by SJ Himes
“Where’s Ghost? Is he okay?” Cat asked, speaking to Kane. Glen said nothing, but Ghost watched as his gaze kept coming back to rest on him, staying longer each time.
“Ghost is fine. He’s better than fine, actually,” Kane replied from behind Ghost, “He was eager to see how you were both fairing this morning. We need to talk as well.”
Ghost walked slowly to his humans, even more nervous now than he was a few moments ago. Glen was watching him, and Ghost took the few steps needed to bring himself next to the man who’d been his alpha for most of his life. Ghost smiled, hands shaking, and found tears pricking at his eyes. Glen peered down at him with a questioning expression, the cut on his face and the bruises from being hit by the human killer mottled and dark. It hurt Ghost to see the injury, in a way it hadn’t bothered him as a wolf. Now as a man he felt something, a sharp ache that weighed him down.
“I tried to stop him,” Ghost whispered and made a vague motion with his hand towards the wound. “I’m sorry.”
“What are you talking about? Who are you? How could you stop who?” Cat asked, looking at him and Glen. Ghost didn’t answer, just shook his head and rubbed at the tears on his face. She turned to Kane and spoke, “What’s he talking about?”
Ghost was trying to figure out how to explain, lost for words, and Kane’s presence in the back of his mind was faint, not as prevalent, and he suspected his mate was at a loss for words himself. He could hear him trying to speak to Cat, but didn’t pay attention to what was being said. He was looking down at his feet, face hot, feeling uncomfortable. How could he tell his humans he was no longer a wolf because he’d had a dream with his Goddess and she told him he already knew how to become a man again, after fourteen years of mentally and emotionally imprisoning himself?
“Ghost?” he looked up, shocked, Glen’s whisper faint and full of something he couldn’t identify.
Ghost exhaled, the sound escaping like a sob, and met Glen’s eyes. His human, the man who helped raise him, was more a father to him than the distant memory of his own sire, whom Ghost wasn’t even sure was still alive. A new part of him, the clear, logical side of his human mind said he should be asking about his blood family, but the two humans with him now took precedence. Glen and Cat were his family. He loved them, and he was so afraid they wouldn’t be able to love the man like they’d loved the wolf. He nodded, head jerking, and Glen’s eyes lit up, full of wonder and awe, and Ghost could hear his heart pick up its pace and beat harder. Glen was excited, as Ghost breathed in his scent, he couldn’t find a trace of fear or stress. Just the scent of happiness, if happiness could smell like anything—it smelled like how his human alpha did right now.
Big arms came up and carefully wrapped around him, tugging him to a broad chest. Glen was by no means as big or as strong as Kane, but to Ghost it didn’t matter. His human was hugging him. Ghost sobbed, buried his face in Glen’s chest, and hugged him back.
“Hey, buddy,” Glen said, choking up himself, big hands rubbing his back as Ghost cried.
“FEEL LIKE talking now?” Kane asked, kissing his temple, and he put a heavy arm around his shoulders, hugging him to his side.
“Yes, I’m fine. No more tears.” Ghost smiled at Glen, his human alpha sitting on the opposite couch next to Cat. She was holding her mate’s hand, and she couldn’t seem to stop staring at him. Ghost gave her a smile, and she smiled back, still a bit frazzled and in shock, but happy. Both his humans were happy, and Ghost was amazed and overjoyed that they were taking it so well. He kept waiting for them to start freaking out and trying to run away. They were both handling everything far too well, and Ghost was half afraid he was going to wake up in the wolf run at the sanctuary, the last few days a mere dream.
Andromeda and River were standing at the windows that looked out the front of the cabin and were silent, just there to witness.
“So, start from the beginning, the morning the two men came for Ghost,” Kane instructed, speaking to the humans.
“Sure… but I thought it was Luca?” Cat asked, her brow knit in confusion.
“Luca was my name as a child. I haven’t been Luca in almost fifteen years. Ghost is fine for now.” Ghost gave Cat a smile, and she bit her lip but nodded in agreement.
“How old are you?” Glen asked out of the blue, and Ghost stared for a moment, wondering the same. He thought he was nearly twenty, but couldn’t be sure. If he could reliably remember what came after thirteen he might know for certain.
