THIRDS Beyond the Books Volume 2 Read online

  “You could have just moved the chair before he sat down,” Dex pointed out.

  “Yeah, but then I wouldn’t have made him laugh,” Ash said, giving Cael a wink.

  “First the cardigan, then the cuteness?” Dex turned to Sloane, eyes wide. “It’s really happening, isn’t it? The zombies are coming.”

  Ash flipped Dex off as Sloane chuckled. Cael got to his feet and turned to Ash when someone called over.

  “Hey, Cael!”

  They all turned their attention to the handsome leopard Therian that came bounding over.

  “Andy!” Cael threw his arms around Andy. “I can’t believe it. How long has it been?”

  Who the hell was this Andy guy? And why were his hands on Cael’s waist?

  “God, it’s been like ten years,” Andy replied. He took a step back and looked Cael over. “Wow, look at you. The last time we spoke you’d just gotten into the THIRDS. You look amazing.”

  “Thanks.” Seeming to remember the rest of their party, Cael turned his bright smile on his brother. “Dex, you remember Andy. Andy, you remember my brother, Dex?”

  Dex stood, and Ash held back a smile at the tremor in Andy’s voice when he spoke.

  “Yeah, of course. How could I forget?” He nervously held his hand out to Dex. “Hey, good to see you. How’ve you been?”

  Dex shook Andy’s hand, his smile wide, though the way he held Andy’s gaze told Ash all he needed to know.

  Andy was an ex-boyfriend of Cael’s.

  “I’m great,” Dex replied, his grip blatantly firm on Andy’s.

  “I see you uh, left Old Betsy behind,” Andy said nervously, his eyes darting to Dex’s chair as if he expected the bat to be there.

  Dex chuckled and released Andy to sit down. “Don’t worry. The old gal’s still alive and kicking.”

  Cael rolled his eyes before turning back to Andy. “I’m really sorry about my brother and my dad. They can be a little overdramatic sometimes.”

  Andy shrugged, his boyish smile plastered to his face. “It’s cool. It was a long time ago, and I deserved it.”

  Cael turned to finish the introductions. “Andy, this is Sloane, my brother’s boyfriend and my Team Leader at the THIRDS, and this is Ash….”

  He paused, clearly uncertain of who to introduce Ash as, undoubtedly not wanting to make him uncomfortable. Ash stood and smiled brightly as he held his hand out to Andy.

  “Cael’s boyfriend,” Ash said, towering over Andy’s smaller frame. Andy’s eyes were wide as saucers. “So what did you do to incur the wrath of Old Betsy?” he asked, resuming his seat.

  Andy cleared his throat. “I uh, I broke up with Cael over the phone. He was out to dinner with his dad and Dex.”

  “Classy,” Ash muttered. He could just imagine how that evening went. Cael upset and his brother and dad going into overprotective mode. Ash almost felt sorry for Andy. Almost.

  “Yeah, I know. I was an asshole. I tried to apologize, but when I showed up on his doorstep, Dex opened the door.”

  “Let me guess. He had Old Betsy with him,” Sloane said with a chuckle.

  Andy let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah. I swear I saw my life flash before my eyes. I’d never seen a Human run that fast.” He looked up and waved at a small group that walked into the bar. “My friends are here, but it was nice meeting everyone.” He smiled warmly at Cael. “It was so great to see you again. Maybe we can catch up sometime?”

  “Sure.” Cael gave him a hug and waved at Andy as he left. He turned and grinned broadly at his friends. “I’m gonna grab a drink from the bar. Anyone want anything?”

  Dex held his glass up. “Get me a—”

  “Soda,” Sloane said. “He’s already had two Sprites with vodka.” He gave Dex’s cheek a kiss. “Sorry, babe, but we know what’ll happen if you have any more.”

  Cael let out a snort. “Yep. Dexter J. Daley’s movie commentary live from a theater near you.” Cael took Ash’s order and ignored his brother sticking his tongue out at him before heading for the bar.

  Dex called out after him. “I’ll come with you.”

  “Dex,” Sloane warned.

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. Boring soda,” Dex muttered, peering at Sloane. “You’re lucky you’re damn cute, Brodie.”

