Opening the Cage (6 page)

“I got you both.” That big hand pulled him close, right up against Canyon’s side.

Wend’s body reacted strongly, his cock going full and hard, his hips rolling uncontrollably. “Sorry.”

“Shh. It’s okay, Wend. It’s okay. This is a good thing.” It felt so good to let Canyon hold him, support him.

Wend leaned in, licked Canyon’s jaw, the flavor so right, so perfect, so he licked again. Canyon tasted different. Salty. Warm.

Turning a tiny bit, Canyon caught his mouth, lips sealing over his. Oh. Oh. The flavor of Canyon crashed over him, left the world spinning behind his eyes. He crawled closer, an ache building in his belly.

Canyon pulled him so tight there was no room between them. One big hand still cradled Riana, holding her so she didn’t slide. The kiss made his head spin, made him want to pant.

They licked each other, growled and moaned into each other’s mouths. Each sound tasted better than the last, and Wend couldn’t stay still. All he could do was rub all over the parts of Canyon he could reach, grunting when Canyon touched him, his thigh and hip, fingers brushing his cock.

Please.
He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.
Help me.

I know what you need.
Canyon shifted him, easing Riana down on the ground before pushing him back, covering him, teeth on his throat. Wend yelped, head falling back, as his body began to burn, his balls heavy, swollen. Canyon spread his legs, settling heavily between them, rubbing them together like mad.

Wend nodded, the heat and pleasure huge, the sensations wild. He met Canyon’s eyes, pure passion there.

They moved together, Canyon growling, worrying the skin on this neck with those blunt human teeth again and again. It stung, but it made his nipples hard. His cock ached, leaked on Canyon’s belly. Making Canyon wet. Making them smell the same.

Canyon’s prick pushed against his thigh, so hot he thought it might burn him. He’d never touched anyone like this, had never known. Canyon didn’t feel scared, though, or worried. No, Canyon felt exultant, and needy, and perfectly wonderful.

He reached out, stroked Canyon’s jaw, his legs wrapping around Canyon’s hips.

A low moan tore from Canyon’s throat, the man pressing down harder, giving him that whole body to hold against him. The hair on Canyon’s chest rasped his skin, the hard prick against his now.

His mind wasn’t sure what to do, but his body knew, his wolf rejoicing inside him as their bodies danced together. Canyon felt like fire against him, and there was something familiar and primal about the way Canyon shook him.

Heat poured from Wend, his belly tight as his balls emptied, shocking him.

“Oh.” The sound was little more than a whisper, but Canyon was there with him, seed hot and wet on his skin.

He licked at the air, at Canyon’s skin, tasting them together.

“Lovely boy.” Canyon stroked his hair, his neck.

“We. You touched me.” Wend couldn’t stop moving.

“I did. I’m not sorry.” That smile made him want to laugh aloud.

“No. No, not sorry.” Being sorry was silly. Especially now.

“Good.” Canyon’s eyelashes tickled his skin for a moment, those pretty eyes closing. “We should tend to Riana.”

“I can touch her now.” Wend reached over, stroked her ear, eyes rolling as they all came in contact. “Riana.”

“Oh, God.” Canyon shivered, but he did not feel cold at all. “What the hell is that?”

“Us? The three of us.” That was only answer he had.

“Yeah.” Canyon made this amazing noise, happy and yet almost curious. “Yeah, us.”

Riana’s eyes popped open, staring at them both as she rolled to her paws, and Wend just beamed. “Riana. Pretty girl.”

“Hey, lady.” Pushing up, Canyon moved off him, but stayed close, hands on him.

Wend?
He heard her deep inside, curious and scared and so lost.

Riana.
He smiled at her, petting her, letting him feel his pride and happiness, his love.

Her tail thumped the ground, and she nosed Canyon’s thigh.

He scratched her ears, smiling. “I’m right here, love. Pretty girl.” Canyon was just effortlessly good to both of them.

“She is. She’s so brave.” Wend couldn’t remember a time without her, without knowing she was there.

“Of course she is.” Canyon nodded firmly. It was adorable.

Brave?
Her voice was so soft.

Yes. Brave. And you changed.

She snorted, rolled her eyes.

“You did, too! Ask Canyon!”

“You did, love. Then you passed out and went wolfy again.”

Me?

Wend nodded. “You were beautiful.”

Nonsense.
She curled up, tail over her nose.

“You were.” Canyon crossed his legs, looking comfortable.

Wend ended up curled in Canyon’s lap, the man wonderfully warm. “You could come sit with us.”

She wrinkled her nose.

“What?” Canyon was laughing, making Wend bounce. “Don’t like the way we smell?”

Riana sniffed, then tossed her head, playing. His girl. Playing. He was so proud of her.

“If you change, you could sit here, too. There’s room.” He wanted to see that again—her pale skin, her curves,
her
.

“You could,” Canyon agreed. “You’re very pretty as a woman, love.”

Her ears swiveled.
I don’t know how.

He looked to Canyon. He didn’t know
how
either. He just did.

Canyon shook his head. “I’m not sure I can explain it. We’ll talk to the shaman when we get home, I guess. I mean, I just think real hard about being a person.”

Shaman?
Wend thought about Beryl, and that led to the one that was with the Alpha, the one trying to having pups, and Riana whimpered, backed away. No. No. They didn’t want that home. No more crates. No more cages.

That panic began to creep up on him again. How was he supposed to care for Riana? Feed her? Keep her safe?

Riana’s eyes rolled, whites showing, and he knew she was listening to him, so he stopped. He would do it. He could.

