by Pelaam
He reached to take Lyall's cock in his hand and stroked it before giving it a gentle tug. "I want you. Do you have lube?" The fact that he didn't suddenly struck Niko. While condoms weren't a necessity for shifters, even shifter saliva wasn't the greatest lubrication.
With a feral smile, Lyall shuffled to his backpack and pulled out an old tube. Nodding, Niko rolled onto all fours and looked over his shoulder at Lyall. Hesitating, Lyall cocked his head from side to side, reminding Niko of a confused puppy.
"If you don't mind, I want to see you when we make love, when I claim you as my mate."
Not fuck. Not even have sex. Make love. Become Lyall's mate. Niko rolled onto his back. "I'd like that, too."
Shuffling into place, each man shamelessly groped the other, both equally reluctant to stop touching the other. Finally settled with Lyall crouched over him and his cock buried to the root of Lyall's mouth, Niko purred continually as his lover prepared him. A part of him had expected Lyall to either want Niko to prepare himself or for it to be over quickly. Instead, Lyall seemed more than happy to include ongoing foreplay. He patted Lyall's head.
"I'm ready for you."
Easing off Niko's dick with a salacious slurp, Lyall twisted around before he coated his cock liberally with the lube. "You sure?"
"Absolutely. Just go slow. I … I haven't done this much and not for a long time." A blush heated Niko's cheeks, but he didn't break eye contact with Lyall.
"I'll take care of you." Lyall shuffled forward, pressing his cock against Niko's entrance. "Ready?"
"Yes.” Niko nodded. He kept his gaze on Lyall as his lover pushed forward. His purring continued through the initial penetration, and he gripped tightly to Lyall's shoulders while his body adjusted to the length and girth of his lover's cock.
"Fuck, you're tight." Lyall growled the words through clenched teeth. "You okay?"
"Fine. Just give me a minute." Niko waited for his body to relax. Then he nodded. "I'm good."
"Let's see shall we?" Lyall winked, eased his hips back slightly, and thrust forward.
A low groan escaped Niko. "Oh, yeah."
His lover's thrusts remained shallow as he formed his knot, binding them together as they made love. Niko wrapped his legs around Lyall's waist, ensuring Lyall's movements massaged his prostate.
As much as Lyall kissed and nipped at him, Niko traded bite for bite. The intention for both of them was to leave a mark. They each needed to show the world that they were now a mated pair. Niko's purrs increased in volume as Lyall took his cock in a firm grip.
"Coming. Come with me, my mate." Lyall spoke in a thick guttural voice and Niko's arousal spiked immediately. The added surge took him over the edge, and as the first spurt of his seed jetted from his cock, Lyall bayed loudly and pushed in as deep as possible.
The sensation of Lyall's semen filling and marking him as Lyall's sent a thrill of excitement through Niko. He yowled as Lyall bent forward, biting hard at his shoulder. His claws descended and he slashed across his mate's shoulder blade, claiming the wolf as his own.
For a moment or two Niko was lost in the freefall from his climax, his body shuddering from powerful orgasmic contractions. He lay there, panting heavily, waiting for his wits to return as Lyall slumped heavily on top of him. The weight was welcome and he smiled as he stroked gently across his lover's sweat-damp back.
"Mated." The muffled murmur came from the junction of his neck and shoulder where Lyall had buried his face. Niko's smile widened even though Lyall couldn't see it.
"Mated." He echoed the word. "There won't be another for me."
Lifting his head from Niko's shoulder, Lyall held Niko's gaze. "Nor for me."
Elation swept through Niko. He didn't remember when he'd last been this happy.
Chapter Ten
Humming as he cleaned the living room, Niko stopped and pulled out his cell phone when it gave the wolf call he'd set to identify texts from Lyall. They'd spent time together every day for the last few days and he wondered if his lover was planning on dropping around. The kids were still out at school. They had time.
He stroked his finger across the screen and hit the message.
Come to junkyard now.
Frowning, Niko sent a message back.
R u ok.
He waited. Nothing. He sent it again. Still no reply. A cold knot formed in his stomach. Lyall wouldn't do this to him. Something was wrong.
