Alpha Defenders-Rescue

by Lyzie Carlisle

  “You really think they’ll do that?” Chris asked in an amused tone as the outlaws turned toward the sound of Joe’s voice.

  “Hell, no,” Joe said doubtfully. “But it’s worth a try to get those fuckers to leave the scene and quit harassing that old farmer while we surround them. Right?”

  “Works for me,” Chris agreed.

  They watched the outlaws, who looked toward one of the gang members at the front of the house. As the obvious leader of the lawbreakers gave a blood-curdling yell and started toward him and Chris, Joe swore.

  “Shoot over their heads to avoid our men,” Joe said. “Hopefully we can take some prisoners.” He fired over their heads, but they kept coming. He didn’t have time to reload before the bastards were practically on top of him and Chris. Suddenly they shifted to their damn wolf forms. “Shit,” Joe swore again. He glanced at Chris and saw that he’d shifted. As Joe put away his weapon, he saw Chris engaged with a wolf shifter already.

  The leader of the gang slammed into Joe, knocking him off his feet. Joe hadn’t shifted yet, and holding off the huge wolf was taking all his strength. In his vulnerable position, he couldn’t let go of the crazy wolf while shifting without being mauled. The wolf was too much for his human form. He had to shift. He let his wolf take over. Before his wolf finished instantly morphing, the huge beast on top of him grabbed one of his arms between his vicious jaws. Joe knew the wolf would break his arm if he didn’t free himself. He grabbed at the wolf’s head with his canines. The wolf wrenched his heavy body sideways, freeing his head. His fangs slashed across Joe’s chest. Joe cried out as the sharp canines cut too close to his throat for comfort.

  Suddenly the wolf was knocked off him by the huge wolf form of Chris. That big silver-gray wolf was a welcome sight. Joe watched him rip into the gang leader until the leader ran away.

  As Joe tried to catch his breath, taking shallow breaths with the pain it caused across his chest, he watched the other members of the gang follow their leader and run into the thick trees near the farmer’s property.

  Chris shifted to his human form and crouched at Joe’s side. Joe reached out to him and clutched his arm. “Thanks, Chris. You saved my life.”

  “We need to get you to the hospital right now,” Chris said, panting from the fight. He squeezed Joe’s arm. Joe let go of him. Gently, Chris pulled the torn edges of Joe’s shirt across his bleeding flesh.

  “That bad?” Joe asked him.

  “Yeah, it’s going to need to be sewed, depending on how fast your body can heal.” Chris gave him a questioning look.

  “I heal fast. Give me a hand up,” Joe said.

  “I think you’d best stay right there while we get an ambulance.” Chris’s clothing was nearby. He took his phone from his jeans pocket and made the call.

  Joe couldn’t believe he had let that damn wolf get the best of him. It wouldn’t happen again. He’d get him next time.

  Now Joe wasn’t going to get back to the house and Valerie as fast as he’d thought. He hoped he could convince the doctor at the hospital to let him go home today. He wanted to be with her again as soon as possible. Surely, he would be home again tonight, and she would be by his side. He heard the siren of the ambulance coming closer. He couldn’t stop worrying about her being home alone waiting for them.

  Both he and Chris had feared becoming closer to Valerie because their jobs were so life-threatening at times. They had tried to keep their relationships with her on a purely sexual and comforting level. But now Joe knew that she had become increasingly important in their lives, and they had to do whatever was required in their jobs for C.P.O., as well as keep her safe at the same time. He now understood her safety and happiness had become the most important thing in his life. He was sure Chris felt the same about her.

  Joe couldn’t forget how he’d felt when she’d been caught by Wra’s gang members. So he and Chris looked after her.

  He couldn’t help worrying about her because they had become so close. He feared he had fallen in love with her, even though he’d known that their relationship, which Chris also knew, could be ended suddenly at any time and during any C.P.O. operation. Joe didn’t feel right about pursuing a forever love and relationship with her when they could both be knocked off. But he and Chris would protect her at any cost to themselves, even to having to kill the gang members to protect her.

