by Zoey Marcel
“Hold it right there,” she barked. “We’re going to do this the right way like normal people do.”
His dark eyes narrowed. “Oh, we are, are we?”
The other three guys sat in quiet suspense over their conversation.
“Yes, we are, because it’s Christmas and that’s just the way it’s going to be.”
Mark sat with an amused smile, like he knew what was coming. Quinn smirked, trying to stifle laughter at her gall, while Damon shook his head and grimaced at the brazen audacity she had standing up to their alpha.
Jack stared her down and folded his arms. “Is that a fact?”
She nodded with feigned courage. “Yeah, it is. Mark should say grace and then we can pass the food around and eat together like a family.”
“I don’t say grace,” Jack protested.
“That’s why Mark is saying it.” She sat as her heart beat like hell in her chest.
Mark said grace, but when they opened their eyes, Jack was gnawing on the turkey like a hungry zombie.
“Jack, don’t!” Morrigan was so irritated she chucked a roll at his head. It bounced off his face and Quinn laughed at him.
Mark threw one at Quinn. “Where’s your respect?”
Quinn flung corn at him.
“Aw, damn, why the hell did you put butter it this, baby girl?” Mark complained.
“It tastes better that way.”
“Yeah, but it’s freaking greasy on skin.”
She grinned. “Well, I didn’t think he was going to fling it at you.”
Jack gave her an icy stare of death and an evil smile when he scooped a wad of mashed potatoes in his hand. “You’d better run, doll.”
Morrigan screamed and ran, but Jack tackled her to the floor and smeared the creamy spuds all over her face and neck. She laughed and flailed as he licked it off her with a hungry growl. All of a sudden he tore open her blouse and she saw his eyes change just before he sank his teeth into the flesh where her neck and shoulder met. She yelled out in agony, supposing he was punishing her, but to her delight, she realized he was claiming her.
He pulled back, licking the blood off his lips before his eyes and teeth became normal again.
The bleeding stopped, as did the pain. She touched the place where he bit her, but there was nothing there except fully intact skin. It was as though he hadn’t even claimed her.
His face became downcast. “Well, it was worth a try.”
“I thought I was your mate,” she whispered sadly.
“You are. Things are just complicated, that’s all.” He pulled her to her feet and lowered his voice to a hot murmur. “If you ever want something all you have to do is ask, pumpkin. I’ll hand you the moon if that’s what you want, but don’t ever give me orders and don’t you ever dare do so in front of the rest of this pack or I’ll beat your ass raw. Savvy?”
She nodded, ashamed of her disrespect. “I’m sorry. I just really wanted this.”
“Then I’ll do it for you.”
They ate in harmony, enjoying the delectable food and good company, after which they opened presents while listening to Christmas music and ate the cookies she and Damon had baked together. He was right when he told her Jack and Mark would buy her sex toys and lingerie for Christmas. It was a little embarrassing opening them in front of all the guys, but a wicked thrill regardless.
* * * *
Quinn was pissed. He marched into the living room, glad he caught his brother alone, and punched him in the face.
Mark looked flabbergasted. “What the fuck was that for?”
“You’ve got a hell of a lot of explaining to do.”
“No, I think you’re the one who owes me an explanation.”
“Why didn’t you tell me Morrigan’s last name was Weaver?”
He sighed. “How did you find that out?”
“I overheard you and Jack discussing it.”
“I didn’t think it concerned you.”
“Cut the crap. You didn’t tell me because you were worried she was still in love with me and would pick me over you again.”
Mark shoved him in aggravation. “Shut your frigging mouth! I read her mind. She always loved me more and why the hell do you care anyway? You have Damon. I don’t have anybody.”
“That’s beside the point. I cried my eyes out for weeks over her back then. These past few weeks you knew she was alive and you never said anything.”
“Oh, poor Quinn cried for a few weeks over losing somebody. Big fucking deal. I never stopped crying for her.”
Quinn rolled his eyes. “No, you just screwed a bunch of women. I only used Damon for comfort.”
