Things that Go Bump in the Night

by BA Tortuga

  This could expose them all. All of them. He was going to kill the man. Or spank his beautiful ass. Or something. Tonight.

  Marnie looked over. “It doesn’t even look real. I hate that fake shit.”

  “Me too.” He was just glad it looked like nothing anyone could use as proof. If it had, he had no idea what he would have done.

  Tanner was going to have to learn. Pack had rules.

  Stirling was just the one to make the man follow them.

  TANNER SLEPT hard. Then Mom fed him more, and he slept harder.

  He was human and curled on the couch, dreaming about rabbits when he heard a low, rough growl, and his eyes popped open.

  Well, that sure wasn’t his mom. Stirling loomed over him, one hand on the back of the couch.

  “Hey.” He sat up, stretched. “How’s it going?”

  “How’s it going?” That growl sounded again. “I told you to stay your ass where you were.”

  “I wanted to see my mom. It’d been too long.” He didn’t fucking follow orders.

  “Well, you could have waited for me to set it up!” Stirling’s hand closed around his throat and dragged him up. “A reporter got a fucking picture of you!”

  “From where? As what? A wolf?” He swallowed around the grip, snarling, fingers around Stirling’s arm.

  “No. No, but you were damned close.”

  He looked over Stirling’s shoulder, noticing how all the windows were covered now, no gaps in the blinds or curtains.

  “Let me go! For fuck’s sake, I didn’t do anything wrong!”

  The jackass had lost his mind.

  Stirling didn’t let go. The fuckhead shook him. Like he was a rat or a snake. “You could have brought a shitstorm down on us. As it is, we’ll all be on fucking eggshells until this dies down.”

  “You let me go, you asshole.” He hadn’t meant to…. Fuck. Fuck this. Shame and sorrow hit him at the same time, which turned into pure fury in his gut, so he struck out, fist connecting with Stirling’s belly.

  Stirling oophed and doubled over, which he hadn’t expected. Go him and the new wolfy strength. Not that Stirling let go. In fact, that hand squeezed harder. His throat closed and lights flashed in his eyes and, as they rolled, he saw his mom. Standing there. Watching. Like it was all okay.

  He lost it, the wolf coming to the fore in a rush, and he bit as Stirling dropped him.

  No.

  No.

  Out.

  He rushed the front window, going through it in a rush, the glass shattering all around him. He heard words as he ran, heading through the trees as fast as he could.

  Home. Home. Home.

  He needed to go home. He didn’t belong here.

  STIRLING STARED at the window for a moment, his mouth hanging open. Then he glanced back at Lucy, who stood behind him, one hand pressed to her chest, the other to her lips.

  “I’ll go get him, huh?”

  She blinked, nodded. “I’ll call Geoff to fix the window.”

  “Yeah. You’ll have to have a good story. There’s bound to be people lurking around.”

  “That’s no worry. You know those damned wild dogs, scaring an old lady.” She touched his arm. “It will be okay, Stirling. It’s difficult, to be new pack. To learn the rules.”

  “He’s been pack all his life.” Stirling knew that wasn’t fair, really, but damn it, this was his job, keeping everyone safe. Including Tanner. He kissed Lucy’s cheek. “I won’t bite him too deep.”

  “That’s your business. You’re Alpha.” And that was it, wasn’t it? He was Alpha. The pack was his.

  Maybe Stirling would bite Tanner pretty hard after all. He smiled at Lucy before heading to the back room to undress. No sense ruining his clothes. He was taking his unruly, rule-breaking mate back home.

  As soon as he found Tanner, anyway.

  Unlike Tanner, he made sure there was no one about before slipping outside. The scent trail was bright as day, even though gloom was gathering. Tanner was panicked, the scent of unrest and fear making Stirling’s nose twitch as the trail moved toward the west, toward the highway.

  Shit. Shit, he hoped his pup wasn’t stupid enough to go there, to get caught or worse.

  The last fucking thing he needed was for Tanner to get slapped by a semi or something. That would not only bum out Tanner’s mom and bring down more news people, but it would be a waste of a fine, fine ass.

