by Jenny May
Ty burst out laughing. “Thanks for the warning.” He watched the waitress leave.
There seriously wasn’t a better match for him. Myles was feisty, and he loved it. They were going to have so much fun together. Especially when it came to bringing her over to his pack. She’d no doubt fight him in the beginning. Her brother was Alpha. She wouldn’t want to leave, but she’d give in, and he knew the perfect way to persuade her. Damn, his cock was growing hard just thinking about tasting that sweet pussy.
A loud laugh from one of the men sitting at the bar drew Ty’s attention. It was an older gentleman, maybe in his midfifties. He kept talking to Myles, and whatever he was saying amused the hell out of him, but it sure didn’t make her change her expression. She looked so sad. Ty wanted nothing more than to take her away and make her happy. He wanted to see her smile, and hear her laugh.
A strong smell filled his nostrils, instantly making the hair on his arms stand on end. He held in the growl that tried tearing its way out of his mouth. Only one person could have this kind of effect on him. Jack.
Like clockwork, three men walked through the door. Jack, David, and someone Ty had never seen before. The werewolf in him was clawing at his insides, desperately wanting to get out and fight. His canines elongated, piercing the bottom of his lip. Blood washed over his tongue, feeding the beast inside of him.
They beelined in Myles’s direction. Jack had the stranger by the sleeve as if trying to prevent his escape. The man looked absolutely terrified. His face was as white as a sheet. What the hell was going on? Ty stood. The need to get to this man clutched at his chest. He had no idea what was happening, but he sure as hell was going to find out.
* * * *
Myles snapped her eyes in the direction of the door, almost spilling the mixed drink in her hand. Before her brother had even walked in, she could feel her twin and mate together. The glass shattered in her hand before she even realized that she had squeezed it.
If Jack had somehow hooked up with Logan, she was going to kill him. He was hers, not some plaything for her brother and his mate to enjoy.
Logan’s eyes were wide as they came through the door and made their way toward her. His anxiety had her jumping over the bar and rushing toward them. The need to protect her mate from whatever he feared took precedence over everything.
“So I’m right.” Jack held Logan by the sleeve, pulling him to stand behind David as Myles reached for him. Logan tried jerking his arm out of Jack’s grasp, but she knew he didn’t stand a chance trying to get away from her brother.
Thoughts wouldn’t process as Jack and David guarded Logan from her. Myles was torn between the fact that Logan was her mate, and that her twin was not only her Alpha, but her blood.
“Give him to me, Jack. Now.” Adrenaline took over Myles’s body.
“Does he even know what or who you are?” Jack shook Logan like a play toy.
Tears came to Myles’s eyes at the conflicting rage. “I’m only going to tell you this once, Jack. Let him go, or so help me God, I’m going to—”
Jack smiled and pushed Logan at David, who then held on to him. “Or what, sis?” Jack tilted his head to the side, narrowing his eyes. The smile never left his face. Myles knew he thrived in this sort of situation. He loved to fight. Even if it was with her. They were the only two who were evenly matched, except for one thing. Myles was slightly older. The true Alpha by right, even if she didn’t want it.
“Touch her, you son of a bitch, and she won’t have to do anything. I’ll kill you myself.” Logan slammed his elbow into David’s ribs, causing him to double over. Myles reached for him, but Jack had Logan by the throat before he could move an inch.
“That’s a good boy. Let that bond kick in.” Jack smiled at Myles. “He’s gonna be a good mate, sis. I have to say, I’m impressed.”
“You bastard.” Myles growled and punched her brother in the stomach. Logan fell to the floor as her brother fought for air.
“What the fuck is going on here? I’ve had enough. I don’t think Dark Days is worth putting up with all the crazy people that come with the job.” Logan looked around at all the stares they were receiving.
“You’ll understand everything shortly.” Jack smiled and waved at everyone. “As you were, people. Just a family situation. Nothing to concern yourselves with.”
Even though Logan was safe and she knew her brother was testing their bond, something wasn’t right. Now that she thought of it, something had felt off since she’d shown up at work. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, inhaling deeply.
