Alpha at Home (Brothers of the Heart Book 1)

by DJ Bryce

  His words gave me pause, and I realized I hadn’t thought about things in that way. Brick was the first person to ever come out in our pack. It hadn’t made a difference to me or anyone else I knew, Brick was Brick and had always, would always, be one of us. But, I hadn’t ever thought about what being the first, and so far, only openly gay member of our pack meant for him and his future.

  I knew Gilly would be upset if he didn’t come back, hell, I would be upset, I liked having my friends and family near, but Brick deserved happiness just like the rest of us.

  I looked up to see Mateo watching Brick warily, and figured he was going through the same thought process I was.

  “You know that you and whoever you start a life with are welcome here, anytime. You don’t have to fall for a member of the pack or our community, we will welcome the person you love into our pack with open arms,” I assured him. It wasn’t unheard of for that to happen, that is, after all, how our pack grew, outside of reproduction, of course.

  “I know, Max, thanks,” Brick said, but his face conveyed that whatever had made him bring it up in the first place, was still an issue in his mind.

  Before I could broach the subject further, Gilly and Natasha came walking out back, their arms loaded down with grocery bags. I sprung to my feet to go and help, and noticed Logan do the same.

  “I thought you were going to get a couple sides and a pie,” I said teasingly. “What’s all this?”

  “C’mon, I know my guys need a lot of food to fuel your bodies,” Gilly replied, handing me a couple bags and placing the others on Mateo’s counter.

  He had a sweet setup outside. A full barbecue pit with a counter, bar, small refrigerator and even a stove top. Mateo may not ever use his kitchen inside, but like any self-respecting shifter, or man for that matter, he could throw down on the grill.

  “Here, let me get that,” Logan was saying to Natasha, who was looking up at him with wide eyes.

  Logan reached out and started to take the bags, but when his hand brushed Tasha’s they both stilled, neither of them saying anything for a few minutes, before Natasha released the bags and stepped back.

  “I’m Logan,” he said, his voice full of what sounded like longing.

  “The Chief?” Natasha asked on a whisper.

  Logan nodded and Natasha took another step back.

  “I have to get back to Howlers,” Tasha said suddenly, then spun on her heel and fled, leaving both Gilly and Logan staring after her with shocked looks on their faces. Although, I had a feeling they were shocked for different reasons.

  “Who was that?” Logan asked gruffly.

  “Natasha, my sister,” Gilly answered, oblivious to what had just happened between Logan and Tasha. “She promised me she’d stay for one beer and one burger.”

  I put a hand on Gilly’s shoulder and when she looked up, I shook my head.

  “Your sister?” Logan asked, still looking toward the door that Natasha had gone through. “So, she’s promised to an Alpha?”

  Gilly shot me a look of confusion before turning her head toward Logan.

  “No, well, not yet, but yes, we were always told that we were meant to be an Alpha’s mate… At least, that’s what our parents always told us. Who knows what the truth really is…”

  “Hmmm,” Logan murmured, and I knew things were about to get even more complicated for the Matthews family.

  Chapter 16

  Gillian

  “Baby,” Maximus growled.

  I looked up through my lashes, never stopping my ministrations as I licked his cock from bottom to top.

  God, the way he looked tied to my headboard, his muscles bulging as he strained at the pleasure I was giving him made my pussy flood with wetness. I hummed as I sucked him into my mouth, his back bowing off of the bed as I played with his balls in my palm.

  “Get up here,” he ordered, and I was about to deny him, because I was in charge and I liked it, but then he added, “I want you to sit on my face,” and I scrambled up quickly.

  My body throbbed everywhere, I was so turned on.

  I moved over Max’s body, my legs on either side of him. He was big, so it was a bit of a stretch and my swollen pussy rubbed along his stomach, then chest as I moved up him. The urge to stop and thrust was hard, but his eyes were hot on me, and his mouth was open, and I really, really, wanted that mouth on me.

  “Come here,” Max ground out.