Rushing to grab his car keys, Niko hesitated only long enough to lock the door before running down the path and jumping into his car. The cell phone didn't ring again, despite Niko leaving it where he could grab it if necessary.
The car bounced and juddered as Niko took the drive down to the junkyard at too fast a speed. His heart hammered as he saw vehicles belonging to Lyall's pack parked out front.
Slamming on his brakes, Niko snatched up his phone and ran to the house, shouting Lyall's name. He knew there wouldn't be an answer. There was no fresh scent of his mate. A wave of dizziness washed over him. He could smell Lyall's blood.
Bursting into the living room, he stared at the familiar faces of Lyall's pack and at the chaos before his eyes. The chairs were upended and the bookcase had been pulled over. He looked over at Justin. "Where's Lyall?"
"We don't know." Justin shook his head. "We all got texts telling us to come here, and to contact no one."
Pulling out his phone, Niko sent another message.
I'm here. Where are you?
For a couple of minutes nothing happened. Then Niko's phone rang. The pack gathered close as Niko answered it.
"Niko. That you, Lyall?"
"I'm afraid not."
"Bryan! What the fuck are you doing on Lyall's phone? Where is he?" Niko felt the hackles rise at the back of his neck and his body thrummed with the need to shift.
"He's not available right now. I said you'd picked the wrong alpha. Never mind. Forget Lyall. He's going to be the entertainment in my fighting academy until he's of no more use. I'll tell him you send your love, shall I? Be seeing you, Niko."
For a moment Niko stared at the phone, then he looked up at the others. "What are we going to do?"
"We?" One of the men at the back spoke up. Niko remembered his name was Shane. The man shook his head. "We're just omegas. We don't challenge alphas. Especially when we're without our own."
"Are you trying to tell me you're giving up on Lyall?" Niko stalked toward the other man who backpedaled quickly. "He'd go through hell for you. For all of you."
"Bryan is a powerful alpha." Justin rubbed at his jaw. "But Niko's right. Lyall took us all in when we had nothing and no one. We have to do something. Although Shane's right, too, Niko. We're omegas. Attacking a powerful alpha isn't in our natures. Not many omegas challenge to make their way up the pack's pecking order."
Sighing heavily, Niko ran his hand through his hair. "Okay. I understand that. But this is different. You aren't trying to move up a step on a pack's ladder. Your alpha's been taken from you. We need to get him back. Now, let's see what our options are."
Chapter Eleven
Pulling up in his car Niko got out and stood in the road facing the two story house. Two burly men stood either side of the door. Straining his sense of smell, Niko was pleased to discover they were humans not shifters. He left his car lights on and pulled out the iPod with its specially adapted speakers.
Placing that in front of his car, he moved into the middle of the road. "I know you'll be watching this, Bryan. If you want me. Come and get me." Slowly, Niko pulled off his T-shirt. "Scared?" He unfastened his jeans, shimmied them down his legs. Already barefoot, he kicked the jeans aside and performed a slow pirouette in only his briefs. "Frightened to come out to an unarmed man? Do your men like being ordered around by a coward? Maybe it's time for a new leader."
The door of the house opened and Bryan stomped out. He stood facing Niko, hands on his hips, and his face twisted into a parody of a smile. "I have Lyall watching this. When I finish with you out
here, we can go inside and he can watch my men have some fun with you."
"I made Lyall a promise. Out by a waterfall. I meant it then, and I mean it now."
The second he finished speaking, the iPod blared into life, the heavy roaring music so loud Bryan cringed back.
His reaction was all Niko could have hoped for. He was already running toward the big man, shifting as he ran. Leaping high, he cleared Bryan's head, slashing viciously at the wolf's face, and taking satisfaction from Bryan's scream of pain.
Unprepared for a shifter attack, the humans at the door scrambled aside, neither fast enough to entirely avoid Niko's claws. He slammed into the door, relieved to find it wasn't locked.
A fox shifter guarded the stairs. Niko snarled at him and the two clashed. Both were quick and agile, but Niko had the advantage of his claws. Rolling on the floor, the fox succeeded in biting Niko hard. With a scream of pain and fury, Niko threw off all vestiges of civilized behavior. He had to succeed; his mate was in danger.
A howl of pain came from the fox as Niko clawed across his abdomen. Kicking him hard, Niko scrambled for the door.
