Forever Mates: Zus & Rue (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Read online

  “Oh, I respect it. I would never force Rue to do anything he doesn’t want to. That does not mean I will give him the choice of leaving.” Zus growled low in his throat at the mere thought. “Rue is mine.”

  “Zus—” Mikhail began.

  Zus held up his hand. “You deal with your mate how you choose. I will deal with my mate how I choose.”

  “Don’t hurt him,” Yuri warned.

  “I’d rather die than hurt a hair on Rue’s head.” Zus snarled at his brother. “He’s my mate. Mine!”

  Yuri quickly took a step back. Zus started after him until he felt a hand land on his shoulder. He turned to growl at Mikhail.

  “Calm yourself, Zus. You know Yuri was just looking out for your mate. You have to admit, you can be a little intense at times. Yuri just wanted to be sure that you were looking out for Rueben and not your own needs.”

  “I would never put my needs before Rue’s.” Zus was angry, but he could understand his brother’s precautions. Yuri was a lot gentler than Zus. He took a quick breath then nodded at Yuri. “Rue is fine, I promise. He… likes me intense.”

  “Just be careful, Zus,” Mikhail said. “You’re little games are well and good, but everyone needs a gentle hand every now and then. Don’t forget that he is human.”

  Zus growled, baring his teeth. He didn’t like being questioned by his brothers. They had never understood the things he liked, and he doubted they ever would. That didn’t mean he was going to stop doing the things he did because he wasn’t.

  He meant it when he said Rue liked him intense. The more possessive and controlling he became, the more Rue seemed to settle. It was like the man needed him to be in charge more than he needed to breathe.

  And that worked out just fine for Zus. The look on Rue’s face this morning in the shower had been worth any discomfort he felt every time he thought about it. His cock hadn’t even gone down after the expert blow job he’d received in the shower. Zus was starting to wonder if being hard was going to be a constant occurrence now that he was mated.

  Spanking Rue’s ass after lubing up a butt plug and putting it in him was enough to bring Zus to the edge once again. The second blow job he had received after that was just so he could get his pants zipped over his hard dick.

  He was still hard.

  The knowledge that Rue was stretched and ready for him at any moment kept him in a state of constant arousal. The knowledge that Rue wanted it just as much as he did kept him close to the edge. Rue could probably breathe in his direction and he’d blow.

  “I’m going to go find my mate now.” Zus turned and started down the hallway. He’d wanted to give Rue a little time to talk with his friends before coming back in to claim his mate and glue the man to his side. His friends seemed important to Rue, which made them important to Zus.

  He walked into the dining room to find all four men sitting around the dining room table drinking coffee. They had obviously been talking, but Zus wasn’t sure about what when he saw Bay’s mouth drop open. Zus instantly made his way to Rue, grabbing a handful of the man’s hair and yanking his head back. He leaned down and kissed Rue, swirling his tongue against the man’s lips until Rue opened up and allowed him inside.

  Maybe he would come just from kissing his mate. It was a distinct possibility. “I need to fuck you, love,” Zus whispered for his mate’s ears alone as he broke contact with his lips. “My cock is aching for your tight ass.”

  Rue grinned. “Okay.”

  Someone suddenly cleared their throat. Zus glanced over at Bay, raising one of his eyebrows. He didn’t like being interrupted, especially when Rue’s face had taken on such a delightful flush.

  “Are you going to introduce me?” Bay asked when everyone looked over at him.

  “You know Yuri,” Liam said from Yuri’s lap, gesturing to the big man who held him. “You met him last night.”

  Bay nodded. He did remember Yuri. Even if he hadn’t, he would have agreed just to continue to see the happy smile on Liam’s face. The little man was glowing.

  “These are my brothers, Mikhail and Zus,” Yuri said as he gestured to the two other men. “I kind of thought Stefan would be here with you.”

  Zus found it very interesting when Bay’s face flushed and he glanced away. Had something happened between the two men? Or was it more of an issue that something hadn’t happened? Just where was Stefan anyway?

  “I’m sure he’s around here somewhere,” Bay replied. “He lives here, doesn’t he?”

