Were wolf Claimed bcp-oc-4

by Marisa Chenery

  Wyatt didn’t take any longer than he needed in the shower. After toweling off, he returned to the bedroom and pulled on some athletic shorts and a tank top. It was supposed be another hot summer day in Muskoka. Draven had also mentioned after he’d woken Wyatt up for the second time that he wanted to go for a walk in the bush with him. Wyatt had been quick to say he’d tag along.

  Dressed, Wyatt headed downstairs. The smell of bacon made his stomach growl again. He probably could eat a whole pound of it himself, he was that hungry. Entering the kitchen, he saw Draven set two heaping plates of bacon and fluffy-looking scrambled eggs on the table. Seeing Wyatt, he crossed the room and took him in his arms. The kiss he laid on him had Wyatt’s cock twitching with interest. Mentally telling it to forget, Wyatt released Draven’s lips.

  “Mmm, that was nice,” he said. “But right now food is taking precedence over sex. My stomach is about to eat itself.”

  Draven laughed. “Then I’d better feed you. Go sit down. The food is ready.”

  Wyatt took a seat and pulled the plate closer. He picked up his fork and scooped a large amount of the eggs into his mouth. After that, he practically inhaled the rest of the food in front of him. He was up getting himself seconds before Draven had even finished his first helping.

  “Don’t worry, I left you some,” he said as Draven glanced at his full plate.

  “I’m not. I made extra, thinking we’d both eat lots.” Draven dished up the last of the eggs and bacon for himself and sat once again. “So you’re still willing to go for a walk in the bush with me?”

  “Of course. Just as long as we don’t get lost in it for days.”

  Draven chuckled. “It’s just on my property, and I’ve walked it so many times, there is no way we’d lose our way. I know it like the back of my hand.” He paused, then said, “I also thought it would be a good time to talk more. Get to know each other better.” Draven met his gaze. “Talk about our future together.”

  Wyatt swallowed his mouthful and nodded. “I’d like that. Plus, it has the added advantage of getting us away from any nearby beds. If we stay inside, I think we’d be fucking more than talking.”

  Draven shook his head and smiled. “Probably, but what’s to stop us from getting naked and doing it against a tree? There will be no one around to see us.”

  “Don’t tempt me.”

  “You’re the one who brought up the subject of sex,” Draven said with a laugh.

  “Okay, you got me on that one. So when do you want to go on this walk?”

  “In a few minutes.” Draven glanced at Wyatt’s plate. “Since you’ve just about inhaled all your food again, why don’t you go wait for me outside? It will only take me a few minutes.”

  Popping the last piece of bacon into his mouth, Wyatt nodded and stood. “I’ll do that. If you don’t see me at the back of the house, I’ll be at the dock.”

  Wyatt headed outside. He walked around the side of the house and down toward the dock. The sun reflected off the water, making it seem even brighter. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. He hoped the weather would stay this nice for the rest of his holiday, not that he wouldn’t mind being stuck in the lake house with Draven. They would find something to do to entertain themselves.

  He walked to the end of the dock, turning into the slight breeze that blew in his face. He smiled and searched the lake when he heard the tremolo call of the common loon. Shading his eyes with his hand, Wyatt spotted the bird way out in the water. It made the call again. Some people thought it sounded like insane laughter. It was actually a series of notes voiced rapidly in different degrees of frequency and intensity. The one Wyatt loved hearing the most was the wail of the loon. The bird only did it in the evenings and at night, and it could be heard for miles. Wyatt thought it sounded haunting.

  While he watched, the loon suddenly dove under the water. It wouldn’t come back up for some time, and not in the same spot. They could hold their breath for eight and a half to sixty seconds, even longer if they were scared of something. Wyatt once watched one go under for three whole minutes before he saw it resurface.

  “See anything interesting?” Draven asked as he came to stand beside him.

  “There was a loon out there, but it just went for a dive.”

