by Maggie Walsh
If Julius was able to find out about his connection to Ridge, Fane didn’t think Julius would ever think of the York pack. So, Fane and Oberon would most likely be safer there. Not that Fane wanted to put Ridge, his mate, or his pack in danger, but if Julius’s men came looking and found that he and Oberon weren’t there, they would move on. And Fane was also confident that Ridge and his pack could take care of themselves. He saw a lot of their safety measures coming into the pack and knew anyone wanting to come on Ridge’s inner packlands would have a hard time breaking through those defenses.
Now, nighttime had come to them again, well, nighttime for the tundra if you could call three thirty in the afternoon, night. Not that it was completely dark out yet, but it would be soon. Right now, the dusk sky looked like it was about seven in the morning with a burnt orange look on the horizon. Within the few two hours it would be pitch black. A black so dark that it was even hard for paranormals to see clearly in their human forms using their enhanced shifter sight. In wolf form they would be fine though. Until now, as Fane stared out the window at the setting sun, he shook his head thinking how he could ever forget how dark it truly got here. People in the lower forty-eight had no damn clue what pitch black really looked like until they experienced a winter in the tundra.
Fane looked higher up into the sky and could see the first, faint glimmer of stars appear and smiled. That was one of the things he did love about this frozen wasteland he would now call home for an indeterminate amount of time, all the stars.
Growing up in New York City the lights had dulled the sky, and on most nights if you stared up at the sky, you could make out the brightest of stars, but that was about it. The city lights always muted the starry sky. Going further away from the lights gave you a better view of the stars, but even in places that had no lights to dull the view, like out in the desert, and a billion stars could be seen, it was still nothing like the night sky in the tundra. In just one focused point there had to be a few billion twinkling lights, and as you shifted your gaze in any direction, there were billions more. An infinite number of points of light, glittering in the night sky. Then there was the sheer majesty of the Aurora Borealis, which always seemed to astound him and take his breath away.
A knock sounded at the door and Fane turned just in time to see the door slowly open an inch, then Blu’s sexy voice. “I don’t mean to wake you but Ridge wanted to know if you were awake yet. So, are you? Awake, I mean?”
Fane chuckled as he shook his head. The little wolf was one of the cutest people he had ever met. Fierce and very protective of those he called family, like Ridge, Jag, his brother TJ, and Mason, and Fane figured Caleb and Bo had been added to that list. Even for a sprite of a wolf, Fane wasn’t fooled by Blu’s helpfulness and pleasant demeanor. He knew Blu could rip the balls off a polar shifter without hesitation or fear.
“You can come in, Blu, I’m up,” he replied, as he turned fully from the window and walked toward the bed where he had left his bag.
The door opened and Blu took a step in and gave Fane a hesitant smile. “Good morning, or um... good evening. Yeah, anyway, Ridge wanted me to tell you, if you were up, that with everyone sleeping late today and at all odd hours, we would be eating a meal in about half an hour poolside. He wants to make sure you and your friend get something to eat before you leave for the York pack.”
Fane smiled. “Thank you, Blu. I’ll go get Oberon and we’ll meet everyone. Hey, can I ask you something?”
Blu tilted his head slightly and nodded.
“The York pack and the alpha, Dell. What do you know about them?” Fane asked, as he shoved a hoodie in his bag and zipped it up.
Blu took another step into the room, then stopped and gave him a genuine smile. “Alpha Dell is great and Caleb’s brother as I am sure you know already from Ridge. He’s fierce as hell and his pack are the best fighters in Alaska, and most likely the world. The York pack spend most of their time training. Well, the enforcers and warriors do, but the rest of the pack are also expected to learn how to fight, track, and hunt as well in case there is an attack. Their warriors and enforcers are highly skilled not only in all of those activities, but also in all weaponry. So, you may want to remember that. Not that I think you’ll start any shit or anything, but... um... yeah, just... I wouldn’t really mess with, or fuck with any of them. Dell and his first beta, Jude, are really nice guys. Dell is a wonderful, caring alpha who looks out for everyone in his pack as if they were family and Jude does the same. His other beta, Kitka, I’m not too familiar with, seeing as he’s pretty new to the York pack. From what I’ve heard from Marlo, he doesn’t know if Kitka will really be able to be beta to Alpha Dell. He says the guy doesn’t seem to have what it takes to be an alpha’s beta, but again, he’s new there, so I guess time will tell, right?”
