by L. P. Maxa
Blake: Like you and Jasper.
Riley: Good one, doll face.
Blake: It’s weird not seeing you every day.
Riley: Well, all those clothes of mine you stole should help.
Blake: It’s my privilege as your best friend to steal your yummy-smelling boy clothes.
Riley: Yummy-smelling? I thought I smelled like soap and pine trees?
Blake: Well, absence must make the heart grow fonder, but your clothes smell YUMMY. Probably because you gave me that good dick.
Riley: Stop it.
Blake: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahaha
Chapter Fourteen
Riley was home, and he was so fucking happy about it. He’d spent a few nights at Dom and Corey’s house. He’d rocked his little cosmic sister to sleep. He’d been the first one to go get her out of her crib in the morning. He’d marveled at how big she was getting. She’d even started walking. She could say so many words now. He hated how much he’d missed by being away at school. He’d needed a break from Jasper too. He was still a little pissed that Jasper had started that shit back at the cabin, although the text messages with Blake helped.
Being away from her was affecting him more than he thought it would. He found himself looking for her, searching out her reaction when someone in his pack said something funny or stupid. Missing her caught him a bit off guard, but it made sense. He’d missed Axie, Jasper, and Jace like crazy when he was at school.
He was the kind of dude who missed his friends when they were separated.
After Christmas, Riley had packed up and decided to spend the rest of his winter vacation with Jace, Jasper, and Axie at Jace’s house. He loved being with his sister and Corey and Dom. But he found himself craving the closeness he shared with his friends.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do around here without Jasper.” Axie came and sat on the couch between Riley and her mate’s twin brother, resting her head on Jasper’s shoulder.
Jace reached out from his chair by the fire, snatching her arm and dragging her over to his lap. “I have a whole fucking list of things you and I are going to do around here once his ass moves out.” Jace nibbled at her neck, making her giggle and squirm. “And none of them involve you wearing clothes.”
“Right, like you two have been so fucking modest the whole time I’ve been living here.” Jasper shook his head. “I’ve seen your dick enough to last me a lifetime.”
Jace grinned wickedly. “Good. Go to college and start staring at his dick again.” He gestured to Riley before settling his arms back around his girl.
Riley couldn’t help but stiffen in his seat. Jasper noticed and sent him an exasperated sigh. Like usual, Jasper hadn’t given their night with Blake another thought. He didn’t take anything too seriously. They’d agreed to leave it at the cabin, and Riley was the only one still having a hard time doing that. He wasn’t mad at his packmate anymore, not really. He was anxious about getting back to campus and seeing Blake. He needed to know for sure nothing was going to change between them after what they’d shared.
Axie’s eyes lit up brighter than the massive Christmas tree glimmering by the glass doors leading to the backyard. “Speaking of Riley’s dick—”
“Really?” Jace nipped at her shoulder, punishing her playfully.
She laughed as she shoved him away. “I’m serious. I have questions, and I don’t think it’s fair I’m the only one in this family who doesn’t know exactly what those two get up to.”
“You’ve had a preview.” Jasper winked at her, earning a growl from his brother. The fact that Riley and Jasper had Axie between them for a few minutes at a party once never failed to put Jace in a shit mood.
“You aren’t the only one in the family who doesn’t know,” Riley interrupted before Jasper could say something else to piss off his twin. “We don’t discuss our sex life with any of the pack.”
Riley sure as fuck didn’t want to discuss it with anyone right now either. He was feeling too raw, too scared of the repercussions of sharing Blake.
Axie shook her head, threading her fingers through Jace’s to ease the irritation still pulsing off him in waves. “Not the pack, the family. Our little family.” She pointed to him and Jasper, then to Jace behind her. “The four of us are part of the whole pack, but the bond we have between us when we’re together like this… I don’t know, it feels different. Stronger, separate.”
