Ricky wasn’t the only one who was unhappy with the way things were in their mating. Sparky just hoped the two of them could work it out because he had a feeling they would need each other to survive what was coming.
Ricky sat in the overstuffed chair gazing out Grant’s bedroom window. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. The brief anger he’d felt earlier had gone and been replaced by the churning in his stomach. Unlike his prior alpha, his mate never hurt him, and if he was honest, Grant had been more than patient with him. He even appreciated the fact that the man took control of their sex life.
The few times Ricky had tried to initiate anything; he’d had a panic attack. After so many years of being treated as a sex slave, he found it difficult to tell Grant what he wanted or needed. He knew he wasn’t really a submissive, and yet his training in his old pack kept conflicting with his new life. In the past he came to hate the idea of sex; and yet with Grant, he found himself enjoying it, even craving it. Hell, who wouldn’t with a man who looked like his mate?
He smiled as he remembered waking up to the powerful alpha between his legs this morning. His cock twitched in his pants as the scene replayed in his mind. He still couldn’t believe an alpha would enjoy making him come using only his mouth.
The fact that after all these months, he was now able to come without the crippling fear instilled in him by his prior pack, just enforced how patient his mate had been. Even though their exploration of the sexual side of their relationship was awesome, the real problem was outside the bedroom.
Alpha Grant controlled everything he did under the pretense of ‘protecting’ him. He wasn’t allowed to go anywhere without checking with the man. Grant would check with him before making a decision regarding his little brother but rarely allowed him to make the final determination. It had been an uphill battle just to be allowed to train with Tank, and yet it was clear if he was to be the warrior to protect his brother, the omega, he needed to know how to fight.
When he thought about how close Alpha Clifton had come to getting his hands on his little brother, Ricky felt sick. His inexperience could have enslaved his brother and worse, could have allowed the omega powers he eventually would receive when he turned twenty-one to be corrupted. The ability to control animals, including the ones that lived within the shifters, could easily be turned into a weapon. No wonder omegas were feared to the point of being made extinct.
If he wanted to protect his brother, he needed to assert his own independence. Yet, years of living in fear made it almost impossible. Today was the first time he’d actually talked back to Grant. His head told him he had nothing to fear and he should be standing up to the man. But his heart still flinched in fear of retribution. Alpha Clifton had shown him more than once how painful and humiliating that could be.
Grant’s need to control him made him feel as if he was a piece of property, instead of a partner. His mate was all about duty and responsibility to those around him. He’s seen the love the pack had for its alpha and also knew Grant while strict, was fair in his dealings with them.
Grant had made it clear he wanted to keep him safe, and he felt it was his job to fight whatever evil might threaten his family or his pack. However, Ricky found himself wanting to be more to his mate. To him, this was the crux of their problem and Ricky had no idea how to get past it.
He’d never had a normal relationship, and here he was trying to not only navigate a mate that insisted on treating him like a cherished possession, but also the knowledge that he was supposed to be some kind of mighty warrior. If he was honest with himself, he was even more worried that he’d fallen in love with Grant. At least with Alpha Clifton, there had only been hatred. If things didn’t work out, and if he had to leave, he’d leave part of his heart behind this time.
In the months he’d been here, he’d seen how Grant cared for all the members of his pack. Many nights he came to bed late because he was handling some problem with the pack. The constant worry, especially now that Alpha Clifton was on the loose, was a heavy burden for anyone to bear. Yet, his mate never complained. The shifter was a good leader.
Then there was the way he had accepted and treated Sandy like his own son. Alpha Clifton only noticed his brother, to train him and keep him in line. But Grant showed his little brother that there was more to life than just existing from day to day.
Ricky smiled when he recalled the big bad alpha showing his brother how to make snowballs and deliver them with accuracy. It had been a sight to watch the normally strict man rolling in the snow and playing with his brother and the few pups who had shown up. It was this soft side to his mate that drew him in.
