Ride and Reap (5 page)

From the ground, the numbers on the
device flashed again.
Ten seconds.

Not answering him, Reaper shucked
off his jeans and boxers. His enormous cock pointed right at Kane, thick, long
and curving.

“I doubt we can have one last round
of fun in under ten seconds,” Kane tartly said.

Reaper shifted, skin turning to a
thick gray coat. A huge wolf the size of a horse replaced the man. Not
completely changed, Reaper grabbed the device with his canines and started
running.

Stunned, Kane watched him put some
distance between them. “You son-of-a-bitch!”

Kane didn’t know where his sudden
fury came from, or why his sudden fear rendered him paralyzed. Minutes ago, he
wanted to kill this man, now he couldn’t bear to see Reaper die? Why did the
reckless asshole run off anyway?

Catching sight of the green
numbers—three seconds—Kane’s breath caught in his throat. Reaper couldn’t die.
The biker owed him an explanation.

Reaper tossed the device, turned on
his paws, and started to backtrack to Kane.

“Hurry the fuck up,” Kane muttered
under his breath.

The numbers on the timer reached
zero. Instinct and self-preservation made Kane drop to the ground. The bomb
exploded, making Kane’s ears ring. Seconds later, he felt something huge and
furry land a couple of inches from him. Reaper whined. Kane smelled copper and the
faint tang of burning metal. He reached out, dragging the huge animal to him.

After the initial explosion, a
second detonated. Bits and pieces of shrapnel flew at them suddenly. Reaper
used his huge body to shield Kane from the damage, but Kane refused to let him
take the brunt of the explosion. Silver fragments would mean instant death for
the huge wolf, but not him. They tackled each other, rolling in the dirt. Reaper
pawed at him, but didn’t use claws or teeth. Gaining the upper hand, Kane
straddled the bit wolf, hissing as fragments cut into his skin.

“Stay fucking still,” Kane hissed,
although his ears were still ringing.

Clutching a handful of fine thick
fur, Kane buried his face against Reaper’s muzzle. Kane felt the rough texture
of Reaper’s wet tongue against his cheek, comforting him—Kane realized a second
later. Reaper and he lay like that for a while, until it became quiet again.

With a snarl, Reaper shifted
underneath him. Kane grunted as he reversed their positions, until the massive
naked biker lay on top of him. Pain flared in small bursts, and Kane looked at
himself to see spots blossoming over his left shoulder, right leg, and a wicked
fragment protruded from his ribs.

“Nothing vital,” Kane said weakly.
Fuck, he could blank out any moment, but he refused to show weakness. Reaper
continued his silent assessment, large hand hovering over the piece near his
ribs. He paused.

“We need to take you to a medic,”
Reaper muttered. “Fucking idiotic human.”

Kane spat out blood. “What the
hell, I just saved your furry ass, buddy. This is the thanks I get?”

“Even in that state, you’re
flirting with me, Kane?” Reaper asked, amused. “Your opinion of me must’ve
changed immensely.”

Hearing the rumble of motorcycle
engines in the near distance, Reaper’s brothers seeking vengeance, Kane
clutched at Reaper’s left bicep, eyes wide. Kane didn’t know what he was doing.
Begging for his life? Laughable, but after their near brush with death Kane
wanted so badly to live. He had scores to settle, especially with a particular
lying son of a bitch. Reaper had been right though. Injured, Kane wouldn’t be
able to take one old man.

“Please.” Kane hated pleading to a
man he only had room for hatred for.
Once,
Kane corrected himself. While he didn’t fully believe Reaper, not until his
questions were satisfied, Kane knew there was a smidge of truth to them.

“What exactly are you begging me
for, Kane?”

Damn
bastard was enjoying this.
Then again, Reaper’s actions confused Kane. Why
would he risk his neck to pry the device off Kane, when he could have saved his
own skin? Kane owed Reaper his life, as much as he hated to admit it.

“I don’t want to die.” Those words
turned out to be a lot harder to say, especially when Kane intended to rest in
the dirt in peace after knowing he avenged his brother.

“I won’t let them hurt you. You’re
under my protection, Kane. You’re mine.” The fierceness in Reaper’s tone, the
sheer confidence there stunned Kane into momentary silence. He gaped, but
Reaper hadn’t been finished. “I knew it the moment I caught your scent in the
square. My wolf knows it too.”

Kane clicked his tongue, glad his
voice sounded steady. “What?”

“That you’re the one I’ve been
searching for all my life. My mate.”