The bellow behind him alerted Niko to Bryan coming after him. Hisses and snarls fell from Niko’s lips as he rushed to unlock the door leading down into the cellars. This was where Bryan carried out his illegal fighting. Shifters, humans, and animals, Bryan arranged fights between them all. Dog fights, bull baiting, shifter on animal, animal on human, any fight you were willing to put your money on, Bryan arranged. The second the door opened, Niko flew down the stairs.
Another guard tried to bar the way down, but Niko just launched himself at the man, knocking him backwards down the stairs, and using him to somersault and land safely on his feet. He ran down a second flight. His blood chilled as he realized the underground chambers were probably deeper than the house was high.
Reaching the bottom of a third set, he saw a tunnel ahead. Niko didn’t care about the dark. He didn’t need lights. He took off, scenting the air, letting his instincts lead him to his mate. He filtered out other smells — dirt, sweat, blood, despair, and pain. He emerged into a large fighting arena fenced off with tall, thickly barred gates. Seats ran around three side, reminding Niko of an ancient amphitheater. He ran to the right, past cages of men and animals, ignoring their combined yells and screams.
Lyall. He could scent his mate clearly now. Straight ahead. Behind a closed door. A wolf’s howl made him run faster. The door flew open as Niko’s whole body slammed into it at high speed. He rolled to his feet with a loud caterwaul of fury.
Two men wrestled with Lyall, whose arms were restrained behind his back with thick, solid handcuffs. His lover was bleeding, and Niko yowled his rage. Somersaulting in mid-air, Niko pounced on the nearest man. He dug all his claws into the man, another shifter still in human form. Niko sensed something big and bulky, but slow moving.
Not that it mattered. At that moment his opposition was prey. Nothing more. The man yelled out as Niko bit down on the nape of his neck, growling and hissing, pulling his claws through fragile flesh. The metallic scent of blood and the sharp odor of fear filled Niko’s nostrils.
Jumping from the man, Niko glanced at Lyall in time to see him snap the handcuffs and launch himself at the other wolf shifter. Niko turned his attention back to the first man. Bull. He's a bull shifter. Niko drew back his lips, growling deep in his throat. He wanted his opponent to see his sharp teeth as he flexed his claws.
The room was so small that there was no way for the big man to move easily. Yowling again, Niko leapt, but not straight at his opponent. Instead he jumped onto the desk, then the wall, flipping to once again land on the man’s back. Burying his claws in the man's shoulders and side, Niko bit down hard at fragile flesh again and again. Fear flooded his nostrils. Niko’s speed and slight build gave him the advantage, and the big man was scared.
He didn't have to try and defeat the bull on his own. Turning toward them, Lyall snarled and barreled into them. Niko had no trouble leaping agilely aside as Lyall's charge took the bull to the floor.
Crouched ready to spring, Niko watched dispassionately as Lyall pounded the bull into unconsciousness. Them or us. And is sure as fuck isn't gonna be us.
Rising to his feet and ignoring their beaten opponents, Lyall led Niko out of the room. They ran toward the tunnel only to slow to a stop as Bryan and a half dozen of his men — some shifters, some fully human, but all big and bulky —lined up to prevent them getting out of the area. Bryan's face bore Niko's claw marks and his men were also hurt. Both Niko and Lyall looked in better condition than Bryan's men. Niko tensed, ready to attack.
“How do you like my arena?” Bryan swept his arm in a grand gesture. “You should have thrown your lot in with me, Niko. You could have been one of my escorts. You’d be watching from my side, rather than participating. Although I may give consideration to having you service me. After all, who’ll take care of your precious brother and those darling little children when you go missing? Take care of me, and I’ll take care of them. I can even move them somewhere much better than their current home.”
“You won’t be in a position to take care of anyone by the time I finish with you.” Lyall stalked forward, but Niko kept close at his side.
“You’re a good fighter, Lyall. You’ll make a good attraction. But even the pair of you don’t stand a chance against all of us.” Bryan made another sweeping gesture and laughed out loud. His men joined in.
“There’s something you’ve forgotten.” Niko stepped forward to stand at Lyall’s shoulder. “Wolves don’t fight alone. They have their pack.”
