Baiting Ben (5 page)

pack. I won't have dissention. Understand?"

The hair along Ben's arms rose. He wanted to get

Anthony alone to ask him more about the fae, but he could

tell by the look his mates were exchanging that now wasn't

the time. Fae blood could explain his insane need to protect

Anthony. Blood called to blood.

Thomas gave his alpha a bow. "We need to discuss

this. Thank you for your advice, Silver." He gave a lower

bow to Anthony with a smile. "And for your input, alpha

mate."

Anthony blew him a kiss.

Ben looked at Anthony for a moment, curious as to

why he didn't hug Dillon and welcome him to the family.

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Dillon also gave a bow and a slight head tilt,

exposing his throat to the mated pair. "I also thank you for

your advice and the option to join your pack. I hadn't really

thought past getting Ben. We have much to discuss." Dillon

stepped forward. Taking Anthony's hand he placed a kiss

on the back of it. "Of course, I have never been with a pack

that had such a pretty alpha mate."

Silver took his mate's hand from Dillon and rubbed

off the other wolf's scent with his thumb. Anthony's eyes

sparkled as he turned to Ben. "I'd keep an eye out for this

one honey, he's smooth."

The alpha pair left, but not before Silver gave

Dillon a warning look over his shoulder.

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Chapter Three

Thomas couldn't believe things went so bad so fast.

Just an hour earlier he was dreaming of joining his mate at

the bar for a few drinks before bed, now not only was that

ruined but he might have just gained an extra wolf to his

mating. Not that Dillon was unattractive, but he wasn't

Thomas's mate and it would take all the control he had to

not snap the fucker's neck as soon as Ben's back was

turned. The thought of the tall, muscular man touching Ben

made him queasy and angry in turn.

"What are we going to do?"

Dillon sat back down on the leather seat. "We need

to figure out a way to bond together. I'm not giving Ben up.

He's mine and if he insists on being yours too, then I say

we petition for tri-mate. We'd best do it here because our

Alaskan pack won't acknowledge a tri-mate. Hell, they

won't even acknowledge a gay mated pair."

Thomas' eyes met Dillon's. For the first time it

struck him how pretty the other man's green eyes were.

They were mesmerizing, with little flakes of gold inside a

forest of green.

Still he couldn't stop his smirk. "Ben doesn't have to

petition. He was already accepted."

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Dillon stared at Ben. "How is that possible? There

isn't a full moon until next month."

Ben smiled. "Anthony decided I would make a good

pack member and welcomed me."

"B-but he's not a wolf."

Dillon's confusion was almost cute. Thomas

uncharitably enjoyed the other man's distress. "Anthony

may be an architect and a non-werekin, but anyone can see

who's in charge of that relationship."

Dillon snorted. "I did get that impression. Wait

what's his last name."

"Carrow."

"Wow. I thought he looked familiar. Have you ever

been to The Carrow Hotel?"

Thomas shook his head. "No, but I've heard it's

amazing. Are you an architect?"

Dillon shook his head. "Landscape design."

"If you stay, maybe Anthony can find work for

you," Ben suggested.

"Or Silver," Thomas said with a smile. "He's always

looking for more people to guard his mate."

"Is he in trouble?" Dillon asked, a concerned frown

creasing his handsome face. His expression showed he

would be willing to be a guard if that was what the alpha

wanted. Thomas had the sinking feeling the other man

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would be a good addition to the pack. If Dillon weren't

after Thomas's mate, he knew the pair of them would've

been friends. As it was he wanted the man gone. Dead

would be better, but he'd settle for elsewhere.

Unfortunately, it looked like he wasn't going to get his

wish.

Ever.

"No, but he has a new project that has him working

with vamps and other paranaturals. Silver has a fear one of

them will try to take off with his treasure."

"It's a valid fear," Ben said. "He's kind and

beautiful, anyone would be anxious if he was their mate."

Thomas and Dillon growled together.

"Oh, please. Like you didn't notice," Ben said,

rolling his eyes.

"Let's stay on track. How are we going to share a

mate?" Thomas didn't want to share Ben at all, but if the

only other choice were to have his mate forever missing his

other half then he would do whatever was needed to keep

Ben happy.

"I could get a place near here until I'm accepted as a

member. We could take turns bonding with Ben and

cementing our claim. I'll take him with me now since I'm

sure you've already claimed him as your mate."

"You aren't taking him anywhere," Thomas said.

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"I grew up with him, he's mine," Dillon replied.

Fuck that.

"Then you should've claimed him when you had the

chance instead of letting him go thousands of miles away to

find another mate."

Thomas saw the punch coming and ducked out of

the way in time, taking the force of the hit on his shoulder.

"That's enough," Ben shouted.

Thomas and Dillon froze.

"Stop fighting over me. If you are both my mates

then you need to learn to share. Thomas, I think it would be

a good idea if I go back with Dillon to his hotel and talk."

"No. There's no way I'm going to let a stranger

leave with my mate." Thomas held up his hand to stave off

the protests. "No offense, Dillon, but I don't know you and

I'm not going to just hand Ben over. You can sleep on the

couch, but I want to be there when you talk to our mate. I

don't know what happened between you, and if we're all

going to have some kind of relationship I want the details."

Ben bit his lip. The poor dear kept looking back and

forth between them like a dog trying to decide who his

master was.