Riley understood what she meant. He could feel it too. Riley loved his pack, every single member. But there was a certain ease to being here with Jasper, Jace, and Axie. “We’re our own generation, I guess. Like Hadley, Allison, and all the other babies on the way will be part of another.”
Axie leaned forward, her eyes dancing with mischief. “What would you two do if you ever found out Hadley or Allison, your precious little sisters, had been shared the way you two share?”
Riley nodded. “Kill the douchebags, immediately.” He glared at the side of Jasper’s head, remembering how badly he’d wanted to rip his friend’s throat out when he’d set things in motion a few nights ago.
Jasper ignored Riley, pursing his lips while saying, “I’d rip off dicks and then heads.”
Jace shook his head at their answers. “Do you ask them these questions to get a rise out of me, baby?” Jace placed kisses along Axie’s exposed neck, making her lean her head back in submission.
Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be more than enjoying his attention, but Riley could see the wicked smile on her lips. When Axie grinned like that, no good ever followed. “No. I ask them these questions because I really want to know if they’ve ever fucked each other.”
Jace growled, biting her flesh again as she laughed loudly.
“It’s time I move, man.” Jasper pointed to his twin and his mate. “They are constantly all over each other, makes my dick hard. Then I feel shitty that it makes my dick hard.” He sighed. “It’s exhausting.”
Riley polished off the glass of whiskey in his hand, then went to the bar cart for a refill. Axie and Jasper pretty much lived to fuck with Jace’s uptight ass, and they did it well. Jace would miss his brother, Riley didn’t doubt that. But he was also pretty sure Jace would be perfectly happy only having to deal with the crap Axie dished out on a daily basis.
“Well, you two going to answer my girl?”
Riley’s eyebrows shot to his hairline in shock. “Are you serious?” He assumed if they tried to answer her Jace would fly off the couch and pull out both of their tongues. “You want us to tell her?”
Jace made a face. “Not really, but I’m tired of your dicks being a topic of conversation with my mate. So.” He twirled his hand in the air, indicating they should get on with it.
“What do you think, Rye, should we tell her? Put her out of her misery?” Jasper smirked, using Axie’s nickname for him. “She’s been curious since day one, as you well remember.” Jasper winked at Axie, pissing off his twin on purpose.
“Watch it.” Jace’s tone was low, a warning for his brother, yet again.
“To be honest, I’m really fucking tired of talking about us sharing.” Riley sipped his drink, staring at Jasper, letting his newest round of irritation show.
“The answer is…” Jasper drew out the word, pausing to be dramatic and ignoring Riley’s ire. “No. I’ve never fucked Riley and Riley’s never fucked me.” Axie slumped back, her bottom lip out like she was disappointed. “But.” Her face lit up again as Jasper continued. “Both our dicks are usually in use at the same time, and if things touch in the melee, no one throws a fit about it.”
Axie shrugged, like that answer was equal parts disappointing and satisfying. Jasper chuckled, but Riley couldn’t even muster a smile. His mind went back to the cabin, back to Blake moving between them. The way her back arched, the way her lips parted as she reached for him. He didn’t think he would ever forget the way the light of the flames danced on her naked skin.
“Huh, I thought you two boned.” Jace shrugged casually, like he h
adn’t announced that he thought Riley and Jasper had been hooking up this whole time. “You’re really close and, I don’t know, I guess I assumed things got heavier than that.”
Jasper’s jaw dropped open like he was outraged. “Heavier than that? Excuse me, I announced I double penetrate chicks with my best friend and that’s not enough for you people? Fucking rude.”
Riley snorted into his whiskey glass, then headed toward the steel staircase. “You three have fun talking about my dick. I’m going to bed.”
“Don’t be like that, man, we’ll change the subject.” Jasper reached for his arm, stopping him.
“Will we? Because it seems like you can’t help but bring it up whenever it suits you. Damn what I think, damn how I feel.” Riley wasn’t sure how he went from mildly entertained to pissed off so quickly. His moods seemed to swing all over the place the last few days.