  He put on a burst of speed, chasing that trail. Tanner was bleeding, moving fast, hysterically. He could track it, every moment, every time Tanner started to slow down, every time something startled him. Stirling had to make it to the highway before Tanner did.

  He could smell the exhaust, hear the sounds of vehicles. Too close. Too close.

  Stirling circled, paws digging into the ground, giving him more purchase. He could hear Tanner now, tangled in some underbrush, whining and thrashing. There was some wire wrapped around one of Tanner’s paws, the wolf bent near in half as he tried to chew it off.

  Stirling came in fast but low, trying not to scare Tanner into ripping anything away. He took Tanner’s neck and pulled him down, keeping those snapping teeth from chewing any more.

  Tanner yelped, calling to him, begging him to help. Yes. He could help. He held Tanner down and summoned his human side. He’d have to unwrap that wire and that required thumbs. Tanner struggled against his hand, groaning and kicking, trying so hard to get free.

  “Stop, babe. Stop. Think like a man. Struggling makes it tighter.” He knew Tanner could do this.

  He tugged Tanner’s ear, and those eyes met his, gaze holding, and Tanner finally relaxed, let him get the wire unwrapped.

  “That’s it. That’s good.” He examined the paw, searching for anything more serious than a scrape. It looked good. It’d be sore in the morning, but….

  Tanner tugged out of his hands, leaped over the brush, then faced him, panting.

  Oh, hell no. He tried reason first. “Don’t you run from me, Tanner. The highway is close. You’ll get killed.”

  Tanner barked, defying him, challenging him. Stubborn fucker.

  He let the change take him, moving so fast Tanner didn’t have time to jump out of the way. He snarled, taking Tanner to the forest floor. Someone didn’t believe he was the Alpha. Stirling knew better.

  Tanner bit and flailed, trying to protect throat and belly. It was a lost cause—Stirling had been doing this for his entire life, and it was biological. Fight and lose and take your place in the pack. This was like breathing. He waited, holding Tanner down until the man stopped fighting him.

  Then he held Tanner down some more.

  He leaned down, put his teeth on Tanner’s throat, hard enough to threaten. Tanner swallowed, whined, shaking under him. His good boy stopped fighting, though, so he shook Tanner a little and let him up, then praised a little with gentle licks.

  Tanner bowed for him, leaned into him with a soft little chirrup.

  Yes. That was the way to be pack, to calm down and accept things. Stirling nudged Tanner away from the road, back toward the pack lands.

  They moved together, with him nipping Tanner’s heels anytime the wolf slowed. He was feeling the need to get Tanner inside and check that wound. They were too exposed. When they got near his cabin, Tanner started dragging, and Stirling growled, biting a little this time.

  Time for Tanner to be home. In their den.

  The cabin came into sight faster than he expected, Tanner finding it easily, which made him happy, deep inside.

  He pushed Tanner right through the oversized doggie door, into the den. Then he let the wolf go, climbing to his feet. “You stay right there, babe. I need to look at that foot.”

  He stared Tanner down until the wolf looked away, bowed. Good boy.

  The medicine and bandages took just moments to retrieve, and he went to bend over Tanner and gently lift the injured foot.

  As he lifted, Tanner slowly began to change, panting through the shift, muscles jerking and shud
dering in his hand. When he had Tanner’s hand in his, he grinned, nodded. “Good deal. It’s not bad.”

  “I….” Tanner shook his head. “I’m fine.”

  “Let me doctor it, babe. This is your time for me to be nice.” Then there would be the shouting.

  Tanner just stared at his wrist, the line of blood.

  “You have to work on that panicky thing.” He stroked the line of Tanner’s arm, up and down.

  Tanner opened his mouth, closed it. Sighed.

  “Yeah.” He grinned wider. “I could kick your ass.”

  “Fuck you. I was trying to leave.”

  “You were running scared.” He got to work, wrapping Tanner’s wrist after applying goo. “You need to trust me, Tanner.”

  “I do.” Tanner smelled confused—worried and horny and panicked and happy, all at once.

  “Good.” He put one hand behind Tanner’s head, pulled the man close. “I know what I’m doing.”

  “I don’t.” Tanner’s eyes rolled a little. “I don’t understand anything anymore.”

