Opening the Cage

by BA Tortuga

  “Wend. Wend, too?” She wouldn’t let her Wend be hungry.

  “Both of you.” Canyon stroked her skin. “Anything you want.”

  She leaned up, quickly, kissed Canyon’s cheek. “Thank you!”

  “You’re welcome, love.” He looked sad for a moment, but it went away fast. She gave Wend half her bacon, then snapped hers up, all but the last piece, which she slid onto Canyon’s plate. Canyon praised her with a low rumble, and ate the bacon happily. He was so proudhappycontent.

  She found herself moving, wanting to be close, body sliding into Canyon’s lap.

  He held her, loving her with his hands and mouth. Canyon gave so unselfishly.

  Wend moaned, and she felt him move, his hands on her thighs as he knelt beside them.

  Please. Riana. His hands encouraged her to spread, and she did, unable to deny her Wend anything. He was so fine, so dear. He pushed her against Canyon, helping her settle. Then he leaned forward, nuzzled her lower belly, fingers on her inner thighs.

  Wend? She ached, body tingling.

  Yes, sweet girl. Yes. Wend hummed, stroking her skin.

  Canyon touched her, too, his hands on her breasts.

  Wend’s lips slipped down, breath hot on her curls, on her slit, tongue slipping in, licking at her. Riana’s eyes rolled, and she flailed for a second, that sharp flash of sensation almost unbearably good.

  Wend whined and pushed closer, lapping again.

  Canyon held her in place, kept her anchored. He was solid, hard against her.

  Wend’s breath was so hot, that soft tongue moving constantly, lapping at her, sending jolts through her body. Her scent filled the air.

  “God. You two. You’re…Fuck.” She’d never heard that word used in this context outside of TV, but Canyon made it sound good.

  She lifted her face to Canyon, moaning as Wend’s fingers began to touch her, press inside her as that tongue worked the bundle of nerves that made her breath catch.

  Canyon kissed her, his tongue pushing into her mouth. They were all around her, surrounding her with pleasure. Her legs shook as heat built in her belly, and she whimpered, shifted on Canyon’s thighs. She felt like she was dancing, like Canyon and Wend were leading her to a beat only they could hear.

  Wend moaned and she felt it, deep inside, aching with the raw pleasure. Please, she begged, the world spinning. Please, help me.

  I won’t let you fall. Wend held her thighs, and Canyon let her lean on him and it felt so good.

  Tension built up inside her, a wild, aching pressure that made her ache. Canyon rumbled softly, encouraging her, encouraging Wend.

  They all moved, Canyon’s love for them like a tiny wildfire in her core. Wend hummed, sounding so pleased, the vibration against her skin maddening. The flick of Wend’s tongue became a suction, steady and strong, and her knees drew up.

  Canyon’s thumbs pressed against her nipples, and his mouth landing on her neck. He bit her, just a tiny sting.

  Pleasure came like a storm, making her twist and cry out, bark out her need as it rocked her.

  Wend kept at her, licking, kissing her right there at her core. Canyon’s fingers slipped between Wend’s mouth and her wet flesh, teasing more sensation out of her.

  She felt Canyon groan as Wend sucked his fingers in, so hungry. Canyon liked that, she could tell by the way he bucked against her.

  Suddenly Wend pushed her up a little bit, and something much bigger than Wend’s fingers pushed against her as Canyon filled her, the stretch so big she could hardly bear it. Canyon moaned again, the sound of a growl ringing through the room. He was hot, his skin burning against her.

  “Yes.” Wend moaned, climbing up her body, cock rubbing against her stomach, sliding into Canyon’s lap, too.

  Their Canyon was solid as rock, holding them both easily. He shifted, giving her more space, more of his hardness. Wend blinked at her, then leaned in to kiss Canyon, who growled, one hand dragging through Wend’s hair and pulling him close.

  They were beautiful together. The sounds they made sent shivers through her.

  Wend was against her, Canyon behind her, and they both moved as their tongues fought each other. The power of all of them together seemed to grow and grow, filling the air around them as they writhed.

  She leaned backward, head on Canyon's chest, lips on Canyon’s throat, her heart beating in time with his pulse.