Fane chuckled as he walked toward Blu. “Yeah, sometimes it takes people a bit to get their footing. Thanks for the information, Blu. I hope you and this Marlo don’t get in trouble for gossiping though,” Fane said, as he and Blu exited the guest room he had stayed in and made their way down the hall.
“Hey, I am not gossiping, just answering your question. And even if I were gossiping, it would all be true. I don’t make up stories about anyone. Not that Ridge wouldn’t give me hell over it, and I’m sure Dell wouldn’t appreciate it from Marlo either,” Blu replied, as they stopped in front of the room Oberon had been given.
“So, this Marlo, I’m guessing he’s the alpha's mate?” Fane asked.
Blu held his stomach as he bent forward and burst out laughing. “Marlo, Dell’s mate? Now that’s funny,” Blu said, between gasps of air.
“So, I guess that’s a no,” Fane said, with a smirk.
Blu straightened and composed himself, then replied, “That would be a big hell no. Marlo is Dell’s assistant and like a brother to the alpha. He’s essentially me, but for the York pack. But, from what Caleb and Bo have said, Marlo has mad skills at organization and doing the impossible for the alpha.”
“Doing the impossible? Like what?” Oberon asked, as he opened the door and looked at them.
Blu turned to face Oberon and gave him a friendly smile, which made Fane feel a little better about his cousin’s pack not having issues with vampires. “I know you don’t know me, but as Ridge’s assistant, I can pull off miracles sometimes with the connections I have made, but Marlo can far outmaneuver even me. The York pack is much bigger, and they are made up of mostly artisans. Because of that, they have a hell of a lot more contact with others all over the world.”
“He sounds amazing. Can’t wait to meet him, although if he's anything like you in the fierceness department, I’ll have to remember to keep my balls protected,” Fane said, with a chuckle.
Blu smirked as he replied, “You better remember that when it comes to me, because I have no problem cutting off your nuts and feeding them to the wild animals. From what Caleb and Bo have told me, and from what I have found out about Marlo from talking to him so much since Caleb has joined our pack and mated Ridge, is that although he is an omega, he can be just as fierce and very protective of his alpha and vice versa. The pack all adore Marlo and will kill anyone if they do him wrong, so mind your manners. So, now that you’re both here, I’ll take you to the courtyard for some food before you head out. Oh,” Blu turned, but then stopped and spun back to face them. “Before you go, I’ll give you a map to the cabin. It sits between our two lands and it’s where the alphas meet sometimes to discuss things. Anyway, Ridge called Alpha Dell this morning to tell him about your arrival, so he’s sending someone there to meet with you and escort you back to his home.” Blu then turned away from them and walked away.
Fane looked to Oberon, who smiled and shook his head, then the two of them started walking, following Blu. Fane had almost forgotten how amazing and entertaining Blu was.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The drive to the cabin where they were meeting someone from the York Pack was a long and cold one, and Fane was nev
er more grateful to reach a destination in his life. Riding a motorcycle in the tundra in November at night was not a smart thing to do. Thank the gods Caleb had put special chains on their tires before they left.
The previous night when he and Oberon had driven to Ridge’s pack, the temperature was twenty degrees warmer, and there had been no wind. With the force of air hitting them as they drove it was bad enough, but now having fifty-mile-per-hour winds and a wind chill that made the temp feel about fifty degrees different from the previous night, Fane was sure his balls had frostbite.
Talk about blue balls. If he and Oberon were going to call the tundra home for any extended period of time, Fane was going to have to see about buying a truck or something and forgoing his bike.
He was so happy to see smoke coming out of the chimney and lights on inside the cabin, and hoped it was already warmed up inside. As they climbed the two steps to the front door, the smell of meat and bread cooking hit his nose, and Fane’s stomach growled.
