Triad

by Cheyenne Meadows

  Not to mention the attitude coming from the alpha lion. Temperamental came to mind—so did haughty, a throwback to his king of the jungle genetics. While he might carry the same qualities, he couldn’t mesh well with someone head-butting him every step of the way. No. If he and Rick decided to take on a third, the other man would have to be a beta or lower, willing to take on a submissive role and maintain the peace.

  Take on a third? With the lion? Yeah, he and Rick talked about it now and again, had even invited a couple of men into their bed over the years. But when the chemistry hadn’t matched, they’d chucked the idea and had gone on with their lives together.

  “Are you going to come over here and listen to what I know, or are you going to stand there and stare at my ass all night?” Copper grumbled, twisting his head to meet Dillon’s gaze.

  Rick smirked. His fangs flashed in the light.

  Dillon scowled. The words were pretty damn close to what he’d said to Rick a couple of days ago, which had led to a glorious round of hardcore, pounding sex. His erection twitched with need. Too bad he couldn’t repeat the action right now.

  If the smart-mouthed cat bore the same predicament with too tight pants, he didn’t show his discomfort. Neither did he scent arousal from the reddish-brown haired man.

  No fucking fair. He sported a painful boner and the one responsible appeared to suffer no similar effects. Leave it to him to find a straight man in his hotel room, a tempting treat that would turn sour if presented with a sexually interested male.

  Rick’s eyes twinkled with mirth, even as he grinned widely. “Well, which is it, Dil? Ogling the man’s ass or work on the case?”

  Dillon flipped his lover off, grumbled under his breath, and moved over to stand on the other side of Copper. The heat radiating from the man, along with his spicy, woodsy scent, shot waves of need straight to his already demanding groin.

  Frustrated and annoyed, he edged over then eyed the men. “Start talking. I have other things to attend to tonight.”

  Copper arched an eyebrow in a regal manner, as if considering the benefits of arguing versus the energy expenditure needed. He snorted and shot him a dismissive look. The mighty king of the jungle obviously found a debate too much of an inconvenience or not worthy of his time.

  Rick licked his lips.

  Dillon groaned. Work before pleasure.

  “Mason tossed out a few potential names. A couple of Rocky Patch troublemakers I saw today were included.” Rick tilted his head to meet Dillon’s gaze. “He’s hanging back, knowing they’ll recognize him and run for the hills.”

  “They’re rotting meat.”

  “While the other killings have been here, here, and here, Sugar Springs is the only place that’s had two.”

  “That we know of,” Copper inserted.

  Rick bobbed his head. “That we know of.”

  “The pride investigators figure Sugar Springs has become a favorite hunting area for its seclusion. A handful of backwoods humans who live nearby rarely venture into town, thus their absence won’t be noted for a while.”

  “Invade their territory, easy game. Make an example of them to any other humans who would dare to trespass.” Dillon spoke quietly.

  Copper stood up and stared at him.

  Dillon shrugged. “That’s how I’d perceive the situation if I were a pissed off rogue.”

  “Ruthless canine.”

  His dander up, Dillon glared at the lion. “Alpha wolf to you.”

  The lion snorted. “News flash. You don’t scare me.” He held the look for a moment more then leveled his gaze back on the map. “I’ll check out these locations tomorrow on my regular daily route. I doubt they’d be so bold as to use camping and hiking areas but with success comes increased aggression and daring behavior.”

  “We’ll work on those two juveniles. Somewhere there has to be a middle man for the youth to link into the developing gang. Word will spread, and we’ll pick up on those whispers.” Rick nodded.

  “I’ll plan on visiting the bar again tomorrow evening. Something tells me that’s our link.” Dillon crossed his arms over his chest and appraised the cat next to him. As if the well-built and muscular man had no worries, Copper bent over the table, getting a closer look at something on the map before him, essentially turning his back on both wolf shifters. Copper either held the utmost confidence in his fighting abilities or he didn’t worry about his flawless hide with the two of them. He had to give the kitty respect and credit for sheer guts.