Ricky was pretty sure he was in love, but Grant had never told him that he loved him. So, he kept his thoughts secret because he still felt as if his mate had been forced to claim him to save his life. What if he grew tired of all of Ricky’s issues? No, it was better if he kept his feelings to himself. After all, he’d managed to do so while a member of Alpha Clifton’s pack.
He wished there was someone he could talk to, but while the other shifters had been more than friendly, they were still a part of Grant’s pack. Vicky was great, but she was the alpha’s mother and talking to her about their sex life—just no, not happening. He didn’t feel it was right to talk to anyone in the pack about their alpha, nor did he want to jeopardize Grant’s standing within the pack.
He thought about talking to Artemus, but again, he didn’t know the magi well enough to talk about his feelings with him. Even though he and Jake had become friendly in his old pack, he had rarely confided in the wolf. It was times like this that he realized even among a group of people, he was still alone.
Ricky glanced out the window and saw Grant talking and even laughing with the others. The loneliness he felt increased and threatened to drown him. He was part of the pack, and yet separate.
He was a human, not a shifter and worse, he was a bellatorum for the omega. Even after Grant spoke to the pack, he could feel that some still saw him and his brother as a threat to the safety of the pack. Some days, he wondered if he’d ever find a place where he could just be accepted.
He stood up from the chair and leaned against the window frame. Jason had just come running out of the house; and from the reaction of the others, the news wasn’t good. Ricky opened the window, hoping he could hear.
“…on the outskirts of our territory. If we don’t do something, the poor wolf will be killed!” Jason’s concerned voice floated up to the window. Ricky watched as Grant glanced up, their eyes met for a brief moment, before the alpha ordered, “Everyone head to the situation room, now!”
As Ricky headed for the door to the bedroom, the churning in his stomach increased. He wasn’t sure he was invited or what he could do to help, but he wasn’t going to sit up here like some damsel in distress. It was time to start taking his life back, beginning with becoming a real member of this pack.
Chapter 5
Charlie stood and stared at the four wolves that stood between him and the Windy River Pack’s territory. He hung his head for a moment, he’d been so close. Only a few more miles and he would have been safe.
It was his fault; he’d given in to his body’s needs and found a place to rest for a couple of hours. The injured shifter knew he should have pushed on, but the pain in his ribs, along with his weakened condition, had forced him to stop. Unfortunately, it had given Alpha Clifton’s enforcers time to find him.
One of the wolves shifted, “You have a choice, freak. Either you come back with us now, or we’ve been ordered to kill you. Personally, I hope you choose option B.”
With a groan, Charlie managed to shift back into his human form. “You can’t, I never swore allegiance to Alpha Clifton. I am a member of the Windy River Pack. If you kill me, my alpha can seek retribution,” he growled.
It was times like this that he wished he had listened to his half-brother and learned some magic. But he’d learned to hate any form of magic; a
ll it ever brought him was pain. Even now he winced as he felt the blood-lust flowing from the minds of the shifters in front of him. Without his pendant, their thoughts pounded against his mind, filling it with evil images, and thoughts until he could stand it no longer; Charlie shifted.
“Have it your way!” The enforcer grinned, as he quickly shifted back into his wolf form. The other three moved to form a circle around him. There would be no escape this time.
In a way, Charlie felt relief. But then Sammy’s face flashed in his mind. If he died here today, then Radar and Sammy would also be lost. He had to fight and hope he could get past the enforcers.
Charlie leaped toward the one that stood between him and the pack land boundary. He sensed the wolf’s surprise and used it to his advantage. Charlie buried his teeth into the soft neck tissue and yanked. The wolf shifter fell to the ground dead.
Before Charlie could run forward, he felt sharp teeth tear into his hind leg. He rolled and turned to face his newest attacker. But another pounced and knocked him to the ground. Charlie raked his claws on the wolf’s soft underbelly before he twisted from beneath his attackers.
