Haven: A Menage, Dystopian, Wolf Shifter Romance

Chapter 1

D on’t worry, my Alpha is already coming for me.

Wulfric rolled his eyes, making sure his back was turned to the small human. Landon had a mop of blond curls, green eyes, and a mouth that was quick to smile – even under their current circumstances. Wulf already liked the five-foot-seven man, but his faith in his mythical ‘Alpha’ was beginning to get tedious.

You believe me, don’t you, Franklin? Wulf heard Landon ask.

Of course I do, sweetheart, Franklin was quick to reply.

Wulf grinned, sharing his happiness and mirth with the man standing at his side. Quill snickered, nudging Wulf’s shoulder, which had Franklin growling behind them and shoving Wulf with more strength than Quill but with similar good humour. His baby brother, Franklin, had just had the good fortune of meeting his mate – his true mate – two days prior. Wulf was beyond happy for his brother and the mere thought of his newly mated status almost brought tears of joy and pride to his eyes. After the Human-Shifter wars – dubbed HUSH – almost three centuries ago, the chance of finding a true biological mate – or soulmate depending how romantic someone was – had dwindled to practically nothing. Once, when the human and shifter population had been in harmony, mated pairs – or even triads – had still been special and celebrated, but they hadn’t been miraculous. True mates were as rare as rain these days, so though Wulf was still having trouble processing his brother’s good fortune, he was positive Landon would make a wonderful addition to their family – if they all managed to stay alive long enough.

And therein lies the challenge, Wulf grumbled to himself, given our current circumstances of being prisoners and all. They were being held by the Canis Pack. The pack was known for being ruthless and violent, as well as one of the oldest known wolf shifter lineages in recordable history. They had a very traditional pack hierarchy where the Alpha reigned supreme, his betas followed his every command without question, and the omegas were little better than servants. Which was still better than how the small number of humans were treated. They were slaves. Wulf didn’t dabble in slavery, and in fact, fought against it. Which was exactly how he and his entire pack of five wolves found themselves ankle deep in the shit and piss lining the floors of Brion’s ‘cells’.

Thirty-six hours earlier, they had stumbled upon half a dozen Canis pack members just outside the rough township of Nusquam. Wulf had always deliberately led his pack around the shithole of semi-scorched land whenever they needed to pass the east coastline because it was well known for housing shifters who were total tools. Nusquam, literally meaning nowhere in Latin, pretty much lived up to its name. It was in the middle of nowhere, a good two days’ walk in any direction from the nearest populated township. It did, however, happen to have a natural spring running beneath the otherwise barren earth in the centre of Canis pack territory. Such a thing was liquid gold and precisely why the Canis pack guarded the area so zealously. It also made it the perfect place for slave traders, traffickers, and other depraved arseholes to congregate.

It had taken an extra day to skirt the town, which had seemed to have grown in the three years since Wulf and his pack had last been in the area, but it had been well worth it. At least, until a shrill scream had brought them all to a stop. The sound had been high and feminine and enough to raise their metaphorical hackles while in human form. Initially, Wulf had clenched his jaw and silently gestured for his pack to keep moving. If there was one thing he had learned in the barren wastelands that was now the world, it was that you couldn’t save everyone. However, a second as equally ear-splitting shriek followed by some very inventive cursing from a decidedly masculine voice, had them all pausing once more. Their one omega, Eric, had raised his eyebrows and looked at Wulf; ‘Wulf, I think that’s a dude!’ he’d said. So, more out of curiosity than anything else, Wulf and his pack had followed the sounds.

Unfortunately, the sight that met them was not a new one. Six wolf shifters had a human surrounded, taunting him as they swiped at him with their claws, calling him names and laughing. The human was indeed a male and surprisingly agile as he wove and ducked, only screaming when he wasn’t quite fast enough and his delicate skin was scratched. What happened next was a clusterfuck of epic proportions. His brother must have recognised the human man for the miracle he was and rushed the group of shifters without word or thought. Franklin was highly skilled and experienced in combat, but apparently, scenting your true mate for the first time made a wolf turn into a complete fucking moron. Because Franklin had proceeded to do nothing other than hold the human male to his chest, and Wulf and the rest of the pack had been left to fight off the Canis pack members whilst also protecting his brother.

Looking around at their lodgings now, Wulf was both disgusted and embarrassed with their predicament. Fuck! Wulf went to slam his clenched fist into the wall, his frustrations bubbling to the surface, only to be brought up short by a strong hand cushioning the blow.

Tsk, tsk. Temper, temper, a deep voice scolded.

Wulf watched as the hand gently pried his fingers apart, turned over his fist, and gently kissed his palm. Wulf sighed, his shoulders losing some of their tension as the other man slowly reeled him in with his own arm. When they were finally chest to chest, Wulf looked up to accommodate the scant inch difference in their height, to be met with the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen. Wulf might tease Quill for his vanity, given they lived in a post-apocalyptic nightmare-world, but he couldn’t say he really blamed the other man. Quill was just so damn pretty. Dark hair he insisted on keeping long despite the inconvenience, blue eyes that rivalled the sky on a perfect day, chiselled cheekbones and a square jawline mercifully gifted to him by his Native American ancestry, broad shoulders, tapered waist … and an arse that just wouldn’t quit. Basically, Quill was Wulf’s wet dream brought to brilliant life.

