by J. K. Jones
“What are you thinking about?”
“Mhmm…” Micah hums, rubbing his crotch against him. “Which is easier? You getting into those tight jeans or me getting you out of them?”
“Waxing poetic.” Ry chuckles. “You really know how to seduce an Omega.”
“I’m sure I can find other ways to seduce you.” Micah kisses down his neck, nuzzling at the skin. Ryu’s breath hitches. He angles his head and moans loudly. Damn. Any thoughts of resistance fly out the window.
“P-people can see,” Ryu groans, pushing back against Micah’s noticeable erection.
“So? Isn’t that what you want?” Micah whispers in his ear, causing his cock to stiffen in his pants. Ryu turns around. He kisses Micah on the lips and throws his arms around his broad shoulders.
Micah laughs breathlessly, deepening the kiss. It’s hot, nasty, and needy. He tastes the same way he smells, like white sage, like a lotus. It’s too good. Ryu opens his mouth, allowing Micah to push his tongue in deeper and deeper. He’s like a teenager again, giddy, with stars in his eyes, thinking Micah hangs the moon. A part of Ryu will always be like that, helplessly devoted to his love. Another part of him holds back, fearful of the pain that could come if they happen to part again.
“I can’t stop kissing you,” Ryu pants.
Micah goes quiet, staring down at him with black eyes. “Then don’t.”
Ryu looks away, his cheeks burning.
“When did you become such an exceptional lover?”
Micah smirks. “I’ve always been. My desire to please you has made me one.”
The stark contrast of the red bracelet against Micah’s skin catches his eye. “You’re still wearing my bracelet?”
Micah nods. “You’re still wearing my necklace.”
All this time, he never took it off, but it didn’t mean anything to him. Or at least that’s what he tells himself. The comment causes Ryu to pause. After all these years, why didn’t Micah bed another Omega? Ryu is sure he must have had some sort of companionship in their years apart.
“Don’t tell me you’ve been celibate this whole time?”
Micah doesn’t respond.
“Seriously?”
Micah rolls his eyes. “Look, I’m not blind to your preferences. I told you when we parted I would never take another Omega, and I meant it. I’ve never been unfaithful to you. After everything I’ve done, I wouldn’t expect you to feel the same… I just hoped one day you would choose me.”
Unfaithful? That’s an interesting way to look at things. Ryu never considered that it would be unfaithful, since they never consummated the Māku with a mating ceremony.
“I see.”
“I figured there’s also another reason why you won’t commit to me,” Micah says quietly.
“What do you mean?”
Micah stares at him, conflicted, almost as if he didn’t want to bring it up. “Isn’t that why you’ve been giving me mixed signals?”
What? Ryu furrows his brows, and he slowly pulls away. Mixed signals? What the hell is he talking about? “I don’t understand.”
“You say you’re not ready. I understand that. I’ll give you whatever space you need. I’ll never push you, but what I don’t understand is why you say you won’t marry me, and yet you wander around the city alone with another Alpha.”
“Fermin?” Is all this about that guy? “What are you trying to say? That I’m giving you mixed signals because I want to fuck around? Or that I’m not ready for marriage because I’m not done fucking around?”
“Why were you alone with him?”
“What are you doing? Spying on me?”
“Answer the question.”
“Fuck this.” Ryu storms past him and yanks open the door, but Micah slams it shut. “This isn’t the eighteen hundreds. I can fuck who I want to fuck.”
“It seems like you’ve been doing a lot of that.”
“I don’t have to answer to you.” Ryu is seething. What the hell is going on? Who cares if he fucked half the block? That wasn’t the issue. Why didn’t Micah understand that he needs time? He needs to think; he doesn’t want to make the same mistake twice.
Micah’s eyes flash. “I smelled him on you. That day we found you half-dead outside the city. It’s why Deryn wanted to take your head off. I knew it was him. Then when he met us in the woods, I knew exactly who he was.”
