by Jana Downs
Bradley sighed. “You’re not kidding.”
“Is that the new available in my system?” Mustang’s deep voice boomed from the back of the shop.
“Yeah, Alpha. How’d you know?” Regan called back, grinning. The tremendous male who ran their pack was a force to be reckoned with.
“There is only one reason that man scurries away from the front of the shop like hell is chasing him. Is that Ryan’s new responsibility?”
“Yes, Alpha.” Ryan was probably embarrassed by Mustang’s very loud and pointed questions. The Alpha’s footsteps echoed on the hardwood floor down the hall. Bradley’s eyes widened as he got a look at Mustang. He wasn’t as large as Regan, Ryan, or his mate, Grayson, but he had an aura about him that was intimidating as hell.
“Well, let me get a look at you,” Mustang rumbled, motioning Bradley forward. The new available took a step forward. Mustang inhaled. “Hmm, he certainly has the right look. I was led to believe you have no prior knowledge of the lifestyle?”
Bradley ducked his head, his eyes hitting the floor. It was classic sub behavior when confronted by a Dom like Mustang. “I read a book,” the boy murmured.
Mustang barked out a laugh. “That is great. You have your hands full, Ryan.”
Regan raised a brow. “I’m Regan.”
“I know. I was telling your brother,” Mustang said, waving to the back rooms. “Speaking of which…Ryan! Get in here!”
Regan took particular delight in his brother’s loud sigh of disapproval before he stomped out of the back room and down the hall to the front of the shop. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Bradley. Regan sat back into his chair and watched.
“You were supposed to wait until Friday to come to my house for training,” Ryan rumbled.
Bradley cocked his hip to the side and gave an answering glare, clearly not intimidated by Ryan’s gruff demeanor. “Yeah, last time I checked I’m supposed to be your submissive now. You don’t get to put me off for two days while you hide away from me.”
“Did you miss the part about a submissive being, oh I don’t know, submissive?” Ryan snapped, agitation making his neck flush like it usually did when he was pissed but helpless. Oh this is going to be fun to watch. Regan was rooting for Bradley. Someone needed to mix up his brother’s world a bit. This kid seemed like the one to do it.
“Did you miss the part about a Dominant being, oh I don’t know, there?” Bradley shot back, clearly mocking Ryan. “I can’t learn if you’re not there to teach me.”
Ryan opened his mouth to speak, but Mustang cut him off. “Are we going to have a problem, fellas?” Ryan’s mouth snapped shut, and he shook his head, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
Bradley crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll behave if he does. I didn’t come here to fight out the legalities of this arrangement. I came to drop something off.”
“And what is that?” Mustang asked. It was amazing how the Alpha managed to command without even trying. Everything sounded like an order to Regan.
Instead of answering, Bradley shrugged the massive back pack off his shoulders and extracted a shiny red helmet. He extended it to Ryan, who paled as it was handed over. “Am I missing something, bro?” Regan asked, mind to mind.
“Sometimes reckless is good, necessary,” Bradley said, kneeling to refasten his bag. “But it never hurts to take care of yourself along the way. I hope you’ll use it. I sort of got a friend of mine to hack the records at your dealership and find the helmet that went with the bike. Enjoy.”
Ryan, for the first time in Regan’s recollection, was clearly speechless. “Brother,” Regan said. “Say something.”
“I can’t take this,” Ryan said at last. Regan wanted to growl. Why couldn’t his brother say “thank you” like a normal person?
Bradley held up his hands in denial. “Please, take it. It would make me feel better if I knew that you had one on when you were driving around. You know how awful it is to drive out there. Motorcycles have the worst safety ratings for that reason. If it had been me hitting you or running you off the road or something, you might not have survived it.” His concern was touching. He already cared deeply about Ryan if this was any indication.
“I could almost get my head torn off and I would live,” Ryan groused. But he didn’t try to shove off the helmet this time.
