Iron: Blue Collar Wolves #1 (Mating Season Collection) (2 page)

In answer to a prayer Iron never said, the door behind him opened and in walked Melissa Harris for her shift, her dyed blonde hair up in a ponytail, face make-up free with her usual outfit of T-shirt, jeans, and boots, all well-worn. “Hey, guys.”

Brick and House both tensed, their gazes locking on Mel, which she seemed oblivious to as she started on her prep for the night. How much House and Brick’s situation sucked hit Iron again, making his own issues more bearable. Having the same true mate as another wolf? Not for any amount of money would he sign on for that.

As she finished counting the till, Mel said, “I’m surprised to see you guys here. Shouldn’t yinz be out, finding your true mates? Don’t be a dumbass like Iron here.”

Iron threw up his hands. “Fuck my life, man.”

“Why don’t you fuck Bella instead? And mate her while you’re at it?”

Fierce.
That described Mel more than anyone else he knew, even Bella. She hadn’t blinked when she discovered in seventh grade that two of her three best friends were werewolves, and she discovered that after an attack where a werewolf from a different pack went after her. Steel stopped the attack, but it was Mel who had doused the bastard in mace, then when he was back in his human form kicked him in the balls so hard he was probably still singing soprano.

As awesome as it was to see her in action, it was less satisfying when she used it against him. When the season started and he hadn’t gone after Bella –
for yet another year
, the Mel voice in his head said, angry drawl and all – she’d taken to glaring at him as a hobby, and he knew the minute she began to suspect he was going to do something with Laura because she served his prized whiskey stash to the bar one night he was off, feigning wide-eyed ignorance of how it happened the next day.

Never let it be said Mel was subtle.

Steel spoke up, and though Iron could try to pretend it was because Steel was going to back-off, why bother? The reason was it would be bloody if Brick and House tried to make a wolf skin out of Iron should he lose his temper and upset Mel. “Mel, Bella’s here. Shouldn’t you go say hi?”

Mel cut her eyes at Steel, but she smiled anyway. “Fine, right after I’m done prepping.” She turned back to Iron, poking him in the chest with her finger. “You – grow a dick, or a brain, or something. Quit making her wait.”

Twin growls of protection reached Iron’s ear, both pitched too low for Mel’s human hearing to grasp. Iron stepped back an inch in a show of understanding, head bowed a fraction to Brick and House. As beta he didn’t show submission to anyone but his alpha, but he was willing to give a small acknowledgment to keep the peace. No need for instincts to take over and start a bloodbath.

Both the other wolves knew Iron wouldn’t touch Mel, knew he wouldn’t hurt her for her display, but as Iron knew too well, logic meant fuck all when it came to mates.

Brick and House shook off their reaction as well. House gave Iron a conciliatory smile, and Brick – well, Brick didn’t leap over the bar and go for Iron’s throat. That was as conciliatory as the man got.

Mel wrapped an apron around her waist, pocketed her order pad, and began putting the bar to order, which meant making sure the beer was cold, the whiskey ready, and the glasses clean. The clientele they served here didn’t care for much beyond that.

Both House’s and Brick’s attention was fixed on her, both giving small groans when she leaned over to pull a case of beer out from the bottom shelf. Iron leaned close, saying in a low voice, “Should I go get you two some cigarettes?”

“Fuck off, man,” came House’s less-than-pleased response. Brick glared, and Steel fucking
snickered
, the asshole.

“Mel.”
Bella’s happy voice rang through the building, and Mel responded, rushing from behind the bar to the shorter, darker woman, who had put down her pool cue and was waiting.

Squeals and hugs sounded between the two, and in Iron a deep growl of contentment sounded from his wolf. Its mate was happy and pack was close by – even if he did want to deck the assholes sometimes. This was right.

Iron shook it off. No. It
wasn’t
right. Laura was going to be his mate, and that was best for everyone, and his fucking wolf better get with the fucking program.

A table started calling out for refills, breaking Mel and Bella apart, and after one last hug Mel came back to the bar to start filling pints. House and Brick had changed seats while she was away and were now sitting across from Mel, which wasn’t an accident. Since these were the seats Mel was closest to when she was behind the bar, they were exclusively for Brick and House to use, and anyone who sat in them when Mel worked either would move – or they would be moved.

