TheCharactersofForestEdge
Hand in Hand
RyanCrane- halfcraneshifter,middle,matedtoDaddyEli andDaddyJon
Eli Renard- AlphaofForestEdge,foxshifter,Daddy,matedtoJonandRyan
Jon- coyoteshifter,matedtoEli andRyan
Mr.Charles- mythical shifter,owner/teacher ofScionHouse
LuisRedtail - foxshifter,Daddy,matedtoMarco,BetatoEli
Marco- human,middle,matedtoDaddyLuis
Amy- foxshifter,gatekeeper ofForestEdge
MissJen- foxshifter,housekeeper/cookfor AlphaEli andLuis
Rachel - foxshifter,employedatSlyFox,thetowncoffeecafe
Payton- foxshifter,Alphainchargeofthethreelocal skulkcommunities
Side bySide
DylanCrane- craneshifter,middle,matedtoDaddyChristianandBrian
Christian- foxshifter,Daddy,matedtoDylanandBrian
Brian- foxshifter,servicesubmissive,matedtoDaddyChristianandDylan Face to Face
JackTillkit- foxshifter,little,matedtoDaddyKevandSir,“Jackey”
KevBjorn- brownbear shifter,Daddy,matedtoJackandStorm,headofForestEdge’ssecurity
StormLasika- wolverineshifter,Sir,matedtoKevandJack
HaydenBaerin- wolverineshifter,matedtoPayton
AspenUrsabern- grizzlybear shifter,matedtoApollo,ForestEdgesecurity
ApolloLeeland- hawkshifter,matedtoAspen,ForestEdgesecurity
KelseyRenard- hawkshifter,Eli’snephew whowasadoptedbyhissister
SageRosomakandhissons: Saxe,Smokey,Dusty,Rocket- wolverineshifters
The Phoenix’sHearts
Charles- phoenixshifter,DaddyNix,ownsandrunsScionHouse Steel - stallionshifter,little,Flint’syounger brother,ForestEdgesecurity Flint- stallionshifter,brat,Steel’solder brother,ForestEdgesecurity
RoryGryfand his mate, Gregor - griffinshifters who help inthe rescue ofSteel and Flint’s niece andnephew andintheprocessalsorescueRory’sbrother,Rox.
Rox
Hecouldn’tstopcrying.
Fuck. Fuck. Damn it all to Hell. He pounded the floor. Banged his fists against the walls. Gripped the sweatpants they’d given him, nearly ripping the fabric. Hated it. Hated being a fucking mess. To Hell withthis fuckinghotel roomthatdidn’tcare one iota. Walls and rugs didn’tfightback. Theydidn’thurt.Godsdamnit.
Roxputhis shoulder againstthe wall inthe far corner ofthe room,barelyglancingatthe twomen who huddled nearby. The grizzlyshifter had his arms around the hawkshifter. Aww… Boo hoo. Woe is me. Ugh. Disgusting. He could smell their sadness like a damp, musty sock. Stupid. What’d they have to be sad about? They should be angry. Like him. Hell yeah, he was mad. A freaking angry motherfucker who’driptheshitoutofanyonewhotouchedhim.
Fat lot of good his anger did him in that tiny shoebox of a room. Kept those asshole Smoking Raptors out, at least. Rox glared at the pristine white ceiling above him. Better than that stained popcornone atthe clubhouse.Darkpaneledwalls,a tinybarredwindow,andthe uglyrippledceiling thathadbeenhislifefor thelast…Roxswipedathiswetcheeks.“How…”Heclearedhisthroat,but thewordsstill cameoutraspy.“How long?”
Bear lifted his head, his brown-eyed gaze sharp as he tucked the much smaller hawk shifter beneathhisbeardedchin.“What?”
Rox sat up and slammed the wall with the flat of his hand. “How long was I in that gods-damn miserableplace?”
Bear swallowedandhuggedtheteary-eyedhawktighter whenhewhined.“Rorysaidyou’vebeen gonefor nearlysixmonths.He’sbeensearchingfor you.”
“Rory…”Roxblinked.“Mybrother’s…here?”
“Yes.He’sherewithhismate,Gregor.”
Mated. His brother had met his mate, and Rox hadn’t been there to celebrate with him. A fresh waveofanger suffusedhim,andhescreechedhishatred,hisoutrage,hislonging.
Hawkpressed his hands over his ears, glaringat himwiththose darkorbs and pinched features. “Stopit,”hecried.“Stopit.”
Poundingonthedoor andhearinghisnameshoutedcutRox’srebuttal short.
“Rox!It’sokay.It’sme.Rory.Aspen,openthedoor.Please.”
Rory.Oh,gods.Rory.Sinceneither thebear nor thehawkmovedtowardthedoor,Roxscrambled upright,kneelingandtryingtostand,andnearlyfallingonhisfaceinhishaste.Hislegsdidn’twantto work.He’dbeeninhisgriffinformfor toolong.Fuckit.Hecrawled.
Before he made it halfway, the stoic bear finally put aside the sniffling hawk and crossed the room.“I’ll getit.”HewavedRoxback.
Roxcrawled to the closest chair and knelt tall onhis knees. Rorybarrelled into the room, wideeyed and panting. Reliefflooded Roxuponseeinga familiar face. His brother fell to the floor beside himandhuggedhim.
“Rox,thankthegods.I’msogladwefoundyou.Imissedyousomuch.Everyonemissesyou.”
The embrace went on long enough and hard enough that Rox thought he might have to push him awayso he could breathe, butRory’s ramblingsoothed his inner turmoil. He held Roryas tightas he
Chapter1
could, letting his brother weep on his shoulder. Fuck this shit. He tucked his nose into Rory’s neck and inhaled his brother’s changed yet familiar scent as another wave of tears trickled down his cheeks.“Youdon’tsmell likeyouanymore.”
“Iknow,”Rorycried.“It’shisfault.”Heglaredatthegriffinstandingover them.
The griffinstroked Rory’s messyblond hair and wiped awaya straytear fromhis cheek. “Hey,” he said quietly, “I’m Gregor, Rory’s mate. Your brother and I met a few months ago when he was lookingfor you,andI’vebeenhelping.”
Rox nodded, sniffling away the emotional mess he’d become. “Thanks.” There was more he should say, but Rory grabbed him again, even tighter, and Rox lost what little semblance of composurehe’dgathered.
“Why don’t you sit on the bed?” the bear shifter suggested, fingertips lightly grazing Rox’s shoulder,surprisinghim.
Roxjerked awayfromthe stranger’s touchand roared, “Don’tfuckingtouchme!” He made like a ball andcurledintoRory’slap,muttering,“Don’ttouchme.Don’tlethimtouchme.”
“Hey, hey.” Rory rubbed Rox’s back. His fingers scooted beneath the too-big T-shirt Rox wore, providing him with much-needed skin-to-skin contact. “I got you. You’re safe with me and Gregor, andyou’resafewithAspenandApollo.”
“Who?” Rox whimpered, speaking to Rory’s legs while his heart chugged along like a freaking freighttraingoingonehundredmilesper hour.
“Thebigguy,grizzlybear,that’sAspen.Thehawkshifter isApollo.Theyhelpedrescueyou.”
Okay,okay.Thatmadesense…
The Raptors were riding some weird high, talking about paintball and guns and some stallions who challenged them to a match. They’d tossed a few plain rolls onto the floor of his room and plunked down a bucket of water before relocking the door to his perpetual prison
“When are we getting rid of that thing? It stinks,” one of the gang members complained as he walked away.
Of course, Rox did. Wasn’t like they took him to the bathroom with any regularity. Nope. They’d just cut a hole in the wall by the floor and occasionally brought in a hose to clean both him and the room. Then he’d be uncomfortably damp until he dried out. Lack of proper nutrition kept him weak, and he wilted, thinking how far past good he was. His poor fur and feathers.
When the competition started, he lifted onto his back legs and tried to see out the window. The bright overhead lamps illuminated the field below, but all he could see of it was the top of the wooden and tire structures, the forest in the distance, and the inky sky in between
Rox settled on the floor, laying his head on his paws to conserve his strength. At least with the Raptors occupied, they’d leave him alone for a while. He rested as best he could, dozing lightly until the little boy shouted for his uncle and the little girl cried.
Uncle? He rose up on his hind legs again and peered out the window. Rox strained his ears and eyes out past the booby-trapped field to the forest beyond. The birds guarding the woods cawed raucously and squawked, swooping to both fight and defend against… What’sthat?
A reddish-gold something glowed on the horizon. It flew circles around the shifted Raptors a variety of birds of prey from what he could tell disrupting their flight, and Holy cow! A ball of flame erupted from the flying thing It flew closer and closer, sweeping across the paintball field Sweet gods, it was a phoenix. A fucking, gods-blessed phoenix was screwing with his captors.
Rox inhaled, filtered out the putrid odors of piss and shit and the unwashed stench of the motorcycle gang not much difference there pushed aside the ponyish scents of the children, and
deciphered the potent scents of adult horse shifters There were others too: several foxes, an unknown griffin, a bear. The door burst open, showcasing a crouching, naked hawk shifter whose steely gaze swept the room.
He spun on the hawk, shrieking his defiance. The hawk ignored him, and finding no one to fight, he relaxed and straightened.
“Grab him and let’s go, Apollo,” another called from down the hall
The hawk shook his head. “Can’t.”
A bear of a man scratch that, an actual bear shifter filled the doorway behind the hawk. The much larger bear rested a hand on the tinier hawk’s shoulder as he peered in at Rox. “Damn. Okay. Griffin, we ’ re here to rescue you and the kiddos You’re too big to fit through the doorway, so you ’ re going to have to shift.”
Rox snapped his beak at Bear. They smelled… safe, felt safe well, a heck of a lot safer than the Raptors but he didn’t know who they were. Could be a case of out of the pan and into the fire.
“Look, I know you don’t know who we are, but we ’ re here with Rory, and I’d really like to get you out of this stinking hellhole so we can raze it to the ground ”
Rory’shere?How? Rox stared at Bear, gauging his sincerity. He couldn’t smell any deceit from Bear, but it was hard to smell anything in the odoriferous room.
“There are police officers outside if you want me to get them.”
