by Tortuga, BA
“Do you live close to your family?”
“Yep. We’re a pretty close-knit bunch.” A pack.
Her eyes met his, a sudden tension in the air that he didn’t understand. “Kody’s family, too?”
“Yes.” How else could he describe it? Kody’s dam came to visit regularly. His sire had been at his trials, had come back for them. They’d taken his sister, Victoria, up deep into the mountains, looking for a more solitary place. Kody’s leaving had broken them all a little, left them lost and confused.
Of course, Kevin had believed his son was going to be Alpha one day, not the Clan Beta.
“Oh.” Her hand fell away. “He said…well, I guess it’s best that they never met me. You know, if you just find a town with a car rental place, I’ll get myself home.”
“No.” She had to quit fighting it.
“There’s no reason to go out of your way.”
Kody started to wake up.
“It’s not out of my way. Trust me.”
“I’m trying to make sense of all this.” Something was wrong; Mesa didn’t understand it, but he knew how hard she was trying to fit this whole thing into what she believed of the world. He knew it, but it didn’t change anything. They were mated. They bonded for life.
“Don’t worry, honey. Even if it doesn’t make sense, it will work.” It had to.
Kody hummed. “Please, Sammy. I promise you, you’re doing so well.”
Her breath hitched, and Mesa could smell tears. “You said you were all alone, like me, Kody. When I told you about the foster homes and things, you said you understood. You have a family? A real family? You lied?”
“No.” Kody rumbled. “I do understand. I understand about being an outsider. I had to leave everyone, everything I knew, but they’d turned from me before I ever left. They wanted me to be someone I’m not.”
“He wasn’t lying.” Mesa thought that was important, too, that she knew Kody was the weird one, the odd man out.
Kody slipped up, wrapped around her. “I left because I was different, because there was something missing. I walked away from my whole world to find you. Just you, Samantha.”
The truth in Kody’s voice was undeniable. Absolute. Mesa heard Sam gasp, heard Kody’s soft rumble.
“And now we’re all where we should be.” Almost, Home-home-home.
“I’m pretty sure I’m out of my element here.”
Kody murmured softly, obviously trying to comfort. “You’ll learn, honey.”
“I have to get home and finish dealing with things, don’t I?”
“Not yet. We have to see Mesa’s house.” Kody pushed that thought so hard Mesa could feel it. “Then I’ll help you deal with the house, everything else. It’s what I was born to do.”
It made his right eye throb a bit. Lord. Kody was strong.
“Mesa’s…”
“Yes, Sammy. We have to. Now. We need to go to Mesa’s house.” Kody slumped a little.
“Shit.” He hoped to hell Kody hadn’t hurt himself.
“Okay. Okay, if we need to, Kody.” Sammy held Kody, rocked him a little. That was perfect. That would keep her busy, caring for Kody. She had a strong instinct.
“We need to. It’s important, lady. Very important. All our babies will be born there.”
She chuckled. “Do you have a fever, honey?”
“No.” Kody laughed. “At least I don’t think so.”
“I’m never going to have babies. You know that.”
Kody snorted. “Nonsense.”
Mesa checked the mirror, just to make sure he didn’t need to cut this off. It was obviously a sore subject. How Kody could have explained that, in their particular bond, she wouldn’t catch pregnant without him, that Beta males couldn’t breed with Alphas, he didn’t know. He was fairly sure he didn’t want to know all the excuses Kody had used. Maybe she thought it was her and Kody had never told her otherwise. Man, was she in for a shock.
“I think you need more sleep.” She brought Kody’s head down to her shoulder.
“Mmm. Sleep.” Kody rumbled, sounding like a sleepy, well, wolf. It made Mesa happy.
“I really think we should get him to a doctor. I have insurance on him.”
“Do you?” He wondered how that had happened, too. It wasn’t like they couldn’t fake credentials. But it wasn’t easy. The physical, though…
“It’s through the company. Automatic, when you get married. They can’t have cancelled it yet, right?”
“Oh, right.” There was a lot even he didn’t know, Mesa guessed.
