Owned By The Alphas: Part Three (6 page)

S
hadows shrank
from the torchlight as she ventured forward. Listening to her instincts, Ali walked past the place Tawny and Red had talked. The wind whipped her hair in front of her face and she pushed it away with her free hand, peering into the night as her feet picked up speed. After awhile, she turned around and saw the den was no longer anywhere to be seen. Her chest tightened, but she continued.

Then one owl, and another closer one, hooted from somewhere up above in the darkness of the trees. Both times she jumped, cursing at them for being so fucking unnerving. When after a few more paces she began to doubt herself, she considered returning and asking for help. But the idea of facing Tawny as a failure made her cringe.

“Okay, Ali, stop thinking.
Feel.
” She closed her eyes. “Where are they?” Her breathing slowed and her heart with it. She felt a calm slip over her. The scent of pine and crisp, clean air drifted into her nose, but something else was there, too. The unmistakable scent of Calt…

Her eyes flew open and she turned right, walking faster. Soon their voices ricocheting off the trees made her blood quicken. “I did it!” she muttered.

She heard them call her name, and before she had the chance to respond, they appeared before her, standing side by side–two magnificent males, both frowning and looking around to see why she was alone.

Calt growled, “They let you come here unprotected?”

“Look at the brave one,” Red smirked, impressed.

She held up the torch and smiled. “Is this a werewolves-only club or can a human join in on the fun?” She laid her hand on Calt’s chest first, touching him tenderly as she’d seen Shaynah do. “Don’t be mad at them. I said I didn’t need their help.” Then she turned to Red and reached up to stroke his cheek, the soft hair of his beard tickling her hand. “I heard about your father. I’m so sorry.”

He bowed his head and Calt exhaled loudly. “Come this way, then.” He led her to a cluster of rocks and boulders framed by low shrubs with mini ferns and moss tucked in dark places.

Calt lifted her up onto a rock to sit where she was eye-level. She noticed Red’s jaw tick as the other wolf’s hands touched her. She smiled at him to assuage his jealousy, and he relaxed.

“What have you guys been talking about? You seem a lot less violent toward each other.”

“You are not interested in our politics, Soft One.”

Red objected, “Why don’t you ask her if she is or not?”

Calt cut his eyes to the other alpha, and back to Ali. “Are you?”

She shrugged, “Well, if by politics you mean how this whole enemy thing started, then yeah. I’m very,
very
interested.”

The two males made a wordless decision of who to go first. Red began, “You know what I told you about my dad.” Ali nodded. “He had tracked me to Canada. Thanot saw him–though he didn’t know who he was–in a bar in Canada the night before Rait’s pack moved south. Dak had been talking pretty loudly about the move.”

“He was excited,” Calt interjected.

“Okay…” Ali said, looking back to Red as he took a deep breath.

“My dad thought
I
was in that pack. When Thanot told me about the human who’d showed a lot of interest in me, that he’d let the man think I was in the other pack. My father would go to the ends of the earth to find me if he’d already gotten that far north. We moved here to warn Rait’s pack. It was my responsibility.”

Ali glanced to Calt as he shook his head, his eyes focused on the scenes of the past. “We thought they came to disrupt our life, when they came to save it.”

Ali frowned, confused. “But, I’m sorry, I’m just catching up here. Did you warn them he was coming to…”

“Kill me?” Red asked, eyes flashing darkly. “No. Because I found him first, and he and I talked. He promised not to return. I thought that was the end of it.”

Ali glanced to Calt. “Oh, so…”

Calt nodded. “Right. He did not keep that promise. My father found him, and I believe–we believe–he mistakenly thought my father was Red. In our wolf forms, we are similar to human eyes. My father and I are have black fur, and Red is dark brown…”

Ali’s eyes rounded with horror as she filled in the rest. “And at night we can’t tell the difference.” She covered her mouth with her hand, lowering the torch with the other. Red took it from her, and walked to lodge it in a safe place.

Calt waited until he returned to stand beside him, both facing her. “His father killed mine, and I killed his.”

Red looked to the ground, the now distant flames casting a light glow on the side of his face. “It’s like one of those Greek tragedies we studied in school, Ali.”

She nodded, sad with disbelief. “In Mr. Dobb’s class.”

“Yeah.”

She looked from one to the other, wishing she had more to say than, “I’m so sorry!”

Calt stood in the shadow Red’s body created, and he stepped forward, the light hitting him as the crease deepened between his eyebrows. “Our packs can draw back their claws. An eye for an eye has been justly dealt without our knowledge. Blood for blood. Would you not agree?”

Red nodded solemnly. “I would. I will tell the others you said so, and we will keep our distance.”