Fuckno. What the hell were human men gonna do? Better he go with shifters, even better that they knew Rory. Rox laid down and tucked his head to his tail, thinking of his arms and legs, fingers and toes, hair on his head, a nose on his face. He shuddered as he shrunk from his nearly three yards of menacing beast to a sandy-haired, twenty-two-year-old. Gone were the feathers, the fur, the tail. He shivered at the loss of their protection from the elements.
“Can you walk?”
Rox planted his palms on the floor and pushed, tucking his feet under him. He made it halfway before collapsing with a cry of pain and annoyance. Hawk gasped and raced to catch him, but Rox thrust out his arm. “Don’t touch me. ”
Hawk stumbled backward, colliding with the wall, tucking his hands behind him as he slid down into a crouch. Rox noticed the single tear drop from Hawk’s squeezed-shut eyes before the shifter wiped it away with his shoulder-sleeve. What the hell does he have to be sad about? I’mthe onewhocan’tfuckingmoveatthemoment.
Bear approached slowly, hands out and open, giving Rox the opportunity to see the shifter in his birthday suit, complete with a furred chest, thick thighs, and an impressive package that was sure to be a delightful gift to his significant other. “We won’t hurt you. ” He knelt next to Rox but gazed at Hawk. “You okay, sweetheart?”
“Yeah… yeah. Just give me a sec?” Hawk pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes and gradually rose, scrubbing at his face. “He surprised me. ”
“Surprise, my ass. You scared him; he scared you. ”
Hawk wobbled his head. “Maybe. You want me to bring the truck around?”
“Good idea. I’ll get our griffin moving.”
Hawk hurried off, pale ass flashing them, leaving him alone with Bear, but that strange feeling of safety returned He wished he could smell something more but his nostrils were filled with gunk and the stink of the room. Bear slowly and carefully touched him, offered quiet platitudes, explained about the hotel where they’d be taking him. Where he’d see Rory again.
Yeah, they’d rescued him. He shifted and willinglywentwiththembecause theyoffered freedom.
Bear hadto carryhimtothe car notthatitwas a hardshipfor the muscle-boundhunk thensatwith himinthe backseatwhile Hawkdrove. He sentthe hawkshifter to startthe water inthe tub and after afew minutes,Bear hadagaincarriedhimintothehotel roomandthenlaidRoxinthetub,filledwith warmwater,butwhenheshutthebathroomdoor,Roxwentballistic.
“Keep it open! Keep it open!” He’d screamed himself hoarse, not that he had much of a voice after spending all that time in his griffin form Shaken by his outburst, Bear had quickly opened the door and waited until Rox had calmed down before leaving. He tried to hear what Bear and Hawk were talking about, but the water was warm, and his muscles felt like they were finally unclenching. He stretched out his legs and tipped his head back against the wall, falling asleep for who knows how long until Hawk was shaking his shoulder to wake him
Rox screeched at Hawk, who backpedaled right out of the bathroom. Hawk stared at Rox from the doorway, his dark eyes glassy, tears streaming down his face as he muttered apologies. Again, it was Bear who calmed Rox down, getting him out of the tub and into clean clothes, tucking him into one bed before curling up with Hawk on the other.
Bear soothed Hawk with pleasant crooning and told him ‘it would be okay ’ ‘It would just take time.’‘He’ll come around.’
Who? Rox wondered. Who’d come around? Me?
He watched as the light brown-skinned Hawk nuzzled beneath Bear’s bearded chin. There was a touch of grey at Hawk’s temples compared to the rich, dark brown hair of the bear shifter. Bear’s large arms and broad chest looked inviting, and he kinda wanted to be in Hawk’s place, accepting comfort and the strokes of those caring paws down his back. But who’d ever want him now? He was fucking broken. Tears of defeat and anger blurred his vision. His fury escaped in beating his fists against the too gods-damn soft mattress. Hawk approached, slower this time, and again tried to comfort him, but Rox twisted away He fell off the bed and crawled into the corner, as far away from the shifters as he could get.
Why was he in this roomagain? With them? Rory was here. And Rory’s mate. Gregor. Another griffin, especially an older griffin… Shouldn’t he be staying in their roomrather than with a caring, yetstoicbear andaweepyhawk?
Rox hugged Rory’s legs. “Can you get me out of here? I don’t want to be in this room. I don’t know theseshifters.”
“Rox,they’reyour mates.Don’tyouwanttostaywiththem?”
Rox
Roxsnapped uprightand stared atRory, searchinghis face as he sniffed the air for lies. “They’re mywhat?”
“Your…”RoryglaredatBear.“Youdidn’ttell him?”
Bear shook his head and looked away. “It’s been… Haven’t had…” He kept cutting himself off. Why? Bear’sglanceatHawkgaveRoxhisanswer.
“It’s my fault,” Rox said sort of monotone. Gods, his emotions were all over the place, flitting between elation at finally having his freedomand that his brother was here, to anger that he’d been gone so longand held captive bythe SmokingRaptors. And thenthere was bewilderment because… bythegods…mates?
“The hell it is,” Rorystormed. “Had theytold you, youwouldn’t have felt like youweren’t safe. Apollo wouldn’t be over there feeling miserable, and Aspen could be doing the whole Daddy Bear thingIcantell he’sdyingtodo.”
The hawk shifter, Apollo, sniffled and swiped under his eyes with the back of his hand. “Rejectionsucksdonkeyballs.”
“Whatareyousaying?Mybrother’srejectedyou?”
“Well,hewon’tletmetouchhim,soyeah.”
That just made Roxmad. He glared at Apollo. The hawkcould just go flyto the Moonfor all he caredatthe moment.“Well,fuckyou.After beinglockedupfor sixmonths,Idon’tknow whothe hell Icantrust,andyoukeeptouchingmewithoutasking.”
Bear Aspen sighedasheside-eyedApollo.“Youdidn’tlistentome.”
Apollo shook his head, a few lines of silver in his hair glinting in the overhead light, his cheek flushingbrightly.
“Might I suggest you get your butts over here and introduce yourselves properly?” Rory demandinglyrequested. Roxchuckled at Rory’s fierceness. He’d never seenthis side of his brother, andhelikedit.BeingmatedsuitedRorywell.
Aspenpulled Apollo off the bed. Theystood for a moment, side byside, allowingRoxto notice how the tiny bird shifter only came up to the bear’s shoulder. Aspen knelt near Rox, dragging the shorter man down beside him. Slowly, he extended his hand to Rox. “Hi. I’m Aspen, grizzly bear shifter,andyour mate.ThisisApollo,ahawkshifter,alsoyour mate.”
Roxignored Aspen’s outstretched hand as he stared atfirstAspenand thenApollo. This made no sense.Heshookhishead,tryingtofigureouthow it they wouldwork.Griffinsdidn’tmateoutside their species,andtheycertainlydidn’t…“Griffinsdon’tmateintriads.”
Aspensighed as he dropped his hand to his lap. “Bears do, hawks don’t, and foxes don’t either, yetseveral ofour foxfriendsareall infatedtriads.Itseemstobeathing.”
“Athing?”
Aspenshrugged. “Lately, everyone we know has beenfinding their mates in groups of three. It’s always been normal for us bears, though we usually don’t discover our mates are other shifter species. Our friend, Kev, a brownbear shifter, is mated to a foxand a wolverine, and here Iam, with ahawkandagriffin.”
Rox studied Aspen while he spoke, checking his body language and scenting for any hints of
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dishonesty.“You’retellingmethetruth.”
Apollorearedback.“Ofcourseheis.Whywouldwelie?”
“I don’t know.” Roxpeered at the two men. “I don’t know, but other thana feelingof incredible safety with Aspen, I don’t feel like you’re…” He meant to finish with “my mates,” but he could alreadyseethecrushingdefeatonApollo’sface.
The hawk shifter paled and sank to his ass, gripping Aspen’s armfor support. “Say it,” Apollo spat. “Justfuckingsayyoudon’tfeel it. Gods. Ineed to getoutofhere.” He leaptto his feetand was outthedoor beforeanyonecouldstophim.
Aslew of profanity spilled fromAspen as he slowly stood, staring at his mate as Apollo threw offhisclothes.Theonlyilluminationonhisripcordbodywasthelightspillingfromtheir room.
“Areyoufuckingkiddingme?”RorylightlypunchedRox’sarm.“They’reyour mates.”
Rox plopped to his ass and eyed Aspen standing in the open doorway, clutching Apollo’s discarded clothing. The bear shifter’s gaze was riveted skyward, likely watching his hawk mate fly about. Jealousyslammed into his chest like a tonof bricks. He missed flying. Stuckinthat cramped, smelly roomwhere he had barely enough room to lift his wings off his back. He peered at his thin wrists and doubted he could evenleave the ground withthe malnourished state ofhis body. Damn, he was so hungry, he figured he could eat a whole cow and still want more. Like clockwork, thinking aboutfoodmadehisstomachgrowl.
Aspen spun around. “Sweet Ursa, I’m sorry.” He crossed to the mini-fridge and pulled out a couple ofsandwiches. “Iwasn’tsure whatyou’d like, so there’s a varietyhere.” He laid themonthe small table,pluckedRoxfromtheground,andplacedhiminthechair.“Appleor orangejuice?”
Rox stared at Aspen and almost laughed. Rory hadn’t been kidding when he mentioned Aspen being a Daddy Bear. “Apple,” he said with a tiny smile. Aspen grinned back, touched Rox’s cheek, then hurried to the fridge. When he returned to the table, Aspen shot Gregor a glare and gave hima headjerk.
Gregor chuckled as he peeled Roryoff the floor. “Come on, mate. Let’s get some rest. We’ll see Rox once we’ve all gotten some sleep.” To Aspen, he said, “I’ll tell reception that we’ll be staying another night,thoughtheothersareleavinginthemorning.”
Rory gave Rox another hug while Aspen thanked Gregor. “We’ll be right down the hall. Room 206.Okay?”
Roxshrugged.“Iguessso.”
Rory palmed Rox’s upper back. “Give thema chance. Please. They’re good men. You can trust them.”
“Ifyousayso,” Roxreplied,notentirelytrustinghis brother’s opinionatthe moment.Nottrusting anyone’sopinion,includinghisown…
“Yeah, I sayso.” Rorysqueezed Rox’s shoulder. “Love you, bigbrother. I’mreallyglad to have youback.”
RoxcoveredRory’shand.“Same.”
