Chapter Nine
As badly as Liam wanted to claim his mates, to bind them to him, the dark circles under Teagan’s eyes and Hayden’s yawn told him tonight wasn’t the time.
One in the morning, and they were all dead on their feet.
Sleep wouldn’t come for him though. Not with Edwin and Ramos still out there, hunting his mates.
By sunrise, he’d have his mates packed and headed back into the mountains.
Let those bastards try something then, with fifteen wolves ready to tear apart anyone who so much as looked wrong at a mate under their protection.
Liam pulled his phone from his pocket when it chimed. A text from Sloane.
Five covering the house. Get some sleep.
He’d added a winking and a laughing emoji. If only Liam was having sex instead of standing there waiting for trouble to rear its ugly head, those yellow faces would’ve been comical.
“Backup has arrived,” Liam announced. “Five pack members are watching the house. You two can get some sleep.”
“Pack?” Hayden blinked several times.
Liam wasn’t sure if it was from sleep or disbelief.
Did he really want to have that talk right now?
He had yet to tell them about Zeppelin taking them off the schedule at Frothy Pine.
With everything going on, Liam had prioritized what information was relevant to the moment and what could wait.
He would tell them, because Liam believed in being honest with them.
It was the only way to build a strong foundation in any relationship, including preternatural mating.
“Aren’t you going to get some sleep?” Hayden asked, concern in his green eyes. Even Teagan was watching Liam closely.
“In a minute. That flimsy lock on the back door needs to be reinforced.” There wasn’t much Liam could do with it except replace it with something much sturdier, which wouldn’t be tonight.
As soon as his mates were comfortable enough, Liam planned on asking them to move into the pack house.
“He’s lying.” Hayden narrowed his eyes.
“I think he’s afraid to sleep in our bed.” Teagan took a sip of his soda, eyeing Liam over the rim. “You a chicken, wolf?”
Pursing his lips, Liam glanced between them.
He really had lucked out when it came to mates, but they’d proven his earlier analysis wrong.
He’d thought Hayden was the free-spirited mate who enjoyed arguing, while Teagan was the goofball.
Which he was, but Liam now saw that the man he thought was sweet and innocent was the actual ringleader of the two.
Teagan’s true personality had been buried under trauma and Hayden’s under guilt.
But now that they felt safe with Liam, he was getting a better read on them.
A low growl rumbled in this throat, his gaze dragging slowly over them until both mates shivered.
“The day I’m afraid to have sex with two gorgeous twinks will be the day I’m put into the ground.
” The gravelly words slid out, guttural and raw.
“Let me know when you two are ready, and I’ll gladly crawl between the beautiful legs of both of my mates. ”
Hayden actually whimpered, teeth sinking into his plump bottom lip. Teagan stood there, eyes unblinking, lips parted. His grip tightened on the can, making it crinkle.
“Can I make a request for when that time comes?” Hayden asked, staring like he was starving and Liam was the prime rib.
“What’s that, honey?” If the two didn’t look so exhausted, Liam would’ve stripped them naked and showed them what true stamina entailed.
“Use your growly, late-night-radio voice when you're bossing me around in bed.”
Teagan raised his hand. “Me, too.”
Although they were tired, Liam didn’t want Hayden to think he deserved any less attention than he’d given Teagan. “I believe I owe you a kiss, kitten.”
Bending to slide an arm around his dark-haired angel, he caught Hayden’s bottom lip between his teeth with a playful growl, tugging before his tongue swept over the sting.
Ath the same time, he curled his fingers gently around Teagan’s wrist and pulled him closer until his chest pressed against Hayden’s back.
“Don’t want my brat to feel neglected,” he said with a wink that had a goofy smile tugging at Teagan lips.
“Um, hello. Neglected mate waiting on his proper first kiss,” Hayden huffed. “Or should I go sit in the living room so you two can have some alone time?”
Shit. This was not good. Liam hadn’t meant to make Hayden feel any less desired.
With two mates instead of the typical one, he would have to make damn sure both felt equally cherished.
