by SJ Himes
“Stay awake,” Kane ordered his best friend, unleashing the Voice on Burke for the first time in all their years together, from boyhood friends to lovers to finally brothers. Just a small amount, the power barely tangible, but enough to affect the Speaker. Burke shuddered, but he opened his eyes and his mind came back from the edge of consciousness. “I haven’t given you permission to die, dammit.”
*Can’t leave you alone,* Burke gasped, the pain brutal now that Kane was forcing him to stay alert and conscious. His heart thundered, offbeat and labored. *And you won’t be. You have him, now. You will never be alone again.*
*Stay awake! Stay alive! I am ordering you to stay here!* Kane hugged Burke to his chest, crying now, not caring if his team saw him or not. Kane was a killer, an alpha, and even he, in all his strength, could not stop death. The Voice was useless against a failing body and the slow insidious assault of silver. Shaman River wasn’t going to make it in time, and the older shaman wasn’t as adept as Gray Shadow had been at removing silver from the body… *Ghost! I need you! Please, my mate, I need you!*
*I hear you, my love,* Ghost answered, silver starlight filling his heart and mind. Kane looked up, down the road towards the park, and he could see, in the far distance, a flowing wave of lights glimmering in the trees. A brilliant silver-white star led the way, and Kane knew it was his mate coming to the rescue, the little shaman moving faster than the wolves who struggled to keep pace with him.
Ghost broke through the gloom and snow, shining brighter than the Northern Star, running full out and devouring the distance between them. Burke went limp just as Ghost leaped over the Black Pine wolves, shifting in the air with a glimmer of silver-white power, coming to kneel as a man in front of them. Kane cried out Burke’s name, and Ghost put his hands over the Speaker’s wounds.
Burning heat and blinding light erupted from under his mate’s hands, and Kane was forced to look up. He watched his mate’s face, and the serenity and joy there made Kane’s tears fall all the faster.
SIMON LOWERED the binoculars, the infrared lenses showing through the snowfall the collection of wolves gathered around the fallen brown beast. Simon’s lip curled, and he pulled his jacket tighter around his neck, wincing at the sting from the bite wound Roman had inflicted earlier.
His whole body hurt, and he was thankful for the cold, since it numbed his body. His ass was sore and his pride dented, the experience of being made Roman’s bitch as unpleasant as it was enlightening… and arousing.
Roman was out there somewhere in the woods, his attempt to breach the perimeter of the park as idiotic and uninspired as every other idea the alpha had come up with in the last fifteen years. Simon had seen a horrific flash of light, a blinding, concussive wave along the route Roman was to take with his wolves, and Simon knew that it was a failure. The men Roman had sent to the park gates were dead or taken hostage, and Simon could spare no more time waiting around. Roman was a lost cause, and the involvement of Remus Acquisitions was now made apparent to all parties.
Simon would not be caught unawares, not like Sebastien had been all those years ago. Simon had money, power, and men hired to kill. If Caius McLennan and the other Greater Clan Leaders decided to come for him, Simon was prepared to unleash war across New England.
Damn the consequences.
He would come out of this just fine. In fact, he still had his pets, in his labs, just waiting to fulfill their purpose. If Simon couldn’t get from them the secrets of their near immortality and abilities, then he would sell them to those who could get the information. Sending the doctor on the assault, to ‘drug the Heir’, was one last loose end neatly tied off. The doctor didn’t know where Simon held the remaining Suarez wolves, and the lab was being scrubbed this very moment.
Hatred and a sick fury burned in his gut. Let Roman suffer, Simon was cutting his losses. His neck and ass smarted, and Simon swore as he turned back to the waiting SUV, and climbed inside. The mercenary at the wheel pulled a three-point turn, and they drove away from Baxter, heading south.
ROMAN CREPT along the side of the cabin, the lights low, voices muted. The rear of the building was dark, and just above his head, a balcony door was cracked open. He caught the scent of pain and fear, and knew the Suarez wolves were just overhead. The shamans would be there with their patients. His nephew might be up there. There was no sign of Andromeda anywhere, so the beta bitch must be out dealing with the humans at the gates.