“Don’t you get it, you idiot? I was dying inside. Morrigan wasn’t even your mate. She was mine and you took her from me before I could claim her. So forgive me if I don’t give a rat’s ass about your knowledge or lack of it. You already claimed Damon and I claimed Morrigan. It’s done, so quit whining about it.”
“You should have told me, Mark. I had a right to know she was still alive.”
“Why the hell do you care? You’re a fag.”
“I’m not a fag, you pious son of a bitch! I’m gay and the only reason I am is because a bunch of greedy, shithead males raped me in the twelfth century. If I was like you with a life of ease, maybe I would be a goody-two-shoes homophobic, too, but that wasn’t in the cards for me. Life fucked me in the ass and this is what I am because of it.”
Mark shook his head in anger. “Don’t use that excuse. Morrigan was raped, but she didn’t let it affect who she was permanently. And I did not have a life of ease. I had to stand by and watch while my asshole brother made a play for the woman I was meant to be with. What about the whole bros before hos saying?”
“It wasn’t around back then,” Quinn reminded him. He smiled slowly. “We would have said something more along the lines of ‘brethren before wenches.’”
Mark snickered. “Good one.”
They stood there a moment in silence before Quinn spoke. “I’m really sorry I stole your girl back then. I had no right. She was your mate, not mine, and I knew it, but back then I didn’t care. I do now. If someone tried to take Damon from me I’d kill them…literally. The man is everything to me. I won’t come between you and Morrigan. She’s a sweetie and I love her like family, but Damon is my true mate. There’s nobody like him. I just want you to feel like you can be open with me and tell the truth without expecting me to respond like a dickhead.”
Mark grinned. “Well, you did punch me in the face before letting me talk.”
Quinn chuckled. “That’s true. I guess I should have let you talk first. Sorry about that.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry if sometimes I act weird because you’re a—”
“Gay.”
“Gay, yeah. I don’t look down on you. I never have. I just don’t agree with it, but I’m really happy you found what you were looking for. Your mate may not have come in the package I expected him to come in, but he’s absolutely perfect for you. I love you both…like family, not in the way you guys love each other.”
Quinn grinned and slapped him on the back. “Thanks, man. That means a lot.”
Mark pulled him into a hug. “I was devastated when I thought you died back then.”
“Did you cry like a little baby?” Quinn teased.
Mark punched his arm. “Shut up. I brooded and contemplated in a quiet, tearless, manly sorrow.”
He grinned. “You cried your fucking eyes out, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, a little bit.”
* * * *
Damon rode in desolation through the snowy landscape as his heart ached in misery. Quinn didn’t love him. Oh, sure, maybe to a degree, but he still loved Morrigan. He overheard enough of his conversation with Mark to know it. Damon finally slipped outside because he couldn’t bear to hear the rest. He wasn’t leaving, but a nice long ride into the mountains sounded good right about now. The solitude would be welcome. It was just him and his
pinto horse, Rio, riding in the softly falling snowflakes.
Quinn said he wasn’t gay, or that he only was because he was assaulted by countless men centuries ago. Fate must have known he would develop a preference for men and sent Damon his way. Then again, Quinn said he only used him for comfort. That broke his heart. Damon was more than happy to bring him consolation, but he really thought they had something special. They did even if Quinn couldn’t see it.
Damon wanted to get married ever since same-sex marriages became legal in certain states and Quinn said they would eventually, but they never did. Now Morrigan was back and Quinn was discovering he was bi, or maybe had secretly been straight all along. No wonder he never wanted to get married. No fucking wonder.
Damon rode until dusk. He knew he should really stop to set up camp and build a fire, but he couldn’t stop moving. He was only going away for a few hours, or so he told himself, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop Rio, and he sure as hell didn’t dare turn back. Like a true cowboy he rode into the sunset, deep in thought, with his duster, Stetson, and cowboy boots to complete the ensemble.
He heard a wolf howl and recognized it as Quinn’s by the tone. “Aw, crap, he’s following.”
