by Lynn Hagen
“Who is crying about having to use an outhouse?” Eagle interjected.
“An outhouse?” Max was horrified. The damn things were germ factories. “They use outhouses?”
“Don’t worry, Max,” Eagle said as he reached across Chey to rub a knuckle on the side of Max’s face. “I’ll protect you from any snakes that try to bite your sexy little ass.”
Max swallowed hard, wondering if maybe he shouldn’t have stayed with the eastern pack while his mates helped out with the fey. “There are snakes in the outhouse?”
“Oh, my god,” Chey said as he chuckled. “You are going to be so easy to mess with.”
“One of the Lakeland bears has been asked to be the leader until a new one is found. He will probably bring comfort amenities with him,” Eagle said and Max knew his mate was trying to ease his mind. He was glad Eagle was doing much better since being healed from his past, but Max could do without the razzing.
He wasn’t an outdoor wuss. He really wasn’t. But damn, an outhouse? What happened when the thing got full? Max wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
“I’ll keep your mind occupied,” Chey said as he leaned up toward Max and began to nibble on his ear. “I’ll make you forget all about bugs and straw beds.”
Oh, god. Straw beds. Max was going to kill Zeus when they got back to the eastern pack of grey wolves. Although Chey promising to keep him occupied was sounding real good to Max. He loved having the small omega under him, begging to get fucked or to suck his or Eagle’s cock.
Maybe the great outdoors wasn’t going to be so bad after all.
Chapter Four
Riley pulled into the small village, wondering how in the hell he was going to pull this tribe together. From what Maverick had told him over the phone before he left the ranch, the wood elves were causing nothing but mayhem and chaos with the shadow elves and any other paranormal creature that came their way.
He wasn’t sure how receptive they were going to be with a bear shifter coming to pull them together. And the more he thought about what possibly might happen, the more he was glad he had left Sterling in the care of his family. Just the thought of anyone trying to harm his mate made Riley’s bear want to tear someone’s throat out.
He put the truck in park, missing Sterling already. This wasn’t home, and Riley would do the best job that he could, but he missed the exuberant man. He never thought he would see the day he yearned for a guy who talked his ear off, patted his ass, and snapped his fingers, making Riley jump.
Gods, he really was becoming dick-whipped, and he hadn’t even slept with the guy.
Riley climbed from his truck, stuffing the keys in his pocket, and then walked around back to the horse trailer, opening the gate and backing Warrior out. There was no way he was living here without a horse to ride.
He saw some of the wood elves coming out of their huts, staring at him curiously. Riley watched as one of them approached him, the guy’s hands tucked behind his back. He instantly went on alert.
“Let me see your hands, elf.” It wasn’t a request, and Riley growled the words out menacingly. He had to establish from the beginning who was in charge here.
The man splayed his hands in front of his body, but glared at Riley. “Elven, not elf. Do I look three feet tall to you? An elf is a short little creature, which I most certainly am not. You may refer to us as fey if you wish. We are both, but not elf!”
This man was asking to get knocked on his ass and Riley hadn’t even been there five damn minutes. The hostility coming off of the guy could have been cut with a knife as Riley walked Warrior over to the closest tree and tied him off.
“Who is in charge here?” He wanted to know who thought they were in charge. He was given a job to do, and Riley was going to try his damnedest to get it done. He just prayed like hell that Ahm found a replacement soon. He could tell this wasn’t going to be a picnic.
“I am.” The man sneered the words. “Who are you, and why are you unloading in my village?”
His village?
“Ahm sent me.”
The little shit grew quiet, his eyes raking over Riley like he was the scum on the bottom of the man’s bare foot. “He’s not one of our elders. He doesn’t have a right to ask you to come here. He isn’t even a wood elven. He’s shadow.”
And the politics begin.
Riley opened his mouth to give the elven man a piece of his mind when he heard small squeals coming from the back of his truck. Walking away from the elven, Riley stopped when he reached the tailgate and listened closely.
