“I’m so fucking tired of this,” Thomas snarled, looking around at the trash. “I don’t care if I need to have a fucking stakeout, I’m going to catch this dog.”

“It could…not be a dog,” James offered, shrugging. “It could be a smart bear.”

“The entire town would be talking if there was a fucking bear roaming around,” Thomas growled. “No one would miss that. We’d have people out here trying to catch it already.”

“Let’s just get it cleaned up,” James sighed.

Thomas ran a hand through his hair, aggravated. He needed to do something to stop this. It was eating their time and energy to clean it up. He could be inside dancing with Abigail right now, and instead he was going to need to clean this up, go home, shower, and change clothes. It would be another hour before he got to relax at all. He wanted the time with her and his guys, not the damn trash.

Antonio walked back out with brooms, dustpans, and new trash bags. “What if we just feed the damn thing?” he snapped, tossing brooms to them.

Thomas caught his and frowned. “Feed it?”

“Yeah. Leave out a bowl of food and water permanently.” Antonio pointed to the side of the building. “Close to the trash cans so it can see the offering and stay away from the good stuff.”

“That’s how you get a hundred strays sticking around,” James mumbled. “I’m not sure we want that. Sure, there aren’t many here, but I would rather they didn’t all hang out behind the bar.”

“It’s an idea!” Antonio growled at him. Thomas raised his eyebrows. “We would just do it until we catch it or get someone else to. Then it can go to a good home and never need to eat out of the trash again.”

“Do it,” Thomas told him. He could see this was important to Antonio, who nodded. “Sometime today, hit up the pet store in town and get what you need.”

Antonio didn’t say anything back, just started sweeping. Thomas got to work as well.

It was a disgusting process, as a lot of the food was moldy and old. They dumped it into their compost pile once both cans were full, so nearly once a week. It was something wolves did, composting. It was easy, good for the area they lived in, and they would use it for gardens. Thomas didn’t think any of them were going to start a vegetable garden anytime soon, but it was a nice habit and one that reminded them of their home.

No, he’d gotten that wrong. Their prior home. Wild Junction was now home, not South Dakota. He slipped up every once and a while with it, sometimes wanting to go back to the wide-open spaces he’d known. He loved the mountains, though, and Wild Junction had been good to him. Thomas figured he was never going to leave this town or the land that surrounded it. He was surprisingly comfortable with that idea.

He was throwing bags in the bed of his truck when he saw Antonio begin to leave for the pet store. It made him think about how important this seemed to him and called out.

“Wait, I’ll go too!” Thomas tossed his keys to James. “Can you handle this?”

“Yeah, I got it. I told the band to let Abigail know we would be a little while, too,” James told him and slid into the driver’s seat. Thomas ran over to Antonio’s truck and jumped into the passenger side.

“Why?” Antonio asked, frowning at him. “Why did you want to come with me? Won’t take two of us to get a couple bowls, maybe a leash and shit.”

“You had a dog,” he pointed out. “When we were kids.”

“Yeah and that motherfucker was stray like this one.” Antonio chuckled. “I don’t want to see this pup get hurt or something if we can stop it.”

“I get it,” Thomas replied. “I just wanted to come with you.”

“You wanted to remind me that you remember these things,” Antonio laughed. “And thanks. Now go help James. He has too much to do on his own.”

“I’m the Alpha here,” he growled with a grin. Antonio had called him the fuck out. “I’ll leave you to it then.”

“Thanks, man. Seriously. You know, I haven’t had a dog since. He passed away while you were in the Marines and I was too busy to get another.” Antonio sighed, and Thomas watched him carefully.

He would remember that too.

It was two hours later when Thomas walked back in the bar with James, clean and fresh from the trip. They had seen Antonio at the house and Thomas knew everything was set up to catch the mutt. He beelined for the office, where he knew Abigail was probably hiding, and found her curled up in the chair behind his desk, reading a book. He smiled at the sight. She was beautiful: perfectly straight brown hair that passed her shoulders, a petite and feminine face, with luscious lips he loved to nibble on. Her large brown eyes looked up at him and the gentle smile that graced her face made his heartbeat pick up.

He had a feeling he was head over heels for her. He knew he was, actually. He didn’t know how to stop it.

“Hey,” she greeted him.

“Hey,” he replied gruffly, striding over and swooping down to kiss her. His eyes caught a glance of something on her shoulder and he nearly growled. He gently ran his hand over her shoulder and pulled her oversized shirt away from the mark. Teeth. A bruising bite.

