by Maggie Walsh
“I don’t know what bits and pieces you two are talking about, because I’m not that small, and da…amn, have you seen my man? Nothing bits and pieces about him. He’s huge. Okay maybe not as XL as Micah, but pretty damn close. It’s like a salami. I don’t know how you guys even walk around with those king dongs in your pants, hel…” Taylor was cut off when Gabriel smashed his lips to Taylor’s to get him to stop.
Jesse and Micah laughed, and then Micah stopped and looked at Jesse. “How does Taylor know what my bits and pieces look like?”
Jesse, Gabriel, and Taylor started laughing. “I’ll tell you later, babe.” Jesse laughed and ran a hand down Micah’s chest.
“Okay, enough of the niceties and the cock talk, I want to shift.” Taylor grabbed Gabriel’s hand and dragged him to the grass.
“It’s good to have the old Taylor back. I missed him,” Micah said as he sat on one of the patio chairs.
Jesse sat on his lap. “Me, too. He can be crude and abrasive sometimes, but I wouldn’t want him any other way.”
Micah kissed Jesse’s neck. “Me either. I love both of you just the way you are. Thank you for coming into my life, baby, and for bringing Taylor into our lives as well. It’s hard to remember what this house was like before you two came into it. It was just…quiet and dull. You two brought life and love and laughter into this house and into all our lives. Thank you.”
With tears in his eyes Jesse leaned in and kissed Micah gently on the lips. “Thank you for bringing us into your lives. You saved us both, babe.”
“Hey, mush one and mush two, you think I can get this going? You’re a little distracting,” Taylor bitched.
Micah and Jesse just laughed and looked at where Gabriel and Taylor stood. Gabriel released Taylor’s hand and stood beside him. “Okay, sweet baby, close your eyes and even out your breathing. Just concentrate on your breathing. Good, now clear your mind except for thinking about your wolf.”
“But I don’t know what my wolf looks like, Gabriel,” Taylor whined.
“It’s okay, sweet baby, just concentrate on your wolf. He knows you and he’ll come to you.”
Taylor took a deep breath and slowly let it out. His wolf, he needed his wolf. Just when he was about to give up he felt something move within him. He gasped at the sudden feeling. “It’s okay, Taylor. That’s your wolf. He’s coming to say hi to you. He recognizes my wolf and my wolf recognizes him. Just stay calm and wait for him.”
Taylor calmed himself again and thought of his wolf. Suddenly the feeling was there again, like a familiar friend, but he could also feel something like fur brush against the inside of his legs. Then nothing, he was getting frustrated. Taylor opened his eyes to tell Gabriel that it wasn’t working and he gasped at what he saw. Gabriel was towering over him, looking down at him smiling. Gabriel knelt down and brushed his hand against his cheek and it felt different. He wanted Gabriel to pet his head and rub his belly. He looked down and saw that he was much closer to the ground and he had paws. Holy shit, he had paws. He whined and looked back to Gabriel. “You’re so beautiful, sweet baby. You’re a blond wolf. I never saw a blond wolf before the first time you shifted. White ones, yes, they’re generally omegas, but you’re blond. We asked our council about it and they said that it was extremely rare and that while you’re not an omega, you may get gifts like an omega gets. But with Aaron’s blood in you as well, we just don’t know. We’ll have to see.”
Taylor whined again and then started growling as he smelled something approaching his mate. He bared his teeth and turned toward the threat, growling and snapping. It was Jesse slowly walking toward them. Jesse stopped cold in his tracks and held up his hands. Micah was there quickly. He grabbed his mate and pushed Jesse behind him. Micah bared his teeth and growled a warning. Taylor immediately stopped growling and started whining. He dropped down on his belly and rolled over, exposing his belly and his throat to Micah. Micah shifted into his wolf, his clothes ripped and fell off of him and he walked over to Taylor at his full height. The air of power surrounded him, and Taylor whined again. Micah approached him and wrapped his powerful jaws around Taylor’s throat, but didn’t bite down. Gabriel released a small but deadly growl and Micah growled back. Gabriel lifted his head and exposed his throat. “Sorry, Alpha, instinct. He’s my mate.” Micah released Taylor’s throat and pushed him with his muzzle. Taylor rolled over onto his belly and lowered his head. Micah licked Taylor’s face, then turned and walked back to Jesse. He nudged Jesse forward and Jesse walked over to Taylor. Jesse knelt down next to Taylor and lifted his hand and ran it down Taylor’s head.
