Page 14

Chapter fourteen

Callan

I don’t say a word on the drive, just focus on finding the familiar roads.

It takes us about two and a half hours to drive from Greene back to the place where Raider, Kit, and I grew up. Good old Ashgrove. Our quaint little backwards town left scars on all three of us.

Wren looks around curiously, and I finally relent from my rigid silence.

“That driveway is to Justice Farm. Raider’s family lives there.”

“I always thought he was a city boy?”

“No, he was born and raised on a horse farm. They used to have sheep and other animals, but they decided to lean towards raising horses and giving people a respite from the world.”

I continue driving until we reach the town. It’s a small town, nothing much changes, even in the years I’ve been gone. You’re driving along, and then, the next thing you know, you’re in it, and, if you blink, you might miss it. I try to imagine it from a stranger’s eyes, but I can’t.

I have so much hatred for this town. So much rage.

For an unknown reason, I drive to the school and stop in the carpark. It’s holidays. None of the kids are here, so we’ve got an uninterrupted view of the gym.

“The kids come by bus from all the surrounding towns, but most people know each other. It’s like that here. Kit was smaller for his age. It didn’t matter so much when he didn’t have a designation, but it mattered when he presented as alpha. He’s strong. He hides it, he doesn’t use the bark, and he doesn’t feel the same driving aggression that I have. ”

“Kit is special,” Wren says slowly.

“Kit is incredible. He’s my soulmate, my savior. He’s the reason I get up every morning. But, for a long time, I was the only one who could see that. And what kids see as different, they see as weakness.”

“They hurt him?”

“They bashed him up, called him names, took his books, vandalized his belongings, stripped him naked, and humiliated him. And there was nothing I could do. I tried, fuck, I tried so hard. But I was one against so many.”

“They hurt you, too,” Wren murmurs.

It’s not a question, so I don’t answer it. I swallow hard, trying to push the memories away, my fingers curling around the steering wheel until my knuckles are white.

“Freddy was the worst. He led the charge. They’d lock me in a locker, and I would be in there, screaming, banging my fists until they ended up bloody, listening to Kit scream. Every time it happened, I would wonder if today was the day that I’d come out and find him dead on the floor. It was horrific, and it never seemed to end.”

“Callan,” Wren whispers. He reaches across and puts a hand on my thigh.

“Raider came along, and he was bigger, an alpha, a sports guy, and incredibly handsome. Besides, no one wanted to mess with Raider because, if you messed with Raider, you had to face Kelly, and Kelly was terrifying. He’s older and sophisticated, but the alpha in him has a deadly aura, especially before he learned how to hide it. Most of everyone backed off, but not Freddy. He just would not give up. ”

“Kelly? His name keeps coming up. What’s the story there?”

“Kelly…is a story for another day, but Freddy, he is a nightmare that won’t end. The bullying didn’t stop, but Raider turned the tides, and he evened it. There is nothing quite so terrifying as Raider when he’s full of fury. I saw him charge into a group and take down half of them before the teachers appeared to stop it. They would try to punish him, but if Kelly was scary, having Wayne and Charles rock up to the school was something else. So, mostly, they ignored it.” I chuckle darkly at the memory of Raider’s rage.

“I see why you three are so close now. It makes sense. Who wouldn’t be close? It was you three against the world.”

Wren sighs, and his long fingers massage my thigh. I reach down, putting my hand over his, tentatively holding his hand.

“This town and this place, the whole damn town, is full of horrible memories, people who don’t accept us. Our blood, sweat, and tears are evidence of the torture that happened here. We fought so hard to get out and to go together. We made it. Even so, we keep getting dragged back here. Freddy was investigated for breaking Kit’s arm, one of the kids had talked to his parents over it. While they were searching, they discovered he was selling drugs, so he ended up in prison. It was a huge thing, and it happened right before we graduated. Just as Raider signed with the Demons.”

My words are bitter, but Wren undoes his seatbelt, leans across, and touches our lips together.

“Let me be the reminder that you got out. I won’t let anyone hurt you, Callan. Not ever again.”

His words make my heart expand.

“It’s that helpless inability to protect Kit that kills me,” I spit out. A woman walks past, and I recognise her from the local shop. Mrs Tammal. She used to turn a blind eye. I’ve got stories about all of them. “I feel I should warn you about what my father is like. He is loud, obnoxious, and has these backwards ideas of what alphas should look like. To him, Kit isn’t a person, he’s less than a person.”

“Firstly, we’re going to protect Kit together now. Second, I don’t give a shit about your father.” Wren pauses. “What is it about Kit that upsets them so much?”

I bark out a bitter laugh.

“Because he’s an alpha who doesn’t act or look like an alpha. That’s enough for my dad and Freddy. Actually, I’m not sure about Freddy, his fixation bordered on psychotic, and it never made much sense.”