After givinghimone more pat, Rorylet Gregor take himfromthe room. Theyleft the door open and,whena meep drew Rory’sgaze,hesaw Hawkperchedontherailing.
“Ifyou’redonepouting,comeinside,”AspencalledtoHawk.
Hawkbobbed, hopped to the floor, and waddled inside. He used his beakand bodyto close the door.Roxshudderedasthelockengagedwithaloud snick.
“Itonlylocksontheoutside.”
Roxdeflated. Right. Right. It’s a hotel room. Stop being stupid, Rox.
“Stop beating yourself up,” Aspen admonished, somehow hearing Rox’s inner dialogue and anxiety-ridden body language. “Your apprehension over locked doors is understandable. Now, how aboutyoupickoutasandwich,thenApolloandIcandecideonwhat’sleft?”
Roxreadthedescriptions,snatchinguptheroastbeefassoonashesaw it.
Apollo, backinhis humanshape and dressed insweats and a tight tee that showed off his toned arms and trim waist, dropped an open bag of chips on the table before backing away. “Subs are alwaysbetter withchips.”
Roxnodded,his mouthalreadyfull ofrare roastbeefandswiss cheese.He snaggeda handful and put them on the paper wrapper the deli had wrapped the sandwich in. He took careful glances at Aspenand Apollo as he ate, notinghow the hawkshifter had pushed his chair as close to the bear as he could. When their elbows rubbed, Aspen winked at Apollo, an easy smile on his lips. After one not-so-subtlebrush,AspendroppedhissubandhauledApollointoalingeringkiss.
Of course, Rox stared. Damn. They’re hot together. An unfamiliar clench in his chest tightened hisbelly. What the hell do they need me for? I’m nothing. A third wheel.
With one last peck on Apollo’s lips, Aspen let his mate go. Apollo’s gaze remained on Aspen until Rox cleared his throat. Dual piercing stares landed on him. “You know, if you two wanna… I cangostaywithRory.”
“You’ll stay here,” Apollo said, stalling whatever Aspen had been about to say. “I’ll go if you needmeto,butIdon’t…”Heglancedtowardthedoor andthenthebedbeforesaying.“Iwanttostay, too, and getto know you, and… Ishould apologize. Youdid nothingwrong, so whywould yougo? It wasme.Ididall thewrongthings.”
Aspen picked up and kissed Apollo’s fingertips before laying their joined hands on his thigh. “Nobody did anything wrong. It’s a complicated situation. As a dominant bear and with my innate caring nature it’s intuitive for me to slow down and ensure everyone is safe, calm, and happy. Hawksaremoreimpulsive.”
“True.”Apollosigheddramatically,thenwinkedatRox.“Wejumpfirstandthinklater.” Aspenchuckled.“Likethefirsttimewemet.”
Aspen
AspencaughtRox’s interestedgaze,his mate’s amber eyes invitinghimtospill all his secrets.He paused, concerned thatwhat he was goingto saymightupsetthe younggriffin, butthenhe feltitwas better to just rip off that bandage in one go. “It was two years ago. I’d been traveling fromtown to town, pickingup odd jobs here and there. Mostlysecuritywork. Alpha Payton, he’s the SkulkAlpha, saw me in town and asked me to interview with Alpha Eli, the alpha of Forest Edge. I should note that both of them helped rescue you and the ponies, but the interview happened after the Smoking Raptors rode into town yes, the same ones who kidnapped you. Theyattacked Woodcrest, the town center of the skulk. Afterward, I guess, they wanted to beef up security.” He flexed his biceps and wiggledhiseyebrows.
Apollo sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes at Aspen’s ridiculous posture. Rox stared at him, bemused but silent as he continued to eat. Aspen smiled at Rox… That his mate was eatingwhat he providedfilledacrucial holeinAspen’spsyche.
“Anyway… ” he drawled whenhis theatrics didn’tpanout, “Iwas onmymotorcycle IthoughtI was badass back then following along behind Alpha Payton when we stopped at the main gate. Suddenly, this cute, tinysecurityguard freezes, runs straight at me and throws himself into myarms. Gods, Ithoughthe was scared or somethinguntil he nuzzled under mychin, and Igota good whiffof his scent. It was all over from there. Apollo and I mated that night and moved in together the next day.”
Rox’s gaze flitted between Aspen and Apollo. Finally, he put down his food and leaned back in hischair.“Soyou’refatedmates?”
Aspennodded,eager tohear thatRoxwouldbethrilledtojointhem.
“AndyouthinkI’malsoyours?”
Bewildered,Aspennodded,his brow furrowing.Thathadnotbeenwhathe’dbeenexpectingRox to say. His pulse kicked up a notch. “I’mconfused. Rory said he and Gregor were fated mates, and thatheknew rightaway.Your scentcallstobothofus.Doesn’tourscall toyou?”
“Ifyouwere a griffin, sure, butyou’re not. It’ll be more instinctual, or, atleast, that’s whatIwas told.Wedidn’thavemanynon-griffinshiftersinour pride.”Roxscoffed.“Makethatnone.”
Wait… What? He doesn’t think he’s our mate? AspengapedatRox.
“What do youmeanbyinstinctual?” Apollo asked as Aspensat silently, dumbfounded. His little hawksqueezedhisarm,bringingAspenbackfromthedazehe’dfalleninto.
Roxshrugged,droppinghisgazetotheremainsofhissub.“Iguesswejustknow.”
Aspenpushedasidehis meal andlaidhis handonthetable,palmupandopen.Hehadtoproveto Roxthattheyweremates.Hewasn’tsurethis wouldwork,buthehadtotry.WhenRoxdidn’taccept, Aspenwiggledhisfingers.“Please,takemyhand.”
Slowly, Rox reached across the table and placed his fingertips on Aspen’s palm. Aspen’s heart filled to overflowingatthe simple testoftrust, thoughhe wished he could tell whatRoxwas thinking other than what he broadcast with his body language and scent. When Apollo also added a few fingers,Aspengrinned.“Rox,will youallow Apolloandmetocourtyou?”
Roxlaughed. Sweet Ursa, what a nice sound. Aspenwanted to hear iteveryday, several times a day. Rox’s hand slid more fully across Aspen’s palm, touching Apollo until the two twisted their
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fingerstogether.
Carefully, Aspenclosed his hand around the intertwined digits ofhis mates, lovingthe emotional satisfaction wafting fromApollo. Rox’s refusal to allow Apollo close had devastated his poor boy. Hewallowedfor alongmomentinthesimplejoyoftheir touch.
Rox’s laugh took a cynical turn. “Are you kidding me?” His scent soured as he jerked his hand away. “No, Ican’tletyou. I’ma fuckingmess. Whythe hell would youwanna courtme? Dude, while youmightbelieveI’myour mate,and,hey,I’mnotdenyingwhatyou’resaying,butI’vebeenrottingin that fuckingroomfor months. Imma gonna need some space.” He dashed at his eyes as he stood and hurriedintothebathroom.Thedoor shut,butnotquiteall theway,allowingAspenandApollotohear their mate’sgruffcursebeforehestartedcryingagain.
Apollonudgedhim.“Youshouldgo.Hefeelsmorecomfortablewithyou.”
“Maybethat’s theonereasonIshouldn’t.”Aspenshovedtheheels ofhis palms intohis eyes as he proppedhiselbowsonthetable.Hedraggedhisfingersdownhisface,contortinghisfeaturesintothe grotesqueshapehecurrentlyfeltlike.
His mate rubbed across his shoulder blades, giving Aspen some measure of comfort. “I think he feelssafeor,well,safeenough.Hedidn’tleavetheroomwhenhecouldhave.”
“True.” Aspengazed bleary-eyed athis mate. SeeingApollo’s mussed hair, Aspenranhis fingers over the disheveled locks. Apollo usually kept his light brown hair cut short, almost a military high and tight, withjustthe tiniestbitofpeachfuzzonthe side. Plus, the touchofgreyathis temples made himextra sexy. Lately, though, he’d skipped a couple of appointments, so the tousled style more than revealed his emotional upheaval, notevenmentioningthe red-rimmed eyes and the blotchypatches of pale skin, which was normally a beautiful shade of honey. He always loved looking at their bodies side byside. His darker almond shade to the richsmoothhoney-goodness. Rox’s ivoryskinwould be agloriousaddition.
Apollo’s dark orbs peered sadly, yet so full of hope, at him that Aspen relented to his mate’s suggestion. “I’ll try.” He crossed the room and sat on the floor outside the bathroom. Lightly, he knocked.“Rox?”
Onlythesoundofsnifflesandgaspingbreathscamefrominside.
“Rox?CanIcomein?”
Aloud bang followed by a curse had Apollo up and hovering behind himas he teased the door opena few more inches, expectingto find Roxinside. Unable to locate the griffinshifter throughthe small opening, he pushed the door wider, discoveringanemptybathroomuntil he noticed the drawn shower curtainandthedarkshadow hidinginthetub.
Apollo crouched and pointed, then crawled past Aspen to sit on the tile floor. Aspen’s mouth twitchedintoasmall smile,seeinghislittlehawkattemptcontact.
Apollo
Apollocringedas Rox’s distress washedover him.He gazedbackatAspenandtookcomfortand encouragementinthe tinygrinand slightnod Daddygave. Sometimes, he could hardlybelieve ithad alreadybeentwo years since theymet. Atforty-one, he’d damnnear givenup onever findinghis true mate.
What a daythat had been. Hearingthe short and sweet versionfromAspenhad brought all those amazing memories to the surface. So, of course, when they found their third, he expected the same visceral wants, the same nightofdebauchery. He wanted Daddyto have the same inexplicable joyof bonding,oftakingthemfromtwotothree.
WhenDaddy’s eyes blazed goldenafter gettinga strongwhiff of Rox’s scent once the griffinhad washed off the filth from that disreputable clubhouse, it took Apollo mere seconds to realize why. Thenthe doubts slipped in. Anew mate. Ayounger mate, who looked good now and would probably be gorgeous once he retained his full health, and here Apollo was almosta decade older thanDaddy nearlydouble thatwiththeir new mate. And withRoxindistress after beingheld captive bythose damn Raptors for months, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d end up pushed to the sidelines of the relationshipuntil their materecovered?
