by Jools Louise
Blaze chuckled, slapping Craig’s ass, then plunged forward. “Gentle?” he said, blanketing Craig’s back with his big body as he slammed home with enough force that they both grunted in delight. “I want hard and fast, baby doll. Nothing gonna be gentle when I pound you with mini-me.” He gripped Craig’s neck in his fangs, his forearm around Craig’s throat as his hips began to surge, moving like pistons as he fucked Craig with a furious passion that had Craig crying out in ecstasy, loving the forcefulness of his lover.
Craig moved in time to Blaze’s strokes, thrusting back with each instroke, driving Blaze deeper still. He kept his head buried in the pillows, his butt uptilted as Blaze kept up the energetic rhythm. Their flesh slapped together, sweat slicking their bodies, Craig’s hole already filled with the natural lube of his recent encounter with Garnet’s fat cock.
He bit the pillow, his fangs ripping through the thin fabric, scattering feathers everywhere as his mate slammed into him again and again. The mist flowed again, shrouding him and Blaze. Energy crackled between them, stronger than before, and his bond with his other pack mates was visible in his mind, swirling and curling like giant eels, filled with light and strength and love.
He screamed into the pillow as his cock erupted, in perfect sync with Blaze’s release, locking him to his lover in the best way. The barb dug in, Blaze’s fangs already embedded, and they ground together as the orgasm lashed them with sensuous fury.
As before, the claiming sparked a zap of light that struck him right in the heart, binding him to Blaze. Unlike before, the other bonds wrapped together in a rope, then slithered around his heart and soul, tightening until he felt it in every part of him. He screamed again as a mist began to emanate from him, encompassing the entire inside of the vehicle, surrounding each of his pack mates with an aura that glowed with the same golden light, interspersed with jagged blue darts of lightning. The aura changed color and turned blue, as well, before dispersing.
Blaze slumped against him, and they both collapsed on the bed. Blearily, Craig turned his head and saw the others all looking as though they’d been struck by a Challenger tank. The vehicle swerved slightly, then righted, a testament to Finch’s skill that he didn’t crash.
“What just happened?” Craig asked, still locked to Blaze, whose arms enfolded him snugly, nuzzling tenderly against Craig’s neck.
“The perfect storm,” Amos said, sounding a little awed. “Did you all see that? The mist and the aura? The sparks of pure electricity?”
“See it?” Finch asked incredulously. “I felt it, touched it, smelled it, and drank it. What does it mean? I never heard of that happening during a bonding.”
“I have,” Garnet said, staring at Craig intently. “I think perhaps Craig is far more special than even we imagined.”
Craig turned his face for Blaze’s kiss, who was now spooning him from behind. “You’re all special.” He smiled, lifting his leg over Blaze’s hip, feeling the shudders from their recent climax, and the heady eroticism of his ass filled with cock and cum.
“Hmmm, not as special as you in my arms,” Blaze murmured drowsily. “I could stay like this forever.”
Craig shivered, wrapping his arm backward around Blaze’s neck, undulating against his lover as they smooched, savoring the afterburn. “I love you,” Craig whispered. “All of you.” He gazed at his pack mates and saw his feelings reciprocated. “I know it’s probably a little needy, and far too soon, but I wanted to tell you that. I feel…blessed, almost. I can’t describe it.” Then he chuckled and tugged at Blaze’s leg hairs. “Of course it might be this fat cock stuck in my ass that has me being sappy. I thought he’d come right out the top of my head.”
There was a chorus of laughter, and they began piling on the teasing about Blaze’s cock.
“Craig, honey, I’m just gifted,” Blaze said smugly, cupping Craig’s cock and squeezing it lightly. He began to pump his fist along it. “Although, once we get to safety, I think I’d really love it if you sank this fat beauty into my needy ass. Eight inches, and nearly as thick as my wrist. Fucking perfection.”
“Yeah, we need to get to safety, first,” Amos drawled, grinning at them both. He glanced out the rear window and then scowled. “Fucking hell. Those bastards don’t give up, do they?”
