Alpha

by R Phoenix

  Liam dragged the wolf closer — whose body was so, so wonderfully warm against his own — and pressed against his body. The very act of yielding was enough to bring an approving little moan from his lips, and he tasted him without hesitation, without mercy. His fingers slid to the back of Zain’s neck and curled around it, keeping him in place before finally, reluctantly, letting him draw in a breath.

  Liam could hear the desire in Zain’s rough voice. The werewolf’s eyes were pleased in a way that Liam didn’t fully grasp.

  “That was your only freebie, Drac. You have to show me you’re not a complete asshole before you get any more. Now go inside while I get Caleb relaxed again. You watch and see if you can figure out where you screwed up.” With a smirk, Zain stepped back, seemingly confident that Liam would release him.

  Liam’s grip briefly tightened. The sheer audacity of the ‘wolf had him torn between fury and heat, between lust and the need to rend him limb from limb. But Caleb nosed against his hand, and it was enough to make Liam still. He looked down at his pet, who was giving him those ridiculous — but dangerously effective — puppy eyes.

  He huffed, then claimed another brief kiss from Zain, just enough to show who was really in charge, then let go of him.

  “Behave,” he said, not letting on which one of them he was talking about as he stalked off. He left the door slightly cracked so he could hear them more easily, then ventured inside to watch from behind a window. The damnable window seat had seemed ridiculous at first, but now he was glad for its comfort.

  He was turning entirely too domestic.

  Liam watched as Zain actually sat down on the grass and started speaking to Caleb. “Come here. We were having fun before Drac came charging in. Just come lay down with me for a minute and relax. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

  Liam scoffed. The werewolf might hear his reaction, but their hearing wasn’t quite as good as a vampire’s, and he wasn’t exactly projecting.

  That, and he didn’t care if Zain knew how skeptical he was.

  Caleb cast a glance in his direction. For a few seconds, he saw his pet’s usual fire in his eyes. It was… oddly a relief. He didn’t particularly want to see the spirit gone from the human, which was an unsettling thought, really. Caleb slowly rose from the ground onto all fours, and for a moment, Liam was sure he was going to—

  Yes. The obnoxious little twit stood up.

  “Ignore him, Pup. Is that really what you want to do?” Zain’s voice was soothing and low, but he didn’t move to rise or seem worried about Caleb’s behavior. “You were having fun. You were nice and relaxed, and we were getting ready to play.”

  Liam’s hands balled into fists. He’d thought he could let the ‘wolf train his pup, but there he was… He forced himself to calm. Caleb had nuzzled his hand, so oddly, and he sucked in an unnecessary breath in a very human-like reaction. He forced himself to relax and leaned back against the wall.

  Outside, Caleb stared down at Zain, crossing his arms across his chest in a clear challenge. “And if I say no?” he asked, every bit as much the pain-in-the-ass cur who had ended up in his kennel for behavior less offensive than this.

  “Then you’re going to be missing out on something you want, something that makes you hard and needy… I bet you spent all that time in your kennel thinking about what you wanted me to do when I got back.” Zain reached out and let his hand start running over the grass in an almost absent-minded way.

  Liam was sure he was going to be the one in the right, that his pet was simply too intractable and couldn’t be trained with this sort of ridiculous behavior. He smirked. That would show the dog walker that he treated his pet exactly as he deserved to be treated.

  “I thought about what I was going to do with you… How you would look when you chased the ball and what kind of reward you might like for being a good pup. I can’t reward you if you’re not a good pup for me.”

  Liam blinked when Caleb shivered, slowly starting to lower himself down with a fiercely resentful glance over at the window. Liam quirked a brow and gestured for them to carry on. He knew the pup was being recalcitrant for the sake of it as he sat on his ass instead of getting into proper position.

  Zain’s expression softened to more of a smile, but he didn’t say anything to correct the behavior. Reaching out, he ran one hand over Caleb’s head and down around his ears before slowly pulling back. “I can’t pet you like this, Pup.”

