Alpha's Mates: An MMM Mpreg Romance (Northern Pines Den Book 2) by Susi Hawke (1)

 

 

 

 

Alpha's Mates

 

 

Book Two of the Northern Pines Den Series

 

 

 

An M/PREG Paranormal Romance

 

Susi Hawke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Taylor & Crista – Thanks for making this a better book with your fabulous ideas and complete honesty when I'm on the wrong track! -SH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Cover Art Designed by Cosmic Letterz

 

 

Copyright © 2017 by Susi Hawke

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Any characters, locations, events or businesses are totally parts of the author's imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter One

 

Sean

 

“I need someone to send a car, ours is totaled. And Alpha? There's another problem. The other car that was hit had a family from your den. I'm sorry, Mikael. I'm afraid the people in the front seat didn't make it. Before I could get free of our vehicle, the car that caused it got away. But first, they took a young guy from the backseat and left with him. I don't know who they were, but they took that kid right from the car!”

The voice of Mikael, my brother's mate and the Alpha of the Northern Pines Den came through the speaker on my phone. “Sit tight, Sean. Stay calm. I have patrolmen nearby, they will be there in five. Peter has them on the other line as we speak. Shall I call your Alpha, or have you already spoken to him?”

“No, I called you first since we are already in your territory. I'll call Jake now. I knew this exchange was a bad idea given the war your den is facing right now with the rogues. We never should have been out here in the first place. But then again, you wouldn't know about the guy getting taken if I hadn't been here. I don't know what to say. I'm sorry, sir. I mean no disrespect.”

“Sean. You're my mate's brother. My son's uncle. We're family. I'm pretty sure that you're allowed to speak your mind among family.” He paused with a long sigh. “I hate to abandon the exchange program between our communities, and possibly keep our people from finding their fated-mates. All because of my sister's pack of rogues and this stupid war that she's pushed on us.”

I kept silent while the Alpha went silent. I could hear what sounded like his fingertips drumming on a hard surface. His frustrated voice came back in my ear a few seconds later.

“Sean, I hate to say it, but you are right. I suppose that we should call a temporary halt to the exchange. At least for now until we discover whether this accident was caused by the rogues, as we both already suspect to be true. I had hoped for our communities to go on with life as usual despite the war, but this is now affecting your pack as well. If it sounds like I'm ignoring the other victims in this, I am not. I'm just steeling myself until we have all of the information. The loss of any life is heartbreaking, and I am afraid to find out who it is that our den will be grieving now.”

A large SUV pulled up right then, with my brother's buddy Stefan jumping out from behind the wheel. I turned my attention back to my call.

“Mikael? Your men just got here. Stefan is with them, let me go sort this out and we'll report back to you soon. Shall I call Jake, or would you mind doing that after all?”

“Not a problem, Sean. Go walk Stefan through what happened, I'll call Jake and work things out between us. You have enough to sort through over there, this has been traumatic all the way around. Talk to you soon.”

“Thanks, Mikael. I'll be in touch.” Ending the call, I pocketed my phone and walked over to greet Stefan and the two large men that accompanied him. One thing about the bear shifters? Those guys were huge. Even the smallest beta bears were still around six foot. The alphas were all over six and half feet and muscled like body builders.

Stefan took me in with a quick glance and an obvious sniff as he looked for injuries. “Tell me what happened here, Sean.”

I motioned to the pair of alpha and omega wolves that were huddled together at the side of the road, away from the accident but close enough to be safe. The two men that were with Stefan stepped away at his nod to go talk to the wolves.

“I was bringing the new pair of guests for the community exchange. I figured it would give me a good excuse to see my nephew. Not to mention my brother and our cousin.” I began my explanation on the light side, not quite ready to deal with telling the story of the accident yet.

Stefan nodded. “You know, you could solve that need for an excuse by just joining our den, right? It's not like you have long held ties to your pack. Alpha Jake would understand, from what Taylor says.”

“My brother needs to let me worry about my business,” I grinned to soften my words. “Taylor just wants his entire family there now that he's settled down. Anyway. I guess I should begin.”

I took a deep breath and began to recount the accident. “We were driving along this road, behind the sedan with your people. A large truck pulled out from the side road, making an illegal left hand turn right into the sedan.”

“It was a big truck with a black brush guard in front. The other car was doing about 40 mph when the truck rammed into the front fender on the passenger side. The sedan got hit pretty hard, and spun around in the road. I slowed as much as I could, but there was no room to swerve. The car was spinning all over. Even though I slammed on my breaks, I still ended up hitting it head on when it came to a stop facing me.”

I paused, shook my head, and continued. “I don't know if the driver and front passenger were hurt in the initial impact, or from when I slammed into them. But they ended up in the windshield, like you'll see when you walk around the car. That's not even the worst of it though...”

I stopped to take a trembling breath. I watched as Stefan's two men talked with the two wolves that I'd been escorting to the den when the accident happened. Stefan reached out and clapped a hand on my shoulder.

“Take a moment, Sean. I know this must be hard. I could smell the death here before I stepped out of my car. Before we continue with the accident itself, what else do I need to know? I can smell the fresh scent of other shifters here but I don't see anyone else.” He craned his neck, looking around the area.

Shaking my head, I bit my lip to control my emotions as I closed my eyes for a ten count. Once I regained my control, I began again. “There was a younger guy in the back seat of the car there. The people that caused the accident took him before I could get free of my vehicle.”

Stefan nodded sharply, and motioned for the other guys to come back over. He looked at them both when they quickly rejoined us. “Do you recognize this car? A young man was taken from the backseat, we need to figure out who it was.”

One of the men, a young ginger headed alpha spoke. “Stefan. I believe that this is the Andrews family's car. The father is owns a small deli in town. His mate and their omega son, Colin, work there with him.”

Stefan nodded, tapping out a text after snapping a quick picture of the rear of the car. “I'm putting Peter on it. He can confirm. Thanks, Nic. I need you two to shift and see if you can make more sense of the scents here while I finish talking to Sean. We don't have much time. Peter has already called the human sheriff to report the accident.”

The two men nodded and went over by their own vehicle to strip before shifting. While the two large bears sniffed around the area, I filled Stefan in on the rest of the accident. The two men had just finished dressing again when we heard the approaching sirens of the emergency vehicles.

“Did you guys pick up anything?” Stefan asked quickly. Any shifter business needed to be handled before the humans came onto the scene.

“No, sir.” The one named Nic replied. “Well, not much anyway. I detected the scent of wolf, but it didn't belong to anyone here. And I definitely recognized the scent of Colin Andrews. The omega was friends with my little brother, Owen, when they were in school. I definitely recognized it.”

Stefan nodded and tapped out a quick text. “Thanks, Nic. You guys just go wait in the car while I help Sean deal with the humans. We'll wait for Mikael to give us our marching orders before we do any more.”

The next hour was a blur of questions, activity, and sadness. The alpha and his mate that had been in the other vehicle were declared dead, as our shifter noses already knew. We didn't tell them about the missing omega. It wasn't human business. The less we involved them in shifter affairs the better, especially with a pack war brewing.

They were just leaving with the bodies, when my own Alpha came pulling up with his second-in-command from our pack. As they walked up, I introduced them to Stefan.

“Alpha Jake, Daniel, thank you for making the drive over. This is Stefan, cousin to Alpha Mikael and current Alpha Heir of the den.” Turning to Stefan, I introduced him to the leaders of my pack.

Daniel shook Stefan's hand and asked: “What can we do? Our pack is available to support your den in any way that we can.”

Alpha Jake agreed. “I spoke to Mikael. Our pack is ready for anything you need.”

Stefan nodded his thanks. “I appreciate that, gentlemen. Apparently, the rogues that have declared war on our den caused this accident. They took an omega from the car that is on the flatbed tow truck over there. His parents were killed on impact. Your wolf pack members appear to be shaken, but in one piece.”

Daniel nodded while our Alpha excused himself and went over to talk to the two wolves that were waiting on the side of the road. The alpha wolf was sitting on the ground cuddling the stricken omega. I didn't know either of them well, although we were in the same pack. We had all joined the pack around the same time, but I hadn't gotten to know all of them yet, other than to wave at in passing. I believed their names were Chase and Tomas, but wouldn't swear to it.

I tuned back into the conversation when I realized that Daniel was studying me with concern. Shrugging, I apologized. “I'm sorry, sir. I must be a lot more shaken by this than I originally thought.”

Daniel spoke calmly. “No, Sean. I believe the humans would tell you that you are in shock. It is to be expected after a traumatic experience. Do you need a ride home today? I want to check the scent trails after the humans are gone to see if I recognize the wolf that Stefan's man detected. After that, we will be taking the other two home to the lodge for now.”

I shook my head sadly. “So we are ending the exchange program then?”

“Absolutely not,” Daniel said. “We are just hitting pause for now. Those two need to go home to our pack. Mikael and Jake agree that our lives need to go on despite the troubling times, but we will give our pack members the option of taking the risk of coming here in the future.”

Stefan added: “Not to mention the fact that we can't spare any alphas or even betas at present. Although, we would be happy to send omegas your way for protection. I'll have to mention that to my cousin, if we do another exchange soon.”