  “I love listening to their calls. I’ve sat out here in the evenings doing just that.”

  “To me, the call of the loon will always remind me of Muskoka.”

  “I feel the same way. Come on, let’s go for that walk.”

  Draven held out his hand. Wyatt slipped his into it, linking their fingers together. Hand in hand, they walked up the length of the dock and around the house until they reached the back. At the edge of the bush, Draven let go and went ahead, leading the way.

  The other man set an easy pace that Wyatt had no trouble keeping up with. After a full minute had gone by in silence, he asked, “So what do you want to talk about, Draven?”

  “Anything, everything. Why don’t we start off with you? You said you used to come up here with your parents when growing up. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

  “Nope. It’s just me. My parents only wanted the one child. I don’t think my mom would have been able to handle any more than that. She’s what I would call a bit of a worrywart. Any time I hurt myself, skinned knees, you name it, she’d just about freak out, think it was a life-and-death situation. If she had to go through that with two kids, I think it would have made her a basket case.”

  Draven laughed. “That must have been tough on you growing up, having a clingy mother.”

  “It wasn’t so bad, really. It was harder on Mom to cut the cord, if you know what I mean. She didn’t want to accept the fact I grew into a man and didn’t need her to watch over me all the time. She’s a lot better now, though sometimes she can still hover, especially if I end up getting sick. What about you? Your parents still around? Do you have any siblings?”

  “No to both of those. I lost my parents some years ago, and I had an older brother, but he died when I was a teenager.”

  “That has to be rough, being all alone in the world.”

  “Like I said, I lost them a long time ago. I’m not completely alone, though. There are others I can go to if I need to.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” He paused, then added, “And you have me now.”

  Draven stopped walking and turned to face Wyatt. He pulled him into his arms and brushed a kiss across his lips before he rested his forehead against Wyatt’s. “Yeah, I do have you.” He lifted his head and looked into Wyatt’s eyes. “I want you to know I have very strong feelings for you. I don’t want to freak you out, but I love you, Wyatt. I know it’s rushed, but you’re the one for me. And will always be. I want us to live together.”

  Wyatt nodded as a thrill shot through his body at Draven’s words. “I love you too,” he said in a rush. “I was just waiting for the right time to tell you. I thought if I told you too soon, you’d want to run.”

  Draven kissed him again before he dropped his arms and took a step back. “Speaking of running, there’s something else about me I have to tell you. And I’m not sure how well you’re going to take it.”

  “You can tell me anything, Draven. I don’t think there is anything you can say that will cause me to leave you.”

  Draven gave him a slight smile. “I hope that remains the case.” He took a couple of steps back again, putting more space between them.

  Wyatt’s gaze jerked in the direction of something over Draven’s shoulder. At the same time, he yelled, “Holy shit, there’s a wolf.” Draven turned and growled, sounding like the animal that slowly stalked toward them.

  He then felt the air become trapped in his lungs when Draven’s body blurred and shimmered, taking on the form of a wolf right before his eyes. The animal had brown fur that matched the color of Draven’s hair.

  “Draven?” Wyatt finally managed to ask while his heart tried to pound out of his chest. Was what he’d seen actually real?

>   The wolf didn’t look his way, only curled its upper lip, hackles rising, as he watched the black one who continued toward them. Just as Draven looked as if he were about ready to go on the attack, a man who moved so fast Wyatt had a hard time tracking him, came out of nowhere and threw a rope net over the brown wolf. He jumped onto Draven’s back, pinning him to the ground.

  Wyatt gave a shout and was about to go to his rescue when he was hit from behind and fell forward. Rough hands grabbed him, pulling his arms behind his back as a heavy weight sat on his legs. He struggled, but it didn’t stop his assailant from binding his wrists together.

  “I’ve got him,” the man who’d taken down Wyatt yelled.