Garnet got up and stared at their pursuers. “Eight bikes from what I can tell, though it’s difficult to be sure. They’re moving fast.”
“Hold on, folks,” Blaze said, withdrawing from Craig reluctantly, wiping both of them off, then dressing hurriedly. “I need to take over from Finch. Might get a little lairy for a moment. Any suggestions how we can lose these idiots? My driving skills are only gonna help so much.”
Craig dressed more slowly, feeling energized and ready for the battle to come. His senses, always more powerful than a human’s, were even sharper. He could hear each of his mates’ hearts beating and smelled their worry—for him, not themselves. It warmed him that despite his soldiering training, they still thought of his safety first. He wasn’t an amateur, but clearly wasn’t in the same league as his mates. Of course, having his ass handed to him by Carlos didn’t help, but he’d been ambushed by the coward. In a fair fight, he could kick ass with the best. He might be a medic, trained to heal now, but his background hadn’t always been filled with peace and love. He hadn’t always taken a non-aggressive approach. Before he’d enlisted, his background had been filled with violence, until one day his aggressive streak had killed his best friend, in a gangland-style feud that had ended in carnage when his friend got caught in the cross-fire of a fight that Craig had started. He’d never forgiven himself, and it had been the epiphany he’d needed to change his stars.
The glare of the bikers’ lights to the rear, coming rapidly closer, lit up the van, and Craig felt irritation that they wouldn’t leave. What the fuck was their problem?
He hated bullies, and the Ruin pack, apparently, were just the kind of morons he despised. They had a large pack, a lot of power, and liked to wield both against those they thought inferior. Except they were taking on special forces heroes, trained for war. Ruin must be a complete fuckwit to think he could beat them. Even asleep, his mates could probably do plenty of damage.
His focus sharpened on the lead bike, which was gaining ground as it raced ahead of the rest.
“We need to send them a sterner warning,” he said, half to himself. “The Ruin pack think themselves invincible. Above the law. They’ve grown arrogant.”
“You think?” Garnet drawled, full of snark. “They’re also lazy. These guys probably aren’t even betas, just unfortunates who got picked to take us on. Arnie wouldn’t dare attack on his own, with so few.”
Craig sent him a questioning look. “Why risk his pack like this? It doesn’t make sense.”
“They act like overlords of old, and their members are essentially tenants, paying for the privilege of being included in the pack. So when he needs muscle, he just picks people at random, usually younger males who he considers irrelevant…or possibly a danger to him later on. Those bikers will have some kind of threat hanging over them. Probably a family member is at risk of being ousted if these guys don’t succeed. Arnie and Maureen are the worst kinds of alphas,” Amos said, glaring through the window. “Who the fuck charges their own pack members a fee and threatens their own people, who are doing the job of the alpha? He should be here, not sending weaker members. I’m actually insulted.”
“I didn’t mind the price of admission to your pack,” Craig replied, smiling at Amos’s outrage. “In fact, if you make sure I get fucked every day, I’ll be happy as a clam.”
“Yeah, our pack is all about fucking,” Finch drawled, retrieving a hard-shelled case from a lower locker. Inside was a huge rifle, in pieces, which he easily put together. He winked at Craig as he opened one of the sunroofs. “Should be fun once we get home. We plan on having a full-on orgy with you, sex muffin.”
“Focus, guys,” Amos said dryly. “There’ll be no home to go to
if we can’t take care of those twats out there. No killing, though. We just want to stop them, not commit murder. This isn’t their fight.”
Gunfire sounded from the biker in the lead, peppering the van with bullets that bounced off the shiny exterior. “Bulletproof,” Amos said, answering Craig’s unspoken question. “The fuckers think we’re amateurs. No way would we risk your life by not fitting this rig out with all the mod cons.”
Craig grinned, but beneath the amusement, a quiet rage began to bubble away. He snarled softly, his fangs dropping, and his vision turned to that of his wolf. Except it was different this time. He felt power sizzling through his veins, igniting the anger he felt. He began to shift, his body reshaping, sprouting fur and claws, his spine elongating and his arms changing into another set of legs.