“I’ll pay the deductible and everything. I care about him. Really.”
“I can tell you do, honey. I wish you’d stop acting like you’re losing him. I keep telling you that you’re not.” He tried not to growl.
“I just…things are not going the way I’d planned.”
“Nothing ever does, Sam.” They sure weren’t going the way Mesa expected them to, but he couldn’t complain. He had his mates.
“No. No, not since this psychic dude walked into my life. Nothing has been the same.”
Kody chuckled, the sound lazy and sensual. It was hot, somehow.
Mesa heard Sammy give a soft laugh that increased to a happy cackle. “No tickling!”
“No?” Kody made a chuffing sound, and Mesa shook his head. They were like kids.
“No!” Her laughter rang out, and he heard their skin slapping together.
“Don’t make me come back there, now.” If he’d had time, he would have. He’d stop right there on the side of the road and join them and slap and tickle until they all howled.
“Threats. You can’t reach me.” Kody was pushing, testing Mesa playfully.
“Not right at the moment, but I can change that fast.” Silly man.
He felt the rush of air as Kody’s cheek slid against his, the caress so fast. “Promises, promises.” As Kody leaned back, he heard the whispered, “Missed you, so bad.”
Oh, fuck, he needed to get home. He needed to get them to his den and love on them.
Sammy was squealing now, laughing with abandon.
Thank goodness for distraction.
They might make it home after all.
Chapter Eleven
They drove up higher and higher, the scent of Pack growing stronger, and Kody breathed deeply. The cliffs framed the road as they climbed, the old-growth trees heavy.
“Kody…”
“Shh. It’s okay.”
It was late, past late, heading toward very early, but he knew they were close, knew they’d be reaching the guardhouse soon. He could feel the waves of satisfaction coming from Mesa. The man was happy to be home.
“We’re almost there, Sammy. Come here, hmm?” He grabbed the blanket, opened it.
“Almost where? This isn’t California.”
“No, we’re going to Mesa’s house, first, and there’s going to be a guardhouse.”
Mesa wouldn’t want them to look at her naked.
“A guardhouse? What’s being guarded?”
“It’s like a wilderness preserve, honey.” Mesa sounded jazzed.
“Oh, right. I remember. Can’t we stop so I can get dressed?”
“It’s late and the road’s twisty. Just stay here with me.”
She was clearly caught between curious and needing to follow her instincts, her body vibrating.
“Kody won’t let anything happen.” Mesa knew him.
“Nope.” He drew her in. “We’ll go to Mesa’s house, to his bed, and sleep for a few days. Eat. Rest.”
Run.
See Grandma Minnie.
“A few days…Kody, I have to get home.”
“Shh. Not now.”
“You’ll love it here. I promise.” Mesa smiled at them over one shoulder.
“I…”
Kody sighed, took her lips, kissed his lady hard. He was too tired to argue anymore and once Mesa was home, his Alpha could take care of things for a few, right? God, she was warm and soft
against him. Mesa would be in his element once they hit the pack lands. He would know what to do. It amazed Kody a little, how much power Mesa lost in the city. Of course, he’d been more than a little crazy when his Sammy had found him. He owed her so much. He would love her forever. He poured that into their kiss, loving how she moaned for him.
Her nails dug into the back of his neck, the feeling so familiar, so good.
The truck slowed, the scent of home coming in the open windows. He pulled the blankets around them tighter, protecting their lady.
They rolled to a stop, Mesa leaning out the window to murmur something.
“Is everything okay?” She sounded worried.
He smiled at her, kissed her nose. “Everything is fine.” That wasn’t even a slight lie. They were home. Everything would be right now.
They didn’t stay long at the guardhouse, moving on slowly up the road. Mesa seemed to be checking on everything.
His nose was twitching, a soft keening building in his chest. Home. Home. Home.
“Kody?” Sammy’s hand touched his cheek.
He smiled into her worried eyes. “Happy. We’re here.”
Home. Home. Home.
He could howl.
Run.
Pounce Mesa and chew on his ears. He’d never have to go to a state park to run with the moon again.