  Wyatt was yanked to his feet and force marched over to the others. The black wolf’s body blurred and shimmered, and Rick took its place. He walked over to the man who pinned Draven down and held up a rope that had something inside it that reflected the sun. Wyatt’s heart was still trying to beat out of his chest, and he was more than a little freaked by what he’d just witnessed. But on the outside, he acted as if seeing men turn into wolves and vice versa was an everyday occurrence for him.

  “Tie him up with this,” Rick said. “Make sure it’s tight enough.”

  “What the fuck are you?” Wyatt yelled. Some of the stress he felt leaked into his voice.

  Rick walked over to stand in front of him. “You don’t know, mortal? I would have thought your butt buddy over there would have told you.”

  Wyatt barely stopped himself from flinching, not wanting the other man anywhere near him. “Told me what?”

  “That he’s a werewolf. Just like we are.” Rick waved his hand to encompass the other men. He then leaned forward and took a deep breath. He smiled, one that didn’t reach his eyes. “From how ingrained Draven’s scent is in your skin, it leads me to only one thing—you’re his mate. I guess the queer finally found one. It only took him fifteen hundred years. That’s what happens when you want to fuck someone of the same sex.”

  “Fifteen hundred years?” Wyatt asked, thinking Rick was talking shit again. Okay, the werewolf thing he couldn’t deny, since he’d seen Draven shift, but that many years? It couldn’t be possible. His gut clenched at the thought that it could be true.

  “Why do you think I called you mortal, mortal? Werewolves can live to the age of three thousand. Your lover boy over there has been knocking around for fifteen hundred years. That’s also the reason why he has such antiquated standards of what is right and wrong. He believes in the whole his word is his bond sort of thing. It dates back to when he swung a sword, defending the honor of one and all. The stupid shit.”

  “Then how old are you?”

  “Me?” Rick asked with a laugh. “I’m nowhere near as old as that relic of the past over there. I’m three hundred.”

  “So compared to Draven, you really are a pup,” Wyatt spat.

  He’s head whipped to the side as Rick’s fist connected with his jaw. “Don’t ever call me that again. I’m no child. I’m more than capable of going wolf and using my teeth to rip your throat out.”

  “Not unless Draven stops you first.”

  “Sorry, but your mate won’t be able to do a damn thing. You see that rope we’ve trussed him up with, and the net? It has silver threads mixed in it. That metal, when in contact with us in any way, hampers our ability to shift and hold whatever form we try to take on. Since Draven is in his wolf one, he’s stuck like that until we take the ropes off, which won’t be anytime soon. I’m going to make him pay for getting me kicked out of our pack. He could have turned a blind eye to my drug-dealing ways, but he had to play the hero.”

  “What are you going to do to him?”

  “First, take him far away from you.”

  “What do you expect that will do?”

  Rick shook his head. “You haven’t a clue about anything, do you? Draven has claimed you as his, which means you two won’t be able to stand to be apart from each other. We call it separation anxiety. It won’t take long before you feel as if you’re going to lose your mind, same with Draven. All the two of you will be able to think about is returning to each other. The longer apart, the worse it’ll get. I couldn’t have asked for a better means to torture Draven.” Rick turned his head and said to the man who held Draven, “Get him out of here.”

  Draven howled, struggling against his captor. Having a good feeling that everything Rick had said would happen, Wyatt threw his head back, knocking the man who held him in the nose. A loud wolflike growl sounded before a thick arm caught him around his throat and applied enough pressure so Wyatt could barely get enough air to fill his lungs.

  “Nice try,” Rick snarled. “One other thing you should know about werewolves—we’re faster and stronger than mortals.”

  Wyatt found himself dragged away in the opposite direction with Rick in tow as the other man hefted Draven onto his shoulders and took off, moving faster than a normal person could. Right about now, Wyatt figured Draven and he were fucked.

  * * *

  Draven had no idea how much time had passed since he’d been carted away trussed up like a Christmas turkey. All he knew was it was long enough and far enough for him to already feel the separation anxiety. He had to somehow escape his bonds and get back to save Wyatt from Rick. How he was going to accomplish getting out of ropes threaded with silver, he had no idea. Being basically stuck in his wolf form had its disadvantages, like not having opposable thumbs.

