by Lori King
He threw his hands up and grinned at her. “Scout’s honor!”
“You aren’t a boy scout!” Thomas said with a laugh.
“No, but I’ll promise her the moon if she agrees to let me make love to her again,” Bryson answered, as he snagged KJ around the waist and drug her back into his lap. “For the record, ice, you’re damn hot when you’re pissed off.”
“I have a feeling you’ll be seeing me that way a lot between the two of you,” she said with a laugh.
As they settled into the bed, Bryson pulled her back flush against his front, and Thomas flipped the lamp off before climbing in and cuddling up to KJ’s front. It didn’t bother him when he felt his mate tangle one of her legs with Thomas’s, and it didn’t seem to matter to him that the knuckles of his hand were touching Thomas’s ribs. What mattered was the fact that his cock was pressed into the crease of KJ’s ass, and his hand was cupping her waist, holding her close. All the other details were trivial. After all, they were going to have to find a way to live together permanently, so touching was probably inevitable.
“Thank you for giving me another chance, peaches. I never want to hurt you,” Bryson whispered against the nape of her neck. He nuzzled against that soft skin, and kissed her gently.
“Mmm…thank you for being honest. If I had known that the sex was touching you as deeply as it was me, maybe I wouldn’t have reacted so emotionally,” she answered, shivering under his touch.
Thomas chuckled. “Something tells me that it won’t be the only emotional outburst we have to deal with.” A grunt of pain cut off anything else he might say and Bryson assumed KJ had just elbowed him for the snarky comment.
“The only thing important to me now is keeping you safe and happy, peaches. I know we have a learning curve ahead of us, but if you’ll be patient with me, I’ll do my best to make you happy.”
She turned her head and pressed a kiss to his lips instead of answering him, and he fell asleep with a smile on his face. Maybe this mate thing wouldn’t be so hard to get used to after all.
A hard knock on the door startled them all awake in the morning, and the two men both shot out of bed naked and tensed for attack. She relaxed when she heard the familiar voices of the other Gray Pack wolves talking just outside the motel room door. Why couldn’t they have shown up in a few hours, after they all woke up and made love again. The fun was clearly over, and she was horny as hell. Who knew a pair of hot men could have her feeling this loose and easy?
Bryson’s eyes widened and his nostrils flared as he picked up her arousal, but he just winked at her, and licked his lips. “We’ll pick up where we left off later, love.” His flaccid cock was thickening, and she couldn’t tear her eyes away from it. “For now it looks like the cavalry has arrived. Cover up those pretty titties, ice, unless you want your family to share in the view. They are a pretty shade of pink right now, and I remember how they taste like heaven.”
KJ blushed, and threw a pillow at him, as Thomas pulled his pants on before heading to the door.
“Thomas? KJ? You guys in there?”
“Are you sure you got the right room, Ry?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Devin said it was room eighty-eight. Maybe they are sleeping?”
“Or maybe there should be a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door?”
KJ felt the heat climbing in her cheeks as she buried her face in her hands. This was the most humiliated she had ever been. Not only was her brother going to find her naked in a motel room with two men, but the smell of arousal and mating lust was so strong it would probably keep the other wolves standing outside the door for a while until it cleared.
Thomas jerked the door open, and a sound that was eerily similar to a growl rumbled from his chest as he glared unhappily at the three men on the other side of it. Noah grinned when he spotted KJ in the bed, but Cash and Ryley’s attention was riveted on Bryson.
“Who the fuck are you?” Ryley asked, as Cash snarled. They were scenting Kaplan on Bryson, and if she didn’t do something quick shit was going to hit the fan.
“Stop! Wait! Ry, this is Bryson, my mate.” All eyes turned in her direction as she admitted the truth out loud. “Thomas and Bryson are both my mates.”
Ryley’s face went white, and Cash’s broke into a wide grin. “Well doesn’t that just beat all. You’re mated to a Kaplan?”
Bryson nodded. “I was a Kaplan. Now my place in life is with her.”
“Welcome to the family, man!” Cash said, stepping into the room and holding out his hand to Bryson. He drew up short, and frowned at Thomas. “What do you think about it, Doc?”