Jasper hung his chin to his chest. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how many times you need to hear it. But I’ll keep saying it.”
Riley shook his head. “I’m tired, bro.” He didn’t want to talk about his sex life, he didn’t want to talk about sharing with his best friend, his brother, his packmate. He also didn’t want to bring the mood of the room down or keep punishing Jasper for something they’d all promised to forget.
“What are you apologizing for?” Axie looked between the two of them, all the humor leaving her face. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.” Jasper downed the rest of his drink.
It wasn’t nothing. It was Riley’s biggest regret, and the greatest night of his life. He was struggling with how the hell he was supposed to reconcile the two.
He pulled his cell out of his pocket as he shut his bedroom door. Whenever he was feeling pissed, regretting that night, talking to Blake always helped. She’d been pulling him out of his moods from the moment they’d met.
Riley: What are you doing, doll face?
He set his drink on the nightstand, collapsing on his bed, kicking off his shoes. He needed to get his shit under control. He needed to stop getting angry all over again. Blake and Jasper, they’d both kept their words. He knew he was the only one who hadn’t come back to normal and let that night go completely. Riley didn’t know why he couldn’t seem to, but he was starting to annoy even himself.
Blake: Just finished dinner with the ’rents, taking a bubble bath to avoid family game night. My mom is competitive AF.
Great. Now he was picturing Blake in the tub, her naked skin covered with suds. He reached down, adjusting his hardening dick.
Riley: You’re competitive too. You know that, right?
Blake: I’m a kitten compared to my mother. How’s Jasper? You two go out and seduce a waitress for funsies?
Riley: Nope. I don’t think we’ll be sharing anyone for a while.
Blake: I’m hard to top. I should have warned you. I’ve ruined you both.
Riley chuckled at her text, feeling lighter now that she was joking with him. It was something he’d been worried about, her not being about to get over having him and Jasper. And here she was, laughing about it all like it was nothing.
Riley: I miss your dramatic blonde curls.
Blake: You should have stolen my clothes. It helps.
Riley: I’ll remember that next time.
Blake: My mom is banging on the door, no more hiding. I’ll talk to you tomorrow?
Riley: Always. Give ’em hell, doll face.
Chapter Fifteen
Riley woke the next morning feeling better, lighter. The tension was gone from his muscles, his teeth didn’t automatically clench the minute his mind came to life. He’d gone on a run with Jasper last night after he’d gotten done texting with Blake. It helped dissipate the rest of the strife between them. Their wolves let loose, racing up the mountain and back. It reminded Riley why he loved his best friend, reminded him of everything they’d been through and everything they’d survived. They were pack. They were family. Riley knew his anger was borne of fear. Both Jasper and Blake had assured him over and over that everything would be okay, so maybe he needed to believe them. There was nothing he could do about it from Haxton anyway. Only the three of them being together in Greenly, starting a new normal, would reassure him fully. In the meantime, he wasn’t going to let anything ruin the rest of the time he had at home. Riley had been looking forward to being with his pack for months, and he planned to enjoy them from here on out.
“Hey, man, you up?” Jace knocked on his door before sticking his head in. “We need to talk.”
Riley’s stomach dropped, all the ease he’d infused into his muscles was for nothing. He knew that tone, that hard look on their beta’s face. Something was wrong. The lightness he’d experienced moments earlier turned to dread.
“What happened? Is it the babies? Is everyone okay?”
“Hadley and Allison are fine.” Jace came all the way in the room, a tablet in his hand. “Who is this?” He flipped the screen around, scrolling, showing Riley picture after picture of Blake. There were images of them on campus, out at bars, dancing and laughing. There were pictures of Riley walking her to her front door, her kissing him on his cheek.
He felt all the blood drain from his face. “That’s Blake. Why do you have those?”
“She yours?”
Riley shook his head. “She’s a friend.”