  “He does,” Mikhail said.

  “Stefan and I had a difference of opinion last night.” Bay shrugged. “I asked him to leave, and he did. I’m sure he’ll be back once we leave.”

  Zus’s jaw dropped. He swore he could have heard a pin drop with the silence that fell over the room. Seriously? Stefan hadn’t claimed Bay last night? Zus moved closer to Rue, needing the contact with his mate. He’d hate to be in Stefan’s shoes right now. It would kill him to find his mate and be denied him. The misunderstanding he had had with Rue last night had been bad enough.

  Bay’s forehead wrinkled as he frowned and glanced around at everyone. “Did I miss something?”

  “Bay—” Jace began.

  Zus stiffened when he heard several vehicles pull up in front of the house. They really didn’t need company right now. They needed to discover what happened to Stefan. Mikhail jumped up and walked to the window, pulling back the curtains to look out. A moment later, he turned around, a deep frown on his face as he gestured to Yuri and Zus.

  “It’s Craigen and his boys.”

  Damn! Zus jumped to his feet. He grabbed Rue’s hair and yanked his head back again. This time he stroked a finger down the side of Rue’s face. He leaned down and gave his mate a light kiss on the lips then headed for the door.

  Zus instantly took in the situation when he stepped out onto the front porch. Ezra Craigen and his five boys stood in front of their vehicles, facing the porch. He tried to look nonchalant as he leaned against one of the porch posts and regarded the five men.

  “Ezra.”

  “We’ve come to talk to you and your brothers, Zus.”

  “Do tell.” Zus hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans. He wasn’t going to do anything until his brother Mikhail stepped out onto the porch, and Zus could still hear him inside arguing with Bay.

  Damn, where was Stefan when they needed him? Zus swore he was going to kick his brother’s ass the first chance he got.

  “Is Mikhail here?”

  “He is.”

  “We’d like to talk to him.”

  “He’s co—”

  “I’m here, Ezra,” Mikhail said as he stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind him. “To what do I owe this visit?”

  Zus glanced behind him when he saw one of Ezra’s boys eyeing the window. He could see Bay and Jace pressed up against the glass, Liam and Rue standing right behind them. He wished he could tell them to get away from the window, but that might be admitting a weakness he didn’t want Ezra to know about.

  Ezra Craigen was just the type of man to exploit any weakness he could find to get what he wanted. When Ezra glanced toward the front window, Zus had a feeling the man already knew that. Ezra Craigen wasn’t subtle about anything—not his feelings of disgust of gay men, his hatred of the idea that the four brothers led the pride instead of just one of them, or his belief that his family was higher up on the food chain than it actually was.

  “What do you want, Ezra?” Mikhail asked as he walked down the steps to stand in front of the man. “It’s early. It’s the weekend. And I’d like to go back to bed.”

  “With your mate?” Ezra spat out, the disgust clear in his voice as well as the hatred in his eyes as he shot another glance toward the window.

  “As a matter of fact, yes.” Mikhail crossed his arms over his chest, a clear indication that he was not a happy man. “What business is it of yours?”

  “It’s very much my business, alpha,” Ezra snapped. He
waved his hand wildly in the air. “It’s the business of everyone in this pride. You cannot have a man for a mate.”

  “And why the hell not?”

  “Because he’s a man.” Ezra said it like his meaning was obvious. “He is incapable of continuing your family line, of adding anything constructive to this pride. It cannot be allowed.”

  “I don’t believe that’s up to you, Ezra,” Mikhail snarled through gritted teeth.

  Zus tensed when he saw Mikhail’s claws extend. He knew his brother was holding onto his control by a thread. Their mates were being threatened, clear and simple. Zus felt much the same as Mikhail except he just wanted to tear into Ezra. He didn’t want to be diplomatic. This was why Mikhail was their spokesman. He had a lot more patience than Zus did. Zus was more the “kill them and let god sort them out” type of guy.

  “They need to go, Mikhail,” Ezra said as he brought his gaze back to Mikhail. “You can send the humans on their way or we can. The choice is yours.”