  Too bad Copper bore his alpha ranking in his carriage, speech and everything he did. No matter how much his dick clamored in interest, he wasn’t taking on another alpha in their relationship.

  “Call me if anything changes.” Copper shot them a quelling glance for a brief moment, then let himself out of the front door.

  Dillon snarled as the door clicked shut.

  Rick chuckled. “His alpha tendencies wearing on you?”

  He looked over at Rick, his mouth watering as his cock pounded in blatant need. His lover stood like a Greek god, gorgeous and desirable, with a sensual grin spread across his face.

  They simply stared at one another for a long moment before Rick broke eye contact. “All hot and bothered, huh?”

  “You have no idea.”

  With a knowing smile, Rick stripped his clothes, dug through his bag, and pulled out a tube of lube.

  Dillon watched every move before slowly stripping down. Rick’s gaze followed his hands, so Dillon took his time, making a big show of peeling the garments off his body. First, his shirt fell to the floor. Button by button, he opened his fly then shucked out of his jeans. His rampant cock jumped out of the confines, then jutted strongly—the deep purple head swollen and already leaking fluid.

  “I scented your arousal for Copper.” Rick walked forward, wrapped his fingers around Dillon’s cock and began to stroke him.

  Matching the action, Dillon grabbed Rick’s erection, rubbing his thumb over the slit with familiarity. “Shocked the hell out of me.”

  Rick grinned. “Me, too. But he’s damn fine looking. Bet he’s hung too.”

  Dillon grunted. “His attitude needs some work. Besides, he’s straight.”

  “Why do you say that?” Rick leaned close, licking across Dillon’s sensitive nipples.

  “Because he didn’t respond.”

  Stepping back, Rick chuckled, his fingers still dancing over Dillon’s cock. “Oh, he responded. You just weren’t close enough to notice.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Nothing. Oh, nothing.” With an impish smile, Rick dropped his hand and dashed to the bed.

  “Rick…” Dillon growled then gave chase, pouncing on top of his lover and flipping him to his belly. Two loud swats landed on Rick’s upturned rear.

  Rick wiggled his ass in delight.

  Dillon shook his head. Sometimes Rick acted more like a precocious juvenile than a high ranking beta with his own hefty responsibilities. He cherished those times, joining in the fun and flirting, allowing the world to tend to itself while he played with his lover.

  A moment of concern stabbed through his happy excitement. “Are you upset by my reaction to the lion?”

  Rick turned around and faced Dillon, his smile fading. “Not really.”

  “But…”

  Rick placed a finger over Dillon’s mouth, silencing him for a moment. “I know you can’t control what your body and inner wolf want.”

  Dillon waited.

  “We’ve been searching for a third for a while now.”

  Pulling back, Dillon eased away from Rick’s quelling finger. “What makes you think he’s the one we’re searching for? He’s a damned alpha and a cat on top of that. We’re looking for another beta or lower to fill the vacancy and keep the peace—or did you forget?”

  “I don’t forget anything, especially the way you turned to molten lava at the first sniff of the lion. Like a stud hot to trot for a mare in heat, you came to attention. You couldn’t take
your eyes off him. Not to mention, I could smell your heavy arousal as I’m sure he could as well.”

  “He’s another fucking alpha—”

  Rick brushed his lips over Dillon’s mouth, silencing the tirade. “I can’t be too upset, because I find Copper sexy as hell and can’t seem to stop picturing him naked.” His lips hitched up.

  Dillon blinked. “So I’m not the only one with a raging hard-on around the guy?”

  “Not at all.” Rick’s gaze lowered to the object mentioned. “I’ve been horny as hell all day long.”

  “Why didn’t you drag him off to bed then?”

  Rick rolled his eyes. “I’m a bit more sophisticated than that. I swear. Alphas are so animalistic at times.”

  Dillon barked and smacked Rick’s rear. “I’ll show you animalistic.”

  “Please do.” With a quick spin, Rick presented his bottom.

