Gifted with Hydrangea (3 page)

Chapter Three

Rudo
looked around the shop
that was just off to the side of the barn. In spite of the tractor and trailer
being stored here, it still had ample space to work. He could see tools for
both metal- and woodworking, and even a forge. Some of the tools were new, but
many were old, which made him smile. He sometimes liked to work the wood with
older tools.

Beside him stood his new alpha with his hands on his
hips. “The tractor and trailer are what we’re going to use at pack runs, but I
can move them if you want.”

Rudo
shook his head. “No, it
doesn’t even take up half.”

“
Aunt Betty says this used to be a carriage house. Then
when automobiles were invented and used more and more, it was turned into a
workshop after their old shop burned down. One of the turbines is in its place
now.”

Ryker stood next to him, holding his hand. His mate
gave a light squeeze. “Do you have everything you need in here for your
woodworking?”

While still taking in everything,
Rudo
smiled. “Yes. This space is better than what I had back home, and bigger. Some
of the tools aren’t here, but I have them back home, and I should be able to
move them here easily enough.”

Alphy
placed a hand on his shoulder. “I talked to your alpha this morning. He said he
was told you went on vacation and that he didn’t know you were missing.”

Rudo’s
brows drew down. “I was out of town on business. I was only supposed to be gone
a few days. It has been two months, so they should have known something was
wrong.”

“
Alphy
, are you sure the alpha said
he was on vacation?” Ryker asked. “I mean, why would he say that, if he knew
Rudo
was out on business?”

Alphy
withdrew his hand and rubbed his chin. “I don’t know. I was under the
impression that someone had told him. Maybe he thought you had gone on vacation
from your business trip? But I agree some things don’t add up. They said all of
your things, and finances, were still in place, untouched, which is not the
case with several of the others who were rescued. One way or another, someone
there should have known you were missing, which means someone there might still
be a threat to you if they wanted you gone. Would you know who that would be?”

Rudo
frowned. “Everyone in our
herd was unhappy when I came out. They didn’t like I was gay. They all thought
it was something I chose, and could just change my mind about it. It was
starting to get a little tense, but I can’t see any of them being involved with
this. To sell another shifter out to human scientists seems a bit extreme, even
for them.”

“
Maybe, maybe not. If they hated you enough, and the
price was high enough, I don’t think you should dismiss the idea. I think if
you’re going down there to pack up your stuff, you should maybe take a couple
others with you.”

“
Oo
,
oo
!”
Ryker bounced on the balls of his feet, beside him. “Like my sentry team?”

Alphy
chuckled. “Exactly. The other two teams can take over in your absence until you
get back. When do you plan on leaving?”

Rudo
shrugged and looked down
at his mate.

Ryker looked thoughtful. “I was going to put up
cameras in and around this building today, since we have the house, garage, and
barn covered. And I probably should give the other guys some notice to prepare
themselves, so maybe tomorrow?”

Alphy
laughed. “Ok then. I’m going to head back into the house. One of Slate’s
friends is going to be arriving today with his stuff, and I want to be there to
greet him.”

Alphy
headed back to the house, and after a deep kiss that left Ryker glossy eyed and
breathless, his mate picked up a bag with some of the camera equipment, and
took out a cell phone as he headed around the building.
Rudo
stood there and watched him until he was out of sight, willing his erection
down so he wouldn’t chase after him and fuck his mate against the wall. It
wasn’t easy since his mate’s arousal still fragranced the air. However, after a
few minutes passed, he was able to get his libido better under control, and he
strolled further into the building to more closely examine his new work space.

****

Ryker had to hurry around the side of the building,
away from his tempting mate, or he would have begged to be taken right there in
the open. It had been five days since
Rudo
was able
to finally, fully claim him, and he still couldn’t get enough.

He hummed happily as he dialed Gavin, one of his
sentries.

“
Hey, Rye,
whassup
?”

“
Hiya, Gavin. Hey, look, so I just had a talk with
Alphy
and my beloved, and it was decided we should bring
extra backup just in case someone in
Rudo’s
herd
tries to harm him. So I need you and
Neto
to pack up
and be ready to leave tomorrow morning with us.”

“
You got it, little red. Want me to tell
Neto
, or are you
gonna
call him?”

Ryker dropped his bag by the building and looked up to
where he wanted to place the first camera. He smiled at the pet name
.

“
Yeah, if you would, thanks. I’m
gonna
bust my hump and try to get these cams up today. Oh, and spread the word that
Rudo
does not want anyone but himself calling me ‘little
red’.”

“
Will do.”

After he hung up, Ryker worked really hard. He was
grateful for Tom, who joined him later on to help with the installation. Around
noon,
Rudo
came and got him for lunch.

Rudo
wrapped both of his strong
arms around him. “How’s it going?”

“
So much better now that you’re here. I won’t be too
much longer. Tom came out and helped for about an hour. That helped loads.”

Ryker stood on his tiptoes and welcomed the kiss his
beloved planted on him. He felt
Rudo’s
hard shaft
press against his, and he hummed. He flexed his hips, rutting against him. Even
though their clothes were still on, the pressure and motions weren’t hampered.

Ryker pulled his head back and moaned out loud. “I’ve
been craving you all day.”

