Wolfman 4: Salvation Brannan Black All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2011 Brannan Black
ISBN: 978-1-60521-667-6
Formats Available:
HTML, Adobe PDF, EPub
MobiPocket, Microsoft Reader
Publisher:
Changeling Press LLC
PO Box 1046
Martinsburg, WV 25402-1046
www.ChangelingPress.com
Editor: Margaret Riley
Cover Artist: Bryan Keller
Adult Sexual Content This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.
Legal File Usage -- Your Rights Payment of the download fee for this book grants the purchaser the right to download and read this file, and to maintain private backup copies of the file for the purchaser’s personal use ONLY. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this or any copyrighted work is illegal. Authors are paid on a per-purchase basis. Any use of this file beyond the rights stated above constitutes theft of the author’s earnings. File sharing is an international crime, prosecuted by the United States Department of Justice and the United States Border Patrol, Division of Cyber Crimes, in partnership with Interpol. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is punishable by seizure of computers, up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 per reported instance.
Wolfman 4: Salvation Brannan Black The world fell apart after the virus killed billions, turning most male survivors into violent monsters out to destroy the world and everything in it. Shit, I’ve got the nightmares to prove it. Then I met Mace and he changed everything I thought I knew. He’s not a monster, but a wolfman, a hybrid created by the werewolf virus. Mace’s pack have come a long way toward blending what’s left of their humanity with their wolf instincts. Personally, I’m not too thrilled with this whole dominance/submission thing but that doesn’t make them monsters. Unfortunately, not all of them are like Mace. We call the others rabids. Wild and crazy dangerous, most run when they get their asses kicked. We tripped over the one group that won’t run -- and now the real monsters are pissed.
Chapter One I bolted up in bed, my heart pounding, the sounds of a shotgun blast ringing in my head, the smell of blood and gunpowder in my nose. For a heartbeat, I was back in the truck, blowing that rabid’s head off. I gulped several deep breaths in the dim light of Mace’s room. I might be living here but it didn’t really feel like mine, yet. I fell back onto the sweat soaked sheets. Without windows to let in light, I had no idea what time it was. The passing sounds of laughter and voices carried through the door. So. Morning. I should get up. I should. But I didn’t fucking feel like it. I heaved a sigh and forced myself out of bed. Laying there wallowing wouldn’t help. I needed to get busy and stay busy. Too busy to remember yesterday’s carnage and my place in it. Too busy to think about all the other times I’d had a wolfman in my crosshairs. And pulled the trigger. My stomach clenched, and the taste of bile rose in my throat. Oh, I knew I’d had no choice but to pull the trigger. That really didn’t make it any easier. Not even when I thought they were all monsters, inhuman beasts that would maim and kill anyone in their path. Now, fuck, how many had I flat out murdered? What if someone like me had gotten to Mace? I sucked in air, fighting the nausea rising inside me. I couldn’t even be sure I’d killed any, not at the distance I normally shot from. Yeah, keep telling yourself that, maybe someday you’ll believe it. Finding my clothes with just the light leaking under the door wasn’t always easy, but last night I’d undressed alone, so I’d put them away. Unlike those nights Mace helped strip me and they got tossed everywhere in our rush to get naked with each other.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
-6-
How long had it been since I could put clean clothes on whenever I wanted? Way too fucking long. After a quick trip to the showers, I entered the main room. The tension stretched so fucking tight one wrong pluck of the string and the whole thing would snap in our faces. The pack hadn’t been this tense since right after Tat died. Warning snarls equaled polite hellos. A fair number of the pack members sported new bruises or scrapes. The newly adopted rabids looked far worse. The only woman in sight was Doc. She was working on a rabid with freshly washed dark hair and warm brown skin. Looked like the one who’d been pretty shot up. As I got closer, I could see he had plenty of new bruises and claw marks. Doc stitched a deep wound in his arm. Looked like a bite. Slade had his claws wrapped around the guy’s neck, tips dinting his skin, in a not so subtle warning to behave. The rabid’s feral gaze locked onto me, hungry, wild. A chill caressed down my spine, raising all the hair on the back of my neck. Could such a fucking wild beast really be tamed? Slade’s growl called his attention off me. Not far away, the other two who’d submitted after the fight sat with a pack member on either side. One of them tracked me with his one open eye. Must have been a rough fucking night. Hound sat next to him and snarled. The rabid dropped his gaze, whining softly, which earned him a pat on the head. Yeah, good dog. Fuck. Mace stood near the weapons locker talking in low tones with Hawk, Vegas and Cowboy. Ice and Wraith leaned on the wall nearby, listening no doubt, but also keeping a wary eye on the room. China, like the other women, was nowhere in sight. I scanned the room. “Hey, anyone seen RK?” I got several confused stares. “The blond rabid that was hanging out in the corner last night, looks like road kill? Quiet and kind of shy for a wolfman?” Several rude snickers startled me, but no one bothered to answer. “Obviously you know who the fuck I’m talking about. Where is he?” A few snarled at me before
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
-7-
ducking their heads. What the fuck was up with that? “What the fuck happened to RK? Tell me he’s not what’s for breakfast.” That got a bunch of nasty snickers. “Try behind the couch.” A weasely looking wolfman pointed toward the back of the room. What was that fucker’s name? Guess I didn’t really care. Behind the couch? What the fuck? He’d seemed fine when I left last night, hanging out in a corner, staying out of the way. No one had seemed interested in him. “No, the one over there.” So, not on the dais but the massive leather beast set at an angle and snugged up against the dais and the wall. It had one of those high backs that leaned just a little with a thick roll along the top. I leaned over and peered behind it. Crammed into the small space where the platform and wall made a corner was RK. He curled in tighter as I watched him. I moved to the end of the couch, pulling the end out to give myself some room, and crouched down so I could see him. “Hey, RK, buddy, come on out. It’s breakfast. You hungry?” Freaky pale yellow eyes stared back at me unblinking. He didn’t move, just stared. Someone landed on the couch with a loud thud, rocking it back slightly and jamming the big soft roll on the top edge into the wall. I fell back on my ass in surprise and RK tried to make himself even smaller. A couple more wolfmen joined in, shaking the couch and taunting RK. One reached behind, swiping at him with his claws. RK whimpered and flattened himself like he thought he would fit under the couch. Was he fucking shaking? “Fuck off. Don’t you assholes have anything better to do?” I jumped to my feet, facing those fucking bullies. They stopped and snarled at me. Fuck, when was I going to learn some tact? At this rate I’d be dead first, a victim of my own big mouth. I backed into a hard body and jerked forward. Fuck! A gentle hand steadied me. I relaxed. Mace, thank God.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
-8-
“Get, all of you.” Mace snarled at them and they ducked their heads and scurried away. Weasel face tossed a look over his shoulder at me that promised retribution. I really needed to learn all their fucking names. Know your enemies, right? Fucking beasts. Mace yanked the couch out from the wall. “You, get up here, now.” Whining softly, head down, RK crawled out and cowered at Mace’s feet. Shock snaked through my veins. “What the fuck happened to you?” The road rash and bruises were healing nicely, but sometime during the night he’d run into a shredder. At least that’s what it looked like. Blood crusted the ripped tatters of the shirt and jeans we’d given him. Shit, those jeans looked like they might fall apart with the least movement. Dark blood crusted in his fair hair. I reached down to help him to his feet only to have him snarl at me. Even to my untrained ear, it sounded like fear, not aggression. I froze. Nothing worse than a fearbiter. Mace yanked him to his feet, snarling in his face. A raw whimper replaced the growl and Mace let him go. RK stood, head down, shoulders slumped, nervously flicking looks around the room. He wavered slightly like he was having trouble standing. A snarl and snap from behind me sent him diving for the couch but Mace grabbed him. “Stop!” Mace turned his angry glare on me. Or maybe the guy behind me. “You, all of you, I said get. Now!” I glanced over my shoulder to see a familiar outline retreating. Fang. Fucking bastard. “Doc!” Mace hollered and she hurried through the dispersing crowd. “Take him to the showers and get him cleaned up. See if he needs bandaging.” Slade growled low and put a protective arm around Doc’s waist. RK drew in on himself, whimpering softly under Slade’s possessive glare.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
-9-
“First, I want to know why the fuck he was hiding behind the couch and who the hell tore the shit out of him?” I searched the room for guilty faces. A sea of tight, feral looks locked onto RK like wolves on a wounded deer. Had they all had a hand in this? Mace shrugged. “He’s new. He needs to learn his place.” “Seriously? And that place is the pack’s scratching post? Or hiding under the couch to escape the fuckheads trying to have him for a late night snack?” “He’s weak.” Someone snarled. “Worthless excuse for pack.” Sounded like Fang though I couldn’t make him out in the crowd. “Somebody should do us all a favor and put it down.” “And that gives you the right to beat the shit out of him?” Normal bullies had nothing on these assholes! “He’s not dead. He’ll be fine by dinner. Slade, you better help Doc with him.” “Yeah, watch out, might take the whole fucking pack to keep this raging monster in line.” Mace glowered at my full on snark mode. Fuck him. Fuck all of them. They asked for it. Slade let go of Doc and grabbed RK by the arm, dragging him toward the showers. A gauntlet of snarling pricks formed. He jerked away from grabbing claws, whining and struggling to keep up with Slade. Finally, Slade turned on the pack. I’d rarely seen him let loose. His snarl raised the hair on the back of my neck and arms. Those fangs he bared would have done an African lion proud. “You shits really want to play with me?” Ice would’ve felt warm compared to his cold, deadly tone. It was impressive and effective. The gauntlet of pricks vanished in a wolfman flash. “Daniel, don’t you have shit to do?” Mace didn’t sound too happy with me. Fuck him. He wouldn’t understand. It was my fault RK was hurt and afraid. I’d injured him, me, and now he was paying for it. Fuck, how many had I murdered over the years? Beasts that could have become pack? Like Mace. My stomach clenched. I
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 10 -
could have killed my lover without a thought. Didn’t matter that I didn’t know they could be anything other than vicious killing machines. They were still dead. Lacking anything close to an appetite, I headed to the unfinished part of the building and my growing workshop. A few parts and I could spend the day working on lights and stuff in the main room instead of in the generator shed. No fucking way was I going to leave RK alone with those fuckers! Didn’t take me long to gather what I needed and I was headed back to the main room. *** Taming full-grown adult rabids took way more than the couple of ass kickings Miss Ellie’s grandson, Jeremy, got. These rabids didn’t have names yet, unless Dogmeat, Fuckhead and a string of other epitaphs counted. The two that hadn’t yet made the showers got cleaned, shaved and dressed. On the surface they looked like pack. Their wild yellow eyes gave away the beast inside. Something still wasn’t right with RK. I’d never seen such a passive wolfman, not even the lowest member of the pack. That difference seemed to trigger the nastier instincts in the pack. Vicious growls and a pitiful whine drew my attention from the ceiling light I was wiring. I didn’t see what started it, but RK was already on the ground, cowering. A pissed off wolfman standing over him snarled like a wolf defending his prey. Was that fresh blood on his claws? What was that fuckers name? “Hey, Rif, he submitted. Back the fuck off!” I pointed my screwdriver at him. Any bonus in intimidation looming over him might have conveyed was outweighed by the precariousness of standing on a fucking ladder. Rif tensed up like a he was about to pounce. Shit. I scrambled to get down. Sensing a fight in the making, the rabids got pretty fucking excited. One even howled in anticipation -- then the fight was on, but not with RK or even me and Rif. Nope, those rabids were in for another ass kicking.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 11 -
Not so good for me, Mace was out of the room and the rest of the pack busy. I was on my own. With a triumphant grin, Rif sprang in my direction. And right into Spider and Race. I hadn’t noticed them watching us, but thankfully they were. With a last snarl at me and nasty kick at RK, he retreated. RK fled to a corner but still managed to get a few snarls tossed his way. The roof door slammed open and heavy steps came down the stairs. Mace stomped to the second floor railing and leaned over, surveying the mayhem below. He didn’t say anything. Didn’t have to with that snarl plastered on his face. One loud growl and even the rabids got the point and gave up. Things settled down for a while. Whatever Mace had been up to on the roof must have been dealt with. He spent the rest of the morning in the main room doing not much of anything that I could see. *** At lunch, it nearly killed me watching RK dodging wolfmen who snarled and snapped if he got too close, which in a crowded room meant constantly. I didn’t see who, but someone shoved him so he fell into one of his former pack mates. I was up from the table without pausing to think. Only Mace’s hand on my shirt stopped me. The brawl didn’t last more than a couple of tense heartbeats. The rabid and RK submitted while the pack circled around them. A booted foot caught RK in the ribs. “Hey, asshole, you planning on stomping kittens next?” Whoosh, went right over their fucking heads. But at least it drew their attention off RK. And right onto me. Fuck, a few even took a couple of steps toward me. Rising from the table, Mace pulled me into a very public display of possession disguised as a kiss. Not that I’m complaining. For a guy with fangs, he’s one hell of a kisser. Reminding them of the ass kicking they’d get if they touched me? Just an added bonus. A few well placed snarls and Mace took off with a group to check the watch posts. ***
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 12 -
I had to spend some time in my new workshop after lunch. Not really all that long, but it still made me nervous to leave RK to the tender mercies of the pack. I hurried to get what I needed prepped so I could go back to the main room. I walked in just in time to see Fang and Spike with RK between them, head down, neck exposed. Every line of his body screamed submission. Fang had that look, the one he had when he’d cornered me in the shower. Eyes glowing, fangs bared and a tension running through his body you could almost feel from across the room. Fresh blood welled from a cut on RK’s face. Before I could react, Spike struck, driving RK back into Fang. Howls of blood lust echoed around the room. What had been just a couple of guys threatened to become a murderous mob. “Fuck! Leave him alone you bastards!” I hollered even as Fang slammed RK into the floor. The dull thud of skull meeting concrete brought a sudden stillness to the room. As fast as they’d quieted, the snarling, growling madness returned and they closed in for the kill. I shoved an eager wolfman out of my way. In the back of my brain I heard Mace’s disgusted voice. “Too stupid to live.” Beta turned on me, snarling and swiping out with claws. Hot pokers dug into my shoulder while cold fear clinched my gut. What the fuck had I been thinking? A loud roar echoed around the rafters. “Break it up now!” I’d never heard Slade so loud or angry. The crowd stilled. Strangled noises and the sound of RK puking filled the silence. I pushed forward and dropped to my knees. For a moment he lay utterly still, curled up in a fetal position. “RK?” His gaze stared at nothing and for a moment I thought he was dead. And then the convulsions started. He flopped to his back, his head making another sickening crack as he jerked. Grabbing the nearest pillow, I stuffed it under his head and the nauseating thudding stopped. He convulsed for what felt like forever before stilling. Doc squatted down beside me. “Roll him to his side, Daniel.” I carefully rolled him away from his puke. She reached for his wrist. “What happened?”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 13 -
“The butt-head twins attacked him and threw him to the fucking floor. Hit his head, hard. Pricks!” I glared at Fang, who snarled and took one step toward me. Slade’s low growl stopped him in his tracks. Others had gathered now and my new buddies, Race, Spider and Slick stepped between me and Fang. RK stirred, then went rigid. A weak growl rumbled up and he flashed fangs. His eyes didn’t seem to focus on anyone or anything. “Back off, both of you.” Slade snarled, grabbing Doc by her shoulder and pulling her away. Sitting behind RK, I ran my hand gently up and down his back, making soothing sounds. “Daniel! He could kill you without warning. He’s not right,” Slade growled as he restrained Doc from joining me. “No shit, he’s not right! He just had a seizure because some fuckers thought it was fun to smash his head into the concrete!” “Everyone needs to back up. Give him some room.” Doc’s calm authority eased some of the growing tension. Most moved off on their own, but Slade had to growl a threat before Beta, Fang and Spike left with a last snarl. RK shivered and rolled onto his hands and knees. A couple of dry heaves and he collapsed back to the floor. The low warning growl stuttered through it all but he made no move to bite me. “Easy, RK, you’re safe. You need to stay still.” His gaze flashed to me, blinking rapidly as if he had trouble focusing. He snarled and rocked back on his heels. Fucking weird watching his eyes roll around in his head. Nystagmus -- involuntary eye motion. His equilibrium was all out of whack. He looked a little green again. Bet he felt like the world was one big tilt-a-whirl. “Careful, he doesn’t seem very aware right now. You, grab me that bucket and then some cleaning stuff.” Doc sounded a bit worried. “Just how hard did he hit his head?” “I think they re-injured his brain.” We hadn’t done X-rays but it was obvious I’d nearly caved his face in, despite a wolfman’s stronger bone structure. Chalk one up to
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 14 -
the adrenaline rush. “Took a shot gun butt in the face and then fell from a moving truck and got run over. He had fractures to his nose and occipital bones. Without an MRI, we couldn’t be sure how bad the trauma to his brain was. He seemed better until those fuckers started smacking him around.” RK wavered on his knees, a look of exhaustion dragging his pale features down. “Let me help you. Let’s get you some place you can rest. Somewhere safe.” I talked to him like I would a child or injured dog. At the moment either fit. He glanced around, snarling every time his gaze landed on anyone, then looked back to me. “Easy, RK, I’m a friend.” I kept my voice low, firm and as non-threatening as I could. “Come on, let me help.” I offered my hand slowly. He snarled, watching it closely. I touched just my fingertips to his arm. He focused on that, ignoring the shuffling as Doc ordered the area cleared. “Easy buddy, come on, let’s get you up.” I let my fingers brush down his arm to take his hand. The growling stopped as I closed my hand over his. I stood and drew him up. He staggered and without stopping to think, I set my shoulder under his arm and braced him. He whimpered softly, rubbing his head on mine. “Daniel, let’s get him on the couch here.” “I’d rather take him to my room.” “I don’t think Mace would like that, Daniel. It’s a territory thing. Besides, I don’t think he should be moved that far and we can keep a closer eye on him here.” A surge of anger washed through me. Right, not my room, Mace’s. Fuck, I hated that. On the other hand, the poor guy felt so shaky, maybe Doc was right. I helped him to a couch against the wall and well out of the way. I didn’t want him harassed any further. Doc shoved a pillow under his head. As soon as we had him settled, he dropped into sleep. “Let me see that shoulder, Daniel. Mace is gonna kill RK when he sees what he did.”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 15 -
I snorted. “I got this courtesy of Beta.” I knew I’d have to confess to Mace that I’d shoved Beta first but I didn’t feel like getting chastised twice. No need to tell Doc. While Doc cleaned up the little punctures left by Beta’s claws, I got the satisfaction of watching Slade make Fang and Spike clean up the mess RK had made on the floor. A brief scuffle involving one of the rabids drew our attention. Looking back at me, Fang smiled, a malicious smirk speaking of blood and pain. His gaze shifted toward the rabid getting reminded of his place and back to me. That cold hand danced up and down my spine. What evil plan was that fucking bastard working on? I’d have to be on my toes. Fan-fucking-tastic.
