Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Ilooked her up and down. “You mean as you did earlier?”
“That was me protecting you, asswipe. Now, shut it with all the questions, and focus. Your wolf is probably itching to get out.” She motioned with her hands.
I felt the other being below the surface, but I didn’t feel threatened by it. “Yeah, it’s like he’s crouched and waiting for something.”
On my back porch, I had a large open area with a fire pit surrounded by low chairs.
Off to the side, I had a built-in barbecue grill and pizza oven.
I eyed the best spot for my first shift and decided the open yard was the smartest choice.
Never one to be self-conscious about my body, I stripped out of my shirt and jeans, leaving my boxer briefs on until Lyric joined me.
A deep exhale, and she was next to me, shrugging out of my sweats and tossing my shirt onto the grass, standing in nothing but her perfect, unblemished skin. I couldn’t help but stare as she held her head high and her gaze pinned me in place.
“Eyes up here,” Lyric said.
I rubbed my hand across my mouth. “You went commando.”
Standing there with her hands on her naked hips, Lyric narrowed her gaze. “Your underwear wouldn’t have fit me, and there was no way I was putting on dirty ones.”
The word dirty, coming out of her mouth, conjured up all kinds of naughty thoughts and caused an immediate and noticeable reaction in my briefs. “Eyes up here, darlin’,” I teased.
“Kinda difficult when that thing is ready to spring out and bite someone.”
“Don’t make promises you ain’t willing to follow through.”
“Stop thinking with your little head and focus. You do not want to end up stuck, shifted in between man and wolf.”
I couldn’t tell if she was telling the truth. Erring on the side of caution, I tore my eyes away from her hard-tipped nipples. I listened as she instructed me on how to find my wolf and let the beast have control, but not to lose myself in it. To say I was scared was putting it mildly.
She agreed to go first, hoping her wolf would be able to communicate with mine.
I wasn’t convinced, but I felt a stirring in my mind.
The creature was ready to come out and tried to reassure me.
As I watched Lyric shift, I didn’t hear her bones popping, but it wasn’t a pretty sight to behold, either.
It didn’t take but a minute before a blonde colored wolf stood where she’d been standing.
Before I could reach out to touch her, my own wolf began taking over. I took a deep breath and let go.
The pain was worse than I’d expected. What seemed like hours later, but couldn’t have been more than a few minutes, I found myself lying in the cool grass, looking down upon paws.
There was another being in control of my body, where I was more of a backseat passenger.
I remembered what Lyric had told me about asserting my dominance, ensuring the wolf didn’t take over completely.
An instant recognition flowed inside me.
Once I was sure I could stand without falling over, I got up.
I smelled the familiar scent of Lyric, close yet far enough away that I was aware she was leery of my reactions.
Hunt, kill, and fuck she’d said. I lifted my nose and scented prey near the back forty of my property, close, yet I wanted to run in my new form.
With what I hoped was a nod, I headed off in the direction I wanted to go.
We spent a long time running and then stopped to get a much-needed drink at a creek that bordered my land.
I nudged Lyric when she got too close to my neighbor’s electric fence, scared she’d get injured.
Her answering nip to my flank had me turning to nip her back, only to come up short when I scented other wolves.
Their howls made the hair on my back stand up, and I sensed Lyric’s worry.
I wanted to shift and reassure her all would be fine, but those howls were heading straight for us.
From Lyric’s body language, she knew who was coming, and although they weren’t the bad guys, she obviously wasn’t prepared for them.
I knew my land like I knew the back of my hand, but being new to the shifter world, I wasn’t sure what they could do that I couldn’t.
Hell, I wasn’t positive I could shift back to human yet, let alone on command.
I stood next to Lyric, her smaller wolven body barely reaching my belly, waiting for whoever was coming.
We didn’t have to wait long before two huge wolves stalked into the clearing by the creek.
I assumed the large blond one was Lyric’s brother, since he smelled similar to her.
The other was a huge black wolf that exuded power and strength.
