by Gordon, Eva
Ulric furrowed his brow. He knew little of the rituals related to the Roman goddess. “For what purpose did you make such an offering?”
“When she returns in the next life, Nidia will be a wolf maiden and I will claim her.”
He raised a brow. “What if you find a mate in this life?”
“I vowed never to take a wolf maiden or any other woman as my true love.”
Ulric smelled the truth in his conviction. “Lucius, you are too young to make such a promise. Your father and mother will not allow it.” He tilted his head to the side. “Do they know?”
“No. Only Petronia, Lupercii Stephanus, and now you.”
“Your mother mentioned you went into seclusion to the Lupercal after the funeral. I’m surprised she did not know of the ritual.”
He spewed a bitter laugh. “I told her and Father I needed to mourn alone and they consented.”
Ulric’s heart ached for the boy’s loss. If Cassia died, he too would not want another. He remembered how devastated Lucius was when Nidia died. The boy almost killed Nox, the much stronger alpha lycan. If not for his father’s intervention, they would have fought to the death. “Pity you did not slay Nox.”
Lucius growled, “Mother’s bitch. She still bears my scar on the back of her neck.” He turned to Ulric, “Take care with Nox. Mother will use her to spy on or even kill Cassia. The careless alpha left her scent on the cup Nidia had drunk out of.” He scoffed. “To this day Mother denies involvement. She thinks I will someday get over my grief. I tried with chariot racing, but the thrill of the race offered only a momentary respite from Nidia’s loss.”
“Is this why you champion our love?”
“Yes. Feronia appeared to me on Mount Soracte. She said that in order to reunite with Nidia, I must unite one life mate couple that because of great odds cannot be together. You and Cassia.”
Gladdened by his help, he still needed to protect his mate, no matter the consequences. “If I am killed, you would claim Cassia and never touch her?”
Lucius’ claw emerged and he cut his palm. “Blood vow.”
Ulric did the same. They bound their palms together, mixing their warm flowing blood.
Lucius held him in a firm grip. “Brother, I give you my blood vow. I will never touch Cassia. Upon your death, she’ll be returned to the Lupercal under the protection of Petronia.”
A sacred blood vow, never to be broken. Relief washed over Ulric and he bowed. “Thank you, brother.”
Chapter 12
The litter bearers set her by the gates of her home and left. The hired guards were no longer there. Her heart spun. Gaius was back! His horse grazed in his pen. Egid gave his joyful baa. She ignored her pet and dashed in. “Gaius!”
Ferox met her at the door, his voice low, “Cassia, he will be so happy to see you, but I must warn you. He is in deep grief.”
Her throat tightened, “I know. Senator Cato and his family were executed.” Crucified, too harsh a word to voice. “Where is he?”
“In the tablinum.”
She ran to the room on the right of the atrium. His personal workplace. She pushed aside the curtains. He sat composing a letter. He set his quill down and looked at her. He had a hollowed look with dark circles under his eyes. His grey hair, no longer meticulous and neat, but loose, long, and untidy. His unshaven face gave him a wild appearance, like a street philosopher or beggar. His toga dusty and his sandals caked in mud. He must have just arrived. He stood. “Cassia, thank Feronia.”
She embraced him. They crumbled to the floor. Sitting, she cradled his head in her lap while he sobbed. “Oh, Gaius.” She smoothed her fingers through his hair.
He finally straightened and wiped his wet face with his hand. “I arrived late last night. I prepared to bathe when Septimus Dorus visited with the grave news.”
Dorus, the old jurist who had brought up charges against the cruel emperor had gone into hiding. Like Senator Cato, he too had become a thorn beneath Domitian’s foot. She raised her voice in panic, “Did anyone see Dorus enter?”
“Dorus wore a dark cloak and had been in hiding for the last few days. He swore no one saw him.” He stood, gripped her hand and helped her up.
She smoothed her stola. “Dorus too must be on the proscription list.”
He nodded, his face grave, old. “He vowed not to be caught and tortured.”
“So he escaped?”