Chapter Two By the time I knocked off work, dinner looked ready and the room was beginning to fill. RK was still passed out on the couch. I hated waking him but no way would I leave him all the way across the room. More than ever, the pack turned cold, feral glares his way. I didn’t get it. They took care of their own when they were hurt. Why not RK? Because he wasn’t pack yet? Or did they sense something I didn’t, something that wouldn’t heal with time? I woke him up and with Slick’s reluctant help moved that monster couch to make a place at the edge of the dais to keep him close and out of the flow of traffic. A pile of blankets and pillows made him a cozy nest. Mace walked in with Beta, who punctuated his words with gestures in my direction. Mace’s face hardened with anger as he listened. He scanned the room, his gaze resting on me for a moment before continuing. Was it my imagination or did he relax just a bit when he looked at me? And then he spotted RK asleep in his nest. He snarled and thrust his gun and holster at Hawk. Mace’s gaze never left RK. A path opened like the parting of the Red sea. I didn’t fucking care what Beta said that pissed Mace off, I wasn’t letting him take it out on RK. Three swift strides brought me to the edge of the dais right above RK. I fought back a smile. It gave me perverse pleasure to be looking down on Mace for once. “Hey, Mace. How’d the patrol go?” I kept my voice light and friendly, as if I didn’t know he was stalking my… my what? Pet wolfman? I mentally shrugged it off. “Daniel.” He never took his focus off RK. RK jerked upright at the sound of Mace’s deep voice. A warning growl quickly turned to a whimper of submission. He bared himself to Mace. All that sudden
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 17 -
movement didn’t do good things to his bruised brain. His eyes unfocused and he looked like he might puke again. “You can’t get in the way of pack discipline, Daniel.” Mace growled at me while still focused on RK. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and anger surged through me. “Discipline? Is that what Fang and Spike were up to? ‘Cause it looked like bullying plain and simple to me.” So that was what my good friend Beta had been going on about. “He either earns his place in the pack or he doesn’t.” I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach just thinking what happened to those that didn’t make it. Fear for RK spiked my anger to whole new levels of stupid. “Part of that is submitting. It’s our way.” Mace’s alpha wolfman tone grated along my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. “Yeah? I thought when one submitted the other guy had to back off.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “He was just as submissive then as he is now. And for his trouble, he nearly got his head split open.” Mace turned to face me then. His eyes widened and locked on my shoulder. “Oh, this? Beta didn’t like me getting in the way of him taking his turn at tearing into RK.” Mace’s gaze finally met mine. His brow furrowed in a frown. “He said he was trying to keep you from getting hurt, Daniel. And you tried to shove him out of the way. You didn’t need to be in the middle of a pack dispute.” “Dispute?” If I was mad before, now I was fucking furious. “There was no dispute. And just so you’re clear, Beta had his back to me when I tried to push past him. No fucking way was he protecting me. He wanted to join the bloodthirsty mob eager to finish what Fang and Spike started.” I was good and wound up now. “There was no reason for Fang to slam RK into the concrete like that. I’ve seen enough beast mobs to know bloodlust when I see it!”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 18 -
Mace’s frown deepened and he growled. Fucker growled at me? OK, I was yelling at him by this time and looming over him from my perch on the dais. Still. “You don’t believe me, ask Doc. Or Slade. He broke things up.” Mace gave one warning growl to RK, who whined and nearly fell over offering his neck and ass at the same time. Lusty, angry growls rose with plenty of lewd comments. Mace whirled, snarling and snapping, and the room grew silent again. He looked to Slade and Doc, one brow cocked in question. Slade and Doc gave him their version of events. The smug look on my face probably didn’t help Mace’s anger any, but it felt good. He snarled real close to my face. Fuck. Did I really want to push him this hard? I dropped my gaze and exposed my neck. He nipped my neck and brushed past me to take his normal spot on the couch. I took time to get RK some food and water. He rubbed his head on my arm after taking it. Mace’s snarl had him jerking back in a whine and curling into a ball in the corner. I glared at Mace. “You don’t need to be so fucking jealous. He’s just looking for a little reassurance.” “You’re my chosen and he’s rabid -- an injured rabid. He’s dangerous. Stay away from him.” If I’d had hackles, they would’ve stood up like a Mohawk running down my back. In that moment, I forgot my boyfriend wasn’t quite human. I stomped up to him, sitting there like a fucking king on his throne. For a human, I do a pretty good growl. “What the fuck makes you think you can tell me who I can or can’t talk to?” Mace was on his feet in a blurred flash, claws reaching for my throat. At the last second, he shifted to clamp down where my neck met my shoulder. Claw tips dented flesh without breaking it, barely. The heel of his palm rested at the base of my throat. A little more pressure and he’d cut off my air as well as rip into my shoulder muscle.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 19 -
“I am leader here, not you. You accepted a place in this pack which means you follow my orders like everyone else, Chosen!” His face was so close to mine I could feel his growled words. Those fangs hovered way too close. Fear and anger dueled in my gut. As usual, common sense was the first casualty. No fucking way was I backing down. “Mate doesn’t mean you fucking own me, Mace. When it comes to running things, yeah, I’ll follow your orders. But I choose who I hang with.” I held his angry gaze with one of my own. Mace said nothing, just leaned closer until I had to look away or go cross-eyed. I glanced down to his bared fangs. Too fucking stupid to live, yup that was me. But then, what kind of life would it be if I let him push me around? I’d made myself a promise I meant to keep. I’d never let that happen again “You claimed you would submit to me. Have you forgotten so soon?” he whispered in my ear, sharp fangs brushing against delicate flesh. What the hell did I do now? Give in? Let him run my life? No fucking way. “Or at least give some appearance of it, little human.” His growl almost covered the soft spoken words. He hadn’t called me that in a very long time. I didn’t need to hear the rage and betrayal in his voice. Those two words said it all. I had agreed to this, damn it. I didn’t trust myself to speak so I just did my best to relax and rolled my head to the side. His jaws closed softly around my throat. He growled loudly. What the fuck more did he want from me? Groveling? He’d be waiting a long fucking time. Even when I’d been sure he’d kill me I hadn’t groveled. No doubt he could still smell my anger -- not exactly submissive stuff here. And if he could, so could the pack. Shit. He had his whole status as pack leader at risk here. I just had my pride. I hoped what I had to give would be enough. “Your chosen, your mate, Mace.” Without really thinking it through, I tilted my head to rub my cheek in his hair.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 20 -
His growl faded and jaws released me. He finger-combed into my hair, holding my head right where he wanted it as he plundered my mouth. Need so hot, so sharp stabbed through me, shredding my anger and any coherent thoughts. I slipped my hand onto his ass and rubbed my cock along his. We ground into each other, rubbing, grabbing, trying to fuck each other right through our clothes. Mace leaned into my neck, licking, nibbling. “Need you, Chosen.” I moaned softly as his hand slid along the bulge of my cock. A loud bang and I jumped like a fucking rabbit. Mace released me to growl over my shoulder. A confused ball of arms and legs with a rabid at the center had knocked over a chair. Looked like part fight and part orgy. A quick scan showed the other two rabids looking way too excited. One had his gaze fixed on us, mouth open and hand on his crotch. Mace took one step toward him, growling loudly. Amazing how fucking fast that rabid found somewhere else to stare. The rest of the room continued to watch our every move. “Yeah, but, ah, can we go to your room?” I never had been much of an exhibitionist. Right now, I felt like a fucking stripper at a Vegas bachelor party. Mace nipped me, pulling a surprised yelp out. “Want you now. Want them all to know you’re mine.” “Ah, Mace, lover, I think they get it.” I tried to wiggle loose of his hold but he wasn’t having it. Holding me with his teeth on my shoulder and one arm around my back, he started on my pants. “Mace! Man, not here. I can’t do it.” For once, my cock agreed and started wilting. Mace let out a frustrated snarl. “Hey, it’s not like they can’t hear you howling,” I teased, tugging his braid. He loosened his hold enough for me to move. I trailed a finger down his chest and sauntered away. I’d never been any fucking good at the sexy walk but I could feel his hungry gaze following my ass. I stopped halfway to the hall and threw a look over my shoulder, letting my gaze rake his body. My tongue darted out to taste my bottom lip. His gaze locked on, nostrils flared. His face went pure predator.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 21 -
I almost made it to the hall before he caught me and tossed me over his shoulder like some little slip of a girl. Fuck, his shoulder in my gut was hard! Raucous laughs and catcalls followed us. I flipped them off just for good measure. Really lost a lot of impact with me hanging upside down like that, though. Mace’s hand ran up and down my ass and thigh, growling that low sexy growl the whole four long strides it took us to reach the bedroom. *** Mace kicked the door shut behind us and tossed me on the bed. I started to scramble up but he grabbed me by the ankles and jerked me to the edge. His hands ran up the insides of my thighs. I sucked a breath. Heat flowed from his touch straight to my cock. He cupped my erection through my jeans, letting out a satisfied chuff of air, and nearly ripped the zipper out getting it down. “Fuck, down boy. Take it easy on the clothes. It’s not like I can go buy more.” I propped myself up on my elbows to watch. Fuck, he had it bad. And it was all for me! What a rush. I could almost get off just on that. Next he proceeded to strip my pants and briefs off. I had to make a fast grab for the blankets as I tried not to get yanked off the bed with them. “Mace! Shit man, slow down.” He snarled at me. “Need you now.” I hadn’t seen him this needy, this intense, since that day in the barn. My cock jumped, eager for him. He paused just long enough to unzip and pull his cock free, then he was on me. His hard body was heavy on me, his cock sliding next to mine. His tip leaked pre-cum, slicking our way. I wrapped my legs around his hips, urging him closer with my heels and rocking to meet every thrust. With his head buried against my neck, licking and nipping, his sexy growl vibrated through my body. Need gathered hot and tight in my groin. Mace closed his fangs on the meaty joining of my neck and shoulder. He stiffened and came hard, slick cum coating our bellies.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 22 -
He kept at it, almost crazed in his need. I arched up, looking for contact that would drive me over, and he pulled back. “Fuck, Mace! Don’t stop.” He growled softly, yellow gold eyes focused on my cock. He stroked me on his way lower. I wanted to cry I needed to come so bad! “Mace, please!” Not bothering with lube, he thrust a finger inside me. I gasped and jerked away at the sudden burn. He growled and grabbed my hips, yanking me back where he wanted me. “Fuck! Mace! Lube, man!” He didn’t seem to hear, just kept finger fucking me. A claw scraped sensitive tissue. “Mace! What the fuck, stop! That hurts!” I tried to sit up, push his hand away. That aching hard on? History. He froze. “Daniel?” He paused, his voice sounding confused. “Fuck, Mace, you trying to kill me?” I sucked a deep breath and let it out slowly, shakily. “Chosen.” He rubbed his cheek on mine, his hands now gentle and soothing. “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to hurt you.” “Yeah, well, I’m cool with hot and heavy, just, you know, use some lube. And watch the fucking claws.” He rose from me long enough to snag the lube and hand it to me. “Need you so bad, Daniel. Don’t think I can be gentle. Can, um, can you do it?” He growled the words out, deep and breathy. My cock twitched back to life. I stared rapt at his face as he locked his gaze on me slicking myself up. I moaned softly and was rewarded with a whine from him. He grasped his cock, pumping in time to my finger rimming around the outside of my hole. He moaned long and hard as my finger slid inside. His jeans got in the way of him giving his balls a good tug, and he almost tore them getting them off. My cock nodded its approval. “Unnggh, fuck, Mace. Can’t wait to feel you in me.” I was becoming a porn talking slut. I inserted two more fingers, fucking myself hard. I curved them to hit my prostate. My hips shot up on their own and my breath froze. I groaned
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 23 -
and threw my head back. Fuck, that felt good -- and knowing my lover watched? Oh fuck yeah! OK, guess I liked performing for the right audience. Mace growled, a deep needy rumble and pulled my hands away. My hole clinched around nothing, empty, needing. The tip of his broad cock nudged me. “Yeah, Mace, fuck me!” I propped up on my elbows to watch him. My eager body opened for him. One hard, smooth push and his balls slapped my ass. I gasped, grabbing at the bedding. Good, so fucking good. His hungry gaze locked on mine. For a moment, time hung suspended. My cock ached for his touch. A fire blazed inside that only he could quench. And then he started thrusting, holding so tight to my hips I knew I’d bruise. I wrapped my legs around his hips, altering the angle. I howled and arched on the bed as pleasure shot through me so sharp it almost hurt. I shot, just like that. Mace whined, stiffened and started jerking as he came. I fell, limp, but he wasn’t done yet. Over and over he nailed my prostate, sending an agony of ecstasy burning through me. Just when I thought I couldn’t take any more, he stopped. He pulled out, and bent to take my half mast erection in his hot mouth. I gasped and moaned at the new onslaught of sensations. His hand ran up my ribs to find and tweak a nipple to aching hardness. Pleasure flooded my body until I was one mass of feeling, writhing under him. My balls drew tight and hard against me. My cock ached with wanting. He let me slip from his lips. A cry of loss and need tore from my throat to be swallowed by his kiss, deep hard, claiming every bit of my mouth. I gasped into that kiss as his cock thrust back into me. He gripped my legs, pulling them toward my chest, opening me to the full force of each thrust. I groaned in time to his pounding. Pre-cum dribbled from my cock in a near constant stream. A slight shift and he hit it just right. “Fuck! Shit! Mace!” My shouts turned to strangled sounds as he thrust, harder, faster. He leaned into each stroke so that his belly rubbed the length of my cock. A couple of thrusts and I was coming, hard. My body shook and jerked as cum shot clear onto my chest, coating both of us.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 24 -
Mace threw his head back and howled to match my shouts. His hot cum filled me again. I fell still, limp, used up and utterly satiated. With a last grunt Mace collapsed on top of me. His softening cock let his cum leak out, dribbling a warm, sticky trail down my ass. I couldn’t fucking care. Shit, I could barely breathe. Feebly, I pushed at his shoulder. He took the hint and rolled off. I sucked a big breath into starved lungs. “That was fucking amazing!” He whined, pulling me farther onto the bed and into his arms. We rested, content in each other’s arms -- a perfect moment, shattered by the rumble of Mace’s stomach demanding dinner. I fought the urge to laugh, but one look at Mace doing the same and we both burst out. Laughing felt almost as good as the sex had. “Go, feed the beast.” I playfully shoved at him when I caught my breath. “I need a shower.” A look I didn’t understand flitted across his face. “Shower?” “Yeah. Sweaty, covered in spunk, not fit for polite company?” I chuckled, “Not even fit for wolfman company. I stink.” Mace cocked his head, nostrils flared. “I like the way you smell.” I shook my head. “You would. I won’t be long, promise.” He didn’t say a word, just watched me gather my clothes and pad half naked out the door.
