by Maggie Walsh
CHAPTER 1
“What the fuck, Mason? Stop the bullshit and keep your damn head in the game before you end up losing it,” Jag reprimanded angrily as he looked at one of his best friends like the man was a five-year-old.
“Fuck off, Jag,” Mason grumbled as he struggled to flip the extra-large truck tire.
“It’s called conditioning training for a reason, asshole. To build strength and endurance. If Caleb comes in here and sees this pathetic display, I wouldn’t be surprised if he went to Ridge and had you knocked back to enforcer.”
Mason dropped the tire he had just about gotten to stand on end and turned to glare at him.
“What the fuck is your problem, man? For over two weeks now, all you’ve done is bark and bite at people. Who the hell took a shit in your Cheerios?”
Jag clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes at his friend. Yeah, he knew he was being a real prick these days, but he just couldn’t help it. His damn wolf was riding him hard. The beast was constantly growling and snapping, clawing to get out and chase down the sexy-as-sin Bo they had finally had the privilege of bedding two weeks ago. Gods, that man was fierce in bed and Jag wanted another taste.
His obsession with the younger man started the first time he laid eyes on him about a year ago, when he had to escort Ridge to a meeting with Mark York, alpha of the York pack, so they could work on a deal to secretly buy the land between their two pack lands. Then, he saw Bo again during the meeting to finalize the deal that would bind their two packs together. Then again, two weeks ago when he was sent to meet with one of the York pack alpha’s messengers to pick up a secret correspondence between Dell York and Ridge.
Jag had been excited and gleefully surprised to find that the messenger Alpha Dell had sent was the very sexy delta, Bo. A storm had blown in off the water while they were there, and they were forced to hunker down in the cabin and wait it out. That had been the best fucking night of his life and the best fucking. Bo was amazing in bed and set Jag and his wolf off like no other had before. But then morning came and they had to part ways.
Neither made any promises of more, but damn, did Jag want to pull the man back, stop him from leaving, and drag his ass back into the cabin and fuck him over and over again for days. His wolf had been totally on board with that plan, but when all Jag had done was stand there and watch Bo drive away, his beast started acting like an asshole.
Jag rubbed a hand over his lips as he mumbled an apology to his friend. Mason hadn’t done anything wrong and Jag was just being a dick. “Sorry, man. Just stuff on my mind.”
“Yeah? Well, I suggest you go find that guy you’ve been thinking about and fuck him. Get him out of your system before you drive everyone crazy and we all declare a mutiny and make you walk the plank.”
“Already had that ass and if I could, I would have it again, and maybe keep it,” Jag mumbled under his breath to himself.”
“What was that?” Mason asked as he once again lifted the large tire off the ground, the cords in his neck straining.
“Nothing. Just keep practicing,” Jag answered, then walked away. He needed to do something to get the sexy wolf off his mind, but what? Maybe a few hundred laps in the pool would help, because the gods knew the two hours in the gym this morning did nothing for him.
Jag made his way to the courtyard in the center of the alpha house and opened the door. Stepping out into the covered patio always brought him a sense of peace and relaxation. The hundreds of plants and trees, as well as the waterfall would brighten anyone's spirits in this frozen tundra they lived in.
The wind howled outside and Jag looked up at the windowed ceiling and found snow beginning to fall. The sky beyond was white with the heavy clouds of a snowstorm, but Jag knew it was darkening behind that cover. The days were getting shorter and soon the time of darkness would be upon them, then they would have months of blackness before the spring. Jag was not looking forward to the lightless days.
Time seemed to move slower when they came and the nights were longer. And since his best friend Ridge had found his true mate, Jag knew the loneliness that came at night would only be worse. Not that he and Ridge had been lovers or anything, but with the long nights, Ridge, Mason, Blu, TJ, and he, usually kept each other company, watching movies, horsing around in the pool, or play-fighting in the gym, but now that Caleb was here, Ridge wasn’t alone anymore and had better ways of passing the time. Lucky fuck.
