Page 31 of Deadly Promise
Teagan accepting the truly bizarre but freaking out over Liam staying the night.
Was any of it really funny? If Hayden didn’t laugh, he just might need a straitjacket.
Teagan leaned in, lips wet lips from his soda, and whispered, “You’re not allowed to ride the bronco until you’ve kissed him first. Everyone should get to experience those lips at least once in their lifetime. But I’m not sharing, so they’re out of luck.”
Hayden closed his eyes. What was even his life right now?
Chapter Nine
As badly as Liam wanted to claim his mates, to bind them to him, the dark circles under Teagan’s eyes and Hayden’s yawn told him tonight wasn’t the time. One in the morning, and they were all dead on their feet. Sleep wouldn’t come for him though. Not with Edwin and Ramos still out there, hunting his mates. By sunrise, he’d have his mates packed and headed back into the mountains. Let those bastards try something then, with fifteen wolves ready to tear apart anyone who so much as looked wrong at a mate under their protection.
Liam pulled his phone from his pocket when it chimed. A text from Sloane.
Five covering the house. Get some sleep.
He’d added a winking and a laughing emoji. If only Liam was having sex instead of standing there waiting for trouble to rear its ugly head, those yellow faces would’ve been comical.
“Backup has arrived,” Liam announced. “Five pack members are watching the house. You two can get some sleep.”
“Pack?” Hayden blinked several times.
Liam wasn’t sure if it was from sleep or disbelief. Did he really want to have that talk right now? He had yet to tell them about Zeppelin taking them off the schedule at Frothy Pine. With everything going on, Liam had prioritized what information was relevant to the moment and what could wait. He would tell them, because Liam believed in being honest with them. It was the only way to build a strong foundation in any relationship, including preternatural mating.
“Aren’t you going to get some sleep?” Hayden asked, concern in his green eyes. Even Teagan was watching Liam closely.
“In a minute. That flimsy lock on the back door needs to be reinforced.” There wasn’t much Liam could do with it except replace it with something much sturdier, which wouldn’t be tonight.
As soon as his mates were comfortable enough, Liam planned on asking them to move into the pack house.
“He’s lying.” Hayden narrowed his eyes.
“I think he’s afraid to sleep in our bed.” Teagan took a sip of his soda, eyeing Liam over the rim. “You a chicken, wolf?”
Pursing his lips, Liam glanced between them. He really had lucked out when it came to mates, but they’d proven his earlier analysis wrong. He’d thought Hayden was the free-spirited mate who enjoyed arguing, while Teagan was the goofball. Which he was, but Liam now saw that the man he thought was sweet and innocent was the actual ringleader of the two. Teagan’s true personality had been buried under trauma and Hayden’s under guilt. But now that they felt safe with Liam, he was getting a better read on them.
A low growl rumbled in this throat, his gaze dragging slowly over them until both mates shivered. “The day I’m afraid to have sex with two gorgeous twinks will be the day I’m put into the ground.” The gravelly words slid out, guttural and raw. “Let me know when you two are ready, and I’ll gladly crawl between the beautiful legs of both of my mates.”
Hayden actually whimpered, teeth sinking into his plump bottom lip. Teagan stood there, eyes unblinking, lips parted. His grip tightened on the can, making it crinkle.
“Can I make a request for when that time comes?” Hayden asked, staring like he was starving and Liam was the prime rib.
“What’s that, honey?” If the two didn’t look so exhausted, Liam would’ve stripped them naked and showed them what true stamina entailed.
“Use your growly, late-night-radio voice when you're bossing me around in bed.”
Teagan raised his hand. “Me, too.”
Although they were tired, Liam didn’t want Hayden to think he deserved any less attention than he’d given Teagan. “I believe I owe you a kiss, kitten.”
Bending to slide an arm around his dark-haired angel, he caught Hayden’s bottom lip between his teeth with a playful growl, tugging before his tongue swept over the sting. Ath the same time, he curled his fingers gently around Teagan’s wrist and pulled him closer until his chest pressed against Hayden’s back.
“Don’t want my brat to feel neglected,” he said with a wink that had a goofy smile tugging at Teagan lips.
“Um, hello. Neglected mate waiting on his proper first kiss,” Hayden huffed. “Or should I go sit in the living room so you two can have some alone time?”
Shit. This was not good. Liam hadn’t meant to make Hayden feel any less desired.
With two mates instead of the typical one, he would have to make damn sure both felt equally cherished.