“I won’t hurt you, Tay. Or Gabriel,” Jesse said.
Taylor whined and licked Jesse’s face. Jesse giggled and wiped his cheek with his shoulder. “That tickles, Tay.”
“Alpha mate. Very important. Never hurt the Alpha mate. He must be protected at all times. All mates are a gift from the Gods and fate. We must never hurt the mate of a pack, a pride, a coven, or any other paranormal. Alpha mate, above all else, is to be guarded and protected. They hold the key to a pack’s happiness, growth and fortune. Now that you are one of us, Taylor, that doesn’t mean you will be treated any less than the mate you are. You are still a mate and will be treated as such.” Taylor could hear Micah and his powerful commanding voice in his head. Wicked.
“Let’s run, sweet baby,” Gabriel said and shifted. He nudged Taylor up, and they took off running into the tree line. Micah shifted back and turned to Jesse.
“What was that?” Jesse asked as he walked into Micah’s arms.
“As a new wolf Taylor didn’t know who was a threat to his mate. That was actually a good sign. He’s very protective of Gabriel. He was even willing to stand up to my wolf for his mate. I think he’s going to make a great wolf. But, I still had to show him who was Alpha.”
“You used that mind link thingy you told me about, didn’t you?” Jesse asked.
“Yes, I did. So now that I’m naked and those two will probably be running for a few hours, and it’s nice and dark out here. How about you join me on the patio lounge and I slowly make love to you under the stars, baby?” Micah said and then picked Jesse up, wrapping his legs around Micah’s waist.
“I think that’s a great idea.” Jesse smirked and started licking Micah’s neck.
* * * *
Taylor and Gabriel ran for hours. Taylor couldn’t get enough of all the sights and the sounds, and the smells were just amazing. Taylor ran and jumped and rolled. He barked and sniffed. He ran after rabbits and field mice. He even ran after a deer, feeling hungry all of a sudden. He was getting tired and slowed down. Gabriel turned to him, “Getting tired, sweet baby?” Gabriel asked through the mind link.
“A little,” Taylor answered. Gabriel stepped closer to him and licked his face. Taylor licked him back. Gabriel shifted back to his human form and knelt in front of Taylor.
“Okay, sweet baby, I want you to shift back now okay?” Taylor nodded his head and whined. “Just do the reverse. Close your eyes, calm your breathing and think of your human form,” Gabriel explained as he petted Taylor’s head.
Taylor closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He thought of himself as a human and then he felt a warmth inside him. He opened his eyes and found himself kneeling on all fours. He sat back on his heels and looked at Gabriel. “That didn’t take as long as shifting into my wolf.”
“The more you shift, the faster it happens. You’ll get to a point where all you have to do is think shift and you will. Your wolf is tired. He’s happy he got out to run and got to know you, and me, but he’s hungry and tired. We can rest here for a little while, then head back. Come on, there’s a stream not far from here. We can rest and get a drink of water,” Gabriel explained and grabbed Taylor’s hand. He led them through the woods for a few minutes until they came across a small stream. Taylor sat on a rock at the edge of the stream. He put his feet in the cool water and sighed. “You’ll get used to it, sweet baby. Just give it time.”
“I haven’t run that much in…well…I’ve never run that much.” Taylor laughed.
“I’m sorry, sweet baby, I should have thought of that. It’s your first time and you’re just getting over your illness. I should have stopped us sooner,” Gabriel said as he sat next to Taylor and cupped his cheek.
“It’s not your fault, big guy. It was so exciting and exhilarating. I never saw the world like that before, and the smells were incredible. It was weird, too, because every time I saw or smelled another animal, all I wanted to do was chase it, catch it and eat it. Then I thought, gross, but I still wanted to play with it.” Taylor chuckled.
“That’s how all of us were when we were pups and shifted for the first time. After a while you get used to it and the thrill goes away a little. But it always feels good to run and let your wolf out. Especially on the full moon,” Gabriel said.
“How is that going to work? As a wolf we need to shift on the full moon, right?” Taylor asked.