Speaking of which, Jag smiled when his gaze fell on the pair floating in the water. Ridge was standing, but his mate, Caleb, was wrapped around his front, arms and legs around Ridge’s body and his head was thrown back, eyes closed, and lips parted. The man looked like he was in sexual nirvana.
Ridge’s hands were under the water and Jag surmised they were cupping Caleb’s ass, holding him up, and Ridge’s hips were bucking, causing small waves to push out from the pair and some to splash around them. He knew Ridge was fucking his man and the smile on his face widened.
Jag moved to a nearby chair and sat as he watched the pair. In their world sex was a part of life and having sex out in the open for all to see was no big thing. It was a normal and natural occurrence, as well as others stopping to watch. And for any of the pack to come across the alpha and his mate fucking, it was considered a very good thing in their world, something to celebrate and honor. Seeing the alpha mate submit to their alpha and their alpha dominate his mate, was a show of their union and devotion to one another, which in turn brought the pack a sense of peace and security.
He leaned back and got comfortable as he continued to stare at the duo. Ridge reached up with one hand and unclasped Caleb’s arms from around his neck, then demanded in a rough voice,
“Put your hands behind your back, pet, and clasp your fingers.”
Without hesitation, Caleb did as he was told. Ridge gripped Caleb’s ass again and started to pound into him harder, causing his mate to bounce on his cock. Jag’s own cock began to fill, thinking of having his own submissive under him, doing everything he demanded. Gods, he wanted that too.
Ridge moved them closer to the edge of the pool then pushed Caleb off him as he stepped back.
“Turn around and hold onto the edge, pet, then lift your legs,” Ridge said and once again, Caleb did as commanded.
He turned and gripped the edge of the pool and Ridge took Caleb’s legs and spread them, then moved between his thighs and rammed his monster cock back into his mate’s ass and Caleb cried out his pleasure. Ridge grabbed his mate’s hips and started to plow into Caleb hard. The two panted and moaned like there was no one else in the world, but them.
“They’re so damn good together, aren’t they?” Blu asked as he joined Jag at the table, and sat in the chair opposite. Blu placed a tray on the table between them, then took a glass off and picked up the pitcher of iced tea and poured himself some.
“They’re perfect,” Jag replied, only taking his eyes off the scene for a moment to acknowledge Blu.
“I can’t wait to find someone too someday. Look at Caleb’s face, he’s in total bliss. I hope my dominant mate is as good to me as Ridge is to Caleb and makes me look that way.”
Jag turned to look at Blu and smiled. “If your mate knows what’s good for him then he will treat you like a prince, like you deserve, or he’ll meet with not only the wrath of your brother, but the rest of us.”
Blu gave him a shy smile and nodded, then took a sip of his tea. They both turned their attention back to the pair in the pool in time to see Caleb lose himself in the moment. Ridge commanded for Caleb to “Come” and immediately, Caleb threw his head back and screamed out his pleasure, showing anyone around that he had just come on command. Fuck, Jag really wanted what his best friend had.
Ridge went over the edge a moment later and stiffened as he stayed buried in Caleb’s ass. A minute later, he pulled back and tenderly lifted Caleb, turned him around to face him, and cradled his mate in his arms as the two floated around the pool and caught their breath.
“It sure was,” Jag agreed. A vision of Bo flashed before his eyes and Jag’s cock instantly hardened fully and his wolf once again started to rage and claw inside him. Damn it, he really needed to find someone to fuck, to get the man out of his head.
Jag must have been lost in his thoughts, or too busy trying to control his beast, because he hadn’t seen Ridge and Caleb leave the pool and join them until Ridge placed a hand on his shoulder, and asked, “You okay, man?”
He blinked a few times and focused on Ridge. His best friend sat there staring at him, his eyes filled with worry. Jag put on a fake smile and nodded. “Yeah, man. Just thinking.”