Chapter 47
Shit. This is bad. It means that at any time, Micah could’ve invoked the right and challenged him to a fight. Ryu recalls the carnage with Kenyon, how they nearly tore each apart in their rage. It’s a grievous insult when a claimed Omega lies with another Alpha. The worst part is that the entire pack knows about it too. Even Trmon tried to warn him of any repercussions. At the time, Ryu didn’t care. He wanted to hurt Micah for betraying him.
“I wanted to cave his head in the moment I saw him again.” Micah’s eyes blaze.
“Don’t—”
“Is it him?” Micah asks hotly. “Is he the reason why you won’t take me seriously?”
Ryu shrinks back. The rich and deep tenor causes him to want to submit to his Alpha. “No.”
“Then what is it?”
“We barely know each other,” Ryu snaps. His head is spinning. What other reason could he have? Micah betrayed him, left him for dead, and now that they’re finally getting to know each other again, he wants to add more shit to their growing pile of shit? He can’t think straight. “It’s been years, Micah. I’m not sixteen anymore. We aren’t at the Silvercrest Howlers. You don’t know the hell I’ve lived in the years we’ve been apart. Yes, I’ve fucked a lot of Alphas, and I’ve enjoyed it immensely, but implying that I’m some kind of slut because I don’t want to rush into marriage with you doesn’t make sense.”
Micah is stunned into silence.
Ryu should’ve known better. Of course, the rumors about him and Fermin would spread like wildfire, compromising his position in the pack. Damn. Micah knew about it the whole time. It’s unsettling, alarming, to think that Micah could’ve fought Fermin to the death at any point on their journey. The reason why he didn’t is that he obviously didn’t want to start a war with the Impure Canines.
“I’m sorry.” Micah sighs, then scrubs his hand over his face. “I wasn’t implying you were…like that… “
“Forget it,” Ryu spits and maneuvers past him, but Micah grabs his arm.
“We aren’t finished yet.”
“Yes, we are.”
“Stop running from me.”
Ryu feels like he’s been punched in the gut. All the air leaves his lungs as he gapes openly at Micah. Is that what he’s doing? Constantly running away from his problems? Every time things get too heated, he’s always the first to leave. “Micah—”
“You’re right,” Micah cuts him off. “We barely know each other. It’s been years… I don’t know anything about your life, but that doesn’t change how I feel or how you feel.”
It’s true. Ryu can’t deny it anymore.
“I asked you before if you wanted me,” Micah continues. “If you wanted us and you said yes. You don’t want to get hurt again. I won’t hurt you, Ryu. We need to talk about the past, about everything that happened. If you finally know the truth and still want to be with me, then we can work everything out.”
“Okay.”
Micah releases his arm and looks around. “Not here.”
-
They end up back in the bedroom.
Micah keeps a respectable distance, sitting at his desk table while Ryu lounges on the bed. Are they really going to sit down and hash out the past? Ryu toys with his fingers. He isn’t even sure he wants to know about Micah’s side of things. It might enrage him or make things worse than they are now. Yet at the same time, he should give Micah the benefit of the doubt. After all, there must be a reason he reacted the way he did. As much as Ryu begged and pleaded at the time, Micah never gave him an answer.
Ryu frowns. Fine, it’s better to know n
ow. At least he can make a clear decision with his eyes wide open.
“Okay.” Ryu takes a deep breath. “Why did you betray me? Why did you let the council punish me and leave me to rot?”
The minute the question leaves his mouth, Micah’s glowers. He clenches his jaw and turns his face away. Agitations sparks in Ryu. Why the hell did Micah drag him back here? If he isn’t going to answer the damn question, why waste their time?
“I didn’t.”
That’s it? That’s all he’s going to get? Ryu is fuming. “It was your idea to talk—”
“I meant,” Micah cuts in, “I didn’t leave you to rot. We had a plan. The reason we couldn’t tell you is that we needed it to be believable.”
What the fuck? “Believable?”
“Yes.” Micah scrubs his face. “We thought it would be more authentic if you didn’t know. The day they took you away, my father already had a plan in place, but I didn’t know until the day before you were thrown into the Icy Lake.”
