Chapter 3
PLOT-RELEVANT BALL EXAM
Killian yanked his hand back like he had been burned. Oh gods I squished his balls in the middle of a CAR CHASE.
He wrung his hands and stared at Crush’s crotch, waiting for the dreaded confirmation.
“You don’t... have to look at them,” Crush said stiltedly, his gaze focused on the road. They made another sharp turn.
Were his eyes... watering?
Oh gods I crushed his balls. What if he can never make babies again?
Do I owe him a baby?
Maybe if Crush’s balls were still intact, Killian wouldn’t owe him babies. He reached over and tried to straighten Crush’s gray sweatpants. But that only made the fabric stretch over his generous bulge, bringing its every curve into sharp relief.
“Is it okay?” Killian asked anxiously, poking the girthy length with a finger. “Wait. I’m poking the wrong thing. I should be poking your balls—”
His brain came back online.
“Oh gods I just poked your cock!”
Crush’s face was red.
“Oh gods,” Mathlin mumbled in the back seat. “This is a disaster.”
“I was gonna poke your balls,” Killian whispered in abject mortification. “Did I pop them? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
Crush swung the car down another street, then reached between his legs and hefted his sac through his sweatpants.
He fingered one ball, then the other, their round shapes outlined through the fabric.
Killian had never even seen an alpha’s balls in such detail.
They looked heavy. And big. And... there was no blood.
Right, I was gonna check for blood, Killian thought. Except he couldn’t help but notice—Crush’s balls looked big enough to store a few good loads. Like he could keep pumping—
“Nope! I’m not going there,” Killian yelped, yanking his eyeballs back to the road.
“We’re not talking about this. I’m not gonna point out that your shirt is gonna burst; your biceps are stretching out your sleeves like when a huge toy stretches out my butthole.
When you take off your shirt, your sleeves are gonna gape. ”
Mathlin made a choking sound.
Killian frowned. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had a big toy up your ass.”
“I thought you were talking about his shirt,” Mathlin wheezed.
“Oh. Wait. No! I wasn’t. I’m not noticing. I’m not gonna point out that his pecs are going to explode out of his shirt, they’re so thick.”
Crush’s eyes had grown wide. Wait. Had Killian just said that all aloud?
“I need to stop talking,” Killian blurted.
But his mouth just kept going. “Your shoulders are like those ski slopes in the mountains. I rolled down one of those once. No broken bones, but I had a sore butt for days. And your shirt is hiding your abs but I know they’re there, like those Hawaiian rolls all stuck together so rectangular and perfect.
You know, you can pour gravy down those grooves and lick it up?
And... and your thighs. They’re really muscly.
Like they could crush a watermelon. I hope they don’t crush your balls; your balls are big but luckily they’re not watermelon-sized—”
“Killian,” Mathlin groaned. “You need to stop. You’re saying all this out loud. He heard everything.”
Killian stopped, his mouth frozen around his next word. “He... You... heard?”
Crush shrugged, his face still red.
“Oh big humping rabbit gods of jizz,” Killian whispered. “At least I haven’t mentioned the exact size and shape of my hole?”
“You said that aloud too,” Mathlin said. “This is like a million train wrecks being blasted by a volcano.”
Killian buried his face in his hands. “I’ve probably flushed away all his respect for me; it’s so far down the toilet, it’s in the sewers on the way to the ocean.”
“I still respect you,” Crush said carefully. “That has not changed.”
Relief flooded Killian. “Oh thank the humping rabbit gods.”
Crush cleared his throat. “So. Who are those guys on our tail?”
Killian cringed and blinked himself back to the situation. Crush was still speeding, still running red lights, taking twists and turns through the streets of Cartfalls. Funny how Killian had settled so easily into the car chase, he’d even forgotten about it.
“Um, people from my past,” he said uncomfortably. “They’re dangerous. But you already knew that. I don’t know who they recruited to help them though, so I can’t give you a list of abilities to watch out for.”
Crush hummed. “Tell you what. Text the group chat. Ask someone to meet us at the Twin Buns bakery outside Cartfalls. We’ll drop Mathlin off with them, and you and I will deal with your problem. But warn them that we might take a while; we’re trying to shake off the tails.”
Killian grimaced. “I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time. Crap! You probably had other plans for today.”
Crush shrugged and continued to drive.
“And... And there are probably bullet holes in your car,” Killian said miserably. “I can’t pay you back for that. I have what’s left of my allowance—”
Crush held up one hand. “Don’t. You don’t have to pay me back.”
“But why would you spend all this money on me?” Killian cried.
