Blue Moon III: Call of the Alpha (4 page)

Bombs went off all around them, bullets whizzed by their heads as he and his team ran for cover. He’d just pulled a gunnery sergeant to safety when his name was shouted. It was too late. The blast wave from the grenade rocketed him over fifteen feet, slamming his body into the side of a Humvee.

Call closed his eyes tighter, not wanting to relive this. It’d been over ten years. Even though the barotrauma wreaked havoc on his lungs, ears, stomach and joints. It’d been nothing compared to the damage caused by the shrapnel fragments. Worse was he laid in a military hospital for eight months before he was stable enough to be transported stateside. It was the countless months of recovery, of him waiting for an officer to come and tell him he was no longer fit for duty and his team had been reassigned. He was awarded the Purple Heart, many officials came to his bedside, but no one said the words he dreaded hearing. He went through the surgeries, convalesced, and performed the hours upon hours of therapy. After doing everything he’d been told, he was awarded his command back. They’d told stories of his bravery and courage. He was respected in the service, his wounds were his marks of honor. But out here in the world, he was repelled; those wounds now only an embarrassment.

Call pulled his jeans and sweater on, not wanting to continue this trip down memory lane. He came down the wooden stairs hopeful, but also knowing that Alpha wasn’t there. They should be sitting on their large, camel leather sofa watching the news together like they did every night. Discussing world-views and politics, exchanging war stories. It was the best relationship a man like him could have. Someone who wouldn’t bore him, someone who could also challenge him. The handsome assassin was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Alpha was the only one who really saw him.

Call ignored his growling stomach and pulled some of his gear out of the closet. He was going after him. He zipped up his all-weather coat and dropped his utility knife and flashlight in the large pockets. He took his tranquilizer gun – bears were pretty prevalent in their area this time of year, preparing for torpor – his 9 mm and compact survivor kit. You just never knew what could happen in the forest. Their home sat alongside a deep-water dock. He walked down to their boathouse and saw that nothing was moved there. Alpha was out there, maybe stealthily watching him. A rush washed over him and his cock got painfully hard in his jeans.

Call turned and surveyed the area. Large, white oak trees loomed over his head; he calmed his breathing and focused on the sounds of the night. The sounds nocturnal animals made when coming out to hunt for dinner. The rustling of the leaves and the crunching of the pine under his hiking boots. Call closed his eyes and took a deep breath before following what smelled like burning leaves. It was chilly out tonight, the fall season rapidly approaching them. After walking for almost forty minutes, he saw the light from Alpha’s fire deeper into the mountainous terrain. The fire keeping away unwanted four-legged visitors.

As he got closer to the makeshift campsite, he saw Alpha leaning against a large tree trunk facing the small fire. His legs were stretched out in front him and his hands were buried in his pockets. He had on another dark skullcap, which covered his soft, black waves. With his chin tucked to his chest, not moving a muscle, he looked like he was deep in thought or asleep. Call lightened his steps and moved carefully, as to not make a sound. He’d thought he was succeeding and was growing very proud of himself until he saw a flash of metal whip past the side of his face. He turned his head and narrowed his eyes at the four-inch blade embedded in the thick bark of the tree next to him.
Sneaky fucker
. What was even more amazing was that Alpha hadn’t moved.

“What the hell?” Call asked, standing in front of Alpha.

“It wasn’t me,
mon amour
. We have company,” Alpha said gravelly, still not looking at him.

Call spun around, whipping his 9 mm out at the same time. Taking aim at the darkness.

“Easy there, cowboy,” said a sinister voice laced with amusement. “Isn’t that what they say in America?”

Call squinted at the sound of a man’s voice that was accented very much like his lover’s. It was to his right, nestled further into the dense forest. “If you fired one shot, Commander… do you think you’d hit me?”

“Do you want to find out?” Call grumbled.

“You move like my brother now. So no, I don’t.” The dark figured stepped from behind a thick chestnut oak, his movements fluid and easy as he approached them. Omega.