Since it was well known the two weren’t the best of friends, Mel spared them her usual quick warning glance. Why she still bothered was a mystery. Here at the bar was the only time Brick and House could be next to each other without a fight starting. Even if Mel didn’t understand the reason behind it, that was fact. Maybe a glare or a growl, but nothing physical ever developed.

The phone rang, and Mel grabbed it up. “Iron’s,” she said, but disinterest turned into muted panic. “What about Danny? Is he…
no
, have Daddy take him to the ER, I’ll meet you…I’ll be there as soon as I can. Mom –
Mom
 – it’s okay, quit panicking, all right? Little boys break bones. The next few weeks will suck, but he’ll be fine…yes, Mom, I gotta go. I’ll call you as soon as I get to the hospital.”

The four wolves’ full attention was on Mel as she spoke into the phone. She hung up and said, as she began tearing off her apron, “Mom thinks Danny broke his arm. I need to get to him. I swear I’ll make this up-”

Iron interrupted. “Don’t be an idiot, talking about making shit up. Take care of Danny, call as soon as you know what’s going on.”

Mel proved once again her stubborn streak matched any wolf, because even as she was readying to leave to go to the hospital she shook her head, saying, “I
will
make it up. You’re already too good to me, letting me leave to take care of Mom and Danny so much, and don’t think I don’t notice my pay never seems to be docked the right amount of hours.”

Yeah, like he’d ever let Mel go without. Even if Brick and House didn’t get their heads out of their asses and figure things out enough to mate the girl proper this mating season, she’d always be pack to him.

Outside of the fact that Brick wouldn’t be such a grumpy asshole if he was getting laid regularly, the main reason they needed their mating situation figured out was because once Mel was pack, then Iron’d be able to take care of her openly, no more of this runaround bullshit where he had to try to be sneaky in getting her help and money. She wasn’t his mate, but she’d been in the same first-grade class as him, Bella, and Steel. Mel was the little sister of his heart, and had stuck with them for years. Like fuck he was going to let her go without.

Iron stopped her with gentle hands on her arms, making her look at him. “And who took over this bar for over six weeks when my dad died? When I was laid up with appendicitis? Who did it while she was fucking
seven months pregnant
, but if she didn’t, I would have lost fuckin’ everything? You ain’t got a leg to stand on in complaining. Go and don’t even think of coming back to this bar for the next few days, and let us know when we can come visit and sign Danny’s cast.”

Mel’s face was bright red, her mouth opening and closing like a fish, her face bashful and pleased and pissed, the mixture looking kinda cute on her face.

After several moments, she deflated, backing down. “Fine. But I owe you, and don’t even
think
of saying I don’t,” she said, stabbing him with a pointy index finger, the only person in the world besides Bella who could get away with that particular action without getting their throat torn out. “Let me call Rick and see if he can come pick me up a little early.”

House broke in. “Your car not working again? You should really let me and Brick fix you up-”

“No,” Mel said, voice the level of firm that Iron knew meant that train of thought was stopped hard. “I will not.”

“It won’t cost us anything, and you do our books. It’s the least we could do.” In yet another way fate was fucking with the two of them, Brick and House were gods when it came to cars. Fixing them, restoring them – there was none better, and if you gave them a junker they’d give it back to you cherry. Their mutual hatred didn’t stop them from realizing if they went into business together they’d be flush for life, so they had a mechanic shop with a side business of car restoration. Between the two of them, there wasn’t a car problem in existence that couldn’t be solved, and their frustration that their mate would drive around in an unsafe POS made them vibrate in helpless anger some nights.

Of course, she didn’t
know
she was their mate, which was part of the problem. She saw them as friends of one of her oldest friends, who wanted to help for that reason. While her pride could bend around Iron, with Brick and House it was an unyielding wall.

Mel rolled her eyes. “Which you let me do from home and pay me way too much for. You aren’t going to give me a car on top of that.”

“It would be good advertising for the business.” House gave her his movie-star grin, but unlike most people who were exposed to it, it didn’t melt Mel. In fact, it was the opposite, putting her back up as few other things could do.