  “You just did,” Caleb pointed out stubbornly.

  “But not as much as I want to.” Zain stretched his legs out and patted the ground between them. “Come here, then I’ll be able to pet you even more.”

  Caleb shot another wary look at Liam, but Liam kept his expression impassive even though his cock was starting to stir in his pants. His pet bit his lip, then slowly rolled over onto his back, lying down — still human-like, but on his back — and looking expectantly at Zain.

  Zain laughed. “That’s cheating.” But he brought one hand up to caress over Caleb’s face and down his neck. “It’s not going to get you what you want either. I want my playful, sexy pup back. You were begging and wagging your tail… and your cock was jerking with how much you wanted it. I want that pup back.”

  Begging and wagging his tail, his cock jerking… That sounded more like the Caleb he knew, even if Liam had to press him to it. That wasn’t much different, of course, because Caleb was having to be coaxed now.

  But he watched incredulously as Caleb rolled back over — ignoring Liam, which he didn’t particularly appreciate — and got on all fours, nudging at Zain’s hand.

  “That’s much better, Pup.” Liam watched as Zain started running long strokes down Caleb’s back, from his neck to his tail. “We’re just going to relax. You’re so pretty when you lay down for me. Look at that long tail you’ve got.”

  Interesting. Zain’s interest in the tail was undeniable, which pleased him, oddly.

  Caleb shivered, and a low whine escaped him as Zain ran a finger over Caleb’s tail. “Show me how you wag your tail, Pup.”

  To Liam’s astonishment, after a clearly begrudging attempt to wag his tail, it started swinging back and forth slowly. Caleb even let his head rest on Zain’s thigh.

  A hesitant bark came out, which had Zain laughing. “You want more pets, don’t you, Pup?” Instead of putting Caleb in his place, Zain brought his hand up and went back to caressing him.

  Caleb barked again, this time more firmly, and he butted his head against Zain’s leg. As he moved, his back arched up, and Liam could see that Caleb’s cock was swinging between his legs, already getting hard.

  Liam’s emotions were sharp, cutting, and he couldn’t make sense of them. How was this brat of a werewolf able to make so much progress with his pup in one day? Caleb wasn’t even looking in his true master’s direction!

  Zain’s entire focus was on Caleb as he laughed and gave the ungrateful human a teasing caress that trailed lightly down the base of his spine and around the root of Caleb’s tail. “Someone’s feeling bossy. If you want more, I want to see you play.”

  Bossy… and still, the dog walker — what did popular culture call what he was doing? Being a dog… whisperer? — tolerated it instead of taking a firm hand to the beast.

  Zain finally glanced around and smiled when he saw the ball lying in the grass. Stretching over to pick it up, he tossed it across the yard. “Go fetch, then you’ll get a treat.”

  Caleb instantly bounded after the ball, not even needing extra coercion. This couldn’t possibly be the same human he’d left in his kennel hours ago.

  “Run faster, Pup. Show me how fast you can go.” Zain’s smile widened as Caleb skidded to a halt, grabbing the ball in his mouth and starting to race back faster than Liam had ever seen him move.

  Tail wagging, Caleb’s entire being was focused on Zain as he dropped the ball in front of the ‘wolf. Zain’s hands came up and ran over Caleb’s head and down to his back as he praised, “Good boy.”r />
  Caleb arched into the touch, letting out a playful bark that was just as novel as his pet’s rapid movement.

  Liam wanted to go out there and demand that this come to a halt simply because he did not want to have his pet obeying this mutt more than himself.

  Instead of immediately picking up the ball and demanding Caleb do it again, Zain let one hand slide under Caleb. He wrapped his fingers around the pup’s now fully erect cock.

  His pup let out a low whine, pumping his hips into the ‘wolf’s hand.

  “That’s a very good boy. Yes, that feels good, doesn’t it? That’s right. Good pups get rewards, don’t they?”

