Alpha Boxed Set

by Treva Harte

  But Rome’s gaze was hot and carnal and admired the shape she was now. At that moment Mia wasn’t ashamed of what she’d become. She deliberately straightened her shoulders and lifted her breasts. For the first time in forever she looked right back at a man, giving him a direct challenge back.

  He was an omega, just like she was. But Romulous Kinkaid didn’t let that stop him from being bold. Why should it stop her?

  She turned off the nagging little voice that was ready to remind her why. The pulsing of her body kicked up a notch with every second that Rome kept looking at her and drowned out the old, scared Mia.

  “How much do you like women, Rome?”

  She’d wondered about him before. When the most gorgeous were west of the Mississippi lived as close as Rome did, you wondered. He hadn’t ever acknowledged her in particular. Not at high school, even when they were the only weres there. He might have looked her over then sometimes, she thought. Mia couldn’t imagine why.

  It wasn’t just that they’d come from different were packs, even though the packs were friendlier than most. But they also had little in common except being were. Rome had been a grade behind her but she’d envied his assurance. Mia had always been afraid she might betray who she really was among the non-were. Not so Rome. There was no cowering for him. She’d faded into the hallways while Rome swaggered down them, oozing attitude and daring anyone to stop him.

  No one did. No one dared. She didn’t want to now.

  “You want me to show you how much I like you, Mia?” His smile was as lethally assured as it had been when he was on the football team.

  “You know, no one would ever take you for an Omega.”

  “That’s because I’m not. I’m a lone wolf.”

  “My God!” Mia raised her hand to her lips to hide the gasp. “When did this happen?”

  That was a life every pack member knew to avoid at all costs. The life of a lone wolf was dangerous, often violent, and usually all too short. It’s what her brother had to become when he’d been punished and exiled. No one had heard of him again.

  “Tonight. As of tonight I don’t belong to anyone.” Rome didn’t look afraid, but she saw the pulse hammer in his throat. She could sense the emotions roiling inside him.

  Fear? Regret? Desire? All of that and more. Rome had feelings all right, just waiting to leap out if someone wanted to let them free.

  What about belonging to me?

  Mia bit her tongue, the need to ask that very wrong question was so great. Then she yelped at the pain of the bite. Her teeth were lengthening, sharpening—she was close to The Change. Dear Lord, Rome was exciting her enough to make her turn were.

  “What about being with me?” That was Rome’s voice, almost echoing her thoughts. “For tonight?”

  That was almost, but not quite what she’d been thinking.

  Rome kissed her and she forgot everything else. She put her arms around him. “Close enough. Staying with you tonight sounds…fine.”

  When he bit into the sinews at her neck and shoulder, she growled.

  She was the one who ripped his shirt off. After that she wasn’t quite sure how the rest of his clothes were shucked, but he was naked and hot and urgent against her skin and she didn’t care about anything more except having him inside her.

  A sudden, unexpected breeze blew through the room, letting the wind brush against their bodies. She shivered and spread her thighs.

  “You’re beautiful, Mia.”

  “You’re saying that because you want to have sex,” Mia said the words accusingly, but she knew it didn’t matter. Even though she hadn’t changed form in front of him, she was achingly aware of being were right now. She didn’t care why he’d said those words. He didn’t have to say anything. She wanted sex, too. More than anything else in the world. He’d managed that when he first showed up at her window.

  “I want to have sex and you’re beautiful. Jesus God, who wouldn’t want to have sex with a goddess?” His voice softened. “Who wouldn’t want to have sex with you?”

  She almost cried. How had he known the right words? Those were the ones that made her reach over, take his thick cock and guide him home.

  They were both trembling. Hot and sweet. Not as fast as she’d thought would happen. Not as fierce. Slow and tender and gentle. As if they both cared. As if they both had forever and ever.

  His hands skimmed over her skin. She nuzzled against the softness of his throat. And he edged in slowly, slowly, filling her. Gentling her as he took possession of her body.

