Zeus's Pack 5

Hunter

Hunter owns a hardware store in Pride Pack Valley. He is thrilled

when he learns that Alpha Zeus is rebuilding and wants to use his

store for most of the supplies. Little does he know that one of the

workers is his mate.

Quinn works at the construction site, watching as the foreman

finds love and wishing he could be so lucky to find a love of his

own.

Tristan is running for his life. His ex, Xavier, is out to get him

back, but Tristan would die before falling back into Xavier’s hands.

When Tristan finds himself in the hands of two very handsome and

dominant males, old habits die hard. His submissive ways and

knack for dressing to his own taste leaves a bad taste in a few

townsfolk’s mouth. When Xavier finds him, Tristan must choose

the men he loves or his master.

Note: Each book in Lynn Hagen's Zeus's Pack collection features a

different romantic trio. Each title stands alone and can be read in

any order. However, we recommend reading the series in

sequential order.

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Ménage a Trois/Quatre,
Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 36,788 words

HUNTER

Zeus’s Pack 5

Lynn Hagen

MENAGE EVERLASTING

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED:
Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to
only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on
your own personal computer or device. You do not have
resell or distribution rights without the prior written
permission of both the publisher and the copyright
owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any
format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer
to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer
program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest.
Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright
Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online,
offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently
known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not
want this book anymore, you must delete it from your
computer.

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution
of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright
infringement, including infringement without monetary
gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5
years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared
illegally, please let us know at
legal@sirenbookstrand.com

A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting ManLove

HUNTER
Copyright © 2011 by Lynn Hagen
E-book ISBN: 1-61034-635-1

First E-book Publication: September 2011

Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without
express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of Hunter by Lynn Hagen from
BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank
you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or
group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing
rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this
book.

The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying
readers high-quality reading entertainment.

This is Lynn Hagen’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect
Ms. Hagen’s right to earn a living from her work.

Amanda Hilton, Publisher

www.SirenPublishing.com

www.BookStrand.com

HUNTER

Zeus’s Pack 5

LYNN HAGEN

Chapter One

“I can get that for you, sir.” Tristan ran ahead of Quinn and

opened the bedroom door for him. Quinn watched Tristan’s hand
tremble as he turned the knob, his eyes quickly lowering.

“You don’t have to get it for me, and for the hundredth time,

please stop calling me sir.” Quinn was becoming extremely frustrated.
Not at Tristan, but at the situation. Tristan was a kind and sweet man,
but his subservient behavior was driving Quinn nuts. The man had
been here for two weeks now, and he still couldn’t get him to break
the sir habit.

“It’s okay, I’m used to it.” Tristan stepped aside and pulled the

door open for Quinn to walk through. His right foot scratched the
back of his left leg as he stared at the floor.

“I’m going from the bedroom to the kitchen. That’s all. I’m not

royalty, so please stop,” Quinn said softly as Tristan shifted from foot
to foot. “What do you like to do?”

Tristan’s eyes grew wide and his lips parted. He began to sputter.

“I–I don’t know. No one has ever asked me that before.”

“Give it some thought, and let me know. A hobby would help

you.” Hopefully. Quinn had tried everything he could think of to coax

Lynn Hagen

Tristan out of his shell. The man had been abused. He knew that much
from the scars that littered the thin man’s back.

He had to convince Tristan to put some clothes on because the

guy had walked around naked constantly, refusing to cover himself
up. He said he wasn’t allowed clothes and wasn’t going to break the
rules.

Just what in the hell had he been through?
“I like to draw, sir.” He spoke in a weak and tremulous whisper.

Quinn almost had to ask him to repeat himself.

“Drawing is good. Why don’t I take you to buy some clothes, and

then we can get some art supplies for you?” Quinn had also been
fighting a losing battle, Tristan refusing to allow Quinn to buy him
clothes. Maybe the art thing would be an incentive.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy

when skies are grey. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you.
Please don’t take my sunshine away.” Tristan sang off-key with his
voice breaking on every other note.

Quinn quirked a brow as he ran his hand over his chin. What the

hell? “That was, uh, nice.” When Tristan began to sing it again, Quinn
held his hands up. His ears could only take so much. “Why don’t you
find some shoes to wear while I use the bathroom? I should have
something you may be able to fit.”

Tristan nodded, never raising his head. Good. Quinn finally won

one battle. Tristan was going to allow him to buy clothing so he could
stop walking around naked or in Quinn’s oversized outfits. Not that
the view wasn’t pleasant. Hell, it was more than pleasant, but Quinn
wasn’t going to take advantage of the guy.

They were going to continue to work on the submissive manner,

along with the sir thing.

When Quinn came back into the room, Tristan had on a pair of his

sandals. They were at least two sizes too big, and he had purple socks
on, too. “I don’t think people wear socks with sandals.” And that is
my favorite pair of socks.

Hunter

“But I like it, sir.” Tristan twisted his feet back and forth, staring

at his socked feet with scrutiny. “What’s wrong with them?”

This was the first thing the man had admitted to liking since being

here. Quinn wasn’t going to rain on his parade. “It looks fine. Come
on, jellybean, let’s go get you some clothes.”

“What do I have to do to repay you, sir?” Tristan took a step back.

The anxious look on the man’s face told Quinn to tread carefully. He
definitely had his work cut out for him. A tense silence filled the
room as Quinn thought of how to proceed.

“How about you relax and be yourself?”
Tristan glanced up this time, a look of uncertainty and mistrust in

his eyes. Quinn wished he could erase that look. “Is that all, sir?”

“You can stop calling me sir.” Quinn suggested.
“I’ll try, si—okay.”
“Come on, jellybean.” Quinn walked out of the bedroom, Tristan

following close behind. There was a clothing store across from Theo’s
Bar and Grill, and Quinn planned on making sure Tristan acquired
everything he would need to make his stay more comfortable.

Tristan hesitated at the front door. “Is it safe, sir?” he asked

nervously.

“It’s very safe, jellybean. No one is going to hurt you on my

watch.” Quinn checked outside nonetheless. “Come on.”

Tristan poked his head out, his eyes scanning the front yard and

street, and then he stuck his sandaled toe out onto the porch. He ran to
the car, nearly tripping as the large sandals flapped loudly on the brick
walkway. Once he was inside the car, he slammed the door, engaged
the lock, and buckled his seatbelt, scanning the area the whole time.

The man’s nervous jitters were making Quinn jumpy. “Who’s

after you, Tristan?” He started the car and waited for a reply.

“A very bad man, sir.” Tristan’s lips curled in as he fidgeted

around, brushing a stray lock of red hair from his eyes. Quinn left the
subject alone for now. He had a feeling Tristan wasn’t going to be
forthcoming if he pressed the issue.

Lynn Hagen

“Let’s go get you some clothes.” He grinned at Tristan, hoping to

make the man feel more at ease. It worked. Tristan’s body visibly
relaxed.

Quinn pulled the car from the driveway and headed into town. He

needed to call his boss soon. Dino was nice enough to give him time
off to take care of the man sitting next to him, but he knew the
foreman was anxious to get him back to work.

Quinn parked in front of Lassiter’s clothing store. It wasn’t as

large as the ones he was used to shopping in, but it would have to do.

“Come on, jellybean.”
Tristan got out and closed the car door. His eyes darted around,

and his fingers clung desperately to the large shirt Quinn had given
him to wear. He twisted it around in his fingers as he looked at Quinn
with a lost and pleading look. Unsure what that look was about,
Quinn scanned the area.

“Follow me.” He held his hand out once he joined Tristan at his

side, but the man shied away. Awkwardly, he cleared his throat.
“We’re going in there.” Quinn pointed to the shop at the end of the
strip.

Tristan nodded and stepped up onto the sidewalk, tripping when

one of the sandals caught on the lip of the curb. Quinn grabbed him in
time and helped steady him. “I guess I didn’t see that.” Tristan
blushed and then hurriedly walked to the shop door. He held it open
for Quinn, his eyes once again downcast.

Quinn growled. The little redhead was going to drive him nuts.

“Go on in, Tristan.” He reached up and grabbed the top part of the
door, holding it open for the man. Tristan stared up at him, his fair
skin magnified by those brilliant green eyes of his.

Tristan took a tentative step in and then waited on him.
“Let’s see what this store has.” Quinn walked around, Tristan

following obediently behind him. “You have to pick something out.
What do you want to wear?”

Hunter

“Anything you choose for me, sir.” Quinn could see the shorter

man’s eyes roaming around. He was looking overwhelmed and
excited all at once. There had to be a way to get Tristan to shop for
himself without Quinn picking out every stitch of clothing. There was
a restless energy about Tristan’s movements as he reached out and
fingered one of the shirts hanging on the rack, but quickly pulled it
away when he saw Quinn watching him.

He decided to turn this into a game. “What’s your favorite candy,

jellybean?”

Tristan’s eyes grew wide and then a slight smile pulled at his lips.

“I tasted Skittles once, sir. I have to say, they were delicious.”

“I tell you what. For every piece of clothing you pick, I’ll buy you

a pack. Sound good?” Let’s see how big the man’s sweet tooth is.

“I’m not sure where to start.”
Quinn splayed his hands wide. “Anywhere in the store. But if

that’s too much to handle, then why don’t you start with shirts, and
then you can match pants with them.”

Tristan’s hand touched the shirt on the rack once more. “I can pick

this one?”

“Anything you want. I’m going to go talk with the sales clerk, so

start shopping.” Quinn walked over to the counter but kept an eye on
the redhead.

“Can I help you gentlemen with something?” the man asked as

Quinn leaned against the counter.

“I’m just waiting on my friend to shop. Name’s Quinn.” Holding

his hand out, he introduced himself.

“Lassiter.” The man shook it. “He seems a little lost. Should I help

him?”

Quinn watched as Tristan grabbed a loud lime green shirt and

tried to match it with a pair of light blue shorts. “Nah, let him pick
what he likes.” He chuckled. “As far as I know, it’s his first shopping
trip.”

Lynn Hagen

“This should be interesting,” Lassiter stated when Tristan pulled a

few hats from a shelf and tried them on. The one in hand was a large
straw hat with small fake flowers attached to the brim. Didn’t Tristan
know it was a woman’s hat? Quinn wanted to say something but
didn’t want to interfere. The guy was shopping for himself and
choosing his own clothes. Quinn was sure it was a monumental feat in
the guy’s life. Why burst his bubble?

He walked over to Tristan, seeing the pile of clothing growing in

his arms. “You want me to take some of those to the counter?” His
jellybean’s arms were loaded with the most outrageous shirts, ranging
from the lime green one to something that resembled a crayon box
throwing up on it. Tristan must be colorblind.

“Am I allowed to pick a hat, sir?”
“Whatever you want, jellybean. You can pick four or five if you’d

like.” Being single with no dependents, Quinn had managed to build a
nice savings. This shopping spree wouldn’t even put a dent in it.

He watched Tristan try on one hat after another, smiling when he

went back to the straw one. “I like this one.” He placed it on his pile
of clothes and then reached for a red fedora with a white side feather,
a very long and wide side feather. Quinn held back the laugh as
Tristan tried it on. It looked good on him, complementing his pale
complexion and big green eyes.

They finally made it to the counter, Quinn dropping the pile of

clothes for Lassiter to ring up. From the amount of clothes Tristan
picked out, they would be going to the dentist soon.

“Why don’t you pick out an outfit, give me the tags, and go put it

on.” He was tired of looking at the large shorts hanging from Tristan’s
slim body with a belt cinched tightly around his waist to hold them
up.

“The dressing room is right over there.” Lassiter pointed to a

small room in the back of the store. Tristan looked hesitant, his
fingers strangling the lower half of his shirt again.

Hunter

“Come on, jellybean, I’ll stand guard outside the door.” Tristan’s

coiled body relaxed as he grabbed a few items and hurried to catch up
with Quinn. “No one is going to get in while you change.”

The wiry man slipped through the door, and Quinn could hear the

lock engage. A few moments later, he emerged and handed him the
tags.

“I like this, sir.” Tristan gave Quinn his first grin, and it was

stunning. His whole face lit up, and those emerald green eyes sparkled
like the stars in the sky at night.

But the outfit?
Tristan wore the lime green shirt he had first admired upon

entering the store. He matched it with a pair of orange golf shorts that
came to his bony knees. If that wasn’t bad enough, he still wore the
purple socks, but had a new pair of flip-flops on…and they were
brown.

And the cherry on the cake?
He had the red fedora hat on with the white feather sticking out.

He looked like the bag of Skittles had exploded on him. And Tristan
couldn’t have looked more pleased with his choice of style.

He heard Lassiter choking from across the store. Quinn knew the

man was fighting a laugh. His head turned as he gave a low growl,
narrowing his eyes on the clerk. Lassiter turned and gave a pretense of
stocking the shelf behind the counter.

Quinn gave his attention back to Tristan. “Looks good, jellybean.”

Oddly enough to Quinn, it did. He still couldn’t figure out the pull
Tristan had on him. From the moment he saw him standing in Dino’s
bedroom, Quinn had an overwhelming need to protect the guy.

“So how many bags of candy do I get, sir?”
Quinn chuckled. “Let’s go count your clothes and see.”
Tristan peacocked through the store and ended at the counter,

looking pleased as punch with himself. As Lassiter rang the clothes
up and put them in a bag, Tristan counted. “That’s twenty-four, sir.”

Lynn Hagen

Lassiter’s brows rose, but Quinn ignored him. “There’s a grocery

store a few doors down. We can stop there and buy them.”

“Your total is six hundred and ninety-two dollars and thirty-six

cents.”

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy…”
Quinn grabbed Tristan and pulled him into his arms. The man

stiffened, but Quinn held on, rubbing his hands up and down Tristan’s
back. The only thing he could think of was that the man sang when he
was nervous. “That’s not a lot to me, jellybean. I would have spent
more. Never worry about the cost.”

The slim redhead pulled from his embrace and nodded. At least

the singing had stopped. Tristan grabbed the bags and struggled to the
door as Quinn paid for the lot. “Come back any time.” Lassiter smiled
warmly at Tristan as the slim man dropped bag after bag. As soon as
he picked one up, another slipped from his fingers.

“Thanks. I think I need to go help him. You have a nice day.”

Quinn grabbed the receipt and jogged over to the door to help Tristan.

“Let me have a few of those.” He squatted and picked up the ones

lying haphazardly on the floor, and then grabbed a couple that were
clutched in the thin grip of Tristan’s hands. “We’ll put these in the
trunk and then head over to the grocery store.”

“Okay, sir.” Tristan nudged the door open and held it for Quinn.

His hat became askew as he fought to hold onto his purchases and
keep the door open at the same time. He was an adorable mess.

“Go on to the car. I can get the door.”
Tristan plodded along to the car and waited at the rear of it as

Quinn pulled his keys out and opened the trunk. He was already
getting strange looks, but the guy didn’t seem to notice.

“Okay, off to the grocers we go.” Quinn led the way with Tristan

beside him. He had to hold in a laugh at the way his little friend
looked. The guy had no idea the attention he was drawing, and Quinn
wasn’t going to clue him in on it either. It would only make him feel
awkward, and he wasn’t going to have that.

Hunter

“Do I still get to have my Skittles, sir?” Tristan’s eyes were once

again darting around, looking for a threat Quinn was clueless about.

“That was the deal.” He made sure he walked ahead so he could

grab the door this time, allowing Tristan to walk in ahead of him.

“I understand if you don’t want to get them. Deals sometimes

have to be broken.”

“Not when I make one.” Just who in the hell had broken this poor

man? “You grab a cart while I see what we need.”

Tristan struggled to get the cart from the row. It appeared to be

hooked onto the last one. Quinn took mercy on him and unhinged the
two carts, freeing it for his jellybean to push.

Tristan began to slowly move from side to side as the music

played overhead. “You like that song?”

Tristan grinned and nodded. The feather almost looked as though

it were taking flight as it flapped up and down. “It has a nice beat to
it.” Tristan’s hips snapped from side to side as his finger pointed to
the ceiling and waggled from side to side.

Wow, Tristan didn’t say sir. Maybe music was the answer?
Quinn, never caring what anyone thought of him, began to dance

down the aisle with Tristan. “It does, doesn’t it?” He laughed as
Tristan’s lips soured, and he began to snap his hips from side to side.
Quinn moonwalked back to the guy. “We should shop while we
dance.” He did a pirouette and grabbed a few boxes of cereal, tossing
them into the cart.

“Watch, watch.” Tristan said excitedly as he ran to a shelf and

grabbed a few cans of soup, tossing them in as he danced around the
cart. Quinn was having a great time and enjoyed seeing Tristan so at
ease. He no longer resembled a broken puppy, but a man who was
flourishing.

“I can top that.” Quinn grabbed boxes of Wheat Thins and made a

jump shot, cupping his mouth as he cheered like a crowd was rooting
for him.

“Try it again.” Tristan laughed.

Lynn Hagen

Quinn grabbed another box and jumped, Tristan running forward

and batting it into the cart, making a one in a million shot.

“I did it, I did it.” Tristan jumped up and down excitedly.
He absolutely loved Tristan like this.
“Hey, look.” Quinn pointed to a rack of arts and crafts. “Get

whatever supplies you need to draw with.” It wasn’t much coming
from a grocery store, but it would have to do until Quinn could go
online and order the more professional items. Maybe he could even
get Tristan’s input on what he wanted.

Tristan picked the sketchpad up with the least amount of pages in

it. Quinn picked up the one with the most. “That way we won’t have
to run back here when you need more.”

“I won’t use all my paper up.” Tristan clutched the pad to his

chest and turned away, as if it were the lost treasure of Atlantis in his
arms.

“I would still rather you take this one.” Quinn tugged a little and

Tristan released it, grabbing onto the one Quinn handed him. Just how
much does he like drawing?

“Get the supplies, too,” Quinn said as he pointed to the selection

of colored pencils and erasers.

“He looks like a colorblind pimp.” Two men came walking down

the aisle, one pointing at Tristan as he laughed. “How much do you
get for that boy next to you?”

Boy? Quinn was no fucking boy, but a full-grown man and was

about to show these two shitheads what this man could do. “I’d leave
him alone if I were you.” Quinn took a protective step in front of
Tristan, ready to add both of them to the produce selection if they
didn’t back off.

The loudmouth’s lip pulled back in a snarl as he looked Quinn up

and down in distaste. “I’m getting tired of seeing fags in this town.
Why don’t you and Sir Pimp-A-Lot get the hell out of this nice god-
fearing town while you still can?”

Hunter

Quinn’s brows shot to his hairline as Tristan dropped to the floor

and onto his knees, his head lowering as his hands rested on his
thighs.

Oh shit, just what they didn’t need right now.
The two cowboys laughed maliciously, one taking a step toward

the downed man. Quinn growled and got into the cowboy’s face. “Get
the fuck away from him!”

“Is there a problem?”
Quinn didn’t look behind him to see who was asking. He couldn’t

afford to. This Billy Bob would have a split-second advantage if he
did.

“Taking up for the queers again, Sheriff?” The man took a step

back from Quinn, his snarled lip pulling up tighter as they locked
eyes.

“I warned you what would happen if you kept that hate crap up,

Clancy. Get the hell out of here.”

Quinn took a chance and looked back. Sure enough, a man in a

cop’s uniform was coming down the aisle behind them. He reached
down, keeping his eyes on the two jackasses as he pulled Tristan up to
his feet. What really pissed Quinn off to no end was the fact that he
had finally had Tristan opening up and being himself, and then these
two had to ruin it.

A muscle clenched in Quinn’s jaw when he saw Tristan backed

against the shelf, his sketch pad clutched to his chest. His head turned
back to the two men. “I want you to apologize to him, now.” Quinn’s
voice was cold and unforgiving.

“I don’t say sorry to pansies.”
“That’s it, Clancy. If you don’t apologize to this young man, I’m

taking you in.” The sheriff stepped up next to Quinn, squaring his
shoulders.

“For what?” he asked in mocking disbelief.
“For being an asshole. Now do it.”

Lynn Hagen

“I’m sorry.” The man paled, looking past Quinn and the sheriff

with fear. Clancy and his buddy shot out of the aisle, leaving Quinn to
wonder what the hell had scared them.

“What’s going on?”
Quinn spun around, his arms blocking Tristan. Two large men

swaggered up to the sheriff. He knew one of them to be Torem, one of
the occupants of the new home the construction company Quinn
worked for was building. The other looked familiar, but he didn’t
know the guy’s name.

“What’s going on, Quinn?”
He took a step to the side, feeling the need to block Tristan from

their view. Quinn wasn’t quite sure why. “Nothing. I had a little
trouble, but that’s been taken care of.”

Torem tilted his head to the side, peering past Quinn. “You know

you can call me if you ever need any help.” Torem’s brow rose, but
he didn’t say a word. He straightened and smiled at Quinn.

“Thanks, but I got this.” Quinn gave a short nod to the sheriff.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime.”
“Am I in trouble, sir?” Tristan asked as he hurried next to the cart

Quinn was pushing.

“No, jellybean, there are just assholes in the world, and you met

two of them.” Quinn pushed the cart to the checkout and began to
unload his items. At the last second he remembered Tristan’s treats.
He looked over the candy shelf next to the counter and spotted what
he was looking for.

The cashier stared at Quinn when the whole vendor’s box

containing the Skittles bags rode down the conveyor belt and stopped
in front of her. “Someone’s got a sweet tooth.”

“That would be me.” Tristan raised his hand.
The cashier and Tristan chuckled. “I like your hat.” She smiled.

Hunter

“Thank you. Quinn bought it for me.” Tristan ran his index finger

and thumb around the brim, showing off his red fedora, with the long
and large feather protruding from the side.

“It sets off your eyes,” she complimented him.
Tristan turned, pleased as punch with a big smile on his face. “She

likes my hat, sir,” he said softly, so low that only Quinn could hear
him.

“You have very good taste, jellybean.” Quinn winked at him with

a smile.

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Two

Tristan stored the last of his clothes in the few drawers Quinn had

allotted him. He looked across the room where Quinn was trying to
make him an art table. The sound of the cordless drill was a little
unnerving. “Sir?”

Quinn glanced up at him, the drill coming to a stop. “What’s up,

jellybean?”

He liked that nickname. No one had ever given him one before.

“Why were those men making fun of me?” Tristan flopped down on
the bed and removed his hat. He had loved it the moment he laid eyes
on it. The feather reminded him of the ones they used as pens a long
time ago.

Quinn stood and exhaled a deep breath. “Because they have

nothing better to do.” He set the cordless drill down and eyed Tristan.
“Don’t ever let someone get under your skin. No one’s opinion should
bother you. It’s what you think about yourself that counts. Remember
that.”

The realization dawned on Tristan that the men were making fun

of him. But why? Quinn grabbed one of the legs he was assembling,
and Tristan stared at the muscles rippling under Quinn’s white T-shirt.
He was devilishly handsome. “Was it because of my feather, sir?”
What else could it have been?

Quinn crossed the room and knelt down by the bed in front of

Tristan. “Now listen, Tristan. It doesn’t matter why. All you need to
do is concentrate on being yourself. Everything else will fall into
place. Ignore men who want to belittle you. Their hatred is their
problem, not yours. The only person who can bring you down is you.”

Hunter

He lightly pressed his index finger into Tristan’s sternum and then
stood, his hand falling away.

Tristan noticed how Quinn didn’t really answer his question. He

was enchanted with his clothes. They were a variety of different
colors, and some were even made of silk. The hat was to die for, and
Tristan loved wearing it. What was there not to like about what he
picked out? Why would someone make fun of such beautiful
clothing?

Tristan grabbed his hat and set it on the dresser, his fingers

lingering on the soft fabric. “I’ll try not to let them bother me, sir,” he
said, more to the hat than to Quinn. Tristan’s life wasn’t an easy one,
but he always tried to look on the bright side of things. There wasn’t a
bright side to someone ridiculing his clothes. “May I have my Skittles
now, sir?” he asked as he turned around to face Quinn.

“They’re in the kitchen. Look in the pantry.” Quinn went back to

building the art table, so Tristan let him be.

All of this was pretty bizarre. He knew Quinn didn’t like when

Tristan called him sir, but it was a habit now. One he desperately
wanted to break, but the word fell from his mouth so naturally. Xavier
had screwed his head up pretty bad, but Tristan wasn’t going to give
up. He deserved a normal life after being treated like shit from his ex
master.

