Stevens-Journey [Brac Pack 20] (15 page)

“Get in the house and stay in the kitchen.” Steven nodded rapidly as his wide eyes still held fear in them. Roman cupped his face, bringing his lips close to his mate’s. “It’ll be okay. I need you to be safe while we take care of this.”

“Okay.” Steven leaned into Roman, giving him a quick kiss before running back into the house. Roman spun on his heels and took off in the direction the sound had come from. When he rounded the corner, his rage tore through his body.

Chauncey was lying on the ground unmoving.
No!
Roman shot across the yard, uncaring that his cousin was out there somewhere with a shotgun probably trained on him. He had to get to his older brother.

Roman dropped to his knees when he reached the twin’s side, pushing him over onto his back. Roman’s head fell back as tears stained his face, letting out the largest gush of air. The shot had only grazed Chauncey’s shoulder.

“You bastard,” Chance shouted as he shifted. He charged straight for their cousin as Pa shifted as well, heading the other twin off.

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Dommy straightened from the position on the side of the truck and tried to run. He spun around and aimed the gun at Chance. Pa roared and attacked Dommy like a parent protecting its cub, and that’s exactly what his father was doing.

The triplets and Riley came racing to the house on horseback, jumping from the saddle and shifting. The horses raced over to the barn as the bears finished Dommy off.

“Hey, trouble, wake up.” Roman tapped the side of his brother’s face. “It’s just a flesh wound, stop acting like a big baby.” His voice was strained as he tried to wake the big man.

Chance came barreling over to them, nudging Chauncey with his snout and whimpering. He pushed his twin with his paw, trying to get him to move.

Roman noticed the terrified look on Steven’s face as he descended the front steps. He held his fisted hands to his chest as he approached them.

“It’s Chance. He won’t hurt you.” Roman held his hand out, waiting for his mate to come closer. He watched his mate glance at Chance before hurrying to his side. Roman wrapped his arms around Steven’s waist as his mate stood there shaking and staring at Chauncey’s prone body.

“Is he…”

“No,” Roman answered him as he reached out and rubbed the fur over Chance’s head, trying his best to reassure the twin. “He’s just out cold. I felt a lump on his head. He must have hit it when he fell.” Steven knelt beside the unconscious twin as he reached a tentative hand out. He felt around Chauncey’s neck and then let the air leave his lungs as he confirmed for himself that the bear was okay.

“Where the hell did my brother go wrong with him,” Pa shouted angrily from a few yards away. “The dumb son of a bitch did this on purpose, almost like a suicidal mission.” His father’s voice caught in his throat as he stomped by them.

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“He didn’t want to be an addict anymore,” Steven whispered from his side. “I’ve seen what the drug can do. He took the only way out he felt he could.”

Roman gritted his teeth as he listened to his mate’s words. “It was a coward’s way out,” he snarled. Dommy had always had issues, but he could have reached out to anyone of them for help. They would have helped him.

Roman moved closer to his brother as Chauncey groaned. Chance shifted, kneeling next to his twin. Roman could see the blush creep across Steven’s cheek as his naked brother dropped to his knees beside Chauncey.

“Get your ass up,” Chance scolded his twin in a tear-stained voice.

Roman could hear the relief and a bit of fear in Chance’s shaky tone.

They helped the big man up as his eyes opened. Chauncey reached for the back of his head as they walked him up the porch and into the house.

“I got him,” Chance said to Roman and Steven as he helped Chauncey into a chair. Roman took Steven to the living room and then checked to see where everyone was at.

He knew his father was having a hard time with this. He was out at the grill, flipping chops and staring off into the distance. His brothers had taken Dommy to where his parents were buried.

No one was going to recover from this any time soon. Hell, Roman was having a hard time accepting what had just happened.

“He’s not suffering anymore from the drugs.” Steven gave him a wavering smile as he worried his hands in his lap. He knew his mate was trying to comfort him. Roman sat down next to him and pulled Steven onto his lap and just held onto him.

* * * *

Steven stared at the modern kitchen. It was nice as hell. The stove was humungous and the refrigerator was enormous. George didn’t
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coddle him either. He had jumped in feet first, starting out with the busy breakfast crowd.

