Pack Mentality: Natural Selection

by Julia Talbot

  Colin shrugged helplessly. “I got no idea, man. You know I don’t listen.”

  Yeah. Colin loved his lady, but he didn’t pay any attention to the wild concoctions Myra came up with. Steve didn’t blame the man a bit. He still thought Myra was a bit of a freak.

  They were in the health food aisle, looking for something that could be sesame crackers or semolina flour when Colin raised his head, scenting the air. “You smell that?”

  “Smell what?” Sniffing deeply, Steve sneezed, the scent of some kind of herb almost overwhelming him.

  “Wolf.” Colin moved close, angling the cart so they had the shelf on one side, the wire basket on the other, an automatic defensive move. Not that Steve could blame him. Aside from the members of their own little pack, they hadn’t had very good luck with other werewolves of late.

  Not at all.

  Steve scanned the aisle, looking for anyone who might be likely, and saw no one but an older lady and her toddler granddaughter. “Where?” he asked, trying not to cower. Seeing his lover Kamen get so torn up by their last hometown pack had put a good dose of cautious in him.

  “Somewhere close. Stay here.” Colin left him, stalking down the health food to turn into the canned vegetable aisle.

  Sighing, Steve stood and waited, biting his thumbnail. When he and Kamen and their little pack had left Colorado Springs, they’d looked pretty carefully for a place with no other shifters. If there was one this close…

  “Um. Excuse me?”

  Steve whirled around and stared at the guy in the Park Ranger uniform, the one who was smiling at him tentatively.

  “Yeah?” Steve said, trying not to freak, because now even he could smell the scent of male wolf. Where was Colin?

  “My name is Ryan Grinsky. I hope I’m not bothering you, but I wanted to say hi.”

  Ryan had light brown eyes, dark brown hair peeking out from under the Ranger hat, and a short, stocky body. With his freckled face and a big smile, the man appeared harmless. Appearances could be deceiving.

  “Uh…” Steve hated to seem like a coward, but he knew he was the brains of the pack, not the brawn like all of the others. God knew, he was smaller than every other guy around. Sasha and Kamen made him feel like a midget. He pushed the cart around to protect him some. “Hi. Steve. You’re not going to try to eat my face, are you?”

  “Not unless you ask me to. I happened to see you moving in the other week, and I didn’t want to get my head taken off if I came to say hello.” Ryan chuckled, the sound nervous as all hell. “Some, uh, people like us are not so friendly.”

  “I hear that.” Do not let him lull you into feeling safe, Steve thought, but he couldn’t help it. Ryan seemed so normal. So much like him.

  “Anyway, I just wanted to say welcome to the neighborhood and all.”

  “You live on this side of the Mesa?” Steve asked. They were just outside of Delta, which was actually over the ridge from Mesa, but it was a pretty drive and a lot less crowded than the bigger, closer Grand Junction.

  “No. I mean, we actually live up toward the middle. This is just as easy to get to when it’s not snowing. ’Sides, I was doing rounds and thought I’d get Loyal some salmon for supper. He loves fish.”

  “Loyal?” This was too surreal. Meeting another werewolf you didn’t know was rare. Sitting and chatting in the Safeway was just weird.

  “My boyfriend.” Looking around, Ryan lowered his voice, moving closer. “I saw you were with yours, so I didn’t figure you guys would have a problem with me being gay.”

  “No. Not with that.” That would be the pot calling the kettle black. “Just, uh, we’re not looking to have coffee, right?”

  Ryan’s face fell a little. “No. No, I just wanted you to know I was here, and that there’s no big pack up here or anything. Just me and Loyal.”

  “I can’t find him, St --” Colin came around the corner and stopped dead, scenting, vibrating in place. Just like a hunting wolf about to pounce. “Well. I guess I don’t have to.”

  Ryan held up his hands. “I was just leaving. I wanted to introduce myself. You’ll tell him, Steve. I don’t want trouble.”

  Steve found himself nodding. “It’s okay, Col.”

  “You sure?” Colin gave Ryan a hard look, doing the big dog thing.

  “Yeah. Yeah, come on. We need to get the milk and shit home.” He wheeled the cart around, giving Ryan an apologetic smile. Strange as it was, Steve felt bad for the guy. He seemed nice.