  Joe knew Chris shared his feelings that they would bring an end to the villain leading the gang, as well as the gang members if they threatened any of them or injured them while they worked together on the team C.P.O. put them on.

  Catching the current leader of the gang took top priority.

  The ambulance pulled close to the property and into the driveway and stopped.

  * * * *

  With Wra incarcerated, Grande Loup had taken over as leader of the pack like he deserved. He’d been the faithful second-in-command to Wra all these years. He had watched how Wra built his kingdom, the places where he’d ruled, and how he’d ruled. Now he intended to do as Wra had done. He would hold on to the kingdom that he’d worked hard for, bowing and scraping for Wra’s dreams. It all belonged to him now, and he didn’t plan to lose any of what he’d enabled Wra to build.

  The enemy had taken the brilliant sorcerer he’d worked all those years for, but they wouldn’t take him. Grande Loup had learned his lessons well. He would hold his kingdom on his own. He planned to expand it until he controlled everything that happened within its boundaries. Thanks to Wra, he would be the richest, most powerful ruler on the continent.

  Soon he would quit following Wra’s orders that came from him through his mind. He would refuse his orders.

  Anyone who dared try to take what belonged to him, even a piece of it or of what he planned to add to it, would suffer his deadly wrath, just like they had today, and they had better guard their lives and the lives of those they held important and loved.

  His mind was closed now to Wra.

  * * * *

  Valerie had tried to stay busy while Joe and Chris took care of the mission for C.P.O. this morning. After she’d taken a quick shower, she’d fixed a light breakfast. She didn’t have much appetite because she was so worried about her guys. She checked her phone to make sure it was charged. It was.

  She didn’t like being left out of a mission. She feared for the outcome and the safety of Joe and Chris.

  Her phone rang. She snatched it up. It was Chris. “Yes?” she nearly shouted. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine, but Joe is in the hospital.”

  She gasped and caught her breath as fear for him slammed into her. “Joe?”

  “Yeah. He’s going to be okay. He needed stitches across his chest from a wolf fight. I think the doctor is going to release him to come home a little later in the afternoon.”

  She grabbed her purse and car keys. “I’m on my way. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Tell him I’m coming.”

  “I will. I’ll wait for you outside the emergency area and take you to his room.”

  “Thanks, Chris. I’m leaving now. I’ll be there quick.”

  She grabbed a change of clothes for them from their closet and headed out the door to the garage. After locking the door to the house from the garage, she hurried to her vehicle, started it, and backed it out of the garage. She pushed the button to close the garage door and headed for the highway. It wouldn’t take long before she was with Chris and Joe. She drove as fast as was safe and didn’t care if she broke the speed limit to be with them.

  She reached the turnoff to the hospital and turned into the parking area near the emergency doors. Grabbing her purse, she left her car and ran toward Chris, where he waited outside the doors for her.

  “How is he?” she said as he caught her, wrapping her in his arms as she hugged him tight.

  “He’s doing better and better.” He hugged her back. “You know we shifters heal fast.”

  They turned toward the entry, and he escorted her between the sliding d
oors and into the emergency area off the main lobby. Opening the double doors to the hall, he led her down the hallway. “His room is down here at the end.” Reaching the last door, Chris pushed it open and motioned for her to go in first.

  Joe was resting on his back with a pillow beneath his head. He gave her a big smile as she crossed quickly to his bedside. “Are you all right?”

  “I’ll be fine, babe. They just want to keep me quiet and make sure any little bleeding has stopped before they let me out of here.”

  Chris pulled a chair close beside the bed so she could sit near Joe. She leaned down and kissed Joe’s warm lips, returned his smile, and sat down.

  “You feel good, babe,” Joe said as he squeezed her hands in his big strong grip.

  “You do, too,” she said. “When you feel better, I think we should all three go somewhere and leave our phones at home for a little while. I think we could all use some free time together.”

  “You mean like a picnic?” Joe asked, raising his eyebrows.