Daniel nodded but quieted as the sheriff came back over with a business card. He gave it to me, along with a brief explanation of how to get the accident report for my insurance company and where my car would be towed. I didn't really take much of it in, but Daniel took charge and made a few notes on his phone on my behalf. I appreciated having an alpha with a clear mind around.

After the humans left, Daniel and Alpha Jake both stripped down and shifted into their wolf forms. They spent a good twenty minutes carefully checking out the immediate area and surrounding woods but came back empty handed. Once they were dressed again, Alpha Jake told Stefan that the scent was unknown to them.

I sighed with disappointment, although I'd expected as much. The rogues were from other areas, brought in by the evil Yvonne in her quest to usurp her brother Mikael's place as den Alpha. Daniel turned and repeated his offer for me to ride home with them.

Shaking my head, I said: “No, Daniel. I'm sorry. I think that I need to be with family right now. If it's okay, I think I'll just go back to the den with Stefan and spend time with my brother and our cousin. Maybe also cuddle my nephew a little. Or a lot.”

Alpha Jake reached out to squeeze my shoulder. “We are all surprised that you haven't moved to the den already, Sean. Not that we don't want you, but somehow I feel that your heart lies at the den with your family. Especially now that Taylor has that brand-new nephew of yours.”

I raised my brow with a bit of surprise. “But I pledged my loyalty to the pack, Alpha. I don't take that lightly.”

Alpha Jake smiled gently. “Sean, we offered you a home, not a lifetime contract. If all we were meant to be was a stopping point on fate's journey for you, then so be it. Don't feel obligated to us, okay? Go back with Stefan. Be with your family. If you decide that you want to come back to us, the door will be open. Always. If you decide to stay with the den, that's fine too.”

Tears pricked my eyes as I nodded my gratitude. “Thanks, Alpha. I'll give it some thought. Either way, my things are at the lodge, so you'll definitely be seeing me again.”

Daniel grinned. “We're still neighbors. We'd better see you anyway. Now go. You've had a bad day. Go be with your family and worry about your permanent plans later. There's no rush to decide your future standing here on the side of the road.”

We all chuckled, and said our good-byes. The car ride back to the den was quiet as we all thought about the accident. The other guys had only seen the aftermath, but I had a feeling that I'd be haunted by the images of it for some time. If only the two men in the other car had been wearing seat belts, perhaps the outcome of the day would have been a bit different for them.

 

 

 

Chapter Two

 

Colin

 

I was so scared. These smelly men had grabbed me from my family car and shoved me into their truck before I'd even had a chance to gather my wits. I'm on the skinnier side for a bear omega, but I'd like to think that I could have held my own against these creepy wolf alphas if I'd had a moment to react.

The accident had happened so fast! Papa and Daddy were discussing the sales from today, and whether or not they should run a special on pastrami next week. All at once, the truck had swerved out of nowhere and slammed into our car.

Everything from that point until the wolf alpha had jerked open my door and yanked me out of the car had been a blur of color, scent, and sound. The sounds of breaking glass, crunching metal and squealing tires had been coated by the scents of burning rubber and smoking brakes. And blood. And death. Especially death.

Even now, as I sat wedged in between the group of shifters in the tailbed of this truck, I couldn't get the scent of blood and death out of my nose. I knew in my gut that one or both of my parents were now gone. I was more upset that I'd been taken from the scene before I could see to them, than I was about the fact that I'd been kidnapped in the first place.  

I bit my lip, determined not to cry in front of these foul creatures who had ruined my family and stolen my freedom for reasons known only to them. I would find out soon enough, of that I was certain.

It took about two and a half hours, maybe longer since I wasn't thinking clearly, to arrive at an old cabin in the mountains above my den home. The scent of my den Alpha was there, although it was faded, as though he'd been here months ago. I could smell other scents layered over it as I was shoved into the dingy little room.

There wasn't much there, as far as furnishings went. It was a plain little cabin with a sagging couch and a dilapidated recliner facing a small television. A rickety coffee table sat in front of the couch. It's wooden top was scarred with rings from drinks past, a thick layer of dirt, and scores of cigarette burns. A large plastic ashtray sat in the center, overflowing with old butts and smelly ashes.

Across the other side of the open room was a cheap, laminate table. It was round, with four chairs pulled up around it. The wooden floors hadn't been cleaned in ages, and my feet wanted to stick to it with each step.

I was shoved into the recliner by a large wolf alpha. He had beady brown eyes and a full, black beard that hung down to his beefy chest. The man smelled as though he hadn't seen the inside of a shower in months. The food particles stuck in his beard didn't do anything to make me think this was an incorrect assumption.

“Stay put. If you move, I'll have to tie you up. I probably should anyway, but then I'd just have to untie you every time you need to take a piss. Our leader will be here tomorrow. Until then, sit here, shuddup and don't give me any shit. Follow these rules, and we'll get along fine. Remember, there's seven of us and one of you. Think on that before you go getting any big ideas of trying to shift or take off. You hear me, boy?”

Crossing my arms, I sat stiffly erect in the chair. Who knew what matter of filth the fabric contained? I nodded my agreement, not wanting to waste my breath on this foul creature.

Satisfied, he took a step back and plopped down on the couch. He turned and bellowed toward the open door.

“Butch! You guys coming in here or what? Bring that case of beer in with you. I'm thirsty after this shitty ass day.”

Another alpha came in the door a few minutes later, carting a case of beer under his arm. He was tall and lanky, with sallow skin and a long, wispy mustache that fluttered out in a wave with each breath. Glancing over at me, he tossed his long, stringy blonde hair over his shoulder as he huffed to the beady eyed brute on the couch.

“Fuck, Tommy. You didn't even tie his ass up? Don't tell me that you're soft on the omega? We promised Yvonne we'd capture a bear or two before she gets up here tomorrow, we can't let the kid get away.”

The first guy that I now knew to be Tommy replied: “Fuck you, Butch. Don't question me. The kid ain't goin' nowhere. There's seven of us and one scrawny omega. I don't see why we hafta make this any harder on him than it needs ta be, ya know?”

Butch shrugged and set the case of beer on the coffee table. “Your funeral then if he gets away. Shame that he's the only one we got after we went to all that trouble to stage that accident though.”

I was shaking at this point. Biting into my cheek so hard that I could taste blood, I kept my tears at bay. One or both of my fathers had died just so that these assholes could capture one or more bears for their leader? Forgetting the nasty fabric, I sunk back into the chair and closed my eyes.

Drowning out their talk, I thought back over the past few months. Our Alpha had told us that his sister had declared war and that a band of rogues were poised to attack us. He'd put safeguards in place to protect us, a bone of contention between my dads.

My omega father had wanted to shut down the deli until the trouble had passed and either hole up at home or go stay with my grandparents in California for awhile. My alpha father had refused to be cowed. He'd insisted that we needed the income from the deli, and that it was a bad time to close down temporarily.

He had a point. Our deli had become a popular lunch spot among the humans in town. This was thanks to the new line of daily soups that I'd begun cooking each morning to sell. Humans had short memories though. If we had actually shut down for awhile, we'd have been forgotten by the time the trouble ended and we came back to open our doors again.

Both of my parents were right, and both were wrong. But it was of no matter now.  Our family as I'd known it was obviously over, and now here I sat. I was captive in a filthy cabin in a remote mountain area. The likelihood of being rescued was slim, and I had no idea what Yvonne's plans for me would be when she arrived.

I'd never known the female alpha personally, but I'd seen her around the den over the years before the Alpha shunned her last year. She radiated evil, strutting around with ice cold eyes and a malicious smile. Just thinking of being at her mercy made my balls shrink. After hours in the truck, there was no way that even the best tracker would have been able to follow our scent trail. I was screwed, unless the goddess decided to smile upon me and send me a rescuer.

I must have dozed off for a bit, because I woke with a start when I heard yelling. I looked around frantically, trying to orient myself. Tommy was blocking me from the rest of the room, his feet planted shoulder width apart as he stood his ground. Three more grubby looking men that I hadn't seen before were trying to get around him, when Butch dove in and pulled one off with into a headlock after punching another in the temple.

Those two handled, Tommy launched himself at the third man. I watched in horror as the men grappled and fought. I had no idea what I'd missed while I dozed, but it didn't look good for me.

Butch yelled “Enough!” and everyone halted. Tommy pulled back from the man he'd been fighting and came back over to stand protectively in front of me. I looked down at my lap, unsure what the hell was happening but not wanting to be seen watching them.

Butch continued once he had everyone's attention. “I don't care how bad you fools want to get your dicks wet. The omega is off limits until Yvonne gets here and says what's what. We went to way too much trouble with only this kid to show for it. Now walk it off, because this shit ends now.”

The men pulled themselves together and went outside, the creaky screen door slamming behind them. Butch looked over at me thoughtfully while Tommy moved back over to drop onto the couch. He shook his head and glared back at Tommy.

“You wanted to grab the kid, you better stay sober and awake enough to guard him. I'm gonna grab a couple more beers and go catch some shut eye. Those guys come back for a go at the kid, and you're on your own.” With that, he grabbed the beer and left the room, disappearing through a door beside the couch into what I assumed was a bedroom.

Tommy sighed and kicked back on the couch. He looked over at me. “Sorry, kid. I'll do my best, but no promises. I guess I didn't think this through as much as I should have when I took you. It just seemed like a waste to go to all that trouble and then not even take a hostage, ya know?”