Call turned and squatted in front of Alpha. “Did you know he was here?”

“Yes.”

“When.”

“Twenty minutes ago.”

Call looked at his partner’s brother and huffed in irritation. Although Omega was a deadly man and also an assassin of the same Order as Alpha, Call didn’t fully trust him. He’d gone rogue at one point and had done some immoral things, including doing side work for a known terrorist, before Alpha was able to step in and remind him of his purpose, of his oath.

“What are you doing here, Omega?” Call asked, tucking his gun away.

“Just thought I’d visit you guys here in the Hunger Games. What’s with the setup, the fatigues and survival packs?” Omega wondered, gesturing at Call’s gear and Alpha’s little campfire.

“It’s date night,” Alpha said, bored.

“Okay,” Omega drawled out, watching the tension in both of them which Call knew was evident.

Alpha stood and began kicking dirt onto his fire to put it out. He finally looked up and met Call’s eyes. He knew his partner, knew what his eyes were saying. He was asking if they were good. Was Call ready for him to come home? Did he still feel shame?

Call didn’t care if Alpha’s brother was watching or not. The bastard was there uninvited anyway and he’d just happened to arrive at a sensitive time. Call moved into Alpha’s space and brought one hand up to the back of his head, the other securing a firm grip on his throat. Alpha’s already dark eyes hooded with lust. He even raised his chin a little higher, letting Call get a deeper grip. Alpha reveled in Call’s strength. It turned him on to the highest degree. Call pushed him back against the tree and slammed his mouth over those soft lips. Alpha gasped out a relieved breath and let Call take whatever he wanted. He tightened his palm over Alpha’s jugular, making him hiss at the pain. “Don’t walk out again,” Call snarled against Alpha’s lips.

“Don’t give me a reason,” Alpha barely whispered, since his throat was in a vise grip. He held Call’s waist with one hand, pushing his erection against his own, and held the wrist of the hand Call had around his throat, moaning his desire. “Tighter.”

Call closed his eyes and the let the craving flood through him. He squeezed Alpha tighter while grounding his cock harder against him. It wasn’t nearly enough contact. He needed his love right now, needed his submission and Call knew Alpha needed his dominance. Call popped the button on Alpha’s jeans and roughly reached inside, searching out his heat.

“Um. Should I like wait over there or something?” The exasperated voice of their uninvited intruder broke through their lust.

Call loosened his grip and rested his face in the crook of Alpha’s neck. His natural scent always calmed him, and he needed it right now because he was two seconds off Omega’s ass. As if Alpha could sense his inner anger, he rubbed soft circles at the base of Call’s back and kissed him lightly behind his ear, whispering soothing French words to him.

“I need to be alone with you,” Call grumbled, sucking hard on Alpha’s neck. His chest rising and falling rapidly.

“I know. But he has something to talk to us about.”

“Us?” Call questioned. He slowly pulled Alpha’s cap off his head and threading his fingers through his thick hair. Again, forgetting their audience. He was beginning to think he may have a slight obsession with his assassin. He nestled his nose into the still-wet locks and took another breath.

“Come on. Let’s go home.” Alpha had to practically pry Call’s hands off him. Murmuring promises to him. “Later,
mon amour
.”

Omega was standing several feet away and Call stormed past him, heading back in the direction of their home. He heard the brothers walking behind him, only catching bits and pieces of their conversation in their native tongue. He did, however, clearly understand one sentence. “I’ve never seen anyone handle you that way and live, brother.” Call couldn’t help but smile at that. He liked that no one had or would ever touch Alpha that way – and live – but him.

ἈΙ

Alpha

Alpha knew he wouldn’t be away from home for long. Call was just as drawn to him as he was to his commander. But he couldn’t tolerate shame. He wouldn’t tolerate pity or self-loathing. Call was going to have to get used to the thoughtlessness and narrowmindedness of some civilians and still be proud of who he was and why he looked the way he did. More than that, know he got those scars protecting the very people that were staring at him.

