by Alanea Alder
* * * *
To Abby’s surprise, Rebecca, her mate Aleks, and most of the Inner Court and their mates showed up that evening at the bar. Abby’s heart melted a bit. She knew that Rebecca was doing her damnedest to make sure she felt welcome.
“Ma said she’d watch the boys overnight to give us a break. She and Pa are in grandparent heaven.” Rebecca twirled on the barstool next to Abby. Not even turning from his conversation with Liam, Aleks reached behind him and stopped Rebecca mid twirl. Rebecca stuck her tongue out at her mate and turned forward to face Rhys.
“Rhys, what’s my drink? You gave everyone else a drink except me.” Rebecca pouted. Abby’s ears perked up.
“What’s this?” she asked, and Rhys winked at her.
“I’ve been behind a bar all of my life. I can usually guess what my customer wants and mix it up for them.” Rhys stepped back and eyed Rebecca up and down.
“I don’t think I’ve ever given anyone this designation.” He looked at Abby, then at Rebecca and closed his eyes, shaking his head.
“What?” Rebecca and Abby leaned in together.
“Abby, you are the Three Wise Men. Three sweet, good ole boys from Tennessee, Jim Beam, Johnnie Walker and Jack Daniels. Smooth but potent, with slight possibilities for disaster.” Rhys turned to Rebecca.
“Baby girl, you’re the Four Horsemen. You’re the Three Wise Men, plus one shot from a devilish bastard that goes by the name of Jose Cuervo. You and Abby combined could bring about the next apocalypse.”
“Please don’t tell me that.” Aleks groaned. Liam leaned over and wrapped his arms around Aleks rubbing his back. It went on for a minute and Abby caught Kent giving his mate a curious look.
“Aleks, I’m here for you.” Liam breathed into Alek’s ear and continued to rub circles on the bear shifter’s back.
“Uncomfortable yet?” Liam asked, grinning wickedly. Aleks yawned and lay his head down on the bar.
“Rub lower, I did my rounds today talking to everyone in town, my lower back is killing me,” Aleks said, sounding half-asleep already. Liam stopped and looked at Aleks, disgusted. He turned to where Rian and Damian were catching up with Bethy and Asling.
“Rian, I need you to babysit Aidhan more often. Aleks is exhausted and is not responding to any of my well-thought-out digs.”
“Let me get this straight. You want me to babysit BooBear so that Aleks will get more sleep so he is awake enough for you to torture?”
“Yup.” Liam nodded.
“Okay.” Rian shrugged.
“Y’all are bad.” Bethy giggled.
“Okay, what about me?” Giddey asked from the end of the bar.
“You’re easy, Giddey. You’re a New Orleans Hand Grenade. A harmonious blend of vodka, gin, rum and melon liquor that is hijacked by the out-of-control presence of grain alcohol. It’s the kind of drink you have and the next morning are wondering what state and or country you’re in.”
Giddey’s eyes widened.
“I have to try that!”
“Me too, I wanna try mine,” Rebecca said.
“No,” was Alek’s muffled response.
“But it’s my drink.”
“No.” Aleks repeated, his face still on the bar.
“I want…”
“No.”
“But.”
Aleks sat up and turned to look at Rebecca. He leaned in and whispered something so low that Abby couldn’t hear what he said. When he sat back, Rebecca’s face was tomato red. She quirked an eyebrow.
“Promise?”
Aleks nodded.
“Just orange juice for me please.”
Abby sniffled a little.
“He really does know you, and loves you anyway.”
“Hey! I think.” Rebecca eyed her with suspicion.
“AbbyGirl, you want to try your drink?” Rhys asked, running his fingers over her hand at the bar. Normally she would definitely be reaching for some liquid courage, but she knew that she would need to be clearheaded tonight. Seducing Rhys was way more enticing than a drink. She shook her head.
“No, I’ll just have a coke for tonight.” Rhys brought her hand up and kissed her fingers before turning to get their drinks. Her heart melted. She was falling in love with him so quickly.
“Well, I might as well work on my crochet. I taught myself so I could make Boo a blanket.” Rebecca reached into her backpack and pulled out a ball of yarn and a knotted mess. Abby couldn’t make heads or tails of it, but Rebecca was so proud of her progress she didn’t have the heart to tell her it looked like a fishing net.