I had no doubt the two men were the most powerful wolves of the pack.
I would not show fear to them. The military didn’t allow such thoughts, and I wouldn’t betray my training tonight.
The black wolf shifted almost seamlessly. “Lyric, I suggest you shift now, girl. You’ve got some explaining to do.”
Not liking the way the big dark man spoke to my woman, I shifted first, blocking her from their view.
I raised my eyebrows at the show of protection.
The other man was a little taller than Xan and me, with muscles upon muscles, and not a tattoo in sight.
I wondered what the other man was thinking as he stared back at me.
I made no apologies for my looks or my behavior.
From what we’d learned in the last couple of hours, Rowan was a military man with a long list of honors behind him.
He’d inherited his home and land and ran some sort of security business.
Basically, he was the polar opposite of my pack and me.
“Hello, Rowan. Welcome to my pack. I see you’ve shifted,” I said, indicating the sweat rolling down the other man’s temple.
Although he was putting up a really good front, shifting hurt like a motherfucker for newly made shifters.
I usually connected with my packmates during their first shift and helped them through the pain, taking some of it on myself.
As the alpha, I was the only one with the ability to do so, although Arynn, our omega, could also, to an extent.
“I don’t know the rules. Am I supposed to do something here? Do we see who can piss longer or what?”
“Xan can piss longer, as a matter of fact. Can’t you, Xan?
” I had felt my best friend shift, but I’d also seen the way Rowan had subtly moved his body, keeping both me and Xan in his sights.
“Let’s stop playing games and get this show on the road.
Are we gonna kill him or slap him on the back and welcome him with some good ole boy drinking?
I’d say fucking, but I don’t think I could let him live if he touched my baby sister back there. ”
I had smelled no mating between Lyric and Rowan, which was good for the new shifter.
I didn’t think I could keep my second from killing the man if he’d done the dirty with Lyric.
Of course, I wouldn’t have blamed the man.
Lyric was one of the most gorgeous women I’d seen.
Sweet, sexy, and sassy wrapped in a small package sure to kick your ass, just like my sister Syn.
“Shift back so we aren’t standing with our junk hanging in the wind,” I said. I waited for Xan to shift, knowing my best friend was laughing. “You go first, and I’ll help you, and before you say something manly like, I don’t need help, believe me, you do.”
“You really will need his help, Rowan. I can’t do what he does as our alpha.” Lyric’s soft voice broke through their silent stare down.
“Girl, you are so gonna get your ass beat by brother here if you don’t quit pressing your naked ass against his naked ass,” I warned.
“Technically, it’s my naked front against his naked ass,” Lyric said, but shifted before Xan shifted back to human and followed through with the threat.
Her brother’s growl was more anger than menacing, which I understood. If Syn was getting up close and comfy with some nude dude, I’d want to take a bite out of the man’s hide, too.
Rowan shook out his hands and rolled his head around like he was getting ready for a fight.
He exhaled loudly and then inhaled. I wasn’t sure what the fuck the guy thought was going to happen.
I’d always been the less talk, more action type guy myself.
Without pausing, I opened myself to Rowan, barreling into the mind of the wolf and taking over the shift.
Fuck! Three shifts in one night, and I still had to do it again when we got back to the house.
Rowan was probably crying like a bitch and wishing for death right about now.
Only I didn’t find him cowering in the corner of his mind.
The man was trying to handle the pain without showing any outward signs.
Obviously, Uncle Sam’s training was paying off.
After I made sure Rowan could hold the shift, I opened a connection to all three of my pack members.
All right, my minions, follow me and don’t fuck around. I’m not in the mood to hunt, kill, or fuck Bambi.
Dude, that is messed up on a level even Bodhi ain’t messed up on. Xan nudged me in the side.
Who wants to fuck Bambi? Unless she’s some new hot chick?
What is going on? Why can I hear you in my head? Rowan asked.