“Ghost will be twenty years old in early summer,” River said quietly from his spot by the window, confirming Ghost’s thought. He smiled at the shaman, and Glen nodded, his eyes lighting on Kane’s arm where it was draped over Ghost’s shoulders.
“And how old are you?” Glen asked Kane, a touch sharp. Ghost tilted his head, eyeing his mate as Kane’s mouth tightened as if fighting back a frown, but he answered anyway.
“I am forty-four years old. Very young for our kind,” Kane supplied, and his tone made it clear that was the end to the digression.
Cat sent him a questioning look, but he just waved it off and motioned for her to start talking. She obviously wanted to ask what old was if forty-four was young, but she heroically restrained herself. Glen had his deep thinking expression on his face, and his eyes never strayed far from where Kane held Ghost on the couch.
“Well, I’d sent the DNA and pictures to Dr. Harmon at the conservatory headquarters. He’s a wolf biologist who specializes in endangered subspecies, and he said he wanted to help after I sent the first few questions I had his way.” Cat started to explain, reaching for her cup of tea on the coffee table. She took a sip, and made a happy face, clearly loving the taste. She put the cup down, after taking another sip, and continued, “He emailed me and said he could make it out for a visit, and that he would be bringing his colleague to go over my theory about Ghost being a dire wolf, but…guess that’s wrong now.” She frowned, and Glen patted her knee.
“You weren’t really wrong, Cat.” It felt weird to actually be able to say her name, to speak to her directly. Her expression was confused, and Ghost smiled at her. “We were fashioned after the ancient dire wolf, that’s what our Great Mother did to our human ancestors. Gave them the form of their greatest fears, so that they might live.”
River groaned and covered his face, and Kane started to shake, laughing silently, and Cat just looked even more confused. “What?” Ghost looked around, but couldn’t figure out what he’d said that was so funny. Kane patted his shoulder and gave him an indulgent sweet smile.
“Theology lesson later, young one,” Andromeda said with a faint smile, and then spoke directly to the human female. “Please continue.”
Cat bore a faint frown, not understanding, but she shrugged and started again.
“Dr. Harmon shows up like he planned, and he’s got this man and two conservation officers with him. What was that man’s name, Glen? The man who, you know,” she gestured to the cut on Glen’s face, her own face whiter than it usually was, “the guy with the gun?”
“I don’t remember, I kinda blacked out a few times. Started with an R, I think,” Glen said, rubbing the side of his head, wincing.
“Remus,” Ghost said absently, remembering how the male doctor kept screaming the killer’s name. “It was Remus.”
A terrifying growl ripped through the air, and Ghost held his breath, eyes instinctively searching for the danger in the room. His eyes landed on Andromeda and River, and Ghost pressed himself back into the couch cushions, the pale woman and her brother suddenly more frightening than any human with a gun. Andromeda’s eyes were glowing, vibrant shards of fiery blue sky, and her hair was moving in a nonexistent wind. River was at her side, hands clenched, and Ghost could sense a strange and powerful magic move in the space between the siblings.
Kane was just as angry, judging by the change in his scent. Ghost could feel the rage building in
the alpha, a red wave that frothed and boiled under the surface of their connection. He would have been scared at the level of anger being displayed in the room, if he wasn’t so certain it was directed at someone else. Glen and Cat sat very still and silent on the couch, holding hands, eyes dancing between wolfkin in varying states of ire.
“Who is Remus, Kane?” Ghost asked quietly, watching the play of thoughts over his mate’s face. Kane was holding back his mind, the red fire still in the back of Ghost’s head, just not as bright, restraining his emotions.
“Show me what he looked like, little wolf,” Kane growled, and Ghost sucked in a sharp breath at the intensity on his mate’s face. Kane put a hand on his cheek, and Ghost nodded, immediately opening his mind completely to his mate, showing him an image of the man who had tried to kill his humans and himself.
“Simon Remus,” his mate snarled, lips twisted in hatred. “That man is Simon Remus, CEO of Remus Acquisitions. His older brother, Sebastien, was the man responsible for the death of Gray Shadow and your family.”
