by Marla Monroe
Aaron nodded and hugged him with one arm before heading to their apartment downstairs. Levi was left with nothing. The hug hadn’t reassured him, or even felt particularly good. He felt empty inside, and for the first time, that emptiness seemed to yawn up at him, threatening to swallow him whole. What would he do then? How would he function, and what did his loss of emotions mean for the pack in general?
Chapter Three
Levi and Aaron arrived at their healer’s home early. Their fathers were already there looking worried. That didn’t make Aaron feel any better. He hadn’t slept much as it was. Every time he closed his eyes, an image of Gabby met him, taunting him. He needed to be near her, but it wasn’t happening right now.
“Are you boys ready?” Harper asked as they walked in the house.
“We need to do this. If it doesn’t help, we’ve got a problem,” Levi said.
“What do we need to do?” Aaron asked, looking around.
“Come over to the couch and have a seat. Did you bring clothes to change into afterwards?” Harper asked.
“Right here.” Aaron held up the overnight bag he’d packed for them.
“Good. More than likely, you will end up changing from the draw on your wolf’s magic when I start the cleansing. Go on. Sit down and try to relax.” Harper left the room as they settled on the couch.
“Sons, we’re right here,” Deland said as he and Phillip moved closer.
“Thanks. We’re going to be fine,” Levi said.
“We know,” Phillip said.
Harper walked back in with a large mug of something. He stopped directly in front of them and held out the mug to Levi.
“Take a large drink, then give it to Aaron for him to drink. It will burn some going down, but it won’t hurt you. It will help you relax all over so I can call the shift to move the magic from you.” Harper stood in front of them as Levi grabbed the mug and took a gulp.
He passed it to Aaron. When he turned it up and swallowed, the taste was bad, but it did burn going down and sort of sat in his stomach like a solid lead weight. He wasn’t sure what its purpose was, but he’d keep it down if it would help get rid of the magic and give Levi his emotions back.
It didn’t take long before the burn spread throughout his body, his fingers and toes tingling with sensations that threatened to have him leaping to his feet to stomp on the ground. He didn’t like this. It was too foreign to him.
“Brother. Are you okay?” Levi asked, grasping his hand.
“Yes. I just feel—weird,” he admitted.
“Me, too.”
“I’m going to touch you both now. No matter what happens, don’t pull away from my touch,” Harper told them.
Aaron looked over where their fathers stood watching, anxious expressions marring their faces. It pained him that they were the cause of their fathers’ distress. They had already been through so much over the years. How had they picked up such magic without knowing it? He was a little ashamed at not knowing it.
Then all thoughts vanished as Harper gripped both his and his brother’s shoulders. Power flared between the three of them. It felt as if a large whirlwind swirled around them. His hair lifted with it, as did his brother’s. Heat unlike anything he’d felt before seeped into his shoulder and throughout his body from Harper’s hand. It didn’t exactly hurt, but it wasn’t very comfortable either. The burn seemed to center in his head and around his heart. It pulsed like electricity.
When he turned his head, he wanted to jerk Harper’s hand from his brother’s shoulder. Levi looked to be in great pain, his face tight with it. A warm glow emanated from his chest where his heart would be. Levi swayed slightly, and it took all of his restraint to remain where he was and not grab his brother’s body to steady him.
“Hold on, boys. Just a little longer.” Harper’s voice seemed to reach him from far away, though the other wolf was standing right in front of him.
Something seemed to break inside of him, and he felt a rush of fluid seep from his body. Then there was nothing but the heat and pain of the change. It exploded out of him, coming much too quickly for him to control or flow with. Instead, pain filled his body as he fell to the floor on all fours and threw back his head in a howl that shook the rafters.
His brother, Levi, fell next to him seconds later, a howl torn from his throat that vibrated the skin beneath his fur. As suddenly as it had started, the pain left him, and he stood as his wolf before Harper. The healer looked drained to his wolf. He sniffed and smelled pain and exhaustion on the man. He nudged his leg.
Levi growled and pushed Aaron back from the healer. Aaron took a few steps back to keep his balance then turned to his brother.
“What was that for?” he asked through their link.
“He has the strange magic inside of him now. I can sense it in him. Stay away from him.”
“How will he get rid of it? We need him whole for our people,” Aaron said.
“He will prevail. Can you change back yet?” Levi asked.
Aaron searched his body. He felt normal, if lighter somehow, but he couldn’t change yet. He needed to recover a little more before he had the energy it took to change back. Normally, as members of the ruling family, they were able to change at will, but after the cleansing, his strength was depleted.
“No. Not yet. I feel weak, Levi. I’m not used to feeling this way,” he admitted.
“Neither am I. As soon as we can, we must return to our other form. We have much to talk about,” Levi told him.
They milled about the room, watching as Harper backed slowly from the room and disappeared from sight. Aaron couldn’t help but wonder how he would remove the magic from his own body. Would he go through the same process? Who would help him? Who would take the magic inside of themselves? The circle grew in his mind. He dropped the subject as he realized it was futile to try and figure it out.