  The werewolf who carried him, and the one who had jumped Wyatt, were lone wolves like Rick. They had at one time been in his pack as well. If he remembered correctly, they had been kicked out for the same reason and around the same time Rick had been.

  Finally his captor emerged from the trees at the edge of the water. A small boat had been pulled halfway out of the water and secured to one of the nearby trees. There was no dock, but Draven recognized the area as being on the opposite end of the lake, close to where Wyatt’s rental was. And it was far enough away to have him really feeling the separation anxiety.

  The other werewolf none too gently put Draven down at his feet. He pulled the rope net off Draven and threw it into the boat, leaving only his four legs bound. His captor gave him a kick in the ribs. “Don’t go anywhere. I have to take a leak.”

  The other man walked a little ways into the trees and turned his back to him. Draven moved, hoping there was something he could use to cut the ropes. As he did this, he felt one of his bonds loosen. Looking at it, Draven would have smiled if he were in human form. The dumb bastard didn’t know how to tie a proper knot. He rolled around, dragging the ropes along the ground, feeling them becoming looser until he had enough space to pull his legs out.

  Gaining his paws, Draven silently snuck up behind the other werewolf, who was too busy pissing into the trees to notice he was being stalked. Once he was close enough, with his scent carried downwind by the breeze, Draven bunched his back legs under him and pounced. After bringing the man down, he quickly shifted to his human form and beat him with his fists until he knocked him out.

  Hefting the other werewolf over his shoulder, Draven carried him over to the boat and threw him into the bottom of it. He then proceeded to tie his wrists and ankles with the silver-threaded ropes. The knots he used wouldn’t slip loose.

  Draven took off at a run into the bush, shifting on the fly. He could move faster through the trees in his wolf form. He didn’t stop running until he’d reached his lake house. Stealthily, he worked his way around to the front and inside the open door. On silent paws, he followed the scent of his mate to the living room. Wanting to get the jump on Rick, he launched himself into the room, hitting the other werewolf before he knew what happened.

  Rick shifted to his wolf form, using his sharp teeth and claws to fight Draven off. Draven didn’t even try to look for Wyatt to see how he was. He had to stay focused on defeating Rick. As he’d expected, the fight didn’t last long. Draven had superior fighting skills and was stronger than his oppone
nt. He brought Rick down on his back and took hold of his throat in his jaws. Draven bit down hard enough until he tasted blood in his mouth.

  “Let Rick go, or else your mate is going to have a new hole to breathe from,” the other man in the room yelled.

  Draven didn’t release his jaws. He lifted his gaze to meet the other lone wolf’s and growled loudly. He bit down harder, causing more blood to fill his mouth as Rick whimpered, his tail coming between his legs in surrender.

  “Fuck this,” the other werewolf said. “It’s not worth it.” He then shoved Wyatt to the floor and ran out of the room. The sound of his footsteps could be heard outside the house shortly after.

  Draven shifted to human form and held onto Rick’s throat as he shifted as well. “Now we know who the better wolf is. If you ever come back here again, or come near me or my mate, I’ll be contacting my pack leader. I’m sure Grant would love to hear about a bunch of lone wolves attacking members of his pack.”

  Draven released the other man and stood. Rick held his throat as he slowly gained his feet. He ducked his head and stumbled out of the room. Draven followed him to make sure he left the house and closed and locked the door behind him. He then returned to the living room.

  Wyatt had propped himself into a sitting position with his back against the front of the couch. He turned and lifted his hands as Draven undid the ropes that bound them. Once he had him free, Draven pulled him into his arms and held him tight.

  “Are you okay? The bastard didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  Wyatt shook his head. “Not really. I can handle a slug to the jaw. It was what I felt after that other werewolf took you away that I had a hard time handling.”