by SJ Himes
“You okay?” Kane asked softly. Ghost gave a happy hum, and when Kane licked his lower lip, he dived in and sucked his tongue into his mouth. Kane returned his kiss, both of them exploring and tasting each other, sweat and their own flavors mixing.
“Just perfect,” Ghost said with a smile when the kiss broke, and he dropped his head to the bed. Kane rolled to his side, and pulled Ghost with him. He tucked his head under Kane’s chin, and their legs tangled together as he snuggled closer.
A door opened in the front of the cabin, and the floor creaked as someone entered the building.
Unexpected Gifts
BURKE STEPPED into the cabin, and the scent of sweat and sex assaulted his sensitive nose. The noises had quieted down a few minutes prior, and his eyes went wide as he took in the destruction.
“Is it clear?” Sophia whispered from behind him, and she peered around his shoulder. “Whoa!”
“Yeah…,” Burke nodded, mouth agape as he stepped further into the cabin, taking in the toppled furniture, the pictures knocked off the walls, the open cabinets in the kitchen, the broken china on the floor. A log support beam in the ceiling was cracked in two, one half hanging low in the living room, and dust from the seams between logs coated the walls and floorboards.
Sophia followed him in, stepping around the debris on the floor, one small hand clutching at his sleeve as she jumped over what was once a framed picture. Glass littered the floor, and she grumbled about cleaning as they took in the chaos.
“What happened?” Burke asked, and he shook his head at himself. He knew what happened, he just couldn’t believe it.
“I think we both know what happened.” Sophia smirked at him, and he bit off a laugh at the sound of a mattress creaking in the rear of the cabin.
Sophia jumped over a pile of glass and shattered frames, and bounced onto the couch, then over the back. The crunch on her boots was loud in the relative quiet, and Burke rolled his eyes at her antics, but he followed her all the same, not wanting to risk a shard of glass cutting through his boots. Blood was a pain in the ass to clean up.
They peeked down the hall and saw movement in the light under the door to Kane’s room. They would have risked a mind touch, but when Burke had tried earlier, he’d retreated as fast as he could, the emotions and thoughts that occupied the Heir of a highly personal nature, and he’d backed out before he was noticed. Hopefully.
“Guess they aren’t having any trouble with the bond, huh?” Burke said wryly, and Sophia smacked him, even as she giggled. She was centuries old and giggling. “Think they’re done?”
“Well, the ground stopped shaking and the moaning stopped, so maybe.”
The door opened, and a naked Kane scowled at them. Burke snapped his mouth shut, and Sophia’s giggles fled fast. Both of them straightened and kept their eyes low, in the area of his knees. Kane growled, the rumble of it drifting down the hall to where they stood.
It was an angry sound, a wolf defending his mate kind of sound.
*Maybe we should have risked another mind call,* Sophia said nervously, and Burke sent back a wordless agreement as Kane continued to growl at them.
“Hi Burke!” came a cheerful greeting and the growl cut off. “Hi Sophia!”
Burke risked a look up, and Ghost smiled at him, naked and appearing thoroughly ravished. His body was lean and lithe, supple youthful lines and gorgeous skin shiny with sweat. Ghost was perfection, and Burke pulled a quick breath in through his teeth, a small hiss of surprise. Kane snarled as Burke took an eyeful of his naked mate, and Burke promptly dropped his eyes and made himself stand as still as possible. Interfering in a mating, and one so new, was suicide, especially with an alpha with the Voice. Kane didn’t need fangs or claws to kill; he could drop them both with a thought, and in his current state, he might. Ghost was naked, a normal state for a wolfkin, but he was also fresh from his lover’s bed, and Burke was another alpha, and far too close to Kane’s soulbonded mate…
“Stop growling at them,” Ghost said and there was a crack of sound, followed by the smell of ozone. Kane let out what could only be called a yelp, and Burke looked up to see the Heir rubbing his shoulder and glowering at the shaman.
“Did you just zap me?” Kane asked incredulously, staring down at Ghost, brow lowered.
“I don’t know what ‘zap’ means. No growling,” Ghost scolded his mate, and Burke choked back a snort and a laugh at the expression on Kane’s face.