  “Something like that,” she said. “Maybe we could go for a swim somewhere private and have a picnic or even a dinner. But first you need to be perfectly healed. We’ll just relax at home until then.”

  “It all sounds great to me,” Joe said, smiling at her again. “As long as you’re there with me, I’m fine with that.”

  “Sounds good to me, too,” Chris agreed, grinning at her and Joe.

  “Good,” she said. “So just relax and let your wounds heal fast. We can enjoy our outing soon.” She gave him another smile. “Rest now so the doctor will let you go home today. We’ll be right here with you.” She stroked his arm, and he clasped her hand in his big warm grip. He closed his eyes. She watched him as he slept. Chris rested as well in his chair nearby.

  Valerie wished she could always be with her two guys, helping to protect them. She wished they could have some time off from their jobs for C.P.O. Maybe those in charge at headquarters would grant them more time for recuperation.

  Later in the afternoon, the doctor released Joe after seeing that he was healing quickly like he should. The doctor had plenty of experience with the unusually quick healing ability of wolf shifters’ bodies.

  Joe talked calmly with the doctor and assured him that he had no doubts that he’d be fine.

  Valerie insisted on helping Joe out of the hospital gown and into the clothes she’d brought for him to wear so they could head home.

  “I was so worried about you guys while I waited for you at the house.”

  Joe grimaced and met her gaze. “Chris and I will work on fixing that problem. We need to talk to headquarters about the situation. We never wanted you to have to be alone again.”

  “I agree it would be best to talk to headquarters about that,” she said. “But first you need to heal completely.”

  “I just want to be with you and Chris at home,” Joe said, smiling at her. “How about we plan to have a picnic dinner tomorrow in a place that we know is safe and private?” Joe suggested to Valerie and Chris.

  Chris smiled at her and Joe.

  “That sounds like a great idea,” she said, including both of them, feeling happy again just to have her two guys with her.

  Chapter Six

  The following day, Joe was doing much better. Even though it was normal for them to heal quickly, Chris called headquarters and let Rob know that the three of them needed a day off to relax. Rob agreed with him and said he’d let the others at headquarters know and not to worry.

  Valerie ordered a picnic lunch for them from their favorite restaurant in town. After they picked it up, they headed for a private spot on the narrow river that ran along the base of the rocky hills west of town.

  They enjoyed their lunch and had a quick swim in the clear, cool, relaxing water. Afterward they stretched out on towels on the river bank in the shade of the trees that surrounded the area.

  Valerie reclined between Joe and Chris, and one thing led to another when her two guys began to caress her. She sat up and turned so that she knelt between them. Taking their already hard cocks in her hands, she caressed Joe and Chris, making them moan and growl with their arousal. She treated each of them in the same way and bobbled their swollen balls on her fingers. When drops of cum escaped the tips of the bulbous heads, she returned to stroking their cocks in her fists. With growls pulled from deep in their chests, they climaxed. Their warm cum shot from their cocks and pooled on their chests. She became more aroused watching their orgasms.

  When they finished, she helped them wipe off, and they caressed her and kissed her breasts. Joe sucked her nipples hard as Chris slid one long, thick finger between her pussy lips and deep inside her needy opening. He delved his finger in and out, tormenting her with the aching need until she climaxed, her hips bucking again and again with the fantastic orgasm. She cried out as Chris continued to stroke her, circling her clit with his thumb. Another climax slammed through her, and Joe caressed her lower belly as Chris teased her sensitive flesh below until her body quieted at last.

  “Oh my God, that was incredible, guys. I don’t think I can move from this spot.”

  They stretched out on either side of her.

  “No need to move,” Chris said, his deep voice soft and sexy sounding. “Rest awhile before we have another swim.”

  They all three rested, but Valerie couldn’t help but stay alert in case they would have unwanted visitors.

  After a while Joe and Chris stirred.

  “Time for another swim before we head back,” Chris said.

  “Sounds good to me,” Joe agreed. They stood up and offered Valerie their hands to help her up.