Calt’s jaw clenched, eyeing Ali. She gulped, knowing what he was going to say. “There is still the matter of our mate.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Kyren’s plan hovered in the air, but was this really the time, after such tragic news? Plus, she’d hoped originally that maybe Kyren would tell them the plan herself; that would give Ali a way out of the embarrassment of looking like the insatiable slut she felt she was becoming.

Calt’s two-toned eyes darkened in the flickering light. “I do not know what to do about the fact that you have a history together, except to ignore it and demand she is mine.”

Red turned his body to face the other alpha. “I will not allow that.”

Ali reached out and grabbed their shoulders. “You’re talking about me like I’m not here. I get a say in this don’t I?”

Red muttered, “You said you can’t choose.”

Calt cocked his head for the answer.

She hesitated. “There are other ways to battle besides fighting.”

She let their shoulders go and leaned back, adjusting the pelt and her posture until she felt comfortable and balanced. The alphas waited for her explanation, both teetering on the edge of blows again. Meeting their impatience one alpha at a time, she slowly offered, “You could battle for me… in bed. Show me who is the better lover.” Both sets of eyebrows flew up and they glanced at each other, then back to her. Trying to hide a nervous gulp, she added, “
Together…
at the same time.” Even as she said it, she felt the throbbing begin below.

Calt smirked, “Well, well, I did not expect that.”

Red’s shoulders shook on a low laugh. “You surprised me, too, Ali.”

She took offense to this immediately. “What, like I’m not wild enough? You don’t know me, either of you!” She almost told them about Lorn servicing her, but she stopped herself, and added with a huff, “Don’t underestimate me. I found you out here all on my own, didn’t I? Don’t mark me fragile, boys.”

Red laughed harder, and Calt’s smirk grew to a grin as he shrugged, “You could not handle us both.”

Ali glared at them, her ire inflamed. “Really? Well, let’s up the stakes then. See who can’t handle what. Not only do you have to prove who can make my legs shake the hardest, but now you have to do it with
an audience
. THEY will be the judges.” Smiles froze on their faces. Triumphant, she added, “In the cavern where we ate the venison last night. Both packs!” Ali jumped off the rock, heading for the dwindling torch. She glanced over her shoulder with a smirk of her own. “What? Afraid of a little competition?”

“There will be no competition,” Red scoffed. Ali noticed his cock twitch. It was hard to miss.

Calt looked at Ali with lust darkening his features. “That is true. This will be an easy win. For
me.
When I win, you are mine? No more indecision?”

She didn’t want to think about that; the idea abhorrent that she’d have to give one of them up. Here she was just two days into her new life and she was falling more in love with it than she could have ever dreamed. To have it change, to lose a part of it, meaning one of them, sounded terrible. But sacrifice was necessary and so she nodded. “I will be with the winner, yes. I will stand by that. By him. Whoever it is.”

Red prodded, “We have your word?”

She felt the chill of the night air creep over her for the first time as she quietly agreed, “Yes.”

C
onfident in his inevitable win
, Red took the torch from Ali and held out his free hand. She glanced to Calt and held out her hand to him. He shook his head but took it, and between them she walked holding both their hands all the way back to the den.

After awhile of thoughtful silence, Red threw out the obvious. “It can’t be tonight.”

Ali looked up at him as Calt said on her other side, “Daylight will be coming soon. We would make it there, but then be rushed.”

Red agreed, squeezing Ali’s hand. “And we don’t want that.” She grinned up at him. He gave her a wink.

Calt narrowed his eyes, catching it. “You should stay here with Red today, Ali.”

Her head swung around so fast her neck nearly snapped off. “What? Why?”

Red inspected the other alpha warily, not liking the smile in his eyes. “No, she can go with you,” he interjected quickly. “Since this will be your last day with her.”

Ali sighed and looked to the ground, stepping over a pinecone nearly the size of a football. “Okay, let’s not play this game, shall we?”

The same smile Calt had when he was eating mashed potatoes and taunting Tawny, danced on his lips. “What game? You like Red. Do not deny it. So you should stay with him today, since it will be your last alone with him.”

“I wouldn’t give this opportunity away, Calt. Really, you’re not going to win,” Red smiled, cocking an eyebrow.

Ali looked as though she might throw up. Then a light shone in her eyes. She smiled and offered, “I want to sleep with both of you. That’s the only way to be fair. Then you’ll both know we didn’t have sex, that we
just slept
.” Both alphas made a noise and looked at each other. Reading their expressions, she released their hands and walked backwards, the torchlight beautifully falling on her. “Oh no no no. There will be no sex until there’s an audience. Those are the rules.”

A smirk tugged at Red. “Nervous, Ali?”

Calt flashed him a sideways smile. “She has to mentally prepare.”

With a roll of her pretty brown eyes, Ali flipped around and left them staring after her voluptuous backside. “Yeah, yeah. That’s it. Um…NO. Remember, I was sick tonight? I need some sleep.”