  He howled for her, a strong, needy sound. His heat rushed out deep inside her, wet and perfect. Wend whined softly, moving against her belly, her thighs, cock like a brand. All she could do was push back and forth between them, hoping she could give them what they needed.

  Wend cried out for them, and she reached with her mind, loving him. He was so eager, so wonderful. Hers. They were hers.

  She reached out, touching Wend’s chest and wet heat spread across her stomach.

  Riana sang for them, soft, happy sounds that she didn’t even know she could make. She was warm, held, full. Safe.

  She had always had Wend, but they needed Canyon to be complete. To be them.

  How odd.

  Odd and wonderful.

  Chapter Twelve

  Wend looked at the pants, tilted his head. “For me?”

  They didn’t look comfortable.

  “Yep.” Canyon tilted his head in return, staring at Wend. “Is something wrong?”

  Riana chuffed softly, her tail over her nose, eyes laughing at him.

  “I don’t need them.”

  “Yes, you do, love. Not in the house, but I want you to go out as humans.”

  Wend heard Riana’s mental snort, and he could see her sinking into the floor, getting heavier. Riana wasn’t going anywhere.

  He touched the pants. They were soft, mostly. “Are you sure?”

  “I am. These will be too big, but until we can get out to buy more, they’ll do.” Smiling, Canyon bent to give him a kiss.

  Kisses were good. Way better than thinking. He pushed into the caress, then let Canyon help him put the clothes on him. They were soft, warm too.

  It would be okay if Riana wasn’t laughing at him.

  “You’re next, sweet girl.” Canyon chuckled. “Junie gave me stuff for you.”

  Riana rolled her eyes, hiding behind her tail.

  Oh, this was going to be fun. “She bites.”

  “Does she?” Stopping, Canyon tilted his head. “You think she’d bite me?”

  Riana lifted her lip, bared her teeth, but Wend chuckled. “Not really.”

  “Well, she has to change, first. You and me, we’ll go wander and meet the pack. When you’re ready, Riana, you can come too.”

  A shirt was pushed over his upper body, then a coat. Then Canyon came toward his feet, and he backed up. “No.”

  “You’ll freeze, honey. You’ll like the socks. They’re fuzzy.”

  “Fuzzy?” He stepped forward, nose wrinkling.

  Curious cat.

  Now that was just mean. He growled at Riana, then touched the socks.

  They were fuzzy, a little like Canyon’s wolf belly. Soft. Warm. Oh, he approved. He chirruped and nodded, rubbing his cheeks on them.

  “They’re for your feet, love.”

  “They’re soft.” He plopped down on the floor, stuck his feet up in the air for Canyon.

  Laughing, Canyon rolled the socks onto Wend’s feet. “They are. I got slippers for you to try first, until you get used to shoes.”

  Riana rolled over, watching them with one suspicious eye. Wend snorted at her and rolled to his feet, padding around in the socks. Slippy!

  Riana grabbed one with her teeth, tugged.

  “No!” It looked like Canyon was trying, and failing, to be stern. “No tearing them.”

  Riana stared at Canyon, and he stared back, rumbling softly.

  “Riana!” Wend blinked, nudged her with his foot. They didn’t challenge the big males. They bit. They bit hard.

  Her panic hit Wend in a rush, and she scrambled backward, tearing toward
the little nest of blankets in the other room.

  “Hey!” Rumbling again, Canyon gave him a hug when he would have run after her. “Let me talk to her, huh? She has to get used to me.”

  “Okay. Don’t bite her. You can bite me, but she’s…You’ll get…Please don’t bite her.”

  “What—” Canyon took a deep breath. “I’m not biting anyone unless they ask, honey.”

  Wend nodded, pressed into Canyon’s arms. She’d made the Alpha into an It. He didn’t know how, but there was something wrong with them.

  Canyon hugged him, kissing his cheek before releasing him and going to kneel by Riana’s nest. “It’s okay, love. I promise.”

  She hid her head, offering him her belly, her throat. His poor girl was so scared. He tried to stay out of the way, let Canyon handle it, but he had to whine a little.

  “Shh. Both of you. It’s okay.” Canyon sat and dragged Riana into his arms, rocking her, vocalizing softly. He was good with her, gentle, not mad at all. Thank goodness.