Chapter Three Walking back into the main room after getting fucked within an inch of my life felt weird. From the stares you’d think I was walking bowlegged or something. God knows I’d be feeling it for days, but come on. Or could they still smell him on me? The crude comments whispered just loud enough for me to hear, the smirks and even the outright leers were really pissing me off. I had nothing to be ashamed of! Might as well own it. I raked a sniggering group with an appraising look. “Must suck to know you’ll never have a piece of this. But I don’t do flea ridden mongrels.” A couple snarled but the others looked sheepish. Spider and Race sat with a small group nearby, howling with laughter. Doc shot me a wink and moved from her watch post over RK and back to Slade’s eager embrace. Mace watched it all with amusement, pulling me down next to him. We took turns feeding each other like a couple of fucking newlyweds. The nightly fuck fest started early. Only tonight, it was more back alley brawl than love-in. The other three rabids seemed pretty enthused by it all. Groups of three or four pack members surrounded them. The dark skinned one -- either dark Latino or mixed race by the look of him -- must not have been satisfied with the guys around him. He tried to slip out and join a rowdier pile. The following fight ended with the first guys retaining control of the dark rabid. Not sure what it meant but he did get both an ass kicking and the fucking of his life. From the sound, I’d say he enjoyed it just fine. So what the hell was so wrong with RK that no one wanted him? He huddled in his corner, alert for any danger. So far, they ignored him. Groups formed and the serious fucking started. A few sore losers started eyeing RK -- more like they’d eye dinner on the hoof than a playmate. They edged closer,
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 26 -
splitting their attention between their prey and me. Fang joined them, flashing a nasty grin at me. RK seemed to sense it coming. He pressed as far back in the corner as he could get, a submissive whine the only sound he made. He darted pleading looks filled with fear at me. “Fuck Mace, make them back off!” “I will if and when I think he’s in danger.” Mace’s words amounted to a starting pistol for the ones stalking RK. They surged forward, attacking each other in their eagerness to get to him. RK panicked, but having nowhere to go, he pressed tighter into the corner. His whines were drowned out by slavering growls. Mace’s roar froze them all in their tracks. His hand on my chest kept me still. “He’s not prey and we are not rabid!” Mace stood up and stalked to the edge of the dais. Those who a moment before had been intent on the hunt took a step or more back. To a man, they dropped their gazes in submission. RK grew really still. A strange look crossed his face just before he started seizing. Doc and I jumped down to make sure he didn’t hurt himself. Most of the pack now stared at him. Growls rose with looks I’d call angry or hungry -- definitely not the sexy kind of hungry, as if sensing his weakness excited the predator in them. His former pack mates started an eerie howling. All the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I’d heard that call before when a pack of rabids closed in for the kill. I heard Mace’s angry roar counter the call to the hunt. He could handle the pack. I turned back to RK just as Slade reached for RK’s thrashing legs. Doc stopped him. “Just help us pile some pillows around him. Never restrain someone having a seizure. They could hurt themselves worse.” Doc gave her mate a smile to soften her words. Finally, RK stilled and we rolled him into the recovery position on his side. I stroked his back while Doc murmured soothing little sounds. Mace dropped onto his haunches next to me. “What the hell is wrong with him?”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 27 -
Doc sounded way more calm than I felt. “Brain injuries can cause seizures. He had one earlier, right after Fang slammed his head against the floor.” “But no one touched him.” Doc shrugged. “A lot of things can trigger a seizure in someone prone to them. Stress, lack of sleep, hunger, flashing lights. Depends on the person and sometimes, the trigger isn’t obvious.” I snorted. “Seems fucking obvious to me. Fear of impending dismemberment.” Doc nodded. “It’s different for everyone but I’d agree with Daniel. In this case, fear could be the trigger. It releases a fire storm of hormones, especially adrenaline.” Mace raked a calculating gaze over him. RK started that low rumbled growl. I blocked Mace’s hand, reaching with claws ready to rend. “It’s nothing, just his brain waking up. He needs to rest a while, recover.” Mace snarled at me and jerked his hand away hard enough it fucking hurt! “He is either pack and respects me or I put him in his place.” “He’s not fucking aware of anything except how vulnerable he is.” I fought to keep my voice level when I wanted to shout. Wouldn’t do RK any good if Mace and I got into it again. “Then you should move back. He’s dangerous. Wounded rabid are the most dangerous.” He reached for me and I ducked his hand. “Fuck it, Mace.” My temper got the best of me. “He fucking needs help!” His snarl shocked me into really looking at him. Mace was jealous, insanely jealous. I stood and reached for him. “Chosen, mate, it’s my fault he’s like this. My responsibility to care for him. “ I glanced at the fuck fest starting to pick up steam again. “And that’s all. No sex of any kind gonna happen here. OK?” He pulled his gaze away from RK and studied my face. What he saw there must have relieved him some because the feral jealousy twisting his features eased. RK’s growling stopped and his eyes focused on Doc. A flash of fear crossed his face and he jerked back.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 28 -
I dropped back down beside him. “Hey, RK, take it easy. You’re OK now.” He focused on me and much of the tension in his body eased. And then those fuckers who’d wanted him started toward us again, growling. “Are you pack or rabid?” I jumped between them, knowing they could kill me. Mace, the fucker, just watched. “Cause from where I’m standing, you fuckers are acting like rabids who turn on each other.” Rage crossed a few faces. Others dropped their gaze and turned away. Fang, well, he kept looking to see if Mace was gonna step in. My own mean streak woke up and rubbed its hands together in evil glee. “What’s the matter Fang? I seem to remember you like forcing guys to suck you. Or haven’t your balls grown back yet?” Fang’s face contorted with rage. And Mace just stood there, staring at me. What the fuck had I been thinking? With a snarl, Fang took a long step toward me. A blur of motion and he was flying backward into the stunned crowd, who were jumping to get out of his way. He slid on a rug, rucking it up along with a few pillows before slamming into the side of a couch. Mace stood between us, growling loudly. Every wolfman I could see dropped their heads and bared necks in submission. Mace might not be happy with me at the moment, but now I knew he would still protect me. From everyone but him. He turned that scowl on me. “Yeah, too stupid to live, I know Mace.” Sometimes I wondered if he was right. “But when did tearing into other pack members become OK?” “He’s not one of us until the pack accepts him.” “Oh, I see. How stupid of me. I guess it’s OK then if they tear him to pieces.” Sarcasm anyone? It did set him back a bit. “Give it a rest, Daniel. No one’s going to bother him tonight.” He finished with a growl for the pack. Then he turned his scowl back to me. I managed a half decent submissive look. He snorted, almost sounded amused. Doc and I got RK settled for the night then she and Slade left. Mace settled on the couch to sleep. That worked for me. I wasn’t up for another round tonight anyway. And I could keep an eye on RK.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 29 -
I’d forgotten how hard it is to actually sleep in a room full of rowdy wolfmen. My three am nightmare helped, evened the score. Those fuckers wake up fast to screaming and the smell of fear. Fucking rabids got all excited -- like someone had announced free drinks in a biker bar. Had to fight the urge to laugh watching the pack try to get them settled back down. I wasn’t going to get much more sleep anyway. Might as well be entertained. *** The next day went much as the day before, only Mace sent Beta, Fang and Spike out to one of the watch posts. RK had another seizure at lunch, when a small group semi surrounded us, growling, threatening. Their laughter as he lay there shaking said it all. Good thing Mace wouldn’t let me carry. I’d have shot the fuckers! After that, it was a running battle to see if I could keep them far enough away not to trigger a seizure. A subtle noise and I jerked my head around. Behind me, Rif, Raf and a couple others were stalking RK, again. Poor guy was still sleeping off his last seizure, tucked out of the way on his pile of blankets. “Fuck off, assholes.” I took a step their way and they made like they weren’t really stalking RK. Did they really think I was that fucking stupid? Every time I took my gaze off them, I’d find them sneaking that way. The smug snarls pissed me off, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. Must have been mid-afternoon. I was focused on some wiring when I heard RK’s whine. Rif and Raf were back. Where did they get these fucking names? Head down and shoulders hunched, RK was trying to get around them. Looked like he was headed for the john. Dropping everything, I rushed over. “Get away from him, assholes. Go find some one else to pick on.” Rif snarled at me. I felt a shiver of fear clawing at my gut. I was so fucking tired of being afraid. “What are you gonna do, bite me? Mace’ll rip your fucking balls off and have them for dinner.” I shouldered past him. Or tried to.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 30 -
Didn’t even see the punch that laid me out coming. At least I think it was a punch, felt like a fucking baseball bat. Later I’d be glad he had balled his fist instead of swiping me with his claws. Would’ve torn my jaw clean off. Right now I was busy seeing stars. Rif and Raf were getting the riot act read to them by Slick, Race and Spider, my self-appointed guardians. I rolled out of the way of Raf hitting dirt and got kicked for my trouble. Didn’t see who did it. Didn’t have time. All hell was breaking loose. I heard the hunting howl of a rabid. Fuck! Last thing we needed was a bunch of blood thirsty rabids jumping in. I dove between some wolfman legs headed for the growling snarling fight. RK grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the way. We crouched behind a couch to watch the den erupt into total chaos. Don’t know where they came from but Hawk and Slade barreled into the crowd. Slade’s bellow rattled the walls. “Knock it off!” He grabbed a combatant and tossed him aside. “Sit on him, knock him out if you have to, but get your rabid under control!” That was soft-spoken Hawk yelling orders. He never missed a beat separating those fighting. Took several more minutes before the room settled down. Low growls and pained whines replaced the ear splitting howling and growling. Done restoring order, Hawk zeroed in on me. “Tell me you didn’t start this?” He towered over us. RK cowered. I prayed he didn’t seize again. “No! They did.” I pointed to Rif and Raf. The guys had them pinned to the ground. The angry look Slick tossed my way could’ve started a forest fire. What the fuck were they mad about? Hawk snarled over his shoulder at Rif and Raf. “Do not get anywhere near Daniel again. And that means leave this one alone, too!” Hawk latched onto my arm and steered me down the hall. “I don’t know what the fuck your problem is, but get over it. Your open defiance and disrespect for Mace caused this.”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 31 -
I glowered at him and he snarled, voice low to keep from carrying. “His tolerance for your antics makes him look weak to some, like Rif and Raf. If you don’t get a grip, Mace’ll be facing another challenge before long.” Guilt swallowed much of my anger. I knew this, but… “Who the fuck would challenge him?” Hawk shrugged. “Don’t know yet, but if the pack doesn’t settle soon, it will happen. Stop stirring the pot.” With that last hissed in my ear, he stomped away. Well, fuck. Getting a grip on my temper wasn’t easy at the best of times. Right now… I sighed. It’d help if I could sleep soundly or eat more than a few bites here and there. That dark pit of depression yawned open inside me. Time to get busy so I could ignore it some more. *** Mace’s patrol came in looking haggard and worn, well after dinner was over. Mace looked pissed. “What the fuck happened?” “Rabids.” Mace’s terse reply shut me up. “Vegas, Cowboy, put together two large patrols. I want them close enough to help the south and east watch posts. Find a secure spot and sit tight.” “How many, how rabid, and where?” Vegas stayed put while Cowboy started picking out teams. “Don’t know.” Mace’s frustration showed in every word, every tense line of his body. “We spotted several small fires to the southeast, Boss’s territory. Went for a closer look and got ambushed by a small group before we got anywhere near. Stupid shits looked half starved, but they sure could play hide and seek.” With no thunderstorms in the area, the fires had to have been set. Slade frowned. “Think those hungry rabids you ran across set the fires?” Mace shook his head no. “So someone’s trying to move in on him? Another pack that maybe chased those strays up?”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 32 -
Mace snarled. “I hope that’s all it is, another pack.” Didn’t sound like he believed that. “What do you really think it is?” I handed him a tall glass of iced herbal tea. He sucked on it while he searched the room to locate each of the former rabids. “Fuck, you think it was those rabids we tangled with?” He shrugged. “It could be. We need to be prepared if it is.” “Are we going to offer help to this Boss guy?” They all stared at me liked I’d sprouted a third eye. Doc handed out more drinks and pointed to plates being filled for the patrol. “No, Daniel. Packs don’t work together like that. They either fight over territory or ignore each other.” I chewed on that while we got the guys settled with heaping plates of food. “So who do you think’s setting the fires? Pack or rabid?” Hawk chimed in. “Pack don’t usually set fire to their own territory. Waste of resources.” OK, that did make sense. “Unless those rabids have dug in or something. Boss’ pack ain’t that big. He could be in a world of hurt up against that big a gang of rabids.” Cowboy shifted the rifle on his back. “We’re geared up and headed out. We’ll keep our eyes and ears open.” Mace nodded. *** It wasn’t until he finished inhaling his food that Mace noticed the nice purple bruise on my jaw. He jerked my head around. “What the hell happened to you?” “Ah, got in a little scrape today.” He cocked a brow at me and wrinkled his lips to show just a hint of fang. Hawk cleared his throat. “Slade and I handled it.” Mace turned the full force of his ire on Hawk, who held firm for several tense moments before dropping his gaze. Mace’s face grew tighter, more feral as Hawk gave him a terse, barebones recount of the eventful afternoon.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 33 -
He turned his anger back to me. “Daniel!” Whatever else he’d intended to say got lost in his angry growl. I took advantage to fill him in about the whole day, the things Hawk hadn’t been around to see. Several jumped up to give their versions of events. A confused jumble of the usual complaints, everything from RK not being pack to his weakness bringing down the pack. Tension coiled tighter and tighter in Mace’s body. Even I knew it was time to shut the fuck up. And then Beta made the mistake of snarling, “That fucking weak human needs to learn his place! Your coddling him just makes it worse.” Mace exploded, his enraged growl echoed around the room. He launched himself from sitting into a full on attack in the blink of an eye. All the frustration of a day chasing rabid shadows came out. And those stupid fuckers that had made the last couple days miserable? They caught the worst of it. Beta dodged the first attack, barely, letting others take the brunt. Didn’t last long. Mace tossed others aside, stalking Beta. Smart wolfmen got the fuck out of his way. The fight was short and brutal. Beta was no match for a pissed off Mace, who made damn sure they all knew they’d better leave me the fuck alone. And the fighting set the new guys off, again. Damn near a repeat of this afternoon, only Mace looked like he might be enjoying it. With all the attention elsewhere, Rif and Raf made a play for RK. They stalked him so fucking quietly I had no idea until I heard RK’s desperate whine. They stood a couple feet from him, bodies coiled with tension ready to spring the attack. Fear for RK shot up my spine. I leaped up to stop them but Doc held my arm. “Let’s see what they really mean to do. And let Mace handle it. It’s his job, not yours.” “And if RK’s fucking dead by then?” By that time it was a moot point, they’d jumped him. I couldn’t see his face but his frantic, submissive cries tore at my very soul. Almost as much as the strangled sounds of another seizure gripping him.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 34 -
Rif had him by the back of the neck trying to hold him down while Raf clawed at his clothes. Were those twisted bastards really trying to fuck him? In the middle of a seizure? I grabbed the only weapon available to me, a large ceramic platter and broke it over Rif’s head. He let go of RK to turn on me. Raf held onto RK but also snarled at me. And those fucking rabids? Those sick fuckers had some kind of radar tuned to fights and weakness. Their hunting howl echoed off the rafters and their attention zeroed in on RK’s corner. Mace’s roar of anger and the answering calls of his supporters drowned out the rabids. Rif and Raf looked up just in time to catch the full impact of Mace’s rage. Blood splattered the wall and ran from the gouges Mace carved into them while tossing them toward the center of the room and well away from me. As RK come around, I started my usual routine of comforting him. Never occurred to me he might react to all the fucking fights in the room. He had me pinned under him in a heartbeat. His damned eyes couldn’t even focus on me but he sure sensed danger. He snarled a warning over his shoulder. Amazingly, he held me without hurting me, kind of protective even. A loud, angry growl followed by a large, clawed hand grabbing RK by the neck freed me. “Mine.” Mace’s voice held little of anything human in it. He yanked RK up, his legs barely able to support him. “You hurt him, you’re dead.” RK whimpered, head down, swaying in Mace’s grasp. “Fuck, Mace. I doubt he can even understand you right now. Let up.” I felt the blood drain from my face when Mace locked his feral yellow gold eyes on me. I swallowed hard. “Hey, he’s submitting right? And I don’t think he was trying to hurt me.” “The pack is only as strong as its weakest member. This one is weak. He makes the pack weak.” Mace’s voice sounded cold. Hard and cold. I felt sick. “Yeah? And what about me? Huh? Or the women? The kids? You going to let the pack tear us all apart one by one? Cause we sure as hell are weaker than any of you.”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 35 -
I watched Mace’s eyes narrow. “You’re human, Daniel. He’s not.” “No shit! And he deserves a chance to heal before you judge him. Or should I just blow his fucking head off? And when I’m done with him can I start on the ones that piss me off? Where’s the line Mace?” RK swayed in Mace’s grip, struggling to stand. Mace and I locked gazes in a battle of wills. I knew if I lost, RK could well pay with his life. “You really think you can handle taming a rabid? Especially one that isn’t right in the head?” That cold voice chilled me to the bone. Hadn’t heard him speak to me like that since the first day. “I don’t know Mace, but I have to try.” He snarled but gave me a brief nod of acceptance. What the fuck had I just agreed to? “He’s not sleeping with me. With us,” Mace bit out between clinched teeth. I half expected his eyes to go green with the jealousy riding him. He dropped RK to the floor. “Let Doc take care of him tonight.” His face dared me to challenge him again. Fuck, this submission shit sucked. I dropped my head and nodded acceptance. Mace took my arm, practically dragging me over to our normal spot on the couch. Slowly, the pack settled into something more like a normal fuck fest. Disagreements were quickly settled with worried glances cast our way. Mace snarled every time, apparently eager for another chance to bust some heads. Slade took Doc away as soon as she’d settled RK. “Hey, Chosen, let’s get some sleep?” I’d had enough. Mace was getting more wound up when he should have been relaxing. He rose without a word, stopped just long enough to snarl at RK. I gave Hawk a pleading look and he nodded. RK would be looked after.