Thomas sighed. “Well it’s not like I got a whole lot of choice in the deal. I want the girl, and to keep the girl, I’ll have to keep the pet—I mean Bryson.”
Noah and Cash both laughed with Thomas, and Bryson even grinned, but Ryley stood frozen in the doorway. KJ moved over to him. “Ry? Are you okay? I know it’s kind of sudden, but my wolf wants what she wants, right?”
Ryley reached out and hugged her close. “You’re right. And as long as you’re happy, I’m happy. Now, let’s get you out of that sheet and into some clothes so that we can hit the road. We haven’t seen any sign of the Kaplans, but I don’t doubt that they are close.”
“Yeah, Nico will be furious that she’s gone, and someone will have pointed out my absence by now,” Bryson said, shaking Ryley’s hand. KJ watched with amusement as the two men both gripped each other’s hands tighter than was probably necessary, and sized each other up. The testosterone was as thick in the air as the scent of sex.
“Have you heard from Rafe?” KJ asked anxiously.
Ryley nodded and frowned. “Yes, they got there late last night.” When he didn’t go any further, she growled at him. “It’s not good, KJ. Rafe said she’s really sick.”
Her heart fell to her feet, but she swallowed hard against the tears that burned her eyeballs. “But she’s still alive?” Bryson was at her side immediately, and she wondered if her emotions were somehow reaching out for him. She let him wrap his arms around her as she waited with bated breath for Ryley’s next words.
“She was last night.”
“Then get your asses moving, boys. I need to get home.”
Chapter 8
“She’ll be all right, peaches. Stop worrying.” Bryson’s arm was wrapped around KJ’s shoulder. Her head was pillowed against his chest, and her gorgeous blonde hair tickled his chin. Thomas sat on her other side with her hand cupped in his, and his fingers dancing over her palm. Neither man hesitated when she climbed into the van. They both followed and settled themselves around her like guard dogs.
Once they got dressed, and past the whole Kaplan lineage, Bryson had more time to survey KJ’s older brother Ryley and the other two pack members present, cousins Cash and Noah Gray. Cash was a cowboy from head to toe, complete with a hat, large belt buckle in the shape of a wolf’s head, and scuffed boots. Noah was younger than the others, closer to Bryson’s age, with sandy brown hair, and lighter, hazel-colored eyes. He had a bulky build that was similar to Bryson’s, and he seemed to be the most nonchalant about the situation. Ryley looked so similar to KJ that it was a little off-putting at first, but all three guys were easygoing once they knew that Bryson wasn’t a threat, and he liked them instantly.
“Why do you call me that?” she asked without lifting her head.
“What? Peaches? Because your skin is the color of a ripe peach, and just about as soft. I’ve always loved peaches, and I’m already half in love with you.” Bryson waited for her reaction, and was relieved when she didn’t argue. He knew she wasn’t really ready to hear the words, but he wasn’t going to lie to her.
“And you? You call me little one, why?” She directed this question to Thomas, and Bryson chuckled, answering for him.
“You really have to ask? Peaches you barely reach his chin in your bare feet. Seems like a no-brainer to me.”
Thomas laughed, too, and smiled down at her. “He’s rig
ht, but those aren’t the words I would use. I see you as someone I want to protect, and care for. My own small piece of heaven. It would rip my heart out to lose you now, when I’ve just found you.”
KJ contemplated Thomas’s words for a few moments in silence, before responding. “You two do know you don’t have to butter me up with sweet words to get into my pants, right?”
Both men burst out in laughter, drawing the attention of the other three guys who had been chatting in the front part of the van.
“What’s so funny back there?” Ryley asked with a grin.
“Oh nothing, KJ is just setting the parameters for our relationship up front. Making sure we don’t get the wrong idea about her,” Thomas answered, lifting KJ’s hand to his lips.
“Good. If she can’t enforce those rules, I’ll help her out,” Ryley said with a wink at them all to let them know he was teasing.
Bryson let himself sink back into the seat, feeling more relaxed and carefree than he had in years. These people were nothing like the Kaplan Pack wolves, and he was relieved to find that he wanted to be a part of them. The sense of camaraderie and familial bond was nice.
“You never got around to giving us your bio, Rambo,” KJ said, shifting so that she was looking up at him, and he couldn’t resist pressing a quick kiss on her soft lips.