His head spun. Out here in the sun
and dirt, with Reaper’s distracting body only inches from him, Kane couldn’t
think. Reaper’s
mate
? The biker must
be playing some kind of sick joke, but Reaper kept his gaze trained on Kane,
and both his pupils took on a wild golden shade. Reaper’s wolf silently dared
Kane to challenge his revelation.

“Prove it. Kiss me.” Kane didn’t
know what possessed him to say those reckless words while he bled out
underneath his former enemy. “Wait.”

Reaper didn’t wait. He took, lips
crushing Kane’s. Rough and dominating, Kane parted his mouth wider, letting
Reaper deepen the kiss. All teeth and tongue, Kane should have expected the
searing heat flooding down his throat. With his uninjured hand, he lashed out,
clasping the back of Reaper’s neck, not wanting the feeling to end. His insides
melted. The roaring confusion of the world melted away—until the bittersweet
moment was shattered by the sound of laughter.

“Mercy said you needed help, but
its looks like you’re about to fuck your killer, brother. Should we go away?” A
voice asked.

Reaper pulled away, a frown on his
lips when Kane pushed at his chest gently. Over Reaper’s broad shoulder, Kane
glimpsed two more bikers. His heart began to thud. The speaker must be Sweet,
Reaper’s brother, because Kane couldn’t miss the physical resemblance. A scar
cutting across Sweet’s face made it easy to tell them apart. The second biker
was the one who’d been with Reaper when Kane made his attack.

Harvey’s voice spoke in his head,
“Screw your one chance, and you’re dead,
Kane. The Hellhounds will make damn sure you die hard and screaming.”

Kane swallowed. Getting back on his
feet, Reaper offered him a hand, which Kane hesitantly took. Wincing, he
avoided a gasp as his wounds acted up again. A human amidst three werewolves
stood no chance. Hating himself for it, Kane hid behind Reaper.

Reaper touched his arm, and gave
him a reassuring squeeze. Kane didn’t feel much better.

“What happened, Reaper?” Mercy
demanded. Kane didn’t miss the way they looked around. Their gazes lingered on
the remains of the explosive belt a few meters away.

Sweet drew a breath, and then
muttered a curse. “Fuck, Reaper. This human nearly killed you.” Then Sweet
turned unfriendly narrowed eyes to Kane, and they promised a world of hurt.

“I’m alive. There was a
misunderstanding.”

“What the fuck?” Mercy muttered.
“Reaper, did you hit your head on something? Last I remembered, the human
threatened to blow you up to tiny pieces, and the nearest passerby.”

“I didn’t intend to hurt anyone
else,” Kane injected.

“Do us both a favor, and let me
handle this,” Reaper told him shortly.

“Since when is there an ‘us’?
Reaper, the best way to come to your senses is to hand me that fucker cowering
behind you.” Sweet cracked his knuckles. “I’ll make short work of him.”

A growl laced with anger rumbled
out of Reaper, and the hand touching Kane was fever hot. “Touch him wrong and
you die. That goes for everyone.”

Mercy looked startled. “Reaper, you
can’t mean—”

“I’m taking Kane back to the club
house to get patched up. He’s under my protection,” Reaper announced.

“You can’t give random humans—especially
killers—security.” Sweet scoffed.

“He’s my mate,” Reaper said
plainly. “Remember, Sweet. Not long ago I risked my fucking neck in a slaver
camp so you could free Phoenix. How is this any different?”

Speechless, Kane watched the
exchange. He didn’t expect Reaper to honor his agreement, or stake his claim on
him in front of his road brothers with resolve. Before embarking on this journey,
Kane read up all he could dig up on shifters.

Common knowledge was shifters mated
for life, but Kane didn’t believe Reaper’s bullshit. How could he? Kane let go
of any hope of establishing a meaningful relationship with a lover the moment
the world ended, and turned dark. A soul as tainted as his didn’t deserve love,
couldn’t love again, because the good parts of him died when Kevin did.

“Phoenix didn’t do his best to kill
me,” Sweet argued. “He didn’t go to the lengths your human did. Christ, brother.
Your crazy human caused havoc in town. What would our beloved fucking president
say to that?”

“Since when do you care about what
Mace thinks?” Reaper threw back. “I’ll deal with Mace. Fuck off, or do I have
to go through you both?”

Mercy raised his hands. “If you’re
ironing this out with Mace, fine, but the boys won’t like you bringing back
this stray human to the base.”

“I don’t need to take him to the
club house, but he needs medical attention.” Reaper donned his clothes, and
headed to his bike, tugging Kane along like an errant puppy. Heart thudding,
Kane noticed Sweet hadn’t taken his gaze off him.