“What’s up, My?” Jack’s voice deepened as his wolf senses started to take over.
“Give me a minute, I can’t tell. Something about the day has been really weird.”
“Explain.” She opened her eyes to see Jack scanning the room. The color no longer existed. A black center rested in the middle, surrounded by white.
“I knew I hadn’t imagined it earlier,” Logan whispered. “How the hell are you doing that? Better yet…What are you?”
Myles stepped closer to her mate. “I’ll explain soon enough, but you have to be honest. Are you afraid?” She paused. “Of me, I mean. Do I frighten you?”
Logan paused, but then shook his head. “I know I should be scared shitless right now, but for some reason I don’t feel anything but confusion.”
“Confusion I can handle, fear changes the game.” Myles grabbed Logan’s hand to tell him everything was going to be okay when she smelt it. Someone from the neighboring pack was here, and they’d done an amazing job at concealing themselves. Jack didn’t seem to catch it, but she had.
Myles stepped back as the essence of her wolf stretched throughout her body, covering every possible inch throughout her. A deep purr rumbled her insides like a cat. Her wolf was ready to be called and it was loving the attention.
Myles spun and felt the power of her creature as she lunged and raced toward the scent. Within a matter of seconds she was leaping over a table, right onto a man she’d never seen before.
Sound began to isolate and separate itself.
“Everyone out! Come on, the nights over. Out you go!” Luis’s voice was quickly overpowered by her brother’s.
“Fuck! David, watch Logan.”
The sound of fabric being torn was loud as Logan ripped his arm out of the grasp. “Quit treating me like a kid. I can take care of myself. Besides, I’m not worried about me. What is Myles doing?”
The sound of glasses hitting the floor grew louder as the music died completely.
Myles straddled the enemy, tightening the grip she had around his neck. His hard cock under her ass was definitely out of place. The wolf within went from hunting to wanting to play in the blink of an eye. The enemy’s tattoo-covered arms came to rest behind his head as though he was making himself at home.
“What’s the matter, Myles? Confused?” The stranger smiled. “Me, too. I have to admit though, you, like this…better than I could have ever imagined. You’re amazing, sweetheart.”
Jack appeared in front of them. The stranger was ripped up out from under her, leaving her crashing to the floor.
“You’re dead meat, Ty. You know that, right? You’re about ten miles out of your zone. That’s a penalty of death.”
“I’m not here to die or fight, Jack. At least, not tonight.” Ty snapped his teeth in Jack’s direction. “I’m here for your sister, nothing else. She belongs to me.”
“Over my dead body.” Jack reared his fist back.
“Ask her, then.” Ty looked over at Myles. “Tell him we’re meant to be mated. I know you have to feel it.”
“Wait a minute.” Logan walked up. “This guy isn’t taking Myles anywhere. I’m not sure what’s going on here, but I know taking people against their will is against the law.” He looked over at Jack. “Death, kidnapping, zones, freaky changing eyes. Does someone want to start explaining?”
Ty took a deep breath. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He looke
d over at Myles. “A human? You bonded with a human? Ugh, great. It was one thing taking in an enemy, another thing bringing in a human and the rival Alpha’s sister back home.”
Jack growled. “Maybe I didn’t make myself clear. My sister isn’t going anywhere with you. Myles, is what he’s saying the truth?”
She bit her lip and took a step closer to Ty. “I’m not sure. When I was on him—” She quickly stopped herself before she mentioned how turned on she was getting. “I think there’s something there, but it’s too early for me to be sure. I’ve been exposed to Logan for two weeks already. Our bond is stronger. I’ve never met this guy before.”
Ty laughed. “Do you think I made my way into this godforsaken place by chance? No, I came here because I followed my instincts. My wolf hunted her down, end of story.”
Jack groaned. “If it wouldn’t literally kill my sister, I’d get rid of you right now. As it is, I guess we don’t have a choice.” He turned to look at David. “Iso?”
A mischievous smile came to David’s face. “It worked for us. Plus, I’m not worried about your sister. She can handle herself.”
