Page 7 of Hunter’s Sky (Hunter’s Creek #4)

Chapter Six

A nd of course, because his alpha was exactly that, Raschid arrived practically before Victor had finished his coffee. Mo looked startled at yet another new face, and Victor didn’t blame him. It had taken him a few months to get them all straight in his head. He could smell every different scent, of course, but he wasn’t like Raschid, who could immediately put a name to each one. Not that Victor wasn’t just as much an alpha as Raschid, but he wasn’t the pack’s alpha, so he didn’t have a physiological or emotional connection with them.

And what was he going to do about Zack? Victor had never heard of mates not knowing they were mates until they were in their shifted form. Mo didn’t have an animal, and Victor had known he was his mate the second he smelled him. Then he realized he’d started calling the bear by his name. Shit. He’d called him just “the bear” for months. Less personal, and yet now he’d used his name. It was all completely fucked.

He stood politely when Raschid came into the kitchen, frowning when he saw his alpha was alone. Raschid should never be out of the immediate pack area unaccompanied, especially at the moment. Raschid met his gaze. “Tarran is outside.”

Victor felt a little mollified. Tarran wasn’t bad. He had trained the man himself. Raschid walked over to Mo, who was gazing at him like a kid on Christmas Morning and Raschid held his hand out to shake.

The snarl was out of Victor’s throat before he knew what he was doing. Raschid met his gaze and, mortified, Victor immediately showed him his neck, cringing at his display of submission. But challenging his alpha? Raschid would be well within his rights to rip out Victor’s throat.

Then he stilled as he realized he wasn’t standing alone. Zack was also on his feet, although he remained silent, and just stood next to Victor, very close. Zack had moved, so he was shielding both him and Mo with his big frame. Victor was too stunned to speak, even when Raschid smiled politely at Mo, but withdrew his hand. No one had ever stood in front of Victor against any threat.

“Outside,” Raschid ordered quietly, and Victor’s heart sank.

He took one last glance at his mate and took a step, but Zack had moved again and was blocking him. Raschid glanced at Zack. “I am no threat to either of your mates, I just need to discuss pack business with my beta commander.”

Victor sidestepped Zack and went outside after his alpha, not looking Zack in the eyes.

He paused when Raschid turned to him, an amused smile on his face.

Victor stared at him in shock. “Alpha—”

But Raschid put his hand up. “No, that in there was my mistake. You made it obvious last night that the human is your mate, and if he had been a wolf, I would never have touched him. But you’re just as much an alpha as I am, and I shouldn’t have forgotten that. The bear is an interesting development, though.”

Victor groaned and his shoulders sagged. “You’re telling me.” Then he wanted to bite his tongue. Zack would have heard him.

“The only reason I asked you outside is to confirm the bear is also your mate? I am aware most of them inside can still hear us, but not the human. Sorry, Mo, I believe he prefers to be called?”

Victor nodded. Not that his alpha really needed any sort of confirmation with the way Victor was behaving.

“The immediate problem, well, for us, is logistics. I know you mentioned the cottage near here, but if your mate is truly in danger, it’s too isolated.”

Victor didn’t have a solution, but Raschid stunned him again by slapping him on the back. “Come on, let’s go back inside and discuss this.”

Victor followed him back into the house and met Mo’s anxious gaze. Zack didn’t bother looking him in the eye. Shit.

“Victor asked me about the spare cottage the pack has, but the development with Zack makes that impossible, as I’m sure Zack is aware.” And Victor understood. They were mates, and Zack had a son. They couldn’t take the child into any sort of risky situation.

“Because of Mattie,” Riley agreed.

“I’m not about to start putting kids at risk,” Mo chimed in.

“Of course not,” Raschid agreed calmly. “The simple solution is that the three of them stay here, and the pack will protect the property.”

Victor glanced at his alpha in shock.

“Apart from the fact that Victor is pack, which extends to his mates, even if the logistics are somewhat challenging, or the issue that Daniel informed me of this morning, there’s still the issue of the drugs and the high school, which also involve the pack.”

Victor heard Zack quickly explain to Mo what Raschid had told them last night. “No,” Mo said. “I absolutely won’t put any children in danger by staying here.” Victor almost smiled at the stubborn lift of Mo’s chin.

Raschid glanced at Zack questioningly. “Mo, we understand that. We really do, but the fact is, this place is already on their radar or they wouldn’t have left you here.”

“It was a warning,” Mo said. “We all know that.”