  After yanking the lube from Rick, Dillon squirted a generous portion on his hand then spread the slippery gel over his own cock. He put another dollop on his fingers then slid two digits deep into Rick’s entrance.

  “Mmmmm.” Rick pushed back.

  “Eager much?” Dillon grinned and slapped his lover’s rear once more.

  “Oh, yeah.”

  Without further preamble, Dillon lined up his dick with Rick’s puckered hole and pushed steadily in.

  Rick groaned and yelped, flinching when Dillon’s impressive manhood plunged past his tight sphincter.

  Barreling ahead, Dillon grasped the beta’s hips and set a frantic pace. In. Out. In. Out. Adjusting his angle, he aimed a tad downward, striking Rick’s gland on each stroke.

  “Fuck, yessss.” Rick arched his back and met each thrust with a hard shove backward, making their bodies slap together, even as their breathing increased. He whimpered and whined, clamping his fists into the bedspread tightly.

  “Too bad we didn’t bring the toys,” Dillon panted out as he picked up the power. “I have a feeling you need the ring today.”

  Rick groaned. “Yeah. I’m not going to last long.” He lowered his head to the pillow, biting into the thin white material.

  “Spread.” Dillon waited for Rick to do as bidden then turned up the heat and gusto. Each powerful stroke hit bottom, setting their balls to swinging and smacking. He couldn’t get deep enough, pound hard enough, or nudge them both to the pinnacle fast enough.

  “Oh, shit. You’re knotting,” Rick cried out as Dillon pounded his ever-increasing width in short, deep jabs.

  Desperate with need, teetering on the edge, Dillon felt his balls tighten incredibly as rampant tension racked his body. Tingling spread like wild fire from his lower back, through his groin, and to the tip of his throbbing erection. With a quiet roar, he forced his swollen cock into Rick’s very depths and held onto his lover’s hips for dear life.

  Distantly, he heard Rick’s gasp and felt the strong contractions of Rick’s ass, signaling his partner’s arrival to rapture. His dick jerked, his hips bucked and hot semen shot into Rick’s core. Lowering his upper body to Rick’s back, Dillon rode the crest of climax, trembling with the force of his orgasm.

  Several minutes passed before either of them could move.

  Chapter Six

  A crunching noise set Geoff into a spinning crouch. Quickly identifying the man, he stood and snarled. “Thomas. Next time, announce yourself, or it might be your last.”

  “Hey, I can’t help if it you’re so engrossed in watching the youths that you didn’t scent me.” The grumbled response lacked heat.

  “You came in downwind on purpose, asshole.” Geoff spared the black bear shifter a glance and resumed overseeing the group’s run through defense drills. “I didn’t think you were scheduled to be here tonight.”

  “I wasn’t. However, I have some information you might be interested in.”

  “Such as?”

  “A new wolf shifter showed up at the bar tonight. Rogue by his claim. Same old story as the rest of the lot. Tired of politics and rules. Wanting to strike out on his own and start his own pack.”

  Interest piqued, Geoff studied the barkeep. “Older?”

  “Yeah. I’d say around a hundred, give or take. He’s built too. Looks more than capable of handling anyone that messed with him. Solid, dark hair. Big guy.”

  “An alpha?”

  For the first time, the black bear smirked. “Oh, yeah. Got the whole attitude going and all. Carries himself like he’s hot shit.”

  “Got a name?” Geoff watched as one of the newer recruits toppled to the ground after a particularly hard kick by his opponent.

  “He didn’t give one. Just sipped at his beer, looked around, then left.”

  Turning his attention back to the bear’s face, he considered Thomas’ announcement for a moment. His army would benefit from someone with experience, cockiness, and an in-your-face attitude. A secondary leader to demonstrate how to destroy their enemies, use merciless tactics, and rain utter devastation on anyone who opposed them. Yet taking on another alpha took gumption and caution. Right now, he held supreme alpha position and didn’t care to find himself challenged outright or to become a victim of a carefully laid plan to topple him.