  I put my hands on the top of the headboard to steady myself, then tilted my head down to watch as I lowered myself onto his face. I felt his breath first, then his tongue darted out and licked… “Ahhh,” I moaned, then closed my eyes when his lips joined the party.

  I rocked shamelessly against his mouth, already so close to coming from giving Max a blow job.

  He lapped at me before stiffening his tongue and plunging it in and out of me, while he nuzzled my clit with his nose.

  “Oh. My. God” I managed as I moved my hips faster, chasing the pleasure that was surely moments away from encompassing me. Then it hit me, and I bucked against him as he sucked my clit between his lips, then kept at me until I was shaking and convulsing.

  I managed to move back down his body, my pussy still throbbing with aftershocks of pleasure, and eased myself slowly onto Max’s cock. This time, he groaned loudly as my slick heat surrounded him, before I lifted back up and teased the head of his cock at my entrance, before seating myself again. I did this repeatedly until he made a strangled sound, and I felt the pressure begin to build within me again.

  “Harder,” Max grunted, his wrists pulling at his restraints.

  I adjusted my position and complied, riding him as fast and hard as my body would allow.

  “I need your teeth on my shoulder,” Max managed between groans, and I knew he meant he wanted me to claim him like he had me our first time.

  The thought excited me further, and I ground against him even harder as I bent forward, moaning when the new position gave my clit more friction against his hard stomach.

  “Fuck, harder, Gilly.”

  I could feel the sweat beading on my upper lip as I moved faster and tilted my hips at just the right moment to pull him deeper within me. When I heard him begin to pant and felt his heart pounding in his chest against mine, I reared back, then put my mouth on the base of his throat and bit down as hard as I could.

  Max shouted as he bucked his hips and came hard, pounding into me from below and triggering my own release.

  After we finished milking every last bit of pleasure possible, I collapsed on Max and struggled to even out my breathing. I laid there for a few moments, cheek on his chest, smiling happily as I came down from a euphoric high.

  “Wow,” I managed breathily as I lifted my head to grin down at Max.

  “Yeah,” he replied, then tugged on his restraints and asked, “Can I be released now? I’d like to hold my mate.”

  I quickly let him loose, then snuggled back in when his arms came around me.

  “I love you,” I whispered.

  “I love you, too.”

  My adrenaline subsided, and I became aware that my legs were starting to cramp.

  “Let me go get cleaned up, then I’ll come back to snuggle,” I promised, dropping a soft kiss on Max’s lips before easing off of him.

  I cleaned up quickly, then rushed back to Max, jumping on the bed and making a show of hurrying next to him and snuggling into his side.

  Before I could say anything else, his phone rang on my bedside table, and I lost my snuggle partner as he sat up to reach it.

  “Yeah?” he asked without looking to see who it was, his tone conveying his displeasure at being disrupted. The frustration cleared and a look of anger crossed his featured before he said, “Fuck… I’ll be right there.”

  I sat up, pulling the covers with me to cover my nakedness when Max hopped out of the bed and began pulling on his jeans.

  When he disconnected the call, I asked, “What’s going on?”

  “Tha
t was Mateo. There’s damage to the silo, the combine is missing, and someone set fire to the crops. Gregory saw the fire and rushed over, he’s been able to stop it… I don’t know how much damage there is.”

  “Oh my gosh, that’s terrible. Is there anything I can do?” I asked, my heart lurching when I thought of how upset Mateo was going to be about this. Shit, it was going to affect the whole pack, we’d come to rely on the money Mateo’s brainchild had brought in.

  “Not right now,” Max said as he pulled his shirt over his head and crossed toward me. He put one hand behind my neck and dropped a quick kiss on my lips, and added, “I’ll call if that changes, okay?”

  “Okay, Max. Be careful.”

  “I will, babe.”

  Chapter 17

  Maximus

  Once I got out to the field and not only saw the damage, but felt the rage and frustration coming off of everyone, I started pacing and did my best to keep my wolf in check. And, I knew the others were feeling the same way.