I didn't dignify that with a response. I mean, seriously? I realized that he'd just gone to bat for me, but that meant nothing now that I knew he'd engineered the accident this afternoon. Biting my tongue, I looked down at my lap and hoped like hell for a miracle to happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Three

 

Jules

 

I prowled through the trees, doing my daily check on the small abandoned cabin. As soon as I got close, I immediately realized that today there were people there. I'd heard a truck rumbling up the mountain road earlier, but hadn't paid attention to where it went. There were wolf shifters, from the smell of it. I could also hear the heartbeats of a couple sentries around the outer perimeter, even if I hadn't already smelled their stench.

Seriously, don't bad people know how to fucking bathe? I've never understood that one. Even when I was stationed in the middle east, every bad guy I ever came across smelled in some way or other. Even if just from fear right before I took them out, there was always a smell. I heard voices drifting through an open window, and quietly dropped to the roof and padded over to listen in.

“Fuck you, Tommy. You ain't got no say in this shit, even if taking the kid was your idea. Besides, the boss ain't even getting here until tomorrow. Now step aside and let me get a piece of that tight omega ass. Look at those soft lips. The boy is begging for it.” A deep voice rasped from inside the cabin.

“Leave him alone, Horace.” Another man spoke. “He ain't for you. If Yvonne finds out he was touched before she had a say in things, she'll be pissed. No. We wait for her to say what happens to the kid.”

“Aw, shuddup, Butch” the first man said. “It's not like Yvonne will keep the kid around long enough for it to matter anyway. We saw the chance to grab a bear from her old den, so we did it. After that wreck you two caused, we won't get another chance that soon. You know they've had that fancy den village locked up tighter than a virgin's cunt on Sunday morning.”

I stilled, realizing what the man had planned for the omega they apparently were keeping inside. Silently, I dropped down carefully to the ground. Slinking through the shadows, I stayed against the house to get a better look.

As I crept up to the window, an intriguing scent of sweet raspberry wafted my way. Mate! Mine! I stilled, stunned by what my senses were telling me. The scent was coming from the chair that backed up to the window I was stationed beside.

It frustrated me that I couldn't see anything other than loose, honey blonde curls popping up over the back of the chair. I wanted to see my mate! I forced myself to stay still. Giving myself up wouldn't save him from this situation, I needed to let my human brain think through the logistics of this extraction.

I watched as the men began to fight, until the skinny blonde alpha finally put a stop to things. When the other three slammed outside, I listened with one ear for any approaching footsteps while waiting to see what they planned for my mate with the other. My mind was already racing through the different ways that I could handle this, but none of them felt good without back-up.

Once I was certain that my mate was safe enough for the time being, I crept back into the trees and raced for my home that sat a five minute run from here in my cat form. My cat was capable of running over sixty miles an hour under short distances, and I made good use of that speed now.

When I reached my small cabin, I smoothly shifted to my human form, and went inside to get my phone. I placed a call to the den Alpha, my foot tapping an impatient beat against the floor as the phone rang.

“Hello, Jules. What's going on up there?” Mikael's voice greeted without waiting for me answer.

“Mikael. Are you by chance missing an omega?” I asked abruptly.

“Yes! An omega was stolen earlier today from the scene of an auto accident where his parents were both killed. Does this mean that you've found him?”

I tucked that information away for later as I responded. “Yes. He is being held in the cabin that you've asked me to watch. I can attempt a rescue, but it would be better if I had back up. There are seven shifters holding him, I believe them all to be wolves. They are expecting your sister to arrive in the morning. Any rescue attempt needs to happen tonight. And Mikael? There can be no fuck-ups. The boy is my mate.”

The Alpha sucked in a sharp breath. “Well. That puts a different spin on things. Both my sister coming and the fact that he's your mate, Jules. The guys and I can only run thirty miles an hour in shifter form. It normally takes me about four hours to get up there at a leisurely pace. I can make it in probably two and half if I push it. But I will be there tonight.”

“Alpha, I know that you need to deal with your sister. But perhaps it would be better to send Stefan and a few of your men instead? We can't risk having you hurt, sir. That will end this thing before it begins. And you have a family to think of, Alpha.”

Mikael snorted in my ear. “I will be fine, Jules. Trust me when I tell you that I am powerful enough that I am not afraid of anyone getting near me.”

“Listen, Alpha. With all due respect, I don't give a fuck how powerful you are or are not. Your sister is obviously aware of your power. She's not stupid. Crazy from what I've heard, but not stupid. She's not going to give you a chance to wield that power. All she'll need is a well placed sniper and you're dust. I'm going to be too distracted by my mate to be of much use until I know that he's safe. I'd rather not risk your life because I'm distracted by pheromones.”

“Well, then I guess we'd better get your mate out of there tonight then, hadn't we? I'll have men following with human weapons by vehicle. We'll get your man tonight, and I'll worry about my sister come morning. Now, let me get off the phone so that I can get on my way. Am I meeting you at your cabin or in the woods near Yvonne's place?”

I sighed, torn between the need to protect my mate and the desire to do things the safest way. “Meet me at my place. If your not here in two and a half hours, I'll proceed without you.”

“I'm on my way. And Jules?”

“Yes, Mikael?”

“We will get him out of there in one piece. Trust me.”

“Roger that, Alpha.” I hung up the phone and set it on the table. I headed back to my room toward the hidden panel in the back of my closet. My military grade weapons were stashed there. Although I probably wouldn't bother with them tonight, it would be good to have them ready if needed.

I had guns to prep and plans to make. Operation Rescue my Omega was going down in one hundred and forty eight minutes. There was much to be done in the next two hours and change.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Four

 

Sean

 

I raced up the mountain at top speed, my wolf not nearly at the point of slowing down. The adrenaline poured through my bloodstream, combined with the familiar exhilaration of being in wolf form and running through the woods at night.

It had taken several minutes to convince Mikael that I needed to go along on this rescue mission. I couldn't explain it. But the failure of not being able to protect that young omega today had eaten at my gut ever since. That look of terror on his face when they'd thrown him into the bed of that truck before speeding away would likely haunt me for a long time. Something about the guy compelled me to save him.

Protecting the weaker members of the pack was a natural inclination for alphas anyway. But after a lifetime of worrying over my super tiny little brother and our awkwardly innocent halfling cousin, I was even worse about it. Even Jake, my pack Alpha at the lodge, had teased me about being an uber-alpha when it came to omegas.

I was unapologetic though. Omegas were to be treasured and protected at all cost. The fact that one had been stolen right in front of me in broad daylight was just unacceptable. I felt as if I owed the kid an apology. And not only because it was my car slamming into theirs that may have caused the death of his parents.

Granted, I didn't cause the accident and had done all I could have done to avoid it. Still though, I felt like shit. Those sightless eyes staring back at me through the cracked windshield had chilled me to the marrow. Yet another reason that today would haunt me. I pushed these morose thoughts aside and focused on following Mikael, Stefan, and the other three alphas that he'd brought along on this mission.

The group of beta bears were following us in a couple large SUV's. They were driving on the human road that wound its way up the mountain. Although they were on wheels, we would beat them there by at least an hour Mikael had said. Apparently the roads were slower to traverse due to the steep incline and the many switchbacks along the way. I much preferred the more direct route that our animal forms could run.

Time seemed to fly by as ran through the trees under the starry, moonlit sky. In what seemed like no time at all, we were slowing down and coming into a neatly cleared area in front of a small, weathered cabin. The most delicious smell of spicy chocolate infused the air. It reminded me of a mole sauce I'd enjoyed once on a trip to Mexico when I was younger.

The source of the scent became clear when the cabin door opened. Soft yellow lamplight spilled out into the darkness as it framed the tall, toned body of a gorgeous, naked alpha. I'd never been attracted to another alpha before, but I was entranced by this man. He smelled like a cat of some sort, not that I cared too much in the moment.

His short, neatly combed ebony hair just cried out to be mussed by my hands. Most preferably after a long, hard fuck. I realized with a jolt that I was not only having sexual fantasies about this strange alpha, but that he was mine. Mate. Mine. I gasped in shock as his eyes shifted to mine with humor.

I shifted smoothly and stood there silently as I drank him in. I was vaguely aware of Mikael having shifted and speaking to my mate, but I was too stunned to listen. My own thundering heartbeat pounded in my ears. The other guys who had come with us stood around in their animal forms still, looking back and forth between us with amused gleams in their eyes.

Mikael snapped me out of my stupor when he said my name. I jerked my chin in his direction, confusion clouding my thoughts.

“Oh, for fucks sake.” A deep, melodic voice said with frustration. “Get in here, wolf. We obviously need to talk.” He looked at the screen of the phone he held in his hand. “Okay. We have two minutes before go time. Move your ass, every second you waste is one less we have before we need to haul ass.”

I snorted at his bossy tone, but calmly walked past a confused Mikael. I shoved past my mate and stepped into his utilitarian cabin. Before I had a chance to notice anything more than the cleanliness of its otherwise spartan décor, the door slammed shut and I was being spun around.

