Battle for a Mates Heart

by Raven Darkwing

  “Jason?” Sparky squeaked as Charlie buried his nose into his neck and began to suck and lick his skin.

  “Sorry to interrupt and I promise, once you’ve brought us up to speed on what you’ve learned, you two can actually enter the room and finish what you’ve started.” Jason chuckled as Sparky tried to get Charlie to move back, but his mate bit down over the mark.

  “Oh—oh, Charlie!” Sparky screamed as he felt his cock explode. His head hit the wall, and he swore he felt his balls turning inside out as his mate withdrew his fangs and licked the wound clean. He could feel the wet spot spread at the same time he could feel his face heat up.

  He slapped his hand against Charlie’s chest, “What the hell! I thought we were going to talk first!”

  Charlie stepped back and grinned, “Talk is over-rated. I prefer action myself.”

  “And on that note, I’ll meet you two in my office after Sparky cleans up,” Jason grabbed Charlie’s arm, “On second thought, you come with me now. If you go with him, I’ll never get his report.”

  Sparky managed to take a quick shower and change in record time. He didn’t even bother to make sure his hair was spiked the way he liked it. A quick run through with some gel was all he could afford. He had to admit, it felt good to wash the stench of the BDSM club and Winston from his skin. He was also glad Charlie wasn’t there.

  The welts from the caning he’d received were still visible on his pale skin. It would take a couple more shifts before they would be completely healed. His mate would probably do more than tie him to the bed if he saw the damage that had been done—and why did that image suddenly make him hard?

  He shivered slightly at the thought of being tied to the bed. In the past, the mere thought would have brought him nothing but fear, but with Charlie, he found it excited him. He never thought he’d allow someone to top him either. If they ever got a free moment, he would have to re-think some of his rules regarding sex. For the first time in years, he found himself looking forward to what his partner would do.

  Sparky noticed that Dakota was also in Jason’s office. For a moment, he thought about sitting in one of the chairs but was prevented from doing so when his mate grabbed him and pulled him into his lap. “You were gone too long; my wolf was getting ready to search you out,” Charlie said softly into Sparky’s ear.

  Jason cleared his throat, “Okay, so we’re all here. You told Charlie something about a trap and a possible attack?”

  The mechanic sighed and sat back against his mate. He would never admit it but being held actually calmed something deep inside him. “I couldn’t learn much, but Winston was bragging about Alpha Grant walking into a trap. He also told me the original plan was to use me as bait,” he turned and smiled at his mate who was growling softly, “I guess he thought you guys would be stupid enough to leave the compound unprotected to get me back.”

  Jason smiled softly, “We would have come for you, Sparky. But you’re right, we wouldn’t have left the pack unprotected.”

  “Well, somehow he knew we had fewer enforcers and probably has no idea that we’ve been upping the training with our sentries—he probably still thinks they are no better trained than the bouncers at his clubs.” Sparky leaned forward, “But he knows we have an omega, and he mentioned the compound would be attacked to get Sandy for the High Priest.”

  “He could be using some kind of magic to get his information, maybe he has someone under his control,” Charlie offered as he hugged Sparky tighter. For a moment, the mechanic sunk into the embrace. He could feel the hardened rod of his mate pressing against his ass. For once, he might have to agree with Charlie, talking was over-rated.

  “But I thought magic had a range? You said you couldn’t reach Sparky using your mind connection, wouldn’t the same apply for mind control?” Jason asked.

  Charlie shrugged, “That’s something you need to ask my brother. I was raised with my shifter relatives after I escaped from my coven. To be honest, I never saw the need to learn anything else about my magi powers other than how to suppress them.”

  “So, you can’t do any magic?” Sparky turned to glance back at his mate. He saw him shake his head. “But, you could if you wanted to?”

  “Yes, if you believe the old legends, I’m actually supposed to be quite powerful which is nothing but crap. So far, the only thing my dominant power has brought me is separation from my family and enslavement. Why would I want to add more responsibility?” Charlie’s arm tightened around Sparky again, “And now that I have you to protect, I don’t want to give anyone another reason to kidnap or worse, cap your ass.”