The smirk vanished and Red glanced to the other alpha sheepishly. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten. He jogged to catch up to her, Calt already a step ahead of him.

Calt picked Ali up before Red knew he was going to. She yelped at the superhuman speed with which he lifted her, and slipped her arms around his neck, grinning up at him as he announced, “If you are so tired, you should not be walking.”

Red stifled a snarl, but Calt saw it and laughed.

A
t his den
, the two alphas informed the packs what was to happen. The reactions were mostly favorable because everyone liked the idea of a show, and they were feeling already pleased after first hearing the news that a truce had been called, that there would be no more pack rivalry. They were to exist as neighbors…after the battle for their mate was realized.

Red saw his newest member, Tawny, hold her tongue with great difficulty, but he didn’t fault her for that. He expected a bumpy ride with her, but would not punish her for her feelings as long as they did not harm the others.

The wounded wolf’s worried reaction was what he found most interesting. Seeing the concern emanate from his second in command, that Calt could potentially lose and what the ramifications of that would be if he did, made Red’s confidence deepen. He was grateful for it, because he could feel himself falling for Ali. Giving her up was not possible. He had to win.

Calt didn’t understand.
They
had no history. He couldn’t possibly have real feelings for her yet. He just wanted to own her, and this Red understood. Ali was compelling. She had a way of making a wolf feel like he was powerful and needed, even when she showed her temper. Who didn’t want that? She was feminine and soft, her ample curves intoxicating to touch and see. The way she moaned with all of herself made you feel like you’d achieved something. And she was clearly fertile. They don’t call them childbearing hips for nothing.

But Red didn’t want to own her. He wanted to share his life with her, teach her all the things he’d discovered since he’d turned, watch her face as she explored his world, their world. He wanted her to have his pups and raise them into humans or wolves, whichever they turned out to be. He would accept them either way, he knew that. When he’d discussed his father with Calt, he thought of how he would be a better one, and the only female he wanted at his side was the five-foot-four inch human nervously wringing her hands next to him now.

He reached for one of those hands and laced his fingers through hers. She gave his hand a squeeze and listened to Calt finish with, “Even though our numbers are off-balanced, I want everyone to judge honestly knowing there will be no punishment for your vote.”

Red watched their faces, satisfied they would keep their word, as each nodded assent to the terms.

“This is going to be interesting,” Gypha smiled. Others agreed.

“In a couple hours, it will be daylight,” Calt announced. “It has been a long night. My pack will return home and you will join us there tomorrow night. Do you know the way?” Motis and Jal nodded. “Of course you do,” he said sarcastically. They lowered guilty eyes.

Red took over from there, saying with authority, “I will go with them. Calt, Ali and I will sleep together to ensure the other alpha does not learn any new tricks.” He smiled.

Several rolled their eyes, and Bloo voiced what they were thinking. “Yeah. You’re just going to sleep.”

Ali exclaimed, “We are! It’s part of the deal. It’s either that or nothing.”

“Fuck,” Dak mumbled.

Calus’s head bobbed. “I couldn’t do that.”

Ali blushed and said, defensively, “I’m tired. I need to sleep…”

“Because she knows she won’t be able to handle
this
,” Tawny shot out with a smirk. The other wolves bit their tongues, but it was clear they were of the same mind.

Ali’s color deepened. “We’ll see, Tawny.”

Red glanced to Calt to see he was trying not to smile, too. Red cleared his throat. “Alright. Let’s go.”

He let go of Ali’s hand and she stepped back on a jump as all of Calt’s pack transformed with him, cracking and bending until they were all beautiful wolves with shining, ethereal eyes. Red’s pack walked them to the door. Outside, Ali went to get on Red, but he shook his head. She paused and turned away. He wanted her to be with Calt, hoping it was the last time. She climbed on top of Calt’s back and looped her arms around his neck. Red heard her whisper, “I’m okay. Shaynah helped me get better. Go as fast as you want to.”

They all took off into the forest, heading for the mountain. Running with wolves who up until an hour ago were a danger to him, was exhilarating. He felt accepted, and that was not a common feeling. It was especially strange after having confessed about his father. He hadn’t known if Calt would blame Red for Rait’s untimely death. He could easily have done so, and that he hadn’t, moved him.

To show his respect, he ran beside the alpha, even though he could have passed him and showed off his speed since he was not carrying a delicate passenger this time. He didn’t know if Calt knew what he was doing, that he was holding back, but it didn’t matter. He did this because this was who he was. Who his grandfather had taught him to be–a being who paid respect where it was due.

Running up the granite mountain, he silently called to the heavens,
Grandpa, can you see me? Is this what you meant? Thank you for accepting me.

Like these wolves are now.