Golden amber brown eyes stared into mine for about two seconds before I found myself shoved against a table as those luscious lips slammed against mine. I grunted with surprise from the force of the man's passion, but gave back as good as I took. My tongue pushed into his willing mouth.

Hands clutched my ass, pulling my hips up snugly against his. I felt the steely bar of his erection pressing into mine as our cocks rubbed together. Reaching between us, I gripped our shafts in my large fist and quickly began to pump. He'd given me two minutes, and I'd already counted forty seconds in my head now. This gave me a minute and twenty seconds, I could work with that time frame.

Our cocks fought for dominance as we both pushed against each other in my fist. The smell of pre-cum filled the room. A long finger traced the rim of my pucker while his other hand kneaded my ass. I moved my free hand around to tease his pucker in return. He broke the kiss, pushing my face to the side with his jaw as he went straight for my alpha-gland. Scraping his teeth across it with intent, he tilted his chin up to whisper in my ear.

“You will be mine, cara. Trust me on that. But first, we have twenty-one seconds to finish this before we must leave to rescue our omega. Let it go, wolf man. Give me your cum.”

At the sound of his voice, a jolt of fire raced up my spine and my balls pulled up tight. I groaned as my seed spurted out, shooting through the opening in my fist and covering my hand, our chests, and his cock.

I tilted my head forward and returned his tease by scraping my teeth along his own alpha-gland. I was satisfied as he immediately grunted and began to cover us both with his own offering of heated cum.

We stood there, cheek to cheek for about two seconds before he pulled back and stepped away. He tilted his head toward the kitchen. “Come, cara. Let's clean up and get moving. Our omega awaits.”

Numbly, I followed and washed my hands while he quickly took a wet paper towel and efficiently cleaned both of our chests, abdomens and cocks.

“That will do for now. Let's go, cara. We are four seconds ahead of schedule.”

I grabbed his shoulder as he turned to go. “Wait. Our omega? I don't understand. I thought that we are mates? Although, it is strange for alphas to be fated-mates. I admit that, but you obviously know it to be as true I do. Given...” I let my voice trail off as I waved a hand between us.

 He rolled his eyes in exasperation. “I smelled the omega earlier. He is also my mate, for whatever reason, the fates have decided to give me more than one. Since you are also my mate, I'm assuming that you will find him to be yours as well. It would not make sense for me to have two mates if you two were not equally fated, do you follow?”

I nodded in comprehension. It made much more sense if there was an omega for us to share. A fact that I would unpack later as I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but this was definitely not the time.

He jerked his chin toward the door. “Now we are three seconds behind, cara. For you I will forgive almost anything though, so long as our omega is safe. Any other questions before we rejoin the others and shift?”

“Just one, sweet-cheeks. Your name? I'm Sean, by the way.”

He tilted his gorgeous face back with a booming laugh. “Ah, yes. I suppose we should at least exchange names. I'm Jules, Sean.” He reached around and slapped my ass. “Now move it, we have a man to rescue.”

With a big grin that really had no place given that our omega was still being held hostage by the rogues, I followed Jules outside with a lighter heart than I'd had in years. I had a mate! No. I apparently had two mates. I just hadn't met the other one yet.

Mikael was leaning against the wall of the cabin when we emerged. He looked at us in confusion as he said to Jules: “I thought you told me that young Colin was your mate. Not to be nosy, but I'm not sure exactly what to think right now.”

Jules grinned at me and looked back at Mikael. “Surely you've heard of fated triads, Alpha. Fate was kind enough to deliver both of my mates to my mountain on the same day. Fortuitous, don't you think?” With a broad wink, he turned and moved to the clearing before fluidly shifting into the most amazing creature I'd ever seen.

He was a large Jaguar. His beautifully spotted pelt looked almost like a leopard. I had certainly heard of feline shifters, but this was my first time seeing one in person. And to know that he was my mate was just beyond my wildest dreams.

Shaking my head at myself, I realized that Mikael had shifted and that everyone was looking at me as I stood there staring at my mate like a dumbfounded idiot. Grateful that the darkness hid my blush, I shifted into my wolf form and ran up to take my place beside my alpha mate.

Jules leaned over and sensually rubbed his large furry cheek against mine in a very catlike manner before taking off in a running blur as we followed along behind him. I heard Mikael chuffing in what sounded like an ursine laugh as we ran side by side. Oh, hell.

I was going to hear so much shit from him and my brother when this was over. As I thought back to my brief interlude with Jules though? Worth it. Totally worth every joke that my brother and the Alpha would make at our expense.

About ten minutes later, we came up to a break in the trees where Jules sat waiting. The moonlight shone on his tawny fur. He sat completely still and ready to pounce, the only sign of his impatience was the long tail that swished from side to side behind him like a pendulum. He was focused intently on a rough cabin where a few rogue wolf shifters stood guard.

His long whiskers twitched as we approached. Standing, he silently glided over to meet us. He led us deeper into the trees before shifting into human form. We all shifted as well and waited quietly for direction.

Mikael spoke up in a soft whisper that wouldn't carry and give us away to the rogue shifters. “Jules. You're in charge here, as the man with the most experience in this type of thing. Tell me what you need from us.”

Jules nodded. He spoke just as softly. “There are seven of them and seven of us. The numbers are equal, but the odds are completely in our favor as they are all wolves. No offense, Sean.”

He looked at me apologetically. I shrugged. It was a true enough fact that we wolves were no match in one-on-one combat with an apex predator like a bear or a jungle cat. The bears were gentle as a rule, unless pushed into protection mode.

Their sheer size alone was difficult for a wolf to battle, let alone the density of their fur that made it hard to get teeth or claws into. Their long claws could swipe like a hand too, another reason not to do battle with a bear. And looking at my mate's fangs made me even happier that I was on the winning team tonight.

Jules continued. “I will go ahead, and get up on the roof. You guys form a circle around the cabin just inside the treeline. Once I see you all in position, which I will. I will pounce on the largest wolf with a loud roar. At that moment, you will all come in roaring or howling,” he flashed a smirk over at me, “and attack. There are two men inside. They will undoubtedly come running out when the hear the attack, at which time we will take them out as well.”

“If they choose the cowards way and stay inside, then Sean and I will burst in through the windows.” He held up a hand as Mikael started to argue. “It is our mate in there, Alpha. Also, we are the only two whose animal forms will fit through the window. No offense, but on of you guys would take out a wall and probably collapse the place around our ears.”

Mikael nodded reluctantly. Jules turned to me. “The window that faces us here on the west side of the cabin cannot be used to approach. Our mate is sitting just on the other side of the window in a recliner. His guard was on the couch beside him when I left earlier, drinking beer. The other guard went into another room on the south side of the cabin to get sleep.”

I interrupted. “How about this, Jules. If they don't come out, you can do a quick reconnaissance and figure out where they are. You just point me toward the window you want me to take, and I'll do as you direct.”

Jules nodded. “Good plan. That way we will know what we're going into before we move. I like that. Moving on. We need to leave at least one man alive. My suggestion is the one they called Tommy. He protected my mate from being raped earlier, although he was apparently also the one who decided to take him in the first place.”

He gritted his teeth, and took a deep breath before continuing. “Tommy is a tall, broadly built man. Close in size to Sean here. He has a long black beard, which will set him apart. Most importantly, he seems to be one of the two leaders. He will be a good one to interrogate later. The other man inside, they called him Butch. He should also be spared for interrogation if possible. If not, let's make sure that we get at least one of them. The men currently out front are all fair game, so feel free to take them out because they won't show any of you the same mercy if you hesitate.”

Jules finished with a long look at each of us. I spoke up then. “Once we are finished, and Mikael has control of the prisoners, Jules and I will need a moment alone with our omega to calm him. This has been an undoubtedly horrific day for him, and I don't want him frightened by a large group of people rushing in on him.”

Stefan grinned with amusement. “Yeah, okay, Sean. But you do realize that he actually knows most of us, at least by sight? He grew up in our den, dude. Colin is one of us. But yeah, go do your alpha thing and let him know he's got not one, but two mates. That ought to calm him right down, huh?”

After I processed the name of our omega, I bared my teeth at Stefan, much to the amusement of everyone present. Except Jules who was on the same page. He and I shared a long look before he raised a fist in the air. “Alright, men. Enough talking. Let's move out.”

As one, we all shifted and moved out to take our positions. I got myself on the side facing that westward window where Jules said our omega was located near. I could see the back of the recliner, and a puff of golden curls but nothing else.

Before long, I heard the weird cough-like roar of Jules' cat. I rushed forward as a tawny blur jumped from the roof and took down the largest man that stood in front of the cabin. I cringed a little inside as I watched his sharp incisors pierce the man's skull, killing him instantly.

All five men surrounding the cabin were dispatched immediately by our team in a flurry of roars, growls, and flashing claws. The door flung open and a lanky blonde man burst out mid-shift. I headbutted him from the side before his wolf found his footing, and Mikael came up on the other side. The Alpha held him easily under one giant paw, while Jules pushed past us into the cabin.

I left Mikael to deal with the wolf and rushed inside. Jules was in a stare down with a stocky gray and black mottled wolf. Jules muscles were tensed, ready to pounce. I looked past the wolf, to see the omega from this morning sitting there staring at us in stunned shock.