  Sparky chuckled, “I think I love you too, but just remember, I’m perfectly capable of looking after this fine-looking ass and yours too!”

  Jason coughed loudly, “Okay, you two obviously need some alone time to work things out but first, I need to know what kind of threat we will be facing. Sparky, will the attack on the compound be shifter only or will some of the magi also be involved?”

  The mechanic shrugged, “Unfortunately, while Winston likes to brag, he’s not stupid. I got the impression that there is an alliance at least between the Goldfield Coven and Alpha Clifton, and it doesn’t seem to be a recent thing.”

  A thought occurred to Sparky as he recalled the other sex slave. He remembered Jake and Ricky both mentioning mysterious disappearances from the Willow Creek Pack, particularly those who displeased or challenged Alpha Clifton. "There was another slave there. He was a shifter but I didn't recognize him. It doesn't prove a link..."

  “It makes sense, Grant told me that Artemus had found warding spells around the mental health facility in Seattle. Not to mention, Artemus had been forced to work for Alpha Clifton in order to save his brother.” Jason replied.

  “Wait, Artemus did what?!” Charlie growled. “That moron, when will he learn I can take care of myself!” Sparky could feel the shame beneath the anger his mate was spouting. He ran his hand in a calming manner along one of the arms that hadn’t let him go since they sat down. He could understand why Charlie was upset.

  The beta held up his hand, “He did what he had to and to be honest, if he hadn’t, we might never have realized what Alpha Clifton was doing ran much deeper than being a bad alpha.”

  Jason stood and began to pace, “Your brother placed some wards around the compound, but obviously, he couldn’t protect all of our pack lands. Those outside the boundary of the alpha compound will be at risk. By now I’m sure they know Sparky has escaped, so their plans will change accordingly. My guess is they will come in greater numbers and try to draw us out by attacking the town.”

  “It’s too bad we can’t draw them into a trap of our own,” Sparky remarked. He wasn’t a military strategist, but it only made sense to try to take their enemy on in a place of their choosing to give them some advantage. Even though the compound was protected and they had their safe rooms to keep most of the vulnerable safe, if they lost, it wouldn’t matter.

  The sound of Jason’s cell phone broke the silence. The beta glanced down and frowned when he saw the number. “I better answer, it might be Grant,” Jason said. After he answered, Jason’s eyebrows rose before he handed the phone to Sparky. “It’s Winston, and he wants to talk to you.” The beta pressed the speaker button and placed the phone closer to Sparky. He motioned for Sparky to answer.

  “Hey, there, Winny. Sorry I left in such a rush but you know, I had better things to do than hang around waiting for you to be able to get it up.” Sparky could feel Charlie tense beneath him. He turned briefly back to look at his mate and winked. The last thing he needed was for him to wolf out.

  “You took something of mine, and I plan to get it back,” Winston growled over the phone.

  “Oh, you mean your car? Because you surely can’t be referring to me. In case you didn’t get the memo, I don’t belong to you, and I never did.” Sparky glanced at Jason for a moment. He had an idea, but he wasn’t sure if the beta would approve or not. Unfortunately, they didn
’t have time to discuss it.

  “If you want to save your pack, you better return with my car and slave 428. If not, you’ll get a war that will wipe the Windy River Pack off the map,” Winston paused, “I mean it Sparky, the choice is up to you. Two lives for hundreds seems like a small price to pay and believe me, you’ll pay!”

  Sparky gripped Charlie’s arms tightly. “You can read my mind and see what I want to do, what do you think?” He asked using their mind link.

  “I think you’re coo-coo for cocoa puffs, but I agree as long as you know I’ll be there with you.”

  “He also wants you, Charlie. Something about his leader thinking you’re still his property.”

  “All the more reason for me to come, don’t you think?”

