“Great work, boys. I think this plan of yours will work.” He turned to Ryker. “The district alphas have all arrived. We’ll get the fighting over with tonight, and then tomorrow we’ll celebrate our expanded territory and the mating bond between you, your mate, and my son. Wash up and get some rest and be back here in about thirty minutes.”
Ryker dipped his chin in a sharp nod, walking past John and jogging up the steps to where Dylan, Steve and August were waiting for him. Dylan hung back as August walked up to him and examined the wound on the side of his neck.
“Right over his dad’s claiming bite,” August said, huffing. “He’s not subtle, is he?”
Ryker pulled away from August’s prodding with a rueful grin. “He fought fair, and he didn’t play with me when he had the upper hand. That’s all I care about.”
“Are you okay?” Dylan asked, looking at the various cuts and bruises littering Ryker’s body. It was bizarre, seeing the way they healed in a matter of minutes.
“I’m using a lot of energy,” Ryker said, running his hand through his hair. “We should get some food.”
“I can take you,” Steve volunteered.
Ryker nodded, and Dylan was surprised when Steve started to blush.
Then he remembered what John had said about celebrating Steve’s mating bond, and it clicked. Steve’s dad had basically ordered Ryker to claim Stevetonight.
Dylan still didn’t get all the intricacies of werewolf culture, but he knew that mating bonds were about as profound and significant as you could get. He wondered if Steve resented the casual way his dad had ordered it to happen, or if he was relieved that Marcus’s plan was working.
“We can hang out and get some privacy in my apartment,” Steve said. “William said he stocked my fridge this morning, and I have-”
Steve was interrupted by Ryker grabbing him by the front of his shirt and pulling him close.
“Do you want to be mine?” Ryker growled, the words making Steve shudder.
Dylan looked around, taking a step closer to August when he realized that John and Marcus were watching the scene with rapt attention.
“Sure,” Steve said, his voice pitched an octave higher than usual. “Yes, I mean. I want-”
Ryker leaned in and bit him, teeth sinking into Steve’s neck and making him moan. He fisted one hand in Steve’s hair, tilting his head down to give him better access, while he used his other hand to reach down and cup Steve’s meaty ass.
August pulled Dylan close and bent his neck, whispering into his ear, “Ryker gets a little feral after he shifts into his alpha form. He’s good at hiding it, but sometimes his instincts get the better of him.”
Dylan swallowed, his stomach fluttering. The scene was oddly hot. The contrast between Steve, in his puffy winter coat and padded boots, and Ryker, with his blood-streaked skin and torn shorts, looked like something out of a fairytale.
When Ryker finally released Steve’s neck from his jaws, he moved his head into position for a kiss and then spent an obscenely long time making out with him.
“I’ll leave you guys to it,” Marcus said, clapping Steve on the back as he walked past him. “Congratulations. If he hurts you, I’ll kill him.”
Steve wrenched his mouth away from Ryker and turned to his brother. His grin was blinding. “Thanks!”
“I’ll see you back out here in half an hour,” John said, following Marcus into the house.
Ryker was still holding Steve against his chest. He blinked and then suddenly looked ruefully embarrassed.
“I’m starting to get cold. How about we continue this inside?”
August and Steve both laughed, but Dylan thought it was an excellent idea. Even with his winter gear, he was starting to get cold. He had no idea how Ryker wasn’t freezing his balls off.
Steve walked over and opened the door into the house. “Come on, I’ll show you the way.”
43
AUGUST
After Ryker’s spontaneous claiming bite, August was feeling a bit self-conscious as he sat next to Steve on the couch in the younger alpha’s apartment. They both knew that he had to bite Steve first, but without the manic energy that had characterized Ryker’s actions, he didn’t know how to get the ball rolling.
Should he just ask?