The scent of sun-ripened raspberries filled my nose as I looked into his pretty face. His big green eyes darted back and forth from Jules to me, as though trying to make sense of what his nose was undoubtedly telling him. I shifted forms, and stood towering over the two shifters.

Resting my hand on Jules' head, I spoke to the wolf. “Enough, man. My mate here could have ripped your head off long ago, and you'd never have seen him coming. Your men outside are all gone. There's no way you come out of this alive unless you surrender and work with us. Shift now, or kiss your ass good-bye. It's your choice. Personally? I don't see why an alpha-bitch like Yvonne is worth dying for, but it's up to you.”

The wolf shifted immediately, his hands coming up over his head with palms facing out in the universal sign of surrender. “You promise not to kill me?”

Jules shifted and stood beside me. He looked at the other man sternly. “You will live. This is only because you protected our mate from being assaulted earlier by the pigs you were working with here.”

I smelled Mikael and Stefan in the doorway. Jules turned to the Alpha and nodded. Mikael came in and took custody of Tommy. He passed the man over to Stefan who walked him outside. Mikael glanced my way as he stopped for a moment to cup the back of Colin's neck, soothing him briefly before stepping back outside.

Colin stared up at the pair of us with nervous interest. Jules stepped closer and knelt in front of him. I held back and let Jules speak. He reached out for Colin's hand, pressing it between his own.

“Hello, Colin. I am Jules, and this is Sean. As unbelievable as this may seem, we are your mates. Will you come with us, please? We would like to protect you from any more of this craziness.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Five

 

Colin

 

I couldn't believe it! This was a shocking ending to the strangest day of my life. I'd known I was being rescued when I'd heard the roars outside. But when that gorgeous jungle cat had burst in here? Wow.

His spicy chocolate aroma had nearly bowled me over. And before I'd had a chance to process that I had a fated-mate, and he was a cat, a wolf had come in the door. The wolf had a comforting almost smoky scent of chamomile. Was it possible to have two fated mates?

I'd heard of another den resident, Karl, who'd found two fated-mates among the wolves so it must be possible. I'm pretty sure that I was probably doing my best guppy impersonation as my mouth opened and closed rapidly several times while I processed the meaning of smelling their true scents.

And then they'd shifted? Oh, yeah. They stood shoulder to shoulder, but height was where the resemblance ended. The cat shifter was freaky gorgeous. His whiskey colored eyes and darkly tanned skin combined with that strong jaw and symmetrical features? Oh, yeah. And muscles! He was fit and toned like a soldier, or an athlete, with muscles rippling all over his perfectly cut body.

And speaking of things that were cut? His long, thick cock definitely was not cut. It hung down heavily between his legs, giving me a hint of what I had to look forward to later. And then the wolf! Holy shit.

He was broader than the cat, and thicker all over. Those muscled thighs looked like he could squat and deadlift a car. I'm not sure how it was possible, but his cock looked even thicker than Jules', although not quite as long.

His thick white-blonde hair flopped over his forehead, begging to have my fingers run through it. His blue eyes looked down at me with so much relief. I realized all once that I'd seen him before. Today! I'd seen his face in the other car as I'd been dragged away from the scene.

He stood there quietly watching as Jules had knelt to introduce them. Sean and Jules. Okay then. When Jules asked me if I would go with them, what else could I do but agree? I would go anywhere if these two were going with me.

I didn't know them yet, but I didn't need to at this point. That would come in time. Right now, all I needed to know was that I was one of the few lucky people on the planet that had been able to find my fated-mate. And not just one, but two at that! And on the same day? What are the odds? I didn't know or care, I was just thrilled to know that they existed and were here.

After long hours with no food or drink, my voice was raspy and came out in a croak. “Yes, please. Just take me away from here.”

Jules stood and held a hand out to help me up. My legs were locked after sitting stiffly for so many hours. I started to stumble, but he caught me up in his arms instead. Lifting me in a cradle hold, Jules tipped his chin to Sean. “Shall we go back to my place? It won't do for long, but we can get Colin some food and drink.”

Sean nodded and held the screen door for us as Jules carried me outside. Several alphas from my den were there, including Alpha Mikael and Stefan who I'd already seen. Tommy and Butch were sitting on the ground at Alpha's feet, there hands and feet tied.

Jules nodded his approval. “Keep them here, Alpha. We don't need word of our location spreading should one of them escape. We need to talk. But first, I need to tend to Colin. Meet me back there in an hour, sir?”

Alpha nodded with a knowing smile. “Let's make it two, soldier. I've already called the betas and given them directions here. We'll be fine while you do what you need to do.”

Jules nodded and took off at a fast pace through the trees, with Sean at our side. It took us about twenty minutes on foot. I was amused at how we must look with the two naked alphas carting me through the woods from one remote cabin to another remote spot. I leaned my head against my mate's shoulder, taking a deep sniff of his scent.

Sean's hand came up to ruffle my curls. “Hang on, Colin. We'll be back at Jules' place soon and get you taken care of, sweetie.”

I smiled against Jules' neck and nodded. Then all at once, my happiness deflated as I remembered my parents. I lifted my head and turned to seek out Sean. He was right there, smiling over at me almost shyly.

“Sean.” I rasped. “M-m-my parents?”

A look of sorrow crossed his moonlit face. He spoke gruffly. “Let's just get back to Jules' place and get you taken care of, Colin. I promise I'll tell you everything then.”

I nodded, already knowing that I wouldn't like any answers that I was likely to be given in regards to my parents. Jules' arms tightened around me, hugging me against him. I gave into his silent comfort, resting my head on his shoulder and closing my eyes for the rest of our walk.

When I heard wood planks creaking underfoot, I opened my eyes and looked around as I was carried through the door of a clean little cabin. It was plain, and obviously the home of an unmated alpha. I wasn't about to complain though. Just being in a clean place was heaven after that nasty place where I'd been held.

Jules lowered me to my feet in front of a sturdy pine chair at a thick, solid wooden table. “All right, mi vida. I need you to try to stand and loosen those muscles. We can massage them later, but right now just lean on me and stand for a minute before you sit down. Can you do that for me?”

I stood on shaky legs, my hands gripping his muscular forearms as he braced me in front of him. Painful pins and needles began to throb in my numb limbs. I focused on the man holding me, instead of the pain. I was tall for an omega, and was only a few inches shorter than either of my mates. I would be able to rest my chin on their broad shoulders when we embraced.

While it might be nice for the twinkier omegas to be tiny, I liked the feeling of being on even footing with my men. Just because I would carry our young did not mean that I was weaker than them. We just had different kinds of strength. Hopefully my mates felt the same way. If not, I would enjoy teaching them this fact of life.

After what felt like an endless amount of time, Jules helped me lower myself to the chair. Sean appeared with a glass of water. I reached for it greedily, nearly swallowing the entire glass in one gulp. I set the glass down and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand while both men stared with impressed fascination. I shrugged and tried out my voice again. Thankfully, the moisture had it working again.

“What? I haven't had a drink in about twelve hours, give or take.” Sean grabbed my empty glass and spun around to go refill it. Jules chuckled and patted my shoulder.

“Give it a moment, mi vida. I will go fetch some sweats for Sean and myself. You don't need to eat while looking at two filthy, naked men.”

I grinned and gave him the elevator eyes. Slowly. “While I don't mind the naked man part, it would be nice if you weren't both splashed with blood and dirt.”

Jules nodded seriously at my words. “Excellent point, Colin. Change of plans.” He looked over at Sean who was walking back with a glass of water. “Sean, please keep our mate comfortable while I go rinse off and dress. You can go next, yeah?”

After Jules disappeared into his room, we heard him rustling around before the faint sound of running water began to flow. I looked over at Sean who had taken the seat beside me at the table.

“I already know from your silence that you don't have good news about my dads. Are they both gone? Just tell me the truth, I can take it.”

Sean looked at me sadly, his expressive blue eyes filled with compassion. “Yes, I'm so sorry. If it's any comfort, they both died instantly, from what the humans said at the scene.” He reached over for my hand.

Thankfully, I grabbed his hand and took a shuddering breath. I packed the grief away for now. I was on information overload right now. I would mourn for my dads when I got down from this mountain and saw our home or deli for the first time without them there to greet me. Of that, I had no doubt. “And was anyone else hurt?”

“No, sweetie. Everyone else was fine. I cannot begin to apologize for my part in the whole thing.” He looked so broken. I rushed to release him from the imagined guilt.

“Sean. Be serious. You were as much a victim as my family was, you must know that. It could have been much worse, all of us could have been killed. It was the fault of those rogues.” I snorted with disgust. “They only wanted to capture bears! They'd been lying in wait for us, from what I overheard today. My Papa's rigid schedule was more to blame than anything else, if you want to assign blame, which I do not.”

Sean shook his head. “No, I would not blame your Papa. Keeping a good routine is good. Maybe not in times of war, but yeah. It sounds like your Papa was a dedicated man if he kept a strict schedule.”

I nodded. “Yeah, Papa and Daddy owned a deli in town. Well, I guess I do now.” I shook my head, not ready to think of all that just yet. “Our whole family worked there together. It's popular with the humans. Papa was afraid we'd lose our footing if we closed down temporarily for safety. Daddy didn't agree, but he supported Papa's stance.”

