by Kasey Belle
Mal smiled. “He’s out like a light.” He pulled the fall board down and covered the keys. Mal grasped him around the waist and hoisted him from the bench to the closed fall. Mal stood and shoved the bench seat out of the way with his foot and wedged himself between Nick’s thighs.
Nick didn’t hesitate to wrap his legs around Mal and rub his hard cock against Mal’s. Nick panted as the friction threatened to send him over the edge prematurely. He couldn’t have that. Wrapping his arms around Mal’s neck he pulled his mate’s face to his. Nick slid one hand up into Mal’s his hair, the short silky strands tickled his fingers. Mal gasped when Nick dipped his tongue inside his mouth. The kiss was so passionate it made his head spin. Kissing Mal was like a drug. It caused the world around him to fall away. If given the chance, Nick would kiss Mal forever.
Mal pulled back and ripped open a packet of lube with his teeth. Nick eyes popped. “Where were you hiding that?” He knew Mal’s sweatpants didn’t have pockets.
A wag of his eyebrows was Mal’s only response. He coated his finger and circled Nick’s hole before pressing in. He let out strangled moan when Mal’s finger breached him. He rode Mal’s fingers until he replaced one with two then three stretching him as quickly as he could without causing Nick pain.
Mal leaned over him and kissed him before using his teeth to nibble and gently tug on Nick’s bottom lip while they stared into each other’s eyes. Mal was so damn beautiful especially when they were in the midst of making love. His mate was playful and sexy. Mal pulled back and removed his fingers from Nick’s body making him growl in protest.
“Don’t worry. I’m not done with you yet, my Nico.” Mal squeezed the remainder of the lube onto his palm then he slicked his cock. He wrapped his still slick hand around Nick’s length, lined the head of his cock up with his entrance and pressed forward. Mal’s eyes held him captive the entire time, only looking away to where their bodies joined when he bottomed out. “Fuck, baby. You are so damned tight. I’d like to tell you we’re going to take our time here, but that would be a lie. Quick and dirty, Nico.”
Nick nodded vigorously. Quick and dirty was an excellent plan. Leo was in the other room after all and his nephew was infamous for his bad timing. They couldn’t take the chance he’d wake up.
Mal began to rock gently at first then he picked up speed, constantly pegging Nick’s prostate. Sweat trickled down his mate’s temple. Nick wanted to lick it off his skin as he followed the little crystalline droplet making its way from Mal’s face, to his neck then down his chest. Mal began to pound into him in earnest while jacking Nick’s cock. He was so close.
“Almost there, Nico,” Mal ground out through clenched teeth.
“Me, too.”
Mal’s rhythm faltered as he thrusted harder and faster. “Come with me, baby.”
That was all the encouragement Nick needed. His balls drew up tight signaling his impending orgasm. With one last nudge of his sweet spot, Nick came. His orgasm was so powerful that his breath got stuck in his throat and his mouth opened on a silent moan as cum shot from his cock all over his stomach and chest. Mal gripped his hip guaranteeing he would be sporting Mal’s bruising marks later. One last thrust and Mal stilled inside him, moans of ecstasy escaped as he bathed Nick’s channel with his semen. Then Mal collapsed on top of him burying his face against Nick’s neck.
“That was…” Mal’s words were muffled against Nick’s skin.
Leo let out a little cry and Nick snickered. “That was close.”
“At least his timing is getting better.”
He and Mal shared a laugh and held each other for a few more moments before giving Leo the undivided attention he’d demanded.
Chapter 21
Craden sat behind the ornate oak desk that dominated his personal sanctuary. It was the same one that had belonged to his brother, his father, and grandfather. The sun coming through the window warmed his back. He smelled Hardin before he knocked. He shoved the ledger he’d been working on into his top desk drawer growling at the intrusion. “Enter.” His beta opened the door and stepped through the door. “Well?” He snarled.
Hardin shook his head then tilted it to the side exposing his neck. “Nothing yet, Alpha.”