He took a deep breath and winced as his already bruised ribs reminded him he wasn’t fighting at a hundred percent. The three enforcers lined up, ready to pounce on him once again. This was it, even at his best, there was no way Charlie would be able to fight off these many attackers. He was going to die, and his two friends would be lost.
Suddenly, the three wolves in front of him took a step back. Charlie glanced to his left and saw what had caught their attention. A rather large skunk was moving toward them, its tail aloft and shaking. The animal calmly moved between Charlie and the enforcers.
For a moment, he could have sworn the skunk winked at him before a large gas cloud began to spew from beneath the fluffy tail. The enforcers stepped back, but the cloud quickly enveloped them. One by one they fell to the ground. Charlie turned, as he heard the sound of approaching paws.
He moved away from the strange skunk and backed to a group of large rocks. He watched as the wolves moved closer. The half-breed relaxed, as he recognized the large black wolf with streaks of silver running through his fur.
Charlie still thought Alpha Grant was the largest wolf he’d ever seen. He was almost as large as a grizzly. The slightly smaller brown wolf he also recognized as the alpha’s brother, David. He and his younger brother Jason had interviewed him before he’d been accepted into the pack.
However, he didn’t recognize the other two wolves. The third wolf was one of the largest gray timber wolves he’d ever seen. While not as large as Alpha Grant, he was pretty close. The fourth wolf was slightly smaller than the rest. He was black and had a tail that looked like it had been dipped into a can of white paint. He growled as the smaller black wolf began to walk toward him.
Alpha Grant shifted, “Stand down, Charlie, we are here to help.”
Charlie instantly relaxed his defensive stance. He tilted his head to the side to show his submission. He could feel the blood still freely flowing from the deep wound in his hind leg. As the adrenaline rush began to leave him, dizziness replaced it. He closed his eyes and gathered the last of his energy to shift to his human form.
The injured shifter watched as the other black wolf shifted. The dark-skinned bald man grinned at him as he walked towards the now motionless skunk. “I see you met Oreo, isn’t he just the bomb—stink bomb that is,” the man chuckled. “Of course, he’s still not as much fun as Nut Cruncher. You’ll get to meet him another time.”
“What…who?” Charlie stuttered, as he watched the strange man stroking the skunk he now held in his arms. He couldn’t help taking a step back as they came closer. Not only did he not want to be near the skunk, but the voices were already beginning to whisper in his mind. He glanced sideways, as the other strange wolf came closer.
The gray wolf shifted into a large muscular man with short-cropped, light blonde hair. Charlie noticed the dragon tattoo that ran from his shoulder to his wrist on his right arm. The other arm and part of his upper chest were covered with various tribal tattoos.
It was clear the shifter could be an alpha in his own right; and yet it appeared he followed Alpha Grant, strange and yet not unheard of in some packs. The last one to shift was David, the same mischief Charlie had noticed when they had met before still showed in the man’s soft brown eyes.
“How long will they be out, Dove?” The other stranger asked.
Dove shrugged, “I don’t know, Blaze, Mack wasn’t sure but he thought at least an hour or so. He tried to explain it to me but I stopped listening.” Charlie shuddered as the thoughts from Dove continued, “I wish he’d pay as much attention to me as he does to his drones…”
David looked up towards a raven sitting calmly on a low hanging tree branch. “Jason, send the van along with a couple of the sentries.” He turned and walked toward the alpha. “I have to really thank Mack and Sparky for getting all these drones working in such a short time. If it hadn’t been for them, poor Charlie wouldn’t have had a chance.”
“Come on, Dove; let’s get these guys secured so we can take them back for questioning. Maybe they’ll know what happened to Radar,” the wolf called Blaze ordered. “If I find out these bastards had anything to do with hurting one of mine, I’ll feed their entrails to them one inch at a time…”
“Charlie, can you travel?” Alpha Grant asked. “I’ve got to get back, Ricky and I have so much to discuss. Why can’t he understand I don’t want to keep him as a prisoner—I just need for him to be safe. It is my job to keep my pack safe, and that means every member has to follow my orders.
