by Victoria Sue
He didn’t need to question the need to be Caleb’s home; to argue the danger, the impossibility of his choice … because suddenly it was the futility of any other choice, the need for this man to be nowhere other than wrapped in Taegan’s arms. Soft lips, warm breath that ghosted and mixed with his. Taegan’s arms rose and wrapped themselves around Caleb’s body, an urgent unspoken need as Caleb parted his lips to let Taegan’s tongue in. The soft noise in the back of Caleb’s throat went straight to Taegan’s groin and he dragged him closer.
The knock on the door had Taegan wrenching them apart. He stood before it opened. Rego walked in and stood staring with narrowed eyes. His gaze confused, then darkening as he looked from Taegan to Caleb. Taegan’s eyes slid once to Caleb and he nearly groaned. Wide, brown eyes, wet pink lips, a blush of need darkening his throat and cheeks.
Shit. Of all people to walk in it had to be Rego.
“We need you outside,” Rego said and turned back to the door, clearly expecting Taegan to follow. He did, but one step away from disappearing he glanced back at Caleb and his lips curled upwards in an automatic response. Fear, yes. Pain, yes. All those things, and now even desire had shone in those eyes. But now there was something else, and the smile that lit them was possibly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
Taegan followed a silent Rego down the tunnels, schooling his features until he got to the outside. “Problem?”
“I’d say,” Rego clipped out and almost jogged down the slope back towards the barn. “I thought you might need to see it before I killed it.”
Killed it? Taegan followed Rego into the nearest barn. Clear of horses, he walked passed his men and heard the snarling noise, immediately knowing what it was before he got there.
A wolf. Growling, fighting. Held by his men by ropes taut on opposite sides and with long pitchforks pointing at it. Every time a pitchfork got close, the jaws snapped. Taegan stood and stared. It looked young, small, barely a pup. “Is it even a shifter?”
Rego scoffed. “We haven’t had regular wolves on Askara for thousands of years.”
Taegan knew that. The werewolves had hunted them to extinction as if both species couldn’t co-exist, but this one looked small. “Has it shifted?”
Just then the wolf snapped in Rego’s direction and Drogan yanked on the rope so hard the wolf was pulled over. They all heard the yelp and Taegan saw Rego snicker.
“Wasn’t Silas with you?” Cy said quietly, coming to stand by Taegan.
“He’s gone to send a bird,” Taegan said regretfully.
“Then Caleb?”
“Caleb?” Taegan said incredulously.
Cy shrugged. “Wouldn’t he know?”
“Stop it,” Taegan ordered as Rego teased the animal with the pitchfork. He was being cruel.
“He’s a wolf,” Rego snapped.
“And aren’t we supposed to be better than them? Isn’t our treatment of the wolves, of each other how this whole thing started? Do any of you not care that they are treating us in the same manner we treated them?” The crowd fell silent, as shocked as Taegan himself by the words that fell from his lips.
He turned to Cy. “Go get Caleb.” He stared at Rego. “What if it was one of us?”
Rego scoffed and threw down the pitchfork. “It needs putting down. It would kill us without a second thought.” He looked around at the silent men. “Did you know he keeps one in his bed?”
Taegan had lunged forward and had his hand around Rego’s throat before he’d even thought about it. “Are you challenging me?”
Rego squirmed. “No,” he gasped, and Taegan let go. The man staggered back holding his throat.
“You have the rest of the day to clear your things out.”
“What?” Rego looked stunned.
“You heard,” Taegan ground out.
“You are choosing the wolf over me?”
Taegan scoffed. “You are a liability. You don’t kill because you are threatened, you kill for enjoyment and every man here knows that.” Rego was a liability. He had been taking increasingly wild chances on the raids and he was going to get someone killed.
Rego stared at Taegan, then his gaze panned to the rest of the men. “See? I told you he has changed since the wolf came here. How long will it be before he chooses the wolves over you?” And without waiting for a reply he turned and ran.
Taegan ignored Rego. They were well rid of him.