“Why the hell not?” Craden growled loudly his dark eyes flashing golden as his wolf demanded release. Lashing out he picked up the paperweight and threw the crystal orb barely missed Hardin’s head before embedding in the wall. “Finding that little piss-ant nephew of mine shouldn’t be so damn hard.” He slammed his fists against the dark wood. If Hardin hadn’t shown how useful he was in the past, Craden would have ripped his throat out for incompetence. He could always find another beta, but unfortunately not one as loyal as Hardin Mathis. Craden stood and began pacing. “Have you heard from Brody?”
“Not since you and I last spoke, sir. But, when Brody says he’s on to something, you know he won’t stop until he confirms its validity one way or the other. He’s scheduled to arrive in a few hours. Hopefully he will bring good news with him.”
“He better,” Craden sneered. “Now get out.”
Hardin inclined his head and left without another word. The beta knew his place. Another reason Craden didn’t want to replace him.
Craden’s patience had worn thin. He’d had enough of this cat-and-mouse bullshit. He grabbed the arm of one of the chairs that sat in front of his desk and let his wolf surface, briefly. His claws dug into the wood gouging deep grooves. He no longer felt the urge to control his anger and howled with rage. Craden picked up the chair and threw it toward the wall. The loud crash and splintering of wood as it slammed into plaster channeled some of his rage. Damn good thing the pack house was over a century old or he’d have workers invading his space to fix a chair sized hole in the wall further adding to his aggravation. He eyed the paperweight a calculating grin spread across his lips. He’d leave it where it was. A reminder to those who dared to piss him off.
He let his head fall back and blew out a breath. He needed to find his wayward nephews. He didn’t give a shit about Nicholas or what happened to him. Leo was another matter. It would be awhile before they knew if Leo had inherited his grandfather’s gift. Craden’s brother Terrell had not only been an alpha, but a seer. He rubbed his hands together and snickered. “Too bad Terrell’s gift didn’t give him a glimpse at his own fate.” Too bad for his brother not for Craden of course or he never would have pulled off his brother and sister-in-law’s assassination.
He made himself comfortable once again in his chair and withdrew the ledger from the center drawer, Craden opened it. He didn’t believe in using computers for accounting purposes. Anyone could hack that shit. If some nosy asshole wanted a look at Craden’s books, they would have to break into his home. An impossible task if there ever was one. He flipped to the last entry. Studying the ever growing amount in his bank account always calmed him. His enterprise with New River Pack was a lucrative one. Unfortunately, he had to share the profits. There was no way around it. Unless, he wanted to challenge Alpha Sutter for his pack. That was a headache Craden didn’t want at the moment. He had to settle things where Nicholas was concerned before he expanded his empire further.
Craden picked up the phone and dialed Alpha Sutter confirming the status on the next batch of product. It was on schedule for distribution. Thank fuck. At least something was going right. He worked on pack business for another few hours. Craden lost himself in the monotony of figures, paperwork, and phone calls and hadn’t noticed someone approached his office until a knock sounded at the door. “Enter,” he bellowed.
Brody walked in shutting the door behind him. He stood before Craden his posture exuded confidence. That was good sign.
“Please tell me you have good news, Enforcer.”
Brody inclined his head out of respect. “I do, Alpha. Great news, in fact. I heard through a friend at the council that an Elder Frey paid a visit to Copper Creek after being summoned by Alpha Creed. Creed sought his council because he has
a couple of new pack members. A young man and an infant.”
A sinister sneer curled Craden’s lips. He’d found them. “Nicholas and Leo.”
“That would be my guess. Names haven’t been confirmed, but the descriptions match,” Brody responded proudly. “How do you want to play this, Alpha?”
“Hardin!” Craden called out. Moments later his beta walked into the office. “It appears Brody has done his job.” The man paled. The implication in his words was not lost on Hardin. “You and Brody need to pack your bags. We’re taking a trip to Texas. Make arrangements for us to fly out day after tomorrow. I need to see to a few things with the business first. Nicholas and Leo aren’t going anywhere if they’ve found sanctuary with that asshole Creed.” Declan Fucking goodie two-shoes Creed. The man had no sense of what it was to be true alpha. Creed saw his pack members as equals, allowing them to have their own opinions on pack matters. Allowing them to mate with who they wanted. He allowed deviants to remain in his pack. His own cousin, an enforcer, was a queer. Why the Council revered Creed as some exemplary alpha was a mystery to Craden. They made him out to be the poster boy of what to do and how to do it. Creed was a weak pussy if you asked Craden. Hell, Copper Creek’s Alpha couldn’t even satisfy his human bitch on his own. He needed his brother’s help to fuck his woman. Disgusting.