Boy, was that title a joke. The man wouldn’t know what a master

was if he was hit over the head with three paddling tables. And the
wedgie in the panties was that Tristan didn’t even want to be a sub.
That was all Xavier’s doing.

Bastard. Maybe this time he could stay hidden. The psycho had

found him the last few times he managed to get away from Mr.
Bondage R Us.

Tristan searched the pantry for the box he saw Quinn buy, his

mouth already watering for a taste of one of those delicious candies.

“Well, what do we have here?” A husky voice from behind made

Tristan stiffen. “Looks like Quinn finally let his boy toy out to play.”

Lynn Hagen

Tristan whirled around, glaring at the man he saw move his things

out of the house yesterday.

“I’m no one’s boy toy.” He snapped at the guy as he glared at

him. He was furious that this man would assume such things about
him. Tristan had no clue where all his bravado was coming from, but
no one came near him when his mate was in the next room. No one
but his mate came near him period.

His head began to spin as the realization slammed into him. Quinn

was his mate! Was that why he wanted to please him and was terrified
of him all at the same time? The knowledge just surfaced without him
even thinking about it. Holy marshmallows!

“A twink with ’tude, I like it.” The larger man backed Tristan into

the pantry, using his larger frame to bully Tristan further back into the
small alcove.

“Stop.” Tristan pressed his hands into the man’s chest, his brain

frantically trying to figure a way out of this situation.

“Why? If Quinn can play with you, why can’t I?” His rough and

callused hands were all over Tristan’s body. His skin wanted to throw
up from the touch. It was unwelcome and, quite frankly, scary.

“No!” Tristan pushed with all his might, slipping under the guy’s

arm and running from the room. He slammed into Quinn’s chest and
fell to the floor, a yelp escaping his lips.

“What’s wrong, jellybean?” Quinn reached down and pulled

Tristan to his feet. He wasn’t sure what he should say. Weren’t Quinn
and the man in the pantry friends? Would Quinn believe him?

Tristan didn’t have to say a word. When the man in the pantry

came out, Quinn’s face twisted up in anger. “What the hell are you
doing here, Mickey?”

“I forgot a few things in my hasty departure from your house.”
“In the pantry?” Quinn looked from Tristan to Mickey and

growled, twisting the front of the man’s shirt in his fists. “What the
fuck did you do to Tristan?”

Hunter

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…” Tristan began to sing,

going to his happy place in his mind. It was the only way he had
learned to deal with high-stress situations, or even uncomfortable
ones. He’d been beaten for it many times by Xavier, but it was a habit
he’d had since childhood.

“He’s singing, so you must have done something.” Quinn

slammed Mickey’s back into the wall. His stance told Tristan that the
outcome wasn’t going to be pleasant. He began to repeat the song
when the two started fighting in the kitchen.

Mickey shoved Quinn back and tried to get a punch in, but Quinn

ducked and landed one square on Mickey’s jaw. “How fucking dare
you come in here and disrespect my company?” Quinn hit him again.

“Since when do you defend some guy you brought home to fuck,

Quinn? I thought we were friends.” Mickey spit on the kitchen floor.
It smacked onto the linoleum and was riddled with blood. Tristan took
a step back. That was just gross.

“I thought you were straight? What happened to banging chicks,

Mickey? Since when do you go after guys?”

Quinn advanced and used his elbow to crack Mickey’s nose.

Tristan was at a loss of what he should do. He sang louder as he
watched the two tussle. It was like a clash of the titans. The two
heavily muscled bodies slammed into counters and knocked the chairs
away from the table.

Quinn finally grabbed Mickey by the scruff of his collar and his

waistband and shoved him at the front door. “Get the fuck out, and
leave the damn key.”

Mickey reached into his pocket and pulled the door key out,

throwing it at Quinn. “It’s a sorry day when you pick a fuck boy over
your friend.” The guy slammed the door on his way out.

“You can stop singing now. He’s gone.” Quinn walked over and

looked Tristan over. “Are you hurt? Did he hurt you, jellybean?”

Tristan shook his head, embarrassed of his childhood habit. “No,

sir.”

Lynn Hagen

“Come on, I have your table ready for you.” Quinn waved for

Tristan to follow him, and he obediently ran behind his mate. Wow,
his mate. Who would have thought that when he ran from Xavier this
time that he would find his mate?

Tristan walked into the bedroom and came to a halt. In the corner

was a drawing table. There was a small lamp clipped to one end and
all his art supplies that Quinn had bought for him. Tristan walked over
to the stool, his fingers ghosting over the table, the sketchpad, and the
small cup that held his drawing utensils.

He wiped a stray tear. Swallowing a few times around the knot in

his throat, he turned and stared up at Quinn. “Thank you, sir.”

“Ah, shucks, it wasn’t nothing.” Quinn chucked Tristan on the

arm. “Just giving you something to call your own.”

If Quinn only knew how precious this was to him. The gesture

alone gave him a thousand brownie points. He slid onto the stool and
opened his sketchpad, his fingers trembling as he grabbed a pencil
and forgot the world existed.

“I’ll leave you to your drawing. Come find me if you need

something.”

Tristan nodded, barely registering Quinn’s words. His hands flew

over the paper, his mind opening up and taking over. His drawing
hand became a separate entity.

Tristan thought of his time with Xavier, the way his ex had been

nice at first, like most new relationships started. And then the real
Xavier surfaced, and Tristan had done everything in his power to get
away. But each time he escaped, the man had found him and
threatened his life if he didn’t come back. Tristan crossed his fingers
and prayed he had finally gotten away permanently.

Obsession was not a good thing, not by far. It amazed him how

some people latched onto something or someone and felt they had a
right to dictate their lives and how they should do things. This was
why he enjoyed being around Quinn. The man insisted he make his

Hunter

own choices, something he had forgotten how to do after only one
year of being with Mr. Obsessive.

After what felt like hours, his head started bobbing. Tristan had no

clue what music was floating into the bedroom. Quinn had to be
playing it…and he liked it.

His upper body started rocking back and forth to the beat as he

drew. Within a few minutes, Tristan was sliding off of the stool and
dancing to the rhythm. He danced backwards, did the John Travolta
disco moves as his feet tapped around with the music.

“I see you like it.” Quinn walked into the room and sidled next to

Tristan and began to dance. “It’s Eminem rapping.”

Tristan popped his shoulders as he twirled around. “I like it, sir.”

He laughed when Quinn bobbed his shoulders, his arms swaying back
and forth, and his lower body began to squat down and then rose back
up.

“Old school, baby.” Quinn did something funky with his arms,

like an ocean wave, and Tristan tried to repeat it. His arms seemed to
tangle as he tried to parrot the move.

“Watch, watch.” Tristan did a pirouette and then entwined his

fingers, doing the ocean waving thingy in front of his body.

“You’re getting it, jellybean.” Quinn laughed and danced in a

circle around Tristan. He ran and grabbed his hat, tossing it on his
head, and then ran back over to Quinn.

“Watch my feather dance, sir.” Tristan laughed as he bobbed his

head, the feather taking flight. Tristan cracked up as Quinn grabbed
his straw hat and joined him in head bobbing and dancing. He
couldn’t remember that last time he had this much fun.

They danced through a few songs, having a blast. Tristan ran out

of the room and slid down the hall, doing a Tom Cruise move, his
borrowed purple socks taking him to the end of the hallway. Quinn
did some sort of slide thing down the hall, finally making it to
Tristan’s side.

Lynn Hagen

They danced their way into the kitchen were Quinn grabbed some

bottled waters and tossed one to Tristan. He drank it halfway down,
wiping his brow free from sweat. “That was fun.” He panted as he
took a seat at the table.

“Just a typical day in Quinn Chevay’s house.” Quinn jumped up

onto the counter and took a seat. “I wanted to go to the jobsite and see
how things are going. You want to ride along, jellybean?”

“Yes, sir.” Tristan wanted to get out of the house. He just feared

Xavier tracking him down. The less time he spent in the public eye,
the better off he would be, but he couldn’t live like a hermit.

“Then let’s head out.” Quinn hopped down, finished his water,

and then tossed the bottle. Tristan kept his with him. Meeting new
people always made him nervous and then his throat would dry out.
The water would be handy. Maybe he should grab another one.
Tristan ran into the bedroom and grabbed his sketchpad and a pencil.
One never knew when they would need to draw.

“Ready?” Quinn called from the front door. He slid his feet into

the flip-flops and then ran to catch up to his mate.

“Ready.” Yippy! I remembered not to say sir.
Quinn must have caught it as well because he smiled widely at

Tristan. Oh man, was that a gorgeous smile or what?

Tristan clutched the pad to his chest and stepped through the door,

hurrying to the car as he scanned the neighborhood.

“If you tell me who we’re looking for, I could better protect you,”

Quinn probed. Tristan wasn’t ready to talk about it. If he brought it up
or talked about it, that would bring bad luck, and Xavier would show
up.

“I’m just very cautious, sir.” Dang it. Why did he get all jittery

when he thought of that man?

“Okay, jellybean. I’ll leave it alone for now, but I would really

like to know.” Quinn unlocked the car and they both slipped in.
Tristan placed the sketchpad in his lap and watched out of the window
as Quinn drove.

Hunter

His eyes grew round when Quinn pulled into a very large jobsite.

He could tell right away that it was a mansion and, from the looks of
it, well on its way to being completed. It was beautiful. Tristan didn’t
know the technical term for what was going on, but the interior walls
were being put up. There were tarps flapping in the slight wind as
many workers busied themselves around the house.

“Hey, Quinn. Good to see you.” A man came over and shook his

mate’s hand and then stared strangely at Tristan. He didn’t like that
look. It made him uncomfortable.

“This, Tristan, is Jake.” Quinn introduced him.
“Hi, Tristan.” Jake shook his hand. It made Tristan feel important

to be introduced to Quinn’s friends. Like he mattered.

“’Bout time you got your ass back here.”
Tristan took a step back and started humming his favorite song

instead of singing it. The man looked at Tristan and smiled warmly. “I
know you. How are you, Tristan?”

Tristan knew him, too. He was at the house when they all

discovered he wasn’t Torem.

“I’m fine, sir.” Tristan kicked at the dirt with his feet, unsure how

he should behave around Quinn’s friends. He knew that friendship
was important, so he needed to make a good impression.

“You want to walk around with me as I check the site out?” Quinn

asked Tristan.

“No, sir. May I sit here and draw?”
“Okay, but I’ll be keeping an eye on you, so relax. No one here

will let anything happen to you.”

Tristan felt like a total wimp when Quinn said that in front of the

other men. He felt special when they were alone, but now everyone
was looking at him funny. “Is he in some sort of trouble?” Dino
asked.

He ignored Dino’s question and took a seat away from the

workers. Tristan sat on the pine needle-covered ground and opened
his pad. Once again he became lost as he stared at the house and then

Lynn Hagen

drew what he thought it should look like. He wasn’t that great of an
artist, but it helped him relax.

Tristan hummed the song he and Quinn danced to, smiling at the

silly way Quinn acted with him. He was quickly becoming Tristan’s
best friend.

“Ready?”
Tristan blinked, looking up to see Quinn and Dino standing over

him. “But we just got here, sir.”

“Jellybean, we’ve been here for three hours.”
Tristan looked down at his sketchpad and saw he had drawn the

entire house with his added ideas. Where had the time gone? “Okay.”
Tristan stood and brushed his backside off, following behind Quinn as
his mate talked with Dino.

“I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Tristan’s heart began to race. If Quinn was coming into work

tomorrow, who would be with him at the house?

Okay, no need to panic. He was an adult. He could handle being

by himself. But what if Xavier found him? How would he get help?

The idea terrified him.
“You hungry?” Quinn asked Tristan as they got into the truck. Not

really, but if Quinn wanted to go...

“Yes, sir.” Tristan’s earlier good mood was gone now. He

couldn’t understand why he felt so depressed now. As if Quinn would
leave tomorrow and Tristan would never see him again.

“Good, then we can head over to Theo’s.” Quinn started up the

truck and pulled from the jobsite. Tristan snuck a peek at the
handsome man. He looked like a well-rounded, happy person. Could
Tristan bring all his baggage to Quinn’s doorstep? That wasn’t very
fair. All the man had done was be nice and helpful.

Maybe it would be best to leave before Xavier caused his mate

any trouble. Quinn had plenty of friends and a good life. He wasn’t
about to spoil that. Tristan felt as if there was a large hole in his chest

Hunter

where his heart should be. The thought of leaving Quinn was
agonizing, but it was for the best.

“Here we are, jellybean.” Quinn pulled into a spot in front of a

tavern, and it looked lively inside. Maybe he could have a little fun
before he left.

Tristan hugged his sketchpad as he got out and followed Quinn

inside. The music was loud, multiple televisions were playing, and he
could hear pool balls cracking somewhere in the back.

Laughter drifted all through the place, and a few loud cheers as

some people whooped at the sports game they were watching. The
smell of food wafted by him, and Tristan’s stomach growled. It
smelled delicious.

They took a seat right at the bar, Tristan laying his pad in his lap.

A ruggedly handsome gentleman walked over to them from behind
the bar. “What can I get for you, Quinn?” The man smiled at Tristan,
making him feel welcome. “I really like your hat.” He pointed with
his dishtowel. “It’s cool as hell.”

Tristan’s hand fluttered up, touching the brim. “Thank you, si—”

Tristan caught himself at the last second. He could see Quinn’s head
snap around to him, a frown on his face. Tristan lowered his eyes and
began to softly sing to himself. He didn’t want Quinn to look at him
disapprovingly.

“I’ll take a Michelob.” Quinn gave a gentle tug on Tristan’s shirt.

“What do you want, jellybean?”

“A water is fine, sir,” he responded quietly. Fear kept him from

looking up and seeing that look still on Quinn’s classically good
features.

“Are you sure? You can have whatever you want.”
Tristan nodded.
“I tell you what, I’m gonna order you something else. If you don’t

like it, you don’t have to drink it, okay?”

Tristan nodded again.

Lynn Hagen

“Give him one of those virgin margaritas.” Quinn tapped him on

his leg, gaining Tristan’s attention. “Or do you want alcohol in it?”

“No, what you ordered is fine, sir.” Tristan looked around the

tavern. It was very homey, comfortable feeling. He stiffened when he
recognized the men who found him wandering the dark and lonely
country road and brought him here to this town.

Crap. His purpose wasn’t to deceive them when they found him

and thought he was someone else, but it helped him get away from
Xavier. But now he felt guilty as hell.

One of the men got up and walked over, a wide smile cutting

across his face. “It’s good to see you feel better. Hi, I’m Sidney.”

Tristan shook his hand. “Hi, Tristan.”
The man laughed, his face lighting up. “I remember. Your hat is

pretty cool.”

“Thank you.” He knew he made a right choice when he picked it

out.

“Why don’t you come join us at our table? I ordered appetizers

and wings.” He wiggled his brows and laughed.

Tristan looked up at Quinn. The man had his ever-present smile

on his face. “Sounds good, we’ll be right over as soon as Theo’s slow
ass brings our drinks.” Tristan smiled when Theo grunted and
slammed Quinn’s beer down on the bar.

“Kiss my slow ass, fucker.”
“I love you, too.” Quinn laughed and grabbed his bottle, and

Tristan felt his claws trying to emerge. Joking or not, he didn’t like it.
He reached out and punched Quinn in his arm.

“What the hell was that for?” Quinn rubbed his arm.
“What was what for, sir?”
“You just punched me,” Quinn said in surprise.
“No I didn’t, sir.” Tristan slid off of his stool and walked over to

Sidney’s table, feeling like hitting Theo.

“They’re only joking,” Sidney whispered to Tristan. “Quinn

seems to have taken to you like a mama bear to a cub.”

Hunter

Great, just what he wanted to hear. “I don’t know what you’re

talking about, si—”

Damn it, he was going to break that habit if it killed him.
Sidney laughed and chucked him on his arm. “That’s right, deny it

all.” He winked and took a seat. “Everyone, this is Tristan.”

God, a public introduction. Tristan wasn’t good at those. He

barely did well one-on-one.

“Hey, Tristan. I’m Trevor, nice to meet you.” A tall, dark, and

handsome man reached over and shook his hand. “Welcome to
Crazyville. And believe me when I tell you Sidney put the ‘azy’ in
crazy.”

“Shut up.” Sidney turned back to Tristan. “Have a seat.”
Tristan took a seat in one of the empty chairs, watching Quinn

closely as he talked to Theo. Jealously was ripping through him like a
lightning storm. He could feel his hands strangling his sketchpad.

“I’m Sammy.” Another man introduced himself. “I actually work

here. But it’s my night off. Oh, I know, who works at a place and
hangs out there, too? Well, have you seen this town? There’s nowhere
else to hang at night.”

Tristan just nodded. The guy sure was a talker.
“I even have Knox working here now, too.” He laughed.
Tristan didn’t get it.
“I’m Knox, the man in question.” Another shook his hand.

Tristan’s head was spinning with all of these names. There was no
way he was going to remember them all.

“So, do you play bingo?” Sidney asked.
Bingo? “I’ve heard of the game.”
“Oh, then aren’t you in for a surprise. We meet on Wednesday

nights. I’ll come get you this Wednesday so you can go with us.”

Tristan once again nodded. He’d never met people this friendly.

He could smell shifter on two of them. One was human. And the
fourth? He’d never come across that scent before.

Lynn Hagen

“Oh, and this is Missy.” Sidney pointed to a barmaid approaching

their table. “We were going to tie her up and drain her when we first
met her. But since we found out she’s a lesbian and not after our
mates, she’s just one of us now.”

Tristan’s eye began to twitch.
“You look a little green.” Trevor leaned forward, a concerned

look on his face.

“That’s just his shirt.” Sammy laughed.
Tristan needed to get away. Not only were these people crazy,

once again someone was making fun of his clothes. He couldn’t
figure out what was so wrong with them, but being teased hurt his
feelings.

“Excuse me.” He made his way to the back of the tavern, looking

for a bathroom. Tristan ended up in a kitchen instead. He spotted a
screen door and shot toward it. The workers didn’t seem to pay him
any attention as he raced to get away.

Once outside in the back alley, he pulled in a lungful of fresh air.

Now would be a good time to make a break for it. Before he became
too attached to Quinn and before those people in there took him down
the rabbit hole with them.

Tristan clutched his sketchpad to his chest as he ran around the

brick wall and out onto the street.

Hunter

Chapter Three

Hunter turned the order form around. “Check it over, Dino, and

make sure that’s everything you need.”

The foreman glanced at the sheet, nodding his head as he read it.

“Looks like everything.” He handed it back to Hunter. “We’re
hanging out over at Theo’s. You should join us.”

It had been a long day. Maybe a night of being around friends

would do him some good. How long had it been since he got out? A
month, maybe two? “Sounds like a plan. I’ll be over there as soon as I
close up.”

“See you there.” Dino saluted with his fingers as he left Hunter’s

hardware store.

Hunter smiled. The foreman was one of the good guys. He

emptied his register and filled out his paperwork, slipping the money
pouch in the safe. Hunter shut the store down, walking the one block
over to Theo’s.

He immediately spotted one of his friends sitting over in one of

the booths when he walked in.

Sully, one of Alpha Zeus’s soldiers, was his good buddy. He

clapped him on the back as he took a seat. “I know whatever you’re
talking about is all lies.” He chuckled, giving his order to the barmaid.

“That’s only because you know me so well.” Sully laughed.

“Where the hell have you been hiding out?”

“With all the construction going on, I’ve been chained behind that

damn counter at the hardware store.”

“Hunter, this is Sidney, Trevor, Sammy, and Knox.”

Lynn Hagen

Hunter nodded and reached across the table, shaking their hands.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Hunter here runs Hunter Hardware if you haven’t made the

connection.” Sully smirked as he took a drink of his beer.

Hunter eyed Knox. The shifters who lived in town had been there

when Jackson ruled over them. It was dark days back then, the Alpha
demanding thirty percent of their earnings, claiming it was for the
pack.

They all celebrated when Zeus took over. The heavy tax was lifted

and everyone could make a decent living now. Though the soldiers
never socialized before, it was getting better now that Zeus was in
charge.

It was a long process, but Hunter was getting to know some of

them. Sully had pretty much thrown his friendship on Hunter. The
guy was full of piss and vinegar and was fun to be around.

“So if you haven’t gotten out from behind that counter does that

mean someone has been under there taking care of business for you?”
Sully laughed when Hunter threw his beer cap at him.

“That would be none of your business. Go get laid and leave my

sex life alone.” As nonexistent as it is.

Business was booming since Alpha Zeus had decided to rebuild,

and most nights Hunter was too tired to even use his hand. But Sully
didn’t need to know that.

“Here comes the biggest troublemaker of them all.”
Dino came sauntering over. “All lies.” He chuckled and took a

seat. “Glad you made it, Hunter.”

Hunter held his bottle up and then took a drink, feeling the

friendship all around him in the tavern.

“Jaxxon and Ian are supposed to be joining us,” Knox said as he

leaned over and whispered something into Sammy’s ear, who was
sitting on Trevor’s lap. Whatever it was, the guy turned so red, Hunter
thought he was going to have to turn a hose on him to put the fire out.

Hunter

He knew Jaxxon and Ian were soldiers. Hunter knew all their

names, he just didn’t know them.

“Where’d Tristan go?”
Hunter turned to look over his shoulder, and his brain took a

dump. He couldn’t think of one word to say as his mate stood there
staring at the crowd around the table.

“He excused himself. I think he went to the bathroom.” Trevor

pointed in the direction toward the back of the tavern.

“But that’s the kitchen.” Sammy looked puzzled as he stared at

Hunter’s mate.

“Why would he do that? Did someone say something to him?” the

man asked. He had a sun-kissed heavenly face with sensuous eyes.
But his jaw was set, clenching as it held back his anger. What was
going on? Did his mate have another?

“No.” Sammy shook his head. “Trevor said he looked a little

green, and I said something about his face matching his shirt.”
Sammy looked contrite. “I wasn’t making fun of him, I swear.” The
man seemed near tears, and Hunter was even more intrigued as to
what was going on.

His mate cursed and headed to the back of the tavern. “Pardon

me.” Hunter jumped from his seat and ran after the guy.

“Is there a problem I can help you with?” he asked as he caught

up to his sexy mate.

“Who the hell are you?” The man walked through kitchen and

looked around. “Has anyone seen a guy about five foot five, red hair,
big red hat on his head with a feather sticking out of it?” he asked the
personnel working in the kitchen.

Was he serious? Big red hat…feather?
“He went out the screen door.” One of the men answered.
His mate shot out of the door. “I’m Hunter. I own the hardware

store.”

That got his attention. “The one Dino deals with?”

Lynn Hagen

“That’s me.” Hunter rounded the brick wall, wondering who they

were looking for. “What’s your name?”

“Quinn.” He stopped and threw his hands up in the air. “Fuck.”
In a heartbeat I would. “Who are you looking for? Maybe I can

help.” Hunter laid his hand on Quinn’s forearm to stop him. The
muscles underneath flexed as Quinn ran his hand down his face,
frustration written all over it. His cock hardened with that one small
act. Man, it had been too long since he last got laid if something as
small as flexing biceps turned him on.

“Tristan is my friend, and he’s running from trouble. I need to

find him before something happens to him.” Quinn’s eyes scanned the
street as he spoke.

Friend. Okay, he felt one-hundred-percent better. “How about we

drive around and look for him? From your description, he shouldn’t
be too hard to find.”

Quinn shot a glare at him. “Don’t make fun of him. He’s a really

sweet man who caught a tough break in life.”

His mate was compassionate, too. Hunter liked that. “I wasn’t

making fun of him. I was just stating that not too many people walk
around with red hats and feathers. It shouldn’t be too hard to find
him.”

Quinn began to walk again, heading around the corner and

walking over to a nice Camaro. “He shouldn’t have gotten far.” Quinn
nodded to the passenger side, and Hunter immediately walked around
and got in.

Once inside the enclosed interior, his mate’s scent was thick in the

air. Honeysuckle and jasmine filled his lungs and had him salivating.
Not now, he’s in a crisis.