Dillon glared at Thomas before letting out a sigh. "I

hate to admit it, but I wouldn't let you walk out with Ben

either. Okay, I'll get my bag out of the car and come back

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here for our little talk."

When Dillon left, Ben threw himself into Thomas's

arms. "I'm so sorry, Thomas. I didn't think he would come

after me. When he didn't show for the claiming I thought

we were done."

Thomas swallowed the lump in his throat. "Do you

love him?"

Ben nodded averting his eyes from Thomas's

probing gaze.

"Look at me, honey." There were tears in the

redhead's eyes. "You can't help who you love."

Ben laid his head on Thomas shoulder holding on

tight. "But I love you, too."

He stroked his mate’s back to calm the shaking he

could feel through the thin shirt. "We'll figure something

out. I'm not letting you go." He gave Ben a little shake.

"Understand?"

Ben nodded, giving a watery chuckle.

Before he could say anything else, the door swung

back open. Dillon's gaze flattened at the sight of them

embracing.

"Get used to it," Thomas said. "If we're all going to

be together you'll see me do a great deal more than hold

him."

Dillon nodded. "True enough, but it doesn't mean I

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have to like it."

Ben stepped out of Thomas's embrace, but softened

the mood by placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

A growl came from Dillon. When the pair turned to

face him he shrugged, his cheeks glowing pink. "Sorry,

instinct."

Thomas let it go. At least it looked like Dillon was

trying.

* * * *

Dillon watched the pair. It was difficult resisting the

urge to rip Ben away from the other werewolf. God knew

Thomas was being completely decent about the whole

thing. If he wanted to, the other wolf could have used his

connections and had Dillon tossed out of the city. That

alpha looked badass enough to do it. Maybe even ban him

for life, or kill him quietly and hide the body. All things

he'd seriously consider in a similar situation. If he had

bonded with Ben first, he wouldn't be as gracious.

He carefully assessed Ben and was both pleased and

disturbed to see the young werewolf looking so well. In the

back of his mind he'd imagined the younger wolf pining for

him and grateful for Dillon hunting him down. He hadn't

imagined Ben perfectly happy with a handsome mate of his

own. Other than death, it was the worst scenario possible.

"Ben, I want you to know I planned to be there for

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the claiming, but my parents sent me out of town."

"They never liked me," Ben said in a quiet voice.

He sat on the couch, pulling his knees to his chest.

Thomas settled on the couch beside him, lifting Ben

onto his lap to comfort the young werewolf. Dillon yearned

to be the one stroking the golden-red head, but he knew

now wasn't the time.

"I don't understand what a claiming is," Thomas

piped up.

"You don't have claiming ceremonies here?"

Thomas shook his head. "When you know at first

sniff if someone is your mate, why would you need a

ceremony?"

Dillon shrugged. "That's just the way we always did

it. When a werekin reaches the age of twenty-five they're

eligible for the ceremony. If no one claims them, they can

go lone wolf or stick around and hope someone joins the

pack that'll match him or her." He turned an imploring gaze

on the redhead. "Ben, why didn't you wait for me? You

knew I was going to claim you."

That was the question that haunted his dreams.

What if, after all he'd gone through, Ben didn't really want

him?

Ben stood up, patting Thomas's leg in an

affectionate gesture. It didn't help Dillon to see all the extra

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touches of affection heaped onto Thomas and not even one

kiss for him.

"I didn't know you were going to claim me. I hoped,

but when you weren't there for the ceremony I figured it

was your way of letting me down easy. Your father told me

you chose to go on this trip during the Claiming. I thought

maybe it was your way of saying you didn't want me

without actually saying the words."

Dillon stared at his gorgeous mate for a long

moment. "How could you not know that I wanted you?

Since the first day I saw you, there hasn't been a breath I

take that I didn't want to breathe your scent, not a voice I

heard that I didn't prefer it to be yours. You are everything

to me."

He took Ben's hands and slid to his knees, trying to

hide the panic thudding in his chest as he looked up at the

man who was his world. "I can't live without you. Please be

my mate."

Tears shone in Ben's eyes. With gentle pressure he

tugged at Dillon's hands, urging him to his feet. "I'm sorry

you can't be my only mate, Dillon, but if you're willing to

share I would love to have you as part of my tri-mating."

A watery laugh left Dillon's throat as he wrapped

his arms around his love, taking a deep breath to inhale his

mate's sweet scent. The aroma of lemony hair product

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mixed with lust and love went straight to his cock.

"I want you." All the love Dillon yearned for

glowed in the young werewolf's beautiful eyes.

He felt the other man approach but didn't take his

eyes off Ben.

"You're going to have to deal with me sometime."

Thomas's dry voice broke into the moment.

Dillon sighed and turned his head to look at the

other werewolf, breaking the intense gaze with his love.

For the first time he really looked at Thomas. Looked

beyond the sleek exterior and into his hazel eyes and saw

the same worries reflected there that he felt himself.

"Are you willing to share him?"

Thomas nodded. "Not eager, but willing. Let's take

this to the bedroom and see if we can share. If our wolves

can't share then one of us will have to go."

He didn't need to say it was Dillon who would go,

after all it was Thomas's pack. He just nodded, and for the

first time in his life found himself in the weaker position. A

strong wolf in his pack, it was difficult for him to defer to

another, but for Ben he was willing to try.

"Last chance, Ben. You can still come back with