“Giddey, who’s driving you later?” Rhys asked, holding his drink back.
“He’s staying with us at the pride house a few days before settling in with Connor and Madison. We’re driving him back,” Rian said, holding up his beer. Rhys nodded and handed the drink over to Giddey.
“Sweet baby Elton, this is perfect. Rhys, you are a god!” Giddey took another sip and sighed happily.
“Elton?” Abby asked, curious.
“Elton John, my idol,” Giddey explained.
“Well we’re off,” Ms. Tully said, walking past where they sat.
“Rhys, son, you have been a breath of fresh air in this bar. Your drinks are so lovely.” Ms. Tully patted Rhys’s hand in a motherly fashion.
“Thank you, Annabeth.” Rhys winked and flirted with the older woman.
“Oh, oh my. You rascal.” Ms. Tully giggled like a schoolgirl. She looked down where Rebecca had her crochet needle twisted up with her yarn. She looked at it for a moment and then at Rebecca, whose tongue was sticking out the side of her mouth in concentration.
“Baby girl, what on earth are you making?”
“A baby blanket.” Rebecca held up the “blanket” with sections large enough to pass a hand through.
“Why on earth are you using bondage knots to make a baby blanket?” The conversations in the bar stopped and everyone turned to look at Rebecca’s creation.
“Bondage?” Rebecca squeaked.
“Yes dear, you have made some lovely patterns which would look simply divine on your bear, but I don’t see how it can be used for a blanket.” Ms. Tully took the knot work from Rebecca and turned it over in her hands.
“Rebecca, where in the hell did you learn to crochet?” Abby asked, trying not to laugh.
“A YouTube video, Pleasures of Knotwork.”
Ms. Tully clucked her tongue.
“You mean the Knots of Pleasure video. Yes, I enjoyed that one. That was a video about shibari dear, not crochet.” Ms. Tully handed the piece back to Rebecca who was eyeing Aleks covertly, before a panicked look crossed her face.
“So you mean that website was ‘adult’ oriented?”
“Yes, dear.”
“Oh my god. I ordered my swing from there. I wanted to get a swing for the back yard so that I could swing with Aidhan in his baby swing. What kind of adult swing would they sell on that site?” Rebecca looked around, the picture of innocence.
Abby couldn’t help it. She was howling with laughter and beating the bar with one hand. Aleks was now sitting up straight, very alert and looking at his mate.
“You ordered an adult swing?” he asked, his eyes wide.
“Yup, it was that box that came earlier this week. I wondered where all the bars and stuff were, I thought maybe they just sent the swing part and the rest would come via freight or something.” Rebecca slumped down looking defeated.
“You mean to tell me there is an adult swing in our house and Ma is watching Aidhan tonight?” Aleks asked, suddenly not looking that tired at all.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
Aleks stood, dropped fifty dollars on the bar, grabbed Rebecca’s backpack with one hand and threw his tiny mate over his shoulder with the other.
“Night everyone,” Aleks said, heading to the door.
“Neanderthal! See you in the morning, Abby!” Rebecca waved and the door shut behind them.
“Oh my,�
�� Ms. Tully said, smiling wide.
“I want a Neanderthal to carry me around like that.” Giddey sighed and sipped his drink again.
“I’m taking bets she comes up pregnant in a couple weeks.” Rian laughed.
“That was so hot,” Sebastian said, and Ashby sighed in agreement. Kate was fanning herself. Gabriel, Liam, Kent, Caleb and Bran shared a look before sweeping their mates over their shoulders and heading out of the bar. After the sounds of squeals and giggling faded Nic, Rian, Damian, Giddey, Bethy and Asling all burst out laughing.
“You young people.” Ms. Tully winked at Rhys and walked out as well.
“It’s so different here. Everyone is so happy and comfortable to be who they are.” Bethy smiled happily.
“It was different before Rebecca. Ma made sure no one got picked on, but it was Rebecca that really made us family,” Damian said.
“She was like that in college too. Cassandra, Meg, Camille and I would hang out together because it was better than hanging out with some of the humans, but Rebecca made us like sisters.” Abby felt a large, warm hand on her lower back.