  Colin did a little more posturing, but soon enough they were out of the store and in the truck, heading home. “What did he say?” Colin asked finally, hands clenched tight on the steering wheel.

  “Just hi. It’s just him and this one other guy. They don’t want trouble…” What Ryan hadn’t said was stuff like, “I’m lonely, and I want to talk, and can we get together sometime.” It had been there, though. Right there in those light brown eyes.

  Somehow Steve wasn’t scared of Ryan at all. Maybe they’d have to get together and have coffee sometime.

  * * *

  “Did you get the flaxseed oil?” Myra pushed her unruly red hair behind her ear. Really, Colorado just didn’t have enough humidity. Her hair tended to get static-y.

  “We missed a few things, honey,” Colin told her, handing her a bunch of bags. “I need to go talk to Kamen.”

  “Wait a minute.” She grabbed him when he tried to pass, hands curling into the fabric of his T-shirt. Oh, he was warm; he smelled good, too. “You owe me a kiss.” Colin stopped, bending to give her a kiss, his blond hair falling over his brow. She brushed it away, running her fingers through the thick mass, humming when he licked her lower lip. “Much better.”

  Giving her a smile, Colin ran a thumb down the side of her cheek. “Hey, honey. I’ll be back to help unpack. Steve will unload the truck.”

  “Okay.” Huh. Well, something was up. Colin usually loved their little hello and goodbye rituals. She wandered over to the door to Kamen’s study, holding her bracelets so they didn’t jingle together. She might not be a werewolf, but she could eavesdrop with the best of them.

  “…not sure if he was telling the truth, but he told Steve he was the only one,” Colin was saying. Through the tiny gap in the door, Myra could see him pacing back and forth.

  “Shit.” Kamen’s sigh sounded like sandpaper on wood. “We’ll have to check it out. If that’s true, there’s plenty of territory for all of us. If not, well, we’ll have to figure out something else.”

  Bags hit the floor in the kitchen, making Myra jump, and she almost fell into the study. Steadying herself, she wheeled and hustled back to help Steve with more bags. Myra smiled brightly. “Eventful trip to the store?”

  “Huh? Oh.” Steve shrugged. “We got most of what you wanted. Met another werewolf in the health food aisle, though, and Col freaked.”

  Colin rarely freaked. He was a much cooler customer than Steve. Myra had personal experience with both men. “You mean Colin decided to protect the pack and leave.”

  “Well, yeah.”

  “That’s not freaking.” Patting Steve on the butt always made him jump and blush, so she gave him a nice little whack. “That’s just prudence. We have to be careful.”

  “Well, he’s gay,” Steve said, “and he’s got a boyfriend. He says that’s it.”

  “Oh, we should have him for supper. Over for supper, I mean.” She clapped her hands, jewelry ching-a-ling-ing. “I could make tofu-turkey.”

  Steve swallowed convulsively, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Oh, God. No. Make a roast or something. Let Jenny cook.”

  “So you wouldn’t mind having him over?” Not that Steve was the best judge of character. He’d thought Myra was a freak; still did, when it came to her food.

  “I wouldn’t. We’ll see what the alpha says, huh?”

  Alpha. Pshaw. Myra didn’t hold with all of that shit. She liked Kamen a lot, but he was not going to tell her who she could or couldn’t invite to supper.

  “S
he’ll be sending cookies and an engraved invitation,” Colin said, sneaking up behind her to put an arm around her waist. His hand flattened on her belly, and she shivered, her nipples drawing up tight. No one made her feel the way Colin did. No one.

  “I will if I want, yes. Don’t be evil.” Myra leaned back against his wide chest, humming and putting her hands over his and stroking the weathered skin. “Steve likes him.”

  “Am I the only man in this whole world who isn’t gay?” he whispered against her ear. “I bet Steve just thinks he’s cute.”

  “Now you’re really being a butthead.” Breaking his hold, Myra turned and whapped Colin on the arm. Poor Steve. He looked like his head was going to explode.

  “I just thought he looked lonely,” Steve mumbled. “What did Kamen say?”

  “I said I don’t think we need to take chances,” Kamen growled from the doorway. “No tea. No cookies. No tofu turkey.”

  Really, Kamen was a beautiful man, but he was so bossy. Myra tossed her head. “Well, then this discussion is over, right? Colin? Could I speak to you alone?”