Although Quill was not his true biological mate, the fellow alpha wolf was just as precious and just as miraculous to Wulf. They were both in their late thirties, with Quill swearing he was younger than Wulf and Wulf vehemently denying it. Birthdays weren’t so much of a big thing anymore but Wulf still tried his best to keep track of the passing of time. And if Wulf had been around sixteen when he and Quill had first met, that would make Quill the older one by a couple of years. The grey hairs popping up sporadically in his dark brown hair were the man’s newest nemesis. Wulf thought it was sexy as fuck. In fact, everything about the six-foot-two wolf shifter was sexy as fuck.

This is where you say thank you, Quill said, tapping Wulf on the chin.

Wulf frowned, What for?

For saving your precious hands, babe. Quill lifted up said hand, nipping at the fingertips. You’re going to need them later to smash this pack to pieces.

Wulf snorted, Your faith in my smashing skills may be misplaced.

Quill tipped Wulf’s chin up, making eye contact, Never, Quill said softly, but fiercely. My faith in you will never be misplaced.

Wulf closed his eyes when Quill kissed him, indulging in a selfish moment of comfort and need. Who knew when they would get the chance to do so again? Wulf’s right hand was just sneaking down to grab a handful of wet dream arse cheek when Landon’s voice penetrated his loved-up bubble.

Aww, you guys are just too cute!

Groaning, Wulf pulled away from his lover, glaring at Quill when he chuckled at the human’s antics. Wulf didn’t know why Quill thought it was funny. The man’s balls had to be as blue as Wulf’s were. His dark look was met with a teasing, yet still sexy, wink. Wulf flashed a canine at Quill, something that would have had their animal cousins showing their belly, but only served to increase Quill’s good humour if the waggle of his eyebrows was anything to go by. Landon’s giggle caught his attention, just as the human said;

You guys are really great together. How long have you been a couple?

Too long, Wulf quickly snapped.

Quill simply chuckled, answering, More than two decades.

Landon sighed, happily, That is so romantic.

Wulf snorted, Yeah, twenty-two years of fighting, running, and struggling to survive – real romantic.

At least you’re getting laid, Lucy pointed out. She was a beta wolf shifter and also Wulf’s best friend, as well as the only female in the pack. She was blunt, violent and bitchy; Wulf adored her.

Despite the circumstances, Wulf smiled, You have a point.

Don’t worry, after my Alpha and pack find me, you’ll be family. If you want to have a break from all the fighting and protecting and … he waved his hand around, manly-wolfy stuff, you can. Our home is very … relaxing.

Wulf wondered at the pause and the secretive smirk on Landon’s face when he said that but decided to accept it as a part of the strangeness that was his new brother in law. Landon was still firm in his belief that his alpha would be riding to the rescue any minute now. Franklin, already completely besotted by his smaller, elfin-looking mate, was in complete agreement with him – on the surface at least. Every so often, his younger brother’s dark eyes would meet his own with a plea to save him and the rest of the pack. Wulfric, as Alpha of the Sentinel Pack, felt the weight of that responsibility to his very core. His pack was small but mighty with only five members including himself; another alpha – Quill – two betas and one omega. They had developed quite the name for themselves over the years, fighting for the rights of humans and wolves alike. They were nomadic, travelling from one place to the next, and staying only as long as they were needed to complete a job and get paid. He wondered how that lifestyle would suit Landon, because there was no way his brother would give up the human – no matter what the majority of shifters thought. With only one percent of the world’s remaining population being human, it wasn’t hard to guess how they rated on the food chain; right at the very bottom.

Movement caught his attention and Wulf turned around to find Landon snuggled against Franklin’s chest once more. The bubbly human flashed him a smile, nuzzling against his mate’s t-shirt. A quick glance around their tiny cell showed the rest of the pack smiling indulgently at the pair. A series of subtle head nods followed by a lot of eye contact and silent communication, assured Wulf that his pack were all on the same page. They would fight to the death to keep their newest member safe and give his brother a chance at a happiness that didn’t come around even once in a lifetime for most.

And it just might come to that, Wulf thought silently, looking around his lodgings once more. They were in a derelict shopping mall – or so Wulf assumed based on the size and the remaining half walls acting as partitions between long-forgotten shops. He had never been to a shopping mall with the purpose of actually shopping. Nobody had, at least, nobody Wulf had ever met. There were still some very old shifters alive who had been born prior to the devastation of the HUSH wars that claimed to remember the ‘good old days’. Cinemas and coffee shops were things of the past and if not for the evidence of rotting and dilapidated buildings, they would almost seem like fables.

And how is our newest human acquisition this morning – and his pet dogs? Brion’s rough voice preceded him into the large, cavernous space in front of the holding cells.

Wulf pulled his shoulders back, drawing attention to his full six-foot-one height. He might be shorter than Quill but he was broader and packed more heavily with muscles. His wolf was also one dominant fucker. Wulf was