“Whoa!” Blaze shouted as Craig filled the van with his immense size. Craig looked down at the bed, which seemed tiny, his head touching the ceiling, and let out a snarl.
“Open the door.”
He gave the command in his mind, instinctively, and watched his mates exchange startled glances.
“Craig?” Amos said. “You can tele-speak?”
“Open the door,” Craig snarled again. “Slow the van and let me loose. Those pricks want a showdown? You want a message sending? Then let me out.”
Finch ducked down through the skylight and flipped the door lock, sliding the door open. Craig leapt out as the van slowed to a crawl and landed easily on the paved road. He prowled to the rear of the van and then raced at the first bike, which was closing in, leaping at its rider with a power that surprised him, knocking the guy to the ground. Without breaking stride, the bike careening off the highway to the grass verge, the biker following suit, Craig aimed for the next bike, dodging bullets with super speed and taking down bikes three and four.
Before he’d landed, he heard Finch firing from the vehicle, which was stopped now. The sniper took down three more bikes, aiming for the tires. Nobody wanted a death, at least not yet. If Ruin’s pack kept coming, however…
The remaining bikers didn’t stop, apparently suicidally determined to finish their mission. Craig made short work of all five of them, leaving them groaning on the tarmac, their bikes littering the road.
His rage began to dissipate, and he stared in horrified fascination at the mass of bodies before shifting to human form. Miraculously, he was clothed. Thank God. Maybe the clothing thing had to with being mated. He still hadn’t asked.
He knelt beside the first casualty and went into army medic mode, checking the guy’s pulse and doing a quick triage to make sure there were no life-threatening injuries.
“Why are you helping me?” the man said, his voice a hoarse whisper. “We just tried to hurt you.”
“You’re following orders, aren’t you?” Craig said simply. “I know what that’s like. You do what you’re required to do, whether you like it or not.”
The man fell silent, and Craig checked him over for signs of head trauma, removing his helmet carefully. The man had gingery hair, long and plaited neatly into a thick braid. His eyes were a sparkling blue, and even in the dim light Craig could see he was young. Barely eighteen if he was any judge of age.
“That’s Carter Ruin,” Amos said, studying the young man intently as he stalked up, all badass in black camo gear. “Youngest son of the Ruin clan.”
“I’m sorry,” Carter said dejectedly. “I had no choice. Mother threatened to kill us all if we failed again. I believed her. She gave me this as a warning,” he said, pointing at his bruised eye.
“That’s Connor,” Finch informed them, pointing to the lead biker who had attacked them first. “He’s the eldest and the meanest. Biggest prick with the smallest dick, by all accounts. He’s been a moron since birth from what I hear.” The man was thin and wiry, but had some balls, heading the charge.
Craig chuckled despite himself at the snarky insult. Finch had a way with words. He left Carter to go check on the rest of the bikers and was glad that none were seriously hurt. This was not a battle that needed anyone to die for.
“Did your mother really threaten you like that?” he asked Carter, returning to the young man, who was sitting up now.
“Yeah,” the guy said miserably, rubbing his temple. “She’s a little…psycho lately, now she knows that you guys have your center. Actually, she’s a psycho, full stop. Nothing pleases her, and she’s always ready to lash out.”
“What will happen to you when you tell her we got away?” Craig asked, frowning. He wasn’t sure why he cared about the man, but he seemed a little less of a moron than his companions. The others were all big bruisers, full of attitude, even when he was assessing their wounds, except for Connor who was the smallest. A few broken bones, possible fractured ribs, and bruised heads, but on the whole, they were in good shape under the circumstances.
“You won’t get away for long,” Connor snarled, glaring at Craig. “This ain’t over. You were lucky this time. We’ll take you down sooner or later. Then you’ll be the one nursing bruises.”
Finch walked toward the guy and then casually kicked him in the face, sending the man flying into a ditch beside the road, where he lay, unconscious and silent.
