Climbing the Ladder (12 page)

“Oh, right. I remember. Can’t we stop so I can get dressed?”

“It’s late and the road’s twisty. Just stay here with me.”

She was clearly caught between curious and needing to follow her instincts, her body

vibrating.

“Kody won’t let anything happen.” Mesa knew him.

“Nope.” He drew her in. “We’ll go to Mesa’s house, to his bed, and sleep for a few days.

Eat. Rest.”

Run.

See Grandma Minnie.

“A few days…Kody, I have to get home.”

“Shh. Not now.”

“You’ll love it here. I promise.” Mesa smiled at them over one shoulder.

“I…”

Kody sighed, took her lips, kissed his lady hard. He was too tired to argue anymore and

once Mesa was home, his Alpha could take care of things for a few, right? God, she was warm

and soft against him. Mesa would be in his element once they hit the pack lands. He would know what to do. It amazed Kody a little, how much power Mesa lost in the city. Of course, he’d been more than a little crazy when his Sammy had found him. He owed her so much. He would love

her forever. He poured that into their kiss, loving how she moaned for him.

Her nails dug into the back of his neck, the feeling so familiar, so good.

The truck slowed, the scent of home coming in the open windows. He pulled the blankets

around them tighter, protecting their lady.

They rolled to a stop, Mesa leaning out the window to murmur something.

“Is everything okay?” She sounded worried.

He smiled at her, kissed her nose. “Everything is fine.” That wasn’t even a slight lie.

They were home. Everything would be right now.

They didn’t stay long at the guardhouse, moving on slowly up the road. Mesa seemed to

be checking on everything.

His nose was twitching, a soft keening building in his chest.
Home. Home. Home
.

“Kody?” Sammy’s hand touched his cheek.

He smiled into her worried eyes. “Happy. We’re here.”

Home. Home. Home.

He could howl.

Run.

Pounce Mesa and chew on his ears. He’d never have to go to a state park to run with the

moon again.

Mesa glanced back at them and smiled. They drove right through the lands, around the

main meeting hall, and toward the Alpha’s house.

“This town is…tiny.” Sammy’s eyes were huge. “You don’t even have a grocery store, a

gas station.”

“Nope.” Mesa sounded so satisfied that it made him smile.

“Wow. This is…where you came from?”

Kody nodded, pointing out a tiny cluster of houses. “Mine was in the back.”

“Mine was over there.” Mesa waved a vague hand toward his family’s house. They had

been far enough apart to get in trouble when they snuck out.

“And now you’re in the back.” He leaned forward, touched Mesa’s shoulder. “So proud

of you.”

“Thanks, baby.” Mesa’s cheek rubbed the back of his hand.

He rumbled softly at his beautiful Alpha. “I would have been here, but I was busy.”

Finding their mate. He’d done that. Gone out of the mountains and to the ocean to find

her.

“I know. You did good.” They finally stopped at the Alpha house, around back so they

had some privacy. The house was huge, old, a place big enough to house the entire pack in

emergency, a place to raise a huge, happy family.

“It’s really dark out here, Kody.” She actually sounded scared, and it made him think

about how lost he’d been those first few months in the city, where there was never silence, never darkness.

“The moon is lovely, though. Come on, Sammy. Let Mesa show us the house.”

“I’ll carry you if you like.” Mesa chuckled.

“I need my clothes. Shoes.” She sounded affronted, and her skin was covered in

gooseflesh.

Kody nodded to Mesa. There was no way she was going into a new house naked without

help. Mesa nodded back and came around to open the door and haul Sammy out, blanket and all.

He carried her, kicking and shrieking, all the way in. Kody chuffed, padding behind, sniffing

hard.

Home. Home. Home.

The house smelled like Mesa. Oh, there were hints of previous occupants, and a tiny bit

of Grandma Minnie and Junie, but it was Mesa that overwhelmed him.

He stood there, in the doorway, trying to remember how to breathe, how to move.

“Baby?” Mesa turned, still holding Sammy in his arms.

A century of memories and emotions hit him, square in the chest. He opened his mouth,

took a step forward, and the world went black.

“Kody!” She fought the arms holding her, a pure panic riding her spine. “We have to get

him to a fucking hospital! He’s sick!”

