by J. K. Jones
Ryu wants to claw his ears out. Aren’t they tired of all this by now? The fighting and nonstop quarreling over past slights. What does it matter in the grand scheme of things? The Filthy Claws enter the room, and everyone goes silent. Marissa leads a wayward band of aging farmers and young wolves, each of them wearing the uniform of the Silvercrest Howlers. Smiling, Marissa marches over to him. They hug. She looks happier than ever before. “What did I miss?”
“The usual,” Ryu huffs. “Are these the men?”
“Yup,” Marissa says. “These are a few of my trusted advisors. Micah was kind enough to give out the provisions. Now that General Miah is back, we’re ready to go to war.”
“I never thought I’d see the day.” Kazan chuckles. “An alliance between the Silvercrest Howlers and the Filthy Claws.”
What’s that supposed to mean? Ryu glares at him. The rest of the wolves snicker as if it’s a joke. Ryu is tired of being treated like dirt under their fingernails. They’re all fighting the same war. The Filthy Claws have contributed as much as any other wolf here. Marissa looks downright murderous as she stares at Kazan.
“Micah,” Kazan says. “I respect you. The treaty your father signed centuries ago still stands. However, the Thunder Hunters need assurances. We need to know the Filthy Claws are not in league with the Bloodhound Prince. I think every wolf will agree that the Bloodhounds aren’t natural. Whose to say your mate won’t turn toward the dark gods and slaughter us all.”
Micah’s eyes flash. “Watch your words.”
“Byakuren,” Kazan says humbly. “I meant no disrespect to your second. The Thunder Hunters are weary. Treaties need to be resigned, and leniencies need to be given. That’s the only way I can see us moving forward.”
How long will that take? Ryu wants to demand. Weeks, months, years? They barely had days. He’s tired of this shit. They always seem to use him as an excuse not to cooperate. It’s the same thing with the Silvercrest Howlers.
“What do you want?” Ryu asks. The wolves in the room freeze. Ryu steps forward, clenching his jaw tightly. He’s been silent long enough. “We are under attack. You want treaties and leniencies, but these people want to live, and you dare call yourself Alpha.”
“You condescending—”
“The Bloodhound Prince aims to slaughter us all. The Age of the Lycans is coming. We can no longer hide in our mansions and dens.” Ryu sneers.
“You are a disgrace. You belong to no clan. Therefore you can’t have a voice.”
For years Ryu thought the same. Since he belonged nowhere, he shouldn’t speak his mind or have a say in the way things would turn out. However, now he must speak up, especially for those who can’t speak for themselves.
“I belong to the Silvercrest Howlers. I belong to the Filthy Claws clan,” Ryu growls. “I have a voice. Speak to me like that again, and I’ll have your tongue cut out.
“You—”
“This is a warning.” Ryu looks around the room. “To all of you. The Filthy Claws and the Silvercrest Howlers are one pack. We fight together. I am Second to Byakuren. My word is the law. Fall in line or be destroyed.”
“Kuroi Kage.” Rohan steps in front of his brother. “We stand with you. I pledge that the Thunder Hunters will give whatever resources we can.”
Micah watches him with pride as Ryu doles out orders for the coming days. First, they need to make a vaccine. Ryu has already contributed a significant amount of his blood to the cause. Then they’ll administer the vaccine to the most vulnerable wolves in the inner cities. After that, they’ll carry out their plan, attacking Randolph on all sides and smuggling the people out. Ryu knows they can beat the Bloodhound Prince once and for all.
Micah drafts a document, which the wolves call Treaty of The Brotherhood. It states they’ll fight under one banner, as one army, to kill the Bloodhound Prince and rid themselves of the disease.
International law dictates that all those found guilty of denying service based on wolf or wolf gender (alpha, omega, beta, delta) will face the punishment of an ”eye for an eye.” Micah is the first to sign the parchment paper, legally binding it with a spell of magic disruption. Any wolf that breaks the contract will have all the blood drained from its body and die an agonizing death.
He hands the quill over to Ryu, who signs diligently. One by one, the wolves write down their names. Micah seals the document and encodes it with another indestructible spell.
“We create our own destiny. With this treaty, we will bring the Bloodhound Prince to his knees.”
