Wolf Triplets (Triplet Harems Book 3) Page 3

  “Like Dad,” said Bryce. “Still surprised he let us do this.”

  “Like Dad,” said Hunter.

  “Then get to the point,” said Jake. “You think there were other reasons why the alphas let us go out like this?”

  “Maybe,” said Hunter. “Or maybe they wanted to get rid of us for a while so they could consolidate their control over the pack.”

  “Always so cynical,” said Jake with a grin. “Always thinking anyone who does anything has got some ulterior motives.”

  “That’s because they usually do. The elders put on this big show about wanting new ideas, new leadership. But at the end of the day, they’re not going to want to give up power. And if we’re gone for four years, that’s the perfect amount of time to strengthen their hold.”

  “Well,” said Bryce. “Worse situations to have, I think. If the pack’s strong, that’s a good thing. Not like we’ve got a shortage of other packs who want to take what we have.”

  Jake shook his head and wrapped his hand around his drink. “You guys are worrying too much. Pretty soon, we’ll be back with the pack, ready to lead them to the damned promised land. We’re going to be the most powerful group of wolves in the region, and no one’s going to be able to stop us.”

  He took a long swig of his drink before setting it down and spreading his arms out over the back of the booth.

  “For now, let’s enjoy what we’ve worked so hard for. And hell, even if the elders don’t want to give us our share of power, maybe we can think about...branching out?”

  “Whoa,” said Bryce. “You’re still not thinking about...that, are you?”

  Jake shrugged. “Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. If we come back to the pack and they’re still stuck in their old ways, maybe we can talk about forming our own.”

  “What, just the three of us?” asked Hunter. “I don’t know if you failed your biology classes or what, but you need females to make more wolves, bud.”

  Jake grinned. “We’re alphas, and we’re badasses. Not gonna be hard to find females, you know.”

  “We can think about that after we get back,” said Bryce. “And keep this kind of talk in check when we do, bro. If there’s one subject that doesn’t go over well with elders, it’s younger alphas talking about taking over.”

  “Yeah,” said Jake. “But if you think I’m gonna let it drop, you’ve got another thing coming. We’ll see how Dad is when we come back.”

  Their father, Gabriel, was one of the elders of the pack, and easily one of the wealthiest wolves among them all. He had power and resources and never had been shy about doting on his sons, giving them anything they needed. But this all came with a price—his boys were expected to know their position in the pack, to not make waves.

  Jake knew that some of the other members of the pack felt that they were spoiled—little daddy’s boys who wouldn’t be able to cut it as real pack leaders. He was ready to prove them wrong.

  “You know what I’m thinking about,” said Jake.

  “Let me see,” said Hunter with a grin. If you’re not thinking about power, you’re thinking about pussy.”

  Bryce laughed. “Yep.”

  “What?” said Jake. “Don’t tell me you guys haven’t been thinking about how the pack females are gonna be treating us when we get back. And I know you both have been fucking your share of human chicks.”

  “All right, fine,” said Bryce. “Yeah, I’ve been wondering what some of those girls back home have been up to. Betting they miss us a hell of a lot.”

  Hunter laughed. “Seriously? With the amount of shit we gave most of them? They were probably glad when we finally left.”

  “Just some teasing,” said Jake. “And you know they definitely are.” He glanced away as if trying to remember something. “What was that one girl’s name? That cute chick with the brown hair and the great ass?”

  “Brown hair and great ass,” said Hunter with a grin. “That really narrows it down.”

  “Casey!” said Jake, snapping his fingers. “That’s the one. Damn, she was fucking fine.”

  “Oh yeah,” said Bryce. “The weird girl. Weird but pretty hot.”

  “Total loner, too,” said Jake. “Never really got along with the other females.”

  “What?” said Hunter. “You thinking you’re gonna claim her when we get back or something?”

  “Who said anything about claiming? I mean, she’s an omega and all, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna fucking imprint on her or something.”