Once on the back of Reaper’s bike,
Kane felt a lot better. It was easier to breathe. He wrapped his arms around
Reaper’s waist. Reaper fired up his hog, and they lurched into sudden motion.
Leaning his head against the curve of Reaper’s back, Kane breathed the clean
scent of leather and sweat on him.

“Hold on, Kane. You’ll be fine.”
Had been the last words Kane heard, before he fell unconscious.

Chapter Four

Reaper paced the tiny living room
while Ezra, resident club incubus and medic in training, tended to Kane. With
his shirt gone, Kane’s wounds looked a lot worse. Fucking hell, what was the
dumbass thinking when he decided to throw himself over Reaper? Then again,
without Kane’s hasty intervention, Reaper wouldn’t be alive and breathing.

“That’s the last of the fragments,”
Ezra reported, placing aside his forceps and the bits of silver.

With limited choices, Reaper
decided to ask for Ezra’s help. Doc, the Hellhounds’ official healer, was back
at the clubhouse, where Reaper couldn’t risk bringing Kane to. Mace would be
there, so would the rest of his brothers. Reaper hadn’t been ready to face them
yet. A series of heavy knocks on the front door of Ezra’s apartment made him
jump.

Shifting his feet, Reaper came
closer to the couch, protective of Kane’s prone body.

“Ezra, open up,” said a harsh voice
behind the door. Revo, Ezra’s mate, arrived sooner than Reaper expected.
Unfortunately, Revo was also the pack Beta and club VP, but Reaper knew the
risks when he took Kane here.

Unfazed, Ezra continued with his
work, eyes trained on the wound on Kane’s ribs. “Spare key is under the rug,
you know that, big lug,” Ezra shouted at Revo.

The incubus had guts, Reaper noted
with approval, but Ezra had to with Revo as his mate. Seconds later, the knob
turned. Sensing Revo’s pissed-off wolf, Reaper tensed. Unlike Sweet, who liked
ruffling everyone’s fur, Reaper had gotten along with most of the Hellhounds.

He’d worked with Revo many times,
respected the man, because he was voice of reason whenever Mace started
harboring crazy ideas, but how would Revo react when Reaper involved Ezra
without his permission?

“You fucker.” Revo spat out the
words, and then lunged at Reaper.

Unable to do anything else but
defend himself, Reaper felt the impact of the larger man’s fist on the side of
his cheek. Thankfully, nothing cracked. He dodged Revo’s next punch, but the
next floored him.
Damn it
. Revo’s
fists weighed like bricks. Snarling, both of them tangled on the ground with
fists and kicks, no claws and teeth yet, but if this went on—

“Hey, assholes. I’m tending to a
patient here. Want to fight like undisciplined schoolboys? Get the hell out.”
Ezra’s voice cut through both of them.

With a snort, Revo pulled away.

Reaper wiped the blood from his lip
with the back of his hand, but he kept an eye on Revo.

“What were you thinking?” Revo
demanded to Ezra, and then shook his head. “We’ll talk later, but Reaper, you
better start talking, before I rip your throat out.”

Most Hellhounds would be offended,
be prone to anger, and retaliate at those words, but Reaper possessed more
control than most. Watching Sweet’s back taught him boatloads of patience.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Reaper nodded to the unoccupied chairs.

“It’s a long story. Sit.”

Looking surprised, Revo nodded. In
a way, Reaper had been glad it was Revo. Mace would be harder to deal with and
Viper, the Hellhounds’ Road Captain and his old friend, was out on patrol duty.
Revo wasn’t VP without a reason. He’d listen and place logic first over other
emotions.

Reaper talked, and began the tale
ten years ago, when he ended Kevin O’Conner’s life out of mercy. Not
interrupting, Revo stood to take out two beers from the fridge, and listened.
It felt good, Reaper realized, to unburden the secrets he’d carried over the
years. Always the quiet one in the club, he’d always been an enigma. Reaper
finished with the suicide device exploding, and noticed Ezra had finished
bandaging up Kane to listen.

After, Revo expelled a sharp
breath. “And you’re a hundred percent certain this human is your mate?”

“You’re asking me that?” Reaper
asked, amused.

Ezra grinned. Everyone in the club
knew how Revo risked his neck, and the wrath of Mace and the club to make his
incubus his.

“You have a point.” Revo finished
off his drink. “So, the human was misguided. I can spin this story to Mace, but
what will you do about him?” Revo nodded to Kane.

Reaper had been thinking about that
particular problem since he took Kane to Ezra’s apartment.

“There’s a debt to be paid, but
Kane’s only the tool, not the main problem. If we eliminate the threat, would
that satisfy Mace and the club?”

