Available [Marked 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (6 page)

Ryan shook his head. His brother was wrong. He couldn’t be trusted with someone who wasn’t experienced. He could play with those cynical subs who knew the score. He wouldn’t dirty someone he liked with his fantasies. “You just don’t get it.”

“Fine,” Ryan snapped, changing tactics. “Assign someone else to him then. You’ll only hurt him if you give him only half of what he needs. In fact, he’s cute. Assign me to be his trainer. I’ll fuck and train him properly. Maybe when I’m done he won’t be too ‘pure’ for your tastes.”

Ryan snarled. “You won’t fucking touch him!”

A long pause answered his declaration, followed by a low sigh. “And that is why you’re going to have to come to grips with what happened. For better or worse, bro, that boy is yours. It’s up to you to train him in the ways of pack and to make him a proper mate.”

“He’s not my mate,” Ryan said automatically.

“And we’re back to that again? Fuck me, Ryan. You are a stubborn asshole. Fine. He’s not your mate. You still have to train him. Are you going to be okay with that, or do I need to bring this to the Alpha’s attention?” Ryan asked.

Torn, Ryan said nothing. Maybe this
was
his second chance. Maybe if he could train Bradley and then let him go, he could redeem himself a bit. That way the human could figure out if he really wanted what Ryan wanted or if it was just his inexperience that was keeping them tied together. That had been some of the problem last time.

Years after the incident with David, the man had talked to him after a pack meeting. He’d said that if he knew there was another way to satisfy a Dominant he never would’ve been with Ryan. He’d said what they’d done was all Ryan’s fault. While Ryan knew that wasn’t entirely true, as a Dominant, it was his job to know and understand, to protect his submissive. He’d failed with David. But maybe, just maybe, things could be different with Bradley.

“I have this under control,” Ryan said at last. “I’ll train him as a submissive and then turn him lose to the pack as an available.” As sick to his soul as that made him, he would do it. For Bradley. He deserved a chance to find a Dom who would cherish him and give him a fairytale experience.

“As an available, he will be thought of as a booty call, Ry. He won’t find Prince Charming by playing the village bicycle,” Regan said softly, reading Ryan’s mind.

“It’s happened before. You know there are some availables who only play with one Dom. That’s the closest we have without mating. Bradley is…” A million adjectives ran through his head, funny, sweet, charming, stubborn, intoxicating, none of them were adequate. “Bradley is a treasure. He deserves that chance.”

“He wants you, Ryan.”

“He doesn’t know what he wants. He’s inexperienced and a veritable innocent. I’ll give him a taste of what he thinks he wants. Afterward, he’ll want something else, experience something else. No big.” His nonchalant words were belied by the absolute numbing chill they brought into his chest.

Regan sighed. “Whatever. I’ll let you know what I find out from Dean. I’ll talk to you tomorrow at work.”

“Will you come up to my house?” Ryan asked. They shared a split-level house. Ryan took the top part, and Regan lived in the bottom section. They were both independent dwelling spaces, but as twins, they were used to being close. It comforted them both.

“I’m not alone, bro. I can drop him off though and come up,” Regan offered.

“No way. That’s okay. You go have fun with your Wednesday, and I’ll watch some tube before I hit the sheets. See you tomorrow.” He hung up before his brother could reply.
Good God. I am not this weak
. He felt brittle as he dragged his gaze away from the house and swung his leg over his bike. Tomorrow would be better. Tonight had just been too much new information to process. Tomorrow he would deal with the consequences of his actions, but tonight he just wanted to get some sleep.

Bradley woke up wrapped like a burrito in his bedspread. It was so incredibly warm that he was reluctant to struggle free from the covers at first. He’d been drifting along in his thoughts of Ryan as he did every night and had wakened from those beautiful moments to the dawning realization that his most dizzy dreams were about to come true. He was going to be Ryan’s submissive and then his mate.