Roman took one last look around the darkened exterior of the cabin, then leapt up, his claws catching the railing. He pulled himself over and crouched on all fours before creeping across the balcony to the door. He listened, hearing the slow steady beat of hearts and the sound of someone whispering.
“Shaman River…” the voice cut out, the whisper drowned out by the wind. The storm was still very much present, but not as severe as it had been when the lightning storm eradicated the wolves Roman had sent to attack the cabin. He’d seen them all die a horrible death, and then made his way through the park to the cabin alone.
He stuck his nose in past the open door, the room dark. He couldn’t see anyone and risked entering a few steps more.
The lights flicked on, and a foot connected firmly with his rump, sending him sprawling into the back of a couch. He whirled, teeth bared, and resisted the urge to cower under the glacial stare of the White Bitch. Andromeda slammed shut the balcony door, and her skinny little brat of a brother walked around the couch to stand at her side.
“Always a fool, Roman McLennan,” she growled, eyes burning bright. He snarled back at her, teeth bared, and made to leap at the beta bitch, but her hand slapped out and landed across his temple. Everything went dark.
Epilogue
Reckoning
THE COMBINED wolfkin of Red Fern and Black Pine gently carried Burke out of the rear of the SUV, the Speaker returned to his human form and resting peacefully. Ghost paced at his side until River met him at the front porch, and Ghost nodded to the older shaman wearily, grateful it was over.
“He’ll be fine,” River assured him, and Ghost tried to smile, too tired and cold to say anything. He was exhausted, and he swayed, but he stayed, waiting until all the injured wolfkin went past him in to Andromeda’s cabin.
Warm, powerful arms came around his waist and pulled him back to a firm chest. Ghost sighed at the welcome heat, leaning on Kane in thanks.
“You saved him, my mate,” Kane leaned down and whispered in his ear, kissing a sensitive spot on his neck. Ghost shivered, though for a different reason. “Thank you, Ghost. You saved so many lives today.”
“So did you, my love,” Ghost twisted in Kane’s arms, and met his mate’s dark gaze. “The humans would have killed the families here without hesitation, and they needed to be stopped. The wolfkin at the gates wouldn’t have made it if you and your team hadn’t gotten there in time to stop the humans.”
“Many of our people were hurt,” Kane said, frowning, unhappiness clouding the air around them. “This never should have happened. If I’d killed Roman all those years ago…”
“Never blame yourself for this! Never,” Ghost snapped. “This is all on Roman and Simon Remus. My uncle turned his back on his people, and Simon Remus is an evil man who will find justice under your fangs. None of this is your fault, and I never want to hear you say anything like that again!”
Kane blinked down at him, and Ghost growled softly under his breath until his alpha gave him a small smile and a nod, leaning down to soothe him with a kiss. Ghost opened his mouth, letting Kane inside, and he found himself wrapping his legs around Kane’s lean waist, big hands gripping his ass. He buried his hands in the bigger man’s long dark hair, the soft strands delightful to the touch, and the taste of Kane in his mouth made his stomach clench in need.
“Take it somewhere private, younglings,” a woman called out, and Ghost lifted his head from Kane’s lush lips to see Andromeda an
d Sophia on the front porch, both female betas smirking at them.
“I’ll keep an eye on Burke and the others,” Sophia said, laughing.
“And Roman isn’t going anywhere,” Andromeda said with a deep growl, her blue eyes intense. “Caius will be here in a couple of hours; get some time in now, before explanations must be made to our Clan Leader.”
Ghost nodded, as did Kane, and his alpha carried him up the steps of the cabin and inside. Kane took the stairs, ignoring the wolfkin loitering on the steps and in the front foyer. Ghost was naked in an equally naked Kane’s arms, and surely the unspoken truth about their relationship was no longer a secret. Whether more than the select few already knew they were more than just lovers, that they were soulbonded mates, was another thing entirely.
Kane took them to the room they’d used before, kicking the door shut and lowering Ghost to the bed on his back. Ghost kept his legs open, and Kane settled between them. Big hands cupped his ass, kneading the flesh, and Ghost all but purred, eager for the touch despite his exhaustion.
“I should let you rest,” Kane murmured, placing kisses along his jawline. “You must be tired.”
“I want you, my mate,” Ghost breathed, tilting his head, lifting his hips, needing more. Wanting it, desperately. “Please, I need you.”