“They tortured me,” Ryu says, his voice dangerously low. “And you had a plan?”
“Yes. Don’t look at me like that. I couldn’t just rush in and save you. As Alpha, I need to be impartial. I need to review all angles before I can make a decision.”
Ryu burns with anger; it ripples up and down his body like lava. “You let them torture me and throw me into a fucking lake.”
“Ryu,” Micah says, his voice calm and measured. “I have killed wolves for less.”
Chapter 48
Ryu’s breath hitches. Micah’s right. Any wolf that did what he did would’ve been dead, no questions asked, no matter their standing in the pack.
“Regardless of that, many of them would’ve done worse,” Micah adds. “They would’ve brutalized you. The council would’ve made sure of it. We acted. You were punished, as I would any wolf. The plan was to have Randolph save you, to show the wolves you had supporters. I purchased a small house in the Filthy Claws Clan. I thought we could live there together once things cooled down. You could come back as my second. However, things didn’t happen that way. I put my trust in the wrong wolf. Randolph was supposed to save you, but he was too slow, so I had to jump into the lake.”
“It was you,” Ryu says. It all makes sense now. The scent, the warmth that he felt, being in his arms. At the time, he knew Micah must have been close. “I felt you. I knew you had to be close, but then Randolph told me…”
“What did he tell you?” Micah asks.
Ryu swallows. “He gave me a letter. He said I should leave and that you were sorry this ever happened.”
“He didn’t tell you I was coming?” Micah’s eyes flash yellow. “That I was on my way?”
“No.” Ryu shakes his head. “He said I should go immediately.”
“That fucking rat bastard,” Micah snaps.
“What?”
“I told him to tell you to wait for me.” Micah stands abruptly. “I told him I was coming, but I got fucking delayed in the process. I would’ve been there in a few days.” He rages, kicking over his desk chair. “That piece of shit.”
Ryu watches him, not believing his ears. Wait. Micah came to him? That means he never left Ryu to die. And Randolph left him that note, knowing he would feel betrayed and leave the clan for good. Randolph deliberately separated them for years. The question now is why?
But then again, why didn’t Micah come after him? “What did Randolph tell you?”
“He said that you left of your own volition. That you wanted nothing to do with me.”
Ryu flinches, tears pricking his eyes. “H-how could I tell him that?” he sputters. “Randolph wasn’t even there. He left me a goddamn note.”
They stare at each other. Everything falls into place. Randolph lied, keeping them away from each other for years. He told Ryu one thing and Micah another, making sure they would never meet. Oh, gods. Ryu wandered the Outlands for years, hating his mate, fucking anything that moved just so that he could carve his heart from his chest. His lip trembles. The dam breaks, and tears slide down his cheeks.
“Why? Why would he do that?” Ryu asks.
“To spite me and my father,” Micah grunts. “The bastard knew our marriage would bring an alliance between the Silvercrest Howlers and the Filthy Claws clan. Because of his separatist ideologies, he sought to end it by deliberately forcing us to part.”
What? All this was done for fucking political reasons? Ryu is revolted. How can they be so sick and twisted? They forced him to beg and crawl, hating his Alpha for years and everyone in the Silvercrest Howlers just so that the alliance would never be solidified.
The pain, the inferiority, the utter anguish of being forsaken tormented him for years. Ryu flinches as he remembers everything they did to him. He should’ve known better. Micah hugs him tightly, his own body shaking just as hard.
“I would never leave you.”
Ryu knows. Deep down, somewhere, he’s always known.
-
They talk long into the night.
Ryu learns of Michael’s death and the weight of the pack resting on Micah’s shoulders. Micah speaks about his fury, the days he spent hating himself and everyone around him. Ryu spills his story about his time with Haru, the unrelenting sting of loneliness under the guise of meaningless sex. The wolf pits and becoming the Bloodhound, the aftershocks, a ripple effect from being abandoned and tossed away. Ryu’s eyes are puffy, and his throat is raw from crying, but he doesn’t stop. Ryu explains his fear of Arima Kihei, the crushing weight of failure, and the impending destruction if he failed again. Micah needs to know every part, every detail of what happened in the past.