  Oh, that so wasn’t the right thing to say. Zus stepped down off the porch and stood shoulder to shoulder with his brother. He saw Yuri do the same on the other side of Mikhail out of the corner of his eye.

  Ezra and his boys were in deep shit.

  “You don’t get a say in it, Ezra,” Mikhail snapped. “You and your boys need to leave, not them. They are our forever mates. If I have to choose between them and you, they will win every time.”

  Zus’s mouth dropped open in shock when Ezra took a swing at Mikhail. It was unheard of to attack one of the alpha leaders. It was an act punishable by banishment or death, depending on the severity of the attack and the mood of the alpha.

  The fight was on.

  Zus heard a cry from the house but didn’t have time to reassure whoever it was. He jumped forward and started swinging with his fists, heading right for one of the Craigen boys. Because of the energy it took to shift, they would more than likely stay in human form unless one of the Craigens shifted, and then the fur would really fly.

  It was three against six without Stefan there, but Zus, Mikhail, and Yuri had something to fight for. That made them stronger. They had a lot to lose if the Craigens got to their mates.

  Zus grunted painfully when one of the Craigen boys got in a lucky strike to his gut. Pushing the pain away, he grinned at the man then repaid him in kind, driving his fist into the Mark Craigen’s gut as hard as he could.

  When Mark bent over and grabbed his stomach, Zus rammed his knee into the man’s face. Mark cried out and crumbled backward onto the ground. Blood spurted from his nose. Zus hoped he broke the damn thing.

  He turned his attention to the other Craigens. Mikhail had taken on Ezra. Yuri was fighting Joseph and Thomas. And Mark was passed out on the ground. That left Peter and Luke Craigen.

  But where were they?

  Zus spun around when he heard a cry behind him. His mouth dropped open when he saw the knife embedded in Luke Craigen’s forearm. A gun dangled precariously from his hand then fell to the ground. Zus’s eyes snapped to the porch. Rue stood there, pressing Liam into the house wall behind him. He held another knife in his hand looking like he was ready to defend Liam if the need arose.

  Zus nodded, noting the relieved look on Rue’s face before he turned back to Luke. “Go home, Luke. My mate is not leaving, and I’m pretty damn sure he’ll gut you if you try and make him.”

  Zus was so damn proud of his mate.

  Luke sent Zus a scathing look then scurried off. Zus watched Luke until he climbed into his truck and then disappeared down the driveway in a cloud of dust before turning to look for more opponents to fight. He blinked in surprise when he found all of them on the ground in various states of unconsciousness. Yuri and Mikhail were dusting themselves off.

  Mikhail wiped a trail of blood from the corner of his lips then nodded. “Get them to their trucks and get them out of here. I’ll deal with them at the next pride meeting.”

  Zus nodded and reached for the first Craigen. He pulled Mark to his feet and shoved him toward his vehicle before reaching for the next one. He looked up when he heard a shout from the house. He couldn’t hear what was said, but it sounded important. Zus stiffened until he saw Rue still standing on the porch watching him.

  His mate was safe.

  “Go find out what that was all about, brother.” Zus nodded toward Mikhail. “I’ll be in as soon as I take out the trash.”

  Mikhail took off for the house before Zus even finished speaking. Zus chuckled. He knew Mikhail was running for the house more to check on his mate and less to see what the shouting was all about. He couldn’t blame his brother. He would have done the same. In fact, as soon as every last Craigen was gone, he intended to do just that.

  Zus grabbed a very dazed Ezra by his arm and escorted him to his truck. Once he had placed the older man in the driver seat and slammed the door, he leaned in through the window and snapped his teeth at the man.

  “Come near my mate again and I will kill you. Not even Mikhail will be able to save you.”

  Zus stood back and watched as the last of the Craigens climb into their trucks and drove away then turned and walked back toward the house. Rue stood on the porch, still watching him, but he was the only one. The porch was deserted except for Rue.

  “Where’d Yuri go?”

  Rue jerked his thumb toward the side of the house. Zus stepped over and peeked around the corner. He chuckled softly when he saw Yuri standing there with his little mate pinned against the side of the house. He shook his head as he walked up onto the porch.