Chapter Four Mace closed the door, leaning his forehead against it. “Mace, what the fuck is up with you? I’ve never seen you tear into your pack like that. And you’ve got no reason to be fucking jealous of RK.” He turned those eerie yellow gold eyes toward me. The feral look on his face sent shivers down my back, admittedly, not all in fear. He had that same look that day in the barn and after the fight with Tat. He needed a good hard fucking. My cock rose to the challenge. Without uttering a word, Mace stalked toward me, hunting his prey. I swallowed back the tiny voice urging me to run before the big bad wolf ate me. Was I really up for this? He stopped so close his hot breath fanned across my face. His gaze locked on my lips. Just like that, he had me aching for his kiss, his touch. He caressed the side of my face with the back of his hand, sliding it down and around behind my neck. Claw tips rested on bare skin. And then he was pulling me in, his mouth claiming mine. His tongue demanded entrance. I resisted and he nipped my lower lip. I gasped and his tongue laid claim to my mouth. He stole my breath away, kissing me so hot, so hard. I captured his tongue with my teeth and sucked it like his cock. He moaned deep into my mouth His hard body pressed into mine, his cock thrusting, rocking into me like he was fucking me already. I moaned my approval. Rocked my cock along side his. What had we been fighting about? Who cared. Make up sex was the best. Had we made up? Hell, I didn’t really understand what we were fighting about. Other than he had a jealous streak a mile wide and twice as deep.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 37 -
That needy little whine rumbled from deep inside him and straight to my cock, setting it on fire. His hand slid down my back, urging me closer, as if we could meld into one. I only knew one way to do that. I tugged at his shirt. He stepped back, whipping his shirt off and tearing at his jeans. I followed his lead, just as eager to get naked. His cock jutted out, the angry red cap with a pearl of precum glistening, teasing. No reason to resist. I dropped to my knees and sucked him down hard. Howling, he buried his fingers in my hair. I felt his balls draw up tight, his body stiff with need. “Daniel!” He pushed me away. I licked my lips, looking up at him. Passion filled his gaze, his lips parted and slightly curled in a sexy snarl. I stood slowly, running my hands up his body. Our gazes locked until I stood so close we couldn’t focus anymore. He drew me gently in to a deep kiss, tongue tasting inside my mouth as if in search of a taste of his own cum. I moaned, thrusting my hips against his. Our cocks lined up. He gasped, held me tighter and then in one swift move, set me on the bed. His body rode mine down, only leaving me enough room to drag myself fully onto the bed. His hand toyed with my ass, but I had other ideas. “Fuck my face,” I panted out between moans of pleasure. He growled softly, gave my cock a slow tug then crawled over me. I grabbed his cock, guiding him between my lips. He growled, moaned and thrust down, dropping onto his hands so he crouched over me. He pulled back, thrust. I sucked and ran my tongue up the underside of his cock with each stroke. He moaned, suddenly stilling. His cock swelled and then he howled, filling me with so much cum it leaked out the sides of my mouth. I sucked and swallowed, my own cock impossibly hard. He pulled off, quickly turning around so he could take me in his mouth. I gasped, thrusting my hips up, eager for his touch. He licked the head, teasing. I moaned, grasping at any part I could reach, desperate for release. His still hard cock brushed my cheek.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 38 -
Moaning around his shaft, I sucked him down again. We thrust and sucked, moaning, growling, greedy to make each other cum. “Mace!” Hawk’s voice came from the other side of the door. Fuck! He wouldn’t be calling if it wasn’t important. Mace snarled and sucked me harder, bracing on one elbow so he could cup my balls, tugging them just so. I sucked in a breath, letting his cock slip from my lips and cried out, coming hard. My body jerked with each wave of pure ecstasy. A strangled howl came from Mace and then his cum splashed my face, throat and chest. He rolled off me, panting. “Fuck, Mace!” I gasped. He turned to plant a kiss on me before jumping up and throwing clothes on. I heaved a sigh and followed suit. I had to know what the fuck was so important. Turned out the south tower had spotted what looked like trouble coming our way. Mace wanted to check it out personally. I decided to sleep on the couch again. RK had found a spot on the floor near Hawk on the dais. Worked for me. *** Terror gripped my gut in its cold, hard grasp. The rabid reached for me through the window. I aimed the shotgun and just as I pulled the trigger, I realized it was Mace reaching for me. I bolted up, heart in my throat, a cold sweat covering me and RK whining softly from the floor next to the couch. Fucking nightmare! Again. Just as my heart started to drop back where it belonged, the roof door slammed into the wall and footsteps pounded down the stairs. “Hawk! Mace’s calling for reinforcements, all we can spare. Fully armed, in the truck, now.” Shit, that so did not sound good. I stumbled through the maze of cushions and furniture to the weapons locker. Mace was in enough trouble to call for help. A single breath and everything inside went still and cold. No time to panic. Not now.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 39 -
“Get Jane and her group on the roof. Full alert.” Slade turned to Hawk. “We can make do with the injured, youths and the women who can shoot. Take everyone else. Ice, Wraith, get those rabids locked up and join Hawk!” Hawk nodded, focused on passing out weapons and ammo. No one said a word when I grabbed my shotgun and a flak jacket. I was out the door and warming the truck up while they were still getting armed and organized. I slipped the vest on. The driver’s door flew open. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Getting Hawk to raise his voice, now that took talent. “Driving. What the fuck does it look like?” “Get the hell out, Daniel. We don’t have time for this.” “No shit, Sherlock. My mate called for everyone the den could spare. I’m going.” I jerked the door out of a very shocked Hawk’s hand, slammed and locked it. The truck shook slightly as a bunch jumped in the back. Snarling, Hawk leaped over the hood and yanked open the passenger door. “Mace is gonna kill us both.” He jumped in and slammed the door. The back seat filled up. A double rap on the truck roof and I threw her into gear. Didn’t wait for them to finish opening the gate before barreling through. Missed taking off the side mirror by mere inches. “Shit!” Hawk grabbed the dash as I made the first corner, tires squealing. “Won’t do any good if we crash on the way.” “Wuse, we’re fine. Where to?” Knowing which watch post Mace had been headed toward, I’d started in that general direction. Hawk directed me down I-25 to Colorado. After a moment he asked, “Can you drive without lights?” I spared him a glance. “So they don’t see us coming? What’s the point, they can hear us.” “If you hit the lights at the right time it might blind them just long enough to give us the upper hand. Mace is reporting twenty or more rabids, and it is that bunch we ran into.”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 40 -
Fuck! I did a mental tally. Twelve between the four watch posts, two adults stayed at the den, and Beta still couldn’t walk well. Which left the six with Mace plus us… Shit! We were seriously outnumbered. But we had guns and the truck. “I can do better than that. Say the word and I can light this thing up like a fucking Christmas tree!” I’d installed a light bar on the top as well as spots on the side, and set it up so I could work them all while driving. “Can you warn Mace and company to shield their eyes or we’ll blind them too.” Hawk leaned out and hollered to someone in the back. I quickly had the spots set to shine forward at about wolfman eye level. I hoped. “OK, so you can drive in the dark?” I smiled but didn’t answer, too focused on taking the off ramp at mach crazy. We shot down Colorado Blvd, picking up speed as we went. I had no idea how long Mace had been holding off those crazy-ass fuckers. Every second could count. Slamming on the breaks, we made a couple of hard turns into a neighborhood. I flipped the lights off. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust but with no one else on the road, I could run dark. Wasn’t the first time, but I did need to slow down to a saner speed. “Ready, on my mark.” Hawk hoisted himself into the open window, gun aimed. We slid around the next corner. “Mark!” I lit her up. A shitload of rabids froze like a herd of fucking deer. The world seemed to hold its breath for a split second. The sounds of automatic rifle fire shattered the night. The way they panicked, running and howling, we must have looked like the devil’s own tank bearing down on them. Bodies fell, and somehow I didn’t run any over. We chased them to the end of the block where they split up. Every rabid for himself it seemed. I swiveled the spots down each side street. Not that the guys needed them to see but it might keep that psychological edge going. The spot caught one as he paused, turned to stare straight at me. Even at this distance, his feral rage scared the shit out of me. Then he was gone so fast I wasn’t sure I’d really seen him.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 41 -
“Hold here, keep sharp in case they return.” Hawk leaped out to join Mace behind us. I focused down the alleys, sweeping with the spots and trying not to think about the carnage we’d created. “Daniel, bring the truck around,” Hawk hollered. I backed it around, and the lights hit the street we’d just come up. I really didn’t want to count the bodies. I knew it couldn’t be that many. After all, wolfmen were hard to kill even with automatic weapons. But it looked like a fucking battlefield. I averted my eyes -- too late to spare myself a nice new set of horrible images to fuel my nightmares. “Daniel?” That would be Mace. “Daniel!” I winced. “What in the hell are you doing here? Hawk,” he growled, stalking toward the truck. “We’ve got bigger worries than one stubborn-ass human, Mace.” Hawk’s voice stayed that low, easy tone. Mace stopped but continued to glare at me. “Stay in the damn truck, and keep it running.” Between the brows drawn, lips curled scowl and that angry growl, I knew we’d be having it out later. Thank God there would be a later. Only two of Mace’s six man team were injured, one unable to walk without help. The shocker? Two new guys who were definitely not rabid. A thin lanky blond had to be close to eight feet. The other was younger. Judging by his gangly build I’d say late teens. What the fuck? Another pack in Mace’s territory and he was treating them like friends? “Wait, you came to their rescue, didn’t you? I thought packs didn’t work together.” “Technically, they’re in our territory.” Uh huh. Interesting. “Which I’m sure they knew.” Mace turned his cold, alpha gaze on them.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 42 -
Both new wolfmen hung their heads. The tall one answered. “Boss told us to make a run for it. Figured you could handle those motherfuckers.” A sly grin flitted across the guy’s face. “Where’s Boss?” Mace growled in the tall one’s face. They shuffled their feet, darting glances down the street. The tall one sighed heavily. “Since we’re the fastest runners, he told us to go while they delayed as many of them as they could.” Mace growled low. “Damn it! Why the hell would he do that?” “Tell him the rest, Stretch.” The kid darted a glance at his older companion. Mace cocked a brow. Stretch growled low then rolled his head, taking an even more submissive pose. “Our den, our women and young. These cocksuckers got close to finding it and there’s no way we can fight them off. There’s even more than followed us tonight. Boss told us to… “ he choked on the words, whining in distress. “He told us to show you. Said you could protect them. That you’d take them into your pack. And maybe us, too.” A shocked silence followed his pronouncement. An alpha offering his pack to another, that was fucking bad. Mace’s voice softened. “You think Boss or the others might still be alive?” The kid whimpered and Stretch just looked whipped. I’d say that was a no. Mace set his hand on Stretch’s shoulder. “How many of you left?” Stretch’s shoulders sagged. “Out of the sixteen we had two days ago, just us and four at the den with three adult females, a female youth and two pups.” He cleared his throat, his distress even worse. “One of the women is pregnant, due soon.” “Fuck!” They’d lost half their fucking pack to those bastards! Mace snarled, shared a look with Hawk, Vegas and Cowboy. I caught only the slightest nod from each. “Shit. Leave the rabids and load up. We need an alternate route to your den.” “We aren’t going to look for Boss or any others? Fuck, they could still be alive, trapped somewhere.” I’d think they’d be at greater risk than a protected den.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 43 -
“Maybe, but more likely dead. Damn shame but he wanted his pack safe. The women and young, they’re what matter most.” Agreement and relief spread across Stretch’s face and he hopped in the cab to guide me to their den. The kid looked upset but hopped into the truck without a word. I swung back into the driver’s seat and in moments a thump on the roof signaled they were ready. I decided running dark would make us harder to track. Sound would echo and distort as we wound among the houses. Light, not so much. As an added precaution, I took the long route, going so far as to get back on the interstate for a bit. *** Boss had made his den in the basement of a church west and a little south of Cherry Creek reservoir. Good location, well hidden and defensible… unless the attackers were a very large pack of rabids. Pre-dawn light glowed from the east in a pale wash of almost color. Looked like another of those clear spring days for which Colorado was so famous. Might be chilly now but by midday it’d be shirtsleeve weather. “Stay in the truck, Daniel.” Mace growled. “As your pack leader, I mean it!” “Got it. Keep the engine running, eyes open for rabids, be a good boy.” He snorted in disgust at my snide tone, but I fucking hated being treated like a little kid. While waiting, I positioned the truck for a quick getaway if we needed it. Idling wasted fuel that was hard to come by, but the risk of attack was pretty high. Better to be ready. The women and kids came out with a limping wolfman. One woman was crying so hard another had to practically hold her up. The young woman, fifteen, maybe sixteen, had a toddler in hand with a scared looking boy lagging behind. The pregnant one had a “Don’t fuck with me” attitude visible from miles away. She stopped by the door and waited, daring anyone to try to move her. I hopped out and opened doors. “I’m Daniel, and yes, human like you. Long story we can share when we’re safe.” As if anyone was ever safe in this fucked up mess.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 44 -
The injured wolfman snarled at me as he shouldered past to help the women in. Four adults with a teen and two kids would not fit in the back seat. “Look, why don’t you sit up front with me and the pregnant one?” I kept my voice respectfully soft but no way was I going to let this guy think he intimidated me. I met his challenging gaze head on. He snarled, stretching tall and took a menacing step toward me. “Back off! My chosen!” Mace’s guttural growl stopped the guy in his tracks. He rolled a worried glance toward Mace and back to me. That was all the time it took for Mace to reach us. “Get in the damn truck, Daniel.” He kept his focus on the new wolfman, trusting me to do as my alpha said. Well, fuck, guess I’d better play the nice submissive human. Challenging Mace in front of the new guys would make him look weak from the get go. “You, ride up front next to her.” Mace pointed from gimpy to preggo hanging on the arm of one very worried looking wolfman. “No! Clark rides with me!” The pregnant woman jutted her chin out in stubborn defiance and clutched her wolfman’s arm tighter. Now he looked damn near panicked, gaze darting between her and Mace. Mace took two fast strides to stand snarling in the woman’s face. She raised her head in an attempt to look down her nose at him. Her mate gave her a gentle nudge, trying to put himself between them. One clawed swipe from Mace and the guy reeled to the side, falling rather than knocking into his woman. “Leave him alone you fucking bully!” She took a swing at Mace. She took a fucking swing at a wolfman! And everyone thought I was too stupid to live? Mace easily blocked her, grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward. “I am pack leader, not you. Do as you’re told or pregnant or not, I will make you.” Her wolfman howled in rage and leapt at Mace. Seconds later he was spitting dirt and blood with Mace’s knee pinning him. Mace’s claws bit at the guy’s throat. “Yield, both of you. Now.” He didn’t bother to add or else. We all knew the consequence.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 45 -
Red-faced fury radiated from preggo. She did back a step but didn’t manage anything like a submissive pose. Her wolfman kept his worried gaze on her, as if waiting for her command. “Yield. I already told you, your mate is safe. As long as she behaves, you both are.” The woman scowled and looked ready to challenge Mace’s assumption about who was in charge. “Hey, can we get a move on or do you really want those rabids catching up to us while you’re fucking around playing who’s the boss?” Mace snarled over his shoulder at me without taking any attention off the guy under him. Preggo’s man went limp, the woman backed off and that was that. We managed to get loaded without any more trouble. I held back a grin when Preggo’s wolfman claimed the front passenger seat with her sandwiched between us. The injured wolfman rode in the back with the rest of the pack, who, ignoring the drama, had continued to strip everything of value from Boss’s den. It wasn’t much more than clothes, blankets and household stuff but every little bit helped. A couple of blocks away, Hawk spotted movement and I swung the truck down a side street, cutting over to Belleview from a different angle and gunning it for the highway. It’d be hard for them to keep up on the city streets but once I hit the interstate, no fucking way they could. Not even wolfmen could sustain seventy or eighty miles an hour. Preggo fidgeted, darting glances at me but apparently reluctant to mess with my concentration. “Ask before you fucking explode.” “You really are human? What the hell are you doing with this pack? Where’d you get the gas to run a monster truck like this?” At her first pause for breath, one from the back seat broke in. Neither seemed to care I hadn’t had a chance to answer. “What are they going to do to us? I mean, all of us, not just us women.” She sounded a little panicked.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 46 -
A loud sob came from weepy. “We’re all going to die, even if those rabids don’t get us!” “Relax. Nothing bad is going to happen to you. First, Mace’s den is a fucking fortress defended by a well-armed and trained pack. Second, you aren’t the first women to join them. Even have a mother with a baby born last winter. And then there’s Jane and her M16 toting commandos. You’ll be safe.” “And the men?” I shrugged. “Wolfmen have their own ways of settling shit. Won’t be pretty by human standards but no one’s going to die.” I paused, thinking of Tat. “Unless they push Mace into it. Follow the rules and you should all fit right in.” I hoped like hell I wasn’t blowing smoke out my ass. I spent the rest of the drive answering questions as best I could, considering I’d only been with Mace less than a month. Felt like a fucking lifetime. Sometimes even in a good way.