Quinn drove down Route 22, his eyes darting around as he looked

for this Tristan character. “So you work for Dino?”

Quinn nodded, but his eyes never stopped searching. “I’ve been

with him about ten years. We actually grew up together. When he

Hunter

decided to open Tiziano Contracting, I was the first person he hired.
We’re more like brothers than friends.”

“He never made you business partner?”
Quinn snorted. “I don’t want to be. I’m pretty much my own boss,

and I like it like that. He can have the headache of running the show.”

Hunter looked at him with amused wonder. What was his mate

like, aside from this rescue mission? This only endeared the man even
more to Hunter for caring about a friend so much to go out of his way
to find him.

“I don’t have any partners myself. I was thinking about hiring

someone until Zeus’s project ended. You guys have been keeping me
on my toes with longer hours and ordering the supplies you need. The
hardware orders alone keep me busy.”

“That was Zeus’s idea. He wanted the community to profit from

the project. He seems like a pretty nice guy,” Quinn praised.

“He is, compared to the last…mayor.” That was the title shifters

used when talking to humans about their Alpha. They weren’t aware
were-creatures existed, and that was the way they wanted to keep it.
Not even the townspeople knew, but it wasn’t too hard to keep from
them. When Hunter’s wolf wanted to run, he just went out into the
forest surrounding some of the town and let his wolf free.

There were a few close calls when a human spotted him, but the

shifters were always nonthreatening, so the human townspeople left
them alone.

“Shit.” Quinn pulled over to the side of the road and jumped out

of the car. Hunter did the same. He spotted a man walking on the side
of the road, and he really did have a red hat on with a very large white
feather sitting erect on top of it. Wow, his color coordination looked
like a confused rainbow.

What really pulled at Hunter’s heartstrings was the total despair

on the man’s face. What the hell was going on here?

Hunter waited by the car, not wanting to interfere as Quinn talked

with the man. He had seen enough when Quinn cupped the man’s face

Lynn Hagen

and leaned in, kissing his cheek. This was no friendship in Hunter’s
eyes. He strolled over to pull his mate away when, for the second time
tonight, his brain stuttered to a halt. The smell of citrus and mint
juleps infiltrated his head and buzzed through his body.

There was no way he could smell his mate…again. Maybe

Quinn’s scent had changed? He’d never heard of something like that
happening, but it was possible.

“Come on, jellybean, how can you say that?” Quinn asked the

timid man.

“Because, sir, it would be best if I left so no trouble came your

way.”

Knowing the smaller man was in trouble made the hairs on the

back of Hunter’s neck stand up. No one was going to hurt this little
confused rainbow.

The man must have finally noticed Hunter’s presence because his

eyes grew round, and he dropped to his knees, his head bowed, and
his hand landed on his thighs. Hunter had never seen anyone sit like
that and wondered why the guy would do it out in the middle of
nowhere.

“What’s wrong, Tristan?” Quinn looked over at Hunter with a

puzzled look and then back down at Rainbow Bright. “Is it Hunter?”

“Sir, I wasn’t aware this could happen.”
Hunter knew Tristan was talking to him. “Stand.” He gently

commanded. “Bow to no one.”

Tristan rose on shaky legs, baring his neck to Hunter. He stepped

forward, sniffing Tristan’s neck, taking in his scent. Well damn, he
really was Hunter’s mate. He had two of them?

“Uh, what’s going on?” Quinn looked between the two. “Is this a

wolf shifter thing?”

“Oh, sir, how did you know about shifters?” Tristan asked in

surprise. Hunter wanted to know the same thing.

Hunter

“Dino explained it to me yesterday when he saw how possessive I

was of you. I won’t lie, it wigged me the hell out, but I’ve had time to
absorb it. So you’re one, too?” Quinn asked as he turned to Hunter.

Hunter nodded. “I am.” This would help. Hunter worried over

how to explain things to his human mate while riding in the car, but it
seemed the foreman took care of that. “How does Dino know?”

“He says he’s mated to Torem and Sidney.” Quinn grinned,

shaking his head, speaking as in disbelief. “I never thought Dino
would have two men at once. It was a shocker. He’s so not the type.”

“Are you offended by this?” Hunter asked as he looked from his

timid mate to Quinn.

Quinn shrugged, a wickedly sexy smile playing at his lips.

Hunter’s cock was getting hard just staring at the gorgeous man.
“Nah, live and let live.”

His mate’s laidback approach set Hunter at ease. Should he reveal

to Quinn that he also had two mates? The guy seemed to accept things
pretty well. Maybe later. They needed to get Tristan off of this dark
country road.

Hunter didn’t like either of his mates out here. They still had

threats of rogue shifters and vampires, and it hurt Hunter’s stomach to
think of anything happening to either of them. Even though Quinn
looked like he could hold his own. Hunter wasn’t going to chance his
human mate. “We should get him home.”

“He lives with me,” Quinn said over his shoulder to Hunter as he

guided Tristan toward the car.

“I can’t go, sir. What if…things happen and one or both of you

gets hurt?” Tristan pulled his arm free of Quinn’s grasp and backed
away.

Hunter really hated to do this considering the wolf seemed so

fragile. “Get in the car now,” he commanded gently but firmly. It was
better than the alternative, which was leaving him out here to fend for
himself. There was no way in hell Hunter would even consider that
possibility.

Lynn Hagen

Tristan clutched some kind of notebook to his chest, and with

tears in his eyes, walked over to the car. God, the man looked so
damn hurt. Hunter hated that he had to resort to commanding his
mate, but again, he couldn’t risk him being out here on his own.

“Don’t talk to him like that. He’s already been through enough. I

told you that.” Quinn snapped at him and then ran after Tristan.

That didn’t go as planned. Hunter ran his hands through his hair,

at a loss of how to handle this situation. He’d never been in a serious
relationship before and wasn’t sure he was doing the right thing. The
only thing that eased his conscience was having the knowledge that
Tristan wasn’t going to be out here all alone.

“I wasn’t trying to be an asshole,” Hunter told Quinn when he

caught up with him, laying his hand on his mate’s arm. “But if I
hadn’t commanded him to do as told, we could have been out here for
hours trying to convince him. And if someone is really after him, then
that wouldn’t be wise.”

“I understand why you did it. I just don’t want him talked to that

way.” Quinn’s eyes looked disapproving as he climbed into the
driver’s seat. Hunter slid into the back. This was going to take a lot of
work.

“I’m sorry, Tristan.” Hunter felt terrible. Tristan’s face was

stained with tears, and he refused to look at Hunter. What a way to
start off with his newfound mates.

“It’s okay, sir.” Tristan wiped his face and began to sing. “You are

my sunshine, my only sunshine…” Hunter tilted his head and stared at
Tristan for a moment before turning to Quinn for an answer.

“He does that when he’s nervous.” Quinn reached over and ran his

hand up and down Tristan’s arm. “Stop singing, jellybean. Hunter
won’t harm you.” Quinn shot a glare at Hunter from the rearview
mirror.

Hunter sighed as he sat back. Quinn turned the car around and

headed back to town with Tristan still singing. This was the most
bizarre shit Hunter had ever witnessed. He kept his thoughts to

Hunter

himself the whole ride back. It seemed he wasn’t doing too well with
these two, and he didn’t want to rack up more shit points with them.

Quinn palmed the wheel, pulling the car into a driveway, and cut

the motor. “I want to get Tristan settled before I take you home.”

Hunter didn’t want to go home. He wanted to be with his mates.

But since Quinn was unaware of the fact of their status, Hunter could
only nod in agreement as he followed them inside.

Quinn walked Tristan into the house and down the hallway, into a

bedroom. “You two share a room?” Hunter looked around and noticed
a drawing table off in one corner. It must be for Quinn’s work.

“No, ever since Tristan showed up, I’ve been sleeping in the guest

bedroom,” Quinn informed him.

Hunter leaned against the doorframe as Quinn guided Tristan to

the bathroom. “Get into something more comfortable, jellybean.” He
removed Tristan’s hat and took the notebook. When Tristan gave a
noise of protest, Quinn ran his hand over the smaller guy’s back. “I’m
going to put this on your drawing table. It’s not going anywhere.”

Tristan’s eyes darted to Hunter and then he disappeared into the

bathroom.

“Is he mentally slow or something?” Hunter asked as he watched

Quinn set Tristan’s things on the table. It wouldn’t have mattered to
Hunter. He knew finding one’s mate was a rare thing, and he’d take
them any way he could get them.

Quinn narrowed his eyes, pointing his finger in the direction of

the bathroom. “No, and don’t even fucking think of treating him like
that. He just has issues to work out. I’ll take you home in a moment.”

That was the last thing Hunter wanted to do. He crossed the room

and grabbed Quinn’s upper arms, crushing their lips together as he
backed his mate into the drawing table. Quinn was stiff and resistant
at first, but then he opened and allowed Hunter to smother his lips
with demanding mastery.

Quinn leaned back against the table and let Hunter take over.

Hunter’s tongue traced those plump lips, enticing him to sample more

Lynn Hagen

deeply. There was a maddening hint of arrogance to Quinn’s
response, and Hunter found it thrilling and heart racing.

Hunter yanked Quinn’s body forward, their erections smashing

into one another as he ground his hips, pleased that his mate gave in
to their initial intimacy. Quinn’s hand grabbed Hunter’s neck, pulling
him down the mere two inches in height difference as he took what
Hunter offered. Almost demanding it.

He held Quinn’s face gently as he leaned his mate backwards over

the table. Hunter had an urge to crawl onto the table and claim this
magnificent creature. Quinn broke the kiss and buried his face in the
corded muscles of Hunter’s neck, nipping at Hunter’s flesh, almost
biting it. Hunter groaned as he ran his hands over Quinn’s hair,
fighting for control as he tugged at the soft strands lightly. His canines
were down, and Hunter’s eyes had shifted.

Hunter’s head snapped around when he heard a gasp from the

bathroom door. “Don’t be frightened, Tristan.” He could smell
uneasiness and arousal coming from his rainbow.

“I’m not, sir.” A blush like a shadow ran over his cheeks, making

them flame bright. “I can go into the other room if you two want to be
alone.”

Hunter wanted to pull Tristan into their embrace but saw the

hesitancy in the man’s stance. “That won’t be necessary.” Hunter
stepped out of Quinn’s arms, taking a deep and shaky breath, and then
headed toward Tristan, fingering one of the red strays of hair that fell
across the smaller man’s eye. “There will be plenty of time for that.”

“Are you ready?” Quinn asked, his voice choked with emotion.
“I’m ready.” Hunter replied, and the meaning of his words didn’t

escape Tristan’s ears. There goes that blush again. He smiled and ran
his thumb over Tristan’s brow. “Is it all right if I come back?’

“Yes, sir.” Tristan bounced on the balls of his heels, beaming up

at Hunter. How adorable.

“Are you going to leave him alone?” Hunter questioned Quinn,

never looking away from his redhead.

Hunter

Quinn snorted, looking at Hunter as if he were asking a stupid

question. “He’s not a puppy.”

Hunter could see Quinn was an alpha in his own manner. It was

hot and, at the same time, frustrating. “I was only asking because he
has trouble on his heels. Do you think it wise or safe?”

“I’ll be fine, sir.” Tristan’s blush deepened as he sucked in his

bottom lip.

Hunter kissed Tristan’s nose, running his thumb over Tristan’s

cheek, and then followed Quinn out of the house. He didn’t want to
leave, but he could see Tristan needed things taken slowly.

“Why does he keep using the word sir?” Hunter asked once they

were outside.

“I have no idea, and I’ve tried time and again to get him to stop. I

think it has to do with who he’s running from.”

Hunter was very interested now to find out just exactly what

Tristan had escaped.

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Four

Tristan walked out into the living room in his fuzzy bunny

slippers. He knew they were more for kids but had fallen instantly in
love with them when he spotted them on the shelf in the store. They
were begging with those big sappy eyes to be taken home, and who
was he to refuse them?

He fiddled with the stereo until he found some relaxing music.

Yoga should help clear his mind, and meditation had always worked
for him. He found a station playing the Bee Gees. That sounded
relaxing enough to him.

Tristan sat on the floor and assumed the position, letting his mind

slowly drain of all the clutter until he focused on his inner peace. His
muscles became relaxed, and he felt light as a feather.

“Jellybean?”
“Ahh!” Tristan rolled and came up in a crouch, his heart beating

out of control when he finally focused on what had scared the living
daylights out of him. Quinn’s brow slowly rose as a smile crossed his
beautiful face.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” Quinn chuckled, apparently overly

amused at what he had done. He rested his right elbow on his left arm,
his right hand covering the smile, and his face trying to look
apologetic. He wasn’t fooling Tristan. That was amusement all the
way.

“I’m good, I’m good.” He fell on his ass and took a deep breath.

“You just caught me off guard, sir.” Quinn’s arresting good looks
captured Tristan’s attention for a moment, and all he could do was
stare.

Hunter

Quinn knelt down in front of him, reaching out and clutching

Tristan’s hand. When Quinn pulled him off the floor, Tristan landed
on Quinn’s legs, his upper body draped over his mate’s legs.

Tristan gulped.
Although Xavier had treated him like dirt under his shoe, Tristan

knew relationships weren’t supposed to be that way. This was why he
ran so many times. He wanted what his parents had, that devoted love
that you could only get from your mate. It was hard opening up and
trusting someone, especially after what had happened to him. Tristan
stared at Quinn’s lips, licking his own dry ones in want.

“Jellybean,” Quinn repeated. This time though, this time it was

low and husky, laced with want and desire.

“I’m okay.” He pushed away, not ready to give his full trust. He

had been made to believe once by a handsome face and pretty words.
This time he was going to make sure his world was safe before he
gave in.

Quinn cleared his throat and helped Tristan to his feet at the same

time he stood. Oh, how those lips were tempting Tristan to give in,
though. He knew for a fact his fleece pajama bottoms were tenting,
giving away his state of arousal.

Quinn pulled Tristan into his arms. He resisted, too afraid of what

he was feeling. It was ten times more powerful with Quinn than it was
with Xavier. Quinn grinned, and his eyes lit up. He began to slow
dance with Tristan, singing along with the song, as though he were
singing it directly to him.

Tristan pretended he was.
His mate had a very nice voice, soothing and sexy. His hands

stayed on the small of Tristan’s back, so he began to relax, allowing
Quinn to guide them around the living room. He made Tristan feel so
important, so wanted not only in that moment, but since he had come
here.

Quinn was easy to be around. It felt like floating on one’s back in

a pond on a hot summer’s day, peaceful, and nothing in the world

Lynn Hagen

compared. Tristan grinned up at Quinn, feeling bashful and content at
the same time.

The last year of his life was like battling a snowstorm, blinding,

rough, and bitterly cold. Being in Quinn’s arms was like walking
through the door and shaking the snow off, seeing the fire blazing in
the hearth, knowing that he had finally made it home.

Tristan sighed and rested his head on Quinn’s chest, listening to

his mate’s heartbeat as they danced around the living room. “This is
nice, sir.”

“It is,” Quinn agreed as they swayed back and forth. One of

Quinn’s hands skated up his back, snaking through his hair as he
massaged Tristan’s scalp. He could get used to this real easy. Quinn’s
chest began to vibrate as his voice sang the lyrics to the song.

Tristan wrapped his arms around Quinn’s waist, desperate to

believe his mate wanted him happy and safe. His hand shot up and
wiped away at a tear as they danced around the coffee table. Why the
hell was he crying?

“My jellybean. Let it all out. Give me your pain and take my

happiness. Heal, baby.”

Tristan cursed himself when he began to weep in Quinn’s arms.

This was supposed to be a nice dance, not a freak show. He pulled
from Quinn’s arms and raced down the hall, slamming his bedroom
door shut. Tristan braced the door with his hands, trying to get his
emotions under control.

“I’m so sorry,” he told the door, his palm repeatedly slamming

into the wood grain. He was tired of living like this. Quinn shouldn’t
have to put up with a mental case. Tristan punched the door this time.
“I want to live again,” he shouted.

“Tristan. Let me in, jellybean,” Quinn called from the other side

of the door. “We both can get through this, just talk to me,” his voice
pleaded.

Hunter

Tristan wiped his eyes on his sleeve and then turned the knob,

opening the door. Quinn stood on the other side, his hand shoved into
his Levi’s, a gentle smile on his lips. “Can we finish dancing?”

Tristan laughed and cried, nodding his head as Quinn gave him

the biggest and goofiest smile he’d ever seen. He grabbed Tristan’s
hand and pulled him down the hallway, spinning him until Tristan
ended up in his arms. “No more talk if you don’t want to.”

Choices.
Once again his mate was giving him choices. The boyish smile on

Quinn’s face almost brought Tristan to his knees. “I started dating
Xavier about a year ago.”

Quinn grabbed his hand, holding it to his chest as they slowly

made their way around the room.

“It was nice at first. He was the perfect gentleman, and then

everything changed. His words were pretty enough, had me convinced
that he knew what was best, that he wouldn’t steer me wrong.”

Quinn ran his free hand up and down Tristan’s back, his thumb

tracing circles over Tristan’s shirt. He took a deep breath and
continued. “He became unstable. Wanted to be a dominant while I
was the submissive. I told him I didn’t want a relationship like
that…and that’s when the beatings began.” Tristan had to stop, the
memories making his breath quicken.

“It’s okay, jellybean. It may be hard for you to believe, now that I

know. But I promise you on my very soul, I’ll never hurt you.” Quinn
twirled him around, his bunny ears flapping as Tristan laughed with
pure joy. What would it be like to really believe Quinn? Could he?

“I ran from him a few times, but he always found me and

threatened to kill me if I didn’t return. So I did.” Tristan finished as
Quinn brought him back into the folds of his arms. The words, when
spoken aloud, sounded like a lame reason to return to such a life. He
was embarrassed and ashamed that he had allowed another being that
much power over him.

Lynn Hagen

“And now you think he’s going to hunt you down to bring you

back,” Quinn stated, his lips pressed against Tristan’s temple. He
nodded, unable to look his mate in his eyes.

“Not while there is a breath in my lung or a beat in my heart,

jellybean. I’ll kill the son of a bitch before I let him near you.”

“Can I have some Skittles?”
Quinn laughed, a full belly laugh, spinning Tristan around once

again. He spun, feeling light at heart. Tristan’s arms shot out when his
legs hit the coffee table, and he fell over, landing so hard on his ass,
he bounced. Quinn covered the three steps in seconds, lifting Tristan
to his feet. “Are you hurt?”

Tristan laughed at the look on Quinn’s face. He looked so contrite.

“No.” He ran from the room, Quinn giving chase as he ran to the
pantry. He squealed when he looked over his shoulder and saw Quinn
eating up the distance.

He yelped when Quinn squatted down and grabbed Tristan’s legs,

tossing him over his shoulder and carrying him the rest of the way to
the kitchen. He kicked his legs back and forth. “Put me down, you
caveman.”

Quinn swatted him on the rear and then set him on his feet. “One

bag of treats coming up.” His mate reached into the pantry and
grabbed a bag of Skittles, handing them to Tristan.

“These are so good,” Tristan said with relish as he snatched the

bag from Quinn’s hand.

* * * *

Quinn noticed that Tristan wasn’t using the word sir. So the key to

him not using the word was to make him laugh. Once again the
thought occurred to him. No problem, he could do that.

“Can…”
“What, jellybean?”
“Promise you won’t get mad, sir?”

Hunter

Crap. It was back. That was the last thing Quinn wanted. He

wanted Tristan to feel like he could ask him anything, without
hesitation. “Just ask, baby.”

“Can Hunter come over and dance with us?” Tristan blushed

deeply, shoving a handful of candies in his mouth. His cheeks
rounded as if he were a squirrel with a mouthful of nuts.

Oh fuck, that thought had Quinn fighting to stop his cock from

leaping out of his jeans and tackling the gorgeous little man.

Quinn cleared his throat. “I can call him. He gave me his cell

phone number.” Quinn slipped his cell phone out of its sheath, hitting
the button as he kept his eyes on Tristan. His jellybean seemed
nervous, shoving candies into his mouth, his eyes darting at Quinn
and then back down to the bag in his hand.

“Hello?”
“Hunter, it’s Quinn. Get the hell over here.” He hung up, tossing

the phone onto the table and grabbing Tristan’s hand. He led him back
into the living room, fiddled with the stereo until a song played with a
nice tempo.

“I know that song, sir.” Tristan said once he swallowed the treat in

his mouth. “I like it.”

Quinn grabbed his man, yes, his. There was no way Tristan was

ever going to leave his side unless his jellybean made the choice. And
Quinn was determined to make the man the happiest person on earth.

He slid his leg between Tristan’s, swaying his hips, snapping them

back and forth as Tristan grabbed the back of Quinn’s neck. “I’m
afraid to trust, sir.” Tristan confessed.

“I know, baby. I’ll try my best to never disappoint you.” Quinn

buried his face in between Tristan’s neck and shoulder, inhaling
deeply. He began a slow kiss from throat to ear. He could feel his
jellybean shiver in his arms.

Quinn spun around as the front door slammed open, Hunter

looking flushed and his two long teeth showing. It was comical and

Lynn Hagen

pulse pounding to see the long teeth when Quinn hadn’t seen them
before now.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded as his eyes darted around the

room.

“Tristan wants you to dance with us.” Quinn couldn’t quite

understand why he was allowing another man into his territory.
Tristan was his. There was no way he’d ever let the man go.

But there was something about Hunter that drew Quinn in. Tristan

had the same effect on him. It was the same, but different. If his
jellybean wanted Hunter here, Quinn would do as he asked. Anything
Tristan wanted, Quinn would give him with no qualm.

He couldn’t understand where that feeling was coming from. That

wasn’t like him.

Hunter’s jaw dropped to his chest. “Really? I thought…”
“There’s no trouble, yet.” He looked back at Tristan. His man was

squirming on his leg, his eyes darting around, not looking at either of
them. His pants were tented, and there was a large wet spot on the
front. Quinn wanted to pick his jellybean up and mouth that tent.

Hunter stood at the door, looking lost. Quinn danced backwards,

grabbing Hunter and pulling him into Quinn’s back. “I’ve never
danced with two people, but it shouldn’t be too hard.” Quinn rubbed
the back of his head into Hunter’s chest.

Hunter’s hands landed on Quinn’s hips, still not moving.
“Just go with it.” Quinn danced forward, rocking his hips,

grinding his ass into Hunter’s erection. He didn’t care how much of a
slut he looked like. Hunter had made his intentions very clear earlier,
and Quinn was getting some of that hard cock he had felt when
Hunter had bent him over the drawing table.

A fast-paced song came on, and Tristan hopped out of Quinn’s

arms, his lips souring as he danced around, his body jerking around as
his legs kicked out.

Hunter laughed, twisting his hips back and forth, letting Quinn go

as he danced around Tristan. Wow, what were the odds Quinn and

Hunter

Tristan would find someone who loved to dance and have a good time
like him and Tristan did? This was fucking awesome and perfect.

“Watch, watch.” Tristan started swinging his arms up and down,

his legs lifting side to side.

“Watch,” Hunter said as he did some kind of Egyptian thing with

his hands. Quinn laughed, standing in place and clapping his hands to
the beat.

“Watch.” Quinn got in on the fun. He pressed his fingers to his

chest, making like paddles as he shocked his chest, his body bouncing
as if being defibrillated. He repeated over and over as Tristan jogged
in place with his arms swinging around wildly. Hunter snapping his
hips back and forth, running his hands up and down his body. The
three must look the sight. Quinn didn’t care. He was having a blast.

Hunter swung up behind Tristan, grabbing his hips and dancing

with him. Quinn jumped in front of Tristan, his hands in the air as he
left a mere inch between his body and Tristan’s.

Hunter’s hands left Tristan’s hips, his fingers splayed as they

wandered up Tristan’s sides. Quinn’s eyes ate the scene up greedily.
Tristan looked like a living and breathing god standing there between
them. His jellybean’s head was tilted to the side, his eyes closed and
his lips slightly parted.

Quinn placed his hands on Tristan’s chest, tweaking his nipples as

Hunter’s hands came back down and then came around to the front of
Tristan’s waist, his hands dipping into Tristan’s waistband.