The two seemed in sync as they worked around the kitchen. “I sure as hell appreciate you workin’ here,” George said as he tossed a plate up onto the pick-up window. “Leaves me more time to spend with my mate.”

Steven glanced out into the dining area to see some of the people he knew from the resource center. There was Drew, Kyoshi, Blair, and Oliver, all four sitting at one table while four large men sat at the one behind them.

He guessed them to be the men’s mates. Steven quickly forgot about them as breakfast turned into lunch and then blended into dinner. He was exhausted by the time the dinner rush quieted down.

His feet were killing him, but for the first time in a very long time, Steven felt happy and accomplished. He was no longer defined as David’s little bitch. Something he had always hated. He wasn’t even defined as Roman Lakeland’s mate. Everyone knew him as Steven, the cook at the diner, and Steven wouldn’t have it any other way.

He smiled from ear to ear when he spotted Roman walking through the door. His mate’s eyes lit up when he spotted Steven across the diner. Roman’s straight white teeth and raven-black hair made his heart leap out of his chest.

His mate was simply gorgeous.

His grey eyes danced with delight as he stared at Steven. “I missed you.” Roman leaned across the counter, and Steven felt powerless to stop his body from meeting him halfway. Their lips touched, and Steven’s body instantly recognized the smell, touch, and taste of his mate. His cock began to thicken as Roman cupped his jaw, running his thumb over Steven’s skin as he took what was his right there in the diner.

Steven’s head swam at Roman’s touch. He was ready to go, ready to lie in this strong man’s arms once again. Steven heard himself
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whimper as Roman pulled away. Roman gave him a knowing grin, running his finger over Steven’s pouting bottom lip.

“Take it home.” Cody chuckled. “We can clean up. Go.” Steven was around the counter and at Roman’s side in seconds.

His mate’s hands ran up his arms, staring down into his eyes. “Hi.” Steven felt that goofy grin coming. The one that told him how deeply in love he really was. “Hi.” Roman grabbed his hand and waved with the other one to everyone left in the diner.

“Night, guys,” George called out as they left his work world behind and joined Roman in a world Steven could only describe as a fantasy where Roman was his king.

“Feel like a drive?” Roman asked as he opened Steven’s door. He nodded as he settled, and Roman closed him into the cab of the truck.

“Good.” Roman leaned over and kissed him once more, and then closed his door. He pulled from his parking spot, heading out of town.

Steven didn’t ask where they were going. He only cared that he was with the man of his dreams.

Roman parked the truck along the soft shoulder of the road.

“Come on, sweetheart.”

Steven followed his mate until they came to a clearing. He gasped as he saw a large blanket spread out and a horse tied to a low branch.

“Get naked.”

Steven stared at Roman for a moment and then ditched his clothes, wondering why he was in the middle of a field buck naked.

Roman did the same, and then mounted the horse, holding his hand out for Steven.

“What are you up to?” Steven laughed as he grabbed his mate’s hand and was helped up into the saddle.

“A little teasing.” Roman bit his ear as he urged the horse to go.

Steven held on to the horn as Roman wrapped his arms around him.

His fully erect cock was sending little sparks of fireworks through Steven as the horse moved.

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“Lean forward.” Roman dug into the saddlebag as Steven did as he was told. For the second time in twenty minutes, he gasped.

Roman’s wet fingers played with his hole as they traveled through the night.

“This may get a little tricky.” Roman laughed as he placed his hand on Steven’s back, pushing him forward just a bit more. The horn of the saddle cut into his stomach as Roman’s cock slid into Steven's ass.

Steven’s fingers dug into the leather of the saddle, whimpering as Roman’s cock plunged in and out of him. Never in his life would have dreamt of something like this. He was almost lying flat as Roman pulled his legs up to lie on either side of him.

“I got you, baby. You aren’t going to fall.” Roman’s fingers dug into his hips as Steven mewled. “Fuck, sweetheart. Look at you.” Roman groaned as he pulled Steven down onto his shaft.

Steven couldn’t understand, but the smell of leather and horse was driving him mad. Roman had the reins in his hands while curling his fingers into Steven’s skin, fucking him into oblivion. They ended back at the blanket, Steven protesting when Roman pulled free.