  Their conversation was interrupted by Winston’s snide voice, “Tick Tock, Sparky, you need to decide now, or I’m going to lead an army against your pack.”

  “Like that worries me. You couldn’t even keep me and a lower level magi prisoner under your control. Somehow, I don’t think you could lead an army of ants.” Sparky paused briefly, “However, I am willing to give you your car back. I know how much it means to you. We can meet at the old lumber mill. You can come with one person, and I’ll bring Charlie with me, that way there won’t be any funny business.”

  Sparky saw Jason begin to shake his head, but he held up his hand. “Of course, if you don’t want your car back, I can always put it through the crusher at the junkyard. So, what’s it going to be? You get your car and get to drive away, or we wipe up the floor with your ass, and you can watch as your precious baby gets turned into a tin can.”

  There was silence for a few moments, and the mechanic could hear the faint sound of another voice in the background. He was hoping the man’s love of his car and the chance of him getting the upper hand would sway him. If not, then they were at least no worse off than before. They already knew a war was coming, just not when.

  “Fine, I will meet you alone at dawn tomorrow morning. But if anyone but you and that hybrid bastard show up, then I only have to send a signal, and the attack will begin.” Winston hung up before Sparky could reply.

  “Gee that went well, don’t you think?” Sparky remarked.

  Jason’s eyes narrowed, “How do you think sacrificing Charlie and yourself will stop an attack? You know he’s probably not going to show up and call the attack anyway.”

  Sparky nodded, “Maybe, but you don’t realize how much he loves his car and,” he glanced back at Charlie, “how much he wants to get his hands on both Charlie and me. He also wasn’t happy when he missed getting his hands on Sandy. My guess is that his leader chewed up a piece of his ass and spit it out.”

  “The plan has merit. At least now we know when the attack will most likely happen. It gives us time to prepare. Do you think Alpha Grant and his enforcers might get back here in time?” Charlie asked.

  “The last time I heard from them, he was going to follow up on a lead. But even if they left now, it would be a close call. They’re at least six hours away,” Jason replied.

  “Unless we send the jet to the Seattle airstrip. They’d have to leave the SUV’s behind, but we can gather them later,” Dakota’s calm voice entered the conversation.

  The sheriff stood up from his chair and sat on the corner of Jason’s desk. He nodded at Sparky and Charlie before he addressed the beta. The man had been so quiet, Sparky had forgotten he was even in the room.

  Standing at six and a half feet tall, the shifter had been an early fantasy for Sparky. His shoulder-length, dark-brown hair fell in soft curls. He always wore it shorter in the front, but longer in the back. However, it was his piercing, pale-green eyes that always drew Sparky in. They made you feel like he could see right through you.

  He’d never acted on his infatuation; because as far as he knew, the man was straight. The few times the man had been seen with someone, it had been a she-wolf. Besides, he was too calm for Sparky’s taste. He’d never seen the man get riled up, even when breaking up a fight. It just wasn’t natural for a wolf shifter to always be so in control of both man and beast.

  He felt a slight rumbling in his mate’s chest. Oops, mind reader—right, probably not a good idea to be thinking about the other shifter. “Thinking is fine, but if I ever see you indulge in any of those fantasies I can see swirling in your mind, you will be tied to my bed and placed in a chastity device for at least month.” Charlie’s voice echoed in his mind.

  “You and what army?” Sparky challenged.

  Before they could continue their internal spat, Dakota spoke. “I would also suggest we keep any plans just between the four of us in this room.”

  “Why?” Sparky couldn’t help but ask.

  “Because from what I’ve heard so far, we either have someone who is under your ex-lovers’ mind control, or we have a mole,” Dakota responded.

  “Well, crap!” Sparky exclaimed. The others just nodded in agreement as they sat down and began to plan.

  Chapter 19

  Alpha Grant stared in disbelief at the pile of rubble that filled the tunnel. He’d been lucky. Just one second more, and he’d have been engulfed in the explosion. As it stood, he had just been thrown back into the storeroom. He glanced back toward the door as Blaze, Tank, and Dove, rushed into the room.