Damon clicked to his horse so it cantered. He saw a reddish-brown wolf loping after them from behind. He clicked again and slammed his heels against the horse’s barrel and the animal took off into a gallop as best as he could in all the snow. The russet wolf followed, but soon he didn’t see him anymore.
All at once, the lycan appeared in front of the charging horse. The equine came to an abrupt halt and reared in fright, throwing him. Quinn shifted and steadied the horse while Damon tried to get his bearings.
When the horse was calm, Quinn tethered him to a low tree branch. “Are you all right?”
“Like you care. Just leave me alone.”
“Damon, what’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong is that you’re not gay. You’re still sweet on Morrigan.”
Quinn looked saddened at his knowledge but not at all threatened. “You overheard us talking.”
“Yeah, you got what you always wanted. She’s back and now you don’t have to be a freak anymore because a bunch of shitheads made you that way.”
Quinn looked hurt. “That’s not what I want.”
“Sure it is. I heard what you said. You only used me for comfort.”
“That’s not how I meant it. I didn’t mean that was all our relationship was to me. I told Mark he slept with a bunch of women for comfort, but I only slept with you. I wasn’t dissing our relationship. I was calling my brother a man slut. There’s a difference. Baby, our relationship means everything to me. Didn’t you hear the sweet things I said about you at the end?”
Damon felt a faint glimmer of hope inside of him. “No. I left right after you said life fucked you in the ass and made you this way. You said it like you hated what you are.”
“Oh god, no.” Quinn placed his hands on his arms. “I hate what those men did to me, because I didn’t want it. I always want it with you and I love who I am with you. I’m not ashamed of you at all.”
“Then why don’t…” Damon stopped. He couldn’t finish. He also wondered why the hell Quinn wasn’t freezing his ass off standing naked and barefoot in the snow. “Here, put this on before you die of hypothermia.”
“Thanks. I’m fine.” Quinn let the duster rest on his shoulders, but his frontal nudity was still exposed and awfully tempting despite the argument they were having. “What were you going to say?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“You wanted to know why we haven’t gotten married.”
They were only psychic during the claiming and when in wolf form with each other, but apparently Quinn must have caught enough of a vibe to detect that.
“I know why now,” Damon retorted as he walked away from him.
Quinn followed and stopped him. “No, you don’t. I want to marry you. I was planning on it.”
“Until she came back into your life. If you want her just go. If mating and claiming me isn’t enough to keep you with me, then nothing will. You obviously love her more.”
“Damn it, Damon, just shut up a minute. I used to love her. That’s true. I’m not going to lie to you to make you feel better. It hurt like hell when I lost her, but when I found you I found peace, comfort, and happiness. She was my first love, but you are my greatest and now my only love. I love her like family now, and yes, there is a small part of me that will always remember her because I cared about her, but she’s not you, baby. There’s nobody like you.”
Damon smiled weakly. “That’s sweet, but sooner or later Jack is going to try to talk us into having a ménage à cinq with her. He’s kind of been leaving clues these past couple of months.”
Quinn smirked and shook his head. “I know. He’s not exactly subtle, is he—sending us texts of her ass, having her walk out naked in front of us, or cook in lingerie.”
“Don’t forget that tape he left lying around of Mark having sex with her.”
He laughed. “Poor Mark, he was so fucking pissed.”
“How long do you think it will take him to figure out that Jack’s bi?”
“If the prude hasn’t figured it out by now, he never will. Fuck Jack. We’re not having a ménage if it’s going to hurt you. If I have to move to convince you how much more I love you than her, I will.”
Damon was in awe. “You’d really do that for me? You’d leave the pack and be with me?”
“If that’s what it takes, then yeah.” His hazel eyes were deep and sincere.
“Thank you. That means a lot, but I don’t want to leave the pack unless you really want to. We’re family.”
“I didn’t really want to leave either, unless it was what you needed. We’ll stay then, but we don’t have to join their little trysts.”
“What if Jack invited us to watch? I mean it’s not touching, it’s just a hot show.”
