by Maggie Walsh
When he was carried back to Raiden’s garage, Alex’s heart dropped again. As far as everyone knew the place was closed for the night. He didn’t think that even Raiden would think to look for him there. Which was probably why Timber had brought him to the garage in the first place. Tug and Raiden would start searching the town, like Alex’s house first, then maybe the pub, his friends, then the alpha. All of that would take some time and by the time they even got close to Raiden’s business, he would be gone.
Once the men got him to the garage and into one of the back rooms, Alex fought like hell to get out of their grasps when they put him on his feet. Alex had managed to land a great punch across Cilly’s face, then kicked his right leg back, nailing Timber in the knee, causing the man to move back. Once they were both away from him, Alex had run for the door and made it into the shop where Raiden had a truck on a lift, but he couldn’t get the large rolling door to go up.
Alex searched for the lever or button or whatever there was that would open the large door, but couldn’t find it, so he turned and headed for the front of the building where the shop was.
As he ripped the door open, arms grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him back with such force, Alex had stumbled backward and fallen on his ass... hard. He cried out from the pain, but his mouth was swiftly filled with another rag, and Alex wanted to vomit. The damn thing tasted like motor oil and he knew they had used whatever they could find. It was so gross.
Timber lifted him off the floor and Alex got to his feet again, glaring at the two as he tried to pull the rag from his mouth, but Cilly slapped him hard across the face, making his head snap to the side and he took a few stumbling steps, but was able to stay on his feet. Timber grabbed Cilly and threw him to the side as he yelled at the man for hitting Alex. While the two stood there arguing with each other, Alex took a few steps back toward the door again, but that damn Cilly saw him and turned back to face him.
As the man approached, Alex knew he had to act fast, so instead of running away from the demented fuck, Alex ran toward him, surprising him, then Alex dropped to the floor, sliding under Cilly between his legs and punched up into the man's groin as he slipped through the opening. Once on the other side, Alex jumped to his feet ready to fight, but found Cilly bent over, holding his balls and cursing up a storm. That had given Alex some joy, but his happiness was short-lived when Timber wrapped a forearm around his throat from behind and pulled tight, causing Alex to choke as he couldn’t draw in any air.
After that, Cilly came to them and punched Alex in the temple, then everything went black. When Alex had come around, the first thing he noticed was he was tied to a chair back in that room and had a gag shoved in his mouth. Not that he didn’t fucking love being tied up and gagged, just not like that.
He had no idea what the two men wanted with him, or why they had gone to such extremes to get him away from his mates, but Alex had a very bad feeling in his gut that things would not end well for him.
He blinked his eyes a few times trying to clear the cobwebs from his brain, when his gaze fell on Cilly, who was down on his knees giving Timber a blowjob. Really? At a time like this? He thought with revulsion and closed his eyes. He hadn’t wanted to see that. As Alex turned his head, he immediately heard some movements from outside. Stretching his neck out a bit more, he turned so his ear was toward the rear wall and listened closely. Silence. Disappointment gripped him and Alex sighed around the gag, but then he heard it again. It wasn’t much, but he could swear he heard a whispered voice, then softly shuffling feet.
Suddenly the room exploded with activity, like all hell had broken loose, as men swarmed in from the door and window. Glass shattered a few feet from him and a large figure burst through the opening. Alex didn’t know where to look first. As his gaze moved around the room, he saw Cilly fall back on his ass, as Timber just stood there with his pants around his ankles, frozen in place with a deer caught in the headlights look on his face. Tug’s huge body was the one that had come through the window, with Jude following. Dell had burst through the door, growling and looking like he was ready to rip someone's head off, with Raiden following him.
As soon as they were all in the room, Raiden made a beeline straight for Timber and grabbed him around the throat, lifting the man off his feet as Raiden snarled in his face. Jude was behind Cilly, pulling his arms behind his back and holding onto him, as Dell moved to stand between the men.