“Pack? What pack?” Bryan’s sneering tone was accompanied by the man hawking and spitting on the dirt floor. “A bunch of losers no one else wanted or cared for. Some pack.”
“We’ll just have to see, won’t we?” Niko leaned back and gave a loud yowl.
A couple seconds of silence passed and then the first answering howl came, then another, and another. Niko smirked as Bryan’s men looked nervously around. “A pack that Lyall’s led for years. A pack that cares enough for their alpha to come after him, join him, and take you down, Bryan.”
“He’s mine.” Lyall grabbed Niko’s shoulder, pushing in front of him. “No one touches you or threatens our family and gets away with it.”
As tempted as Niko was to deal with Bryan personally for kidnapping Lyall, he understood his mate's need. Nodding, he stepped aside. If the pack needed help dealing with Bryan's gang, he'd happily assist them.
Chapter Twelve
Anger and the need to protect his mate and his pack heated Lyall's blood. His adversary was a powerful alpha among his pack, but Bryan had grown lazy and relied more on his men to mete out punishment and keep order. In human form Bryan was big and heavy-set, but what was he like when shifted?
Lyall faced Bryan. The other man's eyes darted left and right and he licked his lips. He's nervous. Good. Lyall growled low in his throat. He unfastened his jeans, kicking them aside. He stood in just his snug boxers and flexed his muscles deliberately. Then he shifted into the form halfway between man and wolf.
Parading a little, Lyall purposely showed off his physique. He was a fit, agile, and powerful alpha, and the man before him had dared to try and take his mate. Standing still, Lyall threw back his head and bayed loudly, issuing his challenge.
Pulling off his shirt, Bryan continued to glance around, but Lyall's pack kept Bryan's men at bay. As if they weren't enough, Niko prowled around the men, a low feline growl of warning rumbling almost continually from him. Lyall's chest swelled with pride. His mate was too good for something like Bryan. And Lyall would prove his own worth in front of his pack.
"No one touches anything of mine." Lyall snarled as he faced Bryan. "You made the biggest mistake of your life, Bryan. And you're going to pay the price."
Bristling out his fur, Lyall tensed, ready to attack. He didn't rush forward. Fights between alphas weren't all about superior strength. Cunning and tactics
played a big part. He feinted toward, Bryan who reacted with a wild rush.
Dropping into a crouch to his left, Lyall stuck out his right leg, and Bryan tripped over it. He didn't go fully down, but it was still a novice mistake to make and Lyall's pack taunted Bryan, laughing at him.
"Some alpha." Lyall added his own taunt. Then he readied himself. Bryan's anger was overruling him. Lyall narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth. "Come and get me if you think you've got what it takes."
A savage snarl erupted from Bryan and he charged Lyall again. His claws caught Lyall's upper arm, but Lyall leaped onto Bryan's back, tightening his legs around the other alpha's thick waist. Then he bit hard at Bryan's shoulder.
A howl of pain shook the air. Bryan reached back, clawing at Lyall's legs.
Jumping free, Lyall rolled easily up onto his feet. He grabbed Bryan's wrists as the other alpha tried to use brute strength against him. They wrestled hard, snapping at one another as each sought to gain the upper hand.
In his prime Bryan would have been a more formidable opponent, although Lyall remained confident in his own abilities. But now, as big and strong as Bryan was, Lyall had the upper hand. He roared loudly as he catapulted Bryan's bulkier body over his own to land heavily on the dirt floor.
Even as Bryan slammed down hard, Lyall was already on his feet and leaped onto his opponent. Winded from the landing, Bryan howled in pain as Lyall savaged the arm Bryan flung up to protect his throat while pinning his enemy in place.
Backing off, Lyall drew his lips as far back over his teeth as possible. Bryan rolled onto his hands and knees, moving slowly.
The scent of fear was thick around Bryan, and his men looked nervously at one another as Lyall prepared for his next attack. With a bellow of noise, Bryan charged, but Lyall didn't move. Then at the last minute he dropped to the ground and swept out a leg, tripping Bryan. As the big man stumbled forward, trying to regain his balance, Lyall chased after him and landed a drop kick that sent Bryan crashing to the ground again.
