by Fel Fern
“We’ve tried it before. It can be disorienting at first, but you’ll get used to it.”
Kayden took out one pill and to Nathan’s surprise, swallowed one. Kayden was probably out to prove something. It almost felt like a silent challenge. I’m making myself vulnerable to save my brother, will you do the same? Nathan could almost imagine Kayden saying the words.
“Fine. We’ll manage. Does taking this mean we’re immune to silver bullets?” Ryan asked.
Fuck, but his mate was still serious about this insane plan. Nothing Nathan could say would convince Ryan to change his mind. He knew the extent of Ryan’s determination when they left. Didn’t he promise Ryan he’d always stay by his side? Still, the plan grew riskier by the second. Could they really pull something like this off?
“Yes, but remember. If our regenerative abilities are locked, we can’t heal from normal bullet wounds either,” Tanner said unhelpfully.
“Don’t get shot. Got it,” Ryan answered.
“We should all get some sleep. There’s a long day ahead of us,” Kayden sounded wary. “These pills are for you. We have an extra batch. Test them out tonight, see how it feels. The effect lasts for an hour. We’ll see you guys at seven in the morning.”
Why did Kayden’s words evoke so much dread and trepidation inside Nathan?
Chapter Seven
They parted company. Ryan scooped up the bottle. After grabbing their overnight bag from the back of the car, they headed back to their motel room.
“Well,” Nathan said, trying to make a joke. He took a good look at the peeling wallpaper and probably bedbug infested bed. “This isn’t the honeymoon I imagined.”
Ryan took a seat on the plastic chair by the bed and looked at the bottle. His mate looked like he needed some distraction. Walking up to him, Nathan set the pills on the bedside table and straddled Ryan’s lap. Ryan automatically banded one arm around his waist, and Nathan looped his arms around his neck.
The dominant wolf brought him close and inhaled the side of his neck. Despite the situation, Nathan could sense the heat between their bodies, their wolves eager to mate again. His dick was already thickening and tonight, he wanted to feel Ryan inside him again.
“Sorry, distracted,” Ryan said, nipping his neck.
“You don’t need to apologize for that.” Nathan hesitated. “Ryan, I don’t like this plan.”
“Me neither, but—”
Nathan placed a finger to Ryan’s lips and looked into his mate’s eyes. “I know. There’s no time, especially if the scientists have plans for Allie and Ken.”
Ryan shook his head “I can’t believe how lucky I am to have such a fucking amazing and understanding mate.”
Nathan leaned his head against Ryan’s broad chest, sighing when the dominant wolf began stroking the line of his back.
“I’ll admit it. I’m scared. What if the plan goes wrong because of something stupid I did?” Nathan asked.
“Don’t think like that. We haven’t even started. The plan has holes, but we can make it work.”
Ryan took his lips then, distracting the fuck out of him. Feeling Ryan move his hand to the zipper of his jeans, he groaned.
“Get the lube in the bag, baby,” Ryan whispered against his ear.
“Yes, sir.”
That got a laugh from Ryan. He hopped off Ryan’s lap and found the lube on the side pocket of the bag.
“I wasn’t aware this was an essential item,” Nathan said, handing it over to Ryan.
Before he could work the button of his jeans, Ryan hooked his fingers on his belt loops and yanked them down. Nathan got rid of his shirt and boxers and mounted Ryan again, liking the contrast of his bare skin against the denim fabric of Ryan’s jeans. He worked at Ryan’s jeans, pulling out his mate’s glorious cock.
Seeing Ryan hard and ready for him made him grin.
“See what you do to me, baby,” Ryan said, lowering his head to his left nipple. Feeling Ryan sink his teeth in, he gasped. Ryan pulled away. Nathan didn’t know why the sight of Ryan’s teeth marks on his nipple made him even more aroused.
“Mine, all mine.” The words came out more like a growl than human sounds. A shiver crept down Nathan’s spine. The room felt a little cold when they first arrived, but Ryan easily warmed him up.
“Fuck me, baby. Please.”
“Not yet. I still want to enjoy you.”