“No. He came to bid me farewell. He left for the forum to drink poison at the foot of the Temple of Saturn.”
Her heart ached for her beloved mentor. “What about you?”
Gaius shrugged in defeat. “I don’t know. Dorus told me Domitian had planned to execute Cato for months, not only for his public disagreements, but also for his vast wealth. Domitian will be addressing the senate about Cato’s plot to poison him. Perhaps the Lupercal representatives in Rome ordered Macula not to touch me.”
Ferox came in with a papyrus scroll, his face creased in worry. “Master, a lycan just delivered this message.”
Gaius took it. His face paled. “It’s from Macula.” He opened the message and read it.
Expecting Praetorian Guards to storm in any second for his arrest, she blurted out, “Tell me what it says!”
“Very well.” He cleared his throat, “Gaius, know that the only reason you have been spared is because of my son. If it had not been for your trained physician, I would be a grieving father. The Lupercal also notified me you are not to be touched. Fortunately, because of your discretion, Emperor Domitian never learned your identity. No one discovered your intimate relationship with Cato. In your stead, Domitian killed Senator Dorus’ assistant for being Cato’s lover. Burn this letter and stay out of politics. Disappoint me and you will know my wrath. Lupercus Caninus Macula.”
Cassia’s skin grew cold and her legs wobbled. Ferox noticed and held her by her arm. “You look pale; please sit.”
Gaius crinkled the letter into a ball and threw it in the brazier. It sizzled and sparked, eaten by the fire. His face reddened in rage. “Mencius was only a few months older than Lucius.”
She remembered the well-educated young man who wanted to be a jurist.
Gaius sat at his desk and covered his face with his hands. She stood. “I will bring you some wine.”
“Wait.”
She turned. “Yes?”
“First, sit.” She sank down on the couch. “Your request to have me return earlier saved me from crucifixion. The day after I left is when he and his family were brutally murdered.”
She tried not to hold her breath. How would he react when she told him Ulric had claimed her? Especially after the tragedy of losing his lover. “You read the message about Ulric learning I’m a wolf maiden and goddess touched.”
He nodded. “Yes, after he licked your wound. I know you feel attracted to him but…”
She took his hands in hers. Hoping, praying he would understand. “He claimed me.” She twisted a shy smile, “I accepted him as my life mate.”
His eyes widened in horror and alarm. After a long silence he asked, “Did your lycan wolf mark remain red?”
“Yes.” She met his gaze. “Even prior to the claiming, I knew he was the one. I tried ever so hard to forget him, telling myself my feelings were nothing more than a passing fancy for a handsome gladiator. But he’s so much more. He is my heart.” Her shoulders sagged. “We are now in more danger than ever.” She wiped a tear that rolled down her cheek. “What am I to do?”
“My poor child. I should never have left you alone.” He swallowed before asking. “Did he consummate the claim?”
She flushed. “No. Only the claiming imprint. Ulric wishes to take my maidenhood in a pleasant setting, certainly not in Macula’s territory.”
“You mean he claimed you there?”
She squirmed as her thoughts moved to meeting Ulric in her chambers. She stared down at her knuckles and whispered, “Yes, but we were not caught.” Almost discovered but why stress him more.
&
nbsp; He stood and paced with renewed vigor. “The gladiator was not free to claim you!” He sighed in resignation. “However, if Feronia guided you to one another, what is done is done.”
Her voice small, “You are not angry?”
“Worried, yes. Angry, no. However, stay away from him until Petronia returns from Gaul. I assume he will keep your secret.”
“He will but it is Lucius who concerns me the most.”
“What!” His face grew redder in agitation.
“He promised to not reveal the truth and supports our claim.”
“He is a Caninus. He cannot be trusted.”
Ferox entered with a tray of cheese, olive oil, bread, and a jug of wine. He set it down and left, sensing the gravity of the discussion. She poured Gaius a cup full of wine. “Let me tell you about Lucius.” She explained about how he had lost Nidia whom he loved and then had lost his best friend—that he promised her a boon for saving his life.
