pack. I won't have dissention. Understand?"
The hair along Ben's arms rose. He wanted to get
Anthony alone to ask him more about the fae, but he could
tell by the look his mates were exchanging that now wasn't
the time. Fae blood could explain his insane need to protect
Anthony. Blood called to blood.
Thomas gave his alpha a bow. "We need to discuss
this. Thank you for your advice, Silver." He gave a lower
bow to Anthony with a smile. "And for your input, alpha
mate."
Anthony blew him a kiss.
Ben looked at Anthony for a moment, curious as to
why he didn't hug Dillon and welcome him to the family.
41
Baiting Ben
Amber Kell
Dillon also gave a bow and a slight head tilt,
exposing his throat to the mated pair. "I also thank you for
your advice and the option to join your pack. I hadn't really
thought past getting Ben. We have much to discuss." Dillon
stepped forward. Taking Anthony's hand he placed a kiss
on the back of it. "Of course, I have never been with a pack
that had such a pretty alpha mate."
Silver took his mate's hand from Dillon and rubbed
off the other wolf's scent with his thumb. Anthony's eyes
sparkled as he turned to Ben. "I'd keep an eye out for this
one honey, he's smooth."
The alpha pair left, but not before Silver gave
Dillon a warning look over his shoulder.
42
Baiting Ben
Amber Kell
Chapter Three
Thomas couldn't believe things went so bad so fast.
Just an hour earlier he was dreaming of joining his mate at
the bar for a few drinks before bed, now not only was that
ruined but he might have just gained an extra wolf to his
mating. Not that Dillon was unattractive, but he wasn't
Thomas's mate and it would take all the control he had to
not snap the fucker's neck as soon as Ben's back was
turned. The thought of the tall, muscular man touching Ben
made him queasy and angry in turn.
"What are we going to do?"
Dillon sat back down on the leather seat. "We need
to figure out a way to bond together. I'm not giving Ben up.
He's mine and if he insists on being yours too, then I say
we petition for tri-mate. We'd best do it here because our
Alaskan pack won't acknowledge a tri-mate. Hell, they
won't even acknowledge a gay mated pair."
Thomas' eyes met Dillon's. For the first time it
struck him how pretty the other man's green eyes were.
They were mesmerizing, with little flakes of gold inside a
forest of green.
Still he couldn't stop his smirk. "Ben doesn't have to
petition. He was already accepted."
43
Baiting Ben
Amber Kell
Dillon stared at Ben. "How is that possible? There
isn't a full moon until next month."
Ben smiled. "Anthony decided I would make a good
pack member and welcomed me."
"B-but he's not a wolf."
Dillon's confusion was almost cute. Thomas
uncharitably enjoyed the other man's distress. "Anthony
may be an architect and a non-werekin, but anyone can see
who's in charge of that relationship."
Dillon snorted. "I did get that impression. Wait
what's his last name."
"Carrow."
"Wow. I thought he looked familiar. Have you ever
been to The Carrow Hotel?"
Thomas shook his head. "No, but I've heard it's
amazing. Are you an architect?"
Dillon shook his head. "Landscape design."
"If you stay, maybe Anthony can find work for
you," Ben suggested.
"Or Silver," Thomas said with a smile. "He's always
looking for more people to guard his mate."
"Is he in trouble?" Dillon asked, a concerned frown
creasing his handsome face. His expression showed he
would be willing to be a guard if that was what the alpha
wanted. Thomas had the sinking feeling the other man
44
Baiting Ben
Amber Kell
would be a good addition to the pack. If Dillon weren't
after Thomas's mate, he knew the pair of them would've
been friends. As it was he wanted the man gone. Dead
would be better, but he'd settle for elsewhere.
Unfortunately, it looked like he wasn't going to get his
wish.
Ever.
"No, but he has a new project that has him working
with vamps and other paranaturals. Silver has a fear one of
them will try to take off with his treasure."
"It's a valid fear," Ben said. "He's kind and
beautiful, anyone would be anxious if he was their mate."
Thomas and Dillon growled together.
"Oh, please. Like you didn't notice," Ben said,
rolling his eyes.
"Let's stay on track. How are we going to share a
mate?" Thomas didn't want to share Ben at all, but if the
only other choice were to have his mate forever missing his
other half then he would do whatever was needed to keep
Ben happy.
"I could get a place near here until I'm accepted as a
member. We could take turns bonding with Ben and
cementing our claim. I'll take him with me now since I'm
sure you've already claimed him as your mate."
"You aren't taking him anywhere," Thomas said.
45
Baiting Ben
Amber Kell
"I grew up with him, he's mine," Dillon replied.
Fuck that.
"Then you should've claimed him when you had the
chance instead of letting him go thousands of miles away to
find another mate."
Thomas saw the punch coming and ducked out of
the way in time, taking the force of the hit on his shoulder.
"That's enough," Ben shouted.
Thomas and Dillon froze.
"Stop fighting over me. If you are both my mates
then you need to learn to share. Thomas, I think it would be
a good idea if I go back with Dillon to his hotel and talk."
"No. There's no way I'm going to let a stranger
leave with my mate." Thomas held up his hand to stave off
the protests. "No offense, Dillon, but I don't know you and
I'm not going to just hand Ben over. You can sleep on the
couch, but I want to be there when you talk to our mate. I
don't know what happened between you, and if we're all
going to have some kind of relationship I want the details."
Ben bit his lip. The poor dear kept looking back and
forth between them like a dog trying to decide who his
master was.