  “Ah, Mia.”

  Rome claimed her and she surrendered. He kissed her tears away—the ones of joy and the ones of hurt, because even though he was gentle, she was a virgin.

  “I don’t want to hurt you ever, love.” He whispered it against her ear and she believed him.

  There wasn’t hurt then, only slick wetness and delight that built inside her. At first her body was hesitant, awkward. Rome moved against her, the bump of their bodies changing from a slow dance to a hot beat. The friction that hurt at first edged slowly into deep, dark pleasure.

  And the pleasure built higher yet as he licked her flesh and his fingers glided across her skin. She was wet and panting by then. And the pleasure built, built until it burst. She screamed and cried out in the darkness of the night. The pain and the fear had long since left, and soon even the frenzy of want disappeared in a warm wave of sated pleasure.

  There were no tears when she came.

  * * * *

  There were no tears during that night while the full moon bathed them and Rome woke her up to send her up into the glittering stars with his fingers and tongue.

  The morning was different.

  Her tears came when she woke up, the hot sun in her eyes dazzling her, but not so much that she couldn’t see he had left the way he arrived, through the open window, without a sound.

  Chapter Three

  “God damn it!” Grey roared the words but knew the woman in front of him wasn’t going to even blink. “You know me. Why’re you asking me to do this?”

  Except it wasn’t asking. It was an order. Women didn’t give in when they wanted something. Even something as insane as this.

  He’d known this woman for years. She was his alpha, his mistress, his boss. They both knew he’d have to give in.

  But this was lunacy.

  “Leila. It’s not going to work. You have to know that.” He tried. He tried to sound reasonable and submissive at the same time.

  There was no flicker of give in Leila’s expression or her voice. “It has to.”

  He wanted to howl. He wanted to snarl.

  When he’d brought Rome back, it had been like bringing him home to the family. He’d thought he was only bringing him home to the family. Rome had sulked, but Grey hadn’t cared. With the kid by his side in the truck, everything had felt so damn right again. Back to the way things used to be, but better. Much better. He hadn’t quite gotten there yet, but Grey figured somehow he’d find the words to explain to them all how things were between Rome and him. When they reached the ranch, Grey had almost swept the younger were up in his arms and carried him over the threshold.

  But Rome wasn’t going to be the bride. Mia was.

  There were no words to explain that at all.

  “You can still have Rome.” His designated bride said, very softly.

  That was supposed to make things all right again? She was insane, too.

  “Jesus. You’re all willing to use the kid as…bait? A sweetener for the deal?”

  Mia shrank back as if he’d planned to hit her.

  Grey looked at his balled up fists and realized she might have reason to worry. He forced himself to relax his hands. Relax his shoulders. He’d try reason again.

  Grey used his calmest tones. “This whole set up isn’t right. It’s not fair to Rome—”

  “It’s fine, Grey. I don’t—mind.”

  Grey swung around and stared at the idiot behind him. Rome couldn�
��t have said what Grey thought he just did.

  “Are you crazy, too?” Grey forgot about the calm tone. “You’re the one who kept telling me you didn’t want to go back, you’d never return to pack life and now that you’re being ordered to be some kind of—some sex toy for me to get it up…”

  And he wasn’t going to get hard at just the concept.

  “Well, yeah. There is that. But I don’t mind.” There was almost a smile on Rome’s face. “Really. And you’re only part-way right. I wouldn’t be just your toy. I’d be Mia’s sex toy, too.”

  He didn’t want to think about the images that reeled around in his mind after Rome spoke. Or the looks on his alphas’ faces.

  “And we’d be his toys, too.” Mia spoke up again, warily waiting for Grey’s reaction to her words. “Don’t you get it? Rome wants us both. He doesn’t want any ties to the pack any more. This way he can do and get everything he wants. Everything.”

  Everything encompassed a lot with someone like Rome. The younger were had either spent a long time studying the Kama Sutra or he’d been on a sexual odyssey that boggled the mind in the few months since he’d left the pack. Oh, shit. Grey was getting hard now thinking about just what might have happened.