Their fathers had settled onto chairs to watch over them while they remained in their wolf forms. They didn’t say anything out loud, but Aaron was sure they were discussing everything between them in the same manner he and Levi were able to communicate. As a bonded pair, they were able to communicate mentally. It bothered him that they weren’t talking out loud. In his wolf form, there was always a bit of paranoia since they were ruled more by their instincts.
“Easy, brother. They are not plotting against us. They are our fathers and the ruling wolves of our pack,” Levi said, moving between Aaron and his fathers.
Aaron instantly felt shame at where his mind had taken him. This wasn’t good. Why was he more emotional than usual? He turned to Levi.
“Do you feel any different?” he asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
His brother cocked his head, a strange look in his eyes that was the only thing that didn’t look wolf. Keen intelligence shown from their dark depths. He growled low in his throat then backed away from Aaron.
“I am not sure. I don’t feel right, but I can feel emotions. Mostly, I’m feeling yours right now,” Levi said.
“Do you think it worked? Are you feeling anything for Gabby?” Aaron had to know.
“We will talk when we can communicate with word. I’m ready to change now. Follow when you can,” his brother said.
Aaron watched as Levi shifted. It was obvious that his brother forced it. The pain that washed over him from his brother’s decision was almost crippling. Something was still not right. He panted through the discomfort of the shared emotions and shook his head to clear it. Then he concentrated and forced his own shift.
* * * *
Levi pulled on his clothes, struggling to hide just how weak he felt after the stupid stunt he’d pulled making the shift when his body wasn’t truly ready for it. He’d hoped to buy some time to think about what he felt before he had to talk to his brother about it. Aaron would expect Levi to talk to him about it, but he needed to think and figure it out first.
Magic flared around him. He turned his head and watched as Aaron followed him with his
shift. His brother was stronger than he’d given him credit for. Another poor judgment call on his part. He had made a lot of them lately. He vowed not to make more of them.
He paced in front of the door as Aaron dressed. He could tell that his bond mate struggled to remain upright as he slipped on his shirt. Instead of sitting down like he needed to, Aaron walked over to where Levi stood and clasped him on the shoulder, his eyes knowing.
“We need to talk, brother,” he said.
“First we talk with our fathers.” Levi walked over to the couch and sat down across from the two men who’d raised them all to be honest and have integrity.
“How do you feel?” Phillip asked when they had both settled onto the couch.
“Tired, but good,” Aaron said. “I can tell a difference, but I’m not sure I can describe it. It’s almost like having something you’ve carried for a very long time taken away from you. Almost a loss.”
Levi nodded his head. “Exactly. I couldn’t have described it better.”
“Son, does that mean your emotions are intact once again?” Deland asked, moving closer to the edge of the chair. “Do you feel the mating heat?”
Levi hesitated, unsure what to say. He wouldn’t lie to his fathers or to Aaron, but he wanted to talk to Aaron first.
“What is it?” Aaron asked, frowning.
“My emotions seem to be back, but I don’t feel the mating heat right now,” he finally said. He continued before his brother’s dismay overwhelmed him. “I think Aaron and I need to talk now. It’s possible it won’t flare until I’m in her presence again.”
“That is a good point, son,” Phillip said.
“Are you sure that you are completely free of the magic, Levi?” Deland asked.
“Yes, I believe so. I guess I won’t know for sure for a while. That is one reason Aaron and I need to talk. I want to compare our feelings on different things.”
“Fair enough,” Phillip said, nodding his head.
“Will Harper be able to remove the magic he absorbed inside of him?” Aaron asked.
“He will be fine, Aaron. You worry about what is going on between you and your brother. We will worry about everyone else. That is our job right now. Don’t be so hasty to don the mantle of leadership. It’s much heavier than you imagine,” Deland told him with a slight smile.
“I’m not as anxious as it might seem to take on that task,” Aaron said. “We have much to learn before we are ready to lead.”
“That is an intelligent answer, son. We’re going to check on Harper. You should go with your brother and talk. There’s obviously some things the two of you need to discuss,” Phillip told him. He looked over at Levi. “I trust that you won’t withhold anything that we need to know about.”
Levi nodded and waited for Aaron to join him by the door. After checking to be sure that his brother was really okay, Levi opened the door and walked outside to find the sun almost straight up in the sky.
How fucking long were we in there? It’s already noon!
He and Aaron exchanged glances before climbing into the truck to head home. They didn’t say a word during the trip. His thoughts raced around in his head as he tried to make sense of it all. Where they went after this would set the scene for the rest of their lives. He had to make sure he made the right choices for their pack.
As soon as they pulled up in front of the house, Joseph and Jessup emerged, meeting them at the truck. He could see the worry on their faces. Fear that Nessa was having trouble tightened his throat. He hurried out of the truck and stopped in front of his two brothers.
“What’s wrong? Is it Nessa? The cubs?” he demanded.
“Nessa and the cubs are fine. It’s Gabby. She didn’t show up for a lunch date with Nessa. They were supposed to discuss her ideas concerning the pack’s young. She’s never been late before. She was supposed to be here at eleven,” Jessup told them.