He hoped that was the last time he heard or felt any shame radiating from his man. Now he had to wonder why his brother was here. Although Alpha was the faster and wiser of the two, together they were unstoppable. He missed his brother dearly, especially after having worked so closely, paired with him for many years. But now that they were both retired and doing far less killing, he’d been enjoying his calmer days beside the man he loved and now called partner. It wasn’t that he minded Omega coming for a visit, it’s just trouble seemed to follow him wherever he went. Now that Alpha was in a relationship, he wouldn’t allow any mayhem to befall his cherished one.

It took them a little over an hour to walk home. It was amazing how they unknowingly fell into a line ready to defend. Call was in front, his head scanning left and right, Alpha a few feet behind keeping his vision narrowed to his peripheral only, and Omega taking up the rear, watching their six. Although they were supposed to be alone on this land, it wasn’t their nature to let their guards down. Once they were home, Call immediately dropped his gear at their storage closet for Alpha to stow and went upstairs to their bedroom without a backward glance.

“What’s crawled up his fatigues?” Omega muttered as he discarded his own coat and kicked his boats off, making himself at home.

Alpha huffed. “How’d you get here, Eriktor? I didn’t see anything tied to our dock. ”

“Well Daskshuan, I swam, if you must know,” Omega said, dropping down onto the leather sofa. “I left my gear in your boathouse.”

“Why didn’t you just call me or tell me you wanted to come? I don’t mind you visiting, brother, but we were kind of in the middle of something.”

“I see. Was your soldier being a bad boy and you left? Looked like you were set up to be out there all night.” Omega grinned the way he did when he was trying to rouse him. His brother tapped his chin, looking upwards, feigning as if he was deep in thought. “I forgot I have to talk in proverbs for you to understand. Let me think… what’s that saying… um, it’s biblical?” Omega snapped his fingers. “Oh yeah. It is better for a man to make his home on the rooftop than dwell in the house with a brawling woman.”

Alpha sneered at his brother.

“Well, in your case a brawling six-foot-four man.” Omega shrugged arrogantly, propping his feet up on their coffee table.

Alpha could’ve moved like the stealthy tiger he was and had his arm around his brother’s neck before he could utter another word, teaching him a valuable lesson in respect, but he wasn’t in the mood. His mind was on the man upstairs.

“Guests, like fish, begin to smell after two days. How long are you staying, Eriktor?”

“I’m here with purpose, Daskshuan.” Omega sat up higher, his sharp, gray eyes focused.

Alpha stepped further into their living room. “State it, then. Stop being a pest and you’re welcome to stay, but I won’t tolerate disrespect.”

“I’ll never disrespect you.”

“You disrespect me when you disrespect him. He’s not brawling, contentious, belligerent, quarrelsome, or anything else. He’s my cherished.”

His brother’s eyes widened at his use of that word. “I meant no contempt. I apologize.”

“Accepted.” Alpha welcomed his brother’s embrace. “Now come into the kitchen and tell me what you need to say.”

Omega followed him through the wide hallway and settled down at the four-top table in the eat-in kitchen.

“This is nice,” Omega said, looking around the cabin-style kitchen. It was a fairly decent size, but nothing to put in a magazine. It was just right for the two of them. “I’m surprised it’s not… um… bigger. You have enough money to buy whatever you want. You can buy your own island, sink it, and then buy another one.”

“My only want is happiness and I have it right here. I won’t receive any gratification from an ostentatious show of wealth or lavish possessions.” Alpha took the chicken breasts out of the refrigerator to make them the dinner they should’ve eaten a while ago. He was starving and he knew Call was, too.

“Do you want some tea, Erik?”

“Please,” Omega answered.

Alpha turned on the kettle before going back to placing the chicken in a pan to sauté. He heard Call walking around upstairs, assumed he’d taken another shower. He made three cups of imported Iranian tea – never able to acquire the taste for coffee – setting one down in front of his brother and making Call’s the way he liked his. His brother watched him with amused curiosity.