  “Sure, darlin’.”

  They headed for the other side of the house, his arm around her waist, and Myra leaned in, loving the scent of him, the heat.

  “You’ve got to start getting along with Kamen, honey,” Colin said, kissing her temple.

  “Why? He’s all orders and growls.” Their bedroom door shut behind them, and Myra turned into Colin’s arms, lifting her face for a kiss.

  “He’s the one who got us where we are now. He fought for us.” Colin gave just what she wanted, his hot mouth pressing down on hers, his tongue tracing the seam of her closed lips.

  Oh, she needed that. She wrapped her arms around his neck and his hands landed on her ass, and Myra arched into him, begging wordlessly for more.

  Sometimes she just needed to be distracted.

  She’d think of how to bring that new wolf over for supper after.

  Chapter Four

  Ryan picked at his roast beef, the potatoes looking all runny and yellow with too much gravy. He sighed, shifting from butt cheek to butt cheek.

  “Baby, what’s wrong?” Loyal finally asked, staring at him from across the table.

  “Huh? Oh, I bet it’s the moon.” The full moon was only days away, and it always made him itchy. Good thing Loyal wasn’t bound to the cycles of the old lady, because they’d both be bitchy as hell, and he needed Loyal to be, well, Loyal.

  “It’s more than that.” One big hand covered his, Loyal’s dark brown hair falling down to cover one worried green eye. “Tell me.”

  “You were right. I should have stayed away from the new pack.”

  “Oh, baby. You didn’t.”

  “Hey, I told you I wouldn’t avoid them at the post office.” He poked at his napkin with his fork. “So I said hi. It didn’t go so well.”

  “I’ll leave off the I told you so, huh?” Stroking his hand, Loyal rumbled. “I love you. That ought to be enough.”

  “It is!” Oh, shit. He’d hurt Loyal’s feelings. “It so is, that way. I just… Sometimes I want friends I don’t have to hide from.”

  Shaking his head, Loyal got up and cleared the dishes, heading for the kitchen. Those wide shoulders were set stiff, the shaggy head hanging pretty low. He hated it when he made Loyal look like that, but he couldn’t help it. It was the nature of the beast.

  After much banging and clanging in the kitchen, Loyal came back out and handed him a piece of cherry pie with ice cream. Oh, yum.

  “Look, baby,” Loyal said. “I know you’re lonely sometimes. I get that. I just don’t know what to do. How can I help?”

  “I don’t know. Run with me tomorrow night?” The day before and after the full moon he would change, just like he did on the moon itself. Loyal didn’t come out with him too often, saying he was too slow, too ponderous to run with wolves.

  “I can do that, baby. Now eat your pie.”

  “Bears.” Ryan snorted. “Always tempting a man with sweets.”

  “Uh-huh. You get more bears with honey than vinegar.”

  That had him laughing, digging into his pie. Sweet, tart, fresh. Yay. That made things better right away. Licking ice cream from his upper lip, Ryan forked up a bite and offered it over.

  “Want some? You know I like to share.”

  Those green eyes went dark for him, Loyal growling a little, shifting in his chair. “Love some,” Loyal said, and bent over to lick at his fork.

  Damn. That was sexy as hell. Ryan forgot all about hurt feelings and lonely, focusing on his amazing lover. He picked a cherry next, holding it out with his fingers. To hell with the fork.

  “Mmm. Melt in your mouth.” Loyal licked his sticky fingers, and Ryan felt his cock harden inside his pants.

  “More?” he asked, and Loyal nodded, eyes on his fingers, hands clenched on the edge of the table.

  “Yeah,” Loyal said. “More.”

  Ryan got up and moved into Loyal’s lap, dragging his plate with him. “I’ll give you all you want, honey.”

  “Want everything.” Kissing him like there was no tomorrow, Loyal pushed him back against the table, and the pie went flying. Damn. Oh, damn. Those big arms wrapped around him like steel bands, squeezing him, Loyal all but desperate for him.

  Good thing Ryan wanted everything, too.

  Before he could blink, Loyal stood, propping his ass on the table, muscling in between his legs. He spread wide, wrapping his calves around the backs of Loyal’s thighs, wanting to feel that big cock rubbing against him.

  “Skin, Loyal. Need skin.”