  Half of one acre of crops was burnt to shit, there was a large gash in the side of one of the silos and the combine was nowhere to be found. That was a big ass piece of machinery to just up and disappear.

  “I can’t believe no one heard anything… saw anything,” Mateo growled.

  I could tell he was on the verge of shifting, and doing everything in his power to keep it in check. But maybe, all of us keeping ourselves in check was the exact wrong thing to do.

  “No one has come forward and said anything, so I think our best bet is to shift. We can split up and see if we can catch a scent that will lead us straight to these fuckers,” I said, loud enough for the guys to hear me.

  Mateo turned his glower toward me briefly, before giving one sharp nod and shifting. Mateo’s wolf was large, the biggest of us by far, with a grey and white coat. His green eyes held mine for a second, then he took off.

  One by one, the council shifted and their wolves scented the ground before following their noses. Bryan’s blonde coat matched his hair, while Calin’s light brown fur was vastly different from his brothers. Gregory also had a grey coat, but it was more like slate, and Kevin’s was a black as night.

  I was about to shift myself, when I saw Logan step out of his truck and survey the area, before shifting into the largest, most bad-ass Grizzly I’d ever seen.

  “Fuck,” I muttered as I watched him lumber off, then shook my head clear and allowed myself to shift.

  Everything becomes much clearer, simpler, when I’m in wolf form. My senses are heightened, with my nose leading the way. I ran over to the silo, and sniffed. I caught Gregory’s scent, and knew he must’ve come this way too, then caught the scent of someone else. Something else… a stranger.

  That’s the scent I followed.

  I ran, nose to the ground, then scented the air, my ears twitching anytime I heard a sound. I looked to my right to see two wolves and a bear a little bit ahead of me, but obviously tracking the same scent. Changing course, I got behind them, careful not to get to close and startle the bear.

  Logan’s bear knew me, but even in wolf form I knew not to fuck with him.

  We were about five miles out of town when the scent just disappeared. We were all together, noses to the ground as we tried to pick it back up again, when a loud engine caused us to still and lift our heads.

  Three trucks came tearing into the field, surrounding us, their high beams on in an effort to blind us.

  My hackles rose and I snarled, ready to attack at the first opportunity, and saw my brothers reacting the same way. Before I could let loose, a large bang erupted, and I heard a loud yelp. Instinctively everyone except for Logan closed in on Mateo’s wolf, eager to guard our Alpha. Of course, he had other ideas, and pushed through us to get to the front of the pack.

  I looked back and saw Kevin laying on his side, his blood seeping into the ground.

  Unable to do anything but react, I surged forward toward the blinding lights, but was knocked to the side by Mateo. Before I could right myself and attack, the trucks turned and sped away, gone as quickly as they’d arrived.

  I shifted and was about to ask Mateo stopped me, when I noticed Logan was standing and cradling Kevin’s wolf in his arms.

  “We have to get him to a doctor,” Logan urged, then began to run back toward town.

  “What the fuck was that?” Gregory asked angrily.

  “Who the hell were those guys?” Bryan bit out.

  “Is Kevin going to be alright?” Calin asked.

  Mateo looked around at all of us, out to where the trucks had driven away, then back at us.

  “I don’t know who it was, but whoever they were, they burned the crops and damaged our property, then led us out here so they could pull a fucking gun on us,” he seethed. “First, we’re going to see to Kevin, then we’re going to find out who is fucking with our pack.”

  That being said, he shifted again and took off at a sprint. By the time the rest of us changed, I couldn’t even see his wolf anymore, but we all took off in the direction Logan had gone with our brother.

  It was only a couple of miles, but felt like hundreds, I was so distraught over what had happened that night. By the time I made it back, found my clothes and grabbed my phone, Mateo, Logan, and Kevin were nowhere to be seen.

  I shot out a text to Mateo, asking where they were, then found Gilly’s name and texted her to let her know I’d be a lot longer.