Chapter 50
Ryu spends the rest of the time getting to know some of the Filthy Claws. They’re inexperienced but eager to be trained by him. It turns out his reputation from the Silvercrest Howlers followed him here. They refer to him as Kuroi Kage, much to his shock.
“Ryu.” Deryn strides toward him, his expression is troubled. “A moment?”
Ryu nods to Marissa and follows Deryn out of the war room and into the hallway. Since the meeting is over, many wolves left to freshen up and prepare for the tasks that lie ahead. Micah lingers in the hall, speaking quietly to the wolves that want to know more details regarding the assault on Randolph.
“What can I do for you?” Ryu asks. Since Deryn saved his life, they haven’t had time to talk. Not that it matters. He knows Deryn still resents him for what happened with Markus and his older brother.
“You need to stop fucking around with Micah,” Deryn says heatedly.
What the hell? Ryu frowns, crossings his arms over his chest. “What are you talking about?”
“The wolves won’t respect it,” Deryn spits. “And I’m tired of seeing it. Either marry him or pledge yourself to another Alpha.”
What a fucking prick. “What the hell are you trying to say?”
“Are you blind or what? They don’t trust you.” Deryn carries on. “You guys are mates. The Māku is strong between both of you. No respectable Alpha will have a mate he isn’t mated to. It’s an insult to the gods and wolves alike. Not to mention you’re a Bloodhound. That’s adding more fuel to the fire.”
This outburst is so unbelievably random and so farfetched that Ryu is stunned into silence. It doesn’t make any sense. Ryu knows Deryn wouldn’t risk getting on Micah’s bad side, just to be punished like he was the last time. There must be some truth to what he’s saying.
“What have you heard?”
“Deserters,” Deryn growls. “Left, right, and center. Kazan is right to question Micah about you. He voiced the question most of the members in the pack had. They don’t trust that Micah can keep you from turning into one of the dark Bloodhounds. They don’t know that once we kill the Bloodhound Prince, you’ll remain on our side. Marry him, or don’t marry him. I don’t give a fuck. Just don’t screw around anymore. The wolves won’t respect it.”
“And marriage will solve that?” Ryu asks.
“Why are you so stupid?” Deryn says. “Once you’re fully mated, the Māku takes on a new form. Two become one. That’s why the Filthy Claws are on your side. It’s the only way we can feel your bond through the link. You’re an exile, but once you are mated, your link to both packs will be restored.”
He’s right. Ryu closes his eyes briefly. How could he have overlooked that? The wolves only trust what they sense. If he’s a wolf they can’t sense, they’re less likely to trust him.
“Get your shit together.” Deryn shoulders past him and back into the room.
Ryu stands there for several moments longer. He rubs the back of his neck tiredly, the weight of the words heavy on his shoulders.
Yet, you won’t marry me. Ryu thinks back to Micah’s words earlier, the sadness in his eyes, and his resignation. Bits and pieces of what their life should’ve been together. Ryu remembers the happiness of their betrothal, the lurch in his heart whenever he thought they could have this forever.
Ryu acknowledges that he’s scared, that the pain from the past seems cemented in his thoughts and feelings. However, he can also adm
it the electricity, the spark of everlasting friendship, the magnet pulls from falling hopelessly in love with someone who could give him the world and more.
He starts walking, his feet moving faster and faster. His answer should’ve always been yes. Not because of the pack or because of any misguided feelings, but because he loves Micah, and he wants to share the rest of his life with him. There’s no one else.
Ryu bursts through the double doors and glances around the room frantically for Micah. General Sato approaches him, a fond smile on his face. “He just left to get some rest.”
“Thank you.” Ryu nods to him and darts out of the room.
Wait for me.
I’m coming.
Chapter 51
Ryu throws open the bedroom doors. Micah looks exhausted, slumping over the bed, struggling to get his shoes off.
“Where’s the fire?”
Ryu kneels in front of him, looking up at his Alpha with his eyes shining. “Ask me again.”
Micah frowns, then sighs. “I’m too tired for charades.”
Ryu laughs. “No, dummy. Ask me again.”