That’s the power of the alpha. Sorry, I sorta screwed you by not taking you to him for your first shift. I just thought we’d have a few days. Lyric’s voice sounded apologetic.
We will talk about it when we get to Rowan’s. I didn’t allow any room for arguments.
With Xan taking the lead, I nipped Lyric, letting her know without words I wanted her to follow.
Rowan, still in protective mode, would follow — of that I had no doubt.
I understood more about Rowan in the moments I was inside his mind than I’d ever get talking to the man for days or weeks in a deep interrogation session.
The man was definitely in lust with Lyric, and, if I wasn’t missing my mark, they were meant to be mates.
Things were about to get interesting. I kept my chuckle to myself, knowing my best friend was gonna be one pissed-off big brother when he realized his baby sister was about to be mated.
At the back deck, Xan shifted quickly, holding out a blanket for Lyric as if he wanted to hide her nudity from Rowan.
I wanted to laugh at the audacity of my second.
We were naked more often than not, especially when we shifted.
The fact that he was acting like the big brother protecting his sister’s virtue was comical.
I wondered if Lyric would do the same if roles were reversed.
I pictured what she’d have done if she’d seen Xan fucking the chick before we’d gotten the call about the attack at the bar.
I already knew what Lyric would’ve done, and the answer was the same as Syn.
Nothing. They’d walked in on more than one woman bouncing on their brothers’ dicks over the years and done nothing more than tell them to wear protection or lock the door next time.
Lyric ignored Xan’s outstretched arms and pulled on what were obviously men’s sweats and a shirt.
Xan growled, but she folded her arms and glowered at him.
I ignored them and focused on helping Rowan do his final shift of the night.
The man may be the most stoic male I’d ever met, but he was still newly made.
Using my connection, I took on some of the pain and helped Rowan focus on becoming human once again.
We shifted at the same time. I was there to catch him when Rowan stumbled, his strength finally giving out.
“Fuck, I feel like I was waterboarded and left for dead.” Rowan scrubbed a hand down his face.
“Does that happen to you often? The waterboarding thing?” Xan asked.
“Shit, I…forget I said that.”
Lyric handed Rowan his jeans, as a mate should do, in my mind.
“All right, let’s take this party inside.
” I swiped up my own pants, put them on, and checked my cell phone.
“Shit, we got trouble.” I showed Xan my phone.
We had a text from Arynn that one of our females was missing.
“Change of plans, kids. Lyric, I know you’ve got Pixie here somewhere?
” At her nod, I looked at Rowan and knew the man was in no condition to drive.
“You want to leave her here and drive him, or you want Xan to drive your guy back to the clubhouse?”
“I can drive myself. Or, better yet, I’ll just stay here,” Rowan said.
I looked down where Rowan had parked his ass on the first step. “Sure thing, and flying monkeys are coming out of my ass. What’s it gonna be, Lyric?”
“How did you find us?” she asked.
“We have a locator on all the vehicles. Before you ask something that will more than likely piss me off, no, we don’t check up on you girls.
It’s for emergencies only.” I took in her indignant expression.
“I never unloaded my bike from his truck, so I’ll drive us. ” Lyric dug her toe into the ground.
I nodded. “You will follow me, and make no detours, little girl.” I didn’t think she’d disagree with me or challenge my authority, but, just in case, I made sure she understood it was an order.
“Do we have time to pack him a bag, Alpha?” Snark rang clear in her voice. She didn’t wait for me — I didn’t expect her to.
Rowan watched her stomp into the house, and Xan couldn’t hide his amusement either. “Someone needs to put her over their knee,” I growled.
Rowan pulled himself up off the step. “Nobody will be touching her.”
I laughed as Rowan got up in my face, his threat holding real heat. Yeah, he was going to make a great addition to the pack once he found his place. “Boy, you ain’t big enough to take me on today. Now, settle down and wait for Lyric to come back with a bag so we can scat.”
“Shit, he’s got some balls. Maybe we need to see how he does in the ring against one of us.” Xan rubbed his hands together.
I grunted.