“I NEED TO call Caius,” Kane said, standing fast, keeping Ghost tight to his side. His little wolf made a noise that was almost a squeak, and he kissed his soft hair in apology at the rough move. “But first, we need to act on this.” Burke and Gerald were both in the house, Sophia with a team patrolling the borders of the park.
“Burke! Gerald!” Kane shouted, the scraping of wooden chairs on the floor signaling they heard him. He turned to the living room door as his Speaker and the newest alpha of his team walked in fast from the kitchen, Burke eating a sandwich of corned beef, brows lifted in query.
“Burke, I need our team alerted along with the Red Fern wolves. Simon Remus and Remus Acquisitions are involved with the attack on Ghost and his humans earlier in the week. Full border patrols, twelve hour rotations. Alert Sophia, now.” Burke nodded quickly and spun on a booted heel, finishing his sandwich in a single bite and heading for the front door. Kane looked at Gerald, who was watching Ghost with an odd expression on his face. The lesser alpha appeared to be in pain, and there was yearning, an emptiness in the way he gazed at his nephew that urged Kane to speak.
“Ghost,” Kane murmured, and tilted his head down so he could smile gently at his little shaman. “Gerald is an alpha of Black Pine, Caius’ youngest son. He is also your mother’s brother. Gerald is your uncle, little wolf.”
Ghost peered up at him, his lovely silver eyes wide, mouth parting in a small ‘O’. Ghost clutched at him, fingers gripping at the waistband of his pants, before he carefully flicked his gorgeous eyes to the startled alpha still standing in the doorway.
“Gerald, this is Ghost. You knew him once as Luca, your sister Marla’s youngest child,” Kane said softly to the lesser alpha, who drew in a breath he could hear from several feet away. The scent of surprise and mild stress swirled in the air before it dissipated and a subtle thrumming of excited joy filled the space between them all.
Gerald was staring at Ghost, his face equally as shocked as pained; Kane saw sadness and grief warring with a startled happiness. The lesser alpha was speechless, and Ghost huddled at his side for a brief moment before Kane could literally feel the small shaman summon his courage and move. The emotions traveling through their link were chaotic and messy, and Kane mentally stepped back, letting Ghost feel what he would without exterior influence.
Ghost moved from Kane’s side and took a few hesitant steps towards the lesser alpha. Gerald stood motionless, eyes moving over Ghost as if he couldn’t be certain of what he was seeing.
With a swift and harsh breath, Gerald broke free from his shock and gave Ghost a small nod, a shaking hand wiping at his eyes as he went to meet the shaman halfway. Kane watched, cautious, because Gerald wasn’t the most emotionally available or stable wolfkin, and his temper was harsh even among the few wolves with whom he shared speaking terms. Kane was ready to intercede, but he doubted it would be necessary. Kane may not have been close to Gray Shadow’s family, nor with Caius’ children, but there was one thing he remembered clearly—the love the sons of Caius bore for their only sister, Marla. She had been the vibrant and generous heart of the two families, binding them together far more securely than the friendship between Gray Shadow and Caius ever had.
“Uncle?” Ghost asked, tilting his head, looking up at the tall alpha.
“I…” Gerald swallowed and tried again, voice cracking with unshed tears. “I heard the others talking earlier. Heard them call you Luca… Marla, your mom, she was my little sister. I loved her more than anyone in my long life, and you… you look just like her. I wasn’t sure, but you look just like her…” Gerald exhaled, face splotchy, eyes red, valiantly trying to hold back his tears. “Boy, you drowned. We thought you dead. Father… Father said you were dead.”
“I’m sorry,” Ghost whispered, his eyes clear and dry, demeanor calm, but his voice and scent gave him away. He was struggling, too. Kane could feel it in the bonds between them. “I got lost.”
“Not your fault, boy. By the Goddess, you even sound like your momma,” Gerald ground out, tears spilling finally. He let them fall, and Kane made to go to his side to help him calm down, but Ghost beat him to it. Ghost gave Gerald a sad smile, and without any hesitation, stepped to his uncle and held him tight. Gerald paused, but then his arms were up, one hand buried in Ghost’s silky hair, pressing his nephew to his shoulder, clutching Ghost to him as if he feared the younger wolf would be torn away again and lost forever.