Sammy had had enough of this shit. Mesa could be some weird non-medical help cultist,

but she was a modern girl, and God knew they were so far out in the boonies they’d have to drive hours for a real facility.

“No, he’s overwhelmed.” Mesa let her slide to the floor, but shook her a little before

letting her go. “You need to get clothes on before you go running around outside.”

“Fuck the clothes. You’ve seen it all.” She snarled at him, ran to Kody, sitting on the cold

floor and cradling his head. “I’m going to call 911, Kody. You’ll be okay.”

Mesa might have snorted. She couldn’t tell exactly what the noise was, but it was

derisive.

“Jesus. I need my purse, my phone.” A sudden, sharp panic hit her. “Why the hell did I

let you take me out to the middle of nowhere?”

“Because you’re our mate.” His voice cracked like a whip. “You have to stop losing your

shit.”

“Don’t you fucking snap at me.” She kept Kody close, glaring at Mesa. “You think you

can just come into my house, my marriage, and take everything over?”

She’d been trying to be reasonable!

“Yes!” He stormed over, getting in her space, pushing her away from Kody. “I’m the

fucking Alpha!”

She pushed him back, as hard as she could, actually moving him a little bit. “You’re a

fucking ASSHOLE! This is the Twenty-First century! Grow some fucking sensitivity!”

“Fuck that. I tried it and you still don’t trust me.” He actually picked her up, getting his

face right in hers, trying to intimidate her.

“Trust you? You kidnapped me!” It was no fair. No fair at all. Her toes weren’t even

touching the ground. He was a giant apeman. “Let me go!”

“No.” He shook her again. She was going to get whiplash. He bared his teeth. “You need

to listen.”

“I’ve listened to the two of you enough!” She popped him right in the nose, as hard as she

could, and it didn’t even faze him. “Kody is unconscious!”

He roared, starting to shake her again, then all but dropped her when Kody groaned. She

landed hard, tailbone slapping on the floor hard enough to make her eyes water. She crawled

over, reaching for Kody, slapping Mesa’s hand out of the way as she fought to get her breath

back. Mesa was on his knees next to her, though, looking as worried as she felt. As soon as both of them touched Kody, though, he woke up.

“Mates.” Kody looked at them, eyes sparkling. “I’m on the floor.”

Oh, thank God. “You are. I’m going to get you to a hospital, love. You’re sick. I’m

taking you away from this big asshole.”

“No, Sammy. It was just very big for a second.”

“See?” Mesa growled and she turned on him, snarled low.

“No, I don’t see, you fuck.” She framed Kody’s face with her hands. “There’s something

wrong with you. You passed out. We have to go.”

He sat up, hand sliding down her side. “Too much information, huh? Years of emotions

in here, plus you, Mesa.”

Maybe it was Kody who had the brain tumor. He sure was acting like he had some kind

of pressure.

“I know, baby. She won’t listen.” Mesa settled on the floor, pulling Kody up on his lap.

“I won’t listen.” She sat there for a second, naked, cold, watching her nude husband on

his lover’s lap. She was three days away from home, she hadn’t had a latte in longer than that, and she was probably blackballed from any decent job on the West Coast. Not only that, but

she’d missed the season premiere of Glee.

She stood up, grabbed the blanket, and headed out for the truck. Clothes and shoes. Then

her phone.

“No.” The word came from right behind her, Mesa there before she could blink.

She jumped. How did he do that? “Back off.”

“I don’t think so.” He pulled her close, his chest against her breasts.

“Leave me alone!” She tried to pull away, but his arms were like steel bands.

“Stop it. Just stop.” When she tried to slap at him, he kissed her silly.

His tongue pushed into her mouth, stealing her breath, her good sense. What the hell was

wrong with her? She didn’t just…melt for men. Not for men not Kody, anyway. But this one was

so raw, so fucking exciting.

“Leave me alone.” The words would have been more impressive, if she hadn’t moaned

them into Mesa’s lips.

“Can’t.” He pulled her back into the house, kissing her again and again. He carried her

deep into the house, then up a flight of stairs, into a huge bedroom with the biggest bed she’d ever seen.

Kody groaned happily from behind them. “Home.”

“Yes. Home.” Mesa put her on the bed, which she would have known was his even if he

wasn’t there.