“Yes, our wolf demands it,” Gabriel said.
“So if we need to shift on the full moon, but because of Aaron’s blood we have to fuck like rabbits on the full moon, what are we gonna do?” Taylor asked, splashing his feet in the stream.
Gabriel wrapped his arms around Taylor and pulled him in close. “We’ll do both. We’ll take a break from our play time when the full moon rises and we’ll shift and go for a run, then we’ll go back to our room and fuck for the next day. We’ll make it work, sweet baby.”
Something moved in the trees across the stream and Gabriel jumped to his feet. Taylor stood up next to him. “What is it, Gabriel?”
“I don’t know, something moved, but I can’t smell it,” Gabriel said, but not taking his eyes off the far side of the stream.
“It’s over there,” Taylor said and pointed about fifty feet to the left of where Gabriel was looking.
“How do you know that, sweet baby? I can’t even smell it,” Gabriel asked, his eyes shifting to Taylor in confusion.
“I can see him. He’s right there.” Taylor pointed again to the spot across the stream.
“I don’t see him, sweet baby. What does he look like?” Gabriel asked in concern.
“He’s a man, about six feet, I would guess, and he’s just standing there looking at us. You really don’t see him, Gabriel?” Taylor asked.
“No, I don’t. And I don’t like this. My wolf is getting very nervous. He can sense something there, but he can’t see or smell it.” Gabriel started to growl.
“He’s moving closer. He has red eyes, Gabriel. He looks…like he wants to eat me.” Taylor shivered and leaned against Gabriel.
“Red eyes? Is he really pale?” Gabriel asked. “Like Dante pale?”
“Yes, exactly. But he looks paler, and like he’s really hungry. And he’s not alone.” Taylor was really shaking now.
Gabriel looked at him in question. “What do you mean he’s not alone? I don’t even sense any others but him.”
“I can see at least twenty-five to thirty others coming toward him, and they’re coming fast. He just turned to look at them. He’s saying something to them. They’ve slowed down and it looks like they’re trying to be quiet while they move,” Taylor said as he stared across the stream intently.
“What’s happening, sweet baby?” Gabriel asked as he wrapped his arms around Taylor’s waist from behind and looked in the direction Taylor was looking.
“Wait…I can hear him. He told the others to be very quiet because there were two shifters across the stream that couldn’t smell them and if they wanted to eat they should shut up,” Taylor explained, then gasped. “He knows I can see him. He just told them to take out the big one, so they could capture the little omega and use his powers. One of the other guys said, ‘No, he’s not an omega. He doesn’t smell like an omega. But how can he see us if he isn’t an omega?’ Gabriel, I’m scared.”
“It’s time to go, sweet baby. I need you to do exactly as I say okay?” Taylor nodded his agreement. “Okay, we’re going to turn around and then shift. As soon as you shift, I want you to run like hell back to the house. Use your senses. Smell our scents from before and follow them back to the house. At a certain point you should be able to smell the house. I want you to run and don’t stop until you get there. Don’t turn around, don’t hesitate, just run. Warn the others,” Gabriel kissed his lips quick.
“Wait. No, what are you gonna do?” Taylor asked in fear.
“I’m gonna try to slow them down, give you a chance to get back to the house for help.”
“No! I can’t leave you alone with them. Plus you know the way, you should go for help,” Taylor pleaded.
“I’m not leaving you here. Are you crazy? Please, sweet baby. I’m an enforcer, I know how to take care of myself. I can stay away from them.” Gabriel cupped Taylor’s cheek. “Please, Taylor. Please listen to me. It’s the only way and we need help,” Gabriel begged him.
After a few moments of Taylor just staring at Gabriel, he nodded his head and went to turn, then stopped and looked back across the stream. “Wait, they’ve stopped. They’re confused. We don’t smell like normal wolves and they don’t know what to do. The first guy is telling them to wait. To let us move on, escape. They’re afraid of us because they don’t know exactly what we are and wonder if we are experiments like them. He wants them to wait until we leave and then they’ll go after the wolf pack and kill the Alpha and Alpha mate first.”