“Hush, Bacon, before you get us caught.”
Riley grabbed the edge of the tarp and pulled it up, groaning when he saw Sterling lying between his luggage bags, Bacon tucked tightly in his arms. “What are you doing here, Sterling?”
Sterling gasped and looked around the bed of the truck. “This isn’t my bed.”
“No shit,” Riley snapped as he released the tarp and slapped his hands on his hips. It kept him from trying to strangle Sterling. “I told you to stay with my family, Sterling. I have no idea how these elves are going to act.”
“Elven,” the elven man standing close by corrected Riley. “And why would we harm a human? He hasn’t done anything to offend us. It was your father’s mate who killed our leader. How dare Ahm send the killer’s family to guide us!”
Riley moved closer to Sterling, ready to protect his mate if this guy tried anything. He was pretty sure he could take the man down, but he was one bear, and there were plenty of elves.
“If you harm my mate, you won’t live long enough to regret it,” Riley threatened.
“Whoa,” Sterling said as he pushed from the bed of the truck, holding Bacon close. “I’m your mate, and you didn’t tell me?”
Sterling sounded pissed off, and Riley was not in the mood to deal with an irate elven and a pissed-off mate at the same time. “We’ll discuss this later, Sterling.”
“Oh, buddy, you better believe we will.” Sterling turned toward the elven, the angry lines on his face softening. “I’m Sterling. Who are you?”
“I am called Iam.”
“You are…what?” Sterling asked, looking confused as hell.
“No, I-A-M.”
“Oh.” Sterling blinked a few times at the man, and Riley knew his mate still didn’t understand. The look was adorable, even though Riley was pissed at his mate. The man just couldn’t seem to stop putting himself in harm’s way. The idea of tying Sterling up came to mind, but Riley had a feeling the man would somehow find a way out of his bindings.
The dark-blond human was going to be Riley’s downfall.
“Do you have a bathroom?” Sterling asked as he quickly glanced around. “That was a long trip.”
“Over there.” Iam pointed to an outhouse.
Sterling shoved Bacon into Riley’s arms and then took off across the village. Riley growled and went after his mate. He didn’t like Sterling so far away from him when he didn’t know if these men were hostile or not. And from the way Iam was acting, he was beginning to think he would have to shove Sterling in his front pocket to keep the man safe.
Sterling was holding a small bottle of blue stuff between his lips and rubbing his hands together furiously as he stepped out of the outhouse. Riley arched an eyebrow at the guy. Sterling rolled his eyes, finished rubbing his hands together, and then shoved the little bottle into his pants.
“There’s no sink to wash your hands,” Sterling whispered. “Do you know how unsanitary that is? I’m not sure I would shake anyone’s hand if I were you. They could be filled with germs and then if you rub your hand on your face…” Sterling shivered. “People aren’t aware of how often they actually touch their faces. Just don’t touch anyone.”
Riley gave his head a quick shake as his mate complained about unsanitary conditions but took the piglet back into his arms. Sterling even started crooning to the damn thing, kissed it on the head, and then started back toward the truck.
And he thought t
he bathroom was unsanitary?
“I would be happy to take the piglet to the cooking dwelling if you so wish,” Iam said.
Riley froze for a moment when he heard those words and then took off running after Sterling. He could just see where this conversation was going, and this time he was afraid for the wood elf.
“Really?” Sterling said as he started to hand the pig over, Iam extending his arms, reaching for Bacon. “That would be so nice. He needs some milk.”
“Milk?” Iam asked slowly, looking a bit shocked as his hands slowly lowered.
“Yes,” Sterling said with a nod and a smile. “He has to eat every few hours. He’s just a baby.”
Riley skidded to a stop and tucked his lips in when Iam sent him a confused look. Don’t say it, don’t say it, he prayed, hoping Iam would keep his mouth shut. Sterling would go ballistic.
“I am confused,” Iam said.
He was gonna say it.
“If he is to be prepared for dinner, why would we feed him milk?”
Damn! He said it.