Revo seemed to think it over,
before nodding. “Sounds reasonable, and you’re sure your human doesn’t mean the
Hellhounds or Wolf County harm?”

Reaper instantly came to Kane’s
defense. “Kane lost his way. Something all of us know about, but I’m here to
guide him along. Give him a firm shove into the right direction.”

“Damn it, Reaper. You’re putting a
hell lot of trust in this human. What happens if he puts a knife to your
throat, and won’t miss the next time around?”

Crazy of Reaper to take on this
gamble, because what did he really know about the human so hell-bent on killing
him? Kevin O’Conner connected them, but despite knowing the truth, years of
blind hate couldn’t disappear overnight. Harvey Fisher had a lot to account
for. Before the world fell, Fisher carved a vicious reputation through the
underworld for being a fanatic who didn’t mind getting his hands dirty as long
as he got his hands on his prey. Reaper and Sweet did Harvey and his buddies a
number.

He assumed Harvey died in the
chaos, but he’d apparently lived long enough to make another human being his
weapon, an angry young man susceptible to manipulation. Fuck, it pissed Reaper
off, how Fisher took advantage of Kane. Made his blood boil in a way he’d never
experienced before.

“Reaper,” Revo’s firm voice dragged
him back to the present.

Blinking at Revo, Reaper tried to
remember what the Beta just said. Revo’s rumbling chuckle surprised him.

“I pity the poor fucker you want
dead so badly. I’ve never seen you this angry, even with your brother, but you
haven’t answered my question. Can you trust this human?”

“No, but Reaper can trust me long
enough to stab Harvey in the back,” rasped a voice.

Looking at the couch, Reaper pinned
Kane’s gaze. Had Kane been listening? Reaper couldn’t forget the way Kane
tackled his wolf without fear, to protect him from the impact of the blast.
Pride rippled through him. Gusty little human, but Reaper had to come up with a
creative punishment for Kane.

Kane would soon learn Reaper took
care of what belonged to him, and he didn’t care for Kane running around and
getting hurt. Although Kane didn’t know it yet, Kane was his, his to protect
and punish, his to love and deny. Dropping his eyes, Kane shuddered, as if
sensing Reaper’s thoughts.

“You better not be lying, human,”
Revo said, baring teeth. “Reaper is a Hellhound. Kill him and we won’t stop.
We’ll hunt you until the ends of the earth until he’s avenged.”

The ferocity of Revo’s words
surprised Reaper, and warmed his heart. Took him to a time not long ago when
Sweet and he had been wandering road nomads, with no place to call home. What
of Kane?

Kane didn’t look intimidated or
terrified of Revo.

Weary, Kane nodded.

Reaper doubted a man singularly
focused on vengeance had someone or something to return to. How the fuck would
Kane react, if Reaper told him he could offer him all that? Could be that
someone to wake up next to each morning? Would Kane start running for the hills
the moment he learned Reaper wanted to own him, body and soul, and mate him?

Christ, Reaper had it bad. He’d
known Kane for only a day, and he was already thinking a hundred steps ahead.
What if Revo was right, and Kane would end up trying for his life again?

“Don’t worry. Once this job’s done,
your hound will return to Wolf County, not a strand of his handsome head hurt,”
Kane said grimly.

Kane didn’t add what he’d do next.
Reaper suspected Kane started harboring dangerous thoughts of joining his dead
brother in the dirt. Their confrontation in the square told Reaper as much.
Kane had no other reason to live for, other than to avenge his brother. Hell,
Reaper knew Kane had panicked when the bomb timer started only because he
wanted Harvey to account for his lies. Once Harvey was dead, what next, the
afterlife?
Unacceptable.

“You think I’m handsome?” Reaper
asked, hoping to diffuse the tension in the room.

Ezra put a hand over his mouth to
muffle a laugh.

Revo looked amused.

Kane glared at him, then sobered.
“I promised Harvey I’d update him once the job is done. If I don’t contact him,
he’ll assume I used the suicide vest.” Kane paused, looking haunted. Harvey’s
betrayal probably hadn’t fully sunk in. Hell, from what little Reaper knew,
Harvey might be the only other human on earth Kane formed a bond with after his
brother’s death. Kane continued, “Well, at any rate, he knew the timer would go
off automatically.”

Reaper followed his line of
thinking. “And knowing how paranoid Fisher is, he’d find ways to check if the
kill was successful.”

Kane looked surprised for a moment,
before nodding. “Would you tell me the history between Harvey and you?”

“Not now, but soon,” Reaper
promised. “Call Harvey. Tell him you’ve completed your mission, and you want to
meet up with him.”