“Fuck, I hope that’s red meat in there because I’m starving,” Oberon said, as Fane raised his hand to knock.
A moment later the door swung open and a very handsome big guy stood there with a smile on his face. “Hey, you must be from Ridge’s?”
The guy said it as a question, like he was testing them, so Fane replied, “Yeah, I’m Fane and this is Oberon. My cousin Ridge sent us. You, Legion?”
The man opened the door wider as his smile grew and he waved his hand for them to enter. “Nope, I’m Lysander, the asshole over by the stove cooking up a storm is Legion. Come on in and defrost your dicks before they shrivel up and die.”
Fane and Oberon both laughed at the guy as they stepped into the warm, delicious-smelling cabin. “Yeah, I think my dick crawled up my ass from being out there. Not that I have much of a problem with a dick in my ass, but not my own,” Oberon replied, making Lysander throw his head back and laugh.
“Good to know. Come on and get yourselves over by the fire and warm up.”
“Food will be ready in about ten minutes. Can I get you guys something hot to drink? Coffee? Tea?” Legion offered, looking at them over his shoulder.
Fane stripped off his gloves and held his hands out in front of the fireplace, loving the heat from the fire within as he replied, “That would be great, thanks. A coffee for me.”
“Me too. The stronger the better,” Oberon said, as he too warmed his hands by the fire.
Lysander dropped down onto the couch, picked up a cup of his own and took a sip, then said, “You guys are lucky you got here when you did. A new report just came over the wire a few minutes ago about a storm coming in from the west. That’s where all the fucking wind is coming from. This one just developed quickly over the Chukchi Sea and is barreling towards us. They say it may drop a few feet overnight.”
“Shit, does that mean we’ll be stuck here for a while?” Fane asked, as he turned to face his ass toward the fire, and looked at Lysander.
The man shrugged, as he replied, “Who knows with these pop-up storms? Depends on how much comes down, but don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of supplies to survive here for two weeks if need be. I doubt it will be that long, but it’s good to know, right?”
“Absolutely,” Fane agreed.
“If I knew it was going to be so damn cold and deserted up here, I might have thought twice about coming,” Oberon bitched.
Fane looked at his friend with a raised brow. “Yeah, like we had better options.”
“Don’t stress over it. You’ll get used to it,” Legion said, as he came into the room with two cups of steaming coffee and handed one to each of them. “Plus, I would think that all the darkness we’re about to have would appeal to a vamp.”
Oberon took a sip from his cup as he nodded. “Yeah, the darkness will be great, but I hear the opposite happens in the summer so… But, this cold I think will take some getting used to. I really hope we’re not stuck here for two weeks though, because as much as I can eat food, I do need actual blood after a few days, and I get the feeling you boys wouldn’t want me sucking from your throats.”
Legion’s eyes widened slightly. “Maybe from my cock first,” he mumbled.
Oberon’s eyes widened as he stared at the beta wolf. “What was that?”
Legion smirked. “Yeah, I don’t think I would like that very much either,” he said, then turned and headed back toward the kitchen area.
Fane watched for a moment as his best friend stared at the wolf with fire in his eyes, then sipped from his mug. Fane smiled inwardly knowing that look on Oberon’s face. The man was interested in the beta.
Lysander chuckled. “Don’t worry about that. I talked to Alpha Dell when we got here, and he’ll be sending another group out to meet us when the storm passes, so they can clear a path and also haul your bikes to the pack. You guys can jump in the CAT with us so you don’t freeze to death for the trip. Why the hell you didn’t take a vehicle from Alpha Heart and drove your bikes is beyond me, but damn, that took some balls.”
Fane was relieved to hear they wouldn’t have to ride their bikes again. The delta was right though, he and Oberon were idiots for not accepting Ridge’s offer of a CAT for their journey, but Fane didn’t want to leave his bike behind in case they needed to make another quick escape. “Not our finest hour, but it’s hard to let go of a machine you love like a lover, you know? But it’s great to hear we don’t have to freeze for the rest of the trip. Thanks.”