Sterling inhaled sharply and tucked Bacon against his chest, looking at Iam as if he was the devil himself. “I would never eat Bacon. He’s just a baby. You are barbaric. Why would you eat a baby? You should be locked up!”
Riley’s mouth dropped as Sterling kicked Iam right in the shin and then spun around and stalked off. Yep, Sterling had gone ballistic. He was just surprised that Iam was still standing, even if he was hopping around, rubbing his shin.
“He is insane.”
Riley narrowed his eyes at the man. He might think Sterling was a little strange, but no one had the right to call his mate names. “His name is Sterling, and he is not insane.” Riley couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of his mouth, but he was helpless to stop them. “He loves Bacon, and the first person that even thinks about cooking that little pig will have to answer to me.”
“Just who the hell are you anyway?” Iam snapped as he lowered his leg to the ground. “We do not need outsiders here. You should leave.”
“Yeah, not an option, elf boy.” Wow, he wasn’t going to win friends that way. “Maverick sent me to bring your backwoods asses into the current century. He would like it if it was done without bloodshed. I’m not so picky.”
Sterling sat on the tailgate of the truck, cradling Bacon to his chest. He kept his face hidden in the pig’s sparse hair so no one would see the tears welling up in his eyes. He didn’t know what made him angrier—that someone wanted to eat his precious pig or that Riley knew they were mates and never said anything.
Sterling wasn’t stupid. He knew what mates were. He had seen the men around the Lakeland house, including his own brother. He saw how things were between mates—the closeness, the love they shared. He wanted that for himself. And he wanted it with Riley.
In the beginning, Sterling had pushed Riley’s gruff nature to the side, knowing that the man wasn’t used to someone like him. Not many people were. Darcy always said that Sterling was an acquired taste. Some people liked him, and some people didn’t.
There were little things that Riley did, like giving him Bacon, that made Sterling believe that Riley liked him. Now, he wasn’t so sure.
The man hadn’t said anything about them being mates.
Sterling sniffled as pain filled him up like a cup. There wasn’t an inch of his body that didn’t ache. Sterling had to wonder just how much agony a single person could take before he folded.
He lifted his head and stared over to where Riley was talking with Iam. His mate. His big, beautiful, stinking, lying mate. Well, Sterling supposed that Riley hadn’t really lied. He just hadn’t told the truth. A lie by omission was still a lie.
But at least the truth had finally come out and Sterling knew that the things he had wanted, had dreamed of, were never going to be. Riley clearly didn’t want him like a mate wanted another mate.
Fine.
Sterling got the picture loud and clear. He’d leave the village and go back to the ranch at the first opportunity. And from there, who knew. Maybe he’d find a place in town. Maybe Cody would let him rent the room over the diner. And that was assuming Cody took pets.
Sterling hugged Bacon to him, needing to feel like someone wanted him. Riley sure as shit didn’t. Sterling wondered why the guy even talked to him. And then he felt even worse when he realized that the only reason Riley talked to him was because he pushed himself off on the guy. Riley had tried in a million different ways to avoid him. Sterling just hadn’t taken the hint.
He got it now.
Boy, had he gotten it.
It wasn’t something Sterling ever thought he would forget, not again. Riley didn’t want him even though he knew that they were mates. No wonder Riley was always trying to push him off onto someone else. The man could barely stand in the same room with him.
Sterling wiped his sleeve over his wet eyes and then leaned back to grab the bag he had packed when he had idyllic notions of running off into the sunset with Riley. He looped the bag strap over his shoulder and scooted to the edge of the truck bed, hopping down.
There had to be a way out of this godforsaken place. Sterling started to walk toward a dirt road and then stopped when a dark truck turned into the village and headed his way. He wasn’t sure who it was, so he spun around on his heel and headed toward Riley. As much as he didn’t want to rely on the bear for help, he wasn’t stupid enough to be near strangers in this unfamiliar place.
