and took a few steps back as the smell of urine filled the air. Mikkos gave a cry and ran off, his Betas and wolves hurrying to catch up.
“Ew, that’s gross!” Deakin made a weird noise while gagging and dry retching. “Going to vomit!”
When he did, right on Vicus’s shoes, the big Avenger gave a tiny sigh and patted Deakin’s back.
“You look like you’re used to that, Vic.” Urian waved a wolf over. “Get the mop and disinfectant, maybe some air fresheners. Deak’s right, that’s gross.”
“I have a number of brothers. They tend to vomit.” Vicus frowned. “I must change before I deal with Milton.”
Ran shook his head vigorously. “No, no ‘dealing with Milton.’”
When Vicus picked Deakin up and sat the mate on a chair, cleaning him up and not responding, Ran let Drax move him away from the urine on the floor and the wolves cleaning up the vomit and urine. Ran knew both mates were a bit miffed at him, but it was something he had to do, stand up for himself. He wanted them to know he was okay and he could take care of them too.
Okay, not physically. He wasn’t a strong person, or wolf. He loved them though.
Vicus’s head snapped up and Ran found himself pinned by golden cat eyes. Holy shit! Ran could practically feel the heat coming off the big stunning creature, and he could smell the mating need rise.
Drax and Uri took two steps back, Ran wide eyed. He stayed perfectly still. Maybe the big creature would overlook him—nope! With a yelp, Ran turned to run and was just as quickly scooped up and tossed over a wide shoulder.
“Dinner. Mine. Tonight.” Vicus hissed at Drax and Urian as he strode away with Ran and Deakin.
“Yeah, I’m not going to refuse such a polite invitation as that.” Urian snickered.
Ran grinned and waved at the Enforcer and Alpha.
In the back of the Humvee, Vicus placed Ran and Deakin beside each other in the back, snapped seat belts on them, and told the guard driving to go. Ran wiggled a little to loosen the seatbelt as it was a bit tight. The belt made a nearly silent snapping noise and he felt himself locked into place. Deak’s head whipped to the side and he frantically pulled at his own seatbelt, with the same result as Ran’s.
They both gaped at Vicus who sat across from them, fingers steepled.
“Now that I have both your attention,” their big, lush mate snapped quietly, eyes bright and golden. “I will make this very clear.”
“You can’t—”
Vicus held up a finger and shot Deakin a look. Their mate sighed, grumbled under his breath, and adjusted his glasses by rubbing them against one of the seatbelt restraints, glaring as he fell silent.
Huh, that was kind of cool. Ran smirked but lost it when he too received the same look from their Avenger.
“We are mates, are we not?”
It didn’t feel like a question, but Ran and Deakin both nodded vigorously anyway.
“Yes, that is right. And as such, as mates, in a mateship, we communicate with one another.” Vicus raised a brow when Deak’s mouth opened. The sprite mate’s hair began sticking up bizarrely. Vicus seemed momentarily distracted by it before continuing in that calm, steady way. “We listen to one another. Deakin, I would like for you to have told me earlier of what you knew of Ran’s past. I do understand that you did not know me well, but saying this, as mates, it does not take long for one another to bond and sense what each other are like. I hope there will be no secrets in the future.”
With a hard look from Vic, Deak squeaked out a pent-up breath.
“Butwhataboutwhenyougoonassignment?” he said in a rush.
Vicus blinked. “What about when I go on assignment, mate?”
“Well, are you going to tell me everything about it?”
“No, I do not enjoy being vomited on.”
Both Ran and Deak frowned, Ran cocking his head to the side, Deak fidgeting.
“I vomited because of that idiot peeing his pants.”
“Yes. Would you like me to tell you how I plan to deal with a threat I have been sent after? How I will slice through skin to delicate organs, slowly drain blood—”
“Err, I get what you mean.” Deak narrowed his eyes. “Well, I want to know where you are going and how long you are going for.”
Sprites made little deals or had arrangements with particular people and creatures in order to get what they wanted. It could be as simple as a fair trade of skills and labour, or something of value. Sprites were often good middlemen, shopkeepers and negotiators.
“You are doing the sprite dealing with me, my mate. I will make it simple for you. I will not tell you where I am going, for your and our family’s safety. Eber will keep you informed. When and if in future you seem more settled with what I do, and are able to defend yourself, I will reconsider. I will tell you how long I will be gone and that my th
oughts and love are always with you both. And you can, and will, call and text me daily.
Now, my wolf. I am proud and impressed with how you wished to stand up against one of those who harmed you in the past. You have strength and courage, my mate. You do not have to do this alone, ever. I will not stand back next time, but be by your side. Understood?”