The wolf trembled but stood shaking, making no attempt to snap at the humans holding the ropes.
“Taegan?”
Taegan whipped around at Cy’s voice. He stood with Caleb. Caleb was leaning on Cy but he didn’t look at Taegan, his eyes riveted on the wolf.
“He was caught sneaking into the barn,” Jenner offered quickly by way of an explanation. Caleb nodded, still looking at the snarling wolf. He took a step forward — away from Cy — and that seemed to get the wolf’s attention. It immediately stood still. Wary, every hair on the back of its neck raised and its lips pulled back in a snarl. Taegan took a step towards Caleb. Even tied, it looked a threat.
Caleb shook his head, still not looking away from the wolf. “He won’t hurt me.” Caleb took another step and the wolf tilted its head to one side as if puzzled. Its jaws relaxed and its flanks heaved with every breath. It also never took its eyes off Caleb.
Caleb took another two steps and the wolf inhaled, then it seemed to shudder. To everyone’s astonishment it lowered itself down, belly touching the ground, his head on his front paws. Caleb nodded as if agreeing to some silent communication. “I need to talk to you.”
The wolf stared.
“You are safe.”
Taegan didn’t have a chance to question the rash promise Caleb made as the wolf gave a full body shiver then, crouching in its place, was a naked boy.
Without thinking, Taegan lifted his arms and pulled his shirt over his head. Caleb held out a hand and caught it instantly as if they had been practicing the maneuver. Caleb crouched down and lifted the now slack ropes off the boy’s neck. He was trembling and let Caleb quickly drape the shirt over him.
Taegan came up alongside Caleb and Caleb moved warily, almost subconsciously putting himself between Taegan and the shivering boy. Taegan all but rolled his eyes. He wasn’t in the business of harming children. “What’s your name?” he asked as least threatening as he could. He got a flash of scared brown eyes as the boy looked up in astonishment.
“Kyan,” he replied quickly.
Taegan nodded over to the corner where the bales of straw were stacked. Cy moved with them but he waved away the others to disperse. Taegan was confident that even though the boy was a wolf, he was only eight or nine and looked easy to handle. The four of them sat down.
“You are a long way from your pack,” Caleb said, and Taegan watched in fascination as the boy crept closer to Caleb until they were touching. Apart from the surprised look he had given Taegan along with his name, the child never looked once at Taegan. His gaze was riveted on Caleb the whole time.
“Why are you here?” he asked gently and the boy shivered again. Caleb immediately lifted his arm and the boy almost launched himself at Caleb until he was pressing into his side.
“Do you know him?” Taegan asked in surprise.
Caleb shook his head. “Kyan?” he tried again. “Please tell us why you are here.”
“Because I wanted to play with my friend Neal,” he whispered.
Taegan’s mouth opened in astonishment and he glanced at Cy, who was looking equally stunned. “You play with Neal a lot?” Caleb asked. Taegan gaped at Caleb. How could he sound so reasonable?
Kyan nodded. “He’s my friend,” he said proudly. “Sometimes I play with Rayne as well but I’m always careful because she’s too little to keep the secret, Neal said.”
“Secret?” Taegan asked, and Kyan jumped as if he had forgotten Taegan was there. He immediately pressed closer to Caleb.
“I’m sorry, Alpha.” He sniffed and trembled. “We play i
n the woods, have done so for weeks, but I’m always careful never to shift around Rayne.”
Taegan’s eyes met Caleb’s. That was the second time someone had called Caleb Alpha.
“Neal knows you are a wolf?” Caleb asked.
Kyan nodded. “There are traps.”
Taegan knew. They were mostly gone as the wolves liked them even less than the humans. The rebels had used them years ago but they were a danger to the humans so Taegan had stopped using them when he had become the leader.
“And Neal got caught in one?” Caleb asked.
Kyan squirmed. “Not Neal, me.”
“You?” Taegan clarified.
Kyan nodded. “I was practicing for first-blood on my own. I didn’t want to let the pack down and I wanted to show I could be fast. I only shifted for the first time a few days before I met Neal and I can’t do it quickly yet.”