The alpha was quiet for a while. “I’ve been wanting to do something good for you, ever since we met at the kidnappers’ den. But I wasn’t sure how I could help, and I didn’t want to contact you at a bad time.”
“That’s... That’s really nice of you,” Killian said, humbled. “And yet here I am, squashing your balls.”
Crush huffed. “Didn’t we agree not to talk about that?”
“I should be responsible for it! I mean, if I broke your balls and you can no longer make babies...” Killian blushed when Crush raised an eyebrow. “I’m just saying that I’ll help you get a baby if you ever want one.”
“Hmm.” Crush’s eyes darkened. “Let me think about it.”
Killian ducked his head and texted the alpha chat. Then he remembered something else. “Um, you never gave me an answer. Do you have a gun?”
Again, Crush gave him that sharp, penetrating look. “I have a couple.”
“Do you have ammo for them? Spare mags?”
“Two boxes of ammo for each gun, and two spare mags.” Crush paused. “You know that I’ll protect you, right?”
Killian’s heart skipped. “I can’t ask you to drop everything for my sake. You can’t protect me 24/7.”
“That’s what I’ll be doing anyway, whether you like it or not.”
A hot blush flooded Killian’s cheeks. No one had offered to do that for him before. “Even if the bad guys don’t stop coming?”
“Especially then.”
“Oh.” Killian tried to hide his blush. He added a few more requests to the alpha chat, then tucked his phone away.
Crush took them down some side roads and blew through more red lights. But it was only when they were heading out of Cartfalls, when the gunfire had tapered off, that Killian began to relax.
Not fully, though. Not until he knew for sure that they were safe.
Crush reached over and opened the glove box. “There.”
Tucked into the shadowy space was a semi-automatic, sized for alpha hands. Killian picked it up and turned it over. It was a good model; it had been in production for several years. Crush had kept it well-maintained.
Killian took it apart anyway in a field strip, running his fingertips along the nooks and crannies. The gun wasn’t sparkling clean, but it would work for their purposes.
He counted the bullets in the magazine. Then he put the gun back together, feeling slightly better with it in his hands.
“No hesitation,” Crush murmured. “No wasted movement. Have you shot a person before?”
He looked... almost admiring.
Killian breathed out. “Are you going to kick me out of the car if I say yes?”
“Nah.” Crush shrugged, so at ease that some of the tension drained out of Killian’s shoulders.
“Then yes,” Killian said. “I have.”
Mathlin gasped in the back seat. “You’ve shot someone?!”
Killian sighed. “I was in a bad situation. It’s why I got out.” Before Mathlin could open his mouth and ask more questions, Killian shook his head. “I’m not talking about it. Not even Walren and the rest know this much.”
He felt Crush’s curiosity like a live thing, prickling across his skin.
“Spare mag is in the glove box too,” Crush said. “Everything else is where we’re headed after this.”
Killian blinked. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere your past won’t catch up, hopefully.” Crush gave a wry smile. “We’ll play it by ear.”
Killian nodded and dug around in the glove box until he found the spare magazine. It was full; he slid it into his pocket.
They passed the Twin Buns bakery soon after. Killian watched as it zoomed past, frowning. “Why...?”
“We’ll double back,” Crush said. “I’m making sure we’re not being followed.”
Not for the first time, Killian was thankful that they had bumped into Crush in that parking lot.
Some time later, they pulled up at the bakery, parking in the back so the car wasn’t visible from the highway.
Crush held up one hand when they began to open the doors. “Wait. Let me do a sweep.”
He got out of the car and jogged around the bakery. Then he nodded. Killian tumbled out of the car. Mathlin staggered out next to him, still looking pale.
“That was some crazy crap,” Mathlin said. “Like a roller coaster but with real stakes.”
Killian huffed. “Let’s just hope you don’t get dragged into this, too.”
They followed Crush over to a black SUV, with its open back door and an alpha standing next to it. Crush went up to him and clapped his shoulder. “Mathlin, this is Doc. He is not kidnapping you.”
“Oh good,” Mathlin said. “I don’t have money for a lawyer.”
Killian buried his face in his hands, snickering.
Doc smiled behind his medical mask, his eyes crinkling. He was big and muscly like Crush, but somehow, Crush was more handsome. Probably because Killian could see his face.
“I’m a doctor,” Doc said. “Does that make a difference?”
“I don’t have money for a doctor, either,” Mathlin announced. “And Killian owes me ice cream.”
“I’ll get you ice cream when I’m done with this crap,” Killian muttered.
To his surprise, Crush pulled a twenty out of his pocket and handed it to Mathlin. “That should cover it.”
“You didn’t have to,” Killian yelped. Mathlin cheered and waved the money above his head.