  Entirely too much praise. Caleb would be spoiled in no time at all.

  “All right, show me again.” Picking up the ball, and slowly releasing Caleb’s erection, Zain threw the ball again. “Go fetch.”

  Caleb gave a frustrated bark, but he charged after the ball, his tail wagging as he ran.

  Liam abruptly rose, unable to keep watching from a distance. He strode outside, closing the door quietly as he did. Quietly, but not silently. Zain’s werewolf hearing would warn him that Liam was coming, but irritatingly, Zain didn’t even spare him a glance.

  Zain continued to watch Caleb bound through the yard, even though his words were obviously directed at Liam. “If you want a happy, horny pup and not a human who’s going to argue with you, just sit down by me and don’t say anything to bring him out of it. He’s playing and enjoying himself. Don’t fuck it up.”

  “I will not… sit,” Liam said stiffly. “But I will not interfere.”

  “Well, looming isn’t sexy, but I guess we’ll see how much damage you’ll do just lurking over there.” Zain didn’t seem to feel the need to hide his displeasure.

  Insolent. They were both insolent creatures, and he did not know why he was tolerating either of them.

  Caleb picked up the ball in his mouth, his tail swinging wildly in excited pleasure. He turned and gave a muffled bark that almost seemed to freeze in his throat when he saw Liam standing by the door.

  Zain muttered a low curse and finally looked accusingly back at Liam. “See.”

  Chapter Six:

  Caleb

  Caleb felt free, utterly separate from the world and yet more in tune with it than he’d been in a long time. He smelled the fresh grass beneath his paws, and the scent had his tail wagging furiously as he raced after the ball.

  It was simple, so very simple, and he loved it. There were no worries in his head, not like there usually were. He was just… there, existing, and there was nothing else. He didn’t have to worry about his next meal even if his mouth still tasted a bit of kibble… but he didn’t mind that anymore. He was thirsty, but that was okay.

  His master would take care of him soon.

  His sweet, patient master — the one he’d felt the need to challenge because he’d been in charge once, and the man had to prove he was dominant over him. But the dog walker had collared him, and for that, he felt an intense connection to him he couldn’t back away from.

  It was soothing, and even though he didn’t chase the thought, he knew it was a good one. It was a memory of before, and it filled him with even more warmth than the sun.

  It took him a moment to get the ball this time, and he paused long enough to nose it forward, enjoying it, before he took it into his mouth. He turned, ready to bound back for more pets and treats and relief from the arousal that was starting to become a little painful.

  But right behind his master was his other master, his real master — the one who locked him away and ignored him, the one who forgot about him and isolated him. His tail tucked between his legs, he started to slowly edge toward them, registering the disapproving look on his… on the new guy’s face.

  Even though he instantly assumed it was because he was slow, Caleb still couldn’t bring himself to go any faster. He saw a glance from the man to his real master, the one who stood there impassively with his fingers clenched into fists at his sides.

  He bit down a little harder on the ball, and the material tore a little. He whimpered. He was going to get in trouble for that, wasn’t he…?

  His would-be new master’s voice came out forced but the frustration on his face faded into something resembling the pleasure that was usually there when they’d played. “Come on, Pup. Bring us the ball.”

  Us. Not me. Maybe…

  Did that mean his old master? Current? He didn’t know how to think of them, and he frowned a little around the ball before trotting forward at a pace that was more comfortable than playful.

  He got close to his dog walker — his! — but before the man could take it out of his mouth, he ducked by and went to his other master. His tail wagged, just a little hopefully, though he cowered in front of the dark-skinned man.

  The man stared down for a moment, and Caleb trembled, his tail tucked fully between his legs.

  Before the other man could protest, though, the master in front of him held up a hand in a harsh bid for silence.

  Caleb cringed back anyway, even stumbling back a little, and let out a whine.