“It’s her gift.” Moe nuzzled the side of her neck and moved away to wipe down the counter. Abby noticed that he was doing every small thing he could to ensure that closing down the bar would go quickly. She was just about to ask for some pretzels when Peyton came running up to Rian and Damian.
“I’m on the last level but I don’t know what to do.” Peyton hopped from foot to foot frantically. Rian and Damian exchanged looks and stood up quickly.
“We’re coming, little buddy.” They quickly followed behind Peyton. Bethy, Asling, Giddey and Nic stood drinks in hand and followed.
“It’s bound to be interesting,” Nic said, and they all sat down at the table next to where Peyton, Rian and Damian sat facing the large television screen.
Abby turned to Rhys, playing with the straw in her drink.
“Any chance I’ll get as lucky as Rebecca tonight?”
“I’m sure we can figure something out.” Rhys started tracing his finger along the back of her hand sending shivers down her spine. Feeling spunky and aroused as hell, she pulled Rhys’s hand to her mouth and sucked on his pointer and middle fingers. She drew them deep into her mouth and out again mimicking what she had done to him earlier. She heard his breathing become labored and he pulled his fingers from her mouth to lean against the bar trying to catch his breath.
“No fair, AbbyGirl, I still gotta work.” Rhys’s eyes burned with desire.
“I look forward to you getting off…work.” She grinned and hopped off her barstool. She grabbed her drink and swung her hips from side to side as she walked away, leaving Rhys groaning behind her.
When she sat down, Giddey simply held up his fist. Without saying a word she gave him a fist bump and settled in to watch sweet Peyton kill his zombies.
Chapter 9
“Everything put away?”
“Check.”
“Locked up?”
“Check.”
“Turned off?”
“Check.”
Rhys eyed Abby as she stood by the stairs, her arms crossed, leaning against the doorway. She had been watching them in amusement as they raced around like mad men closing the bar. Peyton had gone to bed an hour ago completely wiped from celebrating his victory.
“Ready for bed?” Moe asked.
“Check and check.” Rhys grinned and then they turned their gaze to her. For a second she looked like a lone gazelle in the open on the plains. When Rhys shifted his weight forward she gave an undignified yelp and ran up the stairs. He and Moe took turns reaching out to pinch her rear or run a finger down her back. Screeching and laughing at the same time she hit their apartment door at a run and ran straight for the bed.
She hopped on and sat at the end grinning at them.
“Gorgeous isn’t she?” Moe asked, removing his shirt and pants already. Rhys not to be outdone quickly pulled his shirt over his head and dropped his pants.
“Rhys, can we try something?” Abby’s voice sounded hesitant. Rhys stopped.
“Of course, we can try anything you want.” He walked over and sat beside her on the bed.
“We’re your mates. You can ask us for anything.” Abby dropped her eyes guiltily.
“Abby wants you to try and claim her,” Moe said, gently sitting on the other side of Abby, comfortable in his nudity. Rhys stood, shaking his head.
“No! Absolutely not. I’ll hurt you.”
“Rhys, I don’t think you will. If you get out of hand, Moe is here, he can pull you away. I think once you taste our blood and see that it’s not the same as the others, that the blood lust won’t be triggered. Then you can easily claim me and Moe.” She stood and walked over to him. She tried to wrap her arms around him but he moved to step away from her. He shook his head over and over again. He paced the floor in front of the bed, rubbing his arms. He hated to see the rejected look on her face, but he couldn’t risk hurting his sweet girl.
“Maybe we’re pushing him too far.” Moe looked torn.
“Bullshit. He can do this, he will do this. Fate has made us a ménage mating and dammit we’re going to be mates. Rhys, all I’m asking is that we try. Just once,” Abby pleaded.
Rhys felt like he couldn’t think. He felt cornered.
“Rhys, please?” Moe asked, his voice quiet and sad. Rhys stopped his pacing and looked at his mate. Until Abby he had had no idea how much Moe was sacrificing every day denying the need to claim him. This man had dropped everything to nurse him back to health, opened his home and his heart to him. He looked at Abby, her eyes pleading. He knew she was trying to help him. There was nothing he wanted more than to claim his mates. He had to try, at least once, he owed them no less.