“We have bigger things to worry about.” Crush gave Doc a two-fingered salute, grasping Killian’s shoulder to turn him away. “C’mon, let’s get you breakfast, and we’ll hit the road.”
“Wait. Killian asked for a few things.” Doc reached into his car and shoved a car seat into Crush’s arms. Then he handed Killian a bag. “Uriel says you don’t have to pay for these.”
Crush raised an eyebrow. “What’s in the bag?”
Killian frowned. “But—”
Doc waved them off. “Get your food. We’re heading out.”
Crush glanced curiously at Killian’s bag. “Want to drop it off at the car?”
Killian chewed his lip and looked around. Twin Buns wasn’t completely isolated; there were a few other shops and restaurants nearby, surrounded by much larger parking lots than the businesses in town.
“I’d rather keep it on me,” Killian said. Just in case.
“Alright.” Crush tucked the car seat into the back seat of his car, then walked with Killian into the bakery.
Inside, Twin Buns was decorated with several wolf- and forest-themed knick-knacks.
A mural spanned one wall—of gray wolves running through a forest. Killian wanted to look around more, but his attention locked onto the brightly lit case full of treats.
It seemed to have everything—donuts, fritters, croissants, cookies, and even some cakes and scones.
“Crush!” said the alpha behind the counter. “Where have you been, deadbeat brother?”
Crush narrowed his eyes. “Don’t describe busy siblings as ‘deadbeat’.”
The alpha scoffed. Come to think of it, he looked a little feral, just like Crush, with slightly elongated canines and a layer of fuzz covering his skin.
“Yeah, and you’ve been away building car tracks again instead of checking in.
Dad’s asking if you’ve built yourself into an impenetrable tower of toy cars and jizz.
Get it? The cars are the bricks, and jizz is your mortar. ”
“Ugh!” Crush’s ears turned pink; he glanced at Killian and looked away just as quickly. “Shut up,” he hissed. “Maybe if you put more meat into your buns—”
Killian choked.
“I think you need to put your meat into some buns,” Crush’s brother said with an eyebrow waggle. “Who’s the cutie?”
Crush narrowed his eyes and turned toward Killian. “Killian, this is Titan. My accursed older brother.”
Titan leered, his nose twitching as he sniffed. “Pleased to make your acquaintance. Looks like no one’s claimed you yet—”
Crush growled, a full-bodied, throaty rumble that went all the way to Killian’s core.
Killian shuddered, fine hairs rising in pleasure.
Both alphas turned at the same time, their eyes locking onto Killian, noses twitching.
Killian froze. What the hell had they smelled?
“Not yours,” Crush hissed at Titan.
Titan smirked. He gestured at the case of baked goods. “Go on, pick out something before the hordes of hungry souls come charging in.”
“Actually.” Crush’s tone shifted. Titan’s smugness fell away the next second. “We’re on the run from some jerks. Best if we don’t stick around for too long. I don’t want them thrashing this place.”
Titan’s eyes flashed gold. “Yeah, that would suck.”
“Killian.” Crush met his gaze. “Does anything in here sound good to you?”
“The donuts and croissants,” Killian said immediately. “And the cakes.”
“Two of each,” Crush said to his brother. “Throw in some cookies too.”
Titan grabbed his largest box and began filling it. “Make the payment yourself. You know how to work the register.”
Crush counted out a few large notes and stuffed them into the tip jar.
“That’s so much money,” Killian yelped.
Crush shrugged and ducked behind the counter, grabbing two paper cups. “Sugar with your coffee, Kil?”
“All the sugar,” Killian said. “Milk too.”
Crush grabbed a handful of sugar packets and emptied them all into one cup. Then he added milk and coffee, popped a travel lid on it, and slid it over the counter to Killian. He poured himself a cup of black coffee.
Before Crush left the counter, he reached over, squeezing the back of Titan’s neck. Titan leaned into his touch.
“You should visit more often so you smell like pack,” Titan said. “Can’t be good for you to spend all that time alone.”
Crush shrugged and joined Killian in front of the counter. “I’ll try. Thanks, T. C’mon, let’s get going.”
The donut box was bulging when Titan handed it over. He pushed a tall cake box at them, too. “Shoo, scram. Text me so I know you’re still alive.”
“Will do,” Crush said. He wrapped his arm around Killian’s shoulders and all but dragged him out of the bakery.
They got Naddie and the bakery boxes strapped into the back seat. Scarcely had they turned back onto the highway, when Crush jerked his head to the side.
Killian’s senses screamed a warning; bullets slammed into the side of the car.
“Ah, fuck,” Crush said.