Caleb smiled. “What happened?”
“I shifted a few times until I thought I’d got it down good and then I just forgot where I was running and the leg trap got me. Neal found me. He didn’t run even though I was my wolf and he helped me pry it open. It healed when I shifted back. We’ve met in the woods whenever we can. He would never tell.”
Taegan smiled as Kyan’s defiant voice rose on the last part.
“Who is your pack?” Caleb asked.
“Moon River.”
“Alpha Bertram’s,” Caleb murmured but Taegan knew. It wasn’t far. A lot of the slaves that worked the vineyards lived in the camp on his lands.
Kyan nodded again. “But I was always careful. We even managed to fool Gage last week.”
Caleb frowned. “Gage?”
Kyan sighed. “Yeah, my older brother. I don’t think he’d mind me playing with Neal but he might have to tell my uncle.”
Caleb shot a worried look at Taegan, and Taegan was just about to ask who Gage was when Caleb spoke again. “Your uncle is Alpha Bertram and your older brother Gage is his heir.”
Kyan’s eyes lit up, obviously not able to hear Taegan’s heart pounding against his ribs. “Do you know my brother?”
Caleb nodded. “I do.”
He looked at them both. “Where’s Neal?”
“How often do you play with Neal?” Taegan asked, avoiding the question.
Kyan put his head on one side. “I dunno. Most days I can, really.”
“And the fact he’s human doesn’t bother you?” Caleb asked.
Kyan shook his head as if that was a really dumb question.
Taegan stood up and looked at Cy. “How about you and Jenner take Kyan for some juice and see if Renee’s made some cookies?” Cy grinned and held out his hand, but Kyan shrank into Caleb’s side.
“I want to stay with you, Alpha.”
Caleb arched an eyebrow. “But Renee’s cookies are really good.”
Kyan seemed to consider his options, then stood up and clasped Cy’s hand shyly.
Taegan sighed and rubbed a hand over his head as he watched them walk away. What the hell?
“If he doesn’t return, Gage will tear the place apart until he finds him.”
Taegan looked at Caleb. “You know him?”
“I did. He’s a little younger than me. We used to play as cubs when our fathers met at the council meetings. He was always fair then, but I have no idea what he is like as an adult. The longer I went without shifting the more awkward it was to be around my friends. Kyan is certainly a problem.”
“Problem?” Taegan said incredulously. “I’m risking dozens of lives on the chance an eight-year-old kid can keep his mouth shut.”
“I don’t see that you have a choice. If he doesn’t return, scouts will be sent looking.”
“But the Sulphur interferes with that,” Taegan countered.
“So, you’re kidnapping children now? How does that make you any better than whoever took Neal?”
Taegan made a frustrated sound. He was damned either way. He didn’t know what to do.
Chapter Nine
Taegan looked at his team leaders. Dargan and Talam were still on their way back from Niandes, but Andrea, Mitch, DeRose, and Peya were all here. He had asked Cy to be here as well because he had every intention of asking the man to be his second, especially since he had told Rego to get his sorry ass out of there.
“It might be a kid, but it’s still a wolf,” Mitch pointed out.
“Either choice carries a huge risk,” Peya murmured. “If you let him go you run the risk of him telling his brother where he was, and if you don’t we run the risk of his brother coming to find him.”
“What about the prisoner?’ Andreya asked and all five heads swung to Taegan.
Taegan let a beat of silence go by as he studied them. Andreya and Mitch were local and had families themselves. DeRose was an escaped slave who had killed the gamma who had raped and murdered his wife and fled. You only had to look at the horrific scars on Peya’s arms to know exactly where he had come from. He was fiercely independent and was as dexterous with the remaining two fingers on his right hand as most people were with five. He had trusted each of them with his life and they him countless times. Taegan took a breath and repeated what Caleb had told him, especially about his imprisonment and the witch, then with more embarrassment he also added in Silas’s theory about bonding.
“Fuck,” Mitch said succinctly, which pretty much summed up Taegan’s last couple of days.