His mate chuckled as he helped Steven down and then laid him across the blanket. “I’m afraid to come while riding. I’ve never tried it before, and I don’t need either of us falling.” He flipped Steven onto his hands and knees and then plunged back in. Steven clawed the blanket as Roman grabbed his sides and rocked in and out of his ass.

“Roman, please. Don’t be gentle, don’t be gentle,” Steven begged as he felt the need to be overtaken, mastered. Roman blanketed his body as he plowed into Steven, giving him exactly what he had asked for. He could feel Roman’s sweat hitting his body and his muscles straining all around him as Roman made him explode.

“Come for me, baby.” Roman growled loudly as he, too, came.

Steven’s ass cheeks were sore as hell from the pounding he had
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begged for but felt like a sated fool lying on the blanket with a shitty ass grin on his face.

Roman collapsed beside him, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. “You were out to kill me, weren’t you?” He chuckled.

They both jumped when a hand landed on Roman’s arm. Steven rolled out of the way as Roman shifted.

* * * *

Roman cursed when he saw Chauncey and Chance lying belly down behind the tree. His brother laid a finger over lips and nodded toward Roman’s truck. Roman reached out and pulled Steven to his side, tucking him under his bear form and standing over him in a protective manner.

Chance slid over, grabbing Steven’s clothes and tossing them to his mate. “There’s a wolf sniffing around your truck,” Chance whispered. “It won’t take him but a minute before he finds you and Steven.”

“It’s David. I know it is.” Steven’s hips rose in the air as he slid his jeans into place. Roman growled at his brothers when they both stared at Steven’s softened cock.

“What? I was just seeing if that was his natural black hair on his head.” Chauncey grinned at Roman. “The only way to tell is to check out his pubic.”

Roman pulled his lip back in a snarl and advanced toward his brother. Chance shushed them and pointed, reaching a hand out for Steven who was stuffing his feet in his shoes. “How the hell did you guys know about this?” Steven asked suspiciously as he slid over to Chance.

Yeah, Roman wanted to know the same thing. Chauncey shifted as he and his brother took off toward his truck. Chance grabbed Steven and got him onto the horse, taking off at breakneck speed toward the farm.

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Roman watched them until they were out of sight before concentrating fully on the wolf. He rounded the truck on the left as Chauncey came around on the right. He roared when no one was there.

They both turned around and took off toward the other twin and Roman’s mate. Somehow the wolf saw Chance leave with Steven and was now hot on their trail. Roman ran as fast as he could but knew he wouldn’t catch up to them until either the wolf stopped them or they made it back home.

After a mile, Roman spotted the horse running toward him. And it was empty. His blood chilled at the sight. He put on a burst of speed past the horse and toward his mate. They finally spotted Steven running toward them, but Chance and the wolf were nowhere in sight.

Roman shifted midrun and caught his mate as he collapsed in his arms. “David,” he panted. He took a gulp of air and then continued.

“David knocked us off the horse. Chance changed into a bear and is fighting him. I ran to get you guys.” Chauncey tore away from them, running at top speed toward his twin. By the time Roman and Steven caught up to them, Chance was lying injured and the wolf was gone. Chauncey roared and dug his paw at the ground. Roman grabbed Chance from the ground as they ran back to the truck.

“I’m sorry,” Steven kept saying over and over again until they reached the truck and Chauncey jumped in the bed, shifting, and then holding his arms out for his twin.

Roman handed him over and then jumped into the driver’s seat, speeding out of there. Roman delivered his brothers home and told Steven to stay with his pa. There was no way David was going to get away with this.

As he walked out onto the porch, two large SUVs pulled up.

Maverick got out of one of them, followed by six of his men. “Ride with me.”

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Roman nodded, jumping into the passenger side as Chauncey got into the other vehicle. He pulled the slip of paper out that Steven had written the address on, along with a few places his ex frequented.

Roman felt better knowing the triplets, Riley, and his pa were at home with his mate. They made it to the city and David’s house, driving up slowly. The vehicles pulled over as the lights were cut.