  Sloane chuckled and gave his boyfriend’s butt a playful smack as he walked away, his gaze never leaving Dex as he approached the bar and threw his arm around Cael. Ash couldn’t take his eyes off Cael leaning against the bar, talking to his brother as they waited to get served. Dex said something, and Cael laughed, a genuine laugh that reached his sparkling silver eyes. Man, he was sexy. His gray jeans were snug against his long legs. His charcoal gray sweater over the white button-down shirt showed off a lean torso with a slim waist, strong arms, and fell just over his rounded ass.

  It still surprised Ash how much his body craved Cael’s. Just being near him had him burning to touch him. Like he couldn’t help himself. He was beautiful, sensual, and completely unaware of how incredible he was.

  “So how are you handling the whole boyfriend thing?” Sloane asked, a knowing look on his face. Damn, Ash had been caught ogling.

  Ash cleared his throat and leaned closer to Sloane. “It’s um, it’s pretty fucking hot. There’s a lot of sex stuff I didn’t know about. Why didn’t you tell me it could be like that?”

  Sloane arched an eyebrow at him. “Right, so while you were sleeping with women I should have said ‘Hey, sex with dudes is pretty hot. You should try it sometime.’ I’m sure that would have been well received.”

  “Daley’s turning you into a smartass,” Ash groused.

  Sloane laughed. “I was always a smartass. You just notice it more now. So the sex is great. What about the rest?”

  “I’m working on it.” Ash sighed. “At home it’s not a problem, and no one at work brings it up. Not to my face anyway. This is our first official date, so we’ll see. I’m okay holding his hand, and I like being called his boyfriend. The rest takes a little getting used to, but it doesn’t scare me like it did. What about you? How’s the whole mate thing—”

  It happened so quick it took Ash a second to catch up. One minute Sloane was smiling at him, listening to him, the next his eyes went to the bar, and a heartbeat later, he was out of his chair so fast it toppled over. Ash turned as the chaos hit. A jaguar Therian had his hand around Dex’s neck while another held his arms. The one with his hand on Dex’s neck pushed Dex back against his friend, pinning him in between them, his knee shoved between Dex’s legs.

  “Son of a bitch.” Ash jumped to his feet, his gaze landing on Cael, who was grabbed by another jaguar Therian, his arm around Cael’s waist, lifting him off his feet. Fuck. This evening had just gone to hell.

  Ash shoved people out of his way, snapping at them and growling. He grabbed the guy struggling with Cael and punched him across the face, sending him reeling. The guy snarled at him, and Ash pulled Cael behind him.

  “You put your hands on him again and I will fuck you up.” Behind him the bar erupted into screams and yelling. Damn it, he didn’t have time for this asshole. He turned to see Sloane tackle the jaguar Therian holding Dex by the neck. The two went crashing into one of the tables nearby, drink glasses soaring and shattering. Dex yelled Sloane’s name before twisting his body and using the bar as a springboard, sending the guy holding him off balance. Ash kicked at the back of the guy’s legs, and Dex was released. Swiping the guy’s legs from under him, the asshole hit the floor hard. Ash didn’t hesitate; he grabbed Cael.

  “Take your brother and get the hell out of here. We’ll come meet you.” He caught movement from the corner of his eye and snatched a fistful of Dex’s sweater before he could throw himself into the fray. “Go with Cael. Now.”

  “I’m not leaving Sloane,” Dex ground out, ready to come to his boyfriend’s aid, except his boyfriend was currently duking it out with a Therian as big and strong as him who was on the verge of going feral.

  “You’ll just make it
worse.” Ash grabbed Dex’s arm, the one with Sloane’s mark. “This is what started it. He wants you, Dex, and while you’re here, Sloane’s vulnerable. The guy’s friends are jaguar Therians. You need to go.”

  “He needs me!” Dex tried to get around Ash, but Ash held him tight.

  “He needs you to fucking get your ass somewhere safe. I won’t let anything happen to him. I promise. Just go. I can’t worry about you both and help Sloane.”

  Dex hesitated, and Ash roared at him. “Go!” It snapped Dex out of it, and he allowed Cael to drag him away. Ash turned and pushed through the gathered crowd. It was like some kind of feeding frenzy. Sloane was up against two jaguar Therians, both with pupils dilated and on the verge of going feral. Scarier than three jaguar Therians looking to go feral to claim someone else’s boyfriend was the look on Sloane face. There was no way in hell he was letting them get their hands on Dex. He was still, calm, his amber eyes nearly black.