They’re different people now.
The pain, like a thread holding them together, has been released. In its place is something new, bigger and brighter than ever before. Since Randolph couldn’t find the political means, he sought out the supernatural. Most wolves have a deep sense of patriotism. Randolph couldn’t stomach the fact that the two clans were merging into one. Micah takes his hand and never lets go, not even when Ryu stifles his yawns and his body sinks in exhaustion.
By the time the sun comes up, Micah looks beaten raw, his hair disheveled. Ryu rubs at his eyes, which are gritty and aching, but his heart feels lighter than it has in years. “I can’t believe how much time we wasted.”
Micah chuckles, kissing his hand. “We won’t waste a second longer.”
A soft knock sounds on the door. Micah opens it to reveal General Sato. “Byakuren.” He bows. “I thought you should know that the Thunder Hunters, Impure Canines, and the Midnight Stalkers have safely arrived.”
“Good, I’ll freshen up and meet them all in the war room,” Micah responds, and General Sato nods before he leaves. “Duty calls.”
They haven’t slept all night. Ryu knows Micah must be exhausted from the day before. “Why not rest for a few moments?”
Micah shakes his head. “The sooner we get started, the sooner we can start administering the cure. I want our armies fully operational before we head off to war.”
Micah kisses him gently on the lips. “Get some sleep.”
Ryu watches him leave. He freshens up in the bathroom, changes his clothes, and stalks out the front door. Ryu’s body aches fiercely from sitting up all night and holding Micah’s hand. There’s still much to process, like why Randolph would deliberately separate them and what he would gain from doing that. It still doesn’t make sense. Ryu lies down, and the second his head hits the pillow, he’s fast asleep.
Chapter 49
The Blackfang Hounds are noticeably absent. What happened to Imperator Yamamoto? Ryu wonders. Is Haru still alive? It’s been so many years. Ryu should inquire about it later. For now, he sits quietly, rolling his eyes as they continue to hurl insults at each other. This meeting is a complete disaster. The Thunder Hunters refuse to offer any resources, claiming that if things go sideways at least they can keep their clan afloat. If the Thunder Hunters won’t yield, then the Impure Canines wi
ll overcompensate and give up nearly half of their resources for the greater good. The Midnight Stalkers remain neutral. Their only goal is to get Shamus’s sister out of the Silvercrest Howlers clan. Besides that, they don’t seem concerned as to what happens next. Since it’s a formal meeting of the clans, they are dressed to impress, wearing lavish military decorative medals and stunning coat of arms.
Micah remains silent, listening calmly as they rip each other apart.
“We can’t support a wayward plan.” Kazan snorts. The Alpha of the Thunder Hunters, Rohan’s older brother, wears sand camo, like the rest of his clan, but the brassard on his arm bears the coat of arms with their motto Prepared for all. The triangle with a boar and horse tussling on a mountain of rose petals has a satin cap, and two rows of various gems decorate the outer sides. “The immunization is a farce at best. Who in their right mind would accept a vaccine from a cursed Bloodhound?”
“Brother,” Rohan chimes in. “I’ve seen these things with my own eyes. We can’t defeat them. The gods will have forsaken us. We must use all the resources we have available.”
“And what of our compensation?” Kazan carries on boorishly. “Don’t think we don’t know how the Silvercrest Howlers have lined their pockets.”
“Are you stupid or what?” Aarbrok bites back and crosses his massive arms over his chest. His brassard’s coat of arms from the Impure Canines resembles a single square, with a large boulder surrounded by water. On the rock, a lavish phoenix displays its wings, as if flying toward the sky. Gems adorn the fabric around their motto By Sword and Shield. “We’re all going to die, and you bastards can’t stop thinking about money for one single moment. Newsflash. You can’t take it to the grave with you.”
“Let’s not forget how the Silvercrest Howlers like to go back on their word,” Kazan says hotly.
“You’re just mad Listeria chose Rocky over you.” Shamus rolls his eyes.
“Watch your mouth, pup.”