Mesa glanced back at them and smiled. They drove right through the lands, around the main meeting hall, and toward the Alpha’s house.
“This town is…tiny.” Sammy’s eyes were huge. “You don’t even have a grocery store, a gas station.”
“Nope.” Mesa sounded so satisfied that it made him smile.
“Wow. This is…where you came from?”
Kody nodded, pointing out a tiny cluster of houses. “Mine was in the back.”
“Mine was over there.” Mesa waved a vague hand toward his family’s house. They had been far enough apart to get in trouble when they snuck out.
“And now you’re in the back.” He leaned forward, touched Mesa’s shoulder. “So proud of you.”
“Thanks, baby.” Mesa’s cheek rubbed the back of his hand.
He rumbled softly at his beautiful Alpha. “I would have been here, but I was busy.”
Finding their mate. He’d done that. Gone out of the mountains and to the ocean to find her.
“I know. You did good.” They finally stopped at the Alpha house, around back so they had some privacy. The house was huge, old, a place big enough to house the entire pack in emergency, a place to raise a huge, happy family.
“It’s really dark out here, Kody.” She actually sounded scared, and it made him think about how lost he’d been those first few months in the city, where there was never silence, never darkness.
“The moon is lovely, though. Come on, Sammy. Let Mesa show us the house.”
“I’ll carry you if you like.” Mesa chuckled.
“I need my clothes. Shoes.” She sounded affronted, and her skin was covered in gooseflesh.
Kody nodded to Mesa. There was no way she was going into a new house naked without help. Mesa nodded back and came around to open the door and haul Sammy out, blanket and all. He carried her, kicking and shrieking, all the way in. Kody chuffed, padding behind, sniffing hard.
Home. Home. Home.
The house smelled like Mesa. Oh, there were hints of previous occupants, and a tiny bit of Grandma Minnie and Junie, but it was Mesa that overwhelmed him.
He stood there, in the doorway, trying to remember how to breathe, how to move.
“Baby?” Mesa turned, still holding Sammy in his arms.
A century of memories and emotions hit him, square in the chest. He opened his mouth, took a step forward, and the world went black.
Chapter Twelve
“Kody!” She fought the arms holding her, a pure panic riding her spine. “We have to get him to a fucking hospital! He’s sick!”
Sammy had had enough of this shit. Mesa could be some weird non-medical help cultist, but she was a modern girl, and God knew they were so far out in the boonies they’d have to drive hours for a real facility.
“No, he’s overwhelmed.” Mesa let her slide to the floor, but shook her a little before letting her go. “You need to get clothes on before you go running around outside.”
“Fuck the clothes. You’ve seen it all.” She snarled at him, ran to Kody, sitting on the cold floor and cradling his head. “I’m going to call 911, Kody. You’ll be okay.”
Mesa might have snorted. She couldn’t tell exactly what the noise was, but it was derisive.
“Jesus. I need my purse, my phone.” A sudden, sharp panic hit her. “Why the hell did I let you take me out to the middle of nowhere?”
“Because you’re our mate.” His voice cracked like a whip. “You have to stop losing your shit.”
“Don’t you fucking snap at me.” She kept Kody close, glaring at Mesa. “You think you can just come into my house, my marriage, and take everything over?”
She’d been trying to be reasonable!
“Yes!” He stormed over, getting in her space, pushing her away from Kody. “I’m the fucking Alpha!”
She pushed him back, as hard as she could, actually moving him a little bit. “You’re a fucking ASSHOLE! This is the Twenty-First century! Grow some fucking sensitivity!”
“Fuck that. I tried it and you still don’t trust me.” He actually picked her up, getting his face right in hers, trying to intimidate her.
“Trust you? You kidnapped me!” It was no fair. No fair at all. Her toes weren’t even touching the ground. He was a giant apeman. “Let me go!”
“No.” He shook her again. She was going to get whiplash. He bared his teeth. “You need to listen.”
“I’ve listened to the two of you enough!” She popped him right in the nose, as hard as she could, and it didn’t even faze him. “Kody is unconscious!”