“Anything for you,” Kane said, and he leaned down, hand searching alongside the bed for his bag. Kane found the lube, and poured some onto his fingers.
Kane gently worked two fingers into Ghost’s ass, and he sighed, enjoying the sting. Kane’s fingers spread apart, opening Ghost’s hole, and he gasped, clutching to his alpha’s shoulders and lifting his hips. Kane knelt above him, and Ghost grabbed his knees and pulled them up and apart, trying to watch as Kane’s fingers moved in and out of his ass. The brush of his mate’s hand over his rear, the heat of his large body so close was too much for Ghost. Exhaustion was dragging at him, and yet his cock wasn’t listening to the rest of him. He was hard and he ached, bobbing against his stomach as clear fluid pulsed in sticky streams from the flared head. Kane murmured in appreciation, his other hand coming to grip his hard length in his big hand, fingers expertly stroking. Ghost moaned and lifted to the touch, his cock growing harder and ass loosening with each wonderful thrust of his mate’s fingers.
“Fill me, weigh me down and fill me up,” Ghost begged softly, so tired, but needing Kane inside him. He was ready to erupt, waves of tingling nerves flowing out from the base of his spine, out through his hips and legs, to his toes. His fingers dug at the bedding, claws ripping, and he growled, impatient. Kane never hurried, taking his time, stroking and thrusting, fingers curling, touching a spot inside of Ghost that made him snarl in hungry need. “Now, mate.”
Kane’s eyes were dark flames, flickering in the shadows of the bedroom. Every muscle was taut with need and his skin bronzed by sweat, blood still tracing the lean lines of his arms and shoulders. His alpha smiled, fangs dropping, as he twisted his fingers again and pegged that mysterious spot in Ghost’s channel. He cried out and went limp, legs falling from his grasp as Kane did it again.
“You are never leaving my side again, little shaman,” Kane whispered past his fangs, leaning down over him, blocking out any light left in the room. Kane’s dark eyes glowed with a light of their own, and Ghost couldn’t look away. Kane kissed him, lightly, withdrawing his hand and then reaching for the lube again. “You under me, taking me inside, howling my name… that’s where you belong.”
Kane held himself above Ghost, who lifted his legs as Kane slicked himself up. His arms found their way around Kane’s neck, his alpha positioning himself, holding still for a slow, wet kiss before pushing inside with his long, thick shaft.
Ghost tensed before Kane wordlessly begged him to relax, and Ghost did, Kane slipping inside deeper. The broad head pushed in, widening Ghost’s muscles, stretching him, the sting was just there on the edge of too much, and Ghost curled into Kane as the alpha lowered his full weight down on him. Kane slid in, fully seated now, and Ghost sighed, enjoying the deep ache. The pain was just enough, and the heavy weight of Kane’s balls pressing to his ass helped make it plain that his mate was on him, inside him, and weighing him down. Ghost shuddered, enjoying the sensations, Kane’s tongue dipping in his mouth, rubbing their tongues together.
Ghost whimpered into Kane’s mouth, and his alpha growled, lifting his hips just a little, and then pressing back down. His cock slid out and in, the gentlest of rhythms, barely moving, shifting inside Ghost just enough to put pressure on that special spot that sent lightning shivers through his whole body. Kane’s kiss went on forever, the pressure building between them, and Ghost let his mate inside his mind and heart, their spirits combining in a storming riot of colors.
Kane’s hips surged, pressing Ghost down, and teeth found his neck, biting. Ghost came, spurting hot seed between them as Kane lost his steady rhythm and rutted hard and deep. Kane growled, a horrible rumble that made Ghost shiver, his orgasm chasing itself across his body in a tangled mess of firing nerves. Ghost howled, his cry shattering the heavy quiet, and the floor shivered with him. Kane filled his ass with wet heat, flooding him, and Ghost held his mate tightly, locking them together mind, body and soul.
“You are glorious, little wolf,” Kane sighed in his ear, and Ghost licked his mate’s neck, humming happily. Kane was still cumming in him, and the heady scents of sweat and seed filled the room. Ghost held his mate through the last waves of his orgasm, and Kane went limp, his bigger frame holding him down on the bed.