“Fine,” Kane bit off, teeth clenched. “Why are you here?” he asked them, stepping back in his room and leaving the door open. Burke eyed the door warily, but Ghost’s smile and cheerful wave gave him courage to walk down the hall…slowly. Just in case.
“Maybe some clothing would be a good idea?” Sophia said wryly, smiling at Ghost. The young shaman looked down at himself and then back up at where they stood at the door. He shrugged, obviously not understanding Sophia’s reasoning, and he turned back into the room, gifting Burke with a marvelous view of his pert ass. Ghost was sleekly muscled, a sculpture worthy of an old master, not an ounce of miscellaneous or wasted flesh on his body.
“Why are you here?” Kane asked impatiently from where he stood by the duffels, digging through his bags in search of clothing. He pulled out a dark tee and tossed it to Ghost, who made a face at it before pulling it over his head and down his lean torso. Kane tossed a pair of dark sweats, and he eyed Ghost until he pulled them on as well before he went back for something to wear himself.
“Well, we—,” Burke paused as Sophia nudged him hard in the side with her elbow, “ouch! Fine, I was somehow nominated by a very concerned shaman with a melanin deficiency and a scowl to see if, and I quote, ‘everyone is still alive’ in here after a minor earthquake shook the park center.”
“Oh, that was an earthquake?” Ghost asked excitedly, sitting on the edge of the bed with a bounce and tilting his head at Burke, that innocent smile on his face gaining a devilish glint.
“Uh, yeah bud, that was an earthquake. Sent River into a tizzy and Andromeda into a laughing fit. Half the cabins have broken windows and everything fell from the walls. Most of Red Fern is at Andromeda’s place, freaking out.”
Ghost just grinned wider, teeth pearly white and perfect.
“And Sophia?” Kane asked, dressing without hurry, buttoning his jeans and glaring.
“Came to watch me get torn to shreds?” Burke mumbled, and Sophia pinched his side under his arm, hard. “Ouch! Dammit woman, he won’t have any part of me left to kill by the time you’re through with me!”
She gave him a wide eyed stare and slow blinked at him, making him growl. Ghost started to giggle and he fell back on the bed, rolling around as he laughed. His obvious delight made both Burke and Sophia smile in joy at the sound. Burke made a happy grumble in his chest, the young wolfkin’s emotions contagious, and Sophia took a step closer to Ghost, her pretty features lit up with appreciation.
“Children,” Kane warned, one brow raised as he took in Ghost’s giggles and their reactions to his mate.
Burke shrugged and gave his best friend and alpha a smile. “Supper’s done, too. Andromeda said come and get it, and she’s not making more if there’s nothing left by the time you get there. Hurry up, I’m starving.”
GERALD’s cell rang and he pulled it from his jacket pocket. He eyed the small crowd outside the cabin with disfavor and paced away from the porch, where half of Red Fern was congregated. The shaking earth earlier sent most of the younger generations running to their Clan Leader, frightened out of their wits. Not Gerald, though. He knew the signs of a young shaman losing control of his powers. He’d finished his meal, ignoring the gimlet stares of the formidable beta, then found himself at a loss while the Speaker and Sophia went to fetch his nephew and the Heir.
“Hello?” There’d been no name on the Caller ID, and no one but Clan had this number.
“Little
brother,” Roman purred over the line, and Gerald stopped in his tracks, free hand curling to a fist.
“What do you want, Roman?” he snapped, wishing he’d ditched his cell after Father gave him to Kane. Roman was the cause of so many problems that Gerald regretted not hanging up immediately.
“Can’t I be concerned, checking up on my little brother’s welfare?” Roman said, and Gerald grimaced at the hypocrisy. It was because of Roman and his scheming that Gerald had no place in his father’s home and was left reliant on Kane’s mercy for a place in the world. Gerald wasn’t a fool. He knew why Caius sent him away. It was either send him away and let another wolf kill him, or slay his own son and deal with the fallout to his reputation.
“Maybe if you’ve ever shown concern for me before, I might believe it. What do you want?”