Sometimes I wonder what fate was thinking of making my Semme’ and the bellatorum a human. Even trained, he is still vulnerable to an attack from any paranormal—hell, even a pixie could take him on and win.”
“What the hell did they do to Charlie? He looks like he’s been tortured! He doesn’t look anything like the wolf, Jason and I interviewed…”
“I wonder if Mack can make armadillo grenades—that would be so cool. The little buggers could just roll into a ball and BOOM, no more bad guys…”
Charlie fell to his knees, his mind over-run by the random thoughts from the other shifters. His hand reached reflexively for the necklace that no longer hung from his neck. His wolf was pushing to take over, to protect him, but he fought it. He had to stay focused long enough to tell Alpha Grant where to find Sammy and Radar.
In desperation, he focused on the alpha. From what he’d gleaned so far, the alpha had mated. Hopefully, his mind had been open to the mating link that happened between Semme’ mates. It would make what Charlie was about to do easier. Either way, he had to try if his friends were to be rescued.
The half-breed closed his eyes and called on his remaining strength to send a message. He formed a picture in his mind of Sammy and Radar. When he saw the alpha’s head snap up, he knew he was getting through. Now he just had to send the location.
He brought up the image of the building, being sure to show the name on the outside of it, Mercy General Behavioral Center. The alpha’s gaze was fixed on him, his eyes dilated slightly. As quickly as he could, he showed as much of the inside of the building that he’d seen. It wasn’t much but hopefully would give them an idea of the layout.
Alpha Grant knelt in front of him, “Where?”
Charlie whispered, “Seattle.” He couldn’t fight his wolf any longer; the noise in his mind was at a level that was extremely painful. The injured shifter let his animal take control back; his body fell to the ground as darkness finally pulled him under.
◆◆◆
Sparky walked into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee and to bring one back to Jason. The youngest Walker was currently monitoring the rescue of the wolf that was being attacked just outside of the Windy River Pack’s territory. Tank had gone to keep watch over Sandy. Artemus had gone with the sentries to retrieve the captured wolves, and to bring Charlie back. Nothing was going
to keep him from helping, once he found out it was his half-brother under attack.
As he entered the room, he noticed Ricky sat at the table, staring into his own cup of coffee. It was clear his mind was someplace else, as he didn’t even lift his head when Sparky walked past him.
The mechanic poured himself a cup of coffee and after adding three spoons of sugar; he walked to the table and sat down. For a moment, he simply stirred his coffee before he took a sip and sighed. “I would kill for a large chocolate mocha coffee with extra whipped cream right now.”
Ricky glanced up a puzzled look on his face. “What?”
“Haven’t you ever had one of the Coffee Hut’s famous coffee concoctions yet? It makes this,” Sparky raised his cup, “taste like bilge water.”
“I’d have to be allowed to go into town to do that, and with everything going on, well there just hasn’t been time to explore.” Ricky sighed and sat back in the chair. He took a sip of the coffee and cringed. Without saying anything, Sparky took the cup from the human’s hand and dumped it into the sink. He quickly filled the cup with fresh coffee and returned it to the table.
“You take it black, right?” Sparky asked.
“Yeah, when I lived in the Willow Creek Pack I was lucky if I got any; much less some with cream or sugar,” Ricky took a sip and nodded his head, “thanks.”
Sparky took another sip of his coffee. Guilt assailed him as he watched the human drop his eyes back down to the newly filled cup. If anyone could understand what Ricky had been through, it was him, and yet he had let his fear of magic keep him from developing a better friendship with the man. “I sure hope the wolves we captured can give us a lead on Radar and your friend’s sister.”
Battle for a Mates Heart Page 5
