Gluten-Free Gamma (4 page)

Terrence’s ears flattened at the
command in the Alpha’s voice, but he didn’t get off Al.

Since they were in an open area in
the middle of the day, shifting where humans could see them wasn’t an option.
Carlos recently established that nifty little rule after Don shifted in broad
daylight while chasing after his mate.

Terrence opened his muzzle, and a
possessive, bestial sound tore from his throat. Carlos frowned, as if he
completely understood what Terrence just said.

“According to pack laws, you don’t
have a claim on Al. So unless he’s your mate, get off
him
or you’ll have to answer to me for hurting a weaker member of the pack without
reason.”

Baring his teeth, Terrence
eventually got off Al and furiously thumped his tail in defiance at Carlos.
Gathering his wits and the remains of his pride, Al licked at his paw, watching
Terrence smugly from the corner of his eye.

“Good. Both of you follow me. I
want an explanation.”

Al and Terrence, still in their
furry forms, got into the backseat of Carlos’s car. Two men and two completely
grown wolves squeezed into one tiny car made for one extremely uncomfortable
and tight ride.

Al didn’t know why Terrence
bristled at him or kept pawing at him like a dog that badly wanted his
attention. With Carlos there, Al wasn’t afraid of showing his wolfish look of
disdain.

Chapter Four

Terrence expected Al to open his
goddamn mouth the second they entered Carlos’s messy home. The last thing he
expected was his damning silence.

Back in human form and wearing the
extra sweats and jogging pants Carlos usually kept around the house for
emergencies, Al stood quietly and waited for him to explain to their waiting
Alpha.

During the brief ride, Terrence
thought long and hard about whether or not he should tell Carlos about Harlan.
Harlan’s return was suspicious. He wouldn’t deny that. There was no good reason
why his former lover would happen to stumble into New Haven without a reason.

Harlan wouldn’t answer any of his
questions about how or who injured him either, which was fine with Terrence. He
didn’t want or need explanations. He just wanted Harlan gone so he could sort
out his conflicting feelings for Al.

“So, who’s going to talk?” Carlos
demanded, crossing his arms and looking at the two of them. “Fuck it. I feel
like some sort of parent.”

Watching Al glare at him made
Terrence’s cock hard, which wasn’t appropriate given the situation. Al was
certainty asking for it, and once they were alone, Terrence was going to
correct Al’s attitude problem.

If Al agrees to let me fuck him in the first
place.
At this point getting
Al to talk to me would be a miracle.

“I can explain,” Terrence finally
spoke, looking Al in the eye and completely ignoring their waiting Alpha.

Al shifted his foot a little,
biting his lip.

“If you didn’t just run from me,
I’d have gladly explained the situation to you,” Terrence said.

“It’s none of my damn business what
you do. Didn’t you just say I’m just a one-time fuck?” Al threw back, lofty
gaze back in place.

What Terrence wouldn’t give to grab
his shoulders, restrain his wrists, and fuck him against the wall to wipe that
expression off his
face.
He knew Al wouldn’t resist.
Hell, he could smell Al’s arousal even now. Terrence moved his gaze to the
bulge in Al’s purple jogging pants.

Seeing where he was looking at, Al
quickly turned sideways, making Terrence laugh.

“You’re mistaken, little baker. I
don’t see you as a one-time fuck at all, so don’t you dare look away from me
while I’m talking to you.” Terrence grabbed Al’s shoulder, forcing him to face
him. He skimmed his hand down Al’s chest to the bulge clearly outlined in his
borrowed jogging shorts. Al panted. “See. You’re already so horny for me.”

“Fuck, I don’t want to hear this.
Get the hell out of my house and get a bloody room,” Carlos growled.

Al flung his hand away and shoved
him backward. Al’s strength surprised Terrence, and so did the hard
determination in his eyes. “Prove it, then. If I’m not just a fling, prove it
to me.”

“I….” Terrence cleared his throat
and then looked at Carlos.

Al had made the decision for him.
If he remained chained to his past, he wouldn’t be able to move forward. Years
ago, Carlos and Don took him in, along with other wolves most packs in the Quad
Cities would consider defective. Carlos and the pack gave him a place to
belong, and more importantly, a place to call home.