Chapter Five “Vegas! Take these five from Boss’ pack and a double patrol out to relieve the south watch post. Then take a look around. Keep alert and put watchers up high. Those rabids are still out there somewhere. Boss may be out there, too.” Mace turned to Slade. “My patrol needs some rest but you can call us if you need to. I see you’ve armed most of the women. See they get in some target practice. Assign someone to get the new pack settled and aware of our rules.” He turned to me in the same tone. “We need fuel for that truck. That’s your new top priority. Just hope you can get started without going out scavenging.” The one thing I’d drug my feet over supplying to the pack, fuel they could use against humans. Although, at this point, that didn’t seem as likely. Really wished I’d gone ahead and at least started the process. “I’ve got most of what I need. If Patty and Lori can come out to play, it’d go a lot faster.” He nodded. “Whatever and whoever you need. Everyone hear that? Anyone who interferes will answer to me!” After Mace’s “discussion” with Beta about me, no one wanted to poke that hornets’ nest. Den-Mom promised to send Lori and Patty out to help me after she escorted the new women and kids into the back. “I’m not leaving my mate behind!” Preggo dug in on the stairs, daring anyone to move her. Den-Mom was going to have her hands full with that woman. Reminded me of my mom, and not in a maternal way. More like a rabid she-bear. Mace stepped in. “Here’s the deal. You and your mate can walk out that door and do whatever the hell you want. Outside my territory. Or you stay and accept my
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 48 -
lead and the rules of my pack. And right now, we can’t have you in the main room. Nor am I letting a strange male in the woman’s area, mated or not!” Preggo stood two steps higher than Mace. Did she really think he’d be intimidated by her looming over him? Her poor mate made the mistake of snarling and taking a step toward Mace. Slade had him face down on the floor before he even knew what hit him. Just a hunch, but I got the feeling Boss ran a looser ship. But then, he had a hell of a lot fewer wolfmen to deal with. “Ah, Mace, can I have a talk with our new women? Just, you know, one human to another.” He snorted. “Fine. But she doesn’t come down those steps!” He grabbed me as I passed him on the stairs, laying a hard kiss on me, more possession than passion. What was up with him? Was it just all these new guys making him feel insecure? Mace, insecure? Crazy, that was fucking crazy. I took her arm and urged her away from the stairs. “Can we get her a chair? You can watch your mate from here while we talk.” Waiting until Slade let her mate up, she grudgingly followed me. “I thought you were supposed to be civilized. That’s what Boss always said. Are these beasts really that violent?” I drew a breath. “If it were just Mace and his team, yeah, no sweat having you down there. But shit’s been happening around here and you don’t want to risk your child by being in the middle of it.” She snorted and sat with a poorly disguised sigh of relief. “Great, we’re no better off than with those rabids!” Her gaze followed her mate, frowning at the growling and posturing thrown his way. He submitted every time, and yet I’d seen him stand up to Mace over his mate. I filed that for future thought. “Let me ask you something. Where did your mate rank in the pack? Among the wolfmen?”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 49 -
Her lips pursed tightly. “Lowest of the adult males but above the youngsters,” she grudgingly admitted. Her face relaxed and her voice filled with love. “He’s got a gentle soul even as a beast. So careful with me, the kids, everyone. The whole pack loved him.” Her voice went harsh again. “No one bullied him like here.” I watched Beta saunter over, glance up at us and wink before starting in. “Fucking prick. That one’s called Beta. He was part of a pack that challenged Mace’s and lost. Mace took them in, including their alpha, Tat.” She darted glances at me while watching the drama below. Clark, her mate, didn’t give Beta any reason to attack him. He submitted quietly but without the fear I’d seen in RK. He ignored Beta’s attempts to bait him -- until Beta turned and gave Preggo a look that made me want to slap him. A look that clearly showed he wanted to fuck her. That did it. The fight was on. Unfortunately Beta was a hell of a scrapper. Clark’s pack mates jumped to his rescue. The pack was a heartbeat from another riot. “Enough!” Mace’s growl froze the crowd starting to push in. He yanked Beta off Clark. Slade pulled him to his feet where he seemed more than ready to go at it again. Mace snarled at them both. “Get this through all your thick heads. Mates are not available. Period. No need to fight over them. Got it?” Mace yanked Beta closer. Wisely, he bared his throat. “Next time any of you incite a mated male by threatening their mate, I will fucking rip your balls off!” He punctuated his point by tossing Beta over a couch and across the floor. “If you’d been down there, your mate could’ve have gotten killed trying to protect you. Clear enough?” “So why can’t he join me?” “I take it you haven’t had any new pack members join lately?” She frowned. “No, not really.” “Having just gone through some of the same shit, it’s important the new guys get acquainted with their new pack mates. They need to do some heavy bonding to really be accepted.”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 50 -
She pondered this while watching the make up whining and rubbing. “How long does this take?” “Fuck if I know. Haven’t been here that long myself.” She levered to her feet. “Thanks for explaining it. I still don’t like it.” Patty and Lori lounged against the wall, waiting patiently for me. “Why can they go down there?” Lori answered her firmly. “Not pregnant and not hanging out in the main room. It’s still a risk but one we’re willing to take for the sake of the den.” At the top of the stairs she tossed over her shoulder, “and because Mace said so. His pack, his rules.” *** The main room felt pretty empty with most of the guys out on patrol or catching a nap. It still took me several minutes to locate RK. He’d found a new corner to hide in, behind Mace’s couch. “Hey, RK, come with me, we’ve got work to do.” I didn’t know how much help he would be but I wasn’t leaving him cowering in a corner any longer. Glass water cooler bottles and fifty-gallon drums would work both to ferment the mash and store the fuel. We had plenty of those hanging around. The hardest part? What the hell could we ferment? And where could I find yeast without fetching a starter batch from my culture back at the compound? Yeast turned out to be the easy part. Someone had stored some with the dried goods. I asked Den-Mom to put a team together gathering the plant material we needed, the higher the sugar content the better. After reading about a guy using duckweed, I’d started some on the stock ponds. Worked pretty damned well. Didn’t have even that option here but I’d find a way to make do. Hmm, I wondered if any of the canned goods had gone bad. RK turned out to be a decent helper. He listened well and didn’t snarl when I gave him directions. Was that just his nature or his injury? He also tired like a normal human. No wonder they considered him weak. But he was also healing fast, at least on the outside.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 51 -
Breakfast and lunch were brought to us. I’d chosen a sound storage shed well away from the main building for the still. Damn things could explode and if you had a batch of fuel nearly done? Boom. And we’d need a separate storage shed for the finished fuel to avoid a big fucking boom. *** A hot shower, clean clothes and food eaten sitting down were my priorities just before dinner. No such luck. I’d heard the truck come back a short while before but hadn’t paid any attention. Apparently, they’d found another from Boss’ den, injured and hiding in the sewer. The rabids hadn’t been able to track him but Hound had. They’d also grabbed an injured rabid they wanted to question. Boss’ pack wanted to tear him to little pieces. And then they found out about the other rabids. That was the mess I walked in on. Fuck, I could hear them clear out in the yard. Boss’ former pack formed a knot surrounded by Mace and his team. Ice, Wraith, Spider and Race backed them up and kept the rest of the pack away. Looked like all but the guys on watch were here. Jane and her cadre leaned over the rails of the second floor with a few other women, including the ones from Boss’ pack. “They’re fucking rabids! They killed Boss. You can’t just take them in!” This from Junior, Boss’ beta, the gimpy one we’d picked up from their den. “My pack, my rules. Live with it or leave,” Mace snarled in full alpha mode. Heaven forbid he actually explained himself. “They were here before your former pack tangled with their former pack.” I slipped between Race and Hound to stand next to Mace. “They couldn’t have attacked you, much less Boss.” “Not that one!” He pointed to the whining bloody mass cowering behind Mace. Mace snapped forward to take Junior by the throat. Next thing I knew, someone grabbed me from behind and yanked me out of the way of the growing fight. It turned out to be RK, who started pushing and tugging me toward his favorite corner.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 52 -
“Ah fuck this, I’m getting a shower.” I yanked loose from RK. Shocked me when he ducked his head in submission. I slammed my tool belt onto a table with a loud bang, interrupting their brawl. “Let me know when you’ve found your fucking minds again.” How fucking many days would that take? “Some of us would like a nice quiet dinner for a fucking change.” The sniggers from the upstairs gallery earned them some nasty snarls. Jane pointedly shifted her M16 as a reminder that these women were not helpless. “Stay out of it, not your concern.” Mace snarled at them, and then me. “Right, just a fucking human here. Be a good boy, sit down and shut up. Until you either want to fuck me or have me spend the day busting my ass making shit for you.” I turned my scorn on Boss’ former pack. “Shit that allowed Mace to save your fucking asses! You’re welcome, ungrateful pricks.” I snorted rudely and headed for the shower. Beta snarled from the sidelines but quickly backed off when Mace growled his way. This was getting fucking out of hand. How much of this shit could one pack take before it exploded? Yeah, I know, my attitude wasn’t helping. I needed some quiet time. I took my time washing. If I was lucky, they’d be moving on to the post fight bonding by the time I finished. Oh, yay, sex before dinner. Fuck. I was tired and cranky. Keeping my snark in check was going to be a bitch. *** I found RK huddle outside the bathroom door. He followed me like a faithful dog. No surprise there. I was the only one who didn’t kick him. With just a towel around my hips, I padded down the hall on the cold concrete to get something clean. Clean clothes were a luxury I needed to indulge in right then. Made me feel just that little bit more in control of my fucked up life. The pack was eating -- food rather than each other -- and without a lot of growling. That was a bonus. I headed to the kitchen area hoping to find something more palatable than barely roasted mystery meat. A stew of overcooked canned veggies sounded good at this point. I sighed. Nope, more scrawny slices of what I hoped was
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 53 -
bird but suspected was rodent. All the shit going on kept the normal hunting parties closer to home. Not much left nearby. They saved what little canned goods they had left for the women. Maybe I could eat with them. I knew they had a separate kitchen, which’d made no sense until now. That gave me pause. How the fuck often was the pack this unsettled? “Daniel, join me.” It wasn’t a request. And after my outburst, I figured I’d better at least act like a nice submissive mate. So much for fucking real food. I slouched on to the couch next to him. He snarled at RK, who quickly hunkered down in his corner. Even Boss’ old pack snarled at him. What the fuck? They didn’t even know him. “You aren’t eating?” “Not hungry.” “You’re losing weight.” “No fucking shit. All this macho wolfman shit kills my appetite. Like a bunch of fucking dogs and a fire hydrant.” I got blank looks. “A fucking pissing match to see who can mark higher or longer. Fucked up way to determine who’s in charge if you ask me.” I rolled my eyes at the predictable growls my words provoked. “And I bet you think you’d be a better choice?” Junior sat on the edge of the dais. Right where Mace and his team could reach them easily. The rabids we’d taken in wisely stayed at a distance with their mini packs circled protectively around them. I laughed. “Hell no. I haven’t got the patience to put up with ass wipes like you. Mace and his pack risked their lives to save you. Haven’t heard a single thank you. Just a bunch of fucking whining. Well, fuck off. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.” Mace’s snarl warned me I’d gone too far again. I slouched back, pissed as hell. “Sorry, Oh Great One, didn’t mean to step on your toes.” That earned me a growl and claws digging on my shoulder. The same one Beta had clawed. I bit my lip to hold back a cry of pain. A rush of emotions threatened to overwhelm me. I struggled to get up.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 54 -
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t do this anymore. “Daniel, easy, Chosen.” Mace’s soft words in my ear cut off my growing panic. “What can’t you do anymore?” Hadn’t meant to say that out loud. “Shoulder, hurts,” I choked out. He released me with a huffed snarl. “What’s wrong Daniel?” Mace leaned close, concern coloring his voice. I couldn’t speak right then, not without breaking down and I’ll be damned if I let them see that. I shook my head hoping he’d drop it, at least for now. What the fuck was wrong with me? Junior snorted, giving me a dismissive rake. “Awe, you hurt the little human’s feelings.” His pack mates sniggered. I couldn’t say exactly what changed but the room shifted, like lines were being drawn. “The way Boss built you up, I’d expect you to have a stronger mate. Oh, but then he’s not really your mate is he? What’s the matter, not strong enough to make one little human submit?” What the fuck he meant got lost in Mace leaping off the dais and right onto Junior. That pissing match earlier? Just a warm up. Only this time, no one else joined in. A few of the pack gathered in support of Mace, and Junior’s guys gathered in a knot. But most of the pack just looked on. Did that mean Mace had lost status somehow? Fuck, bet my fucking attitude didn’t help. Backing from the pack or not, Mace didn’t even have to pull out his top moves to pin the prick to the floor, neck clenched in his jaws. The room held its breath. And then Junior submitted. A snarl from Hawk was the only warning of trouble. We’d been so wrapped up in the drama no one saw it coming. Fang leaped into the circle to challenge Mace. Mace no sooner had him down than Spike stepped up only to be shoved aside by another of Boss’ pack.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 55 -
Spike watched, eager for his turn. I’d been warned they could try this. Tag team Mace until he wore out and lost. And we were just supposed to sit here and watch. Fuck that. But my shotgun was on the far side of the room. I only had one weapon to hand. A plate for a Frisbee and one of my newly installed lights exploded in a shower of glass that sounded satisfyingly like a gunshot. Wolfmen, ducked, snarling, but their attention on the fight was effectively broken. “Are you all fucking idiots? There’s a pack -- yes pack of rabids out there just as big and twice as vicious as this pack. We haven’t got time for this shit!” And now it was all on me. Mace slammed his distracted opponent to the ground hard enough to knock him out. “They would be laughing their fucking heads off watching you doing the hard work for them. Divide the pack and leave how many injured and unable to fight? How many can we lose before we can’t defend the den against a fucking gang of more than twenty rabids?” Mace jumped up beside me, breathing hard and bloody, but standing tall. “We have guns, they don’t.” Stretch knelt next to his unconscious pack mate. “If they’re smart enough to form a pack that size, you can bet they’re searching for weapons right now.” Ice lounged against the wall not far from RK. First time I’d ever seen him without Wraith. Where the fuck was he? “Which is why we need a strong leader. Not one who can’t even get his playmate in line,” Junior barked out with obvious difficulty, holding his ribs as if they hurt. “It was my chosen’s truck with him driving that saved my patrol and your pack,” Mace snarled. “Do you really think we would have even tried to rescue you and your women without it, knowing how many rabids were on the loose?” He growled straight at Beta. “And he’s right, we can’t afford to fight among ourselves.” “So.” Beta leaped a foot away when Wraith spoke right behind his ear. “Why don’t we end this challenge right now. With the one who set it up.” Everyone stared at Beta. Low growls grew to louder, angry ones.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 56 -
Junior staggered to his feet. “You fucking bastard. You said you’d back me. That Mace was weak, easy to take. Coward, you let everyone else bleed so you could saunter in and take the top.” He staggered toward Beta, seeming intent on tearing him apart. “Junior, stand down. You chose to listen to him.” Mace hopped off the dais, staggering just slightly. “He’s challenged me for the last time. I won’t tolerate anyone who puts the pack at risk for their own gain.” Mace stalked straight at Beta, then began to circle. Blood ran from a number of cuts. Was he favoring one side? Beta smiled, taking in all of Mace’s injuries. With a smug snarl, he joined the macabre dance. Mace feinted an attack, leaving his apparently weakened side open. Beta rushed to take advantage of the perceived mistake and got his ass raked good for it. Mace had set out the bait and Beta had fallen for it. Mace’s lips stretched in a feral grin, all signs of weakness gone. In minutes, Beta was bleeding far more than Mace and had only managed a couple of glancing blows. The second time Mace slammed Beta to the floor, he rolled and stumbled to his feet, fear twisting his features. This was a death match and he was losing. Fear gave him a second wind and seemed to clear his head. He changed tactics. Instead of attacking, he waited for Mace’s next move. They circled. He ignored Mace’s feint to the right and blocked the real attack from the left. It got him inside Mace’s reach. What had been something like a bloody martial arts match turned into a dogfight. Beta must have known it was his last chance. He fought with everything he had. His howl of rage cut off as Mace’s jaws clamped on his windpipe. One of Beta’s arms hung limp at an odd angle and the other lay pinned under Mace’s grip. He tried twice to toss Mace loose or hook him with a leg. His eyes closed and he went limp. No whine, no begging, but his head rolled to the side in a final submission. I turned away. I’d seen Mace tear out a throat before, didn’t need to see it again.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 57 -
Mace released him but stayed crouched, ready to attack. “You fought hard even after you realized I would beat you. I respect that. The question is, can you fight as hard for the pack? Under my rule?” Beta’s eyes opened but it was anger I saw there. “You stole our pack. Forced my Alpha to grovel and then killed him.” “I offered Tat the same choice. He submitted falsely then attacked my back. Such a coward didn’t deserve to live. And he didn’t deserve your loyalty, either.” Beta clinched his jaw, saying nothing. Mace stood, leaving a stunned Beta bleeding but alive. “Put him in the cage next to the rabids. The morning patrol can escort him to the edge of our territory. I see you again, I will treat you as a challenger.” He stopped next to Fang and Spike. “These two go with him.” Mace climbed the dais next to me. “Anyone else need to leave?” No one took him up on that offer. Instead they offered their submission. The rabids fell at his feet, offering worshipful gazes and whines, wiggling their asses at him just begging to get fucked. Was that what their former alpha demanded? They sure as hell looked disappointed when all Mace did was touch their heads. Just like all the other pack members. Knowing how fights revved him up, I expected a good hard fucking. He shocked me by simply dragging me back to the couch. Couldn’t keep his hands to himself but I guess he wanted to hang out until the pack settled down.
Chapter Six “Doc, our latest recruit ready to talk?”
