by L. C. Davis
"Dad?" I breathed.
He gave me a knowing smile and I could almost make out Ulric's features, like a hazy mask over Victor's face. "Sorry for the awkward possession, but Hunter said it would be easier if I took the form of a soul similar to mine."
"How?" I asked, touching his face. The hallucination flickered and Victor's image remained, but I could still see that it was Ulric as surely as if he really had been standing in front of me. "How are you here? I asked Hunter if he could summon you, like Alex, but he said it was impossible because you had already passed into the afterlife."
"He's right," he said quietly. "I'm only here because the veil between worlds is thin on the full moon. Alex is lingering behind the veil because he's tethered to Val, but I don't have enough of a presence in this world to take on solid form. Still, I couldn't pass up the chance to visit on my child's wedding day."
"Kind of an unconventional wedding," I murmured.
"That it is," he said in half-hearted disapproval.
"Are you disappointed?"
"In what?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "In the fact that you tried to sacrifice yourself yet again, or the fact that you're in a polyamorous relationship with both of my surrogate sons, one of whom is now the king of the vampires?"
I gulped. "All of the above?"
"No," he said, pressing a kiss against my forehead. "I couldn't be prouder of you. Maybe these aren't the choices I would have made for you, but when you have a child you don't get to make the choices for them. You just prepare them to make their choices the best they can, and hope you gave them enough strength to do it."
"You did," I said, my voice trembling. "I thought I had so much more time with you to say all the things I needed to say and learn all the lessons I needed to learn, but every moment I got to spend with you was the best time of my life, Ulric."
"Mine, too, Remus," he said, brushing a tear off my cheek. "But you learned plenty from me and taught me more than you could ever know. I may not be here with you, but from here to eternity there won't be a moment you're not with me."
I let out a strangled sob but managed to compose myself before I could arouse any suspicion. Sebastian was already giving us a strange look from across the room, but getting emotional was far from abnormal for me now that I was a wolf. "Are you happy, wherever you are?"
"I am," he said earnestly. "Happier than I've ever been."
"Where?"
"The forests, mostly," he said. "There's a little area at the base of the mountains in a place not unlike this. There a wolf can run along the river that runs through the valley and feel the earth beneath his paws with the moonlight rippling on the water," he said, closing his eyes with a wistful sigh. "It's pure rapture."
"That sounds beautiful," I murmured.
"It is," he said, looking back down at me. "But it's not so much the where that makes me happy as it is the who."
I frowned in confusion and he waited patiently until it dawned on me. "Hugh?"
He laughed softly. "Just two old wolves in the afterlife, howling at the moon. Just how it always should have been."
I stopped suddenly and threw my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly the way I had longed to on so many occasions. "I'm so happy. For both of you. When I find Arthur, I'll tell him."
"Good," he said, stroking my back. "That boy has been through hell, and I'm afraid he has more of it to go, but he's strong. He'll carry on, just like you."
I sniffed, looking up at him. "This is the last time I'll see you, isn't it?"
"Yes," he said, growing serious. "I'm afraid so. I called in a favor to get here."
"Hunter?"
"No," he said, casting a glance across the room where Hunter was slow dancing with Clarence. Hunter didn't know how to follow a lead to save his life, but Clarence had eternal patience where the priest was concerned and seemed content to follow him wherever he led. "I'm afraid our time is up, though."
"Wait, you have to say goodbye to Victor and Sebastian," I pleaded.
"I'll leave a message for Victor," he said, tapping his temple. "He can share it with his brother. They still share that link, among other things." He rolled his eyes.
My cheeks grew warm as I laid my head against his chest again. "I've tortured myself with how I would say goodbye to you if I ever got the chance, but now I can't remember any of it."
"It's alright," he said, stroking my hair. "With you being the notable exception, there's nothing new under the sun, my boy. There are no real endings, only the beginnings of a new play with new roles to fill. The actors are all the same. We're all just working out our vices and our virtues until we get tired of playing the same old roles and move on to something new."
"Does that mean you'll come back one day?" I asked hopefully.
"Maybe. I've found my peace in Hugh, and for now that's enough for both of us. Who knows? One day we might get bored and decide to find each other all over again," he mused. "It's all in Gaia's hands."
"Alright," I said hoarsely, closing my eyes to keep my tears from drenching Victor's suit. "I won't say goodbye, then. Just that I love you."
"And I love you, my boy," he murmured, kissing the top of my head. He pulled me closer into his arms and we began to move to the music again. When I finally looked up, Victor was looking down at me with a sorrowful gaze.
"How long have you been yourself?"
"Long enough," he said. "I figured you could use a moment."
I sniffed, wiping my eyes. "You catch any of that?"
"Most of it," he said, nodding. "Sebastian is coming."
"What did Ulric say to you?" I asked quickly, watching as the hulking wolf strode through the crowd in our direction.
Victor gave me a sad smile. "He said he loves us, and if I hurt either of you, he's going to come back just to kick my ass."
I laughed. "Yeah, that was definitely Ulric."