Tug came right over to Alex and gently pulled the gag from his mouth, tossing it away. He dropped to his knees behind Alex and untied his hands, then moved onto the ropes around his chest and the ones trapping his feet to the legs of the chair. Once Alex was free, Tug knelt before him and looked at Alex with concern. He raised his hand to touch Alex’s face, but stopped before he made contact. “Are you okay, baby?” Tug asked, and Alex could hear the strain in his voice.
Alex nodded his head as he replied, “Yes. I’m okay. Thank gods you all got here. I didn’t know what was going on, or what they were going to do to me.”
Alex saw tears build in Tug’s eyes and he gasped. His big, fierce mate was so worried about him that he was about to cry, and along with Raiden, the alpha and Jude, Tug had come for him. If that didn’t prove to Alex how his men felt about him, then he didn’t know what would.
Tug pulled Alex into his arms and Alex immediately wrapped his arms and legs around his mate. Tug held him tight as he buried his face in Alex’s neck and whispered, “We were so scared, baby.”
“I’m okay, mate, just a bit confused and frazzled, but okay.”
Tug pulled back and looked into Alex’s eyes, then Tug’s gaze roamed over his face and Tug growled. “You’re hurt. Who did this to you? Which one of them?”
“Good question,” Dell said. “I want to know what the hell is going on here.”
Tug spun around to face the action behind him, then sat in the chair he had pulled Alex from with Alex still on his lap. Alex turned to see what was happening as well and settled against Tug’s wide chest. Timber growled as his eyes glowed yellow from his wolf. Raiden’s arm around Timber’s throat tightened, and Alex could see Timber’s eyes widen as he began to turn red.
“As much as I understand your anger, Raiden, and agree with you, I don’t think he can answer my questions if he can’t breathe,” Dell said, amusement in his voice and a smirk on his face.
After a heartbeat, Raiden eased off a little, but didn’t let go of Timber. They watched as the color faded back to normal on Timber’s cheeks and he coughed a bit before drawing in a deep breath.
“Now talk,” Dell demanded, in his best, deadliest alpha voice. Gone was all the humor from before, and Alex shivered from the threat he heard in Dell’s voice.
“He’s mine, Alpha. I saw Alex first, then these two manwhores swooped in and took him. All they’re gonna do is fuck him and throw him away like they do with everyone else. I was trying to save Alex from all that pain,” Timber replied, his voice defiant.
Alex gasped and the air got caught in his throat. You could blow him over from the shock of Timber’s statement. He had no idea what the man was talking about. Sure he and Timber were friendly. Timber had even joined him and his friends for a beer a time or two at the pub when they were there, but that was about it. Timber was a friend, but not a close friend, so Alex didn’t understand any of this.
Dell looked to him and raised a brow. Alex could see the question in his friend’s eyes. Alex shrugged as he said, “I have no idea what he’s talking about, Alpha. As far as I know I’ve never shown Timber any interest. He’s always been nice and friendly to me, but he’s just not my type.”
He shifted his gaze back to Timber, and when their eyes met he saw pure rage. Timber’s jaw clenched and he started to breathe heavily.
“You fucking liar. You told me I was all you ever wanted. You said you were tired of being fucked and played with, and you were ready to settle down.”
Now Alex’s eyes went wide as he replied, “What? When t
he hell did I say that? Well, when did I say that to you?”
Tug placed a hand on his cheek and turned Alex’s head so their gazes met, and asked in a soft voice, “What does that mean, baby?”
Alex stared at his mate for a moment, then turned to look at Raiden and saw interest in his eye, then he looked to Jude, then Dell, then back to Tug. “Part of what he said is true, but I didn’t say it to him. Marlo, Nelo, Jude, Bo, and I were at the pub playing pool and I told them how tired I was with all the fucking around and just wanted to settle down. I told them that I didn’t want to play around anymore or be played with.”
Jude nodded. “I remember that night, it was about a month after Caleb left and we were all talking about how lucky he was to find his true mate.”