I’d forgotten about the torn up rabid they’d brought in.
“Between the blood loss and his broken pelvis, he’s not in any shape for much.
At this point, I’m not even sure he can talk, much less if he will.” One thing I’d noticed. None of the former rabids talked much. Hadn’t heard RK say a word. “What about those others?” Junior kept a respectful posture and voice, unlike his early demands. “They won’t know what he’s up to right now but they might give us some insight,” Cowboy chimed in. Hawk and Slade gave slight signals that might mean agreement. I’d noticed before the subtle signals between Mace and his original team. Mace gave a clear nod to Slade. “Let’s see who knows something of interest.” Slade stood and gestured to have the three former rabids brought up to kneel in front of Mace. The darker skinned one got shoved forward first. He was the boldest of the three. “You have a name yet?” The rabid glanced at his buddies? Sponsors? Guards? “Um, nothing stands out yet,” was the hesitant reply from his sponsors. That sounded about better than guards. “Tell me about your former pack leader. What’s he want?” Nameless snickered as if the answer should be obvious. “Food, sex, warmer or cooler.” Mace growled and Nameless dropped the attitude. His gravely voice took on a whiny, submissive sound. “Not talk like here. Tell us what do, where go.”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 59 -
Mace looked at the other two. “Anything to add to that? Like why he came here?” They shared a look. “Move all time, hunt food. Search new brothers. Women good but hard to keep. Always look for more.” “Brothers?” “He call us brothers, not pack or rabid. Say we belong together, not kill each other all time.” “Only kill weak or ones not brothers. You not brothers?” That one sounded confused. Mace ignored the question. “So where’s he from and where’s he going?” “Ask him,” he pointed to RK. “He with first brothers long time. Not first brothers but like most brothers.” RK shrunk into as small a space as he could. All that attention freaked him out. “Let me get him.” I hoped Mace kept his jealousy in check or we might get to watch RK having another seizure. Kneeling on the edge of the dais, I spoke as soothingly as I could. “RK, it’s OK. You can come up here and no one’s going to hurt you.” I glared around until those closest moved back. RK didn’t hesitate to follow me. Guess he really did trust me. Mace pulled me back down next to him and set his arm possessively around my shoulders. Pulled me so tight against him I almost tumbled into his lap. The shocker was RK’s low growl at Mace. “RK! Knock it off! Sit.” And he dutifully sat at my feet. I looked from him to a snarling Mace and shook my head. “Can’t you two play nice? RK, you’ve been with the brothers a long time?” He nodded.
“Any idea how long?”
Mace’s growl shoved my question aside. “Where are they from? Why are you
with them?” RK looked to me and I nodded. “Answer his questions.”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 60 -
Mace snarled at RK and me. I had to admit, it gave me an ego boost to know RK looked at me as his alpha. “Max, um, we come from Max.” His voice sounded rough and gravely from lack of use. He frowned, cocked his head as if listening to something we couldn’t hear. “We work as brothers, escape Max before all dead. Very hot, no food, little water left. Many cages locked. Many dead. Join brothers, work together, escape Max.” “Oh My God!” Doc looked ready to faint. “Doc?” “I didn’t see any prison tats, did you Daniel?” “Prison tats? No, and why?” “According to a report I saw, some doctors were experimenting on the prisoners at Super Max outside Canyon City. Experiments that could make them an even worse threat.” “Jesus fucking Christ! It’s like some cheesy Sci-Fi flick. They just had to choose the most dangerous fuckers they could to fuck with. Didn’t any of them ever see one of those movies? Never ever experiment on the badass prisoners!” I was winding up to a good fucking rant. Mace broke in when I had to take a breath. “Settle down, Daniel. What was this Max? You said prisoners?” Doc drew a deep breath. “Super Max was built to hold the worst of the worst lifers. Prisoners so dangerous they were not only in for life but couldn’t be around other inmates either. And there’s your answer Daniel, each one in solitary, escape-proof, and guys no one would miss. The perfect lab rats.” “Fucking didn’t work did it? So what kind of experiments were these geniuses doing?” Doc sighed. “Several places tried using strong anti-virals to prevent infection, mostly among their staff. Didn’t work, but it did slow the progression of the disease -while increasing mortality over 50%. Those that survived retained more of who they’d been, were less insane I guess you could say.” “So why mess with a bunch of killers?”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 61 -
“Trying to find the magic dose that would either prevent infection or at least render the victim, ah, more tractable.” She snorted. “Actually, the word was trainable, like dogs.” “Well fuck! So RK, does that sound familiar to you?”
He stared at the floor for a long time. Finally, “Yes.”
“Just yes? Were you a prisoner?”
His brow furrowed. “Not one of first brothers. Brothers hungry, no more food.
More like me, need help get out. Others leave all of us locked in. We work together, find food, escape, live.” His voice took on a tremor. “He was first brother before sick, others join him. We become brothers. Hunt not brothers who hurt us, left us to die.” “Fucking sons of bitches. Sounds like they just locked the doors and walked away.” “Maybe, or there was a riot. My guess would be RK wasn’t a prisoner but a guard or something.” “Does the first brother have a name?” Mace leaned toward RK. He pulled in on himself, rocking slightly. Shook his head no. “Gave numbers, took names. Gave RK number, too. Brothers not need names now.” His voice had gone eerily even and his rocking stopped. “Track more brothers. Hunt women, food, place sleep. Those not brothers, hurt them like they hurt brothers, kill all.” “Fucking great! We’ve got a gang of rabid murderers and psychos being led by a group of the worst psycho murderers who remember enough to be seriously fucked up and dangerous.” Mace leaned back, gaze on the ceiling, thinking. “Like them, we need to work together to survive.” He pinned Junior with his yellow gold gaze. “Think you can do that, my way?” “Like we have a choice?”
“You’re free to leave anytime.”
“And what about our women and young?”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 62 -
Mace paused. “Would you really take a pregnant woman out there with no den and all those rabids around?” “Like I said, not much of choice here.” I jumped in. “Has there ever been, since this fucking virus hit?” God knows I’d never set out to be a killer. Or fall for a human hybrid. “We pull it together or we die. Those are the choices we all face, wolfman, human or rabid.” Junior looked to each of his former pack, getting a nod from each. “We’re in, boss man.” He winced at his flip choice of words. “Mace will do. And we will keep looking until we know for sure what happened to him.” I dropped my head back on the couch. I really should eat something. And try to get a good night’s sleep, which meant spending the night next to Mace. Something about sleeping with him kept the worst of the nightmares at bay. Slade followed Doc around as she checked for serious injuries. With a nod from Mace, they left the room. “Turning in early sounds fucking good.” I sighed with longing. Mace snickered. “Doc can’t stop helping others anymore than you can shut up. They went to take care of Beta and check on Preggo.” A commotion across the room drew Mace’s attention. It could give a guy a complex having a boyfriend so easily distracted. But the average boyfriend didn’t have to worry about the kinds of fights Mace did. Den-Mom came in with a bowl of something and a bottle of wine. Fuck, I hoped she’d share. Even she and Alpha had stayed away after they brought the rabids in. Smart considering the way they tracked them like prey. “Daniel, Doc says you’re to eat. Thought you might like some wine to wash it down.” Den-Mom growled softy at RK, still sitting like a good dog at my feet. He pressed against my leg, whining. Mace snarled at RK but couldn’t reach him without crawling over me or getting up. Leaning just a bit forward made that even harder for Mace.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 63 -
I sighed. “RK, this is Den-Mom. Don’t piss her off.” She sniffed at him before snorting rudely. “So, this is the road kill that’s got the whole pack on edge.” She handed me my dinner and sank down next to Mace. Den-Mom started filling Mace in on the new women. “Donna, that new woman, the pregnant one, watch out for her. She makes Daniel look down right easy going.” Mace and I chuckled. While they chatted I tried to eat, I really did, but every time I started to relax, some loud noise or growl would startle me. And that would set Mace and RK off, snarling at each other. As if I didn’t have enough fucking problems. Fed up, I slammed the bottle of wine down, sloshing a good bit on the couch and floor. “Would you two fucking stop it? You wonder why I can’t fucking eat? Take a fucking guess, Mace.” “You’re mine. He needs to learn his place.” “He hasn’t done a fucking thing! I’m not having this fucking conversation again. I need some sleep.” I stood up and Mace yanked me back down. “Doc said you need to eat. So eat.” “It’s cold and I can’t take anymore growling tonight.” Sounded like a petulant two year old. When had I become such a whiner? RK whined, rubbing his face on my fucking leg. “Not you too! Fuck, one mother is enough.” They both stared at me. Den-Mom chuckled. “Give it up Daniel. Just eat.” I shoved a couple of bites in, washing it down with a big swig of wine. “There, I ate, can I go now?” About that time, I realized the half of the den not wrestling, fighting or fucking were staring at me. At us, including Junior and his pack. Well, fuck. Could I make Mace look any weaker? Did that still matter after that fight? My gut said yes. I handed my bowl and the wine to RK. “Take these to the kitchen and find yourself a corner for the night.” I saw a few jaws drop when he jumped up to do my biding. Standing, I glared around the room. “I find one new scratch on him and there will be hell to pay.” I glared right at Rif and Raf. They didn’t look impressed until Hawk snarled at them. I gave Hawk a thank you smile.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 64 -
I straddled Mace’s lap and sank down facing him. “So, I’ve eaten. Any other orders you got for me?” OK, that didn’t sound exactly submissive but hey, I tried. Mace ran his fingertip over my lower lip. I darted my tongue out to taste it. He rumbled deep inside. His cock hardened under me as I rolled my hips. I’d never given a lap dance, hell, I’d never gotten one either. Must be doing something right if that steel pipe in his pants was any measure. I leaned in, brushing my lips on his, teasing. He grabbed the nape of my neck, pulling me closer, claiming my mouth in an erotic duel of tongues. His other hand stroked up and down my back before settling on my hip. Claw tips pressed against denim. I squirmed out of his hold, backing up and standing in one smooth motion. He growled, and I smiled and cocked a brow, backing away. Fuck, I hoped I wouldn’t trip over anything. Mace stood, stalking me, yellow gold eyes glowing with passion. “Hawk, keep an eye on the pack. Make sure there are patrols ready to go” “You got it, Mace.” He followed without touching me, but I swear I could feel his gaze eating my ass the whole way. *** Shutting the door behind him, Mace leaned against it to watch me strip. Hell, I’d already given him a lap dance, why the fuck not? I slowly worked my shirt off, stroking my body as I went. Just as the t-shirt slipped over my head, he yanked it off. Playtime was over. We wrestled with each other’s clothes in a wild game of who could get stripped first. We fell together on to the bed still wrestling, seeing who could get the upper hand. Like I had a fucking chance of outmuscling Mace. But it was fun. I should have thought twice about raising those instincts in Mace so soon after a fight. Growling low, he pinned me to the bed. Fangs brushed my ear.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 65 -
“Need you, Daniel. Need… “ His words devolved to needy growls and panted whines. His lips nibbled across my cheek and jaw, down to my neck. Fangs nipped at tender flesh. I sucked in air, hot need rushing to my already weeping cock. Our bodies ground against each other, cocks dueling, sliding. Mace crouched over me and licked and kissed a trail down my body. My cock jumped, eager for what I knew was coming. “Ah, fuck yeah!” Mace’s tongue traced from tip to base and back again. Fingertips probed at my hole, teasing, pressing. “Fuck, lube, Mace.” I twisted around trying to reach it. He growled a low warning. I rolled to my side, stretching out for the nightstand. Next thing I knew, I was face down on the bed. A strong, heavy body trapped me, massive arms pulling my hips up for that hard cock seeking to impale me. Fuck! No! Did I scream it? Now and before blended in a Picasso painting of terror and pain. The only clear thought, I had to get away, fight him off. “No, no, not again! Fuck! No!” Those sobs, those were mine. Strong hands tried to hold me. I fought with all I had, knowing it wouldn’t be enough, it hadn’t been enough. But I was older, more experienced. I twisted, biting any part that I could reach, punching, kicking. His grip on me slipped and I struggled off the bed and squeezed into a corner. My breath panted in sobs of fear and rage. Why didn’t I hear the sirens? Where was Linds? Why did the room look so spartan? “Daniel?” A voice full of worry and confusion, not rage. “Daniel, Chosen, I’m sorry. Oh, God, what did I do?” The voice’s heart wrenching despair reached something in me, something a bit saner. I wasn’t eighteen and that was Mace, not… Fuck! I regained enough sanity to know I’d just had a full-blown flashback and panic attack. “Mace, fuck.” Shaking hands scrubbed at my tear soaked face. “I’m OK, not your fault.” Even my voice sounded shaky.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 66 -
Mace squatted on his haunches in front of me, clearly wanting to touch me but afraid. His yellow gold eyes glowed with an emotion I’d never thought I’d see on Mace. Fear. A smear of blood on his arm, another on his face. “Ah, fuck, I bit you didn’t I?” A quivering laugh bubbled up. “Guess I’m fucking lucky you didn’t bite me back.” “Daniel?” A world of questions in just my name. He reached for me and I flinched. “Yeah, ah, can you get me something to drink?” Anything to get him the fuck out of here. He didn’t need to see me like this. He rose, casting a worried glance over his shoulder before slipping out the door. I drew several deep measured breaths, willing my body to relax. Doc poked her head in, scanning the dim room for me. “Daniel?” “Over here, cowering in the fucking corner like the fucking nutcase I am.” “Mace said you, um, freaked out?” I laughed, sounding a lot like the crazy villain of some cheesy B movie. “That’s putting it mildly.” “Daniel, what’s going on with you?” “Nothing, I’ll be fine.” I so did not want to admit I’d had a flashback to my teen years. “From what Mace said, you just had a panic attack. Add that to your nightmares, short temper and trouble eating, I’d say you’ve got a pretty severe case of PTSD.” “Only there’s nothing post about it, is there?” Not all of it, and either way Mace would see me as weak. And not a fucking thing either of them could do about it. “Daniel… “ My leg took that moment to throb. Thanks to Doc’s plasma shit, it felt a lot more than three or so weeks healed. But sometimes it still hurt. I rubbed it, refusing to even look at Doc. I stood up to ease the ache. Persistent woman, she waited me out. “Fuck it. I blew a guy’s fucking head off, point blank with my shotgun. The same fight where I nearly killed RK. Happy now?”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 67 -
“That’s what your nightmares are about?” I scrubbed a hand across my face. “Yeah, mostly.” “And that’s why you had a panic attack? In the middle of having sex?” I paced, arms crossed defensively over my chest. I didn’t want to talk about it. I’d spent a couple years in fucking therapy talking about it. Guess it hadn’t helped after all since I was still freaking. “Look at you, Daniel. I’ve no doubt the shooting set this off but look at how defensive you are about whatever caused your panic attack.” I spun on her. “Fuck you! You’ve no right to dig at me like this.” Nice one Daniel, just prove her point. “You’re right. But Mace deserves to know. Who knows, you might feel better and at least he’ll understand why you’re suddenly so difficult about everything. Not to mention scaring the shit out of him just now.” Fuck! If I wanted to keep my wolfman, I’d have to come clean. Tell him why I freaked out. Although painful, that would be the easy part. Harder would be getting him to see that I could never give him that one thing he seemed to need above all else. My submission.