Kane smiled, relieved and inwardly cheered. Gerald may be redeemable after all. Having Ghost back in their lives would help close some of the wounds of their pasts.
“GERALD, STAY with Ghost,” he heard his soulmate say, and Ghost peeked past his uncle’s burly shoulder to see Kane gesture to Andromeda as he walked to the door. “I’m going to alert Caius to what’s happening, so you stay with him. He goes nowhere alone, understood?”
“Yes, Alpha,” Gerald rasped as he continued to hold Ghost tightly to his chest. Ghost felt the words rumble under his chin, and he snuggled in deeper to his uncle’s chest. His scent was vaguely familiar, and there was a sensory echo, as if this wasn’t the first time his uncle had hugged him, and he was remembering it even as he learned how it felt anew.
Kane gave him a sweet smile and a mental brush full of a poignant joy as he led Andromeda from the room, River on their heels. He could hear Glen and Cat on the couch behind him, whispering to each other quietly. Ghost sighed, and rested on the older wolf’s chest, enjoying the sensation of hugging. It was different and easier to handle. Receiving hugs while in wolf form felt different, and while he liked being hugged by Cat and Glen, with no one but Kane had he felt comfortable remaining in the embrace. Now he was human and the hug felt amazing. It was free of nerves and the itch to back away and remove the arms from around his neck.
“You okay, boy?” his uncle asked, and Ghost nodded, squeezing hard. Gerald chuckled and pulled back just a small amount, peering down at him. Ghost smiled up at him, and his smile grew as his uncle grinned at him in return. “By the Goddess, you are her image. Your momma was a beautiful woman, and she would have been overjoyed to know one of her cubs took after her.”
“She would? Did none of my siblings grow up looking like her?” Ghost asked, wildly curious. Here he was presented with family, and every question he had unanswered may be settled by the unexpected gift of his uncle.
“How much do you know, boy?” his uncle asked, brow furrowed.
“What do you mean?”
“Has anyone told you about your momma, your father? Your brothers and sisters?”
Ghost sucked in a cleansing breath and shook his head once, as Gerald scowled down at him. “No one’s told you about our family? What’s your boyfriend been doing all morning?”
“I… well. I had a task to complete this morning, and I only just learned to talk and walk… and now he seems to think this human Remus is a thr
eat…”
“C’mon, sit down,” Gerald rumbled, and he broke their hug, towing Ghost back to the couch. His uncle glared at Glen and Cat, obviously not happy having the humans in the room. He didn’t say anything though, and Ghost gave his humans a quick smile, trying to reassure them.
“I’ve got no nice way of saying this, so I’m just gonna be blunt. Two of your sisters, Holly and Isla, along with your brother Misha, died with your momma when Remus Acquisitions tried to kidnap your grandpa and your family. Marla got shot and died from overexposure to silver, while your sisters and brother, being so small, died from an overdose of the same silver aerosol that kept your momma from Changing,” Gerald said simply, eyes hard, sitting on the couch facing him, and Ghost tried to process what he was told.
“I barely…. part of me knows those names, but I can’t remember their faces,” Ghost fell back on the couch seat, and he tried to think. He couldn’t, his mind filled with images of riding wolf back, his grandfather tearing through the summer forest, his shoulder on fire from a wound. “I can’t even remember what Mom looked like, not really.”
“Just a whelp when you went in the river, I’m not surprised,” Gerald said, and Ghost perked up when he caught the edge of a strange lilt in the older wolf’s voice. The accent was pleasing and brought up the hint of warm hugs and cuddles in front of a television, the aroma of beer and chicken wings. Something about football. The accent was subtle, and different, not at all similar to how Kane or Glen spoke. “Fifteen years is nothing to our kind, but that doesn’t matter when it’s nearly your whole lifespan.”
“Who... How many are…” He couldn’t understand how to ask, and the red starlight of Kane’s presence in his mind was dimmer, his mate’s focus somewhere else, so the usual mental support of vocabulary and fluid thoughts he got from his mate was stilted.