Seeing her build-up a head of steam, Iron opened his mouth to defuse the situation, but Brick spoke before Iron could say anything, the second time the man had spoken tonight. “We’ll drive you. Don’t call Rick.”

Brick’s voice was flat, resolute, but a small muscle ticked at the corner of his jaw, and the male projected a
do not argue with me
vibe even Iron would have been hard pressed to ignore.

It stopped Mel cold, and after only a moment’s internal battle, she caved and nodded before slipping into the back room to get her jacket. April in Pennsylvania meant the days could be either too hot or a nice degree of mild, but almost always the nights would be too cold and people would need their coats.

While she was gone, Iron looked at the two of them, looked hard, a direct stare that could start a dominance war. “Are you two going to mate her?”

The muscle in Brick’s jaw jumped faster, his breathing sped up, and this was in danger of becoming a fight. From the corner of his eye, Iron saw Steel readjust, his posture going from easy-going to fight-ready.

House spoke for the two, as he usually did. Funny how at odds the two of them were, but somehow they’d gotten into a rhythm that spoke of how entwined their lives were. “You have no right to be talking about mating, do you?”

“My situation doesn’t come into this. She’s been my sister for over twenty years. I can’t do what I want for her on the outside, but here, I will protect her. You need to make your decision this mating season.”

More would have been said, except Mel stepped out, jacket on and purse over her arm. “Ready. Thanks for the ride.”

House slipped back into his easy grin. “Let’s roll, then.”

Both Iron and Steel watched as the three made quick work of exiting the building. After they disappeared, Steel spoke first. “Glad I didn’t have a blood bath to deal with tonight.”

“Kind of wish you did.” Iron didn’t, not really, but frustration was riding him hard, and instead of being able to leave here to spend the weekend shifted, running the woods and letting the wolf out, he instead was here for the next several hours, exposed to Bella and fighting every fucking minute the need to get close.

Steel shrugged. “Enough shit goes on during a mating season. No need to add more to it.”

“What do you think is going to happen with Mel?” And now all Iron needed was a fucking sewing circle to go with all this goddamn feelings talk.

But he was worried. The situation with Brick and House and Mel wasn’t only shitty, it was unusual. And if anyone cared about the outcome as much as Iron did, it was Steel.

“Hard to say. All possibilities have shitty parts to them. Mel comes first though. Whatever else, she’s protected.”

“Are you going to say anything to Brick and House?”

Steel shook his head. “Nothing I can say they don’t know. Besides, I don’t say anything and get involved with that shit.”

“You say plenty to me.”

“I say shit to rile you as a friend,” Steel countered. “I don’t say dick as your alpha. The serious stuff, that’s for you to decide, and I’m not going to dictate your life.”

“Yeah.” It was the old way, the old laws, and some packs still ran that way – alphas in charge of every decision including pack matches and allowing runs. Not their pack, though, not since Steel’s father challenged his way to alpha and changed everything. That man had been a great alpha, and Steel was following in his steps, an alpha he was proud to be beta for.

The pride Iron had in his alpha made this next part difficult. Steel wouldn’t be happy over this next bit of news, and though Iron had every right to his decision, the wolf didn’t like upsetting its alpha. Iron respected Steel, and total fucking honesty, he feared the alpha, just a little. All the assurance that he was within his rights didn’t quite cover his apprehension about doing something he knew would be against Steel’s wishes. “Besides, it’s not necessary. I made a decision.”

Steel’s head popped towards Iron, surprise and curiosity playing over his features. “What do you mean?”

“Laura. I’m taking her as a mate.”

“The
fuck
you talking about?” Steel half threw himself from the barstool in shock, his head whipping around to look at the bar. If he was looking for Laura it was pointless. Laura was visiting family this week, some big reunion, planned for months, and that was the only reason Iron had put off mating her. Fuck any little voice in his head that said otherwise. “Are you shitting me?”

Pissed was good. Pissed was better than scared or disappointed. “You said you don’t get involved.”

“You’re passing up your
true mate
, who you’ve known and loved since first grade, to take some…”