Ran nodded. “Yeah, I get that. I realized I didn’t need to protect either of you or show I could do it by myself. I get it now.”
“Good. Deakin, the belt is secure.”
Huffing and squirming, Deakin ranted for a few minutes about being tied up, then tattled on Ran for sniffing out Vicus’s cache of hidden weapons in their suite.
Ran’s mouth fell open in shock. “You tattled on me?!”
“I couldn’t help it! Vicus said no keeping secrets and I feel bad and don’t want to be strapped into the car seat again, and the last time you touched a weapon you dropped it and it sliced through your big toe and I had to spend four hours in the hospital where they tried to do a psych evaluation on me and nearly locked me up! Gods!”
Deakin tried to get his Ventolin out of his coat pocket, but as it was stuck under the safety belt, he just ended up doing some sort of demented moving around jig and giving a squeal of outrage.
Ran tried to wiggle out of the belt to get away before his mate exploded. Vicus leant forward and grasped both their chins in each of his hands.
“Settle down. Ran, use your gift to calm our mate. You have been ill and withholding from him for a few days. Deakin needs your attention. And when we return home I will bond fully with you. Thank you, livlig, for telling me of finding the weapon. What is mine, is yours. All I ask is you do not touch the weapons, for your safety.”
Ran pretty much didn’t hear anything after Vicus said he was going to bond fully with him. He was ready, sure! Oh, maybe? Yeah, yeah, he was—oh, hells no!
“Settle, kjærlighet.” Vicus crouched on the floor in front of them, one big hand stroking Ran’s hair. “We are home. Come inside, we will talk.”
“J-just talk?” Ran stammered.
“No, but I will not force you to bond with me if you decide you do not want me.”
Ran frowned. “You’re my mate, of course I want you.”
Vicus smiled slowly, leaning forward and pressing his lips ever so softly against Ran’s in one of the sweetest kisses he’d ever received. Man, he’d thought only Deakin could kiss like that, and his Avenger mate would be demanding, plundering, and take over. Ran was wide eyed when Vicus leant back, smiling gently and still stroking his hair.
“We are all different, my sweet little wolf. Deakin requires me to take control, on occasion to ravish him, then to let him lead when he needs. You are sweetness through and through, your heart aches for others, you require gentle petting and adoration.”
Deakin stopped fretting and frowned. “What do you like?”
Vicus snagged their mate’s lips in another sweet kiss that had Deakin glazed over and sighing softly.
“Both of you, just as you are, loving me. I do take the lead, yes, but I want you both to do as you like, give what it is in your hearts and souls, and I will do the same.”
Ran panicked, wiggling so much that his body just slipped through the seat belt. Vicus snatched him up and held him close, soothing.
“Shh, you need more time, my wolf.”
“No! I don’t know how!” Ran exclaimed, struggling. “I just don’t know!”
Deakin got in his face, holding Ran still. “What do I like, babe?”
Ran grimaced. “Cuddling.”
Deak scrunched up his face in that irritated way. “Yeah, so get with the program! But aside from that, I like holding hands, you touching me when you’re all hyped and when you’re half asleep. I loooove you giving me head because, babe, you’re the best, and getting in you makes me blow in pretty much two seconds. The way you move makes me scream. And you’re just doing all that naturally. Know what?”
Ran was wide eyed. They hadn’t talked about their sex life before, especially once Ran stopped being able to perform.
“Ah, what?”
“Aside from it driving me insane when every other creature just can’t seem to help themselves and wants to touch you—I say we get a witch potion for that, I’ve been saving up—but I also can’t get enough now of what Vicus does to me, and what I can do to him. So we’re going inside, stripping, maybe have a shower, and brushing our teeth after that vomiting incident, then you’re going to lie back on the bed and we’re going to take turns having you. Oh, and get used to it, babe. Now you’re getting that gorgeous cock up, I’m also going to ride it once in a while, maybe even today.”
Deakin’s eyes glazed over at the thought. “Yeah, today. Let’s go.”
The levels of lust permeating the air in the back of the Humvee could have brought down an elephant. Ran wasn’t given time to absorb everything as he was lifted out and hauled inside, upstairs, and past a few of Vicus’s siblings who had knowing smirks. Especially that Jayce brother who immediately began whining to Lacy he needed to go out and hook up, which resulted in Layke producing a syringe.
“I’m going to fucking die a virgin, man!” Jayce wailed and stormed off, then ran as Layke chased him. “Get away from me you freaky wizard!!”
Deak stopped in his tracks, gaping. “That siren’s a virgin?!”