Riley’s head snapped toward Sterling, and then he looked past him at the truck approaching. For a moment a dark cloud had entered the bear’s eyes, but then the clouds cleared and a confused look replaced the expression.
“What are they doing here?” Riley asked as he walked past Sterling.
“You know who it is?” Sterling asked as he glanced over his shoulder at the truck that was drawing closer.
“Yeah. I know Eagle and Chey from the time they came over to help Tater with a small problem. But I don’t know the black-haired man sitting on the end. Go over by Warrior, Sterling.” Riley pointed toward his horse that was tethered to a tree about twenty feet away.
“But—”
Riley clenched his jaw, and then ran his hand over his head, sighing. “Please.”
Sterling didn’t like being relegated over to where the horse was, but he could see the worry in Riley’s grey eyes. If he hadn’t just found out that Riley was his mate and had withheld that information, Sterling would actually think the man cared.
Sterling rolled his eyes. “Fine.”
“Thank you.”
“Whatever,” he grumbled as he tucked Bacon under his arm and headed over toward the horse. But once Riley turned his back, Sterling walked back over by the newcomers. He was pretty sure that Riley could take care of anyone trying to harm Sterling. The man was a bear after all.
What could beat a bear?
He walked to the other side of Riley’s truck and ducked down, watching.
“Chey, Eagle,” Riley said as the men climbed from the truck. “What brings you this way?”
The guy Riley called Eagle and the unknown black-haired man stepped close to the short one Riley had called Chey, as if protecting him. Sterling rolled his eyes. As if anyone can beat my bear.
Sterling bit his bottom lip as he remembered that Riley wasn’t his bear. He man had made it quite clear that he wasn’t Sterling’s anything.
“Maverick called Zeus and asked for healers,” Eagle said. “He told us that the healer of the elves was missing.”
“Elven,” Iam heatedly corrected the man. “Why can’t you shifters get it right?”
Sterling walked over to Riley’s truck and sat on the ground, placing Bacon in his lap as he stroked the pig’s head and listened.
“Where do we unload?” Eagle asked.
Sterling got back up and peeked at Riley.
“Iam?” Riley turned to the look at the elven man.
“We only have two dwellings available. You men will have t
o work out the living arrangements,” Iam answered and then pointed over at two huts behind Riley’s truck. “I’m going to go find Ahm and see why the shadow elven would invite shifters into our village.”
Iam walked away in a huff, his lips so thin that the edges had turned white. His hands were fisted, and his arms swung heavily back and forth as the fey headed toward the woods. Sterling was curious about where the man was going, but turned his attention back to the four men standing on the other side of the truck.
“Riley, this is my other mate, Dr. Maximus Samuel.”
Sterling closed his eyes at the word mate. It seemed everyone had one. So why was his mate denying him? Sterling just couldn’t figure it out. Was he that unlovable? He knew he could be a pain in the ass, but he hadn’t thought he was that bad.
“I guess we’ll take the hut on the right,” the doctor said and then headed toward the back of their truck.
“Once you gentlemen are settled, come see me. We should discuss what needs to be done around here and what problems the wood elves have been having,” Riley said.
Sterling leaned his back against the door of the truck and slid down to his bottom, wondering where he was going to sleep. It was painfully obvious that Riley didn’t want him around. He could leave the village, but it was getting dark and Sterling was not in favor of walking in the pitch black of night.
He chuckled to himself. When he and his brother first arrived in Brac Village, Darcy had teased him about bears coming out of the woods. Sterling had no damn clue at the time that one would be fated to him.
Gods, what a fucked-up mess he was in.
“You’re not by Warrior, Sterling.”
Sterling glanced up to see Riley towering over him. He shrugged his shoulders as his fingers gently slid down Bacon’s back. “I was safe, wasn’t I?” he mumbled as he pushed to his feet. “I’m pretty damn capable of taking care of myself, Riley. I don’t need a bear to do that for me. I’ve been looking out for myself for a long time now.” Sterling rounded the truck and saw which hut the others were unloading in, so he headed for the other one.