“Yes, Alpha.” Hardin punctuated his response with a single nod. “I’ll go take care of our travel arrangements now. If that’s alright with you, sir.”
“Don’t fuck it up.” Craden dismissed the man with a wave of his hand. He turned his attention to Brody who stood waiting for further instructions. “Find a secluded spot between the Creed’s and the airport where we can dump my nephew’s body. Nicholas won’t be making the trip back.”
“Excuse me, Alpha, but it’s seems like a waste. To kill Nicholas, I mean,” Brody stated, his tone sure but respectful. “It seems you might be squandering a monetarily beneficial opportunity. He’s young and good looking, he’d fetch a high price.”
Human trafficking was another one of Craden’s lucrative ventures, but selling his nephew would be more trouble than his ass was worth. If anyone noticed Nicholas’ disappearance and inquired about it, he could say the young man ran away again. Nobody would bat an eye considering his nephew’s history. It wasn’t as if anyone would be able to find Nick’s body once Brody was done with him. However, if he sold Nicholas, and he somehow resurfaced, that wouldn’t bode well for Craden. “As tempting as that is, I prefer to kill the little bastard and be done with it. No loose ends. I can’t take the chance someone would recognize him wherever he ended up. We could explain his disappearance easy enough, but not his reappearance. He has a history of running off, you know?”
A sinister grin slid across Brody’s face. “I understand. Of course, you’re right. Consider it done. Anything else, Alpha?”
He leaned back and steepled his fingers as he thought of other issues Brody could handle for him. “Yes. Actually, there is. Which one of my bitches do you think I can trust with Leo?”
“Cassandra or perhaps Novi.” Brody cocked his head and narrowed his unfocussed eyes. Craden knew he was mentally shifting through the rest Craden’s mistresses and what he knew about them. Brody shook his head and met Craden’s gaze. “That’s it. Cassandra would be my first choice. She does love lording it over everyone that she’s been your bitch for the last ten years, but you can use that to your advantage. She has longevity and doesn’t want to lose it. Make sure she understands what her future holds if the cub isn’t protected. I wouldn’t trust the other women not to get attached to Leo or to assume watching over the cub meant more than it did. Cassandra knows the score.”
He nodded. Brody was his eyes and ears around the pack. The man knew things no one else did. He listened to pack gossip and had an uncanny ability to sort out the truth from the lies no matter how the information come to him. Shit like gossip tried Craden’s patience. Not to mention he was an important man and couldn’t be bothered with menial bullshit. He was alpha for Fates sake. “Thank you. That will be all, Brody.”
“Yes, Alpha.” He inclined his head in deference to Craden’s station then turned to leave.
Craden stopped his enforcer before he stepped through the door. “Brody?”
“Sir?”
“Good work today. I’m still working on how I want to handle the coming confrontation with Creed. Once I have sussed out the plan, you and I will talk again.”
“Of course, Alpha.” Brody eased the door shut behind him when he left.
Craden worked for a few more hours. Moved some cash around, took care of securing the shipment of product for tomorrow, and reached out to a friend on the council about Creed and accessibility to his land. According to his contact, Copper Creek’s alpha put family first. Revered them above all things. Craden leaned back in his chair. Tension left his shoulders at that bit of information. Getting his nephews back was going to be easy, especially when he played the heartbroken yet forgiving uncle who wants nothing more than for his nephews to come home. He snorted. It also appeared that Alpha Creed not only held misguided notions about many things, he thought he was untouchable. The man had no security to speak of. Oh, he had his enforcers, but nothing else. No high fences, locked gates, surveillance, etc. Anyone could waltz on to the Double C Ranch. He could drive right up to the front door before anybody knew he was there. Excellent news for Craden. Not so good for Creed.