  He kissed Tanner’s mouth, knowing the physical connection would do more than words. It was just as Alpha as the wolf holding Tanner down. This was about accepting, now. This was about pack.

  Tanner was part of his pack. An important part. Stirling lifted Tanner up off the floor and headed for the bedroom.

  He plopped Tanner down on the bed, following along before Tanner could bounce. He pressed that lean, warm body down against the mattress, spreading Tanner’s legs with his knees.

  “Hey….” Tanner moaned, stretched under him.

  “Shh. Just let me love on you, babe.” He grabbed Tanner’s reaching hands, careful of that torn wrist, and held them above Tanner’s head.

  “I thought….” Tanner’s body slid against his, warm and smooth.

  “What?” He licked Tanner’s throat, let his teeth scrape.

  Tanner tried to pull away, protect throat and belly instinctively. Stirling just let out a little growl and pressed harder. This was his. Tanner’s throat, belly, balls—everything.

  “Mine.” He bit down, leaving a mark. “Do you understand?”

  Tanner’s answer was a rough little cry, and he bit again. He wanted to feel every shiver, to smell and see and taste every reaction.

  “Stop. Fuck, Stirling, you’re bruising.”

  Yes, he knew.

  “Gonna mark you, babe. Gonna show you.” He wanted Tanner to understand what was what.

  “Show me….” Tanner’s wrists twisted in his hands.

  Stirling tightened his grip, not willing to let Tanner have anything but submission here. He sucked at the skin he’d been worrying, drawing up blood.

  “You’re pack. Mine.” He growled the worlds against Tanner’s chest, teeth snapping right under one stiff nipple. Tanner growled, twisting against his grip, testing him, but that cock was hard as a rock against his hip.

  “Not pack.” There was no truth in those words. Not a single bit, and Tanner knew it as well as Stirling.

  “My pack, babe. Whether you like it or not. Mine. And I protect what’s mine.”

  “I don’t belong here anymore; I never did.”

  He pulled back to stare into Tanner’s eyes. “You belong here now like you never did before. Trust me, Tanner. All you have to do is trust me.”

  “This whole thing is fucked-up.”

  “Yep.” That was so true. He pressed against Tanner’s wrists, which made that fine body arch into his.

  The glorious thing about being who they were—their bodies knew. Tanner could deny all sorts of shit, but he couldn’t deny this. Stirling reached down between them with his free hand, grabbing that straining cock.

  “Stirling….” Tanner tugged at his hand again, arm muscles bulging.

  “Yeah?” He bit back a chuckle. Someone was so fucking demanding.

  “You’ve got my hands.” The scent of arousal made him a little dizzy.

  “I do. It makes me crazy, how good you look. If you weren’t all scratched, I’d tie you up.” He let his nails drag down Tanner’s belly.

  Tanner panted, grunting, humping like crazy. Yeah, if Tanner would just stop thinking, this would work way better.

  He let his hand fly, swatting the curve of Tanner’s hip.

  “Stirling!” Tanner actually sounded shocked, muscles jumping under the fine skin.

  “Hmm?” He spanked that sweet skin again.

  “You can’t do that!”

  “Why not?” It felt good, making his hand tingle and sparks light up behind his eyes. Hell, Tanner seemed to fucking glow, his skin got so bright.

  “Because!”

  He flipped Tanner over, hips up in the air, sweet ass right there.

  “Stirling!” Tanner said that a lot.

  “Hot, babe. Such a hot little ass.” He smacked it again, then again.

  He had one hand on Tanner’s nape, keeping his lover right there. Still. He didn’t want panicky escape or false protest. No wiggling. Just accepting.

  “Mine. Understand? Every inch.”

  Tanner barked out a noise that was half argument.

  “No.” He slapped that ass, his hand bouncing back. “Mine.”

  “Fuck….” Tanner’s thighs spread, hips dancing for him.

  “Soon.” That was more like it. Way more like it. Stirling moved closer, his legs pressing on either side of Tanner’s thighs, hand flying as he bruised that sweet butt.

  “Please, mate….” He heard the low, whined words, Tanner begging him, calling him mate.

  Stirling could have howled.

  He lifted up so he could raise Tanner’s hips, spreading those hot asscheeks with his thumbs. He needed Tanner’s hole wet and ready.

