Brick paced the hotel room where they were staying, chewing his fingernails and spitting them out, as Duke clicked the TV remote.

His beta sighed and said, “Are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on with you?”

“Nothing,” he replied, as he sat on the edge of the bed Duke was reclined on.

Brick’s foot began to tap until the mattress shook with the force of it, and then he jumped up.

“I’m too wired to sleep.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Let’s go to a bar and find a woman to fuck.”

“Dude, it’s 3 a.m. They’re all closed.” He turned off the TV and set the remote on the nightstand. “Besides, after all your shenanigans tonight, cleaning up after you, I’m beat. It’s lights out for the beta.”

Brick looked at Duke in shock.

“What is this? Are you on her side?”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“No, no, no. Why’d you ask me that?”

“I don’t know. My brain’s scrambled. I think that buck we took down might’ve been diseased, or something.”

“I feel fine.”

“Then, it was the Enormous Angus you talked me into eating.”

“Oh, hey, speaking of.... I looked us up on their website. The pic came out great!” Duke yawned, punching his pillow to plump it. “I sent the link to the website back to the command center. The guys loved it.” He flopped over onto his side. “Night.”

Brick went to his bed and lay down on top of the covers.

“It’s hot in here.”

“So, undress. You know, get naked.” Duke chuckled softly. Speaking in a low voice, he said, “but for the love of God, don’t get on me.”

Brick’s head was filled with visions of Ivy, as he imagined the way she’d look on her knees, while she took his cock from behind. He thought her ass must have been wide enough to accommodate his hips; otherwise, why would his wolf like her so much?

I just need a good fuck. It’s been a few days since I drilled some pussy. It has nothing to do with her.

“Going to the gym.”

Duke’s reply was snores.

The exercise facility was empty, so there was no waiting for equipment. He stepped to the nearest treadmill and adjusted it to a high-performance level. He spent the next while wringing out whatever was coursing through his body, until he couldn’t manage to run another step.

That should do it.

After taking a shower and jerking off for good measure, he fell into a deep and calm sleep, dreaming of making love to Ivy beneath the large and long branches of a magnolia tree.

The next morning, he awoke to the smells of eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and toast. Duke was sitting in a chair with a plate in his lap in front of the open sliding glass window.

“Why the hell is it so fucking cold in here?”

“And a good morning to you, too. I can’t win with you lately,” he replied, taking a bite of bread. “It’s hot, Duke! It’s cold, Duke!”

Brick walked over, snatched a slice of bacon from his friend’s plate, and popped it into his mouth.

“Mmmm… that’s good,” he growled around the meat, as his stomach rumbled.

“Damn! You are hungry! Here.” He handed him the rest of it. “I’ll order some more.”

“Thanks,” Brick replied, as he sat. “I went for a run last night after you went to sleep. I’m starving. Get a lot, and tell them to hurry.”

“Uh-huh.”

Duke held up his hand for silence, as he spoke to room service. After he hung up, he came back over and folded into the seat.

“So, what’s the plan for today?”

“To go get her,” Brick blurted. He looked down at the remainder of Duke’s breakfast. “I mean, the book.”

Fuck! Not this shit again!

“Dude.” Rather than replying, Brick stuffed more food into his mouth. “Brick.” He kept chewing and shoving hashbrowns between his lips. “Alpha!”

At the call of his station in the pack, Brick swallowed and raised his head.

“Yeah?”

“It caught you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, yes, you do. Don’t play dumb with me. I see straight through it. I didn’t wanna say anything last night, but… she’s your mate.”

“Why the fuck would I want a chick who shot me?”

“What else could she do? You were charging at her.”

To protect what’s mine. To be at her feet. To be near her.

“I don’t care what my wolf wants. I don’t want her, and I’m the one in charge.”

“Yeah, okay.” They heard a knock on the door, as a voice announced the delivery. Duke got up and said, “We’ll see. I’m betting you and your wolf are gonna have to come to an agreement.”

Duke navigated the Hummer to Penwell’s Peculiars once more.

“Did you know that Ivy owns the place? It’s hers. She’s an entrepreneur. Beauty and brains.”

“Good for her,” Brick grumbled, knowing what his beta was doing, complementing the woman he hungered for. “Then, she should know whether or not she has the book in her possession. We either buy it from her if she does, or go back home if she doesn’t.”

“I just hope she lets us in the building.” He glanced over to Brick. “Well, you, mainly. I think I’m good to go.”

If she feels the way I do, she’ll be waiting for me to arrive at the front door.

Easing the car into a spot in front of the building, Duke shifted into Park and turned to Brick.

“Before we go inside, I need to know what’s going on in there,” he said, poking Brick in the chest, “with him.”

“Nothing.” His instinct was screaming at him to leap from the vehicle, rip the door off the entrance, and locate her as soon as he could. After a cough to clear his throat, he said, “He’s quiet.”

“Look.” Duke sighed. “You gotta be honest with me if this is gonna work. We have to determine if Ivy—”

“That’s her name?” Brick asked, combing his fingers through his hair.

“Yes.”

It fits. She’s crawling, reaching inside me, spreading over me like a fast-growing vine.

“Are you listening?”

“Uh-huh.”

“What did I say?”

He was certain of what his beta was worried about, and he would’ve had the same concerns for Duke, had their positions been reversed.

After straightening in his seat, Brick tried to assure his beta.

“Braxton’s book is our priority, and if I feel off about anything, I need to let you know, so you can handle it.”

“Good save, Alpha.”

When they got out of the car, Brick’s eyes flew directly to the front door, but Ivy wasn’t there, waiting for him with bated breath. The space was dark and empty, and he pushed away the pang his heart felt. His eyebrows scrunched, and his heels crunched the gravel in the parking space, before they went up the steps.

“Brick—”

“I’m fine.”

“If you say so. But you ate three triple stacks on the way over. If that’s not the Hunger, then, I don’t know what’s wrong with you.”

“It isn’t. Shut up about it.”