With all the good news coming his way, Craden felt like celebrating. He swiped the screen on his cellphone and pulled up Cassandra’s contact information. He pressed the call button, not surprised when she answered on the first ring.
“Hello, my alpha.” Her sultry voice instantly made his dick hard. Cass acted like a bitch in heat most times. She never missed an opportunity to bounce up and down on his cock. She never complained no matter how roughly he took her.
“Are you home?” He barked.
“Yes, sir,” she purred.
“I’m on my way. Be in position when I arrive. I’m feeling generous so… fair warning. I will not go easy on you.” She moaned in response. He stood rubbing his hand over the erect cock behind his zipper. He could picture Cassandra on her knees, her chest pressed to the bed, her black hair spread across the mattress, and her round fuckable ass in the air. He would take a strap to her ass before he fucked it. The sight of angry red welts on her skin turned him the fuck on. He sniggered. Oh, yes. Today was definitely a good day to be him.
Chapter 22
Mal and Nick lounged by the pool in Kell’s backyard. He could feel the tension rolling off of his mate. He wished he could ease Nick’s anxiety. But nothing short of meeting Mom and the Dads and realizing they accepted and embraced Nick and Leo with open arms would do that. Mal glanced at his watch. His parents should arrive anytime now. They’d called when they landed at the DFW and said they were heading straight to Kell’s. His parents had cut their return home close, considering Paul and Cathy’s wedding was tomorrow.
Nick giggled next to him. The sound brought a smile to his face. Mal looked up to see what he found so amusing. He followed Nick’s gaze to the pool. Lada was pushing Leo around the water in a cute little floaty shaped like a blue car complete with steering wheel, horn, and canopy. The little cub kicked his chubby little legs, smacked the water with his hands, and squealed with delight.
Nick shot Mal a quick glance then refocused his attention on Leo. “He loves the water. We’ll have to watch him carefully once he’s walking. He’ll head straight for the pool if we don’t stop him,” Nick said, nibbling his lip in worry. “If you turn you back, all it takes is a second for a child to drown.”
Mal reached over and took Nick’s hand. “We’ll keep him safe, baby. Kell said he and Jen were talking about adding safety locks at the tops of the French doors and installing a gate around the pool. They want to give Lada a few siblings. Plus, with Fiona expecting and Cathy and Paul working on adding to their family it only makes sense to childp
roof the pool area. He said they planned on making the changes once the weather cools.”
“Your family is great.” His mate emitted a little wistful sigh. “I love how they think of Leo as one of them.”
“He is. You both are. Everyone here is your family too, baby.” Mal put Nick’s hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “Our family.”
“I know. I’ll get used to thinking of them that way, soon. I promise.”
“No rush, Nico. We have all the time in the world.” And wasn’t that an awesome thought. “That’s not the only thing worrying you though.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Tell me.”
Nick frowned. “It’s been a few days since Elder Frey was here and we haven’t heard anything. I would have thought my uncle would have made an appearance by now or at least, sent a message. I guess I’m just anxious. All this waiting around is driving me nuts. You’re sure Elder Frey passed on the information about Leo and I?”
“Positive. When Declan last spoke with Elder Frey, he said he personally heard the rumors flying around about you and Leo. I’m sure we’ll see Craden Speer soon enough.” He gave Nick’s hand a squeeze. “Let’s not borrow trouble. Your uncle will bring enough to share with the whole class when he finally shows his ugly face.”
“You’re right,” Nick smirked.
Mal made a big production of looking around them. “Damn, no witnesses. Can I get that ‘I’m right’ business in writing? So people will believe me when I brag about this moment,” Mal batted his lashes.
Nick snorted and rolled his eyes. “Nope. Sorry.” He wagged his finger at Mal. “You only get one of those per lifetime and that was yours.”
He loved when Nick got all sassy. The more comfortable he became the more he revealed his true self to not only him but to the rest of their family. “If that’s the only one I get then I think you should be required to provide physical proof of my rightness for the world to see.”