  Once again, the shifters below caught his attention. In order for his army to grow, live, and thrive, he needed strong secondary leadership. Maybe, just maybe, he could tolerate another alpha with a vow of allegiance and a firm tether on the man’s balls.

  “Find out what you can about this alpha wolf and report back to me.”

  “Yes, sir.” The bear spun on his heel and left as quickly as he’d arrived.

  The dark-haired youth gradually returned to his feet after staying down for an extended time from a simple kick. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The kid was their weakest link.

  Strolling down the incline, he didn’t stop until he stood in front of the boy, who looked way too young to be on his own. He should’ve been at home, still learning the ways of life under the direction of his parents, not amidst a newly formed pack of cut-throat shifters intent upon death and destruction, struggling to find his social standing. He’d give the kid credit for being game. However, that didn’t change the situation. Either the youngster stepped up big time or he’d be a liability to them all.

  “What’s your name, boy?”

  “Tryst.” His voice carried steadily.

  “Well, Tryst. Tonight is your lucky night.” He wrapped an arm around the juvenile’s shoulders and guided him toward the edge of a particularly steep hill. Below them sat a substantial log home nestled between two bluffs. “Look below. Do you see the house?”

  “Yeah.”

  Geoff grinned to himself as he noticed the back door open and a small girl skip outside carrying a stuffed animal. The child rattled away, talking to her toy, giggling as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

  “That’s your target.”

  Tryst stared up at him with an expression of shock on his face.

  “Sneak down there, drag her off then rip her to shreds.”

  “But…”

  “She’s human. Prey. Meant for our taking.” Geoff whispered loud enough for not only the youth but the rest of the pack to hear.

  “Can’t we find another…?”

  Anger rushed to the fore. Geoff dropped his hand from Tryst and glared. “Are you questioning my order? My authority?”

  “No, sir. It’s just…” Tryst glanced toward the house. “She’s a small child. It doesn’t seem right.”

  Incensed, Geoff straightened his back as he growled. No one questioned him—especially not in front of his pack.

  Turning to address the pack, he kept one eye on Tryst. “Let this be a lesson to all of you. Weakness won’t be tolerated.”

  Tryst gasped. Geoff could hear the pounding of the young wolf’s heart from his distance a few feet away. Good. Let him know absolute terror.

  “Disobedience is punishable by the forfeiture of your life.” He spoke to the boy then turned back to th
e small crowd. “I give you tonight’s entertainment.” He pointed one long finger at a quaking Tryst.

  For a moment, Tryst gaped at him. Then he spun and ran like the hounds of hell were hot on his heels.

  They would be. Soon. Waiting for the boy to hit the tree line, Geoff smiled as he heard the growls and howls of excitement from his pack.

  With a long look, he pointed in the direction the boy ran. “Go hunt.”

  As a unit, they broke free, some in animal form, some in human, all in a fevered chase with high expectations of the kill.

  * * * *

  “Fresh tracks. Both human and wolf form.” Dillon stood and glanced back at Rick. “Looks like they’re on the move.”

  “Or hunting.” The beta pointed to a trail leading down an embankment and toward a thick grove of trees. “There’s a handful of cabins between here and Three Rivers Junction. Any of the nearby residents would be easy targets.”

  “Humans. Easy prey. Stir up the killing instinct then send the youths out to do his dirty work. Smart and deadly.”

  “Yeah. He has to know the various shifter councils would put a price on his head. Probably why he decided to surround himself with others in an attempt to tilt the scale in his favor.”

  “Well, it’s not going to work.”

  Rick nodded, engrossed in figuring out another piece to the tricky puzzle of a rogue with a following. He and Dillon had climbed out of bed before dawn and tromped to the hills, locating the spot of each kill and reconnoitering the area, searching for possible clues. Nothing had stood out except for the tracks. According to Copper, no dens or vacated cabins sat nearby, providing shelter for the small group of killers. Thus, they either slept in their furry form against the elements or they traveled a distance from home base to partake of their sick game. He’d bet on the latter.