“I get to say when it’s too much,” Rhys said, taking a step forward. Moe’s eyes brightened.
“Of course, baby. How do you want to do this?” Moe beamed at him, Rhys could tell he was proud of his efforts to try, he swallowed past the knot forming in his throat. He needed to do better by his mates.
“You have me now,” Abby reminded him, taking his hand and winking. Rhys felt his chest loosen. He smiled down at his beautiful mate. She was an unexpected gift. He couldn’t deny them both. He let her lead him to the bed.
“If we’re going to do this you need to be naked,” Rhys said, pointing to himself and Moe’s unclothed state.
“Not a problem.” Abby shimmied out of her clothes and was standing naked in front of him almost before he could blink. Her hands hovered over her stomach for a split second before she let them fall. She looked up at them shyly. He could see that she was starting to really believe them when they said she was beautiful.
“Rhys, your call. How do you want to try this?” Moe asked.
Rhys thought about it. He needed to be positioned where Moe could restrain him.
“How about if I sit between your legs and Abby rides me?” Rhys looked at Abby.
“God it will be so hot seeing Moe behind you.” Abby shivered in pleasure.
“Giddyup.” Rhys gave her a sultry look.
Moe climbed onto the bed and Rhys was right after him. He watched Moe’s perfect ass crawl up to the head of the bed when a flash of green caught his eye.
“Are you wearing a butt plug?” Rhys asked, incredulous. Moe’s cheeks tinted pink as he nodded.
“I was hoping that if all goes well with Abby, we can claim each other tonight too.”
“I get to tease you with that next time.” Abby licked her lips and Moe groaned.
Rhys quickly got settled at the juncture of Moe’s thighs. He could feel his mate’s thick, hard cock hot against his back.
Slowly Abby crawled up the bed, her breasts swinging as she moved.
“Fuck!” Moe moved and Rhys could feel a slight wetness on his lower back. Their other mate was primed and ready to blow.
“As much as I want to enjoy this moment, I think we should try this hard and fast. I don’t want to
draw this out and give the bloodlust more opportunity to rise.” Abby straddled Rhys and for the first time guided his cock into her slick, hot core.
“Fuck, I need you to move, AbbyGirl.” Rhys ground his teeth together.
Slowly she undulated her hips, she rocked backward, pulling away before slamming her hips forward. Each movement had her sheathing and unsheathing herself on his cock. The second her breathing hitched he knew she had found the perfect position. She moved her body over his, over and over again rubbing the head of his dick over a certain spot inside of her. Rhys felt his fangs burst through his gums. He was dying to sink them into her as deep as his cock.
“Oh God, Rhys, hurry!” she moaned. Moe took that has his cue and leaned forward to wrap an arm around Rhys’s upper chest.
Rhys couldn’t fight the need to bite her a second longer. He pulled her forward and ran his fangs down her neck.
“Rhys!” Abby’s scream was shrill as he felt her body convulse around him, signaling her orgasm.
Without hesitation, Rhys struck. He sank his fangs deep and drank.
God she tastes so damn good!
Rhys drank and drank. He waited for the fire to hit his bloodstream, but, nothing happened. He pulled back and stared at the two dainty holes on her neck. Her blood was good, but he could stop. It wasn’t like the blood from the bags.
A low growl caught his attention and he looked up to see a blur of movement before he felt Abby’s canines in his neck. He shuddered as pleasure coursed through him. He felt his soul lift and merge with Abby’s which carried a piece of Moe. They spun together like a mini tornado before coming to rest in their bodies.
Abby, on shaky legs, climbed off.
“Claim Moe, hurry!” Rhys moved faster than he ever had in his life. He turned and grabbed Moe’s legs with both hands. He pulled his mate forward and pulled out the green butt plug. When he looked down he saw Moe looking up at him with such love in his eyes it was nearly his undoing.
He thrust into his large mate and dropped his head back. It was pure pleasure. Moe reached up and pulled Rhys nearly on top of him. Rhys kissed Moe with the desperation of a starving man. He pounded deep into his mate branding him as his for eternity.