“No problem.”
“Alright guys, bring your mugs with you and have a seat, dinner’s ready,” Legion called over and Fane’s stomach growled again.
CHAPTER 4
“The team just headed out to meet with Legion and Lysander. They reported that only two feet fell overnight, so it shouldn’t be a problem getting to them. Oh, and Legion said that they would put our guest’s in the CAT to bring them back, so you don’t have to worry about the vamp getting all Krispy Kremed in the sun,” Marlo reported, as he strolled into Dell’s office and dropped a stack of papers on his desk.
Dell smiled as he replied, “Thanks, Marl. Did they say if they had any problems during the night? With our guests I mean?” Dell asked, as he started looking over the paperwork.
“Nope. They said that both Fane and the vamp, Oberon, were nice guys. That was about it,” Marlo said, as he sat on the corner of Dell’s desk.
“Good, then what Ridge told me on the phone last night about his cousin changing may be true.”
Marlo’s brows rose. “Why? Do you think Ridge wasn’t being honest with you?”
Dell shook his head as he met Marlo’s gaze. “No, that’s not it. I know Ridge was being honest with me, and if he wasn’t, Caleb would have kicked his mate’s ass, then called me himself,” Dell said, with a laugh.
Marlo chuckled. “Oh, you can bet your sweet ass on that one. So, did you think maybe this Fane was just playing with Ridge, or lying? Do you think he may cause trouble?”
“No, at least I don’t think so. Ridge seems to be convinced that the cousin he once knew as a self-important prick has changed over the thirty years since he saw him last, so I’ll go by his word for now and make my own judgement once we get to know him.”
“Okay then,” Marlo said, as he jumped off the desk. “Alex is meeting me for lunch over at the pub, so if you don’t need me for anything right now, I’ll be heading out. Do you want me to bring anything home for you?”
Dell gave him an appreciative smile. “Thanks, Marl, but no. I’ve got lunch covered. Go ahead and have fun. Say hi to Alex for me and tell him I expect him and his mates here for dinner on Sunday.”
“I will. Have a nice lunch,” Marlo said, as he headed for the door.
“You can take your time if you want. I have nothing pressing today, except for checking on Lysander and Legion bringing our guests in, and I can make those calls myself,” Dell offered.
Marlo stopped in the doorway, then spun to look at Dell, and smiled. “Thanks. Are you sure?”
“That sounds like fun. The last time Alex got into trouble, his mates made him stick by one of their sides for days and kept him leashed. He thought it was fabulous,” Marlo said with an evil smile, and wiggled his eyebrows.
Dell chuckled. “He sure does love his mates and would do anything for them. Go on now and have a nice time.”
“Yes, sir,” Marlo said, and saluted Dell playfully, then turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.
Dell chuckled from Marlo’s antics and shook his head, then looked back at the stack of papers before him. He heard the back door of his office open and smiled, knowing by the amazing scent who had stepped in. His cock began to fill and the need to fuck hit him.
“That was sneaky of you to give Marlo more time for lunch. Was that so we would have a little more time as well?”
Dell sat up straight and spun his seat around to face his lover. “Damn straight it was. It’s been too damn long since we’ve had time for more than a quick blow job. I miss having you in my arms and feeling your ass wrapped around my cock,” Dell replied with a growl, as he rubbed the front of his jeans, pressing against his now rock-hard dick.
“Well, we can’t have our alpha sexually frustrated now, can we? Our leader needs his release, so he doesn’t bite people's heads off. What do you want first, lover, my mouth or my ass?”
“Mmmm, the things you say just turn me on even more. I would pick your delectable ass, but I don’t think I can wait that long to stretch you right now. I need to be inside you in some way in the next two minutes, or I may just go feral.”
Dell watched as his lover flicked the button on his jeans and lowered the zipper, then quickly pushed his pants down his legs and stepped out of them, then said, “Then it’s a good thing I took care of that myself and got ready for you before I came in here.”