“She Jasper’s? Because this one was from after you three spent the night in the cabin.” Jace pointed to the one of her standing outside the truck with him and his packmate. They were all smiling, Jasper’s hand on the small of her back as he helped her up into the cab.
“No.” Riley cracked his neck. “She’s not his either.” He knew that no good could come from what Jace was about to tell him. Not with the questions he was asking. Not with the photos he had. “What’s going on?”
Jace sat on the upholstered bench at the foot of his bed, closing out the screen, sighing like he was bone weary. “This guy we’re going after, he’s our last file to leak, and it seems he’s one step ahead of us.”
When Jasper had shot and killed his and Jace’s father, a void had opened in the shifter criminal underworld. Jace and the others had combed through Franklin’s files, finding dossiers on most of the big players in and around Colorado.
Jace and Axie took on the responsibility of leaking all the information they’d uncovered, which helped the authorities put away criminal after criminal for the past six months. They were almost done, which was the main reason Jasper felt ready to move to Greenly and start college. He’d delayed leaving in order to stay and help his twin.
“Constantine. He’s a low-level mob boss turned drug kingpin after we took out Franklin. He’s been steadily rising to the top of the food chain. Somehow, he found out he was next in our queue. That we were going to release his information tonight. I received this file an hour ago.” Jace tapped the tablet’s screen with his finger, bringing it back to life. “He’s been following you at Greenly. In his email, he threatened Blake.”
Riley had to clench his hands into fists to keep from punching a hole through the wall. “She’s not part of this.” How much could he possibly fuck up Blake’s life? He’d already complicated their friendship by agreeing to that stupid night with Jasper, and now his pack drama was threatening her safety. Her life. “She’s not pack.”
“He doesn’t know that.” Jace shook his head. “He can’t get to anyone here, we’re too well protected and guarded. There’s safety in numbers and he knows it would be pointless to go against anyone within arm’s reach of me.” He pointed out the window, like he inherently knew which fucking direction the UNC campus was from the bedroom. “You’ve been out in Greenly on your own, and now Blake is with her parents.”
“She’s in danger.” Riley got to his feet, not sure what his next move should be but knowing he had to do something. Anything. He couldn’t let them hurt her.
“She’s a pawn.” Jace held up the tablet once again. “If he thinks we’re going
to move forward, he’ll take her. He’ll use her against us.”
Blake was a sitting duck, enjoying her time with her parents while there was a target strapped to her back. Riley could feel his heart racing, his wolf vibrating with rage within his bones. Neither of them was okay with what Jace was saying. It’d been a long time since Riley could feel his wolf trying to break free, trying to take over without his permission.
He could feel it now though. “I need to go get her. I need—”
“No.” Jace cut him off, using his beta tone, silencing Riley instantly. “It’s too dangerous, you can’t be separated from the pack, you know that.” Riley opened his mouth to argue, but Jace held a hand out, stopping him. “I’ve charted a plane to go get her, bring her to us.”
“You want her to come here? Are you crazy? That puts her in the middle of all this bullshit more than she is now. I don’t want her involved at all. I want her as far away from pack business—”
“There’s no other choice. He knows where you live in Greenly. He knows where her parents live. He knows everything.” Jace held up the tablet, shaking it violently. “That’s what the pictures are saying, that’s the threat. He knows our location. He knows our next move. He knows who we love.”
Riley left that comment alone, because there was no point in arguing it. He hadn’t known Blake long, but there was no denying he cared for her. “What about another safe house? I could take her there. I could tell her it’s a vacation, spin it as something fun for New Year’s Eve.” Blake was always down for an adventure. She’d jump at the chance.
Jace shook his head. “He has pictures of the three of you at the cabin, which was a safe house. If he knows where that one is, he might know the location of my other ones.”
“Maybe he had us followed from campus?”
“Not worth the risk. I’m not about to send the two of you to a remote location alone. A location that could be compromised, and you out there with no backup and no way to defend yourselves.”