  “Yeah, baby.” Loyal slid back and got Ryan’s pants off, then his shirt. His hands went right to Loyal’s zipper, pulling the tab down so he could push and shove and get his big bear naked, too. Then Loyal pushed back between his legs, humping up hard.

  “Oh, there. Right there.” He reached down, grabbing both their cocks and rubbing hard, thumb sliding over the tips. Wet, hot, they were perfect together, and Ryan figured he needed to be grateful for what he had.

  Loyal should be enough for any man. No one loved him better.

  They rocked, the table squeaking, the chair behind Loyal falling over. Ryan would have asked Loyal to come inside him, but he lost words somewhere between the feel of the hair on Loyal’s legs and the heavy balls slapping against his ass.

  So he just pulled and stroked, panting and groaning, his head rolling back and forth. His eyes closed, but he could still see Loyal on his eyelids. The smell of musk and heat and sex surrounded him, overwhelming the scent of pie and cream, making him moan.

  “Baby… Oh, God. So good. This is what we need. What you need.” Loyal was babbling, that deep voice like water over gravel, and it added a whole different caress to the heavy touch of Loyal’s hands cupping his hips, his ass.

  “Uh. Uh-huh.” His tongue refused to do more than stick to the roof of his mouth, and Ryan pushed up harder, desperate to feel more, get more, his skin starting to burn with the heat they were producing.

  “Come on, baby,” Loyal growled. “Want to see you come. Fucking beautiful when you come.”

  Ryan opened his eyes, staring into Loyal’s green ones, his hand clenching hard on their cocks as he gave it up. He came so hard that he splattered Loyal’s chest, some of it falling against his belly, between his thighs.

  Loyal grunted for him, cock jerking in his hand, and came for him, a loud roar filling the room. Loyal was the beautiful one. Not him.

  They rested a moment, panting, both of them just boneless and happy.

  “Better, baby?” Loyal asked.

  “Until the moon tomorrow, yeah.” He was. He just needed a firm hand, really. Good thing Loyal was very firm.

  “I’ll run with you tomorrow. I promise.”

  Ryan grinned, nodding, stroking Loyal’s fuzzy chest. “I know. You never go back on a promise. I love you, honey.”

  “You too, baby. Now, where did that pie go?”

  “I think it’s o
n the floor. Want me to get another piece?”

  “Yeah. I think we need the sugar.”

  Lord. The way to a bear’s heart really was through his stomach. Ryan decided that he didn’t mind that one bit.

  * * *

  “Colin, there you are.” Kamen came around the bend in the hallway, clapping Colin on the back. The moon was so close that he was having trouble keeping his voice steady, but he needed to check in with the entire pack.

  “Not Colin,” the Colin look-alike said. “It’s Myra.”

  “Oh!” The moon took Myra early, and she took on the form of whatever living thing she was closest to when it did, so there it was. She and Col had obviously been together. “Swell, good. You’ll keep an eye on Jenny tonight?”

  “Of course I will. She’s pregnant, not an invalid.”

  “Yeah, but if she got out, Sasha and Liam would have your hide.” If a pregnant werewolf got captured…

  “No worries. I’m on it,” Myra said, clapping him on the shoulder with Colin’s hand.

  “Okay. Where’s Colin?”

  Myra gave him a smile, one that on Colin’s normal face he would call lusty. “I left him in the bedroom.”

  “Oh, gross, Myra.”

  “That’s what you say. Have a nice run.”

  Shaking his head, Kamen found his other pack members, one by one, reminding them to be careful. To avoid humans and the other wolf that was out there. “We don’t need to take chances, and this territory is all too new to us,” he said solemnly, his voice little more than a series of growls.

  Colin, Sasha and Liam all looked appropriately accepting. Steve was the one who looked mutinous, and Kamen dragged him off to a private corner, rumbling and setting his teeth to Steve’s throat.

  “You have to listen to me, baby,” Kamen said against Steve’s skin. “He may be perfectly nice, but we have to be careful.”

  Steve was always the last one to be taken by the moon, and he still sounded perfectly human. “Sure. Sure, we do, love. I just think he’s sad. A little lonely.”

  “Well, I’m not sure that’s our problem.” He was trying hard not to get distracted by the scent of Steve’s skin, but it was tough. Kamen licked a trail along Steve’s jaw, tasting salt.