by Nora Phoenix
A soft squeak alerted him to someone else’s presence. It could be one of Bray’s men, since so far, he’d only found dead attackers. But how did he check? He hid behind the big dryer and checked his phone.
“All clear confirmed. Identify yourself to my men,” Bray had texted.
Now it came down to how much he trusted the man. If he wanted to fuck Lidon over, this was the perfect way to do it. He could have Vieno, Palani, and Enar for all Lidon knew.
No, he couldn’t. Because Lidon would know if Vieno was in that much danger. He checked in with him, not even sure how he could, but he felt Vieno’s emotions steady though scared. But not in mortal danger, which meant he was still in hiding.
He remembered something else from that night with Grayson, something he’d been pondering in the back of his mind. He hadn’t tried it since, but it was worth a shot, right? Especially in a situation like this. If these were Bray’s men, they might be part of his pack, whether or not he’d realized it before.
He took up position behind the dryer, which would protect him somewhat, then called out, allowing his alpha to roll through him like never before.
“This is Lidon Hayes, alpha of this house. Show yourself with your hands in the air!”
Muttered curses sounded, mixed in with footsteps and gasps of surprise.
“What the fuck?” someone said.
“I can’t… How does he do that?”
Seconds later, three men appeared, their faces showing complete surprise. Lidon relaxed when he recognized them as Bray’s men.
“What’s the situation?” he called out to the leader, still not lowering his weapon.
“We took them out. Three dead, two wounded but secured. We lost one man, and one is wounded, but stable.”
“You’re sure there aren’t more?”
The man who’d answered him nodded. “Yes. We finished a complete swipe of the house. I can’t guarantee what’s going on outside the gates, but inside is all clear.”
Lidon lowered his gun. “Thank you.”
“How the hell did you do that?” the man asked.
Lidon gave him a dismissive wave. “Not now. I have to find my mate.”
“Bray’s ETA is two minutes. Can he use the front gate?”
“Only if you’re there to lead him in. And have him call up extras. I’ll talk to him as soon as I’ve seen Vieno.”
He hurried to the basement, then to the hatch. He knocked as he called out. “Vieno, it’s me. Open up, sweetheart.”
He heard the lock disengage from the inside and lifted the hatch. Grayson came out first, and then Vieno came up. Lidon pulled him up as soon as he’d reached him. “Oh my god, sweetheart…”
He held him, unable to find the words. It was like his heart was complete again now that he had him in his arms again.
“Lidon,” Vieno cried out, and then he burst into tears, his body shaking with deep sobs.
Lidon lowered them onto the floor and held him, tucking Vieno against his chest and whispering sweet nothings until his omega had calmed down.
“I was so scared,” Vieno sobbed.
“I know… Me too. I could sense your fear, and I was so worried about you.”
“Palani and Enar?”
“They’re on their way, and they’re safe.”
He carried him upstairs, needing him too much to even let him walk himself. Vieno wrapped his arms and legs around him and held on, his head on Lidon’s shoulders.
Lidon had no idea who the men were who had attacked his home, but he would find out, and then he’d come up with a plan to protect what was his. What had happened today could never happen again, because he’d come too damn close to losing Vieno, and he could never go through that again. He was the alpha, dammit, and he would protect his pack at all costs.
19
They sat in stunned silence as they puzzled together what had gone down at the ranch that day. Enar had about gotten a heart attack when a tall alpha had burst into his exam room. “My apologies, sir, but you need to come with me right now.”
Under other circumstances, he would’ve been furious at the interruption when he was with a patient, but since he’d experienced a deep sense of unease minutes before about Vieno, he’d known something was wrong. He should’ve listened to that feeling, should’ve known to take it seriously after what Grayson had shown them, but he’d convinced himself he was wrong, that he was imagining things.