Gaius relaxed his brow, somewhat placated and nodded. “I remember how the boy grieved for the human girl and spent time at Feronia’s Temple.”
“Our greatest danger is Floretta who desires Ulric for herself.” Then she braced herself. “There is one more bit of trouble.”
“Besides a powerful jealous wolf maiden? Dear Feronia, what more?”
“Floretta commissioned Igal to craft Ulric a powerful shield. When he brought it to the villa, he saw me and called me by my old name, Shifra.”
“The fool!” He paced. “We cannot have lycans suspecting you were the child found in Caesarea, rumored to have healed Albius of wolfsbane.”
She absently nodded. “I thought such tales were long buried.”
Gaius took a sip of wine and then circled his finger around the rim. “Many lycans cling to the idea of a possible goddess touched Valeria Luperca within our vicinity. Rumors of a child seen with an alpha long ago on the shores of Caesarea still circulate in lycan packs.”
“I convinced them that Igal mistook me for another woman, and though he knew better, he played along. He apologized for his error.”
“That may have fooled Floretta but not the lycans.”
She boasted about her heroic mate. “Ulric quickly hauled him off before Floretta pried more.”
Gaius suddenly groaned and held his chest.
“What’s wrong?” She worried whenever he worked himself into a frenzy.
He sat and shot her a weak smile. “I ate too fast, nothing more.”
She picked up his cloak and wrapped it over his shoulders. “Come, I will help you with your bath.” The pained look on his face broke her heart. The last time he had enjoyed the bath was with Cato. She bit her lip.
His drawn face turned into a smile. “Yes, please.”
She guided him to the bath and helped him undress. His thin body shivered as he sank into the water. She washed him lovingly. “Now that you are alone, perhaps you can return to Albius’ pack.”
“After I see to your safety, I will reveal to the Senate what we all know.” He sneered. “Domitian poisoned his own brother. No Roman will tolerate fratricide.”
“Many suspect such but Rome accepts that Emperor Titus died of a pestilence. There is no evidence. You said the physicians who treated Titus were quietly eliminated after they told all he died of a common ailment.”
“Cato recently acquired a journal from Titus’ attending physician. His daughter kept it secret all these years. It details the poison used to kill Emperor Titus. On his return, he was to present the evidence to the senate.”
She poured oil on his back and carefully scraped off the sweat and dirt. That explained Cato’s murder. She cocked her head to the side. “But Titus died so long ago.” She shrugged. “Besides, is poison not how emperors are made?”
“Perhaps, but now with Domitian’s cowardice against the Dacian invaders, and his hand on the death of so many senators, the time is ripe for a revolt.”
“No. Please, I beg you, let it be. Besides, the journal must have burned along with all of Cato’s books.”
“Below my bed, under a wooden board is where I keep it.”
She gasped. “You have it?”
“Don’t worry. I will not share it until Petronia returns and you are safe.”
***
A moon cycle had passed and though Gaius still grieved, he made frequent trips to visit patients. Ulric had not come by. Not even a message. Dark thoughts entered her mind. Had he changed his mind? Then she received a message from Rohesia.
Dearest Cassia,
As punishment, Macula keeps Ulric locked. My son refuses to kill my friend, a noble woman. Quintina Eulia. She is my beloved friend, accused of heresy for practicing Christianity. Domitian demands Ulric shift and slaughter her as a wolf. The demented emperor wishes to use Ulric to terrorize his victims. The woman’s execution is postponed until Ulric agrees to kill her. He is no longer free to roam the streets until he agrees to the ghastly execution. Please, Cassia, stay away, lest you be used to coerce him into killing my dear friend.
Her heart broke. Cassia threw on her cloak and left before Gaius returned. Forbidden to see Igal, nonetheless, she needed to talk to him. The blacksmith had sent her a message. In it, he deemed it of great importance not only for her well-being, but also for her soul to meet with him. Odd. She slipped out of the house and headed toward his modest home near the blacksmith station in the Subura. She stopped. Someone is following me. She turned and glanced around the rush of people. Slapped by paranoia she rushed to Igal’s station.