Wren growls, his fingers clenching on my thighs. He leans back and sighs, removing his hand. “My father wasn’t in my life. Mum was knocked up and found her pack. So the men who raised me aren’t my biological fathers, and they are loud and very inclusive and sometimes really embarrassing, but I’m really grateful to them right now. They are going to love Kit…and you.”

That sounds really nice, but there’s some hesitation in his voice.

“Haven’t you spoken to them recently?”

Wren clenches his jaw and shakes his head. “No.”

“Why?”

He closes his eyes. “A year ago, I was in a relationship with an omega.” He sucks in air through his teeth. “She didn’t want me. She was trying to get to one of my dads.”

My eyes widen, and I frantically try to think of something to say.

“It wasn’t serious, but it was just a series of situations where I…”

He trails off, pulling a face.

“Where people just kind of forget about you? Use you?”

Wren’s expression collapses in relief. “Yes. Exactly. My parents put my sisters first, and that’s to be expected, but I didn’t have many friends growing up. My best friend is married to the eldest of my sisters. Even my coach traded me for a rookie. My girlfriend was trying to fuck my dad. It’s just a lot. I wanted to be first and important to someone, to anyone. ”

“That’s why you keep everyone at arm’s length,” I murmur. “You are important to me.”

Wren holds my eyes for a long moment and then looks away.

“People can’t disappoint you if you don’t expect anything from them.”

“Wren, you can trust us. It’s the four of us against the world.” I don’t include Ryann, even though everything in me wants to.

“How would that even work? You guys have known each other for years, and I, well, I-”

I silence him with a kiss. He tangles his fingers in my hair and drags me closer. We break apart, panting.

“Us four against the world,” I reiterate. “You’re going to stay with us.”

“Yes. I don’t think I have a choice.” Wren heaves a sigh, his touch gentling as he looks between my eyes. He strokes my bottom lip with his thumb.

“You’re my scent matches. I can’t even get you out of my thoughts, and I don’t know how I’d get you out of my head.”

He inches towards me. I watch the deep grey colour in his eyes soften and turn into something warmer.

When our lips finally meet again, this time, in a heart-wrenchingly soft kiss, I remember the first time I met him, at Raider’s practice. He was on the ice, and I was walking down the stairs. I’d stopped, he’d stopped, and we’d just stared at each other.

Instant.

I catch his bottom lip, sucking lightly before letting go and pulling back.

“Let’s go see my dad so we can go home.”

Wren flashes that smile that melts my insides. For some reason, it hadn’t occurred to me that he’d be into me, too. I assumed I was harboring a one-sided crush.

I drive to my dad’s and try to summon the rage I’d felt coming down here. He meets us on the porch, scowling at me. He’s got a stained white singlet on with a checkered flannel shirt and dirty jeans. My dad is a freaking mess, but he’s my dad.

“What are you wearing?”

I look down at the cardigan and slacks. “Clothes.”

“You look like a damn omega.”

I glance at Wren, whose expression starts slowly darkening.

“We need to talk!” I snarl at my father before he can attack Wren.

“And what’s this about you dating the omega boy? It’s in all the papers. I thought I told you to keep that shit to yourself.”

I stumble as I take a step forward. “What?”

“Don’t call- ”

I grip Wren’s forearm hard. “What did you say, Dad?”

He holds out his phone. “It’s on the news everywhere. You and Raider are dating that brat! I knew there was something wrong there. I should never have let you move.”

I ignore him, instead using his distractedness to snatch his phone out of his hands. I’m deaf to his shouts as I scan article after article.

“Oh, no,” I breathe.

Whoever revealed the truth was someone who was close. They’ve got most of the details right. They’ve got interviews with our school bullies. Aw, fuck, they even approached Raider’s family, my dad is quoted here as saying ‘no son of his would be with a sissy omega boy like Kit.’ I let out a hysterical laugh as I read about Raider’s lies and Kit’s failed career. And then I read the next bit.

They include Wren.

How do they know? I frantically read all the information, but I can’t see anything that would indicate who has betrayed us.

“We need to get back!” I say absently, handing back the phone.

“What did you come here for? And we ain’t finished!”

I turn on my dad, and the huge man I spent most of my life in fear of is suddenly just a small, old, scared man who has nothing and no one else.

“If you want me to stay in your life, you need to accept Kit. No more name calling, no more snide comments, you need to treat him nicely. I’m serious this time, Dad, I’ve had enough.”

“I will never-”

“Or you will be alone forever because I won’t come back.”

My dad pauses, his eyes are washed out blue and bloodshot, his skin weathered. Our home is small, but I lived there all my life, and my dad grew up in that house, too. My mother’s presence was a light that was there and gone too fast. Her touch and influence left an impression, but the pain of losing her destroyed my father’s ability to be happy. I can understand why he is the person he is. But understanding doesn’t mean acceptance.