“Hey.” Canyon touched them both again, rising up to get to Riana. “She’s my sister. It’s okay. The shaman, I mean. She’s good.”

Riana backed away, whining softly, paws sliding on the leaves.

“No. No, love. Please.” He vocalized softly, needing her to calm down.

Canyon sat back. “Her name is Juniper. She has this crazy hair. You’ll like her.”

“Our witch was…She hurt. She would…” He dropped his voice. “She would take Riana away, make her cry. She cut…” He shuddered, the memory raw.

Canyon growled. “No one will do that again.”

“No. No, I will not let them.” He growled, too. As scared as he was, he would not let anyone hurt her. Never again.

Riana’s held tilted, and she scooted closer. Neither Canyon nor Wend pushed her, letting her come to them. She did finally, head down, blowing hard. She leaned into Canyon, muzzle on Wend’s chest, and that jolt of electricity pushed through them. He petted her as she shivered, smoothed her fur. So did Canyon. They both loved her with their hands and voices. Brave girl.

When she relaxed, Wend smiled, met Canyon’s eyes.
See? See, they didn’t break her.

No breaking.
Canyon smiled back, stroking Riana’s fur.

Wend shivered, the wind getting colder, stronger. “Where do we go?”

“I have a vehicle. If we can just get to it there’s food and water and blankets.”
Then home.

He nodded. Food and blankets sounded good. He wasn’t sure about home.

Canyon grinned, looking suddenly so much younger. “You’re going to love it.”

Wend leaned forward, licked Canyon’s nose. “Good.”

“It is. Good. We should keep moving, huh?”

Riana rolled her eyes, sighed dramatically, and Wend chuckled at her muttering. She would get used to it. She was just accustomed to lying in a cage.

She was going to get stronger, every day. He was sure of it. She was so strong. Stronger than she knew; he'd seen it even over the last few hours.

He nuzzled her again, body shifting, changing, going back to his natural form. She barked, the sound happy and good, nuzzling him.

They wagged together, muzzle to muzzle. His lady. His girl.

Canyon came to them, a wolf once more, licking and praising before woofing softly.
Time to go
.

Wend woofed, too, and nudged Riana. Off they went.

Chapter Six

By the time she saw the big truck, Riana thought there was nothing left in the world that would scare her. She thought she was too tired, too sore.

Too old.

She was wrong.

Canyon headed to the big truck, shifted back into his man-self and opened it up, getting out clothes and food and talking and laughing and…

And Wend was going over there close to it.

Near the truck.

Trucks were bad.

She stayed in the trees, slowly backing away, keeping her eyes on the vehicle.

Canyon turned, frowning when he saw her. “No, baby girl. You have to come on. It will be warm in there. There’re blankets.”

No. No, she was never getting in one of those again. She would stay.

“Come on, Riana. Please. Just come look and sniff.”

She settled into the leaves, harrumphing. Those were loud, scary. Bad. Bad things. Wend picked his way over, snuffling at her. Laughing at her. She growled low, warning him away. Laughing at her. Those things were bad! Those things took wolves to Bad Places!

Canyon laughed. “They can take us to good places, too. Depends on who’s driving.”

She put her tail over her nose, ignoring them. Laughing at her. Hmph.

Wend moved around behind her before nipping her butt. Just at the base of her tail.

She came out of the leaves snarling, teeth bared as she drove him back.
NO!

No more.

No more.

No MORE!

Wend barked, bouncing back, head down and butt up. He thought she was playing.

She snapped and stomped, then spun as she heard Canyon approaching. Canyon the man, who wore clothes that smelled spicy and woody.

The scents confused her, made her stop. Men smelled bad, didn’t they? Except Canyon smelled like pack, and like good food and like Wend.

Riana whined softly, stamped her feet. This was so different. Everything was different.

“Come on, love. You can do this. You’ll like Junie. I bet you’ve never had a best girl buddy.”

She had. She’d had April. Her sister had been the one to come and sit with her, talk to her, play with her. Tell her about makeup and dancing and how high heels hurt. She’d known that sweet April had loved Russet, about the nights they’d slipped away to make love, to mate. April had been her best friend, her laughter, her hope, because April knew what was outside and April didn’t care that Riana couldn’t change.

Riana threw her head up, howled with her whole soul, calling for help, for the moon, mourning and scared and so lonely.
April. Sister. Come back.

Wend danced for her, trying to help, whining low, but it was Canyon who caught her, curling a hand in her ruff. The touch calmed her, eased the huge ache in the center of her chest.

“It will be okay, love. You have to trust me.” Canyon lifted her, held her like she was a pup, and she surprised herself by not biting. He cradled her for a moment, not moving, just standing. Then he moved, taking her toward the truck.

She cried softly, not wanting to go. She would be quiet, still, so good.
Please
.

Wend barked and danced, the sounds getting more and more hysterical.

“Shh. Hush. Both of you.” There was more than a hint of command in it, but it wasn’t mean. Canyon went to the truck and sat in the seat with her in his lap.

The scents here were more of the same—wood and spice. Canyon. Wend climbed up next to Canyon and started sniffing around, nosing. The sound was familiar, too, and she began to relax.

She still didn’t like trucks, but she liked Wend and even Canyon. She really did.

Canyon hummed, hand stroking her, calming her so that when the truck began to growl, she just tensed instead of fighting to get out. He soothed her before easing her over into the seat next to Wend. The truck started to move, and her balance teetered, but Wend helped her settle.

Easy.
He hummed.

I want to go home.
She didn’t but she didn’t know what else to want.

Liar.
Wend was blinking at her, nose next to hers.