“Don’t talk as if this is last night together,” Nathan murmured.
Ryan gripped his chin, forcing him to look at Ryan.
“We’re going to live through this. After we get Allie, I’m going to lock you in a room with me. All we’ll do is fuck until I memorize every inch and uncover every secret of that sweet body of yours, baby.”
Nathan groaned, rubbing back and forth on Ryan’s thigh. “You will?”
“Of course. I won’t ever let you go.”
Nathan grabbed the hem of Ryan’s shirt, and the dominant wolf let him tug it off.
“Grind yourself on me, pet. That’s so fucking hot.”
“What if I ruin your jeans?”
“Don’t matter. I have plenty. Besides, I’m not worried. You’re not going to come without my permission.”
Nathan moaned. Denial was always so hot. He shifted back and forth, grinding his cock on Ryan’s jeans, his tip leaving drops of pre-cum there. This was insane. Nathan didn’t know how long he could hold on to his control. It didn’t help that Ryan’s pupils turned yellow with arousal.
Ryan grabbed his waist, and Nathan shifted so his knees spread and Ryan had a perfect view of his prick. Grabbing the lube, Ryan slicked his fingers and pushed them into his puckered hole.
“Fuck me hard, please. I can’t do gentle tonight,” Nathan pleaded.
“Exactly my thoughts, baby,” Ryan said. The dominant wolf positioned his prick into his entrance. Nathan gripped Ryan’s massive shoulder and gasped as the dominant wolf sheathed his dick completely inside him. He could feel the muscles of his ass clenching around Ryan’s prick.
“Fuck, you’re always so tight for me,” Ryan murmured, tightening his hold on Nathan’s waist. The dominant wolf started to move, thrusting in out of him. Nathan bounced on Ryan’s cock, incredibly turned-on and needy. Why did tonight feel like their last time together?
Well, last or not, Nathan intended to ride his mate until they were both worn out. Ryan shifted the angle of his entries and slammed against his sweet spot. A mewl escaped his lips. Ryan went for the spot repeatedly, sending blood rushing right to his dick. His balls drew in tight against his body.
“Please,” Nathan pleaded.
“Go ahead, pet. Come for me,” Ryan ordered.
Ryan hammered into him one last night and shoved him over the edge. With a cry, Nathan exploded, and spilled his cum all over Ryan’s abs and shirt, but the dominant wolf didn’t seem to care. Ryan pushed into him several more times before finishing inside his ass. Contended, Nathan slumped against his mate, breathing hard. He could feel Ryan’s elevated heartbeats returning to normal.
“Feel better?” Ryan asked after, stroking his hair.
“Loads,” Nathan admitted.
“Kayden’s right. We both need to rest.”
Nathan got off Ryan’s lap. “I’m taking a shower.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“I won’t.”
“I’m going to try these pills and see their effects.”
Nathan nodded. “I’ll take them too, after cleaning up.”
Grabbing spare clothes from the bag, he entered the shower and quickly rinsed off. Did he feel any better? Sex was a distraction, but he still wasn’t confident of the plan. Nathan was selfish. He wanted more time with Ryan, but their time seemed to be running short. It wasn’t just the mind-blowing sex he wanted. Nathan wanted a future with this man.
Damn it. They were mated recently, but Nathan had an entire plan mapped out in his head. He wanted to see Ryan’s face first thing in the morning, with Ryan’s cock buried inside his
ass, making him feel loved and owned, cherished and protected. They would build a home together. Maybe there would be pups along the way. He knew Ryan and he would make good parents.
A war was coming with the paranormal-hating humans. It was almost on the horizon, and each side was rallying their forces. After that though, Nathan knew a time of peace would come. Shifter brothers didn’t need to worry about their sisters being taken in the streets. Parents would no longer be terrified of letting their shifter young to play outside.
Could Nathan even see that period of prosperity? God, he hoped so. After showering and dressing, he returned to the bedroom to find Ryan had used some of his extra shirts and placed it over the dirty mattress. The big wolf had his eyes closed. This entire trip must be mentally exhausting and not to mention, Ryan was probably still feeling guilty about not telling Noel.