“Don’t speak to my fucking mate like that ever again, dickwad,” Finch growled with icy calm, more frightening than if he’d yelled. The big SAS commando stared at the rest of the ruined Ruin crew. “Tell your alpha that the next time you won’t get off so easily. You’re lucky our mate is so kindhearted. If it was left up to me, you’d all be staring up at the sky from a mass grave that you’d just dug for yourselves.”
“This ends today,” Amos snarled, in full-alpha mode, making eye contact with each of the bikers in turn. “Any more attacks on our mate, and we will retaliate. You want a fucking war, we’ll accommodate if we have to. And I guarantee that none of you will survive the experience if you go against us again.”
“You’re El Corazon,” Carter said suddenly, eyes wide.
“What?” Craig replied, startled.
“El Corazon. The heart of all the packs. The one born who can unite us all. I read somewhere that El Corazon, once claimed, shifts into the biggest wolf ever…and has the biggest heart. You could have killed us, but you chose to help instead. No wonder Mother is so worried. She seemed particularly bothered when word came that Alpha Hartland had a mate.”
Craig met the man’s blue eyes and saw the truth there, glancing at his mates, who all nodded, as well.
“Seems that way,” Amos said, stalking up to Craig and kissing him with passionate fervor. “Only thing I care about is that you’re in our hearts, baby. Carter is right. You had an opportunity to kill them, but chose to stop them in their tracks instead, and then went to check their injuries. That shows you have compassion and wisdom beyond words. I love you, baby.”
Craig heard Carter’s wistful sigh, over the pounding of his own excitement, and thought that perhaps Carter was the one member of Ruin who could possibly help stop his pack’s brutal regime. He tensed as Connor began to regain consciousness, but the man merely watched the proceedings, remaining quiet. Craig thought he saw a hint of something resembling sadness in the man’s gaze, though, when he looked at his brother. He wondered at it.
He pulled away from his alpha, smiling up into Amos’s dark eyes. “I love you, too, big guy,” he said, going on tiptoes to kiss Amos again before turning to look down at Carter. “We aren’t your enemy,” he told the younger man, glancing at Connor. “We just want to live in peace, and fuck a lot. We’re all soldiers and have had enough of fighting to last several lifetimes. We’ve all left the military, and just want to be left alone. Is that so hard to imagine? If I am El Corazon, then maybe it’s my job, and my mates’ job, to help unite the packs somehow.”
Carter looked sad. “My parents don’t want peace. They want control—at any cost,” he replied. “They want me and my brothers to follow in their footsteps and be the meanest bastards in the wolf shifter world.” He snorted in
disgust. “As if our kind don’t have enough issues as it is.”
“Issues?” Craig asked, tilting his head.
Carter shrugged. “We have to stay hidden, to avoid detection so that we can remain free,” he said. “But sometimes, when shifters are found out, which happens, they’re dealt with severely by humans. I’ve heard of a place, a secret facility on one of the islands northwest of here, that may be owned and operated by the government. They take shifters there. To analyze like lab rats, so I hear.”
“Is that true?” Craig asked his alpha, horrified.
“I’ve heard rumors,” Amos said slowly, frowning. “This is the first time I’ve heard that it’s a government operation. My sense was that it was more of a prison run by the packs. It was set up a little while ago, or at least that’s the first time I heard about it. It’s supposedly for taking shifters who have threatened to expose our shifter community.”
“I have a friend, Colin Sharpe, who disappeared two years ago. He bared his fangs at the wrong time, when he was being attacked by his own family. He shouldn’t have done it, but he was provoked to do it, I’m sure. The next minute, he was taken from his home in the dead of night, and we’ve never seen him since.” Carter looked down, teary-eyed. “He was one of my best friends.”
Craig wondered if maybe Sharpe was a little more than just a friend. He knelt down and patted Carter’s shoulder. “Why don’t we look into it?” he suggested. “My mates have connections. Perhaps we can get some answers.” He frowned. “Are you sure that it’s government operated?”
“I was there,” Carter said brokenly. “I was in the bathroom when I heard the shouts. Sharpe tried to fight them, but there were too many. I rushed out to help, but they’d gone. All I could smell was fear—and blood.”
Craig squeezed his shoulder. “Let us find out what’s going on.”