Chapter Seven Mace sat quietly, waiting for me to get up the nerve to talk to him. I couldn’t stop pacing. “Doc said your nightmares are about that rabid,” he offered hesitantly, like a guy would tiptoe across a minefield. “Yeah, mostly.” I made myself stop pacing and sit, but after a moment of fidgeting, got up again. “I think that and, um the stress of, um everything brought up some old shit.” I drew a breath and jumped in. “Really old shit, over a decade old shit.” I couldn’t look at him, didn’t want to see his disgust or worse, pity. “Scrawny, big mouthed, genius level IQ and gay, any one of those could get a guy harassed in high school. All of them painted a fucking target on my back. Seemed like the whole world hated me. I graduated early, started college a month after I turned seventeen. Met an older guy just after my eighteenth birthday. He made me feel special. Like I was the best thing that ever happened to him. Which lasted until I moved in with him.” It took a couple swallows to get past the lump in my throat. “Long story short, what had seemed caring and protective became possessive and violent. I told him I was leaving and he hit me, hard. Swore he’d kill me if I ever tried it. I pretended to give in but started plotting my escape. He caught me on the phone with Linds.” I had to take a minute to do some calming exercises. Hadn’t fucking practiced them in years but some things you never forget. Thankfully, my voice held steady. Maybe a bit too steady. “He beat the shit out of me, even gave me a concussion. I, um, I don’t remember most of it, just a jumble of pain, fear and anger. I do remember being pinned to the bed, face down. I weighed just over a hundred pounds, and that fucker benched four hundred. No fucking way I could get free.”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 69 -
For a moment, I could hear him again, yelling at me, feel him hurting me. My chest tightened until I couldn’t breathe. Strong arms slid around me and a gentle whine filled my ears, drowning the memory of his voice screaming at me. The tightness in my chest eased. “I still hear his voice, screaming how I was a worthless piece of ass. That I belonged to him and he could do whatever he wanted to me.” This was the really hard part so I rushed the words out. “He screamed at me the whole time he held me down and raped me. I spent over a week in the hospital. I think… I think if my sister hadn’t arrived and heard me scream he might have killed me.” My voice trailed off. I held my breath waiting to see if I got his pity or disgust. Now he knew just how fucking weak I was. “Daniel.” The rage in his voice fucking threw me. “Fuck it, I knew you’d think I was just a weak little human!” I jerked out of his hold. His growl warped his words but not so bad I couldn’t understand him. “Not mad at you. Want to rip his arms off and choke him with them.” “Didn’t you hear me, I was too fucking weak to defend myself!” “But you never quit fighting, did you?” Mace’s calmer voice helped me get a grip. The anger fled as fast as it rose. “No, I never quit. Although that probably made the beating worse.” Mace smiled slightly. “You still don’t know how to quit.” He got very pensive. “Or submit.” He got up and took my place pacing. I watched him thinking it through before reaching some conclusion. I held my breath waiting to see what he’d come up with. A way we could work through this. Finally, he stopped. “You have to go back to the compound. You shouldn’t be here with me.” Getting shot hurt less than those words. I stared at him for several minutes trying to process it. “What the fuck? I’m your chosen, right? Your mate you can’t live without. I can’t fucking leave.”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 70 -
Mace stopped, a low frustrated growl twisting his words. “No Daniel, you aren’t my mate. At least, that’s what Slade thinks. All I know is every time I see you near RK, the way he looks at you, the care you show him, it makes me crazy. Like he’ll take you away from me. That you aren’t really mine.” Pacing again he ran a hand nervously through his hair. “I talked to Slade about it, how he mated with Doc. I don’t think I’ve done this right. And after tonight, I don’t think I can.” “I’m still trying to figure out what the fuck you are talking about. So we’re just… engaged, but not married yet? There’s some sort of ritual or something we need to do?” He shrugged, restless again. “Sort of. I don’t know.” “How can you not know?” My voice hit a very unmanly shrill note. “It’s not like being a wolfman came with a damned manual, Daniel. We’re making it up as we go, trying to find balance between our human and wolf natures.” Well, that fucking explained a lot of things. “So you’re just winging it. Cool. We just come up with our own way of mating. How hard can that be?” He huffed out a frustrated snarl. “I want, damn it, I need, to have you submit. Really submit while I hold you tight to me with my fangs and claws, buried to the balls in you, filling you with my cum. Damn it, I even dream about it. Always the same way… “ His tortured voice trailed off. “You tried it tonight and I freaked.” I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. His face held the same sick realization I felt. No way could I get on my knees and let him fuck me doggy style. No fucking way. Not unless he drugged me first, but I suspected that would negate the whole submitting thing. That part wouldn’t be easy in any position and the way he wanted, impossible. I scrubbed a hand across my face. “Ah, fuck Mace. There must be another way.” He shook his head. “The urge to hold you down and make you accept me is getting too strong. I hurt you before and almost… “ He didn’t need to say it; the similarities had triggered my flash back. “God, Daniel, I need you to submit.”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 71 -
My head swam with an echo of the panic attack I’d just had. “I can’t Mace, I can’t do it. Even forgetting the sex part for a minute. I told you I don’t do submission. I wasn’t fucking kidding.” “I know and I know faking it isn’t working.” Fucking hell. “As soon as it’s safe, you need to go back to the compound.” He turned away to the door. “I don’t think I can hold back much longer. I don’t want to hurt you.” Stunned to silence, I watched him walk out the door. He was leaving me. A vice tightened around my chest again. My lungs forgot how to breathe and my heart felt like exploding. I’d lost him. Like RK, I was too broken to join the pack. I curled into a ball, aching inside and out but too numb to even cry. How could I let him walk away? How could I submit and stay? Fucking beasts and their need to dominate everything! Why did I have to be so fucked up? Why couldn’t I give him this one thing? My mind whirled into a thousand pieces trying to find an answer. My broken heart bled silently until I became a dry empty husk. *** “Submit, Daniel, prove you deserve me. Submit!” Mace clawed for me through the window. I raised the shotgun, aimed point blank for his face. Fear, instinct, tightened my finger on the trigger but I couldn’t pull it. “Weak! You make Mace too weak to lead!” Beta’s angry snarl came from over Mace’s shoulder. He pulled him down. They tumbled in a pile, knocking over others pursuing the truck. They started fighting and the truck ran them all over. Mace’s gaze locked on mine as I leaned out the window to watch. Paralyzed, I couldn’t even look away. Shouts and snarls raced closer. Fear flooded me and I struggled to break free. I jerked up in bed, chest heaving, heart racing. Surprise! I had finally fallen asleep. At least long enough to have another fucking nightmare.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 72 -
Loud sounds from the hall and RK’s scratches at the door pulled me firmly into the here and now. I jumped up and cracked the door. RK pointed down the hall to the main room. “Rabids, attack post.” Fuck! I jumped into my pants and stuffed my feet into shoes. I was still pulling a t-shirt over my head when we reached the main room. Mace was heading for the door with what looked like every wolfman in the den armed to the teeth. “Hang on, Mace. I’ll drive.” “No! You stay here.” “I’m not some chicken shit who can’t stand a fight.” “I know, but we’re still faster and we can see in the dark.” I started to protest and he cut me off. “Just like GI Jane and her team, you’re more effective where rabids can’t use that against you.” He would have to get all reasonable on me! “Fine, but I’m not cowering inside.” “Of course not. Slade will need all the help he can get defending the den if any make it this far.” Once more, the not quite rabid, not quite pack got locked in the basement, with Beta, Fang, Spike and the prisoner. For some reason, no one tried to stop RK from following me like my faithful shadow. No one offered him a gun though; the trust only went so far. We headed to the roof with the other defenders. If nothing else, he could help us keep lookout. Den-Mom and Alpha were responsible for anything that got inside. Apparently neither one could shoot worth a damn. The youths were stationed as backup and runners to fetch whatever we needed. Slade pointed to the water tower on the roof. “Send RK up the cistern where that super hearing and vision will do the most good.” We waited, watching the slight glow of fire on the horizon, right about where the south watch post was. Word had come that the rabids had set fire to the bottom floors of the building.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 73 -
And we waited. If you’ve never sat in a hunting blind or soldiered, you can’t understand how much a long wait can dull your edge. Jane’s crew stayed sharp while some recruited women nodded off. I’d learned to hunt from my grandmother, a second-generation Colorado rancher. When she was a girl, they’d depended on hunting to put food on the table as much as ranching. She taught me the value of sitting still, on pain of missing dinner if I didn’t. Over the years, I’d been grateful for that lesson. I have no idea how long we sat there before RK dropped down to whisper to us. “Rabids, spread out, many moving in. There, there, there.” He pointed toward three different routes in vaguely the same direction. “How many?” He blinked in the dim light and shrugged. “Five? More?” He held up both hands. Fuck. Note to self -- teach RK to count higher than five. “More than two hands of fingers?” I held mine up, wiggling them. He nodded and added one of his hands to mine. “Think this many, maybe more.” “Fuck! Sounds like at least half the pack!” We had a dozen armed women and Slade. If they got in the fence or set a fire, we were so fucked. The hit came in a rush. One of the first areas I’d wired for lights was the yard. At our signal, the yard lit up like fucking noon. With the lights set up to blind anyone trying to attack, it gave the defenders an edge. Howls of rabid rage followed to be drowned out by automatic gunfire. It barely slowed the fuckers down. They hit the fence in three spots, tearing at the supports. Better at sharp shooting, I picked my first target. Lined up a nice head shot… and couldn’t pull the fucking trigger. The nightmare where I killed Mace rose to choke me. I shook it off and aimed for his legs, blowing his hip out. A bullet whizzed by my head. The fuckers were shooting back! Didn’t matter as much to Jane and her group, spraying automatic fire in neat sweeps. They just had to point in a general direction. But I needed to aim. I rolled to the
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 74 -
side, rose, aimed, fired and ducked in the space of a single breath. Their gunmen were busy enough firing at Jane that I got off several good shots. Didn’t stop them from getting the fence down in one spot. Took too many hits to drop one unless you hit the head or took out their legs. “Arm Beta, Fang and Spike and get anyone who can fight hand to hand!” Slade yelled at the nearest runner. Under his breath he muttered, “Hopefully he’ll kill rabids before he tries to shoot me.” They didn’t have many shooters and their aim wasn’t for shit but they could fire on the run. I did my best to track them, hoping for a lucky shot that would take them out. A scream pulled my attention to the far corner of the building. A rabid had scaled it and was wrestling with a woman. No time to hesitate. I aimed and pulled the trigger. Didn’t slow down to watch his grey matter spray the woman he was attacking. Those fuckers just kept coming. “Daniel, there, first brother!” RK pointed to a shadow lurking just outside the gate. I lined up my sights. Firelight flickered across familiar features twisted with rage. I aimed for the chest and hit his shoulder. He dropped, scrambled for cover, howling his rage. And fucking pointed a rifle back at me. RK’s shove saved my life. But I lost the fucker in the shadows. “There, Daniel. “ RK’s hand tracked his movement. “Flare! That’s Max!” I hollered. A flare lit the shadows he hid in. Damn fucker moved fast even shot. With more than just me targeting him now, dirt sprayed from the spot he’d stood on moments before. I’d anticipated his movement. Might have hit him but he tumbled behind a pile of rubble so I couldn’t be sure. Beta, broken arm in a sling, Fang and Spike with Den-Mom and Alpha made the roof just in time to block the few rabids that’d made it up the side of the building. I was so focused on hunting Max I didn’t see the one coming over the roof edge right in front of me. RK yowled like a cat whose tail’d been stepped on and attacked.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 75 -
Another flare spotlighted not just Max, but two more psycho rabids just like him. They looked just that little bit more human. Jane laid down automatic fire while I tried for a kill shot. And scored, I think. At least he dropped like a stone. Not Max, but it sure seemed to piss him off. The bullets flew fast and furious in our direction. A strange scream howl assaulted our ears and the rabids retreated into the shadows. We didn’t waste time on them. We still had a few on the roof and clinging to the wall to deal with. RK tossed the one that attacked me over the side where he landed with a sickening thud. Moments later, the sound of my truck squealing around a corner reached us. The cavalry had arrived. Rabids dropped off the wall and ran. A rough count showed close to a dozen dead or too injured to run. I watched sickly as one tried to drag himself out with his uselessly broken legs trailing behind him. Fuck, was that the one RK had tossed off the roof? Fucking son of a bitch, what if he could be like RK? Or Mace? Mace’s patrol nailed a few of the slower ones retreating. I wondered what they would do with the few survivors. I didn’t think the pack could handle sponsoring more rabids but I hated the thought of executing them. Puking sounds came from one of the women from Boss’ den. I didn’t know her name. I shouldered my rifle and patted her back. “I’d tell you it gets easier but I’d be lying. On the other hand, you’re alive, and, for the moment, safe. Try to focus on that.” She wiped her mouth and sank back to the rail. “I had no idea how bad it would be. Not like any rabids I’ve ever seen.” I sat next to her. “Nope, me either, and I’ve shot at a lot of them.” “We didn’t understand why Boss did what he did. Resented being here, but now… “ Tears started down her face. I put an arm around her and let her cry for a few minutes. “Come on, let’s get inside.” I tugged her to her feet and, with RK trailing us, escorted her in. Some were already celebrating our victory. Others looked as numb and shell shocked as I felt. ***
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 76 -
Did I avoid searching for Mace because I was afraid he was dead? Or because I didn’t want to see him taking care of the rabid wounded? Part of me knew we couldn’t take more in and if we let them go they’d just come back. But to kill in cold blood? Talking about capital punishment was one thing. Seeing your lover as executioner? Only he wasn’t my lover anymore. A cold shiver ran down my back. I leaned against the kitchen counter, fighting the urge to puke. A deep, growling voice reverberated around the room. I closed my eyes, letting relief wash through me. Mace. He was alive and from the sound of it, just fine. I turned and our gazes locked. That heat he had for me right after a fight filled his face and then vanished behind the cold glare of the pack alpha. Felt like a sucker punch to the gut. All the air fled from my lungs. I felt dizzy and had to grab the counter. He didn’t want me. Was it really fucking over? Nearly knocked over the trashcan in my rush to reach it before my guts turned inside out. A strong, clawed hand rested on my back, rubbing soothingly. A soft whine, I turned, my heart in my throat, expecting Mace to be there. But it was RK, looking lost and stricken. I felt even worse. Fuck, how’d I gotten this attached to Mace in just a few short weeks? “I’m OK, buddy. Don’t worry about me. See if Slade needs your help. Please?” He nodded reluctantly, but walked away looking back once as if to make sure I meant it. I shooed him on with a wave of my hand. Caught Mace shooting me a worried glance. I gave him a weak smile and he turned back to what he’d been doing. “No, we don’t eat them!” An exasperated voice reached me from the kitchen. The one place I thought I could be useful and not on body clean up. No-name was being dragged in by the nape of his neck by one of his sponsors. “Need meat, is meat, not pack. Keep some live, fresh meat longer.” My stomach threatened to rebel again. “We don’t eat our own kind, rabid or not. For which you should be grateful. That was you just a few days ago!” Fucking halfrabid shrugged like that meant nothing. His gaze fell on me. Fuck, made me feel like a
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 77 -
fucking steer in the slaughter line. Maybe they couldn’t all be civilized. His sponsor slapped his head and he dropped his gaze. And now I had help I didn’t want but could probably use. The guys were going to be hungry soon.