  “I’m sorry,” Rue whispered as soon as Zus walked up to him. “I shouldn’t have done that, but he was going to hurt you and—”

  “You did good, love.” Zus grabbed Rue’s chin and tilted his head up. “I like knowing you can protect yourself.” Zus grinned. “And me. That’s the second time you’ve saved me, Rue. Is this going to become a habit with you?”

  Rue’s face flushed as his eyes darted away. “You did say your life belonged to me now.”

  “It does.”

  There was steel reserve in Rue’s dark-brown eyes when he looked back up at Zus. “Then it’s mine to protect.”

  As much as Rue liked being dominated, Zus could see stubbornness in the man that made him perfect in Zus’s eyes. His mate was scared out of his mind, but he wouldn’t let that stop him from protecting what was his.

  It was a heady combination.

  “You are a good mate, Rue.” Zus stroked his thumb down the side of Rue’s face. “And you handle those knives like an expert.”

  Rue’s face flushed. “I made a few bad decisions a while back. Jace, Bay, and Liam got me a set of throwing knives and then made me train with a master thrower until I could practically throw a knife and hit the target in my sleep.”

  Zus glanced up and down at the tight-ass jeans Rue wore and the simple long-sleeved shirt. “Where do you keep them?”

  “Most of my clothes are altered to have hiding spots for the knives.” Rue pulled back one of his sleeves, showing off the knife strapped to the inside of his wrist. A little smile cocked up one side of his mouth. “If you want to know where the others are, you’ll have to frisk me.”

  Zus grinned. “Is that a dare, sweet boy?”

  Chapter Eight

  Rue breathed a sigh of relief. He was so sure that Zus would be pissed at him for interfering in his fight, but he couldn’t just stand around and watch someone shoot Zus. He didn’t care if Zus was some sort of shifter.

  Bullets still hurt.

  “Come along, my love,” Zus said as he pulled Rue toward the house. “I want to make sure everyone else is okay and then we’ll see about taking you upstairs and finding the rest of your hiding spots.”

  Rue nodded and followed happily after Zus. Each step felt light like he was walking on air. Zus wasn’t angry at him for throwing his knife and his mate wanted him. Could life get any better?

  When they walked inside and Rue got his first good look of t
he situation inside, he wanted to turn right back around and walk out. The place was covered in blood and… and… something else. Rue didn’t want to examine it too closely to find out. His stomach rolled and threatened to rebel.

  It was totally gross.

  “Mikhail?” Zus asked, gripping Rue’s hand tightly.

  Rue knew he wasn’t going to like what Mikhail had to say when he saw how pale the man’s face was when he turned.

  “Stefan’s been shot,” Mikhail said.

  The blood drained from Zus’s face as he scanned the room for his injured brother. “Where is he?”

  “Jace said he took off.”

  “We have to find him!”

  “Yuri and I will go,” Mikhail said. “Stay here and protect our mates.”

  Zus nodded.

  “Tell me where the first aid stuff is,” Jace said as he started pushing Mikhail toward the backdoor. “The boys and I will get things ready back here and clean this mess up.”

  Mikhail grinned. “The first aid kit is in the bathroom cabinet at the top of the stairs. Is there anything else you need before I go?”

  “Take that thing with you.” Jace’s finger shook as he pointed to the dead body on the floor.

  Rue followed behind Zus as the man leaned down and picked the body up without saying a word and carried it outside to the garage. His stomach rolled a little as he watched Zus wrap the bloody body in a tarp and placed it by the garage door.

  “Are you just going to leave him there?”

  “If the Craigens don’t come back for him by morning, we’ll take the body to them.”

  “Don’t we have to report this to the police?” Rue asked. “Someone died.”

  “Things are a little different in our world, Rue. The death will be reported to the authorities but how it’s dealt with is up to the shifter community.”

  That didn’t sound right. “Can’t that lead to corruption and abuse of power.”

  “It can and often does.”

  When Zus picked up a few heavy rocks and placed them on the edges of the tarp, Rue helped, picking up a few. He understood that Zus was trying to weigh the tarp down to keep animals from getting to the body.