Buried and Shadowed (Branded Packs #3)

Instead of going outside right away, he jumped in the shower and set the spray to cold. He’d want another shower later, and he might as well wash off the sweat and not waste the meager hot water he had.

He quickly soaped up, doing his best to push the visions from his brain just for the moment. Of course, it was never as easy as that, and he couldn’t get thoughts of Gibson and Mandy out of his head. Despite the frigid water temperature, his cock hardened at the thought of them.

His bear wanted them both, and frankly, so did the man. If he weren’t such a bad bet, he might have done something about it. With how few shifters there were within the den walls, even if they were in tight quarters, it wasn’t uncommon for triads to develop. Hell, it hadn’t been that uncommon twenty-five years ago when they lived in secret amid the human population.

And though it wouldn’t make others bat an eye at the sight, he knew he couldn’t have both of them. Mandy was so sweet, so innocent, and from what he’d seen, in the sights of another wolf. Theo.

And Gibson…Gibson wasn’t for him. Even before he’d become the Omega, he was too remote, too self-sacrificing to be with a Foreseer. The wolf needed to be with someone who was whole since he gave so much of himself.

And that wasn’t Oliver.

He sighed, but his cock didn’t seem to pay attention. And because of that, he gripped himself, using soap to make lather as he squeezed the base. It wouldn’t be wrong if he thought of them while doing this…as long as they didn’t know. People fantasized about others while getting themselves off all the time.

And if this had been the first time he’d done it, he might have believed that. Yet Oliver knew he’d crossed that line weeks ago. So now, as he pumped his fist and rocked his hips, he would do what he had to do, what he needed to do, and live with the consequences.

He squeezed himself again, his pace increasing as he imagined Mandy on her knees in front of him, taking him into her mouth. She rode Gibson’s face, her eyes wide and filled with passion. He imagined Gibson fisting himself as he licked their lover, and Oliver groaned, coming against the shower wall. His body shook, but this time for a whole different reason and he turned off the water, a little embarrassed with himself.

He’d gone off a little fast for his tastes, but he knew it was only taking the edge off at this point. The next time he faced either Mandy or Gibson, he would have to try to clear his mind of what they looked like when they came with him. Not that he actually knew that, but he’d imagined it enough that he could at least picture what he thought they’d look like in the throes of passion.

There was something clearly wrong with him that he could come so soon after a vision of death and damning.

He’d survived the vision, however, and that had to count for something. And if just the thought of those two could bring him some form of…life…then he’d take it.

But there was something wrong with him nonetheless.

He dressed quickly in a pair of old jeans and a T-shirt that had seen better days. It wasn’t as if he would be seeing anyone today. No one came to him for help. They didn’t want to know if he’d seen their deaths. Of course, it wasn’t always that clear. He’d seen deaths that had played out just as he’d seen them, but most of the time, it was more of an omen, a warning of what could happen. He did his best to warn whom he could, but sometimes, things like old age couldn’t be stopped.

And sometimes, the visions were like they were last night, where they didn’t truly make sense. He didn’t know if Cole would be fighting a dark entity one day. He didn’t know if Gibson and Mandy would be alone when they fought off their attackers. He just knew that change was coming for them all.

And he had to figure out what to do about that.

With a sigh, he padded out to his porch, annoyed that he hadn’t made himself coffee, and sank down to the old wooden steps. His head hurt, and he knew he needed a dose of caffeine to make it through the day. It was barely dawn, the first light just peeking over the tall trees surrounding his home. If he listened carefully, he could hear the sounds of Anya and Cole waking up for the day and the cubs snoring in their beds. Of course, since he knew his sister and new brother-in-law a little too well, he blocked out their voices—Cole was a little…loud in the mornings. There were just some things he didn’t need to know. That was another reason why he’d been happy with Anya moving out, even if she was only a little across the way.

His other neighbor, however, well, he’d listen to him all day if he could.

As if he’d conjured him from thin air, Gibson slid through the trees, two cups of coffee in his hands. His hair was disheveled, long, and hanging in his face. He’d put on a white T-shirt, but Oliver was pretty sure it was inside out. The other man had also put on jeans, but they were riding so low that either the wolf had lost even more weight, or he hadn’t buttoned them.