by Pelaam
His words were cut short at the loud, aggressive snarl that preceded Niko breaking into a fast run and then leaping at him. The distance should have been too great, but to Lyall's shock, he was slammed to the floor by the force of the other man hitting him solidly in the chest.
This was a fight like no other in Lyall's life. Part of him wanted to subdue his attacker and part of him wanted to do something much different. Smaller and lighter his opponent might be, but he was strong and aggressive, and several punches connected with Lyall's face. Hard.
Alpha's instinct taking over, Lyall snarled his fury and rolled them over in the dirt several times before he managed to pin the smaller man beneath him. He'd landed a few blows of his own, purposely pulling them at the last moment due to his inner war.
Blood ran down Lyall's face and he drew back a fist to end the fight. Before it could land, his opponent squirmed and bucked, sending Lyall the wrong way and his punch connected only with the other man's shoulder.
"Stop it, Niko, stop! Stop!"
"Riley?" Niko's voice was guttural but understandable.
As they rolled on the hard dirt once more, Lyall had no idea who was snarling and growling the loudest. On his back, he stared up at his opponent.
Niko's amber eyes were filled with hate and fury, and he glared back at Lyall. His lips were drawn back over his teeth, but his scent, although laced with his anger, remained sweet and musky. Every instinct Lyall possessed screamed at him to claim this man as his mate. He’d never known such a primal need.
“Enough, you two! Enough!”
Somewhere in his haze of fury and arousal, Lyall recognized the deep voice, but he ignored it, only wanting to dominate his prey.
“Niko! It’s okay. Let him go!” Riley yelled loudly from somewhere close by.
Suddenly Lyall found himself staring up at JT. He rolled to his feet, ready to lunge at whoever tried to keep him from his prey, but Shane joined JT and helped hold him back.
“I’m fine, Niko. He didn’t hurt me. I could have gotten away if I’d wanted, but I’m glad I didn’t. This is Dylan, Justin’s brother. He needs our help. He’s being bullied.” Riley kept pulling Niko farther away from Lyall as he continued his running commentary.
“Bullied?” Shaking his head as if to clear it, Niko’s voice was still thick and guttural, and the word sounded like a deep growl.
Still in his pack's grip, Lyall reacted to the voice, and his libido responded as it had during the phone call. He didn’t want Niko near anyone but himself. Realizing his men weren’t going to let him go if he looked ready to carry on the fight, Lyall forced himself to calm. “I’m okay.”
“Sure you are.” JT snorted. “And I’m Mother Teresa.”
Shooting his friend a glare that only got a roll of the eyes in return from the older man, Lyall turned his attention back to Niko.
He’d pushed his hood down out of the way. His hair was a glorious red-gold and had been originally restrained in a ponytail, but it now hung loosely around his bruised face. As though well aware of Lyall's scrutiny Niko looked around at him. None of the anger or hatred Lyall had seen during their fight had diminished, and he felt it like a blow to his gut.
“Why don’t we take this inside?” JT indicated the house. “Riley’s made a big impression on us, and wants to help Dylan. We’d really appreciate anything you can do.”
The sight of JT’s hand in the small of Niko’s back made Lyall shake with fury, but he held back, letting the others go ahead into the house. Not trusting how he’d react, Lyall went around to the back of the house and went inside through the kitchen. He leaned on the doorframe between kitchen and living room, and listened.
The guttural inflection to Niko's voice subsided and the soft, mellow tones that followed in its wake soothed Lyall as Niko talked to Justin. Then a shard of jealousy stabbed him hard as he heard Niko arrange to meet Justin and walk with him and Dylan.
Within a few minutes it seemed as if all his pack was as entranced by Niko as they had been by Riley. Wrapping an arm around Riley's shoulders, Niko urged him toward the front door.
"We have to go."
The words jolted Lyall from his relaxed stance and he hurried into the room. Niko fixed him with a glare so cold Lyall felt the frost forming in the air between them. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done it. I still don't know why I did any more than why you just took the hundred."