Sniffing, I found myself beginning to cry as I thought more about my dads. Sean reached over and lifted me easily onto his lap. I curled up against his hard chest and let the tears flow. One large hand rested against the back of my head while the other ran up and down my back in a soothing motion.

I burrowed my nose into his smoky chamomile scent and inhaled deeply. More than anything he was doing, that scent calmed me. I smelled Jules coming before he came back into the room. I looked up to see him standing there watching us with a soft smile. His wet hair glistened in the soft yellow lamplight. Chest bare, he wore only a pair of low riding sweats that hung loosely from his hips.

Looking over at Sean, Jules said: “I left a clean towel and some sweats in the bathroom for you, cara. Why don't we switch places while you go get cleaned up?”

Sean pressed a kiss to my temple as Jules came over and scooped me up like I was half my size. I snorted. “You two do realize that I'm almost the same size as you, right? I'm really not a twink that you can keep carting around like this without straining something at some point.”

Jules chuckled. “Trust me, mi vida. I could carry Sean if I had the mind to, and I have no doubt that he could do the same. You are in no danger of harming either of us.”

I heard Sean laughing his agreement as he disappeared into the other room. Jules carried me over to the long, brown couch that stretched across the other end of the open flow room. He settled us on the couch, with me on his lap.

We looked at each other for a long moment, then slowly leaned towards each other. His firm lips brushed against mine softly at first in a tentative exploration, before pushing more firmly. I tilted my head, opening my lips on a sigh. His tongue moved right into the gap, rubbing mine in a teasingly slow dance.

I turned and lifted to straddle his lap, deepening the kiss as I poured myself into it. Jules purred, his chest rumbling under my hands as he cupped my butt with his strong hands. Breaking the kiss, I pulled back and looked at him in amusement.

“Are you seriously purring there, big guy?” I asked with a big grin.

“I am a cat shifter, mi vida. I purr, get used to it.” Jules replied with a shrug.

Rubbing my hands in circles over his still rumbling chest, I watched his golden eyes glow with the power of his cat just under the surface. “Is there anything else I need to know about about cat shifters?” I asked coyly.

He wiggled his eyebrows with a secret smile. “Let's just say that we cats are said to be ribbed for your pleasure. We don't have the same type of knots that our wolf and bear friends do.”

“Ew! You're not gonna try and pop out a row of spiked barbs like a tomcat up in my ass, are you? I'm really not into pain, big guy!” I must have looked horrified because Jules burst out laughing so hard that tears ran down his face.

Once he'd calmed down, he swatted my ass and said: “I'm beyond tempted to fuck with your head and tell you yes to that one. Especially now that you've classified me along with a damned house cat. But no, mi vida. I do not have spikes, barbs, or any other type of painful protrusions that grow from my cock. I do have a special thing that I've heard happens before orgasm with mates, but I promise that you will like it from all I've ever been told.”

I was intrigued, but nervous. “You are being awfully mysterious, Jules. Are you messing with my head right now?”

Jules leaned forward and sucked on my omega-gland before licking up my neck and along my jaw. When he reached my ear, he bit down lightly on my fleshy lobe before whispering softly: “I promise that you will enjoy everything that I have to offer as a mate, mi vida. And no, there will be no pain. Unless you request it. In that case, I will see what I can do. As for being mysterious? I don't know what to expect in reality, this is the first time I've had mates. I only know what I was taught.”

I shuddered as he resumed licking my skin along my jaw and neck. He pushed my shirt up, removing it when I raised my arms, and continued licking along my chest. He was flicking his tongue over my pebbled nipple when I felt a second pair of lips fasten over my omega-gland and press a sucking kiss there.

Tilting my head back, I smiled up at Sean. He smiled down at me, his big hand cupping my jaw as he leaned over to kiss me. It was a little strange to kiss him upside down, but strangely hot at the same time.

I bit back a giggle as I remembered the super hero movie from my childhood that had featured a similar kiss. I hadn't been impressed back then, but I was sold on it now. Especially when his tongue fit perfectly over mine as it slowly moved in and out of my mouth. Jules was still licking my chest, although he was slowly trying to work his way lower now.

Dizzy all of a sudden, I broke my kiss with Sean. Panting, I said: “Slow down, Jules. I need a shower myself unless you plan to lick me clean.”

His head came up and tilted thoughtfully to the side. “Hmm. I am a cat, I could do that for you I suppose.”

I giggled and pushed at his chest. “No! I need to shower. Do you have another pair of pants for me to borrow?”

Jules' eyebrows wiggled. “Well, you've seen us both nude, perhaps it's your turn?”

Sean snorted and sat down beside Jules. He leaned his head against Jules' shoulder and grinned at me. “The man has a point, Colin. It's only fair when you think about it.”

I shook my head. “No. You're both welcome to watch me shower if you want a peepshow, but I'm not sitting around here naked all night. For the love of Artio, Alpha Mikael is planning to show up here in a little while.”

Both men sat up straighter as they remembered. We'd been in a temporary bubble but reality would soon intrude. On that note, I plunged forward into the deeper stuff.

“We also need to discuss where we go from here. I'm going to need to handle my parents affairs, and decide what to do with our family business. But first,” I sucked in a ragged breath, “I need to bury my dads. Will you guys help me with that?”

Both of them reached a hand up to brace my face, Jules' on the left and Sean's on the right. I loved how they moved together already. Sean spoke for both of them.

“Colin. We're your mates. It's our job to do whatever you need us to do and to be supportive of your needs. But in something as major as burying your parents? Of course we will be there for you, sweetheart. There is nowhere else we would want to be than at your side.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Six

 

Jules

 

It was hard to keep my hands off Colin's delicious body as he stripped down and stepped into the shower I'd prepared for him. He'd wanted to shower sooner, but first I'd made him eat a sandwich and an orange. I knew that he hadn't eaten all day, and I felt badly that I'd waited so long to feed him.

Now that he was steadier on his feet, I felt better about letting him shower. Sean had stretched out on my bed while I helped Colin get settled. Once he pulled the shower curtain closed, I slipped out to get him some pants and a fresh towel.

I glanced at Sean as I passed him on my way to the dresser. His hand was inside the waistband of my pants he wore, idly stroking his luscious cock. “Did you enjoy the show in there, pretty kitty?”

Narrowing my eyes, I tossed the pajama pants I now held to the foot of the bed as I went over to straddle his hips. His hand came up to rest on my ass. “Call me that to my face, puppy dog.”

Sean winked and reached up to tweak my nipple. “Pretty kitty. Can I pet you?”

I laughed. “If anyone else tried calling me that, I would snap their neck. I know at least thirty-seven ways to kill a man without leaving evidence. You're lucky that you're my mate, cara. From you, I will consider allowing it.”

“Hey, if I didn't punch you for calling me puppy dog then you'd better fucking allow it. Now, tell me about Colin's naked body. Is he as hot under those khaki pants as he was under the polo? Kudos for getting that off him, by the way. I was worried that he'd be shyer than he has been so far.”

I nodded. “I think that you're comparing our mate to your wolf omegas. Realize that the bears are a more pragmatic species. I was personally more surprised by the amount of passion he already shows. I was worried he would be more tense or rigid.”

“Should we be talking about him?” Sean looked a little uncomfortable.

Shrugging, I said: “It's not as if we're gossiping. We are discussing our mate as we find our way together. I think that sharing our thoughts will only help us as develop our intimacy. Besides, it's not like he and I won't be discussing you and vice versa. It's only natural. Do you have a problem with it? I don't think that I will.”

The water shut off and Colin's voice came from the other room, “I don't give a shit either. Talk all you want, ladies. But can you maybe bring me a towel?”

I chuckled and jumped up to get the towel. I took it and the pajama pants to him, watching lasciviously as he stepped out onto the bathmat and reached for the towel. His nearly hairless body was a peachy cream color all over, with a light dusting of hair leading from his navel to his thick patch of golden curls at the base of his cock.

His cock was smaller than mine and Sean's, but still nothing to hide. His sac was smaller than ours as well. Where mine and Sean's larger sacs hung heavily between our legs, his was nice and firm as it snugged up against his body.

I couldn't wait to get my tongue over those slightly rounded hips and full, thick buttocks. His long legs were slim and strong, covered with a fine dusting of soft golden hairs.

Colin was looking at me with amusement as he dried his curly hair with the towel. “Did you get a look, boys?”

I looked over my shoulder to see Sean propped against the doorjamb watching us with a knowing smirk. Shrugging, I said: “Actually, mi vida, you could do us both a favor? Just turn around and grab your ankles while you spell run for me three times.”

Sean cackled as Colin lowered his brows in confusion. I could see him mouthing “R-U-N...R-U-N...are you in...” His head snapped my way with a playful glower as he quickly slapped my leg with a well aimed snap of his towel.

I laughed and almost stumbled over Sean as I pushed past him to run from Colin and the towel. I almost made it, but Sean grabbed me around the waist and held me in place so that Colin could snap my ass with his damp towel. We were all laughing and I almost fell out of Sean's grasp as his arms shook with laughter.

A knock on the cabin door put an abrupt end to our frivolity. Sean righted me with a look of regret. I reached up and patted his cheek. “It's okay, cara. We will have plenty of time to play in the future. Let's deal with the matter at hand so that we can get our mate to bed.”

