Authors: Lynn Hagen
Micah carried Oliver, wanting to get him home and examined for any further injuries.
Ludo drove them as the others stayed behind to clean up the mess and await the arrival of the Alphas.
“How are they?” Ludo asked as he glanced in the mirror at the backseats.
“Not sure yet. Oliver is out again and from the looks of it, so is Keata.” Micah gently grazed his fingers over the red and angry bruise already forming on Oliver’s forehead. Maverick would need to call the wolf physician to check the two out, make sure they would be okay. Oliver looked so fragile lying unconscious in his arms. Why had those men attacked them? He couldn’t think of any reason they would have to run Micah off the road with two humans in the truck. It just didn’t make sense.
Micah glanced over at Keata. The poor guy’s had one experience after another since his arrival in America. He wondered briefly if Cody was his mate. It seemed quite a few of the warriors had unofficially made themselves Keata’s guardian. The little guy was too adorable to resist. He had an innocence about him that just made you want to wrap him in cotton and protect him from the jaded world. He had noticed the way Loco took care of him, the special attention he gave Keata. When the mates did something as a group, Loco stepped in so Keata wouldn’t feel left out.
Tank hovered over the guy like he was going to break a bone at any moment. He made sure Keata ate, was entertained, and well taken care of. So which of the three was his mate? It may not be any of them. Who knew anymore?
Micah laid his head back against the seat, thankful neither man had sustained serious injury. They pulled into the gravel drive as Micah and Cody carried the men into the house. Micah took his mate upstairs, tucking him into bed.
Micah pulled a cloth from the shelf by the shower and wetted it with cool water, taking it to Oliver as he wiped carefully around the bruise. Oliver opened his eyes then, his fingers going to his head.
“Careful, don’t press on it. The doctor should be here soon to make sure you don’t have a concussion.” Micah tossed the cloth toward the bathroom as he sat on the bed.
“Who were they?” Oliver shook his head as if trying to remember the event. “I was scared. I wasn’t brave like I should have been.” He lowered his head as he pulled the blanket further up his chest.
“It wasn’t about being brave. Hell, I was scared, too. Scared my mate and Keata were going to be killed.” Micah brushed Oliver’s hair from his eyes. His mate was truly gorgeous.
“How is Keata?” Oliver asked as his hand went back up to his head. Micah gently pulled it away, kissing his palm before setting it his mate’s hand on the bed.
“I don’t know. Cody has him. He seemed shaken up. I didn’t see any injury but to be honest, I was concentrating on you.” Micah traced his fingers along Oliver’s jaw. “I was terrified I would lose you.”
“I’m tougher than that.” Oliver smiled crookedly at him. He took Micah’s hand in his, kissing his knuckles as his mate stared dreamy-eyed at him. Oliver was everything Micah had ever wanted in a partner, caring, gentle and loving. Their beginning was rocky, unsure, and filled with a lot of pent-up hostility. Micah never once blamed his mate for it. He’d wished Oliver hadn’t been so hostile but understood.
“I know you are.” Micah leaned down to kiss him as someone knocked on the door. “Dammit.”
The doctor stuck his head in. “I hear someone knocked his nugget.” He smiled as he crossed the room and shooed Micah away. “You two can continue what you were doing once I’m done.” He winked at Oliver as Micah stood back with a huff.
Once the exam was complete, he declared Oliver was fine. Micah breathed a sigh of relief. He seemed fine, but since he wasn’t a doctor himself, he couldn’t be sure. Better to be safe than sorry.
* * * *
Keata cried as the doctor stitched the bite wound on his right inner thigh. The nasty man had tried to eat Keata. He was glad when the wolves chased the hungry man away. He couldn’t understand why they wanted to hurt him. Was it the same men who stole him and his cousin? All Keata knew was that they had scared him and then bit him. Dumb men.
“Done.” The doctor leaned back and smiled at Keata. “You did a good job not moving.”
Keata understand
good job
and
no moving,
so he beamed a smile at the man. His leg hurt, but it was no longer bleeding. The doctor gave him some pills and a glass of water, Keata looked over at Cody with a question in his eyes.
“Take them, Keata. No pain.” He smiled.
Keata nodded then swallowed. Yuck. He could taste them on his tongue. He drank the whole glass, trying to get rid of the nasty taste.
“He should sleep for awhile. I’ll leave some more just in case he suffers discomfort later. You know, if he were mated, he would be recovering quicker than this.” The doctor set the pill bottle on the nightstand.
“He’ll be fine. Thanks.” Cody shook the doctor’s hand.
The wolf doctor took his leave as Cody sat down next to Keata.
“I sleepy.” Keata yawned as he snuggled down under the blanket.
Chapter Seven
“Seems they were followers of Jackson’s.” Maverick informed his Sentries. Too bad he survived Oliver’s staking. It seemed the ex-Alpha just kept coming back to bite them in the ass.
“Why would they attack one wolf and two humans?” Tank wished he could sink his teeth into them again. When he emerged from those woods and saw Keata being attacked, his heart nearly stopped beating. Keata was only five two, a hundred pounds soaking wet. The sight of him laying there being attacked burned into Tank’s memory.
“Had a grudge against Oliver for Jackson’s capture. The crazy bastard was planning to re-challenge Zeus but with a little help and a lot of dirty fighting involved. Zeus took them back to his pack to be dealt with. I think they were the guys at the marina Paul told us about.” Maverick couldn’t figure out for the life of him why Jasper didn’t follow the Alpha, instead he insisted on returning here.