Dillon glared at Thomas before letting out a sigh. "I
hate to admit it, but I wouldn't let you walk out with Ben
either. Okay, I'll get my bag out of the car and come back
46
Baiting Ben
Amber Kell
here for our little talk."
When Dillon left, Ben threw himself into Thomas's
arms. "I'm so sorry, Thomas. I didn't think he would come
after me. When he didn't show for the claiming I thought
we were done."
Thomas swallowed the lump in his throat. "Do you
love him?"
Ben nodded averting his eyes from Thomas's
probing gaze.
"Look at me, honey." There were tears in the
redhead's eyes. "You can't help who you love."
Ben laid his head on Thomas shoulder holding on
tight. "But I love you, too."
He stroked his mate’s back to calm the shaking he
could feel through the thin shirt. "We'll figure something
out. I'm not letting you go." He gave Ben a little shake.
"Understand?"
Ben nodded, giving a watery chuckle.
Before he could say anything else, the door swung
back open. Dillon's gaze flattened at the sight of them
embracing.
"Get used to it," Thomas said. "If we're all going to
be together you'll see me do a great deal more than hold
him."
Dillon nodded. "True enough, but it doesn't mean I
47
Baiting Ben
Amber Kell
have to like it."
Ben stepped out of Thomas's embrace, but softened
the mood by placing a gentle kiss on his lips.
A growl came from Dillon. When the pair turned to
face him he shrugged, his cheeks glowing pink. "Sorry,
instinct."
Thomas let it go. At least it looked like Dillon was
trying.
* * * *
Dillon watched the pair. It was difficult resisting the
urge to rip Ben away from the other werewolf. God knew
Thomas was being completely decent about the whole
thing. If he wanted to, the other wolf could have used his
connections and had Dillon tossed out of the city. That
alpha looked badass enough to do it. Maybe even ban him
for life, or kill him quietly and hide the body. All things
he'd seriously consider in a similar situation. If he had
bonded with Ben first, he wouldn't be as gracious.
He carefully assessed Ben and was both pleased and
disturbed to see the young werewolf looking so well. In the
back of his mind he'd imagined the younger wolf pining for
him and grateful for Dillon hunting him down. He hadn't
imagined Ben perfectly happy with a handsome mate of his
own. Other than death, it was the worst scenario possible.
"Ben, I want you to know I planned to be there for
48
Baiting Ben
Amber Kell
the claiming, but my parents sent me out of town."
"They never liked me," Ben said in a quiet voice.
He sat on the couch, pulling his knees to his chest.
Thomas settled on the couch beside him, lifting Ben
onto his lap to comfort the young werewolf. Dillon yearned
to be the one stroking the golden-red head, but he knew
now wasn't the time.
"I don't understand what a claiming is," Thomas
piped up.
"You don't have claiming ceremonies here?"
Thomas shook his head. "When you know at first
sniff if someone is your mate, why would you need a
ceremony?"
Dillon shrugged. "That's just the way we always did
it. When a werekin reaches the age of twenty-five they're
eligible for the ceremony. If no one claims them, they can
go lone wolf or stick around and hope someone joins the
pack that'll match him or her." He turned an imploring gaze
on the redhead. "Ben, why didn't you wait for me? You
knew I was going to claim you."
That was the question that haunted his dreams.
What if, after all he'd gone through, Ben didn't really want
him?
Ben stood up, patting Thomas's leg in an
affectionate gesture. It didn't help Dillon to see all the extra
49
Baiting Ben
Amber Kell
touches of affection heaped onto Thomas and not even one
kiss for him.
"I didn't know you were going to claim me. I hoped,
but when you weren't there for the ceremony I figured it
was your way of letting me down easy. Your father told me
you chose to go on this trip during the Claiming. I thought
maybe it was your way of saying you didn't want me
without actually saying the words."
Dillon stared at his gorgeous mate for a long
moment. "How could you not know that I wanted you?
Since the first day I saw you, there hasn't been a breath I
take that I didn't want to breathe your scent, not a voice I
heard that I didn't prefer it to be yours. You are everything
to me."
He took Ben's hands and slid to his knees, trying to
hide the panic thudding in his chest as he looked up at the
man who was his world. "I can't live without you. Please be
my mate."
Tears shone in Ben's eyes. With gentle pressure he
tugged at Dillon's hands, urging him to his feet. "I'm sorry
you can't be my only mate, Dillon, but if you're willing to
share I would love to have you as part of my tri-mating."
A watery laugh left Dillon's throat as he wrapped
his arms around his love, taking a deep breath to inhale his
mate's sweet scent. The aroma of lemony hair product
50
Baiting Ben
Amber Kell
mixed with lust and love went straight to his cock.
"I want you." All the love Dillon yearned for
glowed in the young werewolf's beautiful eyes.
He felt the other man approach but didn't take his
eyes off Ben.
"You're going to have to deal with me sometime."
Thomas's dry voice broke into the moment.
Dillon sighed and turned his head to look at the
other werewolf, breaking the intense gaze with his love.
For the first time he really looked at Thomas. Looked
beyond the sleek exterior and into his hazel eyes and saw
the same worries reflected there that he felt himself.
"Are you willing to share him?"
Thomas nodded. "Not eager, but willing. Let's take
this to the bedroom and see if we can share. If our wolves
can't share then one of us will have to go."
He didn't need to say it was Dillon who would go,
after all it was Thomas's pack. He just nodded, and for the
first time in his life found himself in the weaker position. A
strong wolf in his pack, it was difficult for him to defer to
another, but for Ben he was willing to try.
"Last chance, Ben. You can still come back with