  He ignored his damn cock and said, “This is never going to work.”

  Rome shook his head at Grey right before he walked over to Mia, put his hands on her shoulders and smiled into her eyes.

  The damn flirt. What did he have in mind? Then again maybe Grey didn’t want to know. He had lived with Romulous long enough to know the kid’s mind worked fast and twisted.

  “Shut up, Grey. I’m going to make it work. It’s going to be damn good for you, babe.” He turned and looked at Grey and winked. Freaking winked. “It’s going to be good for you, too, Grey. Real good. I promise.”

  Grey was tempted to smack Rome upside the head again. Or wrestle him to the floor and show him and everyone else how they made things good.

  And it wouldn’t take a damned woman to make it that way.

  THIS IS NEVER going to work.

  Mia wanted to scream the words but she couldn’t even make a squeak. This had been her idea. Hers and the other females of both packs. But now she was sure it had been another bad idea. She’d been coming up with some stinkers lately.

  And how was she supposed to act? How were they supposed to act? There were rules. Rules about bonded pairs. Rules for humans. But this wasn’t a bonding or a wedding.

  She wasn’t even in her own room, where she might have been more comfortable. Everyone had decided they should “meet”—nice word—at Dek’s and Leila’s ranch. So here she was, standing in the kitchen, all alone in an empty, rambling house wondering what she should do. Stand in the living room and wait until the terrible two decided to make an appearance? Find a bedroom and strip?

  She poured water in the kettle to make tea instead. Something calming. She wiped her hands on her jeans and tried to settle in.

  GREY WAS READY to jump. Rome laid his hand, palm out, on the muscles of Grey’s back. Grey tensed under his touch.

  Rome fought his grin. One of the toughest men he knew was completely unnerved. And he’d probably take Rome apart with his bare hands rather than admit it.

  “She’s more worried than you are. Trust me. Mia is a good person. Sweet. It’ll be fine.”

  Grey grunted. “Sweet and good? She belonged to that evil brood that tried to kidnap your sister and take over her pack.”

  “She couldn’t pick what litter she came from. But back when they did that shit, she chose to help us, even though she was just a kid.”

  Grey didn’t say anything more, but his scowl was ferocious.

  “You’d think we were about to have another bar fight.” Rome pushed open the front door.

  “I’d rather.”

  Rome shrugged. He’d tried. He really had. There was nothing else for it.

  He kicked the door shut behind him with his boot and whirled Grey up against the wall. As he unbuckled the belt of Grey’s jeans, he could feel Grey’s cock starting to straighten up and take an interest.

  Rome ground himself against that cock as if he had paid for a quick ten minutes. Hard and nasty and hot. Grey gasped.

  Rome swooped in and nipped at his lover’s bottom lip. He took Grey’s low growl as encouragement.

  “I’m not always gonna be the bottom, Grey. You’ll have to live with it.” Rome growled when Grey bucked against him.

  Gray looked like he could definitely live with it. He’d figured Grey was an equal opportunity partner. Betas knew how to take orders and Grey had been the beta in his pack for a long time.

  Rome pulled the shirt out of Grey’s pants and dove inside, fondling that killer cock a little roughly. Rough was the name of the game this time. Rome wasn’t going to give Grey time to think.

  Blind need roared up in him, the way it always did when he got his hands on this man. Feel. That was all they needed to do now. Just feel and go by instinct.

  Rome pulled Grey’s pants down and began to jerk him off. It didn’t take long before that big cock was full and hard, dripping with liquid precum.

  “This is just the start, old man,” Rome said between his teeth.

  THE DOOR SLAMMED and she jumped. The tea slopped over the edge of the mug and onto her hand. She hissed and sucked on the red spot, waiting.

  There was the rumbling murmur of male voices and then nothing.

  What was wrong with those men? They weren’t even going to acknowledge she was there? Mia stalked toward the front door, scowling, and stopped short.