When they’d first brought Rox back to the hotel room, the griffin’s fear stung like the kiss of a bullwhip, like the vicious thrash of leather straps from a cat-o’-nine-tails. He’d tasted both in his youth and hated themboth so he knew their truth. Apollo’s worries and anxiety had boiled over, tears flowing in reaction to Rox’s crying jag, and he hated feeling that way. Hawk took control, pushed himto shift, and theyflew awayfromthe hate, the sorrow, the uncertainty. Eventually, Hawk talked him down from the ledge, away from running for the proverbial hills of forevermore. He’d returnedtotheroomcalmer,withawillingnesstolistenandmaybeeventry,butthathadbeenfleeting asagainRoxranandhidfromthemuponhearingthetruth.
Whyhad he pushed Daddyto tryagain? Iftheywere ever goingto be more thana fractured threewayhe neededtostepupandbe the one toreachoutthis time.ApollopokedDaddytomove,entered thebathroom,andsatbesidethetub,drawingstrengthfromonemateinthehopesofcalmingtheother.
He tucked a few fingers pastthe curtains and wiggled them. He sentoutsoothingpheromones like hismother usedtofor himandhisnumeroussiblingsandnest-mates.“Hey.”
Apollo settled in as best he could on the hard vinyl floor. He braced his elbow on the tub edge, allowinghimto extend his forearmfurther behind the curtain. He expected he’d touchnothing, so he was surprised whenhe came incontactwitha lightlyfurred leg. WhenRoxdidn’tpull away, Apollo slowly stroked his fingertips along his mate’s skin, sending out happy pheromones at being able to touch.
As thescentofRox’s sadness eased,ApollogrinnedatDaddy,whogavehimathumb’s up,rolled over,andquietlyapproachedonhandsandknees.HealmostlaughedatDaddycrawlinginacomplete juxtapositionoftheir relationship.NotthatApolloregressedthatfar for hisdaddy,butDaddylovedit whenhe came beggingfor attention. The unbiddenthoughtofRoxpossiblyrejectingthemfor the way theyplayedinterjecteditself,andApolloshoveditaway,focusinginsteadonsoothingRox.
Staring into Daddy’s eyes, Apollo focused on feelings of safety and love, contentment and calmness, and tried to send those to Rox. He was fairly sure it worked when Rox drew in a deep breathandreleaseditinalong,tiredsigh.
Roxthenletoutadisgustedwhine,whichstartledApollo.“CanIgetatissue,please?”
Daddy snatched several from the dispenser and handed them to Apollo, who promptly slipped thembehindthecurtain.
“Thanks”precededaroundofnose-blowing.“Gods,that’s disgusting.Is thereagarbagecanIcan droptheseinto?”Afistful ofusedtissuesappearedattheother sideofthetub.
“Sure. Hold ona sec.” Apollo tookthe small canfromDaddyand held itunder Rox’s hand. “Go aheadanddropthem,thenI’ll giveyouawashcloth.”
Daddy already had the hot water running, a couple of washcloths close by, and a fresh stack of clothes for their mate bythe sink. ThatRoxwas sittingina cold and possiblystill wettub made him shiver insympathy. He handed the damp washcloths to Apollo, one byone, and rinsed and repeated as theycame back. The last itemhe handed over, though, was a glass of cool water. “Good thinking, Daddy.Thanks.”
All movementonthe other side ofthe shower curtainceased. The scentofcuriositypervaded the bathroom, overcomingthe odors of dejectionand anxiety. Daddypeered at Apollo and thenbounced his eyebrows. He pursed his lips and sent anair kiss, whichApollo snatched up and smacked to his mouth.
“So…”Apollodrawled,handingover theglass beforesettlingagainonthefloor,“thecat’s outof thebag.”
“Yeah,” Rox mumbled. “Rory said Aspen was a real daddy bear, but you actually called him Daddy.”
“Idid, thoughitwasn’tsomethingIstarted fromthe onsetofour mating.” Apollo paused, wanting togetthe words justright.“Aspenis a Daddy,throughandthrough.Iresistedatfirst,butour dynamic grew fromteasingjests tome lovinghow muchhe takes care ofme andthensome.Withhim,Icanlet goofmyworriesandknow thathe’ll berighttherewhenIneedhim.”
The curtain slid open about a foot, allowing Apollo to see Rox fully. Their mate had his legs curled to his chest, arms around his shins, and his chinpropped onhis knees. The sweatpants he was wearingwereruckeduptomid-calf,his shaggyhair ahaloaroundhis sweetface.Acoupleofunused tissuesliebesidehim,onetuckedintoabouncingfist…justincase.
“Will youtell memoreaboutit?”
“Sure,” Apollo answered, squirming to get comfortable on the hard floor. A pillow plopped besidehim,andApollogazedupatDaddywithagrateful smile.Hepushedoneunder hisbonybutt notthatDaddymindedonebit andputanother behindhisbackasheleanedagainstthewall.
“CouldIhaveapillow,too,please?”
“On it,” Daddy said, almost skipping out of the bathroom, looking so thrilled to do something anything Rox wanted, that Apollo chuckled, watching his big bear of a mate go. When Aspen returned with two more pillows, he hesitated before asking, “Would it be all right if I gave themto you?Mybear andIkindaneedtoseeyouwithour owneyes.Weneedtomakesureyou’regood.”
Roxtwistedhislower lipbetweenhisfingers.“Okay,butcouldyouleavethecurtaininplace?”
“Absolutely.” Daddybeamed, his joyat Rox’s acceptance permeatingthe air and fillingit witha sweetness that chased away the ugly scent of sadness. Daddy put his shoulder to the wall above Aspen, bracinghimself as he handed over the pillows one at a time, assessingRox’s well-being. “If you’rehungry,Icanbringour foodinhere,too.”Roxnoddedand,again,Daddyrushedtocomply.
Apollo laughed as he watched Daddygo, go, go. “He loves to do,” he said, seeingRox’s curious expression. “When Daddy gets into caregiving mode, he’s always running. When I get the littlest sniffle,he tucks me intoour bedandthenrushes aroundmakingtea andsoup.Ipracticallyhave topin himtothemattresstogethimtoslow down.”
Daddysnorted and chortled as he reentered the bathroom, his muscular arms loaded withall their food. He handed off their meals, then stroked Apollo’s hair. “That’s because Daddy loves you and
wantstotakecareofyou.”
Apollo peered up at his amazing, broad-shouldered daddy. “I know.” He hugged Daddy’s thick leg,rubbinghischeekagainstthesoftfur ofhair.“You’rethemostawesomeDaddyinForestEdge.”
Daddy booped his nose. “And don’t you forget it. Now everyone eat, then we can talk.” He walked outand came backwithanother setofpillows, puttingthemonthe floor beside Apollo. They satincomfortablesilence,finishingtheir meal,Daddy’sarmapleasingwarmthagainstApollo.
“All done, little hawk?” Daddy held out a hand for the trash. Apollo balled his wrapper up and gaveitover.“How aboutyou,Rox?”
“Yes,sir.”
Daddy chuckled, releasing pheromones of joy and mirth. “No need for that. Who knows where you’ll end up in our dynamic? You could be like our friends: Kev, Jack, and Storm. Kev’s a daddy bear like me. Jack is a fox who loves being little, but Storm, who’s the youngest, is the dominant in their relationship.JackandKevcall himSir.”
“That’s… interesting,” Roxmumbled, carefullyfoldingup the sandwich’s waxpaper, and Apollo nearlylaughed atthe myriad ofemotions flittingacross Rox’s face as Daddydescribed their friends’ triadmating.“Griffinsaren’tusuallykinky.”
Apollo braced his elbow onthe tub and scissored the curtainbetweenhis fingers. “Ithoughtyour brother wassubmissive.Heseemedtodefer tohismate.”
Roxleaned forward to hand off his garbage. “I’mnot surprised. Rory’s always beena follower. It’s completelyshockingthathe struckoutonhis ownto find me. I’m… glad he found someone. He’s thebestgriffinIknow.”
“Don’t all brothers saythat?” Apollo grinned, passingalongthe folded paper and gettinga swift kissfromDaddy.
“Hell, no. My eldest brother’s an ass. My uncle on my mother’s side is our Pride King, and he decreed before I came out, mind you that only heterosexual griffins could be members of the pride. Mymommade himrecantthe rule, butTak, myolder brother, was one ofmyuncle’s enforcers. WhenhefoundoutthatRoryandIdidn’twantfemalemates,heoutedus tomyuncleandtriedtohave us thrownoutofthepride.Whenthatdidn’twork,hemademylifehell.Teasing,bullying,sendinghis friends to subtlyattackme. One day, Takwenttoo far and myuncle didn’thave a choice butto expel Takfromthepride.Takleft,andlastIknew,there’dbeenzerocontactwithhimsince.”
“There’s one in every den,” Daddy muttered, reminding me of the reason why he had left his sleuth. Daddy’s older brothers were mean, naughty bears who teased himall the time when he was little. His father had finallythrownall ofthemoutofthe house after a fistfightturned wrestlingmatch destroyed their mothers’prized dining table, a table their father had handmade for themas a mating gift. Overwhelmed with guilt, Daddy had packed his bags and joined the army. After one term of service, he got out and joined a securitycompany. Whenthat proved too boringfor Daddy, he began traveling,pickingupoddjobs here andthere whenhe neededfunds,andeventuallymetAlpha Payton andAlphaEli,and… then he met me.
Apollo preened as he was again reminded of their first few days together. Daddy had taken Apollo under his wing make that a big, muscular arm and taught him all about the Daddy Dom/little boy dynamic. Apollo had been skeptical at first. Hell, Daddy was ten years younger than him, so how the heckwould thatevenwork? Butitdid. Daddysaw a need inApollo, how he wanted toletothers lead,be afollower,listentoorders,take pleasurewhengiven,andbetoldhow toplease hismate.How hehadn’tfiguredthatall outinhispreviousforty-plusyearsoflifestill baffledhim.
Apolloshrugged.“GuessIluckedout.Mynest-matesandIgetalongfine.”
“Youhave a good relationship withyour parents?” Roxasked, wrappinghis arms around his legs and propping his chin on his knees. His expression was open and curious, which Apollo took as a goodsign.
“We’ve had our ups and down, but mostlyit’s good. Theyweren’t thrilled whenI joined the Air Force, but what better place for a hawk than where he can fly, right?” Rox nodded, and Apollo continued, “Tookthema while to warmup to Daddybeingmymate, butfate is fate, and justbecause they’dprefer I’dhave a female andchildrenofmyown,they’ll have tomake dowiththe fifteenor so grand-eyassfrommybrothersandsisters.”