  The huge hands stroked over her fur, the long pets making Riana wag and wiggle. They were so starved for touch, both of them, and Wend pushed into the nest with them, arms going around Canyon’s warm body. Yum.

  “Canyon.” He begged a kiss, fingers finding Riana’s ruff.

  It’s all right. Canyon soothed him, rocking all of them now.

  Sorry. He and Riana spoke together.

  “No.” Canyon rumbled the word out loud. “No one did anything wrong.”

  “You would like the socks.” He wiggled his toes, then nuzzled Canyon’s jaw, licking his chin his thanks.

  “Would she?” Canyon hugged him close. “They’re very warm.”

  “They are.” He nodded. “Can we really go outside? Whenever we want to?”

  “You can.” Little kisses dropped on his chin, his shoulder. Canyon kept stroking Riana’s fur, the motions mesmerizing. “I want to introduce you to the pack, of course. So they know who you are.”

  Riana burrowed in closer, shivered. April’s gone. She was good pack, good to me. My sister.

  I’m sorry, love. Canyon kissed the top of Riana’s fuzzy head, so gently. Russet loved her. He always talked about her.

  She took care of me, until…Her voice trailed off.

  Wend hugged her tight. “April was Russet’s lady. He died, early on. Right after the first bite, when the monster was newly born.”

  “Granite took his place, then.” Canyon smiled a little. “Granite is here, at Mesa’s house. He's my friend.”

  Russet betrayed her. Riana’s voice was sharp-edged, raw.

  Betrayed who?

  April. He betrayed her. He let them take me, hurt me. He let them cage me. Wend could feel Riana’s sorrow, her worry, her loss. He’d been free, many times, to explore, but Riana, she’d been kept in that house, then in the cage.

  “I can't believe a Guardian, someone sworn to hurt the Pack would let anyone hurt you.” Canyon sounded so sure.

  Riana growled, fur bristling. She told him about me. They came in the night. They stole me and put me in a cage, and he watched.

  Canyon looked at him, and Wend shrugged. “The Alpha brought her, with the witch, to me, to the cages. Russet fought with him. I could hear. They fought about her, but…”

  He knew he and Riana weren’t like the rest. They weren’t Pack.

  A low growl sounded again, but it was from Canyon, not Riana. “Damn it, I knew Russet; he was a good man. Why would he do that? Why would he betray you?”

  We’re bad. Poison. We hurt the Pack. Wend had heard the witch say the words now coming from Riana’s mind, over and over.

  It wasn’t true, though. “It’s not true. We changed.”

  Wend wiggled his fingers at her. His human fingers. The witch had said they were freaks, that they couldn’t shift. What else had been lies?

  “You’re Pack to me. That’s what matters.” Canyon's touch was gentle, careful. “I will fight to defend you, I swear it.”

  You won’t let anyone change your mind?

  Wend watched Canyon, but their mate just stared.

  “Never. No one will. My Pack.”

  Wend nodded. “Yours.”

  “If you want to see anyone from your Pack, just tell me. You can make them understand. I will make them understand.” Canyon settled a little more, shifting to get them all comfortable.

  “I don’t know.” He leaned close, whispered. “They don’t know about us.”

  “They?” Canyon raised a brow.

  “No one. That we’re like you. It’s a secret.”

  “Like me? Like me, what?”

  “Like this.” He motioned to his human body.

  “Oh.” Canyon seemed to ponder that. “Well, my Pack is good. They can know.”

  He nodded, leaned harder. Riana snorted, pulled away, growled softly.

  What? Canyon’s voice didn’t come aloud this time.

  He was April’s. He hated us. He hated us so much he hurt her. Granite will hate us, too. They all hate us.

  How can he hate you, if he doesn't know you? They are scared, without an Alpha, lost.” Canyon frowned, shook his head, then spoke aloud. “Granite is my friend, Riana. We’ll talk to him, make him explain to the rest of the Pack.”

  Riana harrumphed and slipped off Canyon’s lap, crawled under the bed and curled up into a ball.

  “I don’t think she’s going to meet anyone.” Wend would. He liked greetings.

  “She will. She just needs to get used to the idea.” Canyon smiled for him. “You seem to have gotten out more.”

  “She lived in a home. I was the pet, hmm? I can’t hurt anyone.” He touched Canyon’s lips. “Once It came, they kept me away, too. Close to her. But they never let us touch.”