  “Mine. Tell me.”

  Tanner took too long to answer and he popped that tiny hole once.

  “Yours. Fuck. Please. Please, more.”

  “I got you.” He bent, licking at that tight little hole, tongue pushing in.

  “Yes….” Those cheeks were hot-hot against his face, Tanner’s little yelps perfect.

  Stirling licked, getting Tanner wet, ready, easing the way for what came next.

  The sounds that left his lover made his cock ache, made his balls draw up. God, that was stunning. He just wanted to fuck Tanner into the ground.

  He lifted his lips, then bit one glowing asscheek. “Tell me you want it.”

  “I need it. Please. Now.”

  “Good.” He pulled back, getting his hand wet so he could slick up his cock.

  “Hurry up, damn it.”

  Just for that he smacked Tanner’s ass one more time. “Pushy brat. When I’m ready.”

  “Like you’re the fucking boss.”

  “I am.” He pushed the head of his cock against Tanner’s hole. “I’m the fucking pack alpha, babe.”

  “Not pack.” Tanner groaned, bearing down on him.

  “You are, damn it.” He slammed right in, all the way, and bent to bite Tanner’s neck, shaking a little.

  “Fuck….” Tanner arched, bucked against him, driving on his prick.

  There was no more arguing, no more snarling. Just rutting with his lover. Fucking that tight hole. Hearing soft encouragement and Tanner’s moans. He grabbed Tanner’s hips and moved the man back and forth, rocking and rolling, before pulling out long enough for them to face each other. God, it was amazing. Stirling moved faster, his cock feeling like it was in a vise.

  “Yes.” Tanner’s words brushed against his ear. “More. Need.”

  “Love this. Need you.” He gave Tanner the words, knowing they could be as important to the man as the teeth were to the wolf.

  “Yes.” Tanner’s teeth nipped his earlobe. “In me.”

  “Because you’re mine.” He was in fucking heaven, and he was going to keep this.

  “Yours.” Tanner bit his jaw, ass pulling him in deeper.

  Their skin slapped together, their pants blending into one breath. Mates.

  Mates.

/>   Christ.

  Tanner’s body squeezed him, milking his prick, rocking him. Stirling let go, let the rhythm and the dominance and everything else go and fucked Tanner like there was no tomorrow. He needed to come so bad his teeth hurt.

  Tanner’s yowl split the air, and his teeth sank into Tanner’s nape and his lover rippled around him. Stirling lost it, shooting hard, his body bucking as he spilled inside Tanner.

  He slumped forward and landed on Tanner’s back with a thump. Tanner grunted, holding his weight well enough. Good man.

  “Better,” Stirling mumbled.

  Tanner’s answer was a soft rumbling moan.

  Stirling chuckled. They still had a good bit of shit to work out, but this? This they had down pat.

  HIS ASS was sore.

  His neck was sore.

  The bite on his shoulder burned.

  Tanner was going crazy, like his skin didn’t fit.

  He turned the bacon, drank deep of his coffee, and tried not to growl. The smell of coffee irritated his nose, and every time he moved, his butt did this tingly thing….

  “Morning, babe.” Stirling kissed the back of his neck.

  The bite there flared, making his cock jerk and his balls draw up.

  “Morning,” he growled.

  “Oh, grumpy.” Slowly, deliberately, Stirling squeezed Tanner’s left asscheek.

  “Don’t….” He was going to lose it. He so was.

  “Why not? It’s hot, you wearing my marks. I like it.” That hand squeezed again. Hard.

  “Hey….” He barked once, toes curling as he rocked up.

  “So pretty. I like you in my house.” Stirling was all growls and slinky noises, those hands seeming to touch everywhere.

  It made him want to bite something, as annoyed as he was turned on. He wasn’t a pack member, to be bossed around and possessed.

  He pulled the bacon out, pushed the pan to the back of the stove, turned off the burner, all the while trying to control the rumbles in his chest.

  “What’s with you?” Stirling spun him around neatly and kissed him.

  “Everything aches.” He bit Stirling’s bottom lip.

  “Good.” That asshole swatted his butt. Again.

  “Don’t!” His cock was going to leave a stain in his sweats, he was so hard.