Jack nodded. “I hate this, but I guess it’s the only way.”
Chapter 6
Iso was the term used for the place Jack and David took them to. Apparently, he had been here, too, at one point, but Logan wasn’t so sure about this place. It was nothing more than a cement room in the basement of an abandoned house. The only thing in the room was a big bed, a nightstand full of condoms, toys, and lube, and a wall-sized mirror. It looked like a studio set up for amateur porn. All they were missing was umbrella lights. Off to the side was a restroom, but the size was definitely lacking.
Logan paced, furious. He still wasn’t sure what the hell was going on. No one had explained a damn thing during their blindfolded, silent drive. Now he was locked in a room with a woman he felt fascinated with, and what seemed like a crazy, insane man who was obviously obsessed with her.
Terms kept getting thrown around that he couldn’t make sense of, and the way they kept sniffing everything was making him uneasy. They were like dogs on steroids. Or human-dogs. Or maybe they were aliens. Shit, he didn’t know. The only thing he was sure of was that Myles had somehow cast some sort of spell on him. What other reason was there for him to have turned from gay to straight in a heartbeat? And why wasn’t he scared and trying to escape? As much as he couldn’t stand being in this weird situation, he knew one thing. He didn’t want to leave.
He looked over at the other man in the room. Damn guy had a smile on his face. Still! You’d think he had just won the lottery. Logan studied his dark hair and big green eyes. His arms bulged in the tight T-shirt he wore. Well, maybe he wasn’t completely straight. This guy, Ty, was pretty damn hot.
He leaned against the cold cement wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “So, can someone please explain why we’re being detained like victims to an unstable serial killer? Once again. Not normal.”
Myles slowly stood from the bed. “I didn’t want things to turn out this way, Logan. I wanted us to get to know each other. Maybe go on a few dates and let our bond kick in before you were introduced into our culture.”
Logan held up his hand. “Okay, stop right there. You say culture. And that is?” Myles looked over at Ty. He lifted his hand as if to tell her to proceed.
“There’s no other way to say this, is there?” She fidgeted and sat back on the bed. Her eyes were pleading to her obsesser.
Ty shook his head. “No, I think you’re going to have to be pretty blunt, Myles. You want me to show him?”
She waved her hands, panicked. “Last resort. Let’s try not to scare him.”
“Jeez! You’re treating me like a fucking baby. Just say it.” Logan pushed off the wall to come and stand in the center of the room.
“Wolf.” The word escaped Myles’s mouth and she cringed.
Silence filled the room for the ten seconds it took Logan to process the word. Hysterical laughter followed. “You’re kidding me right? Wolf, as in werewolves?” He wiped the tears from his eyes, but the laughter wouldn’t stop. “Next you’re going to tell me vampires and leprechauns exist. This is too fun.”
The smile surprisingly melted off of Ty’s face. Logan was having a hard time getting in air. The burning in his lungs increased as the sound of his laughing disappeared completely, but yet he was still laughing. Suddenly, Ty’s body began to morph, and Logan watched in horror as his limbs contorted at odd angles. Breathing was impossible. It was as though his life source was getting sucked into a tunnel and he was disappearing from reality. Dark eyes the size of quarters were the last thing Logan saw before blackness overtook him.
* * * *
“What did I tell you!” Myles jumped off the bed and rushed to Logan’s side. Ty changed back to his human form and cursed as he looked down. Dammit. He’d forgotten to take off his clothes. Now they were ruined.
“He’ll be fine. It was the easiest way.”
Myles glared up at him and pointed at the cowboy passed out on the floor. “Easiest way? I think I had things covered just fine.”
“Did you? All I saw was him going mad with laughter. Didn’t seem to me that he believed a word coming out of your mouth. Besides, it’s done. Now we can move past this part and get to the good stuff.” Ty wagged his eyebrows.
Myles stood up and walked over to the bed, throwing the blanket at him. “Good stuff will come in due time. Rushing it that way is only going to add more complications in the long run. What if he doesn’t want to have anything to do with either of us now? Hell, if I saw what you just did, I’d be scared out of my mind and run for the hills. No wonder he passed out.”
