Thursday Thirst Trap:

 

And now something a little different, from Book 6 of the Comet Lake Chronicles:
 Shedding Lies

For more than a decade, mates Baz and Charlie have lived separate lives. Baz has spent much of it on the road as the president of the Howling Devils Motorcycle Club, protectors of the Comet Lake Pack, and one of the biggest contributors to the pack's financial success. Charlie, on the other hand, has spent most of that time trying to move past the accusations that cost him five years of good standing among his friends and family. Between bitterness, loneliness, and a longing for the truth, he continues to harbor ill will towards his mate, even after Baz keeps his promise about walking away should he ever find the wolf meant to be their third. Now Kale is living with Charlie, wanting to learn more about Baz, and struggling to process the events that landed him at Comet Lake.

A licensed teacher, Kale struggled to abide by his former packs’ strict adherence to social class status, especially when it came to the education of the packs’ pups. He never believed that learning should be restricted and sought to give all his students an equal education, despite how many times he was reprimanded for not following the school’s curriculum. When they couldn’t control him, his old pack sought to be rid of him and his progressive way of thinking, even if that meant betraying him in the process. Their loss has become Comet Lake’s gain, as his new pack is beyond excited to have another educator in their midst, especially one who cares more about the pups’ futures than any fur he might ruffle. Now he’s helping to create a new classroom where those who struggle with focus and sensitivity issues will have a chance to thrive without being overwhelmed. As a bonus, it’s his mates who have been tasked with bringing that new room to life, and he cannot wait to see the results of their collaboration.

If they can set aside their feuding ways to work together and embrace the bonds of brotherhood that they once shared, it just might bring them one step closer to becoming the bonded triad the fates intended for them to be. Unfortunately for the trio, the struggles they’ve left behind haven’t finished wreaking havoc on their lives. If they are to have any hope of a future, they must first shed the lies of the past and reveal the truths they’ve long kept hidden.

“I’ve always wanted a tramp stamp,” Kale mused, half teasing and half serious, just to see how his mates would take it.

“Same!” Baz replied, “Just never could decide on the perfect design.”

“You could always get matching ones,” Charlie said, hands roving from Baz’s hair to Kale’s shoulder.

“What next, you going to offer to be the one to apply them?” Kale said as he started tracing Baz’s abs with his tongue, loving the way they flexed and tensed while he teased them.

“He’s more than capable,” Baz said. “Building mockups aren’t the only things he’s able to design when he sets his mind to it.”

“But it is the only kind of artwork I’ve done in more than a decade, so I’ll leave the tattoo work to the professionals, like Baz.”

“I’m far from a professional,” Baz remarked, while Kale was treated to an up close and personal view of his skin flushing at the praise Charlie had given him. “That would be Roark.”

“Says none of the tats you’ve got running up your body,” Charlie said. “Or did you think no one would notice that most of the ones you’ve got are in places that you can reach? Besides, from what I heard; you were the one to train him.”

“Just in the basics, not that it took much effort. The guy had natural talent and an eye for detail. He took what I taught him and built on it until he got far better at it than I ever was,” Baz admitted. “I haven’t done one in years. As for the ones I do have, they have nothing to do with me being professional and everything to do with me being a bit of a control freak.”

“Naa…. Really? Said no one in the history of ever,” Charlie teased.

“You know what, new request,” Kale said. “I’d like one from each of you,

For the first time since they’d unintentionally woken Baz, his mates made eye contact and even held it for several seconds, a slow grin spreading across their faces. Well, at least they were on the same page about something.

“Bet!” they said in harmony, turning twin, leering grins on Kale who suddenly found himself squirming.

Being the center of their attention was a heady feeling and something told him it would only get more intense when it came time to actually apply the ink to his skin.

“Well, then I will eagerly await your design concepts, just know that I love things with double meanings and mixed metaphors,” Kale said. “I’m also particularly fond of irony and suddenly had an idea that I find extremely intriguing.”

“Which is?” Baz asked.

“Me choosing the centerpiece, something Alice in Wonderland related, considering it’s my favorite book,” Kale said. "Then each of you can design opposite sides of the actual tramp stamp so it all flows together. That is if you think you’d be up to the challenge?”

“Oh, I think we can manage,” Charlie said.

“Same,” Baz replied. “Now I’m curious to see what we come up with. I’ve always been partial to the Mad Hatter and the Jabberwocky. Might be fun to weave together something that incorporated both and the Vorpal sword.”

“As odd as this might sound, coming from a wolf, that damned demented Cheshire Cat has always been a favorite of mine, I think I could have real fun with that grin of his.”

Giggling, Kale rolled so he could touch them both and watch the way their eyes glinted as they fell into what could only be described as plotting mode. For the moment, it seemed like sexy times had been put on hold while they started pulling ideas together, but strangely enough, Kale was good with that, if it meant they were collaborating.

“You guys just made my choice for a centerpiece easy,” Kale informed them. “I love the hookah-smoking caterpillar and would love there to be some kind of message in the smoke.”

“Game on, then,” Baz said. “Though I doubt I’ll be up to drawing anything until morning.”

“Yeah, I’m good right here until the sun comes up,” Charlie said. “Well, not exactly right here…I think I’d enjoy myself a little more if I came around the other side of the bed.”

“And what, pray tell, do you intend to do when you get there?” Kale asked.

“It wouldn’t be half as much fun if I told you.”

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