Ghost closed his eyes, fingers tracing the chiselled muscles on Kane’s back, enjoying the warmth and weight of his mate. He felt it when Kane slipped into slumber, still hard and buried to the hilt inside his ass, Ghost’s legs locked tight around his lean hips.
Ghost let himself follow his mate into sleep, his eyelids closing, heavy as the rest of his body.
ANDROMEDA stalked down the hall, pausing only briefly outside the bedroom door where Kane and Ghost slumbered, the scent of sex wafting through the air. She smiled, but continued on, glad the younglings were cementing their bond in the face of what was coming. The deeper their connection, the safer they would be.
She took the stairs in a blur, out the front door of her cabin and along the icy path. The storm may be over, but the accumulation on the ground was still treacherous. Andromeda ran through the fresh snow, bare feet sinking only briefly as she ran.
When she reached the cabin she wanted, Andromeda saw a flash of pale skin and red hair in the window, and the door opened before she could even knock. She swept in, the human female closing the door behind her, eyeing Andromeda with a mixture of trepidation and intense curiosity. The human male came out from the restroom, stopping in his path to the kitchen.
“Ma’am,” the human male named Glen said, tilting his head in a show of respect. “Is it over?”
“Yes,” Andromeda said, watching the snow drip off her feet to the floor. She gave the humans a lightning quick grin, but it lacked warmth. “As over as such things can be. Time moves on, and wolves and men all die. Peace is temporary.”
“Ghost is okay?” Cat asked, hand to her mouth, green eyes wide.
“Our young shaman is well, but he may not be for much longer.” Andromeda watched as the humans who’d raised Ghost paled, their heartbeats erratic for a moment as they battled their sudden fear. These humans cared for Ghost, regardless of the fact they’d thought him an animal for the last several years. Their attachment to the cub was dangerous, for them more than Ghost.
“What do you mean?” Cat asked, Glen’s eyes tracking every move that Andromeda made. The human male, if born wolfkin, would have made a fine alpha. He was all solid strength, and calm power radiated out from his spirit. He would perhaps handle the coming decision better than his mate.
“Humans are only ever told about our kind as a last resort. I believe humans call it ‘need-to-know’, and th
e two Greater Clan Leaders coming in a few short hours will not think you both worthy of knowing our secrets. You must leave, for your sake as well as Ghost’s. He cannot survive the coming months if he is worried about your safety or mourning your deaths.”
“Leave? But...” Cat gasped, upset.
“If you stay, I can promise to try to keep you safe, and your involvement with Ghost might protect you, or even place you in greater danger. Caius may think you guilty of kidnapping, and kill you himself. Or he will be swayed by the love his grandchild holds for you and spare your lives. Yet caution tells me that where Caius may be swayed, Heromindes may not.”
“We won’t leave,” Glen stated, firm, jaw set. “Whatever happens, we won’t abandon our cub. He’s ours as much as he’s yours.” His mate nodded, her green eyes full of determination.
“I thought you might say that,” Andromeda said, her lips twitching. She hadn’t squared off against Caius in decades, and Heromindes was a mystery to her. Fighting for the humans’ right to live in safety would be a battle, and she couldn’t wait.
GHOST HELD Kane’s hand, standing beside his mate while the two large black vehicles took the last curve of the gravel drive. Burke, Gerald, Sophia and Gabe waited behind them, recovered from their assorted wounds and shifting nervously on their feet, their scents saying that these were going to be a few tense minutes once the Greater Clan Leaders disembarked. Cat and Glen were in their cabin, where they would stay until Ghost and Andromeda made it clear they were under their protection and exempt from the standing kill order on humans who learned the secrets of the wolfkin.
Ghost was nervous, though not as badly as the others. He was going to see Grandpa Caius for the first time in almost fifteen years, and he didn’t know how to feel about that. Where Gerald, for all his dour and biting exterior, engendered in Ghost a feeling of familiarity and reassuring comfort, Ghost’s memories of Caius McLennan were ones of nerves and wary respect, the greater alpha a stern figure of authority in his few memories from his life as Luca. Ghost had avoided the cellar room where Roman was chained and gagged, he wanted nothing to do with the uncle who betrayed his own family and killed so many of their people.