  Is everything okay? Do you know who did it? Gilly asked.

  No, we don’t know yet, and there was a problem… Kevin is injured. But, until we get the okay from Mateo, keep it all under wraps.

  Okay, Max. Stay safe and give Kevin my best.

  Thanks, I’ll be home as soon as I can. Love you. I replied, then switched over when Mateo’s reply came in.

  We’re at Doc’s. You and the guys head to the office and put some coffee on. It’s going to be a long night.

  Chapter 18

  Gillian

  Deciding I needed normal so I didn’t start freaking out, I left Max’s empty house after straightening up, making the bed, and locking the door. He hadn’t come home, but he had kept in touch, letting me know they were trying to figure out who was behind the vandalism and attack on Kevin.

  I pulled into my spot behind Howlers and crossed the parking lot to open the door and start setting up. I was surprised when I got there to see the door was already unlocked. I went inside to find Natasha and Heidi covering up a bunch of tin pans with foil.

  “Hey,” I said in greeting. “What are you guys up to so early?”

  “Hey,” Tasha said with a smile.

  “Good Morning, Gilly,” Heidi added, way too chipper for so early in the morning. “We had everyone bring their dishes here so we could consolidate and take them all to the Threehorn Pack together this morning. You’re free to join us, if you’d like.”

  I raised an eyebrow at Tasha, who just shrugged.

  “Have you heard from Brick?” I asked, realizing our brother had been MIA since he’d left the barbecue last night, not long after Tasha had run out. I needed to ask her about that, but didn’t want to bring it up in front of Heidi.

  “Yeah, he came by last night and helped me close, then we had a beer before I left him snoring happily in your apartment,” Natasha replied. “I’m sure that’s where he still is, and plans to stay until at least noon.”

  “Cool,” I said to Tasha, then looked at Heidi and said, “You guys go ahead, I’m gonna stay here and make sure everything’s ready for lunch.”

  I helped them load up Heidi’s Corolla, then went back to work.

  The bar was sparkling, the kitchen was ready, and everything was stocked, when the first customers started rolling in for lunch. After a couple hours on my feet, slinging beers and bar food, I was feeling lighter and more like myself. Then, Max and Mateo came barreling into the bar

  I hurried over to them, concern written all over my face.

  “Kevin?” I asked, anxiously.

>   “He’s okay,” Max answered, pulling me into his arms where I relished comfort he provided.

  “Thank God,” I muttered against his chest, then pulled back and looked up at him. He looked exhausted. “Do you guys need anything? Are you hungry?”

  “Yeah, I’d kill for a burger,” Mateo said as he made his way to his bar stool.

  “That sounds perfect, thanks, babe,” Max replied, before brushing his lips against mine.

  “Coming right up,” I whispered, gave him one last squeeze, and let him go so I could get their orders in.

  I told the cook to put a rush on it, and was serving up their burgers and fries as fast as I possibly could. They both looked dead on their feet, but took the food greedily and wolfed it down.

  They were pushing back from the bar, bellies full, and about to go grab some sleep, when the door slammed open and Calin came rushing in.

  “It was Threehorn,” he managed through ragged breaths.

  “What?” Mateo asked, standing fully and crossing to his brother.

  “Bryan and I went out this morning, to see if we could find anything else… We caught a scent out by where Kevin was shot, and followed it and the tracks to an abandoned property. While we were sniffing around, a truck came back, so we waited and followed them. The Threehorn pack is behind the vandalism.”

  “What the hell? Why?” Max asked, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “They just got here… I thought you met with their Alpha…”

  “I did,” Mateo growled, obviously not happy about having his judgement questioned, and probably a little pissed that his first impression of the new pack leader was wrong.

  “Oh my God,” I gasped, when the full impact of what they’d just said hit me. “Tasha and Heidi just drove out to their land with the food… for the welcome wagon.”

  All eyes flashed to me, and the men’s bodies went rigid.