  Grant looked up at the bald-headed leader of the enforcers. The man’s outer shirt was missing, and the white tank top underneath was smeared with blood. The tight-fitting top showed off the massive chest and arms of the warrior. A large dragon tattoo trailed from his shoulder down his arm and ended with flames that encircled his forearm. Everything about the man screamed danger.

  It wasn’t the first time the alpha was grateful the shifter and his team members were on his side. If it weren’t for them, he wouldn’t have been able to save his mate. Not to mention, keeping his pack safe from what was coming. After all, he’d seen so far, it was clear there was much more going on than just an alpha gone crazy.

  He was broken from his thoughts as a muscular arm reached down and grasped his own. “Come on Alpha, we need to see if we can find a way through,” Blaze said as he glanced behind at the pile of debris.

  “Are you okay, son?” Forest asked. The former alpha quickly entered the room followed by his brother David. His father ran an assessing eye over his son before closing his eyes. He placed his hand on Grant’s chest. The room was silent for a moment as everyone realized how close the alpha had come to being crushed beneath the rubble.

  “Been doing some redecorating while we were out?” David piped in, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “If so, I can’t say as I agree with the zombie land look you’ve gone with. But then we all know who inherited the fashion sense in this family,” the shifter grinned as he held his arms out to his sides.

  Grant looked over to see the underlying concern in his brother’s eyes. He didn’t always appreciate his brother’s flippant attitude, but he always knew he’d have his back in any tough situation. Instead of replying to his brother’s taunts, Grant calmly brushed the debris from his clothes. He placed a hand on his father’s shoulder and squeezed it for a moment before he answered. “I’m fine, but Shadow and Jake are on the other side of that rubble—at least, I hope they are.”

  There was a moment of silence before Blaze tapped the com-link in his ear. “Shadow, report!” He waited a few moments and tried again, “Shadow, I said report, soldier!”

  Grant moved toward the opening and began to try to shift some of the larger boulders. The rest of the men joined him as they tried to get through to their fallen comrades.

  The work was slow and cumbersome; and after a half hour, they had made little progress. It was clear they wouldn’t be getting through this way anytime soon. The alpha stepped back, “This is going to take some time, and we have no idea how many other surprises might still be hidden in this place.”

  “We won’t leave Shadow behind,” Blaze growled as he continued to work.

  Grant place
d a hand on his shoulder, “We could set off another explosion, or cause more of the rubble to fall. Not to mention, we’ve been lucky so far, that none of these devices have been detonated remotely. Artemus cannot keep the protection field up forever. We’re running out of time. Our best chance is to talk to the beta of the Seattle Pack and see if he has any idea where the tunnel may come out.”

  He turned to look at his father, “You and David should return to the Seattle pack with Falcon and Radar. I’m going to go with Blaze and his men to find our missing members,” he paused and placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder, “if I don’t return, you will lead the pack.”

  David shook his head, “You go back with Dad. We both know I’m the better choice to go with Blaze. After all, we’ve worked together for years when I was in the military.”

  Grant growled low in his throat, “Are you questioning your alpha?” There wasn’t time for discussion. He felt his wolf press forward. But he pushed back, reminding the beast his brother wasn’t challenging him for the position of alpha.

  “When he has a mate waiting for him at home, yes, I guess I am,” David replied calmly. He stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest. Grant could see the wolf showing through his brother’s eyes. While David took a beta position, there was no doubt he was also a strong alpha in his own right. The two men glared at each other for a moment, before Forest stepped between them.

  “Stand down, both of you!” He turned to look at David, “You know better than to challenge the alpha, even if he is your brother.” The former alpha then turned to glare at his oldest son, “and you, I’ve taught you better. Your brother raised a valid concern. You’re newly mated and need to consider his needs, as well as, those of your pack before you go on a mission for revenge. This isn’t a pissing contest, and we have bigger concerns.”