This wasn’t something he could drop the ball on. Despite how new this all was, Liam was the dominant male, the protector, the one whose shoulders it would fall on if either mate was unhappy.
Fate might’ve brought them together, but it was up to them to put in the work so they could live a sickeningly happy life together.
“Never think I don’t desire you just as much, kitten.” Liam cradled Hayden’s jaw. “That’s not how the mate bond works. There’s no favoritism. Got that?”
“Then kiss him already, damn it,” Teagan demanded, sliding his arms around their mate. “If you don’t, I will. Hayden is an amazing kisser. He’s got a very talented tongue.”
“Mmm, show me just how talented it is, mate.” Gripping Hayden’s hair firmly, but not enough to hurt, Liam tugged, his possessive gaze sliding over the slim column of his mate’s pale throat.
It took a great deal of trust to expose such vulnerability to someone who could either rip it out and worship every inch of such beautiful flesh.
The sharp tips of his canines drifted slowly over Hayden’s throat as Liam breathed in the spicy, addictive scent of his mate’s arousal. Teagan kissed and licked along the back of their mate’s neck, his hands sliding under Hayden’s shirt.
“You feel how much we want you?” Liam bit down gently on Hayden’s chin, making sure not to mar his flawless skin. “Feel it, Hayden? Feel my wolf ready to claim what’s his?”
A whimper, short and sharp, escaped Hayden’s lips, followed by a drawn-out, guttural moan.
Fingers curled into Liam’s shirt, reeling him in.
Liam’s lips ghosted over Hayden’s jaw, drawing out the pleasure before their first, official kiss.
There was only one, and Liam wanted the kiss to convey exactly how he felt about finding the other halves of his soul.
Sliding his hand over Hayden’s hip, Liam gripped Teagan’s wrist again, guiding his mate’s hand to his aching, denim-covered cock.
His slim fingers gave a tentative squeeze, causing Liam to hiss.
He wasn’t sure if he was seducing his mates or if they were torturing him.
But one thing was certain, Liam had to taste Hayden’s lips.
As Liam lowered his head, his mouth descended on Hayden’s, smiling when a wandering little tongue probed for entrance.
Granted.
Hayden’s tongue teased his, the intoxicating kiss stealing the air from Liam’s lungs like his mate was pulling him apart. He was over two centuries old, more notches on his bedpost than the wood had space for, yet this was the most bewitching, spellbinding kiss Liam had ever experienced.
“I wasn’t sure how I would feel seeing Hayden kissing someone else,” Teagan said, massaging Liam’s trapped cock. Then his fingers started moving in a way that almost made Liam climax. “It’s the most erotic kiss I’ve ever seen. I feel like such a perv for watching you two.”
Hayden softly laughed against Liam’s mouth, the tiny puffs of beaths tickling his lips.
“And if you keep doing that little thing you’re doing to my dick, I’m going to come in my jeans for the first time since I hit puberty.”
“Seriously?”
Liam didn’t buy that innocent expression for a second. The brat knew exactly what he was doing and the outcome if he didn’t ease those enchanted fingers off his prick, which was seconds away from detonating.
“Teagan,” he growled softly in warning. “If I nut in my jeans, I’ll bring you so close to orgasm, right at the pinnacle before you blast, then deny your release. I can do that for hours just to teach you a lesson.”
The pressure was instantly gone, providing Liam little relief.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we have to stop.” He drew in a deep breath and adjusted himself, thinking of the only thing guaranteed to kill his raging hard-on.
Jackson’s image popped into his head, and his cock softened faster than a deflating balloon.
“How did you lose your boner so fast?” Teagan poked at Liam’s groin as if astonished.
“It’s easy if you have the right tools.” Fucking great.
One poke from his brat and his cock was ready to poke back.
“Keep your wandering fingers away from my prick unless you’re willing to finish what you started.
” He adjusted himself again. “As much as I like you playing with it, a man’s got his limits before things pop off. ”
“You don’t turn furry during sex, do you?” Hayden asked with a grimace. “I’d be willing to try meeting your wolf but not during sexy times.”