Nathan felt the same. Kian would never forgive him if he didn’t come out of this alive.
He glanced at the half-drank water bottle on the table beside the bed and the dreadful little bottle of pills next to it. Nathan took one and gulped it down. The effects were instantaneous. Nausea swept through his body. No wonder Ryan lay down.
He steadied himself and found his vision wasn’t clear, as if he needed glasses. Sound dulled too. Robbed of his shifter senses, Nathan suddenly felt weak and he’d never really been a powerful shifter in the first place. His beast lay inside him, dormant, but he could still feel the subtle mate bonds binding his soul to Ryan’s. That was good. If either of them was hurt, they could still sense each other.
“Ryan? I’m turning off the lights.” No answer. Was Ryan asleep?
He nestled next to his mate, liking how Ryan grabbed him close and wrapped his arms around him like he was the most important thing in the world. Nathan shut his eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come. He didn’t know how long he lay there, unable to sleep. Worrying about every single detail and imagining the worst-case scenario had always been one of his faults.
Feeling the press of lips on the nape of his neck, he blinked.
“Can’t sleep?” Ryan asked behind him. The dominant wolf didn’t sound the least bit sleepy either.
“Yeah.”
“Me either, but don’t worry. We’ll get your sister back.”
“That’s not why I can’t sleep.”
“What then?”
“I’m fucking terrified of losing you right after I found you. I should have never dragged you into this mess. My mess and I don’t want you to come tomorrow.”
“It’s not your mess anymore. We’re in this together, now and forever. Have you ever thought what’s going to happen to me if you die? If you go, I go with you. Our life force is joined. When a shifter’s mate dies, there’s no coming back from that.”
Ryan rested his head on the curve of his neck and kissed his mate mark. “I know. That’s the horrible part, what I’m asking you to do.”
“You didn’t tell me anything. I came on my own accord. When we mated, I knew the baggage you came with, and you knew mine.”
“Then there’s nothing else to say,” Ryan said, sounding relieved.
“No. We pull this thing off, and we can plan for the future.”
“I like the sound of that. Tell me what you see.”
“Us building a life together,” Nathan began and told Ryan what he imagined.
The dominant wolf didn’t say anything for a couple of moments, and Nathan thought Ryan finally fell asleep.
“Those are good dreams.”
“They aren’t dreams because we’re going to turn them into reality someday.”
* * * *
“We should call it off. You’ve heard Nathan. He’s affiliated with the Darkfall pack,” Tanner argued.
“Wrong. They only gave him and his brother sanctuary. If anything, Nathan’s new. He knows nothing. He probably doesn’t have any new information about us,” Kayden said.
He knew this would happen. Tanner always faltered at the very last minute, even as kids. Kayden didn’t like what they were about to do either. Stabbing someone in the back or luring them into a trap defiled his personal code of honor, but what could he do?
Ken’s life was at stake. A man like Ryan would understand the lengths he would go to save his own flesh and blood. He’d looked exactly like Ryan after seeing Ken behind that cage. Mr. Smith told them to as long as they wanted. The longer he stared at Ken, the more he realized their brother no longer recognized them.
Kayden hadn’t given up on hope. There were doctors out there. They’d find a skilled one for Ken, one for the body and another for the mind.
“Kayden, this is wrong. Where’s the noble brother I know and look up to?” Tanner argued.
“He died when Ken was taken.”
“We can’t let Ryan and Nathan take Ken’s place in those cells. They’re good guys, decent folks.”
“Ryan and Nathan are strong. You’ve seen their bonds. They’ll survive that place. Maybe, they’ll even find a way out.”
“They won’t. No one has gotten out of that hellhole alive. We got caught trying to gather more information. We might be on the outside, but we’re tagged, just like the other prisoners.” Tanner touched the incision on his arm with distaste.
Kayden couldn’t bear looking at his own arm either. Shifters weren’t animals. They shouldn’t be tagged like lost dogs, but he couldn’t afford to falter now. They all made sacrifices. He threw away his morals to get to where they were. Having his family all together again was his number one priority.