  Once the Alpha had discovered what Riana’s blood could do.

  “No, I bet they didn’t.” Stroking his back, Canyon sighed. “It’s different now.”

  “I hope so.” He didn’t like making Canyon sad, so he kissed Canyon’s jaw. “Show me your Pack.”

  “Okay, love. Riana, you can come, too, if you want. You don’t have to change.”

  Wend felt Riana’s fear, her worry, and she pushed farther into the shadows, even giving a warning growl.

  “Hush, now.” Canyon bent to peer at Riana. “You don’t have to. You don’t have to hide, either. You can sleep on the bed.”

  He heard Riana’s tail thump, once, and he grabbed Canyon’s arm. Out.

  Outside.

  He wanted to see.

  Canyon put the slippers over his soft socks and led him outside, where the chill in the air didn’t seem so bad with the clothes on. Really, it was almost like fur. Almost.

  The snow was falling, and there were cubs, tussling and playing, their tiny growls on the air. It was like a story. He watched, waited to see what to do, what the others did.

  Mostly people and wolves just moved past them, like they had stuff to do. Some waved at them. It was an old lady who came forward, though, to grab Canyon’s arms and kiss his cheeks.

  She smelled a little bit like a witch.

  Not a lot, but a little.

  She had pretty, twinkly eyes, and a grand smile, like she knew there was bad stuff out there but had to smile anyway, just because life was good. Wend liked her.

  She touched his arm. “You’re Wend.”

  “Yep.” He wiggled a little, just the barest bit unnerved.

  “Welcome to the pack. I’m Minnie.” She was so warm, her hand touching his arm seeming to heat his skin.

  “Minnie.” He whined softly, nodded. “I’m new.”

  “I know.” Her hand left his arm and she raised it to cup his cheek with her palm. “Like a babe. It’s good to meet you, though.”

  Something about her eased him, bone deep, and he smiled. “Good. Canyon brought me. He gave me socks.”

  “He did, didn’t he?” She tucked his arm into hers and tugged him along. “I knit socks.”

  “You make socks?”


  She didn’t smell mean. She smelled like yummy food and cloth and flowers.

  The last witch they’d known was mean.

  “I do. I make them for everyone. Are you hungry?”

  “Canyon fed us today.”

  “Well, we eat more than one meal around here. Have you ever had pie?”

  His head tilted and he reached for Canyon with his heart, sorting through memories and no, no he hadn’t. “No. Canyon likes pie.”

  “He does. He ate a whole pumpkin pie one year, sneaking off to the pantry as a little wolf thief. He was so sick.”

  Wend chuckled. “Pumpkin pie.”

  He could try that. He could. With the cream.

  “Hey! It was spicy. I like spicy.” Canyon chuckled, trailing behind them.

  “What’s spicy?”

  “Um.” Canyon made this noise that sounded like pure confusion.

  Minnie just laughed. “It makes your tongue tingle.”

  “Oh. Oh! Like Riana!” He chuffed happily. “I like spicy, too.”

  Very much.

  Canyon snorted. “Riana is more like electricity.”

  “And when do I get to meet her, Canyon?”

  “When she’s ready. She’s scared.”

  Yes. Yes, she had a right to be. She always got bit.

  Always.

  “Well, Junie and I are looking forward to it.” Minnie led them into a building that was warm and bright and smelled like so many good things it made him dizzy. So many good things.

  “Mmm. Pie.” Canyon caught him when he staggered away from Minnie, holding him close.

  “Canyon.” He blinked up, a little bit scared. “We’re okay? It’s okay?”

  “We are very okay. You’ve just never had this many smells, huh?”

  Wend loved that, how Canyon knew him, just like Riana. He nodded, nuzzled Canyon’s jaw.

  “Well, come sit. We’ll have a tasting.”

  Canyon drew him down into a chair, both of them sitting together as Minnie dished up plates with so many things. Before it was put in front of them, another female came in, another witch.

  “Hey, Granny. Canyon, love.” She kissed Canyon’s temple. “We missed you.”

  “Hey, Junie-girl.”

  Oh. Oh! This one smelled like Canyon, smiled like him. This was his sister. He’d talked about her.