They’d gone through all the details of what had happened with Bray’s men who’d been at the ranch and had fought off the attackers. No one wanted Vieno there when they talked about the gory details, but he refused to leave Lidon, so Lidon wrapped him in a blanket and held him till he fell asleep. Only then did they start comparing notes.
It was scary shit, what had happened. Five heavily armed men had taken down the security guard at the main gate. They’d counted on that granting them access but hadn’t planned on Lidon’s system being more advanced than they could break in the short time before Bray’s other men had been alerted. It resulted in a furious gunfight with the men gaining access by using gear to climb the gates.
Lidon and Bray both agreed they’d gotten lucky to lose only one of their men, though Enar knew it weighed heavily on Lidon’s conscience he’d caused even one death. He’d accompanied Bray when he’d visited the man’s mother to inform her because that’s the kind of man he was. It had been the only time Vieno had let him go, and Palani and Enar had held him for the entire hour Lidon had been gone.
Lidon called in the cops after they’d all arrived back and he was one hundred percent sure the situation was contained. Two detectives came, then two more, as Lidon explained what happened. It led to a dicey situation where Lidon was forced to omit information about the threats on Palani and Enar, since he couldn’t implicate himself. And that was nothing compared to him coming out to his colleagues about being in a foursome. But he’d done it, with a steady voice, unashamed to claim all three of them as his.
Enar watched them react, the judgment and derision on their faces. It was a look he was familiar with after many years. Still, it made him proud that Lidon took a stand for them. And he agreed with him calling in law enforcement, even though Palani had been against it. An attack of this scale wasn’t something to keep quiet. That could only become ammunition that could be used against Lidon in the future.
The detectives, of course, had no clues on the identities of the attackers. Bray, bless him, had taken their fingerprints before the cops arrived, and taken pictures of their faces, clothes, and IDs. Enar trusted him, and the guy was street smart, which he appreciated.
“It’s too early to say anything about their identities,” Bray said, leaning back in his chair, rubbing his temples.
“See what you can find out. Hire an outside expert if necessary,” Lidon said.
“Already on it. We need to talk about extra security, though. When you told me the situation, I hadn’t expected this.”
“Neither did I,” Lidon said. “God, Bray, if I'd known, I would’ve…”
“I know. They caught us by surprise this time. Thank fuck they underestimated the security of the house itself.”
“Your men did well,” Palani said. “Don’t count that out. In the end, it wasn’t the gate that kept them out.”
“True,” Bray said. “And I’m grateful you brought Vieno to safety, Dad.”
Grayson nodded. “I’m glad both you and Lidon showed me the hideout on the first day.”
“I need to know more about how packs worked back then,” Lidon said to Grayson, surprising Enar. “I used my alpha compulsion on Bray’s men, and it worked, which meant they were part of my pack, as you call it. I need to understand how this works, what this means.”
“We’ll talk. I may not have all the answers, but I’m happy to think through it with you. For now, assume that anyone you invite within the gates as a guest is part of your pack.”
Lidon looked pensive. “My dad always told me we shouldn’
t let strangers within the gates, not even delivery guys or whatever.”
Grayson’s face lit up. “Yes. That confirms my theory.”
“Is it a geographical limit, you think?” Enar asked, trying to figure out how it could work. “Like, it can’t be bigger than a certain number of square feet?”
“No. I think it’s the boundary the gates represent. As pack alpha, Lidon decides who to let into his pack, consciously or not. The gates represent that choice.”
“So Jawon and the others, they’re part of his pack as well?” Palani asked.
“I would think so, but, Lidon, you would know,” Grayson answered.
“They are,” Lidon said. The room was quiet as they all looked at him, his furrowed brows indicating he was working something out. “Bray, I want to widen the perimeter of the gate. I want a gate around the entire property as a first line of defense and then a second, stronger gate like we have now around the house, but also all the outbuildings. Cast a wider net because we may add some buildings. And we’ll talk about extra security measures, like trip wires, sensors, and cameras.”
Bray nodded. “Yes, alpha.”