  After they relaxed and washed off in the cool water of the slowly moving river, they decided it was finally time to return to the house. They put their things into their vehicle, and Joe gave her a hand into the front seat and sat beside her as Chris took the wheel.

  “When we get home,” Valerie began, “we should probably shower off.”

  “Sounds like a group shower is in order.” Chris grinned meaningfully at her before he returned his gaze to the road ahead.

  “I always enjoy that,” she said, looking from Chris to Joe, who was staring seriously out the front window of the truck. “Are you all right?” she asked Joe, instantly concerned that they might have tired him.

  “Yeah,” he said softly. “I’m all right.”

  “What’s the matter?” she asked him.

  Joe cleared his throat and met her gaze as Chris turned onto their driveway and pulled into the garage. “I was just thinking that maybe we need to go slower and keep things under control between us.”

  “Why?” she asked, concerned that he wanted to cool their relationship when she was becoming ever closer to him and Chris.

  “I’ve been thinking about what happened to me in that fight with the wolves, and I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to expect to live together forever.” Joe looked at her and met her eyes. “You never know when something could mess up our lives. I think maybe we should enjoy great sex, but we shouldn’t expect to always stay together, just in case something happens to me or Chris.”

  She didn’t understand exactly what he meant. “Do you mean that you’re not going to want me to work with you anymore?”

  As Chris gazed quietly at him, Joe shook his head in denial. “No, that’s not what I meant. I think you’d be safer if you didn’t become closely attached to me and Chris.”

  “I don’t agree with you,” Valerie told Joe. “I think you’re mistaken. I know we can have a life together forever if you guys want it. I’m sure we can make that happen. I’ll prove it to you.” She held Joe’s gaze with hers. “I don’t want to give up on our relationship.”

  She knew very well that Joe enjoyed having sex with her this afternoon, just like they always had. So, she couldn’t really believe he was interested in someone else. She suspected his problem was that the shock of being injured like he had been by the gang member had made him doubt his abili
ty to stay healthy and protect her.

  Somehow, she’d prove to him that they belonged together and should always be together.

  As Joe exited the passenger side of the front seat of the truck, Chris put his arm around her. She turned toward him and met his serious gaze. She couldn’t hide her worry from him. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her.

  “It’ll work out, babe,” Chris said. He gave her a quick kiss and helped her out of the truck.

  They followed Joe into the house. She planned to give Joe such good loving that he’d never be able to leave her. She’d do the same for Chris.

  * * * *

  Standing at the doorway to the kitchen, Chris watched Valerie head down the hall to her bedroom, and then he turned to Joe and studied his demeanor. Joe looked pre-occupied with his own thoughts and worries. Chris decided it was time to be blunt and ask him what was bothering him.

  “What are you afraid of?” Chris asked him when Valerie walked inside her bedroom and shut the door.

  “What do you mean?” Joe asked him.

  “I mean, you sounded just now, talking to Valerie, as if you’ve changed your mind about how you feel toward her. What made you say those things to her?” Chris stared at Joe, frowning at him and waiting for him to answer as he watched his eyes become darker, his expression angry.

  “Being attacked and more seriously injured than in any previous fight, I suddenly faced the very real possibility of not being able to protect Valerie from danger,” Joe said. “I don’t want her hurt. What if she’d been there with us during that fight with the gang? What if I couldn’t protect her? What if you had also been injured badly and couldn’t protect her either? I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to her.”

  “But I wasn’t hurt, and I would have protected her if she’d been there,” Chris argued. “I think you’re making more of this than there is. Yeah, you were badly injured, but you weren’t killed, and we got you to the hospital. You’re going to be fine. Don’t chase Valerie away from you with your worry. She’s been trained to fight and protect herself and others. Give yourself time to recuperate completely before you make any change in your life that you could be sorry about later. I personally don’t intend to leave Valerie, even if I’m seriously wounded. It’s important for us to protect her, and we all need to live together so we can do that.”