  Right there in the front hall. My God.

  Rome had Grey pinned against the wall and Grey had his eyes shut, his neck bent backward. She could hear him gulp as he thudded against the picture frame that already hung at a crazy angle above his head.

  They grappled and if you didn’t notice their clothes were half-off, you might think they were wrestling. The muscles on Rome’s back flexed with effort and then he surged forward again in a quick, harsh rhythm. Grey’s hand gripped his shoulder as he grunted.

  Mia swallowed. She could feel a slow burn rising up from her pussy, spreading through her body.

  So primal. So strong. So ... beautiful.

  And she’d never be part of what those two felt. She was outside, looking in yet again. The heat that had warmed her chilled in a moment.

  Rome turned. His eyes glinted. “Well, look at the little were with the big eyes.”

  She tried not to stare at his erection but—dear Lord, there were two of them, huge and hard to miss. The heads were flushed dark and they stood erect, full of life and power. How could you help but stare?

  Rome slipped something glittering and small onto Grey’s cock.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing, you little pervert?” Mia jumped at Grey’s gravelly voice but Rome just snorted.

  “You’ll be down on your knees praising God that I am one in a bit. Or at least down on your knees. That little contraption is going to make sure you keep it up, Grey.”

  “And he sure is up.” Mia clapped both hands over her mouth as Rome roared with laughter and stalked toward her.

  “Damn it, I do love you, Mia. I missed you.”

  Not enough to come back unless Grey dragged you here by the scruff of the neck. But Mia didn’t say that. What was the point? That would spoil…that would spoil whatever happened next. She was beginning to want what happened next quite desperately.

  As if she got a reward for her discretion, Rome lifted her as tenderly as someone might lift a small child—more tenderly than she’d ever been carried, even when young—and placed her between the two of them.

  “I think it’s time, Grey.” Rome kissed her, just a whisper of a kiss.

  “Oh, Jesus. Maybe I should have had a couple of beers first.”

  The near-terror in Grey’s voice softened the fear in Mia. She wasn’t ever going to think of that tough wolf as wounded but…but he wasn’t quite himself
right now. She could tell that.

  She found herself patting him on the shoulder. Then she froze when he glared at her. Oops. This wasn’t a stray needing comfort. It was stupid of her to forget that.

  “Sorry.”

  “Oh no, baby. Don’t be sorry about petting. Grey likes it.” Rome told her. Grey snarled.

  “Oh, yeah. Right. Of course. I can see that.” Mia tried to smile.

  “He’ll learn to like it. Trust me.” Rome flicked her cheek. “We’re all going to learn to like a lot of things. But why don’t you try something he likes even more?”

  She frowned in puzzlement and then clued in. There was definitely a nasty were side to her because once she realized what Rome meant, every muscle inside her clenched. She’d already been hot. Now she was combustible. Her nipples were tight. Her breathing quickened. Oh, yes. She wanted to. She wanted what would happen. She wanted everything.

  Shaky, she dropped to her knees and licked.

  Grey’s cock was different from Rome’s. But not a bad different. They were both exciting. She ran her tongue along the length of his shaft, experimentally.

  He tasted different. He smelled different. But still good. Still male. Not Rome this time, but Grey.

  Grey, who was going to put this cock inside her, whether he liked it or not.

  His cock jumped against her cheek and she chuckled, softly.

  He’d like it. She was taking this as a challenge. A very direct, up front challenge. She sucked the tip of his cock and he thrust forward, hard, into her mouth.

  “Are you ready?”

  Rome had moved behind Grey. His voice wavered for a moment—with anticipation? Mia didn’t know.

  She also didn’t know if Rome meant her or Grey. It didn’t matter. Grey’s body moved, accepted Rome’s entrance inside. She could feel Grey’s muscles tighten and relax as Rome penetrated him. In turn, her mouth tightened around Grey’s cock, exploring the alien metal encircling him. Cool metal and hot, hard muscle.