"That was all I needed. I've looked after Riley and my twin nephew and niece since our parents and our aunt and uncle were killed. We don't live in a posh neighborhood. To earn a little extra I look after other kids, too. Mothers who need a break or to go out with the girls, even do a few hours work themselves. Doesn't matter. One mother needed me to look after her baby because she was ill. She wouldn't see a doctor because she couldn't afford it or the prescription if she needed anything. I made her go and promised to pay the bill. I didn't have the money."
He turned away, but not before Lyall saw what looked suspiciously like the glint of tears in Niko's eyes.
"I've never stolen before. I only wanted enough to pay the doctor's bill and for the medicine. That's why I threw your wallet back. I checked for your name. I'd have repaid you."
It wasn't a line. Lyall knew it. Niko was telling the truth. Then he spotted the pile of dollars scrunched up and scattered across the table.
"It's all there. Come on, Riley. We need to get back. Justin, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Wait!" Lyall gathered the money and held it out to Niko. “Keep it. You need it more."
"I don't want your charity or to owe you a thing." Niko hissed the words at Lyall.
"It's not charity the way you want to slant it." Lyall leaned forward, drawing his lips back over his teeth. He was ready to shove the money down the impossible feline's throat.
"No?" A rumbling growl emanated from Niko's chest, and he neither flinched nor backed away.
"No." Justin took the money off Lyall and held it out to Niko. "Lyall's apologized for what he did. Any one of us here can vouch for it being totally out of character for him. We all owe our lives to him in one way or another. Packs deal harshly with unwanted omegas. In Lyall we found an alpha willing to protect us."
His gaze fixed on Niko's amber eyes, Lyall thought he saw a slight thawing of the frigid cold, but before he could be certain, Niko had already turned away.
"Fine. I can give it back to the friends who gave it to me. See ya, Justin."
Resisting the urge to follow Niko to the door, Lyall stomped back to the kitchen.
"Take it easy, Lyall." JT came up behind him and squeezed his shoulder. "You have to look at things from his perspective. He's every bit an alpha as you are, and you took his brother. He isn't going to slap you on the shoulder and become your best friend overnight. Give him a little time."
"Yeah, whatever. Stupid, stuck-up cat. Who needs that kind of trouble? Let's get some food going or we'll starve." Lyall deliberately ignored JT, who stood with his arms folded and an eyebrow raised. "Well, don't just stand there. Cook."
"Sure. Who does need that kind of trouble?" JT turned his back on Lyall and pulled some homemade pizzas from the freezer. "Not you."
Growling softly, Lyall stomped back into the living room. His men were sitting around the TV and Dylan was doing his homework. Unable to resist, Lyall sniffed the air. Niko's scent was still there. He shook his head. Niko was trouble. With a capital 'T’. Something he didn't want or need. He headed back into the kitchen. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter Four
The next couple days dragged by for Lyall. No matter what he did, Niko’s face haunted him. He refused to ask Justin about him, even though he knew they were meeting up to let the boys walk to school together. He stared out over his property. He couldn’t even focus on work.
An impatient snarl escaped him. Stalking across his backyard, he yanked off his clothing and tossed it aside. By the time he reached native bush he was naked and about to complete full shift into wolf f
orm.
Raising his head, he howled. It was a warning to any animals nearby that he was coming. Not that he’d kill them, but if one darted out in front of him, especially in the mood he was in, he’d give chase. He ran. He had a good five acres of ground. Two were given over to his home and his work, three were native woodland, and he ran with increasing delight and abandon.
Emerging at a stream, he stopped and lapped at the water. Where it opened up onto his property the water was cool. He trotted alongside it, until it widened out into his own natural hot spa. The island was littered with geothermic hotspots that created naturally heated water. He and his pack often came and enjoyed al fresco food and a dip in the heated water.
Changing back into his human form, Lyall eased into the naturally warm water and sighed. The heat permeated his body, soothing away the tenseness that had taken up residence in his body since his encounter with Niko.