  “Oh,” said Bryce. “You’re thinking you’re just gonna go back, fuck her, and then start with the teasing again?”

  “I don’t know, man,” said Jake. “Just bullshitting here.”

  Jake sipped his beer, thinking about Casey. The guys had been right that she’d been a target of their teasing since they were kids. But the more Jake thought about her, the more he realized there might’ve been a good reason why he couldn’t get her off his mind.

  Omega. Alpha and omega. They were pairs meant to be, pairs that would produce the strongest children. Back when he was a teenager, the idea of having cubs was totally outlandish to him. After all, mating and imprinting and cubs and all that would only tie him down. And what alpha wanted that?

  But as he got older, the more...appealing it sounded. He’d gone through his share of human women—women who might not’ve known about his wolf nature but had all sensed something with him, that alpha pull and animal magnetism that they’d all found irresistible.

  Human women were never all that satisfying, however. He wanted more, and as much as he didn’t want to admit it, he found himself considering whether or not only an omega wolf would be able to satisfy him.

  He finished his drink, hoping the booze would be able to put thoughts like that out of his head.

  “You guys ready to hit up someplace else?” he asked, pushing his empty glass aside. “Getting a little bored here.”

  “Where you thinking?” asked Bryce. “I mean, maybe it’s time to get back to the apartment.”

  “Yeah,” said Hunter. “Got to finish my reading for the night.”

  Jake laughed. “Pussies. Come on—one more bar, a couple more rounds of drinks, and we can get back home.”

  The guys nodded, finishing their beers over the next few moments. Before too long, they were outside in the cool night air. Chicago was alive with the sort of energy only found in a big city on the weekends. Jake loved it; he loved the potential and opportunity of big cities. Sure, they were full of humans. But there were other shifters to be found, and he knew an alpha male with ambition and drive could easily carve out a powerful position.

  “All right,” said Bryce. “What’re you guys thinking?”

  “Shifter bar,” said Hunter. “Had about my fill of humans for one night.”

  “Yeah,” said Jake. “Maybe we’ll find some of the other members of the pack, see how things are back home. Don’t want to be too surprised if the place has changed when we’re there again.”

  “Sullivan’s?” asked Bryce, referring to a popular hangout for Chicago shifters.

  “Sounds about right to me,” said Jake.

  The three of them formed up, making their way down the packed sidewalk. Jake noticed, as he always did, how much they stood out among the humans. The brothers were tall—all around six-five—and built like trucks: broad shoulders and barrel chests. Even among the athletes at their school, they stuck out.

  “Here,” said Jake, gesturing down an alley that cut through the block. “Shortcut.”

  The other brothers nodded, and they stared down the alley.

  But as they traveled down it, Jake caught the scent of...something.

  He stopped, sniffing the air. “What is that?” he asked. “You guys smell it?”

  Bryce and Hunter stopped just behind Jake, the two of them sniffing the air along with him.

  “That’s shifter,” said Hunter.

  “Yeah,” said Bryce. “But aren’t we
close to Sullivan’s?”

  Jake shook his head. “Not close enough for the scent of shifter to be this strong. Something’s going on.”

  The hair on the back of Jake’s neck stood up. He clenched his hands into fists, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the alley. The area was shrouded in darkness, the high walls of the buildings to his left and right blocking the lights of the street.

  The scent grew stronger by the moment. Whoever, whatever, was coming, they were drawing nearer with each passing second.

  Then a shadowy figure dropped from the roof of the building to the right, followed by one more and then another.

  Jake heard thuds from behind him. He turned and spotted three more figures descend.

  They were surrounded.

  “What the fuck is going on?” asked Bryce.

  “No fucking idea,” said Hunter. “But get your ass ready for a fight.”

  The figures approached, soon stepping out of the shadows. The man in the lead was tall and reedy, dressed in jeans and a sleeveless denim vest with nothing on underneath. Jake knew right away that whoever these men were, they weren’t local shifters.