“We do,” Raschid confirmed. “But if you stay here, we can protect you.”

Mo opened his mouth to object, but Raschid shook his head. “My pack has over five hundred gamma wolves, many of them trained by Victor himself. Everyone is safer here.” Riley stood and pulled his phone out, his fingers flying over the keys.

“Five hundred?” Mo gaped. Victor was immensely relieved Raschid hadn’t pointed out the obvious. That neither Zack nor he could be apart from Mo, certainly not once they were bonded.

And what about him and Zack? He nearly missed what Riley said because the thought of him being bonded had stunned him so much. But now it was in his head. He tried to shift unobtrusively to give himself a little more room in his pants.

“But won’t your family object?” Mo asked.

Victor saw Riley and Zack exchange glances. “No,” they said almost simultaneously.

“It’s the best solution for the moment,” Riley said, and Raschid stood.

“Daniel said he would keep me informed. I will make sure you are protected.” They heard the door open and children’s voices, and Victor let out a breath of relief when he realized Christopher had brought the kids back. That was going to be another problem. The older kids couldn’t go to school while this was sorted out, either. And he guessed that was why Riley was texting. To warn everyone.

Christopher strolled back into the kitchen with what looked like half a dozen kids. He immediately went to shake Raschid’s hand. “Thank you,” he said, confirming that Riley had told him what was happening.

Raschid glanced at Victor. “Keep me informed.” Then he left.

“Let’s get you both settled,” Riley suggested.

“I can do that,” Zack said.

Mo glanced at both of them. “Both settled?”

Christopher chuckled and Riley joined in. “That’s definitely a private convo.”

“Mattie?” Zack said.

“In the playroom with Jamie,” Christopher confirmed. “Any problems, I’ll give you a shout, but you three need some time to talk.”

Did they ever, Victor thought. But what the hell was he going to say? And Zack had a son. Did that mean he’d been mated, but she’d died? Had the child’s presence kept Zack alive following his mate’s death? Or wasn’t the connection as strong in bears? He trailed after Zack, who was explaining the layout of the house to Mo and very obviously ignoring Victor, and he tried to distract his wolf with what to say once they got upstairs.

Because the combined scents of both his mates were driving his wolf mad. He could feel the animal pushing him forward. Now that his wolf was satisfied both his mates were safe for the moment, the urge to touch them was almost overpowering. And he didn’t mean holding hands like they had downstairs. He meant lots of bare skin to bare skin, preferably in a large bed with no interruptions.

Wolves were simple creatures. His alpha wolf had decided he had two mates, and he wanted to claim them immediately.

As if he’d said that thought out loud, Zack glanced back at him and inhaled, and Victor couldn’t look away. He didn’t even know how he’d gotten into the room Zack had led them all into without walking into a wall. Victor heard Mo talking, but from a distance, almost. He stood staring at Zack and letting Zack look his fill. Mo’s words trailed off as if he realized no one was listening, but then Victor caught Mo’s scent again, and before he’d even thought about it, he reached out to Mo, at the same time Zack did. His wolf was trying to take over because Victor was clearly being too slow. He pressed Mo against his chest as Zack stepped up close.

“Guys,” Mo said. “Not sure what…” But Mo’s words trailed off as Victor bent his head and buried his nose in Mo’s neck, nuzzling and scraping his cheek to scent-mark him.

Then he looked up and met Zack’s gaze. He reached out, pulling Zack nearer but keeping a hold on Mo with his other hand. Zack growled long and low in his still-human throat, but the sound was all dominance and possession, and Victor nearly moaned as his cock punched against his zipper. Then Zack bent his head, and their lips met, and Victor forgot about everything else.

Victor heard the growl from Zack at the same time as their lips fastened, but he didn’t stay there long, instead bending to take Mo’s as well, unable to resist the pull to both of them. He ignored the startled eep, but loved the way Mo seemed to sag against him. Zak moved and pulled Mo between them, then simply lifted him up to their height. Undeterred, Mo wrapped his legs around Victor and returned kiss for kiss while Zak simply tore the tee shirt Mo was wearing in half, then started kissing whatever skin was in front of him.

Mo bent his head back and Victor moved so Zack could kiss him again, but he felt Zack’s arms come around Mo’s front and, from the gasp and the shudder, he would guess Zack was playing with Mo’s nipples. Good to know he was this responsive. He felt Zack’s hands slide lower and into Mo’s waistband.