“Can I see your claws again?” Teagan asked. “Now that I know you have them, I’m pretty sure I won’t pass out again. Almost sure. Maybe ninety or even ninety-five percent certain.”
Liam liked the fact that his mates were trying to get to know his beast. It was a part of who he was, and eventually they would have to meet it and become comfortable in its presence.
“You sure you’re ready for a full shift?” Liam asked. “I don’t want you passing out again.”
“That’s because you caught me off guard. I know the truth now,” Teagan argued.
Liam yanked his shirt over his head, trusting his mates to know what they wanted.
“What’re you doing?” Hayden’s eyes widened, his gaze bouncing between Liam’s chest and his eyes.
“Clothes shred when we shift. I’m gonna need something to wear home.”
“Makes…sense.” Teagan stood there, staring like his brain had blue-screened. Liam grinned when he flexed a pec and his mate squeaked.
Hayden poked the other one. “It’s made of steel. Mine squishes in a little when you touch it.”
“I don’t have a damn thing to poke unless you count my nipples.” Teagan peeked down his own shirt. “All flat planes as far as the eyes can see.”
“Your flat planes look good on you.” Liam winked. “Now do I finish undressing so I can shift, or do you want to keep pointing out our differences? You two are perfect. We’re like the three bears.”
“Would that make me mama bear?” Hayden frowned.
“At least he’s not calling you baby bear,” Teagan argued.
Liam ignored them and kicked off his boots then slid his pants down his legs, using the counter to steady himself as he took them the rest of the way off.
He was not about to get pulled into a conversation about who was which bear.
All he’d been trying to say was he liked how different they were, not insult anyone.
After tossing his underwear toward his jeans, he straightened, realizing the room had gone silent.
Teagan slowly licked his lips, his gaze sweeping appreciatively over Liam. Hayden was studying him, making Liam wonder if he was making a few more comparisons in his head.
“I take back what I said,” Teagan murmured. “I feel a little lightheaded. If I faint, make sure Liam’s dick catches me.”
* * * *
Liam paused in the doorway, heart squeezing at the sight before him.
Teagan was already naked, pale skin glowing against the soft light as he leaned over a storage box by the wall, muttering to himself.
His blond hair hung wild across his forehead, a flash of pink tongue appearing when he finally pulled free the bottle of lube with happy little grin.
Hayden, on the other hand, was locked in a losing battle with his jeans. One leg was off, but the other was tangled stubbornly around his ankle like it refused to be evicted. He hopped once, cursed softly, then grabbed at the wall for balance.
A smile tugged at the corners of Liam’s mouth then grew a little wider at how domestic this already felt. “You need a hand there, kitten?”
“I can handle stripping off a lousy pair of pants.” Hayden’s voice tightened with concentration, switching from pulling to swinging his leg wildly. “Don’t you guys dare start without me. I got this.”
The jeans begged to differ. Another tug, another hop, then he nearly toppled over before catching himself on the dresser. Liam was itching to help but forced down the offer. Some battles he had to let his mates fight.
Denim was clearly one of them.
With amusement in his eyes, Teagan watched, bottle of lube clutched tightly in his hand. “Looks like you’ve really got it.”
“Not helping.” Hayden gave one last yank, the denim finally giving way with a loud rip. He stared down at the torn leg, chest rising fast. “Perfect. This better not be an indication of how my night’s going to go.”
Leaning against the doorframe, Liam shook his head, his smile breaking free this time. “Those jeans never stood a chance. Nice defeat.”
Teagan chuckled while Hayden’s arm shot up, the jeans clutch in his fist, his expression radiating triumph.
If this was how they acted on any given night, Liam was the luckiest bastard alive. “Now that you’ve won your hard-fought battle, plan on joining us? Or is there another pair of jeans in desperate waiting to take you on?”
Hayden’s Adam’s apple bobbed with a slow swallow, arm lowering, jeans hitting the floor.
“Somebody better make the first move, or I’ll just start doing myself.” Teagan walked toward the bed, Liam’s gaze zeroing in on naked ass.