Roman growled quietly over the line, but he answered with an affected calm.
“I heard from Father that Marla’s son was alive. Luca is back. Is it true?” Roman said, impatient as always, yet there was an edge to his voice that resonated with Gerald. It sounded like hope.
Gerald bit his lip and looked up at the graying skies, the sun almost set. His little sister’s face flashed before him, her long red-brown hair and bright smile now her son’s. For all the discord in their relationship, the one thing the sons of Caius shared was the love for their only sister.
“Yes, brother. It’s true. Luca is alive.”
“Thank the Goddess,” Roman breathed. “Where was he? What happened? Why didn’t he come home sooner?”
Gerald pulled the cell away from his ear and stared at it like it was a snake about to bite him. Roman’s voice was full of concern, an emotion Gerald could barely recall his brother expressing more than a handful of times over the last two centuries. It took Roman calling his name for him to shake himself out of his stupor and bring the cell back to his ear.
“What happened?” Roman demanded, sounding more like himself, a touch of derision returning to his words.
“Nothing. Look, Luca’s fine. More than fine. There was some problems up north over the border, but he handled it and escaped. He’s here at Red Fern.”
“Escaped?”
Gerald sighed, eyeing the trail, wishing to see Kane and his group returning so he’d have an excuse to get off the phone. He hated the infernal contraption and talking to Roman was never pleasant, even when he was going out of his way to be marginally cordial. Roman may be exiled, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t talk to his older brother, and this conversation was actually going sort of well. For them, at least. Usually Roman just ordered him around or ignored him.
“Yeah. He was at a wolf sanctuary or something up there in Canada, and some humans tried to kidnap him, almost got him. He pulled a witchy trick and got away,” Gerald explained, using the Old World term for a shaman using his gifts, “and now he’s here.”
“Luca is a shaman?” Roman said, almost breathless. “This is all amazing.”
“Yup. Looks exactly like Gray Shadow, too. In his wolf-form, I mean. Otherwise, he looks just like Marla. Even sounds like her.”
“That’s...that’s just great,” Gerald could hear Roman breath in deep, and hold it. Even Roman had loved Marla, her loss hitting his older brother hard. “What is Father going to do? How did he know Luca was home?”
“Kane told him. Father ordered Kane to send Burke back with Luca to Augusta,” Gerald said, still watching the trail, thinking this was the most normal conversation he’d ever had with his brother. Though mentioning the Heir probably wasn’t the best idea, considering that Kane had soundly beaten Roman in a Challenge not too long ago.
“I can’t see Luca if he goes back to Augusta. Do you think Burke would bring him to see me before taking him to Father? I’m not that far away, the detour shouldn’t take long. I’d risk Father’s wrath to see Marla’s son, but I don’t want to end up on the wrong side of an Alpha Challenge,” Roman said casually, probably hiding how afraid he was of their father’s temper. Caius may have lost some of his edge in the last several years, but he was still a formidable Clan Leader and was sure to punish Roman for breaking his exile if he saw him in Black Pine territory. Gerald frowned, wondering why Roman was still in Black Pine territory. He’d stayed in the hall outside his father’s study long enough to hear Roman get banished from their Clan.
“Kane refused to let Luca leave with Burke. Andromeda backed him against Father,” Gerald said, and he saw movement on the trail. His new alpha and his nephew were coming down the path, Luca jumping over the iciest steps, laughing as Kane presumably scolded him for being reckless. Luca—No, Ghost—just smiled and gravitated back to Kane’s side like they were magnets. “Kane doesn’t want Luca outta his sights after what happened with the humans.”
“Kane defied Father?” Roman asked eagerly. Gerald grimaced again, a bad taste in his mouth.
“Don’t get your hopes up, Roman. Kane’s smarter than that. He isn’t going to Challenge Father over a long-lost cub, no matter how much he cares about him,” Gerald stated, and Kane and his group were almost upon him where he stood in front of the cabin. “Look, I gotta go. If you want to see our nephew, he’s here in Baxter. I’d call and ask Andromeda for permission, don’t just show up. You’re not her favorite person.”