Micah regards him skeptically, brows drawn together. Ryu can tell he’s thinking hard, trying to wade through the fog of sleep. It’s time. They both know it. Before, too much shit from the past was holding them back. Now things are different. Ryu’s free from the shackles of the past and moving forward. He wants his answer to always be yes.
“Ask me again.” Ryu leans forward and presses his forehead against Micah’s. There’s a moment of silence. Then Micah grabs his chin, forcing their eyes to meet.
“You have to mean it. I can’t—I won’t…”
“Ask me again, Alpha.” Ryu closes his eyes briefly.
“Will you—”
“Yes.”
“Take off my shoes?”
Ryu’s eyes fly open, and he glares at him. Micah laughs heartily, kissing him on the lips. “Kidding.”
“Bastard.”
“Marry me.” Micah chuckles. “Marry me.”
“Fuck, yes.” Ryu peppering his face with kisses.
“And help me take off my shoes.”
“Sorry, you’re on your own for that.”
“I guess we’ll be here all night,” Micah grumbles, and Ryu laughs, helping him take off his shoes, then climbs into bed. “Thank you.”
Ryu snuggles beside him, content and giddy, like his heart might burst from his chest. This is how things are meant to be. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
-
Ryu feels needy.
His hole is tender, pulsating as he groans. He loves and hates preheat in equal measure. The slick drenches his clothes, and he aches to be filled. Ryu leans over, peppering Micah’s face with soft kisses, while the burning intensifies in his core. Fuck. He needs release. It’s been far too long.
It’s late in the afternoon, both of them choosing to stay in bed later while the other wolves handle most of the grunt work. Ryu gasps as Micah takes his cock into his mouth, sucking with enthusiasm and vigor.
It makes him wetter than ever, something Micah loves. Ryu’s brain is slow, lax and foggy, as if he’s in a deep sea. Preheat makes him wanton, the pheromones frenzied and frantic within him.
“I got you,” Micah mumbles, releasing his cock. He takes off his shirt. His massive chest rises and falls as he maneuvers Ryu into position.
“What?”
“I can’t stop.”
A rut. Shit. They’ll have to be here for a few days, then. Ryu groans again, canting his hips upwards, trying to shove his hole onto something—anything. Micah stares down at him, eyes black with lust. He opens his pants. His cock springs free, swollen and angry.
“You can take it.” Ruthlessly Micah shoves his cock into his entrance, splitting him open inch by inch. Ryu cries out. His vision blurs, and drool drips from the corner of his mouth. Fuck. A sharp pain pierces him as his hole stretches and pulsates around Micah’s girth. Ryu whimpers, breathless and heady, his cock twitching, as Micah bears down on him.
Fucking hell. Tears spring into his eyes. The Māku sings with high-pitch frequency, and his heart jumps in his chest.
“Wait. Micah, before you knot me.” Ryu’s body lurches with each powerful thrust. Micah lifts his slender hips, angling himself deeper. He pulls out, then thrust back in. “Ah, shit.”
Micah kisses underneath his jaw. “Can’t stop.” He sets a brutal pace, rocking his hips like a madman, groaning hotly in his ear. Ryu can’t take it. He throws his head back as pleasure spikes deep in his core. Ryu gasps loudly and tenses as something ripples within him.
“Micah.” What’s going on? Ryu shudders again. His cock thickens and sputters his release. Cum soaks their stomachs, but for some reason, he doesn’t stop. Micah’s knot swells, his size impressive, and Ryu feels like he’s being split in two. Oh, gods.
It’s too soon. Ryu’s hole burns, clenching around Micah’s cock as Micah chases his release. He recoils; he’s frightened of what’s happening to him, but he can’t seem to stop.
“Ahh.” His hole erupts, gushing sweet white nectar over Micah’s growing knot. Ryu trembles so hard stars dance across his vision, and he nearly blacks out. It’s madness. Micah’s eyes flash yellow, and his canines grow. Ryu stares back in horror, sobbing, as Micah keeps fucking him relentlessly.
Growling, Micah fists his hair and sinks his teeth into his neck. Ryu cries out. Sweat and cum cool on his skin, but he can’t stop coming. Teeth penetrate skin. Micah ravishes his flesh, biting down harder. He seems possessed, nipping viciously and drawing blood.