“Antonio,” she told him. “I’m fine with it.”

“I wish I had done it first,” he admitted softly. He kissed the bite and used it as a starting point to kiss up her shoulder and neck towards her lips again.

“You could give me a second,” she whispered, and he grinned.

“I’ll get James up here and you can have one from each of us,” he taunted, leaning over her further in the chair. He braced his hands on the armrests and stayed in front of her where she couldn’t escape. She realized she wasn’t going anywhere, and he enjoyed the scent of her excitement. She loved when they got predatory on her. Her enjoyment of it scared her at first, but they were long past that now. “Maybe we could spread you out over the desk and have a feast.”

That made her breath come faster. His eyes zeroed in on her lips and he dove in to kiss her again. When he pulled away, he knew that all he had to do now was ask and she would say yes. The smell of her arousal set him off every time. It had been hard to walk away earlier when he’d seen her and Antonio in the kitchen. He loved seeing his close friends, his brothers, please her, and he loved to do it himself. He loved that she was willing to let them, even if it was temporary. Thomas felt a small ache at that thought. She wouldn’t be in Wild Junction with them forever. One day she would go.

“Someone called for you. I let it go to the answering machine,” she told him, and he chuckled. She seemed a bit distracted, her eyes too bright. “I didn’t know the number and caller ID didn’t show anyone from around here. The area code wasn’t one from close by.”

“Thanks for letting me know.” He backed away and went to the answering machine. He hit play and frowned when there was no message, just dead air. Strange. He didn’t recognize the number and that also bothered him a little. He didn’t give out the new number for his office line. Only a handful of people had it - people he was okay with bothering him when his cell was off, like her.

“I should have picked up,” she sighed, looking guilty.

He shook his head and waved a hand dismissively. “I wouldn’t want you picking up calls when you don’t know who it is,” he replied. “I would have been wary to pick it up myself.”

“Paranoid?” she asked, tilting her head in that adorable fashion.

“Alpha. Private lines aren’t supposed to get passed around.” He groaned and ran a hand through his hair. “This has been a weird day.”

“Mysterious dog, strange phone call.” She chuckled. “Yeah, it has been for you, hasn’t it?”

“It has,” Thomas agreed. “Let’s go have some fun and forget about it.” He offered her a hand and she took it. He pulled her up and continued to keep her small hand trapped in his as he led her out of the office. He locked it before heading downstairs with her.

The band had left while he was upstairs with her. Antonio and James were back to playing pool and he chuckled as James beat Antonio again. No one beat James at a game of pool.

“Turn some music on?” Thomas asked Abigail. She smiled and pulled out her phone. He headed to the pool tables as she wandered off to put her music through the speakers. James frowned at him as he walked up.

“Something on your mind?” he asked.

Antonio threw Thomas his pool cue, so he could play instead. He had a snowball’s chance in hell at beating James, but it would give him something to do.

“A number I don’t recognize called the upstairs line,” Thomas informed them. “Abigail let it go to the answering machine, but whoever it was didn’t leave a message.”

“Well, damn,” Antonio huffed out, looking confused.

“The area code was for Virginia,” Thomas continued. “I don’t know anyone out that way. James? Antonio?”

“Nope,” James replied, setting up the rack for another game.

“Not here,” Antonio said, holding both hands up. “If I have, only in passing and no one worth remembering.”

“All right,” Thomas accepted. He pointed the pool cue at James. “I’m taking a break.”

“Sure thing.” James chuckled as Abigail walked back over to them. She was even carrying a few beers.

Thomas narrowed his eyes at them. “You pay for those, miss?” He raised an eyebrow at her and she giggled.

“No, sir, I didn’t. I’m sure I can find a way to make it up to you.” She handed him one and kissed his cheek.

“Hard labor,” he growled “Hours of it.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her roughly into his body, making her gasp. “You’ll have some strenuous guards making sure it gets done, too.”

“Whoa,” Antonio laughed. “I didn’t think roleplay was your kink, Thomas.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Thomas groaned. Antonio had totally ruined the moment; all of them devolved into uncontrollable laughter, the mutt and strange phone call forgotten.

Later that evening, his cell started to go off. He didn’t bother looking at the number; he just silenced it so he could continue kissing Abigail, who was nude and perched on his lap. James and Antonio were getting undressed for those hours of strenuous labor she owed them and didn’t bother asking who the call was from. None of them cared.