Most outsiders considered Carlos
Medina a cruel and vicious leader, but that wasn’t true. Carlos only used that
as a front to protect his pack. The least Terrence could do was be honest to
his Alpha.

“Al stumbled upon something in the
garage. Something I’ve been keeping from you and the pack, Carlos.”

Carlos’s eyes narrowed. “What are
you keeping from me, Terrence?”

“My old mate. He’s injured, but I
think someone sent him here to cause trouble. Harlan wouldn’t have come
otherwise.” He began all the way from the start, and the load in his heart
lightened. Terrified of rejection, of being hurt again, he’d been afraid of
letting anyone else in.

Harlan may have fucked him up, but
if Al still wanted him despite all that, who was he to refuse? Only, would Al
still want him after he’d confessed and unveiled his sordid past?

****

Al wished he hadn’t heard a single
word of Terrence’s tale. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t be standing inside the New
Haven Pack’s dueling circle deep in the woods and facing off against Terrence’s
former lover. Under normal circumstances, Carlos could deal with an uninvited
outsider however he liked, but because Harlan had past connections with a New
Haven pack member, they had to adhere to the regional pack laws. According to
the laws, Harlan could defend himself. Only one man could come out alive. If
Harlan won and killed Al, he was free to leave.

Damn it all. Al was no fighter. He
was a baker, for crying out loud.

“I’ll rip you apart, fatty!”
taunted Harlan from the other end of the circle.

Yips, howls, and other guttural
sounds of encouragement came from the other members of the pack. They were all
cheering for him, but Al didn’t feel confident. He nervously wiped his palms on
his borrowed jogging pants, and his back hit something hard. Not long ago, he
would’ve died and gone to heaven if his back simply touched the firm, hard lines
of Terrence’s chest. Now he was just furious.

“You’ll be fine. Concentrate on
winning. He can’t shift, so he can’t do much.”

Al whirled angrily and stared up at
Terrence’s face. “Hey, the only reason I’m here is because your stupid-ass
boyfriend invoked mate rights, which takes precedence over pack laws. If it
hasn’t gotten into your thick head, buster, we’re fighting over you here.
That’s the only reason he isn’t dead.”

Terrence grabbed him and leaned
close to him until their faces were touching, making Al gulp. “Listen to me,
Al. Don’t let Harlan get to you. That’s what he’s planned from the start. He
knows he can’t be touched on foreign territory because he has connections to
me.”

“I don’t give a shit. I don’t even
know why I’m doing this for a man who doesn’t see me other than one good fuck.”
Al’s breathing hitched when Terrence pulled him close.

“How many times do I have to say
you aren’t a damn one-night stand, little baker? And Harlan’s isn’t my
boyfriend. He’s just a lying bastard I can’t wait to see you rip apart.”

Even though Terrence was breathing
down on his face and he was terrified as hell, a shot of pleasure and
confidence pierced through Al’s core. He groaned when their bodies finally
touched. He could feel Terrence’s erection on his hip and his own rising from
the ridiculous jogging pants.

At that moment, he wasn’t an
ordinary, overweight baker who couldn’t eat his own bread. He felt like a
powerful werewolf capable of kicking ass, and he wanted more than anything to
tear apart the bastard who brutally hurt his mate.

Hell, Harlan Priest didn’t just
break Terrence’s heart. He broke a part of his mind and shattered his
confidence.

“If you win, I’m going to reward
you. I’ll fuck you raw and finally claim you as mine, Alvin Heinz,” Terrence said,
leaning forward to lick the edge of his bottom lip and making him
shudder
.

Holy shit.
Did Terrence just
stake his claim in front of the entire pack? The rumbling howls of approval
from the other wolves told him he wasn’t dreaming.

“Let go of me. I can’t think very
well if you’re still close,” Al managed weakly.

Terrence nodded curtly, letting go
of him.

“Let’s dance, fatty. I don’t have
all day,” Harlan spat.
 

Al worked the kink off his
shoulders, dispersed with his clothes, and shifted. For once he welcomed the
pain that ballooned throughout his body. Despite the perks of being able to
turn into a wolf, shifting was nasty business. It may come easy to the pack
Alpha and his Betas, but it was bloody painful for the rest of them.