Quinn chortled. “You’ve thought about this, haven’t you?”
Damon felt warm. “I never imagined it without you, but I noticed she has pretty feet and I know you used to like boobs.”
He grinned. “I still do, just not as much as I like your luscious cock and fine ass. She does have nice feet. What were we doing to her in this fantasy?”
“You were playing with her tits. I was licking her feet and sucking her toes like I do sometimes with yours and then I got her off with my toes.”
“Mm, I love when you use your feet on me. It’s okay, you know. If you were thinking about another man like that I’d beat your ass and if you liked women more than me…well, I’d cry and then beat your ass, but Morrigan is a sweetheart and she’s family. It’s okay if you’re attracted to her.”
“It’s okay if you are, too.” Damon brushed the stubble on his mate’s face. “I just don’t want you to love or desire anyone more than you do me.”
Quinn cupped his cheeks and looked into his eyes adoringly. His tone was serious. “That’s not possible. You’re my soul mate, Damon. No one holds a candle to you, not even her.”
They shared a hot, wet kiss that was slow and sweet.
“Have you looked at your desktop lately?” Damon asked slyly.
Quinn chuckled. “Oh, you mean all those random pictures of wedding bands and pictures of Massachusetts you keep leaving for me on there? Yeah, I kind of noticed.”
“And?”
He rolled his eyes with a smile. “Damn it, Damon, I’ve been planning this surprise since Thanksgiving, long before you ever started dropping hints. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, so just wait.”
Damon was beaming as he ran his fingers through his lover’s light-brown hair. “Are you going to propose?”
“Yeah, I was going to. I bought us gold wedding rings and everything, but I wanted to make a romantic setting and ask you on V-day, because I knew you’d like that.”
“Don’t feel bad. This setting looks pretty romantic to me. I’ll marry you, by the
way.”
“Damned straight you will. I’m not letting anyone else have you. If you ever want to play footsie with Morrigan like in your fantasy that’s fine, but only with me there and no anal play. You have me for that.”
Damon kissed his neck. “You can play with her titties when I’m there I guess, but only once in a while and no anal sex.”
“Deal, but if it bothers you in any way, or you feel jealous, tell me and we’ll stop. I promise.”
Damon pecked his lips. “Okay. You, too.”
“I’ll show you our rings when we get home.”
“Awesome. I want to wear mine.”
Quinn frowned. “You can’t yet. They’re called wedding bands for a reason.”
“Well, crap. Women get to wear rings when they’re engaged. Why can’t I?”
“A diamond would make you look like a fucking pimp. Besides, you’re not a woman.”
“Well, that sucks.” Damon moaned when Quinn fondled his crotch.
“Not for me it doesn’t. I’ll let you try it on, but no wearing it until we get married.” He undid Damon’s fly and groped his crotch over his briefs. “I thought we would elope and have our honeymoon in Massachusetts like you always wanted. Would you like that?”
Damon panted and groaned with rapture when Quinn’s fingers reached into his briefs to tickle his balls. “Oh god, yes, I want it.”
His smile was salacious. “If you want we could shift and do it doggie style.”
Damon quickly shed his clothes. “That sounds good.”
Chapter Six:
Dire Wolf
It was May. The days were mild with some rain and the nights were still cold, but the evidence of spring was showcased in the wildflowers and bison calves which had recently been born in the national parks nearby.
With the birth of several foals at the ranch, they had their hands full. The little guys would be raised, trained, and eventually sold or bred, since the men had made a proper business for themselves out of raising, breeding, and selling horses for years. Mark had his badge and Quinn his teaching degree, but ranching was Jack and Damon’s specialty.
For a month straight back in March, Morrigan had nightmares of dying and being dragged down to hell by the Grim Reaper. Mark prayed for her, but Jack knew they weren’t random nightmares. Samael was putting these troubling thoughts in her head. When Jack suggested they move without giving a reason why, the pack had a cow and wanted to stay. He couldn’t blame them, since he loved the ranch and Wyoming as much as they did, but he was concerned for Morrigan’s safety.