“Wait.” Tristan panted, pulling from between the two. “Wait,” he

repeated in a panic-filled voice. He looked from Quinn to Hunter. “I
need time. I’m sorry if I led you on, that wasn’t my intention…I don’t
think—” Tristan spun and ran down the hall.

“What just happened?” Hunter asked with puzzlement on his face.
“Just what he said. He needs time.”

* * * *

Lynn Hagen

Hunter stared down the hallway. He never meant to put his

rainbow into a state of panic. He must have moved too fast. Hunter
cursed mentally.

“Do you mind if I stay? I’ll sleep on the couch.” That wasn’t

where he wanted to sleep, but he would take what he could get right
now. Hunter also wanted to keep an eye on Tristan. Make sure he was
all right.

Quinn dropped onto the couch, letting out a deep exhale. “I don’t

mind. I just need to figure out how to get Tristan to trust me, us. He
told me what happened.”

Hunter listened as Quinn retold Tristan’s story. If he ever ran into

this Xavier, he prayed he was behind the wheel. Never in his life had
he ever thought of treating another the way Xavier had treated
Tristan.

“Did he say where we could find Xavier?”
“I wish.” Quinn threw his arms over the back of the couch,

looking defeated. “I would be there right now insuring that Tristan
never laid eyes on the guy again.”

Hunter sat down next to Quinn, feeling the same way. Tristan

seemed like a very sweet guy. His need to protect his mate made his
wolf want to shred this Xavier guy to pieces.

He normally wasn’t a violent man, but his wolf wasn’t going to

have either of his mates mistreated in any shape, form, or fashion.
And neither was Hunter. He slid a little closer to Quinn, enjoying his
mate’s scent. As Hunter inhaled, he saw Quinn’s cock hardening in
his jeans.

Hunter rolled his body until he was on his knees in front of Quinn.
“Hunter,” Quinn said in the most whiskey-laced voice Hunter had

ever heard. It was low and husky, deep, and sensuous. He leaned
forward and mouthed Quinn’s Levi’s. The bulge jerked and Quinn’s
breath hitched audibly. Hunter reached up and relieved Quinn’s cock
from its confines. His thumb traced the pre-cum, swiping it, and then
Hunter placed his thumb in his mouth.

Hunter

“Oh shit.” Quinn groaned. His arms remained on the back of the

couch, his eyes hooded and fixated on Hunter’s mouth. Quinn lifted
his feet one at a time as Hunter removed his mate’s shoes. He slid his
hands into Quinn’s waistband, tugging at his jeans. Quinn lifted his
hips, allowing Hunter to remove them. Hunter tossed them onto the
floor, palming Quinn’s cock and leaning forward.

The scent hit his system like a drug.
Hunter ran his tongue over the engorged head. The taste of his

mate’s body tore a moan from his chest. Quinn’s hands came off the
back of the couch and landed on Hunter’s head, his hips powered up,
his cock driving further into Hunter’s mouth.

“Hunter, fuck. Please.”
His hand cupped Quinn’s sac, holding them gently as he massaged

them. Hunter could feel Quinn’s legs shaking, his thigh muscles
contracting as Hunter snaked his hands under Quinn’s knees, lifting
his legs high into the air, taking him down his throat.

Hunter tilted his head, lapping and sucking on his mate’s cock.

Quinn spread his legs apart, planting his feet on Hunter’s back.
Hunter’s hands skimmed up and down Quinn’s thighs, calves, and
hips. His skin was soft, pimpled with goose bumps.

“Hunter, please.” Quinn writhed under him. Hunter used his saliva

and wet his fingers, pressing them into Quinn’s quivering starburst. It
was tight, the muscles squeezing around his fingers as they slid in to
the knuckle.

“God, yes.” Quinn panted, riding Hunter’s fingers. Hunter’s own

cock begged for release, pled with Hunter to enter Quinn’s tight
flower.

Hunter released Quinn’s cock from his mouth, standing and

kicking his shoes off. He pushed his jeans down, and stepped out of
them, his eyes locked onto Quinn’s throbbing cock. Hunter pulled his
shirt over his head, tossing it aside as he climbed onto the couch and
over Quinn.

Lynn Hagen

Quinn’s body melted into the couch as Hunter’s body covered his.

The strong hardness of Quinn’s body was a contrast to his soft and
succulent lips. Hunter cupped the back of Quinn’s head, holding his
mate in place as he dipped his head. His kiss was slow, thoughtful,
and tender as he took Quinn’s lips.

Hunter repositioned himself, lined his cock up to Quinn’s hole,

and pressed in. Quinn bit Hunter’s bottom lip as Hunter inched his
way in until he was fully seated.

“My god, you feel so fucking good,” Hunter crooned in Quinn’s

ear. He pulled back and then slowly pushed back in. Quinn lifted his
legs and wrapped them around Hunter’s waist, groaning as Hunter
took him.

Hunter smelled Tristan’s scent and knew his rainbow had entered

the living room. He could hear the shuffling of those bunny slippers
across the floor as Tristan made his way over. Tristan took a seat in
the chair and just stared at them. Hunter ducked his head down and
looked over at Tristan.

His rainbow was watching them intently.
Hunter wanted his baby to join them, but from his reaction earlier,

maybe just showing the slim man that sex wasn’t abusive or harsh
would be the better route. Hunter whispered into Quinn’s ear. “We
have an audience. Show him what sex is really about.”

Quinn nodded, raising his arms above his head, and then moaned

loudly. Hunter sure hoped it wasn’t an act. He leaned back, pulling
Quinn’s legs from around his waist and then lifting them into the air.
He thrust in and out, taking it slow but adding the right amount of
snap to his thrust.

Tristan slid off the chair, scooting a little closer. His eyes locked

onto the pair on the couch.

Hunter pushed Quinn’s legs toward his chest, damn near bending

him in half. He sawed in and out, Quinn mewling and keening as
Hunter fucked his ass.

Hunter

Tristan scooted an inch closer, his hands splayed on the hardwood

floor as he crawled closer, his lips parted.

Quinn grabbed his bobbing cock, squeezing and pumping it in his

hand as Tristan slowly made his way to the coffee table. Hunter could
see the tent in the front of his pajama pants.

Being watched was a new experience to Hunter, and considering it

was his rainbow, Hunter was in heaven. His canines lowered, and his
eyes shifted as he rocked back and forth, using restraint to take this
slow. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten Tristan.

Hunter’s cock grazed over Quinn’s hot spot, making his mate

thrash under him. Quinn pulled at Hunter’s shoulders, seeming
oblivious to anything and everything surrounding him. Quinn buried
his face in the crook of Hunter’s neck, his blunt teeth biting into
Hunter’s flesh.

Hunter hissed. The feeling of Quinn trying to bite him drove him

wild. He pulled Quinn’s head back, hovering over his lips with his
own, and then took his mate’s mouth with desired passion.

Tristan slid onto the coffee table, his own cock in his hand as he

lazily stroked it, his eyes locked on the area where Hunter’s body
connected to Quinn’s. “I think Tristan is enjoying this.” Hunter
smiled at his rainbow.

Tristan’s eyes lowered, a spiderweb of color spanning across his

face. Hunter turned his head and sniffed then licked Quinn’s neck.
The need to bite him was fierce, but he managed to restrain the desire.

Quinn’s hand moved faster as his strokes became more

uncoordinated. He was close. Hunter chanced it and sunk his teeth
into Quinn’s neck. The scent of the dual arousal in the room drove
him to his baser instincts.

Quinn bucked under him as he shouted. Hunter’s senses went nuts

when he could smell his rainbow’s cum as well. He drove deeper,
chasing that magical spell that the other two were under.

Hunter stiffened and threw his head back, crying out as his seed

escaped his body and splashed Quinn’s inner, tight walls. His body

Lynn Hagen

jerked with tiny aftershocks as he rested his forehead on Quinn’s
chest, hearing his mate’s erratically beating heart.

Tristan quietly left the room.
Hunter prayed his rainbow saw how good it could be and would

be willing to let Hunter and Quinn show him soon. His wolf whined
for his other mate, to hold him in his arms and show him what it was
like to make love to his mates.

Quinn ran his hands over Hunter’s hair. “I think we made a good

impression on him, you?”

“He came when you did. I think he got the point.” Hunter crossed

his fingers that he was right as he kissed Quinn, slowly, tenderly.

His mate moaned as his legs lowered. Hunter hated to move. It

felt too right to have Quinn underneath him.

He sighed as he moved, hoping that soon, all three would be in a

bed and no one would have to move.

Hunter

Chapter Five

Toby walked over to Tristan. He had heard from Sidney that

Tristan needed friends, and who better than him and Jasper? The
Alpha’s mates would help to ease the man into his new life in Pride
Pack Valley.

“Hi.” He approached Tristan with bubbly exuberance. They were

in Harold’s Deli, Tristan standing there with the hardware store
owner, Hunter. Toby was warned not to comment on Tristan’s
clothes, and he could see why.

Tristan had a large straw hat on with a large fake daisy on the

front of it. His clothes looked like a train wreck. He wore a flower
print shirt and hot pink shorts that stopped at his bony knees. Toby’s
eyes wandered further down to see he had on argyle socks,
and…sandals with cupcake designs? He looked like he woke up on
the wrong side of the closet and dressed in the dark.

“Hi.” Hunter answered for Tristan, his body taking a protective

step in front of Tristan. Toby wondered if they were mates, which
meant that Quinn was possibly their mate as well.

“I like your outfit, Tristan.” Jasper chuckled. “It’s unique, like a

rainbow on bad medication.”

“Jasper!” Toby pulled on Jasper’s sleeve when Hunter gave a low

growl, but Jasper ignored him…as usual.

“I wasn’t making fun of you, Tristan. Okay…maybe I was. But if

I didn’t like you, I’d ignore you.” Jasper chuckled.

What twisted logic was that? He and Jasper had been together for

a few months now, but Toby still hadn’t figured the Timber wolf out.

Lynn Hagen

Toby wanted to crawl under a table. Sometimes Jasper spoke without
thinking, and this was one of those times.

“In that case, I like your shirt as well, Jasper.” Tristan grinned. “It

reminds me of those ink blocks shrinks show their patients.”

“Touché.” Jasper laughed. Toby growled, taking a step in front of

his mate.

“Mine,” Toby snarled.
Jasper wrapped his arms around Toby’s shoulders, pulling his

back close to his mate’s chest. “Isn’t he cute when he’s all Tarzan and
shit.” Jasper kissed the side of his face. I’ll give Jasper Tarzan if he
keeps flirting.

“Who?”
Toby turned and smiled at the Alpha and his second mate, Zeus.

“Jasper is flirting with Tristan.” He beamed smugly. Toby jumped
when Jasper pinched his ass. “Ow.”

“He better not be,” Zeus growled in warning.
“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...” Tristan began to sing.

Toby tilted his head and stared at the strangely dressed man. What the
hell?

“It’s okay, rainbow.” Hunter pulled the slim man into the folds of

his arms and soothed him.

“Did we say something wrong?” Jasper asked.
“He’s a little nervous,” Hunter explained as he pulled Tristan

impossibly closer.

“Don’t be.” Zeus smiled at Tristan. “They’re quite harmless,

somewhat,” he added on.

* * * *

Tristan was lost in the sauce. He hadn’t a clue what the very large

Alpha was talking about. He just knew that making the man mad
would be a very bad thing. Thank goodness Hunter had his arm
around Tristan’s waist because he was five seconds away from

Hunter

dropping to his knees and bowing. Damn Xavier and his Pavlov’s dog
shit. He needed to get rid of these triggers.

“Hello, Alpha.” Hunter shook the Alpha’s hand casually, as if it

were no big deal. Tristan wiped his hands on the front of his shorts
and stepped out of Hunter’s embrace, shaking the large man’s hand as
well. It swallowed his hand whole.

Fuck, he’d never seen anyone this size before. He tilted his head,

giving the shifter sign of respect an Alpha was due.

“Hello, again, Tristan.” The Alpha chuckled, extending his hand

and tapping Tristan’s neck. “I’m Zeus, by the way.”

Tristan couldn’t make up his mind if that was a friendly smile or if

Zeus planned on eating him. He was going to go with the first choice,
and if he was wrong, running like hell would be his only option. “I’m
Tristan.” Tristan mentally smacked his forehead. Way to go,
cornflake. Like he didn’t know that already.

Zeus laughed, only it sounded like a rumble of thunder. Others

must have thought the same because a few people scurried out of the
door. So his first guess must have been correct. Still, Tristan moved
closer to Hunter. Not like his mate could take this mountain on, but it
made him feel safer. Hunter didn’t seem too fazed by it, so that gave
Tristan a small wave of relief.

“You’re scaring him, you big bully.” Jasper swatted at Zeus’s

arm. “Play nice.”

Zeus gave a low growl in Jasper’s direction. It was time to go.

“We have to go. Quinn is meeting us at home for lunch.” Let’s go,
let’s go, let’s go. Tristan pressed Hunter’s back, trying to get the wolf
moving.

Thank goodness Hunter got the hint. “Nice seeing you guys

again.” He waved, staring back at Tristan strangely. Whatever, get
your gluteus maximums out of here already. Tristan normally liked
meeting new friends, and he enjoyed having a variety of people to talk
to, not that he trusted them all. But Xavier had taken that joy from
him. Now Tristan feared meeting another just like his ex. And Xavier

Lynn Hagen

was his ex. He had to stop thinking that way. Not everyone was out to
harm him.

Once they cleared the deli, Hunter pulled Tristan from behind

him. “Would you mind telling me why your ass was on fire to get out
of there?”

“Umm, Quinn is waiting, sir?”
“Try again, rainbow.” Hunter hooked his thumbs in his front

pockets and leaned against the telephone pole. “We just ate lunch, so
how are we meeting Quinn at home?”

Don’t say sir, don’t say sir. “Fine, the man intimidates me.”

Thanks for making me confess that one. Why don’t you just kick me in
the gonads?

“Why? He’s the Alpha. His job is to protect the pack that lives

here, along with the soldiers.” Hunter’s hand waved around,
indicating the town.

Tristan really didn’t want to have this conversation. His brain was

being naughty as he stared at Hunter’s groin, remembering the scene
that took place several nights ago. Man, what he wouldn’t give to
witness that again. Although he was a bit frightened to join in, never
having been with more than one guy at a time, he’d do it now if they
offered. But for the last several days, they hadn’t made a move…and
Tristan was hornier than the devil.

“Tristan?”
“Yes?” Tristan asked Hunter’s cock.
“My eyes are up here, rainbow.” Hunter’s hand came into view,

disappearing under Tristan’s chin, gently lifting his head up.

Good god almighty, the lust in Hunter’s eyes had Tristan ready to

pant and whine right here on the street. He felt his leg ready to tap out
a beat from the desire burning in them.

“Maybe Quinn will be home after all.” Hunter let out a low,

closed-lip growl and pushed away from the pole, pulling Tristan
toward his truck.

Hunter

Goody, goody, gumdrops. Tristan may be hesitant, afraid to give

his mates his full trust, but sex was sex and he was more than ready
for it. His brain couldn’t function when the cock monster in his pants
was doing all the thinking. He wanted to do that dance football
players did when they made a touchdown. Instead, he followed
obediently, willingly, and in a state of utmost arousal.

“I can smell your arousal, and I’m about to drown in it.” Hunter

squeezed Tristan’s hand lightly. “Let me call Quinn.” Hunter stopped
dead in his tracks and spun around, staring down at Tristan. His brows
were pulled tight together as he studied Tristan’s face for a moment.

Did he have some mayo left on his face? Tristan wiped at his

mouth, but there was nothing on his hand when he pulled it back.

“Unless you’d rather it be one-on-one. Whatever you want,

rainbow.”

“Two.” Tristan could feel his face on fire. How the hell was he

going to have sex with both his mates when he couldn’t even be adult
enough to talk about it?

“Two it is.” Hunter extracted his cell phone from his pocket as

they reached the truck.

Tristan leaned against the tailgate for a moment. He needed to

calm down. He was about to come in his pants at the thought of being
with both of them. If the other night was any indication…breathe in,
breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. Not so fast, you’ll hyperventilate,
you dummy.

Tristan stared across the street as Hunter spoke into his phone.

Maybe if he concentrated on the people walking by, he could get his
runaway libido under control until they made it home.

He blinked, and then blinked again when he spotted a familiar

face across the street, and it was getting into a familiar car.

It couldn’t be.
Tristan rubbed his face, ground the palms of his hands into his

eyes, and then looked up again. The car was gone.

Lynn Hagen

Maybe all the blood pooling in his cock left his brain oxygen

deprived. There was no way he just saw Xavier.

“Ready? Quinn said he’s on his way.”
“Yeah.” Tristan stood and walked around the side of the truck,

sliding in. He glanced back once more, seeing an empty parking spot
where he could have sworn the blue Tahoe was just occupying.

It had to be lack of blood in his brain. God, he prayed it was lack

of blood to his brain.

“You look a little shaken up. Are you okay? We don’t have to do

this. We can take our time, rainbow.” Hunter tucked a stray hair
behind Tristan’s ear and stared at him. The man was so drool-worthy
it wasn’t even funny. All that dark hair cascading to his shoulder, with
a naturally windblown look to it all the time, Tristan wanted to grab
handfuls of it and yank as he came down Hunter’s throat.

The arousal scent hit its peak in the truck, and there was no way

for Tristan to hide it. He didn’t want to either.

“We’re good.”

* * * *

Quinn danced around Dino, trying to stop him from walking. “I

got to go. Uh, there’s an emergency at home.”

Dino scratched his chin, giving Quinn that knowing look. “Does

this emergency involve two cocks?”

“Maybe.” As much as he wanted to lie, he and Dino went too far

back for him to try such a thing. It wouldn’t even feel right.

Dino licked his bottom lip, sighed, and then threw his hands up.

“How can I say no when I’m leaving early for the same reason? But
you better not tell anyone I let you go for that. Capiche?”

“Loud and clear,” Quinn shouted over his shoulder as he ran for

his vehicle. Time was a wasting here. He tore out of the makeshift
drive, heading straight for the house. His cock was so full and angry,
and it was digging into his zipper. He was finally going to have

Hunter

Tristan in his arms. Quinn’s foot pressed the gas pedal a little harder
at that thought.

The tires screeched to a halt in the driveway as Quinn slammed it

into park. He jumped out and ran to the house, trying his best to rid
his body of clothes on his way in.

Quinn stopped so fast in the entranceway that he slid on the rug

and slammed into the wall. Hunter had Tristan against the wall,
Tristan’s legs wrapped around Hunter’s waist, and they were making
out. What a gloriously erotic sight it was, too.

“I’m just in time.” He unlaced his boots once he managed to peel

his face from the drywall. “Give me a sec to get a shower.”

“Take your time.” Hunter said once his lips disengaged from

Tristan’s.

“Not on your fucking life.” Quinn shot to the bathroom and took

the quickest shower in his entire life. He stepped out of the shower
soaking wet, ignoring the big fluffy towel on the sink and walked
straight out of the bathroom.

“Hmm, wet Quinn, let’s suck him dry.” Hunter lowered Tristan,

an evil grin splitting his face. “Literally.”

“I have an idea, sirs.” Tristan took off toward the kitchen.
Hunter’s left brow rose high. “What do you think he’s up to?”
“I have no clue.” Quinn looped over to Hunter, right into the

man’s arms. Hunter wasted no time. His fingers ran up Quinn’s bare
chest, gathering the water droplets along the way. His hand dropped
and went around to Quinn’s backside, a finger probing his hole.

“Do it.”
Hunter pulled a tight-lipped half-smile up and thrust a finger in.

Quinn tried to climb the man’s body. He managed to get one leg up
around Hunter’s waist before he heard a clatter. Tristan stood there
openmouthed and breathing heavily. A can of whipped cream rolled
to a stop a few feet away. “I think he wants to eat us,” Quinn teased.

“Come here, Tristan.” Hunter held a hand out. Tristan hesitated at

first, looking between the two of them, and then took a step forward,

Lynn Hagen

and then another. Quinn didn’t wait. He reached out and pulled
Tristan into the embrace.

“I want to suck you off.” Quinn growled low in Tristan’s ear. His

jellybean nodded, gulped, and then licked his lips.

“That would be pleasant.” Tristan must have realized what he’d

said. He began to laugh and cover his beautiful face with his hands.

Quinn tsked, making Tristan blush deeper. “I would hope my

mouth would be more than pleasant,” he teased.

“Let’s find out.” Hunter set Quinn aside, pulling both their hands

as he led them to Tristan’s room. Quinn wondered if Hunter knew that
was the room with the biggest bed.

Quinn pulled his hand free of Hunter’s grasp and dropped to his

knees in front of Tristan, mouthing his pink shorts. The bulge was
large. Quinn remembered the size from when Tristan walked around
naked when first arriving here.

His hole clenched at the thought of having that sausage-size dick

in his ass. Quinn peeled away his shorter man’s shorts, Tristan
kicking out of his cupcake sandals. When his jellybean reached down
to remove his socks, Quinn shook his head. “Leave them on. I think
they’re sexy.”

Tristan gasped in surprise as Quinn took his jellybean’s cock into

his mouth. For a slim and wiry man, Tristan was hung like a fucking
horse. Quinn stretched his lips around the red and leaking head,
moaning at the taste that was all Tristan.

“Damn.” Hunter rubbed his cock up and down Quinn’s cheek as

Quinn bobbed his head. The male physique had turned Quinn on since
hitting puberty. The strong and lean lines, hard-packed muscles, and
large cock on a man’s body were worship worthy.

Quinn pulled back from Tristan’s prick and licked the pre-cum

from Hunter’s. If Tristan wasn’t so large, he would try to take both
into his mouth. Quinn growled when Hunter dropped beside him,
licking the trail of pre-cum from his face and then dipping lower to
lap at Tristan’s balls.

Hunter

“Good, googally-goo,” Tristan sang.
His hands were fisted at his side, and his neck muscles pulled tight

as Hunter and Quinn dined on him. “The train’s coming in, the train’s
coming in…” Tristan sang as he rose to his toes, his hands landing on
Quinn’s and Hunter’s heads as his eeked out his release.

Hunter surfaced, lapping at Tristan’s cock, sharing the seed

between the two. Quinn waved Tristan’s cock between his mouth and
Hunter’s, catching every drop that he could that was pulsing from his
jellybean’s orgasm.

Tristan fell backward onto the bed, his body jerking and a sated

smile on his face. Quinn slowly raised his eyes, giving Tristan his
sexiest smile as he moved slowly onto the mattress, covering his
redhead’s body with his.

He planted his hands under Tristan’s arms, pulling his weightless

body up and into his arms. He kissed Tristan’s slim throat, their cocks
tapping and touching against one another’s.

Tristan wrapped his legs around Quinn’s waist, locking his arms

around Quinn’s neck.

“I can’t keep my hands off of you. You’re so damn beautiful.”

Quinn ran the fingertips of his hands over Tristan’s back, making his
baby shiver. He could feel the scars on Tristan’s back, and it only
made him feel closer to his jellybean. It made Tristan even more
special in Quinn’s eyes.

“You’re like breathing heaven into my lungs.” Quinn leaned

forward, taking Tristan down with him. “I want you. Tell me you
want me.”

“I want you,” Tristan whispered against Quinn’s lips. Quinn felt

the bed dip, Hunter pulling Quinn away from Tristan.

“Lay on your back,” he instructed Quinn.
Quinn rolled, taking Tristan along for the ride until his man stared

down at him. Quinn ran the pad of his thumb over Tristan’s lips.
Tristan’s eyes sparkled as he smiled down at Quinn.

Lynn Hagen

Hunter grabbed the lube and prepared both Quinn and Tristan.

Excitement mounted in Quinn as Tristan’s cock leaked onto his lower
abdomen. The fire-red hair surrounding his jellybean’s cock was
mesmerizing.

Tristan leaned forward and then slowly lowered until Quinn was

fully inside of him. Hunter had held Quinn’s cock as Tristan took the
journey. Quinn’s legs trembled from holding back, his hands held
Tristan’s hips lazily.

“Lift up.” Hunter tapped his hip. Quinn arched his back, taking

Tristan into the air. Hunter shoved two pillows under his ass, and then
Quinn came back down. Tristan grabbed under Quinn’s knees with
his arms and pulled Quinn’s legs forward, allowing Hunter to enter
Quinn’s ass.