Her sigh of pleasure sent a wave of warmth through his chest, and he nuzzled her temple while he began to speak. “I guess we did get interrupted, didn’t we. Okay, well, I’m twenty-six, and I was born into the Kaplan Pack, if you haven’t already guessed. I have only been in Nico’s crew of Omegas for about three months, before that I was a regular guard for the pack back home in Alaska. When the opportunity to head south came up, I jumped on it. I’ve never really liked the cold weather or the long, deep dark of winter back home. My parents are still alive, but they are loyal to their Alpha, so we aren’t close. They don’t like hearing me talk badly about how the pack is run. I also have a pair of younger twin brothers, Ryan and Adam. They are only a year younger than I am, and they left the den to go to Anchorage for school. They both agreed with my views on the pack, but they chose to look for a way out of it. In fact a lot of wolves are leaving the Kaplan family lately.”
“Why?” Cash and Noah were both turned around to face him, while Ryley kept watch in the rearview mirror.
Bryson shrugged. “Evan Kaplan is a terrible Alpha. He tends to let Nicolas run things, while he indulges himself with a variety of women and other vices, spending pack money on his own personal desires. Nicolas is a strong leader, but he’s a mean bastard, so when he is back home at the den, everyone avoids him like the plague. Things are the calmest when he’s gone, but there is also no form of leadership.”
“So on good days a militant rogue with a grudge is leading the pack, and on bad days a male chauvinist with an addition problem is? Sounds like a blast, my friend,” Cash said with a hollow laugh.
“What did you do for Nicolas?” KJ asked, frowning.
“Mostly patrols, but recently we had started stepping it up around Quiver Creek. Before this assignment I had been part of the security detail that dealt with problem wolves and humans.”
“Problem wolves?” Cash asked the question they were all thinking and all eyes were on Bryson expectantly waiting for an explanation.
“Yep. Any wolf or human that disagreed with the Kaplans was banished from the pack, or gotten rid of.” Bryson felt the guilt creeping up his throat, but KJ’s eyes held no judgment.
“Have you ever killed someone for them?” she asked softly, and he hesitated. Part of him wanted to lie to her so the she wouldn’t know the details that sometimes woke him up at night, but it was impossible.
“Yes. It was my job, and I was good at it,” he said, trying to keep his expression bland. Her slow perusal of him had him fidgeting, and when she finally nodded her acceptance, all of the tension dissolved from his body. At least she wasn’t going to release him because of his past. Maybe they did stand a chance.
“Do you know why Nicolas had KJ kidnapped?” Noah asked.
“All I know is that we had orders to bring her in alive. Finding her with a human was a bit of a shock. I was at our temporary camp when they brought the two of them in, and the moment I realized she was my mate I started working out a plan to get her out of there. I hadn’t planned on a stowaway, but since she likes him I brought him along.” Thomas rolled his eyes, and Bryson grinned. Maybe having Tom as a partner wasn’t going to be as bad as he first thought. Just the mental images from last night were burned into his brain. Remembering had Bryson’s cock thickening behind his jeans, and he shifted to alleviate the pressure.
“Kaplan said that there was gold left by my grandfather? He wanted that, and he said he was going to make me his sex slave because Mom was too old for his taste now.”
“Oh that’s just sick,” Cash said looking pale faced.
Thomas and Bryson exchanged a look over KJ’s head. “It’s not going to happen, little one. We’re going to protect you. Now that we know that Nicolas is close by looking for you we’ll be even more cautious. How far out are we from Quiver Creek, Ryley?”
“Less than a half an hour now. Did anyone call Devin to let them know we picked you guys up safely?” Ryley asked.
“I’m on it now,” Cash said, pulling his cell phone from his pocket. After a moment he spoke. “Damon? Yeah, hi, it’s Cash. We have the packages safely in our possession…Yeah, both of them, and their mate.” Cash chuckled at whatever Damon said back, and glanced up to smile at the three of them cuddled together in the back seat. “Yeah, it seems that one of the Kaplan wolves and Thomas are both meant to be mated to KJ. Weird I know, but what can you do? We’re about a half an hour away now…Yeah, have you heard from Rafe’s crew? Good, we’ll see them when we get there then…Did the Diego Pack get to the den? What? Are you serious? Holy shit!”