Jasper needed to let Cody go. He understood the pain Jasper was feeling, but he was making matters worse. Zeus damn near dragged Jasper with him, howling when his intended mate followed Maverick. Cody and Jasper should have never crossed that line from friendship to lovers. It made separating almost impossible.
“Are there more followers?” Micah asked his Alpha, throwing his arm over the back of the leather couch as he stretched his legs. They needed to find out who broke off from Jackson’s pack when he was dethroned, everyone was a suspect as far as Micah was concerned. His temper flared at the thought of Oliver and Keata being hurt.
“That’s what Zeus is looking into now. Just be aware of the possible threat, and keep two eyes on the mates, especially Cecil.” Maverick rolled his eyes as he thought of his wayward mate. The guy found more ways to get into trouble and elude the warriors than Maverick cared to think about. He would make sure he warned his mate of what was going on. Maybe Cecil would get it into his head to behave. Maverick snorted. Yeah, right. “Okay, guys, back to patrol. Watch your backs.” Maverick cleared his throat. “By the way, before you go. Zeus is sending one of his soldiers as a replacement for when his mate, Jasper, finally decides to join him.”
“What?” Jasper shot off the couch. “Why would he do something like that? I didn’t even agree.”
This was all Maverick needed. He wasn’t going to get into it with the Sentry. He had already accepted the other Alpha’s offer. Jasper would just have to get over it.
“Calm down, Jasper,” Tank said, coming up beside him, “Maverick didn’t say he was shipping you off…yet.” Tank wiggled his eyebrows.
Jasper threw his hand up, not wanting to hear it. Tank had never heard of a wolf refusing his mate before. This was one for the records.
“Whatever.” Jasper stormed out of Maverick’s office in a huff.
The other Sentries just shook their heads, thankful Jasper wasn’t their headache and at the same time sympathizing with the poor guy.
“He’ll be here tomorrow. His name is Jason Colt. I’ll do introductions once he arrives.” Maverick waved his hand to dismiss the pack.
* * * *
Oliver wrestled with the words Kyoshi had assigned today in their makeshift class. He thought once he was done with high school, he’d be done with school. As much as he wanted to complain, it
was
his idea. He hadn’t realized learning another language would be so dang hard.
“Hmm, you look like you could use a break.” Micah wrapped his arms around Oliver, kissing his neck.
“Yeah, break.” Oliver panted. He leaned his back into Micah’s chest as his mate unsnapped his jeans then snaked his hands down to grab a hand full of cock. Oliver sucked in his breath through his teeth. He would never get enough of Micah.
Micah nibbled up his neck and sucked on his ear lobe, his breath exciting Oliver’s cock to full attention. Micah pulled the jeans off and pushed Oliver forward so his mate leaned over the bed, kicking his legs apart. Micah ran his fingers down Oliver’s crease then stopped.
Oliver grinned when he heard Micah inhale. He knew what his mate was looking at.
“When did you get a butt plug?”
“Internet. Came today.” Oliver hitched his right leg up onto the bed.
Micah pulled at the plug, wiggling it around.
“God, yes.” Oliver moaned.
Micah pulled it free, lubing his cock as his mate sunk all the way in.
“Fuck me, Micah. Hard,” Oliver pleaded.
Micah grabbed Oliver’s hips as he thrust into him, pulling Oliver a little higher on the bed for leverage. His mate reached around, grabbing Oliver’s cock with his lubed hand and matched the rhythm to his thrusts.
“Gonna” He erupted hot seed into Micah’s hand before he finished what he was going to say.
Stiffening, Micah cried his release, falling onto Oliver’s back. They lay there out of breath and sweaty.
“Now that was a break.” Oliver smiled.
* * * *
Oliver browsed the bookshelves in the local bookstore in town. He had been here a few times and become friends with the owner, Murphy. The guy was pretty cool. He had a wide selection that Oliver always took his time looking through. For some reason, Murphy told him that the mates weren’t allowed in the adult section, something Maverick had forbidden.
“I got those Japenese Manga books in that you ordered, Oliver,” Murphy called to him from behind the counter.
“Cool, Keata’s gonna love them. Did you get all six of them?” Oliver strolled over to the counter and leaned over, trying to spot them.
“Yep, I even ordered a different set. Should be in next week.” Murphy went to the backroom then reappeared with the books in his hand. Oliver took one and flipped through it. He had no idea what they said since he didn’t read Japanese, but he knew Keata would have a fun time with them.
“You have to read them from back to front. Mangas are set up differently.” Murphy picked up one of the books and showed Oliver the order in which it’s read. How can anyone remember to read it that way? Not only was it from back to front but the pages were opposite as well.
“Not hard once you get the hang of it.” The store owner chuckled.
“If you say so. I’m gonna go find the next book in the series I’m reading.” Oliver went back to his search.
The bells tinkled above the door as Oliver ran his fingers along the spines of the books he was looking through.
“Hey, Oliver. Gonna be much longer?” Gunnar yelled from somewhere up front. The Sentries elected to wait outside to give Oliver his room to breathe and feel a little less babysat. Gunnar and Murdock had volunteered to escort Oliver into town to get some shopping done while Micah was out on patrol. Six Sentries always patrolled the surrounding forest of the estate to ensure no threat existed while the mates lived there. Mates were cherished above all else and were protected fiercely.