“Telling him I’m coming, would that
be wise?” Kane asked.

“He has a point,” Revo pointed out.

“Harvey will know you’re coming,”
Reaper corrected. “But he’d never think you’d bring extra company.”

“That’s true.” Kane chewed on his
bottom lip. “Let’s go with that for a while. I need to get to my stuff back at
the motel. There’s a disposable phone there that’s connected to his special
number.”

“Where? I’ll get it for you.” When
Kane began to protest, Reaper cut him off. “You’re in no shape to be running
around.”

Kane flashed him a biting smile.
“Can’t let the crazy human run around, huh?”

Reaper laughed. “You flatter
yourself, baby, but it’s for your own safety. Mercy has your scent. The other
Hellhounds won’t be as forgiving.”

Paling, Kane nodded.

Although he didn’t like the idea,
Reaper knew he’d understand the risks. An outsider the club labeled a threat
wouldn’t live long, and even with Reaper’s protection, some of his overzealous
brothers wouldn’t mind taking a hit at the human who nearly blew up their home.

Approaching the couch, Reaper
leaned in close. Kane’s breaths hitched. Combing his fingers through his
disheveled hair, Reaper took in Kane’s uncertain look, the sound of Kane’s
excited and frightened heartbeats. The reminder Reaper’s attraction hadn’t been
one-sided was what he needed, to keep his eye on the prize. By instinct, Kane
parted his lips to receive Reaper’s kiss. Reaper liked that Kane anticipated
his actions, and yielded to Reaper like it was the most natural thing in the
world.

Heat blazed between them. Unable to
help himself, Reaper traced the fresh bandages on Kane’s bare chest with his
fingertips. He applied more pressure when he reached the bulge pressing against
Kane’s jeans.

Kane pressed a hand against his
chest, but it was a weak attempt. Reaper could taste Kane’s want. Smell his
arousal.

“People are watching,” Kane
whispered, although Reaper could hear his heartbeat kick up a notch.

“Nothing to be ashamed about.”
Smiling, Reaper pinched his cock through the denim. “Hellhounds liked to watch,
but they can’t touch what rightfully belongs to one of their brothers.”

“I don’t belong to anyone, least of
all you,” Kane whispered, voice gaining heat.

“Not yet, but you want it.” Reaper
sniffed the side of Kane’s neck, flicking his tongue at the beaded sweat there.
He licked his lips, savoring the salt of Kane’s skin, and Kane’s distinctive
heady scent that all but screamed
mine
.
Kane opened his mouth, ready to unleash his denial, but Reaper pressed a finger
on his lips. “Lie to me again, and you’ll earn yourself a punishment you’d come
to regret.”

Kane let out a mirthless laugh.
“What are you doing to do? Kill me?”

His expression faltered, turned to
hesitation at Reaper’s look.

“Who ever said anything about
killing you?” Reaper asked.

“What use am I to you alive?” Kane
dragged his feet off the arm of the couch and attempted to rise, but Reaper
pressed him back to the seat.

A door closed, and Reaper knew Revo
and Ezra silently left them to their devices. Reaper would thank them for the
privacy later.

“Plenty. There’s no one else but us
now, Kane. Stop fucking around. Are you really going to tell me there’s nothing
between us?” Reaper knelt between Kane’s legs. It seemed all thoughts of
leaving fled the human’s mind. Kane stared at him, dumbfounded. Reaper ran a
hand up Kane’s left calf, tracing lazy circles up his knee, his inner thigh.

“Answer the question, Kane,” Reaper
said, eyes hard. He used the tone Kane seemed to respond to the best.

“I can’t. What would Kevin think of
me, that instead of avenging him, I’d fuck his killer?”

Reaper growled, making Kane jump.
Rubbing at his thigh again calmed him down, but Kane’s eyes remained wild, like
an animal seeking escape, but he could have shoved Reaper away any time. Easy
to read like a book, Reaper knew Kane hated the fact his body betrayed his
needs.

“Stop making fucking excuses. We
both know that’s a weak excuse now that you know the truth, or does that turn
you on? The thought of the forbidden?”

Glowering, Kane’s hands trembled,
as if he wasn’t sure what to do with them. He settled for crossing them over
his chest. “Cocky bastard.”

“Tell me I’m wrong, that I’m
imaging things, and I’ll fuck off. We’ll do this clean. Deal with Harvey. Part
ways. End of story.”

Kane looked at him wide-eyed. He
looked less like an angry vengeful angel and more like the lost boy he must
have been years ago. “You’d give me that option?” Kane asked, suspicion in voice.