Leaning his head back, he looked up at the few white clouds that streaked across an otherwise clear blue sky. What the fuck am I going to do? I never expected a pull toward a mate to feel like this.
Submerging himself in the water for a moment, Lyall took refuge in briefly being unable to see or hear anything. The decision wasn't going to go away anytime soon. There was no way Lyall knew how to deal with the situation either. He'd thought himself safe.
Emerging from the water, Lyall climbed out of the pool and shook himself. At least for the moment he felt more relaxed. Then he frowned and flared out his nostrils as he scented the air.
A familiar scent reached him, no less alluring despite its faintness. He shifted quickly and whirled around. He scrabbled frantically at the ground to keep his footing and prevent himself from falling into the stream.
Then he loped away at full speed toward his house.
Niko.
Chapter Five
Hands on hips, Niko glared around the uninhabited yard. Justin had been insistent Lyall would be here, but there was no sign of the man. Where he stood reminded Niko of the man he'd come to see; hard ground, barren of life, with a couple of ancient rust buckets and a large truck.
Wrinkling his nose, Niko looked around and gave another shout for Lyall. There was a large shed toward the edge of the yard, and he noticed the door was slightly ajar. Stalking forward, grumbling to himself, Niko went over and banged on the door. Silence. He pulled it open and peered inside. The absence of a strong scent already told him he wouldn’t find Lyall inside, but what he saw made him gasp.
When he’d seen Lyall for the first time, he immediately understood where his kid brother had gotten the junkyard dog notion from. From the shaven skull, many tattoos, multiple ear piercings, to the dirty vest top and tattered jeans, everything about Lyall screamed bad boy. He looked like the kind of guy you’d duck into the nearest shop to avoid passing in the street.
When Riley called him to say he was at Lyall's yard, Niko’s heart had been in his throat. He hadn’t paid any attention at the time to the man he’d stolen the wallet from. If he had, he’d have totally chosen someone else.
But looking at the man’s workshop, with everything lined up, organized, cleaned, and polished, Niko wondered if he’d seriously misjudged Lyall by relying on outward appearances, especially when his judgment was clouded by fear and anger. He still felt more than justified with his anger. After all, the man had kidnapped Riley.
A canvas-covered outline at the back of the shed caught his attention. Glancing around, even though he knew there was no one there, he headed over on the balls of his feet, his curiosity getting the better of him.
Pulling back the canvas Niko stared at the bike beneath. It was a Triumph Thunderbird 1600. The metalwork gleamed even though the bike was far from new and had clocked up an impressive number of miles. He stroked his hand across the handlebars and then the seat. He’d only ridden a bike pillion, but memory of the sense of freedom remained with him.
He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face, only for it to fall forward again as his head remained down. Maybe the memory remained so vivid because he felt so trapped. He loved his brother and the twins fiercely and would do anything it took to keep them a family. But there were times, after two years with only kids for company and the four walls to look at, when he felt so restricted he couldn’t breathe.
At those times, Niko was so grateful their home had a small attic room with a balcony so he could open up the windows and gaze at the sky. Although it was the smallest room in the house, Niko was happy to call it his.
Unable to resist, Niko straddled the bike, wondering how it would feel to be out on the road, free from worry and care, so footloose he didn't even know where he’d sleep that night.
A heavy sigh escaped his lips. There was no one he'd leave his kids with, not even for a few days. Although the local authorities paid little attention to shifters and their families, he was still a young, single man caring for several children. He would do nothing to jeopardize his position as their guardian.
Carefully, he eased from the bike. There was little point dreaming about what couldn't be. If his car wasn't coughing and wheezing so much he wouldn't even be there. And Justin was right. To go to a garage in town would rack up the dollars when Lyall was a trained mechanic who charged a fraction of the price of the townies, especially for other shifters.
Turning at a faint sound, Niko hurried to the door and listened. A howl. He peered into the bush, uncertain whether the sound was one of pain. Unwilling to take a chance, he took off running.