Roxlaughed.“Fifteenniecesandnephews?How doesUncleApollokeepthemall straight?”
“Thankfully,” Apollo said with a wink, his heart racing at having been the one to get the first smile fromtheir mate, “I’ve gotanawesome Daddywho created a spreadsheet, so we never forgeta birthday.”HepushedupandkissedDaddy’scheek,sendingapulseofgratitudeandlovethroughtheir bond. He pulled Daddy over so he could peek at Rox, and when Daddy straightened, he gripped Apollo’snapeandsqueezedgentlybeforeleaninginandwhispering,“Goodboy.”
Rox
As Rox listened to Apollo and Aspen discuss their myriad of family members and recount hilarious tales of the children’s antics and their various babysitting woes, his mind drifted. The last timehe’dfeltthisrelaxedinthepresenceofothershadbeenthenightbeforetheSmokingRaptorshad snatched himoff the street. He’d spent that evening with Rory, game controller in hand, fighting the goodfight,kickingzombiebutt,andrazzinghislittlebro.
Why him? He musthave asked himselfthata hundred times… a thousand times. He’d evenasked his captors before theytriedtorape himandhe’dshiftedtofightthemoff.Acouple ofthe motorcycle gang members wanted to let him go because “he wasn’t worth keeping,” but the Smoking Raptor president said no. He’d made a deal, and he’d honor it. “Wear him down,” he’d said. “He’ll shift backand thenwe’ll have some fun.” Roxnever did, and instead, he made do withthe scraps offood they sometimes remembered to give him, the cramped room, and living with the foul stench of his unwashedfur andfeathers,hisbodilyfluids,andtheacridstenchofhisfeces.
His living conditions improved after the ponies arrived, and the VP tasked them with his care. Theysnuckhimextra food whentheycould and insisted onthe roombeingcleaned twice a week. He wishedhecoulddomorefor them,helpthemescape,buthewasjustasmuchaprisoner astheywere. He’dfiguredaslongastheSmokingRaptorsdidn’thurtthem,theyweresafeenough.
“Hey Rox,” Aspen said, twitching aside the curtain enough for him to peek in at Rox. “You’re looking sleepy. How about you come out and get into bed? Apollo and I will take one, and you can havetheother toyourself.”
Roxthoughtthatover.He feltsafe inAspen’s presence,andApollohadgainedenoughofhis trust over the lasthowever longfor his heartnotto getall hyper and beatrightoutofhis chest. “Okay,” he whispered, stretchinghis legs out witha wince. His supposed-mates were ontheir feet inaninstant, surprisingRoxintojerkingawayfromtheir offeredhands.
“You’ve got to be stiff fromsittinginthis cold tub for anhour. I’mignoringmyback, but it isn’t happywithmerightnow.”Aspen’s low rumbleoflaughter easedthegrowingspotoftensioninRox’s gutthathadsproutedwhenthebear stoodover him.
RoxnoddedatAspenbutdidn’taccepttheir help.Instead,he groanedthroughpushinguprightand bracedusingthewall andtowel rackover thetoilet.
ApollowavedAspenbackwithawhispered,“Igothim.Yougogetthebedready.”
Aspenhugged Apollo, tuckingthe muchshorter hawkshifter to his chestbefore givinghis mate a quicksmoochandnape-squeeze,grabbingthepillowsthey’dusedascushionsandleaving.
Rox stared down at Apollo, realizing for the first time that “little hawk” had another meaning. Standing in the tub probably gave him an additional inch or two, but once out, Rox figured Apollo wouldfitrightunder hischin.Amonggriffins,six-feet-pluswastheaverageheightfor anadultshifter, so at six-one, he was actually on the shorter end, but it wasn’t uncommon for their kind to grow another inch or two in their twenties. Meanwhile, Apollo couldn’t have been more than five-five or five-six, butwhathe lacked inheight, he made up for intightmuscles thatspoke ofa fastmetabolism andaterrificworkoutregime.Therewasn’tanounceoffatontheman.
In comparison, he was skin and bones. Rox didn’t have any fat on himeither, but neither did he have much muscle tone left. He’d tried in that hellhole to keep fit, but when the rations came fewer
Chapter4
andfarther between,theslow starvationcausedhisbodytoburnitselftosurvive.Theponiescouldn’t have come at a better time. It sucked that the Raptors had forced themto work, but without them, he surelywouldhavewastedaway.Heneededtomakesurehethankedthempersonallyatsomepoint.
“Enough with the maudlin thoughts,” Apollo said dryly. “Let’s get you out of there, and then I’ll leave you to use the toilet before Daddy tucks you in. There’s even a fresh toothbrush because Daddy’sweirdlikethatandalwaysbringsextras.”Herolledhiseyes,thenwinkedatRox.
He let Apollo touchhim, helpinghimstep over the tub’s edge and ensuringhe was steadyonhis feetbefore givinghimprivacy. He urinated and washed his hands and face and thencalled outthathe was done. Apollo again offered his aid, and Rox was going to refuse, but the earnest desire in the hawk’sgazestilledhistongue.
“CanI…justholdontoyour shoulder?”
Apollo grinned. “Of course.” He sidled up beside Rox and together they made their way to the bed withthe covers turned down. Aspensatonthe other bed, watchingtheir slow approach, a sealed bottleofwater inhishands.
“Ithoughtyoumightbethirsty.”HeofferedthebottleonceRoxleanedagainstthepileofperfectly fluffedpillows.
“Yeah. Thanks.” Rox didn’t take it, sensing how much Aspen wanted to do for him, the same as Apollo,andinsteadasked,“Couldyouopenitfor me?”
The grin and bright flash in Aspen’s eyes were all the confirmation Rox needed to know he had done the rightthing.These men his mates wantedsobadlytocare for him.Itwas goingtobe hard togetusedto.He’dalways beenindependent,andafter beinglockedup,hewantednothingmorethan to have that independence back. He wanted to fly far and away from this town. Well, after he’d recuperatedandhiswingswereuptothetask…
He accepted the opened bottle, tooka few sips, and thengave itback. Aspentwisted the lid back onandplaced itonthe small nightstandbetweenthe beds.Aglance atthe digital alarmclockshowed itwas after one inthe morning. Had ittrulyonlybeena couple ofhours since they’d rescued himand theponies?
Rox yawned and chuckled. Just seeing how late it was, his internal clock said, “Time for bed.” He shifted down, tuggingatthe blankets to cover himself, readyto putthe pastsixmonths behind him andwakeuptosun-shinyfreedom.
“Letme,please.”Aspenrose,keepinghismovementsslow andvisible.
“Sure.” Roxstucka pillow under his head and grabbed another for his arms. Gods, he’d missed havinga pillow to sleep with. He also missed havinga bed and blankets and seeingRoryeveryday. Hemissedhismomandthepride,food,andbeer,and…
Aspenpulled the sheetand blanketover him, butRoxstopped himfromdoinganyactual tucking. Toomuchlikeropes.Heneededthecoversloosesohecouldescape.
“Thanks,”hemumbled,pullingtheblanketrightuptohisnose.
Aspen sat on the edge of the bed and stroked his hair, and the delicate touch reminded him so muchofhismother’sthatRoxhummed.“Feelsgood.”Ashisbear matecontinuedthelightcaressesto his head and nape, Rox closed his eyes and breathed in the scents of satisfaction and pride and maybe… love, but that would be Apollo and Aspen. It was obvious how much they cared for each other.
Maybeonedayhe’dfeel thesame.
Nottonight,notrightnow,butmaybesoon.
Aspen
Aspen had no clue how long he sat there touching their mate. He listened with half an ear as Apollo took a fast shower and brushed his teeth. He debated about joining himbut couldn’t bear to move fromthe spot he seemed rooted to. Rox fell asleep under his gentle ministrations and still, he keptpettingtheboy.
Man.
Boy.
He nodded. A gut feeling, but he was certain Rox wouldn’t beat against his dominance. Maybe later, he might fight it, but for the moment, Rox would let them take care of him. In the meantime, Aspenwasdeterminedtowintheir mateover.
“Pennyfor your thoughts?”
AspenglancedatApollostandingoutsidethebathroom,atowel aroundhiswaistwhileherubbed his hair drywithanother. Withall that honeyskinonfull display, Aspenlicked at his lower lip. The sightofhis boynever failed to rev his engine. He moved to the second bed, sat, and patted his thighs. “Comehere.”
Apollo smirked as he wrapped the towel around his neckand stepped closer. “I’mprettysure sex wasn’tonyour mind.”
“It wasn’t until you stepped out looking like that. My beautiful boy.” Aspen grabbed the ends of the towel and drew Apollo in between his spread thighs. He held him in place as he kissed and sucked at his mate’s mouth. Apollo let him, his sweet scent pullinghard at Aspento take, take, take. He plucked at the towel around his boy’s waist, lettingit fall to the floor ina heap around their feet, thendroppedthetowel aroundApollo’sneck.
Bared to himin all his naked glory. Asmooth chest. Tight muscles. Delicate, yet hard. His little hawk nearly squawked when he stood and lifted him clear off his feet. Apollo wrapped his legs around Aspen’s waist and twisted his fingers into Aspen’s hair, whisper-moaning“Daddy” over and over again.
Fuck, with two handfuls of Apollo’s ass, he wanted to spread his little boy out on the bed and worship every inch of him. Aplaintive groan fromRox, however, froze himin place. Ursa! Though thiscertainlycouldhavebeentheplace,now wasnotthetime.
Apollo thunked his forehead to Aspen’s shoulder, mewling as he rubbed his stiff cock against Aspen’schest.“Needyou,Daddy.”
“Iknow,boy,butwecan’t.”
“Shouldn’t,notcan’t,”Apollowhined.“Bathroom?”
Aspen pressed his lips together as he caressed his mate’s beautiful skin, admiring the lithe form and how his boy’s cockhad begunto rise fromits nest of curls under his touch. The idea had merit. He could at least get his boy off. Apollo deserved some love after their night of adventure and discovery.Somelovetooffsettheearlier tears.“Goodidea,boy.”