What had happened last night after Ryan kissed him? He’d gotten all floaty and dreamlike. He felt like he could’ve melted right into Ryan and been perfectly content doing that. It wasn’t anything like the book he’d read. He’d expected to be tied up and spanked and stuff before he got to that weird happy place he’d read about in his book. Ryan had seemed surprised as well. Was reaching the happy place too soon kind of like coming too soon? Was it bad?

Fuck
. He really didn’t know the rules. But he couldn’t start doubting himself now. One hint of uncertainty and he was pretty sure Ryan would bolt. He struggled out of the covers and grabbed his phone. A text message flashed. His heart pounded. It was Ryan.

How are you feeling
?

His fingers dragged over the keyboard.
I’m good. I’ll drop by after my shift
.

It took a minute for the response to ping into his inbox.
Friday
.

Friday
? He seriously thought they wouldn’t see each other for two days? He thought the card had just meant that the training wouldn’t start until then. Now that Bradley was Ryan’s available, there was no way he was staying away for two whole days.

“You aren’t ditching me,” Bradley promised himself. “You just aren’t.”

* * * *

“You owe me money, bro,” Regan said as Ryan’s new beau walked through the front door of the shop. The boy with his four lip piercings and two eyebrow piercings on his left eye swaggered into the shop like he owned it. A quick glance at the file said that Ryan had pierced both the boy’s nipples, his belly button, and his cock as well.

“Dammit,” Ryan cursed, looking panicky at his station. He had been playing on his laptop between clients. Regan hated the way Ryan panicked every time someone he cared about walked into his life. He was fine with meaningless relationships, but when it came to someone Ryan actually cared about, it was a disaster of epic proportions. Regan had to interfere. At least one of them needed to stand up and make sure a good relationship was possible. It sure as hell wasn’t going to be Ryan. Ryan had found his mate. Regan would make it work if he had to tie the two of them together for a year.

“I’m ducking into the back,” Ryan said, snapping his laptop shut.

“You are being a puss,” Regan commented as he disappeared into one of the private rooms.

The blond-haired new available walked up to the reception desk and leaned against the counter. He had a nice swagger to him and a beautiful little body. He was in no way Regan’s type. If Ryan only knew exactly what Regan’s secret was, he would drag him to therapy. “Is he going to be right back?” Bradley asked, leaning forward against the desk.

“He’s probably going to try and hide until you leave unless I go get him,” Regan said, considering the submissive. He liked the kid’s spunk. “Bold move, getting inked, by the way. I approve. My brother is hard to tie down.”

Bradley sighed. “You’re not kidding.”

“Is that the new available in my system?” Mustang’s deep voice boomed from the back of the shop.

“Yeah, Alpha. How’d you know?” Regan called back, grinning. The tremendous male who ran their pack was a force to be reckoned with.

“There is only one reason that man scurries away from the front of the shop like hell is chasing him. Is that Ryan’s new responsibility?”

“Yes, Alpha.” Ryan was probably embarrassed by Mustang’s very loud and pointed questions. The Alpha’s footsteps echoed on the hardwood floor down the hall. Bradley’s eyes widened as he got a look at Mustang. He wasn’t as large as Regan, Ryan, or his mate, Grayson, but he had an aura about him that was intimidating as hell.

“Well, let me get a look at you,” Mustang rumbled, motioning Bradley forward. The new available took a step forward. Mustang inhaled. “Hmm, he certainly has the right look. I was led to believe you have no prior knowledge of the lifestyle?”

Bradley ducked his head, his eyes hitting the floor. It was classic sub behavior when confronted by a Dom like Mustang. “I read a book,” the boy murmured.

Mustang barked out a laugh. “That is great. You have your hands full, Ryan.”

Regan raised a brow. “I’m Regan.”

“I know. I was telling your brother,” Mustang said, waving to the back rooms. “Speaking of which…Ryan! Get in here!”