“So how is Mason improving with his training today?” Caleb asked as he took the offered cup of iced tea that Blu was holding out for him.
“He was still having some trouble with those massive tires you brought in, but he’s not giving up. I left him and a few others in there to work a little longer. Personally, I think he’s coming along.”
Caleb nodded. “I agree. He’s been doing great. I think I should talk to him about that obstacle course though. He keeps forgetting he’s a wolf and to use that to his advantage,” Caleb replied as he shook his head, then took a sip of his tea.
As the conversation continued, Jag watched his new friend with deep respect. Caleb might bow to Ridge’s every desire in their relationship, it was in his DNA to, but when he was in beta mode, the man was fierce and could best everyone in their pack, but Ridge. Although, Jag was sure that if the two sparred and Caleb really let go, even Ridge would have a hard time keeping up with his man.
Caleb had come to them from the York pack and that pack was known by all the other groups of shifters in the area as the toughest and best trained fighters, warriors, and enforcers. Caleb had been one of their top warriors. Now he was here, being mated to Ridge, and he was training the men of this pack to be just as fierce and well trained. Some were taking to it like fish to water, while others were taking a bit longer to get there. And through it all, Caleb was a very patient, but hard instructor. He was the perfect balance and had gained the respect of everyone in the pack. And the pride he and everyone else could see glowing in Ridge’s eyes whenever he looked at his mate, or talked about him, was very evident for all to see.
The conversation turned to a battle they had a six months ago, when Caleb had first mated Ridge.
The two other Tundra packs had joined forces with one of the local bear dens to try to take out both the York pack and the Heart pack when they thought those packs would be most vulnerable at the changing of the alpha for their packs. They had also had plans to kidnap Caleb and stop Ridge from bonding to him, which would bring an unbreakable alliance between the Heart and York packs, but what they didn’t know was that Ridge and Caleb were true mates and had already claimed one another.
They had worked together with the York pack and had defeated the enemy, who happened to be the alpha of one of the other packs, but now the other alpha and the leader of the bears were insisting they either had nothing to do with it, or had been forced to. Now that the York and Heart packs had an unbreakable alliance and had bought lands together to expand both packs and join them, the other shifter factions in the area were too scared to cause any problems, but there were still a few stragglers around.
“So, I need to send someone to talk to your brother,” Ridge said to Caleb. “It would be easier just to call him, but with the storms lining up heading this way and the winter darkness upon us, you know how crappy the phones can be and I don’t want the static that comes on the line to cause any misunderstanding.”
“You also wanted to talk to him about your cousin, remember, love?” Caleb said, and Jag could see the deep love and devotion that Caleb had for Ridge shining in his eyes.
“Yeah. I almost forgot,” Ridge grumbled, a sour look on his face, and took a sip from his glass.
His and Blu’s brows both raised from that information. Ridge’s cousin, Fane, was a bit of a pain in the ass. Well, at least he was when they were younger. Fane’s fathers couldn’t handle living up here in the Arctic Circle and had moved their family down into the lower forty-eight and lived mostly as humans. They didn’t belong to any pack, lived in a condo, had white collar jobs, and raised Fane like a spoiled brat. He had never wanted for anything and was never held accountable for anything he did.
When he had reached his early twenties, Fane had gone too far as the rich, partying playboy, and had gotten himself in trouble. Of course his fathers had stepped in and had used their power and cash to sweep it under the rug, but they soon found out that had been the wrong thing to do, so they contacted Ridge’s dad and asked if they could send Fane to them to teach him how to be a wolf and control him.
That had not worked well. Being raised in the environment he had been, it was ingrained in him to be an elitist, spoiled, selfish bastard. Ridge’s dads had tried for over a year, but nothing seemed to work on Fane. Then, one day, he just up and left. Ridge had heard a few years later that his cousin had made his way to New Orleans and was running in some bad circles. He had taken up with a vampire nest down there that was known for not living within the law. So, now, what was going on with the guy?