He carried Apollo into the bathroomand sathimonthe counter before closingthe door withnary a snick. Pushinglightlyonhis boy’s chest, he directed Apollo to leanagainst the mirror. Sometimes he liked to have Apollo watch their reflections, liked to see his little hawk’s gaze go hazy, see the mirror fogwiththeir heated breath, and eye the fingerprint smudges theyalways seemto leave after playing.Notthistime,though.HewantedApolloface-up.
Apollo’sheadbumpedtheglass,still dampwithcondensation.Aspenqueriedfor anyouchiesand made sure Apollo was comfortable before dragginghis ass to the edge ofthe counter. He dropped to his knees in a slow, controlled motion, watching Apollo’s eyes blaze with eager lust. Holding the
backofhisboy’sthighs,AspenliftedandspreadApollo’slegs,givinghimaccesstothehiddenfurled entrance.
He licked and sucked and kissed, turningApollo into a whimpering, beggingmess. Onlythendid hestand,pushinghisshortstohisthighsasApolloofferedthesmall bottleoflubetheyalwayspacked inwiththeir toiletries. He smeared a layer on his cock, gave his boya perfunctoryswipe, lined up, and slowly slid inside his personal heaven. Aspen held still until Apollo’s muscles relaxed, welcominghimhome.
“Daddy,”Apollowhispered.“Loveyou.”
“Iloveyou,too,boy.You’resogoodtome,takingcareofmeasmuchasItakecareofyou,hm?”
Apollo nodded, reaching for Aspen’s shoulders. His nails dug into Aspen’s skin, not quite scratching,butitwasclose.
Aspenliftedhimoffthecounter andheldhimeasily,oneass cheekper hand,raisingandlowering his little hawkto ride his shaft. “Fuck. You’re amazing.” He nuzzled Apollo’s jaw, slidingone hand higher on his boy’s back and tipping them slightly. Bending his knees gave him leverage to thrust harder and faster. Each impalement forced the breath from Apollo’s lungs. Panting through moans, whiningaboutwantingto come, his grip tighteningonAspen’s shoulders, claws pokinghis skinas he clungtightly.
“Please,Daddy.”
They’d been through enough over the last twenty-four hours. They deserved this moment. There wasn’t a damnreasonto denyhis boyor force himself to hold off. “Take your pleasure, little hawk. Letmewatchyoufall apart.”
Apollo’s heels pressed into the back of Aspen’s thighs as he chased his orgasm, coming with a loud groan and without a hand on his beautiful, honey-blond cock. Semen spilled across Apollo’s chest, pale lines and puddles pooling as Aspen drove inside his lover quicker, finding his release deepwithinhisboy’schannel.
Withweakenedknees,Aspenplacedhisboybackonthecounter.Their foreheadsloweredtoeach other’sshoulder,heavybreathspantingagainsttheheatedskinoftheir necksuntil theyrecovered.
Apollo pet his hair, nails scritching at the sweaty skin on his scalp and nape. “I think I need another shower,”hebemoaned.
Aspenchuckled.“Likeyoucare.”
“I only care if you’re with me or not, and right now, that’s with me in the shower.” Apollo winked.“Gettingwetandsoapy.I’ll evenwashyour back.”
Aspenlifted his boy, sethimonhis feet, thenlightlyslapped his ass as he pushed himtoward the shower.“Damnstraightyou’ll washmybackandthenI’mgoingtowashyour front.”
“Myfront?”Apollorubbedhiscumintohisskin.“Yeah,I’mkindadirty,Daddy.”
Aspen growled. “Stop teasing and start the shower.” As his boy obeyed, reaching in to turn the faucet, Aspensaw a mirage ofRoxsittinginthe tub. The need to be withtheir new mate sobered his good humor. He poked his head out of the bathroom, listeningfor anytelltale signof Roxawakening because the possibility of Apollo being quiet during sex was pretty much non-existent. Not hearing anything, he crossed the small bathroom in two steps and pressed into Apollo’s back. “No more playing.Weshouldkeepaneyeonour mate.”
Apollo
“You’re right,” Apollo said witha frownas he turned to undress Daddy, pleased that he’d made hisdaddysocrazywithlustthathehadn’tevenbotheredtoundress.“I’msorry.”
Daddy’s glare softened as he cupped Apollo’s cheek. “No need to apologize. We got this out of our system,butnow it’stimetofocusontakingcareofRox.Weshouldsleepsowe’ll haveenergyfor tomorrow,comewhatmay.”
And wasn’t that the twenty-million dollar question? Where would they be tomorrow? A week fromnow…?Ayear?“Arewetakinghimhome?Imean, our home.InForestEdge.”
Daddy nudged him into the shower and followed right behind. He rubbed their bar of soap, a homemade one that smelled like honey and sugar, between his hands, getting a good lather before washingApollo’schestandbelly.
Apollo hung onto Daddy’s shoulders as his mate pushed him around, soaping him from neck to thigh, gentle but strong. Two fingers slid through his crease, and he widened his stance to make it easier for Daddyto cleanhimeverywhere. These were the moments thatApollo cherished. He loved havingDaddy’sundividedattention. Would this be the last time?
“You’re worried. Me, too,” Daddy rumbled. “I would love to take Rox home with us where he couldheal insafety,buthemightwanttoreturntohispride.Hisparentsandfriendsmustmisshim.”
“SoRorysaid.”ButApollowasn’tsosure.RoryhadsaideveryonemissedRox,thatwas certain, yethe’dbeentheonlyonesearchingfor hisbrother.
Daddypaused and stared downathimfor a longmomentbefore handinghimthe soap. As Apollo washedDaddy’s bear ofabody abroadandfurrychest,muscular thighs andarms,andthickneck Daddy said nothing. He was thinking, and Apollo let him. He didn’t want to voice his own thoughts and insecurities. At forty-three, maybe he shouldn’t be letting a man a decade younger make all the decisions. No, thatwas wrong. Whenitwas important, Daddyalways included himinthe discussion andthentheymadethefinal decisiontogether.
“I’mtryingto figure out what youaren’t saying, mysharp-eyed hawk,” Daddyeventuallysaid as he twisted under the shower’s spray, rinsing his amazing body while Apollo avidly watched the show. “You’re concerned about whether we’re going to go home or head toward the pride, but also you don’t think Rox will be welcome if he returns to his family. Why? Because he’s gay? Because he’ll havetwomatesor becausewe’renotgriffinshifters?”
Again, Apollo said nothing. Daddy maneuvered himunder the water for a final rinse. He turned off the water and grabbed towels for both of them, drying himself perfunctorily before assisting Apollo.Daddyalways madesurehewas thoroughlydriedbeforeputtingonhis sleepshirtandbriefs. Theywere the kind withthe extra padding, and Apollo had grownto accept themas part ofDaddy’s care, eventhoughhe didn’tcare for them. Besides, the shirts were always the super-softkind, and he likedthose.
Apollo held Daddy’s hand as theyreentered the mainsleepingarea, bothofthempeekingatRox, making sure he still slept soundly. Their mate had the blankets pulled up over his nose, his face mostlycovered. Withhis eyes shut, Apollo assumed theyhadn’t disturbed himwiththeir impromptu sexcapades.
Apollo ducked under Daddy’s armas he lifted the blanket and laid down. Daddycircled the bed
Chapter5
and got in, pullingApollo backward into the little spoonpositiontheybothloved. Situated that way, Apollohadaclear view acrosstotheother bed,andhenearlysquawkedwhenhesaw Roxpeeringat him.
Roxgave hima tinyheadshake,andApollosettled.Gods,how muchhadtheir mate heard? Them having sex? Their discussion about where they’d go physically from the hotel? Did he want to go hometohisprideor homewiththem?Didhetrustthemtomaketherightdecisionfor him?
“Relax, little one,” Daddy whispered and rained kisses on Apollo’s neck. Daddy’s arm around himtightenedandrelaxed.“I’vegotyou.”
Apollo covered Daddy’s arm with his own, twining their fingers together. He peered across at Rox, but the griffin had his eyes closed. Faking sleep or avoiding eye contact? Apollo kept staring. He couldn’t believe that after two years, they’d finally found their third mate. It was strange that he hadn’t had the same initial visceral reaction to Rox like he had to Daddy. Although, once Rox showered and his natural scentovercame all the filthhe’d beenforced to live in, Apollo nearlywept with joy as he took the strong spicy yet earthen smell of his mate. He had wept in sadness because Roxkepthimatarm’slength.
Daddywas sosmartmakinghimapproachRoxwhentheir matehadhuddledinthetub.He’dbeen scared silly Apollo butDaddyshowed himhow to be brave. Daddywas the bestDaddyever, and nobodycouldtell himanythingdifferent.WhatrolewouldRoxtake?ThathadApollonervous.Would hebeanother caringDaddyor maybeastrictDaddy?WouldhebeSir likeStorm,or wouldhehavea brother toplaywith? Older or younger…either was fine withhim.He likedkids,likedbeinga kid,a Littlefor hisdaddy.
He didn’t like these undies, though. Apollo squirmed and pulled at the seam. The new brand Daddyboughtwastoosnug.
“Boy,”Daddygrowled,“stopyour squirming.”
“Sorry, Daddy.” Apollo turned over and shoved his face into Daddy’s beefy chest, rubbing his nose into the curlyhair and breathinginhis favorite scentinthe world. Daddy’s hand cupped his butt and pulled him flush against his favorite place in the world. He tilted his head back and got a lingeringkiss fromDaddy. Another ofhis mostfavorite-istthings inthe world. Yeah, Daddywas the bomb.Didkidsstill saythattoday?Ugh.Hewasold…andtherewasRox.All youngandpretty.
“You’re thinkinghard, little one, and therefore not sleeping. Are youthat worried about our next step?”
ApollothunkedhisheadagainstDaddy’spec.“That’soneofmany.”
“Guess I didn’t do enoughto wear youout.” Daddy’s bighand rubbed circles onApollo’s back. Usually,Daddy’sgentletouchwouldputhimrighttosleep.“Youneedtoflytoclear your head?”
“Idon’tknow.Maybe.MaybeI…”
Cool air hit Apollo’s back as the covers lifted. The scent of his mate hit himjust before he felt Roxslipintobedbehindhim.Roxputhisarmover Apolloandpressedintohisback.
“I hope this is okay. I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle physical contact, but I think I’m actually craving it. The ponies would give me a few scratches when they could sneak them, but it wasn’toften.Imissedmybrother’shugsthemost.”