Regan took particular delight in his brother’s loud sigh of disapproval before he stomped out of the back room and down the hall to the front of the shop. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Bradley. Regan sat back into his chair and watched.

“You were supposed to wait until Friday to come to my house for training,” Ryan rumbled.

Bradley cocked his hip to the side and gave an answering glare, clearly not intimidated by Ryan’s gruff demeanor. “Yeah, last time I checked I’m supposed to be your submissive
now
. You don’t get to put me off for two days while you hide away from me.”

“Did you miss the part about a submissive being, oh I don’t know, submissive?” Ryan snapped, agitation making his neck flush like it usually did when he was pissed but helpless.
Oh this is going to be fun to watch
. Regan was rooting for Bradley. Someone needed to mix up his brother’s world a bit. This kid seemed like the one to do it.

“Did you miss the part about a Dominant being, oh I don’t know,
there
?” Bradley shot back, clearly mocking Ryan. “I can’t learn if you’re not there to teach me.”

Ryan opened his mouth to speak, but Mustang cut him off. “Are we going to have a problem, fellas?” Ryan’s mouth snapped shut, and he shook his head, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

Bradley crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll behave if he does. I didn’t come here to fight out the legalities of this arrangement. I came to drop something off.”

“And what is that?” Mustang asked. It was amazing how the Alpha managed to command without even trying. Everything sounded like an order to Regan.

Instead of answering, Bradley shrugged the massive back pack off his shoulders and extracted a shiny red helmet. He extended it to Ryan, who paled as it was handed over. “
Am I missing something, bro
?” Regan asked, mind to mind.

“Sometimes reckless is good, necessary,” Bradley said, kneeling to refasten his bag. “But it never hurts to take care of yourself along the way. I hope you’ll use it. I sort of got a friend of mine to hack the records at your dealership and find the helmet that went with the bike. Enjoy.”

Ryan, for the first time in Regan’s recollection, was clearly speechless. “
Brother
,” Regan said. “
Say
something
.”

“I can’t take this,” Ryan said at last. Regan wanted to growl. Why couldn’t his brother say “thank you” like a normal person?

Bradley held up his hands in denial. “Please, take it. It would make me feel better if I knew that you had one on when you were driving around. You know how awful it is to drive out there. Motorcycles have the worst safety ratings for that reason. If it had been me hitting you or running you off the road or something, you might not have survived it.” His concern was touching. He already cared deeply about Ryan if this was any indication.

“I could almost get my head torn off and I would live,” Ryan groused. But he didn’t try to shove off the helmet this time.

“Uh-huh,” Mustang said, his keen eyes going back and forth between the two of them with acute interest. “Regan, Ryan, I need to see you in my office. Grayson!” The last was for the final and newest member of the shop. Grayson Gambler was the Alpha’s mate and was in charge of pack submissives.

A muffled voice rang out from the back. “What is it, Sir?”

“Can you come here please? I need you to come in here and keep Bradley company while I talk to the betas.” It might’ve been worded like a request, but the order was clear. Almost instantly the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. Mustang pointed at the pair of them. “In my office. Now.”

* * * *

The office door clicked shut with the finality of a coffin nail. “Someone better start talking,” Mustang said, crossing from the door before sitting on the edge of his desk. Ryan bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to bring blood. The last thing he wanted to talk about was what was waiting for him in the lobby. “Okay. Simple question then. How did that boy end up as an available? He is not the normal type. In fact, if I didn’t think my beta was sane, I’d think he was
your
would-be submissive, Ryan. However, since by law, unless he is your mate, he can’t be made into a personal available that would be impossible. So please, tell me why the house cat is being paraded as an alley cat?”

“He’s crazy,” Ryan muttered, gripping his knees hard enough to pinch. “Bradley followed me to the club, copied the tattoo that the availables wear, and had it inked on him at another shop in order to meet up with me outside here. He believes that I am his mate.”