  “The fucking Redtooth pack,” said the man in the lead, a sneer on his thin face. “Been looking all over the city for you pricks.”

  “Who the fuck are you?” asked Jake, anger in his voice. A fight was coming, and he knew it.

  A pretend hurt expression formed on the man’s face as if he’d been wounded by Jake’s words. “You don’t recognize us? We’ve been watching you three since you were little pups.”

  “Tell us what the fuck is going on, right now,” said Hunter. “Or—”

  The man raised his eyebrows. “Or what? Look around, tough guys—you’re outnumbered.”

  “Outnumbered for what?” asked Bryce. “You guys here to pick a fight for no good reason?”

  “A very good reason, actually,” said the man. “We’ve come a long way to find you three. See, things are about to change for the Redtooth clan. You won’t be around to see it happen, but that doesn’t matter.”

  These were men from back home, Jake realized, wolves from some of the other clans. And they weren’t there for diplomatic reasons.

  “Let’s get this shit over with,” the man said. “Tired of this city already. Come on!”

  He shifted into the form of a huge black wolf. The other men did the same, taking on their individual wolf shapes.

  Jake was ready. He might not’ve known what was happening, but he knew it was a fight to the death.

  CHAPTER 4

  HUNTER

  There wasn’t any time to think. Hunter shifted into his red wolf form. Moments later, Bryce was in his form—a white wolf, and Jake was in his—gray and black.

  Before Hunter had a chance to even consider a strategy, the attacking wolves were on the move.

  One, a massive black wolf, rushed at him. Hunter could tell by his shape and posture that he wasn’t an alpha—the man in charge was likely the only one in the group. Three alphas against one alpha and several betas was more of a fair fight, but Hunter knew that he was hardly safe.

  He had to move. And he had to move fast.

  But the other wolves were thinking the same thing.

  A snarl sounded behind him, and Hunter quickly turned to face the pair of wolves bearing down. They growled and snapped, both stepping toward him. They were betas, and he knew neither of them would be a match for him. They would attack as a pair and die as one.

  The latter of those possibilities is exactly what he had in mind.

  The sounds of battle erupted behind him, but Hunter knew he was in no position to help his brothers. The best chance he had would be to fight the two wolves who had him in their sights, kill them off, and then help if he could. Not a chance he could do anything without taking them down first.

  At his left, the wolf pounced. It leaped through the air, all fur and teeth and claws. Betas could be fierce warriors, he knew, but they tended to have predictable attacks and strategies. In this case, Hunter understood, one of the wolves would hope to busy him while the other came in from his flank, giving him a bite when he least expected it.

  He wasn’t about to let that happen. Hunter watched as the wolf sailed through the air. When he was on his downward arc, too far along to change his course, Hunter prepared for the impact. The wolf slammed into him hard, but Hunter was braced. He held his ground, the wolf colliding with him as though he were a brick wall.

  Hunter was ready to turn the tables. The beta scrambled, apparently having hoped to catch Hunter by surprise. But alphas were strong, and could easily hold their own in a fight. He held the wolf back, its jaws snapping into nothing but air. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as the second beta approached. If it got close, it’d try to take a chunk out of him.

  Using every bit of strength he had, Hunter turned the wolf, pinning him to the dirty ground of the alley. Then he leaned in and bit down on the beta’s neck, sinking into his flesh and ending with a quick twist of his neck.

  Once the wolf was done for, Hunter turned to the other beta. Fear was evident in his posture, and Hunter wasn’t about to waste the opportunity. He stormed forward, the wolf sensing the danger and trying to flee. But alphas were not only stronger than betas—they were faster. He caught up to him quickly and pounced, bringing him to the ground and killing him in the same way he’d taken out the other.

  Now he was ready to fight alongside his brothers. But when he turned to the rest of the fight, he saw that Bryce and Jake had already prevailed. The bodies of the other few betas littered the alley, and only the alpha remained standing.