“Shit. It’s time to go, baby. I’ll be right by your side. I promise. Shift and run as fast as you can. Now, Taylor, shift now,” Gabriel said and they both shifted. Once they were in their wolf forms they took off as fast as they could, jumping over exposed roots and dodging around trees. He was so proud of his mate, Taylor ran right beside him, keeping up. Gabriel turned to see if they were being followed, and his heart dropped. Taylor was right, there was about thirty rogue vampires chasing after them and they were about a hundred yards away and gaining ground.
He turned back to see where he was going and Taylor stopped and turned to face the rogues. “No! Sweet baby, don’t stop! Run!” But Taylor didn’t listen. His ears went back against his head and his head lowered. Taylor got into a pouncing stance and bared his teeth. He started growling ferociously. Gabriel bumped his head into Taylor’s side to get him to move, but Taylor ignored him. His growl got scarier and louder. Then the strangest thing Gabriel had ever seen happened, the rogues stopped, about fifty feet from them and they couldn’t move. They were fighting an invisible barrier between them. Gabriel couldn’t see anything, but it was there. The rogues were pounding their fists against it and kicking it but nothing happened, they couldn’t break through. Then Taylor lowered his head even more and closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were glowing a brilliant blue light and the rogues went flying through the air backward.
As they hit the ground they all grabbed their heads and rolled around in pain. The light faded from Taylor’s eyes. He looked at Gabriel and barked, then he took off toward the house. Gabriel followed, confused, not understanding what he just saw. Was it what the council said? Did Taylor have omega powers? Holy shit. His mate was some kind of hybrid omega. What would that mean to all of them now? Would the council try to take him away to study him? To kill him? Hell no, no one was getting their damn hands on his mate. He would kill them all first.
They ran back to the house and shifted on the patio as they burst through the kitchen doors. Lexi and Crew were sitting there eating cookies. They jumped at the intrusion and then stood there frozen as they looked at the two naked intruders. Gabriel stepped in front of Taylor to block their view. “Sound the alarm! Intruders. Rogue vamps coming this way. A lot of them,” Gabriel panted out.
Lexi jumped and reached under the counter. Suddenly there was a deafening alarm that started blaring through the house. Taylor covered his ears and cringed at the sound. Gabriel wrapped his arms around him and Crew went outside and grabbed their clothes. He handed them to Gabriel just as the whole p
ack ran into the kitchen.
“What is it?” Micah ordered in his Alpha voice. Jesse was right behind him, his eyes the size of saucers.
“Rogue vamps, about thirty of them tried to attack Taylor and me at the stream. We shifted and took off. They chased us and…” Gabriel stopped and looked down at Taylor.
“And what?” Micah demanded.
“And Taylor saved us. They were catching up to us quick. Another few minutes and they would have been right on top of us. But Taylor stopped them,” Gabriel said and squeezed Taylor. “Thank you, sweet baby. That was…wow. I don’t even know what to say.”
Taylor stood on his tip toes and kissed Gabriel’s cheek. “Anytime, big guy.”
“Taylor saved you from thirty rogue vamps?” Jesse asked in surprise. His eyebrows shot up.
“Yes, he did,” Gabriel said proudly and held Taylor tighter.
“Okay, we’ll get to all of that later. Right now we take care of the rogues. Jesse, Taylor, and Aaron go into the safe room.” Micah reached under the edge of the center Island and pushed a button. Suddenly the island started to move. It slid sideways across the floor. When it stopped moving it revealed a staircase going down. “The three of you go down the stairs, when you get to the bottom push the green button and the island will move back into place and the lights inside the room will go on, then lock the door at the bottom and don’t come out until one of us comes to get you. There are cameras in there. Turn on the power and the screens will come to life, giving you a look at every room in the house. Go, now,” Micah ordered. “The rest of you, let’s go get us some rogues.” He turned to find Jesse, Aaron, and Taylor hadn’t moved.
“Go, now, get in the safe room,” he commanded.
“But I can help, Micah. Really I can,” Taylor begged.
“I believe you, Taylor. That’s why I want you in that room with Jesse and Aaron, to protect all of you. Please, baby, go to the safe room with Taylor and Aaron,” Micah pleaded. Jesse nodded his head and Micah gave him a quick kiss. Gabriel handed Taylor his clothes and kissed him quickly. “I love you, sweet baby. Be safe.”