They spent another hour speculating on who was behind the attack, with Ryland the most likely candidate, according to Lidon, followed by whoever was trying to keep Excellon from becoming a success—Lucan’s preferred theory. Then Palani suggested those two might be the same, and things got crazy. Enar had to agree with Palani that the timing of the attack, three days after they’d visited Melloni, was suspicious, and suggested it was a reaction to their investigation into Excellon, Lukos, and the gene. Enar’s head was spinning by the time they went to bed, way past midnight.
“You were quiet,” Palani remarked as they undressed in their bedroom.
Lidon had already laid Vieno down onto the bed and crawled in next to him, and Enar watched him, the little one’s face all sweet and innocent in his sleep as he lay curled up against his alpha. They’d come so close to losing him today, a thought that made it hard to breathe if he let it in.
He’d been such a fool, fighting the truth for so long. He did belong here with them. If anything, today had proven that because even the thought of losing Vieno made him feel like a part of his heart was being ripped out.
“Doc?” Palani said quietly, and Enar turned around to pull him close.
He inhaled him deeply, this man who had conquered a piece of his heart he knew he’d never get back. “I love you,” he whispered. “God, I love you.”
“I know you do, Doc. What’s troubling you?”
Enar breathed a little easier now that he held Palani. “Today. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
Palani’s arms around him tightened. “Me too. I was frantic.”
Enar didn’t know how he knew, but he did. He’d come too close to losing it all today, and if he had, he’d only have regrets to look back on, regrets that he hadn’t had the balls to go all in, the courage to be himself. It was time to take the jump. He turned around, still holding Palani. “Lidon, could you wake Vieno? I have something I need to tell you.”
Lidon nodded, not even questioning Enar’s timing. “Wake up, sweetheart,” he whispered, and when that didn’t work, he rolled on top of Vieno and kissed him until the omega was moaning and rutting against him, clearly awake now.
“I promise you I’ll give you what you need after, but Enar wants to say something first.”
For a second, Enar hesitated about his timing. Would Vieno feel again like Enar had interrupted him? But Vieno turned around to face him, and there was such love and understanding in his eyes that Enar knew he sensed what this was about.
He climbed onto the bed, his nerves gone. These were his men, parts of his heart. They all looked at him as their hands reached out to touch him. Palani held his hand, Vieno’s hand was on his foot, and Lidon’s strong hand clamped down on his thigh.
“I’ve never felt like an alpha,” he said, and with those first words, the last of his stress disappeared. “Deep down, I always thought there’d been some kind of mix-up at my birth, like I’d been accidentally assigned the wrong identity. I look like an alpha, but I’m not…and Palani has helped me come to terms with that. I think… No, I know I’m a beta inside.”
Tears came as he had expected, and the three hands on him tightened, communicating the support he knew he had.
“I know I can’t step outside of what society expects of me when I’m outside these gates, but when we’re here, when we’re home, inside our pack, I would love for you to consider me a beta.”
Two seconds after he’d finished, Palani’s arms were around him. “I’m so proud of you…beta. I love you, Doc. You know I do…just the way you are.”
As soon as he let go, Vieno was on his lap, all sweet hugs and kisses. “You can be whoever you are,” he whispered and kissed Enar till they ran out of breath.
Then Vieno let go, and Enar faced Lidon, who studied him with kind eyes. “I’m sorry it took you this long to be yourself and that I didn’t see it sooner. I’m sorry for missing that, but I’m grateful Palani saw it.”
“Is it…is it okay with you?”
“God, yes. All I want is for you to be happy and be with us, and I don’t give a flying fuck in what identity that is.”
Enar let himself fall over until his nose was pressed against Lidon’s stomach. “Thank you, alpha.”
Lidon’s big hand came down on his head to rest there as Enar breathed him in, the smell of his alpha comforting him. Palani and Vieno reached out to him again, and for a few minutes, he lay there, surrounded by his men, feeling truly himself for the first time.