“Uh-huh,” Mustang said, his keen eyes going back and forth between the two of them with acute interest. “Regan, Ryan, I need to see you in my office. Grayson!” The last was for the final and newest member of the shop. Grayson Gambler was the Alpha’s mate and was in charge of pack submissives.
A muffled voice rang out from the back. “What is it, Sir?”
“Can you come here please? I need you to come in here and keep Bradley company while I talk to the betas.” It might’ve been worded like a request, but the order was clear. Almost instantly the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. Mustang pointed at the pair of them. “In my office. Now.”
* * * *
The office door clicked shut with the finality of a coffin nail. “Someone better start talking,” Mustang said, crossing from the door before sitting on the edge of his desk. Ryan bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to bring blood. The last thing he wanted to talk about was what was waiting for him in the lobby. “Okay. Simple question then. How did that boy end up as an available? He is not the normal type. In fact, if I didn’t think my beta was sane, I’d think he was your would-be submissive, Ryan. However, since by law, unless he is your mate, he can’t be made into a personal available that would be impossible. So please, tell me why the house cat is being paraded as an alley cat?”
“He’s crazy,” Ryan muttered, gripping his knees hard enough to pinch. “Bradley followed me to the club, copied the tattoo that the availables wear, and had it inked on him at another shop in order to meet up with me outside here. He believes that I am his mate.”
Mustang glowered, and Ryan wanted to disappear into the floorboards. “How does a human even understand the term?”
“Apparently, he saw me shift one night after work. I didn’t know,” Ryan said. His brother had been silent the whole time Mustang and he had been conversing. “Anytime you want to cut in to defend me would be awesome.”
“So we had an unregistered available with crucial knowledge about our species running amok in town and no one thought to even tell me when I got in this morning?” Mustang asked, his voice falsely upbeat. They were in for an ass-chewing.
“We were going to tell you this afternoon after all the clients came through and we had a break before the late-night rush,” Regan said. “We didn’t try and hide it. Under pack law, Ryan or I can admit unregistered availables who show interest.”
“True. But you didn’t tell me that he had been stalking Ryan prior to this and that he thought Ryan was his mate. Those things smack of instability. Despite his impressive display in the reception area, I am concerned if this is a good idea,” Mustang said.
Ryan swallowed. “We believe he may be a latent, Alpha. We’re having Dean investigate into it now. When we were here last night filling out paperwork, he picked out the symbol for ‘wolf son’ from the ink book. He said it ‘felt’ right.”
“Ah I see. So your mate bond awakened his wolf. So why is he registered as an available?” Mustang asked.
Regan grinned and leaned forward. “Because Ryan is a stubborn ass who refuses to take him as a mate despite the bond. The wolf will not be denied, my brother.”
“Is that true?” The question was deadly. Ryan’s heart started to pound a million miles a minute, and he thought if he didn’t get out of the shop soon he was going to throw up.
“I’m not convinced of the validity of his claim just yet,” Ryan muttered, staring at the floor. His entire body screamed “fuck off.” “Until I figure it out, I thought I’d assign myself as trainer and integrate him into our world.”
Mustang leaned back on the desk. “Or I could send him to be cleansed
by the Circle and be done with it. I don’t have time, nor will I risk the pack for possibilities. If he isn’t your mate, there is no reason you need to train him. It takes away from your duties. If he is unstable enough to think that you two are ‘destined’ to be together when fate clearly hasn’t made the distinction, that is a problem. Likewise, if he has boundary issues, the best way to deal with it is to send him away. The Circle’s methods are relatively harmless.”
Ryan cut in. “That’s unacceptable. He might’ve gone through the improper channels, but he is now legally an available. We owe it to him to have him trained. Afterward, if it is found that he doesn’t suit, we can send him to the Circle.”
“Which still leads me to the problem of having a beta caught up playing house with an available,” Mustang said. “I’m reassigning him, Ryan. You two have a volatility that will only cause me a headache. He’s a cute kid, but when push comes to shove, it’s too much hassle.”