  Sloane might be outnumbered, but he wasn’t outmatched. He was a THIRDS agent, which meant he could seriously hurt someone, and Ash couldn’t let his friend do something he’d regret. He couldn’t let these assholes ruin Sloane’s career or, God forbid, his life. Sloane wasn’t used to being challenged like this. He needed to get a hold of himself.

  Ash broke through the crowd and put himself in between Sloane and the three jaguar Therians. “You three need to get the fuck out of here and not come back.”

  The tallest of the three laughed. “Maybe next time your friend will think twice before flaunting that sweet little piece of ass in front of us animals. I’m going to enjoy sinking my claws into him, among other things.”

  “Motherfucker!”

  Sloane lunged forward, and Ash grabbed him, hauling him off his feet and knocking him onto the floor. He rolled Sloane onto his stomach and pinned his arms behind him as he sat on his back. As his best friend struggled and yelled, his fangs elongating, Ash looked up at the bastard in front of him. The guy was stunned.

  “Now I’m only going to say this once. You picked the wrong mate to fuck with. We’re Defense agents for the THIRDS, and if you don’t make like the fucking wind, my friend here is going to break every bone in your fucking body, because that’s what we’re trained for.”

  The three exchanged glances, and the other two ran off, leaving just the head asshole. Sloane started to twist his body, and Ash knew he wouldn’t be able to hold him long. The more pissed his best friend got, the stronger he seemed to get.

  “Get the fuck out now!” Ash roared, and the guy took off. Once the guy was gone, Ash told everyone around him to fuck off before he leaned his weight down against Sloane.

  “I need you to calm down, buddy.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone to speed dial Dex. “They’re gone. I need your ass in here before Sloane goes after them and does something stupid.”

  Dex and Cael were back in minutes, and Ash prayed Sloane wouldn’t take off after those assholes. He rolled off Sloane and fell onto his ass as his best friend scrambled to his feet and threw his arms around Dex the moment Dex reached him. Ash wiped his brow and sighed in relief as Sloane buried his head against Dex’s neck. Someone gingerly slipped a chair behind Sloane, and Dex murmured something before Sloane sat. Dex straddled him, cupping Sloane’s face and not giving two shits about who might be staring at them. Sloane needed him, needed him to calm him, show him he was okay.

  “You okay?” Cael asked worriedly, his gentle hands on Ash’s face.

  “I am now,” Ash said, bringing Cael against him for a kiss. He didn’t care who saw him. It had been a close call, and although Ash wouldn’t admit it, it had scared the shit out of him. Tasting Cael, feeling Cael’s lips against his, holding him in his arms was all that mattered. He didn’t care that he was sitting on the floor in the middle of a fucking bar kissing his boyfriend. He needed it.

  When they were forced to come up for air, he pushed himself to his feet. Dex had Sloane standing, though his best friend looked a little out of it. Ash motioned toward the door, and Dex nodded. They walked Sloane out, and Ash called them a cab. He waited for Dex to climb in, surprised when Sloane paused. He turned to Ash, his brows furrowed and his expression pained.

  “I’m sorry I ruined your first date,” Sloane said quietly.

  Ash took hold of Sloane’s head and brought their heads together just like when they were kids. “Hey, you didn’t ruin anything, okay? You know I always got your back. Always.”

  Sloane gave him a small smile. He closed his eyes and nodded. “Yeah, I know. Thanks.”

  “Okay, then.”

  Ash pulled away and was about to step back when Sloane threw his arms around him, hugging him close. Ash was stunned. Quickly recovering, he returned Sloane’s hug, smiling when Sloane whispered in his ear.

  “I love you, man.”

  Ash chuckled. His friend was so out of it. “I love you too.” He pulled away and motioned to the cab. “Go home and take care of your guy.”

  Sloane climbed in beside Dex, and Ash closed the door behind him. Once the cab had driven off, Ash felt Cael’s hand slip into his. He looked down at Cael, his heart swelling at the look of adoration in his eyes. What had he done to deserve such a look?

  “You’re amazing. You know that?”

  Ash shrugged. “That’s what family’s for, right?” He gently pulled Cael along with him as they walked down the street. It was nice, just walking with Cael beside him.

  “As much as you wanted to kick their asses, you knew Sloane could have really hurt them,” Cael replied softly. “You protected him.”