“No,” Andreya said slowly, her gray eyes gleaming. “This is really good.”
“Good?” Taegan repeated.
“Yes,” she said excitedly. “Think about it. You have influence over the Alpha heir of the largest pack in our territory. You tell me when we’re ever gonna get a chance like this again?”
“A chance for what?” Taegan asked in exasperation.
“For change,” Peya said softly and everyone paused, waiting. Peya didn’t say much but when he did it was usually worth listening to. “What have we accomplished in the last ten, twenty, even fifty years? Humans are still slaves, people are still dying.” He held up his right hand. “Children are still coming home looking like this.”
No one said a word.
Peya widened his green eyes in earnest. “I have contacts that are telling me good things are happening in Caedra. There is a new Alpha and he seems to be popular. We know the Alpha from Perse doesn’t keep slaves and seems reasonable; he just has no numbers or army to make any difference. Niandes and Solonara are the biggest areas, but if we had Tethra as well — that would be incredible.”
Taegan’s eyes narrowed. “What exactly are you suggesting?” Because he had an awful feeling it wasn’t what they had been doing for the past however many years.
“I don’t think we should be trying to overthrow the Alphas.”
Mitch and DeRose exploded. “Are you mad?” DeRose yelled.
“He’s bleedin’ insane,” Mitch pronounced.
Andreya and Cy were surprisingly silent. Taegan held up a hand to quieten the other two. “Go on,” he nodded to Peya.
“We all know our history and it’s like our world is on a continuous loop. Humans were in charge and treated the wolves like shit. Wolves are in charge and treating humans like shit. Who’s to say in a thousand years it will be humans doing the same fucking thing again?” Peya nearly shouted. “We don’t get anywhere. People die. Wolves die. Kids die. Then it all starts all over again.”
“And for the first time, you think we have a chance to change that,” Cy said carefully.
“Exactly,” Peya said. “That we should be equals and stop trying to make one race better than the other. Caleb’s a hybrid, you say. Who’s to say that isn’t the way forward?”
“I ain’t fuckin no wolf,” Mitch said flatly.
Everyone paused for a second and then laughed. Andreya put her head back and roared. Cy dug Peya in the ribs, and even DeRose cracked a smile. Taegan didn’t. He was too busy trying to hide the bolt of lust that had swept through his body at the visual Mitch had unwitting
ly created.
“So, what?” Cy said. “You sayin’ our leader being bonded, or whatever he calls it, is a good thing?”
Peya nodded and looked at Taegan. “You have the ability to influence our cause like no-one ever in the past fifty years at least.”
Mitch snorted. “Fucking for favors, huh?”
Everyone was silent, shocked. Mitch went scarlet as he realized what he had said. “Taegan, I’m sorry. I didn’t—”
“You might not,” Peya interrupted, “but I will. Whatever it takes, Taegan. You put your life on the line every day for the rebellion. I can’t see how this is any different.”
“Yeah, but could you stand that?” DeRose said doubtfully. “Mitch was crude, but I’ll say it. Could you stand the thought of taking one of the bastards to bed to get what you want? I mean” — DeRose looked uncomfortable — “he’s a guy.”
“It’s not what they are, it’s who they are,” Andreya said defiantly, and Taegan shot her an understanding smile. Thanks, in part to the wolves, no one raised so much as an eyebrow when men got together. Women on the other hand had two battles on Askara. There was a firmly entrenched belief that women should be permanently in the kitchen or rearing children and they wouldn’t be happy without a man to look after them. The first time he had seen Andreya slit a wolf’s throat had dispelled the first notion. Meeting her wife Millie had dispelled the other.
Taegan stood completely unable to give voice to his thoughts. What if they all knew it wouldn’t be the hardship they were imagining, and even then could he go through with it? “We let the boy go, but double the patrols. There is a risk he will bring the wolves back with him, but if we don’t release him we know for sure they will come. Dargan and Talam will be back soon. When they have rested, we’ll meet and decide how to rescue the kids.”