Quinn had never been with two men, and the feeling was

intoxicating. Tristan began a slow ride, his ass cinched tightly around
Quinn’s cock while Hunter’s large manhood glided in and out of his
own hole. Talk about dying and going to heaven.

Quinn grabbed Tristan’s hips and thrust harder when he saw

Tristan reach behind him, grab Hunter’s neck, and pull their lips
together. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Hunter’s hands were all
over Tristan’s body, worshipping his flesh.

Hunter reached down and grabbed Tristan’s cock, playing with it

as he fucked Quinn’s ass. What a way to spend the afternoon.
“Harder, Hunter.” Quinn panted. Watching Hunter’s hand on
Tristan’s cock was driving him mad.

Tristan broke the kiss and smiled seductively down at Quinn. He

crooked a finger at the little redhead, Tristan immediately planting his
hands on Quinn’s chest.

Oh no, he wanted more.
Quinn grabbed Tristan’s hands, pulling him all the way down until

he could taste Hunter on his jellybean’s lips.

“Fuck, I wish you two had the view I’m staring at right now.”

Hunter growled low.

Hunter

Quinn’s hands explored the hard lines of Tristan’s back, his waist,

and his hips, the skin creamy smooth under his callused, worn hands.
Hunter’s hands roamed intimately between Quinn’s thighs. Quinn
could feel an added pressure and knew Hunter had slipped a finger
alongside his cock that was thrusting in and out.

“Fuck me, jellybean,” Quinn whispered into Tristan’s ear. He

could feel the static electricity building and knew he wasn’t going to
last much longer. The cracking and snapping inside his body was
proof that his climax was approaching. Quinn planted his feet firmly
into the mattress and raised his ass a little higher, feeling Hunter
claiming him a little deeper with that beautiful cock of his.

“Jellybean,” Quinn shouted as he bathed Tristan’s channel with

his seed. He pressed his hand between them and stroked Tristan’s
cock with vehemence, bringing his man to the edge.

“Quinn, Quinn, Quinn,” Tristan chanted, and then Quinn’s hand

became slick, filled with Tristan’s seed.

“Shit.” Hunter pistoned into Quinn, soon shouting out his own

release.

Tristan lay across Quinn’s chest, as Hunter pulled free and

collapsed beside them. All three fought to catch their breath. Quinn
petted Tristan’s back as he stretched his neck to kiss Hunter. “That
was incredible.”

“That it was,” Hunter agreed.
“Nap time.” Tristan yawned. “You guys have zapped all my

energy.”

So sex stopped him from saying sir as well. Good to know.
Quinn twisted around, laying Tristan between him and Hunter.

Cleanup could wait. This moment was too perfect to disturb right
now.

* * * *

Lynn Hagen

He crept around the outside of the house, staring into the bedroom

window. Well, wasn’t this interesting.

Three men in one bed.
The man ducked down, making his way back down the driveway.

He climbed into his car and stared at the address, memorizing it
before hightailing it out of there.

* * * *

Zeus hung up the phone, sitting back and resting his chin on his

thumb and index finger. “That was my cousin, Tony,” he said to his
Betas, Torem and Bald Eagle. They sat across from his desk, seated in
two chairs facing Zeus.

“That bad?” Eagle asked, sitting forward. He rested his elbow on

the desk, looking at Zeus with concern.

“I’m not sure. He went to Chey and Sidney’s pack, finally gaining

an audience with their Alpha. From what he tells me, all wolves were
accounted for, even the ones who came here and tried to attack the
soldiers. So, the question is, who was shooting at you and your
mate?” Zeus looked at Torem.

“That’s if the Alpha was telling the truth,” Eagle pointed out.
“True.” Zeus didn’t like the unknown. If it wasn’t the jackasses

that tried to kill Torem and Sidney, then who the hell was out there
shooting that day?

Hunter

Chapter Six

Tristan leafed through his drawings, trying to find the one he was

just recently working on. His mind replayed the scene from three days
ago.

Had he ever been happier then when Hunter and Quinn were

making love to him or just spending time with the two? Had he ever
felt that close to anyone like this before? No. Tristan knew the answer
right away. Although he had managed to stay away from Xavier for
three months this time, the shifter would soon find him. He always
did.

Tristan scratched one leg with the other, feeling somewhat content

at being in Quinn’s house alone. He didn’t like the idea at first,
thinking Xavier would find him. But now that Quinn and Hunter were
at work, it was peaceful, something he was enjoying while he was
drawing.

He jumped when he heard tapping at the bedroom window.

Tristan stared down at his drawing, terrified to look over his shoulder.
His stomach twisted into knots with fear. His fingers nearly broke the
pencil in half as he sat there, debating on what he should do.

Tristan closed his eyes when the tapping sounded again. Why did

he open the curtain for sunlight? That was stupid as hell considering
his circumstances. He slowly let the pencil go and sat it down. The
only thing he could do was make a run for it. Run out of the bedroom
and into the kitchen where Quinn and Hunter’s phone numbers were
placed next to the phone.

Tristan licked his lips, his heart racing a thousand beats a minute

to the point he could hear the pounding in his ears. The urge to sing

Lynn Hagen

was strong, but he suppressed it. Now was not the time. He needed to
hear what was going on.

Sliding slowly from the stool, Tristan stood. He kept his back to

the window as he counted. One, two, three…he shot to the bedroom
door and down the hallway, rounding the corner into the kitchen.

Tristan grabbed the cordless phone from its cradle and tried to

dial. His hands were shaking so badly, he couldn’t manage to press
the correct buttons.

He tried it again, this time managing to get the order of numbers

correct. “Hunter, someone is outside the house.”

His mate growled loudly. “On my way, get into a closet, any

closet.”

Tristan took the cordless with him, running into the guest

bedroom Quinn had occupied until they started sleeping in the same
bed a few days before. He shot to the closet and opened the door,
nearly slamming it into the wall he was so shaken up. Tristan closed
the door and scooted to the back of the closet.

He held his breath as he waited.
“Are you still there?” Hunter asked breathlessly.
“Yeah, I’m in the guestroom closet.” He swallowed, feeling his

throat dry out even further. Why wasn’t his mate shifting? That would
be quicker. Maybe because it was broad daylight and he had to come
through town to get to Tristan.

“Hello,” someone sang nastily from outside the bedroom.
Oh fuck, he was in the house! Tristan held the phone tight to his

ear, squeezing his eyes shut. This couldn’t be happening.

“Where are you?”
Tristan tried his best to remain still, but his body was trembling

uncontrollably. He opened his eyes, seeing a shadow pass under the
closet door. Please, please, please, let Hunter get here in time.

It felt like hours had passed since he ran in here. Where was

Hunter? Tristan covered his mouth, suppressing a scream when the

Hunter

closet door handle began to jiggle. When the door flew open, Tristan
did in fact scream at the top of his lungs.

“Tristan, are you okay?” Hunter knelt on the floor in front of the

closet.

“Yes.”
“Then stay in here. I’m going to hunt.” Hunter closed the closet

door, sealing Tristan in once more. He pulled the phone in front of
him, dialing Quinn’s phone number.

“Hey, jellybean, miss me already?”
“Someone’s in the house. Hunter has gone after him.”
“Where are you now?” He heard Quinn breathing heavily,

knowing his mate was running.

“In the guest room closet. Hunter told me to stay in here.” Tristan

bit his nails, fearing that Hunter would get hurt, but too afraid to come
out and help him. Right now he would be more of a hindrance than
help anyway. He’d never been able to win a fight with Xavier. That
was why he always ran.

“Stay in there, I’m on my way.”
“Believe me, I’m not going anywhere.” He pressed his body

against the closet wall. “Sir?”

“Yeah, baby?”
“I’m sorry for taking you away from work.” Tristan felt the need

to apologize. This is what he had feared from the beginning when
Quinn pulled him into his bedroom and away from the Alpha and the
others, getting him involved. Now Hunter was out there somewhere,
maybe getting hurt.

“Nonsense. If he is there, then we can end this once and for all.”

Tristan pressed the palm of his hand into his forehead. The thought of
facing Xavier terrified him. He knew his happiness with his two
mates had been too good to last. Now where would he go?

Tristan heard sirens from somewhere outside. “Did you call the

police, sir?”

“I had Dino call them. Do you hear them?”

Lynn Hagen

“Yes.”
“Stay in the closet until they find you. Don’t come out for any

reason. I’m almost there.”

Tristan leaned forward, resting his forehead on his knees as he

prayed Hunter was okay. Xavier was a tricky bastard. If he knew his
ex, he would lure Hunter away from the house and then fight dirty.

Tristan’s head shot up when the closet door flew open for the

second time. “Hey, Tristan, it’s just the sheriff, Jesse DeKalb. Come
on out. Dino called and said you were having a bit of trouble.”

Tristan dropped the phone and crawled on his hands and knees,

exiting the closet. There was another uniformed officer standing in the
middle of the bedroom. “This is Craig Hanes, my deputy.”

He could scent that Jesse was a shifter, but Craig was human. Not

knowing if the deputy was aware of were-creatures, Tristan remained
silent. He knew that if he opened his mouth right now, everything
would fly out of it. Censorship wasn’t a strong point of his under
intense situations.

“Tristan!” Quinn called from outside the bedroom. Tristan got to

his feet and then ran through the door and into his mate’s arms. He
began to cry as Quinn held him, making him feel safe once again.
“Ssshhh, I have you, jellybean.” And Quinn did. He held Tristan
tightly in his arms. He kissed Tristan’s head, tightening his hold
further.

“I was so scared.” Tristan cried. He didn’t care who was

watching. Knowing Quinn had him took a thousand-pound weight off
of him. “Hunter, he went after him. We have to find him.” Tristan
pulled away and wiped his eyes, noticing for the first time the men
standing behind Quinn.

“Dino, I need shifters to scent Hunter and find him,” Quinn told

the foreman.

“You are aware that Dino isn’t a shifter, sir, right?” Tristan asked

his mate. He glanced over at the deputy. Craig must be aware of
shifters for his mate to say this out loud.

Hunter

“I’m aware. But there are more men outside, and they are.”
“I need you to tell us what happened, Tristan,” the sheriff said as

he and the deputy came out of the bedroom. He didn’t want to tell
these men about Xavier, didn’t want them to look at him with disdain
for bringing trouble to their town.

“Someone broke in,” Tristan offered. He could see the questioning

look on the sheriff’s face. He knew the answer was flimsy, but he
wasn’t ready to go into a full-blown explanation. Not now.

“Can we discuss this once Hunter is found?” Quinn asked, pulling

Tristan into the living room.

“I’m here.” Hunter walked into the living room and came directly

to them. Once Tristan had both his mates next to him, he looked up at
the sheriff. “I couldn’t find whoever was here. I lost his scent trail.”

At least the person left one.
Now he wouldn’t sound like he made it up. After spotting Xavier

yesterday, then the man disappearing, Tristan began to wonder if he
hadn’t been seeing things. “I was sitting in Quinn’s bedroom drawing
when I heard tapping at the window. I ran into the kitchen, grabbed
the phone, and called Hunter. He was the closest. I ran into the closet
and hid. I heard the person ask where I was—”

“He was in the house?” Quinn growled.
Tristan placed his hand on his seething mate, seeing Quinn’s

nostrils flare. He could smell the anger rolling off of Quinn. “Yes,
sir.” Tristan laid his head on Quinn’s chest, reaching out and grabbing
Hunter’s hand. Hunter pressed his chest into Tristan’s back, giving
him comfort.

“I’ll need a description of the man, so I can put out an APB.” The

sheriff grabbed a small pad from his back pocket.

“I don’t know. I never saw him, just heard him.”
The sheriff nodded, tucking the pad back into his pocket. “I’ll go

get a scent. Maybe he’ll show himself and I can arrest him.” The
sheriff left the living room, the deputy close behind.

Lynn Hagen

* * * *

Hunter cuddled Tristan on his lap as Quinn talked with the men

who had come with him. He never wanted a scare like that again.
Rushing from the store, he had worried the whole way that he
wouldn’t be in time to save his mate. “Do you want to lie down for a
bit, rainbow?”

Tristan nodded, clinging to Hunter as he got up from the couch

and walked down the hall. “I saw Xavier yesterday.”

Hunter stopped walking and looked down at his slim mate. “Why

didn’t you tell us? When?”

“We were standing outside the deli. I thought I was just seeing

things. One minute he was getting into his car, the next, he was gone.”

Hunter took Tristan into the bedroom, placing the trembling

shifter on the bed. “Close the curtains, please,” Tristan asked shakily.

Hunter closed them, crawling onto the bed and spooning Tristan.

“The Alpha has offered refuge at his home until Xavier is caught. I
think we should take him up on his offer.”

“He asked you and Quinn, too? I won’t go if you two aren’t there

as well, sir.” Tristan turned in Hunter’s arms, pressing their chests
close together.

“Wouldn’t have it any another way, rainbow.”
“Why do you call me that? Why does Quinn call me jellybean?”
“I don’t know about Quinn, but you are a miracle to me, like a

bright rainbow in the sky. It’s not often a shifter finds his mate, and I
found both of mine. How much more of a miracle could that be?”

Yeah, it sounded corny, but that was how Hunter felt from the

moment he saw Tristan on that dark country road. Okay, maybe not
the first moment, but soon after.

“Wow, that’s so…cheesy.” Tristan laughed. “But I like it, thank

you.” Tristan tucked his head under Hunter’s chin and sighed. “Why
don’t you have a pet name for Quinn?”

Hunter

“Do you really think Quinn would let me call him something like

that?” Hunter chuckled. “‘Honey buns’ doesn’t seem to fit him.”

“How is he?” Quinn asked as he stepped into the bedroom.
“Getting better.” Hunter held his hand out, Quinn crossing the

room to take it. “Come lay with us.”

Quinn walked to the other side of the bed and got in behind

Tristan, draping his arm over the both of them. His thumb began to
rub back and forth over Hunter’s hip, the contact pleasing to him.

“So when were either of you going to tell me I’m your mate?”

Quinn asked. He didn’t sound angry, nor did he smell like that spicy
scent anger gave off. But he did sound hurt. Hunter mentally cursed.

“That’s my fault, sir,” Tristan confessed.
“How is that, jellybean?”
“We were trying to figure out the best way to tell you. Although

you know about shifters, being a mate is more significant. I suggested
we wait to tell you. So don’t blame Hunter, sir. I take the blame for
that.”

“How did you find out?” Hunter asked.
“Torem. He was out there with Dino and Sidney in the front yard,

helping to track Xavier.” Quinn rolled to his back, staring up at the
ceiling.

Hunter watched him closely. His gut tightening the longer Quinn

took to speak. This had been major news, and he kept it from his
mate. No matter what Tristan said, he should have been the one to
stand up and tell Quinn. He was the older shifter, the stronger one. It
was his job, and he’d failed at it. Now all he could do was pray Quinn
didn’t turn his back on them.

“Alpha Zeus wanted us to move in until Xavier is caught.” Tristan

ran his fingers over Hunter’s collarbone. He could feel the tremble in
his fingers. “Will you go with us?”

“Sure, when do we go?”
Hunter didn’t like Quinn’s mood swing. He seemed too cheerful

now. Something was going on in Quinn’s head, and the construction

Lynn Hagen

worker wasn’t sharing. He’d rather Quinn shout, be angry, anything
but the avoidance he was showing. How had he fucked this up? Never
having been in a relationship before, Hunter was at a loss on how to
handle this.

“Whenever you want, sir.” Tristan glanced up at Hunter, his eyes

telling him that Tristan felt it, too. He leaned down and kissed
Tristan’s fiery red hair, pulling them both closer to him. No matter
how long it took, he would fix this.

* * * *

“Is that everything?” Hunter asked as he walked out of the

bedroom with Tristan’s bags.

“I think so.” Tristan glanced around, running back over to his

drawing table once more and looking around.

It didn’t escape Hunter’s attention that Tristan was using the word

sir less and less. He seemed to be getting more comfortable around
him and Quinn. It had been a week before they could get things
together to move up to the Alpha’s house. But Tristan had spent his
days there while he and Quinn worked.

There were some days Tristan spent with him at the hardware

store. His rainbow used the time to draw, but he felt bad that Tristan
just sat there all day, so he introduced his mate to Sully, asking his
friend to take Tristan to Zeus’s and introduce him to everyone.

“Looks like everything.” Tristan grabbed his art bag from the bed

and followed Hunter to his truck. There were a few soldiers outside,
Zeus’s orders, waiting on them to pack. Quinn had packed the night
before, having left this morning to go to work. His construction
worker pretended everything was fine, but Hunter could see past that.
Quinn was upset. If only he would talk to them about the situation.

Every time he or Tristan brought it up, Quinn quickly changed the

subject. It was frustrating as hell, but he had caused this, so what did
he expect?

Hunter

“Quinn said he’ll meet you two there after work,” Sully said as he

grabbed the bags from Hunter and tossed them in the truck. “He
probably told you before he left for work, but asked me to tell you. I
told you, we’re good now.” Sully chuckled.

Quinn hadn’t said anything, but Sully didn’t need to know that.

“You guys following us?”

“Right behind you,” Sully said over his shoulder as he walked to

his vehicle, Torem and Avanti waiting by the soldier’s truck.

The hairs on the back of Hunter’s neck stood up. He dropped the

bag into the bed of the truck, looking around. There was nothing out
of the ordinary, but he wasn’t taking any chances. Someone was
watching them. “Let’s get moving, rainbow. Someone’s watching us.”

Tristan jumped into Hunter’s truck, his art bag clutched to his

chest. Hunter locked the doors, pulling from the drive. He scanned the
neighborhood as he drove through it, keeping an eye out for anyone
paying too close attention to them.

They made it to Zeus’s house, but Hunter bet his life that they

were still being watched. He quickly helped Tristan inside, informing
the soldiers of his gut feeling. Avanti and Sully headed out, going to
look for his gut instinct. One of the Alpha’s mates, Jasper, showed
them to a room. “Let me know if you guys need anything.”

“Thanks.” Hunter set the bags by the dresser, checking out the

room they were in.

“This is nice.” Tristan set his art bag on the bed. Hunter was going

to have to ask if they had a drawing table in this place. If not, he’d go
get Tristan’s from the house.

“I guess this is our hotel until Xavier is caught.” Hunter walked

into the bathroom, checking, for what, he wasn’t sure. The look of
utter defeat on Tristan’s face was too much for him right now. Hunter
didn’t know how to fix it, he didn’t know how to fix Quinn, and he
didn’t know how to fix any of this fucking mess. What kind of mated
shifter was he if he couldn’t help his mates? He was the Alpha of the
three. This should come easily to him. But it didn’t.

Lynn Hagen

Hunter sat on the toilet seat, wondering what he was going to do

to get back to where the three used to be, like that evening in the
living room when they danced around, not caring about the world
outside. How easy it was to forget the good when you fucked up.

“Hunter?”
Hunter blew out a long breath and stood, running his hand through

his hair as he exited the bathroom. “Yeah, rainbow?”

“Is Quinn really going to be here?”
“I wish I knew.” Hunter grabbed his mate in his arms and held

him close. “We can’t give up on him. No matter how much he hates
us right now.”

“I don’t hate you.”
Hunter and Tristan spun around to see Quinn standing in the

doorway. His instincts were to pull Quinn into their arms, but the look
on his face stopped him. Quinn wasn’t ready. Give him space.

“Are you sure? I miss us.” Tristan took a step in Quinn’s

direction, but their mate shook his head.

“I’m not sure about anything right now, but I can assure you I

don’t hate either of you. I’m just very pissed and hurt right now. If
what I’m told is true, then mates are for life, and you start ours off
with a lie?”

“We didn’t lie,” Hunter said.
“No, but you omitted the truth. It’s the same thing in my book.

How do I know I can trust you now?”

Tristan stood there shaking. “Trust? I made a bad judgment call. I

won’t say it’s the smartest thing I’ve ever done, but it was in good
intention. If you want to talk about trust, think about how much I’ve
given both of you. Do you know how much courage it took me to give
both of you my trust? I fucked up and I’m sorry, but don’t punish us,
at least not at a time like this.” Tristan’s voice broke, his scent
smelling of fear and anger.

Hunter

“Tristan.” Quinn took a step into the room. “That was something

major you chose to keep from me. How do I know you won’t do it
again?”

“I might. I make bad mistakes. Look at Xavier. But mates forgive

each other. Hell, partners, lovers, and friends forgive each other as
well. I didn’t withhold the information being malicious. I did it out of
fear. Fear that you would leave us if you found out. All I’m asking is
that you understand why I did it.”

Quinn twisted his fingers together and laid them on top of his

head, staring at the ceiling. “I understand, but both of you need to
understand how much of an outsider I feel like.”

“Why?” Hunter closed the distance between them, cupping

Quinn’s face. “Talk to us.”

“You’re both shifters. I’m not. How would that make you feel?”
“I never thought of us like that. I don’t see you as human and us

as shifters. I see us as mates, friends, a team fighting against an evil
after our mate, being there for each other, not shutting anyone out.”

Quinn began to chuckle. “So now we are superheroes?”
“We could be, but you’re wearing the tights.” Hunter loved

hearing that laugh once more. He missed it. Having discord between
them wasn’t something any of them should go through.

“I need both of you to promise me that you’ll never hide anything

from me again,” Quinn stated with conviction, his voice brooking no
argument. “If I’m your mate—”

“You are. There is no if about it,” Tristan corrected Quinn.
“Fine, since I’m your mate then you are the two people in this

world I shouldn’t have to worry about keeping secrets from me.”

All three turned when someone knocked on the door. Zeus stood

there with Eagle and Torem. This couldn’t be good.

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but the fire department is at your

house, Quinn. Someone just burned it to the ground.”

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Seven

Quinn watched as the fireman finished putting out the fire. The

house was completely ruined. Whoever had done this meant business.
“It was a rental. I’ll have to get in touch with the owner. I hope he had
insurance,” Quinn said to Hunter and the fire chief. Thank goodness
they had taken all their personal items to Zeus’s.

“They used an accelerant. Gasoline is the predominant scent here.

Whoever did this,” the chief said, looking at the house and then at the
pair, “wanted the occupants dead.”

So the chief was a shifter as well. He just used the word scent.

Quinn kicked at a chard piece of wood with the tip of his boot. He
hated feeling like the odd man out. It wasn’t so much that Hunter and
Tristan had kept the news of being mates from him, it was more of the
fact that they automatically knew and Quinn hadn’t. He was already
attracted to them and couldn’t imagine being without them, so the
revelation of being mates wasn’t what ticked him off.

Dino had said that the way they were acting with each other was

the same way he, Torem, and Sidney were, as mates. It was like
Hunter and Tristan shared a secret he wasn’t privy to.

“Do you have any idea who may have started this?” the chief

asked.

“No.” Quinn wanted to talk this over with his mates and the Alpha

before divulging any information. He didn’t want to lie, but he wasn’t
ready to divulge his suspicions just yet.

Quinn took one last look at the charred ruins before turning away

and walking to the truck. This was no idle threat against Tristan. If

Hunter

this was indeed Xavier, then he upped the antes, making this a death
threat.

He and Hunter rode back to the house in relative silence. Quinn

knew he was being childish and needed to get over his “I want what
you guys have” fit. It wasn’t fair to Hunter or his jellybean. Quinn
pushed the sunglasses up from his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his
nose with his thumb and index finger. This had been one hell of a day.

Quinn walked exhaustedly into the house and up the stairs once

they got back to Zeus’s. He dropped his keys on the dresser and
noticed Tristan’s drawings. “Hey, Hunter, come look at these.” Quinn
picked up a few drawings that were lying on the dresser. It appeared
Tristan was using the dresser as his table for now.

“Tristan drew those?” Hunter asked as he looked over Quinn’s

shoulder.

Quinn picked up one drawing after the next. Most were of the new

house being built. The details and design were exemplary. “When he
said he liked to draw, I had no idea he was an artist.” Quinn shuffled
through a few more, one sketch catching his attention.

A grin spread across his face as he looked at a rendering of all

three of them. Tristan was standing in the middle, wearing one of his
outrageous outfits, including his fedora hat. But he had drawn Hunter
and Quinn as Roman warriors, complete with studded collars,
adjustable waist wraps, and lace-up cuffs. “Is this how he sees us?”