The blacksmith and two strong men loaded his tools onto a horse drawn wagon. She parted her veil. “Igal, I came as soon as I could.”
He looked around and then gestured her with a twist of his neck to follow him inside the emptied station. He spoke in Aramaic, “Shifra, do you remember your mother tongue?”
She nodded warily and answered using simple words, “I often listen to slaves who do, but…it has been too long.”
He returned to speaking in Latin, “Ulric says you are his bride.” He searched her eyes, perhaps in horror that a wolf man would claim her. “Do you wish this as well?”
What must he think? Not only a slave gladiator, but also a foreigner from a tribe of pagans. “Yes, but the entire situation is fraught with great danger.”
He shot her a disapproving look and swore in Aramaic. He sighed, “We leave for Judea in a few days. Will you come with us?”
Judea? Her mind and heart traveled to distant memories. Rumors of dog headed wolf-like people well known in the desert. Were they her lycan pack? “But Jerusalem is destroyed.”
“There is a small enclave in Yavne, where we can live free to practice our religion. It is not like we once practiced but learned Rabbis teach new ways to pray to our Holy Lord.”
Her loyalty tested. Her ancestral people or her new life? Her goddess Feronia had watched over her and entered her dreams. Feronia’s chosen healer. She shook her head. “I can’t. I must stay with Gaius. Ulric will someday come for me.”
“You will be safer among our people. A healer such as yourself is greatly needed. And Ulric, he is a wolf man and you, a human, cannot expect to be his mate.”
“Igal, I am his mate. You know as well as I do that I am of the wolf clan.”
He sat on his tool and wiped his brow. “It isn’t right.”
“No, you see…” she paused. A tall woman who wore a fine white stola approached. An aristocrat, or was she? Her eyes widened. From beneath the woman’s veil, she detected the aura of a black wolf. Nox, Floretta’s bitch. Her sense of being followed proved true. Nox neared the station but stood back, casually eyeing some metal goods in another station. She must have caught Cassia’s scent and stalked her on orders from Floretta.
“What’s wrong?”
She sighed and lowered her voice. “That woman over there.” She pointed her chin toward the wares station on the opposite side of the street. “She is Floretta’s henchwoman.”
Igal scowled at where she pointe
d. “Yes, she never leaves Floretta’s side. The Angel of Death follows that one.”
Cassia licked her lips and did her best to speak in her former language. “I want you to pretend that I am going with you to Judea.”
He answered in Aramaic. “But you must.”
“Not without Gaius and never without Ulric.” Igal would never understand the bond between a wolf maiden and her lycan mate.
He spoke in the guttural language, “What should I do? Shout that you intend to come with us?”
“Yes. If Floretta thinks I’m gone, she will quit having me followed.” This would give her time to find a place to hide until Petronia returned. Her potion of masking powder would hide her scent.
“Ulric told me of Floretta’s jealous blood toward any woman who goes near her gladiator.” He stood, gathered an anvil and placed it on the wagon. His voice loud, “We will meet at the docks then?”
She smiled. “I will be ready to forever leave Rome.” Nox listened as she stood still.
“Remember to pack warm garments. Judea has cooler winters than Rome.”
She spoke in Aramaic, “Thank you.” She embraced him and whispered. “Shalom.”
He embraced her with brawny bear arms and whispered in Aramaic, “If you change your mind, let me know.”
She suppressed tears. “I shall.” She walked away. Nox followed her but back far enough not to draw suspicion. By the time she reached the bridge Nox turned and left. She would report to her mistress and perhaps Cassia could travel north. Once the head of the Lupercal returned, they would help free Ulric and the other omegas. She quietly entered her small villa so as not to disturb Gaius.
He called her into his private room, “Cassia, where have you been? I worried?”
She would not lie. “I met with Igal.”
He shouted. “What?”
She drew in breath and explained. He slowly nodded in understanding. She smiled. “By the time they get a hint I will be back with Albius’ pack to wait for Ulric.”