Shocked,ApollostaredatDaddy,unsure whathe shouldsayor do.He wantedtogive Roxall the hugs and snuggles and kisses, but he was scared Roxdidn’t want themfromhim. Thankfully, Daddy knew justwhattosay.
“You’re in luck, then. Apollo gives the best hugs, and he’s an amazing cuddler.” Daddy turned Apolloover tofacetheir mate.
“Really?” Rox peered down at Apollo, an eyebrow arched. Gods, already Rox looked so much better andhe’donlyhadashower andasinglemeal.
“So pretty…” Their mate was goingto give Dylanand Storma runfor their moneyinthe stunning columnofhandsomeness.Apollopreened.Hewassuchaluckyhawk.
“Iagree,”Roxsaid.
“What?”
“Ithinkyou’repretty,too.”
Apollo melted under the beautiful smile of his mate. “Thankyou, but that was reallyweird.” He pokedRoxlightly.“Didyoureadmymind?”
“No.”Roxshookhisheadandgrinned.
“Apollo’s mouth sometimes has a mind of its own.” Daddy’s rumbling laughter shook Apollo, makinghimbouncerightintoRox’sarms.
Apolloface-palmed.“Ugh.Ididitagain.I’msostu ”
“No!”RoxandDaddyshoutedatthesametime.
“Boy, youknow better thanto saythat,” Daddygrowled and bit Apollo’s neck. “Don’t make me havetodisciplineyou.”
Apollofroze.“No,Daddy.Sorry,Daddy.Ipromiseitwon’thappenagain.”
Rox chuckled. “You probably shouldn’t promise something you can’t keep. Next time say you’ll promisetotryharder.”
“Smart. Well done, Rox.” Daddylifted his upper body, reached over Apollo, and brushed Rox’s arm.
“Oh.Well.Um…Thanks.”
Apollo imagined how bright Rox’s cheeks might be based on how he stuttered his gratitude. Probablyfreakingadorable.Young.Fresh.Pink.Gorgeous.
“Uhoh,”Roxmurmured.“He’sdoingitagain.”
“That’s veryastute ofyou.” Daddyhummed, and whenDaddyhummed, Apollo gotnervous. What new diabolical planwasheinventingnow?Thoughitwasn’talwaysevil-ish,sometimesDaddycame upwithfunandpleasurableactivitieswhenhemadethatsound.
Andnow there weretwo…maybe.Roxsoundedkinda dominant.Daddy-ishor sternUncle…Big brother.
“Heneedsoutofhishead,”Daddyexplained.“There’sonesure-firewayIknow,but…” Uh-oh.Now Roxwasmakingthathummy-thinkingsound.Hewasdoomed!Doomed. “Well,maybeyoubetter.Ithinkhe’sgettingworse.”
“Butwejust…”
“I heard, and maybe I was just a little bit jealous. I miss sex and you’re both beautiful men. No hardshiptowatchprettymenhavingsex.Myownpersonal pornchannel.”
Oh,fuzz-balls.RoxwantedtowatchDaddyfuckhim.Thatcouldbefun.They’dnever hadathird. Ooo… now they’d always have one. Apollo frowned. Would he always be the bottom? He always thoughtthatwhentheyfinallyfoundtheir triadmate,he’dgettousehiscockfor morethanahandjob.
Rox’schokinglaughter pulledApollooutofhismeanderingheadspace.“What?”
RoxstrokedApollo’scheek.“Whatever wedecide,Ipromiseyour cockwill seesomeaction.”
Apollo’smouthdroppedopenashestaredatRox.“Isaidthatoutloud?”
Roxnodded,hisfingertipssweepingacrossApollo’scheek,ear,hairline,andthroat.Thesoothing touch weirdly doing more to relax Apollo than ramp himup for sex. Daddy joined in, caressing his hip, thigh, and lower back. He was warm between his two mates, cuddled and protected. Safe.
Wanted.Loved. Sleepy.
“Thatwasunexpected.”
Aspen scoffed at Rox as they continued to double-teamputting Apollo to sleep. “You getting in this bed was just the tip of the unexpected iceberg,” he whispered. “Frankly, I’mshocked. I thought we’d have to do some serious coaxing to get you to join us, and I wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised if it had taken a couple of months for you to truly feel comfortable after what you went through.”
“I hear you.” Roxsighed. “Maybe if they’d done more thanlockme ina roomand almost starve me…”
“It’s not just food you’ll crave… You’re touch-starved, but you can count on Apollo and me to give you plenty of cuddles and snuggles, if that’s what you want. Kinda getting the vibe you aren’t verysubmissive.”
“Idon’tknow,” Roxsaidhonestly.“Like Isaid,I’ve never exploredmysexualityinthe contextof kink. For now, let’s just sayI’mnot willingto give up control, especiallyafter havingit takenaway for solong.”
“Completely understandable, and thank you for speaking to me honestly, heart to heart. I don’t wantto overstep or make youfeel forced into anythingwe do. We wantyouto be comfortable and to cometousinyour owntime,notatimeframeof our making.”
Moved byAspen’s speech, Roxleft off strokingApollo and lightlycaressed Aspen’s forearm. It scared Roxa little how fast theyhad gone fromstrangers to… whatever theywere. Friends? Almost lovers, ifApollo hadn’tfallenasleep. He gazed atthe hawkshifter. The lines ofworryetched across hisforeheadhadfinallyeased,makingApollolookyounger.Apollowasolder thanAspen,turningthe Daddy/little boykinkonits head. Roxhad always assumed so, at least. Seemed more natural for the Daddy to be older, but he was already learning he needed to keep an open mind and not make snap judgmentsonanyone.They’dmentionedtheir friendswereinall sortsoftriadrelationships.
There’d never beena griffinwithtwo mates for as longas he could remember. Their pride only contained the cis-male and cis-female pairings as decreed by their king, his uncle, Leonard. Rox hadn’t officially told anyone he was gay, fearing they’d throw him out of the pride even if Uncle Leonard’s ruling hadn’t been overturned before he was ready to leave on his own. It had sucked whenTakfoundoutandstartedmakinghislifemiserableontheregular.
His thoughts veered to his younger brother, Rory. Where would he go? Would he move to wherever hismatelived?Gregor,Rory’smate,seemedniceenough.
Damn… Gregor had to be a stand-up dude to stop everything and help Rory look for him for months. Roxwas pissed he’d missed outonpullingthe bigbrother card and vettingthe older griffin. HewouldhaveextractedGregor’spromisetocherishRoryforever andnotadayless.
Gods, but he missed his babybro. He wanted to spend more time withRory, wanted to catchup with his little brother, and learn all about how he met Gregor and the adventures they had while searchingfor him. Roryloved to gossip about the other griffins intheir pride, and Roxwanted to sit for hours listening to him tell all. He hadn’t realized until now how much he missed the sound of Rory’svoice.
“Do you think you can sleep?” Aspen asked, lacing their fingers together briefly, just enough to turnRox’s hand over and press itto Apollo’s hip. “I’mgettingsleepy, butI’ll stayup ifyouneed me to.”HestrokedRox’sforearmandwrist,kissedApollo’scheek,thenlaidhisheaddown.
Rox assessed himself. “Yeah, I think so.” As if his body were following Aspen’s orders, Rox yawned.
Rox
He laid there for a few minutes, eyes closed and barely breathing. Waiting for someone some Raptor to drunkenly knock or kick the door to his prison. It was too quiet. Bad things happened when it got quiet. Maybe not that second, but later, when they returned fromwhatever illegal job or rowdy party they’d ventured to. Fuck, how they managed not to kill themselves riding back on their motorcycles,stupidlydrunkofftheir asses,henever figuredout.
Ahand touched him. Roxscreamed and flailed, hittinga body, rollingand falling, and landingon his hands andknees onthe floor.He struckoutwitha roar buthitnothing.“Who’s there?” he shouted, his voice a deep rumble as he poised to shift. He hoped he didn’t have to. Whenhad he shifted back to his human shape? Fuck, he was tired. Maybe too tired to shift and fight off the damn Raptors this time…
“Rox.”
The plaintive whisper of his name startled him, and he frantically searched for the source, spinninginacircle,somethingsoftbeneathhim. They didn’tknow his name.Itwas always “beast” or “thing”or “maggot.”
“Tell mefivethingsyouhear.”
Hear?“Who’s there?”hedemanded,turningthree-sixty,tryingtolocatethepersonwhospokeand findinghimselfboxedinonthreesides.
“Tell mewhatyouhear.”
Rox huffed. Who was being so nice to him? It wasn’t a Raptor, that was for sure. “Fine.” He settled, stretchinghis senses to find the answer, surprised bythe feel ofa blanketbeneathhim, and… a pillow? Where were the hard wooden floors of the Smoking Raptors’ clubhouse? “I hear you. I hear…”Roxstrainedtohear anythingover thesoundofhis rapidbreathing.Closinghis eyes allowed himto focus onslowinghis breathingrate, and a wealthofsounds rose over the poundingbeatofhis heart. “Afaucet dripping. Acar drivingby. Someone’s crying.” Not someone. He knew who it was, andtherealizationsnappedhimfromthenightmarehe’dlapsedinto.“Apollo?”
“Rox.”
The bed beside him creaked, and Rox found his arms full of his tiny hawk mate. Rox cradled Apollo to his chest, tucking his nose into his mate’s neck and inhaling the scent of cinnamon and cloves. Exotic, spicy, sharp. Probably sassy in his normal environment. His scent reinforced his personality,whichhadbeguntoshinethrough.
He cuppedApollo’s head,holdinghiminplace as he strokedalonghis mate’s body,searchingfor injurieshecouldn’tseeinthedark.“DidIhurtyou?”
“No. Startled me.” Apollo whispered, hugging him and rubbing his cheek on Rox’s chest while makingsoftcooingnoises.
“Me,too,” Aspenaddedwitha softgrowl,joiningthemonthe floor.He touchedthem.Asoothing stroke,heavyenoughtonotbeticklish,lightenoughtoshow hiscare.