  He shifted back, Hunter and his brothers doing the same.

  “All right,” said Jake, stepping toward the alpha. “The fight’s over. Tell us what the hell’s going on here.”

  The alpha laughed. “You really think the fight’s over? Just what do you think is happening here?”

  “Some prick alpha and his betas from back in wolf country got bored and decided to pick on some alphas,” said Bryce. “And now you’re paying the price.”

  The alpha shook his head, the sneer still on his lips. “That’s really what you think is going down? Not even close.”

  “Then what?” snarled Hunter. “Why the fuck would you come all this way to kill us?”

  “It wasn’t about picking a fight,” said the alpha. “It was about tying up loose ends.”

  The three brothers regarded one another.

  “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” asked Jake. “What loose ends?”

  But the alpha only shook his head. “Might’ve been a little rude of me not to introduce myself. Name’s Jasper. Sad to see you take out my men, but they’re replaceable. And there’s a hell of a lot more where they came from.”

  He glanced back before turning his attention to the brothers.

  “This has been fun, but I’m not about to die in some Chicago alley. See you boys around.” Another sneer. “And my only regret is that I won’t be around when you find out the news.”

  “What?” shouted Hunter. “What news?”

  Jasper winked before shifting into his wolf form. Before the brothers had a chance to react, he darted up the fire escape of the nearest building and disappeared over the roof.

  He was gone.

  Jake turned to his brothers. “What...what the fuck was that?”

  “I don’t know,” said Bryce. “But we need to get the fuck out of here, right now.”

  “Sullivan’s,” said Hunter. “We get there and see if any of the other wolves have any answers.”

  “Right,” said Jake. “Let’s move.”

  The three of them ran down the alley, putting as much distance between them and the bodies of the slain wolves as possible. Hunter knew the defeated wolves would soon shift back into their human forms, but even so, being caught around several dead men wouldn’t be a good idea.

  The flashing neon lights of Sullivan’s were visible in the distance the moment they
turned the corner. Hunter had no idea what to expect when they arrived, and his heart was still racing from the fight.

  Jake in the lead, the brothers burst into the bar. The place dimly lit, retro rock music playing on the stereo, the occasional clack of pool balls cutting through the low conversation. Eyes turned on them when they entered, and Hunter realized the shifters there likely could tell right away that something was amiss.

  Every pair of eyes in the place turned to them. And every face wore the same expression of...something that looked to Hunter like shock—like they’d seen a ghost.

  Hunter and the brothers knew right away that something was fucked up.

  “What the hell is going on?” bellowed Jake. “Someone better start talking, right fucking now!”

  No one said anything at first. Finally, a man at the bar rose. He looked familiar to Hunter, and after a second, he recognized him as one of the wolves of the Shorn Fur pack—one of the smaller groups outside of their territory.

  “Holy shit,” he said. “It’s...you.”

  “Yeah, it’s us,” said Bryce. “Who the fuck else would it be?”

  Hunter stormed up to the man, getting right in his face. “I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but you’d better start talking.”

  He grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and pushed him against the bar. Hunter knew he was acting out of control, but he didn’t care.

  “Hey!” shouted the man. “Take it easy! I wasn’t the one who did it.”

  “Did what?” demanded Hunter. “Start talking, right now!”

  Hunter’s blood boiled. He felt a pressure on his shoulder and turned to see that it was Bryce.

  “He knows something,” said Bryce. “Let’s hear what it is before we smash his fucking head against the bar.”

  “Hold on, hold on!” protested the man. “I wasn’t the one who did it! It wasn’t me! I had nothing to do with it!”

  Jake stormed to Hunter’s side. “You’d better tell us what the fuck ‘it’ is right now.”

  “Easy!” said the man. “Let me go and I’ll tell you everything I know.”

  Hunter turned to his brothers, who both nodded in assent. Then Hunter let go of the man’s collar.