Is that why I’ve been so tolerant of his vileness? Because of my mother?

But understanding and allowing him to behave like this isn’t right, and I have had enough. This has been a long time coming, and I should have done it a long time ago.

“Think about it, Dad. Mum would have been so ashamed right now. Let me know when you’re ready to apologise to Kit, Dad, and we can speak. Until then,” I really look at him, the grey hair, the weight he carries on his belly, and I see a stranger, and I regret so much, but not this, “don’t ring me, and lose Kit’s number.”

I turn away from the lost look in his eyes and get back in the car. Wren has barely got his seatbelt on before I’m driving back to Greene .

“You want to tell me what’s going on?”

“Someone outed us. We didn’t tell anyone because Raider was so famous, and Kit was so insecure. It was all supposed to be kept quiet. We need to get back before they realise there is something going on. Shit! Kit is going to lose it. Who the hell told?”

“Who knows?”

“Basically, no one.”

“Look, it doesn’t matter who spilled it, what matters is making sure that Kit’s okay.” Wren pauses.

“And Raider,” I say with numb lips.

“And Raider.”

Neither of us mention Ryann, but I’m sure she’s on his mind as strongly as she’s on mine. She’s a question mark. An enigma that isn’t certain yet, but I want her to be.

The drive seems to take four times longer to get home than it did to get here, and I think I see even less than I did the first time.

The panic I feel has me imagining the worst.

Wren thankfully sits fairly quietly, but he keeps his hand on my thigh, a solid comfort.

I park the car and rush into the house, only to find the three of them passed out on the couch. I sag against the wall, just watching them.

“They don’t know yet.”

Wren grabs my wrist and tugs me insistently. I turn, a questioning look on him, but he tilts his head towards the kitchen.

I follow him and gasp when he spins me so I’m pressed up against the counter. I look up at him and gape as he slowly drops to his knees.

“You’re far too stressed, Alpha.”

He undoes my belt and pants and tugs them down. I didn’t think anything today could get me hard, but this is working for me.

Hold on, wait.

I don’t want pity sex.

“Wait!” I say and grab his hair, tugging him away from me.

Wren looks up at me. This rugged, cold, and temperamental alpha is on his knees for me, and I’m telling him to wait. I must be crazy.

“Why?”

“I don’t want you to do this because you feel bad.”

Wren growls. The sound is one of pure warning. “I’m doing this because I want to, but I’ve been thinking about it for weeks. Since I saw you. All I wanted to do was get a taste of you, Callan.”

I shudder and slowly remove my hand from his hair .

“Have you been thinking about me?”

“Yes!” I admit and lick my lips.

“About me doing this?”

I nod my head, swallow hard, and clear my throat. “Yes.”

“Good. I’ve been lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering what you taste like. What your cock looks like, and what sounds you make when you come.”

I pant and watch as he drags my boxers down inch by inch. The tip of my cock appears, glistening with pre-cum. He drags my boxers off but doesn’t take his eyes off my dick.

I’m breathing hard, and he hasn’t even touched me yet.

“Alpha,” I murmur. “Are you going to just look at it?”

“I’m thinking about it. You have a perfect cock, Callan.”

Fuck, are my cheeks are red as they feel? My cock bobs, and Wren must decide to take pity on me because he slides his hands from my knees up to my thighs, over my balls, and then away, circling up over my stomach.

I peel my top off, needing there to be no barriers between his hands and my skin. I suck in my stomach as his hands graze over my hips, wincing slightly because I’m ticklish.

“Your cock is mine now, Callan.”

“Can I borrow it when you’re done?”

I jerk my eyes up and find Ryann leaning on the door frame, watching us.

“Sure can, darl, but, first, I have to get me a taste of this.”

Wren grips my cock, and the feel of his huge, hot, callused hand wrapping around me has me with black around the edges of my vision.

But now I’m aware of her, too. I watch her as she watches Wren take me deep into his throat. Her hand clenching on the wood frame as Wren chokes and gags.

She moves in closer as I knot my fingers in his hair, pulling his face to my groin, holding him there as his throat chokes my cock.

I let go, and Wren moans and devours me with a ferocity that drives me straight into an orgasm I wasn’t ready to give him. I thrust into his mouth, out of control, sobbing for breath.

Wren slowly releases my cock, allowing it to slip out of his mouth. He licks his lips, his pupils are huge and his cheeks flushed.

“Have you come to have a taste, felon?”

He looks so fucking hot I pant, holding onto the counter, glaring at the smug alpha on his knees.

“How long does your refractory period last for, Alpha?” Wren asks with a purr.

My eyes widen as Ryann drops to her knees. Whatever it was, I bet it’s going to be non-existent now.