He roared, starting to shake her again, then all but dropped her when Kody groaned. She landed hard, tailbone slapping on the floor hard enough to make her eyes water. She crawled over, reaching for Kody, slapping Mesa’s hand out of the way as she fought to get her breath back. Mesa was on his knees next to her, though, looking as worried as she felt. As soon as both of them touched Kody, though, he woke up.
“Mates.” Kody looked at them, eyes sparkling. “I’m on the floor.”
Oh, thank God. “You are. I’m going to get you to a hospital, love. You’re sick. I’m taking you away from this big asshole.”
“No, Sammy. It was just very big for a second.”
“See?” Mesa growled and she turned on him, snarled low.
“No, I don’t see, you fuck.” She framed Kody’s face with her hands. “There’s something wrong with you. You passed out. We have to go.”
He sat up, hand sliding down her side. “Too much information, huh? Years of emotions in here, plus you, Mesa.”
Maybe it was Kody who had the brain tumor. He sure was acting like he had some kind of pressure.
“I know, baby. She won’t listen.” Mesa settled on the floor, pulling Kody up on his lap.
“I won’t listen.” She sat there for a second, naked, cold, watching her nude husband on his lover’s lap. She was three days away from home, she hadn’t had a latte in longer than that, and she was probably blackballed from any decent job on the West Coast. Not only that, but she’d missed the season premiere of Glee.
She stood up, grabbed the blanket, and headed out for the truck. Clothes and shoes. Then her phone.
“No.” The word came from right behind her, Mesa there before she could blink.
She jumped. How did he do that? “Back off.”
“I don’t think so.” He pulled her close, his chest against her breasts.
“Leave me alone!” She tried to pull away, but his arms were like steel bands.
“Stop it. Just stop.” When she tried to slap at him, he kissed her silly.
His tongue pushed into her mouth, stealing her bre
ath, her good sense. What the hell was wrong with her? She didn’t just…melt for men. Not for men not Kody, anyway. But this one was so raw, so fucking exciting.
“Leave me alone.” The words would have been more impressive, if she hadn’t moaned them into Mesa’s lips.
“Can’t.” He pulled her back into the house, kissing her again and again. He carried her deep into the house, then up a flight of stairs, into a huge bedroom with the biggest bed she’d ever seen.
Kody groaned happily from behind them. “Home.”
“Yes. Home.” Mesa put her on the bed, which she would have known was his even if he wasn’t there.
She went to get up, but his huge hand landed in the center of her belly, other hand drawing Kody close. Kody went to him, looking oddly young and excited, and as soon as Mesa’s hand wrapped around Kody’s arm, a heat started inside her.
Her nipples tightened up, her breath coming faster. When they both lay down with her, their bodies heavy next to hers, she cried out with pleasure.
“Yes. Yes, see?” Kody moaned softly, lips parted. “Home. Oh, Mates. Home.”
“Yes.” Mesa smiled for her, pulling off his clothes. He pulled Kody close for a kiss, too.
Kody cried out when Mesa’s mouth touched his, long fingers grabbing Mesa’s hair. She gasped, eyes huge as she watched them. She. They. Beautiful and wild and so needy, they made her wet.
Mesa seemed like he could eat Kody up, and she knew that kiss from both sides, knew how both of their mouths felt. Mesa pushed Kody over, body covering his, their hips slamming together.
Sammy moaned, needing to touch too, her hands sliding over Mesa’s back.
Mesa arched into her touch, then pushed back down against Kody. She could feel their pleasure through her hand, white hot and desperate.
“Mate. Please. Been so long since we’ve been here, home, together.” Kody was begging, words almost incoherent.
“Kody.” Mesa moaned, biting at Kody’s shoulder, rubbing and pushing them all higher.
“Yes…” Kody reached for Sammy, dragged her closer.
She ached for…something. More. Them. They rocked together, all of them, Kody and Mesa just slamming against one another. Kody was making the wildest sounds, deep, hoarse. Hungry.