“Wait,” Victor said before Zack ripped those as well, but Zack must have worked it out, because the big man headed to the bed and pulled the comforter down. “Strip him,” Victor ordered and deposited Mo on the mattress.

“What?” Mo said and scrambled back. “I—” He blinked a couple of times, as if to clear the lust from his brain. Victor didn’t like it, but he had to listen to what his mate said. Mo looked from one to the other. “Both of you?”

“Both of us,” Victor said firmly, but Zack paused just as he went to undo his jeans, and Victor saw something that looked a lot like desolation in the big guy’s expression.

And he suddenly had a flash of Zack’s life. He might be a shifter and the mating pull in a shifter was like nothing else on the planet, but Zack had a son, a family. Victor didn’t know whether to envy him or feel sorry for him. Shifters could and did reject other pups. It was harsh, but it happened. He supposed that was the same in the human world.

Zack’s hands fell away from his jeans and he stood, fixing Mo with a false smile. “I’ll leave—”

“No,” Victor said, even though he could admit that earlier he’d wanted nothing else than to have the bear nowhere near him. He strode over to close the few paces between them and slid his hand behind Zak’s neck, yanking him close. “You’re mine as well, big guy, so you’d better get used to it.” And Victor took the surprisingly soft lips with his own, teased the man so they fell open, and swallowed the resulting groan. Victor had always been attracted to guys who were smaller than him, but the feel of Zack’s strength, his muscles, knowing he was letting Victor dictate the kiss, was such a huge rush that his head spun. He broke off when he heard the tiny sound from Mo, and took in his hurried breaths, the wide-eyed stare, and the flush that decorated his neck

“You’re our mate,” Victor said, and gestured to Zack. “Both of us.”

Mo frowned a little, then shook his head. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing’s going to happen if you say no,” Victor assured him. “You say no, and we go back downstairs.”

“I’m not a shifter,” Mo said, looking between them.

Victor reached over for him and cupped his chin. “Does that bother you?” He watched as Mo took an inhale and his pupils darkened. Whatever he was feeling, Victor would put money on the fact that he had shifter genes, which made sense with what they’d found out downstairs

“It should, but no,” Mo whispered, a rosy flush pinking his neck. Victor’s wolf growled in satisfaction. Victor turned and ripped Zack’s shirt off, but then as the big guy went for his jeans, Victor slapped his hands away. He heard the resulting startled inhale and watched as Zack’s big brown eyes darkened with lust.

So, the big man liked a little dominating?

Victor could so do that. “Get on the bed,” he ordered and turned to Mo, who looked entirely too aware, and Victor didn't like that. He followed Zack but didn’t attempt to undress himself, and watched as Mo licked his lips. Victor pulled the remnants of Zack’s shirt free and ran his hands up his bare back, reveling in the feel of Zack’s skin, even scraping with his nails and returning moan for decadent moan. He heard a slight sound from the bed and broke the kiss, glancing at Mo.

“I think our mate feels left out. Why don’t you show him what you can do with your mouth?”

Mo almost whimpered and tried to shove his unbuttoned jeans down. Zack moved closer to the bed, a predatory look in his eyes. Victor heard Mo’s audible swallow and moved to the other side of the bed. Zack didn’t need any more encouragement, and Victor had to adjust his own thickening cock as he watched Zack sit next to Mo, then gently cup the back of his neck and lean in to take his lips. So carefully, so controlled. Victor ached to see the bear lose control. He watched as Zack lightly skimmed his fingers over Mo’s bare chest, almost freezing when Mo groaned.

He's scared he’s gonna hurt him.

The flash of insight took Victor by surprise, but this wasn’t just about shifter strength versus human frailty, this was more.

Big guy. Even Victor had called him that.

“Like that?” Victor encouraged and Mo moved closer to Zack, his body begging for more even if he couldn’t vocalize it. “Lay him back, show him exactly how good you are with your mouth.”

Victor forced his own hands not to move, as Mo needed no encouragement, but Zack needed confidence. Mo leaned back on the bed and Zack simply followed him. “That’s it,” Victor said. “Look how he’s hard for you.”

Zack let out a growl that was more his bear than anything else, but Mo didn’t seem scared; if anything his kisses seemed more desperate. Zack broke off and slid Mo’s pants down almost reverently. Mo glanced over and sent Victor a heated look, before his eyes closed as Zack bent and nuzzled the spot between the inside of his thigh and his balls.

“Fuck,” Mo whispered, and he seemed helpless not to thrust his hips a little. Victor watched for a second until he decided he was way too far away.