Pain exploded through Ryan’s chest, and before he knew it, he had his hand wrapped around Mustang’s throat. “You will not touch him,” he snarled, his wolf so close to the surface that it slurred his speech to a low rumble. The smell of earth and the feel of fur filled his senses. He was damn close to shifting.
Mustang’s nostril’s flared. “You have until the count of three to let me go and get back in your damn place or else I will put you down so hard that you won’t have to worry about training anyone for a very long time. One. Two—” Ryan let his grip loosen and forced himself to take a step back. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Did I just attack my Alpha over a man I don’t really want to be mine? Mustang straightened and smoothed over his clothes. “Denying your mate will only cause you heartache, friend.” He’d expected another dressing-down. The weird encouragement was somehow worse. Ryan could handle fighting against himself, but it seemed his whole pack was against him. Mustang sighed. “I’ll allow this debacle to take place, but until you claim him, you will treat him exactly like you would treat any other submissive you are training as an available. I expect reports on his progress.”
Ryan gritted his teeth. What choice did he have? “Yes, Alpha.”
“Good.” Mustang waved them toward the door. “Make sure he has Grayson’s number. We don’t usually take those unfamiliar with BDSM for a reason. I don’t want him getting isolated and overwhelmed.”
“We’ll make sure of it, Alpha,” Regan said for him as they stood. “You want us to send Gid back in here?”
Mustang nodded. “Please. I have a break between appointments, and my submissive was about to tell me a secret. Out, both of you. Ryan?”
“Yes, Alpha?”
“If you need any counseling, you know my number. Discovering your mate is a hard thing to work through. I’m here if you need me.”
Sometimes it was great having a pack. It meant that he never had to deal with anything alone. He could always count on his pack to support him in the things he did. However, everyone and their mother knew his business, and they all tried to offer him advice on how to fix it. No thank you. “If I need it, I’ll come to you, Alpha,” Ryan said, going for the diplomatic angle. It wasn’t his strong point, but it would have to do in this situation. Until he let Bradley go, everyone was going to assume the man was his mate.
He walked down the hallway to see Grayson pat Bradley’s back and smile at something his smartass sub said. He growled without meaning to as unreasoning instincts said the other male needed to back the hell off. Grayson raised his eyes and met Ryan’s, a look of incredulity on his face. As an Omega, Grayson outranked even Mustang on the power scale, though he was Mustang’s submissive. On top of that, he was a huge wolf that Ryan really wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of any sort of argument. Granted, the guy was sweet, but he was extremely protective over the pack subs and the humans in their charge.
“Problem, Ryan?” Grayson asked with false joviality.
“No problem, Grayson.” His eyes went to his sub. “You’re not going to let me wait until Friday huh?” Bradley shook his head, stubborn as ever. It figured. “Well, come on then. Let’s grab some grub and bring some back for the guys. How does Mac’s sound to all the above parties?”
“Mac’s sounds awesome,” Regan said, sliding back into his station chair and opening up a sketch pad. “You know what I want.”
“I’ve got the old order in Mustang’s vehicle. You mind if I take it, Alpha?” Ryan asked, knowing the other man could hear him despite his regular volume. It was one of the benefits of being wolf.
Mustang’s voice sounded a second later. “Go ahead. Put some gas in it while you’re out. The card is in the glove box.”
Mac’s was one of their favorite restaurants slash biker bars. The local college kids kept out of it for the most part, and the food there was phenomenal. It was a BBQ joint right on par with the best Ryan had ever had. Mac, the owner, was a burly wolf only a few inches shorter than Ryan who managed the Wolfskins clubhouse, the pack-affiliated biker club. Ryan wasn’t a member because he had way too much to do and he preferred the racing bikes anyway. However, Mac never made a distinction between the members in the club and those without. He was a good guy even if he was a bit rough around the edges.
“I’ve never been,” Bradley said, drawing his attention back to his problem and off of food. Man, I am being ADHD today. Focus, Ry. God. Focusing on Bradley seemed like a bad idea though. Every time he tried he was swamped with the overwhelming need to take the other man in his arms and whisk him off to somewhere private to scratch the itch that had him by the balls since he’d come into the club last night.