“Exactly. Thank you, Jude. I was talking to my friends, but Timber wasn’t there. I never said any of that to him directly, and I certainly didn’t tell him he was all I ever wanted,” Alex huffed, and crossed his arms over his chest.
Timber fought against Raiden’s hold as he hissed angrily, “Yes, you did, that night at the orgy. We were fucking like rabbits and you told me I was what you were looking for. Don’t deny it now that these assholes are here!”
Alex sputtered as his jaw hit the floor. “I-I never. I... I didn’t. First of all, when I went to that orgy I took Marlo with me. I would never leave him alone in a room full of over-testosterone-filled alpha and beta males. I knew as soon as I walked in that there was no way I could leave Marlo’s side. Yes, I remember talking to you there for like five minutes, Timber, but then Marl and I moved on. We stayed for like twenty minutes, watching some of the hot shit that was going on, but then we left. I didn’t do anything with anyone and Marlo can attest to that.”
“Bullshit!” Cilly screamed, as he got to his feet, but Jude quickly grabbed him, stopping Cilly from moving. “I was there and I heard you talking to Timber. You didn’t want to be seen in front of all those other people like some sixteen-year-old virgin when he fucked you into the mattress. Then I watched as the two of you went upstairs.”
Alex jumped off Tug’s lap, rage filling him, and he stormed across the room toward Cilly. “You lie, now take that back! I never said those words and you never saw me leave with him to go anywhere. And not for nothing, but I don’t have a problem with public sex, twatmouth. I may have been excited about going to an actual orgy, but that was to watch. It’s no secret I have never been a wallflower when it comes to sex and I can be very adventurous, and I was interested in joining in, but at the last minute I got nervous. I had a bad feeling about going, so I knew if I took Marlo with me I wouldn’t do anything, but I would still get to watch. And as I previously said, I had second thoughts about joining in, because lately I’ve been thinking about finding something more than just a one-night thing or being someone’s plaything. I was relieved when Marlo said he wanted to leave, so we left. I was with Marlo all night. Glued to his side like white on rice,” Alex insisted.
“He’s lying, Alpha!” Cilly whined, looking to Dell.
“No, he’s not. I can smell a lie from a mile away and Alex is not lying, but then neither are you,” Dell stated, his eyes filling with confusion.
Tug stood and came to Alex, sliding an arm around his waist. “I don’t understand. How can neither of them be lying?”
“That’s a very good question, and one we need to figure out, because I scent no deceit coming from any of them,” Dell replied.
CHAPTER 15
“How is that possible?” Raiden asked.
“I’m not sure,” Dell replied, and looked to Charles. “Charles, tell me everything that happened that night.”
Charles sighed then said, “When I got there everyone was already pretty heavy into... well… you know. I was there for about fifteen minutes when I spotted Timber talking to Alex and your assistant, Marlo. A few minutes later they separated and it was a minute after that when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to find Big Rufus standing there and wondered what he was doing in our pack. I asked him and he said he was invited by the host. He asked me if I wanted to dance, which I thought was funny seeing as no one was dancing. When I told him that, he said he meant we should go somewhere and fuck. I politely told him I wasn’t interested and walked away. I went to the kitchen to get a drink and I heard Alex and Timber talking just outside the doorway, and that’s when I heard Alex say he didn’t want to have sex in front of all those people, but they could go somewhere private. I finished getting my drink and headed back out to the living room. That’s when I saw Alex and Timber walking up the stairs.”
“You saw them walking up the stairs, so does that mean you only saw them from behind?” Jude asked.
Charles huffed in annoyance, which caused Jude to growl. Charles’s face paled and he shook his head. “Y-yes and no. I saw Timber’s face, but Alex from behind. He held Timber’s hand and was pulling him up the steps.”
Dell stepped closer. “So, you never actually saw Alex. You just heard his voice and saw him from behind. Is there a chance it was someone else?”
Charles’s eyes went wide as he looked to Dell. “No. I know that was his voice and the clothes he was wearing were just like Alex would wear. Tight and slutty,” Charles said, with a sneer in Alex’s direction.