“Fane? You want to talk to Dell about Fane? What’s up with that?” Jag asked.
“I agree with Jag. Do you really think it’s a good idea to bring Fane anywhere near here? Or to have Alpha York have to deal with him? Couldn’t that put a strain on our alliance?” Blu asked, worried.
Ridge sighed heavily and shook his head. “He’s gotten into trouble... again, with that vampire nest he’s been living with, and needs to disappear. His father's cut him off and want nothing to do with him, so I was the only one he could turn to. Well, my father. He was shocked when I told him dad was gone and I was the new alpha. There is no way he and I can live in the same pack. I don’t know if he’s changed or not, but I can’t have him here with the threat of these vampires coming after him and causing trouble, but at the same time, he’s still family and I don’t think I can turn my back on him, especially when he’s reaching out for help,” Ridge explained.
“So, you thought Dell would want to put up with his shit?” Jag asked, perplexed.
“From what Ridge told me about Fane, I was the one who suggested my old pack. Fane is an alpha/beta, so he wouldn’t be looking to defy Dell. And even if he did, Dell could take him out without breaking a sweat, or hesitating because of family ties, but then there is the rest of the pack as well. There are more members there than here and as you know, every member is pretty good at kicking some ass,” Caleb replied smiling.
“Okay, I can see that they wouldn’t take shit from Fane,” Jag replied.
“Now I just need to send someone to talk to Dell about both of these issues and I have no idea who to send. The best person for the job is probably my wonderful mate, but I want to be selfish and keep him close by,” Ridge said, as he reached out and took Caleb’s hand, and gave his mate a loving smile.
Suddenly, Bo’s face came to mind again and Jag smiled. He had the perfect answer. “What about me?”
Ridge looked at him and gave him a knowing smirk. “You, my beta, would be willing to go all the way over to the York pack to deliver a message?”
Jag shrugged, trying to play it off as no big deal. “Why the hell not? With needing to talk to him about Fane, besides yourself, Ridge, I would probably be the best one anyway. You and I spent the most amount of time with Fane while he was here. I could answer whatever questions Dell had about him and give Dell a few warnings that will hopefully help him make his decision.”
Ridge nodded, that damn smirk still on his face. “Okay. You’re on. Thanks, Jag. When would you be going?”
“When would you like me to go?” He asked, returning the smirk. He wasn’t going to play into Ridge’s hands. He knew his best friend was sure he would jump on it and say he would leave right away or in the morning, because Jag had talke
d to Ridge about his attraction to the sexy Bo.
Ridge chuckled. “How about sometime tomorrow, would that work?”
“Sure, whenever you need me to head out, I will.”
“Great, now that it’s settled,” Ridge said, as he pushed back from the table and stood, then held out his hand to Caleb. “If you’ll excuse us, we have some things to do before dinner.”
“Yeah, we know what things you’re talking about,” Jag replied, as he wiggled his brows.
CHAPTER 2
Things didn’t go as planned and the storm that came through had delayed Jag’s trip by five days, but he was now pulling up in front of the alpha house of the York pack. Jag put the CAT in park and climbed out, then looked around. It wasn’t anything like home with its fully enclosed buildings and underground tunnels that they used to move around from building to building, but the York pack was nice. Jag liked the all American neighborhood feeling he got when he came here as he glanced around at all the surrounding houses.
He believed that the way the York pack lived and survived was the reason they were so tough and fierce. Days would pass for members of the Heart pack where they wouldn’t have to go outside and suffer the elements, but here, just living their normal lives, the pack members would have to deal with it going from building to building.
Just then, maybe to prove his point, a group of five young boys ran past, all dressed in winter gear as they tossed a football around and laughed. Jag smiled as he watched them continue down the road. Yup, this pack was made tough from birth, which made Jag think about his own pack and how when it came to battle, they were so far behind the York pack. Which was why it was a good thing they had an alliance with the York pack and also had the benefit of Caleb now living with them.