A low rumble sounded from
Rudo’s
chest, and his large hands gripped his ass, lifting him off the ground. Ryker
squeaked but didn’t complain as
Rudo
held him against
one of the building’s posts. One of
Rudo’s
hands
squeezed between them and undid both of their pants. He took out Ryker’s cock,
and then his own, then pressed them together, rubbing their cockheads against
each other
.

“
Oh fuck! Yes. Mm.” Ryker moaned and flexed his hips.

Rudo
replaced his hand on his
ass and began rutting against him.

Ryker held both arms tight around his mate as their
combined pre-cum lubed their shafts, helping their cocks to glide against the
other. The zings of pleasure shot like electricity down to his toes.

Rudo
grunted and panted. “Not
gonna
last.”

Ryker squeezed a hand between them, grabbed the heads
of their dicks, and jacked them. Ryker’s orgasm rocketed through him and filled
his hand. He parted his lips, and sank his fangs into the vein in his beloved’s
neck.
Rudo
went rigid and let out a long moan. Warm
seed once again covered Ryker’s hand. A sharp pain pierced his neck as
Rudo’s
canines sank into his flesh
,
and Ryker shouted around the flesh at his mouth as he
was launched into another climax. He continued to milk them both, feeling the
warm liquid run down his hand.

Ryker sealed his mark at the same time he felt
Rudo’s
tongue swipe across, sealing his. He slowly pulled
up on their cocks, milking the last of cum from their shafts before letting go.

Both were still breathing heavily when
Rudo
slowly eased Ryker back on his feet.
Rudo’s
hot breath puffed down the back of his neck as he
nuzzled him.

“
I crave for when you feed from me. I love that I am
providing for you, and my soul feels like it orgasms with the pull each time
you suck in.”

Ryker’s heart melted, and he was struck speechless as
he stared up into his beloved’s cinnamon colored eyes.
Just how much can I love him before my heart bursts?

Rudo
cleaned them both up with
a rag he had in his pocket, and tucked himself in. He wanted to tuck Ryker in,
but he had to slap his hand away.
“Sorry,
stud, but if you put your hands anywhere near my dick, it won’t fit in my
pants.”

As they approached the house, Ryker could see pack
members unloading a pickup. Next to it were Slate and
Alphy
,
talking to a man he didn’t recognize.

“
Oh, that must be Slate’s friend with all his stuff.
They look awfully serious. Wonder what’s going on.”

Ryker didn’t let go of his beloved’s hand as he made
his way closer.
Alphy
looked up at their approach and
signaled for him to come over.

Alphy
introduced him. “Ryker, this is Slate’s buddy, Grey. He was just telling us
about his sister,
Willamina
, who needs a pack. She
recently found her destined mate, but he’s not a wolf, he’s a coyote. Grey’s
alpha tried to have them killed. I know you’ve been swamped, and have a list of
people in line for approval, but I’d like for you to make them a priority.”

“
Sounds like it. Sure, I’ll do it first thing, before I
even begin to pack,” Ryker said, cheerfully.

“
Thank you,” Grey said. He looked like he had just been
relieved from a great burden.

“
Also,”
Alphy
went on, “he
said one of his sister’s best friends, Elisabeth, went missing. Their alpha isn’t
doing anything about it, and it sounds like she and the alpha didn’t get
along.”

Ryker closed his eyes and shook his head. “Uh-oh. That
sounds all too familiar.”

Alphy
nodded once. “Yes, but this time we think we might have a lead. Grey and his
sister went through her apartment and found a diary.”

Grey reached into the truck and pulled out what looked
like a little red diary. “It couldn’t have been an hour after Mina and I had
left Lizzy’s apartment that we got a call from one of their other friends, saying
that someone had broken in and trashed the place. We think they were looking
for this.”

Ryker received the book and opened it up. He thumbed
through it really quickly to see if there were any loose pages or extra slips
of paper.

“
You said your sister was hiding. Is she here in
Bancroft?” Ryker asked, without looking up.

“
No, Mina and her new mate are still in the States. She
came to me when Lizzy wasn’t answering her phone, or returning her calls.
Because of the threat from the mating, they had arranged to call at a certain
time every day. When Lizzy didn’t call, and wouldn’t answer when my sister
tried to call her, Mina chanced coming to me for help. We went over to Lizzy’s
place and looked around. We took the diary hoping that it might give us clues to
what happened.”

Ryker closed the book and looked up at Grey. “Did you
guys grab anything else?”

“
Yeah, her laptop, a few photos, and her purse, which
had her keys, wallet, and cell. My sister kept all of that with her. When we
were there, the apartment didn’t look like there was a struggle. The door was
even locked.”

Alphy
motioned to Ryker for the diary, so he handed it to him.

“
I would like to take a look at her laptop and cell.
Maybe I can use my mad skills to find something on them that could help,” Ryker
told them.

Alphy
turned to Ryker. “Get that background check finished tonight, Rye. When
Bronya
flies you guys to the States for
Rudo’s
stuff, I want her to bring them back here before returning to pick you up. I’ll
have Nix go along.”

Before Ryker could do more than nod, Slate added, “And
me.”

Ryker could see Slate’s determination.

“
Yes, you, too, Slate,”
Alphy
agreed. “I’ll also call Raymond and see if he can spare a couple of his vamps.”