Vieno wandered around the house, restless. Palani and Enar were back at work, two days after the attack, much to Vieno’s dismay. Bray had doubled the security on them, and the ranch itself was swarming with men as well. Bray had called in reinforcements from a friend’s firm, Lidon had told Vieno.
Lucan and Grayson were visiting Lucan’s youngest brother, Dane, who lived in a home since he required around-the-clock care. Dane had suffered severe oxygen shortage during birth and was mentally and physically handicapped as a result, Grayson had explained quietly. Vieno’s eyes had welled up when Grayson had told him, and he loved that Lucan and his dad visited him at least twice a week.
Lidon had taken a few days off after the attack, and Vieno knew he was shaken by what had happened. He blamed himself for underestimating the danger to his men, Vieno had overheard him confess to Bray. Bray had assured him he’d had the same information as Lidon and that he had underestimated it as well.
Now, Lidon was in the gym room, trying to work some of his anger and frustration out, Vieno supposed. And Vieno's mental to-do list was a mile long at least, but he didn’t feel like doing anything. There was always something to clean, and his vegetable patch needed a little weeding, but he wasn’t in the mood. He wanted to do something else to get rid of the pent-up energy in his body. It was a restless itch inside him that demanded to be scratched, to be satisfied and taken away.
He got like this sometimes, even when living with Palani, and he wasn't sure what caused it. Maybe it had something to do with stress? The attack had been damn scary, and he’d been worried sick about the safety of his men. And now, watching Lidon bend under his guilt took a toll on Vieno as well. He hated seeing him like that.
Palani processed through talking, and so did Enar, he’d come to understand. Those two got rid of their stress by talking it through with each other. But he was different, and so was Lidon. Previously, he would’ve waited till Palani was at work and then fucked himself raw with the biggest dildo in his box of toys, but…
He stopped in the middle of the hallway as a thought struck. He had access to something way, way better than a dildo. And he knew Lidon well enough to be sure that what he came up with would benefit them both. Plus, Lidon was in the gym room, which meant he’d smell all sweaty and masculine and…
Vieno turned around on his heels and hurried down the hall. T
he gym was a big room that Lidon had converted into a minigym with a weightlifting station, a treadmill, a stair master, and some other benches Vieno had no idea how to use. He smiled. Not for proper exercise anyway, but he bet they could get creative.
When he walked in, Lidon was toweling himself off, shutting off the treadmill. He was only wearing running shorts, his body slick with perspiration. Vieno smelled him all the way at the door, and his cock grew hard. What was it about the scent of sweat that got to him?
“Hi, sweetheart,” Lidon said, his face lighting up as he spotted Vieno, as it almost always did. Still, Vieno noticed the worry lines, the paleness of his face, and the tiredness in his eyes. Vieno locked the door behind him, since Bray and some of the other men used the gym as well, and he didn't intend to provide a show for them.
Lidon lifted his eyebrows, then smiled as Vieno stalked toward him. “You in a mood?” he teased.
Vieno nodded, unashamed. “I am. I have this itch inside me that needs to be scratched with a long, deep, hard fuck. Think you can oblige?”
Lidon’s eyes darkened. “Always. I could use one myself.”
Vieno whipped his shirt over his head and kicked off his flip-flops, then his shorts and underwear. “I volunteer as tribute.”
He jumped into Lidon’s arms, which caught him effortlessly, and wrapped his arms and legs around his alpha’s body. Lidon’s body was slick, and the sensation was perfect. Vieno brought his tongue to his neck and licked, moaned as the salty taste hit him. “Fuck, you smell and taste good. I could lick you all over.”
He rubbed himself against Lidon, his own skin getting warm and damp from Lidon’s. The alpha breathed in deeply, his chest pressing against Vieno’s. “What’s stopping you?” he asked, his timbre low. “God, I love it when you smell like me. I wanna get you dirty all over.”