“Lack of air, not fear.” Logan lifted his head, rubbing it. “For people with superpowers, you sure as hell lack common sense. If you see a man going down, out of common courtesy you catch him. I think I have a knot the size of a golf ball on the back of my head.”
Myles ran to his side. “I’m sorry. Are you okay? And they’re not superpowers, per se. Just a genetic screwup that gives us a bit of an advantage.” She paused. “Did I say that right?” She looked over at Ty.
“We’re badasses, kid. Plain and simple. Who cares about the details?”
Logan groaned as he stood. “Do you eat people?”
“Occasionally.” Ty smiled big, closing his eyes and making sure he showed all of his teeth. When Logan’s mouth opened in shock, he laughed. “Of course we don’t eat people. What ever gave you that idea?”
“Well, five minutes ago werewolves didn’t exist, so yeah, I had to ask.”
Myles sat back on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest. “Well, I assure you we’re not as bad as you probably think. We’re normal for the most part. We have real jobs, and eat real food. We just hunt once a month. And of course there’s the whole changing forms at will, but really, that’s all. Don’t worry, we were born like this. It’s nothing for you to fear. We’re really good people. I promise.”
“So what’s the story with you, Logan?” Ty sat on the edge of the bed, making sure he gave Myles her space. It was time to get serious and figure out what they were going to do, and how it was going to be done.
The cowboy shrugged. “Nothing really. I mean, I’m a nobody. I train horses, break the ones that are wild. I have a connection with them. Other than that, I lead a pretty normal life.”
“What, no girlfriend we should know about? Ex-wife?” Ty scratched his head. He wasn’t putting it clear enough. “Complications are what I mean. When a couple bonds it’s breakable only by death. If you do have a special someone, in a matter of days, possibly weeks, you’ll feel nothing for them, and only feel love for Myles and myself. We need to make sure we tie up all loose ends now.”
Logan rolled his eyes. “No girlfriends or ex-wives, I assure you.”
“Really?” Ty couldn’t believe it. “You’re a pretty attractive guy, that’s hard to imagine.”
“He likes men, Ty.” Myles sig
hed. “He didn’t even want to have anything to do with me. Now because of this bond he’ll feel as though he loves me, but this mating is against his will. He has no control over it, and it’s going to change his life forever.”
“That’s not true.” Logan looked over at Ty, but headed for Myles. There was something in the cowboy’s eyes that made Ty’s stomach do a weird flip-flop, and it wasn’t a bad thing.
“It’s true I liked men, but that doesn’t change the fact that from the moment I saw you, my body reacted. I was scared. Can you imagine how that must have felt for me? The whole time we were talking at the bar, I almost felt stupid for going on about your brother. All I wanted to do was bend you over that bar and...” He felt himself getting hard just thinking about what Logan was saying. Now that would have been a sight to see. As the cowboy continued, he watched how much passion he had on his face. “Ty said these bonds take, days, maybe weeks to go into effect. That was instant, Myles.”
Her face was beet red, but she continued. “I’ve been watching you for two weeks, Logan. I knew from the beginning that we were meant to be mated. That’s probably why you reacted the way you did. Now you’re going to be stuck with me and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“No. I refuse to believe that. Explain the dreams. I knew from day one that you looked familiar. That’s because I saw you before. I know it sounds stupid, but I’m telling you the truth. I feel as though I know you.”
Ty felt an overpowering need to comfort Logan. “You’re not the only one with the dreams. I’ve had them, too.” The bed shifted as he moved from the corner more towards the center. “Myles, how about you?”
“Every night.” Her lips parted. “You never came in clear, Ty. I think that’s because of how far away you were. But Logan was closer, so maybe that’s why our connection was stronger.”
Ty locked eyes with Logan and instantly felt their bond explode. It was as though every experience the dark-haired cowboy had ever had flooded his emotions. Fear, pain, loneliness, heartbreak, happiness. This man was a complete stranger. He knew nothing of this man, not his favorite color or last name, but what they now shared was something so much deeper that it was undefinable.