“Mac’s is a bar restaurant down the road. A lot of college kids find it too rough a place to hang out. It’s open late though, and Alpha has a thing for the BBQ chicken. Shall we?” Ryan asked, not bothering to wait and see if Bradley was going to follow.
He jumped the steps and circled the employees’ parking lot, the gravel crunching beneath his boots as he walked. “You forgot the keys,” Bradley called from behind him. The sound of jingling made him stop. Damn it. That was embarrassing. Bradley’s hand scalded a path along his spine as the human touched his lower back before reaching around his body to deposit the keys in Ryan’s now-shaking hands. It was like he was a junky and Bradley was his fix. “You know, Ryan, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you had avoidance issues.”
“I hadn’t planned on dealing with this yet.” “This” encompassed a wide variety of “oh fucks” that he was deliberately not thinking about. He swallowed and gripped the keys. “So how were your classes?”
“Good. I had to work today, but my classes are going well. I don’t have another class until my studio class tomorrow,” Bradley said, letting the subject drop. “My professor sold one of my pieces. That’s why I was able to get you the helmet. A recruiter from the High Point Institute of Fine and Performing Arts was interested and bought it for some kind of business thing at the college. He’s trying to get me to apply for their Master’s program there.”
“You must be pretty good. You going to do it?” Ryan asked. The thought did weird things to the pit of his stomach, namely, it twisted his intestines into knots, and the urge to forbid Bradley to leave was almost too strong to resist.
Bradley shrugged as Ryan hit the unlock button to the car. They both climbed in, and Bradley’s hand automatically went to the radio to fiddle with the channels on Mustang’s satellite. “I was considering it, but now that I’m your submissive, I’ve rethought my future. I’m thinking about opening up a small gallery downtown or maybe interning at Howlers if there is a position available. I want to be close to you.”
Surprise flickered through Ryan. “That’s a bit hasty. Don’t you think? We don’t even know if this is going to work out.” But, then, being an available wasn’t a thing someone quit. If he went to another pack territory, then he would just become an available in another pack. He’d still have the same obligation to be open to courtship from Dominant pack members and to remain unattached to an
y human boyfriends to accomplish that. Ryan swallowed. This wasn’t the life he’d choose for the willful man in the car with him. Such a life could break the spirit of an innocent.
Bradley turned his pretty hazel eyes on Ryan. “I used to think being famous with my art would make me happy, but in actuality, I think that it would’ve eventually strangled my muse. I thrive in creative environments and when I don’t have to rely on my own judgment to keep my life running. Even with an agent, it seems like a whole lot of business and very little time for art. I have what I need right here.”
“But you have no idea what you’re asking for,” Ryan murmured. It was a pretty picture he painted though. He could work on his art and be available to Ryan whenever Bradley needed it. Ryan had always been a Dominant who craved a lot of face-time with his sub. It was one of the reasons he liked going to the club nearly every night. He longed for a deeper connection to his subs than most Doms played for.
“I won’t know until someone teaches me,” Bradley said gently. The would-be submissive kept treating him with kid gloves, and it was beginning to make Ryan more than a little annoyed. He was the one who was supposed to be in charge. Got to actually step up and take charge if you want to top him. The voice in the back of his mind sounded very suspiciously like his wolf. It wasn’t actually words, but it was the meaning behind them that was expressed through a series of pictures and feelings. Yeah, yeah. I get it. Be a Dom. It was hard with Bradley though. Ryan had his own hang-ups about the situation, and that made getting into the proper mindset a little difficult.
He flicked the blinker on as they took a right onto Triton Street. At the end of the road, Mac’s was already in full swing. The bikes were lined up outside in neat rows, and the cars were parked behind that. It would be hard finding a parking spot this time of night, but if all else failed, Ryan was fairly confident that Mac wouldn’t have Alpha’s car towed from the employees’ parking lot around back. Though it was Ryan’s lunch, it was actually more of a late dinner than anything. The shop didn’t open until noon, so that meant they had later nights than most folks kept.