Alex got angry at that and yelled, “Hey! I do not dress like a slut. And how the hell is wearing a pair of jeans and a tee shirt slutty? They may have been a tad tight, but nothing was hanging out all over.”
“You were wearing short shorts and a tank top!” Charles yelled. “Which I thought was so disgusting for a man to wear. Were you going for the whole ‘I look like a woman ho-bag’ look?”
“I have never worn short-shorts in my life. Okay, so maybe there has been a time or two I put on a skirt, but that was a kilt and it looked hot. But, I was not wearing that outfit you described that night. Go ask Marlo. Dell, he’ll tell you,” Alex begged.
Dell turned his gaze to Timber and asked, “And what exactly do you remember about that night?”
“I got there at the beginning before things got underway. About an hour later Alex and Marlo showed up. We did talk for a few minutes, but then they walked away. After that I turned and grabbed my drink and started talking to a few guys. The next thing I knew Alex was back and smiling at me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me across the room, then started telling me how hot he thought I was and how he just wanted to be alone with me, so we could have some fun. When I agreed and started undressing him, he grabbed my hands and told me he didn’t want to fuck in front of everyone and wanted to go somewhere private. I thought it was odd, because I never knew Alex to be shy about sex being a delta and all, and now being a delta/gamma, but I figured, whatever it took, you know? So we headed upstairs. After we fucked for hours and I told him I was never letting him go, that’s when he told me how much he wanted me and I was all he ever wanted,” Timber explained.
“Do you smell that?” Jude asked, as he sniffed the air, then his face twisted in revulsion.
“Yes, what is that?” Dell asked, as he too started sniffing around the room.
“I don’t smell anything,” Alex said.
“Me neither,” Charles agreed.
“No, they’re right, I smell it too. It stinks, like... like…” Tug said, as he turned his head first one way and then the other, sniffing the air.
Suddenly Dell looked back to Timber and his eyes glowed with his wolf. “What have you done?” He demanded.
Timber’s eyes widened and filled with fear. “I... me... I have done nothing, Alpha.”
Dell stormed to Timber and grabbed him by the front of the shirt and yanked him from Raiden’s grasp, lifting Timber off the floor as he snarled in his face. “I won’t ask again.” Dell leaned in and put his nose close to Timber’s throat and drew in a deep breath. “I smell Frankincense and Juniper, but underneath that I smell... Belladonna, Catnip, Copal, and Dandelion Root, which are all very powerful in witchcraft. It’s very strong around you, Timber, so te
ll me now what you have done. I know you’ve been lying. The use of Frankincense and Juniper tells me you are using some kind of spell to block anyone from sensing that you’re lying. What were the other herbs used for? What kind of spell? Tell me!”
Timber stared at the alpha, visibly shaking. His eyes suddenly darkened as he shifted his gaze to Alex, then Tug, then Raiden, then he said viciously, “He’s mine. I have spent over a year trying to get close to Alex, but he never looked at me twice, not in the way I wanted him to. Then he started swooning whenever Tug walked in a room, and I knew I needed to get to him before Tug did. I was certain he wouldn’t pay Alex any attention, because he had Raiden, but then they started looking for a third again, so I had to do something before they set their sights on Alex.”
“And what exactly did you do?” Dell asked again.
“I called a friend of mine. A magic user―”
“A witch!” Dell sneered.
Timber looked to Dell and raised his chin in defiance. “Yes. A witch. He sent me what I would need to make Alex attracted to me, but then Alex started spending more time holed up in his house. When I heard he was invited to the orgy I knew it would be my only chance, but there would be people around who might witness what I needed to do. So, I contacted my friend, and again, he sent me everything I would need along with the spell.”
Tug moved away from Alex, his body rigid and his face contorted with anger as he seethed, “What have you done to my mate?”
Timber’s eyes widened and filled with confusion as he stared at Tug. “Your... what? Your... mate?”