“His protectors.” Hunter took the sketch from Quinn’s hand and

studied it. “Wow, the depiction of me is so detailed,” Hunter said in
an impressed tone.

“I think Dino and Zeus would like to see the additions Tristan

added on in these drawings. They’re incredible.” The rendering was
better than their blueprints. The elevations were sharp, and the angles
were irregular and stood out. Tristan missed his calling. “He used a
thirty-degree angle instead of a standard ninety degree.”

“What does that mean?” Hunter asked.

Lynn Hagen

“It just means when people see something out of the ordinary,

they’re drawn to it. It’s not your typical box shape but something
more original.” He pointed out the different views Tristan had used in
his renderings. “It’s absolutely amazing.”

“You really think so, sir?” Quinn and Hunter looked over their

shoulders to see Tristan standing in the doorway, shifting from foot to
foot. The look on his face mingled uneasiness and hopefulness. “I was
told my drawings were mediocre at best.”

Quinn shook his head, holding up the sketch of the three of them.

“There is nothing mediocre about this, jellybean. You have a talent
most people wish they had.” Quinn could see Tristan’s eyes light up
at his praise. How could he stay mad at him, or Hunter?

“Thank you. That’s all I ever wanted to hear, that I’m good at

something.” Tristan took the sketch from Quinn’s hand. “Yes, that’s
how I see both of you.”

“Then I can see myself ordering online.” Quinn chuckled.
“Speak for yourself.” Hunter grunted. There was a faint hint of

humor in his dazzling eyes. “You two are not putting me in a skirt,
even a man skirt.”

All three began to laugh at Hunter’s protest. Tristan turned his

head and batted his eyelashes at him. Quinn didn’t think his jellybean
did it on purpose, but his stomach twisted in anticipation when he saw
the lust in Tristan’s eyes. His jellybean wanted them to wear the
outfits. He was turned on as well thinking of the role-playing.

“Get on the bed.” Quinn pointed, looking Tristan in those emerald

green eyes. “Hunter and I have need of you.”

“Need of me, sir?” Tristan giggled. “I like that.” Tristan sat the

drawing down, ran across the room and closed the door, engaging the
lock before stripping his clothes off and jumping on the bed. “Need
away, my barbarians.”

“I think he really wants us to wear those damn costumes.” Hunter

looked at Quinn with a quirked brow and a devilish grin.

Hunter

“And I plan on it.” Quinn said as he shucked his clothes and

crawled between Tristan’s legs. “Even the skirt.” Quinn ran his
tongue from base to head, watching Tristan’s eyes roll to the back of
his head. His jellybean’s legs spread further apart, his hands reaching
out for Hunter.

“What does my rainbow want?” Hunter teased as he tossed his

clothes aside. Fuck, it must be a shifter thing because Hunter’s cock
was large and thick, just like Tristan’s. Talk about glorious romps
together.

* * * *

Tristan was so hard his cock hurt, and to see Hunter standing there

asshole-naked, his salivary glands were working overtime. “I want to
suck you.”

He was getting better at not saying sir. He wasn’t where he

wanted to be with the word, but it was better than the word coming
out with every sentence he spoke. His goal was to eliminate it
completely from his vocabulary.

Tristan licked his lips as Hunter crawled on his knees across the

bed, that supersonic cock in his hand. He wasn’t sure what he wanted
more, for Quinn to fuck him or to suck that delectable cock Hunter
was showing off.

Decisions, decisions.
Why not both? Tristan pushed up to his elbows and licked at the

head of Hunter’s cock while Quinn tried to siphon his sperm from his
balls through the eye in his cockhead. Tristan didn’t want to come that
way. He wrapped his legs around Quinn’s head, using his thighs to
suppress the need to donate his little soldiers to Quinn’s saliva.

“Someone wants me to fuck him.” Quinn slapped Tristan’s hip as

he rose from between his legs. “On your knees.”

Tristan gave one more lavish lick to Hunter’s cock before getting

into the leapfrog position. Hunter walked on his knees to the

Lynn Hagen

headboard, repositioning himself so his prick was directly in front of
Tristan’s mouth.

Naughty, naughty man. Tristan opened when Hunter tapped his

cock against Tristan’s cheek. He suckled and slobbed, taking in as
much as he could. Quinn’s preparations were driving him crazy. He
could scent Quinn’s desire, and it was distinctive from Hunter’s.
Quinn rolled his balls around while stretching his hole. This only
drove him more insane with lust.

Tristan hummed around Hunter’s cock, drinking in the pre-cum as

Quinn slid the head of his cock into Tristan’s asshole, and then he
pulled out. Tristan wanted to protest, but that was kind of hard with an
extra-large dick in his mouth. Quinn slid in again, and then pulled
free.

Tristan grabbed the base of Hunter’s cock and pulled it from his

mouth. “Will you fuck me already?”

Quinn chuckled evilly behind him. “I was wondering how long it

was going to take for you to say something.”

“I was enjoying this big cock in my—ugh.” Tristan squeaked.
Quinn thrust in all the way to the root. He would swear to anyone

that he could feel every vein and ridge of Quinn’s dick in his ass.
Hunter opened Tristan’s mouth and began to fuck it with his dick.
Tristan clawed at Hunter’s muscled thighs as his mouth and ass were
being well used. Having both major orifices filled was a thrill he
wouldn’t tire of anytime soon.

“You have such a sweet ass.” Quinn rubbed his hands over

Tristan’s mounds, praising them as he fucked Tristan’s ass.

“And such a sweet mouth,” Hunter added, caressing Tristan’s

swollen cheeks, running his fingers over Tristan’s throat muscles. He
knew his mate was feeling the muscles work Hunter’s dick. “I’m
gonna come soon, rainbow.” Hunter hissed as he snapped his hips
harder.

“Almost there.” Quinn grunted behind him.

Hunter

Tristan knew he was going to be the first. Having two powerful

men love on him like this was an aphrodisiac unlike anything he’d
ever experienced, and he loved it. He reached under himself and
grabbed his own cock, tugging at it as Hunter fucked his mouth and
Quinn fucked his ass, feeling both cocks work his senses over.

Tristan hummed around Hunter’s prick as he came, his body

convulsing with his release.

“That’s it, rainbow, come for us,” Hunter cooed. “Because I’m

about to come for you,” Hunter warned and then stiffened, holding
Tristan’s head as he came down his throat. The taste was divine
against his tongue.

“Hell,” Quinn shouted, ramming his cock deep into Tristan’s ass,

feeling Quinn’s prick throbbing with its release. His anus seemed to
milk every last seed from Quinn.

“I need a V8.” Tristan fell forward, right into Hunter’s thighs.
“Come on, rainbow, I have you.” Hunter chuckled as he rolled

Tristan to his side.

* * * *

Tristan walked into the living room, softly humming to himself as

he looked around. It was homey enough, a comfortable arrangement.
But it wasn’t Quinn’s place.

“Hello, Tristan.”
“Uh, hello.” Tristan spotted the dark-haired man sitting off in one

corner. His expression was a mixture of sad and thoughtful. “Who are
you?”

“My name is Chey. I’m Torem’s brother.”
Tristan took a closer look. The man was wearing long sleeves and

leather gloves. It was a little too hot for that. “If you don’t mind me
asking, why are you dressed like it’s fall outside?”

Lynn Hagen

Chey smiled at him sadly as he looked down at his leather-

covered hands. “My touch isn’t always welcomed,” he said softly,
sadly.

What kind of touching did Chey do exactly? “I don’t understand,

si—Chey.”

“Let’s just say people fall apart if they come in contact with me.”

Chey turned his head, pretty much dismissing Tristan. None of it
made sense, but if the shifter didn’t want to talk about it, who was he
to pry? It wasn’t like he was an open book himself about what
happened with him and his life with Xavier.

Tristan took a step back, feeling like he was invading on the

man’s quiet time. “I won’t bother you.”

Chey looked back at him, shaking his head. “It’s okay. I just

wanted you warned before you accidently touched me. God forbid I
have a heart attack and you have to do CPR on me.”

Well, that was sure morbid thinking. Were all the occupants of

this house so grim? Tristan wasn’t sure what to make of Chey. The
man didn’t look crazy, but his words were sounding like he sure was.

“You a mate?” A short-statured Asian man walked into the living

room asking. “We being crowded here.”

“But this house has, like, fifty thousand rooms,” Tristan pointed

out.

“So, still too crowded. Who you with?” The man glared at him,

looking him up and down.

“Hunter and Quinn?”
“Not know them. You must go.” The guy began jabbing his finger

at the front door. “And take funny hat with you.”

That’s it. He was tired of people making fun of him. “There is

nothing wrong with my hat, mister. I happened to like it and my
clothes, and only my opinion matters!”

“You say words, but I no hear.” The man moved his fingers in a

talking gesture. “It still funny hat.”

Hunter

“Did they find out who burned your house down?” Chey sat

forward as he asked.

Tristan ignored the hostile human in front of him. “No, I wish

they would so we can find our own place.” Tristan stopped talking
and sniffed the air. Oh, man. That smell was entering his nostrils and
going straight to his stomach. How long had it been since he ate
bacon?

“Smells like Jasper is up and cooking,” Chey stated. “Want to go

see if he made enough for everyone?”

“I don’t want to be a bother.” But he did want to be the bacon

tester if Jasper needed one. Was that hickory flavor he smelled?

Chey grinned, waving his hand toward the doorway. “Let’s go

find out what he’s cooking.”

Tristan’s stomach followed Chey to the kitchen. If he could eat

the scent, he’d be obese right now. Heck, Tristan would be happy to
gain twenty pounds. He’d always been a skinny guy, a small wolf,
and the shortest around. It seemed no matter what he tried, he
couldn’t gain weight.

“Smells good in here,” Chey said as he took a seat at the table.

“You gonna share?”

“Yep, I made enough for an army, and the way those soldiers eat,

that might not be enough.” Jasper chuckled as he pulled the bacon
from the frying pan, and then added some raw pieces to the heated
skillet. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you that I liked your hair.”

“That’s because it matches yours.” Tristan laughed.
“I am partial to redheads. I tried to get Toby to dye his, but he just

pouted for a few days, something about trying to change him. As if. I
just wanted to see how he would look.” Jasper smiled at Tristan, his
eyes full of mischief.

Toby growled and grabbed Jasper around his waist. “Mine.”
“Isn’t he cute? Ever since mates started showing up here, he’s

gone all possessive on me. It must be a human thing.” Jasper chuckled
and kissed Toby. “He even growls better than a wolf.”

Lynn Hagen

“I’m standing right here.” Toby pouted, sticking his bottom lip

out.

Although Tristan had met the couple and had lived here for a

week, he was just now getting to know them, and he liked them. “I
know what you mean, Toby. I feel the same way about Hunter and
Quinn, so it must not be a human thing but a mate thing.”

“Don’t encourage him.” Jasper set Toby aside and brought

breakfast to the table. “I suggest you get your portion now before the
mass of wolves comes in and sucks the kitchen clean.”

“We heard that,” Memphis quipped as he came into the kitchen

and grabbed a plate. “I still say my cooking is better.”

“Not even on a good day, buster.” Jasper pointed his spatula at the

soldier. Tristan was enjoying the friendly bantering. He hadn’t been
around a lot of people before, not like this, under one roof, and he was
having fun.

“Hey, squirt.” Sidney patted Tristan on the back as he grabbed a

plate and filled it. “How are you holding up?”

Tristan chewed his bacon and swallowed before answering.

“Good.”

The soldiers sat at the table as they ate and talked. The laughter

and camaraderie made Tristan smile. It was loud and filled with
wisecracks and chuckles. It felt like a home. Like the home he had
grown up in, and the feeling made him nostalgic.

His only dark spot in life was Xavier. Tristan’s home life had been

wonderful with loving parents and good friends. One wrong decision
and his life had taken a wrong turn.

Tristan brushed the thought away, not wanting his good mood

hampered with thoughts of that bastard.

He wasn’t sure what he was going to do today while Hunter and

Quinn worked, but he was glad to be here.

“Psst.” Sidney leaned over as the others around the table ate and

talked.

Hunter

Tristan looked up just as he shoved a forkful of eggs into his

mouth.

“You wouldn’t happen to have a Red Bull on you, would you?”

* * * *

Hunter pulled into the jobsite, waiting for Quinn to get off of

work. He closed the hardware store early so the three could have a
nice evening together. They left the decision up to Tristan to choose
what they were going to do. The wolf seemed to bask in the glow of
making decisions on his own, and Hunter liked the way it made his
rainbow’s cheeks color.

“I have the sketches.” Hunter walked over to Quinn and Dino,

handing Dino Tristan’s rendering and then grabbing his mate and
planting a kiss soundly on his lips. He didn’t care who was watching,
he missed his mates today.

Quinn grabbed Hunter’s arms and wrapped them around his

shoulders as Dino looked at Tristan’s drawings. “Have you shown
these to Zeus?”

“No, I wanted to see what you thought of them first,” Quinn

answered.

“They’re fantastic. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Alpha decided to

go with these. Why haven’t I hired him yet?” Dino looked at Quinn,
amusement flashing across his face.

“Because we haven’t caught the man trying to kill him,” Hunter

gruffly reminded the foreman. “Until we do, he stays in the Alpha’s
home while we work.”

“When he’s gained his freedom, I’d like to talk to him. These are

just…wow.” Dino flipped through the drawings, mumbling to himself
as he studied them.

“I guess our man is a hit.” Quinn chuckled, entwining his fingers

in Hunter’s.

Lynn Hagen

“I’d like him to work for us. It would give him self-confidence

and a feeling of accomplishment, something I think he sorely needs,”
Dino said as he continued to stare at the drawings.

“That decision has to be his, Dino. I won’t force him into anything

he doesn’t want to do. Though I doubt we’d have to tempt him into
working, I think he really likes being an artist.” Hunter inhaled his
mate’s scent as he held him. “How are you holding up through all of
this, babe?”

“I’m good. Working helps. You?”
Hunter loved that Quinn asked about him. It showed his mate

cared. “All right. I missed you guys during the day. I wish there was
more to do at the store so Tristan could spend the day with me, but I
can’t in good conscience have him sitting around while I sell wood.”

“Something tells me he’d sit there while you sold cow dung.”

Quinn laughed.

“I know he would. That’s why I wanted him to stay at the Alpha’s

home during the day, gives him something to do.”

Quinn followed Hunter to the truck, both ready to start their

evening. Hunter pulled out of the jobsite and headed back to Zeus’s
house.

“I have a pressing problem that needs immediate attention.”

Hunter grinned as he watched the road. “Think you can help me out?”

“I can see your pressing problem from here.” Quinn slid across

the seat and unsnapped Hunter’s jeans. “And I like what I see.” He
reached into Hunter’s jeans, freeing his heavy cock.

“What are you going to do with that?” Hunter noticed his voice

had dropped. It was husky and strained from want. He lifted from the
seat, allowing Quinn to pull his pants down to his thighs.

“You’ll see.”
Hunter pulled the truck to the side of the road once he got the

vehicle back under control. The instant contact of hot lips to his shaft
made him swerve. Thank goodness the road was clear of traffic.

Hunter

He threw it into park and moved the seat back, grabbing Quinn’s

hair as his mate sucked his dick. Quinn’s tongue made a path down
his cock, lapping at his balls. Hunter groaned, wishing his jeans were
off.

“Suck it, baby.” Hunter ran his fingers through Quinn’s hair, his

canines descending as Quinn sucked him like a treat. When Quinn got
onto his knees on the seat, all Hunter wanted to do was fuck him. He
wet his finger and then shoved his hand down the back of Quinn’s
pants, probing at his tight hole. When Quinn moaned around his cock,
Hunter pushed his finger into the snug space.

Quinn’s hips moved around as he took Hunter down his throat. He

slid a second finger in, grabbing Quinn’s hair as his mate swirled his
tongue around the head of Hunter’s prick. He wanted to bite. Fuck, he
wanted to bite Quinn in his shoulder. His gums ached to do so.

“I have to fuck you, baby.” Hunter pled. Quinn rose up and kicked

his boots off, pulling his jeans down and off.

“We better not get caught out here.”
“We won’t. Take the shirt off, too.” Hunter pulled his shirt over

his head and pushed his jeans to his ankles. “Get on.”

Quinn squirmed around until he was straddling Hunter’s lap. He

gasped as bare chest met bare chest. Hunter reached behind Quinn
and held his cock as Quinn impaled himself and sank down inch by
slow inch. “No lube. It kind of burns.”

“Do you want to stop?” Hunter took deep breaths, preparing

himself for Quinn to climb off. His cock jerked in protest, but he
wouldn’t have his mate in pain.

“No, just give me a minute.”
Hunter spread Quinn’s ass cheeks apart, hoping that helped.

Hunter closed his eyes. It felt like, skin to skin, they were as one.
They weren’t just connected by body, but by soul. He could feel it.

Quinn cupped the back of Hunter’s head as he seated his twin

mounds on Hunter’s groin. Quinn’s lips found his, and Hunter gave
himself freely to the passion of Quinn’s kiss. His tongue explored the

Lynn Hagen

soft recesses of his mate’s mouth, and Hunter was lost to the delicious
sensation.

Quinn gasped into his mouth, rising up and then coming back

down, thoroughly enjoying the ride. Hunter’s hands ghosted over
Quinn’s bare back, exploring the hard lines of Quinn’s body.

“Baby, I’m close.” Quinn panted into Hunter’s mouth. “Take

over, fuck me, please.”

Hunter sunk his fingers into Quinn’s sides and shoved his cock up

into his mate’s tight star. He repeated the action over and over again.
Every time was a little harder, a little more forceful. Hunter could feel
his cockhead plunging in and out of Quinn, his sensitized skin turning
his body into a vessel of exposed nerve endings.

Hunter’s callused hand pushed between their joined bodies and

grabbed Quinn’s cock, holding it tight as he thrust repeatedly. Hell if
he knew where his coordination was coming from considering his
brain was melting from craving his mate’s body to come all over him.

He leaned forward, lapping at his mate’s neck and then sinking his

teeth into Quinn’s shoulder. The rush shot through Hunter at lightning
speed, Quinn crying out as he bathed Hunter’s hand with his seed.
The tight grip Quinn’s ass had on Hunter’s cock took him over the
edge, and his body shattered as he filled Quinn with his cum.

Licking the wound closed, Hunter’s head fell back on the

headrest, trying desperately to catch his breath. Quinn laid his head on
Hunter’s chest, his breathing just as erratic.

“As much as I want to stay just like this, we have to get back to

our mate.” Hunter ran the tips of his fingers down Quinn’s spine,
hating the fact that they had to move.

“I know. Five more minutes, Ma.” Quinn chuckled, his laughter

vibrating Hunters chest.

“Come on, troublemaker. We have to go.” Hunter gave Quinn a

tight hug and then released him. “Get dressed. I don’t want you
walking in there naked, or I’ll have to carve everyone’s eyes out,
except Tristan’s.”

Hunter

“I’m moving,” Quinn grumbled, pulling his leg from the other

side of Hunter’s hip. “In the rulebook of sex, it clearly states that a
man is entitled to a nap after unloading his balls.”

“As soon as we get back, you nut.” Hunter laughed, straightening

his clothes out and waiting for Quinn to get dressed and buckled in.
Quinn had a point. A nap was in order.

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Eight

Quinn leaned against the counter, Tristan’s back pulled to his

chest and his arms wrapped lightly around his jellybean’s waist as he
threw his head back and roared with laughter. Tristan was covering
his mouth, trying his best to cover his giggle.

“I’m serious, man. You have to see Sid at bingo on Red Bull. It’s

not a pretty sight. I thought those women were going to beat him with
their bingo cards. Missy had to pull him out of there.” Dino held his
side as he tried to speak and laugh at the same time. He dried his eyes,
after-giggles bubbling up from his chest. “Poor Sidney was running
down the street with Missy, trying to hide from Missy’s grandmother
who swore Sidney dabbed each space on purpose.” Dino held his
chest as he gave in and laughed out loud.

“She had a lethal handbag.” Sidney pouted. “I couldn’t help it. I

got overly excited and began dabbing everyone’s card.”

“Are you banned from bingo now?” Tristan asked with

merriment.

“No. They agreed to let me come back if I stayed sugar-free on

Wednesdays.”

Quinn held onto Tristan as he laughed until his sides and cheeks

were sore. He didn’t fail to notice how relaxed and happy Tristan
appeared. His jellybean was even more gorgeous when he smiled. The
word sir was almost nonexistent now. The only time he heard Tristan
use it was when he was nervous. Which, these days, was rare.

“Don’t pout, baby.” Dino pulled Sidney into his arms. “At least

they let you come back.” He laughed again, Sidney punching him in
his arm.

Hunter

“Thanks to Missy calming everyone down and promising that I

would behave.” Sidney’s lips curled in, and then he began to laugh as
well. “And I have to sit at my own table, away from everyone else’s
cards.”

Tristan wiped his face, his smile lighting up the room as he

laughed.

“That’s like the time my mom had to rescue me from the

neighbor’s poodle. My cousin convinced me that Mr. Fluffy Bottom
liked to be hand-fed sausages. He omitted the part where the dog
always thought your fingers were the sausages. Mrs. Gladstone ran
around in circles with her arms in the air, screaming for Mr. Fluffy
Bottom to let my fingers go as my mom tried to distract the dog with
a can of tuna.” Tristan laughed. “What dog eats tuna?”

Quinn listened closely as he chuckled. This was the first time

Tristan talked about something from his childhood. “How old were
you?”

“Believe it or not, seventeen.”
Dino and Sidney roared with laughter. Quinn could see how

pleased Tristan was with the feeling of belonging. All his baby
needed were good friends and two loving mates to help him through
the murky waters. “My cousin was grounded for a week after that.
But every once in a while, he would leave a can of tuna by my
bedroom door and run away, swearing it wasn’t him when I asked.”

“Did you throw the cans away?” Quinn asked, kissing his man on

the cheek.

“No, I became very good at making tuna salad, tuna casserole, and

feeding the neighborhood cats.”

Quinn couldn’t remember the last time he laughed this much.

What really got Quinn to thinking was the fact that Tristan had a
family. “Have you tried to call your mom or cousin?”

Tristan shook his head, lowering his eyes as the laughter died on

his lips. Quinn hated that he was the cause of this but needed to know

Lynn Hagen

about his mate’s family. He couldn’t imagine not talking to his
family.

“No, I’m too ashamed to call them. The last time I spoke to my

mom I wasn’t very pleasant. Xavier had convinced me that I didn’t
need family and friends, and I believed him.”

Quinn hugged Tristan close, giving his jellybean the comfort he

needed while thinking of a way to get mother and son back on
speaking terms. He usually stayed out of family business, but family
was what Tristan needed in his life right now. “I’d like to call her and
talk to her, if you don’t mind.”

“I can’t face her, Quinn. I was terrible. I even lost touch with my

cousin, Justin. He was my best friend growing up and even into my
adulthood. He’ll probably never forgive me either.”

“You’d be amazed at what family will forgive. I was fortunate

enough to have a very cool mom who didn’t care that I was gay, but
hated the fact that I wouldn’t go shopping with her. I mean, come on,
what guy likes shopping, gay or not?”

Tristan cocked his head, staring at Quinn with furrowed brows.

“What does that have to do with being mean to your family?”

Quinn snorted. “It’s being mean in my mom’s book when you

don’t want to help her host her garden parties. She was a little too pro-
gay. Do I look like I host any kind of party that doesn’t involve beer
and football? She thinks gay equates with shopping sprees and
gossip.” Quinn chuckled. “I finally convinced her that the only gay
thing about me was my preference. She got the point when I went to
work for Dino.”

“Most people do have a big misconception about it. My cousin

helped me through my coming out. I thought my mom would disown
me, but she just shrugged and said as long as I remembered to put the
toilet seat down, she didn’t care who I dated.”

“That sounds so cool.” Sidney spoke, reminding Quinn that they

weren’t the only ones in the kitchen. “I grew up with an adoptive

Hunter

family, but they loved me like their own. It was my mom who helped
me accept who I was, along with Chey.”