"Alright, I've had enough of this," Sebastian said, eying us both with suspicion. "If I have to wear this tie or stay in a room full of vampires any longer, I'm gonna go berserk and eat half our wedding party."
"We can't just leave," I protested. "We're kind of the guests of honor."
"You two could go for a run," Victor offered. "I'll wrap things up here and meet you back at the Lodge."
"We're not going back to the Lodge," said Sebastian, slipping something out of his jacket.
"What do you mean?" asked Victor. For once, it seemed that Sebastian had kept something from us both. Turnabout is fair play.
"I know you two freaks are all work and no play, but I'm not spending my honeymoon at the office," said Sebastian, fanning out three plane tickets. "We're going to Alaska."
"Alaska?" Victor and I echoed in unison.
"Yeah, I booked a cabin in the mountains weeks ago," Sebastian said with a shrug. "Remus and I can run in the forests, and it's remote enough that we don't have to worry about Victor eating the locals."
Victor rolled his eyes. "If anything, it's exsanguination they have to worry about."
"Whatever. I get the aisle seat."
"Oh, that's right. You're still afraid of flying, aren't you?" Victor mused.
Sebastian scowled. "You would be, too, if you were three-hundred pounds of muscle. That thing falls into the ocean and I'm sinking with the luggage."
"Sebastian, I can't believe you did this," I said, taking the tickets from him to make sure they were real. Printing out pictures of the destination didn't seem too far outside the realm of possibility for him. In my attempt to stop playing dumb, I had learned that while Sebastian could be particularly sharp when he needed to be, he was still Sebastian. "This is so...thoughtful."
"And so unlike you," Victor agreed.
Sebastian punched him in the arm. It was probably meant as an affectionate gesture, but it made Victor stagger and I could tell from the way he was rubbing his arm that it affected him a bit more than he was letting on. If we survived the honeymoon, it would be a miracle.
"I can be spontaneo
us and romantic, too," Sebastian grumbled, draping an arm around my shoulder. "The flight leaves at nine and it's a straight shot to Alaska, which apparently isn't really by Hawaii like it is on all those maps. We should go for a run before we're stuck in a tin can with humans for four hours. You coming, Vic?"
"Nah," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets. "You go. Running through the forests just doesn't have the same appeal now that I'm permanently bipedal."
Sebastian and I exchanged a glance and the mischievous glint in his eyes told me he was thinking the same thing. "We could chase you," said Sebastian.
Victor rolled his eyes, then paused. "You're serious."
"It wouldn't be a bad idea for you to burn off some energy before being around humans," I said in a diplomatic tone.
Victor sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Alright. Yeah, just give me a second to wrap things up and I'll join you."
"Just go into the woods," Sebastian said with a wicked grin. "We'll find you."
Victor shook his head, rejoining the crowd to say a few parting words to our guests as Sebastian led me outside. He let my hand fall away once we reached the edge of the woods and began to strip down. I followed suit and when I looked up, he was watching me with all the appreciation of the first time he had seen me undressed in those very woods.
"Doesn't it ever get old?" I teased.
"Hell, no."
I couldn't help but laugh, leaning up to nuzzle him. "It doesn't for me, either," I admitted. "I still can't believe you're mine. Either of you."
Sebastian drew his arms around my waist and, to my surprise, he pulled me in for a relatively chaste kiss. "How was your talk with Ulric?"
I jolted and the shock must have registered on my face, because he smiled. "I can be perceptive when I want to be. Besides, I know my brother better than anyone. Maybe even better than you."
"He's happy," I said softly. "I guess that's all that matters."
Sebastian nodded. "Good. He deserves that."
"Yeah, he does," I agreed, biting my lip. "Are you sure this is safe? I mean, I'm a hybrid and you marked me, but Victor is a full-fledged vampire now. Are you sure you won't hurt him if we chase him?"
Sebastian snorted, cupping my cheek in his rough palm. "After everything we've gone through, if there's one thing I'm sure of it's that I could never hurt either of you. Maybe Victor isn't my marked mate, but our souls are entwined. Always have been, always will be."
I smiled wide as his words filled a deep need inside of me. They were the only words I had ever really, truly needed to hear from him. "I love you so much, Sebastian. I'm so glad you put your tacky stamp on me and turned my life upside down."
He laughed, pressing his forehead into mine. "Yeah, I knew it would all work out."
"You're an impulsive idiot and you're full of shit," said Victor, stalking past us both. He shed his suit jacket and tie and took off into the forest at a fast pace. "You can't even plan what you're having for breakfast, never mind orchestrate the clusterfuck of cosmic events that somehow resulted in our twisted little happily ever after."
Sebastian took off after him at a brisk trot and I followed close behind. "Oh, yeah? At least I set things into motion. If I had let you make the first move, we'd all still be waiting around."
Victor turned to face us without stopping or slowing down. "Less talking, more hunting," he said, holding out his arms. "I even decided to give you dogs a head start."