“Yes, only a select few even know he exists. Male sirens are hunted.” Vicus grabbed Deakin and hauled him along.
Once in the suite, Deakin stopped to securely lock the door and spend two minutes following and memorizing Vicus’s instructions on how to engage the security lock and system. That had Ran contemplating a nap and he even wandered to the sofa and was about to sit when Vicus steered him up the stairs instead. They made it to the shower and he gasped at how quickly he was stripped and tossed in, Deakin and Vicus quickly joining him.
There wasn’t time for worrying or thinking, yet Ran still managed to feel constricted with two hot bodies pressing against him. He must have shown his anxiety as the caresses turned comforting, Vicus behind him, rubbing Ran’s arms soothingly.
Deakin smiled and kissed Ran lovingly and stroked his wet hair. “Love you, babe. Love touching you, love seeing you come. Vicus is going to love on you, softly, slowly. He won’t rush you, just a bit of gentle loving and coaxing. Right, big guy?”
“Yes, livlig.” Vicus leant down and nibbled Ran’s ear. “Calm, kjærlighet.”
With another little kiss, Deak turned around. “Scrub my back, babe.”
Ran could do that. He loved the funny little pleasure noises Deak made when he was having his back scrubbed. Before Ran lost his sex drive, a back scrub usually led to shower sex, which was frigging hot! It wasn’t all that often he topped, not that he didn’t enjoy it, he did, and funnily enough, when Deak had his back scrubbed Ran ended up topping.
With a smile at those memories, he looked around for a loofah and laughed when Vicus dangled one in front of him.
“Thanks, babe. Do you like back scrubs too?” Ran wondered if his bigger mate was ever topped, and with a quick glance over his shoulder and a big hand tweaking one of his nipples, he figured his big mate wouldn’t be a switch. He was just wired a certain way.
Didn’t upset Ran, he loved Vic just the way he was.
“Massages,” Vicus murmured, his face buried in Ran’s neck, mouth kissing and nibbling.
“Ok-ay!” Ran groaned, the loofah waving about in front of him but not actually making contact with Deak’s back. “I’ll do a massage course.”
Fortunately, Vicus helped with the back massage as Ran couldn’t seem to focus with the Avenger’s hands and mouth all over him. The man didn’t leave a part of Ran untouched. With soap and those large hands, he made Ran a clean, slippery little wolf who did a fair bit of groaning and howling through the process.
Once he was rinsed clean, the shower off, and Deakin grabbing Vicus out of the way, Ran shook himself dry, then submitted to a towel
rub down from Deakin, who seemed to like to make absolutely certain Ran was one hundred percent dry before he’d let him out of the bathroom. Thankfully, Vicus took control of that situation and distracted Deakin with some very hot kisses. Ran happily followed his mates into the bedroom and got on the bed as Vicus directed with a pointed finger.
Deakin and Vicus looked so good together. The perfect couple. Both blondes of different shades, Vicus all lean and very muscular, gorgeous and manly, Deak adorable and cute, ruffled looking, his features fine and body just right for salivating over. They moved together towards the bed, lips fused together, hands grasping hungrily.
Ran licked his lips, a hand wandering down to his erection. He frowned and looked around. They needed lube, lots of it. He’d seen the size of Vicus and there was no way his mate was getting near Ran with that thing without a lot of prep and lube. Deak either for that matter. He wasn’t a shrimp in that department, a nice slender long rod that knew how to hit all the right spots.
Scrambling across the bed, he reached into the bedside table and rummaged around until he found a bottle of lube, brows rising at the word edible on the label. Huh, that could be fun.
He grunted as a large pair of hands grabbed his hips and lifted him onto his hands and knees, butt up in the air. Then Deak was in front of him and moved around until he was underneath Ran and took the lube from him and tossed it to Vicus.
After all the touching and kissing in the shower, they were all on edge, ready. Ran lowered his head and took Deakin’s soft lips in a kiss that showed how much he wanted and desired his mate. He felt the hands on his hips move to stroke his body as though Vicus was mapping him.
As soon as they broke apart, Ran was lifted off Deakin and laid on his back.
“I want to see both of you.” Vicus drew Deakin up and kissed him hard. “Love on our mate, livlig.”
Deakin blinked a few times, then got that sprite twinkle in his eyes, the one that meant he was up to mischief or excited. Ran soon found out what that twinkle meant. Deak was excited. He murmured words of love and talked dirty, telling Ran all about his time with Vicus down on the sofa in explicit detail as he sucked on Ran’s body and slowly, deliberately, loosely jerked him off.