  “Hush,” his master said in his familiar foreign accent, but there was something different about his voice. It wasn’t as harsh as it usually was, and Caleb perked up just an iota, and hope briefly blossomed inside of him. “What do you have there?” he asked.

  It occurred to Caleb that his master already knew, but the words were enough to get him to edge forward just a little, tail wagging once, tentatively. He was still afraid his master would be angry that he’d torn the ball, but when he let the toy drop into the waiting hand, there was no fury on his face

  “Mm, it looks like you have been playing very hard today,” the man remarked, but there was no real chastisement in his tone. “We will have to get you a new ball, no? A better one?”

  Caleb barked tentatively, pressing in a little closer.

  His master glanced behind him, expressionless as he peered at his other master — which, no, that wasn’t right…! But they were…

  Not his masters, not two of them. His alpha. That was it. The man who had been playing with him that day was his alpha, and this was his master.

  He relaxed a little when he could identify them separately, instinctively knowing that he would listen to them both, but his master was there in front of him, and he took precedence. So Caleb bumped his nose against his master’s hand, and the man even smiled.

  His master smiled. Because of something he had done!

  Caleb’s heart was pounding, breaths coming out unevenly from the running, and that predatory smile didn’t help calm his heart rate down.

  His master reached out, brushing his fingers behind Caleb’s ears almost… affectionately? “Good boy,” he stated, though those words seemed a bit stilted.

  Caleb’s tail wagged harder.

  “Good boy,” his master repeated.

  His master.

  Dark eyes flicked to his alpha, even as his master’s hand stroked from behind his ear down to the back of his neck, where it sent chills through him, then down his back.

  His alpha.

  Alpha spoke quietly to Master. “Throw the ball so Pup can show you how fast he is. When he does a good job, he gets a reward.”

  “This ball seems a bit damaged,” Master stated.

  Caleb cringed again.

  “You should be more careful with your toys,” Master said, and Caleb let out a low whine as reality started to seep back in.

  Nononononono.

  He didn’t want reality. He wanted this, clinging to it as hard as he could.

  “But this one is not very well made for a pet like for you, is it?” Master continued, and Alpha’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “This is for a little pet, a pup who does not know his place.”

  Caleb offered a tentative bark, shoving his face against Liam’s hand.

  “But you are no little pet,” Master said, and he even chuckled.

  Chuckled!

  Cal
eb’s tail wagged, fast and every bit as hard as his cock.

  “It’ll work until we get him a new one.” Alpha’s voice sounded frustrated, but the way he held his body and the smile on his face showed he wasn’t upset at Master any longer. “Just throw the ball so he can show you.”

  Master eyed Alpha, his lips thinning into a line. He grabbed the man’s shirt, yanking him close. “Do not give me orders,” he warned, his voice quiet. “I am still Master here.”

  Zain’s words were clipped but heated as he leaned into Master’s tight grip. “You’re not my master, not yet… but if you don’t want to see the pup’s cock hard and swinging while he runs and then jerking while he rolls over and begs to come…”

  Caleb shivered, wanting that so badly that he wanted to whine out encouragement, to plead to his master, but not wanting to interrupt… this, whatever this was.

  A power struggle, he supposed, every bit a bid for dominance as his actions had been before. He wasn’t going to get between two men like this, especially not when his cock leaked at the idea of just what they could do to him together.

  “Well, that’s up to you,” Alpha continued. “But I do. I want to watch him get even harder and listen to the little whines that he makes right before he comes. Do you know how hard it made me when I watched him earlier? He was begging to lick my cock, and that’s what I want. But I’m going to tell you now… My submission is given… not taken.”

  Then Alpha leaned in and pressed a kiss to Master’s lips before straightening, not pulling against the hands that still held him tight but still making it clear he was ready to be released.

  Master let his fingers slowly loosen, taking his time when letting go of Alpha… But he did let him go, and Caleb barked, impatient for attention to be turned back to him now that they’d figured out who they were to each other.

  Or at least, who they could be to one another.