“I went to see about her, and her home is empty,” Joseph added. “There were no strange smells around the cabin, but she left in her wolf skin. I trailed her for several miles into the woods, but I lost her at the stream. When I couldn’t pick up her scent again, I came home. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving Nessa for so long.”
“I understand. We will find her,” Levi said, turning to Aaron. “We need to go to her place and see if we can figure out where she would have gone.”
“Why would she have run off like that? She was excited about working on our plans.” Nessa’s voice reached them from the doorway.
Levi looked up and winced at the worry in the young woman’s face. It was obvious that she’d been crying at some point. He didn’t like knowing that the woman who completed his brothers was hurting. More than likely, the reason was entirely on him and his lack of emotions. He should have talked to Aaron, and, together, they should have gone to her to explain their situation.
“Don’t worry anymore, Nessa. We will bring her back. Go back inside and rest. Let us worry about getting her home,” Levi said quietly.
Joseph and Jessup ushered her back into the house, leaving Levi alone with Aaron. He could feel his brother’s despair gnawing at him like a teething pup.
“Why did she leave, Levi? Where could she have gone?” Worry colored Aaron’s harsh voice.
“I don’t know. Maybe the fact that we haven’t approached her is bothering her. I’m sorry that I’ve held us back, brother. We’ll worry about the reasons why later. Right now we need to find Gabrielle. We’ll start out at her place. Come on.” Levi climbed back into the truck and slammed the door.
By the time Aaron had gotten in and fastened the seatbelt, he was backing down the drive. He refused to let his mind wander to what all could happen to her away from the protection of the pack. They had enemies, the worst of which being man. Though their existence was no longer a secret to humans, many people were still in the dark, choosing to either ignore them or openly hate them. The world hadn’t been ready to find out about the supernatural communities that lived and worked with them under their noses.
The threat to their mate was very real. He prayed she would be fine when they found her. He wasn’t sure he could handle the pain of losing her or the guilt that it was his fault. Even though the magic had been removed from them and he could now feel emotions, Levi still felt very little of the mating heat. He prayed it would bloom as soon as he was in her presence. If it didn’t, he wasn’t sure what he would do. Lie or tell the truth.
Chapter Four
The deeper into the woods she wandered, the less the pain seemed to smother her. Gabby knew she couldn’t run from the realization that her mates didn’t want to claim her, but for now, she wanted to escape some of the humiliation for a little while. She’d tossed and turned all night thinking about it. Her wolf had reluctantly accepted the loss of her mates and was operating solely on instinct now. She was in protection mode.
Gabby stopped at the stream and drank deeply. She walked in the water for what felt like hours before stepping out of the stream to the bank and running among the trees again. She had no idea where she was or where she was going, but it didn’t matter at the moment. She just needed to get away for a while and come to terms with her loss. Then she could return and pretend that nothing was wrong, continuing to be the one who everyone depended on to keep things running smoothly.
She looked around her and tried to determine her location in relation to the pack house. Nothing looked familiar to her. At first it didn’t bother her, but as she walked around, the unfamiliar scents began to scare her. Out of the blue, the scent of man and guns assaulted her nose. Her wolf growled low in its throat. Gabby agreed when the wolf suddenly turned around and began to run in the opposite direction.
The surrounding woods weren’t familiar to her at all. Even her wolf was confused as they ran across dead pine needles and rotting vegetation. After they’d been heading in one direction long enough that her wolf should have been able to pick up familiar scents of pack and home, still there was nothing. S
he skidded to a halt, her wolf whining with anxiety. Why couldn’t she figure out where she was? It was as if something was blocking her inborn senses. Her wolf never got lost.
She listened and noticed for the first time that it was eerily quiet. No chirping of squirrels or singing birds. There wasn’t even the normally irritating buzz of insects. Her instincts shouted that a predator was near, but where? Again, her wolf whined with unease. Gabby sank to the ground and slunk into the thicker vegetation.
Why had she not paid closer attention to where she was going? If she got out of this unscathed, she promised herself to never go running alone outside of pack territory again. If she made it out this time, that was.
If it wasn’t for the fact that I’m supposed to meet Nessa for lunch, I doubt anyone would even miss me for a few days. Levi and Aaron sure won’t notice. I doubt they’ve even thought about me at all.
Her wolf pushed at her to stop dwelling on the two wolves. They were in the past. She had more important things to think about right now, namely, finding her way back home. As much as Gabrielle wanted to wallow in self-pity, the wolf was right. Being out in the open like this without the presence of pack for security was a death sentence if she wasn’t careful.
The men surrounding the little town of Cascade were known for being avid hunters, and wolves weren’t high on their favored animals list. Cattle farmers in Montana had a long standing dislike of wolves and had fought the reintroduction of natural wolves when the government first broached the subject. Now, years later, they had finally been given permission to kill them if they were on their property. It was no secret that property lines tended to stretch, and in some cases, totally disappear anytime they went on a wolf hunt. Gabby wasn’t safe off of pack land, yet here she was, in unfamiliar territory, alone, and stuck in her wolf form. Without clothes, she couldn’t shift back to decrease the chances of being spotted by one of the ranchers looking for a wolf pelt.