  Ash didn’t reply. He enjoyed a good fight as much as the next guy, but there were always options, and this wouldn’t have been just any barroom brawl. Sloane was trained, and he’d been struggling to remain in control. Maybe if it had been the one guy, Sloane would have kept his cool, but the threat level against his mate had been too high, and he wouldn’t risk it. He would have taken all three out, and God only knew how.

  “I like to think Sloane’s got more control than that, but I don’t know. Things are different. The whole mark thing….” Ash sighed and stopped in front of a closed shop. He turned and stared through the glass display window, not looking at anything in particular. “Sloane’s never been in this situation before. I don’t think even he knows how he’ll react to things.”

  “Well, they’ve got us. I’m sure this has been a bit of a wake-up call for them. I’m going to do some research. There has to be something that can help.” Cael tugged at Ash’s hand, drawing his attention. He stood on his toes and kissed Ash’s jaw. “Thank you for looking out for Dex.”

  “I wasn’t—”

  Cael arched an eyebrow at him, and he chuckled.

  “Okay, yes. I was worried about him.”

  “He’s my big brother, Ash. He’s looked out for me all my life, not caring what he was up against. Now he needs me. He needs you. It makes me feel better knowing he has you to look after him.”

  Ash pulled Cael into his arms and kissed the top of his head, speaking quietly. “You know I’ve got his back, sweetheart. Dex might be a pain in my ass, but I know what he means to you, and if he’s important to you, he’s important to me.”

  Cael squeezed Ash tight, and Ash pulled back to smile down at him. “How about we go to your place, make some tea, have some of those Star Wars cookies, and watch a movie? Our own little date night?”

  “I’d like that very much,” Cael said, beaming up at him.

  His cheeks went pink, and he bit his bottom lip before standing on his toes for a kiss. Ash obliged, bending down so he could kiss Cael’s lips, warmth spreading through him at Cael’s words spoken against Ash’s lips.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too, sweetheart.”

  As they sat in the back of a cab on their way to Cael’s, Ash held Cael close against him. A long time ago, it had just been him and Sloane against the world. Now they both had a second chance at family, and Ash wasn’t about to
let it slip through his fingers. At the First Gen Research Facility, Ash had been given a reason to fight. Sloane became the closest thing to a brother he had. Now he had Sloane, Cael, Dex, Maddock, and the rest of their team. His family had grown, but the fight in him remained the same. Always.

  Prompt #42: I love the camping idea, especially with Tony going. I also love the idea of some Maddock/Daley family time!

  HERE WE go. Tony tried not to laugh at the startled expression on Sloane’s face as he watched Dex putting together one of his epic S’mores.

  “What are you doing?”

  Dex wriggled his eyebrows, his grin wide. “Making s’moregasms.”

  “I don’t want to know what that is,” Ash muttered, carefully studying his toasting stick and then peering at the puffy white lump of sugar in his other hand.

  Tony shook his head. “It’s a marshmallow, Keeler. Not a military operation. Stab it with the stick.”

  Ash frowned at him. “I’m trying to do it right.”

  “Stop analyzing the marshmallow,” Tony ordered. Sweet baby Jesus. Getting Ash to loosen up was like trying to disarm a bomb. He had to admit he was a bit unsure about bringing Sloane and Ash along. Tony took his boys camping every year. He didn’t care how old they got or how big their boyfriends were, he expected them here every year, asses to logs, roasting marshmallows. Or in Ash’s case, organizing a tactical entry with his one-day-to-be S’more. This year they had a couple of new additions to their family tradition. It was kind of nice.

  With a chuckle, Cael reached over and took Ash’s marshmallow from him, as well as his stick. He poked the stick through the white puff without hesitation before returning it to Ash.

  “See?” Cael beamed up at Ash, and Ash returned his smile.

  “Thanks, sweetheart.”

  Amazing. Tony never thought he’d see the day Ash Keeler fell in love. He’d been worried about the guy for a long time and was still a little apprehensive, but the truth was, Cael and Ash were good for each other. And Sloane…. The poor guy never stood a chance. Hadn’t he learned by now? Dex always got his way. Trying to stop that boy from doing something he wanted to do was like trying to stop a flood with a cotton ball. In the end it was safer to just climb in the crazy boat and let the current take you.