Chapter Eight I handed out bowls of stew, make that soup, made of what little meat we had, and water. I was really missing the compound green house about now. Or even some of the stores meant for the women -- the human women. Had they forgotten I was human? This all meat diet sucked. The sound of RK’s whine jerked my attention toward the front door. Mace loomed over him, face set in that cold mask. Couldn’t they fucking get along for one fucking day? An hour even? And then I nearly fainted. Mace rubbed his cheek on RK’s head and clasped his shoulder like I’d seen him do with pack. Moments later, RK found himself the center of Mace’s team. Another group gathered around them, waiting their turn. I recognized every one of them as having been with us at the compound. What the fuck? Cool but seriously, after all the animosity toward him, what the fuck? “Mace heard he saved your life and risked himself as a spotter.” Doc’s voice scared the living daylights out of me. I had to grab the counter after nearly falling over. “You OK?” “Fuck, Doc, you shouldn’t sneak up on a man like that.” She snorted. “Maybe he should pay more attention. I’ve been standing here for at least a minute. I’m worried about you, Daniel.” I shrugged, turning away from RK’s welcome party to find Mace staring at me. In that moment, the longing in his eyes brought tears to mine. I don’t fucking cry, ever. Had to turn away before I made a liar out of myself. Doc ducked her head in an effort to get me to look at her. “Daniel?”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 79 -
“Leave it the fuck alone, Doc. Nothing you can do and I’ll be leaving soon anyway.” Her shocked gasp told me Mace hadn’t told anyone. “Fuck, don’t say anything yet, OK?” “After all you’ve been through to earn your place here you’re giving up and leaving? And, God, what will Mace do without you?” “He’s the one who told me to leave. Things aren’t working out.” Total fail on keeping my voice steady. She grabbed me by the shirt and yanked me down the hall into the women’s bath. “What the hell are you talking about? That man loves you! Do you have any idea what he’s done to keep you safe?” “Yeah, I do. But I’m too fucking messed up to be Mace’s mate! He deserves better.” If she could shoot daggers out her eyes… “Stop it Daniel! That’s the PTSD talking. You’re the one he wants. I know, because I’ve heard him talk to the guys about it. I also know since the first rabid fight, he’s been afraid of losing you.” I banged my forehead against the wall. “You think I don’t know that? I know how much he loves me and I’d give him anything. But I can’t give him the one thing he needs, a true mate.” I ground my head against the wall. Agony ate my soul from deep inside. I whispered, “I’m fucking broken and just getting worse.” Her hand on my back broke down the last of my defenses. Great sobs wracked my body. I’d lost Mace. I didn’t think I could survive it. Shaking, I sank slowly to the floor. Doc held me, crooning like she would to quiet a baby. “Shh, Daniel, is it really that bad?” I started to babble it all out, the attack when I was young, submitting, all of it. She kept quiet, other than to murmur encouraging little noises. “And then the thing with that rabid, realizing I’d been killing them all these years. How many pack did I murder?” Wow, how’d that get tied up with my other problems? “Daniel, you didn’t know.”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 80 -
“Doesn’t fucking excuse it! I should have. I watched them, studied their behavior so I could track them better.” Guilt swelled into self-loathing. “Such a fucking genius! I never noticed there were different kinds. Or even if they were doing anything to hurt anyone.” “You did what you thought was right, to protect others, Daniel.” I shook my head, denying I’d done anything but fuck up. Just like I had with Mace. “Stop it, Daniel Baker. Right now, stop beating yourself up. Good lord, you survived getting beaten and raped. And found a way to move on. You lost your father, then your lover, and yet you kept going. When the world fell apart you risked your life to help others and you still do!” All those things she thought I’d survived, those were the very things tearing us apart. I clinched my jaw against the angry retort building inside. She just didn’t understand. She couldn’t. “You aren’t a soldier, you didn’t train for this. Of course it’s bothering you. I’d be more worried if it didn’t. But I can’t believe after all this you’d just give up and walk away. That’s not the real Daniel Baker. The man I know doesn’t give up or give in. Give yourself a break, take the time to deal with this. I know you can handle it.” I shuddered, wiping my face. Fucking therapists, always knew the right things to say. “You sure you were an ER nurse and not a shrink?” She gave me a confused look. “I had plenty of therapy after the attack, trust me. You sound just like one.” She gave me a wan smile. “Treated my fair share of soldiers with the same kinds of problems. Well, not the wolfman for a boyfriend, but you know what I mean.” “Yeah, but it still doesn’t help Mace get what he needs. A mate.” She snorted, “I don’t understand, you’ve been having sex for weeks. How’s this so different?” I studied her face. “You should know since Slade gave him the idea.” Her brows drew down in thought. I sighed. “The whole mating thing. I panicked when he rolled
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 81 -
me face down. The moves, the raw animal energy, the tension between us. Guess it was just too close to what happened before.” Doc nodded thoughtfully, staring into space. Thoughts whirled through my head faster than I could grasp them. But the main theme? How the fuck could I live without Mace? We sat like that until my butt started to go numb. Standing, I offered her a hand up. “Thanks Doc. I appreciate the effort, really.” “Wait, think about this. Do you think time away from him will help you to heal?” From the cold pit in my gut, I said, “No. Somewhere quieter, maybe, but without him? No.” “Then use that egghead of yours to find a workaround. It’s what you’re good at isn’t it?” *** After cleaning up the kitchen, I found a spot on the second floor near the railing where I could watch the den without getting caught up in it. Things had shifted. This new threat brought the pack together and Mace seemed more firmly in charge than ever. Frankly, it was a bit sickening watching the way the pack bowed and scraped around him. I wanted to be with him, but beside him, not at his feet. The only ones not treating him like the fucking second coming were Hawk, Slade, Cowboy and Vegas. And they took Mace’s foul mood in stride. The attack on the watch post had been a ruse. One Mace fell for. I think he was pissed at himself for underestimating his opponent. At least our losses had been minimal. Two of the guys from the watch post got badly burned escaping the building. The third died. We lost two women from the roof and four more were badly injured. Beta might never use his broken arm again. He’d used it like a club to keep us from getting overrun. And one of our young wolfmen broke his neck in a fall from the roof. Even wolfmen couldn’t survive a severed spinal
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 82 -
cord. I didn’t even know his name but Jeremy seemed to be taking it hard. Compared to the dozen or so rabids lost, we made out pretty damned good. RK hovered nearby anytime I didn’t send him on a specific task. I’d had enough groveling for one day. “Fuck it, RK, stop fawning on me like a fucking dog! I should be following you around. You saved my fucking life.” He shrugged, ducking his head submissively. “RK your pack, follow you.” “Ah, fucking shit. No, you’re part of Mace’s pack. Go follow him around. He seems to like it.” RK tilted his head, looking at me with freakishly pale yellow eyes. “Hear others ask why Daniel not submit to Mace. How be his pack, his chosen, but not submit?” Well, that was the crux of the matter wasn’t it? I hadn’t submitted. I’d watched enough to know just what that meant outside the bedroom and now had a pretty fucking good idea of what it meant inside. I’d warned him in the beginning I didn’t do submissive. Losing him fucking hurt, but to compromise myself that much, I’d end up hating him. Despair welled up again. RK’s whine and rub of his head on my shoulder called me back from that pity party. “Make Daniel sad, not submit to Mace.” “No, RK, makes me sad he needs me to.” Or did he? I’d seen Hawk and even Slade submit, formally and with about as much true submission as I gave. Maybe we just assumed that’s what he needed. Ideas spun in my head. Now I just needed a chance to get Mace alone. *** When he headed to our room that afternoon, I knew my chance had come. “Don’t, Daniel. Can’t be near you like this.” Mace looked at the door I blocked. “You need to leave, go home to your compound.” “Shit, is that really what you want? For me to fucking leave? Never come back?” He looked stricken, like I’d stuck a knife in his chest. “No.” His voice was barely above a strained whisper. “No, God, no. Daniel.” The pain in his voice echoed the ache
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 83 -
in my heart. A strangled sound, half whimper, half growl and all frustration echoed the look of utter devastation on his face. In a blur, I found myself face first against the door, pinned by his weight. “What I want Daniel, what I need with every breath, every bit of my being,” his sultry voice whispered in my ear, “is to fuck you so deep we become one. Wrap my body around yours, holding you still in my jaws, savoring your acceptance, submission to me. Bring you such joy as you have never known as I mark you with my seed. Mark you as my mate, real mate. Every moment I fight the almost overwhelming urge to claim you.” With a tragic cry he shoved back but couldn’t force himself to do more than give me space to breathe. His words tickled my neck. “But you don’t want it. Can’t accept it.” He turned away. “I’m sorry Daniel. God, I wish… “ Following, I wrapped my arms around him, I set my mouth near his ear. I tugged the lobe and got the answering groan I wanted, needed to hear. “Fuck, I want that Mace, I do. But I want to be the one to hold you tight, feel you submit, feel you eagerly take me into your body. If only for that moment in time.” I rolled my hips, grinding my hard cock into the crack of his ass. I pressed my face against his shoulder. “Fuck, I want both, Mace. To feel you under me and know you’re mine just as much as I want to be yours. I could never be submissive, not all the time. Not anymore than you could.” “Which is why you need to go. Before I lose control and take what you won’t give. I am stronger, Daniel. I could force you.” He swallowed heavily. “I got some ideas on a workaround. Trust me, we’ll find a way. But first, we need to deal with the bigger problem.” He turned, pulling away to put the bed between us. I cocked a brow. “Safer if we need to talk first.” He looked a bit sheepish. I chuckled. “Yeah, good idea.” I took a breath and jumped in. “I can’t live my life subservient to you. Not all the time and especially in here. I need to be your partner, equal.” That instant frown with a bit of fang thrown in didn’t look promising.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 84 -
“In the pack, I know you have to be boss. I understand chain of command. One guy with the final say and I’m cool with that being you. But I have to have my say. I need to know that my thoughts, views and opinions matter and are considered. No more ‘It’s not your business, Daniel’.” My growl didn’t come close to his but I’m sure he got the picture. He sighed, fidgeting. “Wolfmen don’t work that way.” “That is not fucking true. You listen to your team. Hell, I’ve heard both Hawk and Slade telling you shit like your equal. They don’t even submit to you like the others. Try treating me like that, with respect.” “They earned their places.” “And I fucking haven’t? I’m good enough to fuck and have as a mate but not as a partner?” Like fucking hell. Mace frowned. “Not like that, not with me. With the pack. I don’t see you winning any fights.” I nodded. I’d thought of this. “Neither does Doc.” He paced, thoughts flitting across his face. I let him think it through, consider the angles. He nodded that one sharp nod that indicated he’d reached a decision. “And in the bedroom?” “Full and equal partners.” “I have no idea what that means.” “Hmm. Well, that means I do get to fuck you now and then without you going wolfy on me.” He chuckled. “Wolfy?” “Yeah, alpha-must-be-the-top-at-all-times wolfy. No more submit or die shit. If you want to imagine how hard it is for me, put yourself in my place. Think you could handle it?” Mace paced some more, from the fleeting snarls and cut short growls, I’d say he didn’t like that image at all. He stopped. “I get it, Daniel, but I am a wolfman.” “Do you really want a mate that cowers every time you snarl?”
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 85 -
He snorted. “Apparently not, since you are my chosen.” He stared at nothing for a bit. “No, I like you as you are.” He sounded a bit shocked. “Good fucking thing, cause what you see is what you get.” He grinned, raking his gaze over me. “I like what I see fine.” “I need a partner, not a master. If you can’t deal with that, we have no chance in fucking hell of making it. But if you can deal with that, together we’ll find a way to bring the pack around to me standing beside you, not under you.” “I don’t know how to be your partner, Daniel.” “I don’t know how to be your mate. Like you said, there’s no manual so we’ll write our own, our way.” He smiled, the first easy smile I’d seen on him in days. We’d both been that uptight I guess. “I can try. We can try. Find a way to be partners.” He ran a heated look over me. “So now what?” “I think this is the part where we have hot make up sex.” Mace growled and leaped over the bed to pin me to the wall. I gasped to suck in the air he drove out of me. “Fuck, Mace, gentle. I want this but we need to go slower if you don’t want me freaking again.” He swallowed hard. “What I need scares you. Doc says you might never be able to… to accept me like that.” “Mace, it’s as much about how it makes me feel as the position. It’s… it’s feeling like a thing, a possession to be used and abused.” He studied my face and for the first time in a very long time, I let it all show: the fear, the remembered pain, the very real humiliation. The feeling of complete helplessness and worthlessness that bastard had beat into me. “God, Daniel!” He gathered me close. His strength surrounded me in security and love. “This, this is what I need to feel, Mace.” I whispered against his chest. “Just like this, and then, I think it might be OK. I want to try.” My throat clamped on the sob
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 86 -
threatening to rise. “Losing you would be the worst thing to ever happen to me, Mace. I won’t let that motherfucker take you away from me.” He laid his cheek on my head, rubbing it in that way they did to sooth each other. “I don’t know if I can be gentle enough.” The deep, gravely words, that monster hard cock rubbing along mine, no fucking kidding he wanted me bad. Heat surged through my cock. He wasn’t the only needy one. I reached for his mouth with mine. Passion set loose wrapped us in its whirlwind. Clothes flew everywhere. We tumbled together on the bed, and any thought of taking it slow vanished. Shit, any thoughts at all became impossible. Stroking, rubbing, thrusting every inch of ourselves together in a heated wrestling match. I found myself on my back, Mace’s big body covering me, his hard cock slick with precum thrusting along mine. I spread my legs, arching up against him. Wanting. Fuck, yeah, wanting him in me. He kissed down my body, teasing my cock with the tip of his agile tongue. I scrambled for the lube. Mace growled, low and sexy, but his claws bit into my skin, trying to hold me. “Fuck, lube, Mace!” I should just make a fucking recording so I wouldn’t have to say it again. He grabbed it from me and smeared a finger. I pulled my knees up, giving him access. He moaned, licked his lips while he rimmed me with just one finger. I pushed back, wanting him inside. Now! He thrust and the burn stole my breath. He found my prostate and stole it again. My cock nodded its approval, a string of precum oozing from the slit. Mace bent, licked it off while he fingered me, harder, faster. I moaned, writhing under his onslaught. “Fuck, Mace, gonna come soon.” He snarled, pulling his fingers out. Our gazes locked. This was the moment of truth. Could I turn myself over? He backed up to give me room, soothing me with his touch. “I’m OK, Mace.” I breathed through a wave of near panic. I wanted this. This was Mace. My lover, my mate. I relaxed under his touch. Right up until he urged me to
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 87 -
my knees. My breath caught and my head spun. No, I could do this. I wasn’t going to freak out. I could take it. “Go on, Mace. Just do it.” I looked over my shoulder at him. Tried for a sexy come on smile and knew I failed. My cock wilted under the strain of holding still for him. He arched over me, hard body pressed to mine, harder cock sliding between my ass cheeks. He groaned, thrusting across my opening but not in yet. I shook with the effort to stay still, let it happen. This was Mace. I could give him this. He rubbed his head on mine. “Daniel, not like this, can’t take from you like this.” He sounded calm. Which didn’t mesh with the urgency of his body. He moved off me. I heaved a few deep breaths, fighting back the panic. He lay next to me on his side, stroking, kissing, and murmuring soothing sounds. I turned to kiss him and he rolled to his back, opening his body to me. “Yes, Daniel. Ahhgggnn.” I kissed my way down his body to take his hard, weeping cock in my mouth. He rocked into my mouth. I sucked as he pulled back. “Unnggnnn. Yesss. More, Daniel, in me.” He pushed the lube into my hand. My cock leapt taut to my belly at the mere thought of fucking him. Deep, just like he said he wanted me. Urgency flooded me, my balls tight and aching to spill. One greased finger penetrated him. He pushed back, taking me in. Tossed his head back, mouth open gasping his pleasure. “Hair, let your hair out.” Was that my gravelly voice? He moaned and ripped the tie from his braid. I followed his every move as he freed it to spread around him like a fucking halo. Wrapped against his side, I buried my face in it, luxuriating in the silky feel, all while stretching his ass to take me. He rolled to his belly, gaze locked on mine full of need, full of love. “Fuck!” That tight, muscled ass flexed as he rose to his knees.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 88 -
Yellow gold eyes gazed over his shoulder, sending a rush to my cock. “Mate me, Daniel.” Fuck, yeah! “Mace… “ I groaned when he spread his legs wider, arching his ass all but begging for me to take him. I ran my hands over those perfect globes, one teasing his hole; the other slipping beneath to cup taut balls. “Aggnnn! Yesss, Daniel!” He rocked into my touch. “Hold me, tight, deep, need you deep.” He whined, groaned and wiggled his body, begging. I ran one hand up his spine, toying in his hair. He dropped his head, arching his neck. I swept the hair aside and, wrapping my body over his back, pressed a kiss there. “Ahhhggg!” His body quivered like a tight bowstring. I gripped his hip with my other hand and he stilled. Tension vibrated through him but he held so very still, waiting for whatever I gave him. Fucking rush! My cock jerked, almost spilling right then and there. He’d submitted, to me. My lips sucked the back of his arched neck, one hand gripping his hips, the other lining me up. I groaned as the head of my cock sank that first bit past his outer muscles. He whined, rocking slightly, pushing back. I growled and nipped his neck. He gasped and froze. I pulled the bowstring tighter. Sinking deeper, clasping his hips, I rose up to watch as I pulled back and sank deeper. He started pushing again, growling, squirming. I jerked forward, wrapping a hand around his middle to keep him from tossing me off. His neck arched. I remembered what he’d said about holding me with his fangs. I bit, not hard but enough to hold on. I growled and once more he froze, trembling but still. I rocked into him, forced his legs wider with mine, sunk in more. A keening moan vibrated through him and straight to my cock. I started thrusting, angling to get deeper, closer. He hummed with tension. I was close. So fucking close! I hugged him tighter, and the keening sound grew louder. I could feel the tension in his body winding up but he waited for whatever I gave him. True, total submission.
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 89 -
I gasped, holding still, fighting off my orgasm. No way would I take his gift and give nothing back. Suddenly, it wasn’t about dominating and taking. It was about giving. I had to give him what he needed. I bit harder and harder still until I felt a flinch, then backed off. He moaned deeply, shuddering. I held tighter to his chest and shifted my angle of penetration. He howled and cried that strange keening moan again. And again. Letting go of his hip, I took his cock in my hand. Damn thing felt like it was on fire and rock hard. With a tight fist, I jacked him. Fuck, what was that bump? Never felt that before. Every time I stroked over it he quivered and moaned. I couldn’t wait any longer. “Unnggg! Fuck, Mace, cum, give it to me.” He cried out, body seizing. Hot jizz shot over my hand and he clamped down on my cock inside him almost painfully. I think I screamed, cumming so hard, my body as tight to his as I could get. I rocked, trying to get deeper, and another spasm rolled through us. Twice more, I rolled my hips hard into his ass, each time milking just a bit more pleasure out of us both. My limbs quivered with the effort to stay upright. I gave up, collapsing and rolling us to the side. He grasped my ass, holding me deep inside him. Don’t know why but I kept a hold of his cock, giving it a few lazy strokes. He whined, trembling in my arms. A storm of emotion tore through me, shattering walls and setting free feelings I’d held in too long. I wanted to laugh, scream, cry and howl at the moon. Face nuzzled in the back of his neck, it all broke free. Tears ran down my face, deep body laughs rose to shake me to the core. He turned his head toward me. “Daniel?” I tried to reassure him but couldn’t gather my thoughts enough to speak. Clasping him tight, his back to my chest, I gasped out the only words I could form. “Love you. God, Mace I love you so fucking much!” The pleased hmm almost sounded like a purr. Wolves, that I know of, don’t fucking purr. But then most men don’t laugh and cry right after the best sex of their life. Oh, I’ve had orgasms that good. But I’ve never had someone trust me with their whole
Brannan Black
Wolfman 4: Salvation
- 90 -
being like that. Give without reservation and purely out of love. I’d been looking at this mating thing all wrong. It wasn’t about giving in, it was about giving. My cock slipped from his body and I sighed out a last chuckled sob. Mace rolled to face me and we twined our bodies together. Sleep crept in around the edges of my consciousness. “Love you, Daniel. Mate, your mate.”
“Umm hmm, your mate,” I murmured.
His chuckle woke me up just a bit. “Not yet, but very soon I think.”
I gazed wide-eyed at him.
“Equals, partners, right?”
I smiled and snuggled closer. “Equal partners, equal mates. Yup.” I yawned, “As
soon as I recover.” He kissed my forehead and settled down with me wrapped in his arms. We still had a lot of shit to deal with, but as partners, anything was possible. And if that fucking rabid woke us up again I was going to fucking hunt him down and rip his balls off. Must have said that aloud because Mace laughed. “We’ll hunt him together, partner. Love you, Daniel.”
Brannan Black Brannan Black grew up dreaming about epic adventures with strong men and women doing heroic deeds. She’s been a belly dancer, horse breeder, mom, Reiki master and crazy. Really, certifiably crazy. That’s what folks say when the people in your head won’t leave you alone. When their worlds and lives seem as real as this one. Now she writes their stories, making them happy, and people call her an author instead of nuts. She lives quietly, more or less, on a small ranch with her husband, multiple cats, dogs and horses. Blog: http://brannansfantasies.blogspot.com Website: www.EpicRomances.com Email:
[email protected]
