Riley’s Downfall(15)

“What the hell do we know about finding a replacement? I didn’t even know there was a whole tribe of them to begin with until the alpha ordered us to go. And from what Zeus tells me, they don’t even have modern conveniences. I’m not pampered, Eagle, but hell if I’m forgoing my morning cup of coffee.”

Eagle chuckled, which only ticked Max off. “Relax, Max. It’s only temporary. Some shadow elf named Ahm is on the hunt for a new healer. We’re only staying long enough for him to find one.”

“I think it’s kind of cool,” Chey said from between the two. “It’ll be like camping. No electricity, no running water. Just us and nature.” Chey let out a long sigh as if he were looking forward to living off of the land.

Max was not.

“No running water?” Max felt like Eagle was driving them back into the Stone Age. Okay, maybe he was a little attached to his creature comforts because Max started to envision cooking out on the open fire, having to wash all of his clothes by hand, and shitting in the woods with nothing but a leaf… “Did anyone pack toilet paper?”

“You are so damn pampered,” Eagle teased. “You’re a shifter, Max. Being in the great outdoors should be second nature to you.”

It wasn’t. Max shifted into his lion form and ran with his mates, but he didn’t live in the damn woods. He and his wolf mates shared a large California sleigh bed, and he liked the Tempur-Pedic mattress that they slept on. It conformed to his body and made sleeping with two grown men who hogged the bed worth it. For some odd damn reason, Chey turned in his sleep like a damn hand on a clock, knocking Max to the edge every single night. He was seriously considering tying Chey down when they went to bed. But then of course, he really wouldn’t get any sleep seeing Chey tied up.

But what in the hell was he going to sleep on in a tribe of throwback elves?

Chey laughed as he smacked Max on his knee. “We have a princess among us, Eagle.”

“Am not!” Max defended. “I’m a fierce lion shifter.”

“Who is crying about having to use an outhouse?” Eagle interjected.

“An outhouse?” Max was horrified. The damn things were germ factories. “They use outhouses?”

“Don’t worry, Max,” Eagle said as he reached across Chey to rub a knuckle on the side of Max’s face. “I’ll protect you from any snakes that try to bite your sexy little ass.”

Max swallowed hard, wondering if maybe he shouldn’t have stayed with the eastern pack while his mates helped out with the fey. “There are snakes in the outhouse?”

“Oh, my god,” Chey said as he chuckled. “You are going to be so easy to mess with.”

“One of the Lakeland bears has been asked to be the leader until a new one is found. He will probably bring comfort amenities with him,” Eagle said and Max knew his mate was trying to ease his mind. He was glad Eagle was doing much better since being healed from his past, but Max could do without the razzing.

He wasn’t an outdoor wuss. He really wasn’t. But damn, an outhouse? What happened when the thing got full? Max wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“I’ll keep your mind occupied,” Chey said as he leaned up toward Max and began to nibble on his ear. “I’ll make you forget all about bugs and straw beds.”

Oh, god. Straw beds. Max was going to kill Zeus when they got back to the eastern pack of grey wolves. Although Chey promising to keep him occupied was sounding real good to Max. He loved having the small omega under him, begging to get fucked or to suck his or Eagle’s cock.

Maybe the great outdoors wasn’t going to be so bad after all.





Chapter Four




Riley pulled into the small village, wondering how in the hell he was going to pull this tribe together. From what Maverick had told him over the phone before he left the ranch, the wood elves were causing nothing but mayhem and chaos with the shadow elves and any other paranormal creature that came their way.

He wasn’t sure how receptive they were going to be with a bear shifter coming to pull them together. And the more he thought about what possibly might happen, the more he was glad he had left Sterling in the care of his family. Just the thought of anyone trying to harm his mate made Riley’s bear want to tear someone’s throat out.

He put the truck in park, missing Sterling already. This wasn’t home, and Riley would do the best job that he could, but he missed the exuberant man. He never thought he would see the day he yearned for a guy who talked his ear off, patted his ass, and snapped his fingers, making Riley jump.

Gods, he really was becoming dick-whipped, and he hadn’t even slept with the guy.