Gerald hung up, not waiting to see if Roman had an answer to that. He really hoped Andromeda said No if Roman asked to come into her territory, not that he expected Roman to ask. Last time those two were in the same vicinity, Roman Challenged the White Wolf for Red Fern, and lost. Roman spent the last fifty years avoiding the White Wolf after his embarrassing loss, going so far as to leave any space she entered, even at the last gathering here.
Kane hailed him as they approached, and Ghost sprinted over the remaining distance, a sweet grin on his fresh face. Gerald found a rare smile on his own lips in response, and it grew into a wide grin of his own as Ghost barreled into his side, hugging him. His excitement was contagious, and Gerald chuckled.
“Uncle! Did you feel the earthquake?” Ghost asked, leaning back in the circle of his arms, silver eyes bright and glittering. He smelled like Kane, and Gerald felt his brows raise up as he deciphered exactly what type of scent was clinging to his nephew. Kane wasn’t wasting any time staking his claim to Ghost.
“Hey, pup. I think everyone felt the earthquake. Doesn’t happen often here in New England, but we get one or two every few years. Think we might get aftershocks?” He teased Ghost, ruffling his hair like he really was still a cub, and the young shaman dodged his hand, mock growling.
Ghost shook his head, his hair falling haphazardly. “I don’t know what an aftershock is, but as long as Kane doesn’t make me crazy with sex again, I think I can keep from breaking the park.”
Gerald choked, coughing into his hand, and he let Kane tug Ghost away from him as he walked by. Burke and Sophia brought up the rear, and Burke gave him a small grin, obviously having overheard Ghost’s statement.
“No promises, little wolf,” Kane said as they walked up the path to the porch, the Red Fern wolves parting like a sea of blonde waves. “More sex is the answer, not less. You’ll learn control soon enough.”
GHOST FROWNED down at the hand gripping his elbow. River refused to let go and pulled him away from the counter where he’d been sniffing out some more meat. He sent Kane a glance where he sat talking to Andromeda, but Kane didn’t look his way before River moved them both out into the hallway.
“What?” Ghost asked, tugging hard enough to dislodge his arm from River’s grip.
“You! That was you, wasn’t it. What were you thinking?” River said, his whisper harsh, eyes flashing.
“What are you talking about?” Ghost replied, not bothering to lower his voice. He glared at River, and the weird mental pressure from earlier that morning was back. It was River, and whatever he was doing made Ghost uncomfortable. River’s blue eyes seemed to
darken in color, from cerulean to twilight in seconds. Ghost shook his head, pushing back with his mind at the odd sensation emanating from the other shaman.
“Do you mean the earthquake? I didn’t mean to do that,” Ghost growled, taking a step away from River, hands clenching to fists, his feet taking a combative stance instinctively. “Kane said it was because we were having sex, and that he would help me control it.”
A wind moved down the hall and blew in Ghost’s face. River’s blonde hair lifted slightly, the ends moving over his shoulders. River’s eyes went black, and Ghost saw the wilder side of the shaman.
“Help you control them? Has he already? Has he used your gifts?” River demanded, stepping into Ghost’s space. “Has your mate used your abilities?”
Ghost glared, but answered, not understanding what the problem was or why River was so upset. Kane had accessed his Spirit-sight at breakfast, and their connection was growing stronger by the minute, so it was bound to happen again. Not that he minded. Kane taking advantage of their bond wasn’t even a thought, let alone a possibility. “Yes, but—“
“By the Goddess! I was afraid this might happen,” River snapped and reached again for Ghost’s arm, his slim hand a steel band above his elbow. River started to pull him down the hall, away from the dining room and Kane. Leaving his mate was out of the question, and Ghost snapped.
He didn’t know how it happened. One second, River was pulling him down the hall by his arm, and the next, there was a resounding bang in the hall as River’s back hit the wood paneling. Ghost gaped as River moaned and slid to the floor, and the sound of chairs scraping over the floor and voices raised in concern met his ears. Ghost stared at his own hand, which was raised up, palm out and facing where River had been standing. He curled his fingers in and pulled his hand to his chest just as Andromeda and Kane seemed to materialize at his side.