Cash’s eyes shot to Ryley, and he looked stunned as he sat silently on the phone listening to what Damon was saying. He swallowed hard, and everyone tensed while they waited to find out what was happening back home. “Yeah, okay, well I’ll tell Rafe and Ryley, but don’t be shocked if they go ape shit and head for home immediately. Okay, we’ll see you guys soon. Bye.”
“Tell me what? What the hell is going on?” Ryley demanded. His blue eyes were hard and looked terrified. “Is Shandi okay?”
Cash held up his hands. “Shandi is fine! You can call her when we get to Quiver Creek to verify that. But Whitney seems to have found herself a pair of mates too.”
“What?” Noah, Thomas, and KJ all said at the same time. Bryson just watched the drama unfolding before him.
“Who is Whitney?” he whispered loudly to KJ.
“My little sister!” Ryley snarled, and Bryson frowned in confusion. “My adopted little sister. Cash, you better keep talking.”
“It seems that when the Diego Pack arrived at the den, our little Whitney came face-to-face with her own mates. Cadence Diego being one of them,” Cash said.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Noah said with a wide, shit-eating grin on his face. Ryley’s golden skin darkened with anger, and he glared at the road ahead of him, clenching his jaw.
“What is up with you Gray wolves and having multiple mates? Are your women that difficult that they need two men?” Bryson asked, and then yelped when KJ’s elbow found his kidney.
“Ry, you can’t stop it from happening, so just breathe through it. Whitney is a strong enough woman to handle an Alpha wolf as her mate. She will be fine,” Cash said calmly.
“So the Alpha challenge is done?” Noah asked.
Cash shook his head. “No, but there are only a few contenders, and my understanding is that Cadence has it in the bag. Whitney was born to be an Alpha Bitch. I have no doubt she’ll be okay.”
“I’ll call the den as soon as we get safely parked. I need to hear that from her,” Ryley said quietly, still looking like he wanted to rip something apart with his teeth.
>
“Why are the Diego Pack wolves having their Alpha challenge with you guys?” Bryson asked. Suddenly he was feeling very left out of the group, as he didn’t understand completely what was going on.
“The Diego Pack Alpha, Barton Diego, was killed when he attacked our Alpha Bitch, Caroline. He kidnapped her and Tina, Liam’s mate, and was going to kill them. Cadence Diego is his son, and next in line for being Alpha of the pack. Because he felt bad about Barton going psycho, Devin offered to host the Alpha challenge at the Gray Pack den. It will ensure that it’s fair.”
“So is Cadence Diego anything like his daddy?” Bryson asked, and then wished he would have kept his trap shut as Ryley growled from the front.
“He better not be.”
KJ sat between her two mates feeling anxious and horny, and trying her damnedest to stay focused on the conversation around her. Bryson’s arm encircled her, making her feel secure and warm, but the T-shirt plastered to his broad chest was thin enough that she could feel his muscles flexing whenever he spoke or laughed. It was torture to not be able to crawl into his lap, and seat herself on his still semi-hard cock. Her eyes kept drifting to the zipper of his jeans where she could clearly see that the bulge remained. When he caught her looking, he just smirked and winked.
Then there was Thomas, her human. His scent was very different from Bryson’s but the two combined made her feel like she was losing her mind. Every now and then he would turn those chocolate eyes her way, and look at her with such care and concern that she wanted to throw herself into his arms and never come out. He seemed to enjoy taking care of her, and as much as she liked her independence, being doted on was kind of nice.
Thomas was currently drawing lazy figure eights on her palm with the tip of his finger. Every stroke over her skin sent a ripple of heat through her body straight to her clit. She glanced up to find his smoldering gaze on her, and his full lips quirked up in a grin. She loved that look on his face already, and it irritated the human side of her. So much for exploring her freedom and sowing her wild oats. Once she had assured herself of her family’s safety and clarified plans to load the pack up for Kansas City, she planned on locking Thomas and Bryson in a room with her until the mating lust was sated. Her wolf needed them, and if she was honest, her heart was already involved. Fuck a duck, she thought to herself, I can’t believe I’m one of those women who falls so easily.