A heated look ran through Sean's eyes. We both turned our heads toward the mirror where we saw the reflection of Colin pulling up his pajama pants. He hung his towel over the rod and gave my back a push.

“None of that, kitty cat. Let's go talk to the Alpha now, we're being rude by making him wait.”

I smiled at Colin's bossy tone. He was easily ten years younger than me, with Sean halfway between us. His youth and omega status did nothing to detract from his bearing though. As I led the way into the living area, I wished sadly that I could have met his parents. They must have been special people to have raised such a self-assured omega.

I swung the door open as Mikael was lifting his knuckles to knock a second time. “Sorry,” he grinned. “I hope I'm not interrupting anything.”

Stefan edged up beside him. “He lies. He totally hopes that he's interrupting, right Sean?”

I heard Sean snort out a laugh as the two men entered my, oops, our home. Even if we were brand new, everything I owned would be shared with my mates now. It was the way of things with my people. Once we'd claimed you in our hearts, you were ours. It was just our way.

“I'm going to get some coffee brewing, Alpha. I have a feeling that you could use some too. Why don't you two make yourselves at home in the meantime? I'm sure that you'd like to speak with Colin anyway.”

Sean was pulling dining chairs over by the couch so that we could all sit together while Colin greeted his Alpha. I quickly made the coffee while I thought about how smoothly my mates were making themselves at home in this little cabin.

By the time I had a tray ready with a variety of packaged pastries, cups, packets of sugar, and a small pitcher of cream, the coffee was already done. The one thing I'd invested in when I'd settled here was a fast brewing coffee maker. After a decade in the service, I lived on caffeine whenever I could get it.

I filled a metal carafe with the coffee and set another pot to brew for the next round before I carried the tray over and set it on the coffee table. I settled on the couch in the empty spot beside Colin, Sean was seated at his other side with the Alpha and Stefan on the dining room chairs.

After Colin finished discussing the particulars of what he'd need to do in order to plan his dads' funeral with the Alpha, we moved on to the matter of the prisoners.

Taking a long drink of coffee, I swallowed with a smile of appreciation and looked over at Mikael. “Alpha, did you get anything out of the prisoners? I have skills with interrogation if you need my services.”

Stefan looked down at his lap while Mikael answered. “No, Jules. I wouldn't ask that of you. I'm certain that you already have more than enough memories of your time in the military to keep you awake on sleepless nights. No, I compelled them to speak with my Alpha powers.”

Nodding, I asked: “You did question them separately though, yeah?”

Mikael grinned. “Yes. At ease, soldier. It's not my first time at the rodeo.”

I felt my cheeks warm as I rushed to apologize. “I'm sorry, Alpha. I'm just not used to civilians knowing how to deal with hostiles. No offense intended, I promise.”

Waving a hand, Mikael continued. “It's okay, Jules. I get it. So, here's the thing. It appears as though there's not a centralized structure within the rogues. There is a loose group of rogue packs that all answer independently to Yvonne. Many of these groups are paid mercenaries.”

Mikael stopped to take a drink of coffee and open a danish. He continued after stopping to take a bite. “The one named Tommy is a paid mercenary with no ties to anyone but his buddy Butch. The two of them are a pair friends who apparently float around job to job. They put together the crew that they brought up here with them. Their loyalties lie with whoever is signing their check at the time. Now that the heat is on them, they want out.”

He sighed and took another drink of coffee. “I'm torn, to be honest. Part of me wants to take them at their word and set them free with the vow to end them if I catch their scent in our territory again. The other part of me says to just end them and not risk my family. I'm just not sure that I can sacrifice my humanity for the safe choice.”

I nodded knowingly. “It's a problem, sir. And although you didn't ask for this war, it's at your doorstep and your people are at risk. My mate's parents were killed today, just so they could have hostages to give your sister. Shit gets real now, you know? And then they kidnapped Colin, and were going to let Yvonne have him? I can't see letting them walk. But like you, I can't see executing them for their actions either.”

Colin spoke up then. “When you look at it from their perspective, they didn't know that they were on the side of the bad guy. They were just following orders. And I can tell you that Tommy wasn't ready to just hand me over. He was wrestling with it more and more as the day progressed.” He shuddered. “I'm just glad that he kept those other ones from touching me. Even if he planned my capture, I have to thank him for that one.”

I reached over and took his hand, bringing it to my lips to kiss his knuckles before lowering our clasped hands to rest on my thigh. Looking back at Mikael, I found him watching us with a soft smile.

“What happens tomorrow, Alpha? Is your sister definitely coming here?”

Mikael nodded and held up a phone that he'd pulled out of his pocket. “As a show of good will, Tommy gave me his phone. It has the number for Yvonne, as well as several other rogue mercenaries that are leading their own groups that will be coming our way. She texted him an hour ago to confirm that she will be here at 9:00 sharp tomorrow morning.”

I nodded. “Then we have work to do. A trap must be set, and we need more people up here.”

Mikael shook his head. “No, Jules. I want you to sit this one out. You've just found your mates. You three need to work things out among yourselves. It was difficult enough to claim my own mate. I cannot imagine having a third person in the mix. Good luck to you all with that one,” he ended with a dry chuckle.

Sean leaned forward, his forearms resting on his knees. “Mikael. No. You need as much back-up as you can get. No offense to the beta patrolmen. They have good reflexes but you know as well as I do that betas are no stronger than well trained human soldiers. Jules is too important an asset for you to leave behind. You're my brother's mate, the sire of my nephew. I cannot allow that four month old cub to lose his father. We will be there to back you up. Jules and I both.”

I cleared my throat. “We will discuss that, Sean. One of us needs to be here with Colin. He isn't being left alone and he's sure as hell not coming along.”

“Colin is sitting right here,” our omega said with a frighteningly low voice. “And I do not need a fucking babysitter.”

Mikael shook his head. “No. I stand by my earlier statement. This just cements it. Newly found mates should be fucking like bunnies and staking a claim, not fighting or having disagreements.”

With a long sigh, I finally nodded. “At least tell me your plan, Alpha. Let me see how foolhardy that I think it is or isn't. I at least want to know that you are set up for success tomorrow.”

After Mikael detailed his arrangements he'd made, I had to agree that it was a good plan. He'd have the betas with sniper rifles stationed in strategic locations around the perimeter, camouflaged by the trees. Trip wires would set off alarms to his phone if anyone came in on foot. Tommy and Butch would be sitting outside, as if on guard duty. Mikael would be wearing a scent blocker and waiting inside.

If Tommy and Butch pulled off their parts, they would be released and free to go as long as they never returned. If they fucked up or purposely turned on us, they would be shot through the head from one of the snipers at Stefan's signal. Stefan would be in the trees, listening via bluetooth to the open call that be would going on from Butch's phone. If the call ended or Stefan heard something that didn't sit right with him, that would be that.

I reluctantly agreed to stand down with the caveat that I would come in as a secret weapon if I sensed anything going wrong. We cats had a more delicate warning system than other shifters. I could literally feel the vibrations in my gut if something was going down. It had save my ass more than once over the years.

If I was in my cat form, I would be able to hear from a great distance. I could even pinpoint exactly where the threat was located. No other shifter's hearing matched that of a Jaguar. I'd been able to hear my mates conversing earlier this evening while I was in the shower in another room. And that was in my human form.

Once Mikael and Stefan were ready to leave, I tried to insist that they wait while I put together a thermos of coffee for the road and made sandwiches for the men, but the betas had brought supplies along with them apparently. Stefan assured me that they had food and drinks waiting back at the temporary camp that had been set up for the night about a quarter mile away from the cabin.

They said their good-byes, and then it was just us again. The air suddenly got tense with the knowledge that it was time for us to go to bed, and all that it entailed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Seven

 

Jules

 

It was a good thing that I was a big guy who liked a lot of room to spread out. We would all be able to sleep in my bed comfortably without anyone's ass having to hang off the edge tonight. I hooked my men up with some extra toothbrushes that I had tucked away from past dental visits. After we'd all cleaned up and the house was shut up tight, we stripped down and got into bed.

We put Colin in the middle. Obviously. He wasn't a twink by any means. In fact, he was just a few inches shorter than Sean and me. He was much thinner than either of us alphas though, with his lankier build and narrow shoulders.

I left the light on by the bed. I wanted to see my mate's faces when I claimed them tonight. Sean was sitting up against the headboard now, stroking his cock and watching as Colin and I kissed.

Colin and I were on our sides, facing each other, with Sean behind him. Tactile by nature, I wanted to feel my hands on both of my men. Stretching out my left hand, I pushed Sean's hand aside and began stroking him myself while I slowly kissed Colin.

Colin surprised me by reaching down and groping my cock. He obviously didn't have a lot of experience, if any at all, not that it mattered to me. What he lacked in experience, he more than made up for with his enthusiasm.

Breaking the kiss, I touched my forehead to his and looked into his eyes. I pulled my hand back from Sean's cock, resting it on our omega's hip. I needed to talk to him before this progressed any further.

“Colin. You've had a traumatic day, mi vida, and experienced a horrific loss. Sean and I have been caught up in the drama of the war and events of your rescue. Those two things combined with discovering that we are all fated-mates has us both wound up. But dearest one, we can postpone our claiming if you need to wait until you've processed everything.”