“What did I do, Sidney?” Chey asked as he came into the kitchen

and headed straight for the fridge. Quinn had met the guy, but felt it
bad manners to ask why he wore leather gloves.

“Picked on me growing up.” Sidney teased, winking at Quinn and

Tristan.

“Liar.” Chey grinned, closing the fridge and opening the bottled

water. “I saved your ass when you tried to convince the cheerleaders
that the football team was gay and that they could be convinced to
switch sides if the pompom girls baked you cookies every Friday.”

“Did it work?” Quinn asked.
“Hell no.” Chey laughed. “They shoved Sidney in his locker and

left a note on the outside stating, ‘The noise you hear is a locker
ghost, stay away if you don’t want to be haunted,’ with every
cheerleader’s signature on it. I happened to have a late class and heard
his dumbass yelling that he would take the cookies twice a month if
that sounded better. Talk about stupid moves.”

“Hey, Mom cut my sugar, I was desperate.” Sidney laughed.

“They forgave me. It was the football team I had to hide from my
senior year. That was a decade ago. Stop telling everyone that story.”
Sidney popped Chey on his chest.

“You’re not afraid to touch him?” Tristan asked. This got Quinn’s

attention.

“Nope, I made my peace with myself a long time ago,” Sidney

stated proudly. “The only thing I get when I touch him is irritated.”

“What exactly happens when people touch you?” Tristan pointed

to Chey’s covered hands.

“Later, I need to speak with you and Quinn,” Zeus announced as

he stepped into the room. “Can you come to my office?”

Quinn took Tristan by the hand and walked to the Alpha’s office.

“What’s up?”

Lynn Hagen

“Have a seat, gentlemen. I wanted to talk to you about Tristan’s

drawings. I like his ideas and had the blueprints reworked. Do you
have any other thoughts before the project is complete?” Zeus sat on
the edge of his desk, picking up the tumbler half filled with amber
liquid.

“Maybe I can go back to the site and look at it again,” Tristan

suggested excitedly. Quinn wanted to hug Zeus for making Tristan
light up like a Christmas tree, only he liked having all his teeth, which
he was sure Zeus would knock out if he tried to tackle-hug the big
guy.

“Quinn, if it’s not a bother, can you take him? I’ll make sure a few

soldiers escort you for safety reasons.”

Tristan ran to the office door with explosive energy. “I’ll go get

my sketch pad and pencils.” He raced from the room.

“Thanks.”
“I’m not only doing this to make Tristan feel like he’s part of the

pack. He has real talent. Those renderings were better than the damn
guy I hired to draw up the plans for me. Goes to show you, always ask
pack first.” He shook his head. “Now if I could only find a decorator.”

Quinn couldn’t help but smirk at the Alpha. “A decorator?”
Zeus sighed and stood. “Yeah, Jasper is insisting on one. He

claims we Grey wolves are colorblind and wouldn’t know a Tiffany
lamp from a lava lamp, whatever a fucking Tiffany lamp is. He better
not have me sleeping in a foo-foo room or I’m going to…sleep in it.”
Zeus chuckled.

“Tristan and Hunter have me wrapped around their fingers, too.

Just don’t tell them.”

Zeus held his hands up in front of him. “Never, but you can’t tell

Jasper or Toby either.”

“My lips are sealed.” Quinn zipped his lips with his fingers and

tossed the imaginary key aside as he went to join Tristan.

* * * *

Hunter

He wiped his brow as he stared at the men getting into their trucks

through his long-range scope. He was pissed that the house was
empty when he set it on fire. One way or another, the little redheaded
twink was going to die.

Setting the rifle down on the seat, he started his truck and pulled

away, following the two vehicles as they left the driveway. They
would slip up, relax their guard, and when they did, pow.

* * * *

Tristan sat on the bed, missing his mates. The walkthrough

yesterday had given him some great ideas, but now that Quinn and
Hunter were at work, he was horny.

With a devilish idea in his head, Tristan grabbed the cell phone

Hunter had bought him and dialed the hardware store.

“Hunter’s Hardware, Hunter speaking.”
Tristan’s cock perked right up at Hunter’s deep and masculine

voice. He might just jerk off listening to his mate talk about nails and
caulk. “A naked man with a large cock just broke into my room. If
you don’t hurry, he may go brain-dead from all the blood rushing to
his groin.”

Hunter groaned and Tristan touched himself. What a sexy sound

that was. “Then I’ll be right there to rescue you from the cock
burglar.” Hunter hung up.

Okay, one down, one to go. Tristan dialed Quinn’s cell phone,

stroking his thumb lazily over the swollen head of his dick.

“Hey, jellybean, everything okay?”
“I’m ovulating, get your ass in gear and come plant your seed in

me.” Tristan stifled a giggle.

“On my way, sexy.”
Tristan tossed the phone aside and ran for his sexy outfit. He

wanted to look good for his mates. He heard footsteps rushing down

100

Lynn Hagen

the hallway fifteen minutes later. Tristan put his straw hat on and slid
his socked feet into his sandals, leaving the rest of his body gloriously
naked. He spread his arms wide, his cock tapping at his lower belly as
the door swung open.

“Jesus, cover that thing,” Jasper shouted as he spun around, giving

his back to Tristan.

Tristan ran for the bed, grabbing the pillow and shoving it in front

of his hardened prick. “Why did you just bust in?”

“My bad, I didn’t think you would be standing there giving me a

free show when your mates are at work. Are you covered?” Jasper
asked with amusement.

Tristan tossed his hat aside and ran his hand through his hair,

sitting on the bed. “Yes, but you still can’t turn around. What do you
want? I have two hot stud muffins on their way, so make it quick.”

“Well, you horny little toad, I was going to ask if you wanted to

go to bingo tonight, assuming you aren’t fucked into unconsciousness
by then.”

This was the most bizarre conversation Tristan had ever had. He

was sitting here naked with a shifter in the room—who was not his
mate—talking about bingo? Although Tristan had spent the last year
of his life not wearing any clothes, it still made him uncomfortable
around strangers. As a shifter, that was unusual, but as a man, he
wouldn’t go without clothes again. His cousin would have teased him
to no end about this one. Tristan’s chest tightened at the thought of
Justin. Where was he, how was he?

“Hello? A simple yes or no would get me out of here. The back of

my head is going blind looking at your naked ass.”

“Yes,” Tristan answered quickly, being brought out of his

thoughts and remembering his mates would be here at any moment.

“Good, meet us down in the living room at six. Have fun.” Jasper

laughed as he closed the door behind him. What a very strange man.

Hunter

101

He jumped when the door flew open, ready to kick Jasper out.

Hunter sauntered in, a big shitty ass grin spreading across his face.
“Where is this naked man?”

“Right here.” Tristan tossed the pillow aside, putting the straw hat

back on his head. “I thought you would leave me brain-dead.” He
giggled, forgetting all about Jasper and his cousin.

Hunter growled low and sexy, making Tristan’s half-hard cock

come back to life. He lay back on the bed, spreading his legs wide.
“See anything you like?”

Hunter nodded, a smirk pulling at his mouth. “Your sandals, love

the unicorn pattern.”

“Why, thank you, it’s my idea of sexy lingerie.” Tristan ran his

hands down the plane of his stomach, dipping them between his legs
and pulling at his pubic hair. “Anything else you like?”

“The hat, it’s a big-ass turn-on.”
Tristan rolled his eyes. “I was thinking a little more between the

sandals and hat.”

“The socks.” Quinn chuckled as he closed and locked the door

behind him. “It makes you ovulating more erotic, especially the loud
orange color.”

“Ovulating?” Hunter looked from Quinn to Tristan. “Do I even

want to know?”

Tristan shrugged, pulling and squeezing at his heavy and leaking

cock. “I had to get him here somehow.” He took a deep breath when
Hunter unsnapped his jeans, pushing them down to his thighs,
grabbing the base of his cock. Tristan could see his balls were already
tight to his body. His mate took a seat on the bed.

“Are you prepared, or do I need to get you ready?”
“I’m ready. I took care of that in the shower.” He licked his

bottom lip, staring at Hunter’s large cock. “Can I get some of that? He
pointed at the leaky mushroomed-shaped head.

“You’re gonna get more than some. Why don’t you come sit in

my lap?” Hunter slid his jeans down to his ankles and held his hands

102

Lynn Hagen

out to Tristan. He tried to sit on Hunter’s lap facing him, but Hunter
shook his head. “Face Quinn, rainbow.”

Tristan turned around, seeing Quinn’s cock exposed and in his

hand, slowly stroking his dick as pre-cum trickled from the slit. Quinn
walked forward and knelt in front of Tristan, cupping his face with his
work-worn hands, nipping at Tristan’s lips as he pulled him further
away from Hunter. Tristan stretched forward, chasing Quinn’s sweet
taste.

Hunter fumbled under him, and then he felt the tip of Hunter’s

cock pressing at his hole. Tristan grabbed Quinn’s neck, crushing
their lips together as Hunter entered him. “Oh god.” He panted into
Quinn’s mouth.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Quinn brushed the hair from Tristan’s

eyes as he gently smiled at him.

Tristan’s lungs stopped as his chest grew heavy. He stared into

Quinn’s beautiful eyes, seeing what he hoped was love. Was it? Or
was it wishful thinking?

“I love you, Quinn.” Tristan held his breath, praying he wasn’t

going to be rejected.

“I love you, too, jellybean.” Quinn smiled, making Tristan’s world

come alive. He stared at Quinn as his mate rose to his feet, cupped his
chin, and puckered his lips into a kiss, smacking them at Tristan and
winking. “Now I have an issue I need you to take care of.” Quinn
tapped his cock at Tristan’s lips.

“Fuck, that looks good.” Hunter grunted from behind Tristan. He

wanted to turn around and tell Hunter he loved him, but Hunter began
thrusting harder, making Tristan forget what year it was. Tristan
wrapped his lips around Quinn’s cock, feeling a deeper connection to
his mates now that he knew how much they cared about him.

Hunter may not have said the words yet, but his actions told

Tristan how much he did care. He’d take that for now. Tristan ran his
hands up the hard ridges of Quinn’s abdomen, taking him further
down his throat.

Hunter

103

Quinn hissed, running his fingers behind Tristan’s ear in an

intimate play. “Jellybean,” Quinn murmured.

Hunter kneaded Tristan’s hips, sniffing at his back, using his

tongue to leave a wet trail up Tristan’s spine.

Tristan was so lost in these two. He’d die a thousand deaths if he

ever lost either of them. Not even Xavier made him feel this sensual,
this sexual, or this desired. Quinn said he loves me echoed through
Tristan’s mind as he formed a tight suction around Quinn’s cock and
took as much as he could into his mouth, feeling the head of Quinn’s
cock hitting the back of his throat.

Hunter pulled back and then pushed his cock all the way to the

root inside Tristan’s ass, hitting his prostate every other stroke.

“Now, jellybean, now,” Quinn said between clenched teeth.

Tristan slammed his ass down on Hunter’s cock as he drank Quinn’s
seed.

Quinn stroked his orgasm past Tristan’s lips, a guttural cry leaving

his lips. Quinn pulled his softening cock from Tristan’s mouth,
dropping to his knees and pushing Tristan back, taking Tristan’s
weeping prick into his mouth. Tristan’s lips parted, and quick bursts
of breath escaped as he reached behind him and locked his fingers
together behind Hunter’s neck.

Tristan looked up at Hunter. His mate stared down at him with

hooded eyes. “Did it taste good?” Hunter teased.

“Mmm-hmm.” Tristan bent his head back, kissing Hunter as

Hunter fucked him and Quinn tried to suck Tristan’s cock off. Tristan
broke the kiss, making eye contact with Hunter. “I love you, Hunter.”

Hunter growled, biting Tristan’s neck as he pistoned into him.

Tristan arched his back, his hands coming down onto Quinn’s head as
his cum spurted out to the beat of his pulse.

Hunter sealed the wound and fell onto his back, snapping his hips

as he shot his release into Tristan’s ass. Tristan fell forward, resting
on Quinn as he got his breathing under control. Hunter hadn’t said he
loved Tristan. What did that mean?

104

Lynn Hagen

* * * *

Hunter unlocked the hardware store and stepped inside the cool

shop. He set the keys on the counter, checking his answering machine
for messages. His mind swam around Tristan’s declaration. Why
hadn’t he said it back? There was no doubt Hunter loved him. So
what was with the tight lips, and why did his brain take a dump when
the words tried to form?

Hunter looked up when his deliveryman came in. “Hey, Hunter, I

have your orders on my truck. Do you want me to bring them through
the front or through the back?”

“The back. That way they’re not in everyone’s way.”
“You got it.” Logan nodded at Hunter and then walked back out

of the front door. Inventory should occupy his mind for a while,
stopping him from overanalyzing his chicken ways.

Hunter went to the back, opening the door for Logan. “Just set the

stuff over there and come see me with the paperwork when you’re
done.”

“Not a prob, Hunter.”
He smiled at Logan and then walked back to the front of the store,

grabbing his list of deliveries for the week. A few of the ranches
needed hardware delivered over the next few days. Maybe he needed
to hire an assistant. He didn’t mind locking up when lust made him
run out of here with papers flying behind him, but taking some of the
pressure off of his shoulders would be nice.

A few phone calls and some flyers should do the trick. Word of

mouth was quicker than the daily paper.

Hunter glanced up when he heard the door open. A stranger

walked in, looking around the store, and then his eyes settled on
Hunter.

“So, you’re one of the men Tristan left me for?”
Hunter’s eyes narrowed. Xavier.

Hunter

105

Chapter Nine

Tristan joined Jasper and Sidney in the living room. “I’m ready.”
“Love that outfit, Tristan.” Jasper pulled on the end of Tristan’s

shirt. “I’ve never seen that color of burnt orange matched with
magenta before.”

“Are you making fun of me?” Tristan looked down at his button-

down shirt and Speedo. What was wrong with them? He knew he had
a unique taste in fashion. He liked creating his own styles. Why did
everyone have to make a comment about it, though?

“Not at all, I like people who don’t dress to impress.”
Tristan wasn’t sure if Jasper was being honest or teasing him. The

man seemed like a nice enough guy. A little strange, but nice. He
decided to believe that Jasper was being honest with him. A lot of the
wolves around here were very friendly. So maybe Jasper was as well.

“Can we go to bingo now?” Sidney whined as he started toward

the door. “I’m going through withdrawals the longer we stand here.”

Sammy, Knox and Trevor’s mate, rolled his eyes as he walked out

of the living room, mumbling something about running as soon as
Sidney started his stuff at the bingo hall.

Jasper chuckled as he stepped closer to Tristan. “Just a warning. If

Sidney starts getting overly excited, get away from him as quickly as
possible. You don’t want to get caught in the crossfire.”

Just what kind of bingo hall were they taking him to?

* * * *

106

Lynn Hagen

Sully jogged out into the backyard, catching up to Zeus and his

mate, Toby. “I just got a call from Theo. One of his waiters saw a
truck abandoned close to our house. Theo said Benny was going on
and on about seeing a man walking into the woods with a rifle in his
hand.”

“Did he give you a description of this guy?” Zeus asked, his eyes

becoming flat, hard, and passionless as he grabbed his mate’s hands
and rushed back toward the house.

“Don’t you dare start treating me like I’m too damn fragile for

this.” Toby yanked at Zeus’s hand, but the Alpha didn’t let him go.

“He said it was a white male with short brown hair, but he

couldn’t see the guy’s face. Kinda tall and stocky was the only other
thing he added.”

“That could be half the damn town,” Zeus said with staid

calmness. “Get as many soldiers together as you can and search the
woods. I’ll join you as soon as I hogtie Jasper.”

“I’m warning you, mate. Blue balls is nothing to take lightly,”

Toby threatened in irritation.

“Then I’ll take my chances. You’re not going,” Zeus said in a low

and threatening tone. Sully knew the Alpha would never harm his
mate, but the warning in the shifter’s tone made Sully want to obey.
Was Toby suicidal?

“That’s it. I’m telling Jasper no home-cooked meals for you until I

get over my snit. And you can forget this as well.” Toby smacked his
ass and stormed into the house, saying something about keeping
Jasper from him as well.

“Glad it’s you and not me.” Sully chuckled.
Zeus just grunted and walked to the foyer. “He’s been around

Jasper way too fucking long. He’s starting to act like my redheaded
headache does. See who you can find. I want that male found.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Sully got away as quickly as possible. He found

Eagle, Rave, and Jaxxon bullshitting in the hallway by his bedroom.

Hunter

107

“I need you guys to go down to the foyer with Zeus. Someone is

traipsing through the woods with a rifle.”

“Is he Torem and Sidney’s shooter?” Eagle asked as Sully neared

them.

He shrugged, lifting his hands up in front of him in a “your guess

is as good as mine” gesture. “Theo called Zeus and said Benny
spotted an abandoned truck on the side of the road close to here, and
that a man was walking into the woods with a rifle in one hand. So
now, we go hunting, shifter style.” Sully wiggled his brows, the others
growling menacingly. “Wait, I meant, Sully Style.”

“Let’s go find our guest.” Jaxxon’s voice was heavy with sarcasm.
“I second that. All strangers with lethal weapons should have a

welcoming committee.” Rave ground the words out between clenched
teeth. “I need to go find Taz. He really likes welcoming unannounced
visitors.”

“Then let’s get a move on it, unless you want to meet said guest at

the front door with all the time we’re wasting.” Sully spun on his heel
and headed toward the foyer.

* * * *

Cheyenne watched silently as Eagle joined the others at the door.

He wanted to voice his protest, but what right did he have? Eagle cut
him a wide berth, and Chey couldn’t blame him. One touch, one kiss,
or even one brush of the hand and Eagle would relive every painful
moment in his life in mere hours. Talk about a big motivator to stay
the hell away from your mate. Chey leaned against the living room
doorframe, wishing life could be different for him and the man he
couldn’t have.

Eagle glanced in his direction, his big blue eyes sorrowful, and

then just as quickly looked away. God, was he a handsome devil.
Chey hated his gift at this moment, more so than ever before. How

108

Lynn Hagen

could he be with his mate? Until Eagle was ready, there would be no
easy answer.

“We have to find this shooter before he gets too close to the

house,” Zeus instructed the shifters. Chey watched how Eagle stood,
how he moved, how he nodded, and how he breathed. The longing in
him was painful. His hands balled into fists from the need to touch
that golden skin.

Eagle glanced once more in Chey’s direction before he walked out

with the others. Chey ran to the living room window, placing his
gloved hands on the glass as he watched Eagle shift and disappear
into the forest. He lifted his hand, using the back of it to wipe away
the tear as he prayed Eagle stayed safe.

* * * *

Tristan stared around the bingo hall, seeing a lot of heads turning

in his direction. Was the fedora too much?

“Come on, let’s have a seat.” Sidney led them to a back table,

glaring at a few women as he sat. “I haven’t had sugar today.” He
growled at a woman shooting daggers at him from the next table over,
holding her card to her chest.

“Geez, one little Red Bull and everyone loses their minds.”
Sidney grabbed the nearest yellow neon marker and started

stabbing at his first bingo card. In no time at all, he had two markers
in his hand, twelve bingo cards on the table before him. He bounced
from foot to foot as he waited for the next number to be called out.
His right hand shot toward the card and then pulled back quickly.
“Damn it, almost had it, one number off.”

“B-four.”
Sidney’s left hand shot out and then snapped back to his chest.

“Damn it, will you stop teasing me.” He wiped the thin sheen of sweat
from his upper lip.

“Dude, how exactly does this work?” Sammy asked.

Hunter

109

Sidney rolled his eyes. “Newbie.” He stepped over and stared

down at Sammy’s two cards. “What a freaking lightweight. Every
time a number is called out, you mark it with your highlighter. If you
get all of the letters and numbers and can connect five spaces, in a
straight line or diagonally, then you win.” Sidney swiped each free
space on both of Sammy’s cards and the already called numbers.
“Now you’re ready.”

“Like this?” Tristan held up a yellow-dotted card.
Sidney growled as he took the card and checked it against his own

cards. “No fucking way!”

“Did I win?” Tristan asked.
“Uh, no, do you want to trade?” Sidney grabbed his nearest card

and tossed it at Tristan. “Here you go.”

“If you take his card I’m going to—”
“Bingo!” Tristan shouted, knowing already what Sidney was up

to. He grabbed the card and ran from Sidney, who was hot on his
heels, threatening him with his yellow markers.

“I told you that if you came in here all hopped up on sugar, you

were going to be kicked out,” the caller shouted at Sidney.

Sidney skidded to a halt and held up his markers in surrender. “No

you didn’t.”

“Marge, get him out of here.” The caller pointed a boney finger at

Sidney. Tristan ran his card up to the front, handing it over before
Sidney could swipe it from him.

“No, I swear, I haven’t touched a Red Bull in a week. I have the

token in my pocket to prove it. I’m on the wagon!” Sidney turned and
ran as the caller and the woman named Marge closed in on him. He
ran past the table and stabbed at a few spaces on his card with his
marker before he took off toward the bathroom.

“I’ll help you, Sidney,” Jasper shouted and then backed away,

laughing his ass off. Tristan stared at the scene, wondering what the
hell he’d gotten himself into. Sidney slammed the bathroom door
closed as the woman caught up to him.

110

Lynn Hagen

“I can hear from in here,” Sidney shouted through the door. “I just

need someone to slide my cards under the door.”

Tristan ran to the table and scooped up Sidney’s cards, running to

the bathroom door and kneeling down, cards in hand.

“No you don’t.” Marge held her hand out. “Give them over. He

can get them back when he’s brave enough to come out of there.”

Tristan wasn’t sure what he should do. How the hell did he end up

in the middle of this? “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…”

“Hey, my grandson sings that song.” Marge grinned and began to

sing along with Tristan.

“Jellybean.”
Tristan spun around to see Quinn, Torem, and Zeus coming

through the door. Did they call and tell on Sidney? If they did, that
was fast. Relief flooded Tristan as he looked across the hall at Quinn.

“We have to go, now.” Zeus grabbed Jasper around his waist and

tossed him over his shoulder.

“I told you no nooky for acting this way. Are you going for

indefinitely? Put me down.” Jasper wiggled around as he smacked
Zeus on his back.

Torem looked around the hall, his face pulling back in anger.

“Where is Sidney?”

Tristan, the caller, Marge, and even Jasper pointed to the

bathroom door. Tristan watched as Sidney shot out of the bathroom,
grabbing the cards from his hands, and taking off across the room.
“I’m playing bingo, damn it, and I’m not leaving until I win
something.”

“We don’t have time for this.” Torem shot across the room,

grabbing for Sidney and missing. “Sidney, stop,” Torem shouted.

Sidney stuck his tongue out and cradled the cards in his arm,

stabbing at them as he tossed them aside one by one. “Bingo!”

“How the hell do you have bingo?” Marge shouted at him. “No

one’s called anything out.”

Hunter

111

Sidney finally came to a stop, holding the remaining cards in his

hands up. “I can call it if I’m being forced out of here.” Sidney
shoved the yellow markers in his back pocket and tossed the cards on
the nearest table. “Pay up.”

“See you next week.” Marge laughed, shaking her head at him.

“And bring Missy with you. She seems to know how to calm you
down.”

“Come on, Sid.” Torem grabbed Sidney around his waist and

hauled him up into his arms.

“I object!” Sidney shouted as Torem hit the push bar and exited

the hall.

“Is he always like this?” Tristan asked Sammy.
“I have no clue. This was my first time here. And from what I’ve

seen, I’ll be back.” Sammy laughed as he walked out.

Quinn slid his hand into Tristan’s. “We have to go, jellybean.

There’s a man out in the forest somewhere with a rifle. Staying here
isn’t safe.”

Tristan immediately followed behind Quinn. “Where’s Hunter?”
“He’s at the hardware store, babe. I guess closing up during the

day set him behind. We’ll stop by and pick him up.” Quinn gently
squeezed his hand.

* * * *

Quinn pulled his car in front of the hardware store. He became

uneasy when he saw the lights were out but Hunter’s truck was
parked out front. “Stay in the car, Tristan.” He unbuckled his seatbelt
and got out. There was no one on the street, no noise he could hear. It
was eerily quiet. “Lock the door.” Quinn shut the driver’s door and
scanned the area as he approached the entrance to Hunter’s hardware
store.