"Who're you callin' a dog, you stiff corpse?" Sebastian bellowed. The insult was laced with affection.
"That's no way to talk to the king."
"King my ass." Sebastian lunged for Victor but he easily evaded the larger wolf's grasp and took off at a run.
"You're never going to catch me on two legs, pup!" Victor jeered, disappearing through a thick copse of trees up ahead.
Sebastian and I exchanged a look before taking off into a run. This time neither of us had the luxury of stopping to shift. His shadow caught up with him a bit before mine did, but the process was far less painful now that I had a target to pursue. Sebastian looked over at me warily and I gave him a reassuring nod, grimacing as the shadow ate its way up my arm. As Alex had predicted, being fully bonded to Sebastian made this transition far easier than the last. One moment I was running on two legs and the next all four paws hit the earth without breaking my stride.
A moment later, I realized Sebastian wasn't beside me anymore. I turned to find his dark beast staring at me, his golden eyes wide with some unreadable emotion. When he took a step closer, I flinched but stood my ground. It wasn't physical harm that I feared from him. It was the first time Sebastian had seen my beastform, and after his reaction to learning about my vampire nature I had been dreading this moment. I already knew what it was like to be rejected by Sebastian and I wasn't sure my heart could take it again.
The beast crept closer and when he reached me I realized that the look in his eyes had turned to concern. He approached me like I was a trapped animal and bent his head. When he nuzzled my cheek with a gentle chuff and a purr building in his chest, the last wounds he had left in my heart healed over. When he licked my muzzle, my legs nearly gave out.
I know Victor told you I'm not fully male in this form, but --
Shh, he coaxed, nuzzling the other side of my neck, snorting softly into my strawberry fur. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
I let out a pathetic whimper and leaned into him. For the moment, it seemed we had both forgotten about the hunt. I was afraid you wouldn't want me.
I will always want you, Remus Fulton, Sebastian said, licking my cheek. His purr built into a low growl as he circled me and began rubbing his muzzle over every inch of fur, marking me as his own. Vampire or wolf, in this life or the next. You're mine, and there's nothing that can keep me from wanting you. Not even my own stupidity.
I turned to face him but he grabbed my scruff in his teeth and the second growl that erupted from his chest sent a shiver down my sloped spine. My body froze instinctively as his beast's fur slid across mine and I realized he was trying to mount me. More shockingly, I was going to let him.
A soft whimper escaped my lips and my tail seemed to sweep aside of its own accord, ready to let him claim me in the only way he had yet to when rustling from up ahead drew our attention. Sebastian released his grip on my scruff and let out a growl of an entirely different tenor as Victor sauntered towards us.
"Typical dogs. I leave you alone for two seconds and you try to mount him," he said with a derisive snort.
I wasn't just trying, I was succeeding before you came along, said Sebastian, snapping at the air.
"There'll be plenty of time for you two to 'frolic' in the woods when we get to Alaska," said Victor. "Right now, we're supposed to be burning off energy so we don't eat the humans, remember?"
I got distracted, Sebastian grumbled. He's in his beastform and it's a full moon. Surely you haven't forgotten what that's like already?
Victor gave a knowing chuckle, as if that explained it. "I guess not."
I cocked my head, frustrated that I couldn't talk to Victor in my beastform. My confusion seemed to speak for itself.
The twins exchange a look. "You're in heat," said Victor. "I expect that's part of the reason for Sebastian's impromptu trip to the middle of nowhere. He doesn't want you around the other males."
I cast a glance in Sebastian's direction and the fact that he wouldn't meet my eyes was proof enough that Victor was telling the truth. At least I couldn't blush in my beastform. Let's just run, I said, darting past them both in an attempt to escape my embarrassment.
I could hear them following me, but neither of them took the lead. When I slowed to see what was wrong, they were looking at each other again and seemed to be having some conversation I wasn't privy to.
Are we hunting or not? I asked.
"Oh, we're gonna hunt, alright," said Sebastian, his eyes set on me with predatory intent. He crouched low and his tail twitched
as he remained in place like a coil ready to spring.
"But you're the one who needs to run," Victor finished for him, licking his lips.
I walked back slowly with a nervous chuff. Sebastian, tell him you're not serious.
Oh, I never joke about a hunt, said Sebastian.
"Me neither," Victor said with a chuckle. He built up speed, forcing me to follow suit if I wanted to stay ahead. Sebastian was close on our heels.
First one to catch him gets to take him first?
Victor's eyes glinted with the mad thrill of the serial killer all three of us knew he had the potential to be. "I see no need to take turns when we can share. He is our mate."
That's true, said Sebastian. He lunged suddenly and I didn't wait around before taking off. Adrenaline surged through me as my wolf pushed me to run out of pure instinct, even though neither of us could think of any sweeter pleasure than the reward of being caught.
The end.
The author thanks you for reading! If you enjoyed this book, please take a moment to rate it on Amazon and Goodreads.
Arthur's and Hunter's stories continue in Kingdom of Night Vol. 4: PRIEST.