Ahead of him was a forest. Niko couldn't see the boundary line of the property, but he didn't care. He ran in the direction of another howl. There was a desperate tone to it, one that made his blood react. He needed to know whoever made the sound was safe and well.
Crashing through some trees heading into the woods, Niko stopped suddenly when a large, grey wolf loped into view. No one had to tell him. Niko knew immediately that he was looking at Lyall, although he had no explanation for the relief he felt on seeing that the wolf appeared unhurt.
The wolf slowed, enabling Lyall to shift. Niko stared at the smooth, inked skin and the solid muscles of the man who stopped close to him. There wasn't an ounce of spare flesh on Lyall's body. Somehow, Niko had always thought a wolf shifter would be hairy in human form, but Lyall had even less hair than Niko himself. At least he had a smattering of hair across his chest.
Almost of its own volition his gaze dropped lower, following the ‘v’ lines to a thick nest of dark curls surrounding a thick cock that seemed to rise is response to Niko’s gaze. He quickly looked up into Lyall’s eyes, silently cursing his curiosity. “I heard a howl. You okay?” He kept his voice deliberately curt and clipped.
“Fine. I didn’t know how else to alert you.”
Tilting his head slightly, Niko frowned. “You took a long time to answer me.”
“Is everything okay? What brings you out here?”
The obvious concern in Lyall's voice distracted Niko. For a moment Lyall had appeared nervous, but Niko shrugged it off. “Fine. Well, apart from my car that is.”
“Car?”
Although Lyall’s body relaxed, the thick cock remained half hard and the scent of his musk and sweat was oddly appealing to Niko.
“Yeah. My car. It hasn’t sounded good for a while, but to take it to a mechanic would cost more than I can afford. But I can’t be without a car either. Justin said you look after shifters.” Niko hoped Justin was right, that Lyall wouldn’t tear him a new one after their explosive first meeting.
“I’ll take a look at it for you. But if it sounds that bad I may not get it sorted today. Do you need to borrow a car?”
The offer took Niko by surprise. “One of those cars out front?” He didn’t think either of them was mobile.
“Nah.” Lyall laughed, a soft, easy sound that tickled Niko’s ears pleasurably. “I could let you have the truck. Then drive out to your place in the car assuming I can get her roadworthy tomorrow.”
“Um, thanks, but—"
“Look I said I was sorry about the other day. Why come here to have the car worked on by me if you throw my offer back in my face.”
Anger zipped along Niko’s veins and he whirled on Lyall. “Don’t be such a prick. You didn’t let me finish. I can’t drive the truck. I … I wouldn’t feel confident enough.” His cheeks burned with the embarrassment of the confession, but he wanted to tell Lyall the truth. He liked his small car. He wouldn’t feel comfortable driving something the size of Lyall’s truck.
“Sorry,” Lyall muttered. “I shouldn’t have jumped on you like that.”
A vision of Lyall on top of him seared into Niko's mind and a darkly delicious undertone to Lyall’s voice caressed Niko’s libido. His cock swelled in reaction. Thankful that his sweater was long enough to cover his groin, Niko coughed slightly, hoping to ensure he at least sounded normal.
“It’s okay. After all, we had less than an ideal meeting. Twice.”
“Let’s put that behind us. How about we get back to the house? I’ll put some clothes on and take a look at the car for you.”
“Sure. Sounds good.” If he was honest, the bit about Lyall putting clothes on didn’t sound good. At all. But there were too many differences between them for Niko to even consider Lyall as a possible mate. Well, at least not with his rational mind. Other parts of his anatomy thought it would be an excellent idea. Pushing all such notions from his mind, Niko focused on returning to the house.
Chapter Six
When Lyall had raced into the clearing, he'd been relieved to see Niko appear at the far side. Despite the distance, Lyall was certain the other man had looked anxious. That Niko would come to him for a car repair surprised him. Then he remembered Justin’s earlier and rather cryptic phone call, telling him he needed to stay around the house. He hadn’t mentioned Niko, but Lyall knew Justin had told Niko to come to him.