“Are you with me, Tanner, or have you forgotten Ken?” Those words were the ultimate deal breaker, and Kayden knew it.
“Stop using his name to guilt me into thinking this is the right path.”
“There is no right path, this is the only way,” Kayden said simply, coldly. “Are you in or out?”
Tanner let out a stream of curses, but in the end, Kayden knew Tanner would fold. It was the same way he knew Ryan Sandoval would fall into his trap. Oh, he was entirely certain Nathan harbored suspicions, but Nathan was utterly devoted to Ryan, even if that would lead to his death.
Neither of them slept the night before. Kayden went over their real plans with his brother, even though they’d gone over it a hundred times. Errors were unacceptable. One wrong move could lead to Ryan and Nathan pulling back.
“I’m with you. Let’s get this over with.”
Chapter Eight
While Ryan was in the shower, Nathan saw his ringing phone. It was Kian again. Deciding this might be the last time they could speak, he took the call outside. He wanted to tell his brother a lot of things. To apologize to Kian for being a hard ass, for not letting Kian make his own decisions.
“Kian,” he said, answering the phone, but he couldn’t continue.
“Nathan, this isn’t your brother.”
He froze at that voice. Nathan recognized that deep, harsh yet commanding voice anywhere. He was nearly tempted to end the call with Sergio Esteban, Alpha of the Darkfall Mountain pack. For one, Sergio terrified the hell out of him, but the Alpha did offer their pack sanctuary—even grudgingly.
“Sergio.”
“I expected your brother to be reckless, but not you.”
“Why are you calling? Where’s Kian?”
“Your brother is with his mate.”
“I want to talk to him.”
“Oh, I think you’d want to talk to me first. I’ll keep things short. Your two new friends aren’t who they say they are.”
Nathan swallowed. “Tell me. Please.”
“I want you to listen very carefully,” Sergio spoke, his words brief, but he went to the point. By the end of it, Nathan was breathing hard. They were walking into a trap, and he knew it. “I’m calling it off. My mate and I are getting the fuck out of here.”
“No. Not yet. By now, the humans will probably have mercenaries watching.”
“You want me to go along with the plan?” Nathan whispered furiously. His heart nearly stopped when Ta
nner waved at him across the parking lot, holding four coffees. Despite the emotions churning in his heart, he plastered a fake smile and waved back.
“Nathan, are you there?”
“Yes.”
“My wolves, including Kian and Noel will be there in a couple of hours. I want these humans to suspect nothing.”
Nathan said nothing for a few moments. “Are you planning on a slaughter, or do you plan on rescuing the captives as well?”
“Do you take me for a monster?”
“Yes, but we need a monster to lead this fight.”
Sergio actually chuckled on the other end. The Alpha had lost a sister too, Nathan remembered.
“Our primary goal is to rescue the captives and wreck the facilities.”
“What about Tanner and Kayden? They’re good guys. I mean, sure. They planned on betraying us, but they were doing this to save their brother.”
“They’re not under my jurisdiction. Their flock leader will deal with them.”
Hearing the front door to their room opening, Nathan decided he needed to end the call. “All right, I understand. I need to go.”
Sergio ended the call, and he looked up to see Ryan yawning. “Who’s that?”
“Kian,” he lied, heart racing. “I didn’t tell him anything.”
Ryan softened. “It fine, I understand where you’re coming from. Besides, by the time they get here, we’ve either successfully fulfilled the mission or…”
Ryan faltered. Nathan patted his arm and kissed him quickly on the lips.
“Think positive thoughts,” Nathan said. “Give me five minutes to shower.”
When Nathan came back out, freshly showered and dressed, he noticed Ryan had taken the overnight bag with him. For a second, he panicked. Did Ryan leave without him? Oh shit. This couldn’t be happening.
They wouldn’t go without him, right? Didn’t Kayden mention they needed a four-man crew for the job?
He ran out of the room only to see Ryan chatting with Kayden and Tanner by their car. Reaching them, he panted and glared at Ryan.
“What’s that look for, babe?” Ryan asked, offering him the extra cup of coffee.