Another Māku? Ryu glows as power surges between them. To have two Māku would make their bond invincible.
He comes again and again until he blacks out.
Chapter 52
“Aahhh, that’s…I can’t, Micah.” Ryu’s toes curl. His spent cock is still dripping cum. Micah bends him over the desk table and shoves inside him for the fourth time. He whines and wiggles, searching for relief, as Micah makes an inquisitive sound against his neck. Ryu’s hot and sticky, panting as he tries to find a more comfortable position. The weight of his mate half on top of him is not helping.
It’s different from before. Micah is slow and languid, thrusting in leisurely. Ryu’s thoughts are muddled as if he’s in a deep state of subconsciousness. Is this what it means to be fucked into oblivion? Ryu quivers, feeling the slow drag of his cock poke his prostate. No more. God, he can’t take any more. They’ve been fucking for hours. General Sato interrupted twice before finally getting the message. Micah doesn’t plan to leave the room. At least until he’s fully sated.
“You can take it,” Micah mumbles against his neck. Ryu’s breath hitches, and he groans as Micah picks up the pace. Fuck.
He can’t. His mate is a beast. Despite Ryu being strong, Micah happens to be stronger and presses him farther down onto the desk. Ryu can’t do much but lie there and whine helplessly while his hole clenches greedily around Micah’s member.
Micah snaps his hips forward, plunging his cock deeper.
“Ah, please. Fuck, Micah.”
“You can take it,” Micah snarls as he bucks his hips against him.
Ryu surrenders, gripping the table for dear life as Micah continued his onslaught of hard thrusts. Micah always seems to know every spot to make him shake and moan. Micah slides one hand underneath him and pinches his nipples. Crying out, Ryu arches his back, and cum splatters all over the floor. Shit. Another wave hits him, and Ryu is breathless as pleasure sparks through him.
Micah plunges his cock in and out, in and out, setting a brutal pace. Ryu’s voice is raw. His fingers are red from clutching the table so tightly. It can’t get any better. Until it does. Ryu moans again, and his hole spasms, catching something large at the rim.
Micah’s knot.
Ryu drools, making a pitiful sound in the back of his throat. Micah brushes his hair over his shoulder, lapping at the Māku while jerking his hips. His eyes roll into
the back of his head. He tenses, then is thrown over the edge. Oh fuck. Micah erupts. His knot swells, threatening to split him in half as his cum rushes down his thighs.
“I love you,” Micah grunts with his face buried deep in his neck. Ryu groans again, his vision blurring as he collapsed.
-
Aftercare.
Ryu grumbles as Micah licks his neck and cheek, nuzzling against him as they lie in bed. It’s near dinner time, and they still haven’t left the room. Micah’s rut died down an hour ago, and things settled down. Now they’re just enjoying each other’s company. Ryu sighs contentedly. He looks at his mate, languidly stroking his arms.
“Are you okay?”
“Good.” Better actually. Ryu can’t remember a time he’s been so happy. “It seems so silly when I think back on it.”
“Don’t think about it, then.” Micah kisses his temple. “We’re together now. Nothing can stand in our way.”
Ryu nods in agreement and places a tiny kiss on Micah’s biceps. Nothing can stand in their way. They’re stronger than ever before. All they need to do is defeat the Bloodhound Prince, and then they can live out the rest of their lives together. “Oh.” Ryu touches the patch of gauze on his neck. “Another Māku?”
“Mhmm,”
“How come?” Ryu asks, then winces. He already had one on his thigh. Why did he need another one?
“To make our bond together,” Micah replies. “In the ancient text of the Silvercrest Howlers, there was only one Omega in history that had two. The Māku is secret after all, a way to signify that Omegas belong to their Alphas. It’s a soul bond between wolves. Qitdum found it so beautiful he decreed all wolves with two mating bonds will have his favor and therefore his protection.”
Ryu furrows his brow. Why does Micah think he needs the favor of another god? How will that help them in the war? Is he just greedy to stake his claim, or does he genuinely believe that Qitdum will protect Ryu? As a Bloodhound, he already has the favor of Vuneas. Why does he need the favor of two gods?