She went to get up, but his huge hand landed in the center of her belly, other hand

drawing Kody close. Kody went to him, looking oddly young and excited, and as soon as Mesa’s

hand wrapped around Kody’s arm, a heat started inside her.

Her nipples tightened up, her breath coming faster. When they both lay down with her,

their bodies heavy next to hers, she cried out with pleasure.

“Yes. Yes, see?” Kody moaned softly, lips parted. “Home. Oh, Mates. Home.”

“Yes.” Mesa smiled for her, pulling off his clothes. He pulled Kody close for a kiss, too.

Kody cried out when Mesa’s mouth touched his, long fingers grabbing Mesa’s hair. She

gasped, eyes huge as she watched them. She. They. Beautiful and wild and so needy, they made

her wet.

Mesa seemed like he could eat Kody up, and she knew that kiss from both sides, knew

how both of their mouths felt. Mesa pushed Kody over, body covering his, their hips slamming

together.

Sammy moaned, needing to touch too, her hands sliding over Mesa’s back.

Mesa arched into her touch, then pushed back down against Kody. She could feel their

pleasure through her hand, white hot and desperate.

“Mate. Please. Been so long since we’ve been here, home, together.” Kody was begging,

words almost incoherent.

“Kody.” Mesa moaned, biting at Kody’s shoulder, rubbing and pushing them all higher.

“Yes…” Kody reached for Sammy, dragged her closer.

She ached for…something. More. Them. They rocked together, all of them, Kody and

Mesa just slamming against one another. Kody was making the wildest sounds, deep, hoarse.

Hungry.

Mesa smelled like sex, like need. It was stunning.

“Fuck. Mate…” Kody’s eyes met hers, glowing. They were glowing.

“Mine. My mates.” Mesa looked at her, his eyes all gold. Then he kissed her, too.

She moaned and jerked forward, her lips parting as Mesa’s tongue fucked them. He

wasn’t gentle; his mouth bruised hers. Kody pressed against her, his hand on her ass.

Kody’s fingers dug in, dragged her closer, close enough that she was rubbing herself on

Kody’s thigh. Mesa panted, licking her neck. His tongue felt rough, shivery good. She gasped,

the touch wild, fierce, and she wanted to pull away, push closer. Kody laughed a little, tilting his head and letting Mesa bite him. That was almost hotter than Mesa kissing her.

A sound left her, a deep growl. Her Kody.

Mesa laughed, his eyes a little wild. Then he rolled them all, wallowing in them.

Jesus, he was big.

Kody didn’t look the least bit worried, either, his laughter ringing out.

They all struggled a little, skin sliding on skin. She pushed up, slid over Mesa, teeth on

his shoulder, on his nape. Mesa bucked, pushing her back, and turned like lightning. She found herself gasping, scrambling back a few feet. He lunged for her, pulling her up to kiss her again, his hands hard on her arms.

Sammy couldn’t breathe, head spinning. Kody’s lips were on her spine, her ribs, her arm,

soft and warm. Mesa overwhelmed her, his body strong and hot, the hair on his chest rubbing her nipples. She moaned, melted, opening to him, and she heard Kody’s whimper against her

shoulder, his soft approval.

Mesa made a small sound, all male satisfaction. He eased her down, nosed her throat, her

breast, her belly.

Kody moaned and stretched out alongside her.

They were making her crazy. God. Mesa’s mouth made her want to twist and push and

beg. Kody’s hands encouraged her, spreading her thighs, stroking her hair. He was everywhere.

They were everywhere.

Mesa slid between her legs, nibbling at the inside of her thigh.

Kody looked at her, smiled. “He’ll be yours, I’ll be yours. Both of yours.”

“I don’t understand how to do it.”

“Trust him.”

“Trust Kody, too. He chose you for us.”

“If you let us, we’ll make it easy.” Kody kissed her, the touch surprisingly gentle.

Mesa nodded, licking her hip. “So easy.”

“Just like that?” They were insane. So was she. How could she just accept this?

“Just like that.” Kody moaned. “You smell so good. So good.”

“Taste good, too.” Mesa nuzzled her other thigh.

She moaned, laughed in spite of herself, and Kody swooped down and kissed Mesa hard.

“Mmm.” Mesa’s big hand cupped Kody’s head, their bodies rubbing hard together.