Sean slid down and scooted up behind Colin. His arm came around under mine to rest across Colin's abdomen as he laid his cheek against our omega mate's shoulder. He spoke up with firm agreement.

“Jules is right, sweetie. I didn't even think about the fact that you've lost your parents today. Not to mention the shitty fact that you were in a bad accident and kidnapped from the scene. Shit, people get PTSD from experiencing half the things you went through in a single day. I definitely vote that we wait to fuck and just cuddle tonight instead.”

Colin flopped over onto his back, turning his head back and forth to look at both of us. “Seriously? Just stop. You guys both need to quit being so protective of me. I get that you alphas are ingrained to protect omegas, just like we omegas are naturally made to please our alphas. But I don't need to be protected. Especially not from either of you.”

He reached out and grabbed both of our cocks, I bit back a grin at the shock in Sean's eyes when our not so shy omega just reached out and grabbed him like that. Colin gripped firmly as he continued, again taking turns looking into each of our eyes.

“Did I have the shittiest day possible? Yeah, pretty much. But then again, it could have been worse. Instead of being rescued by not one, but two sexy as fuck alphas that also turned out to be my fated-mates? I could have lost my virginity to those rapey rogue fuckers. So, thanks to Tommy for not letting that happen. Sean or I could have died in the wreck today just like my dads did. Any number of things could have gone differently today to change the outcome of us lying here right now together.”

He ran his thumb over the liquid that was leaking from my slit, distracted for a moment by it before looking back up at me and then at Sean. “Now, listen. I will mourn my dads in my own time. I will process the shit that happened at the cabin in my own time. Tonight though? Right now I want to celebrate being alive. I want to claim and be claimed by both of you. Seriously. What's a guy gotta do to get laid around here? Did either of you have to deal with this much conversation the first time you got laid?”

I shrugged, not really wanting to talk about past lovers who no longer existed to me now that I'd found my fated-mates. I heard Colin gasp in shock and looked down to see him staring at our furiously blushing mate who was looking everywhere but at us. With no little amount of shock myself, I reached across Colin to cup Sean's chin and gently tilted his face up to look into his eyes.

“Is this true, cara? What your face is saying? Have you really never fucked or been fucked before?” I spoke bluntly, hoping to elicit an honest reaction.

Sean's eyes flashed as he jutted his chin forward defiantly. “No, Jules. I have not. But I'm not some freaky virgin who couldn't get laid, so quit staring at me like I'm a fucking unicorn or something. I purposely chose to wait for my mate. Or, in our case, mates. I wanted it to be special. To be forever. Is this a problem for you?”

I leaned over Colin to press a kiss to his cheek while Colin reached up to kiss the opposite one. I whispered huskily: “It is not a problem, cara. I am honored. I just wish that I'd known this earlier, when we first met. I wouldn't have allowed that rushed frotting encounter we shared if I had known. Instead, I would have waited so that we could savor the first time we touched.”

Colin pouted up at us. “Wait. Stop the train. You guys stopped to fool around before you came to rescue me? What the actual fuck were you thinking?”

The mood broke, and we all laughed at the very fair point that Colin made. Sean defended us by saying: “To be fair, we were both overwhelmed when we came face to face and scented each other. If we hadn't taken those two minutes to blow off steam, I never would've been able to focus on the mission. I mean, Mr. Soldier here probably could have. But me? Not so much. Not to mention that I wasn't walking back out in front of my brother's mate with a raging boner.”

We all laughed some more. I commented dryly: “By the way, Sean. It was nice of you to mention that you're related to the Alpha. It was a little surprising to learn that when he mentioned it earlier.”

Sean shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. But, not really? I mean, he's mated to my kid brother. But it's not like I'd ever plan to trade on that or anything. He's been trying to get me to move to the den for months. I guess that's probably happening now, huh?”

Colin shrugged. “Too much talking, boys. But while we are, I might as well point out that my family home is probably large enough for us all. But if you don't want to live in the den, I will need to decide what to do with the house. Oh, hell. And the deli. We'll have to talk about that too. And...wait. What the fuck?” He turned to look at me, and then down at my dick that he'd been absently stroking while we talked.

I looked down and shrugged with a shy smile. “Huh. Guess it's true. Interesting.”

Colin's jaw dropped. “Interesting? That's what you call it? I think it's cool as fuck!” He turned to Sean. “Check out Jules' cock! It's got all these little bumps growing out of it.

It was both embarrassing and oddly titillating as I found myself shoved onto my back while both of my mates hunkered down over my cock to examine it. Sean reached out and slowly ran a finger firmly from the beginning of the line of nubbins that began at the base of my cock and swirled around the shaft in a circling pattern that wrapped around it and ended just below where my foreskin began.

Colin leaned down and tasted one with his tongue, before licking along the line. A loud purring sound filled the room, startling Sean into a laugh. He hadn't been there earlier when I'd purred for Colin.

“Fuck me, I really am mating a cat shifter!” Sean exclaimed. “Now tell us what the fuck this awesome shit on your cock is all about, Jules! This is actually really cool.”

Now that he'd reached the end of the swirl, Colin was experimentally playing with my foreskin. He pulled it back and licked the sensitive skin inside, before lightly nipping at the loose flesh.

I gasped with pleasure, my balls tightening already. My hips were jerking with the need for more. My entire cock tingled along the swirling line where the nubbins grew. They were already a little fatter looking down at them. Colin pulled off my cock, stroking it lightly, nubbins and all, while looking up at me expectantly.

Right. I was supposed to be answering a question. What was that again? I felt Sean running his finger along my swirl again and remembered.

“Sorry. I got distracted. You asked about my knotting vortex.” I panted, trying not to squirm as Sean playfully pinched and rubbed each little nubbin, one by one. Each time he touched one, a blaze of fire shot from my dick and went straight up my spine. I'd never been more turned on in my fucking life than I was in this moment.

“Your what now?” Sean asked with confusion. “What the hell is a knotting vortex and why have I never heard of it?”

“You really need to quit touching my cock if you expect me to be able to talk, I'm sorry.” I groaned, not at all sorry. They could keep this up all night. Hell, they could tie me down and have at it. Ooh. That was an idea to file away for another time. Shaking my head to clear away the distracted thoughts, I tried to explain.

“First of all, you've probably not heard of it because my people are a dying breed. There aren't many of us left. Basically, that's my version of an alpha knot. It's called a knotting vortex. It's a swirling pattern that as you see goes from the root and up the length in a spiral. Until tonight, this was just something that I'd heard about in biology class.”

Sean sat up, looking at me with interest while Colin went back to examining my foreskin. “The knotting vortex only comes out in the presence of one's fated-mate. It shows up when I get aroused, and the closer I get to orgasm, the more they protrude. If I were inside either of you, the nubbins would grip into the fleshy walls inside of your channel without hurting either of us. Think of it as a ribbed condom that acts like velcro when I orgasm. Instead of knotting into you with once huge ass ball of flesh at the base of my dick like you do, Sean, I get snugged into place by my spiral of nubs.”

“That is absolutely the coolest shit that I've ever heard or seen in my life,” Sean said with admiration written across his face. He reached out and rubbed a nubbin between two fingers, looking back up at me as I gasped with pleasure. “Does it hurt when I do this to you? Or is that face because it feels too good?”

Trying to stay alert, I gasped: “They feel like nipples to me. Imagine having a swirl of nipples on your cock, and then having someone rub them, lick them, pinch them, and toy with them. That's what it fucking feels like, that's the best way that I can describe it.”

Colin pulled off the tip of my cock where he'd been flicking his tongue across my seeping slit. “That makes sense actually. I mean, they look and feel like nipples.” He got a wicked look on his face and ran the flat of his tongue along the swirl.

Purring louder than ever, my chest was rumbling as my hips jerked upward again, looking for friction. Sean reached over and pulled Colin back with a strong arm around his waist. He tossed Colin down beside me with a grin. “Go easy on our pretty kitty, Colin. If we break him now, he won't be good for either of us.”

Colin grinned and reached for Sean's cock. Sean batted his hands away and scooted down to take Colin in his mouth. I carefully squeezed the base of my cock, trying not to touch any nubs, hoping to hold back on coming just yet. But when I watched Sean move down and push Colin's knees to his chest so that he could lick that  slick pucker? I lost it.

One moment I was watching Sean spear his tongue into Colin's virgin hole while the scent of leaking omega slick filled the air. The next moment, I accidentally pinched a nubbin when I gripped my cock. Before I could stop it, I was shooting ropes of cum and spraying my seed across Sean's face and Colin's cock and abdomen.

Sean lifted his face with a grin, and began to lick my cream from Colin's dick while I groaned in ecstasy. I sat up and flipped over onto my hands and knees. Crawling closer, I began to lick Sean's face clean with broad strokes of my tongue.

Once Sean's face was clean, I began lapping up the spots he'd missed on our omega mate's abdomen and groin while Sean sucked and licked his little balls. Colin sat up on his elbows, watching us both with a lusty leer. “This is so fucking hot. You two alphas are my dirty boys, aren't you?” 

Sean grinned up at him before turning to me and saying: “I've decided that I'm losing both of my virginities tonight, if it's okay with you.”