Something didn’t feel right. His gut was telling him Hunter was in

trouble. Quinn didn’t want to leave his jellybean in the car but didn’t

112

Lynn Hagen

want to take him into danger. He cupped his hands to the storefront
window and peered in. Nothing was overturned or broken. No
struggle was evident.

Quinn tried the handle, jiggling it to no avail. It was locked. He

pulled his cell phone out and dialed Hunter’s number, hearing it
ringing from inside the store. The counter illuminated, showing off
Hunter’s phone. “Fuck.” He cursed as he looked back at Tristan.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

He called Dino, desperate for help. If he went into the store,

Tristan was at risk with that rifle-carrying man still out there. If he
took Tristan with him, he was at risk because Quinn knew in his heart
Hunter was in trouble. It was a lose-lose situation.

“Dino Tiziano.”
“It’s Quinn.”
“Like my caller ID didn’t tell me that.” He chuckled.
“I need your help. Something’s wrong at Hunter’s store, and I

can’t leave Tristan in the car alone.” Quinn paced back and forth in
front of the store.

Dino’s tone changed. It became edgy and deep. “I’ll send Torem.

He just got back with Sidney.”

“Thanks.” Quinn slid his phone into his back pocket and glanced

back at his car. He didn’t want to scare Tristan, but the way he was
manically pacing, the shifter would soon figure out something was
amiss. Tristan may be quirky, unsure, and eager for praise, but he was
far from stupid. He could already see Tristan’s eyes following his
every move. They were anxious and quizzical as Tristan leaned
forward in his seat.

Quinn took a step toward the car, ready to reassure his jellybean

when a loud crash came from inside the store.

Tristan jumped out of the car and ran to Quinn’s side. “I heard

that. What’s wrong, what’s going on?” Tristan fired the questions off,
not waiting for an answer. “Did you try to call him, sir?”

Hunter

113

Fuck, he was back to using that word again. Where the hell was

Torem?

“To hell with this.” Quinn ran to his car and popped the trunk,

grabbing the tire iron in a tight grip. “I hope you aren’t going to get
too pissed about this.” He murmured as he walked back to the door.
“Get back, jellybean.”

Tristan ran over to the car, covering his face as Quinn’s arm

swung forward, smashing the glass in the door, the loud shatter
echoing all around him. He reached in and fumbled until he found the
lock, giving it a twist and then opening the door.

“Get back in the car,” Quinn shouted over his shoulder as he

walked into the store. His shoes crunched over broken glass, his
determination set as he gripped the tire iron and headed to the back.

Quinn cursed when he saw the back door hanging wide open.

“Hunter!” he shouted, listening for any sign of his shifter mate.
Moving cautiously, Quinn crept to the open door, watching for
shadows as he stuck his head out. His hand rose over his head, ready
to swing the iron bar down if need be. The back parking lot was clear,
no one in sight.

Quinn walked back into the storeroom, looking around for clues to

the crashing sound he had heard. Nothing seemed out of place, and it
was pissing him off. “What in the hell is going on here?” he asked
himself, walking back up front.

The iron swung in front of him at the shadow behind the counter.
“Whoa, it’s me, Torem.” He held his hands up in defense, taking a

step back from the lethal weapon clutched in Quinn’s hand.

“Hunter’s missing.” Quinn ran back out to his car, checking on

Tristan.

“No!” The tire iron clattered to the ground.
The car was empty.

114

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Ten

Quinn spun around and shoved Torem as hard as he could, the

shifter falling back a few steps before regaining his footing. “Do that
again and I won’t care if you’re human.” There was a coarse thread of
warning in his voice.

“Where is Tristan? He was in the car. Tell me you watched him

get taken.” Quinn was at the end of his rope. This was just too fucking
much.

“First of all, I didn’t see anyone in that car when I came in. And

second, do you honestly think I would watch your mate being
kidnapped?” Torem advanced toward Quinn, his hands balled into
fists at his side.

“I don’t fucking know you well enough to say what you would or

wouldn’t do. All I know is that my mate was sitting in the front seat
only a few minutes ago,” he answered in a tense, clipped voice that
told Torem he was done arguing about it.

Torem walked over to Quinn’s car and opened the passenger door,

inhaling deeply. “Don’t freak out, human.” Torem looked around and
then began to strip.

“Geez.” Quinn gave his back to the man. He was ready to kill and

maim if his men weren’t returned to him soon and unharmed.
Whoever was behind this was going to be beaten to within an inch of
his life.

Quinn looked behind him when he heard nails clicking on the

ground. A wolf was sniffing around the area of his car. This was
weird as hell, but Quinn didn’t have time to process this right now.
“Find him, Torem, so I can kill him.”

Hunter

115

The wolf growled, his head giving a quick nod. Could the animal

understand him? Quinn picked up the tire iron, following as the wolf
led him away from the store and down Route 14. Right on the
outskirts of town, just past the county line, Quinn spotted a vehicle’s
tail end sticking out from between some trees.

His grip tightened on the tool he was going to use, his heart rate

picking up, worrying that he may be too late.

No, you can’t think like that.
Were Hunter and Tristan together? Was this even the right place

to look? Even though Torem was leading him here, Quinn feared they
were on the wrong trail and wasting time.

What if, what if, what if.
Fuck, shut up! He scolded his overactive brain.
Deep breaths. Take deep breaths. It’s not going to do you any

good to get all worked up right now. You won’t be able to think. You
need to stay sharp and focused.

The wolf stopped, and a low, primitive growl rumbled ominously

from the creature’s chest.

Apprehensively, Quinn looked out into the darkness, trying to spot

what Torem was warning him about. Or was that warning meant for
the person foolish enough to take what was Quinn’s?

He stepped carefully behind Torem, trying to be as quiet as the

wolf. Quinn wanted the element of surprise, yet he wanted to rush in
to save Hunter and Tristan.

“If you don’t back the fuck off, I’m going to rip your throat out.”
That was Hunter’s voice, but who was he talking to? And was

Tristan with him?

Please let Tristan be with him.
Quinn walked around the vehicle and spotted Hunter and Tristan.
Thank fuck.
Quinn saw red when he noticed Tristan standing in the middle of

Hunter and another man, looking from one to the other. He was
fucking naked and shaking.

116

Lynn Hagen

“Get the hell away from him!” Quinn raised his tire iron, rushing

at the stranger. With swiftness Quinn would wonder about later, claws
shot out of the man’s fingers and slashed through the air, knocking his
tire iron some twenty feet away.

Quinn changed tactics and grabbed his jellybean around his waist,

running toward Hunter. “Why didn’t you just grab him?” Quinn
shouted at Hunter. He was relieved they both seemed unharmed, but
his anger was superseding his joy and relief.

“Because.” Hunter looked down at Tristan, his eyes full of pain

and something else Quinn couldn’t quite put his finger on. “Tristan
doesn’t know who he wants to be with.”

Quinn’s ears heard the words, but his mind refused to process

them. Everything seemed to lose focus as Hunter’s statement fell
apart around him and crumbled to his feet. Quinn numbly released
Tristan, wondering what those words would say if he could only put
them together.

What did he just say again?
“Come here, Tristan, now.” The man’s voice was stern with no

vestige of sympathy in its hardness. Quinn raised his head, staring
roughly thirty feet ahead at the stranger.

This had to be Xavier.
“Who in the fuck do you think you’re talking to like that?” Quinn

snapped out of his muddled stupor. Anger the likes of which he’d
never felt before started in the pit of his stomach and rolled up like a
ball of fire until he was consumed with it. His body felt like it was
burning alive.

“You think just because you’re his mates that he’s willing to

follow you? I trained him better than that. His feeble mind is mine.”
Xavier scoffed at Quinn and Hunter, giving his attention back to
Tristan. “Now get over here.” He snapped his fingers and pointed to
the spot in front of him.

Tristan took a few steps in Xavier’s direction.

Hunter

117

“Jellybean?” Quinn cocked his head, wondering what the hell his

Tristan was doing.

“That’s what I was trying to tell you.” Hunter stepped closer to

Quinn, his body physically shaking with untapped rage. “I won’t
force our mate to stay with us. It has to be his choice.”

“Look at his fucking scarred-ass back,” Quinn shouted, stabbing

his finger in Tristan’s direction, “and how quickly we forget about the
sir shit.”

Hunter shook his head. “I know. But until Tristan opens his eyes

and sees Xavier for who he truly is, he’ll only run if we force him
back with us.”

“Then force him!”
“Do you really want a mate who doesn’t want to be with us?”
“Fuck this. At least he’ll be safe from that asshole’s abuse.”

Hunter grabbed Quinn’s arm before he could take a step.

“Choices, you have to give him choices. It sounds really screwed

up right now, but he has to decide. Have you ever seen a woman who
has been beaten by her husband or boyfriend? I have. Every time
someone stepped in to stop it, the woman turned on her rescuer,
continually returning to her abuser. We’ve shown him another side of
the coin. Now he is the one who has to decide.”

Quinn’s leg snapped nervously in place as the anger built in him.

If his jellybean chose Xavier, he was kidnapping him, no matter what
Hunter said.

“I want to rip Xavier’s fucking throat out, but give Tristan half a

chance.” Hunter growled.

Let him decide, or grab and run? Let him decide, or grab and

run? The thought spun around his mind like a merry-go-round. Quinn
was torn. He didn’t want to force Tristan, but he didn’t want to give
him up if his jellybean chose that prick. This was almost too
unbearable.

“I love you, jellybean. I can love you past your pain and bring you

happiness you only dreamed of.” Quinn’s agonized voice cut across

118

Lynn Hagen

the field. “Please.” His world began to lose color, darkness trying to
engulf him like a slow-moving fog, rolling in to take him away. There
was no anything without Tristan and Hunter.

“I didn’t know why I couldn’t say it before, rainbow, but I

honestly do love you. I’m not telling you this to sway your decision.
Hell, yes I am, but it’s true. I love you, rainbow. You’re magical to
me every morning I wake up and discover you’re still there, that
you’re still mine. I’m a lucky bastard just for having the honor of
knowing you.” Hunter ran his hands over his head, pulling at his own
hair as they watched Tristan stop in his journey.

“Do you want your master to be upset with you?” Xavier’s voice

was so calm, so egotistically smug, that Quinn could feel the fault line
between his conscious and his id shift.

Tristan looked back at Hunter and Quinn, his face full of regret.
No!
Tristan turned back toward Xavier, his master grinning

triumphantly. His jellybean’s shoulders squared, his head rose regally.

“I want to thank you, Xavier.”
“You will call me master. I see your training will start fresh once

we return home.”

* * * *

“I want to thank you, Xavier,” Tristan repeated, ignoring the

insidious tone. “If you hadn’t treated me so badly, I wouldn’t have
found not only my mates, but the loves of my life.”

“Get. Over. Here.” Xavier’s composure started to slip. That was

something Tristan had only seen when the man pulled his whip out.
He steeled his spine and continued.

“I never gave you all of me. You didn’t deserve it.” Tristan

pointed behind him at Quinn and Hunter. “They have all that I am.
My mates have shown me what true love is, what real love is.”

Hunter

119

“You know what I can do to you,” Xavier reminded him. “Do you

really want to test my patience?”

Tristan shook his head. That final hold, that last vestige of power

Xavier had over his mind snapped, freeing him completely. “When
someone hurts you, they have power over you. When you forgive
them, you take that power back.”

Tristan smiled at Xavier. “I want to be free, so, I forgive you.” He

laughed with joy, spinning around and running to his mates.

“You’re mine!” Xavier roared.
Tristan skidded to halt when Quinn’s eyes began to blaze, his face

contorting into something that should belong to the pits of hell.
Hunter grabbed Tristan and yanked him away as Quinn’s body
glowed and then caught fire.

He couldn’t move. Tristan’s eyes locked onto his mate as Quinn’s

head fell back and an unearthly cry burst from his chest.

Arrogant Xavier shifted, snapping his head back and forth as he

growled and snarled. His muzzle pulled all the way back as his ears
tucked back.

“Oh, hell. Oh, hell.” Hunter’s eyes widened as a group of

extremely large men came out of nowhere, loping toward them like
hellions on a mission. Tristan was terrified.

“Do you need assistance, young one?” the largest of them all

asked.

Quinn opened his mouth and roared at them, the blaze rising

higher from his body. For some reason, Tristan wanted to touch it to
see if it would burn him. He was more fascinated than frightened.

“I guess not.” Another of the massive man-thingy’s chuckled.
“Don’t just stand there, help him,” Tristan shouted, Hunter

grabbing hold of his waist and pulling him back.

“I cannot.” The largest one spoke again. “His demon is in control.

The man and his demon must find common ground, and only the
young one can do that.”

“Demon?” Tristan and Hunter gasped in unison.

120

Lynn Hagen

“I am Panahasi, leader of the Demon warriors. My goal here is to

help…what’s his name?”

“Quinn,” Tristan offered.
Panahasi bowed his head. “Thank you. My goal here is to help

Quinn with his demon, but I did not expect to find his demon
unleashed and in control. We must play the waiting game until Quinn
is back under control.”

“What kind of fucked-up plan is that?’ Hunter asked

incredulously. “So we wait until he’s crispy-fried and then help him?”

Tristan’s head snapped away from Panahasi to Quinn, watching

Xavier lunge at Quinn, his mate swinging out to stop the attack.

“Pretzel sticks.” He squeaked. “You are my sunshine, my only

sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey…” Tristan sang
loudly, the loudest he had ever sang because this was the most
terrified he’d ever been.

“Catchy tune.” The same man as before snapped his finger and

tapped his foot. Tristan didn’t stop singing, but he began to relax a
degree. “Let’s put a little pizzazz into it.” He started singing along
with Tristan, adding a zydeco twist to it.

Oh god, this wasn’t real. Tristan had to be hallucinating. Shit like

this didn’t happen in real life. He knew shifters and vampires existed,
but shit like this did not happen in real life.

“Quinn!” Hunter shouted, shutting Tristan up and bringing his

brain back into focus. Quinn grabbed Xavier’s wolf form and lifted
him into the air. Xavier locked his jaws onto Quinn’s arm. His hind
legs kicked wildly in the air, trying to find purchase. A pungent smell
of burning fur filled the night sky, making Tristan gag.

Quinn howled, releasing Xavier.
“Just throw yourself on him.” Tristan recovered and shouted. He

was against violence, but Xavier was being ruthless. Self-defense was
totally different.

Hunter

121

Hunter walked halfway to Quinn before one of the Demon

Warriors blocked his progression. “Mate or not, you really don’t want
to interfere right now.”

“That’s my mate. Get the hell out of my way before I rip your

throat out.” Hunter shoved the large demon. Tristan was impressed.
Hunter showed no fear.

“Let him do this on his own. That’s the only way Quinn can

surface and his demon can settle down.”

“This is ridiculous,” Hunter snapped.
All eyes turned on Quinn when he caught Xavier mid-leap and

broke his neck. Tristan covered his face, the scene shaking him up
badly.

“Quinn.” Hunter said his name once more.
They watched Quinn’s back expand and contract, either from

trying to bring himself back under control or from rage. Maybe both?
Tristan waited anxiously.

“He’s reining in his demon,” Panahasi stated. “Looks like we

weren’t needed.”

“Yeah, right.” Tristan narrowed his eyes. “You’re needed, buddy.

There’s a very large explanation that’s going to be given about this.”

“It’s freeing, isn’t it?” the man who sang with him asked. “By the

way, I’m Hondo.”

Tristan was not shaking his hand. No way, no how. “What are you

talking about?”

Hondo pointed at him, a shit-eating grin on his face. “The feeling

of taking your life back. I can feel liberation coming off of you in
waves.”

Tristan ignored him as he stepped over to Quinn. “Are you back?”
“Yes, jellybean, I’m back.” Quinn turned around and pulled

Tristan into his arms, grabbing Hunter as his other mate joined them.

Tristan had never been more frightened than now. Not even with

Xavier had he felt fear like this.

122

Lynn Hagen

Hunter and Quinn were his life, the loves of his life. If anything

happened to either one, he would be devastated. They taught him how
to laugh, love, and live again. There was no way he’d ever give that
up. He hugged both of them tighter, thanking fate for blessing him
with two handsomely strong men to show him what living was truly
about.

* * * *

“So basically, you could be immortal, you unlocked this demon

thing inside of you when we mated, and you can start a grill without
lighter fluid or a match?” Hunter asked once they were back in their
bedroom.

“Pretty much, none of it was clear to me. A lot of maybes were

tossed out. I basically have to see what my demon can do.” Quinn lay
back on the bed. Tristan lay next to him, conformed to his body and
fast asleep. It had been a long and draining night.

“You scared the hell out of me when you went up in flames. I

thought I was hit on the head or something.” Hunter crawled up on
the bed next to Quinn, nuzzling Quinn on his neck. “Want you.”

Quinn gently shifted until Tristan rolled over and began to lightly

snore. He shoved his pajama bottoms down and off as Hunter grabbed
the lube. “I love you, Hunter.” Quinn rolled over onto his hands and
knees, spreading his legs for his lover.

“I love you, too.” Hunter spread the slick lube around Quinn’s

hole, his fingers delving in and out, making Quinn’s head spin.

Hunter lined his cock up and pushed in, grabbing Quinn’s hips

and rocking gently in and out of his ass. Quinn closed his eyes and
bowed his back. The warmth of Hunter’s skin was intoxicating. An
electrical current was scorching through his body as Hunter began to
thrust harder.

Hunter

123

Quinn’s body shook when Tristan slid under him and took

Quinn’s cock into his mouth. Quinn pulled Tristan’s body under him,
taking Tristan’s shaft into his mouth as well.

“Fuck, that’s a beautiful sight.” Hunter panted as he drove in hard

and deep. Quinn’s body was on fire. Hunter was fucking his ass as
Tristan sucked his cock. The combination was more than he could
take.

Quinn sucked Tristan’s cock harder as he exploded into Tristan’s

mouth. He groaned and whimpered, wanting to bring both his mates
to climax.

Tristan thrust a few times into Quinn’s mouth before his seed shot

down Quinn’s throat.

“Ah, hell.” Hunter snapped his hips quickly before stiffening and

shouting, his spunk filling Quinn’s ass.

Quinn waited on shaking arms as Tristan scooted from under him

and then he collapsed. He pulled Tristan into his arms as Hunter
spooned behind him.

Quinn thought of the night’s events and the news that he was part

demon. It wasn’t really registering right now, even after what had
happened. He guessed it would take some time to adjust to his new
life with a being inside of him, but with Hunter and Tristan by his
side, he knew he could do anything.

* * * *

Hunter chuckled as Tristan, Sidney, Jasper, and Missy, the

barmaid, walked into the bingo hall. He was warned about Sidney
getting hyper when he began to play.

It was bingo for crying out loud. What was so competitive about

that? Some chips, highlighters, and numbers called, it wasn’t that
complicated.

“Well, if it isn’t the bouncing bingo player.” A round woman

chuckled as the group entered.

124

Lynn Hagen

“I promise to behave, Martha.” Sidney held up his hands as he

smiled at her. “Now give me a dozen cards, please.”

Martha eyed Sidney but handed them over. The others selected

their quantity before they all took a seat.

Hunter decided to be a spectator only. He’d promised Dino to

keep an eye on Sidney to ensure there wasn’t a repeat of a few weeks
ago.

Sidney twirled the highlighters in his hand as he waited for the

first call.

“Is he always this way?” Hunter asked Tristan as his mate began

to mark off his cards.

Tristan giggled and nodded. “I’ve only been here once with him,

but man, he wigged out and ran around the room like a loon.”

Hunter leaned back in his chair, hoping the evening didn’t get too

dramatic. He watched his mate enjoying himself while he laughed
with Jasper, Sidney, and Missy. His rainbow had come along way.
The word sir was rarely spoken now, and his singing was becoming
less and less frequent.

Quinn had told him about dropping to the floor in a submissive

position in the grocery store, and Hunter prayed he never witnessed
that. None of them were perfect, but sometimes it was the little flaws
that made Hunter love his mates all the more.

* * * *

Zeus, Taz, Rave, and Bald Eagle scouted the woods, barely

making a noise as they hunted the man with the rifle. There was no
way he was allowing an armed man to run around on his pack land
and with mates present in the house.

Zeus sniffed the ground in his wolf form as he caught the scent of

the stranger. He knew for sure it was the same person because he had
scented the abandoned truck.

Hunter

125

His mind went into Alpha-mode as Zeus’s large paws trampled

the grass, closing the distance between him and the threat to his pack.

Eagle growled as he broke formation and ran to his right, leaping

onto a man standing there with a rifle aimed at them.

“I was paid to kill that little fucking fruitcake. No one is going to

stop me.”

Yes, Zeus had every intention of stopping this human.
Eagle backed off as Zeus attacked.
“Who paid you?” Taz asked in barely checked rage. “Talk or he

kills you.”

“Xavier. He wanted me to kill his sub. That’s what he called the

fruitcake. His sub.”

Zeus couldn’t understand why the man wanted Tristan killed, yet

he had come after him, demanding Tristan return to him. It just
proved to Zeus that Xavier hadn’t been stable. He backed off. Zeus
would let Jesse arrest this bastard.

“Alpha!” Taz shouted as his hand shot up, pointing behind Zeus.
Before the name could leave Taz’s lips, Zeus spun around and

leapt, tearing out the rifleman’s throat. The stupid fucker had lifted
the gun, aiming it at Eagle. He had been giving the human a chance to
live and the dumbass chose to die.

Zeus could only shake his head. None of his soldiers, especially

Eagle, were going to suffer at anyone’s hands.

Not anymore.

THE END

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but

lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to
find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.

You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a

cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.

Also by Lynn Hagen

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 1: Maverick’s Mate

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 2: Hawk’s Pretty Baby

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 3: Sunshine’s Savior

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 4: Remi’s Pup

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 5: Stormy Eyes

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 6: Oliver’s Heart

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 7: Keata’s Promise

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 8: George’s Turn

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 9: Loco’s Love

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 10: Lewis’s Dream

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 11: Mark’s Not Gay

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 12: Nutter Nero

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 13: Heaven’s Hell

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 14: Nicholas’s Wolf

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 15: Murphy’s Madness

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 16: Montana’s Vamp

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 17: Carter’s Tryck

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 18: Joshua’s Law
Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 19: Dagon’s Ride

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Brac Pack 20: Steven’s Journey

Ménage Everlasting ManLove: Zeus’s Pack 1: Jasper
Ménage Everlasting ManLove: Zeus’s Pack 2: Avanti

Ménage Everlasting ManLove: Zeus’s Pack 3: Knox

Ménage Everlasting ManLove: Zeus’s Pack 4: Torem

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Demon Warriors 1: Hondo

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Demon Warriors 2: Snooke

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Demon Warriors 3: Rainerio

Available at

BOOKSTRAND.COM

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

Document Outline

HUNTER
THE END

Wyszukiwarka

Podobne podstrony:
Lynn Hagen Zeus s Pack 09 Rave
Lynn Hagen Zeus s Pack 06 Sully
Lynn Hagen Zeus s Pack 08 Memphis
Lynn Hagen Brac Pack 5 Stormy Eyes
Lynn Hagen [Bear County 05] Cowboy Legend [Siren ManLove MM] (pdf)
Lynn Hagen Brac Pack 7 Keata s Promise
Lynn Hagen Brac Pack 4 Remi s Pup
Lynn Hagen Brac Pack 1 Maverick s Mate
Brac Pack 28 Take my hand Lynn Hagen
Lynn Hagen Rise Of The Changelings 05 Rise To Seduction
Stormy Glenn and Lynn Hagen Lady Blue Crew 05 Tank s Tweak
Lynn Hagen Christian s Coven 4 Vaughn s Vampire Hunter
Lynn Hagen Riley s Downfall (Brac Pack 30)
Lynn Hagen Cowboy Trust
Lynn Hagen Tasting the Forbidden
RotC 04 Rise to Submit Lynn Hagen
Stormy Glenn & Lynn Hagen Elite Force 01 Second Chances
Lynn Hagen Rakeym (Shadow Tribe #1
Lynn Hagen The Exiled 01 Nazaryth

więcej podobnych podstron

Lynn Hagen Zeus's Pack 05 Hunter

Document Outline