Just before he was finished
shifting, he spied a contorted face with sharpened teeth and human hands ending
in claws barreling at him without warning. His confidence withered away,
replaced by mind-numbing fear.

Oh curse the gods. He was going to
die.

His beast took control at the very
last minute. Twisting his still-shifting body, Al winced as Harlan’s claws
raked across his left side.
Wake up,
his beast snarled.

Thinking of Terrence waiting by the
sidelines, watching him and hoping for his victory, gave him the courage he
needed. The sounds of thumps, howls, and yips of the other wolves faded away.
All that mattered was winning the fight.

As Al wasn’t a fighter, he relied
heavily on his beast to dodge and see through Harlan’s aggressive lunges and
attacks. Gritting his teeth, he tried his best to ignore the cuts decorating
his body.

“Al, watch out!” Terrence’s voice
tore through his focus.

Harlan used his bulk to drive him
to the ground. Sharp claws ripped and tore through his fur just across his eye.
Tasting dirt and his own blood, Al howled in defiance. Pain ran across his
body. His paws were barely able to block Harlan’s vicious claws. The
wolfman
opened his jaws wide just as Al saw a brilliant
golden flash leaping at Harlan’s unprotected back, its muzzle similarly opened
to reveal sharp rows of teeth.

Fuck.
This isn’t good.
If Terrence interfered, it wouldn’t just reflect badly on
Al—it would reflect badly on both of them. Summoning unknown strength from god
knows where, Al shot himself forward to tackle Harlan.

From the corner of his eye, he saw
Terrence land with a thump on the ground just a few inches from them. While
Terrence kept saying Al meant more to him than a quick fuck or two, Al didn’t
believe it until now. Knowing Terrence was willing to break pack laws to save
him gave him strength. Still, the possessive jerk could at least have some
faith in him.

Harlan scrambled under him
desperately. Al looked down at the hateful villain responsible for making
Terrence the way he was, the monster who wanted to hurt Terrence and his pack.
Pure animal savagery filled him.

When it came to hurting and
killing, Al hesitated because he never had a stomach for violence. This time,
though, he acted without hesitation to protect his pack and Terrence

Tearing Harlan Priest’s throat out
was the easiest part. Living with the knowledge that he’d kill a man was
harder, but Al wouldn’t hesitate if he had to do it again.

“Al wins”
came
Carlos’s voice, and for once Al heard approval there. The Alpha entered the
dueling circle, ignored Terrence’s possessive growl, and gave him a pat on his
furry head. “Was worried there for a second, though, and wondered where the
hell I’ll get my bread if you’re done in.”

Terrence snorted, clearly believing
Al would’ve win. He trotted over them, pressed his muzzle to Al’s face, and
licked the blood under his eye.

“I suppose I’ll have to forgive you
for entering a fight,” Carlos eventually told Terrence. “Now get the fuck out
of here and claim your mate properly.”

Chapter Five

Terrence pressed a cotton pad
soaked with some antiseptic over the bloody cut on Al’s cheek as gently as he
could. Some of the wounds were already beginning to heal. None of Terrence’s
injuries were serious, much to his relief.

He still couldn’t forget how he’d
nearly lost control of his beast moments ago, seeing Harlan above Al. He’d
wanted to murder Harlan then and there at the sight of Al all cut up. Losing Al
wasn’t an option and he didn’t waste time thinking. Screw pack laws, Terrence
would have entered the sacred dueling circle without permission again. Al had
put up a hell of fight, and Terrence was damn proud of him.

“
Ow
.
Watch it,” Al mumbled.

He had a feeling Al wanted him to
fuss over him. Terrence was glad to any other time, but he had some explaining
to do. The last thing he wanted was to keep anything from Al.

“Uh.
Terrence, is something wrong?” Al asked, biting his lip.

“Al, I want you know that from now
on you’re my mate and there’ll be no one else.”

Al colored slightly at those words.
“You don’t have to explain yourself. You nearly broke the pack laws for me.”

Then Al fixed him an annoyed glare.
Before Terrence could figure what the matter was Al, Al’s hand blurred, moving
fast. The sting of the slap irritated Terrence, so he grabbed Al’s wrist and
felt the pulse jump at the contact.