Roxsighed,absorbingthe feel oftheir bodies,likingthe comfortingsounds theymade,buthe was scared. He’d beenlivingthat nightmare, dreamingthat horror. It was whyhe’d shifted and stayed in his griffinform. The days had stretched into weeks and thenmonths, barelysleeping, onlyclosinghis eyes once he was sure everyone slept. Partynights atthe clubhouse were boththe worstand the best. The Smoking Raptors liked to drink themselves stupid, but then they would try their luck to subdue him, mostlyearningscratches and bites for their efforts. Whentheyfell asleep, he finallycould, too, knowingthey’dsleeptill noon.
Yet, ever vigilant, worried the Raptors would wake and return at any given moment, he barely attained REMsleep most nights. Whenhe did, it was nightmare after nightmare. Would he ever get a
full night’s sleepagain? SurelyAspenandApollowouldgrow tiredofhimdisruptingtheir rest.They were bodyguards and would need to be fullyrested and readyto move. He could live withthem, but couldtheylivewithhim?
Fingers threaded into his hair and massaged his scalp for a few seconds before lightly gripping andforcinghisheadtoshake.RoxgazedatAspen.
“It’s goingto be a longroad of recovery, but we’ll be here,” his bear mate said witha knowing andkindsmile.“We’ll helpinanywaywecan,right,boy?”
ApollosqueezedRox’storso.“Right,Daddy.Besides,youhaveplentyofexperiencedealingwith meandmyoccasional crazy.”
“True,” Aspen said, nuzzling Apollo’s ear and making their little hawk titter. “Barely happens now.”
Rox stroked Apollo’s back and his mate made the cutest moan of appreciation and snuggled closer.“PTSDfromyour timeinthemilitary?”
Apollo hummed confirmation. “Saw some things I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I had some orders thatafterwardhadmequestioningmyservice.”
“Orders?”
“Iwasasniper.”
Roxchokedonhisnextbreath.“Gods…That’s…”
“Yeah.”Apollopushedeventighter againstRox.“Ilikemynew jobbetter.”
“Understandably.”RoxtiltedApollo’sheadbackandkissedhisforehead.
AspennudgedApollo.“Backtobed,baby.Bringour matewithyou.”
Apollo giggled, followingorders, poppingup and thenfloppingonto the pillows. Roxlaughed as Apollo dragged himalong. Their little mate wriggled, gettingcomfortable, withoutlettinggo ofRox, andthatwasfinewithhim.He’dreallymissedtouchingandbeingtouched,andhe’dsoakedupall the sneakedpettingfromtheponieswhenever theywereallowedinhisroom cell prison.
“Is it bad to think that if it wasn’t for those kids also getting kidnapped that I might never have beenfound?”
“Normally,” Aspen said, tucking himself in behind Rox, throwing an arm across his body, but resting his hand on Apollo’s hip, “but in your case, it might be the truth. Although Rory and Gregor were pretty sure you were there when we met up with them, so it wouldn’t have been much longer before they got the authorities involved. Us showing up when we did just advanced the rescue processalong.”
“I couldn’t see much, but what I did see was prettyspectacular. I’ve never met a phoenixshifter before.”
“Mr. Charles is unique.” Aspencaressed Apollo for a momentthenswitched to Rox, who settled under the gentle strokes. The bear’s voice dropped to a whisper as his nose touched Rox’s shoulder. “Wouldyouliketohear thestoryofhow tonighthappened?”
“Sure,” Roxsighed, his bodylosingall its tensionas Aspencontinued to lightlytouchhim, “butI feel likeImightfall backasleeponyou.”
“I’mkind ofhopingyouwill. Youneed rest, sweetheart. Food, sleep, and lots oflovingwill heal yourightup.”AspenkissedRox’snapeandnuzzledintohishair.
Wishful thinking and Rox added one more. He wished for all the wishes to come true, and as AspenbeganspeakingsoftlyofCharles,the phoenixshifter,andhis twostallionshifter mates,he did, indeed,driftofftosleep.
Aspen
AspencontinuedstrokingRoxas hewhisperedFlintandSteel’s storyuntil helongthoughtthathis new mate had fallen deeply asleep. He poked his head up and gazed at Rox and Apollo, their foreheads nearly touching. He noticed how Rox’s hand covered Apollo’s and how all the tension in hisboyseemedgone.
He relaxeddownontothe pillow,his thoughts slidingtohow he mightnavigate the nextfew days. Days, not weeks or months. One hour at a time because there was trauma and Rox would have triggers. Locked doors. Hard floors. Wantingto be touched, but not held tightly. Ahost of mines ina fieldamilewidetonavigatethrough.
AspenhadtothinkaboutApollo,too.Sure,his boycouldbestoicandinchargewhenneeded,but home,onsafegroundintheir ForestEdgecommunity,Apollolikedtosettleintohislittleheadspace.
Apollo had been unsure about having a Daddy take care of him at the beginning of their relationship. Aspenlongknew thathis boyhad just“gone throughthe motions” for his sake, butover the last two years, he’d loved watching Apollo relax into his loving embrace. His little hawk’s fluidity of going fromfocused adult to petulant teen to energetic boy and anywhere in between kept Aspenonhistoes.
Rox showed signs of dominance earlier that night, but that didn’t mean anything yet. Not coming outofasituationhe’dhadnocontrol over for thepasthalf-year.Aspenwouldkeepaneyeonhim.He chuckled under his breath. Two eyes, two hands, and maybe a hard cockwhenever and wherever he could. He breathed deeply, slowing his breaths and heart rate, turning his centering thoughts to that coalescinghappyimageryofthreematesstupidlyinloveandlust.
“Daddy.”
Apollo’s whining whisper dragged Aspen fromthe sleep he hadn’t realized he’d fallen into. He rubbedhisfaceandswallowedtogetsomemoistureinhisparchedthroat.“Righthere,baby.”
“Igottapee,Daddy.”
“Sogo.”
“Can’t.I’mtrapped.”
So dramatic, his boy. Aspen sighed and sat up to see what the problemwas, quickly stifling his mirth at the tangle his mates were in. For not wanting to be held too tightly, Rox had a firm grip aroundApollo’swaistandalegover histhighs.
“DoeshethinkI’mateddybear?”Apollogrumbled,wigglingtofreehimself.
Aspen choked on the bubble of threatening laughter, glad Apollo was facing away fromhimand couldn’tseethebroadsmileheworeathisboy’spredicament.“Holdonasec.”
Carefully, Aspenlifted Rox’s legfirst, havingto make a tent with his ownleg to keep Roxfrom resuming his position. Disentangling Rox’s arm would be harder. Softly, he started caressing Rox’s shoulder, working his fingers down his mate’s arm until he could catch Rox’s wrist and lift it up, allowingApollotoslideoutofbed.
While Apollo used the bathroom, Aspen tucked Rox’s hand in while sliding his other armunder the pillow.He cradledhis mate tohis chest,warmingchilledskinandsilentlycluckingover how thin Rox was. He hadn’t been kidding when he mentioned fattening Rox up. Their mate needed lots and lots of calories to regainall the weight he’d lost duringhis captivity. Ina monthor two, Rox’s body
Chapter6
would fill out, muscles and sinew strengthening into sleek lines. The dark shadows under his eyes would lighten; his shaggy and unkempt dirty blond hair would become shiny and full. With just the rightcut,AspencouldpictureRoxwithalion’slovelygoldenmane.
If he had any regrets, it was that both his mates could take to the sky while he remained landbound.Well…he’djusthavetolayonhisbackinanopensunnyfieldandwatchtheir spiralingantics high above him. Rox had a protective streak as evidenced by his interactions with Rory, so Aspen wouldn’t even have to worry about other shifters or larger natural hawks and eagles, who were unaware of who theywere dealingwith. Not that he had reasonto worrywhere his agile hawkmate was concerned. Damn, he’d seen Apollo rise into the sky when attacked, only to shift to his human form, fall ina controlled dive, and thenshiftbackto his avianform. Seriouslyscared the bejesus out of himthe first time he saw it, but he quickly learned to trust that Apollo knew what he was doing. Apolloonlyshiftedwhenhewasclear-headed,never shiftingifhewas“little.”Aspenassumedithad to do with the fact that hawk shifters were late shifters; they didn’t shift for the first time until well intotheir teens.
Rox’s quicklywarmingbodyreturned Aspento a drowsystate. Once Apollo was backinbed, he fell asleep, awakeningto a steadyknockingonthe door. Sunlightstreamed inaround the edges ofthe curtain, lighting the room considerably. He blinked until his eyes didn’t feel so dry, then detached himself from Rox’s embrace. His griffin had gotten cuddly at some point during the night. Aspen grinnedathow ApollowasplasteredtoRox’sback.
The knocking started again and he mumbled, “I’m up. Give me a sec,” knowing whoever was outsidewouldhear him.
He hurried to the bathroom, emptied his bladder, and washed his hands, thinkingitwas probably Roryoutside, but it could just as well be either of the skulkAlphas or Charles and his boys wanting to say goodbye. He grabbed the keycard, ensured Rox and Apollo slept on, then quietly inched the door openand slipped outside. Alpha Payton, the head alpha ofthe three communities makingup the skulk and the fox shifter he and Apollo were tasked with protecting leaned against the railing as he stared downinto the parkinglot. Alpha Eli stood next to him, concernwrittenacross his features ashetookinAspen’sdisheveledappearance.
Before Eli could speak, Aspen pointed for them to move away from the door. “They’re still sleeping.”Nodding,bothfoxshiftersheadedtowardsthestairs,stoppingatthelanding.
“It’s nearing check-out, so I thought I should let you know we were leaving,” Payton said. “I didn’twantyoutoworryaboutme.”
“We’re stayingas longas youare,” Rorysaid, comingup behind Aspen, holdingGregor’s hand. “Iwanttotalktomybrother todayandthenGregor andIwill decidewhatwe’redoing.”
“You’rewelcomeinWoodcrestanytime.”
“Thankyou.”
Eli stretched out a hand. “Youlet us know, and we’ll have rooms readyfor you, or maybe you’ll wanttostaywithyour brother andhismates?”
Rory and Gregor shook hands with Eli and Payton. With another round of thank yous murmured and goodbyes given, the skulk alphas took their leave. The three remaining watched as they spoke with Charles, Steel, and Flint, who waved before piling into Charles’vehicle. With one last sloppy salute,Eli andPaytonalsodeparted.
“RoxandApolloarestill sleeping,”AspeninformedRory.
“Letthem. Gregor and Iaren’tgoinganywhere until we talkto Rox, and thenwe’ll decide where wegofromhere.”
